Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 8===

The sky was already quite dark.

"Heave-ho!"

Sounding like an old man, Haruaki tossed garbage bags into the incinerator located in a corner of the school. Cleanup was reaching its final stages. After making several trips back and forth already, the task of trash disposal was also about to conclude.

Next, he could sense the sports ground getting noisier and noisier, because the after party was about to start. Did the more impatient homerooms run outside to gather this quickly already? Having already fooled around that much during the day, they sure are energetic.

On the other hand, so much had happened on Haruaki's side, hence he was dead tired. He could not suppress the yawns coming from his throat.

As Haruaki yawned in succession, he really felt like sitting down to rest... Looks like I'll have to rest during the after party. Since every class will lay out tarps, I could probably lie down for a bit&mdash;No, sleeping is probably not allowed.

Just as Haruaki smiled wryly and said "I'll tough it out a bit longer," and yawned again...

"...Yachi."

"Oh... Class Rep, you're here to throw out garbage too?"

Although he asked that, Kirika did not seem like she was throwing garbage away because there were no garbage bags in her hands. Furthermore, she was acting a little furtive and awkward.

"No, how should I say this...? I have something... to say to you, are you... free right now?"

"Yeah I'm free, after all, most of the garbage should be cleaned up... But the after party starts soon."

"I know, so I'll be quick. Come, follow me."

"Eh? Hey, I'm coming even if you don't drag me&mdash;Speaking of which, can't we just talk here?"

"Of course not!"

Circling around the school building, the pair moved over to a deserted area behind the school.

"Since we're in a hurry, let's go up directly. The roof."

"Eh, directly to the roof, what do you mean... Ah&mdash;!"

The «Tragic Black River» suddenly slithered out and wrapped around Haruaki's waist while its tip continued to extend towards the roof and entangled a fence, contracting with Haruaki caught in its midsection. Then Haruaki experienced an extremely terrifying feeling of suspension as they ascended&mdash;Finally pausing just before the fence for Kirika to ascertain there was no one on the roof. Then crossing over the fence, Haruaki finally stepped on solid concrete again.

"Gah, that was really scary...! Class Rep, give me some time for mental preparation if you're going to do that!"

"D-Didn't I say we're in a hurry?"

"Even so, you didn't need to go this far... Actually, I wanted to say many things like 'Let's take the stairs' or 'Can't we talk down below?' etc but never mind, it's over anyway. Okay, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"H-Hmm, let's sit down here first."

At Kirika's urging, Haruaki sat down in a corner of the roof. Kirika also took a seat beside him with a delicate distance between them. Haruaki could hear her taking a few deep breaths as though calming herself down.

"Ah... First of all, I'd like to thank you. I've added a lot to your troubles today... So, thank you for taking care of me, thank you very much."

Haruaki smiled wryly: "What the heck, it turns out to be this?"

"You don't have to say thanks or anything. After all, I didn't do very much. You should thank Fear and the others instead."

"...You're right. I also intend to thank them properly. All of you tried so hard, risking your lives to rescue me. I'm very glad."

"You placed your life on the line too, so I think it's only natural for us to do that."

Haruaki's relaxed tone of voice prompted a sigh from Kirika.

"You're right, I also... placed my life on the line... I don't want to go back no matter what, that's why I went that far. It's not like I enjoy pain, but I had no other choice."

"Oh, that's right! I remember that, but I forgot to ask because there were too many things going on&mdash;Umm, was your plan really to proactively get yourself stabbed by the knife? Why did you have to do that? Class Rep."

"...In order to win, that was the only way."

"What I mean is: that can't count as a solution, right? A plan that relies on deliberately causing pain to yourself, isn't that too outrageous? When you insisted on assigning roles to us, it was for that, right? ...Jeez."

"After all, it's already over."

"Because it's over, that's why it makes me feel uncomfortable. Oh man&mdash;Damn it, I should have stopped you through forceful means. Had I known, I surely would have changed the distribution of roles."

Haruaki gulped in the process. Then he heard Kirika's voice.

"Umm... Are you angry?"

"Quite angry, and also angry at myself for not stopping you. I beg you, please don't do something like that again."

"If I did it again, what would you do?"

"I'll get angry again. Oh right... You're hereby sentenced to forehead flicking. Hence, this is for today."

Kirika happened to have sat down beside him within arm's reach. Hence, Haruaki extended his hand and flicked her on the forehead with a "smack."

"I'm really begging you, please don't make me worry so much, even if you have an immortal body&mdash;When I saw the blood gushing from your heart, I was so scared my heart almost stopped. Hmm, what's wrong, Class Rep? Sorry, did I flick too hard?"

"Hmm..."

For some reason, Kirika had turned her body and her face away. While presenting her back towards Haruaki, she was resting her face on her hands while her body trembled. What's going on, did something happen? Haruaki had caught a glimpse of Kirika's face for an instant after flicking her forehead and she seemed unimaginably more relaxed than her usual self&mdash;She shouldn't be the type to feel happy about being scolded, were his nerves acting up?

