OKOSHI ─ jojolion.

011 | heart rotting nightmare.

★ . . . YOUR FIRST WEEK IN MORIOH passed by in that sneaky way that days did when you didn't pay attention.

You went sightseeing with Daiya, which turned out to be surprisingly fun when you had all your memories. Karera took you, unfortunately, to that strip club, which ended in a very inebriated Karera and a few thousand wasted yen. Josuke texted you occasionally to ask how you were doing, and you tolerated Joshu's daily texts until the urge to cause him bodily harm became too much.

You went out as much as you could in an attempt to get to know people. People in Morioh were perfectly nice, but no one seemed very keen to fall head over heels for you. Karera kept telling you that you were putting too much pressure on yourself, but of course she would say that when she didn't know your birthday might also be your death day. Karera probably thought that even if you lost your family fortune, you would still get back on your feet, what with the business ventures and investments your family had. While that could be true, you knew the curse was no joking matter. When the mountain gods said you'd lose your fortune, you would lose your fortune. There would be no way to get it back, otherwise, what made it a curse?

The truth was that the Higashikatas and Karera didn't know half of your family curse. When your great-grandfather had first struck the deal, all it had entailed was for an heir to inherit and protect the fortune at all times. It had gone well enough until your family grew lazy and unaffected. Soon no one wanted the responsibility of heading the family and working to secure relations when they would always have money, no matter what. The current heir died and no one claimed the fortune. A massive financial crash occurred the next day, wiping out all of your family accounts.

Your grand-aunt returned to Morioh to plead with the mountain gods. Why the gods gave your family a second chance, you didn't know. They restored your family fortune and tightened the curse tenfold. This marked the beginning of each heir finding their true love before their nineteenth birthday and dying if they didn't. You supposed it was the gods' way of making sure your family didn't take the fortune for granted. Things from the gods came with a price, and sacrificing yourself for your heart's other half was the price for your fortune. With your uncle in ill health, you couldn't fumble this. All of your cousins were too young to inherit the fortune if your uncle died. The fortune rested on your shoulders. Every time your phone rang, you cringed, knowing it could be your family demanding to hear about your progress.

But even without the curse looming over your head, your lack of game was disheartening. You weren't too bad on the eyes, and you weren't lacking in personality. Why hadn't anyone gone out with you yet? You spent an obscene amount of money in an effort to distract yourself. Little charms and seafood and clothes and touristy knick knacks. Your fortune never ran dry. Might as well make the most of it before it disappeared.

On your second Sunday in Morioh, your vibrating phone woke you up. You ignored it when you saw that it was an unknown number, but the person immediately called a second and third time.

"Good morning, Y/N."

"Who are you? Why are you calling at such an ungodly hour?" you grumbled in an ungodly croak.

"It is not ungodly in the slightest. It is already eight in the morning."

Oh shit. You cleared your throat and rubbed a hand over your face even though they couldn't see you. "Morning, Kei," you said, your voice going from pissed to pleasant in a blink. Couldn't let the cute housekeeper know you were lacking. "Nice to hear from you. What's up?"

"Norisuke-san requested you be at the Higashikata Fruit Parlour by noon. Daiya and Hato will be stopping by the villa soon to help you get ready."

You sat up. "Wait, what? Why? What's going on?"