I’d contacted Maegashira, so what I was doing after that was… no, wait I hadn’t done it yet… so what I was trying to do was to increase the number of songs I would sing at the upcoming event…
Before I regained my past life memory, I mainly sang songs by female artists… but these days, male idols were popularity… well, all male idols were popular from the start… Anyway, that idol, it seemed that the live video was officially posted on the video site, so I was thinking of seeing it as a reference.
I used to think that I was the most beautiful in this world… well, I was not sure about that, but I thought so anyway… so, even if I knew the song, the singer himself, I was not very interested in them. That was why I didn’t really know what kind of people were popular.
Therefore, I thought that it would be exciting if I imitated a popular idol at the upcoming class reunion, choreographed it simply, and sang it.
So, the real answer to what I was trying to do… was to sit in front of my computer and opened a video site.
If this was a quiz, it was probably a simple question that everyone knew. It was commonly called a ‘service question’.
The computer started up and I opened the video site.
I entered the words in the search bar, then videos of the idol would appear……. I saw video with a great number of views. It hadn’t been so long since it was uploaded, but it had already exceeded a billion views…..As expected of Idol!
I thought that I really could use the video as reference and pressed the play button.
Oh, it started.
The performance began after a little silence. It seemed there was no greeting at the start.
From the melody, it seemed that the first song would be not an idol-like song, but a fast-paced rock-like song.
And so, the song began.
「”Kneel in front of me! You female dog (B**ch)!”」
There, after that words… the melody began to flow.
………… Hmm?
Somehow, the lyrics are weird …
While I was doubting about the lyrics of the song…
「”Don’t chase dreams! Chase me! If you don’t, your life have no meaniinnnggg!!!” 」
And on the stage, an idol screamed while doing an intense headbang.
……Idol? Is this an idol?
It was different from the idol image I know, but the venue was heating up.
「”Give! Give me! Give me your moneeeeyyyy!!!”」
It’s been a while since I see someone so arrogant like that!
I felt like the ‘idol’ could be called a ‘tyrant’.
And the performance of the first song was over.
I’d finished listening the first song, but so far there were no fragments of idol elements at all… The song was more like a punk-tock or heavy metal…
「”Woooooooo—-!”」
And, the cheers that sprung up from the audience seats showed how popular it was.
But, really… I don’t know the secret of that popularity… What I understand is that idols are amazing!…… No, I mean, an idol is a dangerous people.
In the echoing cheers, the MC started.
「”Today, I’m holding this concert for all of you, so be grateful!!”」
From the spectators’ seats, the reply ‘Yes, Thank you!!!’ could be heard.
「”Good, good, it’s a good reply, And don’t forget to buy my merchandise.”」
‘I will!!!’, another reply from the spectators’ seats could be heard.
「”Well, well, what another good answer! And to that you all, I’ll let you know what drinks I like these days.”」
And another cheer surrounded the venue like, ‘Waaaaa—!!!’.
What should I do… I can’t keep up with what’s is happening …
Then, the MC continued for a while, and after that the second song started.
「”Then, I think it’s time for the second song! Listen it with your heart!”」
At that moment, I thought that I didn’t have the option to use the video as a reference anymore, but I decided to take a look at it a little more even though I was a little afraid.
The second song had a different vibe from the first song, and ballad-like instrument was playing. And the idol started to sing.
「”I am a guilty～man～my loved one～forgive me～”」
…… As expected, this time too, the lyrics are strange.
「”I am like～ this～! Born beautifully～ that fascinates everything～”」
The music that was playing stopped there. I wondered why, but the question was immediately resolved.
I was unknowingly pressing the stop button. Perhaps my instinct stopped me like ‘Stop it already’ …
Well, I didn’t feel like listening to it again, so when I looked at the screen to close the site, I saw the reviews.
「”I’m a female dog, arf-arf!!”」
「”I’ve already used most of my salary this month, I’ll do it again next month!”」
「”Beautiful is sin, I’m sure of it!”」
「”Anyway, I will change my pants first (* ´ω ｀ *)”」
「”Me too (* ´ω ｀ *)”」
「”Me too (* ´ω ｀ *)”」
「”Me too (* ´ω ｀ *)”」
All of the is ‘M’!
But, but! With this I knew that it’s well received amongst women.
