Chapter 34: House Arrest

I’m exhausted. It seems like they had a lot of pent-up demands, so I did my best to take care of them.

I indulged Kumanokyo and Kaede’s baby-play antics in the classroom, spoiled them silly, and after school, spent time getting cozy with Kurokawa-senpai to weaken her curse.

At least I managed to get permission to meet Sei on Saturday. The condition was that I’d entertain Kaede and the others from Saturday night through Sunday evening.

“Oh crap, I overslept!”

I was so worn out that I was about to be late for my meeting with Sei. Actually, scratch that—I’m already late.

The meeting time was six, right? It’s already 6:30. Even if I teleported there right now, I’d still be late.

She’s probably already gone home in anger by now, but I’ll head over anyway. It’s partly her fault for not exchanging contact info, right? Maybe I can smooth this over somehow.

There’s a woman collapsed on her knees in front of a convenience store, crying her eyes out. Wait, could it be…?

“Hi… Shiro?”

“Ah…”

When I called out to her, the crying woman raised her face. Yup, it’s her. It’s Sei.

I’ve really screwed up this time.

“Sakamoto? Do you know what time it is? It’s almost seven!”

“I’m sorry! I overslept!”

No excuses here, so I just apologized. Honestly, calling out a guy you’re not even close with at such an early hour on a weekend isn’t exactly normal, but if I said that, she’d probably cry even harder. My only option is to keep bowing my head until she forgives me.

“I’ve been waiting here for two hours! I even finished the magazine I bought to kill time!”

Okay, sure, I’m at fault for being late, but who shows up two hours early? That’s just absurd. She must’ve arrived an hour before the meeting time.

“I gave up part of my precious weekend for you, and you dare to be late?”

I’ve got no response. Nothing. The fact remains that I’m late, and arguing with someone who bawls in public isn’t going to end well.

“I’m really sorry. This is all my fault.”

I bowed deeply in sheer exasperation.

Why the hell am I doing this in front of a convenience store? People are passing by, for crying out loud.

“Hmph! Bowing your head like that isn’t worth a thing to me!”

Ah, there it is. She’s shifting from frail, sobbing mess to this weird, outdated tsundere vibe. That’s probably a sign she’s calming down, though.

Still, I can’t afford to let my guard down. If I get too comfortable, she might revert back—or get even worse.

“I’m truly sorry. This was my carelessness, my mistake.”

“Ugh, so annoying. Just lift your head already.”

Honestly, you’re the last person who should be saying that after collapsing in front of a convenience store, but I know better than to say it out loud.

“Do you have any idea how much more valuable my time is compared to the average person’s? Wasting it is a serious offense.”

Is this her way of saying she’s a curse-breaker? I don’t know enough to say for sure, but it doesn’t come across as mere arrogance.

I had pegged her as just a haughty, needy mess, but maybe there’s more to her than meets the eye. After all, she did immediately spot Kurokawa-senpai’s curse, so she’s clearly no amateur.

“I’m truly sorry for wasting your valuable time…”

“Apologizing anymore would just waste more time. I’m going to the restroom, so buy me a Coke while I’m gone. I’ll let you off with that.”

Fair enough. If she’s been waiting here for two hours, she’d probably need the restroom by now. I guess if she didn’t have to pee, her lecture might’ve dragged on even longer.

And honestly, for someone who claims her time is so valuable, a Coke is a surprisingly cheap price for forgiveness. Is she actually kind of forgiving?

Where are we even going? She told me to just follow her, so I’ve been walking silently, but I’d appreciate at least a hint about the destination.

Also, isn’t it a bit unseemly for a grown woman to be walking around chugging a Coke straight from a bottle? Like, at least use a straw if you’re going to drink on the move. Not that I care that much.

“Trash.”

Sei turned her head to glare at me and spat out that single word—simple yet devastating. What the hell? Why is she picking a fight? Did I do something wrong?

“That’s why—trash.”

Why did she say it twice? Is she still mad about me being late?

Look, I’ve already apologized, okay? Besides, I was only an hour late. She’s acting like I showed up two hours late or something.

“Are you listening? Put the empty bottle in that bag.”

“Oh, right, that’s what you meant…”

So she wants me to dispose of the bottle. She could stand to choose her words a little more carefully, though. Honestly, I bet half the world’s arguments are caused by tone alone.

Still, she managed to chug an entire 500-milliliter bottle without snacks. That’s kind of impressive.

