ANIMT - Chapters 26-29

ANIMT - Chapter 26. Summer Vacation Extra Part 1: Kokomi’s Troubles

“Oh no! I didn’t think there was such a secret in Cloverne onee-sama’s past!”

I couldn’t help but feel my hands trembling as I clutched the book tightly in my hands.

It was already ten o’clock in the evening. Laying on my bed, I decided to read the most recently released volume of ~The Story of Ascendance in a Pure All-Girls School~ (The Golden Maiden and Peach Maiden Meet). I planned on reading a chapter or two before going to sleep.

This newly released volume was as interesting as the others. I found myself drawn deeper into the world described in the book with each page I turned. But when I checked the clock on the wall, I suppressed my urge to finish reading it in one sitting, delicately closing the book after sliding in a bookmark at where I left off.

Normally, I would have enjoyed reading for another hour before going to sleep, but I had something to do in the morning. It was a very important task, so I needed to get a good night’s rest.

The book called out to me once more, but I managed to resist it, turning off the lights and pulling the covers up over me.

Tomorrow was the day of the party to commemorate Mitsuba onee-sama getting ranked in the magic mock battle. The party would be held in the dormitory supervisor’s office.

In order to make her happy, I promised to prepare a lot of delicious dishes, so I needed to spend my morning well to have them ready for the party at noon.

I made sure I set my alarm clock and slowly closed my eyes.

Tomorrow, I have to work hard for my onee-sama.

* * * *

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If it weren’t for that twist of fate, I, Konoha Kokomi, would be attending a middle school. However, my magic power awakened early, garnering me a high evaluation, and I ended up attending this private institution, Sakuranomiya Magic High School.

For the first three months after entering this school, I was very lonely.

So very lonely.

After the shock of losing my one and only best friend, I was thrust into an unfamiliar environment where all of my peers were much older than me. I was held aloft and constantly told that I was a magical genius, but this did not translate into popularity. Far from it. As a result of my overwhelming strength, no one would come near me at all.

Even though I spent a lot of time practicing how I addressed people, specifically those older than me so I wouldn’t come off as rude or conceited, I couldn’t find anyone to talk to.

I was all alone, spending all my time reading. Just when I was tired of my lonely school days, when I was at the brink of giving up on everything, I finally had a fateful encounter with my onee-sama.

“Let’s see, a pinch of salt here… ”

I sprinkled salt on the bowl of minced meat, remembering my first encounter with Mitsuba-sama a while ago. Cooking using the kitchen in my dorm room was a hobby of mine, so I was quite comfortable with being hands-on and creating things. I don’t have to worry about stepping on anyone’s toes, since I was consigned to a room by myself as a privileged student.

I’m currently attempting to make a hamburger, and this is something I can’t afford to fail at. This was a request from onee-sama after all!

My fated onee-sama, Nobana Mitsuba, is a very nice person.

When I was entangled with what were commonly referred to as delinquents, she was the one who gallantly came to my rescue, without regard for danger. Just as I was thinking there was no one to help someone like me, she firmly grabbed my tiny hand, right as I was about to sink into pessimism, protecting my precious book with her body, and letting me escape even though her ass was getting beaten.

No way she wasn’t afraid in that situation, but she didn’t take a single step back while standing up against those delinquents. Her gallant figure as she protected me, a person whom she had very little prior connection with, along with my most precious item. She was very generous and kind.

I was touched to have met a wonderful person who was no less magnificent than Cloverne onee-sama, a main character in my beloved books, whom I had always admired.

After that, I had the honor of becoming her friend. The more time I spent with her and the more I got to know her, the more I came to like her. Now, Mitsuba is not only my ideal onee-sama, but also my most important… friend.

As I kneaded the hamburger, I thought about the non-stop rosy days I have found myself in since I became her friend. A smile naturally broke out on my face as my mind wandered.

Elated, I continued rolling and shaping the hamburgers. After they were all done, I had to start on the pot-au-feu, another dish my onee-sama had told me she liked. I was so excited to be cooking to my heart’s content for her.

As I washed my hands, my eyes were drawn to the back of my hand. A thought suddenly struck me, bringing me to a stop for a moment and dampening my cheerful mood.

At the moment, there were two problems concerning my precious onee-sama.

The first is the lonely look that she sometimes has on her face. Every now and again, I catch her looking at the back of her hand, seemingly dazed by something. It’s a habit that she’s probably not even conscious of, and it’s only for a few seconds at a time. It’s not something that I see often, but after recognizing the pattern, it became all too obvious when it did occur. Her eyes would glaze over slightly and she would stand still, a forlorn expression taking over and pushing out all other emotion on her face.

There’s something I must emphasize: it’s not something that I see often, but when I do see it, my heart tightens. She seems to be carrying something heavy in her heart that she can’t tell me. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t intend to force her to tell me.