It’s very popular after all, I understand that, but I can’t imitate it…
The me of this world used to behave unconsciously like a sadist, but now I’m a normal man with the values of the previous life, and so it’s normal that I hesitate to do that. Sure, it was helpful somehow, but it’s difficult for the me now to imitate…
However, if that song is so popular, maybe that idol is cherishing the fans contrary to the words that come out from his mouth… But, still the lyrics of that song are just…
Well, anyway, I could only sum it up as…, As expected of Idol!
One day on the weekend. It was a rainy morning. I used a broom to do my daily routine.
After that, I did push-ups and read the study book.
After reading the book, I had a friendly conversation with the guard and the prisoner in the next room.
In the afternoon, I would train my Mana.
There was special training that could increase the amount of Mana.
And, the method changed depending on the color.
Red -> move your body. (Commonly known as: Muscle Training)
Green -> think, means use your head. (Commonly known as: Brain Training)
Blue -> use your Mana. (Commonly known as: Magic Training)
It seemed that the yellow color would increase by communicating with people, though I didn’t really feel it. (Commonly known as: Communication training)
In a sense, the amount of Mana was fixed, but it can be extended in this way. There were many methods to increase the amount of Mana, but the old man said that the method just mentioned was the common one.
So, it could be said that if you were living your life healthily, the amount of Mana, other than Blue Mana, would increase naturally.
The important point was that you couldn’t increase the amount of other Mana by leaving blue (Mana of Operation).
For example, if Blue Mana was 10 and Red Mana was 20 or Green Mana was 30, you wouldn’t be able to control your own Mana. In such cases, the human body would limit the increase in Mana other than Blue Mana as a defensive measure.
So, it meant that for normal humans who had never used Mana, the Blue Mana was never increased.
Therefore, non-magicians were also limited to some extent in other Mana.
“…”
I was working hard at training… and the old man was thinking while reading a book.
The cause was perhaps the customer who rushed in yesterday.
Four visitors asked to meet the old man.
Each one said as much as they wanted and left.
————————————
The first visitor appeared early in the morning.
“It’s been a long time, Venerable Bar…… “
“Niamh…!”
A woman with a dazzling bright blonde tied together… she seemed a little older than me.
A beautiful woman… no, she was probably the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life up to this point. But her dull blue eyes and sharp eyes were minus points. Her skin was white, and no pores were visible.
Wearing an armor where you could see her navel and a cloak with a dragon pattern, in that erotic figure of her, there was a feeling of intimidation you could feel from her. A big sword about the same height as her on her back… That Large sword. maybe I couldn’t hold it without using Mana.
The woman was probably an official Knight as I saw the guard bowing deeply.
“I was surprised to hear that you are in such a countryside…”
“Sorry but I’m not so free. So, what is it?”
The old man was in a bad mood from beginning to end. Well, after I heard the woman’s response, I could understand his feelings somehow.
“Is that so…? But, it looks like you have some spare time though? Well, never mind… Now, I’ll just say it straightforwardly. Please teach me Sealing Technique.”
I was a little panicked at the remark of a woman named Niamh.
Perhaps it was a kind of monopoly desire. Without realizing it, I seemed to cherish the position of the old man’s only disciple.
I was surprised.
After all, I thought that I was more of a self-satisfied person.
“No.”
Straight to the point…
The old man shook his head without hesitation.
However, the woman seemed to have predicted the old man’s reply, and immediately spoke back.
“If you teach me Sealing Technique, I’ll erase your sins… I will also release you from here immediately and pay the appropriate tuition fee. Your imprisonment will last forever if you keep going like this and you will die in a dirty prison.”
Immediate release & money.
It was normal to give another reply under such favorable conditions, but…
“I refuse. You… are not qualified.”
There, the iron mask of the woman finally cracked.
Grabbed the bar and squeezed it.
Seriously, when I heard a creaking noise of steel, I panicked for a moment there.
“Why! Why keep it secret?!… That much power, why do you want to monopolize that?!… You.. are you not willing to save humanity?!”
“Sealing Technique is an evil technique if mishandled… My teacher and my fellow discipline (younger) were cursed by the Sealing Technique and dropped themself into the darkness. I won’t repeat that tragedy anymore… I will only pass over the Sealing Technique if I judge the person to be credible!… I will never give it to someone like you who is crazy about power!”
