ãIroha, forgive me! I had no idea you were that scared of ghosts!ã
I sat in my living room, sulking and looking away.
Technically, Iâm not actually afraid of ghosts⦠but anyway.
After that, the old lady washed and dried my clothes.
She even looked genuinely sorry and gave us a bunch of sweets when we left.
ãIâm really sorry. I didnât expect someone to be this startled.ã
â¦She said.
But, the old lady did nothing wrong.
If I hadnât freaked out at the first sight of a corpse, I would have laughed it off. What hurt more wasâ¦
ãIroha-chan, itâs okay. Itâs not scary. When I was a baby, my mom said I wet myself a lot too. So, Iroha-chan, donât be embarrassed.ã
â¦what her daughter said.
So now, Iâm pretending to be mad at Angu Ogu.
ãHmph. I hate you now, Angu Ogu.ã
ãGAAAAAH!?ã
That one line seemed to shock Angu Ogu more than expected.
She held her head in despair.
ãWaaah!? Iroha hates me~!? My life is over~!?ã
Yes, as Angu Ogu crumbled beside meâ¦n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
I too, who had said it, crumbled, feeling the damage myself.
Itâs like I told my favorite idol that I hate them, hurting my own heart as a fan!?
Even though it was meant only for Angu Ogu right in front of me.
ãâ¦ugh. Letâs eat the sweets we got to feel better.ã
I said, rummaging through the basket of sweets.
Since itâs a rare treat, should I pick the most delicious one? Or maybeâ¦
ãWhich one should I pick~?ã
ãâ¦Ah! Iroha, wait. Donât eat that one yet.ã
Angu Ogu warned me sharply.
I tilted my head, confused.
ãWhy? Is it like, an offering for a shrine or something? Like how Halloween candy needs to be checked before eating?ã
ãNo, itâs not that. Itâs just that we got it from strangers. Check for any holes in the packaging before eating.ã
ãAh, I see.ã
Looking closely, all the candies were individually wrapped and clearly unopened.
They were puffed up with nitrogen gas⦠I thought it was just to prevent oxidation, but it had another purpose.
ãThere have been cases of poisoning in the past. So in some areas, people only visit houses they know.ã
ãThat makes sense, itâs safer.ã
ãItâs rare, but just in case.ã
ãGot it.ã
I picked a promising one and nibbled on it.
After confirming it seemed safe, I took the same kind to Angu Ogu.
ãHere, say ah.ã
ãâ¦Nom.ã
Angu Oguâs cheeks puffed up as she chewed.
I sat next to her⦠but the atmosphere was still awkward.
I lightly hooked my pinky finger around Angu Oguâs.
Her spine stiffened.
ãAngu Ogu, do you understand? Iâm angry, soâ¦ã
I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
ãTrick or treat. If you make me feel really good, Iâll forgive you. Maybe Iâll even like you again.ã
ã~~~~~!ã
I thought this would make things right.
I wasnât really that mad anyway.
I just wanted an excuse to be pampered.
I wasnât ready to be honest without a reason, because itâs embarrassing.
Thatâs why I said it.
Suddenly, Angu Ogu grabbed my shoulders and faced me directly.
ãHa, ha⦠Iroha, youâre adorable.ã
ãHuh!? W-what!? Your eyes are scary!ã
ãHeh, heh heh⦠By the way, what kind of trick will you do if I donât treat you?ã
ãEh!? Uhâ¦ã
ãCome on, quickly!ã
ãUh, umâ¦ã
ãNow, now!ã
In a rush, I grabbed Angu Oguâs hand and gently bit her index finger.
ãSee? This should teach you. Iâm a wolf, so if you donât treat me well, Iâll eat youã
ãIroha.ã
ãWhat?ã
ãThatâs⦠cheating. I canât hold back anymoreã
ãHuh? Eeeek!? What are you doing?⦠Ahh!?ã
Angu Ogu loomed over me.
Then, she kissed my neck.
ãW-why a sudden kiss!?ã
ãNo, Iâm a vampire now. Iâm sucking blood. Continuing from before we left.ã
ã!?!?!?ã
Ah, this⦠might be bad.
It looks like I triggered Angu Oguâs weird switchââ.