Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)

If I remember correctly The one stuck on Zonmi's head was my favorite

”I mean, how couldn't you notice that you had a knife stuck in your own forehead?”

When I pointed that out, Zonmi puffed her cheeks

”It cant be helped, can it!? Since us ghouls don't bear such an illogical system like what's known as sense of pain!”

She rebutted angrily

No, no, the sense of pain is sonal that our body sends us as an SOS Though we could say That ghouls were seely immortal from the start, they have no need of such a function

”Well, as the one who did such a horrible thing?”

Surely, that must not be self-inflicted

While I had a hunch about as the culprit, I had to at least ask

”It was Chiharu's little sister I don't knohy, but she suddenly stabbed me”

”As expected”

Frightening

Had Zonhoul, what did she plan to do?

Fiuu I had been on the verge of shouldering a crime that would have haunted me my whole life

”Well, I still have many questions”

”Yes, like?”

”After that, how did you end your battle with Kyouko?”

Though I'ence, that comes first

I couldn't see any big injuries on Zonmi's body, with the exception of her forehead, and since she has returned to my home, does that mean she had won?

”I have no excuse I ed to slip out at the last second”

” Is that so?”

More than enough

That Kyouko that boasted such a superhu able to wield a truck with one hand ed to slip out Zonh

”Mmm Mmmm!”

For so

”Hey, Zonmi By the hat did you do with Manami?”

”If you mean your sister, didn't I restrain her with ropes so she didn't act violently?”

””

She cal with other people's little sisters, you punk

When I was about to voice that, Manae

”Oo Mmm”

She probably tried to mutter ”Onii-chan!”, but I couldn't understand it due to the towel stuffed into her mouth

Even if I was curious of where Zone when there's no chance for that within a norht now that didn't matter

”Wait, I'll help you right now”

” Please, stop Once you unbind her, what if she goes on a raain? To contain her brutishness, isn't it better to leave her like that?”

”Is my sister some kind of beast?”

Come to think of it, the transfer student introduced herself like that on her first day

Zonmi truly hates humans

I thought about that while I removed the towel from her mouth

This situation Rather than your run-in-the-

” Haaah! O-onii-chan! Who is that!? She didn't die even though I killed her, she's totally weird!”

”Calm down, Manami, aren't you the weird one? For starters, it isn't ethical to kill someone”

I don't knohy, but I seem to be surrounded by people without a speck of co

”You zoet near my Oniiiii~-chan! Scram!”

”I'houl, Zonmi”

Zonmi muttered a complaint

Ah, of course she'd fuss over that

”Well, about stabbing kitchen knives in people's foreheads it's bad, OK?”

”Bu-but sheee~! She caether with oniichan'! I won't allow that!”

”Did you say that Zonmi?”

”Yes So that soain At least until the end of our agreement, don't leave my field of view”

””

Certainly Zon out of the house I don't knohen Kyouko will try to ain

”Listen, Manah I don't want to go along with that, but the circuether”

”Wha-what? You have to cohabit even when you don't want to go along?”

”We~ll, there are some deep issues”

”Onii-chan Could it be that she's your sex friend? That's it! I won't allow it! Kill, I'll kill her! Onii-chan, untie me! I have to kill her!”

”What things are you saying?”

”Urk!”

I poked Manami in the forehead

As you see, Manae, but if you talk things with her, she has good sense Though even I wasn't sure if that's really the case

”Mmmph~~~! Onii-chan, how cheeky For this, I'll whip you later a hundred times as a punishment”

As I expected, she has always been like this

”Se-se-se-sex fr”

For so so under her breath

”Hurry, untietricked by this demon! I must open your eyes!”

”If I untie you, you shall listen to the circumstances”

”Mmm~”

I unbound Manami's ropes

I'd wish that once I'm done no

× × ×

Later After wasting a whole hour persuading Manami, ent to have dinner Over the round table there was a e accompanied by salad and miso soup that, while simple, suited our tastes

I was surprised that Zonmi made all of this without help

So an apron earlier because she was preparing to make dinner

The sweet oily aroreatly aroused our appetite

”Ooh, this is delicious”

The outside was crispy while the inside was juicy At the same time, a nice spicy flavor filled my mouth

”Is that so? I learnt how to make it to suit your tastes”

”Merates! When he's in front of a beauty, he just lutton!”

”If that's so, try to eat too”

Showing her dissatisfaction, e into her mouth

”!”

”How's it, delicious?”

”H deal! The food onii-chan cooks is a hundred times more delicious!”

Despite saying that, Mana speed This fellow's not honest

Since we have no father andoverseas because of work forever, I was usually in charge of cooking It wasn'tinevitable

It's not like Manami couldn't cook But if I let her, I don't knohat she would

”That was surprising Zonmi, you cook really well”

”Of course That's because to us ical power”

”Eeh~, so it's like that”

It seeic replenishment works like normal nutrition

”This miso soup, in particular It doesn't lose to the one I usually redients are all the same Huh?”

