Volume 4 Chapter 2 (1/2)
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”Hi~ I took the chance to coo, Jin, don't stand up in such a rush, and what's up with that hateful expression? I even came to find you, so you should be a bit - Ah, hold on, huh? Strange? You want to - Tch, what are you doing? Wait, Wait a moment, wait a moment! Hey, Jin?”
On the second floor of the acade, inside the faculty office of all the teachers The office was nor off a calm and tranquil atmosphere unlike the students' classrooms, but once this man walked in, it instantly set off bursts of whispers in the office
However, it was no wonder, as after all thatthe whole nation, a famous, brilliant Onmyouji
He was close to thirty, wearing an age-old aviator jacket and tattered jeans, and for some reason woven sandals were on his feet He was dressed casually, but it didn't reduce his heroic spirit - since his body carried a lively, boyish heroic spirit, he didn't seeaze was
He was a National First-Class Onmyouji who had obtained the First-Class Onulations, one of those ere named the Twelve Divine Generals He was hailed as the rookie star of the Exorcist Bureau, the able Independent Exorcist, Kogure Zenjirou
In addition, the man who had forcefully pulled out his chair, left his seat, and wordlessly walked towards the door with a cold expression as soon as Kogure walked into the office was a type coure's, but unlike the heroic, brilliant Kogure, he seeed His rumpled suit wasglasses The ht hand and the wooden fake leg that showed outside his pants
He was Harutora and the others' homeroom teacher, Ohtomo Jin
The teachers talked in a chatter, and Kogure see Ohtomo Ohtomo's back showed impatience as he irritably left the office
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”Jin, hey, wait a moment!”
”What is it, don't walk so fast!”
”Ahh, shut up, can't you quiet down a little?”
After walking into the corridor, Ohtoure who had followed behind hi sound of footsteps, walking near the stairs After checking that there was no one around, he finally sighed heavily He turned his angry gaze behind his shoulder
”You really can't learn to read the atmosphere”
”Me? Did I do so?”
”No, whatever, it's not ioodbye”
”Hey hey hey, you're leaving right after wewe haven't seen each other for”
”We saw each other just last month”
”Huh? Ah, come to think of it, we did see each other last month”
”Alright, goodbye”
”No no no, don't be that heartless”
Kogure forced a shed, then turned towards his old friend, his back leaning on the corridor wall
The inconspicuous Onency's proud Divine General They seemed like an unexpected match with each other, but the two of the tiure had both been in the Onmyou Academy - in the thirty-sixth class And in addition to the Onency at the same time
But, there were few people who knew that Ohtoure were both National First-Class Onency, he had belonged to the Magic Cri him to hide his Divine General identity as he worked in the underground ic community
Though Ohtoure had walked the same path, the present positions of the torlds apart
The current Ohtomo was just a plain academy instructor, and his previous experience was just an ordinary Mystical Investigator Inside the academy, only Principal Kurahashi+ knew his true past, and hence if many people learned that he was so close to a Divine General, the explanation afterwards would just be inviting trouble Unfortunately, Kogure's thinking hadn't been so thorough, and he wasn't concerned at all about those small details
”I really can't stand you” Ohtoure ”I heard that the Exorcist Bureau orked to death right no do you still have time to make trouble here?”
”What h formally it counts as paid leave”
”Oho, a highly-paid elite taking paid leave, gracefully returning to his alma mater to visit, how enviable”
”What are you joking about, I'ht now I don't have any ti overtime every day I have to return to the bureau in a while and her-ups”
”I see, then you'd better--”
”Stop trying to get rid of me”
Upon seeing Kogure frown in annoyance, Ohtomo couldn't help but harrumph with a wry smile
Actually, the Exorcist Bureau had been too busy for anything else recently In the incident last roup of criminals had disturbed the spirit flow inside the city, perfor spiritual disaster terrorist attacks This led to the city's spirit flow beco disordered after the incident ended, with frequent spiritual disasters
The Onency Exorcist Bureau - especially the exorcists who purified spiritual disasters on the frontline - was li professional Onmyouji The people who could become professional Onht nowovertime Hence, the work of the Independent Exorcists - the National First-Class Onreatly increased
”Right now I'et some precious break time, so why are you--!”
”Okay okay, you're so annoying, I understand It'sto be able to spend an Independent Officer's precious break tied to finally escape fro that child”
”Huh? So you knew?”
”I pretty uarantee', we can't let her do what she wants on the very first day, so you caht?”
