Tokyo Ravens - Volume 2 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2 - Ears and Tail
Part 1
"Harutora, since you weren't wrong, you don't have to care about her."
"How can I......"
The morning classes had ended, with Harutora still carrying awkward feelings after the disastrous self-introduction. His shoulders were tired and heavy, as if they were stone, making him slump on the classroom desk out of exhaustion.
It was the noon break. The many students - including Kyouko just now - left the room, venturing out to eat. Of course, no one dared to chat with Harutora, who had caused an uproar as soon as he entered the classroom.
There was just one male who was an exception.
"Haaaah..."
Touji gave an undisguised grin, himself half an outsider.
"Becoming remarkable the moment you enter, simply perfect, Harutora."
"What 'perfect' are you talking about, it's all over."
"That's not the case, showing a display of power at the start to gauge everyone's reaction counts as a way of looking for strong people, it's not bad."
"Damn, to think you have that kind of carefree attitude... More importantly, I wasn't the one displaying power."
Touji would normally undoubtedly be the one who was more eye-catching, and never Harutora, but this time Touji had been completely outshadowed behind the 'Tsuchimikado pair', even saying: "This way, it's a lot more convenient to move around, so I approve."
"Right, Natsume. Is that student named Kyouko always like that? She seemed to have some deep hatred for the Tsuchimikado family."
Touji asked, but Natsume shook her head soberly.
"No...... She doesn't let up opportunities to attack me, but she rarely displays her opposition to me like she did today. Thanks to her, I also felt a bit fired up."
"......I didn't see it as only 'a bit'."
"What are you dissatisfied about? Harutora, I spoke out for you. On the other hand, protecting my own shikigami is only natural."
Natsume spoke nobly and proudly, and Harutora slumped on the desk, the corners of his mouth drooping.
On the other side, Touji was sitting on the table, deep in thought.
"......Could it be that we did something to offend her?"
"I don't know, I don't even have a single clue."
"When you called her Kurahashi Kyouko just now, could it be 'that' Kurahashi? In that case, maybe it's related to that aspect."
"She is indeed from that family, but even so, I don't understand why. My father has met with their family, but I have almost never come in contact with the Kurahashi family."
Natsume replied, showing an embarrassed expression. Harutora suddenly raised his head upon hearing the name 'Kurahashi' again.
"Oh yeah, sensei just mentioned it early, so is that Kur... Wait, Natsume, Touji, aren't you too familiar? Wasn't yesterday your first meeting?"
Harutora asked confusedly, and Natsume's body visibly trembled upon hearing this.
Harutora and Touji had been in the same high school, and the two of them had had a good relationship before since Harutora's father treated Touji. But Touji had seen Natsume for the first time when he had come to Tokyo with Harutora yesterday. At that time, Harutora had even said Natsume was actually a girl - after all, he had often mentioned the girl he had played with during his childhood to Touji before he knew about the main family tradition. But the two of them hadn't said anything to each other more than a simple greeting.
But, never mind Touji, why was the normally shy Natsume now chatting this energetically with him?
"Uh, this, well......"
Natsume's delicate face went rigid and her words became broken, her gaze wandering around.
In comparison, Touji seemed unruffled.
"Didn't you know, Harutora? People just can't help but come talk to me, I'm such a charming guy."
"......To think you would proudly say that kind of thing after being a juvenile delinquent before."
Harutora raised his head from where he lay on the desk, frowning in wonder. Touji smiled and put his hand on Harutora's head, messing up his hair.
"Alright, don't concern yourself with it. For some reason, I feel like it's not my first time meeting this person, it's definitely because we're very chummy. Right, Natsume?"
"Yes, right! That's it, Harutora. We're chummy! And the cat I had before was named Touji, so I feel especially close to him and I don't think Touji is an outsider at all!"
Touji showed a fake smile, but Natsume forced herself to laugh out loud. Harutora felt that there was some kind of comedy playing out before him, and his frown got deeper and deeper.
