That person is not here?
—Tohka-chan?
Where is that person?
—Tohka-chan!
By the way, who... is that person?
—Tohka-chan! Tohka-chan!
"—Ah?!" Hearing soone calling her na, Tohka finally opened her eyes wide, as if waking from a dream. She realized that her classmates were looking at her with worried faces.
Tohka tilted her head and asked in confusion. "What is wrong, everyone? Is there sothing on my face?"
"No, nothing like that. It is just that you suddenly went quiet while we were chatting, Tohka-chan, and did not respond even after we called you several tis."
"Could it be that you are not feeling well?"
"Do you want to go to the nurse's office?"
"No, no, it is fine. I am perfectly healthy, do not worry." Seeing them looking at her with such concern, Tohka quickly shook her head to show she was fine.
(But... I feel like I was thinking about sothing just now?)
While eating the bento Yutsuki had prepared for her, Tohka thought in confusion. However, for so reason, her mories were blurry, as if covered by a layer of fog.
"Yatogami Tohka."
"Hm?" Hearing soone call her na, Tohka subconsciously looked up and saw Tobiichi Origami suddenly sitting down next to her.
"T-Tobiichi Origami?!" Tohka instinctively leaned back and looked at her warily. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting so nutritional supplent during the lunch break. And confirming sothing with you." While answering Tohka's question, Origami opened her bento box. Inside was a traditional bento with rolled olets and octopus-shaped sausages. Since retiring from the AST forces, Origami had started eating fewer energy bars and convenience store bread, trying to prepare her own bento.
"During the morning classes today, you peeked at the empty seat next to you a total of eight tis. Does that action have any specific aning?"
"Eh? Um... I am not really sure myself..." Regarding Origami's question, Tohka scratched her head in deep confusion.
For so reason, starting this morning, she felt inexplicably bothered by the desk next to her. She clearly rembered it was an empty seat that no one used, but she could not help but keep turning her head to look at it.
"Is there sothing strange about it, Tobiichi Origami?"
"...Nothing, just a little curious." Seeing that Tohka herself could not explain the reason, Origami did not press further, shook her head, and continued eating.
"Ah, speaking of which, that student who ca to our class this morning seed to be sitting in that seat." Just then, Ai seed to rember sothing and muttered thoughtfully.
"Eh? Really?" Hearing this, Tohka looked up. Origami, though her face was calm, also waited very seriously for Ai to continue.
Both of them vaguely guessed that the person Ai was talking about was the boy who had approached them that morning.
"Mhm, it is true. Even though he is not from this class, he sat in that seat as naturally as if it were his own. Honestly, everyone in the class was wondering who that thick-skinned guy was."
"Do you know that boy's na?"
"Um... no. Even though he talked to us like we were old friends, I do not know him."
"He does not seem to be a student from another class either. None of my friends know him." "That's gross..."
The three of them shook their heads at the sa ti, indicating they did not know him.
"Well, if he is not a student from this school, then he must be an illegal intruder wearing a fake uniform."
"No way. Then when he talked to us, was it that 'acquaintance scam' that was popular a while ago?"
"That's gross..."
"Is that so..." Hearing the guesses from Ai, Mai, and Mii, Tohka pouted, feeling slightly unable to accept it for so reason.
Just then, Yuzuru and Kaguya from the next class suddenly ca to Tohka's class for so reason.
"My kin, has our comrade been here?"
"Inquiry. Master Origami, has Yutsuki been here?"
"Hm? I have not seen Yutsuki."
"Neither have I. Ryougi Yutsuki has not been to this class today." Tohka and Origami exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and answered.
"She is not here either..." Kaguya clicked her tongue in distress and said, "My comrade suddenly turned back ho on the way here, and then never showed up for class all morning."
"Speculation. Perhaps she skipped class to go play behind Yuzuru and Kaguya's backs."
Yutsuki skipped class? Tohka felt a bit surprised. In her impression, Yutsuki was not the type to do such a thing.
However, Tohka's confusion did not last long. Because all four of them—herself, Origami, and the Yamai sisters—received a call from Kotori at the sa ti.
Hearing Kotori's description, Tohka finally learned that the boy who had illegally broken into Kotori's house that morning and co to school to et her had also t with Miku, Nia, Natsumi, and Yoshino afterward.
Seeming surprised that the other party actually knew the Spirits' addresses, contact information, and even schedules, Kotori's tone was sowhat serious.
[Anyway, you guys need to be extra careful. At first, I thought he was just a simple pervert, but he might actually be an enemy sent by DEM.]
"Um... Kotori-chan." After hesitating for a mont, Tohka spoke up.
[Hm? What is it, Tohka?]
"Is that boy really a bad person? When I t him just now, and he heard and Origami say we did not know him, he left with a very pained expression."
