I groaned lightly as I walked down the long corridors with Lotus at my side, looking down at my watch to see Tsubami continuously texting me for updates during my time with Lotus, though it had barely began. I began to grow slightly annoyed, snatching my watch off my wrist and shoving it in my pocket.
Lotus looked at me with an awkward chuckle then glanced ahead, noticing Emma, Rebecca, and Naomi hanging together on the second floor balcony. She tugged my sleeve and pointed at them, wanting to go speak with them and smiled at me; She had hoped we could make a quick stop to talk with them.
"Fine, I honestly just want to get this day over with, so your wishes are my command," I said with light exhaustion, already done with the day.
Lotus smiled at me then jogged forward to join Emma and the others, giving each of them a polite wave. "Greetings, friends! It's so nice to see you again on campus!"
"Ahh, Miko Lotus. How was your Shrine Training for the last month?" Naomi spoke first, leaning against the balcony and crossing her arms with a smile.
"Oh, it was wonderful! I got to spend a lot of time with Obassan and learn so many things. Oh, I think I have everything I wrote down in here somewhere..." Lotus said, reaching into her bag and began rummaging to find her notebook.
Emma glanced behind Lotus as she searched for her notebook and noticed me standing by a window, her left eyebrow raising from me just staring out the window. "Like seriously, who is he feeling like?"
"Me," I replied, my gaze never leaving the window as I served face at my reflection.
A few students chuckled at me and began to murmur as they walked by, each of them commenting on my attempt to aura farm alone. I let out a soft sigh and got off the wall, making my way over to the girls and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Well, Mr. Worldwide. Did you enjoy the few moments of clarity over there?" Rebecca teased lightly, holding her book close to her chest as she met my gaze.
I chuckled softly at her tease and slipped my hands in my blazer pockets, shrugging my shoulders lightly in admission. "It was nice for a few seconds...before Emma opened her mouth."
"Oh, blame the innocent cute girl on why you look like an absolute clown in the halls. You're not even top five guys in this school DESPITE being friends with of course, The Great and Mighty Emma Chisaka!" Emma boasted, placing her fingertips against her chest in a noble manner.
I looked at the invisible camera and pointed my thumb at Emma, smacking my teeth then glanced over at Rebecca. "Holy chet mane, Rebecca, you gotta pop that balloon of an ego of hers. And I thought New America was full of prideful spirits."
Rebecca let out a soft giggle and looked over at Emma, playfully poking her head. "Pchi-pchi~"
"Really? You're gonna do what he says?" Emma asked, looking up at Rebecca with a feigned frown.
"Aha!~ Found it!" Lotus gasped as she finally found her notebook, pulling it out of her bag and let out a soft grunt as she clapped it against her hand.
I looked at Lotus's notebook and watched as some dust fell off it onto the ground, my immediate thought being that she pulled out some ancient historical textbook. "Yo, I've seen some ancient books before, but I don't think it's supposed to be rusting like this."
"Right, it's literally crumbling apart," Naomi said, swiping her hand to clear the dust in front of her face.
"What? I was in the wilderness for a long time and I...might've dropped this in a few rivers. Like...every Kojima river you can think of," Lotus confessed, a nervous chuckle escaping from her lips.
"O-Oh..." Naomi said, pulling her hand away from the crumbling page that fell off as a light breeze hit the book.
I rubbed my nose and sniffled lightly, closing my eyes and pressing my fingers against my forehead with a soft sigh. 'And she's a klutz..? Man, can we just get this date over with..?'
{Chapter 17: Keeping It Clean}
Mr. Hoshido blew his whistle and a student dashed forward along the track while her classmates cheered her on. While she ran, Lotus began taking notes on her classmate's running form in a clean notebook. I watched as she took notes, wondering why she was so interested in everyone's running formation.
"Is there a reason you're jotting down everyone's running form?" I asked, my eyes shifting over to Lotus's face and noticing her peak concentration.
"I missed a lot during my training, and Obassan said I needed to work on my speed. I was being chased by some River Yokai and I could barely get away! So this time, I'm gonna train real good so no Spirit can catch me!" Lotus said with determination, looking up at me with sparkling eyes.
I met her gaze, the corners of my lips tugging into a soft smile from the cuteness of her expression. I let out a sigh and leaned forward against the rails, shaking my head lightly. "I mean, you do you, Sister."
The next student began approaching the starting line, everyone murmuring while they watched Otsuki make her way forward. She stretched her arms and legs, her gaze of pure focus and grit as she took her starting position. She looked over at the crowd, noticing me within the crowd then blushed lightly.
