VOLUME 1

Chapter 3: Part 2

Those three girls had come from overseas. That’s the only way I could have explained it, right?

I couldn’t explain where exactly they had come from or what they had come here to do. The one thing I couldn’t reveal was the truth. If I were in Orito’s position, if I were told “Well, from right to left, we have a necromancer, a masou shoujo, and a ninja vampire,” then all I would be able to respond with would be a “Huh?” and I would write it off as a joke. So, I decided to just explain that I didn’t really know too many details about their visit here.

Of course, I definitely didn’t tell him that I was living with them under the same roof.

… But even so…

“Where are you living?”

“Ayumu’s house.”

Haruna responded instantly to Orito’s question. I didn’t even have enough time to try and get a word in, let alone having enough room to change the subject or to clap a hand over Haruna’s mouth.

“Aikawa, why didn’t you tell me? Weren’t you the one going on and on about living alone?”

Four-eyes is scary. Sorry sorry.

“Honestly, it was just so sudden and everything happened all at once. This small girl and this dignified looking girl… I just met them recently.”

“I really am shocked… to think that you would keep this from me.”

Orito watched me with a serious expression. I understood where he was coming from, but if he knew about all this there was a high probability he would have gotten involved. Involved in all this violence.

“Sorry…”

“Well, you told me, so whatever. More importantly, have you done that yet…? You know… ecchi things…”

Orito spoke incredibly timidly. If I responded here with “yeah, we have,” then I would probably be able to get an interesting reaction out of him, but that would start a strange misunderstanding, and more importantly, I would be made into a sandbag by Sera and Haruna. I don’t mean that I would be punched. I mean I would be reduced to something that looked like a sandbag.

“If I did that I would have already been cut into pieces.”

Seeming to agree with that statement, Sera and Haruna nodded once. Perhaps he was relieved upon hearing those circ.u.mstances, but Orito put on his usual annoying smile and came with me to shop for clothes for Haruna.

Haruna was in front. Followed by myself and Orito. Bringing up the rear was Yuu and Sera as we wandered around the clothing section of the department store.

Waling in front, Haruna seemed to not be happy until she had picked up and looked at every single thing in the store.

“Ahh, that one’s cute! Look, Ayumu!”

I felt like I heard her say that a countless number of times.

Occasionally I looked behind me, and I saw that Sera also seemed like she was interested in some things and was examining some modern looking clothes. She had probably picked out what she wanted quickly and precisely. Yuu was staring off somewhere into s.p.a.ce. Did she see a ghost or something?

“Sera, speak up if you want something, alright? I’ll buy it for you.”

“Is it really alright?” Sera averted her eyes, and allowed her confusion to show.

“Of course it’s alright. Feel free to not hold back like her.”

I pointed my thumb at the happily shopping Haruna. Even Sera’s eyes were probably drawn to that happily bouncing ahoge coming out of the top of Haruna’s head.

“But, for someone like me…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, really.”

“But, for a servant like me…”

“Ugh, geez. Then, this is a command. Today, you should indulge yourself. If you’re my servant, you have to listen to my commands, right?”

I shrugged my shoulders while speaking to the indecisive Sera. If I didn’t do something like this, it seemed I couldn’t even give her a present.

“That’s not fair. But…”

She turned her back on me, and began to inspect the wares earnestly. Looking over her shoulder, in a small, seriously small voice, she smiled and gave me a “thank you.”

At Sera’s simple words, I felt my heart speed up to the point where I thought it would tear my chest open. It was like something had been stuck into my chest. That momentary smile, almost seeming like a blurry photograph, etched itself into my memory.

To turn words into blades like that… (1)

I turned my eyes away and found myself making eye contact with Yuu. Her whole face was completely expressionless, the direct opposite of mine.

At that time, the hazy feelings I had before threatened to burst out from within me.

“To her, words are a serious matter. You should know at least that much, shouldn’t you?!”

I couldn’t stop thinking about Sera’s harsh words.

Agh, dammit! I took Yuu by her gauntleted hands and began to lead her away from that place.

“Hey, Aikawa! Where are you going?!”

Ignoring the dumbfounded Orito, I headed for the elevators.

“Excuse me, do you think these suit me? Haruna, the clothes over here are also pretty cute, aren’t they?”

Sera spoke up to Haruna and Orito. And then she glanced in my direction. Sera’s expression reminded me of something a mother would put on when seeing her son go outside on his own for the first time.

She was letting me talk to Yuu alone, wasn’t she? Thanks, Sera.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES

(1) See Volume 1, Chapter 1-7, Note 2.