Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume7 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 2===

One evening after returning from school...

Having finished the preparations for cooking dinner, Haruaki was taking a break in the living room because it was still too early start cooking. Fear returned from the stroll she started as soon as she returned home. With both hands behind her back, she seemed to be hiding something.

"I-I'm home... Fufufu, say, Haruaki..."

Smiling weirdly, she approached slowly. Sitting side by side and sipping tea, Haruaki and Konoha exchanged glances then smiled. Pointing out of the house, Haruaki said:

"&mdash;Put it back. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

"What? Th-This isn't what you think!"

"A dog? Or a cat? I know, it must be something quite unusual, like a ferret or something, right?"

"Like I said, it's not what you think! Listen to me, or else I'll curse you! What I brought back is this!"

Quite miffed, Fear handed over a flyer. Haruaki and Konoha looked at the piece of paper together.

"Let's see... 'Bountiful Harvest, Autumn Festival announcement'...?"

"Oh, it's the shrine up ahead, right? Speaking of which, it is that time of the year huh... But you wouldn't happen to be thinking... of going?"

Fear nodded up and down vigorously with eyes showing great anticipation.

"Hmm&mdash;Right, I guess you haven't taken part in this type of festivities yet~"

"E-Exactly! I've heard that festivals are really fun. Say, Haruaki~, can we go?"

"The date is... Today? No matter what, isn't that too rushed? Besides, we've already finished the preparations for dinner."

"Just eat it for a midnight snack or breakfast tomorrow. Aren't there so many ways to take care of food?"

Fear had a point, but honestly speaking, it was a bit troublesome.

Wondering what Konoha thought, Haruaki turned his head. Since she was always nagging the most about Fear's impetuous willfulness, she was probably uninterested this time as well&mdash;Just as Haruaki thought that...

"Festival... Not going... Yukata... A different look for me... Heart racing events...!"

Murmuring nonstop, she suddenly widened her eyes and said:

"Let's go, Haruaki-kun!"

"What an unexpected reaction? I thought you didn't like going to crowded places?"

"Wow~ Cow Tits! I must praise you for making the right choice this time!"

Konoha coughed and cleared her throat. Then she continued:

"I simply believe that participating in this type of activity would be nice once in a while. Let me make myself clear. I have not been biding my time for an opportunity ever since the summer festival. Neither have I missed out because I was unable to speak up when the two of us were alone. Nothing like that at all. Absolutely."

Haruaki could not quite get what she was talking about, but anyway, he understood that she was quite interested in going.

"However... Ah, you girls should know that it'd be unfair to Kuroe if the three of us went without her. But if we wait for her to close up shop, the festival would have ended already&mdash;"

"Looking for me?"

"Where did you pop out from?"

Somehow, Kuroe was already sitting at the table. She was even asking for tea on her own, going "Kono-san, me too&mdash;"

"What about your shop...?"

"Closing up slightly earlier today for a break. After all, there are no appointments. Also, my pleasure detector sensed strongly that something fun was brewing."

"That's the first time I've heard of that kind of detector..."

While groaning, Haruaki realized that resistance was futile. On the other hand, he was not particularly opposed to the idea except for a mild sense that it was troublesome.

"Got it. In that case, let's all go and check it out."

Instantly, Fear stood up, her face in all smiles. Shaking her fist to make a victorious pose, she said:

"Nwa&mdash;! It's finally here, I can finally make my debut at a festival! Ooh, what food will there be? I wonder if there will be sacred rice crackers used as offerings for gods... I can't wait to find out!"

"No, I can tell you for certain that it doesn't exist."

"Having decided that we're going, preparations must be made&mdash;Fufu, it's been so long since I last wore a yukata..."

Fear glared with her eyes wide towards Konoha who was about to return to her room.

"I knew it all along, Cow Tits. The clothing known as yukata is the proper attire for festivals. It's too unfair if you're the only one wearing it, so I want one too!"

"Oh~ I do have quite a few, in fact... But they can't possibly fit you. If all you wish is to try them on, I won't stop you."

"What do you mean, they can't possibly fit me!? Haruaki and Kuroe, you wait here. Since it's Cow Tits after all, it's possible she'll deliberately give me a yukata that doesn't fit. Once I'm changed, you two give me your opinion."

As a result, the two girls rushed out of the living room. Next, Haruaki heard loud noises and impacts coming from Konoha's room. Staying in the living room, Haruaki and Kuroe drank tea quietly.

"Speaking of clothes not fitting, I remember something similar happening before..."

"Okay okay, Haru. In any case, let's look forward to Ficchi's fashion show."

Several minutes later, slow footsteps approached the living room. Then the paper door slid open and standing there was&mdash;

"..."

Fear, expressionless from forcibly suppressing her emotions.

Naturally, she was wearing a yukata, one whose fabric was embroidered with a pretty hydrangea pattern... However, the chest area was very loose, her fingertips were almost completely covered by the sleeves, and the loose hem was dragging on the tatami floor. Taken altogether with the sash that just managed to tie the loose yukata together at the waist&mdash;What should one say? Summed up in a single sentence&mdash;One probably could not find another dwarf like her in the entire world.

Haruaki and Kuroe shook their heads silently.

Fear rapidly slid the paper door shut and returned to Konoha's room. Then a few minutes later&mdash;

"..."

With an increasingly grim expression, Fear made her appearance again, this time in a pretty aqua-blue yukata. Apart from that, her state was no different from last time. Haruaki really felt like nicknaming her "Miss Dwarf" as a result.

The paper door slid shut again as a patter of footsteps gradually receded into the distance.

"...Could you find a suitable opportunity to make her a suggestion? Don't you have quite a few yukatas yourself?"

"I planned to lend her one from the start."

"If that's the case, why didn't you say so earlier!?"

Haruaki stared at Kuroe in surprise but all she made was a glazed-eye expression as usual with a subtle smile on her face.

"If I did that, I would've lost a chance to photograph Ficchi's rare appearances."

At this moment, Haruaki could hear two sounds in his speechlessness.

Approaching footsteps that betrayed the owner's depressed spirits yet refusing to give up.

In addition, there were the minute sounds of a digital camera's operation coming from inside Kuroe's hair.