Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Interlude 1-08: Sometimes Ambiguity Leads to Situations Like This

Rattle——

The rain showed no sign of stopping.

Under that curtain of rain, in the corridor of a building across from Takakai's house, beneath a waterproof tarp used as camouflage, a long-haired blonde girl was holding a pair of binoculars, her expression emotionless, observing the second floor of the building opposite, where Takakai was leaning forward, kneeling on one knee.

"How's the situation now?"

The cold voice of Shinomiya Kaguya echoed through the earphones the blonde girl was wearing.

"Shijo-sama is on the first floor, while Takahashi Takakai object has gone up to the second floor. For now, they've separated. At the moment, Shijo-san is heading toward the laundry room, probably planning to use the dryer to dry her wet clothes. Takahashi Takakai object is still on the second floor; he just entered the bedroom, and... mm, he's sitting there in a daze."

The blonde girl reported the situation seriously, but her voice suddenly hesitated before continuing.

"Hayasaka?"

Sensing the unusual hesitation, Kaguya immediately inquired.

"It's nothing, just a trivial matter. Based on current observations, the two of them seem entirely innocent, just starting a romantic relationship. Although Takahashi Takakai object still has many suspicious points, for now, he appears to be very polite with Shijo-sama."

The girl referred to as Hayasaka was Shinomiya Kaguya's maid, full name Hayasaka Ai, an all-around capable individual.

With speed, strength, and reflexes almost at human limits, she was also skilled in close combat, household chores, intelligence gathering, tracking, investigation, and many other abilities. However, being left behind by Takakai when she attempted to follow him as he fled Shuchiin Academy yesterday was slightly embarrassing. Even so, her exceptional skills were undeniable and far beyond ordinary.

Currently, Hayasaka Ai was tasked by Shinomiya Kaguya with secretly monitoring the date between Takakai and Shijo Maki. For Kaguya, who was always cautious and thorough, she believed Takakai's behavior when alone with Shijo Maki would fully reveal his nature, character, and limits, thereby determining whether he was trustworthy.

As for Hayasaka's earlier hesitation, the reason was fairly simple.

After running into the computer room, Takakai, after some hesitation, opened an H website, clicked in, and began viewing all kinds of 18+ images.

Was he trying to calm himself down like this?

It was hard to judge this man, but it seemed he was looking at content from the "training" genre. If Shijo-sama were truly dating this man, her future life would undoubtedly be "challenging".

As an "ordinary" girl, Hayasaka blushed slightly but quickly regained her composure and continued observing the situation.

Meanwhile, at the Shinomiya mansion, Kaguya sat in her private room, frowning as she read the documents in her hand.

It was the autopsy report of Maeda Miwa.

"While still alive, her chest was cut open to extract the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Due to intense struggling, the fingernails on the pinky and middle fingers of the left hand and the index finger of the right hand were torn and broken. One eye was gouged out... Unbelievable, is this the act of a player?"

Unlike those horrific cases with [concealed] information, this one was being seriously investigated by the police, seemingly not falling into the category of incidents forgotten by society.

However, the absence of anomalies was itself anomalous in certain cases. At least to Kaguya, the murder of Maeda Miwa, a player at the Shirakawa apartment, was a top-tier irregularity. She believed this incident undoubtedly contained deeper issues, though whether it was a warning or a prelude was still unclear.

If the enemy were players, the Shinomiya family's power would be entirely useless.

Never mind, dwelling on unsolvable problems won't change anything. Instead of worrying about this, it's better to focus on Takakai.

"Hmph, polite?"

Kaguya let out a cold laugh.

She could affirm a thousand percent that Takakai was absolutely not a polite person.

Despite his outwardly upright appearance, the man clearly harbored a strong lust and was undoubtedly the unfaithful type.

When Trapped in the Collapsing Shirakawa Apartment, This Man Once Tried to Trick Her into Kissing Him

Kaguya remembered that incident clearly. At the time, he believed he was destined to die and could safely reverse time back to the beginning. That unleashed the desires buried deep within him. In other words, he was a frightening type of person—once powerless, he would become brazen and uncontrollable.

Perhaps, in just a little while, he might pull something on Maki as well.

However, with the blessings and enhancements they had now, even if he truly intended to do something to Shijo Maki, there was no way Hayasaka, who had been dispatched, could stop him.

That said, there was no reason to stop him either. If he genuinely gave his heart to Maki, it might even be a good thing.

"Kaguya-sama, Shijo-sama has started moving. She just left the laundry room, still wearing the shirt from earlier, and is now heading up to the second floor."

Hayasaka's voice suddenly rang through the earphones.

It's starting, isn't it?