“……”
The old man said that he would only pass over the Sealing Technique to those who could be trusted.
I wanted to tell him not to lie. After all, he taught me Sealing Technique immediately after we met.
“Venerable Bar, you have a granddaughter, right? I’m sure she’ll be 16 this year.”
” ――!”
The old man’s expression became cloudy.
16 years old, huh… I should be about the same age as her.
At this time, was I 16? or 17? or 18?… I didn’t really know because there wasn’t anyone to tell me how old I was when I started to be aware of things around me, but I should be about that old.
Well, I would love to meet her someday. I was genuinely interested in the old man’s granddaughter.
Next, the female knight spilled words that were not knight-like from her mouth.
“Your granddaughter seems to have lost her position at the Magic Academy… She was almost at the top, what a shame, really… but, you know why? Because you have sinned. “
“……that is…”
“It’s not just your granddaughter… Both your wife and your child are seen with white eyes. Everything is your fault… So, to save your family too, teach me Sealing Technique ―― “
When I saw the old man’s face turn even more gloomy, I decided to quit being just an outsider.
“Cut it out already! You’re so noisy.”
I literally pinched my mouth from the side, keeping my eyes on the book.
I knew without seeing the frosty gaze from the woman… that she might have a face like ‘Who the f*ck, are you?’
” ‘Dirty Rat’, Did you say something?… Now I’m talking about something in a higher dimension than what you could understand. So, would you please not get in the way? ” [TN: Btw, the rat species is ‘Rattus norvegicus’]
The woman was no longer trying to hide her arrogant attitude.
“Oi, oi, what do you mean by the higher dimension if you just did something so low like ‘intimidating someone’?… I could only see and hear that a scammer was bullying a bad old man.”
“You mean… me? You said that this, ‘I’… am a scammer???”
She was upset. I intended to give a very light provocation, but it seemed I perfectly hit her sore spot.
It was childish to get angry with such a red face. No, wait, she was a kid indeed.
A kid who tried to keep up her appearance with some ‘polite speech’ but didn’t know to hide her own emotions. I felt like I knew why the old man didn’t want to teach Sealing Technique to her.
“The world I live in is different from you. Choose your language.”
I closed the book, stood up, and walked in the front of the woman.
With a lazy footstep, I thrust my hand into my pocket.
I looked at the woman, our eyes met and….. I looked down at her a little from above.
“That’s right. You and I are inhabitants of a different world, separated by this bar…That’s why, your sword won’t reach me.”
I raised my chin and provoked the woman.
“What do you want to do now? Break the bar with your sword and slash my neck?”
“You piece of sh*t!!”
“If you kill a non-resisting prisoner, it means that you will live in the same world as me. So, what you will do, Lady Knight…”
The knight tried to put her hand on her back but stopped at the last minute and turned to the right.
In the end, the woman said, “You will regret this.”, to the old man behind me, and left with the guard.
Thus, the first visitor went away.
The second visitor was a middle-aged knight who called himself ‘Pearl’. He wore the same armor as a woman named Niamh. I was glad that he wore thick heavy equipment. The navel of a middle-aged man… No, thank you…
The mark of the knight and cloak were the same as the first visitor, so it seemed that they belong to the same Order.
I thought the old man would look unpleasant, but he was rather close to the middle-aged knight.
“Thank you for helping me out, Pearl. Thanks to you, I moved to a peaceful prison…That noisy and annoying little girl can’t come often now.”
The little girl that the old man meant was probably the first visitor.
When the old man bowed his head, the middle-aged man suddenly wept.
“I, I’m sorry… Venerable Bar. If I had a little more power ―― you wouldn’t be in a crappy prison that wouldn’t even have a meeting room like this … “
“Don’t worry. Thanks to that, I’ve got the chance to pick up something good.”
I felt that there were various emotions behind the words.
Pearl seemed to be attached to the old man.
“By the way, Pearl, let me introduce you. He’s my disciple, Seal.”
Suddenly my name was called, and I was surprised.
But there was a man who was more surprised than I was. It was Pearl.
“V-v-vene――rable Bar, your disciple you said?!!”
“… Well, nice to meet you.”
I said hello to the middle-aged knight, Pearl.
“Please keep this a secret.”
