Chapter 17: Zodiac Lucky Items and Pentarou's Grand Adventure! Part 1‼︎

"Kusuri-senpai, what's your zodiac sign again?"

"Kusuri? Aries! Why d'ya ask?"

"No reason..."

No reason my ass. There's no way Rentarou would ask about zodiac signs "just because." Hell, most people wouldn't. But today's Rentarou is extra wild. That outfit's something else. Maybe cutting-edge fashion...nah, no way anyone would call that getup fashionable.

"More importantly, why the hell are you in swim trunks⁉︎"

"Well...no reason..."

"You running a fever or something⁉︎"

...Just swim trunks and nothing else? Considering he specifically asked about Kusuri-senpai's sign...morning horoscope? Pretty sure Taurus' lucky item today was supposed to be school-issue tight swimwear.

Hmm...plausible. 'Cause that's the only explanation that makes sense! But still...

"Rentarou...even if it's your zodiac lucky item, is wearing JUST that really okay...?"

"Y'know...just felt like it...?"

"Even if it's a lucky item, that's no excuse⁉︎ You've definitely got a fever‼︎"

Bringing it's fine. But did you have to wear it? At least use it as underwear or something...well, technically you can wear whatever. But that desperate move suggests he's hiding something from everyone...or someone specific here. He made eye contact when I mentioned zodiac signs. Why not read his mind? Ugh...too sore today.

...Still, Rentarou in swim trunks might be too much for the girls. They're not used to seeing him like this. I am, though. Hakari and Hahari are straight-up drooling, while Shizuka and Kurumi are bright red. Nano's hard to read but...she's slightly flustered. Karane's in full tsukkomi mode and Kusuri-senpai's unfazed, still puzzled about the zodiac question.

"Speaking of which, Kawaru, why the mummy cosplay?"

"Huh? I kept tripping and banging myself up everywhere. Wrapped bandages 'cause I don't even know where to ice first."

"How many times did you fall to end up like that⁉︎ And just wrapping bandages—"

"About 100 times coming here...gah⁉︎ Scratch that...101 times now."

"Your fall counter won't stop."

"Could set a Guinness record for daily falls."

"That's...Kawaru normally only falls like 50 times a day max...!"

"That's already insane‼︎"

Ugh...today's brutal. This many falls must be the horoscope's fault too. My sign ranked dead last today...

"But can just that cause this much bad luck...?"

"Having Kawaru-chan's lucky item here might've helped..."

Lucky item? Got it right here. Wore it properly like Rentarou did. But this is just...unfair...‼︎

"Why...?! I wore my lucky roller skates like I was supposed to, but this...‼︎"

"That's exactly why you kept falling‼︎‼︎"

"You've been wearing roller skates since morning...?"

"After Rentarou, that barely registers as weird."

After the discussion about Rentarou’s swim trunks and my mummy getup died down, the conversation shifted to a certain character’s keychain toy.

It was Pepepe no Pentarou, the one Kusuri-senpai said her mom got her from a gacha machine while shopping. The one with eyebrows that kinda look like Rentarou’s.

I actually saw it recently too and got obsessed with completing the set. For some reason, it was way harder than I expected, and I didn’t wanna hog one store’s machine, so I spent days going around to like 30 different shops before finally finishing. Ended up blowing nearly tens of thousands of yen in the process.

Because of that, there’s now a shelf in my house with 101 normal Pentarou keychains lined up. I mean, throwing them away would be a waste…! By the way, my favorite is the version where he’s holding his hat in his hand. Without the hat, he looks even more like Rentarou.

Hakari looked kinda interested, and from everyone’s reactions, they definitely saw the resemblance to Rentarou. Maybe I should share some with them. Feels a little unfair for me to hoard this many Pentarou figures all to myself—not like I want to keep them all, anyway.

…Yeah. From now on, whenever Rentarou gets a new girlfriend, I’ll hand them out as part of the welcome package. That should work out nicely…! Might as well give one to Rentarou too. He’d probably love having matching ones with all his girls.

But what the hell is Kusuri-senpai doing? She’s got the figure in hand, crawling around, lightly tapping it against the ground… Huh? Wait. Is she… playing with it?

Playing with dolls. I remember doing that in both my past life and this one when I was little. I threw all those old dolls away, though. They just remind me of the happiness I lost in this life, too.

Not that I’m unhappy now. Honestly, I’m way happier these days. But the memories of spending time with my family in this life… I’m still not ready to look back on those yet.

