OKOSHI ─ jojolion.

006 | young heir's curse.

★ . . . MY FAMILY FORTUNE HAS NEVER had a clear line of succession," you began.

Joshu butted in immediately. "I can't hear you. Talk louder."

"It's never been clear who would inherit my family fortune," you said, slightly louder. "It went from my great-grandfather to—"

"What are you mumbling for? Got a lisp or something?" Joshu shrivelled under the glares thrown his way.

"My great-grandfather was the first patriarch of the L/N family," you ground out. It was hard enough sorting through everything in your head without Joshu interrupting every other sentence. "My grand aunt inherited the fortune after his death, and then my uncle. Everyone in my family has a stake in the L/N fortune, but there's always been an heir to inherit and protect it."

Your skin prickled under the weight of everyone's stares. You found it easier to focus on your indistinct reflection in the wide windows than look at any one person.

"Up until a few years ago, my cousin was the heir apparent. But things happened. She couldn't inherit the fortune. At that point, I was too young to inherit and so my other cousin stepped forward." You swallowed. "He also had to step down.

"Evidently, inheriting the L/N fortune isn't as straightforward as it should be. It would be easy to chalk it up to familial disputes and legality, but the truth is ... my family was put under a curse."

The word curse left your mouth in a tangle. It slithered out over the dining table, a bunch of sounds that made no sense, in this shiny mansion or anywhere else for that matter. The Higashikatas didn't react right away, then emotions leaked across their faces.

Disbelief from Hato and Daiya. Confusion from Mitsuba and disdain from Joshu. Norisuke was pensive and Tsurugi wasn't even paying attention, folding triangles into her dinner napkin. A strange shadow crossed over Josuke's face and he looked almost ... angry. You looked to Karera for a bit of moral support and she gave you a tight-lipped smile.

Joshu snorted. "You're telling me that's what the brand on your hand is about? Uh, yeah, the burn story was more believable."

Norisuke frowned. "Be quiet, Joshu."

"A curse?" Hato repeated. "How is that possible? Like some kind of magic?"

"Oh, it's like something out of an anime," Daiya gushed. She grabbed your arm. "You're like the main protagonist!"

You didn't feel anywhere close to that but you appreciated the sentiment.

"My great-grandfather couldn't hold onto anything," you said. "He lost his family at a young age and all of his worldly possessions not long after that. No matter how hard he worked, he just couldn't make money. He couldn't keep a job or a house or even food. He had nothing. For years, he survived on temple offerings and scraps, until finally, my great-grandfather couldn't bear it any longer. He climbed to the highest point in the Morioh area and struck a deal with the mountain gods.

"My great-grandfather and the rest of descendants would want for nothing. They would come into possession of a grand fortune that would never run dry. In exchange, my great-grandfather and any of his descendants who wanted to be heir to the fortune would have a month before their nineteenth birthday to find their true love. Otherwise—" the words caught in your throat. Even now, you couldn't say it out loud.

The silence that descended over the dining room was suffocating. You looked from person to person, feeling even worse now than you had before you'd started talking. Only Karera met your gaze, with the same half-smile she'd worn when you'd first told her about all of this.