Chapter 9: Mmm, Good Sleep… Wait — WHERE AM I?!

Hey hey! Nariki Kinjiro here!

So right now, I’m…

…being held captive.

Okay look. I was walking home after reading the latest Battered Bride in the library—a normal Tuesday. And then out of nowhere, my whole body went bzzt — like, genuinely bzzt. Tased? Something like that?

Blacked out. Woke up in a room I’d never seen. In a bed, which sounds fine until you factor in the chains on both wrists and both ankles.

What?! Why?! How did I get here?! This is insane! Whoever did this, I swear I’m not letting it g—

“Oh, looks like you’re awake. Kinjiro-kun.”

“Huh?”

The door opened. Someone walked in, smiling.

…It was Tamiya-sensei. Tamiya Yuzuri-sensei, in the flesh.

“W-wha— huh?! Wa— I— how, why, wh— why is Tamiya-sensei here?!“

“Hehe, you look so surprised. Though I’ll admit — it’s adorable.”

(What? Seriously, what? Why is Tamiya-sensei here? Why?)

“This is my home. My bedroom, specifically. And you’re sleeping in my bed.”

“I… see…”

(Sensei’s house. Her bedroom. Me in her bed. …Why?)

“Um — Tamiya-sensei, can I ask something?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“So… why exactly am I at your house, and… why am I like this…?”

“Hehe, well…”

She smiled at my question. Smiling, sure. But her eyes — something was off about them. Something familiar, actually. Something I couldn’t quite place…

“I’m holding you captive.”

(Right. Those are Yamamoto Akimi’s eyes. Those are the eyes Taeko and Uchida had when they were fighting. Captive. Held captive. Yep. Sure. That’s a thing that’s happening.)

“WHAT?! CAPTIVE?!“

“That’s right, captive… Hehe, so surprised. Na~ri~kun♡”

(Oh no no no no. This is not funny. Not even a little.)

“Why are you holding me captive?! You’re a teacher!”

“Technically. The school librarian, but yes.”

“A teacher kidnapping a student — that is insane!!”

“I know. I genuinely think I’ve lost it too, honestly…”

“Then why on earth—”

“…Yamamoto Akimi.”

…!

(Yamamoto Akimi. The one who killed Oka-P. The one who turned that obsession on me. The last name I ever wanted to hear again. Why is it coming out of Tamiya-sensei’s mouth?)

“Y-Yamamoto Akimi? How do you know—?!”

“I heard she almost killed you.”

“…Yeah. She did.”

“I love you. I’m in love with you.”

“…What?”

She said it like she was daydreaming. But her eyes were the same as Yamamoto Akimi’s. Hollow. Empty.

“And I want to protect you.”

“P… protect?”

“Yes. In case another Yamamoto Akimi comes for you. That’s why I’m keeping you here.”

(Okay. I understand the reasoning. But…)

“That doesn’t make any sense. How does your brain get there…?”

“I mean, I want to protect you… keeping someone close is just normal, isn’t it?”

(…………)

(We are never going to understand each other.)

Chains on both wrists, both ankles. I gave them a solid yank, just to test.

Nothing. Not even close.

(You know those characters in manga who just snap their chains? That’s genuinely incredible. My respect for them has skyrocketed.)

“Um… sensei? Any chance I could get these chains—”

“No.”

“Figured!!”

My life as a captive had begun.

I was not letting this slide.

Chapter 10: So… I’m Currently Being Held Captive.

Hey… It’s me… Nariki Kinjiro… Currently being held captive…

Through sheer desperate negotiation, I did manage to talk her out of the chains. But I was still stuck in the bedroom. …Wonderful.

I’d tried to escape a few times. No windows. The room was maybe a hundred square feet — a bed, a TV, a bookshelf stocked with manga, and one door. I hit the door with the Spark Feather Cross Attack. The door didn’t care. Steel, probably. Escape was not happening.

So there I was. No injuries, no rough treatment — actually the opposite. She’d made dinner last night. Right now, she was in the kitchen making breakfast. Like, what?

Saturday, by the way. Day off from school. Small mercy. Though, actually, now that I think about it, don’t teachers work on Saturdays? Right before she’d started on breakfast —

“Let’s spend the whole day together today.”

“Wait, really?”

“Really. We’re spending it together.”

“What if I say no?”

“…….”

“Okay, okay! I get it! Please stop looking at me like that!!”

— yeah. That stare was something else. My legs actually went a little weak. I’m not exaggerating.

“Breakfast is ready~”

“Gyah—”

“Why are you startled?”

“Because you just walked straight in!”

“Ah, right. Sorry for not knocking.”

“I mean, it’s fine, I guess…”

“Hehe. You’re sweet.”

She smiled. (I cannot think she is cute. Thinking she is cute is losing. I refuse to lose.)

“Come on, let’s eat downstairs.”

“Wait — I’m allowed downstairs?!”

“Yes. With one condition.”

“…Condition?”

“Put this on.”

What she held out was —

“A collar?! What the—”

“Go on. Put it on.”

The collar was attached to a leash she was holding in her other hand. I was a dog, apparently.

“No no no no!! There is absolutely no way I’m wearing that!!”

“Fine, then…”

She set the leash down and pulled a stun gun out of her pocket.

“I’ll tase you into it.”

She moved it toward my neck.

“Okay, okay, okay, okay!! Fine!! I’ll put it on!! Putting it on right now!!”

“Hehe. Good boy.”

She put the stun gun away. I put on the collar myself and went downstairs.

“Um. Can I ask something?”

“Hm? Go ahead.”

Breakfast. I was wearing a collar. The leash was wrapped around a pillar.

“Do you not have work today, Tamiya-sensei?”

“Not today. Why?”

“I just thought teachers usually work on Saturdays…”

“Sometimes. But I run the school library, and the library’s closed on weekends, so I’m usually off. Not always, but mostly.”

“Oh. Huh. Is that right~”

I picked up the knife in my right hand and cut into my fried egg.

“That knife won’t cut the leash.”

(She read my mind. How did she know?)