“Seriously, being that slow to catch on could cost you your life. Don’t forget you’re cursed by Kurokawa Miyabi.”

She’s surprisingly sharp for a self-proclaimed emotional wreck. Now that I think about it, she’s right—I’ve been in plenty of situations where a bad decision could’ve been fatal. I’ve managed to scrape by with quick fixes so far, but there’s a good chance I could’ve been stabbed in one of those situations.

Anyway, since we’ve got a conversation going, maybe I can finally ask where we’re headed.

“Yeah, I’ll be careful. So, where are we going?”

“What? Are you saying you won’t follow me unless you know the destination? Asking that means you’re suspicious of me, doesn’t it? You think I’m leading you somewhere weird and are already planning to turn back, aren’t you? Admit it!”

What’s with this girl? She’s on a whole different level of trouble compared to Kaede and the others.

And honestly, this doesn’t feel like the curse talking. This is probably just her personality. Call it a hunch, but I think I’m right.

“I trust you, Shiro.”

“Really? We’ve just met, you barely know what a curse-breaker is, and you’re saying you trust me?”

Wow, she’s surprisingly self-aware about how untrustworthy she seems. That kind of honesty is almost reassuring in itself.

You know how you’re more likely to trust someone who says, “I just dabble in computers,” than someone who brags about being a tech expert? It’s kind of like that. Maybe not the best analogy, though.

“I don’t know you well yet, but I get the feeling you’re a decent person.”

Okay, I admit, that was a bit of an exaggeration. I don’t think she’s a bad person, but whether she’s good is still up for debate.

More than anything, she’s just… a lot.

“What are you basing that on? If you don’t know me, don’t say stuff like that.”

“Well… I’ll get to know you better. Tell me more about yourself.”

I tried to show interest while steering the conversation. That should work, right?

“I-I’m not stupid! You’ve got no sense of timing or atmosphere!”

…Huh? Timing? Atmosphere? For what?

“Still, I’ll give you credit for at least trying to be brave in your awkward way.”

…What? I don’t think we’re on the same wavelength at all. I can’t even get close to understanding her.

“Well, you might not meet my high standards for looks, but I get your intentions.”

Ah, great. She’s completely misunderstood. People like this exist outside of curses, huh? Guess I’ll have to avoid making casual small talk with her, too.

“Honestly, with you making it so obvious you’ve got ulterior motives, I’m starting to feel uneasy about inviting you into my home. Not that I’d have any trouble taking down a horny monkey like you in one punch.”

…“Horny monkey” is one thing, but did she just say invite me? Wait, is the destination her house? I’d really like to go home now, please.

“Just so you know, I’m way stronger than you in a fair fight. And if I go for dirty tactics like eye gouges or a low blow, you wouldn’t stand a chance, even if there were a hundred of you.”

Talk about a big mouth. Physically, I’m pretty sure I’d win even without dirty tricks. Shouldn’t curse-breakers have some kind of technique for this? She’s coming off as a clueless bully who’s only tough in her imagination.

“Are you even listening? Or do you want to test the difference in our strength? By the time you realize it, you’ll be leaking fluids from every hole.”

That… that’s basically my move. It’s like the ultimate useless skill for a weakling who can’t overpower anyone.

Whether she’s bragging or bluffing, I have no idea, but Sei keeps spewing nonsense at high speed. I nod and react vaguely enough to avoid annoying her, and eventually, we arrive at a ridiculously large house. Damn, this place is huge! I don’t know the real estate prices around here, but just the land alone could probably fund a mansion.

And the house itself is modern. Aren’t houses like this usually old, wooden buildings?

“This is your house, right? Do curse-breakers make that much money?”

“…Yes.”

Her response was oddly hesitant. Did I hit a nerve with such a nosy question?

Maybe I’m overthinking it. Whatever. The real issue is what she’s planning to do now.

Ignoring my growing unease, Sei steps through the gate. Guess I’m supposed to follow her. She told her parents about this, right?

“You’ve stepped inside now, haven’t you?”

She suddenly turns around and points at the ground near my feet. Wait, is this some kind of trap?

“Once you’ve entered, you’re not allowed to leave without my permission. Unless you’re okay with risking what might happen to you or your family, of course.”

“What…?”

What kind of tyrannical rule is that? Did a grade schooler come up with this?

I didn’t really have a choice but to follow her, but this feels like a seriously bad situation.