Truthfully though, I would like to know more about my onee-sama’s sorrow and help her as much as possible. But as I know nothing about it, all I can do is try to lighten her heart a little.

----I hope that even if only by a little, my onee-sama can forget the depression she carries and laugh freely.

That’s what I’m working towards, doing whatever I can.

“Oh.”

The gushing water woke me from my reverie. I hurriedly turned off the faucet. If I didn’t keep my hands busy, I had no chance of finishing the dishes before the party started.

As I was wiping my hands on a towel to change my mood and get back to work, a chime rang announced a visitor for my room.

“Coming… onee-sama!”

“Yoo-hoo, I’m sorry for coming all of a sudden, Kokomi.”

I hurriedly opened the door and was surprised. Before me stood an onee-sama in plain clothes holding a plastic bag. She preferred boyish casual clothes, and this was something that I loved about her!

But what’s going on all of a sudden?

“We’re meeting at the dormitory supervisor’s office, right? I was supposed to bring over the food when it was ready. Is there something wrong?”

“No, that’s the thing… ”

“Hey, just let me in!”

I heard a slightly muffled voice, finally realizing that Futaki-san was also present, standing behind onee-sama. I failed to notice him since my attention was completely preoccupied on onee-sama.

He wore a black V-neck, slim jeans, and a silver belt. It was a simple but surprisingly difficult outfit to pull off, but it matched well with his distinctive golden eyes and red hair. This was Futaki Kitora, my onee-sama’s partner. He looked grumpy and tired as usual, so I tilted my head slightly as I waited to see what this commotion was for.

As I waited, I happened to catch a glimpse of someone passing my room between the pair. They realized that they had approached Futaki-san too late though. I witnessed them scramble to flee as quickly as they could.

Today was the first day of summer vacation. The rush to go back home had yet to begin, hence there were many people still staying in the dorm. It seems that people still overreact to Futaoki-san’s appearance though. I can’t blame them though. His intimidating nature has been heightened by his choice of clothing. With how thoroughly fed-up he looks, Futaki-san must have encountered quite a few people already. Anyways, it seemed like the best thing to do right now was let him into the room as soon as possible.

“Kitora, you can’t say that after visiting her without notice, it’s rude to Kokomi.”

“Shut up. This only happened because you forced me to come with you. You ignored every single word I said about not going to this party!”

“It’s a party to celebrate getting ranked. My partner can’t be allowed to skip this! I would be troubled if you didn’t join us.”

“Hey, don’t get carried away… ”

“Oh, um, please come inside first!”

The two of them started arguing and I impatiently invited them into my room. Onee-sama looked apologetic, but it was nothing to be concerned about.

“I’m sorry for the suddenness of this visit, Kokomi. Actually, Kitora and I came to help you with your cooking.”

“Yeah… ”

Once they had settled down in the living room, my older onee-sama broke the ice with something unexpected.

As I recall, they were supposed to be in charge of the preparations for the party including the shopping, Umetaro was in charge of the cake and other desserts, and I was in charge of the cooking.

“Even though it was Kokomi’s idea, it’s still not right for you to do all the cooking by yourself. I’ve run out of things to do, so I thought I’d help out here. I’ve also brought an apron! It may not be much help, though.”

“No, no! I’m so glad! I can’t believe I get to cook with onee-sama!”

“Kitora can at least peel stuff.”

“Don’t decide that for me!”

And once again, the two of them started talking to each other.

It seems that the pair have become good friends. The sight of this made me smile. At least I should be smiling, but…

“Onee-sama, I can’t wait to get started! I want you to cut vegetables with me!”

“Wha, uh, yeah. Okay, Kokomi.”

I tugged on her arm.

The second problem weighing on me is that I feel a bit frustrated and lonely because my onee-sama and Futaki-san have become such good friends. I can feel onee-sama slipping from my grasp.

Futaki-san is quite knowledgeable and I learn a lot from talking to him. He’s not as scary as people say, and I don’t have any bad feelings toward him. However, when onee-sama is involved, I tend to become quite competitive with him.

“So, onee-sama is doing carrots… and Futaki-san is, uh… ”

“Kitora is peeling potatoes, right?”

“Forget it… I’m well aware that you don’t listen to me… ”

After moving to the kitchen. Futaoki-san sighed and started peeling potatoes with a surprisingly adept hand, and onee-sama smiled in satisfaction. Seeing this, I still felt a bit defeated and jealous of him. But my onee-sama, who was chopping carrots beside me, seemed to be having a great time, so I decided to prepare a pot-au-feu without thinking about anything else.

It was time for the three of us to cook side by side, Futaki-san, onee-sama, and I in that order. Even though the kitchen was spacious, it felt a little cramped with Futaki-san, who was well-built, but this wasn’t all bad. It was a fun experience for me too.

----But onee-sama, please don’t forget this. When you can no longer bear the pain of what you are carrying, it’s okay to share the burden with me. Kokomi is always ready to help you.

“As expected, the way you cut the carrot is very artistic!”

