Kidnapping Notice

After talking with Yūha, I went home, finished up my work, and before I knew it, night had fallen.

On the phone with Keiji, who was lamenting that he might be about to get dumped, the first thing I said was,

“The situation’s changed. I need you and Nako-san to hurry up and make up.”

“…Are you really Sabu?”

He asked in the kind of tone someone might use after realizing one of their companions had been possessed by a monster.

“Why the hell am I being doubted just because I tried to help a friend?”

“Shut up! My best friend would never say anything that reasonable!”

“You have way too much faith in your understanding of me…”

Why was I getting yelled at for trying to help a friend whose relationship was falling apart? Was this just an unlucky year for me?

“Wait a second, Sabu. You got a girlfriend, didn’t you? Unforgivable!”

“No, forgive me. You’ve already got one, so what do you care?”

There was no reason for us to keep dragging each other down after we had both found happiness. …Well, apparently Keiji was currently on the verge of getting dumped. I wished he would deal with his own problems before worrying about mine.

“Besides, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Then why aren’t you laughing at a couple that’s about to break up?!”

“What kind of emotional state are you even in right now? Weren’t you calling because you wanted me to comfort you?”

“Mom already comforted me earlier!”

“Cut the apron strings already…”

This guy was hopeless. He was not a creature that should have been released into society. Someone please take him in already. I couldn’t control him.

“Like I said at the start, the situation changed. It’s more convenient for me if you and Nako-san stay together. So relax. Even today, I still don’t wish for your happiness in the slightest.”

“Then we’re good.”

That was enough for him?

Keiji visibly relaxed even through the phone and returned to his usual lighthearted tone.

“So, what changed?”

“Weren’t you going to tell me about Nako-san first?”

“Thinking about it calmly, there’s no point asking Sabu, whose number of years without a girlfriend equals the rest of his life.”

“I’ll drag you through the streets, you bastard.”

“Wahaha! At least at this exact moment, I’m still the guy with a girlfriend and you’re still the lonely loser. Know your place, scrub!”

“I seriously hope you two break up as soon as possible. Become miserable immediately.”

Someone put a powerful curse on this guy. Is there a sorcerer in the house?!

I spat out an irritated “Good grief,” and Keiji laughed, “Kakaka,” sounding absurdly pleased. I had no idea what he found so amusing.

Since I didn’t understand it, I decided to stop thinking about the matter entirely.

Frankly, I didn’t have much mental room to spare. My capacity for thought wasn’t infinite, so I was grateful I didn’t have to stick my nose into someone else’s love life.

“So why exactly is it convenient for you if Nako-chan and I stay together?”

“I’ll explain that part another time. For now, there’s something I want to ask you to do.”

“Sure. No clue what it is, but consider it done.”

If one of us found happiness, our friendship dictated that the other curse it with everything he had.

But if either of us was in trouble, we would lend a hand without even asking why. Our friendship had that side to it too.

“You’ve got a relative who works in real estate, right? Can you introduce me?”

“You moving? Why now, of all times?”

“Two people can’t live in a one-room apartment, can they?”

There was a brief silence. Even through the phone, I could tell Keiji was making a complicated face.

A full minute passed before I finally heard his voice.

“I’m not living with you.”

“Don’t say something that horrifying!”

Why the hell did he have to turn this into that kind of development?

“I mean Yūha. I’m getting her away from our parents.”

“Huh. Why?”

“Well, there’s a lot going on. Everyone’s got their own particular brand of despair.”

“Got it. Then I won’t ask.”

“Thanks.”

“Ah, just so you know, Sabu.”

“What?”

“You can’t marry your little sister.”

“Just shut up already.”

There was someone who cared about her.

How much salvation could come from that alone?

Yūha lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. As always, she could hear her father and mother arguing in the living room. Their yelling and the sounds of things being struck were probably well known to the neighbors by now. She didn’t even want to think about how many plates and glasses had been broken over the past few months.

What suffocated her most was that they were fighting over “which of them would remain Yūha’s parent.” Though calling it a fight might have been putting things far too mildly.

Day after day, their hatred for each other deepened over their daughter, Yūha.

“I’m the one who gave birth to her.”

“I’m the one who earned the money and raised her.”

She heard exchanges like that nearly every day. Whenever she tried to step in and stop them, both of their expressions immediately softened.

“Yūha, go back to your room.”

That was what they told her.

Seeing people who had been furious only moments ago suddenly become gentle only toward her was terrifying enough to send a chill down her spine. It was a different kind of fear from rage—the fear of being unable to tell what they were thinking.

And so, she had spent all this time holding her breath. She quietly endured everything in her room, as though erasing her very existence. It was the only thing she could do.

But today, she felt just a little lighter.

Because Rokurō had told her he would do something about it.

He had told her to leave it to him.

That alone let a ray of light shine through.

To Yūha, Rokurō was someone worthy of that much trust.

He had even told her how long she needed to wait.

“I’ll have something worked out within two weeks, so hang in there until then. If you really can’t take it, tomorrow is fine too.”

“I can wait. If it’s only two weeks, I’ll be okay.”

“Got it. I’ll contact you soon, then. …Give me your email address.”

Perhaps the reason she hesitated for just a moment was because the dating app crossed her mind. The same thought crossed Yūha’s mind, but she still couldn’t bring herself to mention it.

The fake “Yū” and “Saburō” were still talking to each other.

And separately from that, “Rokurō Sanjō” and “Yūha Sanjō” had also started exchanging emails.

She had no idea what was going on anymore, but Yūha thought that was fine.

Their conversations on the app had led to her reunion with Rokurō. That undoubtedly made them precious to her. Deleting them would have been such a waste.

Besides, she had a picture of Rokurō there.

He was wearing a beige long coat, his hair set with wax, and for some strange reason, he looked cool to her now.

“Oh no… I might be a little bit of a brocon.”

The girl wrapped herself in her blanket and blushed.

Things finally began to move twelve days later.

It was a rainy night in mid-June.

A single email arrived on Yūha’s phone.

“Rokurō Sanjō
Subject: (None)
Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., I will kidnap Yūha Sanjō.”