Kaguya's expression turned serious. She straightened her posture slightly, her emotions stirring faintly. Even she couldn't quite explain the feeling surrounding the situation about to unfold.

...

Click—

A pair of pale feet clad in slippers slowly ascended the stairs.

Her clothes were mostly dry now and just needed a little more airing out. Without rushing to change, Shijo Maki decided to head upstairs to figure out why Takakai had been deliberately avoiding her.

"Oh, your clothes are dry now?"

But as soon as she reached the second floor, a voice came from one of the rooms, followed by Takakai's calm tone.

Maki walked toward the source of the voice, pushed open the door, and saw Takakai sitting in a computer chair. He had one leg crossed over the other, his hands resting on his lap, and the computer screen in front of him displayed a vast grassland wallpaper. He turned to look at her with an entirely normal expression.

"Still haven't changed? By now, your clothes should be dry. Otherwise, you might catch a cold."

From Takakai's face, Maki couldn't discern anything unusual.

He wasn't doing something shady, was he?

She remembered hearing from friends that if you approached a guy and saw his computer screen showing the default wallpaper, there was a good chance he'd just done something he didn't want anyone to know about. At that moment, all it took was checking the trash bin next to the computer to see if there were tissues thrown in. If there were, he did something; if not, he didn't.

Although she wasn't entirely sure what "shady" things referred to here, Maki instinctively moved closer and glanced at the trash bin by the computer.

There was nothing inside.

Hmm, so there's nothing to worry about, right?

With that thought, Maki felt a bit relieved.

"Mostly dry, but it still needs a little more airing out. I hung it on the drying rack in the laundry room; I'll go down and change later."

As she spoke, Maki's gaze swept around the room before she sat down on the single bed behind Takakai.

Takakai's eyes shifted slightly.

This situation was a bit tense.

Initially, he had planned to find some "materials" to resolve things, but before he could complete his "path to enlightenment," this girl had come upstairs, forcing him to hastily close the webpage. Now he didn't even dare sit up straight.

"Uh, actually, how should I put it, Kai-kun, about surviving the Shirakawa Apartment... I think I should thank you."

Unaware of the thoughts swirling in Takakai's mind, Maki hesitated for a moment before finally speaking softly.

"Thank me? No, our survival was the result of everyone's joint efforts. Thanking one person or attributing credit to just one isn't fair."

Takakai cleared his throat lightly, responding seriously while unconsciously glancing at her.

Ah, after she sat down, the curves of her legs became even more alluring.

The shirt covered the upper thighs, but the smooth, fair skin below was exposed, extending all the way up to the base of her thighs.

Her small feet, just removed from the slippers, were beautiful, looking as if they could fit perfectly in his palm. And those calves—they seemed like they'd feel incredibly satisfying to touch.

Cough, cough, no, this wasn't right. Now wasn't the time for this. He needed to calm down and use his brain to control his body!

Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down—

At that moment, Takakai was doing his utmost to regulate his emotions.

Completely Unaware, Maki Slightly Shifted Her Hips and Legs Before Softly Continuing:

"I feel like I still should thank you. Thank you for putting your trust in me."

"For the first time, I was treated sincerely by a guy. Honestly, it made my heart race a little, and I didn't know how to respond."

"Moreover, although it's true that we survived thanks to everyone's efforts, among all of us, weren't you the one under the most pressure? Kai-kun, I think that alone is something you should be proud of. From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you, Kai-kun."

For someone as reserved as Maki, saying such words undoubtedly required immense courage.

But in this moment, with no one else around—just her and Takakai facing each other—the girl felt as if her heart had gained a small dose of bravery.

Hearing Maki's heartfelt words of gratitude, her understanding and empathy toward the pain he endured during those countless resets, Takakai fell silent. A storm of emotions surged within him, burning fiercely, almost uncontrollable.

It felt as though, on either side of him, two miniature versions of himself had appeared: a devil Takakai and an angel Takakai.

[Hurry up! Kiss her! Just kiss her already! Do it! Just Do It!]

The devil Takakai on the left jabbed his pitchfork and yelled.

[Go further—strip her down! Show her your strength!]

The angel Takakai on the right drew a sword and made a declaration of resolve.

[Kiss her lips, lick her neck, leave your mark all over her body! Don't stop until she's completely yours!]

The devil Takakai howled frantically, eventually collapsing onto the ground, pointing forward with one trembling finger.

[Make her blush, make her pregnant, and let her bear your child! She's the first step in your journey to becoming the Harem King! Once this step is complete, my mission... will be fulfilled!]

The angel Takakai shouted with unwavering determination, foaming at the mouth as he too collapsed.

Wait a second—why are these two so theatrical? Isn't their imagination a little over the top?... No, this is clearly a scene playing out in my own head, so does that mean the problem lies with me?

