Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume13 Chapter2

"Yeah. In the past, before either of you came to this home, something similar happened once. I don't quite remember the details but Pops and I definitely suffered tragically. That's why, afterwards, we vowed from the bottom of our hearts that plum brandy is the one thing that Konoha must not touch. Not even a drop."

"Haru, don't sweat the small details~ I think this plan should be divided into four major phases. The first phase is 'preparing the substitute bottle,' the second phase is 'taking the bottle from Kono-san's hands,' the third phase is 'cautiously but boldly swapping bottles' and the final and fourth phase is 'after the supply is cut, Kono-san sobers up.'"

"Yeah. In other words, once these phases are completed in sequence, victory will naturally come into view. Then let's go. So, the specific details..."

"I-I strongly refuse! What kind of demand is that? It's too shameless!"

"Hey, the glass is empty..."

"Muu... I know."

"Verily, thou ought to pour more gently. As one would expect, the little lass is clumsy... Haha!"

"Gr... Grrrrrr...!"

Endure, Fear, this is for the sake of our plan...! Haruaki transmitted his thoughts to Fear while she poured the brandy. Currently, Fear was still obeying Konoha quietly, but her internal stress was definitely building up from being forced to pour drinks like a servant for Konoha whom she was always antagonizing every day.

On the other hand, Kuroe was not present. Konoha was currently using the ordinary glass that was originally knocked over in the living room (probably the glass used for her first drink), asking Fear to pour her a drink. Hence, just earlier, Kuroe had rubbed her hands together and said: "I must say that this kind of cheap glass is not fit for Kono-san to use! I will go search for a classier wine glass, please wait, hehehe!" Then she fled the living room. Of course, that was merely a pretext. Right now, Kuroe should be in the process of putting phase one of the aforementioned Operation Substitution Beauties into action with utmost urgency, in other words, preparing the substitute bottle.

Kuroe had said that she was going to a nearby convenience store to buy crunchy plums and plum juice, which would take her some time to return. Hence, it was necessary to have Fear stall for time first.

As a side note, Haruaki had made several attempts to leave the living room so as to assist in the first phase of the operation, but for some reason, Konoha would exude an intense aura of displeasure every single time, leaving him no choice but to give up. As a result, all he could do was watch over Fear while pondering what "amusing" thing he could do when his turn arrived. However, Konoha kept glancing at him, smiling very happily, which meant that he was already serving as some kind of existence to accompany her consumption of alcohol.

But perhaps wanting to try other dishes to accompany her drinking from time to time, Konoha suddenly looked at Fear, staring intently.

"W-What?"

"Little lass... Thy hair... Very pretty, isn't it? Since thou art free right now... Come come come, come a little closer... Burp. Worry not, I shan't do anything bad to thee."

"Ugh... Ughhhhh... Ughhhhhhhhhh. This is terrifying, too terrifying..."

Probably killing time, Konoha picked up Fear's silver hair and started to braid it nimbly. From an observer's standpoint, this was a heart-warming scene that would bring a smile to anyone's face, but considering the two girls' usual relationship, all one could say was this was truly a rare scene. Fear also looked like she had no idea how to react, her back simply trembled nonstop.

Soon after, Fear's hair was rendered in the same style as Konoha's, a braid on just one side. The elastic string used to tie her braid came from the tatami floor where it had been dropped earlier, in other words, the string that was originally used to tie Konoha's hair.

"Behold, the same as I now... Mmmph. Haryuaki-kun... What dost thou think?"

"I-I think it looks great. Umm... Just like sisters! Hahaha."

"Damn you, shameless brat, stop saying things that give me goosebumps! I can't believe you're such a sycophant...!"

After hearing Haruaki's response, delivered with a smile aiming to please, Fear went slightly red in the face and glared vicious at him. However, Haruaki did not consider it flattery. Rather, he was simply saying honestly what he felt.

Looking contentedly at Fear who was now sporting the same hairstyle as her, Konoha then licked her own lips for some reason.

"Hmm~ Now that I look at thee, little lass, thou art... quite adorable too..."

"Wha!? No, wait, what are you trying to do!? Cow Tits, cut it out now! Get away from me1 Don't hug me with your arms around my neck! Don't put your face against me! A-Are you trying to do to me what you did to Kuroe!? That's totally demonic, completely demoralizing—!"

[[image:C3 13-117.jpg|thumb]]

"Hmm~? Thou sayst... What I did to Kuroe-shan... Thou meanst like this...?"

"Hoahhhhhhhh!"

Konoha pressed their faces tightly togther and started grinding. Since Konoha had Fear's head firmly in her grasp, all Fear could do was keep leaning back.

Then Konoha's face slowly moved down along Fear's cheek—

"Ohoh~ How truly smooth, both smooth and tender, also full of elasticity... Almost like a steamed bun. Mmmph, looketh so delicious..."

Then she opened her mouth and bit Fear lightly on the neck.

"Eeeeeeeek!? I'm getting eaten—!"

Fear's toleration probably reached a limit finally. With a great shake of her back, she suddenly pushed Konoha's arms away with all her strength and fled in desperation.

Nonchalantly using one hand to catch the bottle of plum brandy that Fear had tossed into the air, Konoha looked in the veranda's direction where Fear had escaped, grumbling softly in discontent.

"What~ How boring..."

However, just as Konoha was about to take another sip from the bottle, someone forcefully opened the living room's sliding door.

"No~ I have already witnessed Ficchi's way of survival...! Now it's my turn to enter stage and do my best!"

Kuroe had returned. Haruaki quietly sat up and looked behind her—There it was. At a dead angle outside of Konoha's view, Kuroe's hair was currently holding a shape resembling a bottle.

(Ohoh, that's the light of our hope... As reliable as a legendary holy sword!)

Most likely noticing his gaze, Kuroe made a thumbs up sign behind her back. The first phase of the operation had been accomplished flawlessly.