“I, I understand, but… you have a disciple? That You, who had rejected more than a thousand people…!”
“I changed my mind before death.”
Pearl looked at me with a promising look.
“I envy you… Do your best, boy.”
The words from the middle-aged knight were somehow heavy.
After apologizing to the old man, the second visitor went back home after noon.
The third visitor… I wasn’t particularly involved at that time.
A red-eyed woman dressed in a black robe. She had a nice body, and even though she didn’t show her skin at all, she could make a man lust for her with just her body line. She was a bewitching older sister.
The older sister talked with the old man in a small voice, spilled a drop of tears, and left.
The old man also had a sad face somehow.
And the fourth, the last visitor.
Hooded sand-colored jacket and tattered black long trousers. A rucksack that swelled up on the back.
He was a man who would fit the definition of ‘The Traveler’. I thought he was a lot older than me, but he was younger than I expected… Was he about 20 years old?
When the man found the old man, he matched the height of his eyes with the old man sitting on the ground and said something ridiculous like jailbreaking.
“Well, what should I do? Do you want me to break you free? All the guards here, I’ll deal with them.”
Upon hearing the statement, the guard wrinkled his eyebrows and tried to grab the man’s shoulders… But as soon as the man opened his eyes, the guard stepped back.
It might be only my imagination, but… I felt that I could see dragon-like scales and sharp yellow eyes through the gaps in the hood.
The next time I saw the man, he looked like a normal young man.
“Adolphos, Stop joking around.”
“It’s not a joke. I can take handle all the people who will chase you… Even the Knights, I will deal with them too.”
“Adol…”
“I’ll say it again. I’m not kidding… I still have a favor that I haven’t repaid yet… And to repay that, I won’t hesitate to do all of that for you…”
I stopped reading the book involuntarily.
Each one of the remarks was a mess. It wasn’t like a joke either… A man named Adolphos was serious about his words, and the old man was also seriously stopping him. So, it could be said that at least both of them thought that a man named Adolphos could defeat the entire Knights.
“I couldn’t fulfill my role properly.”
The old man said so.
“If so, who will take over that role?”
He said in a stunned voice.
The old man shook his head.
“No one needs to take over.”
“….. Really?… I see.”
A man named Adolfos bowed deeply and left the prison.
I was searching for the contact of Maegashira, who was one of my few male friends in this world, on my smartphone. I felt a little lonely when I was reminded that there was only one male name in the address book on my smartphone.
It was a proof that I had not made any male friends yet even though I was enrolling in a co-ed High School.
Just getting along with girls a little doesn’t mean they have a problem with me … right …?
Or, maybe there is a problem with me just that I don’t know about it… No, no way right?
Finally I found Maegashira’s address that I was looking for, so I pressed the call button and the call rang.
If he doesn’t answer the call, I’ll send an e-mail …
I was thinking what to do if Maegashira didn’t answer my call…
When I started to wonder if I should hung up, because there was no sign of Meagashira even though it was ringing more than 5 times already, the phone was picked up.
“……Hello”
However, the voice I heard from my smartphone was not the voice of Maegashira that I knew. It was a calm voice and somewhat lower than what I remember.
I didn’t mishear it, right?
I was feeling uneasy for a moment, but since I had called Mageashira several times before, I thought that my guess couldn’t be wrong.
“Ah, sorry, but it’s Maegashira’s phone, right?”
“Yeah, it’s Akihito’s smartphone. Just that I’m sorry, but he’s away now.”
“Ah, I see… Then, I’ll call back later.”
“… Hmm, can you wait a bit?”
The voice that I heard was sound young, so I thought that the person who answered the phone was probably an acquaintance of Maegashira from his school, and when I tried to hang up, I heard that he tried to stop me…
….I heard that, but I pretended I couldn’t hear it and hung up the phone.
…… Huft.
Then I took a break. Probably the person who answered the phone was the person form Maegashira’s school…, Seimei High. It might be a senior in charge of education that I heard from him… or it might be his friend.
But in any case, I don’t want to get involved too much!
I mean the impression of male students that study in Kenran High is not good in the eyes of Seimei High students, so I don’t know what he will say to me if I keep the call!
I thought to just send an e-mail to Maegashira, so I picked up my smartphone, but then my phone rang just right at that moment.
