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Translated by nakimushitl
“There are few phantoms with egos. However, they are long-lived so about 30 are somehow born in a year. Once they reached a certain age, they are gathered in this academy to adapt to human society and as a place for them to meet fellow phantoms.”
“So there was such a meaning to this school… Well, if those are all that are born in a year, it won’t be long before extinction, huh.”
Chako nods, laughing “Haha” as though it’s someone else’s business.
“Allowing onmyouji to come in contact with phantoms with egos, I wanted them to feel close. In that way, an understanding of phantoms with egos is formed and it would be easier for them to live.”
“I seeー. Oh, right. This may be late but, don’t you hate phantoms, Yuusei-chan?”
“Ah, I was excited to enter this school y’know. There’s a line-up of phantoms with egos and power after all… I’m thrilled.”
“Ah, what’s with that, super unpleasant.”
Yuusei-kun’s black eyes shine and he looks at Chako like he’s having fun.
Chako looks back at him with a displeased expression.
Looking at such a pair with resignation, Tomoyuki-san continues to speak.
“A third of this school are phantoms and another third are onmyoujis. As for the final third, they are children of those who take the lead in the financial and political worlds.”
“Ah, so there are normal-ish people too, huh? Or so I thought, but they are actually rich people, I see.” (Chako)
“Why are children of such personages in this school?”
The phantoms and onmyoujis are understandable.
However, is it necessary for children of such distinguished people to expressly come to this school?
I thought they’d go to more well-known and illustrious schools.
At my question, Tomoyuki-san continues to speak.
“Humans, you see, are trying to make phantoms their ally.”
“Ally?”
“Yes, even 1 phantom alone would make a perfect bodyguard. Moreover, there are underworld jobs and dirty jobs. Anything can be done.”
What’s with that convenient chess piece treatment? My eyebrows knit tightly.
Tomoyuki-san gives a wry smile at that.
“For phantoms, it’s not a bad thing to have ties to high-ranked humans. It’ll be easy to obtain life energy and they can also get money.”
“… Yes.”
“Authority and money are also necessary for phantoms to live… Moreover, the ones choosing which human to follow are the phantoms. They’re not like familiars that are tied for life.”
… I understand Tomoyuki-san’s words.
Even so, it’s still unpleasant.
Still unconvinced, I look at Chako. Her face is shining, as though saying, I’ve understood!
“I understand… It’s like pandas, right!”
“… Panda?”
With the reverberation of such a cute word, I end up tilting my head with a “Eh?”
Even after looking at such a me, Chako laughs “Ehehe” brightly and continues to speak.
“Yui-chan, phantoms are pandas. And, this school is a panda shelter.”
“Shelter…”
“Yup, yup. It’s soliciting donations by showing the pandas’ cuteness to distinguished and rich people. And, letting fellow pandas, that don’t meet in the natural world, meet each other, let’s increase the number of children! Like that.”
“I see. Certainly, the singularity and population are similar to pandas.”
Yuusei-kun got on Chako’s panda theory.
Then, Chako laughs happily.
“And, I’m an unusual panda born in the wild!”
Ehen!, she sticks out her chest.
I’ve been frowning since just now after hearing the relationship between phantoms and humans. However, finding such a Chako strange, I end up giggling.
“What’s with that, Chako. You’re a panda?”
“Un. I’m precious, you know?”
“Nah, you’re more unusual than pandas. It’s like a living thing that was thought to be extinct in the natural world, was discovered once again.”
When I speak while laughing, Chako goes “Un, un” nodding while she replies.
Looking at us like we’re strange, Tomoyuki-san further appeals to Chako’s scarcity.
“I see, huh. Am I more precious than wild pandas?”
“Yes, as though the extinct Japanese wolf was once again found in a mountain forest… that’s how it is.”
Chako’s eyes widen at Tomoyuki-san’s words.
“… Somehow, it seems like I truly am precious, huh.”
She earnestly mutters.
Yuusei-kun looks at such a Chako like he’s having fun.
“Yeah. I want to dissect you very much.”
“Stoppp. Those eyes, are super unpleasant.”
Seeing the twinkling black eyes, Chako makes a deeply displeased face.
Chako rounds up, going, This conversation ends here!
“Anyhow! I understand that it’s OK to come here if I want to skip lessons.”
“No, Chako, I don’t think that’s right.” (Yui)
“The director is everyone’s ally after all.” (Chako)
”Ehehe” Chako laughs brightly.
Seeing such a smile, I exchange glances with Tomoyuki-san who’s sitting next to me. He gives a troubled smile.
“What a handful, this child.”
“… Yes.”
Looking towards Chako, she’s talking to Yuusei-kun about something.
However, apparently sensing my gaze, she looks over here, going “Nn?” and inclining her head.
Feeling happy at this moment where us four are chatting here, at Tomoyuki-san’s house…
“I… will work hard.”
“… I’m aware.”
To that which I softly mutter like a soliloquy, Tomoyuki-san replies with a gentle smile.