Next, all would be fine once they accomplish the second phase of Operation Substitution Beauties, taking the bottle from Konoha's hand, and the third phase, cautiously but boldly swapping bottles.

Once that was done, it would leave only the fourth and final phase, sobering up now that the supply was cut. Then all would be well as they quietly waited for the happy future to arrive—

"So! Since Ficchi ran away, it's my turn to pour for you, Kono-san. See, I've found a glassy wine glass just for you. So please hand me that bottle you have there—"

"Oh... How wonderful. Be that as it may, simply having two people in a row pour brandy for me, I have tired of it. I shall accept thy wine glass with gratitude but thou shalt do something else, Kuroe-shan~..."

"Guh!"

The operation was instantly stalled. Nevertheless, Kuroe quickly drummed up her spirits again.

"S-So, Kono-san, how about a massage? My hair massage is considered number one in the world, you'll be brought to ecstasy!"

"Oh... A massage? Experiencing a massage while having a drink, truly extravagant enjoyment... I shall be counting on thee."

"Understood—!"

Kuroe made her way around to Konoha's back. Her hair fluttered lightly and separated into many bundles, which then wrapped themselves around Konoha's body as she stretched her legs and sat down on the tatami floor. Neck. Arms. Cleavage. Thighs. Then the bundles of hair contracted in an unhurried manner, beginning to massage Konoha's muscles.

"Oho, hoho... 'Tis truly... excellent."

"Thank you for your appreciation~"

Although it seemed like a good opportunity on first glance, Kuroe did not something as reckless as trying to tie up Konoha using the hair. This was because Konoha, being a Japanese sword, countered Kuroe's hair completely. As long as Konoha had the intent, she could easily sever Kuroe's hair.

In order to look out for opportunities to act, Kuroe continued to use her hair to massage Konoha. Relaxing her entire body, Konoha entrusted herself to Kuroe's hair. The hair going past her neck was rubbing her shoulders, causing Konoha to exhale. Hair was lifting up her thigh lightly; movement in the hair passing between her cleavage caused her bosom to wobble—Haruaki frantically focused his attention on Kuroe instead of Konoha. Someone not in the know would probably mistake the sight for that of a voluptuous kimono-clad beauty in tight bondage. That was how dangerous this scene looked.

"Mmm! ...Ah ...There... Lower slightly..."

"Okay~ Leave it to me. Just relax your body."

At this moment, a new bundle of hair rose up silently from Kuroe's head. Her gaze also turned slightly sharp. The bundle of hair was slowly approaching its target—The bottle of plum brandy held in Konoha's right hand.

She's doing it? Haruaki quietly clenched his fist below the table.

The second phase, taking the bottle from Konoha's hand, was reaching an impasse, hence Kuroe had decided to skip the second phase, going for the operation's phase three directly.

Indeed, Konoha was currently a captive of pleasure at the moment. Provided Kuroe was able to to take the bottle swiftly and swap it with the substitute bottle behind her, the operation would succeed. Although evading Konoha's discovery was very difficult, it was fine so long as the bottle could be taken out of Konoha's view for an instant. Once that was done, there were many possible excuses, such as finding the bottle getting in the way of the massaging or wanting to use her hair to pour brandy.

All Haruaki could do was pray. I'm counting on you, Kuroe...!

The bundle of hair crept slowly towards the bottle. Twenty centimeters remained, ten centimeters, five centimeters—

But just at this moment, Konoha suddenly lifted the bottle to pour brandy into her glass. The hair missed.

"...Hmm?"

"W-What's up?"

Kuroe stopped the bundle of hair from moving as though saying "nothing weird's going on, this hair is for massaging!", smiling in a pleasing manner. Looking back, Konoha shook her head lightly.

"No... Thou continuest."

"U-Understood~"

The mission resumed. The hair slowly approached but again, just before making contact, the bottle was moved. The hair froze.

"...Hmm?"

"Hmm? W-What's wrong?"

Then again, the hair slowly approached, the bottle was moved, the hair froze. Konoha looked back; breaking out in cold sweat, Kuroe smiled in an effort to please... It was almost the same as a game of Red Light, Green Light.

(W-What should I do?)

Hence, Haruaki came up with a new plan, namely phase two point five, diverting Konoha's attention.

At this rate, Konoha was going to find out any time. Her attention must be diverted, even for a few seconds, so as to create an opening. To this end, what could Haruaki help—?

"..."

Haruaki instantly had an idea but it was accompanied by a number of problems. However, making sacrifices for the greater good was the most important. Right now, he had been simply sitting in one spot, serving as Konoha's accompanying snack for her alcohol drinking. Haruaki could not let Fear and Kuroe be the only ones working hard. Knowing how risky this was, he still went ahead, hoping it could provide some slight effect as cover—

Just as Haruaki resolved himself, Konoha ended up being the one to speak up.

"Hmm... Ahff... Oh, yes yes. A hair massage might be nice, but I still desire human hands... So Haryuaki-kun, come~ Give me a massage... Burp. Kuroe-shan shall continue to focus on the hair~"

"—Got it."

Haruaki decided to help in massaging to divert Konoha's attention. As much as possible, he tried to chat with her and engage her attention. Konoha's invitation turned out to match his intentions, but the risk hidden in this act had not gone down at all.

Konoha was sitting with one leg extended straight while the other leg was slight bent and raised. Looking down at her extended leg, she said:

"Well then, start massaging here! Thou shouldst use both hands to press forcefully..."

"Y-Yes."

Haruaki got up and shifted over by her leg, moving on his knees. The thighs extending out from kimono's overlapping portion were snow-white in complexion and voluptuous. Somehow, the blackness of the hair wrapped around the thighs seemed to be further emphasizing the pristine paleness.

