Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Epilogue: And So Begins This Romantic Comedy

Tendrils of vine stretched across the windowsill, survivors from an old abandoned flowerpot now painted in glittering hues by the setting sun’s afterglow.

Time had slipped away again.

Duanmu Liang set aside the notebook that had been resting on his crossed legs and gazed quietly out the window.

The occasional flutter of birds’ wings broke the silence. Among falling feathers, a spark of light descended.

“‘Minerva’s owl takes flight in the twilight.’ Only in these quiet witching hours can I lose myself in thought—about fate, past justice, the division of two worlds, you and me… Yes, I’ll end the story with these words.”

He tapped at the keyboard, entering the final characters into the blank document. After closing the laptop, the novelist stretched and stared at the mottled ceiling.

“Come to think of it, we’re supposed to have a new tenant today. Perhaps I should properly welcome them.”

Though he muttered these words, he showed no intention of moving, sprawling lazily on the tatami.

At that moment, a faint sound drifted up from downstairs.

Something seemed to be repeatedly colliding with the stairs as it dragged upward.

Could it be the new tenant?

Since they’d only communicated online, he didn’t even know their gender.

*

“Ah…! Landlord-san, you’re here after all! Would you mind helping me out?”

Sweat glistened faintly on Miyagi-san’s beautiful face as she flashed a cheerful smile at Duanmu Liang.

“Good evening, Miyagi-san.”

The novelist leaned against the window, teacup in one hand while propping his chin with the other, tilting his head as he watched her.

“Yes, hello there.”

She responded with a radiant smile.

“By the way, what’s that behind you?”

He pointed at something that had caught his attention.

A large plastic bag sat at Miyagi’s feet, its contents indiscernible.

“It’s a corpse I found by the roadside… Just kidding! Actually, it’s just some new bedding and cushions I bought.”

“…I see.”

He gulped down his coffee in one go.

The young man collected himself before speaking.

“Anyway, why are you here again? And you’re talking to me like nothing happened!”

…

“Well… I want to keep living here.”

Miyagi-san quickly made her way along the corridor to the window, her footsteps light.

So you’re the new tenant!

More than gender, this was the worst possible outcome from the start. Come to think of it…

She’s too close. Way too close.

Does this woman not understand personal space?

“There aren’t any other tenants, the rooms have good lighting, and it’s close to school. It would be hard to find a better place than this…”

“I refuse.”

“We can negotiate the rent!”

“…It’s not about the rent.”

The novelist subtly leaned backward.

“It’s like how regular stores wouldn’t let suspicious-looking people inside, right?”

“Wow! I get what you mean… but that comparison is too harsh!”

“Anyway, Miyagi-san, you should also feel uncomfortable about getting too close to others.”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

The smile faded from the girl’s face.

“At university, even though I have normal friends, I’ve never let them find out about my connections to abnormal criminals and the underground world.”

Some things bring danger just by knowing about them. Once people living in the everyday world cross that boundary, they can easily be drawn into nightmares, their minds and bodies potentially facing destruction.

“So then…”

“But you’re different, Landlord-san. To me, you’re not the same. Even though I thought it would be better not to drag you into this, I just… couldn’t bear it. Even after leaving, these feelings haven’t weakened at all.”

As she spoke these words, an unusual iridescence flickered in the depths of Miyagi Aki’s pupils.

…

Eh… eh…?

W-what does that mean?

“I like you.”

As if noticing his confusion, Miyagi-san answered straightforwardly.

A sudden fastball—

“Cough… cough cough!”

He choked on his coffee.

“What are you s-saying!”

“I like you.”

He had never seen such a serious expression before.

She advanced toward him with incredible intensity.

Until their noses were almost touching.

…

Of course, even so, the novelist’s face didn’t redden at all, his heart maintained its normal rate, and his breathing didn’t become rapid. This level wasn’t enough to shake his resolve. All of the above was a lie.

“Um… th-that…”

He tried desperately to calm his mind.

“How should I put this… I thought you’d spend your life with some mentally unstable person, manipulating and monitoring them from behind the scenes to satisfy your interests. Getting your ending by sending them to prison, or having them killed by another murderer. If they weren’t completely broken, you might rescue them from someone else’s hands and continue your nominal marriage relationship…”

…Whoa! Whoa!

What am I saying?

Due to his extremely confused state of mind, his words had gone far beyond the realm of “rude.”

Saying such chaotic things to a girl who had just confessed to him—he wouldn’t blame her if she slapped him.

However, Miyagi-san didn’t raise her hand, only shaking her head slightly.

“To use an analogy, I do really like fugu. But I definitely wouldn’t date a fugu-person, right?”

…What unknown creature is a fugu-person?

“Though, if I hadn’t met you, Landlord-san, I might have really tried living with some thrill-killer or other fugu out of interest. Like those people who keep pets to ward off loneliness when they have no family or relatives.”

Miyagi-san casually spoke of things that sounded more terrifying than serial killers.

“But now, it’s different.”

“Because—”

The girl’s voice trailed off. Caught up in the atmosphere, he couldn’t help but swallow.

“Th-that…”

…What is it?

After a moment of silence, the girl turned her head slightly, her eyes seemingly unable to meet his. Her profile was as red as the sunset clouds, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.

Why did she suddenly become shy!

She just confessed so boldly a moment ago—

A deep breath.

She took another deep breath.

“…I like you.”

Miyagi-san quietly spoke the words.

She didn’t seem to waste any more breath explaining her feelings, simply gazing at him silently.

“Please go out with me.”

…

…He easily caught the gentle fastball she had thrown, and now he was thinking about how to return it.

The girl’s flushed cheeks, her glistening eyes, her anxious yet expectant, worried expression. It was continuously reinforcing the impression she had left in his memory.

When God created this person, the amount of “cuteness” poured in must have been overwhelmingly abundant. It was already overflowing into his heart.

His heart was pounding.

She was shy, yet brave.

Independent and proactive. Always acting straightforwardly according to her heart’s desires. Setting aside the dangerous nature of her interests, he actually greatly respected Miyagi-san.

She had always faced him directly.

Faced “me.”

So, there was no way he could respond with a frivolous or indifferent attitude anymore.

After a month had passed.

Amazu Manor once again welcomed the sunset.

And—

A fated encounter between people.

A Boy-Meets-Girl story unrelated to justice.

A double world of ordinary and extraordinary.

And.

The words that would become the beginning of a romantic comedy.

Faced with a first confession from a girl he had always harbored good feelings for, the young novelist’s response was—

…

…

“I’m sorry, but I refuse.”

—

Translator’s Notes:
– “Witching hour” (逢魔之時) refers to twilight/dusk in Japanese folklore
– The Minerva’s owl reference alludes to Hegel’s famous quote about wisdom coming at dusk
– In this context, fugu (河豚 – pufferfish) is being used as a metaphor with multiple layers of meaning:
1. Fugu is a Japanese delicacy that’s famously dangerous – the pufferfish contains lethal toxins and must be prepared by specially licensed chefs. One wrong cut can be fatal.
2.When she says “河豚人” (fugu-person), she’s creating a darkly humorous comparison between dangerous people and the poisonous fish, suggesting that while both might be interesting to observe or study, neither would make a good romantic partner.