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Nanana’s Buried Treasure Volume 9 Epilogue

Epilogue

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The sound of the front door sliding open with a klack was heard.

Nanana, who was playing an online game, reacted with a start. She knew who it was from the sound. The door to the room opened softly.

「…Hello.」

Nanana ignored him as she continued playing her online game.

「Umm, Nanana. I’m sorry.」

I apologize, but Nanana still ignores him.

「I was really worried.」

She thought about just continuing to ignore him, but she felt she had to tell him what she was thinking, so she did. Nanana Ryuugajou looked so upset as she glared at me. I (Juugo) gave a wry smile.

「I know. I didn’t come home for almost a month after all.」」I was really lonely. I was really, really lonely.」

I made a promise to her.

「I have no excuses for that.」

「But, more importantly, there’s something you have to say first.」

「Um… I’m sorry for making you worry and breaking my promise.」

「No.」

「Huh?」

「You came back to your home so there is something you have to say first.」

After realizing what the sulking Nanana wanted to say, I turned away in embarrassment.

「Um… I’m home.」

Just hearing that made Nanana feel somehow relieved. It made her feel like this was the place where Juugo was meant to return to, and that he would always be by her side.

「Will you just shut up and never leave again?」

「Yeah.」

「Never never again.」

「Yeah, I promise.」

And then Nanana smiled.

「Okay then, I’ll forgive you.」

Whack

Then Nanana punched Juugo as hard as she could.

1

I always think that  Nanana-chan’s specs are overpowered. Why should she be able to perform a C-Smash move in my room. Her punch knocked me through the kitchen, crashing through the front door, slamming my back into the railing on the second floor, falling backwards with perfect balance, and then falling head first onto the ground on the first floor as if I’d been hit by a German supreme kick?

Well, I guess I deserve it. I guess I’ve angered the earthbound spirit girl. But I’m really glad that I was able to be forgiven somehow.

「Yeah.」

It was a nostalgic scene in the home, room 202 of the Happiness dorm. Nanana’s eyes are lit up by the colorful items placed on the table. Those items are a variety of puddings.

「It’s a high-quality pudding from the mainland that can’t be found on Nanaejima」, I whispered to her, making a creepy face.

Nanana laughed  fearlessly and said, 「Pervert. You’re bad.」

She immediately grabs a spoon in her hand and takes a bite.

「Hmmm, hello to my first pudding!」

That’s amazing, Nanana. When you eat pudding, you talk to it.

So, looking at that smile for the first time in a while, I told her about what had happened over the past month or so since the start of summer vacation.

「I see, so you were traveling around the country looking for pudding.」

「Yeah, that’s right.」

He said with a lying smile.

「That’s really impressive, Juugo. I can’t believe you swam across the seto Inland Sea to get the ingredients for pudding.」

「Well, it was the Naruto Strait after all. When I got stuck in that whirlpool, I honestly thought I was going to die, but I did my best because I wanted to give you some delicious pudding, Nanana-chan.」

「I see. That makes me happy.」

I’m glad she was so happy. Well, it is all a lie though.

By the way, the reason why I didn’t tell the truth is, of course, because it’s embarrassing to tell her that I’ve been worrying about a lot of things.

「Hmph, that’s a pretty interesting story, Juugo.」

「And why is the great detective just sitting there as if it’s the most natural thing in the world? And don’t just assume that what other people say is a lie.」

Tensai Ikkyuu and D’arc Hoshino arrived in their usual place in a completely natural manner. It would not be wrong to say that they both looked extremely angry.

「Umm… sorry for the inconvenience.」

「Seriously?! Hey Juugo, who do you think you are?」

「I think I’m a worthy rival to the great detective.」

「W..what!?」

「You’re too excited.」

「I’m not excited at all! But, well… if you’re a worthy opponent, then I guess it couldn’t be helped.」

The great detective’s mouth is slightly smiling and her ears are bright red.

「It seems like Juugo-kun has grown quite a bit in this past month.」

D’arc smiles.

「Really?」

「Yeah, he seems to have gotten especially good at manipulating girls.」

「…D’arc-san, you seem angry.」

「Of course I am! Making the two of them worry so much really pissed me off!」

「Looks like D’arc’s become more feminine lately.」

「I..I’m a guy!」

In a way, I think he is the most girly of all of them, but I know that if I said that, the two real girls would get mad at me, so I decided not to say it. Instead, I apologized for completely ignoring the emails that were sent to me every day.

「Hmph, did you think I’d forgive you with just that?」

「Yeah, this great detective is as arrogant as ever.」

「Now now, Tensai-chan. I’ll show you my magnanimity and forgive you. At least laugh at Juugo’s lie.」

「Hey, as expected of an earthbound spirit, nice follow-up! You’re saying things differently! And how did you know that everything I said was a lie!?」

「I mean, did you think you could fool me with a story of that poor quality?」

「Ugh, what’s with that kind of condescending look… I thought that Nanana-chan might actually believe me, since you’ve been munching on some mainland pudding for a while now.」

「Sure, Juugo is guilty, but these puddings are innocent!」

「But yet, innocent puddings are disappearing into Nanana’s mouth one after another!」

「There’s no greater happiness for a pudding than being eaten by me.」

「You’re starting to sound like an egotistic evil leader!」

Nanana-chan smiles at my response.

