Chapter 31: The Final Day of the Peaceful Period

Lately, life’s been fun.

It might sound odd coming from a high schooler, but it’s the truth.

Thanks to building a friendship with Kurokawa-senpai, Kaede and the others have stopped their sutra-like grumblings, and school life has become relatively peaceful.

The judgmental stares from the other students are still there, but there’s nothing I can do about that.

They say rumors fade over time, but… nope! The things I’ve done will never be forgotten, no matter how many years pass!

“It’s strange, isn’t it? Even though they’re all soggy, they’re still delicious.”

“True. Fries from other places wouldn’t turn out this good.”

She’s grown so fond of this place that we end up going every time we’re out.

I suggested trying the more expensive menu items, not wanting her to get bored, but she shot me down with, ‘Not until I’ve conquered everything on the menu.’ So, for now, it looks like it’s cheap burgers for us.

Well, that’s fine, I guess. I like this place, and it’s easy on my wallet.

“Even so, it’s surprising how much the customer base changes just by crossing one station.”

“Yeah. No offense, but there are a lot of introverts here.”

That’s definitely offensive. Way too much. I even see some familiar faces around.

Not that it matters—they probably wouldn’t do anything even if they heard her.

“So, how’s it been lately? With the girls around you?”

“Hmm… they’re like close friends now, I guess.”

“I see…”

This must mean the curse is weakening.

Before I got closer to Kurokawa-senpai, I’d definitely have been monitored on these outings. But now, even after five trips, not a word about it. Last weekend, everyone came over to my place, but nothing happened. We just played games, watched anime, had a sleepover, and parted ways the next morning.

Sharing the same room for sleeping might seem a bit improper, but since we weren’t sharing beds, it should be fine, right? I’m not sure what qualifies as “sharing a bed,” but I think we’re in the clear.

“Feeling lonely?”

“Huh?”

Lost in thought, her question caught me off guard.

What did she say? Did she just ask if I’m lonely?

“You used to be so popular with those cute classmates of yours, and now they’ve suddenly distanced themselves, haven’t they?”

Well… if I said I wasn’t lonely at all, it’d be a lie. I had my share of fun. Like bath-related things, for example.

But honestly, the fear outweighed the enjoyment, and this distance feels just right.

Although… I wouldn’t mind if they tried something a little more… daring.

“You probably wanted to build a harem, and now you’re stuck going on dates with someone like me…”

“Please don’t put it like that.”

“Huh?”

Huh? What kind of phrasing is that?

“I enjoy spending time with you, Senpai.”

This isn’t flattery or anything.

After all, the condition to break the curse is for me to ‘genuinely love Senpai.’

That means no matter how much Senpai’s feelings toward me improve, it doesn’t help the curse.

So if the curse is weakening, it must mean my feelings for Senpai are growing stronger. In other words, I’m being honest right now.

“But I don’t have much interesting to say…”

“You know so much about movies and dramas. Sure, your taste is a little niche, but it’s been fun watching things I’d usually never pick.”

The way she lights up when talking about dramas shows how much she loves them.

Her unique perspective brings new insights, and I genuinely enjoy it.

If I hadn’t met Senpai, I might’ve gone my whole life without realizing how great dramas can be. After all, some people never watch them, right?

“Also, you have such fresh reactions, even at ordinary places like parks or arcades.”

Watching a high school girl play on a jungle gym—it’s not something you see every day.

Not some fancy jungle gym at a big park, but just a plain, ordinary one.

“…Could it be,” she starts hesitantly.

“…Huh? What is it?”

She looks like she’s struggling to say what’s on her mind, unsure whether she’s uncertain or too sure of it.

“If I hadn’t cursed you… would we have just been… you know, normal…”

“A couple? Yeah, probably.”

Strictly speaking, if she hadn’t come on so strong, we might’ve become a couple naturally.

Once we’d started dating, her pushiness wouldn’t have been as big of an issue, and things would’ve just worked themselves out.

Wait a second. If I play this right, can I get her to lift the curse?

“But I’m gloomy, my hairstyle is creepy, and my whole vibe is kind of scary…”

She’s surprisingly self-aware. That’s one thing I admire about Senpai.

“Regardless of what you or anyone else thinks, I like your vibe, Senpai.”

I really mean it.

That love letter she gave me made me genuinely happy.

…Though since being cursed, I’ve started noticing Kaede and the others more.

