Chapter 04: Unhanded Thing, Warm Chest, Blue Sky
A girl was crying at the park. At some point she started to follow half a step behind me like a puppy and wouldn’t leave me side. She was always by my side. I affirmed her every word and showed her a smile.
Before I noticed it, she had even gotten along well with Nazuna and we all three played together.
Then one day, when we played together like always, the girl asked me timidly with a kind of nervous face.
“Hey, do you have a girl you like, Shinobu-chan?”
Because a girl asked me that, I was gravely flustered.
The reason being that I quite liked the girl in front of me.
But I was too embarrassed to admit it. I gave the short and brusque answer “Nope”.
Upon that, the girl smiled happily.
“If that’s so and you don’t mind, well, ehm…”
Colouring her cheeks bright red, she stuttered the words out with all her might.
“W- would you, make me your…bride, Shinobu-chan?”
Instantly, my cheeks turned really hot. I should be happy, yet I was gravely disturbed. I didn’t know how to answer. It was my first time feeling like that, so I totally confused.
At that time, Nazuna, who had watched over us, puffed up her cheeks and shouted.
“That’s not good! I’ll be Brother’s bride! Right, Brother? Right?”
“Ehh? Is that so, Shinobu-chan?”
Cornered by the smiling Nazuna and the teary girl, I was gravely troubled.
“I don’t plan to marry either of you. Because I love pretty, strong and sexy girls like my mother.”
So I said something I didn’t even meant.
Because of that, Nazuna dropped her shoulders dejected and the girl started crying with “That’s impossible for me”.
…But, on the way home, the girl pulled on my sleeve and said.
“Say, Shinobu-chan, if I were to become as bright as Nazuna-chan, stop crying and become a strong and sexy girl like you said before…would you take me as your bride?”
“…Are you sure you want me? I’m pretty weak, you know? Everyone says so.”
“You’re not weak, Shinobu-chan. You’re really kind. Because you’re strong, you’re kind. That’s… that’s why I like, love! you, Shinobu-chan. So make me your bride…!”
“…Ehm, well, if you really stop crying, I might consider it.”
Even though I was happy, really happy, I could only reply brusque to the girl’s wholehearted confession. Yet,
“Thanks, Shinobu-chan.”
The girl grabbed my hand firmly and smiled brilliant.
—That smile, penetrated into the deepest parts of my heart.
She needed me. She said she loved me. She fell in love with the weak me, who was called a failure at my grandfather’s dojo. That was why, for the first time in my life, I came to terms with my own weakness.
I wanted her to be by my side forever. I didn’t want to let go off her hand. I wished from the bottom of my heart that she would keep smiling for me besides me.
…But, in the end, I let go of her hand.
The girl I loved. The girl who fell in love with me. The girl that was more precious than anything…I ended up hurting her and letting go off her hand.
“Sorry, Sakura-chan.”
I woke up from my dream on my own sudden voice…
* * *
The morning of the third day of seaside school. While sitting on my bed, I absent-minded watched my roommates leave the room.
Amidst that, only Asada stayed behind and called out to me with a slightly worried face.
“Hey, Nanjou, did something happen? You’re kinda weird since last night.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry. C’mon, you also going to the beach, right? Then hurry up already.”
“Ehm, why don’t you come along? I don’t know what happened, but you might feel better by going out?”
I knew Asada was trying to be considerate. But I responded by shaking my head.
“…I see. But, if you feel like it, just come to the beach. Let’s pick up some girls together.”
Saying so with a somewhat happy tone, Asada turned his back to me and headed for the door.
I watched him off, but
“Wait a sec, Asada.”
I called Asada to a halt, as I suddenly remembered.
“I want to ask you…Do you remember Minami’s first name?”
“Mh? Minami’s first name? Ehm, what was it again? I’m sure it‘s—”
I had a hunch. I had only wanted to confirm it. But,
“Ouka”— the word that left Asada’s mouth was just as I had expected, yet before I noticed it, I had clenched my fists tightly. In my head floated the trembling voice of a girl.
—My name is written with the [Sakura] and [Hana] kanji as Ouka. You see, my friend said “Ouka-chan, you’re as pretty as a cherry blossom, so I’ll call you Sakura-chan”. So everyone started to call me Sakura…
Even though she stopped crying when I petted her head, the girl started crying again when she said “After we moved, no one called me that anymore…”.
That was why I continued to call the girl “Sakura-chan” from then on and in time, I forgot the name Ouka…
Feeling regret, I made a heavy sigh, whereupon Asada looked at me doubtful.
“Why are you suddenly asking about Minami’s name? Did anything happen with her?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Sorry for asking something weird.”
“It’s okay….Cheer up, I’ll glad to lend you an ear anytime, if you want.”
Leaving behind a warm smile, Asada slowly left the room.
I was grateful to Asada and when his back vanished from my vision, I once more clenched my fists strongly. How could I fail to notice it? My chest was tightened with guilt. There were words that I had to tell Minami as soon as possible…yet my body wouldn’t move.
At that time, there was a sudden knock on the door and Kaorun peeked her head inside.
Worried about last night, I opened my mouth as soon as she had entered the room.
“How was Hijiri after that?”
“…She must think that she has lost a friend. She is greatly depressed.”
“I see… But, I don’t think there’s need for that. I’m sure, Minami will understand once she knows the details. She was just surprised by the suddenness. If we give her a bit of time, it’ll work out.”
I declared so, but as to deny my words, Kaorun shook her head.
“Excuse me for saying this, but you can only say that because you areabnormal.”
“Abnormal?”
When I inadvertently asked back on the unexpected words, Kaorun nodded small.
“Ordinary people fear devils or the powerful exorcists. Because they are shown an unbelievable power, they fear that this power might get directed at them as well. In fact, I have seen it numerous times myself. That humans looked at the exorcists, who saved them from the devils, like some kind of monster.”
Momentarily stopping her words, Kaorun looked at me intensely.
“That is why I cannot help but find it mysterious myself. How can you, Shinobu-sama, or Nazuna-sama not fear us?”
“Because Nazuna and I know about you well. We know that you don’t use your powers to hurt people. So there’s no need to be scared.”
“However, my power might get directed at you, Shinobu-sama, by some kind of cause.”
“Wouldn’t you be more sad than me then?”
When I replied to the question with a question, Kaorun smiled faintly. But it was only for a moment. She somewhat sadly lowered the ends of her eyebrows and leaked a small sigh.
“…Judging by her behaviour last night, I find it hard to believe that this person holds the same belief as you, Shinobu-sama. If the Master should find out about last night, she might get transferred away.”
