CH 62

It's Like An Extension Of My Childhood Days...

“Good morning~ you're early today. I had to leave early because I had personal stuff to do, and I wasn't sure if I could go with you today or so I thought."

"Ah ...... Well ......."

And then, almost as if I was being driven out of the house, there in front of me was ...... although I somehow knew what to expect, my childhood friend ...... Amane.

At the same time, the meaning of what they were proclaiming becomes clear. ...... We don't always go to school together. ......

I glanced behind me in dissatisfaction ...... I saw Mom and Yumeka peeking through the door with a grin on their faces. ...... What's ...... those eyes.......

Somehow, I know what they are trying to say, and it makes me feel embarrassed.

Could it be that they noticed that the estrangement with Amane has recently been resolved and that we are getting along well?

"Ah~ Mou~! Don't get flustered!!"

“Hmm? Ah~ You, too, I guess"

"...... Too?"

When I raised my voice involuntarily, Amane blushed a little and pointed a little toward her home.

There, smiling from the living room of her house, is Kanzaki's aunt, Amane's mom.

"...... Let's go"

"Yes...... "

Somehow...... I can't stand to be there anymore.

It's not that we did anything wrong, and I'm sure the people watching are not criticized us or anything. ...... We walked along and couldn't look up for a while and couldn't see each other's faces.

"............"

"............"

Kuh...... the conversation doesn't come up...... no good...... I can't decide what I'm supposed to say!!

It's not because we're not on good terms with each other, in fact, I'm now confident enough to say that we're quite close as opposite sexes.

It's completely different from when we were estranged at the very beginning. ...... What can I say, there are too many things that are happening like a raging storm, and there are too many things that I can't sort out my feelings.

No, well...... Sometimes there are things that two people have in common now as a conversation starter...... And we even know the answers to the questions we have in common......

Perhaps, but I would guess that questions and answers similar to ours were asked and answered by the Kanzaki family as well......

I glanced at Amane and saw...... the other side was also looking at me, and our eyes met...... We panicked and turned away from each other.

Kuh~~~~...... There's something strangely awkward about this.

Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel like I've been getting attention from so many people since I left home that it's strange. ...... I wonder if I'm paranoid. ......

"Yumeji-kun...... Maybe that's not a paranoid...... "

"Eh?"

It seems that what I was thinking naturally leaked out of my mouth, and Amane lowers her face and says such a thing with a red face.

When I tried to ask her what she meant, ...... Amane took out her smartphone and showed me a certain picture on the screen.

"Guh!? Could this be, in Suzu-nee's store ............"

On the screen was a clear image of the scene where we had slept together on Sunday in order to have a "Past Dream".

"This...... When!?"

"At that time ...... the Mikami-san family was coming to the coffee shop for breakfast ............"

"Y-Yes? Mikami-san, you said ......"

Speaking of which, they were there...... I saw a neighbor lady leaving with a strange grin on her face around the time I woke up......

Don't tell me......Mom and Yumeka were strangely excited about is......

“W-Wait a minute, ............, Don't tell me this image is ......”

"............ Seems to be spreading in the neighborhood .................. through the wives' network ......"

"Seriously......"

I look around carefully once again and notice that the people I know in the ............ neighborhood are giving us warmhearted glances every time they see us.

............ Give me a break ...... mou.

“Plus, maybe some of our generations have seen the "In shrine picture" floating around yesterday. ...... Hahaha ...... what should we do?”

Amane's face is bright red.

How should I put it...... I wondered if this is what it was like when Amane was a little girl and she avoided me...... unexpectedly, I think so.

She couldn't bear in her childhood...... Not knowing what to do, she broke off contact with me......

I can't help but understand Amane's feelings at the time...... but......

"AAAAAH!! Mou, it's annoying!!"

I couldn't help but shout out ...... and gripped Amane's hand tightly.

At that moment, I think the air around me sprang up strangely, but I don't care anymore!!

You can imagine or fantasize all you want!!