”Yeah, it's prettyhesitantly
Actually, Kogure had visited the Onmyou Academy today mainly to 'watch over Suzuka'
Dairenji Suzuka was a National First-Class Onest to pass the First-Class One and outer appearance were unique, thespecial reports Of course, this was a result of her power being universally recognized, but on the other hand the On her existence and ie, which had even been criticized for being closed and exclusive
However, last sue incident She had researched the soulto perforical rite called the Taizan fukun Ritual, the forbiddenTokyo
Fortunately, the Taizan fukun Ritual hadn't been truly performed and it had been forcefully terminated in the middle But before Suzuka perforators who had been chasing her, once even in a public place like a fireworks festival In addition, it was also noticed during investigation that she had researched the nated as forbidden in private and had even entered the experie
The outside world saw ic like smoke and mirrors, and hence the criticism that came from society was extre to the One youth - and the youth was even an elite Onmyouji - had stirred up trouble Once such an incident wasof the entire industry's ie
The Onher-ups decided to take desperate rounds that she was athe incident cool down like that Even if there were ultiators who came from various directions on their own, they were all dealt with in private, so the truth was hidden
”Chief A”
”That's his job, you don't need to worry about hiators could have arrested her sooner, things wouldn't have beco to step forward to pick up the pieces”
That way of dealing with things - even for the Onency - had succeeded, and in less than a otten But, Suzuka obviously still had to undergo the Onency punished her, it was bySuzuka into a special student fro her enter the Onmyou Academy to study
”Suspending her First-Class Onmyou qualification indefinitely and confinement for half a year, then after that period ended she had to transfer into the Oned ”The higher-ups seem to believe that the lack of a common sense that comes from her family environment was the main reason Dairenji went out of control But she certainly hasn't received any normal compulsory education”
”You see those kinds of people pretty often in this industry”
”The current person is very peculiar I agree with their judgh maybe it was a bit lenient - in the end, Dairenji's involve her too severelyabout unnecessary speculation”
”I see”
Ohtoure's remark with a cold smile His cold and so his old classmate's opinion
The two of theure as active 'in the light', Ohtoood iher-ups since he had taken his position in the Onency
Kogure was unconcerned, continuing to speak
”But if we let her enter a norht now, it'll just create a heap of trouble, and moreover if we need to supervise her It's more suitable to have her reeducation in the On happens, it can be resolved on the 'inside' More i truly does happen, you're here to help deal with it”
Kogure's optih
”That's true, there's the principal as well as et an important person?”
”Huh, who do youinstructors?”
”Not an instructor, I mean a student”
”Oh, you hed deviously as if he had suddenly thought of so That Harutora was the student who defeated the Nue with Natsuht? I haven't spoken with him yet, I heard he's the son of a branch family?”
”It's nothing to laugh about, didn't you also hear that those tere the ones who stopped the 'Child Prodigy' fro the Taizan fukun ritual? In other words, there's a deep connection between them”
”Seems like it, but I'm not too clear on the details”
”Moreover, the 'Child Prodigy' specializes in researching Iic, so simply put, she's a specialist in Tsuchiher-ups know this, but to think they still deliberately--”
”Careful not to say tooNatsume-kun hasn't been proved, after all”
”Never mind whether it's a rumor or not, it already wields power of influence Even 'D' came out to nose around, so if this increases the Onmyou Academy's troubles”
”With such a passionate confession, she can definitely get along ith them”
”Don't hear a deliberate provocation as a confession They definitely won't get along”
Contrasting with Kogure who leisurely watched the liveliness, Ohtoh he had coure only had to bear his burden for the day of her entrance, and that hy he could calure could relax not just because he could drop the task after today
”You don't have to worry, even if Dairenji deliberately makes trouble, there's still a trustworthy ho this, Kogure grinned, teasing the teacher of this Onrily at his old classmate
”The 'Child Prodigy' against the 'Shadow', that's quite an unusual co the Twelve Divine Generals”
”Unfortunately” Ohtomo spoke quietly, his tone cold ”Suzuka-kun is also a student in the Onmyou Academy froency has, she has still entered the On care of her”
Kogure understood thehis expression and looking at his old friend again Then, he uarded boy
”What's this, you look really cool, sensei”
”This is work” Upon saying this, Ohtoure also followed his gaze along the corridor, his face nostalgic
”The acadeed But to the people who live in this world, the Ones They should also be able to get some valuable experience”
Ohtoure talk about old times
The current acade opened last year, and the acade the two of the since been deure said, the Onmyou Academy, as the school for On institutions, and aand associativity for was the same whether for chicks in the nest or independent Onmyouji who had already left the nest
The profession of Onhly visible, but the job contents were little known Since it was hard for the general populace to understand, they often got strange stares frohtly knit and Onmyouji had exceptionally close relationshi+ps with each other Moreover, such relationshi+ps forardless of the benefits To the vast majority of Onmyouji, the Onmyou Acadeether and could be called their first 'home' in the world
Ohtoure weren't excluded
However--
”Come to think of it, that person's currently”
”Zenjirou” Ohtomo muttered quietly His voice wasn't sharp, but rather seeure heard that remark, his body tre sorry or any words of apology
”Anyways, if there are peopletrouble in the Onmyou Academy, the principal and I will think of a way to resolve it, so don't worry Right, have you and the principal met?” Ohtomo spoke casually
”I went to look for the principal once I got here, but” Kogure's face suddenly went serious, quickly sweeping a keen gaze around, then lowering his voice ”I don't know if I was overthinking it, but Alpha and Oa's auras seem like they've become quite a bit weaker Is the principal's physical condition alright?”