“Transferred away? Minami will?”
“Yes. Such a task is a simple matter for the Gogyou Household. However, I do not believe that Hijiri-chan wishes for that. It would only hurt her like it had in her childhood. So I tried to think of a different method than transferring her away, but…I could not come up with a good idea. Could I ask for your assistance on that matter, Shinobu-sama?”
“Yeah, I’ll obviously help out, but let me talk with Minami first.”
When I replied so and stood up, Kaorun frowned doubtful.
“Why are you putting so much trust in that person, Shinobu-sama? You saw it yourself last night, did you not? She—”
“It’ll be fine with Minami.”
Raising my voice a bit, I cut into Kaorun’s words.
Somewhere in my heart I thought, that I was just trying to convince myself. But I wanted to believe in her. Because I wanted to trust my preciouschildhood friend, I repeated it once more.
“She’ll understand. It’ll be fine.”
Kaorun wanted to say something, but… in the end, she closed her mouth and watched silently how I left the room…
After that, I asked some classmates, who I happened to run into at the lobby, about Minami and came to know that she was still in her own room. Once they told me where her room was, I swiftly headed there. And after a small hesitation, I took a small breath and knocked on the door.
“Minami, I want to talk. Can I come in?”
“…Yeah.”
After a short pause, I heard Minami’s powerless voice. Taking another breath, I went into the room, where Minami sat on the bed and opened her mouth while showing an awkward smile.
“I guess, it’s about yesterday?”
“…Yeah, that’s right. Did you calm down a bit after this time? How’s it? Are you still scared of Hijiri?”
On my question, Minami slightly clenched her fists and answered.
“I have been thinking about it all the time since last night. I realized that Gogyou-san saved me and that I hurt her. But, still…”
Midway, Minami tightly bit on her lips and cast her eyes down.
“It’s no good. I keep having strange thoughts… It doesn’t seem like I can talk to her properly…”
“Why? You should know how Hijiri is. You don’t let appearance or others influence you, right?”
At the beginning of high school, everyone had been scared of me, but Minami, who happened to sit next to me, smiled at me. Back then I thought she was a weird girl. I didn’t notice her feelings.
—Even though I knew the reason why she wasn’t scared now.
“You weren’t scared of me. So with Hijiri too, you should—”
“Why do you say that?”
Hypocritical words that put off what I actually wanted to convey. As she was unable to endure it, Minami cut into my words and slowly raised her head with wet eyes.
“There’s no way I would be scared of you, Nanjou-kun…of you, Shinobu-chan.”
Shinobu-chan— Saying my address from back then, Minami looked at me worried with her still wet eyes. Then she nervously opened her mouth.
“Shinobu-chan, do you have forgotten about me? Or, can you still not forgive me? Because it was my fault that Nazuna-chan had that traffic accident—”
“No.”
This time I cut into Minami’s words and denied it firmly.
“You’re wrong, Sakura-chan. It wasn’t your fault that Nazuna got into the accident.”
…The words I couldn’t speak out for a long time. Right now, I could speak these trivial words properly.
Instantly, my memories from back then came back vividly.
A snow-white hospital room. An unconscious sleeping Nazuna. My crying self. And Sakura-chan, who didn’t cry at all cost, even though she always cried.
—Seven years ago, Nazuna had a traffic accident because of me.
Back then, I was treated coldly by my friends for playing with Nazuna and Sakura-chan, so I told the two “Don’t follow me” and went ahead.
Despite that, Nazuna kept following me with a crying face, so I wanted to be mean. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with me, I started running.
As a result, Nazuna desperately chased after me…and was run over by a car. She continued to sleep unconscious in the hospital she was brought to. The doctor roundabout called it a vegetative state.
It was all, my fault. I was at fault.
But, Sakura-chan didn’t think like that. She believed, that it was her own fault.
That was why, Sakura-chan’s eyes filled with tears when she visited the hospital room.
“Sorry, Shinobu-chan. It’s all my fault. Because you two were with someone like me, everyone made fun of you, Shinobu-chan, and Nazuna-chan ended up in a traffic accident…”
I knew that wasn’t true. I knew it wasn’t Sakura-chan’s fault. I properly understood that.
But I couldn’t say anything, so Sakura-chan bit on her lips with still tears in her yes and turned her back to me, which trembled lightly.
…She probably had wanted me to pet her head like always. She must have wanted to depend on me. However, Sakura-chan said intermittent while her body still trembled.
“…I’ll, give up on becoming your bride, Shinobu-chan. I’ll avoid you from now on, I won’t cause any troubles… so don’t come, to hate me…”
I didn’t respond to these words. With my mouth closed, I didn’t say anything. Even if I had managed to say something, it would surely just have been an incomprehensible crying voice.
“But you know, I’ll try my best to become strong. I’ll become so strong that I can support you, so at that time, you don’t need to take me as your bride, but… play with me again, okay.”
Even though she was always crying, when she turned around, Sakura-chan was smiling.
Not spilling the tears in her eyes at all cost, she strongly clenched both her fists and with a sadly crooked expression, she still undaunted formed a smile.
Anyone could tell that she was forcing herself. I realized that she was actually holding herself back.
You can cry. It’s not your fault, Sakura-chan.
I should have told her that. I should have petted her head like always. Yet, the powerless and weak me could only see off her small back.
Not allowing the cry-baby girl to cry and hurting her, I only cried.
“…Bye, bye, Shinobu-chan.”
With a chipped voice at the end, Sakura-chan disappeared from me.
Even when I went to the park, she wasn’t there, so I could never apologize. So I started to attend my grandfather’s dojo again to forget her existence. I just continued to train my body. I couldn’t forgive my weak self after hurting Sakura-chan and finding a person that I wanted to protect.
—But, that was in the past.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Sakura-chan. There’s nothing to forgive or not to forgive. I’m not even angry.”
I told her my seven years worth of feelings.
“I’m sorry for not saying it earlier. And I’m also sorry for not noticing it was you.”
I couldn’t do it back then. So I reached out my hand for Sakura-chan… no, for Minami and gently petted her head like in the past.
Instantly, tears started to dwell up in Minami’s wet eyes.
“….You’re so mean, Shinobu-chan. When I saw you again in high school, I recognized you right away, but you didn’t notice at all. You didn’t remember me. You weren’t even looking at me.”
And she still showed me a smile…
“I wanted us to get along like in the past, but because you avoided everyone, opposite to before, I couldn’t be by your side. But before I knew it, you had gotten along well with Gogyou-san rather than with me…!”
Momentarily stopping her words, Minami leaked a small sigh.
