Chapter 71: A Matter of Responsibility

It had probably been about an hour since I sat down on the park bench. The conversation started with a somewhat heavy personal story and eventually settled into harmless small talk. For a date, it was almost too peaceful—more like something you’d talk about during a school lunch break.

But honestly, a date like this works too. Sitting by the fountain, chatting leisurely with a cute senpai—it isn’t so bad. I could even ignore my outfit for now.

“Phew… I haven’t talked this much in a while, and now my throat’s dry.”

She stuck out her tongue slightly while fanning her face with her hand. Unlike Momiji, she didn’t flutter her hand over her chest—a notable difference between her and Momiji. I wish we had met without the curse, but if it weren’t for the curse, she probably wouldn’t have given me any attention.

“Should I go buy us some drinks?”

“Hm? Ah… How about we decide with a coin toss?”

“Decide? Oh, you mean who’s paying.”

Even on a date, she brings up gambling. No wonder people avoid her. I don’t have any particular bias, but some would definitely find it intimidating.

“You… don’t like it?”

Her tone turned hesitant, as if past rejections of gambling had resurfaced. Just a moment ago, she was happily chatting about trivial matters, and now she’d instantly flipped into a gloomy mood. I suppose dealing with Shiro—a real yandere—has made me more accustomed to such mood swings.

“No, for something like juice, it’s totally fine.”

“Saka-chan…”

…Crap, did her affection for me just increase? If it goes up, I’m in a swamp; if it goes down, I’m hit with endless admonishments. Socializing is always a struggle.

“Uh, I’ll call heads.”

“Mm. Then I’ll take tails.”

She pulled a coin from her ridiculously uncool pouch and flicked it into the air with her finger. It happened so fast I couldn’t see clearly, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t an ordinary coin. Does she really carry a special coin just for flipping? Most people just use a 100-yen coin, right?

Even so, she’s strangely skilled at it. Rather than simply moving her hand under the falling coin, it felt like she tossed it precisely onto the back of her hand. She’s obviously done this a lot.

“……”

She looked like someone anxiously waiting outside an operating room. I didn’t even need to check—I already knew the result. Is she really that devastated over a simple coin toss for juice? Whether she’s upset because she lost the gamble or for some other reason, this reaction is way over the top.

“You’re good, Saka-chan.”

Somehow, I ended up being complimented—even though it was just a 50-50 chance.

“What do you want? And no alcohol, okay?”

She joked, yet showed a surprising sense of ethics. Although, honestly, gambling seems far more questionable.

“Uh, since it’s hot… something carbonated… preferably melon soda.”

“Alright, got it. I’ll be right back.”

She skipped off with a mix of joy from winning the coin toss and despair from losing the gamble—a bizarre combination indeed.

Now that I think about it, vending machines rarely carry melon soda. But I did say “something carbonated,” so she should be able to improvise.

This is a peaceful date—apart from that chaotic opening, it’s far more tolerable than the hell of that cosplay printing event…

“Sakamoto-saaaan…”

“Uoahhh!?”

“Eek!?”

I-I’m startled. Um, who is this person…?

“Sorry for startling you…”

“Ah, you’re from the board game club…”

She’s that so-called literary girl type. Judging solely by her looks and aura, she seems harmless—but right now she’s the most dangerous person in the board game club. And since she’s prone to self-harm, if you handle her wrong, someone could really get hurt.

“I really didn’t mean to startle you…”

“Ah, no, it’s me who—”

“One finger! Just one finger is enough, please!”

Huh? What did she just say about “one finger”? Just now.

She suddenly pulled a cutting board and a knife out of her bag—what is she planning to do? Why does she carry that stuff? And why on earth does she lug around that “Anywhere Encorset”? Does she run into responsibility issues every day?

“P-please, calm down!”

I grabbed the arm holding the knife, trying to stop her from doing something dangerous.

“But, but! This is the only way to add the wabi… nnh…”

No, there are plenty of ways. Even if this were the only method, you wouldn’t need to add the wabi then. I don’t know what you’re misunderstanding, but that’s not how normal culture works. You’ve been raised so abnormally, haven’t you?

“You only spoke up! I just got startled on my own! Don’t overthink it! And don’t tense your fingers up!”

“Then, how exactly am I supposed to add the wabi? Nnh… Even though I may look this way, I am, after all, a woman—so I can take responsibility by crushing a man’s… Ah, I understand now. Right now, with this knife, I’ll… my every hole… nnh…”

“No, no, no, no! Calm down! That’s too grotesque!”

There isn’t anyone who’d add wabi like that! That’s nothing less than a general’s method of self-destruction!

