Tokyo Ravens Volume 8 Chapter 1

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"Do you know what the essence of sorcery is?"

"The answer is 'lies'."

"Therefore, the 'truth' must be handled with care."

"More carefully than anyone thinks."

-Tsuchimikado Yakou.

Her father was strict.

Even if she searched her memories, she could barely find her father's smile. In the first place, he was taciturn and wasn't one to show his emotions, only occasionally showing the very minimum. But to the young Natsume, the existence she called her 'father' had always been like that. He was her 'family'.

The pair's lives were painted with silence.

But practicing magic made up for this loneliness.

Other Onmyouji would undoubtedly widen their eyes in surprise if they saw. Her father never once paid heed to the girl's age, and Natsume encountered setbacks several times and hung her head in depression, but still immersed herself in magic. There was no way she could break away from it.

She calmly faced magic every day in silence.

The one who could break that silence with a cheerful mood was always that boy. Her childhood friend.

"Let's play! Natsume--!"

◎

"Natsume."

It seemed that she hadn't even noticed the door to the roof being opened.

After Harutora spoke, Natsume shrank back in surprise, then exhaled and smiled gently.

"Harutora-kun."

"How rare for you to come here. ......Come to think about it, you gave the work to Touji."

Harutora smiled, approaching Natsume's side.

The roof of the Onmyou Academy male dorm. The sun had set and the lights from the street hazily illuminated the night sky.

The steamy summer night was very unpleasant compared to the air-conditioned indoors. But the refres.h.i.+ng breeze that occasionally blew lightly stroked the surface of their skin. Harutora stood next to Natsume, closing his eyes with a pleasant mood.

"......It's finally starting tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Nervous?"

"Well... Yes."

"Yeah, I guess."

Harutora echoed in a relaxed tone.

He stood next to her, looking at the nighttime s.h.i.+buya over the guardrails. It just happened to be in the direction of the Onmyou Academy building. Though it hadn't actually been that long of a time, for some reason, he felt like it had already been a long time since he had gone there for cla.s.ses.

Harutora and Natsume missed their nest.

"But,"

Natsume murmured hesitatingly, lowering her eyes slightly.

"I'm more worried about Kurahas.h.i.+-san after all......"

His childhood friend's voice was calm and composed. But at the same time, it was as if fresh, still-dripping blood were mixed into it. Harutora said "......Yeah" with a worried look and said no more.

It had been ten days since that incident.

But Kyouko's word at the end still deeply p.r.i.c.ked the hearts of the two of them.

Liar.

"......Well, all we can do is resolve ourselves."

"Resolve, huh?"

"Yeah. After all, there's nothing we can deny now. We should talk to her face-to-face...... and then all we can do is apologize until she's willing to forgive us."

Harutora's tone was very serious. Then, he looked at Natsume, a faint smile showing on his face. Natsume could also see that it was just a forced smile, and intentionally smiled back.

"Natsume, you've always been worried about not explaining...... about deceiving, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, this could be an opportunity instead. You can finally stop hiding. This is a good opportunity to become true friends."

"Maybe."

As she replied, Natsume laughed naturally this time and her shoulders swayed.

"Harutora-kun, you're always so positive."

"That's the only thing good about me."

"Is that so?"

"Ah, you should deny that, even just out of politeness."

Natsume giggled quietly again upon seeing Harutora's face go bitter. Then, she faced Harutora again, slightly tilting her head.

"I feel a bit better, thanks to you. Thank you, Harutora-kun."

Her black hair drooped down smoothly, the ends lightly spreading with the night breeze.

It was embarra.s.sing to be thanked so sincerely. Harutora quietly replied "Oh", inadvertently s.h.i.+fting his gaze.

Just then,

"Harutora-kun?"

Natsume, a bit astonished, seemed to suddenly realize something. "Eh?" Just as Harutora asked back:

"H-Harutora-sama, I'm very sorry......"

The air around his legs swirled into an eddy and the figure of a girl wearing a suikan and hakama appeared.

Ears sprouted from her doll-like head and she had a big tail covered with l.u.s.trous hair. This was Harutora's defensive s.h.i.+kigami, Kon.

Harutora looked at his suddenly-materialized s.h.i.+kigami in surprise. More importantly, Kon was a bit flushed and her body's aura was inflated as if she were on alert. Harutora's whole body unconsciously tensed up.

But,

"Kon? What happened?"

"A-Ah, no. Th-There isn't any urgent situation......"

Kon's ears and tail started fidgeting as she looked up at her master. She fumbled for words, seeming to have something that was difficult to say. Though she was struggling to control it, the aura leaking from her already seemed to be going on the attack.

So, Natsume interrupted in place of the tongue-tied s.h.i.+kigami.

"Harutora-kun. Your magical energy is too strong. Also, why did you give that much magical energy to Kon?"

"Eh? Ah--"

Harutora, being questioned, finally realized that he had been constantly infusing magical energy into his s.h.i.+kigami. Moreover, it was definitely an abnormal amount - not long ago, it would have been almost his full magical energy.

"Uwah!"

In a panic, he controlled his magical energy and the flow of magical energy abruptly stopped. Kon heaved a sigh of relief, her tail drooping gently.

"Sorry, Kon. Was that going on the whole time since before?"

"Y-Yes......"

Kon nodded deeply and apologetically.

'Before' meant the time when he had searched for Natsume before coming to the roof. He had summoned Kon in order to have her help him, and at the time he had inadvertently flowed magical energy into her - and that hadn't stopped.

Because Kon was a defensive s.h.i.+kigami, even if she wasn't materialized, she would be linked with her master Harutora's spiritual power all the time. In that sense, Harutora was often sharing his magical energy with Kon. That was also the reason Natsume didn't immediately notice the abnormality.

But,

"Wh-What the master shares is the s.h.i.+kigami's joy...... I'm very happy, but I wasted it......"

"Well, Kon can't calm down while continuously receiving such strong magical energy. Harutora-kun, did you not notice?"

"Sorry."

Harutora apologized in embarra.s.sment, and Natsume's expression turned awkward out of astonishment.

"It's really become unstable since that time."

"For now, it's also easier to 'see' aura than before, right? But it feels a bit strange......"

"Is it too forced?"

"Yeah, maybe. After all, I went out of control at the time."

Harutora wanted to gloss it over with a smile, but Natsume didn't go along with him, staring into Harutora's eyes with clear anxiety. Harutora's face tightened awkwardly.

"Don't look so serious, it's nothing big. The thing before was just my accidental mistake."

"But."

"It's nothing. It's going to be summer vacation soon. If my condition still hasn't recovered, I'll have my dad treat it when I go back home. ......Ah, wait."

