Mob Yandere

[Part 1/4]

The center of the country was once again filled with the usual hustle and bustle today.

Along the main street of Fusō-kuni, hundreds of different shops lined up, with people and cars constantly coming and going. Even as shadows of hardship and chaos crept into the countryside, this city, blessed with the most fertile land in the country, showed a lively scene that seemed almost unreal. It was as if they were celebrating true or false prosperity...

"..."

In a corner of the bustling city, at the Dango Tea House facing the main street, the girl had been waiting for a long time.

With a cheap cup of tea and a single stick of Dango that had neither sweet sauce nor red bean paste, she occupied an outside seat with the minimum order. She simply stared blankly at the scenery...

She must be waiting for someone. It was obvious from her demeanor. But that was the way of customers. The shop had its own rules. The business owner had no obligation to provide benefits beyond the payment made by the customer.

"I guess it can't be helped..."

How long had it been? Maybe a little over an hour? Honestly, the girl working at the tea house wanted to leave soon due to the shop's turnover rate. Finally, she lost her patience and decided to approach the customer.

But it was in vain. The next moment, her eyes widened with joy as she smiled, eating the Dango and sipping her tea. She left the payment on the table and hurriedly ran off.

The tea house girl couldn't help but follow the simple-looking customer with her eyes. The girl, who had been a customer, dashed into the noisy street, avoiding the people, horses, and cars as she made her way across.

In the midst of all the commotion, she accidentally bumped into a well-dressed woman, probably a noble, and quickly apologized. Still, she didn't stop walking. Before she could be scolded for too long, she slipped away with the flow of people... and finally reached her destination.

"...!!"

"!? ...!!"

Just as she got close, the girl eagerly hugged a man. Amidst the noise, even without hearing their voices, it was clear from a glance that they were very close. The bold action of the seemingly serious country girl hinted at their deep relationship.

The tea house girl, who wanted to get married but had no partner, couldn't help but click her tongue in jealousy.

That made sense. The girl, smiling widely and exchanging words, was hugging someone whose outfit, while not extravagant, was still quite impressive.

He looked like a young man, a few years older than her, possibly a low-ranking official. They chatted and disappeared into a side street across the busy road.

Damn, he seemed like a pretty good catch, not too high of a standard. If he worked in the palace, there wouldn't be worries about his salary.

"I wish he would just use her and throw her away..."

The tea house girl let out a curse, born from jealousy. It wasn't serious, but it wasn't a joke either. It wasn't uncommon for a naive country girl to be played with and discarded by a city man.

The tea house girl knew stories of girls who ended up with illegitimate children, only to find out that the man had a proper fiancée and couldn't even become a mistress, being cast aside instead. In a tea house on the main street of the city, there was no shortage of whispers and rumors about such scandals.

"Huh? We won't allow that, you know?"

"Excuse me?"

The tea house girl couldn't help but glance at a corner of the customer area, reacting to the unexpected curse. Two suspicious men with hidden faces, who were sitting in a corner, stood up.

"That's it. The surface seems fine, but he seems shallow. The problem lies beneath the skin."

"That's right. We'll see if he is truly worthy."

The conversation between the two customers, who exuded a serious atmosphere, left the tea house daughter wondering. What's going on? Do they have weapons? Is this going to turn violent?

"Of course not. I won't draw my sword unless something serious happens. Besides, with his pale skin, I could kill him with my bare hands!"

The customer, as if reading the tea house girl's mind, smiled viciously, showing their wild side. Wait, are they going to kill him?

"Not to that extent... If he treats Suzune well, that's enough. As long as he is honest and doesn't do anything unfair, that's all I need."

The other customer spoke in a more restrained manner. However, he didn't mention what would happen if things didn't work out. The tea house daughter had questions, but she decided not to ask. She just wanted them to leave quickly, as their presence was intimidating and the customers were starting to flee.

"Why...?"

As the teacup shattered, a trembling whisper was heard. All three of them turned around to see an unknown young girl wearing a well-made kimono and a kasa hat. The young girl was shocked, speechless, and her eyes were wide open. She didn't even notice the broken teacup that had fallen from her hands.

