Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume11 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 7===

"So, what do you think...? Sovereignty-kun and Shiraho-kun."

"Yes, very yummy! Both are so yummy! I can't decide which side is more yummy!"

"Seeing as Sovereignty said so already, I shall vote on a draw as well. To be honest, the lunchbox cooked by the human seems more appetizing, but due to the fact that I couldn't care less at all, I vote on a draw."

"I can't taste any subtle differences... So I'll follow Shiraho-san. Draw."

"If I had to judge&mdash;Hmm, this is totally not a draw! Both sides are explosively delicious, so it's a double victory! Who exactly are the ones who made these lunchboxes&mdash;!?"

The battle did not look optimistic. Kirika could not help but gnash her teeth. Although they called it a draw, this was simply because the judges were not interested in differentiating subtle differences in taste. Also, Shiraho's comment was virtually equivalent to casting a vote for Haruaki. Judging from the situation at hand, had Kana and Taizou been present, Kirika's defeat could very well have been declared already.

No, not yet. Kirika shifted her gaze. There was one more. One more person who could serve as a judge.

"...What do you think? Which side's lunchbox do you find more delicious?"

Un Izoey happened to be holding a fork like a child, stabbing the meatballs Kirika had cooked and sending them to her mouth. After chewing the meatballs a few times, she said:

"My answer: giving the opinion that I like this one better. Not words of flattery or courtesy, I add."

"What!? R-Really!?"

"My answer: yes. Because&mdash;"

This was an unexpected development. So what was it that had captured this girl's heart? Was it the meatballs? Or the plate of stew that she had carefully filtered off the dregs? Or her original secret recipe that she added to&mdash;

"Because this side's lunchbox contains more food that is round. I explain by giving the explanation that this is readily apparent. Take the rice balls for example, his are triangular but these here are more round."

Kirika instantly felt strength drained from her entire body. What point was there in winning due to the shape of food? Absolutely ridiculous.

"Hahaha, okay okay, what does it matter? Let's just call it a draw. I'm gonna start eating too. Class Rep's lunchbox... Hmm, so good! I'm not surprised it's a draw."

Calmly and casually, sitting beside her (because she had discreetly reserved the seat next to him, of course), he smiled while reaching his chopsticks into the lunchbox she had prepared. Haruaki looked so absolutely humble, excessively kind and a little infuriating... But Kirika still felt very happy to see him smile while eating her cooking.

And also a little cowardly.

"Hmph. This time, the biggest problem is that the judging panel is totally unmotivated. Of course I'm not satisfied with a draw. I declare this match void. Seriously, absolutely ridiculous..."

Grumbling, Kirika reached her chopsticks into a lunchbox to compare the taste. Judging by her own personal taste buds, indeed there was still a difference... Just a step away. She had lost. She must hone her skills further.

"By the way, Class Rep, when you were inviting everyone for a flower viewing, didn't you say you had something to talk to her about?"

Prompted by Haruaki, Kirika remembered as well. Looking at Un Izoey who was munching on meatballs, she said:

"Yes. But it's nothing special... No wait, this matter is very important indeed. I was just thinking, some time has passed already, so I wanted to confirm when a chance comes up. Tell us about Amanda's situation."

"My understanding: answering I understand what this is about now. I answer with the answer that timing is perfect. To report to you all, I just happened to load her photos yesterday."

After the incident before Valentine's Day, Amanda Carlot was handed over to to the Lab Chief's Nation for protection. Although they had demanded the condition of being allowed to see her any time, absolutely ridiculously, they still had not met her directly ever since. The Lab Chief's Nation had explained that they hoped to give Amanda more time before exposing her to intense stimulation. At first, Kirika was highly suspicious whether they intended to go back on the promise but it seemed like it was true that the Lab Chief's Nation really did consider Amanda's health. Although Haruaki's group was unable to meet Amanda directly, as a substitute, they were able to confirm Amanda's safety any time through Un Izoey.

