nhp | (Sutamai) 'Placed Under a Spell of Popularity', Part 3

20.

-Mysterious Forest-

???: Shall I lend you a hand?

Rei: ……

(...... I’m starting to feel more and more dead inside because of all these people that I keep running into with attractive faces.)

(But somehow, why is it that…... this person... has a troublesome air about them like one shouldn’t get involved with them??)

Thank you for the offer. But I have two hands on me and can manage fine with just that, so worry yourself not.

I instinctively sensed danger coming from this man who had suddenly appeared right before my eyes. I slipped past him, and continued on my way without once stopping in my tracks.

Suspicious Male: Ahaha, you’re quite the funny one.

Rei: (He’s following me……)

Suspicious Male: You’re Alice, right?

Rei: Nope, that’s not me.

(I’ll just try avoiding making any eye contact……)

Suspicious Male: Really? I don’t think there’s any other girl with such a bewitching side view as Alice though.

Rei: ……

HATORI: I’m the cheshire cat, HATORI.

I make it my business to not ignore those who are in trouble.

Especially girls.

Rei: Right……

(Huh, I wonder where this hopelessly distrustful feeling is coming from.)

HATORI: If you don’t want my helping hand...

Then shall I take you to someone who seems like they could save you?

Rei: (...... Someone who seems like they could save me?)

Upon hearing those words, I accidentally turned towards HATORI-san whom I had been trying not to look at the whole time.

Rei: What do you mean by that—

HATORI: Hey, could you face the front?

That was when he abruptly turned almost deadly serious.

Rei: (...... Oh yeah, he did say something or other about a “side view” before……)

…… If I turn to face the front, then will you show me the way?

HATORI: Why, of course.

It’s this way.

It felt like my heart would burst from the sheer absurdness of the spell.

All the while, I was being led the way by a satisfied-looking HATORI-san after having showed him my face from the side.

And so, I ventured deeper into the forest.

21.

-Mysterious Forest-

HATORI: …… We’re here.

Rei: Wow… What a beautiful place……

HATORI: You there, MAKI?

Shortly after HATORI-san spoke, a rather smallish male appeared from out behind the shadow of a large flower.

MAKI: …… HATORI? Do you have something that you need with me—wait.

…… You’re!

Rei: Oh, hello…… Nice to meet you.

HATORI: This is Rei-chan, who’s also “Alice”.

Rei-chan, this here is the caterpillar, MAKI.

Rei: Caterpillar?

MAKI: …… It’s just a nickname left over from a relic of the past.

You can call me MAKI.

Rei: Oh, sure. Okay then.

(...... That reminds me, I wasn’t really thinking about it too hard because there were a ton of other stuff to comment on, but…)

(If I really were to give it proper consideration, then something like a “cheshire cat” and “white rabbit” is pretty cryptic information. Right, so it’s an old alias, huh……)

MAKI: What are you two doing together?

HATORI: I coincidentally spotted her. I thought that you might want to meet her too, MAKI.

So I brought her here for the time being.

MAKI: … “For the time being”……

Haven’t I told you to stop playing around with people out of that whim of yours?

HATORI: How poorly you think of me~

I simply guided her here out of the pureness of my heart because she had been walking around inside the forest looking all uneasy.

Rei: (MAKI-san…… As of this moment, there hasn’t been anything strange about him. But unlike everyone else that I’ve met up until now, he’s someone who gives off a safe feeling.)

(But no! I have no way of knowing when the spell could activate, so I shouldn’t let down my guard……)

MAKI: Can I call you Rei?

Rei: W-What? Oh, yeah, sure! You can call me anything……

MAKI: Sorry that HATORI did something selfish by dragging you here. Wasn’t there someplace that you wanted to go to?

Rei: Yeah, ummm.

The truth is that I do have somewhere I want to get going to, but I don’t know where it is……

I briefly explained to them about the particulars of why I had come to this world, and about the spell that had been placed on me.

MAKI: …… A spell, huh.

Rei: Yep. But so far you seem to be unaffected, MAKI-san.

MAKI: …… For now, that is.

Rei: I see…… Thank god……

MAKI: You must have it rough.

Rei: ……

Did you just sympathize with my situation?

MAKI: Huh? Yeah, I did…..

…… But if it made you uncomfortable then I apologize.

Rei: Oh, no! Not at all! Quite the opposite actually!

MAKI: The opposite?

Rei: Somehow, it’s like I managed to get here after overcoming a hurricane of stuff, so……

I feel at ease with being able to have a normal conversation like this and being worried over normally……

Thank you so much!!

MAKI: …… It’s no big deal, and it’s not like I’ve done anything worth being thanked over.

HATORI: ……

22.

-Mysterious Forest-

HATORI: …… Looks like you’ve taken quite an interest in MAKI, Rei-chan.

Is he your type?

MAKI: Don’t start, HATORI.