I smiled warmly at her and waved then noticed she quickly looked away with a flustered expression. "Do you think Nanako is possessing her?"
"I don't know, it's honestly hard to tell. I mean, you and Otsuki were childhood friends as well. Why? Is she showing signs?" Lotus asked curiously, keeping a close eye on Otsuki.
I kept my gaze on Otsuki as well, letting out a soft exhale as I thought about our date yesterday. 'I sure hope not...'
Otsuki took a calming deep breath then exhaled slowly, feeling her heart pumping against her chest as she felt my eyes were on her. 'Calm your nerves, Otsuki... Don't get too riled up..!'
Multiple students began calling out to Otsuki after Mr. Hoshido had already blew his whistle. Otsuki snapped out of her trance then looked up, finally hearing Mr. Hoshido blow his whistle again.
I slightly covered my face and lowered my head. 'Otsuki...'
'Crap..!' Otsuki grunted, sprinting forward quickly and began panting quickly as she dashed around the track.
The students cheered loudly as Otsuki raced around the track, her legs moving as if the wind were carrying her around the entire track. Once she passed by Mr. Hoshido, he clicked the button on his stopwatch and let out a soft hum.
"Minus the five second late start, your time was 10.3 seconds. You still hold fastest sprinter in Class A-1," Mr. Hoshido said, lowering his watch and lifting his gaze to look at Otsuki.
Otsuki panted softly and smiled at his report, letting out a loud exhale and began making her way to the sidelines to cool off. The students marvelled at Otsuki's impressive time, her record still remaining the best in Class A-1.
Otsuki leaned her head against the cool, metal bleachers behind her then heard the grass rustling next to her. She opened her eyes to see Lotus holding a bottle of water down toward her, their eyes locking for the first time in forever.
"Thank you," Otsuki spoke with grace, accepting Lotus's offer and looked down at the water bottle.
"Suki!" Aisha called out to Otsuki, hurrying to her while dragging me with her.
I stumbled forward and nearly tumbled over as I tried to match Aisha's pace then grunted as I lightly bumped into Lotus. My reaction acted faster than my mind did, my arms catching Lotus by her waist to prevent her from falling over.
Otsuki gasped and sat up quickly to act, but paused as she noticed how close Lotus and I were now. She felt a jealous drop fill her chest, but bit her own tongue and remained silent.
"O-Oh! I'm sorry, Sister Lotus and Motosaki! Are you okay?" Aisha asked with a light laugh, hurrying over to us.
I cleared my throat and looked away from Lotus with a light blush forming on my face, my arms finally releasing Lotus from my hold. "Yeah...yeah we're fine."
Lotus cleared her throat as well, fixing her hair and clothes with a light blush on her face. "Y-Yeah, nothing to worry about over here!"
"Well, well! Look at what we have here, a bunch of a annoying prissy nobles and charity workers," Reiko's annoying tone sounded as she approached the four of us.
"Prissy? Tuh, who peed in your cereal this morning? Your little buso chikusho next to you?" Aisha asked, placing a hand upon her hip with attitude.
Ara gasped and placed a her hand upon her chest in an offended manner. "How dare you talk to the daughter of Fuga Hiroshi, me! Heir of the Fuga Clan?"
"Bro, who the heck is this chick? Didn't you get destroyed by Naomi in our acting class? In fact, I vividly remember that. She called you a barbaric princess or something like that," I asked, curling my lips to stop myself from laughing.
"I am not barbaric! Maybe if you actually joined a real friend group and not a bunch of 'Choose your own bundle' ass girls, you'd have some real fame around here," Ara scoffed, flaunting her developed figure toward me.
I glanced at Lotus and she looked over at me then I turned to look at Aisha; Aisha looked over at me then her gaze shifted over to Otsuki, who looked just as lost as the rest of us.
"Broooo, everyone here has zero idea who you are nor your father. At least Reiko's father is well known with this little landlord business or whatever. And me? My mother was literally well known with noble-like status. Who the hell is the Fuga Clan?" I asked, holding my fist over my mouth but couldn't stop myself from laughing.
Lotus covered her mouth and looked away, closing her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Please, Motosaki...don't do her this crazy."
"Nah, I'm about to hop in too. Yo, look at those!" Aisha jumped in, pointing down at Ara's shoes. "No way she got the limited edition Oda Oichi fives on, oh naahhh, the Oda Clan did NOT die for this."