But, Natsume and Touji indeed could not have known each other before, so he could only believe their claims. More importantly, he had secretly worried before that 'I fear that these two people's personalities won't mix well', but in contrast he saw this situation instead...... He felt relieved upon seeing that these two were suddenly in such harmony.
"Could you be jealous?"
"Hey you..."
"You and Natsume were estranged for a long time, but we became this friendly in an instant, so for you to be jealous wouldn't be--"
"......Alright, I know. Honestly, I'd be troubled if you were to fight."
Hearing Touji's mischievous questions, Harutora could only unwillingly give up on his investigation.
Harutora was bound to become even more exhausted the moment the two of them fought, so he could only hope that there wouldn't be any such crisis in the future.
Then, he turned to Natsume, as if giving his stamp of approval: "So, I guess that's how things are. Natsume, you can have faith in Touji. If you need something, you can find him to talk, not just me."
"............" But, Natsume didn't respond for a while.
Harutora who had originally planned on lying back down went "Nn?", turning his body to look at Natsume. He noticed that Natsume was standing still with her eyes wide, her cheeks tinged slightly red.
"......What is it, Natsume?"
"Uh, nothing......"
"Yeah? Could it be that you don't have faith in Touji?"
"Th, That's not it...... It's just, well...... Y, You don't have to worry...... okay? Touji and I aren't that friendly......"
Her attitude was bashful and she didn't speak clearly. Harutora couldn't help but frown.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I, I mean, I trust Touji, but...... The most...... well...... the person c-closest to me is Harutora, I promise......"
She whispered softly without even looking at Harutora, Harutora didn't get the meaning in her words and turned around looking to Touji for help, but Touji was staring at the ceiling for some reason. Harutora, whose look was as stunned as before, felt as if he were watching a slapstick comedy.
"A, Anyways!"
Natsume frantically changed the topic.
"Everything will go smoothly between me, Touji, and Harutora! So - you don't need to concern yourselves with other students, even that girl. As long as you work hard and seriously, I believe that she won't say more. If she dares to find you to make more trouble, I won't let her off."
After calling out with a red face, Natsume suddenly regained her seriousness, and then said:
"First and foremost - we came to the Onmyou Academy to be able to work independently as soon as possible, and only for that goal."
"Natsume......"
Those words revealed the lifestyle Natsume had in the Onmyou Academy, and Harutora inadvertently sat up straight upon hearing that.
On that note, Natsume had also mentioned before that she didn't have to fear being looked down upon as long as she showed her power in the Onmyou Academy.
That way of saying things was equivalent to directly expressing that she wasn't concerned about the other students, and admitted that she was isolated from the class, with no friends. That proved Harutora's predictions and worries.
...But, Natsume.
That wasn't a good thing. Natsume's circumstances were complex and difficult to understand, but he still didn't believe closing herself out was the correct way.
Just as Harutora was hesitating over whether he should speak his concerns...... "Tsuchimikado-kun - Ah, I'm looking for Natsume-kun." A student spoke from the front.
It was a glasses-wearing male student. Harutora and the others turned around at the same time, making him freeze for a second.
"Uh - that person's here."
He pointed to the classroom door as he said that.
A suit-wearing young man stood in the corridor outside the classroom. His body was tall and thin, and his appearance was quite handsome. He smiled leisurely upon noticing that Harutora and the others were looking at him, lightly nodding his head in greeting.
Harutora was just feeling confused, when - "Oh no! I forgot. Sorry Harutora, I have to go." Natsume exclaimed.
"What is it? What happened?"
"Uh...... I, I'm taking a special class right now, so I also have class during noon break...... Do you know where the student cafeteria is?"
"Yeah, I should."
"Then you two can go eat lunch, I'll probably only return right before afternoon classes start."
She hurried down the stairs after saying this, rushing towards the classroom door.
But, she suddenly stopped halfway, quickly returning to them and leaning forward over the table.
Then--
"Harutora, Touji, let's do our best."
"...Ah, okay."
"Yeah."
Harutora and Touji responded separately to those clear eyes and direct gaze.
Natsume happily laughed like a child, turning around almost as if she were dancing and finally leaving the classroom. She spoke a few words to the man waiting for her in the corridor and immediately disappeared.
