After school of the following day – Monday.

「I’m sorry. Suddenly intruding like this……」

Because today is also boiling hot, I smiles wryly while fanning my forehead with my hand.

Kameno-senpai joins her hands before her cow-like huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s. An unhurried tone. Quirky long hair is gathered into one long braid and the drooping eyes which give the impression of her gentle nature are the most impressive.

But, because today’s weather is cloudless, sweats are running on that white cheeks of her.

*tayun tayun*. Two swellings, which were somehow pushed into the uniform, rampage strongly every time senpai holds the chest part of her uniform to fan, my eyes unintentionally follow that simple up and down movement.

「u……」

Aizawa stared at me reservedly, and I got cold eyes from s.h.i.+nonome.

「Ayumu-senpai, to be honest, I haven’t talked about the details yet. I heard that it was restricted to the club for the time being, so I thought it would be bad if I said without your affirmation」

「Ha, hai」

The reason was that the president would officially request us after Monday’s cla.s.ses. I immediately ask.

Kameno-senpai changed her expression into a serious one and stared at me.

s.h.i.+nonome answers with confidence.

Saying a similar thing before, s.h.i.+nonome gives me and Aizawa a warning.

「It’s fine, whaat is it?」 (she said “naani?” instead of “nani”)

As expected from the club president of a veteran school, the gaze in serious moments is breathtakingly powerful.

「e? etto, thatーー」

Without delay, Aizawa leans forward and asks.

「U, uーn. Sorryyy. To be honest, I’m told to be silent by the person who introduced me here」

Really, until when will this trial thing continue……?

After staring at Senpai who smiles apologetically for a while, s.h.i.+nonome smiles.

「A……un, it’s ended now, right?」 (今はそれが先だよね, perhaps she asks if he finished asking)

The contents were astonis.h.i.+ng.

To me who repeat the request, Kameno-senpai and Ten-nee nod meekly.

Ten-nee who looks depressed raises her face and explains.

In other words, the next day after the date which also served as Aizawa’s grat.i.tude for saving her from expulsion risk.

「A cursed room, wasn’t it?」

「The room we stayed was “that”, I also knew that for the first time three days ago after being told by Ayumu-senpai, but at that time, everyone other than me and president had collapsed」

「Sorry Ten-chan, I was silent about the fact that that large room was like that. But I didn’t believe, I thought that everyone would only be afraid so I didn’t tell anyone. More or less, because it was the room with such an ominous rumor, I wanted to change to another room, but there were lots of customers that day, that was the only vacant room……

As if feeling her responsibility, senpai grasps the hem of her skirt strongly with a melancholic expression.

「P, please wait. Is the curse really the cause? Because that’s too unscientific, maybe everyone of the club just used the curse to have a day off」

Certainly, it may be so. Butーー

「Fufu, I didn’t say so, did I?」

「I also don’t believe in unscientific things like curse. After all, in reality, there are two people who stayed at the same room and still in good health. The cause must be somewhere else」

「I, is that so……Then, the curse is not the cause?」

When s.h.i.+nonome answered positively, Ten-nee stroked her flat chest in relief.

「Die you saidーーby the way, Kameno-senpai, what’s the origin of the cursed room?」 s.h.i.+nonome who let out a chuckle after hearing Ten-nee’s words asks.

「Hai. It’s my nature not to believe such a thing」

As expected of s.h.i.+nonome, it’s like she really doesn’t have a weak point. I smiled very coolly.

「So? Then I will tell you, but…….ready?」

「U, uu……」

My arm is wrapped in a soft, lukewarm, marshmallow-like sensation, my face instantly becomes red

This heat, the arm which was already held became stuffy by the heat of Aizawa’s b.r.e.a.s.t.s. (the 1st heat is 暑さ, which means the hotness of weather)

She raises her slightly turned red face, averts her eyes as if embarra.s.sed.

Murmuring with a very thin voice, she searches for me and holds my arm more.

A, that reminds me, on the way back yesterdayーー

After I parted from Ten-nee and the other, for a short while, because the direction to Aizawa’s home was the same, we got on the same train.

「Ikuno……Takatora-san, said something about a curse, right?」

「……n」

「It, it’s not a scary request, right? Nee, it’s different right, Ikuno?」

「E? A, un……perhaps it’s different, I wonder?」

Though I didn’t know whether she was fl.u.s.tered at that time, was Aizawa afraid?

I find that slightly funny, while my lips are loosening I look at Aizawa.

Then, I notice that Ten-nee is glaring at Aizawa and groaning like a beast.

「s.h.i.+nonome Ibuki, move nearby a bit」

s.h.i.+nonome gallantly handed over the place next to me, Ten-nee sat there and held my arm. Unlike the opposite arm, it was pushed against *pito* by two small bulge. (SFX: gently touching sound)

「I, I’m also not very good at scary stories. Therefore I’m doing this」

「U……that」

「A, anyway, scary things are scary!」

Yareyare. Although Ten-nee, about her personality, has grown up, the part of monopolizing me doesn’t seem to change……

「Then Kameno-senpai, can you tell the story?」

Saying that with an unhurried tone, Senpai begins to tell.