"Ouuu shiiii," I said in the background, looking down at Ara's shoes the pulled my shirt over my lips.
"Oh my God, I didn't even notice those. Oh no, it looked like your shoemaker mixed fabrics, that's against a Divine Law," Lotus chimed in, shaking her head as she looked at Ara's shoes.
Otsuki stood up and walked by us and stood in front of the three of us. "I'm sorry for my friends here, but I do have to admit...for a Noblewoman, your resources look fourth-rate at best. Your ignorance and arrogance is folly here."
"Damn," I said in the background, my shirt still covering my mouth to hide my wide, exaggerated grin.
Reiko glanced down at Ara's shoes to see why we were all flaming her ass up for it then she looked up at the sky and bit down on both her fists. "Where did you get them starlight, star bright ass shoes from Ara..?"
"What? We all went to the mall with you and these looked nice— Oww! Oww! My ear!" Ara whined, hopping behind Reiko and held her wrist.
Reiko walked off in defeat, knowing if they stayed any longer, she would be next on the roasting list. "We're getting you new shoes. I've never met a Noblewoman that can't dress..."
Aisha hummed then turned to look at me and Lotus, pointing her finger at the two of us with curiosity. "Oh right, you two are hanging out together now? What are you two up to?"
"Well... Sister Tsu—" Lotus began then grunted as I quickly covered her mouth with my hand.
"It's been some time since I last saw Lotus, and we haven't see her since we were children. I was just thinking we could do some catching up, y'know since everyone is back in town now," I answered, clearing my throat softly and rubbed the back of my head.
"Or, Tsubami is forcing you to hang out with her?" Aisha asked with a light laugh, crossing her arms and exhaling softly. "Honestly, I don't mind at all. I've been thinking about taking her off your hands soon so we can catch up."
"I mean, you can take her now," I said in a half joking tone then grunted as Lotus swatted my arm.
"Hey! We haven't finished hanging out yet! Matter of fact, come on!" Lotus huffed, grabbing my arm and dragging me away with her. "Bye, Otsuki and Aisha! We'll catch up soon!"
Aisha waved goodbye toward us while Otsuki watched our retreating forms with a hint of envy in her eyes. Despite how she felt, she only wished happiness for me and Lotus during our time together and decided to continue hanging out with Aisha.
Tsubami watched Lotus drag me around the campus and point at different activities for us to do from the student council room, sipping on her tea and chuckled softly to herself. She let out an amused hum as I snatched my arm away from her and began bickering with Lotus like we were children.
Tsubami laughed softly as Lotus dragged me with her by my tie then turned around, setting her glass upon the windowsill. "So, Mrs. Okabe, you wished to speak to me?"
"I do. You never told me you were coming back to Matsugaya High School. How was your vacation in Destiny Islands?" The Dean of Matsugaya asked, crossing one leg over the other as she sat on the couch left to the coffee table with a smile on her face.
"It was good, though short-lived because a certain old friend of mine decided to come back to Japan and stir some trouble. Now, I'm preparing him for something important," Tsubami answered, walking to the couch across from Mrs. Okabe and sat down with a light groan.
"Like? Mr. Izuna has just transferred here. Is there some new State Exam coming up?" Mrs. Okabe asked, raising an eyebrow with intrigue.
"Hmm, not exactly. I'm not worried about Motosaki's academics and neither should you. He's one of the smartest people I know. I am sure you're aware of the Tomodachi legend right?" Tsubami asked, noticing Mrs. Okabe's face slightly pale.
Mrs. Okabe ran her fingers through her hair uncomfortably. "I am aware, but I thought she was dormant again after her last victims. Weren't the Tomodachi's last victims—Erik and Mikoto...Izuna? Wait—"
"Don't worry, Motosaki didn't return for some revenge quest. He sincerely only returned here to complete his last year in Japan with Aisha. It just happened that he woke Nanako from her slumber, and now...she's targeting him," Tsubami said, holding her hand out to Mrs. Okabe to calm her nerves.
"Nanako is acting different from how she used to all those years ago. The Tomodachi rarely wastes time fully possessing her host, but it seems with Motosaki...she stays mostly at Level 1. It's something Motosaki is doing that keeps her spirit calm," Tsubami added, lowering her hand onto her lap.
"Something he's doing? Like he's appeasing her? How?" Mrs. Okabe asked, raising an eyebrow at the seemingly impossible task.