After Natsume suddenly left, Harutora's whole body relaxed, but Touji said wryly: "She's really excited."
"Excited...... huh?"
Harutora gazed at the corridor that Natsume had left from with a complex look.
"......Maybe because she's wearing a male uniform, her personality changed. How should I say it...... she feels more childish."
"Oh."
"But, what's strange is that it doesn't feel unexpected at all, but rather it feels like I'm used to it already......"
"Oh, no wonder."
Touji spoke quietly with a grin upon hearing Harutora's mumbling, his look clearly indicating 'so these two are the same after all'.
"But...... Is that guy who came to get Natsume also a teacher here?"
"Do you want to know?
"Kind of......"

"Maybe he's the boyfriend she met here."
"W, What stupid things are you saying, Natsume's pretending to be a guy here."
"So what?"
"Hey, what do you mean!"
In the end, Harutora was from a rural area, and when Touji who had grown up in Tokyo said this, he almost believed 'that kind of thing' wasn't unusual in this place. His good friend good-naturedly smiled upon seeing Harutora's panicked appearance.
"In any case, Natsume left at a perfect time. I have the opportunity to start some secret reconnaissance after showing strength - wait here for me."
When Harutora asked about it, Touji had already stuck his hands in his pockets, leisurely striding away.
Then - "Yo, thanks for earlier." He spoke friendlily to one of the students who had stayed behind in the classroom, the male student who had just told Natsume that someone was here for her.
He seemed to be in the group that brought their own bentoes to school, and he was sitting in his seat, just about to open his bento box when Touji came over. His eyes widened in surprise when the transfer student - and already the center of attention - called out to him without warning.
"Do you remember my name? I'm Ato Touji, nice to meet you. How about you?"
"Ah, yes, I'm Momoe, Momoe Tenma..."
"Tenma, what a memorable name. You can call me Touji."
"Ah, okay, then......"
He could see even from afar that the student Tenma was quite tense. He made sure to be polite when talking, even though Touji was acting close.
His body was quite small and slim, with a conservative, generic hairstyle. His glasses-wearing face showed a middle-school immaturity, and at first glance he looked like a childish youth, but he also seemed affable because of this.
...So this is the reconnaissance he was talking about......
Touji seemed to be planning on taking advantage of Natsume's absence to hear some information from the students. However, to the eyes of Harutora who watched from afar, it seemed like a juvenile delinquent bullying an errand boy.
Touji later brought up three reasons as to why he had chosen Tenma as the object of his information gathering.
First, Tenma had been willing to tell Natsume there was someone looking for her, showing that he didn't hold any particular malice towards Natsume, and also proving that he was someone who would honestly do things that someone requested of him.
Second, he was just about to open his bento, or in other words he didn't have any suitable reason to leave, so it would be hard for him to escape.
Third, he looked very 'easy to trick'.
Though Harutora felt dumbfounded upon hearing that, Touji had already been observing the reactions of all the classroom's students when Natsume and Kyouko had fought during the self-introductions, locking on the candidates to grill for information.
"Are you about to eat lunch? Can I bother you for a second?"
Touji had first anticipated Tenma's response - actually, he asked in a strange manner. He said he didn't want to bother him, but he smiled naturally at the empty seat next to Tenma.
As Touji expected, Tenma really did show a good-natured smile, replying: "Sure."
"Great. I just came here so I'm not familiar with this place at all, can I ask you a few things?"
"I, I see. Go ahead, if you don't mind."
"Thanks a bunch. Ah, don't worry about me, keep eating."
What was scary about Touji was that he had clearly been a juvenile delinquent in the past but his manners were so slick. Actually, when they had been in the first year of high school, Harutora had seen many girls become deceived by the disparity between his grim outer appearance and gentle attitude.
"The Onmyou Academy is really an incredible place, not only are the facilities new, there were even a pair of komainu by the door."
"You mean Alpha and Omega, huh. After you get used to them, those two shikigami are pretty interesting."
"Shikigami, huh. Of course, I don't know how to use shikigami, but can you already use them?"