Harutora forcefully changed the topic.

"Since it's about to be summer vacation, that means it's finally been a year since we decided to become Onmyouji."

The topic Harutora suddenly brought up made Natsume blink.

"Come to think of it, that's right."

She replied, a bit surprised.

"It's already been a year since then...... Ah, time really flies."

"Really? I feel like, 'Wow, has it only been a year'."

Harutora refuted her as if amused. Natsume's lips pressed together as she seriously reminisced upon that year, furrowing her brows.

Then,

"......You're right."

She agreed and laughed quietly together with Harutora.

It had indeed been an eventful year. Because of that, they realized that they had acc.u.mulated a shocking number of experiences, although it felt as if it had pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. The incident Suzuka brought about, Harutora and Touji coming to Tokyo, meeting Kyouko and Tenma, reuniting with Suzuka and becoming close......

Being pulled into spiritual disasters and being attacked by the legendary Onmyouji As.h.i.+ya Doman. And the incident not long ago.

"It was really hectic."

The year even stunned Harutora.

A precious year, a rare year.

Moreover,

"......Ah, yeah."

The year after that summer day. In other words, it had already been a year since he parted with Hokuto.

Harutora glanced at Natsume next to him. The pink ribbon that Natsume used to tie her long black hair. Come to think of it, it had been long ago that he suddenly started suspecting that ribbon - after the practical skills camp right after they advanced to the second year ended. In the end, he hadn't been able to ask Natsume about it. It felt a bit frightening to truly ask about.

But......

If it were now, he could probably give the question words. Naturally, without any pretending. No matter what the answer was, he felt that he could calmly accept it.

Natsume, that ribbon,

Could it be Hokuto's--

Just then,

"Harutora-kun."

Natsume called his name again. Fl.u.s.tered, Harutora replied while still feigning indifference.

"Thanks."

"Eh? What?"

Natsume smiled at the lost Harutora.

"It's great that you've been with me for this year."

An unconcealed, straightforward tone. "Ah." Harutora scratched his nose.

He was embarra.s.sed. But he was truly very happy to hear her say that. Harutora collected the question he had until just then back into his heart. At least for now, he didn't need the answer.

"......Although you might not be that reliable..."

"Although?"

"I guess you're not a bad s.h.i.+kigami?"

"......Yeah."

Natsume happily admitted.

Harutora harrumphed a bit smugly upon seeing his childhood friend's smile.

◎

The two of them returned to their own rooms from the dorm building roof.

Just as Harutora closed the door, Kon, who had been continually materialized since the rooftop, spoke.

"H-Harutora-sama."

She called out.

Judging by her concerned look, Harutora felt that she wanted to say something.

He unconsciously showed a wry smile.

"Kon, don't make that face. It's alright."

"B-B-But......!"

Kon looked up at Harutora, still hesitant. But not long afterwards, she opened her mouth as if she had made a decision.

"I-If I may be so rude, I shamed Harutora-sama just now. Harutora-sama's magical energy has looked extremely unstable to Kon. It is wonderful that its strength had increased. Also, regarding your use of magical energy and grasp of aura, although you are not yet mature, it's as if you are a different person from before. However......"

The girl said in a serious voice.

"H-Harutora-sama's magical energy currently lacks stability. You can control it beautifully when you are aware, but if you're just slightly distracted, the strength will go out of control. Moreover, the level of intensity was as if you were still battling with that 'Higekiri'. That is definitely abnormal."

Kon spoke in an uncharacteristic torrent. Harutora didn't refute her, listening wordlessly.

Actually, it was just as Kon said.

He had fooled Natsume, but he couldn't fool his own s.h.i.+kigami, especially since Kon was a defensive s.h.i.+kigami. Since the battle with Higekiri - with Shaver - Harutora's aura had become extremely unstable. No, that wasn't it. Just like Kon said, it could be described as being in the dangerous state of 'frequently going out of control'.

The battle with Shaver. Harutora had gambled everything and broken his sh.e.l.l. So, his previously undeveloped spirit sight had improved by leaps and bounds. As a result, he could use his own magical energy and the surrounding aura more accurately, as if he could directly touch the aura. Harutora had had an unusual feeling during that battle, as if he had 'expanded'.

As expected, he had forced himself too much.

The current Harutora felt that he was 'at most only a bit different'. He ignored it and let his strength leak out. But even if it wasn't too much compared to what he had used during the battle, the amount of leaking magical energy was considerable. So Harutora was currently intentionally controlling the leaking magical energy.

Just as Kon said, this was definitely abnormal. Without a doubt, 'something' had broken inside Harutora during that fight.

But,

"......Well, nothing I can do."

Harutora didn't know exactly what had broken inside his body. But it was Harutora himself who had broken it and no other.

Harutora had made his decision when Shaver had backed them into a corner. Even if he destroyed himself, he wanted to fight, so this was alright. He couldn't complain about his current condition to anyone else. That was the end Harutora had chosen.

"So, I can't do anything about my disturbed aura right now."

"B-B-But."

"Well, it'll be fine if I just 'get used to' this condition."

He had become stronger, that was no lie.

People who obtained powerful strength had to learn ways to use that strength, they couldn't let the strength control them. For example, hadn't Touji faced the oni hidden inside his body and controlled its strength?

"After becoming Natsume's s.h.i.+kigami, it's important for me to obtain strength. I hope to be able to do what I can like Touji when it comes to a crucial situation, even if my dad has to put a seal on me. Kon, you too, right? I'm very happy that you're worried, but bear with me for now."

Harutora requested this, but Kon still pursed her lips, unconvinced, looking anxiously at her master. Harutora smiled to console her, putting his hand lightly on his little s.h.i.+kigami's head.

"Eh? Kon, have you grown a bit taller?"

"H-Harutora-sama, now isn't the time to talk about that......"

"Ah, well, you don't have to dodge the question, right? It seems like you've grown a bit......"

Harutora observed Kon's body after speaking again. On the other hand, the anxiety in Kon's heart still hadn't vanished. She pouted, which was rare for her, and glared intently at Harutora.

"Well, maybe I'm wrong."

"H-Harutora-sama!"

"Haha. Anyway, I'll sleep for today. After all, the Onmyou Academy's finally reopening tomorrow."

Harutora began preparing to sleep after he spoke, no longer paying any attention to his worried s.h.i.+kigami. Though Kon was still unconvinced, she hastily came over to help when she saw her master preparing the futon himself.

Not long afterward, Harutora's room went dark as they said goodnight to each other. The stubborn Kon seemed to have given up as well. She dematerialized and returned to a standby state. Not long afterwards arose the sound of Harutora's healthy breathing.