What was displayed on the screen was ‘Akihito Maegashira’.
I was a little worried about answering the phone. Normally, it should be Maegashira who heard the story from the person who answered my call earlier… But, it also might be the person who answered earlier.
I was a little worried, but… I decided to press the accept button.
“You’re a little flustered there…”
I almost cut off the call after I heard the voice from the phone, but I managed to stop.
I mean, he says that I’m flustered….. Somehow, I get a little goose bump.
…Well, I got a goose bump…… so I decided to end the call after all.
Since I felt sick enough to get goose bumps, it can’t be helped, right…?
However, He was such a person, the one who wouldn’t give up easily.
I got a call again. I felt like there was no other choice, so I accepted the call.
“To hang up the phone so suddenly, aren’t you bad?”
“I’m sorry, the signals are bad.”
“Is that…, so …? If the signals are bad, it can’t be helped then…..”
…… He may be unexpectedly an ‘easy’ guy.
“Well, you are the one who answered earlier, right? Do you need something?”
I cut out the story so that it seemed I had not heard him when he tried to stop me from ending the call.
But, he didn’t answer my question.
“No, well, what kind of relationship do you have with Akihito …?”
It was a question like when you’re doubting your lover’s affair.
Please stop, don’t ask me something like this….
I mean, my voice is age-appropriate, it sound young, so I wonder, how can this guy hear that kind of voice and think that me and Maegashira have a relationship other than friends…
“…I don’t know who you are, so I’m not going to answer that question.”
“I se …”
I hung up before he could say anything.
Huft …, Seimei High students… they’re more than I expected…
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and took a breather.
… and my phone rang again.
Soーーー persistentーーー!
I picked up the phone again. And at the same time…
“You’re so persistent! You piece of s**t!”
“I, I’m sorry …”
However, what I heard from the phone was my friend’s voice.
“……Hmmm?”
“Um … I’m sorry, did I bother you?”
“Ah, no, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. When I called your phone, the person who picked up the phone asked me about my relationship with you.”
“I, I’m sorry, but I’m sure my seniors didn’t have bad intention when asking you that … Oh! The person who answered the phone is my senior who is in charge of my education. He’s a kind person who is very caring and tend to worry about other … “
Maegashira explained to me about the person who answered before, his senior…… He also began to talk about the appeal points about that senior of him.
But, Maegashira… I’m not really interested in that senior of yours. Sorry…….
No matter how much there I want to add more male name in my smartphone’ address book, I would like to refrain from adding the previous person.
I tried to stop Maegashira who was enthusiastically talking about his senior and told him about the class reunion.
“Class reunion?”
“Yeah, it seems to be held soon, so how about it? do you plan to go?”
“… Is Hatano-kun going?”
“Yeah, I’m going”
“Okay, I’ll go too! I won’t let you go to meet a flock of hungry beasts alone!”
This guy… he always thinks that his classmates are a flock of hungry beasts when he was in Junior High School?
So, he was living with a great sense of crisis the whole time, huh…
When I came to school in the morning, Mishima-san, who was strangely in high spirit, talked to me. At first, I was wary of her because different from usual, she was so energetic, but it was just her asking me to come to the Class Reunion that would be held by our Junior High School classmates.
But, one thing I would like to say is… isn’t it still too early to hold a Class Reunion? I mean, it hasn’t been so long since we graduated… Even though I still can’t feel any nostalgia for my life when I was Junior High School… Or maybe, the young girls in this word is easy to get lonely?
…… Beautiful girls trembling because of loneliness…
—————<Daydreaming>
“I’m lonely, so lonely …”
And there, a pretty boy (I) appeared, and reached out to the lonely and crying girls.
“Now you don’t need to feel lonely anymore… Here, takes my hand.”
The pretty boy (I) holds their hand one by one with a smile to reassures the beautiful girls. Then, the beautiful girls changed their lonely and cloudy expressions into bright smiles. And the beautiful boy (I) talked to the beautiful girls who have regained their brightness.
“Everyone is my woman!”
—————<Daydreaming end>
…………What the hell am I just daydreaming? When I thought about how what to do if they feel lonely, this came to me. The thing that came to my mind even though I was thinking about it was something like a hot-blooded drama.
On the contrary, if there is such a person, I’m sure that he got a screw loose on his head, that in a sense, it makes me want to respect him.