“The reason I can’t seem to talk with Gogyou-san properly, isn’t just because I’m scared. I know that Gogyou-san isn‘t at fault and that I shouldn‘t… but I was envious. I had known you way before Gogyou-san had, yet you looked more at her than me…”
Suddenly, Minami made a teary face and continued.
“So I panicked on my own, thinking that Gogyou-san was taking you away from me. Not even considering her feelings, I get scared. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t suppress my feelings….”
Facing me with her teary eyes, Minami raised her voice with “I mean!”.
“I love you, Shinobu-chan, I always loved you, so I wanted to be with you again…!”
Along with her words, Minami grasped my hand and said like back then.
“Shinobu-chan, I became stronger. I won’t cry like I did in the past. I can properly support you now. So let me stay at your side like in the past. Pet my head. Look at me more. Make me… your bride.”
Wet eyes. A warm hand. Wholehearted words.
…Just like back then.
I was happy. I was really happy. That she continued to feel for me made me really happy.
Back then, I thought that my weak self shouldn’t stay with Sakura-chan. I gave up, let go off her hand and strived to forget her. I thought that Sakura-chan should forget about someone like me as well.
But, Minami didn’t forget me. She always stayed in love with me.
…Minami might have been the same as me.
She must have been unable to forgive her weak self. To get rid of her weak self, she changed how she addressed herself, cut her pretty, long hair and tried to become stronger. She continued to work hard alone.
Even though she should have just forgotten about me, who hurt her, she gave it her all and became stronger.
Not for just anyone, but for me.
—Right now, if I squeezed back this hand, I could seize again the dream that I had in my childhood, but let go off. When I closed my eyes, a scenery floated in my head.
With myself smiling innocent. With my precious childhood friend by my side. Just a moment of bliss, without any enduring of hard training.
If I squeezed her hand, I could certainly seize that.
But, even while I knew that, I sadly already had an answer.
Slowly opening my eyes, I softly let go of the warm hand and squeezed my words out.
“…Sorry, I can’t respond to your feelings.”
Meeting Luna on that day, I saw a feasible dream.
Right now, that dream was more important than anything to me. I continued to chase after that dream. My powerless hand couldn’t seize everything.
Therefore— I once again, unhanded something precious.
“I have someone I want to protect. I’m still weak and have no confidence that I can protect her. But, when I become strong enough to protect her, I plan to tell her my feelings. So.. I’m sorry.”
“I see. That’s, how it is. Ahaha, well, nothing I can do then.”
While tears dwelled up in her eyes, Minami forced herself to smile and continued.
“Good luck, Shinobu-chan. I won’t cry like in the past because you dumped me. I won’t tell anyone about Gogyou-san either. I’ll try to get along with Gogyou-san, so…can we… stay as friends from now on?”
“Of… course. You’re, my…precious childhood friend…”
Minami’s voiced trembled greatly as she forced herself to smile.
Her appearance reminded me of her past crying self.
Unable to hold back, I once again petted Minami’s head.
But while still smiling sadly, Minami got away from my hand.
“Geez, Nanjou-kun, you can’t treat someone you just dumped so kindly. I’m fine already, so hurry up to Gogyou-san.”
I swallowed down the words of apology that were about to come out of my mouth.
“…Okay.”
Just giving a short respond, I took away my hand from Minami.
Minami looked down with her shoulders trembling. Actually, I wanted to pet her head numerous times like I had in the past. But, I didn’t have the right to that now. I bit down on my lips and left the room wordless.
In that moment, a faint weeping voice started beyond the door.
A prying pain in my chest. The back of my eyes got hot and tears seeped out of my eyes.
Still, this was something I decided on my own.
“…Sorry, Sakura-chan.”
Pressing on my chest plucking, I mumbled and once more bit down on my lips. When I headed back to my own room to be alone for a while, I spotted Kaorun at the corner of the hallway.
When Koarun, leaning against the wall, noticed me, she nodded slightly.
“…You came to check up on things?”
“Yes. When I obtained the information that you were heading to that girl’s room, I waited here, but…by the looks of it, it did not go well, I take.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I can tell by looking at your face, Shinobu-sama. Because you are making a painful expression.”
Along with her words, Kaorun stretched herself and started to gently pet my head.
“Shinobu-sama, please cheer up. If necessarily, I can also give you a hug?”
“Don’t worry. Everything’s fine with her. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone about Hijiri. And that she would try to get along with Hijiri.”
Unable to properly reply to her joke, I just told her the truth, whereupon Kaorun widened her eyes surprised.
“I am glad to hear that, but… why are you making such a face, Shinobu-sama?”
“…Stuff happened. Sorry, but could you leave me alone for a while? You go tell Hijiri about it.”
“I understand. Please call for me if there is anything. I will listen to your grumbling or whatever it might be.”
Nodding, Kaorun petted my head once more, then she turned her back to me and left.
According to Kaorun’s words, I was making a face that worried others.
I was going to meet with Luna and the others in the noon. If I were to play with them with such a face, I was sure that they also would end up worried.
…I should somehow recollected myself until I meet up with them.
Mumbling so in my head, I returned to my room with heavy feelings.
* * *
Like promised yesterday, I met up with Luna and the others at the beach. There we played together for a while, then I returned to under the parasol. From there I absent-minded watched over the others happily playing beach volleyball on the sandy beach.
Upon that, Luna left the others, approached me and sat down besides me.
“Taking a break too?”
“Yes.”
Nodding with a smile, Luna started to watch over the other together with me.
But suddenly she faced me and lowered the end of her eyebrows somewhat worried.
“Shinobu-san, did something happen?”
“…Mh? Why do you ask?”
“No, well, it kind of looks like you are forcing yourself, so I was a bit concerned.”
“I see…”
Apparently Luna had noticed it.
I straightened up my upper body and lightly scratched my head.
“Actually… I hurt my precious childhood friend again…and made her cry. …I’m just no good. In the end, I haven’t change from how I was in my childhood. I’m still weak. Really… still weak….”
Inadvertently I grumbled. As pathetic as it was, I clenched my fists and shut my mouth. Upon that, Luna slowly extended her hand. She pulled me to her chest, put her arm around my back and said with a gentle voice.
“Whatever happens, I will always take your side, Shinobu-san…”
Feeling Luna’s heartbeat and warmth, my eyes inadvertently got wet and the surrounding scenery became slightly blurred.
—Say, Shinobu-chan, if I were to become as bright as Nazuna-chan, stop crying and become a strong and sexy girl like you said before…would you take me as your bride?
The girl, who said that, became stronger. She didn’t cry in front of me. She became stronger for me. Yet… I unhanded a precious thing once again.
