Caught in Her Web
Having coffee first had seemed like a good idea. But the moment I climbed up to her living space near the ceiling, I realized I was trapped—there was no way down until she decided to let me go.
"Shall we… calm down first?"
The Team Leader was currently under disciplinary action, so she was free from surveillance. In other words, I was completely defenseless. Still, since my counterpart was Arachne, there probably wasn’t much to worry about.
How should I put it…? She liked me. A lot. It wasn’t the cute, bouncy kind of affection like a rabbit hopping around. It was the sincere, earnest kind that made me feel like I’d be rude if I didn’t take it seriously too.
As far as I knew, Arachne was extremely rational, yet she also possessed a mature gentleness and consideration. For someone like her to suddenly confess like this, there had to be a reason.
"…Sorry. That was too sudden, wasn’t it?"
"You don’t have to apologize. If I had to choose how I feel after hearing that from you… honestly, I’m happy."
"R-Really?"
Her hand, lifting the coffee cup, trembled visibly. She couldn’t even bring it to her lips and set it back down on the table.
She really is adorable.
"Earlier… yes. I just thought it was a little sudden. Did someone tell you something?"
I figured it was best to ask directly, and the expected culprit’s name came out immediately.
"Well… actually, after that incident, when I returned to my containment room, Elise came to see me."
"The President?"
"Yeah…"
Whenever Arachne acted strangely, the President always seemed to be involved. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was easily influenced by others, or because she trusted the President that much.
"And she told me about the kind of work you do as a counselor."
"From the President… Hmm, I see."
I didn’t know why she’d heard that story, but honestly, all I’d done so far was meet a lot of women and enjoy myself. Hearing about it didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
"Normally, counseling means listening to people’s inner problems and helping them work through them, right?"
"I suppose so."
"…Usually, patients who receive counseling become dependent on you. They open their hearts more easily… and apparently, romantic feelings between counselor and patient are considered taboo."
It was the same worry I’d had with Harpy. Was it because of who I was, or simply because I happened to be the counselor in the right place at the right time? On top of that, if the dependency became too severe, it could lead to situations like Rav’s kidnapping. Even if nothing like that had happened yet, the aftermath of a breakup wouldn’t be simple either.
"But Elise said she actually encourages relationships between you and the other containment subjects."
"Encourages… Hmm. That does sound like her."
"We’re already in a special situation. We containment subjects aren’t exactly in a favorable position to interact with others to begin with. Finding someone like you who can truly listen is incredibly difficult."
It had been surprising enough that she discovered the ability I’d hidden my whole life and sent me an invitation. But when she decided to make me a psychological counselor despite my complete lack of training, I was even more shocked. Still, she knew exactly why she brought me here—because I could hear the voices in people’s hearts—and I’d done my best to listen sincerely ever since. All that really amounted to was listening well and occasionally meddling when my heart told me to.
"In short…!"
"?!"
"…Elise believes that even though you’re human, you can form friendly relationships with us. And she hopes you will."
She probably just wants to see if it’s possible. For that goal she’s always talking about.
After finishing her long explanation, Arachne reached her own conclusion.
"So… I, at any time… if you’re okay with it…"
She had been trembling with embarrassment, as if she couldn’t say anything more. But whether it was because she was weak to encouragement or simply intoxicated by her own swelling emotions, her atmosphere suddenly shifted.
"If you’re okay with it… I’d like to be in that kind of relationship with you."
"That kind of relationship…?"
"It’s too late to pretend you don’t know. I’ve heard everything… that you have that kind of special relationship with many other women."
…President. The Team Leader had clearly warned me. She told me not to carelessly stir up the reproductive instincts that all living beings possess—especially not with lonely women locked away in a place like this. But what was I supposed to do when the President herself had already fanned the flames?
"I… thought I was holding back much more gracefully than the others."
"Yes…"
I couldn’t bring myself to ask what exactly she’d been holding back.
"You said being with me puts your mind at ease, didn’t you? So I tried to stay that way. But…"
"…"
"It’s just… so enviable. Being able to touch you so easily, honestly share feelings, and think of each other as special… It makes me so jealous…"
The phrase “emotions crashing like waves” fit her inner state perfectly right now. Even if I asked, she probably wouldn’t remember exactly what she’d said. Yet even while speaking so openly, I could hear her anxiety—worrying whether I found her burdensome or uncomfortable. I couldn’t bring myself to tease her about it.
Well, if I’d kept proper distance from the start, none of this would have happened. But honestly, I liked her as a person and treated her kindly. For someone unaccustomed to interacting with others, it was only natural she’d developed special feelings from that kindness.
"Waiting for you to come find me is thrilling and wonderful, but… I’m still anxious. So while we’re apart, I wanted to at least hear your voice. I sent out a thread… and you were already on a date with another woman. And then… even going to b-bed together…"
"…?"
"Ah, no. Forget you heard that…"
A date… and bed? Ah, so that’s why Arachne had been able to rescue me that night. But…
"…Could you refrain from doing that in the future?"
"Ah… Okay. Sorry… Did it upset you?"
"No, I’m used to it, so it doesn’t really bother me. I just don’t want you to end up like the Team Leader."
Used to it…? And like the Team Leader? She naturally looked puzzled, but I decided not to explain.
"Mm…"
Still, wasn’t Arachne a little dangerous? The line between what she shouldn’t do and what she could do was decided solely by her gentle, considerate heart. Given how she usually behaved, it was hard to imagine her harming anyone—which was why I hadn’t noticed until now. But when the situation called for it, she could become far more extreme than expected.
Unlike me, who’d received basic education and learned social norms through communal living, her moral standards depended entirely on her personal priority of consideration toward others. For the sake of consideration, she could attempt to escape the facility. Toward those who didn’t require consideration, she could bind them tightly with silk, wrap them in her hard carapace-covered legs, and kick them without hesitation.
"So… what will you answer?"
"Ah…"
…Right. I still had to respond to Arachne’s proposal—that if I was okay with it, she wanted the same special relationship as the others. This was essentially her second confession.
"You’re incredibly sincere, kind, and considerate. You’re also a wonderful woman with cooking skills that would make any man happy. Like I said earlier, your proposal makes me very happy."
"Then…!"
"But until now, I’ve only thought of you as a good friend. I’ve never considered anything beyond that."
"…"
So my role was to be more honest than ever. But—
"As I thought… it’s because of how I look, isn’t it?"
As expected, she assumed her appearance was the reason. But I could say this with confidence: if it was because of her hard-to-meet eyes, her skin color, or her massive spider lower body, then absolutely not.
"It’s not that at all. I just…"
I’d simply felt comfortable around her whenever we met, so I hadn’t developed romantic feelings beyond human goodwill and respect. If she was okay with it, could we spend this week getting to know each other better before I gave my answer? That was what I’d been about to say.
But then—
"Ah…"
Ah…! This is it. The timing Elise told me about… It was real.
"?"
The timing the President told her about…? Why did this feel so ominous?
"Prove those words."
"What?"
Prove that it wasn’t because of her appearance…? How?
Shhhk… Tight!
"Huh…?"
Something felt wrong. A sudden pressure wrapped around my wrists and ankles, and my arms and legs stopped moving entirely.
"S-Sorry… But until you prove those words…"
"Arachne?"
What…?
"You won’t be leaving here today."