Volume 5 - CH 8

Volume 5, Chapter 8: I became an Elementary Schooler, Part 2

There was a bit of a commotion after I entered elementary school, but now that the seasons have changed and we’re wearing different uniforms.

I often play outside with Misa, who goes to a public elementary school, but at school I stay more with Kako, and a Kako who got more opportunities to speak with Kouki-kun was a happy Kako.

Still, this child, who talks to me often regarding Kouki-kun, is a bit of a problem, I think.

Speaking of problems, there’s several.

One thing is Misa. It’s that “Dad” thing.

It’s not because of the relationship with Kotone-chan. The thing about Kotone going over to the dad’s place, it seems like Father doesn’t make much comment, but the problem is that at the shopping street where the ramen shop where the dad works is, it seems that the number of the shops rolling up their shutters has increased.

The dad doesn’t say anything to Misa or me, but when I was playing with Misa, I overheard the name of “Kuon”.

……Just to make sure, he did resign from the Diet under the allegations of taking bribes, right? Kouki-kun’s grandfather.

There’s nothing we can do as children, but it’s a little lonely that we haven’t seen many children other than ourselves in the shopping area.

The other problem isn’t really a problem, but the atmosphere of the class has changed quite a bit.

As a result of that “ruffian” entering the school, the deficiencies in the school’s security were exposed and the gate was permanently closed, and the security guards patrolled about outside the fence.

Why is that a problem? Although you might think it wouldn’t be, it was a really big deal since they thought that it was me who had repelled that “ruffian”.

How could a first-grade elementary schooler do such a thing……?

Virtually all of the upper-graders didn’t believe it, but the first-and-second-graders thought ‘No way!’, and stopped approaching me.

Ah, that’s right. If I think about it, it’s just keeping the status quo.

It seems that people will continue to be scared by me.

“That’s right, at that time, Yuzu-sama caught me when I was scared of that evil ruffian…”

It’s because of you, Kako.

Also, I began to feel stares from one of the boys in the class.

That child is also a celebrity in a way. He was the child of a normal family, but his grades were excellent and he was in our class. Not to underestimate an elementary schooler’s grades, but he’d mastered English, German, and Chinese, and even in sixth-graders’ tests, he scored nearly full marks.

As a consequence he’s been cut off from the rest of the class, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

…… how adult-like.

His name was Shijima Yuuki-kun. He first looked at me after I got a lot of attention thanks to that incident, but when I first felt his gaze, I was really surprised.

It’s the dawn of my popular life! ……Totally not.

That look wasn’t that of a boy looking at a girl. He was looking at me with a certain amount of vigilance.

…… It’s become rather troublesome around here.

＊

Today, I headed towards the animal house as usual.

It’s not that I’m one of the keepers, but from all the times I went to the animal house because I was accompanying Kako, I got attached to the animals. And while Kako was busy with her training, I would feed them.

Since then, there haven’t been any more of those mysterious disappearances of the animals. …… It can’t be because of that brazier being broken from that time……?

It’s scary when I think about it.

“……?”

As I walked down my usual path, I heard a short shout from the back of the pet house.

The students who were assigned to raise things in this school were still as unserious as ever, and were hardly ever seen.

So who would be there…… when I peeked behind the shed, there was a boy who was taking a stance like in Kenpo.

…… Who’s that?

He slowly released his stance and thrust his hand forward.

“Hah…!”

He raised his voice spiritedly, and the empty can about a meter in front of him rattled.

“…Woah…”

“Who’s there!”

The boy spun around and took a pose as I unexpectedly spoke out.

…… Who is it? Well, because it’s a school, anyone involved would be from the school.

“Hello.”

“……you,”

Seeing me walking out unconcernedly and very normally, his eyes widened a little.

It was an upperclassman boy who had a somewhat wild feeling about him. The good uniforms that were painstakingly tailored had been lightly crumpled and wrinkled by him. It feels like I’ve seen him somewhere.

“Oh yeah, you’re from that time when you  beat up that strange high school student.”

“Aah~”

Finally, I remembered. At that time, he was the boy who threw the brazier.

Because I wanted to thank him at least once, I searched for him with both Kako and my parents, but as soon as he left, I couldn’t recognize him.

“Yo, did you get hurt at that time?”

“No. Thank you for that.”

He’s unexpectedly candid…… or rather, he has the feel of an ordinary boy. The boys in my class are stranger.

“Well, it’s natural for me to protect women as an ally of justice.”

I properly thanked him, and he said such a thing while looking shy.

“Uwaah, amazing~.”