Un Izoey reached behind her waist and pulled out a cellphone from under the red hakama's sash. Speaking of which, did she keep her cellphone sandwiched between the sash and her bottom...? Absolutely ridiculous. ''He'' must be prevented from touching that cellphone at all costs.

The cellphone was given to Un Izoey by a superior (The woman called Rai? Or that guy?), so she was still unused to operating it. Despite having gone through this process a number of times, using the cellphone to confirm Amanda's recent condition, Un Izoey still showed no signs of progress.

Un Izoey extended the cellphone forward. "Lemme see, lemme see." Fear and the others also leaned forward to look at the screen. Shown on screen was a sickroom somewhere. A white-haired girl was pressing down her bed head.

'Hope... you can give me some time. I just woke up.'

'Of course. I'm still trying to remember how to use the camera.'

The image was shaking. The cameraman had apparently failed to notice that the cellphone was already recording. The white-haired girl's face appeared for a second then went off screen immediately. Next to appear was a white bed's sheets and an open window.

'...I can leave the hospital soon?'

'Very soon. Your rehab is going smoothly and your muscles are almost completely recovered.'

'Wonderful, I'm so happy... How are things on your side?'

'Everybody is in the same class. I report by reporting that it is very lively&mdash;My assertion: certain of completely remembering how to do it. Then I will start recording. Can I? So, I first press this button&mdash;'

Putz&mdash;

The video stopped here. Un Izoey tilted her head in puzzlement.

"...Oya?"

"Total failure in recording! You didn't remember at all!"

"It feels like after all that preparation, you ended up switching off the recording mode that you activated by accident! It makes me want to praise you instead, for being able to record a video with such incredible timing."

"Hmm~ Last time it was inexplicably upside down, so when can we actually watch a normal video?"

"...My apologies: giving a true sorry promise to reflect..."

"Whatever, that girl looks and sounds fine. Is it true that she can leave the hospital soon?"

"My report: reporting that this is the truth."

Sighs of relief were spreading among the members of the group. Kirika exhaled lightly as well.

In fact, Amanda Carlot's position was quite peculiar. What exactly was her relationship with this group here? What kind of existence was she now? There was probably no one who could answer such questions clearly. Even so, at the very least, Amanda was certainly a person they wanted to meet again.

"Nununu, I can't believe you guys are excluding us! Is it a rare film? No, it must be an erotic adult video! Guha! My neck is being strangled, I can't stand up! Hayahaya&mdash;!"

"Sneaking a peek at someone else's cellphone is too vulgar. Uh, Shiraho-san, you don't need to watch it?"

"I am not uninterested. Besides, I don't know that dark-skinned girl very well. In any case, it has nothing to do with me."

"You could try talking to her. I run into her occasionally in the public baths, so we're basically friends!"

In this manner, whether the cooking duel or checking up on Amanda's recent condition, both matters were concluded. Up next was viewing the flowers normally, eating lunch normally, all the while staying by ''his'' side.

(Hmm...)

The cherry blossoms overhead were extremely beautiful. Elegant, pretty and dream-like, watching the phantasm of white and pink, it felt like the lines between fantasy and reality were getting blurred.

Just at this moment, Kirika noticed something. She even thought she was dreaming. Could this possibly happen in reality? Yes, definitely. If under this canopy of cherry blossoms, surely it was possible.

She&mdash;Ueno Kirika who had made her decision to stand upon the battlefield&mdash;was she going to miss out on this chance?

The answer was already decided. Truly... Absolutely ridiculous.

"Hey, Yachi."

She forcibly controlled her voice that was almost about to tremble from nervousness, calling out to Haruaki. Calm down. This sort of thing was actually no big deal. Very common.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Leisurely as always, he turned his face towards her. Probably feeling satisfied after eating lunch, he was currently holding a thermos in both hands, sipping the hot tea inside. In other words, both his hands were occupied, so what she was about to do was absolutely not unnatural. She convinced herself once again. This sort of thing was very common.

