Editing OreShura: Volume 5 Chapter 4

==Chapter 4 - Masuzu, Hunting the Lovestruck==

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With just a short period of time left before the end of the summer vacation, on a certain morning.


'''【From】''' oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraora@xxxx.mail.ne.jp

'''【Subject】''' Morn'g, Ora-Masuzu!


Crap......

Even though it was a mail from my girlfriend, just the subject alone was enough for me to want to trash it!

However, as I was afraid of the consequences of leaving it alone, I opened the mail reluctantly.


'''【Message】''' We are going on a 《 Hunt 》. Please make preparations.


''What hunt?'' On sending my reply mail,


'''【Subject】''' Oh my oh my

'''【Message】''' It's of course a 《 Hunt on the Lovestruck 》.


"......"

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I could get a whiff of the scent of danger from that reply.

This girl had finally felt like staining her hands with a criminal act. Did she want to go about massacring couples indiscriminately?

''I can't go along with it if it's something dangerous'' --- I replied and,


'''【Subject】''' Rest assured

'''【Message】''' I won't be breaking the law. Just barely though.


"Which one is it!?"

With a hint of gloominess in my voice, I threw a zinger at the mail. State clearly whether you are actually crossing the line or not!

As I was thinking about what to reply, another mail came before I could do that,


'''【Subject】''' Please

'''【Message】''' I would need your strength to defeat the lovestruck. Holy Dragon Knight of Dawn 《 Burning Fighting Fighter 》. Lend me the strength of your light.


She suddenly said something that Hime would say.

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If a frontal assault didn't work, she went for a rear assault huh. That was probably how much she wanted me to go with her on the 「Lovestruck Hunt」.

Well, whichever way it was, I could not go against the will of my great "Girlfriend". And, she did say something scary while we were arguing with Hime's big sister. I was originally planning to go study in the local library, but it seemed like I had to change my plans.

"Besides......"

Regarding the matter where I was kissed by Chiwa during our summer training camp, Masuzu had yet to cross-examine me on that however --- I wondered what she really thought about it.

I really could not predict what kind of actions she would take.

That was why I was worried.

"I just hope she doesn't go on a crazy rampage......"


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We had always met at the cafe just before the station but, today, we decided to scrimp and chose a fast food restaurant instead. Since we used up quite a bit of our allowances at the training camp and whatnot. We had to be frugal.

However, that somehow turned out to be disastrous ---

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"Woah."

As I looked at the crowd of people in the restaurant excluding the line at the payment counter, I came to realize that I had erred in my judgement.

A 「Masuzu doughnut phenomenon」 had occurred.

What was the 'Masuzu doughnut phenomenon'? It was a way of describing how people putting a 「strange distance」 away from the gorgeous looking yet seemingly hard-to-approach Masuzu, and were forming a circle around her. A white space formed up at a three-meter radius away from Masuzu, resembling the 'hole' of a doughnut, which was what led to the coining of that term. By moi.

"She's cute." "Beautiful." "Go talk to her." "No way, you go." I pushed through the curious onlookers and stepped into the hole of the doughnut.

"Eita, aren't you late?"

Masuzu, who was sitting uncomfortably, looked up at me with a sign of apparent relief.

Her hairstyle was different from usual.

Her trademark silver hair was tied with a white ribbon at the back. Masuzu, who normally appeared to be older, looked more like a high school girl, probably as a result of her current hairstyle which made her look younger.

Her outfit, also different from usual, was made up of a sleeveless one-piece dress and a pair of red mules. Usually preferring something comfortable, it was rare for Masuzu to wear something that reveals her shoulders and thighs in such an alluring way. I wonder what kind of change came over her.

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"Anyway, let's get out of here."

"Roger."

Masuzu stood up, and as if losing her sense, she entwined her arm around mine.

A murmuring of sighs arose from around us, and the looks of resentment from the guys locked on to me.

"What are you up to?"

"Let's just get out of here. There are too many onlookers here."

Dragged by Masuzu by the arm, we exited the restaurant.

After walking for a while in the opposite direction of the ticket barriers of the station, we sat down on a bench along the riverbank by the roadside trees.

"We can talk more leisurely here."

"Yeah --- But before that."

Masuzu, who was sitting beside me, suddenly brought her face close to me,

"Isn't there something you ought to tell me after seeing my appearance today?"

On saying that, she bent her body, and her largely open bosom was almost visible, aah, the base of her white bulges arrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

"W-well, nothing actually?"

I averted my gaze and coughed.

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"Fuhn. Even when my Jojo-cute charm was making so lightheaded."

"It didn't doh. And what's Jojo-cute, aren't you being too liberal with your Japanese?"

"...... dummy."

Masuzu pouted with a hint of boredom.

"More importantly, what's up with that mail, about the 『Hunt on the Lovestruck』?"

"Yeah. First, look at this."

Masuzu took out a magazine from her tote bag, flipped to a page which was tagged and showed it to me.