After that, we chatted a little and left Tomoyuki-san’s house.
We learned about phantoms and the school, and Chako became friends with Yuusei-kun.
I think the signs look good.
As Yuusei-kun said he’d remain for a bit to talk, I’m alone with Chako now.
I naturally smile, happy to be walking side-by-side with Chako on the way home.
“I’m sorry for being abrupt today.”
“Nope, it’s fine. Somehow they were all things I didn’t know so I’m glad to learn a lot.”
We walk while stepping on the cherry blossom petals that fell on the footpath.
The weather in spring is warm, making even my heart toasty.
“You know, I didn’t know about phantoms or onmyoujis before I came here.”
“Eh, really? I thought you were super well informed because you knew about the Priestess of Ominous Clouds and whatnot.”
“Nope. I only learned that very recently too.”
“I see… Weren’t you shocked, then?”
Chako looks at me anxiously.
“Weren’t you troubled, suddenly told about being a Priestess of Ominous Clouds or having power?”
“… Let’s see, at first, I was troubled, or should I say, I didn’t quite understand.”
That’s right. I didn’t understand anything about myself.
I failed a lot.
“I failed a lot because I continued to not quite understand.”
It would have been better if I did things well from the start.
I do think of wanting to erase my many failures.
“However, I think that now exists because of those failures. I want to use this power properly.”
Shouldering many failures.
Even then, I want to work hard again.
Receiving the spring breeze with my cheeks, I turn towards Chako’s direction.
Chako stares at such a me with a troubled smile.
“What should I do? Yui-chan’s so remarkable that I’m going to weep.”
“What’s with that.”
I laugh “Ahaha” at Chako’s parent-like words.
Then, I reach a hand out to Chako’s hair that dances in the spring breeze.
“… Young phantoms look for children wanting bodyguards, and jobs they want to do in the human society here, don’t they?”
“I don’t know a thing about phantoms so I didn’t know things like that at all.”
Although the black hair touches my hand just a little, they dance in the wind and immediately leave my hand.
“… Chako, what will you do in the future?”
Dropping my hand, I peek fixedly into Chako’s blue eyes.
Chako looks back at my eyes just a little, and quietly raises her gaze upwards.
“What about Yui-chan?”
Unable to answer my question, Chako returns a question.
… She’s probably hiding her feelings again.
The two of us walk on the road of cherry blossom petals. My distance from the Chako walking next to me are only a few centimeters.
However, Chako’s far somehow.
Even then.
“… I’m, thinking to become an onmyouji.”
Words I slowly convey.
The cherry blossom petals dance in the wind.
“Onmyouji?”
“Un. I heard from Yuusei-kun but, onmyoujis are similar to government officials.”
“Really?”
“Un. The police for disputes between humans. The onmyouji for incidents caused by phantoms. Apparently it’s like that.”
“I see.”
I didn’t know, Chako’s eyes widen.
I giggle to that and continue to speak.
“It seems that Yuusei-kun and the rest receive jobs from the government. Once I’ve trained and become strong, I want to work as an onmyouji too… However, it’s not like I want to erase phantoms.”
I thought about it a while back.
And, today, hearing Tomoyuki-san’s words, what I want to do budded in my chest.
“Tomoyuki-san said that there are no phantoms from nature. However, there are Chako and the parent that brought Chako up. That’s why I want to search for such people and hear them out so that they can live well, suppressing phantoms that lost their egos and returning them to their previous lives… In that way, it’d be nice if I can assist phantoms and humans to coexist…”
I still don’t know what I can do.
However, I’m the Priestess of Ominous Clouds.
I want to search for a way that both species can live.
“… How cool.”
On the road of cherry blossom petals, Chako looks at me with an expression like she’s about to cry.
“… It’s all, for my own sake after all.”
I can’t stand looking at this expression of Chako…
However, unable to turn my eyes away, I concentrate on Chako’s blue eyes.
Chako.
I know what I want to do.
“How about Chako?”
Once again, I slowly convey the words.
Chako’s eyes tremble for an instant. However.
However, it’s only an instant.
Her usual bright smile surfaces immediately.
“Nnn… I haven’t decided at all. It’s fine as long as I’m having fun now, I guess.”
”Ehehe” Chako laughs.
Looking at that laugh, I go What a troubling person, and laugh.
“That’s right, let’s do loads of fun things for now.”
“Un! Come to think of it, it was just the entrance ceremony today. There was so much going on that it felt like a great number of days passed.”
“It’s only beginning now, Chako.”
When I giggle, Chako goes “Eh?”, her face stiffening.
That’s right, Chako.
It’s just the first day. There are loads more to do, you know?
“Ah, somehow it feels like I’m going to have an amazing school lifeー…”
“Look forward to it.”
“… I guess it’s fine, if it’s with Yui-chan.”
Chako smiles softly on the road of cherry blossom petals.
What I want to do.
I want to protect a world where phantoms and humans can coexist.
I want to create a world where phantoms can be more free than they are now.
So that Chako can always remain living in this world.
So that I can remain next to Chako.