"What...? He promised to make me his wife. What? Why? Why...? This can't be..."

The young girl's muttering sounded like delirium as she watched the two figures, especially the man, disappear. Her expression showed that she couldn't believe what she had seen. What is this girl's true identity?

No, based on her mutterings, some assumptions can be made. Iruka had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

"...Iruka?"

After being stunned by the intruder's presence, Iruka sensed an unusual aura from her side, a rough and powerful youkai-like energy. She called out to her friend, her voice trembling with fear and hesitation.

"...Yes, he's a worthless scoundrel. I'll teach him a lesson."

Her best friend made an immediate decision and declared her intention.

* * *

Suzune and Yukine, the maid of the Hotoya family, were invited by a young man to the town's inn street. To be more precise, they arrived at the street where middle-class inns were lined up.

"This area is quite expensive, isn't it?"

"My master provides an allowance. Plus, it's not easy to stay at the noble's mansion."

Suzune was concerned about the price, but the young man smiled and spoke to her. He didn't go into details, but his position in his master's household was not stable at all.

The young man was recommended for a low-level position at the county office because he could read and write. During his work, he noticed an error in the ledger and pointed out the fraudulent case of a dishonest merchant.

As a result, he was favored by his master, a lower-ranked noble, and promoted to a direct subordinate. It was a great success and a complete turnaround in his life.

Successful people are always envied and disliked. There is also the issue of social status. Even though his master treated him well, it didn't mean that the long-serving retainers in the household accepted him.

In fact, the more the master favored him, the more it might have had a negative effect.

If one adds to that, it was bad that he caught the attention of his master's youngest daughter. She was too young to help with household duties and probably wouldn't inherit much of the family wealth.

So, even though the young man was liked by her, he couldn't find any advantage in it. On top of that, people around him suspected he had ambitions to rise in status, which was quite troublesome.

If he were to marry, he wanted to aim for someone as wise and wealthy as possible. Even marriage was just a card he could use to rise to higher positions.

In that sense, he was unwilling and disappointed in his position in the household he served. He had to somehow maintain an appropriate distance. If he were to marry, he thought he should aim for someone smart and wealthy.

To him, marriage was just a card to help him climb higher. In that sense, his position in the household felt somewhat unsatisfactory and unfair. He needed to find a way to keep a proper distance.

So, he requested to serve from the inn. Since his master didn't have a mansion in the capital and was living on land provided by a noble family, it was better for him to have fewer retainers living in the mansion.

He was also vaguely aware of some friction with the old retainers. Therefore, his The request was easily approved. For the young man, the rented room at the inn was a free world where he didn't have to worry about others watching him.

If anything, inviting Yukine like this would have been impossible in the cramped shared house with the old retainers...

"That said, my boss doesn't have unlimited money. I can't choose a fancy inn... And when you're serving at the palace, it's just how it is, right?"

Even though it's food at the inn, it's not like you can get 3 meals a day properly as a busy court attendant. Lunch is at the noble house, and when you get home late at night, the dinner prepared for you is surely cold.

He has to wash his clothes by himself, regardless of the futon. The problem is that he can't find the time to do it since he has to work overtime and bring his own clothes to the rented room.

"Is it me you're looking for?"

"Yeah. So, Can you do me a favor?"

It might be considered a cruel act to burden Yukine, who is free from work, with chores without pay. It's a waste of her free time. But...

"Of course! You don't have to be so polite."

Yukine looks up at the young man with a gentle smile. With her head tilted up, as she is much shorter than him, she gazes at him with a loving expression.

Her smile, devoid of any hint of dissatisfaction, takes the young man aback, and he exhales deeply, his eyes wide. He stares at her through his glasses, and a moment of silence passes before he speaks his request.

"...Right. Have you prepared that thing I asked for?"

"Of course I have! Look, I brought plenty!"

Yukine unfolds the wrapping cloth, revealing a wooden bento box. A glimpse inside shows ingredients that have been slowly simmered and soaked in broth, filling the box to the brim.

Yukine's confident, playful smile shows how much this taste of home means to her.