“Then why? Why did you brush things off back then?”

“Well… you mentioned marriage right off the bat, with blood oaths and pre-marital stuff… It was all way too sudden.”

Meeting the parents right out of the gate? That’s a steep hurdle.

Everything was just moving too fast. The blood oath part wasn’t even a matter of speed—it was just too much.

“Did you think I was a crazy girl?”

“At the time? Yeah.”

“And now?”

Well, no, that hasn’t really changed. I still think she’s kind of crazy.

“But now I get it. You were nervous, weren’t you? Desperate, even. You just didn’t want to let me slip away.”

She’s a bit of an oddball, but she’s not as tough as she seems.

For someone who looks confident, she’s surprisingly delicate.

To put it plainly, she’s just socially awkward. She’s bad at gauging distance, not great with words, and gets flustered easily. She’s the kind of person who’s easy to misunderstand.

Honestly, isn’t she pretty normal now?

Sure, if I wanted to be rude, I could call her gloomy, but in a kinder light, she’s just a quiet, reserved woman.

Her confession must’ve been her first, and she probably panicked. I get that now.

“…Yeah.”

She’s… adorable.

If it weren’t for the curse causing trouble for everyone else, I might’ve fallen for her by now.

I wish I could show everyone how cute she can be.

“Do you resent me? For cursing you?”

“I… I think the trouble I’ve gone through is my punishment for not accepting your confession.”

It’s my choice to accept or reject her feelings, but the fact remains that I hurt her.

I probably deserve some payback for that. Whether things like the diaper incident or the bedwetting incident count as ‘some’ is another matter.

“But I’m mad that Kaede and the others’ lives were thrown into chaos because of it.”

I’ve grown into a braver man, haven’t I?

Or maybe it’s not bravery. Maybe it’s just that my fear of Senpai has subsided.

“For that… I’m sorry.”

She’s surprisingly sincere. Then again, maybe it’s not so surprising anymore.

Is this my chance? Could I get her to lift the curse like this?

Wait, wait. Rushing things will only make things worse.

Senpai herself taught me that by being the perfect example of what not to do. She gave me a chance to stand in her shoes, to understand what it’s like to be on the rejecting side.

“What’s done is done.”

“Thank you.”

She gently places her hand on mine as she speaks her gratitude.

Though… her hand is covered in salt and grease from the fries.

“Why did you curse me in the first place? I get that you were upset, but if you hadn’t given up on me, wasn’t the curse counterproductive?”

What if I’d been content with a harem and fallen for someone else?

Because of the curse, I’ve started noticing all sorts of girls: Kaede, who I’d grown distant from; Kumanokyo, who I found annoying; the class president, who I wasn’t great with; even a glasses-wearing gambling addict I never would’ve met otherwise.

Just the other day, some strange girl tangled with me because of the curse.

If this keeps up, things will only get worse for Senpai.

There’s also the very real possibility I could end up hating her. Actually, isn’t that the normal reaction?

Come to think of it, I’m probably a bit of an oddball myself.

“The curse wasn’t counterproductive. I had my reasons.”

Reasons…? So it wasn’t just blind anger?

The curse attracts girls, creating more rivals for her…

Did she try to make me hate girls in general? But…

“What do you mean by that?”

Just as I was about to press her for details—

“Excuse me, customers. I’m very sorry, but the store has become quite crowded…”

Terrible timing. Is this part of the curse too?

“Oh, uh, right. We’ll leave soon.”

“Thank you very much…”

Damn, we were on a roll!

We hadn’t been there that long, but I guess it can’t be helped. Shops around here probably have some resentment toward students from our school.

Still, why us? Look over there—the group of otakus has taken up two large tables. Not that complaining will change anything.

“Kogoro-kun, why don’t we go to that game center again?”

Seriously? I was hoping for a quiet park, but she wants an arcade?

In that noisy place, a conversation like this would be impossible. Neither of us speaks very loudly.

In the end, I couldn’t get the answers I wanted that day.

Maybe I’ll try again after school tomorrow.

I know these things are best resolved naturally, but it can’t be helped.

Right now, I’m inching closer to a peaceful life.

There’s no need to rush.

Take it one step at a time.

There’s no way some crazy twist will throw everything off track.

That’s what I was thinking at the time.

Yeah, I really was naïve.

If I’d been a bit sharper, I might’ve noticed what was happening around me.