UWA! The Path To Creating A Light Novel Is Riddled With Starlight And Honeycomb!

Chapter 4

I run out of town, immediately regretting that I didn't eat any of the prepared food. I don't want to go back. I'm hoping to find something a bit tastier up the mountain, like a secret garden of fruit trees, maybe.

... I wonder if the universe is under my influence as well?

“Oh woe is me! If only I had something, anything tasty to eat!”

Nothing falls out of the sky, no one appears with strawberry shortcake.

Guess the universe must be cursed, too.

After what seems like hours of steep, uphill hiking, I come to a small cove, where a tiny waterfall trickles from the rocks.

Maybe I should take a bath, I haven't had the chance to since- well- before I left home, and I don't think the village has the facilities for it...

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” A voice sounds behind me. I turn to see Fenris, fishing gear in hand. “This is what I get for taking the scenic route.”

Should I confront him about the curse? Or should I pretend not to know? I’m faced with someone who might hate me, should I put up a front? Nee-san was the only one who could see through me before, but could Fenris be fooled into believing... whatever lies I told about myself? Something inside me shook its head. Something inside wants to be real with this stranger, if only to see how it all turns out.

Something inside me wants something REAL, and now I have the chance to get it. Either real friendship, or real human interaction, even negative interaction. I don't want to lie. I want something real.

“So you’re a werewolf, right?”

He drops his fishing pole, and the tackle box hits the stone next to it with a loud clatter. I gave no indication in my tone of anything but curiosity, so he doesn’t lunge forward to attack, but he IS intrigued.

“Of course not, who gave you that idea?!” He demands, staring me down. His gaze is intense, I can see an emotion unknown to me in his eyes. Have I seen it before? I think it’s anger.

“I’ll tell you about my curse if you tell me about yours.” I sit at the water’s edge and gesture for him to join me. He doesn’t. “I’ll go first. I’m Marisue, and my family has been cursed to be loved by everyone.”

“How the hell is that a curse?” Fenris folds his arms across his chest.

I have to bite my lip, because I think if I open my mouth every horror I’ve seen will spill out. I don’t want to think about what happened.

I swallow hard. “It... is a curse that gets a lot of people killed. I’m currently trying to avoid that. I don’t suppose you know how to get rid of a family curse?” I have a feeling I already know the answer. He wouldn’t be here if he did.

“I... no. Do you?” I shake my head.

“I asked the elder, but I don’t know enough of the curse’s history to try and find the power that bestowed it.” I make direct eye contact, a challenge. “And you? What’s your curse?”

He’s debating whether or not to tell me. He wants to. He hasn’t had anyone he could talk to about this, because they would probably try to kill him if they knew. I, meanwhile, am not afraid. Mainly because I know what he is, and that if he has some special power it won’t affect me.

“Rage. My curse is rage.” He takes a deep breath. He won’t meet my eyes. I’ve won. “Or, maybe I’m just cursed to be a monster. I transform when touched by the full moon’s light. But I’ve also been lost to a blind rage...” He trails off. So he’s lost things to his curse, too.