Chapter 2, Part 1

"Ah, I'm sorry, Airi-chan, it was my fault."

A pair of hands, still damp with sand, were extended in front of Airi Matsuzaka. She looked up and saw the lingering, inexplicable heat in her friend's eyes.

It's always like this.

Airi Matsuzaka shrank back, avoiding his outstretched hand.

You pushed me down on purpose.

"Are you hurt, Airi-chan? Let me see." He squatted down and approached her without a second thought. Airi felt like he was a terrible beast about to devour her.

Don't come any closer!

Airi hid herself in his small arms, trying to avoid his touch.

Airi.

The call gave her immense courage. Airi got up from the sand, pushed away her troublesome friend, and ran as fast as she could towards the source of the sound.

"Yuichi!" She hid behind the newcomer and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Airi, please forgive me."

He smiled indifferently, stood up from the sand, and kept his eyes fixed on Airi Matsuzaka, even though she was hiding behind a very annoying guy... Ah, Yuichi is always liked by Airi, he's such a nuisance.

I hope that when I open my eyes tomorrow, I will see him disappear from Airi's side. He will be so happy that he will even skip eating a piece of dessert.

"Airi, just... wait for me a moment." Echizen Yuichi lowered his hands to comfort his childhood friend who was still scared behind him, and took off his white coat for her to hold.

He lifted his foot and walked towards the naughty child who was oblivious to his own danger.

His dark blue eyes reflected his current panicked expression.

He remembered.

Yuichi Echizen, a good child praised by all the adults, is considered a monster among the boys.

Unlike Airi Matsuzaka, who was surrounded by children, Yuichi Echizen was always disliked by boys.

The girls liked his coldness and superior appearance, but only they knew how cruel this guy was.

Wherever Airi Matsuzaka appears, he will definitely be there. If Airi is injured, he will definitely teach that person a lesson.

"I'm so sorry! Airi! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to!"

It's too late.

Yuichi Echizen had already walked up to him, kicked him to the ground, bent down and grabbed his hair to force him to look up.

What kind of eyes were those? He had never seen such eyes in any crowd before. Dark and gloomy, they seemed to harbor a terrifying monster that would devour its prey, and now those eyes were staring at him.

He looked at me with such disgust that he didn't even want to look at me again, as if I were an unforgivable evil to be eradicated.

Sobbing, pleading, weeping.

Yuichi Echizen showed no mercy, treating the noisy voices as mere trash talk and ignoring them completely.

If he lets them off the hook because of these superficial acts of weakness, how will he comfort Airi?

They need to suffer a bit.

Since you've already done something to wrong Airi, you should at least pay some price to make amends.

She's so scared of this every night that she cries uncontrollably and won't listen to any words of comfort. What's your little pain compared to this?

He knew very well what he should listen to and what he should just brush off.

These people are all rotten.

He bullies Airi whenever he's not careful, and insists that he keep an eye on her at all times.

He doesn't always have time to lecture these people.

He has recently mastered the basics of using that strange ability. Although it's a waste to use it to teach these scumbags a lesson, it's essential.

None of them will escape.

·

·

Yuichi Echizen bent down and gently patted the dust off Airi Matsuzaka's body. He then pressed her shoulder and turned around to clean the dust off her back as well.

"Your new dress is beautiful, don't get it dirty." Take a step back, sway your head from side to side as if examining it carefully, and then give a definite compliment.

"Really? This is a new dress my brother bought for me, and I love it too." Her earlier unhappiness was quickly washed away by his praise. Matsuzaka Airi's face was filled with a happy smile, and she pinched the two hems of the skirt between her fingers and twirled around twice, lifting them up beautifully.

"……elder brother?"

Yuichi Echizen's smile faded, his eyes becoming somber.

"Is that Kobayashi Kyusaku?"

He examined the white dress Airi Matsuzaka was wearing closely, his gaze suddenly stopping at her chest. An unspeakable rage filled his heart, but he tried his best to remain calm.

