“So, in conclusion, Konoe wasn’t dating Shiraishi Yutaka,” Sakuna finished summarizing the events to Iwanaga Asaichi. After finishing her explanation, she let out a deep sigh and sat down on a chair. The sunset streamed into the classroom, where only Asaichi and Sakuna remained. The only sound was the creak of the chair backrest as Sakuna settled in.
“You’re impressive. I never expected you’d end up in Konoe’s room.”
“I think I just gave in after a while.”
“If you could bring her to school at this rate, that would be helpful.”
“I think that depends on her, doesn’t it? No matter what I say, I don’t think it’ll make much difference.”
“But isn’t it a bit lonely to just say goodbye once things are over?”
“Originally, breaking the curse was the main goal, and Konoe’s problem is separate, right?”
Though she spoke dismissively, Sakuna added with an irritated tone, “Well, I’m not planning to cut ties all of a sudden.” Despite her complaints, Sakuna had a caring side. Though she claimed to dislike social interactions, perhaps deep down, she actually wanted to connect with others. But saying so might upset her, so Asaichi kept his thoughts to himself.
“We’ve confirmed that Konoe has nothing to do with the curse, but now we’ve lost our lead. The only option left is to track down and contact her exes…”
Sakuna crossed her arms and pursed her lips. She clearly didn’t want to get involved. Asaichi also believed it wasn’t wise to approach dangerous people or dig up the scars of someone who had already fallen into misfortune.
In that case…
“The only option is to contact his current girlfriend, isn’t it?”
“But she hasn’t been unfortunate, has she? I saw them eating lunch together in the courtyard, all lovey-dovey.”
“When was that?”
“More than a week ago.”
It seemed Sakuna hadn’t been keeping tabs on Shiraishi Yutaka and Satake Suzuna recently.
“I just overheard some people talking…”
Asaichi prefaced before continuing.
“Satake Suzuna, right? Apparently, she’s been absent from school.”
“That’s not unusual, is it?”
“Apparently, today marks the third day. It seems like she ran away from home, and the school even got a call from her parents.”
“…Is that true?”
“It’s what the teachers said, so it must be.”
Asaichi had overheard the teachers chatting by chance. Additionally, he had been keeping an eye on Shiraishi and Suzuna. He had already confirmed that Suzuna hadn’t come to school for three days.
Sakuna placed her hand over her mouth and stared into the void, deep in thought. Suddenly, the wrinkle between her brows deepened.
“…Does this mean the curse has activated?”
“We don’t know if running away is a result of the curse, but it’s a fact that trouble has arisen for Shiraishi Yutaka’s girlfriend, right?”
Running away wasn’t uncommon for teenagers. However, there was always the possibility of getting caught up in incidents or accidents while on the run. Especially for a high school girl like Suzuna, she could easily fall prey to unsavory adults.
“If Satake Suzuna ran away, do you think she’s staying at a friend’s house?”
“Who knows? She didn’t seem to have many friends. She’s always alone, like you.”
“I’m not lonely; I’m just solitary. I don’t need others because I’m self-sufficient. Don’t lump me in with those pitiful loners.”
“…Alright, let’s leave it at that.”
Asaichi chuckled and continued.
“From what I’ve gathered, Satake Suzuna didn’t seem to have any close friends. She appeared quite dependent on Shiraishi Yutaka.”
“So, should we ask the person behind the curse? Like, ‘Did you curse the girls you dated?'”
“If we could get an answer that way, great. But if he really did curse them, do you think he’d admit it?”
“He probably wouldn’t. Even if he did admit it, I doubt we’d understand the logic behind why his past lovers ended up in misfortune.”
Though calling it a “curse” made sense since there was no scientific explanation, Sakuna still wished for a logically satisfying answer. With a shrug and a sigh, she tilted her head.
“And besides, if we start spreading weird rumors, it’ll cause trouble. I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
“But you visited Konoe frequently, didn’t you?”
“Konoe’s a shut-in, so there’s zero chance of rumors spreading at school.”
She said it matter-of-factly, though it was a harsh statement. Still, it was part of Sakuna’s boundary-setting. After a moment of silent contemplation, she stood up with a sigh, muttering, “There’s no helping it.”
“Satake Suzuna was in the art club too, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then the only thing to do is ask someone else from the art club.”
With that, Sakuna left the classroom.