'''''Special Feature: Take This Chance ♥  Hanenoyama Town's {{Furigana|Roadside-Kiss|Rojou-Chuu|0.9em|color2=#2222BB|margin=12|spacing=2px}} Spots!'''''


"What's this? They even do features on good {{Furigana|roadside parking|Rojou-Chuusha|0.9em|color2=#2222BB|margin=12}} spots?"

As I ascertained the title of the magazine which I thought was of an anti-society nature, it was 「Hanenoyama Walker」, a normal magazine covering information about the town.

"{{Furigana|Roadside-Kiss|Rojou-Chuu|0.9em|color2=#2222BB|margin=12|spacing=2px}} is short for 'Kissing by the Roadside'. In other words, it's referring to outside spots where you can kiss."

"Huuh......? Why would people kiss outside? Is that for showing off to others?"

"To tell others that, the man who steals my lips in front of others, lays bare his virginity."

"Dah, bah, it's just that kind of event so it can't be helped right!"

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And, it has nothing to do with virginity!

He doesn't lay it bare, don't be so disrespectful to the boyfriend hey you!

"It just means that isn't it? It's because it's more wild and hot to have others look at them."

"I see. A beast huh."

There are also such terrible people. Did the morals of the folks in Hanenoyama town fall so much?

"As people who have a good amount of pride in our anti-love views, we can't allow such loose people to continue their atrocities. That's why Eita, you shall hinder them."

"Me!?"

You do it you! Why are you making others do your dirty work?

"Kidding. Let's shake hands and hunt together, shall we?"

"......"

At any rate, it was decided that I would be involved.

"I get what you mean. But how? I don't want to commit a crime."

"It'll be fine. We are just going to point our fingers and laugh at them. 'Oh my, these guys are kissing. How shameless!'. Even the lovestruck ones will be embarrassed and run away."

"...... sounds like what elementary kids would do......"

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I kind of felt that it would be just as embarrassing for us though.

"Well, if you die, I'll be with you."

"I don't want to die."

"Now, L-E-T-'S H-U-N-T! Otherwise, K-I-L-L Y-O-U!"

"I don't want to die, I said!?"

As she uttered her strange English (even though she had come back from a foreign country), Masuzu stood up and walked briskly.

For a moment, I was thinking of going home --- but I thought about the nightmares that I would have as the "boyfriend" if I see Masuzu's name decorating the headlines of the news tomorrow.

In order to prevent her from staining her hands from a criminal act as a result of losing her sense, I had no choice but to follow along to keep an eye on her......


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And so.

We came to the junction west of Hanenoyama Elementary School, one of the 「Roadside Kiss Spots」 as listed in the magazine.

Masuzu pointed to the stairs of a pedestrian bridge,

"It's likely that the crime would take place on top of that."

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It was a place, where other than elementary students commuting to school would take in the morning, had hardly any people passing through. But it was not totally nil, there were times when a housewife buying things from a nearby supermarket would pass through. It seemed like a place where one could experience the thrill of 'being seen'.

"So, how do we stake this place out?"

"Yeah......"

Masuzu looked around, then pointed at a sign, which was in the shape of a policeman, beside the bridge.

"We shall hide behind that, and wait for the foolish couples. When they start climbing the bridge, we will secretly follow behind, when they kiss, we will go 'Shameless'."

"......"

No matter how I look at it, it was pretty childish.

Besides, the sign was a little too small for the both of us to completely hide ourselves behind it,

"Hey Eita, stick closer to me."

"Nah, it's fine. It's uncomfortably hot."

Masuzu glared at me with displeasure at me keeping a distance,

"This is a hunting ground you know? It's about kill or be killed you know? Hot or cold aside, what if we get seen by our prey?"

She said it unsparingly.

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I had no choice but to comply with Masuzu's wishes but.

"......?"

Hnn?

Why was her face so red?

Her fists were clenched.

Her feet were fidgety, it wasn't like Masuzu to be so unsettled.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Masuzu tried to act normal.

But it was weird.

Just now, we were just sticking shoulder to shoulder, but before I knew it, she was leaning against me, clinging on to me.

Additionally, her head rested on my shoulder, and her eyes were closed, absorbed.

Her head slid down and slowly got closer to my chest.

"The prey's not coming."

"...... yeah."

Masuzu gave a small sigh. Her silver ponytail dangled before my eyes.

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I frantically tried to change the topic to calm my thumping heart,

"Ah, but, you know. Speaking of pedestrian bridge, it reminds me. The summer vacation special episode of 'Punishment Extreme'<ref>'''Maguke (Punishment Extreme):''' A fictional TV show mentioned in earlier volumes<br/><br/></ref>."

"...... mo-nyo."

"How Yasu-san managed to persuade the perpetrator who was going to jump off the pedestrian bridge with his tears! That heated scene really kept me on my chair. Well, I doubt that he would be alright even if he opened his parachute."

"Mo-nyo, mo-nyo."





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About two hours later ---

We continued our unproductive stake-out, but there was not a sign of a 「Roadside Kiss」 group.






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