”That miso soup alone was done by your sister She stubbornly kept telling me 'I'll make it'”

What the heck I had a very unpleasant premonition

” Sorry I'll go throw this out the sink”

”Ah! Onii-chan,weird!”

”As if I would believe you! You have too erous in it?”

”I really didn't put anything this time Well, except for a handful of love”

” As I thought, I' it out”

”Uwaaaaaaaa! Tiras to buy it!”

”As if I know!”

I had to take advantage of this et rid of the miso soup

”Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Manaora

””

Zonaze that could almost freeze

No, what a? Really as that?

” Well, then, have you come up with a plan to overcome that?”

”Yeah, about that”

I told her about what happened earlier with Luka-san

”Is that so? If that's what Luka said, we can trust that information”

”Eh, you know her? Is Luka-san a celebrity?”

”The Snake charmer monster tamer Luka the Snake tamer A competent monster ta accomplished innumerable achievements, she's a charismatic celebrity even in the Netherworld”

I see I thought she was someone with an extraordinary aura around her, but was she such an a person?

”To protect the area Is it? Since, in the first place, it's not like anything big will happen, the degree of difficulty of that mission should be very low”

” There shouldn't be any big incidents in this area”

”That's e shan't be negligent For that, frouard this area”

”Eh, but school”

”It ended half destroyed during my battle with the Nephilim It will be closed for a while”

””

I take back what I said

Police, help! So has happened!

My chest is filled with feelings of guilt

Incidentally, when I looked at Manami, 'Mph!', with her lips pursed, she looked displeased for some reason

”Hey, in other words, isn't that a date?”

”Absolutely not, why don't you listen to what people say?”

”Liar! Even if you give this or that pretext, isn't that two people spending all day together? That's a date, after all!”

”Ha, ha, what things you say, Mana”

”Da-da-date Date”

Zon down, her cheeks dyed red for some reason

Hey, why didn't you deny it

”Mmmmph See, like I said! I definitely won't approve it! It's too early to go on a date with oniichan, how audacious!”

”And ould you expectat home?”

Even if I conceded and called it a date, I don't knohy I would need approval from my sister

”I will also go with you It's only fair”

”Sorry, I don't understand First, there's no benefit fro”

”There are benefits”

”Isn't that at best a punchline with so like a low-acidity shampoo?”

”It's not Or should I say I have doubts of your sense of humor”

While she threw lance, 'Ahem!', Manami cleared her throat and continued

”Onii-chan, wouldn't it be bad if you so for clothes or underith this zombie?”

”Wah!”

The moment she heard Manami's words, Zonmi's body twitched

”Ah~ Now that you mention it, her clothes are indeed worn out As expected, we should buy her new ones”

”Don-don't worry, I don't need theh”

” Now that you mention it, it seems that somehow you were able to wear our school uniforet that?”

”That I got it from Luka She also helped me with the school admission”

”Eeh, so it was like that?”

I had been wondering till now, but that cleared it

During the two days I hadn't seen Zonmi, she was at Luka-san's place

”I e of underwear? You don't perhaps keep wearing the saht”

When Manami asked that with scornful eyes, Zonolden fish out of water

”Hey Could it be You”

”I-I didn't have another way! I couldn't ask anyone to buythose I like Hey, Chiharu! Don't look at me with those eyes!”

”Ha, ha”

This

Of course, about guarding the area, however I'm certain even a monk would be worried

× × ×

Later

Zonmi decided to take a bath, and meanwhile I secretly slipped out of the house

My ai on at Kyouko's side

Leaving behind a note that said 'I' to the convenience store', I went out

Right now I could be easily attacked but, nevertheless, I couldn't si that Kyouko is a e the fact that she's my childhood friend

Walking by the street at night, after a short while I saw Kyouko's apartment It was made of wood and you couldn't call it nice even as flattery When I was a kid, I often came here to play, but recently I didn't have many chances to visit

Will she be fine that girl?

Don't worry Even if she gives an impression of stern behavior, she's unexpectedly softhearted

””Ah!””

While turning a corner on the road, I ran into a jersey-clad Kyouko

””

Kyouko held a super At this hour Perhaps she aioods[10] I know since I often also do the same

”Yo!”

Same as before, There was an aard reeted her

”What a surprise You are a shocking idiot You won't live long”

”Yes, I'm an idiot, did you notice it at last, you idiot?”

Of course it's not like I didn't feel uneasy

But, right now, I shouldn't leave Kyouko, her eyes full of doubt, alone That's why,

”Hey, do you want to talk for a bit?”

