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V13 Story III – Part 02

The Minase and Karakuri clans had a long-standing connection, rooted in Minase Shiramine’s fascination with living dolls. Over the years, the clans had kept in touch. Karakuri Maihime had even visited the Minase clan to persuade them on some matter. However, both the heads of the Minase and Karakuri clans were somewhat out of touch with reality.

Minase Shirayuki had only recently started using a cell phone, though she likely wouldn’t have thought to update her contact information on her own. Maihime wouldn’t have gone out of her way to check either. As a result, there was no emergency contact information for either party. Without waiting for Shirayuki’s return, I had left the Karakuri estate abruptly.

Shirayuki, back at the Minase estate, had no way of knowing that. After reassuring her clan, she would probably head back to the Karakuri estate. Maihime would likely wait for her return rather than stir things up by visiting the Minase home. With that in mind, I decided to head directly to the Karakuri clan. If luck was on my side, I might run into Shirayuki when she arrived. And so I asked Sadashita to drive me there.

But it seemed my timing was just barely off.

“I told you, Odagiri-san has already left. It’s too late to question why we didn’t stop him. It’s none of my concern!”

“Please calm down, clan head. There’s no point in panicking right now.”

As proof, there was an obvious commotion on the other side of the door. It seemed others were trying to calm a panicking Shirayuki, who had just learned of my departure. This was better than us missing each other, but I wished I had arrived earlier. I could also hear two people who shouldn’t have been here, their voices unusually loud. I couldn’t make sense of it. I let go of the old-fashioned doorknob of the Karakuri estate. Rushing in without knowing the situation was risky. I pressed my ear to the door to catch more of the conversation.

“Well, there’s nothing we could have done! Sure, I think back now and wonder why we didn’t stop him, but we just got caught in the moment, and… Hey, roach, explain!”

“Me? Uh… well, it’s just that Odagiri-san seemed so determined. I figured if he felt that strongly, stopping him might not be the right call. But hey, if it was wrong, then yeah, that’s on me—my bad. Please, calm down! Japan’s not that big—where are you rushing off to?”

“Mr. Odagiri is no fool. If he’s calmed down, he’ll surely come here. It’s better to wait than miss him. He’s rash and prone to danger, but I think he will be all right. I tend to be quite optimistic.”

“You’re just adding fuel to the fire! Calm down, clan head. Shit, too strong!”

As I wondered why Nanami and Yusuke were here, the door was flung open. That’s when tragedy struck. First, I was right up against the door with no room to back away. Since Shirayuki was incredibly strong, the outcome was clear: I was pinned between the door and the wall, thoroughly squashed. While I remained trapped, I heard a voice coming from the entrance beyond the door.

“Ah, it’s been a while, clan head.”

I forgot that Asato was with me. Did Shirayuki respond to him? Yusuke, who seemed to have followed, let out an awkward sound. It was likely that Shirayuki and Asato were facing off at the entrance.

Asato, presumably shrugging his shoulders, calmly declared, “Sorry, but Odagiri Tsutomu died just now.”

What was he talking about? His words triggered a surge of anger, but before it could solidify, it dissipated. Maybe they found Asato’s choice of words “just now” odd, or perhaps it was the strange sensation through the door. Either way, the door creaked and finally peeled off my body.

Yusuke quickly moved to stand in front of me, gazing dramatically at the sky. “Ah, Odagiri-san, why did this happen?” he said in a deliberately awkward tone.

“Call it fate,” Asato said. “May you rest in peace.”

They were treating me like I was dead.

Then Shirayuki came into view. Wrapped in a white kimono, she was as elegant and beautiful as ever. Her face was a picture of bewilderment. Her large eyes were filled with tears as she looked at me.

I struggled to stand and tried to greet her, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Fatigue and physical damage had taken their toll. Even though that space was partly transformed into the spirit world, I had been moving around with a hole in my stomach for far too long. My abdomen was more than just writhing. Still, I summoned all my strength to step forward.

I tried to call her name, but my vision blurred and darkened.

“Shira—”

If I was going to pass out, I made sure it was in her arms. As she embraced me softly, I lost consciousness.

---

I woke up buried under a feather duvet.

