Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

“What kind of clothes should I wear when going out with a girl?”

That evening, after making a certain promise with Asami-senpai and returning home from the club room, this unusual worry kept lingering in the Novelist’s mind.

This meant that, in the seventeenth year of his steady yet eventful life, his youth was finally reaching its rose-colored beginning—probably.

—Tomorrow, he would be going out with a high school girl. And she was his club senpai.

In short, this was a date.

“Ah… right, at times like this, maybe I should ask someone for advice?”

But this seemingly most advantageous option was passed over from the start. Regrettably, since coming to this country, he hadn’t made any close male friends, so he couldn’t ask nonexistent people for advice.

Of course, asking his female housemates what kind of style they liked might be another viable option… but the Novelist’s head hadn’t heated up to that point yet. If he really did that, he, who had always maintained a healthy and optimistic mindset, might become the next victim of the suicide incidents! Since this might not be a joke, it was a bit scary.

In any case, he naturally kept it a secret from Miyagi-san and Yayoi that he was going out with another girl tomorrow. Although Miyagi-san had installed surveillance cameras along his usual school routes, there were no such devices in his room or on his person. When dating, the Novelist would obviously choose to avoid his usual places.

Everything was under control. As long as he proceeded cautiously, there wouldn’t be any problems.

In the end, having found no answer by the next morning, the Novelist had no choice but to dress in his usual weekend attire when leaving Amazu Manor at exactly eight o’clock.

“Ah… Landlord-san, you’re up so early today. Where are you headed?”

Upon opening the door, he unsurprisingly saw the female college student crouching outside, preparing to (quietly) slip into his room with her secretly duplicated key.

Even after being caught, she showed no sign of embarrassment. She raised her head to flash the Novelist a cute smile.

Her still-steaming damp hair, different from her usual glamorous, slightly curled long hair, fell softly on her shoulders.

Probably having just finished washing up, not only were her pupils glistening, but her oversized T-shirt clung wetly to her slender figure, with delicate collarbones and a glimpse of fair skin at her chest, where crystalline droplets were still sliding down.

“…Going out to buy some things and relax a bit. Might go somewhere rather far.”

The Novelist recited his prepared lines.

“Hmm~”

Standing up, Miyagi-san’s face showed a somewhat regretful expression.

“Are you secretly going to fool around with another girl behind my back?”

“Yes.”

…Well, that wasn’t hiding it anymore.

“How mean.”

Miyagi-san kicked off her slippers and walked barefoot into the landlord’s room, completely at ease. The college student in her denim shorts and T-shirt flopped onto his bed with a “Hey~”

“…Miyagi-san, no classes today?”

“I haven’t felt like going out lately, so I asked a friend to report me absent and just skipped~”

Their daily conversation continued.

“I’ll rest in Landlord-san’s room for a bit… Don’t worry, I won’t leave any traces of mischief.”

So you’re still planning to do something!

“…Well then, I’m heading out.”

“Come back soon~”

…

As the Novelist was about to go downstairs, he saw Yayoi standing at the end of the hallway balcony, watering potted plants with a watering can.

The air was thick with moisture. The spraying water streams and misty droplets in mid-air refracted sunlight, creating shimmering rainbow bridges.

“You’re both up so early…”

“Liang is the one who’s up too late.”

This point was truly shameful. Whether out of interest or responsibility, in this era’s urban society, working adults who could maintain the habit of rising early were quite remarkable.

Unlike the casually dressed Miyagi-san, Yayoi still wore her conservative kimono, even at home on a rest day. The swaying hem revealed glimpses of her lotus feet in wooden clogs and pure white tabi socks.

“…Liang, come here for a moment.”

The black-haired girl examined him for a while, then beckoned to the Novelist.

“Hm?”

He walked over, somewhat puzzled.

“Your tie is crooked.”

Her delicate hands gently smoothed out the wrinkles at his collar. At such close distance, he couldn’t tell if the subtle fragrance lingering at his nose was flower scent or the young woman’s natural perfume. The calm face of the long-haired ojou-sama had a jade-like luster in the morning sun.

“…About the mass suicide incidents.”

Yayoi suddenly spoke.

“Ah?”

“The police’s attitude toward the incidents is gradually changing. They’re becoming more relaxed in their investigation, treating it more like a routine matter. Something must have happened again.”

“…Is that so.”

The Novelist seemed to sense something. But he remained silent. Before anything was officially confirmed, it wouldn’t be appropriate to mention it to Yayoi.

After bidding farewell to Yayoi, the Novelist left Amazu Manor and took out his phone to check his emails and the time.

…Naturally, his relationship with Asami-senpai hadn’t progressed overnight to the point of dating for romance.

Their current destination was part of “investigating the incidents”—one of the targets Asami-senpai suspected was connected to the “suicide wave.”

For example, the club composed of high school girls (which was essentially more like some kind of new religious group) established by that thick-browed older sister had once been a subject of her suspicion.

The reason was that, among the five people who had committed suicide in the hotel during the second incident, one girl who had dropped out of school and engaged in compensated dating had been a member of that club.

Asami-senpai had infiltrated the group to gather information, spending over a week there. She had now confirmed that the organizers were indeed unrelated to the incidents.

According to police reports, similar groups, organizations, and individuals kept emerging. As the phenomenon itself had gained national attention and was becoming something of a trend lately, it was natural for troublemakers to appear.

However, so far, they had all been insignificant figures.

What she had asked the Novelist to investigate was the last remaining—

The most likely target.

An offline meeting, spontaneously organized by members of an anonymous suicide volunteer forum.

TL Note: Yahoo!! It’s been quite some time since I picked this up and I have now translated 100 chaps. If you like this novel please leave a review on novelupdates, I will be attaching a link to that. For every review there will be a new chapter released going ahead. Please leave a comment here and going forward on the latest chap you’ve read when publishing a review so that I can keep a count of the bonus chaps.

https://www.novelupdates.com/series/romantic-troubles-of-duanmu-kun/