Mob Yandere
Chapter 172-2

[Part 2/4]

The day after Murasaki's declaration, we were at the back of the orphanage. Anyway, right now, I washed my body, which was sweaty and dirty, with a bucket of water and a towel, and checked for any body odor. Yeah, there was no weird smell left.

"Tomobe-san, is it okay now!?"

A call from the other side of the cedar fence. "Wait a bit," I replied, and changed into my black uniform. Then, I bundled up my pajamas and towel and tossed them into the water-filled bucket.

"Is this okay?"

"Y-yes... um, can I put that in with the laundry too?"

Shiro looked at the bucket, her eyes wide with fear, and asked. Doing laundry every day was a heavy task in an era without electric appliances, and the amount of laundry itself was overwhelming due to the large number of kids. Even Azuma alone couldn't handle it, so it was a shared task among the older kids, including Shiro, who had just returned to the orphanage. Today, she was in charge of laundry duty, and she checked with me to see if I had gathered all the laundry.

"If you feel uncomfortable, you can separate them. I can do it myself if you don't want to."

"No, no! That's not... I'm fine, I'm used to Tomobe-san's sweat!"

"That's a problem in itself, don't you think?!"

Shiro's natural and cheerful tone was problematic, and her careless words were like a challenge. What's going on? Is it the influence of Youbo, the youkai mother? Or am I secreting some strange pheromone that affects youkai?

"Stop saying things that might be misunderstood. And how about food... is it okay?"

"Um, yes. I read the recipe book and did it, and it tasted okay."

"Good. ...Then let's go?"

"Yes. Ah, I'll carry this and then go, so please go ahead!"

Shiro encouraged me, holding the bucket. The distance to the laundry area wasn't far. I followed her suggestion and went ahead.

"Be careful not to spill it and get soaked!"

"I'm fine, don't worry!"

Shiro's response to my warning was to puff out her cheeks and look away. I smiled wryly, apologized, and quickly left the scene. Our conversation was a refreshing break in the midst of this difficult task, but it also added to my worries....

"..."

"Fu, fu, fu..."

"Un, ha, u..."

* * *

"Is this menu okay?"

In the kitchen, the maid in a Kapogi outfit was cooking while hiding her discontent with a forced smile. Her attitude was, in a way, justified.

Murasaki declared she would be staying overnight, and ultimately, the maid couldn't stop her. If her warnings fell on deaf ears, she had no choice but to obey. That was fine.

The problem was that I, the one receiving her, had overslept, and as a result, I had to take on the role of preparing breakfast, and to make matters worse, her master had discovered that I was sharing a bed with Miyataka's young lady, which made the maid's impression of me take a nosedive.

"...Ah, this is fine. That's, well done."

"That's quite all right, thank you."

There was rice porridge, tofu soup, eggplant stew, and cucumber and sea cucumber in vinegar... and the sea cucumber was probably the same one that had been splattered on Murasaki's face yesterday. It had been processed and was being served today.

...What kind of mindset did she has, cooking for her own master after splattering (bukkake) it on her face?

"Is there something?"

"Ah, no... I think it's delicious."

"Thank you very much."

Just a little while ago, the other party had been in a higher position, but now I was probably in a higher standing, and in the midst of an awkward atmosphere that was hard to put into words, I focused on tasting and responded with praise, trying not to be too obvious. Of course, a cold, formal response came back.

"There's a sweet flavor, and I've cooled it with well water, so please help yourself later."

"Got it. Thanks. Then... shall we serve it?"

I proposed, trying to escape from the maid. Something about her tone had become polite. The pressure was intense. I averted my gaze from the maid and headed towards the living room, carrying the pot, where the kids were waiting...

"Yeah, then how about we tell the classic tale of Peach Boy (Momotaro) next? The old man and woman who ate the peach that flowed down the river and regained their youth remembered their past passion. The beautiful wife and the man who transformed into a hero flew... ‘Wait, hold on a minute!!?’."

In the living room, I loudly interrupted the young lady who was trying to tell a story about the past to the innocent, pure-hearted young ones, as if it were an adult's tale.

"What? You're being too loud! We're having a fun conversation with the cute kids, aren't we?"

"Doesn't 'fun' have a different meaning?"

If they were cute kids, then stop telling them indecent fairy tales!

"It's not a fairy tale. It's a paper play, though?"

Miyataka's young lady pointed at the tatami mat beneath her feet. I was drawn to it and turned my gaze.