[...]
Tohka's question made Kotori on the other end of the phone fall silent. Clearly, although it was her duty to notify everyone to increase their guard, deep down she still did not truly believe that boy was an enemy.
[...Mhm, I understand. I will investigate him later. Speaking of which, where is Yutsuki-nee? Why did she not pick up the phone?]
"I do not know. After my comradeturned back ho this morning, she has not co to school." "Reply. Yuzuru and Kaguya are also looking for Yutsuki right now."
[Yutsuki-nee is missing? Could it be...]
Hearing the Yamai sisters's answer, Kotori seed to understand sothing. Knowing Yutsuki, she must have definitely noticed so kind of anomaly and quietly started investigating on her own.
Thinking of this, Kotori let out a groan, feeling a headache coming on.
[Honestly... Yutsuki-nee... how many tis have I told you not to act alone.]
"Guh..." Just then, Tobiichi Origami, who had been silent the whole ti, suddenly collapsed to the floor, clutching her head in pain.
"Origami?!"
"Master Origami!?"
Seeing this iron-willed girl suddenly collapse, everyone present instantly panicked.
"Kotori, Tobiichi Origami suddenly collapsed! What should we do?!"
[Eh?! Wait! I will contact nearby Fraxinus mbers for backup right away—]
However, in less than ten seconds, Tobiichi Origami stood up on her own as if nothing had happened.
"I am fine. I have no problems. Sorry to make you all worry."
"Are you... Origami?" Tohka stared at her in confusion. After sensing a change in her tone and atmosphere, she subconsciously changed how she addressed Origami.
"Mhm. I am Origami, Tohka-san." Origami nodded with a bitter smile.
"Mhm... to be able to show such a natural expression, are you truly the Tobiichi Origami I know?"
"Worry. Could it be a high fever? Master Origami."
"Uh... just what kind of image do you guys normally have of ..." Seeing Kaguya and Yuzuru's surprised reactions, Origami slumped her shoulders in defeat.
But she quickly corrected her attitude and looked at everyone seriously, asking.
"Never mind. More importantly, have you guys really forgotten 'Itsuka Shido'?"
"...Itsuka... Shido..." Repeating the na Origami said, Tohka felt she had heard the na before, but could not rember where.
(No!)
A voice of denial echoed from sowhere in her heart.
It was not just that she had heard it. Tohka's intuition told her that she definitely knew that na. That boy who t her this morning must be the Itsuka Shido that Origami was talking about.
[You guys... don't know ?]
Recalling the loneliness and pain he showed at that ti, Tohka's heart was instantly filled with guilt and anxiety.
(Itsuka Shido... Itsuka Shido...)
Repeating the na silently in her heart, Tohka tried with all her might to recall the mories of that person. However, no matter how hard she tried to rember, the images that surfaced in her mind were so hazy and unclear.
It was as if her mories had been locked up by shackles.
—Itsuka Shido, do you an that strange boy who appeared before us?
—It looks like everyone has forgotten... So it really was Mukuro's doing.
—Mukuro? Uh... even if you say that, I am still confused. Explain the cause and effect properly, Origami.
—Confusion. Please explain in detail, Master Origami.
—Uh, it is a bit hard to explain everything from beginning to end... Tohka?
Then, as if sinking into the deep sea, Tohka's vision went dark, and everyone's voices gradually faded away.
(Itsuka Shido... who exactly is he?)
Tohka asked herself blankly.
Contrary to the mories she could not recall, every ti she said the na, the indescribable feeling in Tohka's heart grew stronger.
(Itsuka Shido?)
Yatogami Tohka was certain she did not know this person.
(Itsuka Shido.)
But at the sa ti, Tohka was also certain that this person was her everything.
His existence was an indispensable, vital pillar that supported Yatogami Tohka's entire world.
(Shido... Shido... why can I not rember?)
Then, the frustration of being unable to recall her mories, the guilt of hurting an important person, and the fear of a missing piece in her heart—all sorts of negative emotions mixed together with no way to vent, causing Tohka's world to begin to collapse.
—Does thinking feel painful? Then you do not have to keep thinking.
(...Who?)
Confused by the sudden voice, Tohka turned around. She was surprised to find "Yatogami Tohka," wearing a pitch-black Astral Dress, standing right behind her.
(You are...)
—Who I am is not important. The other party replied coldly, then reached out and placed a hand on Tohka's head.
—Leave everything to , and it will be fine.
Original author's PS: In the original work, this was supposed to be a day off, and Tohka was hanging out with everyone at the Itsuka house. But I found it strange that they had classes in the morning and then were sent ho for a holiday by noon. After discussing it with the translation team for a night, we confird that Old Tachibana made a rather huge tiline bug here, so I made so heavy edits.
User Comments
0 comments from readers