I forcefully stopped my tears, which were going to flow out unmeant, along with biting on my lips.
I wasn’t allowed to cry. I had to go on. If I had the time to cry, I should become even stronger instead… After all, I was still weak.
I didn’t shed any tears, but I tightly clung onto Luan spoiled, drowned in her gentle warmth and once again thought.
—This was the right thing to do.
Now that I thought back, I might have abandoned various things until I met Luna again.
My ordinary high school life. While my classmates played around, I trained my body alone and put wounds on it. I continued to do so without halt.
My happily chatting classmates in the classroom. Watching over them, I had felt envious. I also imagined that I could be part of it if I hadn’t attended my grandfather’s dojo.
But, in the past and even now, I had some more precious than that. I had made a promise. I promised Luna to protect her from now on.
Therefore, I had no intention to stop now.
“…Hey Luna, coming back here— to the human world, how is it? Is it fun?”
On this question, Luna nodded with a smile without hesitation.
“It is fun. Because I can be by your side, Shinobu-san.”
“I see…”
Then, I would become even stronger. To keep the promise I made in my childhood. To let her stay my by side from now on as well.
…I was still weak. I couldn’t seize a lot of things with these hands. I could only hold on a few things with both my hands.
When I thought of Minami, my chest certainly hurt. I would be lying if I said I had no regrets. But, Luna was besides me. That alone was enough.
Slowly getting away from Luna, I looked up, whereupon the clear blue sky extended in my blurry vision.
* * *
In the bus on the way home in the sunset, I talked with Hijiri, who sat besides me, about trivial stuff. Hijiri seemed still depressed, so I had called out to her to cheer her up a bit.
At that time, Minami approached us and opened her mouth a bit hesitant.
“Nanjou-kun, if you don’t mind, could we switch seats?”
“…Yeah, sure.”
I could see nervousness in Minami’s expression. I knew right away why she wanted to sit next to Hijiri.
I quietly got up from my seat and gentle put my hand on Minami’s shoulder, then I moved the front-row seats.
Minami’s seat was right next to Hiiragi-sensei, so I called out to her.
“Hiiragi-sensei, I’ll sit next to you.”
“Hmpf.”
On my words, Hiiragi-sensei faced sideways like a kid and replied.
“Nanjou-kun, please call me ‘Hiiragi-san’, since we’re strangers now. Also, why don’t you go sit in the foldaway seat?”
…Mh? Was she still angry about the fact that I didn’t take part in the recreation?
To be honest, I considered her to be troublesome, but I opened my mouth to cheer up her mood anyway.
“Hiiragi-san, you’re pretty today as well.”
“…Really? Don’t you actually think of me as ‘baby face’, ‘kid’ or ‘shorty’ like the others?”
“How did you know— I mean, I think of you as a mature woman. You’re wonderful. You have a mature charm.”
“I- Is that so? I can’t really tell myself, but thanks, Nanjou-kun. I like you a lot better now. Please friendly call me ‘Akane-sensei’ from now on <3”
---A flag for Hiiragi-sensei’s route has been raised! Is what I felt a voice from the sky saying, but I humbly declined that route and took a snack from Hiiragi-sensei, whose mood had been fixed.
After that, I gave Machina, who was soundly sleeping in a nearby seat from her exhaustion, a side-glance for a suitable time, then turned around and checked upon Minami and Hijiri.
Minami was talking to Hijiri somewhat awkwardly, but that awkwardness gradually dissolve over time and gave way for a smile.
…She really, had become stronger.
Realizing once again the importance of what I had let go, a faint pain ran through my chest.
But from then on I didn’t turn around anymore and just looked forward… I continued to eat the snacks that Hiiragi-sensei offered me.
When the bus reached the school, the clock had turned to eight in the afternoon. I should quickly head over to the middle school and return home with Nazuna--- is what I considered to do, but when I got off the bus, Machina was surrounded by the girls from class and wouldn’t get away from them.
Should I start to call out to her, since Nazuna was waiting? Or should I wait until Hiiragi-sensei dismissed us all?
While I pondered what to do, Minami approached me and clung onto my arm with a smile while saying “Nanjou-kun”.
“…Eh? Wh- What’s up, out of the blue?”
“Just some physical contact between friends. Don’t worry about it, Nanjou-kun.”
“…Well, girls do that a lot amongst themselves, but I think that works for a girl and boy.”
“Then it’s physical contact between two people, who are more than friends, but less than lovers.”
Minami replied so while still smiling, then with the prologue of “There’s something I wanted to tell you before you went home” and continued.
“After all, I can’t give up on you, Nanjou-kun. I want to be by your side and get along better. So if you ever change your mind, tell me right away. Then…I’ll give you some service.”
Smiling impish, Minami pressed her big breasts even stronger against my arm.
“It might be, that I seek physical contact with you like this from now on to get you to change your mind, but turn a blind eye on it with a smile.”
“…No, I’m a guy after all, so please spare me of that.”
“Fufu, make sure to take responsibility if anything happens, Shinobu-chan.”
Saying so and getting away from me, Minami sent me a sexy blown kiss and left.
…From now on I didn’t just had to train my body, but also my reasoning too.
When such thoughts crossed my mind, now Hijiri separated from the class group and approached me. There I called out to her softly.
“Yo, what were you talking about with Sakura— I mean, with Minami?”
“I’m afraid that I can’t tell you that.”
Hijiri replied to my question with a small smile.
I was a bit interested in the content of their talk, but as far as I could tell, she reconciled with Minami.
Infected by Hijiri, I also smiled and opened my mouth.
“Hey, Hijiri, on a different note, can I come over to your house next time?”
“…Eh? It certainly welcome you, but it’s troublesome so suddenly. I still have to mentally prepare myself…”
She seemed to have a subtle misunderstanding. I continued right away to add.
“I also want to learn from Sougo-san what you learned, Hijiri. I’ll come on a day when Sougo-san has time.”
When I told her that I wanted to learn exorcist spells in a roundabout way because we were in public, Hijiri seemed to understand it. For some reason she dropped her shoulders and nodded.
“…Then I’ll mail you when my father is at home. My father seems busy lately, so it might not be right away, is that fine?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind. Thanks.”
“Yeah, I think my father will be pleased too.”
“I see. Then I’ll bring along Elni to make him even more pleased.”
“…Uhm, it seems my father is on bad terms with Elni, so I think you better don’t do that.”
While I talked like that with Hijiri, Machina came back. Then we went to pick up Nazuna….closing the curtain on the seaside school.