“Eh, is that so?”

“Hey, don’t take her so seriously. What’s with this misshapen carrot?”

I just want to soak up all this fun without thinking about anything else right now.

Still, I renewed my vow today. I will always be on your side, onee-sama!

----

Chapter brought to you by The Patrons.

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ANIMT - Chapter 27. Summer Vacation Extra Part 2: The Secret Affairs of My Best Friend

It was a nice day, as you would expect in mid-August. I sat on a bench in the shade of a tree, waiting for someone to come and free me from the summer sun. Since the bench was placed on the street nearest to the city’s largest department store, many people passed by me. As I looked for my best friend, who had yet to make an appearance, I leisurely tapped away at my phone.

My name is Takekura Kaede. I’m just a normal high school girl.

I’m proud to say that I’m a smart girl, but other than that claim, I don’t have any special characteristics. My appearance is plain, and I wear round, black-rimmed glasses to disguise my slightly angled eyes, which only serves to accentuate my awkwardness. I’m not particular about my hairstyle, so I always wear my long black hair tied up into a single no-fuss bun.

If I was pressed to find something unique about myself, I’d have to say that the work I do outside of school is a bit extraordinary. The majority of the time though, I’m just an average, run of the mill girl who could be found at any high school.

Of course, I can’t use magic, a gift bestowed to an absolute minority of people. There were quite a few people on this street wearing all kinds of outfits like cosplay. I think the variety in their hair colors might be due to their magical aptitude. No, there is a distinct possibility that these people are really cosplaying.

There were many people who adored magic, but to tell you the truth, I’m not the slightest bit interested in it; not one bit at all. The allure of entering a fantasy world of witches and wizards would be something akin to hell for me.

My best friend from elementary school, Mitsuba, was forced to attend a school specializing in magic deep in the mountains far away from here. This was all because she awakened to her magical abilities.

I was worried for her when she didn’t appear at the graduation ceremony, so I went to her house and was greeted by a stranger with pink hair and amber eyes. I still remember the scene vividly when I realized who she was. Mitsuba hugged me half-crying the moment she saw my face.

It has been about four months since I have seen her. Four months since that day.

When I checked my phone, I saw that Mitsuba had sent me a message with a stamp saying,

“I’m almost there! I just arrived.” I replied, “Take your time.”

I was wondering if she could just teleport here since she could use magic. I guess I did hear that the school was under the effect of a magic seal during summer vacation. It’s also probably impossible to use magic without permission normally.

When my friends from junior high school, Momiji and An, heard that Mitsuba was coming back, they said, “I want to see Mitsuba use magic!”

From my point of view, even if I saw Mitsuba use her magical abilities, I would only be able to say “Hmmm.” I don’t think she would mind though.

“Kae-chan! I’m sorry for making you wait in the heat!”

Mitsuba appeared before I knew it, her breath lightly ragged as if she had been running. I told her that there was no need to hurry. I hadn’t seen my best friend in a while, but her face and mood itself hadn’t changed much. She still wore the clover pin I gave her, which made me smile slightly.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t wait that long. You’re sweating, you know. Let’s head inside the department store and cool off.”

“Oh, yeah! Sure!”

When I got up and walked away, she hurriedly chased after me to make sure I didn’t leave her behind. That part of her didn’t change either. I felt strangely happy after such a trivial interaction. I started walking in a happy mood.

The plan for the day had been arranged beforehand. We would spend the morning shopping, and after that, we would have a late lunch where we could talk to our heart’s content over a light meal. In the evening, we would change into yukata at Mitsuba’s house and go see a small fireworks display in our hometown.

That was the plan at least.

Currently, we had just finished shopping in the department store and were sipping café au lait in the cool breeze at a trendy café nearby. Mitsuba, who sat across from me, ate a delicious-looking Japanese parfait.

As for the shopping itself, after carefully browsing the wares on display, I settled on one dress that I liked in a clothing store, and spent the rest of the time relaxing at the bookstore. Mitsuba only bought a clover-patterned letter set. She must be planning to send a letter to someone. The rest of the shopping event was not particularly noteworthy.

“Kae-chan, I’m glad you found some cute clothes. Maybe you’re going to come with me on a date?”

Mitsuba seemed to have gotten an unwanted idea from the fact that I had bought an unusually girlish dress. She suddenly asked me such a question.

“You know better than anyone that I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. Didn’t you have a boyfriend or something in high school?”

“No, I haven’t either! I’ve been too busy for that…”

I was a little relieved to hear her slightly defeated tone. Since Mitsuba hadn’t talked much about her school life, I wondered if she had secretly found a boyfriend. No, it would be fine if she did, but you know what? If Mitsuba had a boyfriend, I would be lonely.

She’s not completely unattractive, but she’s always been bad with those things. I guess it was an unnecessary worry.

Well, if Mitsuba finds a boyfriend, I won’t accept them unless it’s a guy worthy of my best friend.

