allendalepharm Chapter 579 574: Isn't That Just Marriage?
Chapter 579 574: Isn't That Just Marriage?
"Takuma-senpai, you're back..."
Ruri spoke as she felt Asakura's presence and looked toward the entrance of the convention hall. However, before she could finish her sentence, she saw the eyepatch over Asakura's right eye and couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly: "Your eye..."
"It's fine, don't worry about it." Asakura scratched his cheek: "It's just a recurring eye ailment."
"Eye ailment..."
Ruri blinked and didn't say much more—during the time she and Asakura first met, she had seen him wearing an eyepatch, though he later switched to black-rimmed glasses.
Asakura didn't seem particularly concerned about it, so it likely wasn't a major issue. The girl didn't seem to have any intentions of doubting him either; she simply turned her gaze toward Utaha, who was beside Asakura: "So, how is the situation with this... um, maid miss now?"
"Just call me Kasumigaoka. Wearing these clothes was not my intention."
Utaha spoke up first: "As soon as I get my own clothes back, I will change out of this immediately."
"Eh, you're going to change?" Asakura expressed some regret: "I actually quite like it; the level of exposure isn't particularly high..."
"If Taku-kun likes it, it's not impossible for me to wear it for you again later when it's just the two of us, you know."
The corners of Utaha's mouth curled up slightly with a hint of mischief in her smile. She gracefully pinched the hem of her skirt, her posture composed yet deliberate, her eyes half-lidded as she looked at Asakura with a gaze both cunning and tender.
The smile at the corner of her mouth was both charming and dangerous, as if a little devil's tail might sprout out at any second.
"...Taku?"
Ruri's gaze sharpened. "Your aura is completely different from before; it seems Takuma-senpai's treatment was effective... In that case, you should be well aware that Takuma-senpai is no ordinary person. As a regular person, it's better for you to maintain a proper distance."
"Oh my, that's a shame."
Not only was Utaha not intimidated by Ruri's momentum, but instead of 'maintaining distance' as requested, she pressed herself against Asakura's side, causing her soft, ample fruits to be squeezed slightly out of shape: "The current me has developed a constitution that cannot leave Taku-kun~"
Ruri frowned: "...A Witch?"
After all, only Witches who had not yet awakened their Magic needed to seek Asakura regularly to channel their magic power.
Utaha was stunned for a moment. After all, she didn't know what a "Witch" was; she was just surprised that such existences existed besides Asakura. However, this lapse in composure was masked by her in a mere instant.
Even though I don't know what a Witch is, as long as you know, that's enough.
Thus, she tilted the corners of her mouth up prettily and said with an almost condescending attitude: "It's a relationship much more intimate than a Witch's connection~"
Ruri gave a light huff.
"Bluffing."
"What a cute little kitten. Have you started hissing because you saw your dear master leave you behind to be close with someone else?" Utaha continued to tease.
"Alright, it's getting a bit out of hand to keep going."
At this point, Asakura broke free from Utaha's arm and stepped in to stop them: "Kasumigaoka, although Ruri is a good girl, it's best not to provoke her too much."
"Okay~" Utaha didn't realize the gravity of the situation and even gave Ruri a look like an adult looking at a child.
And so, Ruri smiled.
The kind of smile born from extreme anger.
She looked at Asakura: "It's fine to maintain it until evening, right?"
"Well, it's a bit... after all, there are so many people around..."
"I'm just acting in self-defense," the girl said.
Asakura rubbed his temples with a bit of a headache: "Alright then..."
Ruri nodded with satisfaction and gave Utaha a meaningful look.
"In that case, I wish Miss Kasumigaoka a pleasant day."
After saying that, she turned and left to look at the cosplay she was interested in.
"What's wrong with her?" Utaha asked Asakura, feeling a bit bewildered.
According to her assumptions, although the other's personality was different from Eriri's, she looked like the type who was quite strong-willed; she shouldn't have backed down and left so easily.
"That child may not be as strong as me, but she is a Witch who has mastered Magic Charms. It's better not to make her angry in the future." As Asakura spoke, he pointed toward the girl's head.
Utaha was stunned for a moment, then realized Asakura meant for her to touch her own head.
So, she reached out and touched the top of her head.
Then, besides the Katyusha headband she had been wearing all along, she also felt a pair of triangular, fluffy things.
