…What kind of reaction was that?
By the time the last crumb of cake was gone and the clock had already slipped past eight PM, Nonoa suggested that they play the werewolf game, which was met with unanimous enthusiasm. But as the others prepared for the game, Masachika found himself in the bathroom, lost in thought, replaying Alisa’s reaction from earlier.
I feel like she gave me the death stare for a second there… Did she not like the gift I got her? But she told me that she liked it… Hm…
Doubt lingered in his mind—was this really the right gift for her? With no clear answer in sight, he let out a quiet sigh and exited the bathroom, stepping into the hallway where a voice called out to him.
“Master Masachika.”
“Hmm? Oh.”
Standing in the dim hallway was Ayano.
Looks like she has to use the bathroom, too.
Masachika stepped aside to make room for her, but Ayano continued to stare at him without moving.
“It’s about time I head home.”
“Wait. Really? I don’t remember you having a curfew.”
While it was November and already pitch-black outside, she had someone picking her up, so Masachika couldn’t quite understand why she was leaving so soon. Ayano, however, averted her gaze, lost in thought for a moment, before finally muttering:
“Actually…I lied when I said that Lady Yuki had an emergency that she needed to take care of.”
Masachika could only stare, rendered speechless, as she met his gaze with unwavering determination.
“She actually got the flu and is extremely sick right now,” she announced.
“Huh?!”
“I didn’t want to worry anyone or ruin the party, so I lied…”
“…”
Masachika only half-listened to Ayano’s explanation, his mind racing with other thoughts. Yuki had the flu. Yuki—the one who hadn’t gotten sick since middle school and had perfect attendance—had the flu.
Why…?
Staring blankly into space, Masachika recalled the fake smile Yuki had plastered on her face at the clothing store.
Yeah…
He realized that deep down inside he knew Yuki must have been under a lot of stress with their mother being sick.
I noticed, and yet…
He pretended not to, and now Yuki was…
“Wh-what are her symptoms?” Masachika asked, unable to suppress his agitation.
“They called the doctor, so she’s being treated…but she still has a high fever. Plus, she has a sore throat and is coughing a lot,” Ayano replied, painfully furrowing her brow.
“She’s coughing…”
Memories of Yuki resurfaced from the back of his mind. His little sister, who had seemed perfectly fine just moments before, had begun coughing uncontrollably. She had collapsed onto the bed, clutching her throat, her lips pale as she gasped desperately for air, but all that escaped her throat were wheezes. All Masachika had been able to do was call for an adult to help.
As he had gently stroked her back, hoping to provide some comfort, he was startled by how fragile she felt—her flesh so thin that he could easily feel her bones.
“—chika. Master Masachika!”
“…!”
Ayano’s calls brought Masachika back to his senses. As he awkwardly looked down at her, she frowned with discomfort.
“I understand that you don’t want to go back to the Suou household…but do you think you could be there for Lady Yuki, just this one time?”
“…!”
“I believe she needs you right now, more than anyone else.”
It was essentially the same thing she had said to him on field day…but what reflexively slipped off Masachika’s tongue was—
“I…can’t.”
A grating, dismissive reply.
“Master Masachika…!”
Ayano, rarely one to show emotion, raised her voice slightly. The sharp, accusatory look from this childhood friend, who had always been like a sister to him, cut deep into Masachika’s heart. Yet, his mouth refused to move. Those simple words, “I’ll go with you,” were stuck in his throat. In Masachika’s mind, the Suou mansion had become a symbol of pain and regret. Yumi’s sorrowful expression and Gensei’s cold, piercing gaze haunted him, choking his words. Cowardly thoughts like What difference would it make if I went? and What will people think if we leave together now? swirled endlessly in his mind, trapping him in silence.
Ker-chk!
The door connecting to the living room opened as Chisaki poked her head inside.
“Uh…? Everything okay? We’re about to start the game.”
Chisaki looked puzzled as she called out to the two standing in the hallway, but it was Ayano who reacted first.
“Everything is fine.”
She then turned on her heel and whispered to Masachika.
“I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes to decide.”
The weight of having a time limit for his decision pressed heavily on Masachika’s stomach, triggering a sudden wave of nausea as his limbs turned into lead.
