Mob Yandere

[Part 3/4]

The day before her brother was taken away. The food offered in exchange for a down payment. White rice that she hadn't had in a long time, the taste of miso that she looked forward to, it was the first time there were side dishes other than pickles... She didn't notice the heavy atmosphere around her. She shamelessly asked for seconds.

And even more so, she had pestered her brother for sweets that only he had, even though she had nothing to trade.

'Th-That's... I...!'

'Is that so? Even after I disappeared, you pretended to cry and gulped down the food, didn't you? It tasted good, right? The food you sold me for.'

It was true. The porridge she had sobbed into while eating was unbelievably delicious.

'While I was hurt and being whipped, what were you doing? You were relying on other family members, weren't you? Even working in the fields was hard for you, so you became a maid, right?'

'N-No, that's not... I never thought of such things...!!?'

As she screamed, her words ceased at that point. Was that really true? Could that really be true? When she was taken as a maid to the Hotoya family, what did she think? How did she feel about the work? Did she think it was much easier than endlessly digging up the frozen soil, much easier than getting muddy and planting rice?

'You're a sinner because you abandoned your friends, too. You also didn't do anything when your master was in danger, right?'

'You abandoned them.'

'You abandoned them, yeah.'

'You threw them away.'

'Ah, agh...!!?"

She suddenly realized that countless gazes were peeking through the gaps in the windows, through the gaps in the doors. Terrified by that gruesome sight, in the midst of it all, the person she had relied on the most wouldn't help her anymore. No, he wouldn't help her.

Her older brother just confronted her. Confronted her reality. Her sins. He accused her with intensity and accusation in his words.

'In the end... you showed me again how you can push me into hell, right?'

In her vision, the figure in front of her had, through his voice alone, somehow taken on what he held and covered his face with it. It was the mask of a demon, the mask of a Hannya. Worn and torn, dressed in black attire stained with blood, the man behind the mask bellowed, using her brother's voice.

'No way, I never thought you'd abandon me twice.'

Confronted by him, in the form of her brother's voice, the girl screamed as if she had gone mad...

...

...

...

"Hey, are you okay!? Suzune!!?"

"H-Huh...!!?"

The impact of being shaken on the shoulder woke her up. As she awoke, she quickly sat up, breathing heavily. She suppressed the urge to vomit, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and calmed her confused heart.

Suzune, still trembling from the intense palpitations, looked around as if searching for something. She surveyed her surroundings.

She was in a room with tatami mats. Various furnishings were arranged nearby, and a small flame flickered at the top of an oil-laden lamp. The sky seen through the latticed window was already dim...

"Where is this..."

"It's an inn. Temporary quarters for the maids of the guests."

Suzune turned around in response to the familiar voice that answered her doubt. Sitting there was her friend, Iruka, in a cross-legged posture. Sharp fangs peeked out, wolf-like ears, and a tail swayed gently. The appearance of a half-youkai woman, Iruka...

"Guests...?"

Muttering as if in a daze at Iruka's response, Suzune remembered everything a moment later. Yes, this was Shiromoki City. An inn in that city. A temporary room where servants/maids for the nobility would wait.

"Did I sleep...?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you're just tired from the trip. You've been lying in bed since we got here. I put a blanket on you because if you stay like that, you'll catch a cold. Don't complain, alright?"

Iruka responded to Suzune's unspoken question. Hearing her words, Suzune suddenly noticed the blanket by her side.

"...You should have woken me up, if possible."

"Don't be foolish. If you were unconscious and asleep, that's just evidence that you were tired, right? Pushing yourself would only lead to mistakes. It's better to sleep honestly... although I can't say that you've been doing that. By the way, you had a nightmare. Right?"

Suzune felt a pang in her chest at Iruka's observation. Guilt filled her stomach. She shook off the creeping nausea, realizing that her kimono had become disheveled while she had collapsed during her nightmare.

"That seems to be the case... I've forgotten the details though."

She told a lie without thinking. Or rather, she wished to erase it from her mind. But she couldn't allow herself to forget. Suzune felt torn by different feelings, which pushed her to speak words that weren't true.

She didn't notice the twitch of Iruka's trembling wolf ears. The half-youkai woman didn't press further on her friend's words. She sensed that her friend didn't want to be pressed.

"Is young lady at a banquest?"

"That's right. Eating, drinking, and having fun at the feast... Our young lady is thick-skinned enough to say that I'm envious."

Suzune agreed with the content of Iruka's words despite her sharp tongue. While it might sound like an insult to say that the sheltered young lady was living a glamorous yet subtle life, it seemed that those types of gatherings didn't suit their lord.

"I hope she handles it well. Well, that old lady will probably help her out. She's surprisingly good at taking care of things."

The sarcastic mention of a person by Iruka referred to Onitsuki's Advisor. Reluctantly, Suzune had to admit to that observation as well. She had no choice but to agree.

(Is Advisor-sama trying to distance us?)

Suzune had often wondered about this since they became connected with the Onitsuki family. The previous lady of the house seemed to care a lot for their lord, like a mother does for her child. Yet, she attempted to keep her and Iruka at arm's length, using weak excuses... or at least, that's how it appeared.

"No, that's just stupid..."

What reason could there be? If their lord were a man, the reason might have been somewhat indecent, but she understood that. It was a well-known rumor among the maids that powerful elderly widows kept handsome young boys as pets for such purposes. Suzune had even suspected that the old woman was keeping that handsome boy around for such a purpose. She wouldn't say it out loud, of course...

"Hah."

Reflecting on things so deeply, Suzune couldn't help but mock herself. She disliked how she was getting caught up in other people's dramas. After all, wasn't it a fact? She had no authority to judge others. When she considered her brother, her friend, her lord, and even that servant, she realized she had no grounds to pass any judgment.

(Oh... I'm truly ugly.)

Was she trying to portray herself as pure and innocent, as a victim? In reality, it was the opposite. Whether she knew it or not, she had often taken advantage of people. She had used them to climb higher. She had even sacrificed them. That's how she was, and...

"...?"

"You're making quite a moody face. Your cute face is being wasted."

"Could you please stop pulling on my cheek?"

Suzune gave Iruka a stern look as she played with her cheek. Don't ruin the atmosphere.

"Hehehe, my bad."

Iruka laughed playfully and let go of Suzune's cheek as instructed. Then, she continued.

"I can pretty much guess what you're thinking. Don't dwell on negative things too much. From my perspective, problems tend to resolve themselves quietly over time."

"Well, that's your opinion."

Suzune's initial resistance dissipated with Iruka's warm smile. She sighed deeply. Could she not win against someone like an idiot?

"You're just overthinking things. ...I also share the blame for the mess, so if it's difficult for you to bring it up, should I just go on a trip instead? Now that I'm back by her side as an attendant, I could seize the opportunity and talk to her."

"Please stop that... I'll handle my own affairs."

Out of kindness, Suzune immediately rejected Iruka's suggestion. She didn't want to use her friend for her own problems. She didn't want to become such a coward.

"You and your brother are both so stubborn, really."

"Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself."

Suzune tilted her head at Iruka's murmur, and Iruka chuckled intentionally.

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