"I don't know the answer. Either he's getting really lucky, or she's testing him. Either way, keeping her at bay will help him in the long run," Tsubami said, leaning back on the couch and looking up at the ceiling with a nose exhale.
--------------------------
"Okay, what do you see in that one?" Lotus asked, pointing up to a cloud in the sky.
I looked up at the cloud she pointed to, the fluff of the cloud shaped like a dog-like figure. "A dog?"
"Really? I saw a white rabbit in that cloud! Oh, that reminds me! I once saw a white rabbit when I was in Sengoku with Obassan and he had like a golden clock on his fur!" Lotus said, looking at me with awe and wonder in her eyes.
I looked over at Lotus and smirked at her. "Really? You saw a white rabbit with a golden clock? Like in Alice in Wonderland?"
"I mean..." Lotus began, letting out a soft giggle and looked back up at the blue sky. "It was like an animal spirit and when I followed him, me and Obassan found the most beautiful hidden church!"
I chuckled softly at her then looked back up at the sky. "That sounds like a sight to see. I believe you though, your eyes are probably more opened than mine is."
"You just need the right eyes to see and the right ears to listen with. It's like that one verse in 1 Peter. It was something like 'Be sober, stay vigilant'. Mhm, mhm!" Lotus said, nodding her head with a big smile.
My mind immediately circled back to the first sign of the morning I recieved, the same message now being repeated back to me by Lotus. I looked back up at the sky once more, noticing the cloud I thought once looked like a dog, was truly a white rabbit in the sky.
"God speaks all the time through His creation and sometimes you just have to look out for the right signs and wonders. It's like with your current situation with the Tomodachi...you have to look for the signs and wonders," Lotus said in a soft tone, her gaze never breaking away from the skies.
"He still speaks huh..? I wonder why He didn't warn me about the Tomodachi then, or why He would even allow this to happen to begin with. Doesn't it say that He loved the world..?" I asked, lowering my head with a soft sigh.
"He does love you, but that doesn't mean your life won't come without struggle. You are here for a reason and now that you're back, His plans for you can truly begin. I don't wanna sound preachy, but I can tell He did speak to you earlier today," Lotus affirmed, placing her hand upon mine with a smile.
I looked over at Lotus then my gaze lowered to her hand resting upon mine. "What does He expect me to do against Nanako? She's a Spirit haunting me and potentially my group of friends just like she did my father and his friends."
"I'm not sure and that is between you and the Lord, but I can say this...The Fugigami Clan is here for you for anything. Ask, and seek out, and you shall receive. Seek Him and He will provide answers when it's time," Lotus assured me, squeezing my hand gently with a supportive hold.
"There you are! Geez, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Emma's voice called out from behind us, grabbing both of our attentions toward her.
Lotus looked at me with a smile then stood up, giving me a bow. "I still have a few extracurriculars to complete, but it was fun hanging out with you today! Hopefully, you come by the Kojima Shrine again, Obassan said she misses you!"
I smiled back at Lotus and nodded, watching her run off then stood up while fixing my clothes. I turned to face Emma and Rebecca, noticing Naomi was not with them. "Where's the Tokyo Princess at?"
"Naomi had acting classes to attend so it's just me and Emma, but Otsuki did invite us to a Literature Seminar so we're planning to go there if you wish to join," Rebecca suggested with a smile, holding her favorite book in her arms.
"Tuh! Like you'd know anything about real literature. I bet you just read comics and think you're reading peak!" Emma quipped with a smirk, placing a hand upon her lithe waist.
I scratched my forehead and sighed softly, a soft smile forming on my lips. "Alright, I'll join you to the Seminar, let's go."
"Hold it!" Tsubami called out from the left, walking up toward us with a smirk. "I'm joining this little seminar too."
'Bruh, are we serious?' I thought to myself, watching as Tsubami approached us.
"Wait, you're coming with us? Why? Is it about Otsuki earlier?" Emma asked with slightly confusion, tilting her head to the side.
"Meh, kinda. I mostly wanna join so I can keep an eye on this guy. Can't leave this guy alone around five beautiful young women," Tsubami joked, looking at me with a smirk.
"Firstly, adding one more young woman doesn't fix anything, and secondly, you make me sound like a pervert," I said with a sigh, placing a hand on my hip and pressed my fingers against my forehead.
Tsubami chuckled at my reaction then turned toward Emma and Rebecca, walking between them and wrapping her arms around their shoulders as she began guiding them toward the main building. I shook my head as I followed them, wondering what set of malarkey we were headed to this time.
