1.
He picked up Komachi, who was pretending to be sick and staggering, and made her sit on the bench.
Taishi was looking at me with a worried expression, so even though I thought he was a good guy, I glared at him to keep him in check. After all, a poisonous insect is a poisonous insect.
"Komachi's fine, so... Big brother and Saki, have fun! Oh, Taishi, if you don't mind, could you buy this for me? I need it right now..."
Saying that, Komachi handed Taishi a piece of paper that looked like it had some notes written on it.
When I handed it over, I caught a glimpse of several items that seemed to be things needed for someone with a cold, such as Pocari Sweat and easily digestible foods, as well as several foods that looked like they were simply things the giver wanted to eat.
...When did you write this? That was incredibly fast.
Also, the way you managed to keep Taishi away so skillfully...that's impressive. It was the best, the best. If I were in Taishi's position, I'd be crying.
"Okay, I understand! I'll go buy it!"
Taishi glanced through the notes, nodded thoughtfully, and then ran off energetically. He's saying "ssu" a bit too much, though. He's a good match for Tobe, who keeps saying "bewa."
But he's a really nice guy. You should ask him to introduce you to someone someday. It's all a bit unclear, though.
"Okay, I'm off."
When I said that to Komachi, she gave a small thumbs-up. We exchanged a silent conversation through eye contact, saying "praise me, praise me" and "well done." This is practically telepathy, isn't it?
"Come on, let's go."
I called out to Kawasaki, who was still frozen in place, and took his hand, starting to pull him along.
...I just did it, but is this a bad idea?
Turning to Kawasaki with cold sweat dripping down her face, she seemed confused by him holding her hand, but perhaps didn't dislike it, as she only managed to say "Ah... yeah," her cheeks flushed, and looked down.
...If this were a game, you'd have accumulated a ton of points, right? Like something like hearts, or something like Zakusha drops.
2.
After receiving a brief explanation of the haunted house, we finally arrived in front of the entrance.
What's so tough about haunted houses is that, especially when you go in the middle of the day, the surrounding noise and brightness can make you mistakenly think, "Maybe it's not that scary after all," right up until you go inside.
An illusion is just an illusion. Once you actually enter, you'll be stunned by a world so different that you might think you've accidentally ended up in hell.
So I decided to chant like a mantra, "One step inside and it's hell, one step inside and it's hell," before going in. I was genuinely disgusted by Kawasaki, who was holding my hand, but there was nothing I could do. Because I was scared. Seriously. I had to brace myself.
And then, finally, I stepped through the entrance door.
The moment you step inside, what unfolds before you is not a visibly eerie world where a creepy green light illuminates an unsettling well...
At first glance, it looked like someone's private home. But since it's an attraction, it's considerably larger than a normal house and looks like a mansion. It closely resembles the house that was used as the main setting in the movie, suggesting that a lot of effort went into this tie-in project.
I mean, with this, it's impossible to even tell what the original haunted house was like... Where's the original form? The wall?
It gives you a strange feeling, like you've stepped into someone else's house, and you're seized by an unsettling sense of unease and eerie fear lurking within what appears to be an ordinary house.
Kawasaki also seemed terrified by the unfathomable fear, and he tightened his grip on my hand.
I thought there were many routes to take, but then I noticed many footprints in the old, dusty corridor.
Apparently, these aren't footprints left by people who walked on the attraction.
The footprints, like those in the hallway, looked visibly old, and the floor was discolored along the footprints.
The footprints led to what appeared to be a living room.
Looking around, I noticed that the corridors leading to other areas were faintly covered with glass, making it impossible to pass through.
It's fine if you can notice the footprints and the glass as quickly as you did now, but if you lose your composure, you'll probably be seized by the fear of "where should I go?" And then you'll bump your head on the glass. I think all those popular people should get a bump on their head from that.
Well, my first impression is... wow, this is serious! I want to cry.
Kawasaki is genuinely terrified, which strengthens my resolve to protect her, but if she wasn't, I would have turned back here. I'm putting all my energy into creating a reason to run away. I'm working hard to come up with an excuse that won't make me look uncool, even against Yukinoshita. If I think this is already uncool, I've already lost.
"Okay, let's go this way."
"Oh, huh? I, I see, yeah..."
Kawasaki, seemingly completely unaware of the footprints or the glass, answered as if he didn't understand what was going on, but obediently followed along.