"Let’s run, Amane! Can't be bothered with anything else!!"

"Eh ...... ah ............ Unn, let's run!!"

Amane was surprised by my sudden action, but immediately smiled and ran out at the same time.

I can hear some sounds of blessing coming from the surroundings, but I don't care, I don't care!!

"Ahaha...... I used to pull Yumeji's hand so forcefully."

"............"

Amane's hands are bigger than they used to be, but they feel small,......, and I just couldn't bring myself to shake them off.

At last...... We're holding hands again.

*

"Hey guys...... do you believe in the existence of spirits?"

During the lunch break, a total of seven people in our group, including Amane and others who have been eating lunch together more often recently, were sitting around the desk when suddenly Kagura-san said something like that.

"The existence of spirits? I think it would be interesting if they existed...... "

"Is it interesting? I'm just plain scared of them."

Two of the boys, Kudo and Takeda, say such things naturally.

Incidentally, of all of us, Kudo is the most scared of this kind of story, but at the same time, he is also the most curious.

Incidentally, since Amane and I believe, or rather "know," them, I guess we are on the side of who believes them, based on this conversation.

The same is true of the dream demon, the monkey dream was a moronic existence ...... and above all, a divine rather than spiritual being is always visible only to me and Amane.

Konoha-chan, who protects Kagura-san as the guardian god of the Kagura family without being known to others, is sitting on the desk in the form of a little fox.

"What's wrong all of a sudden...... Or not. That kind of story is Kagu-chan's specialty."

"What's wrong? Is this a new urban legend that's already become Kagura-san's style?"

After winning the battle for the bread from the store with such vigor that one wonders how she could have won with her small body, Kamui-san says while eating her spoils of war, yakisoba bread.

This girl is aggressive despite her looks.........

"No~ it's not like that today...... "

Kagura-san scratched her head and recounted a strange phenomenon that had recently occurred at her home.

“My house has been worshiping Inari-sama on the Shinto altar for a long time, ...... I recently made an offering of fried tofu or something, and before I know it, it's gone.”

"A fried tofu offering? Isn't it a mouse or something?"

Kagura-san shakes her head in denial at Kudo's words.

"No, I was curious too, and I set up the camera, but...... I just checked the footage and the fried tofu disappeared when no one was anywhere near the altar! Really!!"

Kagura-san talked in overaction ...... but Amane and I were both looking at the edge of Kagura-san's desk ...... precisely at the little fox who was desperately trying not to look at us.

“If it's not in the video and it disappeared from the altar...... If it's just a story, doesn't that mean Inari-sama really ate it?”

“Do you think so? Kamu-chon. I wish that was the case~ for me too, ...... but I haven't seen their figure or anything~"

She wasn't particularly sure about what she was saying, and Kamui-san's remarks, which I tried to say as if that wasn't really anything...... She was convinced that it seemed to be the correct answer.

Hello~, Konoha-chan... Can look over here for a minute?

・

・

・

After school, I confirmed that, sure enough, the culprit was Konoha-chan.

Amane fainted in agony at the sight of the little fox bowing her tiny head and apologizing, "I'm sorry......" and said, "Become my child after all!!", but......I understand how you feel.

"But ...... You must protect Chi-chan's house in the shadows...... You voluntarily went to the Kagura family. It kind of feels like it's just a matter of time, doesn't it?"

"Yes...... very much. Kagu-chan is a pretty sharp person...... "

Watching the golden baby fox follow Kagura-san's feet unbeknownst to others...... how should I put it......

“Amane......Something about me just made me think of the heartwarming fantasy film "The Little Fox and the High School Girl" that's scheduled to be released this summer......A mysterious story of a little gal high school girl and a fox cub............ Is it coming soon?"

"What is that, I really want to see it......"

Words that I said jokingly at this time...... Naturally, we didn't even anticipate the significance it would have in the future.

Because ...... it was an event that could not be detected by the "Dream Book" and could not be warned by the "Premonition Dream"......