Volume 5 Chapter 1 – The Witch’s Forest and the Maidens of the Round Table 1 Memorable Underwear)

| Umiumi

“Haa…”

“Hey, Umi-umi, quit sighing. You’re just gonna ignore us if we ask, aren’t you? Stop it.”

“Yeah, it’s sooo annoying.”

Ever since yesterday, I’ve been feeling down. I wish they’d understand that. But I can’t take it out on them. Seems like the only person I can vent to is Haruharu.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“…You’re in ‘graceful mode’ even though it’s the weekend? …Fine. I’ll play along.”

“Uh-huh? Then I’ll join in too~ Umi-san, you’re really annnnoying.”

“I feel like I’m being mocked here. Please stop.”

It was Saturday, around snack time. Today, the three of us were out together.

People call us “witches.” Mostly, it’s kids in their chūnibyō phase—like Haruharu and Renren.

I’m not thrilled with the name. How am I supposed to have a romantic story with Kyosuke-san if people see me as a witch?

A prince and a witch? The witch always ends up tricking him!

People started calling us “witches” back in middle school. Rumor had it that we’d chase down anyone who messed with us until they regretted it, in ways no one could ever prove.

Each of us had long, straight black hair, though styled differently, which only added to the image.

Honestly, people who pick fights or target others deserve what they get. And especially when I’m in a bad mood because I haven’t seen Kyosuke-san, it’s even worse if they start pestering me.

Who’s a witch? I’m just a beautiful girl, that’s all.

The three of us met through coincidences—like having a shared enemy or bumping into each other while taking revenge. We bonded over our mutual connection to Kyosuke-san, sharing memories and complaints about him.

Then there’s Naruse Aika and the Round Table. Those guys never missed an opportunity to get in our way.

Through these shared battles, we became close friends. The matching ribbons we wear, each in a different color, became our symbol.

I wear a peacock blue ribbon on the side of my princess-cut hair. Ah, and Haruharu, who made that silly remark yesterday, has hers in a blue-green, celadon-like color.

Today, I was out with Andou Anju, who wore her long black hair tied at shoulder length with a deep crimson ribbon, and Igarashi Ranka, who had her black hair in a side ponytail, adorned with a canary-yellow ribbon.

“Hey.”

“I know.”

“We’re being followed, aren’t we~?”

Ugh, just when I’m in a foul mood, too. Probably another lame pickup attempt… We may seem quiet, tall enough, and—well, we have good figures.

Though our personalities couldn’t be more different.

“Everyone, you’ve got your gear ready?”

“Of course. Output at max.”

“The IC, the buzzer, and the camera are all set~.”

Alright, good. I quickly glanced around to assess the situation and scoped out an escape route, just in case.

In situations like this, I handle the talking, Ranka keeps an eye on things from above, and Anju… well, things would likely go south if she started talking.

“Hey, hey, you girls got some free time? You do, right? Why don’t you come hang out with us? It’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, let’s go somewhere exciting together.”

“The numbers work out perfectly, too.”

Oh, give me a break. The same lines as always. No, we’re not free; no, we’re not interested in hanging out; no, it’s not fun, and I don’t care if the numbers match.

“No, we have somewhere to be, so we’ll pass.”

“Aw, come on, just for a bit.”

“They’ll even pay for us.”

“Yeah, yeah, no need to worry about a thing. It’s all settled.”

Sigh. Are these guys apes or something? Listen when people talk! Oh, looks like Juju is shaking.

They’re dead.

“Look, really, we’re fine.”

“Tch, just come on.”

“Getting all high and mighty just ’cause we’re being polite, huh?”

“You probably don’t wanna make this hard either, right? Just come along.”

Sigh. How many more sighs are these guys gonna pull out of me? Really, there’s no saving idiots like this. They go from pestering to threatening way too fast.

Premature much?

“Enough of this…”

“Oh my, do you have some business with our underclassmen?”

“Hitting on middle schoolers? How tacky.”

“Wow, that’s low.”

“Huh? Oh, what? Hey, you’re pretty cute too. So, these girls are your juniors?”

“Well, you’d work too. Keep us company, and we’ll let your juniors go. Not that we actually would.”

“Yeah, it’s called joint responsibility. This just got interesting.”

Sigh. Great, now the Round Table is here… Erika Wako, Shino Shino no Uta, and Jun Hatano. They’re our seniors from middle school.

Oh, right. Do they know about the situation with Naruse Aika?

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Otomo-san?”

“Yes, Wako-senpai.”

“And where are you off to today?”

“Hello, Shinonome-senpai. We hadn’t decided exactly, but we were thinking of having tea together.”

Hmm… Wako and Shinonome are way too calm about this… They probably don’t know. There should be someone from the Round Table at Kyosuke-san’s high school. Should I stir the pot?

“Why are you ignoring us? We’re from Kameko, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’d be smarter to come along. Forcing things is a real buzzkill.”

“Six of you, huh? Heh, this should be fun.”

Sigh. I’m in the middle of something important here, so how about you apes shut up and go entertain yourselves? You’re throwing off my calculations! …Alright.

“How about this! Would you care to join us, senpai?”

“…The forest… and tea?”

“Yes, please do. There’s something I’d like to consult with you about.”

“Uno-san, you didn’t tell us about this.”

“Yeah, what gives?”

Well, I just decided now.

…Haruharu’s mood has been different from usual. She’d been directly exposed to the atmosphere of the scene, something photos alone couldn’t capture.

For me, just looking at the photos, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. I was annoyed, sure, but Kyosuke-san was smiling, so it wasn’t that bad.

His smile was so wonderful that I didn’t care much about Naruse Aika. But the difference in how Haruharu and I felt about it was putting me in a gloomy mood.

But if the Round Table knows something, maybe it’ll help.

“This is the answer to my melancholy today.”

“Enough to make you, of all people, feel down… Otomo-san?”

“That’s rare. For Otomo to be depressed.”

“Ha, Wako-senpai aside, Hatano-senpai really is… something, huh~?”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Igarashi?”

“Ranka-san, let’s keep it at that. Anju-san, are we all set?”

“…Understood. Let’s go.”

“You brats! Quit ignoring—ow!”

“Hey, you little—what the—ow!”

“What’s with this—argh!”

As we passed by, Juju, Ranran, and I casually zapped the apes with our stun guns.