Cosmic Princess Kaguya! Chapter 3 Part 2

「Iroha, over here, over here♪」

Kaguya’s first solo live ended with great success.

Even days later, SNS was still exploding with positive reactions. Riding that wave of energy, Kaguya・IroP’s ranking shot upward—and as if pulled along by the momentum, Kaguya dragged me outside.

「Come shopping with me」, she said, while hooking her arm around mine, 

After countless detours, she skipped her way to our destination—

「Eh, a real estate agency?」

「Hey hey, how about this place?」

Don’t lump apartment hunting under “shopping.”

The property Kaguya pointed at with a nail-less index finger was the real estate agency’s pride and joy, plastered boldly along the main street.

〈Luxury designer tower apartment — 3LDK — Rent: 350,000 yen〉

…I felt dizzy. Living in a place like that would mess a person up.

「It’s fiiine~. Kaguya’ll pay for it! Look, it’s an apartment but it has a second floor! The second floor’s my streaming room and bedroom, and the first floor is all yours, Iroha. C’mon, isn’t it great~? Open ceiling, system kitchen, pantry, balcony! And it’s the top floor!」

「I’m gonna pass out. We don’t even have a guarantor—no way they’d rent to a couple of brats like us—」

Another wave of dizziness hit. I tried to pull Kaguya away from the agency, but—huh? My legs wobbled. Something was wrong. My vision warped. I couldn’t stay standing… no way, this isn’t “apartment shock”… this is—

「Hweh? Did you find something~?」

Before I realized it, my knees gave out and I crouched down reflexively.

「Are you okay? Iroha, you’re burning up!」

Cold sweat wouldn’t stop. Kaguya’s worried voice sounded strangely far away.

…

When I came back to my senses, I was lying in my usual futon, in my usual room.

Why am I home? I had no memory of getting back from the real estate agency. Did Kaguya carry me? She’s strong… or maybe she took a taxi. She’s rich, after all.

Carefully, I turned my head, and I saw Kaguya’s back as she stood in the kitchen.

…Her hair’s grown. Her straight blonde hair now reached low enough to hide her hips. Back when she first ate omurice here, it only reached her back—

Wait.

「No—this is bad… my part time shift!」

In a panic, I tried to jump up, but my body wouldn’t move, as if the futon itself was clinging to me.

「Iroha, does it hurt?」

「I’m fine, I'm heading out in a second—」

I tried to sound tough, but my body wouldn’t listen. This might actually be impossible. At least I need to call in—

「I already called your job for you. Told them you’re taking the day off. So rest, okay?」

「…Huh? You did, Kaguya?」

「And I put lots of fluffies around you, so fluff lots and lots.」

「Fluffies? Oh… fluffies…」

Through my foggy vision, I saw plush toys—carefully chosen, ultra-soft ones—surrounding my futon.

「…Thanks.」

I hugged one and said it. I never expected Kaguya to be this thoughtful. It honestly made me happy.

「Ah! And the hospital! Let’s go to the hospital, together!」

「What? A hospital? …No, it costs money. I don’t want to.」

「Leave that to Kaguya!」

She flexed with the ladle still in her left hand.

But—

I clenched the plush tighter, my nails digging in.

「…I can’t.」

With this fever, hospitalization wasn’t impossible. And if that happened—

「My schedule’s packed to the limit… If I miss days, I won’t catch up anymore… and then my scholarship might… not come through…」

Maybe because my body was weak, bad thoughts chained together one after another. I knew I was overthinking it, but I couldn’t stop..

「Iroha…」

Kaguya looked at me with watery eyes and asked—

「Why do you have to try so hard all by yourself?」

She let out a weak voice that I’d never heard before.

「H-hic… is it Kaguya’s fault? I pushed you too hard too… Irohaa, I don’t want you to die~~!」

Wait—she’s crying? In an instant, tears quickly formed a film over Kaguya’s big eyes and spilled over. Then it was a flood—liquid pouring out of every possible hole.

「D-don’t exaggerate… I’m not gonna die.」

「But in movies people die super easily! And then they turn into zombies and reincarnate and go to space and—waaah, don’t go, Irohaaa!」

「How many movies did you mix up together? I’m fine, really.」

Kaguya’s always emotional, but I’d never seen her cry like this.

I guess... No studying today.

For some reason, I—the sick one—was patting Kaguya’s back as I thought that.

「Why do you have to try so hard all by yourself?」

After she calmed down, Kaguya asked again. Explaining it was hard, really hard. Being in a fever only made it worse. To explain properly meant talking about my mother.

「Uuuuh… uuuuuuh…」

Kaguya hesitated, started to speak, stopped, and repeated that cycle. Even aliens get stuck sometimes. Watching her made me feel a little lighter.

Sitting beside me with her knees hugged to her chest, she listened as I spoke haltingly.

About my dad who died.

About my brother who left.

About my mother who changed.

About me, crushed under “correctness.”

