ãIroha-chan, Ogu-chan! Iâm glad you got some candy~!ã
ãJust kill me!ã
Daughter-chan peeked into the basket full of candy with a big smile.
Next to her, Angu Ogu was covering her face.
ãHaha, Ogu? If youâre going to do it, you need to go all out. Thatâs why you need a retakeã
ãItâs your fault for butting in from the side!ã
ãOh really~? By the way, I recorded that. Should I show it to A-nee?ã
ãP-Please, anything but that!ã
I was teasing Angu Ogu. It was payback for what she did earlier.
Playing pranks on her might be kind of fun.
It seems that I, too, am getting caught up in the Halloween spirit.
ãIroha-chan, Ogu-chan, letâs go! Next house!ã
With Daughter-chan pulling our hands, we went door to door.
Our baskets were quickly filled with candy.
At first, Angu Ogu and I argued about who would go first, but we soon got used to taking turns.
And then, we arrived at the next house.
ãHmm?ã
The yard here looks a bit neglected.
But Daughter-chan, already in high spirits, eagerly went ahead.
ãIroha-chan, Ogu-chan, hurry up!ã
ãO-Okayã
Uh, itâs my turn next.
Well, thereâs a pumpkin-colored light at the door. If itâs no good, we can just leave.
Thinking that, I rang the doorbell.
In the next instant, the door burst open with a bangâ¦
ãTrick orâã
ãYou damn brats are so annoying! Do you want to get killed!? Huh!?ã
ã!?ã
The man who came out yelled at me from close range, and I froze.
But I wasnât scared⦠not at all! I was completely fine.
I guess Iâm used to it by now.
Though itâs probably not a good thing to be used to.
ãOh, come onã
But suddenly shouting is really something I wish heâd stop. Itâs surprising and hurts my ears.
While I was thinking leisurely like that, I saw the Secret Service moving in my peripheral vision.
âAh. Weâre fine hereâ
I sent them that message.
Judging the situation is second nature to me. This guy isnât even a real villain. Truly dangerous people have a different aura.
But still, I didnât want any more trouble.
As I tried to quickly leave with Angu Ogu, she stepped in between me and the man.
What is she doing!?
ãO-Ogu!?ã
Itâs dangerous, get back quickly⦠I was about to say.
Angu Ogu turned around and gripped my hand tightly.
ãI-Iroha. Itâs okay, donât worry. I will definitely protect youã
She gave a shaky smile.
Her hand was trembling.
Is Ogu⦠scared?
No, of course, she is.
Sheâs just a normal girl.
Unlike me, she hasnât been caught up in numerous incidents and gotten used to it.
She doesnât have the luxury of being indifferent, thinking âthere are bodyguards if things get bad.â
ãOguâ¦ã
It might be more intense for her.
Precisely because sheâs heavily guarded, she has fewer experiences like this.
Even though she must be scared.
She was desperately trying to protect me.
ã?ã
Huh? I put my hand on my chest.
My heart was pounding.
Why did it suddenly start racing now, when it was fine before?
Was I really scared and just didnât realize it? Or maybeâ¦
I squeezed Angu Oguâs hand back.
Our palms were sweaty. Whether from her nervousness or my rising body temperature, I wasnât sure.
Seeing this, Papa-san stepped in to intervene.
He hugged the surprised and frozen Daughter-chan and saidâ¦
ãItâs Halloween today. No matter what bad things happened to you, thatâs no way to treat little kidsã
ãS-Shut up!ã
Seeing Papa-sanâs build, the man hesitated a bit.
But hearing Papa-sanâs next words, he grinned wickedly.
ãAnd isnât it unreasonable to tell people to stay away while having a âJack-oâ-lanternâ lamp at your door?ã
ãHahaha! Hey, take a good look. Whereâs the Jack-oâ-lantern? Tell me, huh!?ã
ãWell, there, seeã
Papa-san pointed.
It was just an orange lamp that looked similar.
ãWhereâs the Jack-oâ-lantern, huh?ã
This guy must have done it on purpose.
He intended to lure kids over and take out his frustrations on them.
Truly despicable.
Papa-san frowned.
ãIf you donât want visitors, why not turn off your porch light?ã
ãOh, come on. After your mistake, youâre lecturing me? Why should I cater to damn kids!?ã
ãButâã
ãAnnoying! Just get lost! Donât come back again! Iâll let you off this time!
Hahaha!ã
The man laughed crudely. Guys like him are everywhere.
Thereâs no real harm. Best to avoid and forget him.
ãâOuch!?ã
Angu Ogu let out a short scream. The man had slammed the door shut with great force.
The door grazed her.
ãâ¦?ã
Sorry, I take back what I said.
This guy needs to be taught a lesson.