Chapter 19

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“You’re still doing it, that request.” declared Tendou when evening came, only blinking an eye at Shouma and his friends who came back to the office, their legs tired and stiff from the walking.

His lack of addendum made Shoma’s eyes half-lidded.

The re-run of his evening drama must have ended. He seemed to be enjoying a little late snack with Fuyuka. Since a cup of ice cream sat in front of them.

“By still doing it, you mean…”

“You don’t have to take such a request, you should just collect the Tofu Boy in the Collected Records as soon as you can. I too think that’s one of your virtues, Shouma, but remember, if you overwork yourself somebody will eventually take advantage of it and that would be much harder, okay? There are a bunch of fellows amongst the kaii that could lie too.”

“In addition to Shouma’s natural affinity of his body, which makes him even more likeable to those of that kind…” continued Tendou with his monologue.

Although the Tofu Boy, who had been told that he would be better off collected with his request also denied, looked even more pitiable, Tendou seemed to be worried about Shouma in his own way.

“So, were you able to find it? The Mikoshi Nyuudou.”

To Fuyuka’s query, both Shouma and the Tofu Boy shook their heads at the same time.

They had been looking all over the place for clues or any key which might help them, but didn’t find a single one. According to the Tofu Boy, he was sure he had lost sight of his father in this city, but he didn’t know the exact location.

“What do you think, Tendou-san? Where could it be?”

“Well, the Mikoshi Nyuudou has the appearance of a monk, so a temple would be a comfortable place for it, wouldn’t it?”

“A temple…”

“Although, it is a kaii that could appear anywhere. There are quite a handful of sightings of it on streets or at the end of slopes at the dead of night.”

“Isn’t that the same as stating it could be anywhere?”

“Isn’t that what I’ve been saying from the start?”

Tendou scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and popped it into his mouth.

Somehow, Shouma had a feeling Tendou’s unconscious smiles weren’t solely made up by his own imagination.

He drank his coffee with a lot of sugar and milk and would never miss snack time. He could find himself picking up chocolates, even the only magazine he had in his office was the ’Sweet Catalog’.

Because of these aforementioned things, Shouma didn’t doubt his employer had an utmost sweet tooth.

Tendou scooped up his ice cream again.

“I haven’t met the Mikoshi Nyuudou that often, so I don’t really know what it’s like.”

“You spoke like you’ve met most of the kaii.”

“I have met them.”

“Huh?”

A dumb sound escaped from Shouma’s mouth to the unexpected answer.

“Well, not all of them though. I have a general understanding of the ones who hung around my master’s place. It’s been quite a while since my master passed away, so I’m sure those kaii have been replaced now. If that’s the case, then it will be a ’nice to meet you’ from me the next time I meet them.”

“Replaced?”

“The kaii’s don’t age but that doesn’t mean they are immortal. If they fight and hurt each other, the wounds can naturally lead to death. Just like with any other animal or human. However, the origin of the kaii are the rumours and beliefs of humans. As long as someone tells their story, even if one of them dies, it will be reborn.”

Tendou pointed with his silver spoon to the Fusuma in Shouma’s shoulder.

“Aren’t you a recent addition yourself? You don’t have the same name and appearance as the Fusuma I know of. I’m sure there must have been a transmission somewhere between the time you jumped out of the book and now.”

“Is that so?” called out Shouma to Subaru on his shoulders. The small kaii scratched the tip of his nose with a bothersome expression.

“Ah, yes. I don’t know how the one before me died, though.”

“But, didn’t you know about the Collected Records from the beginning?”

When he met Subaru, he was not the least bit surprised by Tendou’s words about returning him to the Collected Records. If the substitution had happened as they say, the Collected Records would be an unknown entity to Subaru.

“We didn’t come into the world as fresh infants like humans do. My own nature, the other kaii and that book. The important information needs to be handed over. Although, it’s just information. It doesn’t mean we preserve anything from our previous memories.”

“Wow…”

A dumbfounded voice escaped from him at the mere thought of the kaii who resembled living creatures but on the other hand, they are completely different.