Indeed, for couples, this sort of thing was very common&mdash;

"Umm... There's rice sticking on your face... I'll get it off for you."

"Eh? &mdash;Oh."

She used her finger to pick up the grain of rice sticking to the corner of his mouth. It felt like her fingertip touched his lip. Next&mdash;naturally&mdash;Kirika popped the grain of rice into her own mouth and ate it.

"<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>!"

What to do? So embarrassing. But she did it. Indeed, she did it. Then so what? This was her going actively on the offensive in order to make progress. She did not need to feel guilty towards anyone.

Feigning composure, Kirika turned her gaze and started sipping tea as well. She hoped that her face had not turned red. But even if it did turn red, it mattered not. If only it could cause him to notice something. If only it could cause him to feel aware of her.

"Ah... Umm, th-thank you..."

"N-Not at all."

But she still did not dare look at his face. All she could do was keep her head bowed and endure for now.

Lifting her cup, she hid her face.

By the time she noticed&mdash;

There was a flower petal on her tea, giving off a faint fragrance.



Meanwhile, Fear was feeling inexplicably agitated.

Muku! She puffed her cheeks out. She did not know why except that she really wanted to puff her cheeks out. She really wanted to stuff her agitated emotions in her cheeks and be done with it.

The scene she had just witnessed merely consisted of Kirika picking a grain of rice stuck to the corner of Haruaki's mouth and eating it. Why was she feeling so angry? Why was she feeling so agitated?
[[image:C3 11-091.jpg|thumb]]

(Hmm, hold on. Let me try a simulation.)

Supposing she were to do the same&mdash;

Was Haruaki going to make the same expression? Dazed, shocked, looking like his heart was racing&mdash;Was he going to do that?

Most probably... Not.

"An overt bid for victory... has already started? I have been too careless. To think I failed to notice first..."

Fear could see Konoha sitting beside her, narrowing her eyes while sipping tea, murmuring softly. Although Fear could not understand what Konoha was saying, she could not feel any anger and it seemed like Konoha was purely reprimanding herself for being negligent and careless.

In any case, simply from the way it looked, Haruaki was currently feeling his heart pounding because of Kirika. Fear could understand. Even as a girl herself, she also felt that Kirika was a terrific woman. However, putting that aside for now&mdash;

(Why wouldn't the shameless brat react the same way if I did the same thing...?)

Perhaps he might. But that would be speculation under her subjective wish. Using all her imagination more calmly and objectively, simulating that scene more seriously&mdash;She still reached the same conclusion: No. Even if the other person were her, Haruaki would surely not react with heart racing.

Doesn't he see me as a woman? &mdash;Fear wondered. But in the next instant, she reached a sudden realization.

(No no no, it's not like I hope for him to treat me as a woman, I'm simply talking about my ability and attractiveness! Yes! That guy thinks I'm still a child, right? He definitely has me pegged as unaware of human hardships. He has failed to correctly understand that I am a lady possessing otherworldly beauty with enough popularity that people might even want to form a fan club for me. This is what vexes me. That's right, I am infuriated by the shameless brat's insufficient understanding!)

Now it made sense why her cheeks were puffing out on their own. Nodding to herself, Fear walked off the tarp and sat down at a quiet spot on a cherry blossom tree's root so that she could think more calmly.

(Hmm... So, since the shameless brat is mistaken in understanding, I really ought to correct him. That guy should be making a shameless face when I take rice off, not just for Kirika. It's not like I want him to make that kind of reaction, but it's just because that reaction is perfectly natural, like cherry blossom petals falling down by the action of gravity, yes!)

Fear pondered for a way. Was there some kind of solution? To make Haruaki realize concretely that she was objectively a person with wonderful attractiveness...

