CH 7

“You’re getting too worked up.”

“I’m not! don’t look down on Otakus!!”

On Sunday, a long-awaited Halloween party was to be held at a friend of mine’s house.

Two of my friends were arguing right in front of me.

Well sure because they were waiting for it for so long. But now they’re arguing because of the costume they wore.

One is cosplaying as a character from an anime, was dressed in black, like a magician, with a wand, which should be his weapon, which looked quite expensive tho.

“…Are you serious? No, but it’s awesome.”

But, then again, this is cosplay, it can be said that this is a realm that can only be reached because he devoted his life to the otaku culture. On the other hand, the other is a classic Dracula cosplayer, but he is wearing only a suit and cape, and his face is painted with paints to look like Dracula.(E/N: by can “only” be reached, he probably meant the type of cosplay his friend did.)

“Dracula is a classic you know, unlike yours.”

“That’s for sure, but this guy… he’s got no sense of art at all.”

They both looked at me and uttered some nonsense.

You didn’t have to point it out, I already know it’s plain. Now I’m just wearing my regular clothes, a lightsaber, and a pumpkin on my head. My style is the same as when I helped the Shinjo family that time, just with a different clothing.

“… No, but somehow it has that vibe.”

“Indeed… something like an outfit of a strongman.”

“What the h**l is that?”

What is even an outfit of strongmens… I wonder if wearing a pumpkin will make you look strong. Just like that I waved my lightsaber. It reminds me of when I used to practice Kendo, as I was swinging it with a supple movement, I heard their applause.

“You look really strong, you know that?”

“… Though even without a Heart, I’m feeling a bit scared.” [1](E/N: Prob the dracula guy.)

And why is that?

Feeling a bit tired from their nonsense, I sat down in a chair and took a bite of the food that the mother of the guy cosplaying as a magician, prepared.

I usually cook when I have spare time, but I often end up eating cup noodles, so having the luxury to eat someone’s home-cooked meal like this makes me feel happy.

“Here’s another serving. Fufu, since Hayato-kun likes my food, it’s worth making.”

“Thank you! It tastes the best!”

The pumpkin soup, ideal for Halloween, was very tasty and satisfying, as were the fried chicken and french fries that we high school boys seem to like.

“I’m so glad that you liked it. Unlike my son there who rarely thanks me.”

“You already know why! It’s embarrassing!”

“I’d be happy if you’d get over that embarrassment and thank her for being your mother.”

I said while giving him a look while emphasizing “that” certain part.

I hate to say it, but the more you think you will be with someone forever, the bigger the shock you’ll get when they suddenly disappear. You will feel the kind of sadness that you will not be able to recover from for a while.

“Take care of your family~!”

“…Yeah”

And they take my words seriously because they know I lost my parents early. That, of course, was true of my friend’s mother as well.

“Are you sure there isn’t something troubling you?”

“I’m fine. My grandparents on my mother’s side took care of me. So it wasn’t that bad.”

They send me enough money so that I won’t have to worry about running out of it. That’s how much they care about me, even if I’m only their daughter’s son.

I will probably go see them again during the New Year’s holidays, and I’ll buy them some souvenirs while I’m at it.

“Hey, Hayato, if something really happens, you can talk to me.”

“That’s right. We’ll always be friends… no, best friends! I promise!”(E/N: Damn! Love you bro! Ninja!)

…Oh my goodness, you guys are truly the best of best friends!

Then we had a lot of fun and made a lot of noise… without disturbing the neighbors, of course.

Though it is an event that only happens once a year and it is a very small gathering, it was still a great time to realize how important your friends are and bond with them.

I left my friend’s house a little bit early and walked straight home without stopping anywhere.

If I go home now, I will be alone as always, and I will return to a life that is nothing like the fun time I had just a moment ago.

“…I knew it would be lonely.”

Mom and dad… if there had been no accident or illness that happened, there would have been someone waiting for me at home right now.

“Look, Hayato, let your mommy spoil you a lot. You know, children should allow themselves to be spoiled by their parents.”

….I want to be spoiled by you… But… It looks like I can’t have you do that to me anymore, Mom.

I picked up the pumpkin helm I had put in a bag to cover my sinking heart. It has gouged-out eyes and mouth, and looks like it was made to make one look funnier.

