Progress, 60%

I don’t have time to translate, except on Sunday (and again, games take the whole morning and I have to sleep early for monday’s job, so lul)

The week after this will decide whether I can keep my job or not, so yeah, wish me luck

Intend to split this chapter into 2 other parts, p4 is about solving this case, and p5 is the rest of the chapter.

「Sorryy, Ibuki-chan. Obaa-chan, her mouth is bad……」

「No, I don’t particularly mind. Because my grandfather is also a person with bad mouth」

「……Really, then it’s fine though」

While walking with Aizawa at the back, I ask.

Senpai turns around lightly and nods.

Senpai said so, but her laughing face seemed sad somehow.

「I, Ibuki……absolutely don’t leave my side!」

「Fufu, truly a coward-san, right? Because I won’t go anywhere, you don’t need to worry」

The cursed s.p.a.ce seems to be about 30 tatami mats. Although the room is said not to be used all the time, as if the cleaning were done in fixed interval, it’s kept reasonably clean.

「That’s right……by the way Kameno-senpai, all members of the club, in this room?」

Eventually, only 2 people were alright, the remaining 24 fell into an unidentified illness.

Despite reflecting upon various thought, I still don’t know.

Rather, a.s.suming that there’s a curse, are there any hint I can get?

「Strange? eーtto, that’s right」

I suddenly s.h.i.+ft my attention to the veranda. The living room we were until a while ago could be seen in the garden. The outside is dyed indigo blue more than a while ago, the orange-color lightings are lit here and there, which make the beautiful j.a.panese garden stand out.

Then senpai claps her hands, makes a “pon” sound.

「E……saw……what?」

「A woman wearing a kimono……」

「The night of the training camp, although Aya-chan was really tired, she seemed to wake up for some reason. Then because something entered her field of vision, after rubbing her eyes to see clearly……..a long-haired woman wearing kimono was going around the area where everyone was sleeping. Aya-chan fainted after seeing that, she seemed to have high fever when morning came」

「Senpai……by the way, only Sakamoto-senpai has seen it?」

And only Sakamoto-senpai got a fever first. Wait a sec, this is seriouslyーー

Hearing those words, AIzawa’s face turned pale and her line of sight is diverted to the surrounding.

「……Aizawa-san」

Soon after having grieved, s.h.i.+nonome has a feeble smile as if being disgusted at herself.

「s.h.i.+nonome……」

We couldn’t formulate a valid reasoning to deny the curse, finally the case is full of confusion. At that time, unable to just watch our situation, senpai makes a proposal.

When I looked at Aizawa, she nodded her head many times over as if wanting to quickly leave this place in any case.

「Etto, is it fine for s.h.i.+nonome too?」

「No problem. Maybe our thought will clear if we are refreshed for a while, shall we try it?」

「Fuu〜〜, outdoor bath is good as expected〜〜」

Though I was very tired after thinking, the fatigue seems to melt when I dipped my body in a slightly hot bath, it felt extremely good.

「Sharte, is she alright being alone……」

Surely right now, she must have a meal alone on the table……

If I’m not, making her feel lonely is pointless. Also for the sake of changing my imouto’s sacrifice to a meaningful thing, I stop relaxing, thinking about the case this time.

「……u,」

At that time, from the other side of the bamboo fence behind my back, I can hear a lively voice.

「Waa, that’s true! Although the bathroom inside is wide, the outdoor bath doesn’t lose to it!」

Those were Ten-nee and Aizawa, also Kameno-senpai’s voices.

「nuuー,a bath after working hard feels good」

「Fu, fun. It’s not like I worked hard for your sake you know? I did it for cheer club and Kousuke」

「……D, do as you please」

「Other than that……why yours, despite our same age, are that big…..so unfair」

*basha* the splas.h.i.+ng sound can be heard. After that, Aizawa’s embarra.s.sed voice resounds.

「Wha……! Y, you, did you say “small” just now!?」

「Hora hora Ten-chan, don’t get angry. Other than that, if you dislike being small that much, should I rub it to make it big?」

I imagine in various ways and feel dizzy more than before, it’s my spirit that may collapse at any time (僕は色々と想像して先程よりものぼせてしまい、今にも突っ伏してしまいそうな勢 いだった。) At that time, there is a *chapu* sound at the bath where I soak, there’s a presence of something approaching (splas.h.i.+ng sfx, kinda)

Still closing my eyes, I think so with my hazy head. Then suddenly, close to my ear, like a suggestion,

 「s.h.i.+nonome Ibuki s.h.i.+nonome Ibuki s.h.i.+nonome Ibuki」

「E……?ーーーーー!?」

「s.h.i.+ー. It would be terrible if the neighbors hear it, right?」 (s.h.i.+ー is just a sfx)