Don't think anything, don't ponder anything, this is only phase two point five of the operation! —Haruaki reminded himself while touching Konoha's thigh with both hands, next to where Kuroe's hair was wrapped. Her thigh felt supple with great elasticity, yet so soft that it seemed to melt. Her skin was smooth and tender as though the concept of friction did not exist. Thigh. Thigh! No! Don't think! Shut down your mind! That's why I said this is too dangerous!

"Ah... Mmm... There... Press there..."

Haruaki applied pressure, causing his fingertips to sink into the supple flesh. Trembling, surrounded by warmth, his fingers bounced back from the elasticity. Konoha straightened her other leg and Haruaki shifted towards it. Bending her knees slightly, Konoha arched her back and exhaled scorching moans.

"Ah... Ah... Such pleasure, such pleasure... Harder... Haryuaki-kuun..."

Hearing these moans, Haruaki felt his inner depths almost about to explode in heat. I'm at my limit, I feel like I'm almost reaching my limit. Kuroe, you're still not done?

"Uh... Uh... Let's switch to another spot next! How about the shoulders!? Konoha?"

"Ah mmm! Hooh... Mmm... Shoulders are nice too... Then thou shalt kneel directly here."

"Umm, it's better to do it from behind if I'm massaging your shoulders..."

"''Right. Here.''"

"...Okay."

Inexplicably, Haruaki was coerced into massaging her shoulder, face to face. Reaching towards her shoulders, Haruaki massaged them together with Kuroe's hair. Staring past Konoha's head, he used his gaze to ask Kuroe: "Still not yet?" Kuroe answered with her eyes: "Make a little more of an opening!"

"Uh... Dear customer, is this okay?"

"Hmm... Hmm, faster... wilt be fine... Indeed, one, two... One, two. Do thy best... Do thy best... Ahhhhhh..."

Behind partially slid down glasses, Konoha's hazy eyes were staring at Haruaki. With every vibration, her face would shake rhythmically in concert with her breathing. Not only that, the collar of the kimono hanging on Konoha's shoulder was slowly beginning to loosen and shift outward, fully exposing her naked shoulder to open air—

"Hold it, pause! Your clothing!"

"Worry not, now is... the critical moment... Massage, massage more... A little... Mmm. Change the location, lower down this time..."

"Lower down...? But lower down from the shoulder is no longer the shoulder!"

Using her hand that was holding the wine glass, Konoha pushed Haruaki's arm, applying pressure to force it down. Currently massaging her shoulder from the front, his hand was gradually shifted down. Like climbing a sheer cliff, Haruaki's finger caught her collarbone. He was about to fall down soon. Then the landscape began to slope. The slope grew steeper and steeper, bringing more and more soft sensations, then it was no longer the shoulder—

"Nooooooo!"

Mustering all the strength in his body, Haruaki twisted his body together with his arm, causing his fingertips to escape the devil's gradients. No sooner had he breathed a sigh of relief, Haruaki lost balance from forcefully breaking free and fell over, face first. Consequently, his nose was greeted with the soft sensation of Konoha's outstretched legs. The thighs he had been massaging moments earlier was right before his eyes. Resembling shelled hard-boiled eggs, her smooth, white, pristine and tender skin occupied all of Haruaki's view. His breath bounced back against that swathe of skin. Somehow, it felt like his lips might have kissed her slightly too.

"S-Sorry, Konoha!"

"Ufu, worry not... Thou must be tired, Haryuaki-kun...? Thou mayst... rest here for now... Mmph. Lay thyself... upon my lap..."

Konoha threw away the wine glass and used her freed hand to hold Haruaki's head securely. Her other hand was still holding the bottle. Taking a sip of brandy, Konoha shifted onto her knees to sit in seiza posture. Due to his head in her grasp, Haruaki could not escape—He had tried turning his head to resist but in vain.

Since Konoha was not wearing underwear, combined with the fact that her flimsy kimono was wide open, Haruaki did not dare to imagine what might happen if he were to look in Konoha's direction while lying on her lap. Frantically, Haruaki closed his eyes, avoiding the answer to this question by the slimmest of margins. Although he seemed to have caught sight of something, surely he had seen nothing. He saw nothing due to the shadows, definitely.

"U-Uh, Konoha-san, how much longer do I need to stay in this position...?"

"Until I feel that thou is comfortable and hast recovered thy energy completely, Haryuaki-kun..."

"I-I'm fully recharged already!"

"No, not yet... Oh, I recall now... Under such circumstances, there happeneth to be a method that could allow you to recharge completely, Haryuaki-kun..."

Haruaki turned his head even more slowly, stopping at a position where he could at least open his eyes. Opening his eyelids in trepidation, he found that his view was directly straight up at the almost overflowing bulges. He had no choice but to convince himself that this was at least better than just now. Nevertheless, he was struck by a rising sense of foreboding. Konoha was currently looking down between the two bulges at him, bearing an exceptionally seductive smile—

"Haryuaki-kun... Hast thou heard of seaweed sake...? Naturally, 'tis not alcohol brewed from seaweed, fufu, but a very fun manner of drinking alcohol..."<ref>'''Seaweed sake'''(わかめ酒): wakame-zake is a manner of consuming alcohol from a woman's naked body. The woman closes her legs tight enough such that the triangular region between the thighs and the pubic region form a cup where the man drinks from. The name comes from the notion that the woman's pubic hair in the sake looks like soft seaweed(wakame).</ref>

Although Haruaki had no idea what the term meant, he had a very bad feeling about it. His sense of foreboding also told him that it was not something he should know about.

Just as he was falling into the abyss of despair, Haruaki could sense something moving at high speed behind Konoha's head.

(K-Kuroe...!)

Konoha was bowing her head down, looking at Haruaki as though pressing him down with her gaze. In other words, the bottle was completely outside her field of view. Without missing out on this perfect, momentary opportunity, Kuroe made her hair move rapidly at once.