“You look so carefree.”

I smacked him on the head with a knack.(E/N: Maybe it was the pumpkin?) (T/N: Yes)

Neither does it have a will nor was it supposed to answer my words.

Pondering over such obvious things, I put on the pumpkin helm again.

“It’s Halloween after all. Let’s just stroll around the neighborhood before going home.”

It’s a good thing that it was a noisy city, if I were to run into someone in such a quiet place in the first place while wearing this, I would be screamed at for sure.

So, I decided to wear it until I turned the corner at the end of the street.

“Humhumhu~m♪.”

I walked down the street at night in high spirits, humming a song by my favorite singer.

Until at the end of the street, which was my goal, I cursed myself for my carelessness.

“… Hu~mhumhu~n♪…?”

Just as I turned at the end of the street, there were people walking on the other side as well. It was just before the turn, but we didn’t collide, and I managed to stop my body before I collided with those two figures.

“… Ah.”

“… Oh!?”

The two people who I almost bumped with were Arisa and Aina.

They were wearing a warm jacket because it was cold at night, but it looks like those large bulges around their chest could not be hidden even with it, and its presence was very much obvious. Arisa stared at me in surprise with her blue sapphire eyes wide open. Aina, on the other hand, didn’t seem particularly surprised, but…

“.. Ah~”

Normally I wouldn’t give a s**t, but now I’m equipped with the pumpkin on my head that I was wearing at that time back then.

I didn’t expect to be seen in a place like this in the first place so I was caught off guard.

I panicked, so I quickly bailed and tried to leave, but she grabbed my arm with a strong grip.

“Wait… Please wait!”

I felt that those words were filled with tremendous emotions. I sensed something in Arisa’s voice that would block even my desire to shake it off and run away.

“…Need something?”

After all, hiding my face like this seems to make me a different person than I normally am. If I leave immediately and say a few words like I did when I saved the girls that time, nothing will… happen to me.

“Nee-san, you’re making him troubled, let’s calm down a little. There’s a park in the neighborhood, maybe he can join us?”

“…I understand.”

…I don’t think I can get away from this anyway. So I just followed them.

The neighborhood park huh, it seems that they changed the light to just pure white. No wonder the park was attracting insects, but the light left was still enough to illuminate the park.

Suddenly, Arisa and Aina took me by the hand and sat me on the bench.

“……”

“Here we are!”

Arisa was staring at me and Aina as I know her to be, was- No, I mean, what the h**l is this composition, what the h**l is happening?

A pumpkin-headed man is being sandwiched between two extraordinarily beautiful women… Seriously, what’s gonna happen?

“Ahh… that’s better.”

…Why is she looking ecstatic?

Aina approached Arisa to, probably help me as I couldn’t find a way out of this situation.

“Nee-san? I can wholeheartedly agree and understand why you’re emotional, but we shouldn’t make him wait too much, right?”

“…Ah right, you’re right.”

Maybe Aina-sama is a goddess.

Arisa coughed once and told me what she wanted to say.

“Thank you so much for what you did for us back then. You saved our family.”

“……”

She applied more strength to the hand that was gripping me.

Arisa had the longing eyes that I saw back then, eyes that seemed to see hope in the presence of a being she could rely on. I was about to turn my attention only to Arisa, Aina seemed to have put her hand on my shoulder and rubbed it gently.

“Can you tell us your name…?”

It was an earnest request.

I was sure that Arisa would never let go of my hand until I told them my name, so I decided to say my name appropriately…

As if to tell her “we only met that night and now, so forget about it. And that I am not Hayato Domoto in a pumpkin helmet, but someone else.”

“… My name.”

“……”

Arisa stares straight at me as she awaits my next words.

“I am…”

Jack-o-lantern… yes this is it!

“I’m Jack. My name is Jack.”

“… Jack-san♪”

“Pfft!”

Apart from Arisa, who was blushing and muttering the word Jack, Aina was laughing hysterically, while holding her stomach.

“You are my…”

…Can I say something here?

Arisa’s eyes are kind of scary..

[Postscript]

I can finally let Ane run wild while writing…

TLN:

[1] It can also be “Somehow… I might be getting a little scared… or something” but since the 2nd guy was in a dracula costume, I thought why not be heartless.