The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined - Chapter 90: Revenge and Harassment

Chapter 90: Revenge and Harassment

[Kanon Atagawa]

—I’ve done it. I’ve finally gone and done it.

In the southern district of Shinto, with the sooty, industrial stench of the wind blowing through the rusted factory complex, I stood staring at the building before me.

The paint on the walls was peeling from years of rain and wind, with cracks spiderwebbing across the surface. The neon sign was faded and patchy—a textbook rundown shack. Honestly, I’m not even sure why I came here.

“…My first time ever skipping school to hit the arcade.”

Muttering to myself to muster some courage, I headed for the automatic door.

…This “automatic” door wouldn’t budge. Turns out it’s broken. Might as well be a manual door!

Brushing it off, I stepped inside, and it was like wandering into another world. The sounds, lights, and colors pouring from the games… It’s a whirlwind of the extraordinary, making my heart flutter just standing here—

I can kind of understand why Karuta’s so obsessed with this place… I suppose.

Now, why am I, of all people, skipping school to come play alone at this commoner’s playground? Well, there’s no other way to put it: today just felt like the day.

Truth be told, as naughty as it sounds, I’ve secretly always wanted to experience “skipping.”

Last week, watching Hikari, Sakurako, and Karuta ditch school right in front of me made that urge swell even bigger.

And this morning, the moment I woke up, I just knew—I’m skipping today. That’s right, it’s purely coincidental that it happened to be today. That’s all there is to it!

Once I’d made up my mind, I moved fast. I threw on some casual clothes, left the house, and somehow, my feet carried me to this arcade we’d all visited before.

“…Today’s my revenge!”

Last time, Sakurako and I tackled a claw machine together. She managed to snag the cat plushie she wanted, but the alligator plushie I had my eye on? I had to give up because of time and meetup schedules.

Seriously, why don’t arcades take credit cards?

Luckily, today I’m flush with cash, and there’s no time limit holding me back. I’m ready to hunt down those alligators to my heart’s content—

***

[Ten Andou]

—I was in the southern district of Shinto to nab the plushie Orca’s been begging for. After what happened last week, I’m not exactly thrilled to be wandering this city, but when my cute little sister asks for something, what’s a big brother to do but step up?

The arcade’s exterior is a rusty mess, but the inside’s surprisingly well-kept.

I hit the change machine to break some bills and made a beeline for the claw machine corner. No wasted moves. Leaving Orca alone for too long makes me uneasy in more ways than one, so I need to grab this plushie and get back ASAP.

—Or so I thought, but… there’s someone already at the machine. It’s the only claw machine with the plushie I need. Guess I’ll wait a bit. Whether that girl with the pale purple hair wins or gives up, it shouldn’t take too long.

Thirty minutes later

—This is taking forever. Way too long. I’ve been waiting at a distance for the claw machine to free up, but that purple-haired girl’s been hogging it for a solid thirty minutes. And, no offense, but she’s awful at this.

“…Ugh, I was so close to getting it!”

She seems dead serious about it, though. Every time she fails, she clenches her fists or hops up and down in frustration. I swear I’ve heard that “so close” line dozens of times by now.

To top it off, she’s got a small fortune in coins. There’s a literal mountain of 500-yen pieces stacked next to the machine’s coin slot. If I wait for her to burn through all that, it’ll be nightfall.

“…So close, I was this close to getting it!”

There she goes again. And no, she’s not even remotely close. The claw hasn’t so much as grazed the prize.

Ugh, no choice… I really didn’t want to do this, but I’ll throw her a lifeline. I get it—there’s value in winning these games yourself—but I’ve got my own situation. I can’t keep Orca waiting any longer.

“…Hey, if you want, I could help you out?”

“No need, but thank you for your concern.”

Talk about a cold shoulder! I got shut down hard. I called out to her from behind, and she didn’t even bother turning around.

“…Look, I’m actually after a plushie in that machine too. Could you maybe let me take a turn, just for a bit?”

But I’m not backing down that easily. If I let this girl hog the machine, she’ll probably keep at this futile game until the arcade closes.

“Oh, is that so? Quite the adorable hobby… But I’d appreciate it if you’d respect the order. Could you kindly wait until I’ve claimed my prize?”

“W-Wait, it’s not for me—it’s for my little sister!”

“…Hmph, sister, brother, whatever. A line’s a line! Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“…Fine, I get it.”

I lost. Defeated by a girl who’s probably younger than me, without her even glancing my way. Sorry, Orca, forgive your pathetic big brother.

One hour later

The arcade’s addictive BGM loops endlessly. When you’re caught up playing, the upbeat tempo probably feels great, but when you’re just leaning against a pillar, watching the same scene play out dozens—maybe hundreds—of times, it starts giving you a headache.

“…Um, excuse me?”

“…Huh?”

I snapped out of my daze and looked down to see Purple-Hair standing right in front of me. I’d been zoning out for so long I didn’t even notice her approach.

Finally getting a good look at her face, she’s… stunning. Though that eyepatch over her right eye is a bit curious. Is she injured or something?

“About the claw machine… earlier…”

“Oh, what, you’re done?”

I glanced at my watch—somehow, an entire hour had passed. Had she come to tell me the machine was free because I’d been waiting so patiently?

“N-No, not yet… I still haven’t gotten it.”

“…Right. Well… take your time, then.”

She still hadn’t won. It’s been an hour and a half since I got here—maybe longer if she was at it before I arrived. How much money has she burned through?

“No, I mean… um…”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“I-I need your help! Please, I’m begging you!”

Purple-Hair bowed deeply, her voice urgent. So, after failing so miserably, she’s swallowing her pride to ask for my help, huh?

“…I-I know I’m being selfish. But… I just can’t get it…”

“Alright, let’s do this together.”

I can’t exactly say no to a voice that sounds like it’s on the verge of tears. It must’ve taken guts for her to ask me, and honestly, this way I can get back to Orca sooner.

“…Thank you so much. I’m Kanon—Kanon Atagawa. And your name?”

“I’m Andou. Ten Andou. Nice to meet you, Kanon.”

Without thinking, I gave her head a quick pat, like I do with Orca. Hope she doesn’t call that harassment or anything…

“…Y-Yes, um, likewise.”

Kanon glanced down, mumbling her reply, then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the machine. Looks like I was worrying over nothing.

Getting arrested for harassment during a witch hunt? Yeah, that’s not funny at all—