How dangerous was his current self?

Harutora's self-awareness was still too naive.

Heat and noise filled the gaps of the jumbled s.h.i.+buya district.

The road gave off heat as if it had lost to the radiating sunlight. The air was filled with exhaust and the cry of cicadas sounded from somewhere. Also, there was an endless flow of people.

The people that walked on the road had all changed to light clothing to match the summer season. They stopped in the stores with air conditioning or in dark shade, temporarily cooling off.

"......It's been a long time since I wore the Onmyou Academy uniform."

Harutora muttered.

"How could we wear that kind of uniform in the summer."

"......Yeah."

Touji, who walked next to Harutora, nodded agreement upon hearing Harutora's personal thoughts. The Onmyou Academy uniform was modeled after court clothing, and they had a very strange design. Though they were less stuffy than they looked like and comfortable when actually worn, the male uniform was the color of crow feathers - a black with a bit of a blue - so no matter what, it would feel hot. Touji also had a bandanna tied around his forehead, making it even hotter. But he looked better than Harutora on the outside, the reason probably being a problem of their individual tolerances.

Natsume, who followed behind Harutora, also wore the same clothing as the two of them, but she didn't seem hot. Her black hair, tied with a pink ribbon, gave off a cool impression instead.

But to her, she didn't have the leisure to worry about the temperature in the first place.

As they walked on the road to the Onmyou Academy, the number of figures wearing academy student uniforms increased the closer they got to the academy building. At the same time, the number of gazes shooting towards Natsume became more than before.

Some exclaimed "Ah". Some whispered secretly. Some constantly peeked over towards them.

"......Looks like..."

Touji showed a fearless smile, watching the reactions of the students pa.s.sing by.

"Or maybe I should say that, as expected, word of 'Natsume's matter' seems to have gotten around."

Harutora pursed his mouth as he listened to his good friend's sarcastic words.

He glanced back, checking on Natsume.

Natsume wasn't cowed by the curious gazes looking at her, or at least she was maintaining calm on the outside. But she looked a bit paler than usual, or maybe that was just Harutora's mistake.

The Mystical Crime Investigation Division's sweeping operation against the Twin-Horned Syndicate had left huge scars inside and outside the Onmyou Agency.

At the end of this operation, an unexpected chain reaction of spiritual disasters had been brought forth in the Exorcist Bureau Meguro branch. At the time, the Onmyou Academy had been out of use because of As.h.i.+ya Doman's attack, and the students had been borrowing the Meguro branch location for cla.s.ses. Of course, that was true of Harutora and the others as well.

Moreover, it hadn't just been spiritual disasters attacking Harutora and the others. The Divine General Kagami Reiji's servant s.h.i.+kigami Shaver had been present and had ended up going out of control upon being submerged in high-density miasma. He had raised his blade at Natsume, who he originally should have been protecting.

The fight with the out-of-control Shaver could be described as a desperate battle.

During the battle, Natsume's true ident.i.ty - the fact that she was actually a female posing as a male while attending the Onmyou Academy - had been revealed.

"Natsume had a lot of attention inside the academy in the first place. The rumor that 'she's actually a girl' really spread instantly."

Touji chatted while shooting a cold gaze at the students who stared at Natsume. The students who felt Touji's gaze turned their heads in a panic, quickly walking away.

In the end, because of the spiritual disaster and Shaver's rampage, the Meguro branch had fallen into a half-destroyed state, and of course they couldn't continue borrowing the bureau building. The Onmyou Academy had helplessly decided to halt cla.s.ses and let the students return home.

Yesterday, they had finally received notice that the academy building repairs were complete.

"Really...... I thought everyone was waiting at home. Why do even people who weren't there at the time know?"

"Nowadays, the spread of information is completely unrelated to your location. That's the same for students in the dorm, too."

Harutora went silent again after hearing Touji's words.

The last incident had carried huge effects, and the confusion among the personnel still hadn't completely stabilized. Hence, Natsume's punishment for falsifying her gender hadn't been decided, and it would be delayed.

But it was good that Natsume hadn't been kicked out of the male dorm immediately. The male dorm's female manager had been extremely shocked when she learned of this matter and had fallen into a panic, but she had decided herself that until the Onmyou Academy decided on an official punishment, she would still 'formally' treat Natsume as a male student. On the other hand, she had taken care of all the finer details like setting aside a dedicated time for bathing. Thanks to her, things had gone smoothly for Natsume after that incident without her having to change her living habits.

But the reactions of the dorm residents were greatly different. Perhaps this was natural, as the friend that had been male up until yesterday had suddenly became female. Since she had Harutora and Touji as guards and because Natsume's power had long since been a topic of conversation, no one came to confront her. However, it seemed that they lost their past candid interactions with her and watched from afar, holding their grudges.

"Maybe all of the students know, but the teachers don't - that's possible."

"That would be troublesome in its own way too. But the princ.i.p.al's definitely heard, right? From Kyouko--"

Harutora closed his mouth. Touji also noticed and didn't continue speaking.

Princ.i.p.al Kurahas.h.i.+ was Kyouko's grandmother. It was logical that she had learned about Natsume from Kyouko's mouth...... but it wasn't certain. Kyouko had received the greatest shock after learning about Natsume's true gender. It was doubtful whether she would talk about this incident, even to her grandmother.

"......This is terrible. We shouldn't need to announce it ourselves...... right?"

"Well, for now, let's stay silent. As long as no one asks, isn't it fine for us to maintain this situation for now?"

His good friend responded to Harutora's worries. Touji was in a relaxed position that wasn't directly related, so that was why he could objectively make such a proposal. Harutora replied with a grunt.

Just then,

"H-Harutora-kun! Touji-kun!"

"......Hah, a gloomy expression just like I imagined."

A male student walked towards them from the direction of the academy building, with a female student following behind him. Seeing his face for the first time in a while made Harutora's expression relax.

"Yo, Tenma! Suzuka's with you too, huh. It feels like I haven't seen you for a long, long time."

"Hah, you can talk. Weren't you texting me all the time while I was waiting at home?"

"...What are you saying, weren't you waiting anxiously for Harutora-kun and the others by yourself even before I got here?"

"Hey! Gla.s.ses! Don't go making up whatever delusions you want! I wasn't waiting at all, I just got here!"

Tenma's friendly words made Suzuka glare in a panic. The knot in Harutora's heart seemed to alleviate slightly upon seeing the unchanging att.i.tudes of the two of them.

"You two, what did you do when you were waiting?"

"Nothing special. I studied by myself at home."

"The Mystical Investigators had me go over a lot for their investigation. But......"