Well, if you're hit with something this scary right from the start, of course you're going to be freaked out.
When I went into the living room, I saw an old cathode ray tube television.
The cable was clearly unplugged, yet the moment we arrived, the black and white screen suddenly lit up with a buzzing sound. Wow, even though it's such an old model, it's wireless! Why is there a cable?
Then, a long-haired woman wearing a wide-brimmed white hat and a pure white dress appears on the old screen. No, this is already bad. The screen occasionally crackles and shakes.
The woman remains on screen as a creepy female voice provides narration. It's less of a haunted house experience and more of an explanation of the movie's storyline and how to proceed with the attraction.
Apparently, the message is simply to run away without giving up until the very end.
...Do I need to explain this? Also, is it necessary to show this woman?
While this was happening, the door opened.
It was already quite scary up to that point, but from here on it gets on a whole other level of terrifying.
The film's story is about a woman who is brutally murdered in her home and becomes an evil spirit, killing anyone who enters the house.
This attraction apparently follows the scenes from the movie where each character is killed off one by one. Almost all of the gory elements from the movie have been cut, so even children can supposedly enjoy it. ...But still, isn't this a bad idea?
I'm gonna cry.
...Kawasaki is trembling too. Like a cell phone vibrating.
"Kawasaki, you're not okay... are you? Look."
"air…?"
He immediately put his top-tier big-brother skills to use. He gently pulled Kawasaki into an embrace with his right arm. This was no time to be worried about being pulled or anything like that.
"If you ever feel like you can't take it anymore, just tell me. This place seems really dangerous."
As I was saying it, I thought to myself, "What kind of haunted place am I, and what kind of medium am I?"
"...It's okay, if things continue like this..."
As soon as Kawasaki said that, she leaned gently against me. Her breast pressure was a bit much. If this scene were illustrated, my expression would definitely look awful. That struggle between fear and smirk is just too much, right?
I somehow managed to get through the attractions. I've heard countless screams from Kawasaki, but each time I find her screams cute, or rather, how should I put it, yeah, they're cute.
Some women might let out an unpleasant cry at a time like this, but Kawasaki only made a cute sound. It was dim so I couldn't see her crying face clearly, which was a shame, but Kawasaki's expression, which I could only faintly see, and the tense breathing I could faintly hear when it was quiet, were strangely alluring. I remembered something about how fear heightens survival instincts and triggers reactions to reproduce, but I shouldn't remember that now. It'll make me feel weird. Me.
I think I've probably reached the very end. Recalling the movie's plot, I should be almost there, just one more intense scene to get through.
"It'll be soon... Oh, sorry."
After steeling myself again, I unconsciously tightened my arms around Kawasaki, and involuntarily let go.
"Ah... it's alright, just hold me tight..."
She whispered in a voice that was incomparably weaker than usual.
...What she's saying is cute, but the way she says it is so manly and cool... I don't have a single bit of that in me.
There's no point in arguing in this situation, so I put my hand on Kawasaki's shoulder again.
Her actions, which made her even closer than before, made my heart pound uncontrollably.
"Okay, we'll be going soon."
Thud.
Just as I was about to speak, there was a dull thud behind me.
Kawasaki is completely frozen, staring straight ahead. It seems he can't move.
Isn't this the kind of situation where it doesn't matter whether you turn around or not?
I slowly turned around, speaking in a terribly rough Kansai dialect in my mind.
A woman was lying on the ground about 5 meters behind us.
The next moment, the woman began to groan and crawled towards us on all fours.
Its movements were so creepy and unsettling that they didn't seem human, and on top of that, it was quite fast. It was fast enough that it would catch up to me if I didn't run. Actually, it was just too scary. I thought about using Finger Flare Bombs, but I decided against it because it would probably burn down the entire building.
"Hey, Kawasaki, let's run... Kawasaki?"
"Ah, uh, ah..."
It seems she turned around a little later than me, and saw the woman chasing after her.
He seems completely paralyzed with fear. If I let go, he'll probably collapse.
In this situation, there's no time to offer words of encouragement, motivate them, and run away together.
We're just a few meters from the finish line. There's still a way to make it work.
Evil, cut down immediately. My mistake. Immediate decision. I suppose the former would be fine too, but I can't use my fang thrust.