My mother probably never got sick like this.

—Health management is the foundation of everything. Anyone who stumbles there is beneath even the biggest fool.

I had never once seen my mother catch a cold. She was always right, strong, perfect—and to her, I was always lacking.

So I chose to leave.

Only by perfectly walking the path my mother walked—alone—could I stand on equal ground with her.

「…So we finally settled on it if I covered tuition and living expenses myself.」

「You say that way too casually. Doesn’t nobody else do that?」

Kaguya frowned.

「Mom did it without blinking, and I wouldn’t back down. I still remember the day I woke up here. There was nothing, no one to rely on—but thinking “I’ll live on my own strength” gave me so much energy. It felt… lucky, somehow.」

That morning really was refreshing. A quiet room. Finally, this is where it starts.

「No no no, that’s not lucky! Even alien research says your mom is seriously messed up!」

She wasn’t wrong. If I were the listener, I’d think the same.

But—

I dug my nails into the plush again.

「To Kaguya…」

「Huh?」

「No—never mind.」

Why am I even talking about this? Must be the fever.

「…Okay then. Let’s eat, take your medicine, and sleep.」

She hurried to the kitchen, then returned carefully with a tray.

「Today’s menu is green onion–miso–ginger egg porridge. First, knead bonito flakes, finely chopped green onions, and lots of grated ginger. Pour boiling water over it. The dashi comes from the flakes, so minimal seasoning is fine. Then rinse leftover rice lightly and add it to water with a little hondashi. Before adding the eggs, stir the pot the opposite direction and—」

Please. I want to eat already. That’s way too long for a sick person.

「There are two eggs. It’s super hot, so blow on it first.」

「Ow!」

Just like she warned, it burned my tongue—but—

「…It’s insanely good.」

Every other part of my tongue melted in happiness.

「Riiight~~~?!」

Way too smug a smile for a sickroom.

Kaguya struck some inexplicable pose.

※

「For everyone—wan wan o! This is Chuuken Otakou, official Yachiyo Cup commentator! This week too, keep an eye on the official top four! Is your oshi here? Let’s announce the top three! Third place, the healing idol Yukumo Nukumi! Second, the high-spec elf, Tereriri Tietate! And as expected, dominating in first—Black OnyX! Is it already decided between these three? Oh, and there’s a team outside the rankings skyrocketing right now—」

「Man, Kurooni’s overwhelming, huh~~」

We were gathered at Mami’s place for the first time in a while.

Mami, lounging in a wicker chair, paused the Tsukuyomi official broadcast and tossed the remote.

「That gap this late is pretty brutal.」

Roka sprawled across the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

「Muu~ what do we do—!」

Kaguya, soaking in the bathtub, scratched her head—wearing nothing but a bath towel.

Don’t ask why. This was Tsukuyomi, inside gourmet influencer “Mamimami’s” house. We’d planned to meet IRL, but switched to Tsukuyomi since I’d just recovered.

「Yeah, Kurooni’s strong~~. Well, obviously. It’s Mikado-sama.」

Mami, a Mikado fan, was happily fishing in her personal pond.

「Mami, traitooor~」

「Kaguya’s my second oshi, though!」

「Nooo, just Kaguyaaa!」

「Stop splashing, you’ll scare the fish!」

「Damn it, Mikado, come out! Fight me!」

「Hey, that’s not bad—Kaguya vs Mikado in a game showdown?」

「Nice one, Roka!」

No it’s not.

「No way he’d accept. He’s a top pro gamer. Totally different league.」

「But the Yachiyo Cup’s almost over! And my people might come get me~!」

Ah. That setting.

「If they’re coming, hurry up and take me home~」

「You’re being mean!」

Now! Come now, moon people! You’re late!

「…Huh? Kaguya-chan, someone’s coming to get you from Tsukiji?」

「Whoa, a runaway?」

Crap. We were talking too freely.

「Whoa!」

A scroll icon suddenly appeared in front of Kaguya. Mail.

「…Eh, this is—」

She opened it, eyes widening—then stared at me with a dangerous gleam.

「Iroha…」

What?

「I~ro~ha~」

What’s with the scare?

「You said it, right? That pro gamers are on another level…」

So?

「…You said that, right?」

No. No way. I knew it. Of course he wouldn’t overlook Kaguya.

「Then we can’t refuse! A challenge from a higher-ranked pro gamer! Jackpot!」

「Kaguya-chan! This fish will escape!」

Ignoring Mami, Kaguya dove towel-first into the pond.

「Message from Black onyX — Mikado Akira

Nice to meet you, Kaguya-chan!

I’m Mikado Akira from Black Onyx. Congrats on 1 million fans!

Here’s a proposal—

At KASSEN,

Mikado vs Kaguya: The Bamboo Cutter Showdown.

If you lose… maybe you marry me?

If I lose, I’ll grant any wish.

Let’s hype Tsukuyomi together!」

…It’s over.

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