Suzuka thought for a while and then didn't continue speaking. "But?" Touji urged her to go on with a sharp look.

"......I'm not too sure, but the situation was different from before. They were a bit unstable."

"That kind of incident happened after all, so isn't it reasonable?

"The investigation was several days after the incident happened. ......Although I'm not too sure, it seems that the Mystical Investigators have their own business."

Suzuka's ponytails swayed as she shrugged her shoulders. Though Suzuka was one of the Twelve Divine Generals, her strength was currently being sealed and she was under the Mystical Investigators' supervision, so she couldn't get ahold of any information from inside the Onmyou Agency.

Harutora replied back indifferently, but he suddenly noticed that the shrugging Suzuka held a rolled-up piece of paper in her hand.

"Suzuka? What are you holding?"

"Eh, well, this is......"

Suzuka quickly hid the paper in her hand behind her back, a bit panicked for some reason. Harutora, Touji, and Tenma all looked at Suzuka with suspicious gazes.

But,

"......Tenma-kun."

Natsume, who had been silently standing behind Harutora, spoke after seemingly making up her mind. Her voice showed unconcealable tension.

Tenma and Natsume looked at each other. "Morning." He replied back with an unyielding att.i.tude.

"It must have been tough on you before. Are you still in the male dorm now? Are things alright? Everyone in the dorm knows, right?"

"Y, Yeah...... it's alright. But I'm a bit ostracized......"

"Ahaha, I know what you mean. Everyone's confused. Fortunately, nothing big happened. We'll see how the Onmyou Academy deals with it. If it's the princ.i.p.al, there shouldn't be a huge punishment."

"Tenma-kun......"

It wasn't stiff courtesy, he was still kindly worrying about her. Natsume was deeply relieved after seeing his att.i.tude. "Thanks." Tenma showed an embarra.s.sed smile. "You're overstating it."

But Natsume's actions weren't overstated. Until the incident a few days ago, Tenma hadn't known Natsume's true ident.i.ty. He might not have treated Natsume any more kindly than the other students, and it would have been natural for him to get mad or hold a grudge. Tenma's character and heart could be seen from the fact that he treated Natsume naturally without revealing such att.i.tudes.

"Uuu~ Tenma! Although I thought so before, you really are a good person!"

"Even Harutora-kun's talking like that. Can you not? This is very ordinary, right? I feel like I'm being taken for an idiot when you always praise me as being a good person......"

"No, no, Tenma. You're a rare good person far above the ordinary. They're already very few now, so be proud."

"Touji-kun too...... Hey, stop, it's so hot!"

Harutora and Touji draped themselves over Tenma's shoulders on either side, nodding their heads exaggeratedly. Tenma, sandwiched by the two of them, wrinkled up his face and frowned. Natsume giggled. At the same time, Suzuka looked at her merry male companions with a look saying she was staying out of this.

"Ah, but, right. Natsume... kun, can you still stay the same as before? How did you live in the academy before? Although you're also dressed as a male today."

"......I want to stay this way while the Onmyou Academy hasn't issued any punishment."

"Because of that 'family tradition'?"

"Yeah."

Natsume nodded.

The reason Natsume dressed as a male and hid her gender from the people around her was because of her main family's 'family tradition' that 'the one who inherits the Tsuchimikado family must show himself as a male to outsiders'. That was why the Tsuchimikado's next head Natsume entered the Onmyou Academy posing as a male. Though this 'family tradition' was not to be made public, she had told Tenma about it after the battle with Shaver.

Suzuka hmphed.

"Now that you mention it, it's such a strange 'family tradition', that even the Kurahas.h.i.+ branch family has no knowledge of it."

"You researched Yakou, so it's not strange that you know."

"Huh? I said so many times, my specialty is just Tsuchimikado Yakou's 'magic'. I have no interest at all in his family's traditions."

Suzuka tapped her shoulder with her paper from just before, replying annoyedly.

Suzuka knew of Natsume's true ident.i.ty because she had seen Natsume dressed as a miko in the commotion one year ago. Though it had become rarer and rarer recently, she had often used that fact to threaten them when she had just learned Natsume was a female after entering the academy. She couldn't do such a thing anymore now.

Tenma seemed to be a bit concerned.

"But with this, won't Natsume end up breaking the family tradition? Will there be any punishment?"

"......I'm not sure."

"Eh? But your father should know already, right? About Natsume's gender being exposed already."

"Well......"

Natsume didn't reply immediately, meeting Harutora's gaze seemingly awkwardly. Harutora helplessly explained for her.

"Actually, she hasn't told her parents. They haven't said anything yet either."

"Eh? But the Meguro branch incident became big news. Your family didn't contact you?"

"Not at all. Natsume's mom already pa.s.sed away, and her dad basically doesn't contact her. Right now they only meet about once a year...... Wait. Come to think of it, my family didn't contact me either. Really, there should be a limit to letting me do what I want."

"......I, I see. Could it be the Tsuchimikado family's style?"

Tenma was a bit dazed after hearing Harutora's explanation. Though their family had declined, it was still hard to imagine that the family that was once dominant over Onmyoudou would be like this.

"I think I would have to report to him first."

Natsume, feeling bad, spoke. Harutora didn't continue her words, tactfully chiming in, "She doesn't get along well with her dad." Tenma seemed to be a bit surprised, but he didn't say anything more about the family situation of others.

With a sarcastic tone, Touji said:

"If you don't tell him, you might be able to fool him until you graduate."

"It would be scary if that worked. Natsume's dad is very strict about family matters. Maybe it would be better to confess first rather than having the secret revealed later......"

Harutora glanced at his childhood friend out of the corner of his eye, seeming to still want to say something. Natsume replied "yeah" with a downcast gaze.

Natsume had very strong self-awareness of herself as the next Tsuchimikado family head. Even if she wasn't very good at dealing with her father, she had undoubtedly already prepared her resolve to accept the guilt for breaking the 'family tradition'.

But,

"I'll report to him as quickly and straightforwardly as possible. But...... If possible, I want to apologize to Kurahas.h.i.+-san first......"

Tenma showed an understanding expression very soon after Natsume spoke.

Tenma had heard about that incident - the words that Kyouko had faulted Natsume with after the battle with Shaver ended.

"You're going to tell Kurahas.h.i.+-san about the 'family tradition'?"

"Yeah. ......But, I called her several times but she didn't pick up...... And I sent a message of explanation, but I haven't gotten a reply yet."

Natsume's face fell. Tenma's expression also carried bitterness.

"I'm actually a bit worried too. I called several times."

"Tenma-kun too? Did Kurahas.h.i.+-san say anything?"