"Class Rep, are you okay?"

"N-Nothing... I'm... completely... fine. Hu... ha... Hmm, right, I'm fine!"

Haruaki heard her breathe in and out many times, then suddenly she turned herself towards him again. As he thought, the earlier expression he saw must have been an illusion. Because right now, she was displaying a furious expression with lips pursed, eyes widened and eyebrows raised. What an exaggerated expression of anger, it almost felt as though she were making it deliberately.

"Uwoah! S-Sorry."

"No, it's fine. You are right, I did something that angered you. So you don't need to apologize. After all, that's just how it goes. I'm done with what I wanted to say today. How absolutely ridiculous!"

Her face kept twitching. Were her emotions about to explode? If not, then it looked as though she were desperately suppressing the urge to laugh, but of course, that could not possibly be happening.

(After all, she did that for everyone's sake... But it's my sincere feeling that I don't want her to hurt herself. In any case, even if I offended her, it can't be helped.)

Haruaki decided to withhold his advice of telling her to caution herself. He simply sighed and accepted her wrath. But being glared by her like this was really not good for his heart. Hence deliberately avoiding Kirika's gaze as she sat beside him, he looked up towards the sky. The sun was almost completely set. The sky above had already turned into a vast expanse of navy blue, resembling one of those dome-shaped ceilings in planetarium theaters.

For some reason, Kirika fell silent and did not speak. All Haruaki could hear was the comfortable sound of the cool breeze.

After a long long silence.

(...Yawn.)

Haruaki felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Just as he was thinking about finding a place to sit down and rest, this dark roof turned out to be a location that was easy on the eyes. Crap, even sitting upright on the hard concrete floor, he was beginning to feel as though it were a luxury chair. He felt his entire body sinking, slowly sinking. How much time had passed since their last dialogue? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Or maybe only a minute?

"S-Say, Yachi, let's get back to the main point&mdash;"

Class Rep was about to say something, I must wake up. Otherwise, it'd be too impolite, I must wake up...

Hmm, Class Rep. What's up?

"...Yachi?"

He could not believe that Kirika failed to hear his voice. Hence, he tried to vibrate his vocal cords again.

But he had already reached his limit.

His consciousness ended up switching up&mdash;

Then he could not hear anything more.



Kirika murmured to herself, absolutely ridiculous.

Sitting with his knees drawn up, Haruaki had fallen asleep with his cheek resting against his lap. Accompanied by the sound of his breathing noises, he was completely unconscious. Also, his head was turned, giving a clear view of his stupid sleeping face.

"Absolutely ridiculous...!"

She muttered again, feeling a surge of anger rising. Easygoing, too easygoing.

"...I'm angry. That's right, I'm angry, Yachi! And there are quite a few reasons for that. First of all, your punishment did hurt just now, so this is purely for revenge!"

Kirika's tone of voice was forceful but did not escape the realm of whispers. These words were completely not enunciated.

Approaching Haruaki on her knees, she reached out with a grim expression and flicked towards his forehead.

It missed, because Kirika missed intentionally.

She had flicked her finger into empty space without even touching his bangs. Kirika imagined a look of pain on his face but that was not satisfying enough.

"Second of all, it's about what made you angry! Whenever there is a need, I'm still going to do it, as many times as necessary. Even though I know it isn't right, for the sake of my righteous desires, I will still resort to that move no matter how many times it takes! If you want to be mad at me, that's your problem, but be prepared. I'll pay you back with my anger like this every time!"

Drawing her face even closer, this time, she aimed a flick at his nose.

A nose flick separated by the air.

In her imagination, he yelled in pain while laughing "You win okay, I get it now." How could there exist such an easygoing guy who was excessively nice to a fault? Of course, she was not satisfied yet either.

"Third of all, I can't forgive you for the third reason! Basically, you&mdash;"

Of course, she had already decided what she needed to do.

Still on her knees, she slightly drew herself even closer to him.

Like the previous two times&mdash;but this time, she was quite hesitant until the very very last second&mdash;she decided on her next target while thinking "Oh no~ I can't do it, this really is my limit" in escapism.

Then she held her breath.


His cheek. Her very own lips. They made contact.


"Huff... Ah..."

She had no idea herself how many seconds she spent on that action.

Slowly, slowly, she separated from him.

Then she collapsed and sat on the floor, looking down as she murmured to herself.

"That's... because you... leave too many openings... for others to take advantage..."

In the beginning, she planned on saying "this is your reward as my thanks for helping me" while carrying out the act forcefully. She originally planned to use that as an excuse because she felt compelled to do it.

She had already prepared herself mentally.

She had also prepared herself for what could happen afterwards or the end result.