"Uh, I, I can more or less use manmade shikigami...... In the end the current control interfaces for shikigami are quite excellent."
Tenma was a bit tense, but he still chatted with Touji. Even if Touji had bothered his meal, he didn't scowl, so his personality seemed as kind as his appearance.
Touji quietly motioned to Harutora while he was chatting with Tenma, probably to explain 'we can get close to this person'. Harutora stood up reluctantly, walked toward Touji and Tenma's seat.
"Can I join in?"
"Huh, ah--"
"Hey, you don't need to be that scared. I don't know how Natsume is, but we're harmless. Since there are two Tsuchimikado in the class, you can call me Harutora."
Harutora didn't expect that he would frighten Tenma more than Touji had. He endured that light blow, circling around to the seat in front of Tenma and sitting down.
"This guy's also pretty troubled. He's a Tsuchimikado all right, but he's from a branch family and he doesn't know anything about Onmyoudou. And he and I were both studying at a normal high school until this summer. The reason we were able to enter the Onmyou Academy isn't actually that incredible. Do you know about the big Onmyouji commotion a while ago? Actually, we were dragged into it at the time." Touji spoke with a grin to the stiff Tenma.
"Hey, Touji."
Harutora hurriedly interrupted, but Touji replied carelessly: "It's alright."
"Honestly, the Onmyouji who caused that incident was related to some higher-ups in the Onmyou Agency, that part wasn't even released to the media, and us two normal people ended up becoming involved with the 'industry' - that's what happened."
"You mean that incident? So that's the story."
Tenma showed shock. It seemed that he had also heard about that summer incident, since it had become national news.
Touji nodded his head solemnly, continuing to say:
"The name Tsuchimikado somehow got out, and he resolved to endure the pressure he was getting from others - but he didn't expect the public criticism he suffered just now, so he was dispirited for the whole morning."
His words sounded disparaging, but he nudged his chin affectionately in Harutora's direction. That remark wasn't false at all, but his rhetoric was quite clever.
Tenma's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the whole explanation. "So it's like that." He accepted Touji's words. Even some sympathy emerged in the gaze looking at Harutora. Harutora was grateful, but he felt like Touji was stretching things a bit, so he couldn't help but be a bit hesitant.
Touji shrugged his shoulders.
"But I guess it was what we wanted, and I decided to become an Onmyouji because of it, but...... Just like Touji said, I'm indeed a bit troubled."
"I see, that's really unfortunate."
Tenma showed a cordial smile as he spoke. He had a cute face, and Harutora finally had the feeling of chatting with a 'classmate'.
"......So, we wanted to ask a little about the 'classroom situation', it's fine to respond with whatever you know - That female student from the morning, she was called 'Kurahashi' if I remember correctly?"
Touji leaned forward as if to speak directly into the student's ear and cut to the chase, perhaps believing the opportunity to be just right. Tenma whispered an "Ah", quickly understanding the meaning in Touji's words.
"Right, she's the princess of the Kurahashi family. But she's not such a stuck-up girl, she even speaks to me with an open attitude."
"......But she was pretty barbed today."
"Yeah, she gets like that once Natsume-kun gets involved...... It seems like she made him a rival."
Tenma's gentle smile became slightly bitter. It seemed that Kyouko's reaction in the morning didn't represent the general opinion of the class, but was just a personal grudge.
However, that wasn't what Harutora was concerned about.
"Ah, right, speaking of 'Kurahashi', I wanted to ask just now, what's significant about the Kurahashi family? Are they famous?"
Upon hearing that question, Tenma showed the same reaction as Ohtomo before, his eyes widening tremendously.
"You see, he's really not familiar with this industry."
Touji hurriedly came forth, only now opening his mouth to explain to Harutora:
"The Kurahashi family is the same as the Tsuchimikado family, they're famous families of Onmyoudou. The Kurahashi family is the top name since the decline of the Tsuchimikado. You heard the principal's name, right? Kurahashi Miyo, that old granny is the head of the Kurahashi family."