"Let's go to Kawasaki... yeah!"
"!? Whoa!?"
Since I had my arm around Kawasaki's shoulder, I figured this was the only way to move as quickly as possible. It's called a princess carry.
Without paying any attention to Kawasaki's reaction, he charged towards the goal with tremendous force.
The woman was within about two meters of catching up.
At the last possible moment, I leap into a space bathed in light.
At that moment, an overly enthusiastic announcement blared, "GOOOAL!!" Seriously, isn't that something you'd say when the Japanese national team scores a goal? There was absolutely no need for that level of excitement.
3.
The space I emerged into was a bright, open room with a television on, showing an unfamiliar variety show.
I had assumed it would come out near the crowd outside, so I have absolutely no idea what's going on.
While I was racking my brain, another announcement came on.
"Congratulations on reaching the goal! This attraction has the highest dropout rate in Japan, making it a truly brutal place. Therefore, we are giving away fantastic prizes to all customers who complete it! We will hand them out to you at the reception desk later, so please don't forget to stop by!"
Furthermore, among those who have successfully completed the procedure, female customers in particular are often quite distressed, and it is generally not advisable for them to go outside immediately.
Therefore, this room is designed for you to spend time in until you feel settled! There are two other rooms with the same purpose, so please relax and make yourself at home!
Thank you very much for using our attraction today!
The announcement ended on a positive note.
I see, so the final exit is separate for each group. This way, whether I stay in this break room for 20 minutes or 30 minutes, I can avoid bumping into other customers.
...I mean, how crazy is this attraction if they have a room like this prepared as aftercare? It was seriously crazy. What was crazy? It was seriously crazy.
"Let's take a break until things calm down in Kawasaki."
"…Yeah"
Kawasaki said in a voice that was almost inaudible: "I'm not okay at all."
As we sat together on the soft sofa, Kawasaki was trembling, her head bowed. She still had the same tear-streaked expression.
It's even more alluring when viewed in bright light...
I felt like punching myself because I was having some pretty bad thoughts, so, although it's hard to call it atonement, I put my arm around Kawasaki's shoulder again.
"...Sorry, I didn't think it would be this scary."
"...sniff, it's true..."
She leaned closer to me, her voice slightly sulky. Then she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me.
Even though we're doing the same thing, up until now, it felt more like I was overwhelmed with anxiety. But now, I even get the feeling that I'm becoming a little spoiled.
Perhaps because I was relieved, my heart suddenly started pounding.
The faint scent of shampoo wafting from her hair, and the soft feeling of her breasts against my arm.
...Oh no.
I let my guard down for a moment and reacted quite strongly. We'll get caught immediately if we're this close.
I kept looking around, trying to hide my identity, so that I wouldn't get caught.
Perhaps that backfired, because Kawasaki looked at me strangely, and then immediately noticed something was wrong with me.
"...?...!? W-what, are you an idiot!?"
Kawasaki's cheeks quickly turned red, and instead of pushing me away, she tightened her grip on me. Huh? Isn't this a place where you're supposed to let go? Why?
"Ah, no, why won't you let go?"
I couldn't help but blurt out a question.
The moment Kawasaki heard what I said, his face turned even redder.
"Well, I'm still scared... Is that a problem?"
It growls and glares at me with its eyes looking upwards. It's refreshing to see it looking cute even when it's glaring.
"No, I'm fine, but..."
"...I see. ...Basically, the reason you ended up like this is because, well, I'm doing this, right? So, I guess it's mutual..."
Kawasaki spoke hesitantly, his voice barely audible.
She occasionally glances at my erection, then quickly looks away, looking embarrassed.
...Wow, I can't take it anymore. She's just too cute.
Seeing Kawasaki surrender himself to me, I swallowed hard.
I check the time. It's only been about five minutes since I came in here.
Kawasaki
"Eh... mmm!?"
I pushed her down onto the back of the sofa and silenced her before she could say a word.
The soft feeling of her lips made my groin tighten a little more.
4.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm... hmm, mmm..."
A troubled voice echoed inside the room.
He climbed on top of Kawasaki, pinned his hands to the back of the sofa, immobilizing him, and licked the inside of his mouth.
Given the location, and the fact that they haven't even confirmed their consent, I'm sure they'll resist a lot. In fact, my life might be over.