Alpha and O theThey were different from normal komainu, as they were the personal servants of Principal Kurahashi+, belonging to the type of shi+kigas that had accoh history
”What, those words finally sound like an exorcist's” After Kogure said this, Ohto his voice to speak
”Hey, Jin, does that mean--”
”Calm down, the principal's still healthy, she won't suddenly collapse, but”
”B, But?”
”That old granny's been around for a long time, and she see worse every day”
Kogure was speechless for a while upon hearing Ohtomo's explanation Ohtoed his grip on his cane, using the end to tap Kogure's chest
”What's wrong, Zenjirou, don't make that kind of depressed expression, especially since Onmyouji can't just write their mood on their face whenever”
”Sh, Shut up Exorcists who deal with spiritual disasters don't need all that”
”That's true, and anyway you only need to worry about what kind of actions Suzuka-san will take in the future In ”
”You're responsible for resolving any troubles stirred up in the acadeht?”
”That's just on the surface As for Suzuka-san's future, she'll just have to look to her own fortune”
Ohtoh I shouldn't say this about , and will Suzuka-san have animosity towards thes aren't at the point where we have to intervene Watching for changes from the side is the mature response” He used his cane to tap his own shoulder as he spoke
”What happened in theon! Hurry up and explain clearly, Harutora!”
In the classroo lunchtime
The One up classes when the first-years advanced into second-years, and hence even if they had changed their classroom, the students in the class were still familiar faces, and they spoke with no apprehension at all about the other party's feelings
Fro up until when class ended, Harutora had either cleverly shi+fted the topic or directly escaped fro disaster Unfortunately, when the bell for lunchti, he wasn't in time to escape the classroom before his classmates blocked his path That scene was like a celebrity whose scandal had been exposed being chased by reporters, but that actually wasn't so far from the situation, it was just that the celebrity wasn't Harutora, but rather the 'other party'
”To think you stole the 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka's first kiss! I reh school near your hoht? Exactly where and why did that kind of thing happen!”
”C, Cals aren't like that!”
”What are you joking about! I couldn't even concentrate on the lecture thisbecause of this matter! Never mind if it were Natsume, the next heir of the Tsuchimikado family - Ah, no, fortunately it wasn't Natsu?”
”Yeah! Hurry up and answer, Harutora!”
”It's really complicated!”
”Hurry up and say it clearly, Tsucchi!”
The classlea them was his friend Kurahashi+ Kyouko Her beautiful appearance was no worse than a young fehter of the fahter of Principal Kurahashi+ who had just spoken a greeting on the podium
Kyouko seized Harutora's chest, short of breath
”Listen up, Harutora, the 'Child Prodigy' Dairenji Suzuka is an extraordinarily faency made her into a spokesperson, you could say that she's an industry idol!”
”I, It seems like that way”
”And she isn't just an idol with a cute outer appearance She's the youngest person in history with First-Class Onmyou qualifications, a true National First-Class Onmyouji! She's the object that the Onmyou Academy students all look up to! She's a star!”
”I, I see”
”Why is such an incredible person k-k-kissing a student like you whose lineage barely passes and whose grades are terrible! Isn't that too strange? That's really incomprehensible! What kind of relationshi+p do you have?”