Maybe I shouldn't say malarkey, but on the other hand Emma is gonna be there so I'm already expecting some type of bullcrap to go down. I probably shouldn't be saying this...wait, she can't even hear my narration, nevermind.
-------------------------
Trailing up to the fourth floor of the building, which is typically reserved for the scholarship students and club activities, I followed Tsubami, Emma, and Rebecca begrudgingly to the Literature Seminar Room. Tsubami enthusiastically swung open the door with a bright smile.
"Oh, Itokoooo~!" Tsubami called out in a singsong voice as she walked in, her voice immediately filling up the room.
Otsuki quickly glanced up at the sound of Tsubami's voice, her face heating up with embarrassment from seeing her cousin. "T-Tsubami!? Why in the world are you here?"
"What? Can't a Upper Clanswoman check up on her Junior? I'm not gonna be too distracting, I promise," Tsubami said, sitting at the teacher's desk with a playful grunt and kicked her feet up on the desk.
"Oh! Sister Tsubami! You're joining us in the seminar as well?" Aisha asked with bubbling excitement, skipping over to the teacher's desk with a bright smile.
"Eh, kinda. I'm only here to keep a watch on this guy," Tsubami answered with a mischievous smile, pointing her thumb at me.
I rolled my eyes at Tsubami as I walked over to a desk and sat down, letting out a soft groan as I laid my head down. "Is this gonna be the last event of the day?"
Someone please say yes.
"Yeah, this will be it for the day. I called this meeting so we can hang out. I mainly did this for Rebecca because I know how much she likes to read and write," Otsuki said and smiled warmly at Rebecca.
"I— Oh— Otsuki, how thoughtful of you. You didn't really have to do this for me. But, if I may ask, why?" Rebecca asked shyly, holding her book closely to her chest.
"After Otsuki's little outburst this morning, she thought it would be a good idea to try to express our feelings through poems! I haven't written a poem since I was in elementary, so this is like a good experience!" Aisha answered, hopping up with her arms stretched out.
"Ugh... writing and sharing poems? How old are we? Five?" Emma asked in a sour attitude, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes dismissively.
"I lowkey agree with pipsqueak over there. We are about to be grown adults in college, expressing feelings with poems," I said, sitting up in my seat and looking back at Aisha and Otsuki. "And I know it was you who proposed the idea, Ai-chan."
"Huuuh? Meee?" Aisha asked, playing oblivious as she tapped her chin with her index finger and glanced upward.
"Bruh, it's written all over you," I said, groaning softly and looked over at Tsubami to help me.
"I think this is a wonderful idea. You know, King David wrote a lot of poems and I think it's very manly to write poems," Tsubami said, giving me a smirk and swiped her hand at me as if to say 'Just go with it'.
Jeez, if I wanted to write poems, I would've paid more attention than I did in Mrs. Angels English Class. Welp, if I have to write poems with the girls, who am I do deny the direction of this reality? Let the Shakespearean Classic hit my paper...as soon as I figure out what on God's green Earth to write about.
Just like that, everyone began to huddle in groups, everyone except me since everyone already had their predestined partner. I was to my own devices, tapping my pencil against my notebook in deep through as I tried to find out what to write about. Glancing up at Tsubami, her face was buried in her phone while watching reels on her phone and chuckling softly.
I knew Tsubami would be zero help the moment she showed up. Now that I think about it, why is she truly even here if she's not even gonna watch me. The more I tried to understand Tsubami, the more it only hurt my own brain and sanity.
The time began to pass by, the words beginning to flow on my paper like a calm river stream, my mind flowing with rhymes and rhythm as my pen worked against the page. Reaching a natural flow state, everything around me began to quiet down, the girls noisy chattering becoming white noise to me.
Tsubami glanced over at me, a small smile forming in her lips as she watched how much I began to focus. 'That look in his eyes...it's almost like I can see that little one in him still...'
She turned her gaze over to the others, Emma sitting on the floor in crisscross position as she worked while Rebecca silently and elegantly sat in a desk, her pen flowing along her page gracefully. Aisha hummed as she held her paper in the air with a bright smile on her face, giggling as she began thinking about sunshines and birds.
Otsuki sat alone to focus on her writing, her aura still composed and graceful, but the look on her face. That red hue on her cheeks, her soft breaths and her sneaky glances toward me, it all began to catch Tsubami's full attention.
Tsubami lowered her phone slightly, staring at Otsuki in silence. She subtly held her phone toward Otsuki, her finger pressing a camera app on her screen to show Otsuki in a frame. As the camera focused on Otsuki, a mellow green silhouette formed behind her in the shape of a young woman.