Decide what? I—
He was cold, in pain, and nauseous. Beyond the doorway was a bright, cheerful living room—a stark contrast he wanted to avoid. Yet Chisaki’s bewildered eyes left him no room to escape, so he followed Ayano back into the light, dragging his leaden limbs every step of the way.
Once inside, Ayano bowed respectfully toward Alisa first, then once more at Touya and the others.
“I am terribly sorry, but it’s about time I start heading home.”
Masachika couldn’t bear to look directly at her. His composure shattered, he took advantage of everyone’s attention being on Ayano to slip away to the wall while haunted by the illusion of her reproachful stare. Only when she left was he finally able to exhale, but all that was left after that was intense self-loathing for his own cowardice.
“What’s wrong, Kuze?”
Masachika had been standing quietly by the wall, hoping to stay out of sight, when a voice called his name—almost as if it had been waiting for him. He glanced up, and there she was. Nonoa, appeared out of nowhere with her trademark heavy-lidded eyes, so he instinctively forced a smile.
“Nothing…”
“For real? You look really gloomy.”
“I do? I was just thinking about something, that’s all.”
With no clever excuse coming to mind, Masachika settled for a flimsy lie. Nonoa’s gaze, however, remained fixed on Masachika…until her expression sharpened as if she were shedding her casual facade.
“For real?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing happened?”
Her uncharacteristically serious question caught him off guard, and what she said next only made him even more confused.
“Like, I know you don’t really trust me? But I pay back the people who help me.”
Perhaps it was because of her uniquely straightforward and unembellished way of speaking, pointing out that she knew how wary he was of her, but it made everything she said after that sound like she meant it.
“You totally listened to me when I wanted to talk, so now, I’ll listen to you. Like, I’m pretty sure I know a lot about you, like with Yuki and Yuushou, that nobody else does, so I think I could give you the least biased opinion here.”
“…”
He was honestly surprised how shaken he was—how uncertain he felt—and if no one else had been around, he might have poured his heart out to Nonoa. However…
“…”
Alisa listened closely as Sayaka and Maria outlined the rules of the werewolf game, while Touya, Chisaki, Takeshi, and Hikaru were already lost in laughter and playful banter. Masachika watched them, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Thanks… But I’m fine right now.”
“…You’ll survive?”
Masachika’s eyes widened at Nonoa’s direct question…but after a moment went by, he simply let out a weak laugh.
“Yeah, I can handle it. Thanks.”
“A’ight.”
She nodded, seemingly respecting his wishes, and immediately backed off. She then turned around, her tone shifting back to its usual lazy drawl as she called out to the other seven.
“Okay, everyone. Let’s get this started. There’s nine of us, so I guess we could have two wolves? How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. How about we also have a seer, a medium, and a hunter as well?”
“Oh, sorry. I still don’t completely understand the rules yet…”
“For real? A’ight, well, I still need to check out the app ‘cause I don’t know how to use it yet, so let’s do a practice round.”
While the group eagerly discussed the rules of the Werewolf game, Masachika seamlessly joined in, still smiling tightly as he caught up with the conversation.
Oh… This is a lot more painful than I thought it’d be.
The pessimistic thought instantly flashed through his mind. Just moments ago, he had promised Nonoa that he’d do his best, yet already, Masachika could feel his heart aching. The growing disconnect between his inner turmoil and outward composure deepened with each passing moment.
“What the heck?! We just started, and I’ve already been killed?!”
“All right, Take-C. You’re out.”
“Maaan.”
The overflowing smiles, the laughter—it all felt so distant. Amidst it all, he forced himself to join in while trying not to stand out, but he found himself utterly repulsive. His sister was suffering, and here he was, ignoring her, laughing along with everyone else. It made him feel like scum.
“Oh, I was killed. Come on. Which one of you guys are wolves? Seriously.”
“Whoa. I actually thought you were a wolf…”
“Why?!”
It was unbearable. He felt a wave of nausea rising in his throat as his heart filled with self-loathing. He just wanted to die.
Yeah, I can’t do this anymore.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the werewolf game app chimed, signaling the end of the round as Chisaki and Maria immediately began to celebrate.
“Yay! We won! Good job, Masha!”
“Ah! We won! Hurraaay!”