"...Oh right, Kana and Taizou mentioned it. The finale at the welcoming festival is a school beauty pageant."

If she won that contest... Would Haruaki realize that she was actually very perfect, completely flawless, obviously a "woman" to anyone who saw her&mdash;?

"You're going to enter the school beauty pageant? I will cheer for you! And cheering very loudly at that!"

Her murmurs were apparently overheard. Appearing before Fear's eyes was the tall underclassman. Probably having learnt her lesson somewhat, she did not rush forward to hug Fear this time, or rub their faces together. Since Fear did not want to run around the place immediately after eating to her fill, so long as the girl did not do anything strange, she probably did not need to escape on purpose.

"Uh... Can I sit beside you?"

"Only if you don't do anything weird. I'm tired of running away so I'll compromise on small things."

"Awesome!"

Yume bent her knees lightly, folding up her tall body and sitting next to Fear. Grinning from ear to ear, she kept staring at Fear intently. Feeling kind of awkward, Fear took out her Rubik's cube and started rotating it, clicking away.

"Oh, it's a Rubik's cube. That sure brings back memories! Can you solve it?"

"I'm only able to solve one face. I'm simply taking it out to rotate randomly. Solving it completely needs technique... This is just an amusement tool for when I'm thinking, so it's not like I have to solve it."

"Hmm~ Thinking about something? Back to the subject, Fear-san, are you entering the school beauty pageant?"

Fear shook her head. The event simply occurred to her but she had not decided to enter.

"Oh~ Really, what a shame... Fear-san, it'll be a sure win for you! Everyone will surely bow down in front of your cuteness, Fear-san, it'll bring the fan club a step closer!"

"Y-You still haven't given up huh..."

"Of course. As soon as you give the go ahead, I'll do it instantly!"

Yume clenched her fists tightly while talking to her. Fear brought up a question that just occurred to her.

"Why do you... umm... like me so much? Uh, of course, I'm quite confident in myself, but that said, I still don't get why a girl like you would want to start a fan club."

"It's like the way people admire the things they don't have or seek the things they've lost. You see, because I'm a tall girl with long arms and legs, I see powerful weapons all over your entire body, Fear-san! Your petite build, your explosively cute appearance, and that head of silver hair, sleek and soft!"

"On the other hand, I wish I could be a bit taller. What did you eat to grow so tall? Did you drink milk like mad? Or eat some other food like mad?"

"Fufu, this is actually top secret! Besides, your petiteness is exactly what makes you cute, Fear-san, so if I tell you, that would end up betraying all of mankind. But Fear-san, I don't want to ignore your question and lower my affection points, so I'll take a middle path. Let me just give a hint&mdash;It's a certain type of all-purpose food!"

"All-purpose food? Is it something like nattou...? I'm not picky with food overall, but I'm only scared of eating nattou."<ref>'''Nattou'''(納豆): a type of traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. Due to its slimy texture and strong smell and taste, it can be somewhat of an acquired taste.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D]</ref>

"Wrong guess~ Actually, I've been very short throughout elementary school with a shy and introverted personality. After switching to middle school, along with a change in environment, I started eating in great quantities that type of food which I never ate before, then my height blew up all at once. Yes yes, in terms of shape, it also feels like a prayer filled with hope to grow tall."

"This seems more and more like a riddle. But more than that, I'm more curious about how you used to be short, shy and introverted... Hmm~ It's quite unbelievable."

Fear glanced at Yume, causing her to cackle with laughter.

"W-What? That's creepy, you know."

"No no~ I was just thinking thank goodness I can talk with you normally, Fear-san!"

"Hmph, it's not like I'm an unreasonable person. I still can't accept it if you hug and rub me like a plushie on first sight, but if you face me calmly, I won't run away and could chat with you a bit. Because basically, you're one of my juniors."