*dokun dokun* While my heart throbs loudly, she gently removes her hand. With a small voice, I ask,

「Because it looked like Ikuno-kun was sleeping, I thought of imprinting my name on your deep consciousness and increasing your favorable impression level」

She’s going to brush her hair up as always, but remembering that she has upswept hair from behind, she smiles to gloss over (彼女はいつものように髪をかきあげようとして、けれど後ろでアップにしているこ とを思いだし、取り繕うように微笑んでみせる)

「No……I, it’s not what I want to hear. Why are you in the man’s bath?」

She’s awfully cool-looking. Although I’m trembling this much, I’m not agitated at all.

「Bathing was a ceremony to cleanse oneself originally, you know?」

「You, today’s after school, was marked by Aizawa-san and Takatora-san, don’t you remember?」

Maa, I can see Ten-nee as one because of her hairdo.

Putting both legs down similarly, s.h.i.+nonome soaks in the water, looking mysteriously like a fleeting fairy, she gently put the hair overflowed from the bunch to her ears.

Saying something incomprehensible, s.h.i.+nonome clings onto me.

「Ufufu. Your body is unexpectedly manly with muscle, huh?」

「……Hai, complete」

She unexpectedly separates from me voluntarily and moves to in front of me.

Being urged to stop thinking by the confusion, my whole body becomes unnecessarily hot.

Should I say “as expected”?  She notices such a trivial point because she always looks at me.

「Hora, after that letter arrived, I almost couldn’t do anything like a club president, right?」

Such a considerably honest fellow. Since it’s s.h.i.+nonome I don’t have any complain in particular though……

「Is that so? Then please stay like that」

「I said “please stay like that”. Because, it would turn out that the solution of the request would be for the sake of the club, if you can’t solve it, Aizawa-san can’t solve it but I solve it, the favorable impression level from Ikuno-kun will increase. Therefore, please don’t do anything」

b.i.t.c.h. That fellow is seriously a b.i.t.c.h. It’s not an exaggeration even if I say she’s the queen dominating the top of the neat-type b.i.t.c.hes. I’m seriously troubled. I look like laughing while crying.

「I won’t change that principle though, you are the outstanding mediocre villager A who will disproportionately fight against any difficulty. (「私がその指針を変えることはないけれど、あなたはどんな困難にも分不相応に立ち 向かう平平凡凡な屈指の一般人Aよ。) Therefore, surely this time too, you will accomplish something in the end. That’s what I said. There’s no doubt」

「Well, I wonder? But I don’t lie. Just a little, please keep your self-confidence」

Because I received an official guarantee from such a girl, my self-confidence gushes out, just a little.

「So? Then it’s good. I’m the one who will be your owner (as a pet owner), so it’s out of the question if I couldn’t do something like that」

But, s.h.i.+nonome is truly more reliable than a man like me. Aizawa who is scared of ghost and the likes is the type that I want to see and protect, but such feeling doesn’t occur in s.h.i.+nonome’s case. Because this fellow is mighty (強く), strong-willed (逞しく) and splendid, a person who can keep on living alone without relying on other people. Therefore I don’t have the slightest thought of wanting to protectーー

I ask as I want to confirm the truth no matter what.

Somehow, I understood whether she would react. Just as I thought, s.h.i.+nonome glares at me with a cold gaze as if to say absolutely don’t misunderstand.

「……Really?」

I heard a partly correct answer.

No, it’s not such a simple story, isn’t it? s.h.i.+nonome lost her parents early and was raised strictly to be the heir by her oji-san. Perhaps she’s not allowed to cry in public. Therefore, that time, she couldn’t also rely on me like Aizawa, she had no choice but to cry alone in the corner to not show anyone her weakness……

A, are……what is this? It’s like, my chest suddenly became hot.

「Other than that, Ikuno-kun」

「The answer of this request, did you already understand?」

She should know even without hearing that. Feeling a little frustrated, I ask back.

「Me? Maa, the majority of the answer has come out. But the ident.i.ty of the woman coming out during the curse is at the bottleneck. If only I understand that, the solution should be settled though」

「Ara. When I though you would have a dejected face after being beaten by me, you suddenly showed a strong expression. What kind of wind is blowing I wonder?」 (lit: a strange turn of events that is rarely seen)

「But, I only thought of wanting to try my best to regain the tranquility of the club. It’s because the one who made that place was me. Besides, I made my imouto feel hurt. If I don’t contribute to the solution of the case in any form, I have no face to meet my imouto. Therefore, I absolutely won’t give up」

Aizawa have a sharp intuition, but perhaps because she’s scared, she can’t show her strength

Then, me?