“Okay, I’m done talking about this. This kind of thing doesn’t suit my nature after all. So, let me change the subject. Earlier, you were looking at a poster in the bookstore, what was it about?”

“Oh, that was a message from the author of a book called ~The Story of Ascendance in a Pure All-Girls School~ (The Golden Maiden and Peach Maiden Meet). It was announcing that the author of the book would be having a signing session in a neighboring town.”

“… Are you the kind of person who reads that kind of stuff?”

“No, you’re wrong! It’s not me, it’s a girl I’m friends with in high school who’s a big fan of that book! I… was wondering if she knows about that, and thought I’d let her know just in case.”

I nodded my head and went through my bag. I searched for something… confident it was still there, eventually pulling out a piece of paper, and holding it out to Mitsuba.

“… What’s this?”

“A priority ticket for the author’s autograph session. You should give it to your friend.”

“Eh! Why does Kae-chan have that?”

“… I have some connections, I guess.”

Surprised, but apparently convinced by it, Mitsuba accepted my ticket without hesitation, saying, “Thank you, I’m sure my friend will be very happy.”

I was secretly relieved that she didn’t pry any further.

----In fact, I am the author of the book: ~The Story of Ascendance in a Pure All-Girls School~ (The Golden Maiden and Peach Maiden Meet).

I wrote it as a hobby during junior high school, and when I submitted it to a publisher, I won an award and became the youngest author to debut. Since then, I’ve been an active author working under a pen-name, hiding my face behind a funny mask, while gaining a certain level of popularity among some people. The dress I just bought was to wear to the book signing. Incidentally, only my family knew about this side of me. I even managed to keep it a secret from my best friend Mitsuba.

It’s partly because I’m embarrassed, but the biggest reason is that I wrote the character “Cloverne onee-sama”, who was very popular among readers, using Mitsuba as the model without telling her, which made it even harder for me to later confess to. In the book, I praise Cloverne-Mitsuba very highly, and if she were to find out, I would probably die of embarrassment.

I promise I’ll tell you one day, but for now, I’d like to continue keeping it a secret.

While apologizing in my heart to Mitsuba, who had carefully stowed away the ticket in front of me, I changed the subject again.

“Also, I just remembered something. Momiji and An were suggesting that we go on a hot spring trip together.”

“Oh! That sounds great, when?”

“Not too long from now, but not immediately. They’re thinking around March, after spring break. Your school has a short winter break and a long spring break, right? Your birthday is at the end of March, so we can also celebrate it while we are at it. How about it?”

“Yeah… ”

I was expecting her to be happy or to say, “What do you mean by: while we are at it?” but for some reason, Mitsuba’s eyes shook and she looked upset. Her gaze fell to the back of her hand and her eyebrows sunk in contemplation.

I couldn’t make sense of this forlorn expression or this inexplicable action, so I tilted my head while asking to see if there was something amiss.

“What’s wrong, do you have something else planned already or something?”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that! I was just thinking about which hot springs we could visit and stuff! I’m looking forward to celebrating with you.”

Mitsuba looked up and her expression was the same cheerful one she always had. The way she smiled and put a mouthful of melting green tea ice cream in her mouth, I couldn’t see any trace of a shadow in her eyes, nothing that came close to what I caught a glimpse of earlier.

* * * *

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“It’s about to start, Kae-chan! I don’t know how you got them to offer us this place. It’s such a great spot.”

“Yes, it is. The manager of this building and my mom know each other, so they let us use it whenever we want. We’re the only ones here, so this is all too easy.”

In the darkness, a goldfish swam through the room while sewn into a snow-white yukata, dancing in tandem with the swaying Mitsuba, who couldn’t contain her excitement. I, too, wore a dark blue yukata with a morning glory pattern, and as I gazed at Mitsuba, I flapped my fan.

We were on the roof of a small building just outside the city. When I told my mother that I was going to the fireworks display with Mitsuba, she introduced me to a good place. I don’t like crowds, so I was really grateful.

When I got dressed at the Mitsuba household, a place conventialy close to here, I got tangled up with her younger brother, Tsukushi-chan, and her younger sister, Tampopo-kun, who were still in elementary school. It became quite the ordeal. I was glad to have made it in time for the start of the fireworks, and leaned my elbows on the fence with a fan in my hand, looking up at the still dark night sky.

As I was chatting with Mitsuba beside me for a while, I heard a bang in the distance, and a flower of light bloomed in the black sky.

“Wow! Amazing! I can see it so clearly! It’s just like summer, isn’t it? After all, we should say ‘Tamaya~’ here? Right, Kae-chan?”

“I won’t say it, so you can say it on your own. Oh, look, there’s another one!”

One after another, the fireworks went off, and although they were some distance away, they were magnificent.

I am often called cold or unfeeling, but I honestly felt touched by this. Before I realized, I ended up saying something to Mitsuba which I normally wouldn’t have, “It would be nice to see them again with you next year.” Kyaah, that was an embarrassing line.

