(Un) Fortunately the Yandere is Not After Me

Waiting for Kashimura

Arata returned to the table. His irritation now replaced with a downheartened expression. He wasn't sure how to break the news to his mom. Meanwhile, she was too busy with her conversation with Hine to notice him. Erina did though.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She leaned over to him. They made sure to keep their voice down.

"I've... Got some bad news." He told her. Turns out that his other family members got into a little car accident.

"That sounds terrible, we have to tell her right now." She grabbed his mom's attention without asking for his permission. He would've like to have some time to word this correctly.

"Oh, did you reach your sister?" She turned to them. "What's taking them so long?"

"Well, you see mom." He was nervous, not sure how he should break the news. "The two of them, well they got into a little car accident."

"What?!" She yelled, everyone else in the room jumped at the sudden noise. "What do you mean a little accident?" She was absolutely floored by this. His mom leaped over the table, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. "Are they okay, please tell me that my husband and daughter aren't dead!"

"Mo-mom. Please... Please stop..." He tried to talk as she shook him. This was what he was worried about, that she'd overreact to this news. "Mom, they're fine, it's just the car that's damaged." He told her, once she had calmed down a little.

"Oh thank goodness." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"So will they be able to make it?" Asked Yogi.

"She told me they'll try." Arata explained. "But for now, they just wanted us to enjoy our dinner for now."

"That's terrible news to hear." Said the store owner. "Is there anything special you want me to bring out while you wait?"

"Oh no, we'll hold out for the main meal. Just something small will be okay." She said, believing that he'll make it relatively soon. Arata on the other hand, was wondering how his dad was feeling. He must be pretty devastated that he might not be able to meet this dinner.

"Well, so how are you all doing?" He asked Erina and the others. "I'm sure he'll be here sooner or later. Might as well not dwell on it." This was more for him than anything.

"We're fine." Yuriko answered. By now, their meals had arrived. At least they weren't going to be hungry. Behind him, he didn't notice Hanaka whispering something to Matsu. He did notice her as she got his attention.

"Hey." She got him to turn around. "Matsu has something to tell you." He looked over to her.

"What is... Hey wait a second!"

"Come on, you should smile." She grabbed his cheeks, pulling up his mouth into a smile.

"What, what are you doing?" He was surprised at this sudden action. It was also very hard to talk with her grabbing onto his face. Moving it around as she pleased.

"I know you must be feeling pretty down, so I'm cheering you up."

"This is... Not how you cheer someone up!" He slapped her hands off of him. "Where did you learn something like that?" Arata had seen something like this from an anime. A horror one, of all things.

"Aww, but it always cheers everyone else up." He figured that she meant with the other girls at the gardening club. Kind of thought it was weird they just let her do that, or that they liked it.

"Well that won't work with me, if you wanted to cheer me up. Then tell a joke or something."

"Oh okay, how about this. Why did the chicken-"