"Sorry, she didn't answer my calls either. She really got quite a big shock. Also, it wasn't just a shock about Natsume being a girl, Kurahas.h.i.+-san...... probably......"

Tenma's words became vague at this point, his tone still containing no intent of blaming Natsume. But Natsume seemed to feel hurt by the problem Tenma pointed out, gritting her teeth.

Of course, it wasn't just Natsume. Harutora also felt ashamed of himself. After all, Kyouko had confessed her feelings - that she loved Natsume - to Harutora. But Harutora had concealed Natsume's true ident.i.ty. Harutora's sin was even heavier than Natsume's for treading over Kyouko's feelings.

Liar.

That was right. He couldn't refute it.

Harutora and Natsume went silent. Tenma quietly cast Touji a pleading gaze, but Touji was also helpless about this. He just closed his eyes without saying a word, lightly shaking his head as if expressing that he could do nothing. Even Touji was the same as Harutora and Natsume in the sense of 'knowing but not saying it'.

The first-year Suzuka watched this group of second-years, impatiently - as if she couldn't bear to watch - tapping on the road with the tip of her foot.

"......You reap what you sow. Things have gotten bad now, huh?"

"D-Dairenji-san."

"Shut up, gla.s.ses. ...Anyway, it's natural for them to get mad about Natsume hiding her 'family tradition'. If you don't want that, then all you can do is apologize and beg for forgiveness. What's there to hesitate about? It's childish."

Suzuka deliberately scoffed as if insulting them. But she became even more irritated when she saw Natsume and Harutora lower their heads instead of talking back.

"Well, that's enough." Touji smiled wryly, ending the topic.

"Starting today, you'll have to face them even if you don't want to. There should be many chances to talk."

After he said that, he urged the group who had stopped moving to walk towards the academy building.

Natsume and Harutora followed right behind him, and then was Tenma. Harutora and the others' steps were very heavy, since 'you'll have to face them even if you don't want to' had worsened their moods.

Finally, Suzuka, left in their original location, looked at her senpai who were in gloomy moods unlike before.

"Shameful."

She curled her lips.

Then, she quietly spread the paper in her hands alone.

Suzuka had an advertis.e.m.e.nt in her hands. It was a notice about a fireworks festival being held this weekend by the Sumida River[1].

She stared motionlessly at the advertis.e.m.e.nt as if she were saying something, and then turned towards the backs of Harutora and the others who had left first.

"......Hmph."

Suzuka roughly stuffed the commercial into the pocket of her uniform.

◎

Harutora's group walked towards the familiar second-year cla.s.sroom after entering the academy building and parting with Suzuka.

Looking around, the academy building had been completely restored to normal after the repairs. They had finally managed to return to their nostalgic school, but Harutora recalled the events of the first day after he had transferred into the Onmyou Academy.

The moment when he had walked into the cla.s.sroom carrying feelings of tension and anxiety, a bit frightened because of the dignified air of the building. Even now, he still vividly remembered the curious looks and probing gazes he got after he was attached with the label of 'transfer student from the Tsuchimikado family'.

Unfamiliar faces had lined up in front of him. It was a new group of people.

In some sense, Natsume was also a new transfer student today. Her feelings right now were probably about the same as Harutora's from back then - no, they should be even more p.r.o.nounced.

...Come to think of it, Kyouko and I first met on the day I transferred too.

At the start, Kyouko had treated Harutora as an enemy. But after that, they had gotten closer and closer and become friendly mutual companions. Could the same process repeat itself again?

...No.

It couldn't. But they could only try and take the plunge. Had their relations.h.i.+p with Kyouko weakened to the point where even this couldn't patch it up?

Thinking about these things, Harutora and the others walked into the cla.s.sroom.

Cla.s.s hadn't started yet. The cla.s.sroom was noisy, and the clamor on the first day after cla.s.s restarted even reached the corridor outside the room. Harutora unconsciously swallowed.

He held the door handle, looking back at Natsume. Natsume watched Harutora and nodded.

He opened the door.

Right when Harutora and the others walked into the room, the clamor quieted down like a receding tide.

They were all familiar faces. They faced cla.s.smates that they recognized, who held gazes so complex that they were hard to express in words.

The reactions of their cla.s.smates adequately expressed that they already knew Natsume's true gender. Moreover...... was it his imagination? None of the gazes cast towards Natsume seemed to hold such intentions.

Liar.

...Argh!

He couldn't keep enduring. Even if he made excuses, he had to say something. Harutora impulsively thought of stepping forward.

But his shoulder was grabbed by the person behind him.

It was Natsume. "Natsume?" She didn't respond to the stunned Harutora, nervously walking forward in place of Harutora instead.

She walked to the podium alone, her back straight. Needless to say, the students in the cla.s.sroom all silently stared at Natsume. In that tense atmosphere, Natsume walked to the lectern, her black hair fluttering, and sternly faced her cla.s.smates.

Then, she stood tall.

She deeply bowed her head.

"......Natsume."

Faint gasps sounded throughout the cla.s.srooms, and the area went stiff.

This was the first time most of the students had seen the bowed head of Natsume, the Onmyou Academy's genius and the next head of the Tsuchimikado family.

Natsume didn't say anything at all. Since she couldn't break the 'tradition', she couldn't respond to her cla.s.smates' questions. So she didn't say a word and just bowed her head to admit her wrongdoing. She at least wanted to convey her apologies.

The silence still continued, but Natsume still didn't move at all, silently bowing her head. Harutora watched for a moment and finally couldn't take it anymore, walking towards the podium where Natsume was.

Just then.

"Tsuchimikado!"

A male student stood up from his seat and shouted. Harutora turned around, and Natsume unconsciously raised her head.

The male student who had rose continued speaking with a red face and a rough tone.

"Th-Thanks a lot for before! At the time - I was also in the Meguro branch training room. I probably would have died if you hadn't come. Really, thank you so much!"

"......Ah."

Natsume's eyes slightly widened. Harutora also recalled it. At the time, they had been pursued by Shaver and escaped into the training room. He was one of the students who had been taking refuge there.

Right afterwards,

"M-Me too!"

Several female students stood up.

"Me too, I was saved thanks to Natsume-kun and you guys. You're my saviors."

"W-Well...... But. It was because we escaped in there that you guys got involved......"

Natsume responded with a dazed tone.

The male student who had spoken up at the start smiled.

"We might not have been saved even if we stayed hidden. No matter how you look at it, it was all because of you guys that we ended up being rescued."

"Y-Yeah. Natsume-kun isn't at fault for anything. I'm very thankful!"