Curious about her reaction, I took my eyes off the fireworks and hurriedly looked at Mitsuba beside me.

I gulped.

“Yeah… I guess so. I wish I could see it again next year with Kae, I think so too.”

Mitsuba’s profile was illuminated by the light of the colorful fireworks. She was smiling, but it was somehow sad and fragile. I unconsciously grabbed the sleeve of her yukata, afraid my best friend was about to disappear into the night sky along with the fireworks.

“Kae-chan… ? What’s wrong?”

I could feel Mitsuba’s surprise at my sudden odd behavior.

As I held her sleeve, I was sure of one thing.

----This girl was hiding something from me.

I had no clue what it was. During lunch, Mitsuba had the same sad, worried look on her face as she did now. In the short time that I had not seen her, she seemed to have garnered some big secret that she couldn’t tell even her best friend. I felt a touch of sadness well up within me as I came to accept reality.

However, we both have secrets that we can’t tell each other, so maybe we’re more alike than we think.

So for now… All I can do is…

“… No! I don’t mean to be the bad guy here, but I still think a goldfish pattern on a white background is a bit too childish.”

“Wah! I was looking for a yukata with a clover pattern, but they didn’t have any, so I had no choice!”

“I honestly doubt your sense of style when you try to coordinate everything with clovers.”

I let go of her sleeve and made a lighthearted remark, and Mitsuba joined in, our happy voices echoing off the rusty rooftop fence.

For now, I won’t pry into your secret.

But someday, I’ll share my secret with you.

You too can confide in me, even if it’s a heavy secret. I, Takekura Kaede, will always be the best friend of Nobana Mitsuha. Just remember that, okay?

“Oh, look at that, Kae-chan! It looks like the shape of a heart!”

“Oh. Fireworks these days are so elaborate.”

“You sound like an old man, Kae-chan… ”

----It was the middle of summer. The fireworks I saw with my best friend were beautiful but fragile, and I made sure to firmly burn them into my mind.

----

Chapter brought to you by The Patrons.

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ANIMT - Chapter 28. The Cultural Festival and the Search for the Culprit

The glorious summer vacation had come to an end and the breeze that caressed my skin felt gentle today. The season had shifted to autumn and a week had already passed since the start of the new school year.

“As I expected, it looks like Class Two is going to go with a witch-themed cafe. There are a lot of beautiful girls in that class, you know.”

“Class Five is going to take the high road and go for a magical haunted house’. It will be a fusion of the occult and the magical.”

“Should we go for a coffee shop type thing too? I think a play is a possibility as well… ”

As I listened to the voices of my classmates, which were at least twenty percent noisier than usual, I sat at my window seat, hand on my cheek, lost in my thoughts.

Lately, my class, or rather the whole school, had been somewhat in a state of flux. The reason for this was due to the looming cultural festival, arguably the biggest event of our high school life.

It was the beginning of September. Our school’s cultural festival, commonly known as the Oukasai, will be held in the latter half of October. It was a great event for the students as they would spend about a month preparing for it, and the workload in classes would be reduced slightly to allow for this increased workload. Everyone was expected to pull their weight during these festival preparations.

Every year, every class across all grades would take on a task as a group, like hosting a bake sale or putting on a performance, all while competing to see which group completed their selected task with the most magic. The prizes awarded each year to the top ranking classes seemed very generous, thus all classes were very enthusiastic about this event.

Our class was no exception, and we were in the middle of our usual morning homeroom time deciding what to do.

The excitement in the air was contagious. I was rather excited about this, soaking up the atmosphere and dreaming about all the fun things I would do.

This will be my last high school cultural festival. I want to enjoy the height of my youth, I really do.

----But before I can indulge myself, there are serious things I need to think about.

Taking a look at the list of people who were allowed to use magic on that fateful day was a good idea. I was pushed down the stairs late in the day, so I was thankful that this immediately narrowed down the list of suspects.

Out of the few remaining suspects, I have since cleared two of them. They were members of the library committee, and it seemed that they were in charge of organizing the bookshelves once a month. I confirmed this with Kokomi, who was also a member of the library committee, and I also went to talk to the head librarian. According to her testimony, she had been working inside the library, doors locked, and no-one had snuck out.

Excluding the two librarians, there were now four possible culprits.

I quietly looked at Yamadori-kun, a member of the class committee, who was currently noting down everyone’s opinions on the blackboard.

“Well, then, I guess the top choice is a theater production, and the second highest choice is a Japanese-styled cafe or sweets shop. I’ll give priority to the theater one for now and apply for a time slot on the stage.”

Eh, I’d prefer the Japanese styled cafe, not a play.

