Chapter 27
The day Sensei’s power was transferred to Kousuke-kun .
Chako apparently remained at Tomoyuki-san’s house .
She came to school the next morning with her usual liveliness and laughed “Sorry for worrying you!”
Since then, 2 months had passed .
Kousuke-kun who didn’t appear at school for a while, has started attending school again .
It seems that he continued to train with Yuusei-kun and became able to adapt his own power .
Sensei’s condition is good too .
We were able to save the two with everyone’s power, without sacrificing anyone .
That makes me truly happy .
I finally reached this point, after hurting many people and moving around selfishly .
Although there’s still a long way to go before my goal, the sensation of progressing step by step heats up and warms my heart .
I’ll work hard .
It’s the Cultural Festival today .
There were many occasions when this day became the boundary which distanced Chako and I .
However, I absolutely don’t want to let go of Chako’s hand this time .
I’ll pull Chako along .
I renew my resolution while pushing on with the Student Council’s preparations for the Cultural Festival .
Today will surely be a fateful day .
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The day of the Cultural Festival .
The days of continuously checking documents and requests, and confirming the actual locations ended . Today, the opening day, we’re topsy-turvy with patrolling, correcting problems that arise presently and whatnot .
In such a situation, the Calligraphy Club raised a request as they don’t have enough of the lumber that’s to be used in the calligraphy meet this afternoon .
I relay that to Tomotaksenpai and we head to the lumber storage together .
A Calligraphy Club member is already there when we reach the classroom where the lumber is kept .
The Calligraphy Club member seems tensed as she converses with Tomotaksenpai, and is somewhat awkward .
Then, she tries to grab the required lumber――and has a colossal fall .
As she fell while touching the lumber, the lumber that were set against each other fall in succession, landing one on top of another like toppling dominoes .
And the spot they topple towards is――
“… Here it comes . ”
“Watch out!”
Tomotaksenpai and I .
The lumber that lost its balance fell towards us .
This is already the third time, huh . A part of me thinks as though it’s someone else’s business as I raise a barrier around me .
Along with the tremendous sound of falling lumber, is an anxious voice .
While listening to them, I let the lumber falling at me pass by the barrier and move it once things have calmed .
“You appear fine…”
“I’m the Priestess of Ominous Clouds after all… Senpai, sorry . You tried to protect me . ”
Beside me, Tomotaksenpai looks at me worriedly .
Having raised a barrier, I wasn’t hurt or crushed by the lumber .
Tomotaksenpai, however, tried to protect me on the spur . There’s a bit of blood on his right hand .
“Is your hand, alright?”
“Yeah… Pathetic, I misjudged . ”
“That is not true . It is good that the injury is only to this extent . ”
After all, my barrier was made because I knew what was going to happen .
The chant was already prepared so I was able to deploy it immediately but I believe it would have been impossible otherwise .
Tomotaksenpai received an injury of only this extent even though part of his attention was on me . That’s plenty amazing .
“Did something happen?”
A voice calls out from the back of the classroom while I’m looking at the injury on Tomotaksenpai’s hand .
It’s Kousuke-kun’s voice…
Kousuke-kun’s brows knit as he looks at the scattered lumber on the floor .
Behind him is the stupefied Chako who can’t enter the classroom .
I call that name softly .
However, Chako gives no reaction .
Her eyes are shining fierily, glued to Tomotaksenpai .
It’s not the usual, beautiful deep blue .
Golden eyes are focused in this direction .
Chako’s been looking here for a while but tight furrows form between her brows and she runs away as though trying to shake something off .
Seeing that, I chase her as though I was drawn .
“Oi, Naba! What happened?”
Kousuke-kun seizes my right arm when I try to pass by his side .
I give a small nod to the anxious-looking Kousuke-kun .
“Kousuke-kun . I must go after Chako . Sorry about this but can I ask you to tidy up here?”
“… Will it be okay?”
“Un . ”
“… Got it . ”
I stare firmly at Kousuke-kun’s amber eyes .
Kousuke-kun closes his eyes momentarily, gives a small nod, and lets go of my arm .
I turn back, and call out to Tomotaksenpai too .
“Senpai, I’ll have to leave the Cultural Festival and handling of instructions to you . ”
“… I know . ”
Tomotaksenpai lets out a small breath at my words and walks to the Calligraphy Club member apologising profusely with tears in her eyes .
Seeing that, I turn my feet towards the direction Chako ran in .
Leaving the classroom and running through the corridor .
At the back of the club building some distance away from the sports ground .
Chako should be there .
I run full speed while suppressing my impatient heart .
At the back of the club building I finally reach, is Chako who seems to be embracing herself .
That appearance is one of desperate endurance, hurting the heart of even I, the one watching .
“Chako . ”
Chako’s body jumps with a shudder when I call her name softly .