Natsume stood in place, dazed. Harutora gritted his teeth, seeming to have trouble holding back his tears.

The tense atmosphere was alleviated and the cla.s.sroom became noisy again. Of course, there were some people who gave them cold or distasteful gazes. But at this moment, Harutora felt incomparably joyful that he had properly heard his cla.s.smates' thanks in front of everyone.

After all, it wasn't just companions around him. The time they spent together would influence both sides, even if it was a slow, gradual process. That was true for both their cla.s.smates as well as Natsume. Her first-year self would probably have a hard time doing such a thing towards her cla.s.smates even if her ident.i.ty were exposed.

Heat welled up in the corner of Natsume's eyes.

"......Thank you."

She quietly said those words, her body trembling slightly.

But just then, the cla.s.sroom door was opened again and a student walked in.

Natsume and Harutora instantly went completely stiff.

It was Kyouko.

"Kurahas.h.i.+-san."

Tenma, who was the farthest back, greeted her, hastily allowing her through the s.p.a.ce in front of the door.

Kyouko stopped upon seeing the situation inside the cla.s.sroom, standing still as if petrified. Her eyes widened in her pale expression and she quivered slightly. It was understandable that her cla.s.smates shot her suspicious looks. Most people knew of the close relations.h.i.+p between her, Natsume, and the others, and they had fought together in that incident. But however, they had trouble understanding Natsume, Kyouko, and Harutora's current reactions.

"......Kurahas.h.i.+-san."

Natsume greeted her as if struggling to, but also as if she were searching for support. A chill also ran through Kyouko as if she had come in contact with something cold.

Kyouko still averted her gaze with a stiff face. Natsume couldn't open her mouth anymore.

Harutora walked towards Kyouko.

"Kyouko, let me explain--"

But the stubborn Kyouko didn't pay Harutora any heed. She walked straight to her own seat.

Her cla.s.smates also lost their enthusiasm from before, starting to become noisy. Tenma looked back and forth uneasily, and Touji sighed.

He walked next to Harutora and clapped him on the shoulder.

"......Well, we'll talk about it later."

"......Ah."

Harutora nodded gloomily upon hearing his good friend's calm words.

Their first cla.s.s was unrelated to Onmyoudou, but instead was an explanation of many matters about the Onmyou Academy. Ohtomo Jin had originally been the homeroom teacher of Harutora's cla.s.s, but he was in the hospital. Another teacher stood on the podium in his place.

He explained that the academy building repairs had already finished, about their sudden stays at home, touched upon trivial matters regarding restarting the curriculum, and their cla.s.s schedule for the future. He also spoke about the general situation that had happened at the Exorcist Bureau Meguro branch. But there wasn't any particularly attention-worthy information to the student. As they predicted - though maybe the teacher himself didn't know - there was no explanation about Natsume's business.

During the break time after their first cla.s.s.

"Wait, Kyouko!"

Harutora ran into the corridor, chasing after Kyouko who had swiftly left the cla.s.sroom. Kyouko should have heard Harutora's voice, but she didn't stop. She even sped up. Harutora clicked his tongue, continuing to chase.

Harutora felt that it was best to talk with Kyouko as soon as possible, as it was getting harder and harder to speak up. Moreover, Harutora hoped to apologize beforehand on his own while Natsume wasn't there.

She caught up to her around a corner,

"Kyouko."

And grabbed her shoulder.

Kyouko unconsciously twisted her body and pushed him away with her hands. Harutora also immediately relaxed his grip. But because of this, he was finally able to be face-to-face with her.

"...Sorry."

The apology was first, so he would say it before thinking. Kyouko lowered her head, biting her lip.

"Kyouko, sorry. But please listen to my explanation. I won't ask you to forgive me...... But I at least want to talk with you first."

Kyouko didn't say a word to Harutora, who was the only one speaking. But Harutora didn't back down. He quickly adjusted his tone, and his words became calmer.

"Did you see my message? I wrote about Natsume's reasons there. Although that 'family tradition' is unreasonable, you know her personality, right? As long as it's a regulation of the Tsuchimikado family, she'll choose to obey it no matter how unreasonable and hard to accept it is. That girl does her best in her own way. Otherwise, she wouldn't have done something reckless like coming to the Onmyou Academy posing as a male. Of course, it was my fault for hiding it from you, and I'm really regretful. So I wanted to at least come to apologize to you. Please let me express my apologies."

Harutora wove his words with all his power. Just as he had said to Natsume yesterday night, he could only patiently apologize to her face. There was nothing he could do other than convey his sincerity with all his might.

He would get closer step by step to reach even the slightest understanding. Then......

"I......"

Kyouko opened her mouth hesitantly. Harutora corrected his posture.

"......I said before."

"What?"

"I met a boy at Natsume's home before. Then...... I started liking him......"

Kyouko lowered her head, continuing her words in short snippets as if talking to herself. Harutora listened carefully, focusing his mind on Kyouko as she spoke.

"......Ah, I heard. Something from when you were small. You said, well, love at first sight......"

"Sorry. But actually, Natsume......"

"A boy."

Kyouko interrupted Harutora's words, speaking resolutely.

Harutora didn't know what Kyouko's words meant and was a bit confused. Kyouko raised her head to stare at Harutora.

They looked at each other. Her clear, pretty eyes explored Harutora's heart.

"He was very nice, and didn't hate me for being arrogant when we first met. I remember very clearly that he nodded when I asked him if he was called Tsuchimikado. That person...... he was a boy."

That shouldn't be. You've got it wrong. Harutora thought of how to tactfully refute Kyouko in order to keep from hurting her......

He froze.

...Are you the boy who lives here?

...Eh? No.

...Liar. Aren't you Tsuchimikado?

...Ah, yeah. Well. But......

Natsume, who was sick, was sleeping. He had met an unfamiliar girl in the courtyard. The two of them had searched the courtyard - for a missing ribbon.

Right.

...Okay? Don't forget, because it's a promise.

Harutora's mind went white, as if his heart had stopped beating.

Kyouko seemed to notice something from Harutora's expression. A blush emerged on her face, and she walked away while trembling lightly to conceal the fact that she had gone too far.

Harutora didn't dare chase after Kyouko's departing back, as if his body would crumble into pieces if he took a single step.

Kyouko's back vanished in the end of the corridor, but Harutora still remained motionless as if he had been paralyzed.

Just then,

"......How's the heroic sacrifice?"

Someone spoke to him from behind. "Touji." Harutora replied in a voice that sounded like a different person's.

It seemed that he had come take a look out of worry for him. Tenma had come too.

"A-Are you alright, Harutora-kun? Why are you so pale?"