"Famous? So that's why sensei said she was a 'behind-the-scenes figure', huh...... Th, Then Kyouko too?"
"Yeah, she's also from the Kurahashi family, and not only that, she's also the granddaughter of principal Kurahashi. Moreover, the current head of the Onmyou Agency is the principal's son, so also her father."
Tenma's supplemental explanation stunned Harutora.
"That's so overwhelming! My dad's just a rural Onmyou doctor, and Natsume's dad...... I forgot what he was doing, but he's definitely not some important government official. That's crazy! What a ridiculous family!"
"Didn't I say so?"
Touji replied coldly to the surprised Harutora.
"But regardless of the current powers, the Tsuchimikado family holds the history and the pedigree, and that's why Kurahashi-san is so one-sidedly hostile to Natsume-kun - That's probably what everyone believes, but doesn't say." Tenma smiled lightly.
"One-sidedly?"
"That...... you can tell just by looking."
Tenma spoke apologetically. Anyone would believe this upon seeing Natsume's cold demeanor compared to Kyouko's angry reaction.
"But it's no wonder she cares this much, since after all they're the two best students in the class."
"......Could it be that Kyouko is the same as Natsume, and had basic Onmyoudou training ever since she was small?"
"It wouldn't be strange if she did receive that training, since she's the princess of the Kurahashi family."
Maybe Kyouko was a powerful Onmyouji. Harutora silently alerted himself that even if he were challenged, he definitely couldn't get angry and rush to accept.
"But the first-year classes are focused on lectures, so no one is actually sure about their power, it's just that the two of them perform perfectly during the rarely-held practical training, and it seems like they're the only ones in this year that have defensive-type shikigami."
Tenma explained.
"What does defensive-type mean?" Harutora's question surprised Tenma again - "Shut up for now." Touji covered his mouth from the side. Seeing the pair of them acting completely impolitely, Tenma laughed, obviously relaxing quite a bit.
"But I was really surprised this morning, and I'm not the only one. Other people were probably also surprised."
"Why? Weren't they originally like oil and water?"
"Yeah, Kurahashi-san actively provokes Natsume-kun, but Natsume-kun rarely retaliates that fiercely, it's really not like him......"
Upon saying this, Tenma realized that the two of them were close to Natsume and cast out a questioning look. Touji noticed and told him to "Don't worry, speak freely." He once again showed an apologetic look, continuing to say:
"He - Natsume-kun is normally very calm, and it might not be good to say this, but he seems uncaring about the things around him, and he always gives everyone an impression of listening silently. So when he was like that in front of everyone - how should I say it? It was really unexpected for him to quarrel so passionately with someone. Kurahashi-san was so angry in the morning because Natsume-kun's reaction scared her."
Tenma spoke of his feelings sincerely, and Harutora and Touji unconsciously looked at each other as they listened. From Natsume's naive demeanor just now, it was really hard to imagine the 'usual Natsume' that Tenma spoke of.
But--
......Thinking carefully, that was indeed closer to her disposition.
Harutora had said himself that Natsume dressed as a male seemed more childish, but the Natsume from before - the main family girl that Harutora had been close to since he was small - gave people the same feeling as Tenma described. She carried the heavy burden of being the heir to the Tsuchimikado family, and wanted wholeheartedly to become an exceptional Onmyouji without paying heed to anything else. She was proud and strict with others, that kind of girl.
Of course, her personality couldn't flip even if she were dressed as a male, and she had been this agitated and excited today because--
"You're very important to Natsume-kun."
"............"
Tenma's gaze held no other meaning, and Harutora turned away to conceal his embarrassment.
Natsume had put forth effort to defend him, but she absolutely had not considered what effects that vigor would have on the surroundings.
Harutora only wanted to settle down in the Onmyou Academy as smoothly as possible, for both himself and Natsume. Because maybe even Natsume had to show a willingness to get close to her classmates other than him and Touji.
"......Don't worry about it, 'let's do our best'."
Harutora was speechless, and Touji spoke as if seeing through his thoughts. Harutora nodded his head heavily in front of the wondering Tenma.