I stared at his back as he wrote his decision on the blackboard, mixed feelings bubbling inside me. I didn’t like thinking about it, but the truth was that Yamadori-kun was one of the four remaining suspects. On that day, the magic sports club was closed on account of the advisor’s being unavailable, but I think that the serious and promising rookie Yamadori-kun stayed late at the training building to practice alone. I was still in the middle of researching him, so the second half of what I felt was pure speculation.

If I’m being honest with myself, I really don’t want to suspect him.

Since the incident where I helped Kokomi, I have gradually been accepted by the class, thanks in large part to Yamadori-kun. Since he started talking to me, I’ve had more opportunities to talk to other classmates. Not only that, but he also helped me out a lot with my problems in class. I am very grateful to him.

I don’t want him to be the one who pushed me down the stairs. I don’t want that to happen.

But it was a distinct possibility, I couldn’t shake the black haze that was spreading through my mind.

“Oops! That’s it for today then.”

While I was deep in thought, it seemed that the cultural festival meeting had ended. Everyone was starting to get ready to move to the next classroom. As I stood up, I thought that I should go too. Yamadori-kun, who was occupying my brain at that moment, came to my seat and called out to me.

“Oh, Nobana-san. Do you have a minute?”

“Wah! What’s wrong?”

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about in private. I’d like to talk to you alone, preferably in a place where we won’t be seen. I’m sorry to bother you on such short notice, but I was wondering if you could come to the garbage dump near the training building after school.”

“Yeah… ”

My heart almost jumped out of my mouth at the unexpected invitation. I somehow managed to keep my composure though as my thoughts ran amok, but the look of anxiety on Yamadori-kun’s face made me nod my head and say, “Uh-huh.”

He narrowed his green eyes and smiled at me. It was a dazzling display of charm.

“Thanks, man. I’ll be there as soon as I let our supervisor know I’ll be late. See you after school.”

With that, he left the classroom with his friends who were waiting for him, textbooks in hand.

Now Morido-san and I were the only ones remaining in the classroom, and we were quickly ushered out.

As my shoes squeaked on the hallway floor, my mind played through the countless possibilities that could unfold in the coming afternoon.

What the heck was this flag?

* * * *

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Now, after spending almost the whole day in a daze, it was finally time for school to end and extra-curricular activities to begin.

I walked alone towards the training building. As I changed my shoes at the shoe lockers, the strange tension in my heart had only increased. I could not read Yamadori-kun’s intentions, so I remained hyper vigilant for what was about to happen.

“It’s best if nothing happens… ”

I couldn’t help muttering to myself as I walked out the front door, the cool breeze peculiar to autumn blew in my face. The school bag I held swayed slightly causing me to reflexively grip it tighter. Inside was a list of people who obtained permission to use magic on the day I fell. This was the most important clue that I had to go to great lengths to obtain.

Incidentally, there was also the possibility of a teacher being the culprit. They would not be on the list, since teachers were able to use magic at all times. That was another possibility to consider, however, Kusaka-sensei told me that an emergency staff meeting was held that day at that time and all the teachers were summoned to the staff room. The only ones who hadn’t been there were the librarians and Umetaro-san, the dorm supervisor. Kusaka-sensei had also made his way there after scolding me. He complained that the board chairman suddenly decided to gather everyone on a whim.

Since none of the teachers could have done it, I still only have my original four suspects to investigate.

If possible, I hope that Yamadori’s invitation ends up being something like, “Hey, did you hear this rumor?”

I can’t think of anything else, but I hope it’s nothing.

*Sigh*

I let out a breath and reclined against the wall of the school building at the agreed-upon meeting place.

Yamadori-kun had not yet arrived.

My mind began to wander again. I think it was right around here where Kitora appeared during the Kokomi incident. With a nostalgic feeling, I looked at the trees in front of me, which had just begun turning autumn colors. I vividly remember when he suddenly appeared from around that tree, kicked the delinquents out of the way, and then lashed out at me. Well, I got back at him after that.

It felt like an eternity ago, or so I thought as I felt my lips loosen into a slight grin.

That incident had occurred in the morning, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was up in a tree at this very moment, his red hair blending in with the changing leaves, taking a nap in the nice breeze.

While I was thinking about other things, trying to calm my mind somehow, I heard footsteps approaching me.

“I’m sorry, I made you wait even though I was the one who invited you.”

“No, it’s okay.”

This was the typical series of events leading up to a date, or so I couldn’t help thinking. I turned to face him, Yamadori-kun, who was running toward me, his chestnut-colored hair shaking.

I hope he’s not the culprit. Please let this talk be no big deal.

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 29. Why did it turn out like that?

“The club president still wasn’t there. I asked someone to let him know I would be late. I’m really sorry for making you wait.”

His behavior on arrival did not signal anything out of the ordinary. His smile was as friendly as always, typical of a popular guy.

I was a little worried that if he indeed was the culprit, he might just attack me out of the blue, but I was secretly relieved to see that this was not the case. However, since I still didn’t know what his business with me was, I shouldn’t let my guard down. Even if he looked innocent enough that it hurt my conscience to suspect him, I have to keep my guard up.