'Is that her..? Nanako is...mellow? She's at low positive energy, so she really is only at Level 1,' Tsubami said internally, her gaze shifting back over to me as I finished writing my poem. 'I still don't know if she's just watching him...or if she actually...likes him...'
Tsubami set her phone down and hummed softly to herself, keeping her quiet eyes upon me, whispering to herself. "It wouldn't make sense that she likes him...taken she used Mikoto's body to give birth to him. So...it's something different. Why...does this give me even more chills now..?"
After more time passed, Otsuki rose from her seat with grace and began walking toward the front of the class. "Okay, everyone! I think enough time has passed, so how about we get ready to share our poems?"
'She's unusually enthusiastic now. Is her poem that good?' I thought to myself, leaning back in my seat and rested my hands behind my head.
Tsubami looked over at me, noticing my critical eye and hummed with a smile. 'Oh? He's entered Detective Mode? I wonder made him enter it..'
"Man...I kinda don't wanna read mine out loud. Can we like...share amongst each other? I haven't done this in a long time," Emma complained, letting out a soft whine and moved her page along her desk shyly.
"Hey, but I wanna read mine out loud though! I wrote my best poem yet!" Aisha said brightly, looking down at her poem and nodded.
"I have no issues if you want to read yours out loud, but I suppose for this seminar we can privately share our poems. I think it would be a bit more intimate like this for the first time," Otsuki said, looking over at me with a warm smile.
I grunted softly and averted my gaze slightly, a soft blush forming on my cheeks. "I kinda didn't wanna share mine at all. This is a train wreck."
"I'm sure it's not that bad. Here, let's all begin sharing and I'll start with—" Otsuki began then jolted as Aisha hopped in front of Otsuki.
"Me~! Before you show Motosaki yours, I want you to read mine first!" Aisha beamed, holding her poem in front of Otsuki.
"O-Oh, okay," Otsuki agreed, letting out an awkward giggle.
While Aisha stood in front of me, I noticed Otsuki's arms shift with the sound of rustling paper, Otsuki's sleight of hand switching her two poems between each other to hand Aisha a fake poem. I glanced over at Tsubami to see if she also caught it since she was at a better angle, but I noticed her face was buried in her phone again.
'Yeah, she's useless bro...' I thought to myself, shaking my head.
While Otsuki and Aisha were busy reading each other poems, I got up from my seat and searched around the classroom to see who I should share mine with first. Noticing Emma and Rebecca still standing alone with embarrassment, I knew it was between the feisty munchkin or the eloquent quiet girl.
I let out a soft sigh and began making my way over to Emma first, feeling more comfortable with sharing with her first and coupled with the fact that I just wanted to get this over with. Emma noticed me approaching her, her expression immediately souring as I drew closer.
"Yeah, yeah, before you even open your mouth, I already know what you're gonna say. So, let's just swap poems, read through it and roast each other afterwards," I said, holding my poem toward Emma dismissively.
Emma snatched my poem from my hand and shoved hers against my chest, her cheeks heated up with embarrassment. "Ugh! Just read it already!"
I grunted softly as the petite girl surprising made me step back, my hands gripping her poem with slight annoyance. I looked down at her poem and began reading, a soft exhale escaping my lips. "Let's see..."
[A Joyful Day by Emma Chisaka]
• Birds can fly
Monkeys can climb
Kids can play
On this joyful day
• Monkeys can climb
Dolphins can dive
People come awake
On a joyful day
• That's it.
Emma watched as I looked up from her poem, her face becoming even more red with the feeling of embarrassment welling inside her. "Well? Are you gonna say something or are you just gonna look stupid over there all day?"
"I like it," I said, holding her poem back to her with a smile.
"I- Wha— Nani?! W-Why are you lying?" Emma stammered, crossing her arms and turning away from me with a pout.
"No, I really do enjoy this poem. It's very simple and cute. I've always known you loved cute things since the day I met you. It has you written all over it," I replied, setting her poem on the desk in front of her.
"Hmph! Well, of course it's simple. Why should we need to overly complicate everything when expressing ourselves when you can do the same thing in a few short words? I even made it fall flat to being out more meaning!" Emma said with a proud grin on her face, her chest puffed out with pride.
"I get what you mean. I am someone of little words sometimes, and I definitely felt the ending fall," I chuckled softly, taking my poem back from her hand.
