Part 5
"......She's too slow, how long does that Natsume plan on making me wait......"
Harutora faced the bustling group of people who had come to Tokyo, his hand supporting a sports bag and a large backpack on his back as he bitterly stood by the road.
The Onmyou Academy was in the center of three large streets of Shibuya, and Harutora was waiting for Natsume at the entrance to Shibuya Station.
After things had ended, Harutora and Natsume had sent each other several text messages and had also talked directly on the phone. Anyhow, Harutora was now Natsume's shikigami, and the pentagram Natsume had marked on his face was still on his left cheek, like a tattoo.
"Harutora, listen up, you need to go to Tokyo as soon as possible, since a shikigami must be by their master at all times."
Natsume had instructed him with this once over the phone. Her tone was strong, maybe to cover her shyness - Harutora thought it would be good if that were true. He felt faintly like he wasn't being treated like a shikigami, but like an attendant or servant instead.
But.
"......I came here in the end."
When he had told his parents about entering the Onmyou Academy face-to-face, they hadn't opposed him. After that, he had been busy wrapping things up. He had to apply to leave school during the summer vacation, as well as take the transfer admissions exam for the Onmyou Academy. There hadn't been any students transferring recently, and Harutora didn't know whether it was because of the Tsuchimikado name - in any case, he no longer had any reason to wonder - working behind the scenes, or maybe because he had been credited with the event involving Dairenji Suzuka.
But, in any case, Harutora didn't care about the story behind it.
He was a shikigami, and he just had to do what he could to help Natsume.
August 31.
The seemingly endless yet brief summer vacation ended just like that.
"......She's way too slow, what is Natsume doing......"
He had sent a text upon reaching Shibuya Station, telling Natsume that he had already arrived. A whole hour had already passed since then, and people came and went, but he hadn't seen Natsume. Harutora sighed, looking at the sky.
The sun was almost completely set, and the summer sun was swapping its colors into the night sky, which was painted a pure indigo.
The instant the sun fell under the horizon, in the short magical moment when the light hadn't completely vanished. The day's colors were particularly bright, and just watching it made his negative feelings completely vanish. For some reason, a smile emerged on Harutora's face--
"Bakatora!"
At the start, he thought it was a hallucination.
His vision was naturally led by the sound, and he saw someone running straight towards him. That person was particularly conspicuous among the group of people, not only because of her beautiful appearance, but also because the clothes she wore were unique.
That person wore the Onmyou Academy uniform, dressed fully in black.
But--
"I, It's been a while, even though it's only been two weeks...... Did you wait long? I was also...... a bit unsure about what to do, but, well, I'm okay now, I've already gathered my resolve."
An Onmyou Academy student stood in front of the dumbstruck Harutora, trying her best but unable to hide her embarrassment and tension, her entire face blushing red.
It was Harutora's childhood friend.
But she was wearing a male uniform, and her speech was also just like a boy's - as if she were a child. [26]
Her black, long hair wasn't spread behind her back like usual, but was tied in a bunch, drooping over her shoulder to the front of her chest.
A pink ribbon tied up her hair, like a case of deja vu.
Harutora was stunned.
"......Natsume, what are you doing?"
"W, What do you mean by that? I came to find you!"
"......What's up with your speech?"
"What do you mean, of course it's...... Huh? ...Wait, wait a minute, did Aunt and Uncle not tell you!?"
Tying up her hair, and wearing a male uniform - a girl disguised in male clothing, Natsume suddenly flailed her hands, showing her inherent personality. Harutora nodded blankly, and she straightened her body, moving her face near Harutora's ear.
Her attitude changed, returning to the tone Harutora was familiar with to say:
"'The Tsuchimikado Heir must be as a male when in the outside world.' It's a main family tradition! Harutora, did you really hear nothing at all about it?"
"I didn't."
"Why is that!? I asked Aunt and Uncle to explain things clearly to you beforehand!"
"......I, I see. I think...... they probably forgot."
There was a high chance that they had forgotten, and even if they hadn't, he had really been busy to death these few days, with no free time at all.
Harutora spoke awkwardly, and Natsume's face blushed instantly.
It seemed, as Harutora learned afterwards, that her original plan was for Harutora to cooperate with the gender-disguised Natsume. As she told him, she had clearly been troubled, her whole body stiff.
Harutora finally understood, after everything, why Natsume hadn't wanted him to say her name. It was because 'Tsuchimikado Natsume' was a 'male' to outsiders. This was a pedantic family tradition, but Harutora who had actually become a shikigami had no right to question it.
The two childhood friends looked at each other, silent.
Harutora was uneasy, and Natsume's mouth trembled lightly like she felt deeply ashamed, ready to dig a hole for herself to crawl into. It seemed that she really wasn't good at adapting to changes.
"...A, Anyway! That's how things are, so you better properly cooperate, Harutora! Got it? Don't forget, you're my shikigami, and you have to listen to my orders, understood? If you get it..." Natsume nervously talked loudly, panic-stricken to the very end.
Harutora leisurely replied with an 'okay'. Natsume pursed her lips, her face still red.
"I understand. Sorry Natsume, for troubling you again."
"............"
He replied calmly, and Natsume listened quietly.
Afterwards, she asked to confirm in a cautious tone:
"Do you really understand?'
"Didn't I say so?"
"......Do you understand everything?"
"I understand everything."
Natsume gazed at Harutora, and Harutora looked back and Natsume. There was an unspoken agreement between them, an unspoken joy at their 'reunion'.
Natsume's black eyes reflected the figure of her childhood friend.
"......I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"......I lied to you. I'm sorry for always deceiving you."
She lowered her head and apologized quietly. The ribbon tied in her black hair swayed gently with her movements.
"In the beginning...... I was just practicing, practicing a new magic and masculine words and actions. One time, I thought of telling the truth, but Harutora, you told me 'you don't need to say anything', and so I didn't say anything extra. I was scared that I would become separated from Harutora again if I said it......"
Natsume lightly bit her lip.
Harutora smiled.
"You're too dramatic, you don't need to apologize about that kind of thing."
"Harutora......"
Natsume raised her head, a relieved look emerging on her face. Her face was dyed with a redness different from before as she stared warmly into Harutora' eyes.
"It's not like you lied to me on purpose, right? My mom and dad just forgot to tell me about it, and I wouldn't separate from you just because you're disguised as a guy." Harutora spoke brightly.
"............"
Natsume blinked in surprise.
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