My Girlfriend is a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 35 – Thread of Insects

Ruri’s scream, rarely raised to such a volume, became the only bonding material for the Sakisaka family, which was devoid of unity. It was like the signal flare for the beginning of a war. Ruri, who was precious to every member of the family, was able to do what she did because of that.

“What’s wrong!”

“What happened?”

“What’s going on?”

When the whole family, including me, gathered at the entrance, Ruri clung to my feet while crawling on the ground. The expression “weak at the knees” was often treated as a lie, but she was undeniably completely weak at the knees from any perspective.

“Onii…! Ahhhhhh…”

“Ruri, calm down. What happened?”

“Up… Hey, Ryuma. Look at that.”

“What?”

Prompted by my father, I directed my gaze to the entrance, where a massive swarm of insects appeared like hell on earth. It ranged from caterpillars to centipedes, to roaches. The mass of unpleasantness, regardless of the actual damage, was scattered in all directions, and one of them was about to climb over the front door.

“Dowaaaaaa!”

As sorry as I felt for the bugs, if they got inside, Ruri might go crazy. Without any hesitation, I kicked them all out and proceeded with a siege operation by closing the door. Someone might get bitten, especially if a centipede got in. This was the ultimate hardline approach, and if anyone asked who was at fault, it was the one who threw a bunch of bugs into our entrance.

“…I don’t really feel like going out either. Are you okay, Ruri?”

My sister was being comforted by our parents, but her eyes held no light. She sat in seiza posture, staring down, seemingly lost in thought. Maybe she’d look somewhat better if we moved her to a corner of the room. It’s bullying to do that to my sister, so I wouldn’t.

“Ruri.”

I put my hand under her chin and forcibly made eye contact. The moment her eyes, devoid of light, met mine, a spark ignited.

“…Onii. The bugs…”

“They’re outside. What happened?”

“…I dreamt that a letter arrived in the mail. It felt so real… that when I woke up, I went to check the mailbox. There really was a letter in it, and there was also a bug inside with it.”

“What a malicious prank. And doing it to you, Ruri, is outrageous.”

“But you wouldn’t care if it was Ryuma.”

“Well, he’s a liar, so he can’t really complain even if something like this happens to him. Besides, he’s a guy, so even if bugs come to him, he shouldn’t be scared.”

“Gender doesn’t matter when it comes to being afraid of bugs. In the first place, it’s not something that can be easily brushed off like that. Show some concern.”

“It’s creepy to be pampered at your age.”

“He’s already in high school, right?”

They scolded me with a smirk. I retorted reflexively, but I wouldn’t be coddled even if I died. If I were to be coddled, I’d rely on Shizuku. She’d surely pamper me without any justification like ‘because you’re a man’ or ‘because you’re my brother’.

They lost interest and scattered. It’s no wonder they couldn’t reach a conclusion beyond a prank. As I rubbed her back, I waited for her to calm down mentally and asked again.

“Ruri. Did you open that mail?”

“N-No. I-I was scared of the bugs.”

“I see. That’s good. I’ll keep that mail. Okay?”

With her permission obtained, I left the Impregnable Fortress. I quickly retrieved the contents from the mailbox and flipped through them. My sister, now completely calm, was already having breakfast in the living room. I also had to go there to avoid suspicion, but there was something I wanted to confirm before that.

When I returned to the room, I saw Shizuku deeply engrossed in reading the “Kidatsu Hyakumonogatari.”

“Hey, welcome back. Did you eat breakfast?”

“I’ll eat breakfast later. Can I have that for now?”

Concluding everything on my own would only worsen the situation. I needed to give this notebook to Miharu-senpai to deepen her understanding of “Karakiri-san”. Explaining orally might create parts that are difficult to understand or accept.

I packed my friend’s legacy into my bag and suddenly remembered the existence of the mask. In the end, what was that girl trying to achieve by giving me this? If something very painful happened, we could wear it… but the term “pained” itself is negative, so it’s unlikely to bring any benefits.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. Well then, I’ll be off.”

——————————

“Good morning, Sakisaka-kun.”

“Dowaaaah!”