...Some blue paper dolls were hitting red paper dolls, making a "plap plap" sound. They were breathing heavily and flailing about. It seemed like they were in a heated situation, on the verge of exploding.

"Hey, hey. What's going on with these dolls?"

"Are they playing horse and rider?"

"Hehehe, that's not horse and rider, it's doggy style――"

"Alright, you brats, it's time for lunch!!"

Just as things were about to get out of hand, I stomped on the paper dolls and slammed a pot onto the table. I declared loudly, as if to get everyone's attention. The paper dolls at my feet were whimpering. Ah, they were exhausted.

"That's terrible. You're treating precious lives like a toy box..."

"Wait, are those just paper...?"

TS Magical Princess was pretending to cry and making a scene. The little kids were screaming, "Grandpa and Grandma are at it again!" or "The brother has surpassed the demon (oni)!!" or "This can't be happening, this can't be allowed...!" Ah, using original dialogue without permission is against the rules, isn't it?

"Ah, that's enough! Stop fooling around and sit down! It's time for lunch. Hurry up and take your seats! You don't want to get scolded by the demon, do you? Behave yourselves!!"

I managed to calm down the noisy kids and made them understand it was lunchtime. If I didn't threaten them a bit, the younger ones would have kept complaining in their dialogue.

"Alright, are you seated? Ah, Miss Murasaki (Murasaki-sama) is..."

"...No problem."

I settled the situation, made the noisy kids sit down, and calmed them. I left the young lady, who was surrounding the table with a calm face, and called out to Murasaki, who was sitting properly with a straight face, but she just gave a bland response. Then, there was silence.

"Heheh."

"Tch."

The reason was clear, and when I looked at the culprit, she gave a faint smile and stuck out her tongue from beneath her mask.

Ako Murasaki was a bit of an airhead and had her share of bad luck, but there was no mistake that she had a pure and innocent personality. She was a reliable existence who wouldn't twist or turn in unexpected ways. That's why I thought we could work together, but...after this morning's incident, that hope seemed to be on the verge of shattering.

(Is she thinking I'm some kind of guardian angel for those brats, or what?)

Her gaze, mixed with contempt, pierces through my recognition. Ako Murasaki may be a kind and gentle heroine compared to others, but she's still a character who's easy to read. I thought I was the only one who could protect those orphans from the clutches of evil.

...No choice. I have no other option but to cooperate. If she's willing to lend a hand in protecting those kids, then that's all I can ask for. Let's just hope for the best. ...And don't even think about playing any pranks on them.

"...Itadakimasu."

With that thought, I clapped my hands together heavily and let out a deep sigh. The kids followed suit, and the 2 princesses quietly expressed their gratitude.

Breakfast time had begun.

"Here, sister, have some!"

"Ah, ah. Thank you, little one?"

Talking with your mouth full is forbidden, but chatting during meals isn't. So, it's not unusual for conversations to mix together at the dinner table. Moreover, it's only natural to be more cautious around the mysterious princess than the scary man who showed up earlier.

"Hey, hey. Let's talk more later about that?"

"Is it okay?"

"No, no. Don't listen to her!"

...No way. Is this TS Magical Princess place too popular among those brats? Hardly anyone talks to Murasaki, but... I feel a bit uneasy about it.

"Don't you think it's because she looks unhappy? And also..."

Shiro whispers in my ear, her voice laced with suspicion. Well, with the commotion from this morning, Murasaki is still on high alert, and she always carries a youkai-slaying sword by her side. Add to that the intimidating aura of the woman behind her, and it's no wonder I feel uneasy approaching her as a kid.

In that case, maybe the carefree Magical princess is more approachable. Ah, crap. This is an unexpected situation....

"Okay, okay. Let's not fight. We'll all get along, right? I'll play with you all night, so don't fight, okay? Got it?"

"""Yeah!!"""

Shinobu appeases the place where it is likely to be a fight. What she said was normal, but it felt really perverted. This guy with the stick was also 'playing' around with a Shotaloli, and I thought she were thinking the same thing. Since Azuma's curse is in effect, I think I can't do anything about it openly... but I don't know what kind of trick she'll use.

"I'll do my best to keep an eye on them!!"

Shiro whispered to me, understanding my concerns. As a fellow kid, it's only natural that we can keep an eye on them.

"...If you feel it's dangerous, shout right away?"

"Got it!"