It was about to end. The third phase, cautiously but boldly swapping bottles&mdash;It was about to end!

Haruaki could see the future.

This was going to happen next&mdash;"What~" The bottle taken, Konoha would look back to find Kuroe with a bottle in her hand, smiling in an effort to please, saying: "Let me pour you another~" except that the bottle had been swapped already&mdash;Perfect. Thank goodness!

However&mdash;

"H-Huh...?"

While Kuroe exclaimed in puzzlement, something fell to the tatami floor with a rustle.

Instantly, Haruaki discovered that his head had regained freedom. In other words, the hand that Konoha had tasked with securing his head's position was now assigned a new mission. With a feeling of despair, Haruaki sat up to confirm what had happened&mdash;

Konoha was staring in surprise at her hand in a karate chop. Then she stared at Kuroe's hair that had fallen onto the tatami floor. Then scratching her head with that hand, she nonchalantly said to Kuroe, who was frozen stiff:

"Thou shouldst be more careful~ Burp. If thou movest beyond a certain speed in my surroundings... I shall consider it an attack, thereby counterattacking automatically~"

"O-Oh~ I didn't know. B-But why?"

"Something like a habit... Because arrows used to fly frequently in the past... But why didst thou reach out with thy hair towards this bottle with such alacrity...?"

Konoha took a sip of brandy first.

Then narrowing her eyes, she continued to question:

"Mayhap&mdash;Thou intendest to take away mine alcohol...?"

She was starting to exude a faint aura of coldness that caused others to tremble. Kuroe frantically waved her hands before her chest.

"No no, of course not! That couldn't possibly happen at all! I was just trying to help you in making seaweed sake, Kono-san! Okay, let's do it now!"

(I-I can't believe you sold out your soul&mdash;!)

Kuroe threw Haruaki an apologetic glance of "sorry," but Haruaki had no idea how to respond with his eyes.

In any case, due to the tiny commotion just now, Konoha seemed to have heightened her guard. Was she going to let go of the bottle so easily again? Even if they could swap rapidly, the current Konoha was going to counterattack automatically&mdash;Too scary. Perhaps the operation needed amendments. But where? How should the phases of the plan be modified?

Just at this time, the doorbell's "dingdong" was heard at the entrance. Konoha trembled once and looked up.

"Oh, speaking of which, right... It hath arrived? Mufufu!"

Her mood suddenly improved for some reason. She also seemed to have forgotten the mysterious alcohol of seaweed sake.

"Uh, Konoha... What has arrived?"

"I was just thinking that snacks to accompany the brandy did not feel filling enough... So this is something more fulfilling for the stomach. Yes, very well, let us go pick it up together. 'Tis might be too much to carry unless everyone is mobilized... Come, follow me now. Same for the little lass over there~"

"Ugh!?"

Returning at some point without Haruaki noticing, Fear was currently hiding behind a pillar, secretly peeking into the living room from the veranda. After Fear stepped into the living room in resignation, the trio looked at one another.

Although they were totally puzzled&mdash;

The commotion from Konoha's drunken madness was apparently spreading beyond the confines of the living room at last.

It was very much in Konoha's style.

But why? &mdash;Haruaki could not help but feel baffled.

Why? For what reason?

In the Yachi home's garden, which had been peaceful and quiet until today&mdash;

''Why was a whole pig roast currently set up?''

While the sun was about to set, the dusk air in the garden was filled with an appetizing aroma.

Dry twigs were cracking intensely. The red flames seemed especially bright against the sunset. Dressed in a red kimono, the girl was standing on the rotisserie platform, rotating the massive spit skewering the pig, giggling to herself.

"Fufufu... What an excellent aroma... It shall be done anon..."

Honestly speaking, this scene very much resembled the venue of a Witches' Sabbath. The witch was taking sips of plum brandy occasionally on whim. As a side note, a young girl who looked almost like a witch's servant was nimbly and industriously helping by collecting firewood from the forest in the back one moment, preparing a bucket of water for extinguishing the fire in the next. Perhaps Kuroe was still looking for a chance to swap bottles, but it was also possible that she was only doing her best to survive.

"Hmm... Looks she must have ordered it before we returned home."

Fear commented while watching the Witches' Sabbath in front of her. Next to her, Haruaki spoke in dejection:

"Looks like it. I'm guessing she must have made unreasonable demands to the butcher..."

"Yeah, the man who delivered the pig looked like he was about to cry."

"The same goes for the rotisserie equipment. Also, the pig was already almost done roasting to begin with. She probably decided that roasting the raw pig would take too much time... which is why Konoha asked the butcher to prepare a pig roast that only needed slight reheating, what outrageous demands. The butcher also said that he'll bring us the bill tomorrow after calculating costs... Woah, I'm really getting scared now...!"

"Hey Haruaki, I'm equally said too but I need to point out something that's gonna make you shiver in greater terror. That Cow Tits is making another call right now. No idea who, though."

"What&mdash;!?"

Konoha was indeed holding a cellphone against her ear, probably borrowed from Kuroe, talking to someone while rotating the whole pig roast. Just as Haruaki decided he must stop her, it was already too late. Hanging up with a contented look, Konoha tossed the cellphone back to Kuroe.

"Th-This could very well be a crisis for the home budget..."

"I just hope she didn't tack on an order for a whole cow roast. We can only pray."

Fear crossed her arms, wholly displeased, then continued:

"That girl is showing no signs of sobering up at all. In the end, only phase one of Operation Substitution Beauties was completed, right? Even if a fake bottle was prepared, it's useless unless we can make the swap."

"I know that but I get the feeling that phase two, making her let go of the bottle, and phase three, actually swapping bottles, seem to be getting harder and harder... Maybe we should come up with a new plan from the ground up?"

"Jeez, things have become such a pain all because you're spoiling her too much. Whatever letting her relieve stress, you're indulging Cow Tits too much! You should scold her more strictly! Or resort to force decisively!"