Kyouko raved excitedly, swinging around her head of tied-up brown hair as her questioning gradually became sharper
Most of the students in the class weren't particularly mad, they were just purely driven by curiosity
The class all recognized the after-school tutoring regular whose grades were behind, and no one in the Onmyou Academy didn't know the famous Twelve Divine Generals That kind of co that it wouldn't be strange for one's eyeballs to pop out Even his usually mild-mannered friend inevitably had a similar reaction
”You're acting too unfaetically, you should just truthfully announce whatever's between you two” Momoe Tenma opened his mouth to speak from next to Kyouko He had a doll-like face, and his sentle The eyes underneath his glasses gleamed as he naively asked Harutora
Though Kyouko was tough, it wasn't easy to deal with Tenht up the question so matter-of-factly, especially because the person anted to figure out Suzuka's true intentions was none other than Harutora
”Alright, hurry up and answer! Could it be that you can't answer? What kind of unspeakable things did you do?”
”Just say it, Harutora-kun What kind of relationshi+p do you two have? Could you be boyfriend and girlfriend?”
”Yeah! Hurry up and say it clearly, Harutora!”
”Did you really only kiss? Or”
”You'd better say it now!”
”H, Hold on, you guys!”
The class'sthe expressions of the people questioning Harutora beco he could do about it
I, I'mdone for
If the positions were reversed, he would s However, as for Suzuka and the incident that happened last suators who had been responsible for dealing with the after orders, and if he explained his experienceSuzuka, he was inevitably bound to mention that incident
Just as he was in distress
”Stop right there!”
A young girl's angry voice suddenly sounded, and a fist-sized ball of flame appeared above Harutora and the others' heads
The ball of fire whirled, sparks flying Kyouko, Tenma, and the other students hastilyi and a hakama immediately appeared
The girl looked to be in first or second grade at the most, and her appearance was proper like a japanese doll, but her eyes were bright blue, a pair of pointed ears grew on her head, and a leaf-shaped tail grew out behind her
She was Harutora's servant shi+kigami - Kon
”I by Harutora-sama's side as he ordered, but I did not expect you to be this rash Back, back!”
In contrast with her outer appearance, her language was archaic and she brandished a wakizashi+ in her hand, her beloved blade Kachiwari Kyouko, Tenma, and the others were fa a distance from Kon
”Wah, Kon! Calm down a bit”
”I-I-I-If I dare say, I a enemies, I will definitely not allow enemies to approach Harutora-sama by half a step!”
Her ears and tail shot up abruptly, a towering rage showing on her immature face as she intimidated the students
Kon was a defensive shi+kigami Basically, she was always on standby around Harutora, and she was nor form before others Her outer appearance looked like a youthful little girl, but she wouldn't hesitate to brave fire and water or take heavy wounds if it was to protect her master She was a soami
However, the students in the class had already gotten used to Kon's overly faithful loyalty over half a year
”OhHarutora, we're not bla a child
”I won't be deceived, you showed killing intent!”
”Because we're very interested - Kon-chan, what about you? Don't you want to know?”
”O, Of course! I a Harutora-sama--!”
”Then you should be even more interested, isn't the other party a Divine General? If you don't first figure out the relationshi+p between the?”
”That!”
”Also, didn't she say she and Harutora kissed? Do you knohat a kiss is? It means mouth to mouth, smooch!”
”Kimousmooch!”
”That's right Though you're a shi+kigaami, you should be even more interested! After all, this incident involves your iht, Kon-chan?”
”That!”
Kon's tail tre in random directions With Kyouko's every word, she seemed evensince troubled her even without Kyouko especially pointing it out
She held Kachiwari in a backhand grip, still not releasing her attacking stance But, ”” She looked back over her shoulder towards the master that she protected, her face flushed red and her blue eyes moist, as if tears would leak out at any tihtly
”Ah, right Touji-kun, did you know soh school before transferring here? You should know a lot about hiht?”
When Ten Harutora - and Kon as well - immediately turned their attention towards Touji Touji, atching frohtly farther away, smiled, his expression a bit surprised
”That's true What about it, Touji? Do you know so?”
Kyouko asked her heartfelt suspicion on behalf of the other students Behind Kyouko and the others, Harutora desperately shook his head left and right Touji leisurely shrugged his shoulders while enduring everyone's enthusiastic gazes
”Let me think This is the first time I've heard about a kiss, but” Ohhh, the students exploded into a claain for dear life Touji looked at the audience, grinning ”If it's true, it probably happened on 'that festival evening' So that's what it was, that's why the next day he and Hokuto”
He spoke quieter and quieter, and the last part of it was almost inaudible, but the first half of his words already held sufficient destructive power In particular, once they heard the ', alirls in the class made enthusiastic cheers, but Harutora screamed on the inside
”Ten too unfamiliar, Harutora With our relationshi+p, is there any need to hide that kind of thing?”