However&mdash;

To think he would fall asleep in such an unguarded state&mdash;Doesn't that mean she can't do as planned anymore?
[[image:C3 05-289.jpg|thumb]]

Kirika did not have the courage to let this perfect opportunity slip past "unused." Amidst feelings of desperation, in fact, her initially decided target was not his cheek... But in the end, she lost to her feelings of terror that even she could not understand herself. Good heavens, when did I become such a coward?

No, it's fine. Since everything had ended, it's fine, anyway... Anyway&mdash;

"Hmm..."

Kirika stood up without waking up Haruaki. Feeling a painful throbbing, she ran forward. She discovered faint light in front of the fence and could hear Oklahoma Mixer music in the background. Was the after party starting? What was he going to do? Was he going to get up immediately? If after waiting a long time for him and he still doesn't go to the after party, I'll just say I left him to sleep on the roof and left first&mdash;Kirika used the paltry remainder of calmness in her mind to ponder, but very soon, the rhythm of her heart instantly shot up.

In any case, all she could think of was leaving this place, leaving him.

If she did not do that, she could very well die.

Hence, Kirika opened and went through the metal door to the school building, then closed it softly. Exhaling as she leaned back on the door, she held her hand to her chest to suppress the beating within. At this moment, a sense of reality suddenly surged forth.

&mdash;I did it. I really... did it.

"Phew... Huff~ Ah..."

Calm down, I must calm down. Putting emotions aside for now, I must consider the logical side of things.

Indeed, although it did not go as initially planned, there should not be any problems.

There were no problems with this time or place.

She had provided concrete evidence and fulfilled the despicable condition that man had proposed&mdash;Could you show me a kiss? Kirika had no idea where he was observing from, but that man definitely saw it, so this was fine. In that case, she would not be taken back to the Lab Chief's Nation.

"Ha... Haha, serves me right..."

The worst memories, carved into the innermost depths of her mind, surfaced choppily in her mind. A sudden sense of touch, the arm she pushed away due to revulsion of that touch, that man's smiles and words. Hmm~ So this kind of feelings exists? Another unknown demolished, thank you, Kirika.

Clearly it had happened many years ago, but simply remembering these fragments of memories&mdash;Past feelings of terror were finally reappearing vividly as though she had just heard those words.

She could not allow him to know that sense of terror. She could not allow him to know how terrifying he was in his mindset of desiring to investigate thousands of unknowns. Hence, she absolutely could not allow him to know the reason why she refused to return to that man's side no matter what.

However, she had finally taken revenge. It took a great deal of effort to replace those memories of the worst kind.

Although it was done for a reason...

Although she almost backed out in fear and only managed it due to luck...

But this was definitely&mdash;

"This was... My first kiss."

Kirika gently caressed her lips with her fingers.

Then she rushed down the stairs with leaping steps.


Meanwhile.

Konoha was behind the water tower on the roof. She had been looking for Haruaki to join the after party, hence she followed him went he went out to dispose of the garbage. Finding Haruaki and Kirika acting strangely, she tailed them, climbed onto the roof using a drainpipe and saw&mdash;

"...That kind of thing, I already knew a long time ago."

Then there were Kirika's feelings of love she had hidden in her heart.

Konoha had eavesdropped with her superhuman hearing. She also did the same back during Kirika's conversation with Pakuaki.

Hence, Konoha knew what she was going to do.

Konoha renewed her thoughts. "What a formidable rival she is..." Although it crossed her mind, she left it at that.

"As expected of a cultural festival, so many things happened. However... I won't admit defeat."

Leaning back against the water tower, Konoha smiled wryly as she watched the sky lit up by the bonfire. She raised her hand as though trying to pierce the brightest star in the sky. This hand that was stained with the blood of babies, pregnant women and the elderly in the past. She knew she was filthy but consequently she greatly desired things of purity and cleanliness and looked forward to things of purity and cleanliness. She believed in cleanliness and purity.

Whether in lifestyle&mdash;or love.

Indeed, only by winning fair and square would her love have meaning.

Hence, nothing would change. She simply thought to herself, "I will try even harder than before."

"...Very well, time for me to get going."

In any case, she had decided what she would do next.

Going downstairs from here, pretending to look for Haruaki all over the place, then finally finding him here and waking him up.

Then with their usual expressions, with their usual attitudes, the two of them would join the after party.

Then before anyone else could do so, she would invite him to dance.



&mdash;Not long before Konoha was smiling wryly at the night sky, in other words, while Kirika was still on the roof.

Fear was also watching the same scene through the metal door that was slightly ajar.

Like Konoha, she had gone searching for Haruaki and just by coincidence, she witnessed the scene on the roof.

"Eh... How strange... Oh...?"

She pressed one hand tightly against her chest.

She could not understand.

No idea what was going on.

Kirika's lips had merely touched Haruaki's cheek. That was all.


Then why, why was her heart hurting so much?

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
| Return to [[CubexCursedxCurious#Volume_5_.28Full_Text.29|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>