"Am I spoiling her too much...? Hmm, but it's really my true feelings that I'd like her to have fun without holding back or relieve her stress on occasion. But it's also because Konoha's current state is bringing back past memories a bit... That's why I slightly missed the chance to stop her."

"...Bringing back memories huh?"

"Yeah~ When she first arrived at this home, the Konoha back then was completely different from the current Konoha you know. The way she is right now, it makes me feel like I'm looking through an old photo album."

"You've been together for so long... since a time old enough to reminisce over. Hmph..."

Haruaki did not quite catch Fear's quiet murmuring. Turning to look at her, Haruaki found Fear pouting and looking off somewhere else.

"Hmm? Don't tell me you're angry?"

"I-I'm not angry! I'm neither feeling pissed off nor comparing myself with Cow Tits, and definitely not feeling jealous of her!"

"No, you definitely seem angry right now."

"You're being noisy so shut up. I'll curse you!"

While Fear and Haruaki was having their conversation, the grating sounds of the rotating spit suddenly stopped. Konoha could be seen lifting the whole pig roast up high, inspecting how done it was roasted. Perhaps because the grade was a pass, Konoha smiled in satisfaction while holding the whole pig roast's skewer in one hand (probably a weight beyond an ordinary human's ability to lift) stabbing its front end into the ground next to the fire.

"Very well, very well, the roasting is done... Haryuaki-kun, come over here..."

Seeing her wave to him, Haruaki went up obediently. Appearances aside, the pig roast did look quite delicious with its drool-inducing aroma and the meat's dripping juices.

"Oh Kono-san, I haven't brought out the knife and plate. Please wait for me."

"Fufu, thou mayst prepare utensils but I can wait no longer. Allow me to test the taste~..."

Konoha knelt down. With a flash of her right hand's karate chop, a portion of meat was sliced almost like magic, falling on top of her fingertips. Tossing the meat into her mouth and chewing, Konoha went "Mmm!" and nodded with satisfaction.

"As expected of meat roasted by my hand, truly delectable! Good work, Kuroe-shan too... Before thou goest to bring plates, take this reward first~"

Konoha swiftly sliced another piece of meat using a barehanded chop, delivering it into Kuroe's mouth. "Muohoh, it's really too yummy~" Kuroe mumbled with her mouth full while entering the house to bring plates.

"Thou art next, Haryuaki-kun~ Ufufu, open thy mouth~"

"..."

"Thou refusest... Verily?"

"Th-Thanks for the food!"

Instantly feeling a breeze against his face that seemed to be coming from the frozen hell of Cocytus, Haruaki decided to open his mouth obediently. Konoha's fingertips touched his lips as they delivered piping-hot pork into his mouth. In fact, the meat really was very delicious.

"Huff huff... Too amazing, it's really very tasty."

"I know right~? Well then, what about the little lass...?"

Even at a time like this, Fear still bared her fangs and howled, very much in her usual style:

"I-I don't want it! At least, I definitely won't let you feed me!"

"Yes, then forget it. Even though 'tis so delectable~"

Completely unfazed, Konoha used her hand to cut and eat another slice of pork. Her laid back expression was probably angering Fear.

"Hmph! No matter how tasty, I don't wanna grow useless meat as a result! Look at those fat tits that are like mountains of illegally abandoned tires! Also that fat belly with nothing but ugly ripples on them, like polluted rivers! Also those flabby arms and legs that are like weird creatures growing from dumped chemicals!"

"Why are you talking like it's some kind of segment from the variety show 'Hunting Down Illegal Industries!'...?"

"Damn you, shameless brat, shut up! It's a very apt metaphor, these descriptions are as profound as those unforgivable crimes! Anyway, these crimes all come from her unsightly gluttony...! Hmph, that meat's aroma and juices are clearly traps akin to those of insect-eating plants!"

What are you talking about&mdash;!? The usual Konoha would have lost her temper and retorted harshly, but she was currently not her normal self. Still confident and composed, she sliced another piece of pork.

"Kuku. Better too big than too small...? Precisely because thou eatest meat not, little lass, thou art currently... in such misery."

"M&mdash;MI.SE.RY...!"

Fear's expression froze instantly. Casting a glance at her, Konoha said:

"Ufufu, Haryuaki-kun also prefers... bigger, yes...? Here, a large piece of meat, thou needst not hold back, together we shall... Do this~"

"D-Do it like this?"

"Mmph, allow me to feed you again... Two people eating together...? Say ah~~"

Konoha was biting on one end of the large piece of meat she had just sliced off, but she did not continue to chew. Instead, she approached Haruaki directly like this&mdash;

"H-Hey, Konoha, don't tell me you're asking me to...?"

"Mmm-hmm~♪"

She wanted him to bite the free end of the meat? Then eat it? That was the situation here!?

For some reason, Konoha had closed her eyes. No matter what Haruaki said or did, she probably could not be stopped. That was what Haruaki felt.

But someone, apart from Haruaki...

Still possessed the means to stop her.

In the next instant, Haruaki heard a splash of water.

Opening his eyes which he had involuntarily closed, Haruaki found Konoha completely drenched, still holding the piece of pork in her mouth.

The water had come from the bucket that Kuroe had prepared to extinguish the fire. Casually tossing away the now-empty bucket that only contained droplets of water, Fear said with an expression that could not be more serious:

"Oops, my hand slipped."

"F-Fear..."

"But I must say it was perfect timing. Cooling her head might make her sober. I might as well keep throwing water to replace that Operation Substitution Beauties. Just think of it as the second plan. No wait, it's probably faster if I just grab her by the neck directly and hold her head down in the bucket, right?"

"Fu... Fufufu... Little lass, how amusing thy behavior..."