They were beast ears.
Well, beast-ear maid cosplays are quite common, after all.
...No way! Why do I actually have sensation when I touch the cosplay props!
Utaha looked at Asakura nervously, her tail also swinging back and forth incessantly due to her anxiety.
Wait.
What is that swinging back and forth?
She looked back, and then the tail that had poked out from the zipper gap of the sukumizu maid outfit naturally wrapped around her palm as if it were an extension of her own body.
"T-Tail?!"
Her expression could no longer be described as merely surprised; her entire being had fallen into a state bordering on 'messy in the wind': "Why do I have beast ears and a tail?"
"I told you that child is a witch," Asakura shrugged: "You were just cursed by her, that's all."
"Curses... do they actually truly exist?"
"You've already experienced those kinds of things, so why would you instead think that curses don't exist..."
"Is it still in time for me to go and apologize now?"
"Based on my understanding of that child Ruri, she probably won't lift the curse for you; she'll only mock you by saying things like, 'It's not that you know you were wrong, you just know you're about to face social death.'"
"Ugh..."
Utaha suddenly became somewhat dejected, and her beast ears and tail drooped listlessly along with her, looking incredibly cute.
Although she was cursed, Utaha wasn't actually truly afraid.
For one thing, Asakura, who had rescued her from a desperate situation, was right by her side; just with that, the girl felt she had the courage to face all the difficulties in the world—except for an editor's reminder to update near a deadline.
Secondly, she had also heard what Ruri said earlier about 'it's fine to maintain it until evening, right?', which meant the curse that made her grow beast ears and a tail would only last until tonight.
Furthermore, at the CM exhibition, especially in this outdoor cosplay area, her appearance wasn't considered strange; in fact, something like a beast-ear maid was already considered a fairly conservative cosplay.
"A blunder; I feel like if I go find Sawamura-san like this, she'll find another chance to mock me," Utaha muttered to herself.
"I don't think you need to worry about that." Asakura shook his head.
"Could it be that Taku-kun is going to help me break the curse?"
"No, my meaning is that during the time you were trapped in the Spiritual Nursery, Eriri should have already seen every bit of your embarrassing appearance."
"...It... it shouldn't have reached such a terrible level yet."
"From what I know, she wouldn't just do that; she would also specifically induce you in that state to do some embarrassing things," Asakura happily added fuel to the fire. He glanced at the outfit the girl was wearing and said, "For example, 'shock therapy' and the like."
Kasumigaoka's eyes lost their light.
The girl revealed a smile that felt somewhat 'broken' and said to Asakura: "I remembered some things I need to chat with Sawamura-san about privately. Can Taku-kun wait for me here for a moment?"
"I'll be in this cosplay area the whole time; just come find me directly after you're done chatting with Eriri."
Asakura nodded.
Just after saying that, he realized that it actually didn't matter if she didn't find him, since everything that needed to be done was already finished; it would be fine for the girl to go straight home.
Just as he was about to say this to Kasumigaoka, he discovered that the other party had already left with quick steps—she had likely discovered Eriri's whereabouts.
I hope Eriri can live on peacefully. Amen.
Asakura wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes and offered a prayer in his heart.
After Kasumigaoka left, Asakura came to Ruri's side.
"Are there any interesting cosplayers you recommend?" he asked.
"Aren't you going to keep 'sticking' with that person who calls you 'Taku-kun~'?"
Ruri asked with an expressionless face.
"She went to find Eriri for revenge."
"Then I wish Kashiwagi-sensei can live on well. Amen."
Upon hearing that Utaha had left, Ruri's expression became slightly more vivid.
"Ruri has become a bit mischievous, too." Asakura looked at her with amusement.
"I wonder who I learned it from," the girl said pointedly.
"It's all Yui's fault!"
"Please don't pin your own problems on Yuigahama-senpai; she really will cry."
"Is it my fault?!"
"Yes."
"Then I am truly sorry."
"This concubine accepts your apology."
After the two of them had such a serious-faced dialogue, they suddenly looked at each other and laughed.
"Haven't you always referred to yourself as 'Wagahai'? Why did you change your self-address just now?"