I slowly approach while looking at the Chako curling herself up as though in fright .
I finally arrived here .
I won’t let you escape――again .
I sit down in front of Chako who becomes smaller as she hugs herself .
Then, I gently hug her .
I can feel Chako’s body trembling faintly but without minding it, I send power in and peek inside her .
Inside Chako, a black miasma seems close to rioting as it spins in an oval shape .
Surely, she’s frantically suppressing the power that’s close to rioting .
I start to interfere with that spinning black miasma by sending power gently, the way Tomoyuki-san taught .
Chako’s power is different from normal phantoms .
I can’t suppress or grant her power on a fundamental level .
However, I can at least adjust its flow .
The method Tomoyuki-san used when Sensei’s power was transferred to Kousuke-kun .
Tomoyuki-san told me about it .
So that I can help Chako feel better, even just a little .
Stroking Chako’s back slowly, I adjust so that the oval becomes more of a circle .
Chako probably feels her power calming down a little .
Her body that was stiff at first relaxes and she breathes .
“W, hy…”
Chako’s grazed voice resounds .
“Why… of all, people… It was Yui-chan who came?”
A pained voice .
Stiffly and tightly closed eyes .
A line that seems to blame me .
As though to say “Stop it” .
As though to say “Leave me alone” .
Chako’s desperately trying to distance herself from me .
“Chako, I, said I won’t wait, didn’t I?”[1]
You can’t, Chako .
You can’t go
“I will continue to attack even if you don’t resolve yourself, Chako . ”
“… You did say that . ”
Listening to Chako’s grazed voice, I strengthen my hold on her .
“Un . I won’t stop even if you ask me to . I won’t leave you alone even if you ask me to . ”
That’s why, Chako .
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Prepare yourself .
Tell me everything .
“I, want to know about Chako . ”
I turned back time again and again, and arrived here .
I got everyone involved, and swayed Chako continuously .
All of it, all of it .
Was surely for today .
“Please tell me… Please tell me, Chako . ”
If I let her escape today, there’s no next time .
My voice becomes grazed when I think that .
It sounds so unreliable…
Chako gives a small sigh at my miserable voice .
“Oh… well .
The sound of Chako’s resignation fills the air .
“Fine, Yui-chan…”
Muttering “I was planning to escape till the end though”――
Chako chews her lips once .
Then, conveying slowly with a trembling voice .
“… I . Lied, to Yui-chan . ”
She mumbles softly .
[1] Chapter 21 . 2
The words Chako’s finally willing to say .
『Lied to』
“Yui-chan, I’m, a phantom… I’m just here because Tomotaksama ordered me . He told me to get close to Yui-chan . I only became your friend because I was told to obstruct the phantoms that approach you . ”
With her eyes closed tightly, Chako conveys indifferently and emotionlessly .
I know .
I know everything, Chako .
I know everything she said .
Even then, having Chako tell me herself pricks my chest with pain .
“Un . ”
I give a small nod while holding my hurt chest .
Hearing such a voice from me, Chako chews her lips again before speaking .
That voice somehow seems to sound irritated .
“I don’t have to right to have Yui-chan treat me like this . Plots and schemes . They’re why I’m with Yui-chan . ”
“Un . ”
“My feelings aren’t pure . They’re dirty, and dark… Not suitable for Yui-chan at all . I’m the worst friend . ”
“Un . ”
“All I did was obstruct Yui-chan . Because of me, you’re dealing with troubles you don’t have to…!”
So go away .
Surely, that’s what Chako’s saying .
However, I hug Chako even tighter .
I won’t leave .
I won’t let you be alone anymore .
I only nod at Chako’s words .
“Un . ”
Sorry . Sorry for letting you be alone for so long .
The 1st round, I didn’t even realise Chako was shivering here alone .
The 2nd round, I lost to my own heart and abandoned Chako even though she was suffering in front of me .
The 3rd round, I only watched Chako run off from afar .
The 4th round, I had my hands full with myself and didn’t even make it to the Cultural Festival with Chako .
In the 5th round, even if I made it to the Cultural Festival, I would probably have not cared and pretended that it wasn’t my business .
I’m no good at all .
I didn’t even realise this even though I want to save Chako .
That Chako’s here alone .
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She’s here, golden eyes trembling .
I shouldn’t have left such a Chako alone .
“… Don’t go “Un” . You can be more angry… say I’m the worst, say you hate me…”
You can be more angry too, Chako .
“Un . ”
“… What do you mean by “Un” .
“Un . ”
“… Idiot . ”
“Un . ”
“Softhearted . ”
“Un . ”
“Overbearing . ”
“Un . ”
“… Idiot . ”
“Un . ”
“Idiot . ”
“Un . ”
“Idiot . ”
I suddenly feel a gaze as I listen to Chako while stroking her back .
Looking down, Chako’s golden eyes are shaking as they look at me .