Rei: My type…… How on earth did the conversation come to that?

I was simply expressing my gratitude and sentiments is all.

HATORI: You know...

I’m not that fond of girls who persistently come searching and chasing after me.

But if I see a girl not looking my way, then in that case, it makes me want her to pay attention to me even more.

Rei: …… Err.

MAKI: (His bad habit is popping up again……)

…… Oi……

HATORI: Even though I was the one who brought you here.

What, you’re not going to thank me?

Rei: ……

From beside me, HATORI-san’s arm suddenly started closing in on the distance between us.

Sensing that he was going to wound it around my waist—in a flash—I turned to face him.

HATORI: Oh.

Rei: In regards to that, then of course you have my deepest of gratitude. Thank you very much for your help.

HATORI: Sure, no worries. You’re welcome.

I simply called out to you because I had time to kill after all. So don’t worry about it.

MAKI: ……

Rei: Well then, MAKI-san. About what we were discussing originally...

Do you know of how to get to the Archdemon’s castle?

MAKI: …… Yeah……

(...... What was happening with HATORI just now was probably the work of the spell.)

(But she didn’t even so much as flinch in reaction to his sudden shift in attitude.)

(Because of that, I can somewhat imagine all the trouble that she’s had to face coming here……)

I think I probably have a map, so I’ll go fetch it for you.

Rei: A map!? Are you for real!? Thank you so much!

23.

-Several Minutes Later-

-Mysterious Forest-

MAKI: …… The table with the march hare and hatter is here, and right now, you’re roughly around this area.

And this here is the castle.

Rei: Oh. Surprisingly, I wasn’t heading in the wrong direction! Phew.

HATORI: The problem is the path beyond this point.

Rei: Problem?

MAKI: …… Once you leave the forest, you’re bound for the Queen of Hearts’ garden.

You’ll have to go through this garden in order to get to the castle.

But the Card Soldiers are always doing their rounds to check if there’s anyone suspicious about.

HATORI: Are you good at arm wrestling, Rei-chan?

Rei: Excuse me? Arm wrestling?

HATORI: If they happen to find you, then the brawny Card General will challenge you to an arm wrestle.

Rei: What the heck!?

HATORI: And if perchance, you happen to lose that battle…..

Rei: …… And if I lose?

HATORI: You’ll have your liver taken from you.

Rei: My liver!? You mean it’s not my heart!?

Wait, if my heart is taken then that would also pose a problem, but!!

HATORI: You’ll be made into the Queen of Hearts’ dinner~

Rei: Um, no, even if you say something that horrifying with a smile……

MAKI: That’s why ordinarily everyone tends to stay away.

But if you absolutely have to pass through there, then you have no other choice but to outrun them before they find you.

Rei: …… I’ll outrun them with everything that I have.

MAKI: If they do find you, then before you’re challenged to an arm wrestle…

Say, “I must be on my way to purchase the liver for Her Majesty!”

If you do, then there’s a possibility of being able to escape. It’s only a fifty-fifty chance though.

Rei: (“Purchase the liver”...... I should just stop with bothering to even question it.)

I’ll do as you say. Cross my liver and hope to die.

HATORI: Here’s to hoping that doesn’t happen~

Rei: Could you please stop inducing my anxiety while saying things so cheerily??

MAKI: It’s a direct route from here on out so I don’t think you’ll need it, but just in case, you can take this map along with you.

Also…… Here.

Rei: ……?

24.

-Mysterious Forest-

They were two milk bottles with the words “UP” and “DOWN” written respectively on each of them.

Rei: What is this?

MAKI: They won’t be able to undo the spell, but they’re potions that can momentarily strengthen and weaken the effects of it.

Rei: Oh! T-That’s awesome! Thanks a bunch!

I don’t know how I can repay you for providing me with something so wonderful.

Oh...... Actually, give me a second.

MAKI: ?

Rei: (I’m sure I had some chocolate in the pocket of my apron……)

Here it is! Oh!

The moment that I took out the chocolate, it slipped through my hand and effortlessly fell to the ground.

MAKI-san then bent down to pick it up.

MAKI: Here you go.

Rei: Oh, sorry for the trouble……

MAKI: !

Those knees of yours……

Rei: My knees?

(It’s not like they’re dirty or injured or anything.)

MAKI: No…… It’s nothing. Be on your way already.

Rei: Oh, yeah. But before that, as a token of my gratitude……

MAKI: Your thoughts alone are enough.

Rei: O-Okay?

Well then, thanks for having me!

MAKI-san had turned to face the other way completely.

As I was thinking that he was acting a little strange, I departed for the castle.

HATORI: ……

MAKI: (...... That was a close call.)

HATORI: …… So you like knees, huh, MAKI?

MAKI: !

HATORI: You maniac.

MAKI: (The number one person I didn’t want finding out now knows……)