「Well, having Juugo around really tightens things up. After all, you always need at least one person to be the straight man.」

「Eh, so that’s all I am to you!?」

「Other than that, Juugo has no other use for me.」

「There it is again! The face of an egotistical evil leader!」

Suddenly something is shoved in my mouth. Then she smiles.

「Juugo, always stay by my side.」

It was only after the taste of pudding spread in my mouth that I realized that the thing that had been thrust into my mouth was the pudding spoon that Nanana was holding. It happened as I was mesmerized by Nanana-chan’s smile. This is, ummm… How should I put it….?

「It’s an indirect kiss…」

「Shh, Tensai. Stop staring. Pretend you didn’t see it.」

D’arc covers Tensai’s eyes from behind, his face was as red as it could be, while smiling.

「No.」

「Huh?」

「N..no! I didn’t do it on purpose!」

And then Nanana-chan, who seems to have just realized what she did, turns red and starts to panic.

「No, that wasn’t it, Juugo! Don’t get the wrong idea!」

「T..tsundere…」

「T..tensai!. Pretend you didn’t hear that. You heard nothing!」

D’arc covers Tensai’s ears from behind, as his face is as red as it could be, while smiling.

「N..no! It wasn’t that!」

And then Nanana-chan turns red and panics again.

Being surrounded by these three girls (well, one of them is a guy) making such loud noises, my head was in complete chaos.

What the heck is going on today!? It’s like Obon and New Year’s all at the same time! All the happiness of the past year is concentrated into this moment! What, am I going to die soon? Am I going to die as the karma for experiencing this happiness? I can’t help thinking about such things, but in any case, I’m really happy.

Ding Dong

As If to celebrate my happiness, angels descended from the heavens and rang the bell of blessing.

Ding Dong

…No wait, that was the doorbell ringing for a second time.

「It looks like someone’s here.」

「Oh, I’ll go answer it.」

D’arc stands up and hurries to the front door. Then I hear the sound of the front door opening.

「Nice to meet you.」

「We just moved into room 201 today, next door.」

The voices of two girls coming from the front door make me go, ‘hmmm?’

Oh, I feel like I’ve heard that voice somewhere before, or maybe I’ve just been hearing it a lot recently.

「That’s very kind of you. Um, I live in room 203 on the other side.」

D’arc has finished introducing himself and is engaged in a lively conversation with the two girls.

「D’arc, please bring them in.」

Nanana-chan gives a friendly invitation.

「Are you sure? I’m coming in then」, says a cheerful voice with no hesitation.

「Well, I’ll take you up on that offer」, they say, sounding very demure.

So I quickly stood up.

「Sorry, I just remembered that I had some urgent business to attend to, so I’m going to jump out the window and won’t be back for a while, is that okay?」

Just as I was about to head towards the window, someone tugged at my clothes.

「That’s absolutely not okay.」

Yeah, when Nanana grabs the hem of my clothes with such a cute pout, I can’t move a single step further. No matter what tragic future awaits me.

「Oh, Juu-kun!」

「Juugo-san!」

That’s right, that’s what was happening. Of course, the people who came in were Kunon Yama and Ulysses Korunald. For some reason the two of them were there.

「Huh? Do you know Juugo?」

Why are you asking that, Nanana-chan?

「Wow, Juu-kun! Did you come all the way here chasing after Ulysses? So you are really having regrets about your wedding with Ulysses?!」

Yes, thank you for the surprise, including a completely unnecessary explanation, little sis.

「I’m so happy that Juugo thought that much of me.」

Yes, and Ulysses, please stop with that happy smile that makes me want to push you out the window right now.

「Hmm, it looks like this is Juugo’s sister, and the one next to her is his ex-fiance. I’m guessing Juugo’s sister acted on her sense of justice, ruined Juugo’s wedding, and ran off with the bride.」

「And what an incredible detective you are! It’s as if you saw it all happen with your brilliant deduction! I can’t help but compliment you out loud!」

「J..Juugo. You don’t think you’re the only one who’s gotten stronger this summer, do you? This great detective, Tensai Ikkyuu, is also steadily improving as a true great detective.」

「Yeah, that’s seriously cool! I can’t help but to fall for you!」

W..w..what are you talking about!?」

Then a murderous aura fills the room.

「Hey Juugo, what does she mean by wedding?」

The cuteness from earlier was gone, and the glare of the earthbound spirit was so literally otherworldly that it’s making me go crazy and my heart nearly stopped. Yes, all that from Nanana-chan glaring at me.

Nanana-chan laughed.

「Well, I guess I’ll have to ask you to explain. And then I’ll ask you to die.」

Yeah, there’s no more realistic threat than one coming from a ghost that already died.

Anyway, there’s no need to tell you about the tragic ending that follows.