While being praised I didn’t forget myself.

“I am Kaijima Onzada, a fourth year. Which year are you in?”

“I am Toukaki Yuzu, a first year.”

For now, a self-introduction is important.

“So what was the ‘Ally of Justice’ Onzada-san doing?”

“……I feel like something’s being implied by your words. Also, since I am three years your senior, you should call me ‘Onzada-senpai.’”

“It’s not you, it’s Yuzu.”

“………Yuzu. Is that alright?”

“So Onzada-kun, what was *that* that you threw out?”

“You, did you see it?”

I didn’t notice that I changed the subject, but Onzada-kun raised a pitiful voice.

“Something” had flown out of his hand. It was a disease that troubled 14 year olds, and he was throwing pebbles and nails.

“Ah,…… ehm, that’s right, I threw a shuriken.”

“Heeh…… then where is it?”

“………Don’t tell anyone.”

Onzada-kun looked around and brought his face close to my ear.

“That was because I threw it with “ki”.”

The answer fell far into the “disease” category, it would normally seem like it was too late for him, but I was satisfied with the answer.

At that time, something that was accumulating in Onzada-kun’s body was shot out through the palm of his hand, and it ‘shot out’ something. I don’t know if that’s the ‘ki’ that Onzada-kun is talking about, but the answer seems to be most appropriate.

If I hadn’t seen it, I might have thought that it was a shuriken.

“Is that something like…… a fighting game?”

I only have knowledge of that degree.

“It’s something like that…… but the real thing is much more amazing. You can attack things like ghosts, too.”

“Ghosts…… Onzada-kun can do those kinds of things, huh. Amazing.”

“Ooh, it’s because I was born in a temple.”

“Oh~~~”

Onzada-kun was a temple child. Indeed, I thought that his name was strange. To enter Takamine school, is he the child of some great shrine keepers?

And although I thought that it was impressive, did all ordinary monks have ‘ki’ or fly?

If all of the people in the world could do such things, then wouldn’t there be more people applying to work in the shrines?

I don’t know the circumstances of the shrines, but I don’t care, either.

“Onzada-kun, I want to try too.”

“………Haah?”

At my sudden words, Onzada-kun had a half-astonished-half-uncertain expression on his face.

“I’m not sure that the little childlike Yuzu can do it. It took a while before I could even rattle the can. It’s not child’s play, you know.”

Since when were you an adult, Onzada-kun…

“Give me a chance. Teach me, Onzada-kun. I’ll do it seriously.”

“……Well~”

Onzada-kun began to have doubts for a moment.

I was being serious. I wished that I could control my weird [Power] to some extent.

One more push.

“It’s alright, I can keep it a secret from everyone.”

“Well, you’ll be struck by your parents if you leak it out, so don’t say it! It’s said at the temple that if you practice too early, you’ll be unable to do it.”

“……I-I see.”

Onzada-kun seems to have chattered out his weakness to me. It’s a spontaneous kind of digging one’s own grave. What is it again…… it seems like he’s the “gets-carried-away-easily” kind of person.

“Yes, it’ll be a secret between the two of us.”

“Tha-that’s right.”

With one last push tipping him over, Onzada-kun suddenly became nervous and averted his gaze. What is it?

I managed to persuade him with that feeling, and began to learn the technique of the “temple”.

“……So, so, you suck up the spirit of nature from your soles, and store it under your belly.”

“………?”

“Imagine circulating the gathered spiritual power inside your body…”

I’m not sure.

I don’t need to collect it from the outside, since there’s that [Power] inside my body, so I can just use that.

Perhaps the quality of the power’s different? Is it not ‘ki’ spiritual energy? If I did it with mental power, I got the feeling that it’d be [Destroyed]……

*Gishiiiii………*

“”…………””

When I tried to stick out my hand to release the [Power], there was a sound like rushing air.

…… what was that sound? I wonder if I did something again……

“……B-Because it’s tiring if we do a lot all of a sudden, I think it’s better to stop here.”

“Th-that’s right. I should go home soon.”

It concluded like that.

Onzada-kun said he would teach me from now on whenever we meet.

“Well then, I’ll eat something then go home……”

“Something……?”

Onzada-kun, took out the contents of his sports bag that he’d brought with him.

“………”

When I saw it, I quietly took my distance from Onzada-kun, and drop-kicked Onzada-kun who had taken out the “brazier”.

“You’re the criminal!”

And when I went home… It’s certainly not my fault that all of the 90 year old zelkova trees in the school yard have suddenly withered and have their leaves fall……