Simply getting splashed by the bucket of water did not sober up Konoha, apparently. Sucking the piece of meat she was biting into her mouth like a beast, she then chewed. Her expression could not be read due to wet hair clinging to her face. Although her voice was laughing, the one thing Haruaki was absolutely sure was that she definitely did not find things funny.

"Uwah~ Oh no, I just went away for a moment only to find that things have gone totally awry...! It's hopeless now, Haru, hurry over here."

Bringing back plates, chopsticks and other utensils from the kitchen, Kuroe exclaimed in great alarm, standing frozen in one spot after witnessing the scene. Then she pulled Haruaki's arm to lead him away from the danger zone.

"What happened? Ficchi had been enduring all this time, right?"

"Yeah... Anyway, a lot happened."

Konoha lifted the bottle up high and poured brandy into her mouth again. Haruaki felt as though he could hear the gulp from her swallowing.

Then she slowly leaned forward&mdash;

"Truly what a shame that I am not wearing an ornamental hairpin! I shall have to punish thee appropriately!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth! Mechanism No.19 gouging type, spiral form: «Human-Perforator»!"

Readying her karate chop, Konoha sprinted towards Fear who was charging at the same time with the torture instrument transformed from the Rubik's cube, thus starting a violent clash. The sounds of impact between a drill and a Japanese sword could be heard. The two girls shifted positions rapidly, attacking from all sorts of angles, displacing air while dodging, throwing insults at each other, charging in for the attack once more&mdash;

This situation alone was enough to make one want to clutch their head and cry, but Konoha's current appearance was making things even worse. While dressed in just a kimono and dripping wet all over, she was like a beast, running, jumping, turning and performing flying kicks.

Holding one hand against his face, Haruaki sighed forcefully then shaking his head repeatedly, he looked back.

"Sorry Kuroe. Looks like even I can't stop them this time..."

"It goes without saying that I can't stop them either. Even if I extended my hair, I think it'll just get severed immediately."

The sounds of combat continued nonstop, clanging, crashing. There was no end to the shouting of insults. "Insolent lass, give thyself up obediently!" "You're the one who should be putting your boobs away, they've been falling out a while already!" "Excuse me, I am too big." "This is pissing me off&mdash;&mdash;"

Haruaki and Kuroe could only wait for the storm to pass. They had no other choice.

Later&mdash;

There was no such thing as endless rain or a violent storm that lasted forever.

After some time, Haruaki heard a different sound compared to before.

"...Atchoo!"

Turning his head slowly, Haruaki looked back at the battlefield that he had avoided for a while now. The two girls had stopped moving.

Frowning, Fear was glaring at Konoha nonstop. On the other hand, Konoha was tossing her hair lightly, looking up blankly into space&mdash;Then another "atchoo." Presumably due to the high speed combat, her originally drenched body was almost dried completely, but the evaporation of water had lowered her body temperature.

"Haru, look quick...!"

"Ohoh!"

Konoha tried to take a sip of brandy, probably to help warm herself. However, she immediately moved the bottle away and tilted her head in puzzlement. After shaking the bottle lightly to confirm the weight of its contents, she pouted in displeasure.

Haruaki watched the scene in disbelief.

"Th-The bottle's finished...!?"

"Thanks to Ficchi's water-splashing operation number two, Kono-san's mind and body should have cooled off a lot. In other words, using two methods at once, perhaps Operation Substitution Beauties can skip over the middle phases directly, instantly reaching phase four, sobering now that the supply is cut!"

Haruaki felt as though a great mist had suddenly lifted before his eyes, causing his tense cheeks to relax on their own and a warm feeling to spontaneously manifest in his heart. Hope, anticipation, joy, gratitude, happiness&mdash;If he had to label this warm feeling, surely it must be one of those words.

"No, to be honest, I don't really care about the process anymore. As long as the result is good!"

"Agreed. Our long battle has is finally reaching a conclusion. What an arduous path!"

While savoring the wonderful ending with his entire body, Haruaki looked into Kuroe's eyes. She was smiling radiantly with relief and liberation written all over her face. He would not be surprised if tears started streaming down from her eyes. Because most likely he was making the same expression.

However, just at this moment...

Haruaki stared wide-eyed, blinking many times repeatedly. This was because some distance behind the smiling Kuroe, he saw someone who was not supposed to be present. Why had she appeared at a time like this?

"C-Class Rep...?"

"Huff... Huff... Yachi, what happened?"

The class representative of Haruaki's homeroom&mdash;Ueno Kirika&mdash;was panting heavily, her shoulders heaving up and down, her long ponytail shaking up and down as well, looking like she had rushed all the way here nonstop.

"W-What happened...?"

A foreboding sense rose up in Haruaki's heart as he repeated the question. Kirika frowned while raising the plastic bag in her hand slightly and said:

"Konoha-kun called me just now, saying: 'Buy alcoholic beverages, any sort will do. As quickly as possible.' Because Konoha-kun's voice sounded different from usual, I was thinking that there was definitely some kind of trouble related to cursed tools, which was why I needed to buy alcohol to suppress a curse or something like that&mdash;"

Crack, it was as though Haruaki heard the world fracturing. Naturally, what seeped out from the cracks was the black liquid known as despair. Haruaki remembered that Konoha had been on the phone not too long ago while she was roasting the pig. So the Kirika was the person on the other end.

"Oh... Just when the brandy had run out. As expected of myself, such foresight... Well then, Kirika-shan, come join us in our merrymaking... Mufufu, let us continue drinking in the living room..."

"K-Konoha-kun...?"

Konoha walked up and took the plastic bag from Kirika's hand. Understanding what had happened, Kirika instantly showed alarm on her face but before she could escape, Konoha had already wrapped her arm around Kirika's shoulder. Giving her no chance to resists, Konoha forced her to walk into the living room together.

"Everything's over..."

Hands on the floor, Kuroe hung her head forcefully. Haruaki wanted to do the same as well but a certain scene flashed in the depths of his mind. Buy alcoholic beverages, any sort will do. Alcohol. Alcohol apart from plum brandy.