“Yes! He brought it with him when he visited yesterday, saying it would suit me perfectly.” Airi Matsuzaka gestured excitedly, her eyes sparkling. Seeing her carefree demeanor, Yuichi Echizen couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth.

Of course it would suit you perfectly.

This was specially made for you by that man.

The thought of Airi wearing this dress and being fantasized about by that man under his lustful gaze...

Yuichi Echizen had met that person. While the curse on Airi was only having a slight effect on others, Kyusaku Kobayashi was already deeply entangled in it.

He is someone who is easily tempted.

We need to find a way to destroy this dress, and then buy Airi a new one.

...

It's outrageous that something like this could happen on such an important day.

"The cake is all bought. Come stay at my place tonight." Since Airi's parents aren't coming back for her birthday anyway, this is actually good news for them.

"Okay! Do I get a present?"

"It's still a surprise."

"So...when can we eat the cake?"

"After dinner."

"Why can't we have cake for dinner? It's so big!"

"Airi doesn't want cavities, right? If she gets fat, she won't be able to wear pretty dresses anymore, okay?"

"So you should just eat your food."

"All right……"

·

·

[Slap]

Yuichi Echizen turned off the room lights, and Airi couldn't wait to grab the candle box and light the candles.

"Be careful." He sat across from her at the small table, poured two glasses of grape juice, and placed one a distance away from Airi's hand so that she wouldn't accidentally knock it over.

"I'm eleven years old today, so I'll light two candles to make it eleven." Airi Matsuzaka carefully lit the candles and placed them in the center of the cake.

"Airi, won't the second candle be crooked if you put it like that?" Yuichi Echizen, who was tidying up the red ribbons on the gift box, took a moment to glance at his childhood friend's masterpiece and reminded her.

She blinked, looked at her cake, then at her second candle, and decided to just go with the flow.

"That's okay, I'll eat it anyway."

That's true.

He continued to carefully decorate the gift box in his hand.

"I'm all better now, Yuichi. It's time to make a wish."

"Okay, all done."

He put the gift box under the table.

"Let's make a wish."

The two children closed their eyes, but made their wishes in different ways. Echizen Yuichi clasped his fingers together as if in prayer, while Matsuzaka Airi clasped her hands together as if making a request.

I hope to live with Yuichi again this year.

Then, hopefully the curse will disappear.

— Airi Matsusaka

All those who hurt Airi should go to hell to repent.

[Hopefully tonight goes smoothly... to send him to hell.]

——Echizen Yuichi

"My wish this year is exactly the same as before, not a single word is wrong. What about Youyi?"

Airi Matsuzaka didn't cut the cake right away; she first picked up her glass and took a sip of juice.

Me?

He seemed to have thought of something amusing and chuckled lightly.

"Same as before, but slightly different."

"It's so tongue-twisting," she complained, then put on a smile again, picked up her knife and fork, and squinted as she gestured.

"Cake tastes better when you're happy than usual, Yuichi, don't you think so?"

"I think cake tastes better when eaten occasionally than when eaten frequently."

"Eating every day is also a joy."

"Airi," he said, pausing his cake-eating. "You'll get cavities."

"How could I possibly have cavities? I brush my teeth properly every day."

"Eating too much will make you unable to run like Shikamaru. Airi doesn't want that either, does she?"

"Nonsense, that's far from the truth."

·

·

He left a small light on for Airi, so that if she suddenly woke up and saw the light, she wouldn't be so scared that she would run over to sleep with him.

He's not someone Airi should see tonight.

It will make her sad.

Yuichi Echizen didn't want to make her sad.

I decided a long time ago that I would protect Airi.

This is not something that can be done just by talking, and he is fulfilling his promise in his own way.

If Airi finds out, I'll definitely be questioned by her, so now is not the time for her to know.

Yuichi Echizen was never a good kid.

At first, Airi couldn't even bear to let him discipline those wild children, but now she's gotten used to it.

I'll kill her, but I won't tell her.

We'll talk about who we killed later.

Goodnight, Airi.

Have a good dream tonight.