The second surprise of the day. The first one was from a bug, causing discomfort, but this time, it was unexpected. Even though it’s a different type of surprise, it still took a toll on my stamina, leading to strain on my heart. You might think I shouldn’t be tired since I haven’t even gone to school yet, but exhaustion knows no logic. I just want to go home.

“It’s good to see you’re alive and well again today.”

“You said it’d be soon, but do you have an exact date?”

“I don’t know. However… The scent is getting stronger again. It’s making my nose itch. It’s as if she’s been nearby all this time…”

I felt a chill down my spine at her sharp intuition. It wasn’t cold sweat. It was a knife. I was convinced that the moment my secret was revealed, I would be stabbed. I didn’t really think she was actually next to me, but now I couldn’t let her into my room anymore.

With such sharp intuition, she might realize that while acting like a spiritualist, I’ve been sleeping while being pampered by Shizuku. Well, I can’t help it. It feels good. It’s only natural for a person to seek a good night’s sleep, right? Who in their right mind would deliberately worsen the quality of their sleep?

Speaking of which, masochism refers to deriving pleasure from pain, but the poor sleep quality only brings about a vague sense of discomfort, not pain. If there are people who enjoy it, they probably have some sort of dysfunction and should consider going to the hospital. It’s likely they’ve developed a mentality like, “I was sleepy for the first two days, but I haven’t felt tired at all since the third day.”

“By the way, do you believe in things like the supernatural or urban legends, those kinds of unrealistic stories?”

“Why the sudden shift in topic? …Well, I can’t believe in them as a general rule, but knowing Shizuku’s abilities, I suppose such stories aren’t entirely implausible. Of course, within the limits of what happens in everyday life.”

Now that it’s been mentioned, Shizuku’s abilities far surpass realms of the supernatural or nonscientific. For the betterment of future civilization, it might be better to send her to some research institution rather than executing her. It’s not a sign of betrayal. It’s better to keep her hidden from the public eye than to betray her.

―――The ‘facts’ to be believed and the ’emotions’ one wants to believe are different things.

I’ll say it as many times as needed. I love Shizuku, but this is a different matter altogether.

“Are you interested? If so, I can introduce you to some acquaintances.”

“I hate it, so I decline. Plus, your acquaintances are probably either police officers or really old guys. There’s a possibility of them being old ladies too, but I don’t like that idea. I’m not that good at socializing anyway.”

“As long as you contact them in the form of a request, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

It’ll get complicated if I don’t handle it alone. It would be misleading to say something like “Karakiri-san” (I’d probably blurt it out if I saw it), but I’ve witnessed various supernatural phenomena next to Housuke all this time. Every time, I showed my pathetic side by clinging to Ayako or hiding behind Housuke, but they’re not here anymore, and it’s me whom Miharu-senpai has come to rely on.

If I don’t do it, who will?

Fortunately, information about “Karakiri-san” was in the notebook. Dealing with something completely unknown is one thing, but now is not the time to lend out my strength.

“I don’t know why you’re asking me that, but let me give you one piece of advice… Although I’m an amateur in this field.”

“What is it?”

“Even if it’s non-scientific, it just means it doesn’t conform to scientific or physical laws, but there are always rules. Nanagi Shizuku’s control by name won’t work unless her name is known. It’s the same principle.”

“That’s just a layman’s opinion.”

I managed to avoid mentioning Shizuku. It would be unnatural to forcefully change the topic from here on. It’s too much trouble to keep looking for opportunities, so I might as well settle that matter now too.

“Kusune, do you have any plans for the next long weekend?”

“I have a search mission for Nanagi Shizuku.”

“That’s always the case. Other than that.”

“I don’t have any, but is it an invitation for a date?”

“No, it’s not really a date, but my little sister Ruri wants to get to know you, so, would you take her out during the long weekend… not exactly a date, but could you take her out somewhere?”

It’s a brilliant idea, even if I say so myself. If I let them out, Shizuku can also have some freedom, and most importantly, I won’t have to worry about her entering my room anymore. My brain, which was already on fire, was flying into a realm where even my school grades can’t judge me.

No one knows about my proud posture without anyone’s praise.

“If that’s the case, I’d be honored to accept.”

“You don’t have to be so formal, it’s not like I’m superior to you. Just feel free to accept.”

Now, I’ve added a follow-up to this morning’s events, but will Ruri be happy about it?