At this moment, Takakai's thoughts were in utter chaos.

He slowly stood up, tugged down the hem of his shirt, adjusted his pants, and stood still for a moment. Then, running a hand through his hair and scratching his nose, he paused briefly before walking over to Maki and sitting down beside her.

Bang!

The small single bed shook slightly under the sudden motion.

"E-Eh, w-what's going on?"

Startled by Takakai's abrupt action, Maki instinctively clamped her legs together and awkwardly shifted to the side.

"Nothing, umm... I just suddenly felt like being a little closer to you."

Takakai lowered his head, coughed lightly, and spoke slowly.

"I see..."

Sensing something odd in the atmosphere, Maki subtly edged further away, her face gradually turning red.

What is this? What's happening right now?

Why does Kai-kun suddenly feel a little strange? No, this feeling... I've experienced it before. Back when he got burned, and I applied ointment for him, and then he grabbed my hand to confess… the atmosphere was just like this.

"Um, I think I'll go check on the clothes dow—ehh?"

Maki, flustered and looking for an excuse to leave, tried to stand up, but her wrist was gently held by Takakai, pulling her back into her seat.

Then, Takakai scooted closer by two more steps, narrowing the distance between them to an almost intimate level.

"I've received your thanks," he said softly. "But I also want to thank you, Maki. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would've had the strength to persevere to the very end. To me, you're like someone who saved me from the darkness."

Taking a deep breath, Takakai looked up, his gaze serious and locked onto Maki's.

"Ugh, it's strange to talk about this again..."

Maki, who had instinctively started to shrink back, suddenly remembered Takakai's actions in the final, critical moment. Her eyebrows knitted together, and her demeanor shifted from passive to assertive.

"But no, now I think about it, that reminds me!—Kai-kun, that last time, you went to save oba-sama but pushed me through the door first. I haven't settled that score with you yet!"

Takakai froze for a moment, his energy deflating slightly. He instinctively let go of her hand, but Maki immediately grabbed his wrist instead.

"Why did you push me? Did you think I couldn't do anything to help?"

Leaning forward slightly, Maki fixed her gaze intently on him.

"Of course not. I just wanted to make sure you could get out, at the very least. My actions then were almost instinctual. No matter what, I didn't want to make a mistake at the final moment. If nothing else could be done, I wanted to guarantee your survival. I'm sorry—I didn't consider your feelings at the time."

Takakai scratched his head, embarrassed, and softly apologized.

"What's that supposed to mean! Don't do that again, okay? If we're going to face hardships together, don't pull something like that. If I'm the only one who survives, I won't be happy about it. What I want is for us to overcome things together, Kai-kun. Do you understand?"

Maki took a deep breath, her amethyst-brown eyes shining with determination.

Takakai was momentarily stunned by the resolute look in her eyes. Then, unexpectedly, he let out a small chuckle, as though some burden in his heart had been lifted.

"What are you laughing at? I'm being serious here!"

Maki muttered disapprovingly, clearly dissatisfied with his strange behavior. Then she noticed Takakai lowering his head and suddenly leaning in close to her.

"I'm laughing because I realized… I really like everything about you, Maki. Your looks, your body, your personality, even your temperamental moods. I can't find a single thing about you that I dislike. What I like... is all of you."

His voice was like a secret whisper.

The warmth of his breath drew closer.

Before she could react, it was too late.

Their lips met, exchanging warmth.

"Mmm…"

Maki let out a soft, startled sound, immediately leaning back and turning her head away. Her cheeks flushed red, the color quickly spreading across her entire face.

A kiss.

Once again. With this guy.

"What are you doing… something like this…"

She wanted to get angry, but she couldn't muster the rage.

She wanted to play along, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

In the end, the words that came out sounded less like a reprimand and more like a pout.

"If you're scared, just close your eyes."

Takakai leaned in closer again, calmly saying those words. Their foreheads touched, their breaths mingling once more.

Maki shivered slightly, but in the end, she obediently closed her eyes. Slowly.

The second kiss.

This time, their lips pressed together more firmly than before.

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(69k words have been omitted.)

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But after that moment, Maki's petite feet kicked out, pushing forcefully against Takakai's chest.

"That's why I said stop it already—!!!"

The next moment, Takakai was sent flying into the air, in Gomen Amanai pose, hit the wall and fall down in Yamcha ga shinda pose.

Breathing heavily, Maki sprang to her feet and bolted out of the room.

Only then did Takakai snap out of his daze, staring blankly at his surroundings. Realization dawned upon him that, in her moment of confusion, he had overstepped a boundary.

Ah… it seems… I messed up.

(Note: No seggs for you, muahahahaha.)