"Yours is interesting. It's strangely deep from someone like you. Reminds me of something Rebecca or Otsuki would write. Didn't think you had introspection in you," Emma said with a grin, walking away from me to go to her seat.
I looked Emma up and down as she walked off, my expression souring as I didn't know if her words was a compliment or a backhand to the face. Either way, she already walked off before I could give one of my snarky comebacks. I scoffed to myself before making my way over to Rebecca.
Rebecca looked over and noticed me approaching her, her cheeks becoming slightly rosy as she slightly hid her face behind her poem. "M-Motosaki... Uhm...did you want to read my poem now?"
"I mean, you don't have to share it with me if you don't want to. I'm mainly doing this because I know the Head Kahuna is watching my back," I said, pointing back at Tsubami, feeling her gaze upon the back of my head.
"Huh? Whatcha say? I couldn't hear you behind all that sass in your tone!" Tsubami called out, chuckling to herself as she watched over me and Rebecca.
Rebecca giggled softly, her nerves slightly calming down around me then she took a deep breath and exhaled softly. She held her poem toward me, putting on a brave face for me. "Here...I hope you can read my handwriting."
I took Rebecca's poem from her hand, looking down at the beautiful cursive writing on the page. Her words flowed on the page so neatly, I nearly though she was a human typewriter.
[Under the Night Glow by Rebecca Haruna]
I sit under the night sky, wishing... thinking.
'How does the night glow so bright?'
I ask to myself, watching the stars... twinkling.
The moon, it shines its lesser light
Casting a cool, gentle glow upon my skin..
Rejuvenating, inebriating, an exhilarating rush.
Such a night glow, under the calming wind...
She puts me to sleep, a silent hush...
I glanced up slowly from Rebecca's poem, genuinely caught by surprise by how beautiful it was, the words leaving me speechless. Rebecca continued to read over my poem while I just admired her, now becoming more intrigued with what's going on in her mind.
Rebecca let out a soft hum as she read over my poem a third time, truly taking in every word as if to dissect each meaning to its basic level. She glanced up at me, gasping softly and began twirling a strand of her long hair. "S-Sorry, I forgot to start speaking... I- Uugg..."
I couldn't do anything but smile at Rebecca, wondering how she could accidentally be so cute when she's shy. "It's alright, I'm just waiting for the verdict of the train wreck before you."
"It's not a train wreck at all! I like it a lot in fact. It gives me a chance to actually see what you think about in your mind. The way you express your words...your faith...your hunger for knowledge and direction. It's almost like...you've become transparent on the page," Rebecca said eloquently, her words flowing naturally from her mouth.
Soon, she caught herself with a gasp and held her fingers over her lips. "S-Sorry! I was rambling just now..! M-Mmph...I hope I didn't say too much."
"No, you said just enough...and that's how I feel about your poem. Sometimes I also ask how the night can shine so bright...when everything else around it seems so dark," I said, looking back down at Rebecca's poem with a solemn expression.
Rebecca stared at me, noticing my smile weaken slightly for the first time then stepped closer to me, placing a hand on my arm with a gentle squeeze. "Motosaki, whatever you're going through right now, we are here to help you through it. Okay~?"
I smiled at Rebecca's words, internally thanking her for her kind words before looking back up and handing her poem back to her. "Thank you Rebecca...I needed that."
Rebecca smiled warmly at me, taking her poem back while returning mine to me as well. With that, Rebecca went off to share her poem with Emma while Aisha raced over toward me with a bright smile and a giggle.
"Saki-kun~! Let's trade poems!" Aisha beamed happily, holding her poem out to me and hummed brightly.
I grunted as I stepped back out of reflect, expecting Aisha to charge into like a line backer, but she luckily stopped herself before she did. "Whoa, alright, Ai. Just slow down alright?"
Aisha and I swapped poems, our hands brushing against each other and causing us to lock eyes for a moment. Aisha smiled cheerfully at me, grabbing my arm gently and bringing me over to a desk to sit down. We sat down and she moved her seat to be closer to mine.
"I wanna read yours first! Oh God, we haven't done this since we were children!" Aisha giggled, wiggling in her seat as she began reading my poem.
[Dear God by Motosaki Izuna]
Dear God, I know it's been forever since we talked
I've been seeking answers, and I wonder if you'll ever talk.
I am one of your lost sheep, but sometimes it feels as if you'll never find me.
It was you who said you'll leave the 99 for the one.
I am one, but it feels like you've found everyone else
But one.
Where are you?
Can you hear me?