I made up my mind and broke the ice like that

I hadn't been to Kyouko's place since elementary school, it really has been five years

”Ha, ha, ha, it hasn't changed in the slightest, your house”

”Stop it! It can't be helped if since the start we didn't have s!”

Kyouko's roo with a sie At school, Kyouko gives a gorgeous iuys in class knew, they'd surely faint

”Would you like so to drink?”

”Aye”

”Calpis, perhaps?”

”No, I don't like the calpis you serve here because it's watery!”

Silent kick (omitted)

”Barley tea, please”

”OK”

As we conversed like that, I was relieved

Good, Kyouko hasn't changed

At least it see suddenly attacked

Unintentionally, I remembered the times I came to this house to play in elementary school

When was it? Since playing with girls was e Also, could it be because of the deep ed in the last five years, I felt a strange sense of security

A while later, Kyouko returned with cups on both hands

”Say, don't you think I could attack you?”

Muttered Kyouko while lowering her back to the floor

”Did you plan on attacking?”

”Well You've seen houl There's no reason for that kind of thing Sorry, Haru, that time Somehow it ended like that”

”Is that so? That's good Since I also want irl I like”

Playing dumb, Kyouko chuckled a little

”Haru, please look behind for a moment”

”Why so sudden?”

”It's fine”

Being told that, I turned back

Let s always develop like that Especially today

When I turned around after hearing a 'Now it's fine', I found Kyouko had removed her clothes

Wearing nothing but her underwear, Kyouko's upper body, though unconsciously tre:

”I'll show you from now on, my true form”

” OK”

As soon as she told that, black things clearly sprouted from Kyouko's back

Covered by thin hair, they becas

It would be difficult to co of this world, but if you force s They weren't things you could call lovely even as flattery They were eerie wings that stirred up unpleasant and disturbing feelings

”This is only a part, If you wish I can fully transform Want to see?”

”No, that's OK”

Better refrain froive a very pleasant feeling, if I see more than that my head will probably hurt

”Since about when”

As a shadow covered her face, Kyouko muttered:

”I are I wasn't a human ever since I was born I didn't learn it It was harsh Even while concealing my true self, I couldn't become close to anyone”

” Why didn't you tell me until now?”

”I couldn't, this forht?”

””

I couldn't either deny or confirm it

While one must be able to solve his own problems[11], I couldn't make an instantaneous decision

”While itmatter to other people, I often pondered about what kind of person I was Alondering for what reason I was born”

””

”But, you know? Recently, at last, I had a chance to ood use of this power That hen I knew Haru had been chosen as a lad If I could display ht wouldn't it be a happy thing in the end?”

”Really?”

So she was thinking about those kind of things

”But it's too late It th and decided to open irl beside Haru I was scared I felt she had stolen the place I'd just found that's why I made a fool of myself Why did it end up like this? In addition to this creepy things I made myself be hated”

Kyouko looked doards, droplets dripping from her eyes

Now that I think, Kyouko has always been like this

Really, as it that she got this bad habit froh with a co all of her troubles alone

That's why today I'm extremely happy

This fellow has conveyed her true intentions to me

I softly put ently stroked her hair

”Aren't you always causing a ruckus? I got used to it long ago”

”But”

Worried about Kyouko, I said

”Kyouko, the eleraduation album On the column of our dreams for the future, do you remember what I wrote I wanted to be?”

” A stag beetle”

Those were records labeled as 'Dark History' on my internal memory folder

”Correct, they have it good They are free to eat nothing but watermelon Moreover, they are cool because they have horns”

” What do you mean?”

”Don't you understand? My drea beetle! That's why, don't worry, your wings are honestly cool They are not creepy at all”

” Aren't you stupid Saying these kind of things even though you are in middle school”

”That's it, you hadn't noticed until now, stu~pid?”

That day, Kyouko cried

What's more, they were happy tears

Because of that, I got ho there

I cried too

Since those two's punish 'Human, it would be best if you died', I feel you don't want to know the rest

Perhaps, I won't forget in my life what happened today

What I', I feel this is the most dense time in my life

References and Translation Notes

Jump up↑ Mario reference

Ju the browser function on his cell phone to use a search engine

Jump up↑ 5

Jure”

Jump up↑ It said ”Zonmitachi”, but since they are 2 as for now, I'll better put both names instead of ”the others”

Ju] cane I don't kno to translate this and I haven't found no info on it

Jump up↑ Both Melos and Selinuntius are characters of the story Run, Melos!

Jump up↑ ie without honorifics

Jurated radish

Ju discounts to unsold goods a little while before closing tio see or watch the Ben-To series

Jump up↑ The literal translations is ”one must finish no matter what laundry”, which I take it means ”one must solve his own problems, no lish expression, feel free to change it