Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume10 Epilogue (section)

===Part 4===

After finishing breakfast, Kuroe handed chocolate to Haruaki as though saying "This is a snack." He originally wondered if he would get some sort of weird item like the rainbow-colored worm-shaped chocolate seen on television, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be ordinary chocolate.

Then reaching school, he found a small chocolate in his shoe locker. Taizou happened to see it and hammered the floor as though he were dealt a great blow, crying: "Only you! Damn it! There's no God in this world!" Haruaki ignored him and picked up the chocolate, only to find a note as well, written in a red pen like a frightening letter of blood that read: "Courtesy!" After seeing that, Taizou smirked for some reason and breathed a sigh of relief while placing a hand on Haruaki's shoulder. On the back of the note, there was also a message: "Shiraho told me that it's the local custom to write the words on the cover in this kind of style, so she wrote it for me. So this is the chocolate that carries gratitude from both of us. Please accept with a smile♪"... Sovereignty aside, the feelings poured into this chocolate by Shiraho were surely something even more terrifying and ominous.

The atmosphere in school seemed quite edgy and high-strung.

During break time, Haruaki witnessed many times the sight of people giving chocolate to one another while he was walking along the corridor, in the classroom or the courtyard. He also witnessed male friends gathered together in the washroom, whispering to each other: "Hey, how many did you receive...?" "What about you, who..." Haruaki was thinking they had something secret to discuss but they ended up strangling one another's necks in the next instant. Meanwhile, Kana was leisurely passing out Tirol chocolate to all the classmates as usual. Haruaki received one as well.

During lunchtime, the usual lunch duel took place again. What was different from usual&mdash;"Konoha-san didn't show up... Clearly I've been trying so hard to talk to her since Term 1... I still haven't reached the level of courtesy...?" Taizou was quite depressed, while Kirika was absentmindedly spacing out and Kana was frequently elbowing Kirika in the flank as though going "Hurry! Hurry!" On the other hand, Fear was wolfing down her lunchbox as usual as though she had already accomplished what she was supposed to do.

After finishing his lunch, Haruaki left the classroom, thinking of going to the washroom.

Then just as he was walking in the corridor, someone suddenly called out to him from behind. He looked back.

Awkwardly, her gaze was wandering all over the place, but at the same time, her entire body exuded a sense of nervousness&mdash;Then she spoke:

"Yachi, umm... I have something to talk to you about... F-Follow me."



The chosen destination was the roof. Luckily&mdash;or perhaps miraculously&mdash;there were no other people at all.

Kirika took a deep breath. There was no going back.

"Class Rep, you said you had something to tell me...? Is there another problem...?"

"N-No, it's nothing. Every day has been calm and peaceful."

Indeed, there was no problem every day.

Ever since that night, Himura had not reappeared. He not only abandoned his identity as a teacher but also his identity as a researcher, his whereabouts a mystery. She had stayed on alert for quite a while, but nothing changed&mdash;Hence, in the end...

That man must have vanished.

Gone past the curse's limit.

Even if he had escaped successfully that night with his consciousness intact, she did not think he would never use the mask again. Amidst days of peace and calm, the longer time went by, the higher the chance he had vanished.

She kept getting the feeling she will never see him again.

If she told this to her past self that this was going to happen; if she told her past self that still called that man "Senpai" at the time... What would she think&mdash;?

Absolutely ridiculous. Pondering such matters was completely pointless. Kirika shook her head.

"Uh... Is it about Amanda?"

"No, not that either. But after some time, I intend to ask Un Izoey to let us visit her... Cough cough, anyway, no. Absolutely ridiculous. What I want to talk about is something else."

She forcefully pulled her consciousness back to what she was supposed to do next.

What she was supposed to do was very simple. She had been thinking about this all along.

Hence, Kirika took the object out from her pocket.

"It's basically handmade, but I don't know if the taste will be to your liking."

"Chocolate? Ohoh... Thank you. Uh... I never expected to receive one from you, Class Rep, because I was thinking you might not be interested in this kind of festival... Although it's surprising, I'm very happy. I will savor it carefully."

"Th-Then in that case, I'll be very grateful. Also, ummm&mdash;"

She stammered. The instant she saw his smiling face, her mind went completely blank.

She clenched her fist tightly, trying to make that blank mind regain rationality. Just at this moment&mdash;

"Oh right, Class Rep. That girl Fear gave me chocolate too and said something about your assistance... I have to thank you for that too. She didn't cause you any trouble, did she?"

In her originally blank mind, that girl's face surfaced. Immediately, as though attached in a series, the face of the glasses-wearing girl with twin braids also surfaced next.

Kirika smiled wryly. Unbelievably, her mind was gradually turning calm.

How troubling, to think he would start talking about other girls at a time like this. Yachi, you really should read the mood.

"Oh... You don't need to worry. I only lent her my kitchen and started her off with some instructions for beginners. The rest was all Fear-kun's own hard work. She put in a lot of effort so you really must savor it carefully."

"Yeah, I ate a few already, it's quite tasty. I was so surprised."

Fear had already given her chocolate to him. Presumably, Konoha had also gave her gift as well.

But that did not matter.

She had been thinking. While helping Fear make chocolate by hand, she had been thinking all along.

She was not going to participate in the contest.

"Then that's it. Since I need to prepare for next period, I'm going back first."

With a calm smile, Kirika turned around.

She intended to leave the roof before him.

"Oh Class Rep! Let me say this again, thank you!"

She heard his voice coming from behind.

Just as she was about to open the roof's iron door, Kirika stopped walking.

"Yachi, I forgot to say something important."

Yes, indeed&mdash;She was not going to participate in the contest.

From the moment her body was enveloped by a curse, from the moment she was forced to wear the cursed outfit, she had given up on many many things. Hence, imagination alone was very sufficient, thoughts alone was very sufficient&mdash;

That was what she always believed.

But then she recalled what that girl had said, towards that foolish man, those words of reprimand.

''There is nothing more shameful and unsightly than this kind of love where you've given up on fighting from the start''.

Kirika agreed with what that girl had said.

Hence, for the sake of herself who had abandoned everything till now, Kirika&mdash;

From this moment onwards&mdash;


"''That chocolate is not out of courtesy''."


''Kirika gave up on "giving up on fighting."''



"Eh...?" Leaving Haruaki behind in puzzlement, Kirika closed the roof's iron door.

After taking a deep breath, she began to walk, descending down the stairs, step by step.

Valentine's Day. For girls, this festival was a deathmatch in the contest of love.

But she was different. To the point that she did not even have the right to stand on that battlefield.

She must first take the first step. If she did not want to be a disgraced coward, she must stand upon the battlefield, even at the risk of suffering defeat.

Because she was different from Himura Sunao.

Different from that selfish man who wanted to obtain happiness despite giving up on fighting.

In other words, what she had said just now was&mdash;

A declaration of war, in order to exhibit this resolve of hers.

Kirika recalled in her mind those formidable rivals.

Making an expression like a proud warrior about to face an imminent battle of honor, she smiled and murmured.


"The way I see it, the title of the 'strongest' should belong to those girls instead, right? Although there's an absolutely ridiculous difference in combat potential... Well then, how should I face them in battle?"
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