That's what I thought, but in the end, it turned out to be an unfounded worry.
At first glance, her face seems to be showing reluctance, but her eyes are gradually accepting the situation. In fact, she even seems enraptured.
He released the hand that had been holding her down and placed it on her cheek. Then, he slowly parted his lips. A string of saliva stretched between their mouths and slowly fell away, following gravity.
"...Phew. ...W-why, so suddenly..."
Kawasaki came to me, out of breath and with a bright red face, and asked.
There was no hint of condemnation in his words; I could tell he was simply asking for my opinion.
So I decided to answer honestly.
"...She was so cute, I couldn't help it."
"!...Oh...I see..."
She murmured with a slightly happy tone, then gently wrapped her arms around my back. It felt like she had completely accepted me.
"Aren't you the one who should have resisted?... It's me, you know?"
A self-deprecating, yet mischievous question. I'm quite impressed with myself.
"B-but you said I was cute, you held my hand, you put your arm around my shoulder, and, and, and..."
He suddenly hesitated at the end of his sentence.
"...And what about that?"
I honestly can't think of anything. There's nothing else, right? ...Probably.
"During the school festival, you said to me, 'I love you, Kawasaki'..."
...I think I know what you're talking about. Actually, this is the most likely explanation. Hey, me!
"...Ah, maybe the reason you were so obviously avoiding me every time you saw me after the school festival was..."
"...You understand, right?...Don't make me say it, you idiot."
Oh no. I messed up. I really messed up.
Should I tell them what I said on a whim back then? But then again, saying something like that might only hurt them...
As I was thinking that, I noticed Kawasaki looking at me with a serious expression.
Lying here would be the most tasteless thing to do.
Let's be honest then. Let's talk about how we felt then and how we feel now.
"...Um...to be honest about a lot of things..."
That's so lame. Using polite language feels so lame. It's painful.
Nevertheless, Kawasaki is listening attentively.
"To be honest, when I said those words at the school festival, I just went with the flow at the time...it wasn't like I really meant it."
"!…cormorant…"
Oh no, don't cry! I feel so sorry I could die.
"But I really do think he's cute now. Just a few hours ago, my impression of him was that he was scary, but probably a good guy, even though he was scary."
"Don't say it twice... Ugh..."
"...Sorry. And one more thing. The reason I specifically asked you to watch a horror movie and go to a haunted house today was...because I wanted to see you cry."
"…fart?"
There was absolutely no coldness in her expression; it was a look of pure curiosity. Well, of course. Of course. I couldn't help but say it twice.
"Yesterday Komachi asked me, 'What kind of gestures from a girl make your heart flutter or turn you on?' and when I said that maybe a crying face would be good, Komachi was taken aback. And when this whole thing was decided for today, I remembered the timid look on your face when I said something a little harsh to you during the school festival."
"...So, well, I was just being a little mischievous."
I'm too scared to look at their face while they're saying it. No, seriously, it's terrifying. What should I do? I want to make a cute, teehee face like Komachi, but if I do that, it'll look awfully creepy.
...But then I found out they were listening quite normally. Huh, why?
"So, what happened?"
"picture?"
"That's my crying face. You've seen it plenty of times today, haven't you? I'm asking you how it went."
Wow, that's scary. Isn't this just the usual Kawasaki? I'm going to cry.
"Ah, well, um... she's cuter than I imagined, and I'm really drawn to her."
"...!"
Since he'd already seen me with an erection, I figured it was okay to be frank and say this much. My face got really hot as I said it.
"...So that's why you attacked me?"
"Uh, well... yes..."
What kind of interrogation is this? They combined a gentle demeanor with a scary one and completely got me to confess! What's wrong with this kid?!
"...Hehe, I see, I see..."
Kawasaki smiled happily, her arms still wrapped around my back.
Her lovely smile, which she rarely shows, completely captured my heart.
"...If you smiled like that all the time, I think you'd be more popular."
"...What? You're going to leave me alone after doing all this? Even someone inexperienced like me would get angry!"
...That was my fault. I said something wrong... I can't stop speaking in fake Kansai dialect... Or rather, you have no experience, do you? Stop subtly trying to excite me.
"...Ah, I see..."
"So, you see."
I'm pulled closer with a sudden tug. They smile at me, their noses almost touching.
"...Continue."
Those words made me start moving like a spring.
To be continued.