The sound of flapping wings of the insects flying nearby can by heard by the ears of me who is swimming in the sea of thought while closing my eyes. After being guided by that sound and arrived at the one answer, I begin to ask s.h.i.+nonome.

「Please」 (douzo)

「Yes, it’s like fellow popular people being on good terms. Until when I entered the student council to help, it seems like Kameno-senpai helped the president besides doing club activities. Therefore, I knew her name before meeting the person herself」

「Is that so……thank you」

「A, as expected Ibuki-chan was heree〜」

Wearing (巻き) the towel on her head and putting on (裝着する) the bath towel, senpai appears from the entrance of the open bath. 「You entered together with Kousuke-kun. Nice mixed bathing, let me mix in too♪」

From the back of senpai who began to run, Ten-nee, who put on (纏い) the bath towel similarly and collected her hair together beautifully, appeared. But then, the bath towel which covers senpai’s well-developed body gently loosens. (all three words above have the “wear” meaning, I don’t know the difference between them tho)

The time flows in slow motion. The moment those huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s like Holstein (German cow race) from the inside of the wrapped cloth are slowly exposed, the mystical b.u.mps in the centre enter my vision.

「……guooooooooooooooooooooo!」

「Stop a sec……Ten-chan, where are you touching」

「E……wa, wait a sec!」

Soon after that, the disturbance is settled. Right now, I’m being surrounded by three bishoujo in the mixed bath.

I ma.s.sage my eyeb.a.l.l.s which are suffering a dull pain to reduce the damage.

To be honest, without this pain, I must have been deep red after being conscious of these three.

「Uu, such sophism…..since childhood, Kousuke took a bath together with me. Entering the bath with you, Kousuke wasn’t delighted at all!」

Senpai gently persuade her junior. After a little silence, Ten-nee, with a small voice as if admitting her fault.

「Un un. I like Ten-chan who is obedient. Being conscious as an ACE, the most zealous about practicing more than anyone in the club, I appreciate it very much」

Since childhood, Ten-nee has always been embarra.s.sed when she’s praised. My eyesight has come back, Ten-nee enters my field of vision which becomes blurry because of tears. She who clings closely to me is being bashful as her cheeks become vermilion. 「Kameno-senpai, is Takatora-san such a hard worker?」

Completely no problem even in holidays huh, quite hard isn’t it? While it may be true, it’s not the reason why everyone collapsed though. Ten-nee also said that at the day of the training camp, everyone returned after the practice was healthy and played cards after that. As a veteran school about cheer, I think such training is normal.

Noticing that she’s here, I ask without looking at those three as much as possible. But of course, the white skins enter my visual field, it’s usual that my chest is throbbing……

Scooping the hot water and putting it on her slender shoulder, s.h.i.+nonome points at the entrance of the open air bath. From the partly opened door, Aizawa who shows her face slightly is looking here with an embarra.s.sed face.

She lets out a cute sneeze. Perhaps, she has been there like that for a long time?

To s.h.i.+nonome’s seemingly worry words, Aizawa squeezes out her voice nervously as if hesitating.

「It’s, very ecchi……why is everyone, so calm like that?

After a short silence, she looks downward, saying a few words alone. (しばし沈黙があり、彼女は悩んだ末に俯き、所在なさげにポツリと言う。)

Uun. Aizawa, you are right Although I miss the timing to leave, it’s obviously not usual that these three are enjoying the current situation. You can have confidence in yourself.

「Mo, mou, why does it turn out like that!? I said I’m not aiming at Ikuno!」

「But Aizawa-chan, you keeping company with various men and being well-versed in love is the truth, right? Then I think this much is nothing though」

「Etto……I, I」

「……I, I’m entering」

She immediately turns to the left. Moving with a quick pace to the edge of the open air bath, she turned her back on at the farthest place from us and submerged to her shoulder in the bath. She seems apologetic,

Aizawa doesn’t seem to have the composure, but to be able to handle her feeling until this time, she’s really a gentle girl. (ないだろうに、こんな時まで気が遣える愛沢って本當に優しい子だ。)

With a warm gaze like encouraging, I continued to stare at her exposed white nape.

「With that being the case, I think of having Ikuno-kun stay at the cursed place」

Having become dizzy after having a mixed bathing with beautiful girls, I’m sitting in front of the fan.

「Of course. Ikuno-kun also said a while ago right? That you want to be useful, to solve the case. Because each person has their own role, I think of entrusting the responsibility for actual combat for a boy like you」

Somehow I feel like I was splendidly put into this condition. However

「Understood. If I’m fine, I’ll gladly accept」