Click&mdash;Fear stopped rotating the Rubik's cube. Speaking of which&mdash;

"Hey... You're Yume, right? I'll repeat myself. As long as you stay calm, I don't mind chatting with you. Yeah... Also, this is truly truly sometimes only, but it's not like letting you touch me is totally impossible."

"Really!?"

"However... There's one thing I'm very displeased about so this displeasure must be dispelled. Before coming here, I've never studied at a place like a school before&mdash;rather, I've never studied in this country's schools before&mdash;so I've never had that kind of relationship. Chihaya counts as another one, but from the way she looks, she doesn't intend to show me any respect, so it's not possible. In other words, you can try addressing me in some other way&mdash;"

"I got it! So that's what this is about... You want me to call you Fear-senpai!"

Senior. Senpai!

"H-Hoo... Although it's my first time being called that, it really doesn't feel bad at all..."

"Yay~! So the answer to bringing us closer was here! I was thinking that using the '-san' honorific would be more intimate but the correct answer is actually the opposite... What an overly simple blind spot! Fear-senpai! As proof that we've grown closer to each other, please tell me your cellphone number! I absolutely won't make prank calls or send prank text messages, so please, you must tell me!"

Fear pretentiously deliberated before puffing her chest out arrogantly and answered:

"Fufufu. You leave me no choice... I shall agree to your request! Junior!"

To be honest&mdash;

Being addressed by someone as their senior for the first time, this feeling was very refreshing and delightful, to the point that Fear even felt that simply exchanging phone numbers was not a problem at all.



It was about time to clean up... Just as Haruaki was spacing out, staring at the cherry blossoms&mdash;

Ring&mdash;He seemed to hear the sound of bells.

Haruaki shifted his gaze slightly. Looking up at the sky, Isuzu suddenly froze. Next, Hauraki saw two of the kagura bells running here from the shrine. When the two kagura bells looked towards Isuzu who was already here, Isuzu nodded in response. Then she surveyed the surroundings with a troubled look on her face.

"Uh~ ...I suppose this ought to be done. There's no time left either~ So, Yume-sama, please allow me to say in fear and trepidation, I have a favor to ask of you~"

"Eh? Me?"

Yume was leaning forward, looking at Fear's cellphone. The two of them were exclaiming: "What a cute cat~!" "I know right!?" (When did they start opening themselves to each other in earnest?) Hearing Isuzu, Yume looked up with surprise.

"Yes~ Actually, it's currently necessary to suddenly enter deep into this forest to gather great quantities of a certain type of tree's leaves! Please lend us your assistance. You won't be alone since my sisters will be helping, so don't worry~ But these two younger sisters don't like to talk, so please don't mind them."

"Oh... Sure. But this is really sudden... No need to pull me, I'm going!"

The two kagura bells grabbed Yume's left and right arms respectively, forcing her to stand up then dragging her into the depths of the forest. As much as their faces displayed the usual smiles of gentleness, they also gave off a sense of commanding vigor.

After the trio vanished into the depths of the forest, Chihaya crossed her arms and approached Isuzu who was seeing them off.

"What happened? You're not telling that there really is something that requires the gathering of leaves, right?"

"That's because no matter what, she is an ordinary person~ As for the explanation, it's actually..."

Turning to face Chihaya, Isuzu's expression suddenly went stiff.

"&mdash;Chihaya-sama! Please be careful!"

"Eh?"

Apart from Chihaya who was stunned in surprise, everyone present noticed the reason.

Chihaya and Isuzu were standing at the edge of the forest. Consequently, a certain person emerging from the forest would first make contact with Chihaya. That was all there was to it, but perfectly logical.

"Hey hey hey! What's going on here!? Those slits are way too big, fucking... Correction, too raping sexy!"

A black man in dreadlocks suddenly appeared from the forest.

Furthermore, he had reached into Chihaya's red hakama from behind&mdash;in other words, through the wide open slit&mdash;impudently using his fingers to stroke her thigh.