What happened?
I've honored my parents
And it still happened.
I'm lost now...
So please, find me.
Aisha stared at my page and put on a small smile on her lips, her eyes trailing over the page slowly. "You know... I also ask God what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Izuna too. They were my godparents, so naturally I also wonder."
"It's almost like you and the Fugigami's are the only ones who understands me. Who can see right through me. I am not angry at God, but I just wonder if He'll ever talk to me, and help me see," I said, letting out a soft exhale as I leaned back in my seat.
Aisha set my paper down then took her poem from my hand, looking over at me then reached over to brush my hair from my face. "Maybe my poem would help you feel better?"
I glanced over at Aisha, a soft breath slipping through my nose as I felt her gentle touch. "Sure. Go ahead."
Aisha smiled at me then looked at her paper, sitting up straight. "This poem is called..."
[Six Little Lights by Aisha Ayami]
One light, two light, one pair!
Thee lights, four lights, they form a bright square!
Suddenly, another little light shine bright above,
And moved across the skies like a plane!
Friends, friends, friends everywhere!
Five lights now, that's another little light to share!
Soon, a sixth light began to appear,
That light bringing other little lights to care!
One bigger light shines brighter than our lights
Casting a warm glow for us to bare!
Sunshines, sunrays, flying balloons!
Look! The bigger light is shining!
The sun!
Now I want breakfast~
I snickered at Aisha's poem, covering my mouth with my sleeve but couldn't stop myself from laughing with pure joy. "Oh God, it sounds exactly like you! I was so prepared for an epic meaning and you end it with breakfast."
"Well, when it's morning time, I want breakfast! You know I get a little cranky when I don't eat! Plus, morning times are the best time because I get to wake you up everyday and night times are also good because you're the last person I always see," Aisha said, tapping my nose with her finger with a giggle.
I chuckled softly at her, playfully swiping her hand away and rolled my eyes at her as she tried to poke me once again. After reading each of the girls' poems so far, I could conclude Nanako did not reside within then, especially Aisha.
The last person to go see now was the one who was on my mind the entire day, Otsuki. Otsuki waited for me to approach her, sitting at her desk alone as she watched me and Aisha interact with an intensive gaze.
Finally, I began making my way toward Otsuki, my steps slow and steady as I approached her desk. Otsuki stood up from her desk and began approaching me, a smile forming on her face and her breathing deepening. We stood in front of each other, our poems in hand to share between each other.
Suddenly, a memory popped up in my head, a letter from my father warning me that Nanako can read through someone else's eyes. I glanced down at my poem, contemplating on if I should risk Otsuki seeing my poem, but I swallowed my worries and held it out.
"I hope you like my poem..~" Otsuki said softly, handing me her poem with a sweet smile.
I took Otsuki's poem from her hand and began reading over it slowly, making sure to not miss a single point. 'Okay, let's try to disern this...'
[Chances by Otsuki Nagagami]
Someone once said, "Life is not ran by coincidences",
But I beg to differ as life is full of many chances.
Opportunities to take advantage of,
Opportunities to be held in the palm of my hand.
I was to be perfect...ideal...graceful...
But now, someone gave me the chance to be me.
To feel again, to hear again, to know again.
My life was taken away from me young...
But now he has given me another chance,
To be free again.
Can you find me by chance again? (0)
I noticed the number at the end of Otsuki's poem and grunted softly to myself in shock, my heart skipping a beat as it was the third number to the locked safe in my father's attic in Kojima Town. This was the third page of the scavenger hunt, meaning Nanako was truly close by.
I lowered the paper and looked up at Otsuki, noticing her gazing directly into my eyes without speaking, as if to invite me in. I stared at her intently, my breathing growing deeper as I stared into Otsuki's beautiful gaze.
"Did you like my poem? I wrote it with you in mind...you've helped me see so much more. We've been apart for so long, but now... you've found me again," Otsuki said, stepping closer to me and wrapping her arm around mine, pressing her chest against my arm.
I blushed lightly at Otsuki's mannerisms, but still could not tell if it was her speaking or if it was Nanako within her speaking. Otsuki's poem already sounded as if it had two voices speaking, but it also confirmed another one of my suspicions.
Nanako knows I'm looking for her, and she knows I've found her.
Tsubami watched Otsuki closely with her phone in hand, her gaze watching as the mellow green silhouette began to grow into a radiant yellow. 'She's now excited..? What game is this Yokai playing right now..? Does he know that Nanako is influencing Otsuki..?'