"Hey, ye should come over too. Do not forget to bring the meat!"

Konoha turned her head lightly and casually spoke to Fear whom she had been fighting until just now. A classic show of the drunken Konoha's talents in capricious moods.

"Hey shameless brat, what do we do now? The plum brandy finally ran out! But now there's more alcohol!"

"Hmm... No, anyway, just do as Konoha says first, Fear. I think... I think I'm remembering something... What is it?"

Haruaki first extinguished the fire in the garden then brought the whole pig roast back to the living room. Along the way, he entered the kitchen to prepare large plates and other utensils to put on the living room table for everyone to use.

With a happy face, Konoha took out the alcoholic beverages from the plastic bag Kirika had brought.

"Ohoh, pure rice wine, beer, distilled spirits, isn't this sweet potato spirit...? Lovely. Oh, this must be western liquor... I remember drinking them rarely. Well then, how doth it taste&mdash;?"

What Konoha plopped onto the table was a bottle of whiskey.

This prompted a shock through Haruaki's entire body as though an electric current was flowing while his brain circuits suddenly connected.

"A-Ahhhhhhh!"

He remembered. He remembered!

"K-Konoha... Drink it, drink that right now, anyway, drink that first! Whiskey must be super tasty, you know? As expected of Class Rep!"

"Muu? Haryuaki-kun, why art thou suddenly... But I would like to drink this sweet potato spirit first&mdash;"

"No, drink this first! A big gulp!"

In the corner of his eye, Haruaki could see Fear and Kuroe exchanging glances as though they suddenly understood something. Swiftly, they leaned in behind Haruaki and said:

"Shameless brat, what's going on here?"

"If she drinks whiskey... What happens?"

Haruaki whispered:

"I remember now. In her current state, Konoha has no tolerance for western liquor, to the point that she'll fall asleep after drinking a single glass...! That's also how we were saved last time, except last time, Pops was the one who was ordered to go buy alcohol."

"Ohoh~ I'd really like to say 'why didn't you say that earlier' but I'll save the complaining for later. Since it's confirmed what needs to be done, let's not wait any further... Hey Cow Tits! I too, suggest that you drink this bottle of whiskey now! I command you!"

"Uwah, Ficchi~ That's way too obvious&mdash;!"

Just as Kuroe feared, Konoha instantly frowned.

"How now? After hearing the little lass, incredibly, I feel a sense of opposition rising in my heart... Distilled spirits, I shall drink distilled spirits first~"

"Th-This bitch... Okay, I get it now. Since a single glass is all that's needed, using a bit of force should be fine! I'm going to force it down her throat! Haruaki, Kuroe, Kirika! Hurry and hold down Cow Tits!"

"L-Looks like it's boiled down to force... Here I go!"

"Don't worry, I think Haru is the only one that Kono-san will never harm! ...But I can't guarantee the same for me. Feeling worried and scared, I'm using this, Mode: «Chaotic Tadamori»!"

"I'm totally lost here, but it looks like I should be bearing part of the responsibility. I guess I must help!"

"What are ye trying to do~!? I only want... to drink to my heart's content. Those who dare obstruct me, prepare yeselves accordingly&mdash;!"

The living room was instantly plunged into chaos. Crash thud! Black, rope-like objects were flying back and forth. Restraining tools of torture were deflected by karate chops. A certain massive object wobbled softly as it pressed down on Haruaki's face, followed by a seductive moan of "mmm haa..." For some reason, someone punched Haruaki in the back of his head. Who the heck!?

The pig roast was flipped over. Liquor packaged in aluminum foil on the table went flying, spilling out, wetting Haruaki's head, instantly filling the air with the smell of alcohol. Probably due to the splashing liquor entering Fear's mouth, she went "What is... going on? My body feels so hot... Rice crackers... flying in the air...?" She began to sway unsteadily.

Haruaki felt dizzy, unsure if it was due to the alcoholic vapors or over exhaustion. The commotion still continued. Not ended yet? Haruaki had no idea what was happening. Neither did he know if they were gaining the upper hand or not. His mind began to feel dazed. Even keeping his eyes open was getting difficult.

While his consciousness was gradually growing hazy, Haruaki could only hear&mdash;

"Nuwahahaha~ Again again... Bring it on, everything you've got~..."

She really sounded very happy... Unbelievably, Haruaki concluded with a smile.

Hence, this became his final memory of the night.

Late night&mdash;The living room was shrouded in silence and darkness.

In this space that seemed as though time had stopped, movements suddenly appeared.

A figure got up abruptly, eyes still mostly shut. The figure yawned and took steps slowly. This action caused the figure's kimono to get caught on something. Because the sash was already untied, the kimono slid and fell off as a result, but the figure was not aware, still one foot in the realm of dreams. Her voluptuous body was exposed completely to the air. Slowly, she left the living room and entered the washroom. After going to the toilet, she walked to her room. Her hazy eyes swept across the room as she tilted her head in puzzlement. Nevertheless, she still pulled her futon out gruffly from the cupboard. Without laying it out neatly, simply placing the futon on the floor, she slipped under the covers naked.

"Mmm~..."

Consequently, she happily drifted off to the realm of dreams again.

Naturally, she did not recall at all what had happened the first time she fell asleep.

This too, was a happy thing.

Morning.

As soon as she woke up, Konoha was completely baffled by her naked state under the covers. She did not remember undressing before going to bed... Even her memories of the previous day were very vague... Whatever, probably nothing important. Although she seldom mentioned it to others, she did remove her clothing occasionally during her sleep when she felt too hot. Reluctantly leaving behind the futon and blanket's soft sensations against her skin, she got up and casually picked out some clothes to wear before walking to the living room.

But the instant she stepped into the living room, Konoha's mouth gaped wide in surprise.

"W-What happened here...!?"

