Konbini Ossan Volume 4 Chapter 10 — The Stalker
I take a moment to think about Nanakamado.
Apparently, she fell in love with me at first sight — because of something I said at the register. She said it made her happy to be treated kindly.
Well, from my side, I was only doing my job.
Still, I suppose words like that can touch someone’s heart. Not everyone lives a perfectly stable life.
If your heart’s in a rough place, even a simple comment from a convenience store clerk might really hit home.
That said, no matter how I try to rationalize it, the unease won’t go away.
Affection that appears out of nowhere like this — it’s not joy I feel, but something closer to dread.
Especially when, even after hearing her explanation, it still makes no sense.
It’s best not to provoke her. I’ll keep her calm and try to draw out more information carefully.
“Then, my next question. Why were you waiting for me? Were you waiting at the royal palace?”
“Yes. After betraying you, I believed I no longer had the right to stay by your side. So, until you forgave me and came to take me back, I decided not to approach you.”
“Uh… that betrayal, what exactly do you mean?”
“The day you were summoned. I couldn’t speak up in time because I’m terrible with words. I couldn’t defend you when you were exiled.”
That’s true. That day, I was practically executed in public. If she failed to defend me, it makes sense she’d feel guilty about it.
“But even so, saying you don’t have the right to stay by my side — that’s quite a leap. And waiting until I came to get you? I don’t really follow.”
“I mean exactly what I said. I’ve always been by your side. But since I committed a sin, I wasn’t allowed to stay there anymore.”
Always by my side, huh.
A chill runs down my spine.
“When you say ‘always,’ to what extent are we talking?”
“Ah! I-I’m sorry, my beloved! The truth is, I wanted to be with you twenty-four hours a day, everywhere!
…
But with school, the best I could do was from lunch break until after classes, sometimes until midnight. I couldn’t even be with you half the day!”
She lowers her head apologetically. Though honestly, if she feels that bad, I’d really prefer she just stay away.
So, to sum up —
Nanakamado fell in love with me at first sight one day when I greeted her at the register.
Since then, she’s been near me every day during lunch breaks and after school.
The problem is, I have no memory of ever seeing her. Which means she’s been close by while hiding herself, watching me.
That’s what you’d call a stalker.
“Are you sane?”
“Of course! I’m always perfectly sane — and completely serious!”
She clenches her fists in a guts pose, looking adorably proud. Cute, but that’s not fooling me. You, my dear, are without a doubt a criminal.
“So you’ve been watching me constantly. You must know quite a lot about me, then.”
“Yes! When it comes to my beloved, I’m confident no one in the world knows more!
…
For instance, the spare key to your house is tucked inside an envelope hidden behind the mailbox; you prefer adult magazines featuring drawn women over real ones; and when your air conditioner broke, you reattached the outdoor unit in a slightly sunnier spot, so now the cooling doesn’t work as well!”
That’s… disturbingly detailed.
Cold sweat starts pouring down my back, but I force myself to smile. Keep calm.
Stay friendly. You never know what someone like this might do if you upset them.
“So, you plan to keep watching me from the shadows?”
“No. You’ve come to get me now, haven’t you? So I won’t leave anymore. From now on, I’ll stay proudly by your side. I’ll never, ever leave again!”
Please do leave. But that’s not something I can actually say.
“I see. Well then, I think that’s enough for today. I’ve got things to do.”
I turn on my heel and start to walk away.
“Please wait!”
Before I can take a step, Nanakamado-san suddenly appears right in front of me.
“S-so fast!”
“Yes! The Goddess granted me the skill «Super Acceleration». No matter where you go — even to the edge of the world — I can reach you in an instant!”
That’s… absolutely the last kind of skill a stalker should have.
A stalker who can use «Super Acceleration» — someone you can’t escape from or catch. Honestly, that’s terrifying.
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E/N:
Holyyy crap! Gotta go fast! Stay tuned!
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I think we've confirmed now that the Goddess has a malicious sense of humor...
ReplyDeleteShe's like that one Goddess in the Lugh Tuatha de Series lol
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