I had collapsed into Shirayuki’s arms, but reality hadn’t been as kind. The canopy above was a faded green, enclosing the small space around me. Everything felt familiar, except for one thing—my hands had been neatly folded across my chest, like some sort of morbid joke. It had Yusuke’s handiwork written all over it. Outside, voices buzzed with lively conversation. I sat up, awkwardly kneeling on the soft, cloud-like bed, and poked my head out from under the canopy.

Someone had brought in a few chairs. Shirayuki sat in one, quietly crying, while Yukihito, Maihime, Nanami, and Yusuke hovered around, chattering away. Asato sat a little apart from the group, and Kugutsu stood by Maihime, occasionally shooting sharp glares in Asato’s direction.

Suddenly, Yusuke thrust his fist into the air. “It’s fine! If Odagiri-san got killed by you, he’d die a happy man.”

“I-I don’t think he’s actually dead,” Yukihito said. “And um, you’re just making her more anxious.”

“Shut it, you roach. Stop freaking her out. Sure, it might’ve looked like quite the hit, but he’s fine. Odagiri-san’s always a mess anyway. He’ll survive being flattened. It’s just his luck.”

“Exactly,” Asato cut in. “I’ve been manipulated by women myself, but even I think Odagiri’s got the worst luck with women.”

“Why don’t you just zip it and head home, algae boy? A nice, quiet river is waiting for you.”

“Look at the little gremlin treating people like marine products,” Yusuke said.

“I’m terribly sorry to interject,” Kugutsu said, “but I believe algae are more suited to ponds than rivers.”

“Kugutsu.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“You’re exceptionally clever.”

“I’m honored, my lady.”

It suddenly hit me. There wasn’t a single person here to play the straight man.

A cold sweat ran down my back as their aimless banter dragged on. As I was wondering when to cut in, Shirayuki looked up, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine. But she didn’t move.

I awkwardly raised my hand. “It’s been a while, Shirayuki-san.”

Shirayuki sprang to her feet, knocking over her chair in the process. She took off like a rocket and leaped straight towards me like a cannonball. I dodged as best as I could.

“Whoa!”

Thump!

She crashed face-first into the bed. I felt a pang of guilt but knew I couldn’t afford to take a hit in my current state. I didn’t want my cause of death to be Shirayuki. Clinging to the bedpost, I gasped for breath, watching as Shirayuki lay half-buried in the bedding, unmoving. The room went dead silent. I peeked out from the canopy to find the men glaring at me like I’d just committed a crime.

Maihime covered her mouth with her palm in apparent amusement, while Nanami stood imposingly with her arms crossed, veins popping on her forehead. The men broke the silence first.

“Odagiri, I don’t really care what mistakes you make, but seriously, was that the best move? It looked like the worst possible one.”

“That was not it, man. Like, zero out of ten. I owe you a lot, but I don’t care. I’m gonna say it anyway: that reaction was just straight-up pathetic. Are you even a man? Massive L.”

“Sir. I may be out of line, but as I see the clan head to you as the princess is to me, any man who wouldn’t catch her deserves a swift end. I’d be glad to help you along.”

“You guys are being way too harsh. Come on, give me a break!”

Something hit me hard. My face was suddenly smothered by the unmistakable texture of a cushion. My crushed nose throbbed painfully. Gradually, I started to understand what was happening. Someone was pushing a cushion into my face and grinding it relentlessly. Mercilessly. There was only one person who could be so kind and yet terrifying in their own way.

“Nanami-shan?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Hehe. I’m not really picking her side or anything. Nor do I need to. But seriously, how much of an idiot are you for not catching a woman who threw herself at you? Do you want me to crush you to death with this cushion? Well?”

“Calm down, little gremlin. Even I can’t turn a blind eye to murder. All of us here have blood on our hands. I know your heart is dark, but at least keep your hands clean. Don’t ruin my little dream, okay? Can you do that?”

With Yusuke’s plea, the cushion finally lifted off my face. I saw Yusuke holding Nanami by the shoulder, pulling her away from me. Nanami was huffing and puffing. Maihime, already bored, was gracefully sipping tea, while Kugutsu served her dutifully. I rubbed my face and looked at the bed. Shirayuki had hunched her shoulders even further, like a sulking cat. I cautiously rubbed her back. Shirayuki flinched but kept her head down.