"'Wagahai' still feels a bit too juvenile; I feel 'Warawa' is more appropriate. I also thought about using 'Yo,' but based on my character setting, it still feels a bit strange after all." Perhaps because she rarely had anyone to discuss such topics with normally, the young girl looked unexpectedly high-spirited at this moment. "In Takuma-senpai's case, what kind of self-address do you think is better?"
"Zhen."
"The Emperor?!"
"There is a slight possibility it refers to Qu Yuan."
"...Takuma-senpai, were your grades in National Language very good?"
"My best subject was actually Health and Physical Education."
"How unexpected! ...Though I really want to say that, once I think about it being Takuma-senpai, it somehow feels normal for you to be good at anything..."
"Don't hold me in such high regard. I might just fade into the crowd once I start learning quantum mechanics."
"Why use such a god-tier academic subject as an example..."
"After all, there are things that even I can't learn."
"Things like a woman's heart?" The girl raised her eyebrows, speaking pointedly.
"Things like Ninpo: Body of Mind and Heart Switch Technique." Asakura spoke with a straight face, completely failing to notice the girl's underlying meaning.
"Isn't the thing you want to learn a bit strange?!"
"My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; all that I do is justice." Asakura spoke with righteous severity.
"Only improper people would loudly proclaim that everything they do is proper," the girl said. "Just like how the villains in light novels from other worlds are often the seemingly dignified Holy Church, or the final boss in a detective drama is usually the normally upright and honorable leader of the Police Department."
"In your case, Ruri, if you could, what would you want to learn?"
"Something like healing magic, I suppose."
"Unexpectedly ordinary? I thought for sure you would choose that anime character you like... I remember it was called the Queen of Nightmares? Anyway, that type of ability."
"If we're talking about fantasies, of course the more romantic the better, but in reality..."
The girl suddenly leaned in front of Asakura and reached out to gently touch the eyepatch over his right eye.
With Asakura's reaction speed, which was seven times that of a normal person, he could have naturally avoided the girl's hand; however, he did not dodge, only experiencing a slight physiological tremble when he was touched.
"Is it still painful? As I thought, Takuma-senpai's eye isn't just a simple recurrence of an old ailment." Her voice was soft, mixed with concern and a faint regret for being unable to help: "Even though I already possess power beyond common sense, I still have no way to help Takuma-senpai..."
"That's not the case. Ruri, just by being here to help prevent any accidents, you've already made me feel very much at ease," Asakura comforted her softly. "It's because I have you as a safety net that I can do what needs to be done without any reservations. Your mere existence is already very important to me."
"It's not like that! What I want is a relationship where I can be more worthy of Takuma-senpai's reliance, to be able to stand side-by-side with Takuma-senpai and face whatever difficulties together!" The girl looked into Asakura's eyes earnestly, speaking in a tone saturated with feelings that could not be ignored.
Even Asakura was momentarily dazed by the girl's sincerity.
"Isn't that just marriage?"
At that moment, someone else spoke up out of the blue from the side.
Asakura and Ruri were startled, instantly pulling back from their subconsciously close proximity to a normal distance, though both of them still wore somewhat unnatural expressions on their faces.
Only then did Ruri look toward the person who had spoken.
She saw Kirino-chan and the others, who had scattered earlier to watch various cosplayer performances, had gathered their group back together at some unknown point and arrived not far from the two of them.
Kirino-chan was looking at Ruri with a playful face, Saori was wearing a so-called "auntie smile" while watching the two, and Marin's eyes were sparkling, having thought of something or other.
"I didn't expect the 'black' you to be so bold," Kirino-chan said. "Actually proposing in public and all. Well, as just a community friend, I don't really have the standing to say this, but still~"
"You—It's not like that!" Ruri suddenly cried out, embarrassed and exasperated at the same time.
"Yes, yes, everyone has freedom in this regard. Kirino-shi, stop teasing Kuroneko-shi. We will, however, be gently watching over you and yours from the side, Kuroneko-shi." Saori said with a cat-like smile.
"Don't look!" Veins began to pop on Ruri's forehead.
"Hey, hey, Kuroneko-chan, when you put on a wedding dress, can you let me take a few photos as a reference for a 'Wet Woman' character wedding cosplay? Of course, it would be even better if you could show an ahegao!" Marin also leaned in and said.
"You guys—" Ruri ground her teeth. "Everyone, give it a rest!"