I smiled flatly back at him, gripping the sleeves of my light gray cardigan, an item perfect to combat the fall breeze.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, what do you need me for?”

I pretended to act naturally and cut right to the chase in a bold and direct manner. Outwardly, I hope that I looked calm, but the truth was that my heart felt like an orchestra of tension.

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to take up too much of your time, so let’s get right to the point. You know, Nobana-san… ”

I braced myself for what he was going to say next. No matter what it was, I told myself not to get upset.

But what came out of his mouth was something beyond expectation.

“… Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Huh?”

For a moment, I didn’t know what he had asked me, and my mind went blank. This did not stop my excellent mouth that thought I should reply immediately. My throat moved before my brain could catch up with the situation.

“No, I don’t, but… ”

“I see. Well then, next question. Nobana-san, do you know anything about the main event of the Closing Party, which is held on the last day of the cultural festival?”

I managed to reply to the question by shaking my head, though I still hadn’t finished sorting out the situation. The traditional event of the festival, known as the Sakura Survival, had a name that lacked any sense of style. In a sense it could be called the main attraction of the cultural festival. True to its name, which contains the word survival, the event itself is quite chaotic.

During the day the Closing Party is a normal culture festival. But after it ends, there are a variety of events held in the Special Building. To put it simply, the Sakura Survival was a combination of a treasure hunt, a test of courage, and an obstacle race.

Although our cultural festival was open to the public, not many would go out of their way to attend, largely because it was held during weekdays and ending on a Saturday, while the school itself was located deep in the mountains. It was solely held for the students and was mainly organized by the student council and cultural committee.

Participation was free, and as a general rule, two people would partner up. You could pair up with anyone you wanted, regardless of the existing teams you were assigned in normal classwork.

As expected for this school, which focused heavily on competition between students, this event would have rankings and prizes for top performers. Needless to say, students were allowed to use magic.

The students serious about winning would definitely want to partner up with students that display high levels of magical ability, with special attention to students they could synergize their abilities with. At the end of the day though, this was a cultural festival centered around having fun, interlaced with serious events.

To put it bluntly, the sakura survival event had a strong tendency leaning towards being a couples event. For those that did not strive to win it all, this was a great chance to let loose with a friend or love interest. There were some people who participated with a friend, but they made up only about a third. Most of the participants were couples, pairs of love interested men and women. Since there were no restrictions in regards to forming a team, it was a chance to form a team with people you normally wouldn’t be able to, like a crush who is your senior or junior.

There was an urban legend that the winning pair would be happy together for the rest of their lives, and there was also a maiden jinx. Whether they could use magic or not, the people participating were still ordinary high school students after all.

----Why would Yamadori-kun ask me about such an event?

“If you’ve heard about it, then you surely know about this, right?”

“This is… ”

“Yeah. It’s a sakura badge that we’ll be wearing as a pair for the event.”

What Yamadori-kun pulled out from his breast pocket was a small badge that looked like a real sakura flower, both in size and appearance. If you put in an application with the student council, registering your intent to participate in the event, you would get two of these badges. It was customary for partners in the event to wear a matching pair.

The badges were magically crafted so that when worn on one’s chest, the names of the pair would appear on the petals. It was a kind of proof of pairing. Incidentally, this was called a pair ring among girls. Presenting this to someone and asking them to pair up was almost like a confession of love.

“Um, then, I’ve made up my mind, Nobana-san.”

“Ah, yes.”

“… If you would like to, please join me in the sakura survival event as a pair. Let’s win the event together.”

Yamadori-kun blurted out such a line while presenting the pink badge to me. His face broke out in a scowl and his cheeks seemed to have tinged slightly red.

----My confusion had finally reached its peak.

“W-What is this… ? I’m not sure about this. Why me? There are plenty of pair candidates for you, Yamadori-kun… ”

“… I’m not used to saying this kind of thing, and it’s rather embarrassing. In fact, I’ve been interested in Nobana-san ever since I saw you save Konoha-san.”

“Huh!?”

“As I talked more with you, I began to realize how friendly you were. I also liked seeing your courage in standing up to the delinquents, and how hard you worked for the magic mock battles. So I guess that’s why.”

What do you mean?! I’m not so obtuse as to ask, “What do you mean?” I mean, this is that, and that is that. So I guess that’s what this was. If I were to try any harder to put my thoughts into clear words, I would blush and fall over, so I’ll just leave it at that.

I still suspect Yamadori-kun as being the culprit, and I have been on the lookout for anything related to that. This sudden confession honestly threw me for a loop.

“Don’t worry about answering or anything like that right now. Putting aside whether or not you’re coming out with me, can you just accept the badge for now?”

“Um… Wha… !”

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While I was dismayed, struggling with my actions, Yamadori-kun took my free hand and pushed the sakura badge into it. His eyes were serious and his hands were hot. What should I do? My hands were definitely covered in sweat right now.