Ah . Gold is pretty too[1] .
“Chako . It’s okay . It’s totally okay . ”
I chuckle while looking at those eyes .
“There’s no way I’ll hate Chako because of that . ”
When I say while looking firmly at the golden eyes, Chako’s eyes widen greatly .
If I can hate you because of that, I’d have come to hate you long ago .
I’m working so hard because I can’t give up on you, Chako .
“Also, Chako, you said nothing but “idiot” by the end, you know?
When I laugh playfully, Chako laughs with a face on the verge of tears .
Then, her golden eyes close slowly .
The back of the club building is shadowy and the sunshine doesn’t reach .
The Cultural Festival venue is far too, so we can barely hear the bustle .
There’s only Chako and I .
I hug the Chako sitting on the ground .
The skirt of my uniform is stained with dirt and a strong wind blows at times .
I part my body from Chako, and grasp my own hand .
Nails eat into the back of my hand .
I take a deep breath, once, while feeling that pain .
“Chako… um, there’s something I must tell you too . ”
Chako finally told me .
Of her own volition, she said that she’s Tomotaksenpai’s familiar .
My heart hurt a little from that, but I think I received it properly .
A ‘me’ that was able to be with Chako without being shaken .
Because I already knew .
That Chako’s a familiar .
I wanted to be such a ‘me’, who isn’t easily shaken, to Chako . But I’m not .
Chako said she was dirty, but I’m the same .
I’m surely much dirtier than Chako .
“I knew… that Chako’s a familiar . ”
“… Sure enough . ”
”As expected”, goes Chako as she breathes out .
I give a small nod to that, and mutter “Sorry” .
“But, I wasn’t able to tell Chako… Because I thought that we wouldn’t be able to grow close if I told you . ”
“… I see . ”
“I… wanted to be close to Chako . I wanted, to do lots of fun things . ”
“… Didn’t you hate it? I, tricked and approached you, you know?”
Golden eyes looking at me questioningly .
“Although I thought that Yui-chan might have known about me… but, maybe not why I approached you… So, I thought that maybe you don’t know after all . But…”
“Un . I knew . Even then, I want to be with Chako . ”
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Chako’s words become abstruse midway .
I nod to that and supplement my words .
“When I first knew Chako… as expected, I thought that I was betrayed . I thought that you were awful . ”
Chako has been lying .
My heart had hurt the more I thought about that .
Even more so… because our time together was fun .
“… I, like it when everyone gathers . For example, playing games at Tomoyuki-san’s house or eating snacks . ”
Eating popsicles, and going to the pool .
I really enjoyed myself .
I’m glad I didn’t give up, in the 5th round .
I’m glad I’m greedy .
“So, lies or truths . Leave those aside . ”
I chuckle at the golden eyes that stare at me motionlessly .
“There’s no one who only lies, or only say the truth . Everyone, while shouldering various things, are doing what they can in their respective standpoints . ”
Yes . It’s not just Chako .
Everyone and I have things we can tell others .
“Even if everyone lies… we gather to play like this right now . I like that . I want to stay together from now on . ”
It’s not important whether the days with everyone are lies .
“It’s okay to know only one side of everyone . I’m fine if I enjoy it and want to be together . I believe you all whom I think of that way . ”
If you want to be with someone, you can only believe them .
Because there’s no point doubting or condemning them .
“I know, about Chako . It may be just one side but… Even then, Chako gave me lots of smiles . Gave me a lot of happiness . ”
Chako protected me .
It’s unnecessary to negate all our days because there were lies… or secrets .
“I want to be with Chako . That’s why… I’ll believe Chako . ”
I smile with all I have but, it may have turned a little weird .
Pathetic, huh?
Why didn’t I believe Chako immediately in the 2nd round?
Always unerring, and able to pick out the right answer immediately .
I wanted to be like that .
I, have been full of mistakes .
I finally arrived here after detours .
“I won’t let you be alone anymore . For sure . ”
For sure .
Wanting to convey my feelings better, I seize tightly the hands Chako crossed in front of her knees .
After Chako stares at such a me, she laughs with a face on the verge of tears .
“… I wonder why, Yui-chan’s here for me . ”
“… Because Chako is here for me . ”
Then, that line again .
I laughed “It can’t be helped, huh?” and repeat the same words .
Chako nods to that, with a small, “Un . ”
“Yui-chan… There’s something I want to tell Yui-chan . ”
Golden eyes sway anxiously .
That’s why, wanting to convey that it’s okay, I strengthen my hold on her hands .
“Chako can tell me anything, if it’s about you… Because I’ll, believe it all . ”
“Un…”
Chako breathes out a little at my words .
Then, after closing her eyes once, they open and look at me .
“Yui-chan… I want to tell you my secret . ”
[1] The villainess’ eyes are blue .