”Sh, Shut up, Touji! Right now isn't the time to make that sort of joke!”
”Nonsense! Is there anything ht now?”
”Don't take this opportunity tostory!”
”Hearing you say it's a long story Harutora-kun, could it be that you don't have any interest in Dairenji-san, yet you stole her first kiss?”
”I didn't! That's not true! Don't say things that are so easily misunderstood, Tenma!”
”To think even Kon is like this! Please, don't look at me with a tearful face!”
Harutora desperately denied it, but the excited eradually slackened her attacking stance, the students approached Harutora again Just then, a pounding sound rang out and the classroom momentarily fell silent After a second, the students turned around in confusion, looking one by one at the source of the noise, only then noticing that Natsu up fro the posture hich she had forcefully shtly lowered and not s covered the expression on her face, but even without seeing it clearly, the students still instinctively held their breath
”N, Natsume?” Harutora probed quietly
”Sorry” After saying this, Natsume slowly raised her lowered head, the narrow eyes under her bangs shooting out a gaze that definitely wouldn't easily let her target go Harutora, Kyouko, Tenma, and even Kon didn't dare speak, and Touji was the only one in the classroorinned It was really hard to tell whether one should praise him or say that this was a bad habit of his
”I need Harutora for so Sorry, could you wait until later to speak with him?” Natsume continued to say
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It looked like there wouldn't be ti behind the silent Natsume
I wouldn't have appetite anyway
Maybe noticing the tense atmosphere between the two, Kon had already deh she was still with hiht now, Harutora wanted her to stay with hie to order her to appear in front of Natsume
Ah the corridor, there were several who noticed Harutora They had a hard ti the scene fro the entire student body of the On all their curiosity-filled gazes focused on hiround to escape Things would truly be troublesome
damn, that bastard
In any case, the current priority was explaining clearly to Natsu at the back of his childhood friend who hadn't opened herout of the classroom
Natsuency stairwell near the outer wall of the academy Harutora and the others would always come here when they spoke privately
How should he explain this Harutora had been troubled the whole way, and once they went through the door to the eency stairwell, his mouth moved of his own accord, and he spoke more and more anxiously ”Natsume, listen to me That's not the truth No, that person and I truly - Dairenji Suzuka and I truly did kiss in the incident last summer But, it wasn't truly like that” His cheeks burned, his e, unable to control himself
”Natsuht? Wasn't that person's shi+kigami in my stomach back then? She kissed me to set a trap A, Also, the situation of the kiss was coine I was being held by that person's shi+kigairl was incredibly ot exposed A, Also, do you reaht there, and Suzuka ended up irlfriend and deliberatelyher, so in front of Hokuto, she deliberately”
Natsu back to look at Harutora
Harutora desperately explained the situation back then, but he couldn't explain it clearly no ot more and
”A, Anye did kiss, but it's not like that at all Of course, neither that person nor I have any interest We even became enemies because of that incident She definitely said that just now to deliberately trouble me, it's really stupid What kind of person is that, does she even have a heart? Right?”
Harutora was even adding gestures to his explanation before he noticed He even felt unable to understand why he was this agitated
What's wrong withso anxiously
One reason was definitely because he feared Natsury, but it see to resolve thiswere so intense that he was unable to keep calm
Then, ”You don't need to say anylike she was forcefully holding back her agitated e her speak like this, Harutora conversely became more fretful
”Please listen to my explanation, I really--”
”Didn't I say you didn't need to keep talking!”
Natsuain with a different tone froinal' voice - a girl's clear and high-pitched voice She cried out with a tre body
”I already knew those things, you don't have to explain things one by one, I understand them!”
”What?”
”E, Even if I understand I can't help it!”
Natsume's face reddened as she spoke, her expression complex It didn't really seeer, and he couldn't tell whether it was anger, sadness, or regret Even if he didn't listen to Natsume's voice or words, the current her didn't look like a male student
Natsume's reaction stunned Harutora for a while
”C, Can't help it What does that mean?”
”Well - None of your business!”
”How can you say that But Natsume, you really knohat happened?”
”Of course! Howto ask?”