Well, the wounds’ll heal eventually. And when they do… maybe it’ll be okay to remember.

Anyway, yeah. Dolls kinda hit a sore spot for me. But still…

"Clip-clop, clip-clop… Behold! The grand adventure of Pentarou begins!"

…When you see a grown-ass acquaintance doing it right in front of you, the embarrassment outweighs any trauma.

And so, Pentarou’s grand adventure begins! Clip-clopping along, the first thing Pentarou discovers is a great big mountain—Yoshimoto Shizuka. As he scampers up her arm, book still in hand, she giggles, ticklish.

"[Laughs brightly.]"

Man, her laugh’s something else. Paired with that rare, adorable expression, you won’t hear or see anything like it anywhere else.

After scaling the mountain, Pentarou reaches the summit—Shizuka’s head. Caught off guard by Kusuri-senpai placing the figure there, she freezes for a second, her tiny mouth quirking up cutely.

From the mountaintop, Pentarou spots a giant bird below. Well, technically it’s Shizuka’s book, but let’s go with bird.

"Hop! Gimme a ride, Pen!"

Perched on the bird’s back, Pentarou soars through the sky—thanks to Shizuka flapping the book like wings to keep him airborne.

"Go for it—!"

The two of them scampering around like that is downright precious. Hahari and Rentarou look especially moved, tears in their eyes. Mood.

But disaster strikes—Pentarou plummets from the bird’s back! Is this the end…? Nope. He lands safely on a soft mountain—Hakari’s chest. Had he fallen next to her, he’d have been a goner… What luck.

"Fell on the mountain, not the wasteland… saved!"

"Who’re you callin’ a wasteland, huh?!"

"Ooooh! Karane-chan’s weeds! Lemme see~!!"

"Shut up! Mount Everest over here can scram!"

Damn, that’s a brutal comparison. What’d that make me, then? If Karane’s the wasteland… Hmm. Can’t think of anything on par with a desert or tundra. Moon craters? Nah, too hollowed out. Not that depressed.

"Descend the mountain!"

Anyway, craters aside—Pentarou’s adventure continues! As he climbs down the mountain, though… Yo, Hakari. What’s with that look? Yeah, Pentarou resembles Rentarou, but they ain’t the same! So the thing trekking down your chest right now isn’t him—

"Oh my… a cave…?"

"KNOW WHEN TO STOP!!"

"Uh… are we sure this plotline’s okay?"

"If you think this is fine, then Kurumi-chan’s eyes just went yabai. Your moral compass’s intact, don’t worry."

…Oh hell no. Lifting her skirt like that? Since when was that a cave?! Hakari… you’re the type who shouldn’t be allowed near doll play. What’s your future gonna look like? If your kid ever asks to play dolls, you’re doomed. …Eh, she’ll probably be fine.

"Gah! The Tsukkomi Kaiju Karagon and the Tumbling Alien Kawarun have appeared!!"

"Excuse me?! Who’s a kaiju? WHO?!"

"Tumbling Alien’s just plausible enough to sting…!"

Kawarun, huh? Guess with these mummy bandages, I do look alien. But Kawarun? Sounds off. Like Dorohedoro’s Nikaido or somethin’…

"Karagon—the ultimate tsukkomi beast, annihilator of all jokes, chaos given form!"

"She’s literally just enforcing order."

"Karane’s tsukkomis are the natural order. Even I, a fellow tsukkomi-leaner, occasionally crack jokes."

"YOU’RE 70% JOKES, DUMBASS!!"

Huh? That much? Whatever, forget it. Back to the adventure—blocked by Karagon, with Kawarun (thanks to loose bandages) accidentally cutting off escape. The summoned demon Kusurin fights valiantly, only to get wrecked by Karagon’s "HOW AM I A WALL?!" (Wall Voice).

Now, Pentarou must seek the world’s overseer—Mother AI. With Karagon’s roars as BGM, he visits the demon Kurumin… only to find her starving. Nearly eaten alive, he barely escapes!

A strategically offered Hi-Chew calms Kurumin, letting Pentarou ride her to Mother AI. What trials await him next…?!

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Who knew Kurumi-chan—usually so prickly—would play along with dolls? Though of course she’d move for a Hi-Chew.

Then again, with all my tumbles today, I couldn’t make lunch or give her snacks. Ugh… If only one arm worked…!!