My Girlfriend is a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 17 – Low and Dark

No matter how I rack my brain, I can’t recall such memories. But if it’s true that she can do memory manipulation, then the reason I can’t remember is because of that, and in reality…

“Shizuku Nanagi is trying to incapacitate you for some reason. The lack of memories of your heroics is because of that. Does it seem like everyone is lying? Even if it does, what benefit would I have in lying to you? You’re essentially a friend who’s willing to cooperate with me. Please believe in me, Sakisaka-kun. I will surely be your ally until the end.”

That’s what Kusune Rinbara said. Now that I can’t even trust my own memories, who should I believe anymore? Both Shizuku and Kusune seem… well, Shizuku is a bad person, but I can’t imagine her betraying me. I don’t even want to think about it.

There’s no way a person who lets me massage her chest could be a bad guy! …I want to say that, but if she’s intending to manipulate me, then that’s another story. But what’s the point of manipulating me? Since Shizuku went as far as revealing her ability just to rely on me, it doesn’t make sense. If she wanted to manipulate me, she could simply ask for my name without revealing her ability.

…Ugh, I’m done thinking about this!

I couldn’t find any such event in my memory, but with Kusune’s arrangement, I suddenly became a popular person. There was no way I would not take advantage of this. What should be erased from my memory was the part where I had been scorned for being a liar, and Shizuku was probably right that I was a person of character.

“Ryuma, let’s go home together.”

“Ryuma-kun, are you free today? Would you like to come play?”

“Ryuma is really cool when you look at him closely!”

I became popular mainly among women because I fought off a molester. It was a big difference from the days when I was considered a liar. It was the first time I was told I was good looking. It’s complicated to be praised for something you don’t remember, but there aren’t many boys who wouldn’t be happy to be called good-looking.

“Oh no, hahahaha! Well, it’s not that serious, but… Man, I’m in trouble!”

I felt like I could confess to any girl right now and I would be successful. The story of fighting off the molester has reached the other classes, and it seemed like I was constantly being talked about in the class group chat. I have been wondering what kind of joke it was that popular guys have it hard, but I have finally changed my class to that side. I now know exactly how it feels. It is indeed hard.

In a yellow scream sort of way.

“…………Don’t be deceived.”

Quietly, Maria called out to me. Amidst the fervor of the surroundings, her voice was the only one not carried away by the excitement, sounding somber and composed. To me, who had been swept up in the enthusiasm of my other classmates, it felt like being abruptly yanked back to reality, and it didn’t feel pleasant.

“Eh?”

“Because you’re you. See you later.”

She quickly went home, leaving me, who was supposed to be popular, behind. Due to the incident involving Keisuke and the others, club activities had been cut short, so perhaps she also had no club activities today. Her words, “Don’t be deceived,” lingered in my mind, but dwelling on it now would only lead me back to a dark place. I’ll just leave it in the back of my mind for now… but still.

Maria had warned me during the incident with Yuuna as well. Perhaps she knew something about this incident too, which is why she said what she did. Apart from Yuuna and Kusune, I trust Maria in a certain sense.

“Sorry, everyone. I, uh, have another matter to attend to today!”

I don’t recall agreeing to become Kusune’s coworker, but it’s useful in situations like this. With my bag in hand, I followed after Maria.

“Maria, wait up! What was that all about just now?!”

I wouldn’t call it exactly running away, but she’s already out of sight. Even as I descended to the entrance, the same held true. It’s hard to believe she could walk fast enough to disappear from sight like that. Maybe she ran along the way. There might have been a reason for her to avoid me, or maybe there wasn’t.

I ran all the way to the school gate, but I couldn’t catch sight of her back. It felt like a futile effort. Despite the distance not being that great, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. My steps felt heavy. Maybe someone sabotaged my shoes by putting lead in them.

As I somehow managed to step outside the school gates with my heavy feet, something passed over my head. It appeared in front of me faster than I could check above, and I performed a forward roll to take a fall, landing gracefully.

“Sakisaka-kun. Let’s go home together.”

“Uwaah!? K-Kusune, where did you come from all of a sudden?”

“I saw you while observing outside from the rooftop, so I jumped down.”

“You jumped down from there…?”

Even in a straight line from the rooftop to outside the school gate, it’s nearly 60 meters. Setting aside whether it’s safe or not, anyone can manage to land on their feet, but if you can jump that far, you’re practically transcending human capabilities. There were concrete pieces and grass leaves stuck to her uniform, so I brushed them off. I thought women were supposed to care about their appearance, but she seems quite sloppy in that regard. If you’re going to take a fall, at least dust yourself off.