Chapter 04: Unhanded Thing, Warm Chest, Blue Sky
A girl was crying at the park. At some point she started to follow half a step behind me like a puppy and wouldn’t leave me side. She was always by my side. I affirmed her every word and showed her a smile.
Before I noticed it, she had even gotten along well with Nazuna and we all three played together.
Then one day, when we played together like always, the girl asked me timidly with a kind of nervous face.
“Hey, do you have a girl you like, Shinobu-chan?”
Because a girl asked me that, I was gravely flustered.
The reason being that I quite liked the girl in front of me.
But I was too embarrassed to admit it. I gave the short and brusque answer “Nope”.
Upon that, the girl smiled happily.
“If that’s so and you don’t mind, well, ehm…”
Colouring her cheeks bright red, she stuttered the words out with all her might.
“W- would you, make me your…bride, Shinobu-chan?”
Instantly, my cheeks turned really hot. I should be happy, yet I was gravely disturbed. I didn’t know how to answer. It was my first time feeling like that, so I totally confused.
At that time, Nazuna, who had watched over us, puffed up her cheeks and shouted.
“That’s not good! I’ll be Brother’s bride! Right, Brother? Right?”
“Ehh? Is that so, Shinobu-chan?”
Cornered by the smiling Nazuna and the teary girl, I was gravely troubled.
“I don’t plan to marry either of you. Because I love pretty, strong and sexy girls like my mother.”
So I said something I didn’t even meant.
Because of that, Nazuna dropped her shoulders dejected and the girl started crying with “That’s impossible for me”.
…But, on the way home, the girl pulled on my sleeve and said.
“Say, Shinobu-chan, if I were to become as bright as Nazuna-chan, stop crying and become a strong and sexy girl like you said before…would you take me as your bride?”
“…Are you sure you want me? I’m pretty weak, you know? Everyone says so.”
“You’re not weak, Shinobu-chan. You’re really kind. Because you’re strong, you’re kind. That’s… that’s why I like, love! you, Shinobu-chan. So make me your bride…!”
“…Ehm, well, if you really stop crying, I might consider it.”
Even though I was happy, really happy, I could only reply brusque to the girl’s wholehearted confession. Yet,
“Thanks, Shinobu-chan.”
The girl grabbed my hand firmly and smiled brilliant.
—That smile, penetrated into the deepest parts of my heart.
She needed me. She said she loved me. She fell in love with the weak me, who was called a failure at my grandfather’s dojo. That was why, for the first time in my life, I came to terms with my own weakness.
I wanted her to be by my side forever. I didn’t want to let go off her hand. I wished from the bottom of my heart that she would keep smiling for me besides me.
…But, in the end, I let go of her hand.
The girl I loved. The girl who fell in love with me. The girl that was more precious than anything…I ended up hurting her and letting go off her hand.
“Sorry, Sakura-chan.”
I woke up from my dream on my own sudden voice…
* * *
The morning of the third day of seaside school. While sitting on my bed, I absent-minded watched my roommates leave the room.
Amidst that, only Asada stayed behind and called out to me with a slightly worried face.
“Hey, Nanjou, did something happen? You’re kinda weird since last night.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry. C’mon, you also going to the beach, right? Then hurry up already.”
“Ehm, why don’t you come along? I don’t know what happened, but you might feel better by going out?”
I knew Asada was trying to be considerate. But I responded by shaking my head.
“…I see. But, if you feel like it, just come to the beach. Let’s pick up some girls together.”
Saying so with a somewhat happy tone, Asada turned his back to me and headed for the door.
I watched him off, but
“Wait a sec, Asada.”
I called Asada to a halt, as I suddenly remembered.
“I want to ask you…Do you remember Minami’s first name?”
“Mh? Minami’s first name? Ehm, what was it again? I’m sure it‘s—”
I had a hunch. I had only wanted to confirm it. But,
“Ouka”— the word that left Asada’s mouth was just as I had expected, yet before I noticed it, I had clenched my fists tightly. In my head floated the trembling voice of a girl.
—My name is written with the [Sakura] and [Hana] kanji as Ouka. You see, my friend said “Ouka-chan, you’re as pretty as a cherry blossom, so I’ll call you Sakura-chan”. So everyone started to call me Sakura…
Even though she stopped crying when I petted her head, the girl started crying again when she said “After we moved, no one called me that anymore…”.
That was why I continued to call the girl “Sakura-chan” from then on and in time, I forgot the name Ouka…
Feeling regret, I made a heavy sigh, whereupon Asada looked at me doubtful.
“Why are you suddenly asking about Minami’s name? Did anything happen with her?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Sorry for asking something weird.”
“It’s okay….Cheer up, I’ll glad to lend you an ear anytime, if you want.”
Leaving behind a warm smile, Asada slowly left the room.
I was grateful to Asada and when his back vanished from my vision, I once more clenched my fists strongly. How could I fail to notice it? My chest was tightened with guilt. There were words that I had to tell Minami as soon as possible…yet my body wouldn’t move.
At that time, there was a sudden knock on the door and Kaorun peeked her head inside.
Worried about last night, I opened my mouth as soon as she had entered the room.
“How was Hijiri after that?”
“…She must think that she has lost a friend. She is greatly depressed.”
“I see… But, I don’t think there’s need for that. I’m sure, Minami will understand once she knows the details. She was just surprised by the suddenness. If we give her a bit of time, it’ll work out.”
I declared so, but as to deny my words, Kaorun shook her head.
“Excuse me for saying this, but you can only say that because you areabnormal.”
“Abnormal?”
When I inadvertently asked back on the unexpected words, Kaorun nodded small.
“Ordinary people fear devils or the powerful exorcists. Because they are shown an unbelievable power, they fear that this power might get directed at them as well. In fact, I have seen it numerous times myself. That humans looked at the exorcists, who saved them from the devils, like some kind of monster.”
Momentarily stopping her words, Kaorun looked at me intensely.
“That is why I cannot help but find it mysterious myself. How can you, Shinobu-sama, or Nazuna-sama not fear us?”
“Because Nazuna and I know about you well. We know that you don’t use your powers to hurt people. So there’s no need to be scared.”
“However, my power might get directed at you, Shinobu-sama, by some kind of cause.”
“Wouldn’t you be more sad than me then?”
When I replied to the question with a question, Kaorun smiled faintly. But it was only for a moment. She somewhat sadly lowered the ends of her eyebrows and leaked a small sigh.
“…Judging by her behaviour last night, I find it hard to believe that this person holds the same belief as you, Shinobu-sama. If the Master should find out about last night, she might get transferred away.”