"Tenma...... Where's Natsume?"

"She's still in the cla.s.sroom. She was suddenly surrounded by a couple of people, but she should manage...... So? It seems that I guessed right, you sacrificed yourself quite heroically, but can you explain the situation a bit? How did Kyouko react?"

"......No......"

"Huh? Hey, hey, why did even you change like this. Did something happen?"

Touji furrowed his brows in surprise, but Harutora had trouble opening his mouth to explain.

Actually, his heart was still in disarray and his mind had stopped working. Touji looked at Harutora with a stunned expression, and traded looks with Tenma not long afterwards. The two of them could only tilt their heads, not knowing what to do.

"Oh my. This time I'm standing on the side that's getting things concealed from them. It's not really convincing, no matter what I say...... Tenma. Sorry for bringing you trouble, but could you go chat with Kyouko a bit?"

Touji stopped paying attention to the lifeless Harutora, making a request of Tenma a bit apologetically. Other than Kyouko, Tenma was the only other person among their companions who hadn't known about Natsume's secret. Also, Tenma had known Kyouko the longest among their group, so he was the most suitable to smooth things over now.

But Tenma didn't reply immediately.

Touji peeked at the responseless friend. Tenma had his arms crossed, thinking.

"Tenma?"

"Ah, yeah, I'm listening."

Tenma looked up and replied.

Then, he looked towards Touji.

"But, it will probably be very difficult even for me. It's probably not our problem......"

Tenma's reply was very unexpected to Touji.

Tenma showed his unique gentle smile, making a different proposal.

"Rather, although I'm not sure if it will be effective, why don't you let me ask someone else to help?"

◎

Liar.

She hadn't originally planned on saying those words. She had originally thought she was a more tolerant person. She had been thinking continuously when she had been staying at home.

She hadn't picked up the phone because she didn't want to speak directly. She hadn't replied to his messages because she thought that she couldn't convey herself clearly through those means. She wanted to seriously apologize. So she had stayed silent, waiting until now.

The next time they met, she would try taking back those words, pretending they didn't exist, and then returning to their original relations.h.i.+p. She made her decision countless times. She had told herself that countless times.

But she still hadn't been able to do it.

Once she saw Natsume and Harutora in the cla.s.sroom, the lines she had practiced many times vanished into nothingness. She couldn't control herself. She should at least escape first, but she hadn't run away.

In the end, she had faced Harutora and made those remarks.

She hadn't had any plans at all of saying those words.

She no longer had any confidence in herself, none at all. Anyway, she didn't want to be involved anymore and she hoped that she wouldn't get shaken again.

So.

She kept a stiff upper lip and avoided Harutora and Natsume for the whole day.

After school.

Kyouko, who was the first to rise, forced herself to ignore the gazes around her, leaving the cla.s.sroom without looking back. Though she didn't plan on leaving the academy building, she stayed away from the corridor for now.

Before she realized it, she was already sitting in the emergency stairwell set along the outside wall of the academy building.

Why had she come here? The current Kyouko didn't want to understand the reasons behind it. The landing of this emergency stairwell was a place where Harutora's group often gathered. Maybe she would meet Harutora and Natsume if she came here. Why had she come here while fleeing left and right?

It was as if she were waiting while running away.

"What......"

Kyouko sat down with a plop, curling her hair with a finger.

Though she shouldn't say it herself, Kurahas.h.i.+ Kyouko was an 'elite', the daughter of the famous Onmyoudou family and giant in the current magic community that was the Kurahas.h.i.+ family. Her grades in the Onmyou Academy were excellent, and she had obtained the deep trust of her teachers. She was a core of the cla.s.s. Of course, that 'way of life' was extremely difficult, but she had planned on using that as training in the first place. Whether it was for ability or personality.

So she doubted her current self even more. This wasn't her true self, she had to believe.

"......So terrible."

How would Harutora see her slip of the tongue? Would he tell Natsume? She didn't want to imagine it, she wanted to vanish right away. How had things become like this? She had no idea.

But......

"......I......"

It was hard for her to rationally control herself, and in the end she had shouted 'Liar' in front of those two. Unintentionally, she had ended up revealing the truth about her childhood matters to Harutora.

Then,

Doing the above things was the other side of Kurahas.h.i.+ Kyouko, which couldn't be described with 'elite'. Impulsive, reckless actions. Perhaps these actions were even closer to Kurahas.h.i.+ Kyouko's true 'core' that she had bared.

In the end, she hadn't forgiven Harutora and Natsume. However she looked at it.

Kyouko, still sitting on the stairs, hung her head in low spirits, inadvertently covering her face with her hands.

It was the first time she experienced this. Secretly, she had evaluated herself as the most mature among her companions. That wasn't the case at all. She was this immature one layer down.

Natsume was a girl.

The person she had adored since childhood wasn't Natsume, it was Harutora.

But now that she knew this, Kyouko still couldn't make sense of her emotions.

She had only finally realized how kindly he treated her in the past few days. She hated herself for that. Had she truly liked Natsume? If she did - why hadn't she noticed? Her childhood memories and the adoration she had kept until now were both genuine. They should be true. But why had she naturally accepted this change in the status quo? Could it be that she was just obsessed with the illusion that she had created herself? Was it just a form of self-satisfaction, thinking she was incredible while wallowing in her 'beautiful unrequited love'?

It was stupid.

"......It really is stupid......"

Her mood became more and more depressed as she let her thoughts swirl around.

Was this lovesickness?

Or, was there nothing that she could call love in the first place.......

A one-man show about complacently loving herself......

She was such a joke......

Just then,

"Uwah, how gloomy. What's this. You scared me."

She thought her heart was about to explode.

She suddenly raised her head. Then, she met eyes with the person who had pa.s.sed through the door half-blocking the stairway and was peering over.

She saw dyed-golden ponytails from the gap.

"......S-Suzuka-chan......"

"You...... Can you cut that out? Just watching feels unpleasant...... I'm getting squeamish."

Those unsympathetic and impolite words made Kyouko's face redden. Suzuka's face was still bitter after seeing Kyouko's reaction, but not long afterwards she walked out from the academy building to the emergency staircase as if she had thought of something.

"What are you doing anyway?"

"I-I, nothing......"

"Nothing? You've got your arms wrapped around your knees. If I had to say, it's full of the feeling of a girl troubled with love, you know? Also, it's the one-sided, self-indulgent kind? How creepy~ I don't want to touch it directly. You better put an end to that feeling quickly, you know? It's painful."

It was probably rare for her to endure venomous insults. Though she was currently hating herself, she still hoped that Suzuka appreciated her last bit of rationality that kept her from pouncing on her.

