“…………”

“I’m not denying that part of you, and I’m not blaming you, either. If you love her, you love her, and you can go right ahead feeling that way. But I’m also not giving up!”

Eiri’s expression held a resolve stronger than any he’d ever seen. She spoke with unwavering certainty.

“I’m going to continue pursuing my feelings without giving up, and someday I will absolutely win you over. We’ll fall in love; you’ll see. Before that girl Renko can come and kill you.”

“Eiri…I’m sorry, I still—”

“Aah, just be quiet! I told you, I know. I said all of that knowing that right now you can’t accept my feelings! Besides…”

…She entrusted you to me.

Muttering to herself, Eiri turned away. She pointed to the bags strewn out on the concrete of the pedestrian bridge.

“For now, though…would you carry those as far as my bedroom?”

She made it sound so casual.

“Eh? As far as…where did you say?” Kyousuke asked, dumbfounded.

She turned and gave him a sharp, half-lidded look. “I told you: as far as my bedroom. I can’t carry this many bags all by myself…and you said you’d stick by me to the end, right? So, carry them with me?”

Picking up half of the shopping bags, Eiri smiled mischievously. Seeing her impish face, Kyousuke finally understood. She had been planning this course of action from the very beginning. That was why she had purchased such an enormous amount of clothing and accessories and trinkets and knickknacks and stuffed animals.

She would get Kyousuke to carry them to her room, and then—

“…Ah, don’t worry—it’ll be fine! My apartment isn’t even thirty minutes’ walk from here. Even if you come with me, you’ll be able to get back home no problem. If nothing happens on the way, that is.”

—Is she planning something?!

Noticing the suspicious light shining in Eiri’s piercing eyes, Kyousuke shuddered. He suddenly remembered both the words Ayaka had spoken to him as he had left the house that morning and the story of how Eiri’s mother, Fuyou, had forced her husband to surrender with her passionate, carnivorous allure.

“…………”

He trembled with fear, a feeling he had almost forgotten since returning to polite society and washing his hands of daily violence. Nevertheless, it wasn’t as if he could leave Eiri and her bags where they were and just run away…

Hey, Renko…, he thought, how long are you gonna sleep? You’d better hurry up and come for me. If you don’t, then Eiri might do me in before you kill me…

Joking to himself, Kyousuke looked up at the navy-blue night sky. He wondered if, in that faraway place, Renko was still fast asleep.

Or if she was already……

“Hey, Kyousuke, what are you just standing there for? Hurry up and come on!”

“Hm? Ah, sorry. I’m coming!”

Snapping back to his senses, Kyousuke quickly grabbed the bags and looked up. Eiri, holding the other half of the bags, had turned around to look back at him, and behind her—he could see a figure moving nearer.