“Transferred away? Minami will?”
“Yes. Such a task is a simple matter for the Gogyou Household. However, I do not believe that Hijiri-chan wishes for that. It would only hurt her like it had in her childhood. So I tried to think of a different method than transferring her away, but…I could not come up with a good idea. Could I ask for your assistance on that matter, Shinobu-sama?”
“Yeah, I’ll obviously help out, but let me talk with Minami first.”
When I replied so and stood up, Kaorun frowned doubtful.
“Why are you putting so much trust in that person, Shinobu-sama? You saw it yourself last night, did you not? She—”
“It’ll be fine with Minami.”
Raising my voice a bit, I cut into Kaorun’s words.
Somewhere in my heart I thought, that I was just trying to convince myself. But I wanted to believe in her. Because I wanted to trust my preciouschildhood friend, I repeated it once more.
“She’ll understand. It’ll be fine.”
Kaorun wanted to say something, but… in the end, she closed her mouth and watched silently how I left the room…
After that, I asked some classmates, who I happened to run into at the lobby, about Minami and came to know that she was still in her own room. Once they told me where her room was, I swiftly headed there. And after a small hesitation, I took a small breath and knocked on the door.
“Minami, I want to talk. Can I come in?”
“…Yeah.”
After a short pause, I heard Minami’s powerless voice. Taking another breath, I went into the room, where Minami sat on the bed and opened her mouth while showing an awkward smile.
“I guess, it’s about yesterday?”
“…Yeah, that’s right. Did you calm down a bit after this time? How’s it? Are you still scared of Hijiri?”
On my question, Minami slightly clenched her fists and answered.
“I have been thinking about it all the time since last night. I realized that Gogyou-san saved me and that I hurt her. But, still…”
Midway, Minami tightly bit on her lips and cast her eyes down.
“It’s no good. I keep having strange thoughts… It doesn’t seem like I can talk to her properly…”
“Why? You should know how Hijiri is. You don’t let appearance or others influence you, right?”
At the beginning of high school, everyone had been scared of me, but Minami, who happened to sit next to me, smiled at me. Back then I thought she was a weird girl. I didn’t notice her feelings.
—Even though I knew the reason why she wasn’t scared now.
“You weren’t scared of me. So with Hijiri too, you should—”
“Why do you say that?”
Hypocritical words that put off what I actually wanted to convey. As she was unable to endure it, Minami cut into my words and slowly raised her head with wet eyes.
“There’s no way I would be scared of you, Nanjou-kun…of you, Shinobu-chan.”
Shinobu-chan— Saying my address from back then, Minami looked at me worried with her still wet eyes. Then she nervously opened her mouth.
“Shinobu-chan, do you have forgotten about me? Or, can you still not forgive me? Because it was my fault that Nazuna-chan had that traffic accident—”
“No.”
This time I cut into Minami’s words and denied it firmly.
“You’re wrong, Sakura-chan. It wasn’t your fault that Nazuna got into the accident.”
…The words I couldn’t speak out for a long time. Right now, I could speak these trivial words properly.
Instantly, my memories from back then came back vividly.
A snow-white hospital room. An unconscious sleeping Nazuna. My crying self. And Sakura-chan, who didn’t cry at all cost, even though she always cried.
—Seven years ago, Nazuna had a traffic accident because of me.
Back then, I was treated coldly by my friends for playing with Nazuna and Sakura-chan, so I told the two “Don’t follow me” and went ahead.
Despite that, Nazuna kept following me with a crying face, so I wanted to be mean. Knowing that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with me, I started running.
As a result, Nazuna desperately chased after me…and was run over by a car. She continued to sleep unconscious in the hospital she was brought to. The doctor roundabout called it a vegetative state.
It was all, my fault. I was at fault.
But, Sakura-chan didn’t think like that. She believed, that it was her own fault.
That was why, Sakura-chan’s eyes filled with tears when she visited the hospital room.
“Sorry, Shinobu-chan. It’s all my fault. Because you two were with someone like me, everyone made fun of you, Shinobu-chan, and Nazuna-chan ended up in a traffic accident…”
I knew that wasn’t true. I knew it wasn’t Sakura-chan’s fault. I properly understood that.
But I couldn’t say anything, so Sakura-chan bit on her lips with still tears in her yes and turned her back to me, which trembled lightly.
…She probably had wanted me to pet her head like always. She must have wanted to depend on me. However, Sakura-chan said intermittent while her body still trembled.
“…I’ll, give up on becoming your bride, Shinobu-chan. I’ll avoid you from now on, I won’t cause any troubles… so don’t come, to hate me…”
I didn’t respond to these words. With my mouth closed, I didn’t say anything. Even if I had managed to say something, it would surely just have been an incomprehensible crying voice.
“But you know, I’ll try my best to become strong. I’ll become so strong that I can support you, so at that time, you don’t need to take me as your bride, but… play with me again, okay.”
Even though she was always crying, when she turned around, Sakura-chan was smiling.
Not spilling the tears in her eyes at all cost, she strongly clenched both her fists and with a sadly crooked expression, she still undaunted formed a smile.
Anyone could tell that she was forcing herself. I realized that she was actually holding herself back.
You can cry. It’s not your fault, Sakura-chan.
I should have told her that. I should have petted her head like always. Yet, the powerless and weak me could only see off her small back.
Not allowing the cry-baby girl to cry and hurting her, I only cried.
“…Bye, bye, Shinobu-chan.”
With a chipped voice at the end, Sakura-chan disappeared from me.
Even when I went to the park, she wasn’t there, so I could never apologize. So I started to attend my grandfather’s dojo again to forget her existence. I just continued to train my body. I couldn’t forgive my weak self after hurting Sakura-chan and finding a person that I wanted to protect.
—But, that was in the past.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Sakura-chan. There’s nothing to forgive or not to forgive. I’m not even angry.”
I told her my seven years worth of feelings.
“I’m sorry for not saying it earlier. And I’m also sorry for not noticing it was you.”
I couldn’t do it back then. So I reached out my hand for Sakura-chan… no, for Minami and gently petted her head like in the past.
Instantly, tears started to dwell up in Minami’s wet eyes.
“….You’re so mean, Shinobu-chan. When I saw you again in high school, I recognized you right away, but you didn’t notice at all. You didn’t remember me. You weren’t even looking at me.”
And she still showed me a smile…
“I wanted us to get along like in the past, but because you avoided everyone, opposite to before, I couldn’t be by your side. But before I knew it, you had gotten along well with Gogyou-san rather than with me…!”
Momentarily stopping her words, Minami leaked a small sigh.