「n……」

Although I’m experiencing the happy numbness of my arm, I somehow gather my consciousness to the story.

If the story is true for argument’s sake, 10 days later is.

「If that legend was the truth, all member will die tomorrow, right?」

「I, didn’t believe the curse of that room until now. But the reason why everyone collapsed, I couldn’t think of anything other than that, so I’m unable to not believe」

Ten-nee who was relieved at first, strengthens her hugs as if feeling anxious.

「Senpai, the story of the reason why the curse happened, what is it?」

Senpai claps her hands *pan* with a fl.u.s.tered expression.

While I smile wryly, senpai begins to talk with a complicated face, as if searching her memory.

「I, Ikuno……!」

Aizawa is scared and buries her face to my shoulder, Ten-nee who saw that pushes her small swellings against me even more.

「Then, people who stayed in that big room became ill without exception. And before we knew, people who did the oharai (purification ritual in s.h.i.+nto) within 10 days were saved, and those who didn’t died after 10 days. But if lucky, one can be saved without doing anythingーーthat rumor was spread out in the town, now 『the cursed room』 seems to be famous and is well-known by everyone in my home town」

「Kameno-senpai, thank you for the story. Other than that, just now while listening, there’s something I’m bothered by ー the reason all club members collapsed was only because of the so-called curse, but why did you think so?」

Kameno-senpai talks. While it’s true that it was a training camp, she didn’t set a specially intense (training) menu, so it seems unlikely that it was because of fatigue. Other guests didn’t have any problem, so it’s not because the ingredients used for food was bad or it was food poisoning. Among the guests and club members, no one had a weird flu, I didn’t think they caught an illness, either.

「……I, I see. In that situation, I understand why you believed the curse」

s.h.i.+nonome puts her finger to her lips,

「Ten-chan, the first was in the morning of the 2nd day of the training camp, right……?」

Ten-nee says so to us, and senpai continues.

I see, then at the literature club.

As expected, that strange situation even makes me begin to feel some chills.

「……」

Therefore, I once again arrange in my head,

For argument’s sake, the practice menu in the training camp was very harsh, the fatigue would pile up. But after that, the condition in which they were unable to attend school for many days seems unlikely.

It’s not fatigue, food poisoning or disease, they didn’t use the curse to take a day off either.

The reason the club members had an unidentified fever and was bedridden for days……

This is really because of the curse, isn’t itーー

「The summer compet.i.tion in August, is the last highlight scene for the third-year. Besides, we wanted to a.s.sist our advisor Kawagis.h.i.+-sensei, who began her maternity leave, to leave a good result, we would to our best in the remaining month, everyone just promised that and yet……why did this happened?」

Ten-nee separated her hand from my arm.

「Ano, Kameno-senpai. I, if I can help with anything, I will try my best, so please cheer up」

Senpai smiles while wiping the tears with her finger,

In the situation where the credibility of the curse is increasing, everyone would end up thinking so in the end.

Ten-nee who was unable to remain indifferent looks at me with a helpless gaze,

*pekori* The childhood friend of mine politely lowers her head to me.

I want to do something.

If I promise hastily here and can’t solve the problem, I will make Kameno-senpai sad even more. Though I want to do my best to play an active part as a club president more than s.h.i.+nonome, even so, I must not undertake it irresponsibly.

「Really, Ikuno-kun can’t be helped, huh?」

With just that, it feels like the inside of the humid room was filled with a feeling of coolness, similar to when a wind bell sounded.

Senpai stares at s.h.i.+nonome with tear-stained pupils.

「Hai. Of course, it’s not absolute. But, even if it’s unreasonable, we must hurry. Because, the curse would be activated tomorrow」

But she said that, perhaps for senpai’s sake.

Therefore, I think s.h.i.+nonome intends to solve the case hurriedly by tomorrow.

Despite being the neat-type b.i.t.c.h I hate the most, isn’t she unexpectedly good?

「Are, but wait……that reminds me, senpai, a while ago you said that they could be saved if we did the oharai within 10 days, right? We still don’t know if this case is because of the curse, but isn’t it worth trying to do the oharai?」

「I thought about it, too. But, in the situation where everyone is staying in bed at home, if we go to do the oharai for each person, I think the amount of money will surely become enormous. About that (the oharai), I heard that it was expensive……」

Then in the worst case that the curse was the cause, it would be similar to having no way to deal with it, right?

「Perhaps, that’s all of the information we can get here. After that, I think we have no choice but to check the actual place in various waysーーthen, Kameno-senpai」

「Tonight, can we stay in the ryokan?」

「Don’t be afraid, Aizawa-san. I will be there too so it’s all right」

Like that, the talk advances without a hitch. Favorable conditions such as 3 people, meals, free of charge were given.

We of the literature club hurriedly head to Kameno ryokan.