“So, with this handover, does it mean that the information about Tendou-san’s master or whoever made the book, was also transmitted?”

“That’s…”

“By the way, when I went shopping this morning, the shopping street was noisier than usual. Is there some kind of special event going on?”

Tendou abruptly spoke up, interrupting Subaru. The man’s gaze turned toward the window.

Now it was Fuyuka who answered Tendou’s question.

“I heard that there’s going to be a Summer Festival. Seems like it’s going to be quite a big one, with a fair and fireworks! I got a pamphlet just now.”

Fuyuka took out a leaflet from her pocket.

When she unfolded the sheet which had been folded into four, Shouma found what looked like a shrunken version of the poster that had been put up in the University cafeteria. It was a flyer featuring a picture of a large firework displayed in the indigo sky.

“Ehh, that sounds fun. It’s been getting hotter lately, so events like that lifts up the people’s mood.”

“I know! Shaved ice at a fair is the best thing to eat on a hot day, right?”

“I know it’s cliched, but candy apples are good too.”

“I also like cotton candy and baby sponge cakes!”

Before one could know it, the two of them were talking about sweet treats that can be bought at the fair. Apparently the doubt of their sweet tooth had been confirmed.

“Why don’t we go and check on this?”

Shouma shook his head at Tendou’s suggestion.

“I’ll pass. My friends asked me to do the same thing and I turned them down. So it’s kind of cumbersome for me to go.”

“Then why don’t we all go together with your University friends? In this kind of thing, the more the merrier.”

“What? You mean this group and my friends, together?”

“Oh, that sounds fun! I’m curious about your friends, too!”

Fuyuka also agreed, raising her hand.

“Taking Tendou-san aside, Fuyuka-chan, wouldn’t it be better to go around the fair with your high school classmates?”

“It’s okay, I didn’t promise them anything. If I find somebody on the way I might leave…but Shouma-san, isn’t it a nuisance to you?”

Unlike Tendou, she was careful about approaching this subject, while twisting her head asking this.

“They like to make rackets and easily make merry, so there won’t be any problem with Tendou-san and Fuyuka-chan’s joining. The problem here is my financial situation. I didn’t find a part-time job until recently. and the money I got for capturing Subaru also went to pay back the amulet.”

“Then how about I’ll give you a special bonus for the Festival?”

Tendou’s suggestion made Shouma’s cheeks twitch.

(Just how much does this guy want to go…)

Looking past the astonishment, Shouma found himself to feel a certain amount of respect towards him. He wondered if he wanted to go around the fair to that extent.

Tendou showed his stubborn smile as he turned towards him.

“Look, I’ve been working a lot lately and I’m tired!”

“Tendou-san…have you been working lately?”

“I didn’t even have a chance to make your welcome party!”

“Why did you even bring up this celebration?”

“We might find the Mikoshi Nyuudou!”

“Isn’t the problem that you can’t find it?” jabbed back Shouma for this unreasonable speech.

Tendou stood up and grabbed Tofu Boy by the shoulders.

“Look, Tofu Boy says he wants to go, too!”

“You’re being so random again…”

Shouma let his gaze slide to the Tofu Boy. The kaii slumped his head, his face red as a tomato.

“So, would you like to go?”

“…Yes”

The Tofu Boy nodded, fidgeting his hands while holding his straw hat.

There was nothing else Shouma could say to this.

“I guess it’s settled then.”

When Tendou happily patted Tofu Boy’s shoulder, Shouma sighed in surrender.

“Okay, I understand. Then, please, make yourselves available on that day.”

—

“Are you sure about this?”

Fuyuka said this right after Shouma left. She and Tendou were the only ones remaining in the large office.

Tendou tilted his head.

“About what?”

“About not telling Shouma the truth.”

“You mean the truth about my master?”

“And the rest of it.”

“Right”

Tendou stroked his chin, smiling as usual. Looking down from the window, he could just see Shouma leaving the building.

“In any case, he wouldn’t believe me, you know? There is still a part of him that thinks I’m a normal human being.”

The man slowly closed his eyes.

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