“The reason I can’t seem to talk with Gogyou-san properly, isn’t just because I’m scared. I know that Gogyou-san isn‘t at fault and that I shouldn‘t… but I was envious. I had known you way before Gogyou-san had, yet you looked more at her than me…”
Suddenly, Minami made a teary face and continued.
“So I panicked on my own, thinking that Gogyou-san was taking you away from me. Not even considering her feelings, I get scared. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t suppress my feelings….”
Facing me with her teary eyes, Minami raised her voice with “I mean!”.
“I love you, Shinobu-chan, I always loved you, so I wanted to be with you again…!”
Along with her words, Minami grasped my hand and said like back then.
“Shinobu-chan, I became stronger. I won’t cry like I did in the past. I can properly support you now. So let me stay at your side like in the past. Pet my head. Look at me more. Make me… your bride.”
Wet eyes. A warm hand. Wholehearted words.
…Just like back then.
I was happy. I was really happy. That she continued to feel for me made me really happy.
Back then, I thought that my weak self shouldn’t stay with Sakura-chan. I gave up, let go off her hand and strived to forget her. I thought that Sakura-chan should forget about someone like me as well.
But, Minami didn’t forget me. She always stayed in love with me.
…Minami might have been the same as me.
She must have been unable to forgive her weak self. To get rid of her weak self, she changed how she addressed herself, cut her pretty, long hair and tried to become stronger. She continued to work hard alone.
Even though she should have just forgotten about me, who hurt her, she gave it her all and became stronger.
Not for just anyone, but for me.
—Right now, if I squeezed back this hand, I could seize again the dream that I had in my childhood, but let go off. When I closed my eyes, a scenery floated in my head.
With myself smiling innocent. With my precious childhood friend by my side. Just a moment of bliss, without any enduring of hard training.
If I squeezed her hand, I could certainly seize that.
But, even while I knew that, I sadly already had an answer.
Slowly opening my eyes, I softly let go of the warm hand and squeezed my words out.
“…Sorry, I can’t respond to your feelings.”
Meeting Luna on that day, I saw a feasible dream.
Right now, that dream was more important than anything to me. I continued to chase after that dream. My powerless hand couldn’t seize everything.
Therefore— I once again, unhanded something precious.
“I have someone I want to protect. I’m still weak and have no confidence that I can protect her. But, when I become strong enough to protect her, I plan to tell her my feelings. So.. I’m sorry.”
“I see. That’s, how it is. Ahaha, well, nothing I can do then.”
While tears dwelled up in her eyes, Minami forced herself to smile and continued.
“Good luck, Shinobu-chan. I won’t cry like in the past because you dumped me. I won’t tell anyone about Gogyou-san either. I’ll try to get along with Gogyou-san, so…can we… stay as friends from now on?”
“Of… course. You’re, my…precious childhood friend…”
Minami’s voiced trembled greatly as she forced herself to smile.
Her appearance reminded me of her past crying self.
Unable to hold back, I once again petted Minami’s head.
But while still smiling sadly, Minami got away from my hand.
“Geez, Nanjou-kun, you can’t treat someone you just dumped so kindly. I’m fine already, so hurry up to Gogyou-san.”
I swallowed down the words of apology that were about to come out of my mouth.
“…Okay.”
Just giving a short respond, I took away my hand from Minami.
Minami looked down with her shoulders trembling. Actually, I wanted to pet her head numerous times like I had in the past. But, I didn’t have the right to that now. I bit down on my lips and left the room wordless.
In that moment, a faint weeping voice started beyond the door.
A prying pain in my chest. The back of my eyes got hot and tears seeped out of my eyes.
Still, this was something I decided on my own.
“…Sorry, Sakura-chan.”
Pressing on my chest plucking, I mumbled and once more bit down on my lips. When I headed back to my own room to be alone for a while, I spotted Kaorun at the corner of the hallway.
When Koarun, leaning against the wall, noticed me, she nodded slightly.
“…You came to check up on things?”
“Yes. When I obtained the information that you were heading to that girl’s room, I waited here, but…by the looks of it, it did not go well, I take.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I can tell by looking at your face, Shinobu-sama. Because you are making a painful expression.”
Along with her words, Kaorun stretched herself and started to gently pet my head.
“Shinobu-sama, please cheer up. If necessarily, I can also give you a hug?”
“Don’t worry. Everything’s fine with her. She said she wouldn’t tell anyone about Hijiri. And that she would try to get along with Hijiri.”
Unable to properly reply to her joke, I just told her the truth, whereupon Kaorun widened her eyes surprised.
“I am glad to hear that, but… why are you making such a face, Shinobu-sama?”
“…Stuff happened. Sorry, but could you leave me alone for a while? You go tell Hijiri about it.”
“I understand. Please call for me if there is anything. I will listen to your grumbling or whatever it might be.”
Nodding, Kaorun petted my head once more, then she turned her back to me and left.
According to Kaorun’s words, I was making a face that worried others.
I was going to meet with Luna and the others in the noon. If I were to play with them with such a face, I was sure that they also would end up worried.
…I should somehow recollected myself until I meet up with them.
Mumbling so in my head, I returned to my room with heavy feelings.
* * *
Like promised yesterday, I met up with Luna and the others at the beach. There we played together for a while, then I returned to under the parasol. From there I absent-minded watched over the others happily playing beach volleyball on the sandy beach.
Upon that, Luna left the others, approached me and sat down besides me.
“Taking a break too?”
“Yes.”
Nodding with a smile, Luna started to watch over the other together with me.
But suddenly she faced me and lowered the end of her eyebrows somewhat worried.
“Shinobu-san, did something happen?”
“…Mh? Why do you ask?”
“No, well, it kind of looks like you are forcing yourself, so I was a bit concerned.”
“I see…”
Apparently Luna had noticed it.
I straightened up my upper body and lightly scratched my head.
“Actually… I hurt my precious childhood friend again…and made her cry. …I’m just no good. In the end, I haven’t change from how I was in my childhood. I’m still weak. Really… still weak….”
Inadvertently I grumbled. As pathetic as it was, I clenched my fists and shut my mouth. Upon that, Luna slowly extended her hand. She pulled me to her chest, put her arm around my back and said with a gentle voice.
“Whatever happens, I will always take your side, Shinobu-san…”
Feeling Luna’s heartbeat and warmth, my eyes inadvertently got wet and the surrounding scenery became slightly blurred.
—Say, Shinobu-chan, if I were to become as bright as Nazuna-chan, stop crying and become a strong and sexy girl like you said before…would you take me as your bride?