"......Suzuka-chan, did you come to pick a fight?"

"What are you joking about. I don't have that kind of free time."

"Then for what?"

"Why I came...... Someone requested that I come and check the situation. I don't care myself, but that gla.s.ses lowering his head and pleading was a bit troublesome......"

Suzuka turned her head to look away and Kyouko blinked.

"......Tenma?"

"Yeah. That guy's att.i.tude is unexpectedly firm, and he forced me to come. He's so inconspicuous though. I originally thought he was a guy who knew his own place. How annoying."

The constantly complaining Suzuka furrowed her brows in seeming irritation. How exactly had he pleaded? Kyouko, who had been friends with Tenma for a long time, couldn't conceal her surprise.

But it had indeed been a good move to ask Suzuka to come. Needless to say, Harutora and Natsume couldn't come, and Kyouko would run away even if it were Touji or Tenma who appeared. Suzuka was the only one right now who could make Kyouko return to her former att.i.tude. But even Tenma hadn't antic.i.p.ated things suddenly becoming like this.

Kyouko suddenly broke out into light, bitter laughter. Though it was bitter, this was the first time she had smiled today.

"......Suzuka-chan...... Suzuka-chan, did you know? About Natsume-kun."

"That she's a girl? Yeah. It was really laughable to watch."

"When did you realize?"

"Well, since the beginning - since I ran into them at her home."

With that, Kyouko realized. Suzuka's strength was currently being sealed by the Onmyou Agency as punishment for the incident she had brought about last year. She had heard that the summer incident was the first time Suzuka met Harutora and Natsume, and had also become the juncture leading to Harutora transferring into the Onmyou Academy.

"......I see. You wouldn't have realized if you hadn't known them before."

"I wouldn't have realized if I hadn't known them before? How unreasonable. ......Well, although her aura is disguised pretty well."

That was true. Looking back now that she knew the truth, Natsume's male disguise could only be described as a mess. Natsume had probably been counting on always keeping a distance from others like she had when she had just entered the academy. When she entered the Onmyou Academy, Natsume had originally held no intention of establis.h.i.+ng close relations.h.i.+ps with anyone else.

But Natsume had changed since Harutora and Touji transferred in. It wasn't just the two of them, it had also been Kyouko herself. If Natsume's disguise was described as a bomb, the three of them had all lit the fuse in unison.

Natsume hadn't concealed her ident.i.ty out of ill intent, she was probably just doing as she should. Wasn't it Kyouko who had one-sidedly liked her and willfully become frustrated?

She hated herself even more......

"Also,"

Suzuka suddenly opened her mouth. Kyouko turned her head.

"Have you changed a bit? Why are you so depressed now."

"What do you mean, 'changed'?"

"Weren't you in a fit of anger? What about now? You're the side that got tricked."

"B-But, Natsume-kun didn't mean to hide it...... There's a reason, right? Because of the Tsuchimikado family tradition--"

Suzuka raised her eyebrow upon seeing Kyouko starting to make excuses for some reason.

"I said..."

She continued speaking irritably:

"That just means she thinks 'family tradition' is more important than her friends, right? Touji and I both knew before, but we didn't tell anyone, so she could have told you in private, right? To think she hates breaking her 'tradition' that much? ...She doesn't even mind fooling her companions?"

"That......"

Suzuka's direct and brusque words left Kyouko speechless.

Suzuka crossed her arms, irritably tapping the stairs with her finger.

"That's what led to all these problems, right? Love? Hate? That's not what you should be complaining about. The issue isn't whether she was hiding it on purpose or not. Things became this troublesome because she didn't communicate properly, right? Why don't you just go yell 'what the h.e.l.l!' at her? It's fine even if you make them kneel for forgiveness! Why are you being depressed out here on your own?"

Then, Suzuka craned her neck, glaring at Kyouko to her face with narrowed eyes.

"The 'other party' is the one that's 'wrong', right?"

"......Yeah......"

She inadvertently nodded like a child. "See." Suzuka's expression became overjoyed and she nodded her head exaggeratedly.

"......But, that group of fools knows that they made a mistake now. Hurry up and go scold them and whip them raw. Let them know exactly how arrogant, impa.s.sive, and self-a.s.sertive they are. Go make them wear the word 'dumba.s.s' on their foreheads for a month or make them apologize ten thousand times!"

"Suzuka-chan......"

Those methods were probably a bit poorly thought out. But Suzuka's clumsy gentleness warmed her heart, and she couldn't help but think of what she had spoken while pretending to be amazing during the practical skills camp to let Suzuka open her heart. It probably wasn't only Natsume and Harutora that were conceited, she was probably the same.

A vague, tangled feeling continuously expanded and Kyouko's nose started dripping. Suzuka became a bit panicked, seeming not to know how to deal with this.

"Those guys are so insidious. They say so much one-sided impolite nonsense to others like they know everything, but they're full of lies! Natsume too, that Bakatora too, they're being so secretive about that s.h.i.+kigami Hokuto's business! They always want other people to think of something for them!"

Suzuka became more and more zealous, continuously bad-mouthing Harutora and Natsume. It seemed that she had acc.u.mulated a lot of grudges. But on the other hand, this was proof that she had always been paying attention to the two. In contrast, Kyouko revealed a smile as she saw Suzuka spewing abuse.

But there was something she was very interested in.

"......Hey, Suzuka-chan. If by 'Hokuto's business' you mean Harutora and Natsume-kun's servant s.h.i.+kigami, didn't we know about that a long time ago?"

"Not that dragon. It's not that Hokuto--"

After she spoke to this point, Suzuka finally realized that she was speaking about things she hadn't planned to.

She showed weakness and confusion in front of the dazed Kyouko. But she had just criticized Natsume's att.i.tude, and it would be very hypocritical if she did the same thing right away.

"Didn't Bakatora talk about it during the camp? When you asked who he liked......"

She finally recalled it when she heard this. Hokuto. Harutora had mentioned it during the camp, the simple s.h.i.+kigami controlled from a long distance that he had always believed to be human. 'I want to see her again.' Harutora missed that s.h.i.+kigami girl.

...Eh?

Kyouko also realized after it was brought up again.

"W-Wait. Natsume-kun didn't tell him?"

Suzuka showed a bitter expression before Kyouko's confirmation.

"I don't have enough proof to make her confess. But...... If you consider it objectively, there shouldn't be any doubts, right? There aren't any other possibilities."

What was up with that? The two of them were still concealing things from each other? Hokuto's true ident.i.ty was Natsume? Really? In that case, then Natsume knew that Harutora had always been concerned about Hokuto, right? In any case, why did Nats