The living room was totally devastated. The cupboard's door had a small hole while the paper sliding door was heavily damaged. Bottled and aluminum foil-packaged liquids had spilled onto the floor, producing stains all over the tatami. More outrageous of all&mdash;for some reason&mdash;there was an object on the table, resembling a pig roast. Furthermore, most of the pig had fallen off the large plate.

That was not the full extent of the problematic situation. Inside the chaotic living room, there were also the three figures of her three housemates. For some reason, Kirika was also present. Everyone looked like they were sleeping soundly in utter exhaustion. Fear was gripping her Rubik's cube tightly, frowning in apparent pain, even grinding her teeth. Perhaps because she had scratched her belly, one of her hands had lifted her hem above her navel. As though trying to escape from something terrifying in the outside world, Kirika was in fetal position, clutching her head like a child. On the other hand, Kuroe was sleeping with her mouth open as though her soul had left her body. Oddly enough, her hair was extended outwards in a number of bundles&mdash;as though she had fought a great battle against something. Immediately, Konoha spotted words depicted by several bundles of hair on the tatami but there were only two of them&mdash;"I surren." What on earth did this mean?

Finally&mdash;

Haruaki was currently soundly asleep. Strangely enough, the kimono that should be kept in her cupboard was draped over his head, as though he were sniffing it. Furthermore, ah yes&mdash;speaking of smell, Haruaki, Fear, Kuroe, Kirika and this living room itself&mdash;there was an intense smell of alcohol.

Hence, Konoha took a deep breath, raised her eyebrows and projected her voice.

"G-Get up now, all of you&mdash;!"

"Eeek! W-What what?"

"Huh? Legend has it that those who waste rice crackers during their life will be sent down to the rice cracker hell...? A-A dream huh. Forever sandwiched between two halves of a giant rice cracker, even this kind of torture brings chills down my spine too..."

"This is the Yachi residence&mdash;Oh right, yesterday..."

"Sorry, please forgive your humble servant! Please call me your loyal servant number one... Eh?"

The quartet sat up and shuddered at the same time as they looked at the intimidating Konoha who was standing in one spot.

"K-Konoha, no way&mdash;"

"Haruaki-kun, what do you mean by 'no way'? What on earth is going on here!?"

Pointing at the living room's tragic state, Konoha questioned them. However, the quartet's reacted rather oddly. Haruaki and Kirika breathed out in relief, Fear sighed in exhaustion whereas Kuroe clapped her hands together to express gratitude towards some unknown deity.

"Thank goodness, it's the usual Konoha..."

"This is not good at all! This smell of alcohol&mdash;as reluctant as I am to believe it, Haruaki-kun, all of you were drinking together, yes!? And this delicious-looking whole pig roast served to accompany the alcoholic beverages, didn't it!? I can't believe that while I was sleeping, you...!"

"No, umm..."

"No excuses. You all reek heavily of alcohol, that is the evidence! Also... Haruaki-kun, that kimono is mine, no well, it makes me happy if you really wish to sniff it, but, umm, provided that you ask, I can lend it to you no problem, myself included. You shouldn't steal it sneakily. Act more like a man, are you listening!? Back to the subject, according to the conventions of society, we are all minors and absolutely must not imbibe alcohol. Having made the same mistake during New Year's, we ought to have learnt our lesson and act with greater prudence...!"

Konoha lectured continuously, scolding without end. In the end, she thought to herself: as expected, this family relied on her to pull herself together. Lecturing when lecturing was necessary, this was a very crucial point.

"Understood!? Also, I&mdash;"

While she was about to continue, she suddenly met gazes with Haruaki. He was currently kneeling formally in seiza, acting with initiative (such obedience made him especially adorable), looking up at her.

At the same time, he was smiling genially with a very gentle expression.

Konoha felt her cheeks grow hot all of a sudden. However, now was not the time for that.

"I-I am very angry. Please reflect carefully, Haruaki-kun. Why are you still smiling?"

Haruaki scratched his head, a gentle smile still on his face.

"Uh... Because I was thinking that sure enough, this kind of Konoha is when you're acting the most like yourself. It makes me feel relieved and a bit happy."

Kuroe and Kirika were also exchanging glances, showing faint, wry smiles as though great burdens had been lifted off their shoulders. On the other hand, Fear had turned her gaze away, sulking, which was quite commonplace actually.

"'This kind of Konoha'...?"

"No no, it's nothing. By the way, do you feel like your mood or body is more relaxed today?"

"Eh? Let me see... Now that you mention it, I do feel a refreshing breath in my chest. Oh, but the issue of a drinking party is neither here nor there!"

"That's good. Very well, continue with your lecture! We will all reflect fully. But after it's over, let me warm up the pig roast for everyone to eat together... Then I hope you'll consider this incident over, yeah!"

How baffling. Why was he suddenly acting with such manly graces?

However&mdash;

Currently, his face carried not only kindness but the determination to accept certain things.

In other words, he was like a warrior who lived proudly with his head up high.

Simply seeing him like this, Konoha confirmed once again, how fortunate she was to have him as her owner, what happiness to be able to become his possession&mdash;These perfectly natural feelings. Her heart began to pound intensely.

Hence, there was only one thing left for her to do.

"S-Since you are reflecting, very well. No helping it, there seems to be some kind of hidden story but I shall not pursue the details. Fine, hurry and clean up. Let's have breakfast. Of course, we must make the most of poor mister pig's meat!"

Smiling as usual, Konoha mustered her acting skills to reluctantly forgive him&mdash;

As usual, she concealed the loud pulsations of happiness in her heart from him.

Naturally, at the same time, she wished from the bottom of her heart for the eventual arrival of the day when she no longer had to conceal such feelings.

==Translator's Notes and References==

<references/>

| Return to [[CubexCursedxCurious#Volume_13_.28Full_Text.29|Main Page]]