Chapter 16: Don’t Push the Wood Too Hard (Bonus Chapter 3/13)
“The cursed couple.”
This is merely a rumor circulating among the student body.
It is not a real curse.
Even in Chuanye City.
On this soil where “fantasy monsters can be artificially created.”
The birth of fantasy monsters requires a “subject” and a “container.”
This “subject” can be specific, referring to a particular existence, such as Dokidoki-chan.
It can also be vague, merely a symbol, such as a doppelgänger or a shrine maiden of the white spirit.
However, a curse that causes a rift between couples and makes them hate each other is nothing more than a rumor.
From the extraordinary perspective, it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
In fact, it is more convincing from a scientific viewpoint.
It is simply because the changing emotions between adolescents gradually fracture over time.
Logically speaking, such rumors shouldn’t persist long within the student body.
After all, the majority of students are single.
While the school does not “oppose” healthy romantic relationships among students, it also does not promote them.
Therefore, the sudden popularity of this rumor must have an influential figure stirring the pot behind the scenes.
Hmm, who could it be?
Nagin has no clue.
It could be Makki from the Special Circle SEMA branch, after all, he is currently the second-in-command.
The mastermind controlling everything in Chuanye City, that position undoubtedly belongs to him.
The tactic of “pretending to be lovers” is an emergency plan that Nagin prepared after encountering Amakusa Tenka.
In case Kanade is seduced by this unknown beautiful girl, he would pull out this plan and temporarily bind his relationship with Kanade.
At the same time, this is one of the methods Nagin can think of to let Kanade experience the benefits of pure love.
Let Kanade feel some of the sweet behaviors that can only be experienced between lovers in daily life.
Then every time there is a crucial moment.
Because the two are not truly lovers, they would have to stop.
This would make Kanade deeply yearn to become his true lover, deeply immersed in it and unable to leave him.
On the other hand.
His current actions align with the storyline of the little book, stirring up Kanade’s inner anxieties and nurturing this kink of his.
……
……
“You idiot! You can’t pretend to be lovers with Nagi here!”
Rin, who found out the news first yesterday, quickly pulled Kanade out of the research building and into a secluded corridor to preach to him.
Kanade, whose mind was still adrift from Nagin’s “confession,” suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Do you still remember how you were misunderstood, Kanade?”
“!”
“Telling Nagi your feelings was to let her understand your intentions, but if she suggests pretending to be lovers and you accept, wouldn’t that make the situation resemble the plot of that book more and more?”
Kanade became pale as he realized this.
“Kanade, even if you’re pretending to be lovers, you absolutely must not reject any goodwill shown by Nagi.” Rin said seriously, analyzing the situation.
“Rather, you should be a bit stronger in your attitude towards Nagi than before.”
“W-Why?”
“Because if you reject her goodwill, you could be misunderstood as someone with that kind of kink, and by then—”
Upon saying this, Kanade and Rin exchanged a knowing look.
Kanade understood that his moment of cowardice had turned his situation into a perilous tightrope walk.
Now, going back to confess would be futile.
All he can do is prove to Nagin during the “pretending to be lovers” phase that he absolutely does not have even a hint of that kind of kink.
It’s best to show that he is possessive of her, leaving no hope that she would leave him for other men.
……
Currently, this “pretending to be lovers” plan.
Only the members of the research building and the student council president, Miki, know about it.
Yukino, who is unaware of the little book, has the following opinion about Nagin and Kanade “pretending to be lovers”—
“I never expected Nagi sister to be a secretly reserved person, coming up with such a cute tactic to approach Onii-chan.”
Yukino judges it as “the innocent and shy Nagi cautiously launching an offensive towards Kanade.”
Sensing some “fun,” she has already begun to mentally plan some interesting ideas.
Mana, who knows Nagin best, finds it somewhat strange that Nagin would propose such a thing.
Even for someone as enthusiastic about supernatural phenomena as Nagin, she usually wouldn’t use her feelings for such things.
So she privately advised Kanade to pay more attention to and care for Nagin.
Under various pressures.
Time returns to the present.
Kanade is now proceeding with caution, needing to be careful with every move and think twice before acting.
He cannot feel any joy about becoming “lovers” with Nagin.
However, what truly terrifies him right now is the looming threat of “death.”
“Is… is today’s bento made by little Nagi herself?”
Kanade’s voice trembles slightly.
“Mm! I got up early this morning just to make it!” Nagin answered energetically.
Under normal circumstances, a boy hearing that the girl he likes made him bentos would surely be overjoyed.
But Kanade is now restless.
As the saying goes, no one is perfect.
Nagin, a beauty who is top-notch in all aspects, exhibits a disaster-level failure only in “cooking.”
What stands out in Kanade’s memory is the Valentine’s Day when he was still an elementary school student.
Nagin made him chocolate that day.
Naively thinking it would taste good, he ate it after returning home and lost consciousness on the spot.
Since then, Kanade has developed a phobia of Valentine’s Day chocolate, which most boys yearn for.
Every year when Nagin gives him chocolate on Valentine’s Day, he would bring it back home and eat it before going to sleep, fully prepared for the worst.
Dishes like instant noodles, salad, or miso soup, which have no room for “creativity,” are fine.
But once there is a tiny bit of leeway for the cook’s creativity—
Nagin can serve up what can only be called “death cuisine.”
Knowing this, both Mana and Rin have never been willing to touch the dishes Nagin makes.
However, the most critical point is that she is completely unaware of the hellish nature of her cooking.
She seems to have no problem tasting her own dishes.
She believes there’s nothing wrong with the flavor.
Faced with her innocent smile and enthusiastic attitude,
Anyone would find it impossible to speak the truth to her cherubic face.
Even Nagin’s family has never conveyed this reality to her.
It is said that Renji has developed the ability to retain consciousness while finishing the meals cooked by Nagin.
Kanade can only express admiration for that.
And he belongs to the type who cannot eat but also feels too awkward to expose the truth.
Therefore, he has always refused to let the Hoshimiya family help prepare his bento.
Fearing that a mistaken dish made by Nagin might accidentally slip in.
In the past, he might have found an excuse to decline today’s bento made by Nagin.
But Rin’s words flashed through Kanade’s mind.
—You cannot reject her goodwill.
“What’s wrong, Kanade-kun? Aren’t you eating?” Nagin pushed Kanade’s portion of bento in front of him.
What to do? This is a matter of life and death.
He can’t refuse Nagin, but if he eats it, it also poses a life-threatening risk.
What truly worries him is that Nagin will discover the truth—that “her cooking has always been inedible.”
If that happens, this kind-hearted and gentle child will surely feel very guilty and sad.
—Tsukimi Kanade, think of what else you can do!
A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed through the back of Kanade’s mind.
As Tsukimi Kanade, he may have run out of options here.
But as Tsukimi Kanade the “boyfriend”—
A strong will to survive sparked an unprecedented courage in Kanade.
Or perhaps it clouded his mind at that moment.
“Well, rather than the dishes made by little Nagi…”
Kanade mimicked a scene from a comic Yukino once recommended to him.
He maneuvered his chair closer to the puzzled Nagin.
Then he reached out with a trembling hand and lifted Nagin’s chin.
“I’d rather eat little Nagi—”
“!?”