The girl, who said that, became stronger. She didn’t cry in front of me. She became stronger for me. Yet… I unhanded a precious thing once again.
I forcefully stopped my tears, which were going to flow out unmeant, along with biting on my lips.
I wasn’t allowed to cry. I had to go on. If I had the time to cry, I should become even stronger instead… After all, I was still weak.
I didn’t shed any tears, but I tightly clung onto Luan spoiled, drowned in her gentle warmth and once again thought.
—This was the right thing to do.
Now that I thought back, I might have abandoned various things until I met Luna again.
My ordinary high school life. While my classmates played around, I trained my body alone and put wounds on it. I continued to do so without halt.
My happily chatting classmates in the classroom. Watching over them, I had felt envious. I also imagined that I could be part of it if I hadn’t attended my grandfather’s dojo.
But, in the past and even now, I had some more precious than that. I had made a promise. I promised Luna to protect her from now on.
Therefore, I had no intention to stop now.
“…Hey Luna, coming back here— to the human world, how is it? Is it fun?”
On this question, Luna nodded with a smile without hesitation.
“It is fun. Because I can be by your side, Shinobu-san.”
“I see…”
Then, I would become even stronger. To keep the promise I made in my childhood. To let her stay my by side from now on as well.
…I was still weak. I couldn’t seize a lot of things with these hands. I could only hold on a few things with both my hands.
When I thought of Minami, my chest certainly hurt. I would be lying if I said I had no regrets. But, Luna was besides me. That alone was enough.
Slowly getting away from Luna, I looked up, whereupon the clear blue sky extended in my blurry vision.
* * *
In the bus on the way home in the sunset, I talked with Hijiri, who sat besides me, about trivial stuff. Hijiri seemed still depressed, so I had called out to her to cheer her up a bit.
At that time, Minami approached us and opened her mouth a bit hesitant.
“Nanjou-kun, if you don’t mind, could we switch seats?”
“…Yeah, sure.”
I could see nervousness in Minami’s expression. I knew right away why she wanted to sit next to Hijiri.
I quietly got up from my seat and gentle put my hand on Minami’s shoulder, then I moved the front-row seats.
Minami’s seat was right next to Hiiragi-sensei, so I called out to her.
“Hiiragi-sensei, I’ll sit next to you.”
“Hmpf.”
On my words, Hiiragi-sensei faced sideways like a kid and replied.
“Nanjou-kun, please call me ‘Hiiragi-san’, since we’re strangers now. Also, why don’t you go sit in the foldaway seat?”
…Mh? Was she still angry about the fact that I didn’t take part in the recreation?
To be honest, I considered her to be troublesome, but I opened my mouth to cheer up her mood anyway.
“Hiiragi-san, you’re pretty today as well.”
“…Really? Don’t you actually think of me as ‘baby face’, ‘kid’ or ‘shorty’ like the others?”
“How did you know— I mean, I think of you as a mature woman. You’re wonderful. You have a mature charm.”
“I- Is that so? I can’t really tell myself, but thanks, Nanjou-kun. I like you a lot better now. Please friendly call me ‘Akane-sensei’ from now on <3”
---A flag for Hiiragi-sensei’s route has been raised! Is what I felt a voice from the sky saying, but I humbly declined that route and took a snack from Hiiragi-sensei, whose mood had been fixed.
After that, I gave Machina, who was soundly sleeping in a nearby seat from her exhaustion, a side-glance for a suitable time, then turned around and checked upon Minami and Hijiri.
Minami was talking to Hijiri somewhat awkwardly, but that awkwardness gradually dissolve over time and gave way for a smile.
…She really, had become stronger.
Realizing once again the importance of what I had let go, a faint pain ran through my chest.
But from then on I didn’t turn around anymore and just looked forward… I continued to eat the snacks that Hiiragi-sensei offered me.
When the bus reached the school, the clock had turned to eight in the afternoon. I should quickly head over to the middle school and return home with Nazuna--- is what I considered to do, but when I got off the bus, Machina was surrounded by the girls from class and wouldn’t get away from them.
Should I start to call out to her, since Nazuna was waiting? Or should I wait until Hiiragi-sensei dismissed us all?
While I pondered what to do, Minami approached me and clung onto my arm with a smile while saying “Nanjou-kun”.
“…Eh? Wh- What’s up, out of the blue?”
“Just some physical contact between friends. Don’t worry about it, Nanjou-kun.”
“…Well, girls do that a lot amongst themselves, but I think that works for a girl and boy.”
“Then it’s physical contact between two people, who are more than friends, but less than lovers.”
Minami replied so while still smiling, then with the prologue of “There’s something I wanted to tell you before you went home” and continued.
“After all, I can’t give up on you, Nanjou-kun. I want to be by your side and get along better. So if you ever change your mind, tell me right away. Then…I’ll give you some service.”
Smiling impish, Minami pressed her big breasts even stronger against my arm.
“It might be, that I seek physical contact with you like this from now on to get you to change your mind, but turn a blind eye on it with a smile.”
“…No, I’m a guy after all, so please spare me of that.”
“Fufu, make sure to take responsibility if anything happens, Shinobu-chan.”
Saying so and getting away from me, Minami sent me a sexy blown kiss and left.
…From now on I didn’t just had to train my body, but also my reasoning too.
When such thoughts crossed my mind, now Hijiri separated from the class group and approached me. There I called out to her softly.
“Yo, what were you talking about with Sakura— I mean, with Minami?”
“I’m afraid that I can’t tell you that.”
Hijiri replied to my question with a small smile.
I was a bit interested in the content of their talk, but as far as I could tell, she reconciled with Minami.
Infected by Hijiri, I also smiled and opened my mouth.
“Hey, Hijiri, on a different note, can I come over to your house next time?”
“…Eh? It certainly welcome you, but it’s troublesome so suddenly. I still have to mentally prepare myself…”
She seemed to have a subtle misunderstanding. I continued right away to add.
“I also want to learn from Sougo-san what you learned, Hijiri. I’ll come on a day when Sougo-san has time.”
When I told her that I wanted to learn exorcist spells in a roundabout way because we were in public, Hijiri seemed to understand it. For some reason she dropped her shoulders and nodded.
“…Then I’ll mail you when my father is at home. My father seems busy lately, so it might not be right away, is that fine?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind. Thanks.”
“Yeah, I think my father will be pleased too.”
“I see. Then I’ll bring along Elni to make him even more pleased.”
“…Uhm, it seems my father is on bad terms with Elni, so I think you better don’t do that.”
While I talked like that with Hijiri, Machina came back. Then we went to pick up Nazuna….closing the curtain on the seaside school.