“But, but, but… that club president… nnn… For a man with techniques so refined he could even turn that president into a… a woman, there’s no point in me, someone like me, selling my body!”

Anyway, forget that disgraceful evaluation—aren’t you skipping way too many steps? Starting with prostitution is bad enough, but then jumping to an encorset fill, and then to castration—what kind of progression is that?

“The club president has a handsome face, a great figure, and exceptional makeup skills—with skin so fair it’s almost unreal for a Japanese person. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was born to be popular, yet she’s lived sixteen years without truly knowing a man! Nnh… Ah… To a man who could effortlessly bring down such an iron-willed woman, someone like me is nothing more than a worn-out rag.”

I can’t tell whether I should admire her or look down on her.

Hmm…? Didn’t she just say something odd? Well, really, everyone here says bizarre things.

“A-anyway, I don’t need the wabi. Just being startled won’t kill you.”

“But then… nnh… it doesn’t make any sense…”

“You don’t have to let it pass. It’s unnecessary, unnecessary.”

Perhaps sensing my growing impatience, she began stuffing the encorset set back into her bag. I guess even a yandere’s state of mind can be understood if you talk about it…

“After all, that day was nothing more than a whimsical, tasteless way to kill time. There was no way a man like Sakamoto-san could ever see any value in someone like me. Yes, it was as obvious as can be. But when I was held so gently, when passionate words of seduction were whispered in my ear, and when he ogled my underwear—I couldn’t help but get the wrong idea. I fully understood it was all a misunderstanding, yet deep inside I still hoped. Ha ha, a realist like Sakamoto-san would never understand. A shadow like me dreams of a prince on a white horse. Even though I know he doesn’t exist, I still wish for him. It isn’t unusual at all—I mean, we all secretly wish for magic even though we know it isn’t real, or long for a reincarnation into another world despite its impossibility. Everyone’s had those nearly impossible fantasies at least once. For me, it’s pretty much the same. For Sakamoto-san to desire the woman inside me is on par with reincarnation into another world—but still, maybe… even if the odds are astronomically low, it isn’t something to be blamed. After all, we were embraced, we shared a kiss, didn’t we? In hindsight, it might have been like watching someone devour something grotesque out of a perverse curiosity, but still—it’s easy to get the wrong idea. Humans are endlessly foolish. Especially me. Yes, to an outsider it’s an utterly ridiculous misunderstanding—comparable to a balding middle-aged man seriously considering marriage with a gold-digging cabaret girl. But, but, but! Those involved always end up misunderstanding! Outsiders can view things objectively, but when you’re in the thick of it, you’re blinded! Because! I’m completely worthless! No matter how many men I go through, no one will ever truly like me; in fact, just the sight of my face fills them with disgust. There isn’t a man who’d want to sleep with me on a whim. I would absolutely refuse. And yet, one day, he appeared—embracing me without a hint of disgust, violating my mouth. He was truly a prince on a white horse… no, a prince on a runaway mare. I’ve adored him ever since that day. Ha ha… I guess dreams eventually fade. Life is happier when you remain blissfully ignorant… Ah ha ha, I’m such a fool. Because I was convinced, just like that time, that he desired my body. When Sakamoto-san stopped the encorset procedure, I was sure, “Ah, if things continue this way, I’ll be put in charge of sexual satisfaction.” The next several dozen seconds were brutal—I struggled to contain the flood of love juices and dopamine bursting out uncontrollably. If he were to think I’m a despicable woman, Sakamoto-san might change his mind. Well, I ended up not being able to hold back… Ah… thanks to not just a mere shoulder, but a complete crotch exposure, liquids—love juices, excrement, sweat, tears—were gushing from every orifice. Ah, is this it? Did this conceited, ugly woman actually want to reveal an even more hideous side of herself? Maybe… Ah… Oh dear… I’m misunderstanding again… Clearly, it’s nothing more than a destructive impulse, a mere whimsical, tasteless fancy not unlike a child snapping an insect’s leg, yet somewhere inside I try to believe it’s a kind of twisted love. Even though I was just thrown from a great height, I keep trying to climb back up. I’m such an idiot… Ah, it won’t stop… This love, though nothing more than a product of my delusions, is too overwhelming to quell… My anal sphincter has completely relaxed—it’s all slack now.”

…She’s assaulting my sight, hearing, and smell all at once. Triple whammy, damn it. I don’t even have the courage to just hold her like I usually do to get through things. And it’s not just liquids—solids are leaking out too.

“Ryuu-san! Hurry up and come here! How far are you going to go to buy melon soda?!”