If the student council president, Harukaze Ibuki, was a prince, then Yamadori-kun was a knight or something like that. He was athletic, well-liked, and refreshing to be around.

But even though my heartbeat was fast from having a guy like him standing in front of me, there was a red-haired boy in the back of my mind. It wasn’t a prince or a knight: it was Kitora.

While I was escaping reality by retreating deeper into my mind, he moved away, leaving me with only the badge in my hands dyed by the setting sun.

“They are accepting applications until the last minute on the day before the festival, so you can give me your answer at the Sakura Survival event. I’d rather you take your time and think about it. I’m sorry to take up so much of your time. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

After saying that and smiling gently, he waved and disappeared, running the way he came. Till the very end you could feel the refreshing mood he was emitting, like the sweet scent of vanilla.

And with that, I was left alone near the garbage dumpster, my brain spinning at high speed, almost short-circuiting.

My mind kept coming back to how I still suspected Yamadori-kun might be the culprit who pushed me down. My suspicions had yet to be cleared. I thought that this time I would have a direct confrontation with the culprit, but this ended up being far from the case. No, it might be a trap for him to invite me to this event.

But he had such a straight and serious face, didn’t he? If that was an act, I’m going to lose all trust in people.

The air outside was probably just the right temperature, perhaps on the cool end of the scale, but my body was hot all over. And even though it was Fall already, I had a blooming sakura flower in my hand. I’m sure anyone would understand why I was so worked up.

Remembering Yamadori-kun’s every move, I finally reached my limit and shouted out my honest feelings to the sky that was beginning to turn a madder red.

“Why did it turn out like that!?

“… Shut up!”

A familiar voice reached my ears, and I hurriedly turned my gaze in the direction of the voice. Someone came zipping down from the top of the tree I had been watching while waiting for Yamadori-kun. His red hair swayed with the leaves. I don’t need to say who it was.

“K-Kitora!”

“You’re really disturbing my sleep all the time, aren’t you?”

My prediction was right on the money. It seemed that Kitora was indeed taking a nap on that tree. He suddenly appeared and walked lazily towards me, causing me to break out into a cold sweat.

I had no clue just how much he had heard or seen of the exchange between Yamadori-kun and me. If he had seen that whole exchange… my head would definitely boil with shame.

“… K-Kitora, how long have you been awake and eavesdropping?”

“Since about the time you started reclining against that wall there, grinning faintly to yourself.”

“That’s from the very beginning! Well, if that’s the case, don’t you think you should have approached me at that point!”

“Why would I put in so much effort? It’s more like… ”

His gaze latched onto the sakura badge peeking through the gap in my fist.

“… You’re really going to partner up with that guy, aren’t you?”

“Huh? No, no. I haven’t decided yet… ”

For Kitora, who didn’t seem to be interested in events, I was a little surprised by this unexpected accusation. I was still trying to decide how to respond to Yamadori-kun, so I figured I should be honest and tell him that.

“He also said that it’s okay to hold off until the start of the festival, so I’m going to take him at his word and take my time thinking about it. I can tell you how I will respond then.”

“… … Oh, yeah.”

Is it me, or does he look even more displeased than normal?

His usual sour expression seemed at least thirty percent worse than usual. And what’s with that half-baked answer, when you were the one who asked me?

When I was about to ask him what’s the matter, he whispered “idiot” and started to walk away, leaving me behind. As he lurched away, his unpredictable behavior made me reflexively follow him and try to stop him from leaving.

“Wait, wait! What’s wrong with your face, you look scarier than usual? Where are you going now… ?”

“I’m going back to the dorm. I woke up because of a certain someone.”

“Yeah, then let’s head back together. I’ve already done what I needed to here and I was on my way back too.”

“Shut up and stop following me.”

“It’s fine. We’ve been going home together after training, sometimes with Kokomi too, and since we’re here… ”

“… I told you not to follow me!”

I stopped dead in my tracks at the sharp bark that shook the surrounding trees. It’s not exactly uncommon for him to get angry, but lately it was more of a running joke on his part. To hear him get this angry for real this time felt like a bucket of water being dumped over my head. A painful silence took root.

I wondered if I had done something to upset him that much.

As I looked up at Kitora with anxious eyes, he paused for a moment, turned around, and gave me a somewhat unhappy look.

“Sorry for yelling at you. See you at… ”

----And that’s all I heard. This time he didn’t stop and disappeared into the madder red sunset.

I didn’t feel like chasing after him anymore, so I watched his back recede for I don’t know how long.

I was alone again, and a leaf fell to my feet, ripped off a tree by the forceful wind. As I listened to the crows cawing in the distance, I whispered to myself quietly.

“… Really, what the hell just happened?”

I was completely at loss as to what was happening and my helpless whisper had a really pathetic sound to it.

----

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TLC: Dima

RW: askinkov90

ED: Purplemen101

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