“You’ve caught the attention of Shizuku Nanagi. Trying to go home alone is suicidal. There was trouble yesterday, but today should be fine. I’ll escort you home.”

Even though she says it’s fine, I’ve already given up before the conversation even started since she definitely won’t listen to me. I don’t think Shizuku will attack, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s safer to accept her offer. I didn’t want her to come all the way to my house, but I also didn’t have the confidence to explain the reason without mentioning Shizuku, so there’s no choice. I’ll just have to rely on the fact that my extrasensory abilities aren’t functioning.

“Have you thought about it? Whether you’ll help me with my work.”

Now that she mentioned it, I just remembered that I put that on hold. But even though I just wanted to organize my thoughts, my response has been decided from the start.

“I can’t help with anything, you know?”

“It’s okay if it’s just for show. Besides, you helped subdue the pervert, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s beside the point… I mean, isn’t your cooperation about doing some investigation stuff? What kind of help can an ordinary person provide?”

“I told you it’s okay if it’s just for show. Besides, it was a judgment made to protect you from the start.”

“But still…”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

Kusune’s footsteps stopped.

“Then why don’t you come live with me? If you wish, you can even bring your family.”

“That’s not really an alternative, is it? Why are you so insistent on protecting me?”

“Isn’t prioritizing human life obvious? Please rest assured, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll provide clothing, and I’ll cook three meals a day to ensure there are no mishaps. We’ll share a bed, bathe at the same time as me, and I’ll wake you up at your desired time in the morning. I’ll also accommodate any other requests you may have. I promise a more comfortable life than what you have now. I don’t think it’s a bad deal.”

“…It’s not just about me potentially being targeted because of the blood scent. Don’t you know anything about risk diversification?”

“Given the scent of blood, you’ve clearly made quite an impression. So, if we keep you under control, Shizuku will definitely show up. Don’t you think so?”

I think she’s right. If I stopped going home, she’d likely come to fetch me, even if it puts herself in danger. Yuuna’s case was exactly like that. I don’t know how, but she can even hide among animals, so it seems like I’ll need to create an environment where not even a bug can pass through to keep her from getting through.

“……Umm, hey. The family thing isn’t really up to me to decide.”

“Then I’ll go get permission right away. It may cause some misunderstandings, but if I say you’re my lover, things should proceed smoothly.”

“What?! Hold on, that’s… okay, wait. Just hold on a second! Let me… um, talk first. Please don’t come to my house. Okay?”

“Why do you keep refusing? Whatever your request may be, even if it’s something vulgar or filled with desires, I’m willing to accept it.”

“It’s not that kind of issue! Anyway, please don’t come to my house. It’ll just complicate things!”

Just like her expression, Kusune’s demeanor was equally rigid. In this case, it should be called her intention. Maybe it’s because we have only known each other for a short time, I still couldn’t read her expression.

“…I understand. Then, in exchange, take this.”

With those words, she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. Written on it was a phone number, and judging from the situation, it seemed to be her personal number.

“It’s the phone number I use privately. Please contact me if you need any help. I’ll be there within three minutes.”

“It’s like fast food.”

If I refused to accept it, she’d definitely become suspicious, and even if not, there’s a high chance of hurting her feelings, so I reluctantly accepted it for now. Whether I’d use it or not was uncertain. Rather than not using it, I might not be able to use it because of Shizuku.

“…Even when you don’t need anything, please feel free to call.”

“Eh?”

“…It’s nothing. Please, feel free to use it as you like. It’s my way of showing my sincerity.”

Kusune muttered awkwardly while turning away. Indeed, emotions conveyed through the voice alone were easy to understand. Perhaps others might use the same method of discernment, but for now, let me revel in the sense of superiority of having my own way.

With a bit of mischief in mind, I reached into her pocket and forcibly grabbed her hand inside. Kusune’s expression remained unchanged, as still as a mask. However, the hand inside the pocket seemed to shy away from mine embarrassedly, yet when I held onto it, it obediently stayed put.

It’s hard to think she simply dislikes it. She could just move away, but she didn’t, and moreover, when I tried to pull my hand out of her pocket, her hand pulled mine back in.

What started as a small act of mischief gradually made me feel embarrassed too.