Well, it’s me who thought about it though …
“Hmm…, Hatano-kun, what’s wrong? You suddenly became silent.”
“Ah! No, nothing. I was just worried about myself.”
Mainly about my head …
“Worry? There’s nothing dangerous about it. The venue is a karaoke room, and it will be on holidays afternoon, so I think they’re being careful as to not stay outside until late.”
Mishima-san seemed to think that I was worried about my chastity, and so she explained it properly from the place to the time so as to reassure me. Of course, I still had to be careful about that, but honestly, I was not too worried about that part.
The women in this world had historically treated men with respect. Sure, they were hungry for men, but they didn’t do anything so extreme to men.
And, it seemed that way of thinking was already integrated into their gene …
Of course, there would be some outlaws too, but I was sure that there was none amongst my Junior High School classmates.
“Ah, hmmm. I understand, I’ll participate.”
“For boys, the participation fee is fre … Really?!”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Thank you! Thank you very much!”
When Mishima-san heard the words, she thanked me with her hands being folded and started praying like how Christians pray.
Alright, I received your thanks. So, stop praying!
Oi, since you start praying so suddenly, our classmates are paying attention to us now!
The boys in our class are looking at me with eyes like, ‘ah is that guy again …’, so stop!
Even though I’m on good terms with girls, I’m out of place among boys!
Well, it’s not like I have a communication disorder. It just that the boys in Kenran High School, especially in our class, they all have a high pride in themselves, so they can’t get along with others! So, it’s not my fault and I’m not the strange one here!
…… No, wait, in this world, I could be categorized as a strange one…
It’s difficult to live, huh… I think so even if I look through the past.
Speaking of which, I remembered someone… what about Maegashirat?
“Mishima-san, what about Maegashira?”
“Maegashira-kun? That is …, uhmmm…”
Mishima-san was looking at me hesitantly.
“If possible… I hope that Hatano-kun could invite him.”
Ah, so it’s difficult to invite Maegashira, huh?
It’s easier to get along with him than boys in this class, after all he’s a normal guy …
……Ah, wait, since he went to Seimei High, he evolved.
Maybe, it is a normal evolution for those who went on to Seimei High. That said, I think it’s better to contact him, after all, he’s one of the few male friends I have in this world.
“OK. I’ll contact him.”
“Thank you! And, I’m sorry to trouble you …”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about it.”
Mishima-san thanked me with a feeling of excuse.
I made a smile to reassure Mishima-san, it was a smile like the one in the delusion I had earlier… Mishima-san, who saw the smile, seemed to be relieved as I intended…….
Unexpectedly, the delusion that I had might be usable.
You can’t underestimate the power of delusion!
However, the venue was decided to be in a karaoke room… the me in here liked it… until I regained my past life memory. I didn’t really like that kind of place in my previous life. So, my feelings when I heard that it would be held there were quite complicated.
I wonder if I should practice singing… should I go to karaoke alone?
Or should I study a little about how to dance by looking at the choreography of idols?
…… No, no way. The male idol in here is always looking down at the others especially women, I’m sure they look at their fans with cold eyes like looking at a pig…, but I think if the woman is an ‘M’, she will be pleased…. Wait, maybe they’re enthusiastic about their work because I see that they do a handshake event too… But, I heard that there are many times when it’s being canceled at the last minute.
When I think about it again, the consciousness of men in here to do the work properly is almost none… they’re just too free…
Well, now I need to think about the upcoming event. Should I make a pose like what I did during the photoshoot?
Spinning around, then make a horizontal piece while winking … It may be good to try it and see if it is a really good pose.
But, if the air becomes too extreme, I’ll resent Maki-san…
On the first day of school holidays, Yuri’s smartphone played a music for an incoming call.
It was not something strange. After all, Yuri was also an ordinary high school girl so of course, she sometimes made a phone call with a friend.
In Junior High School, Yuri was the chairman in her class, so even after graduating, she often listened to the problems of her friends, who went to other high schools.
The incoming call that was coming was also from Yuri’s junior high school friend, so she thought it was an invitation to hang out or a consultation and took the call casually.
“Hello?”
“Yuri, are you free right now?”
The person who called Yuri was Tomo Maeda, who was the vice chairman at her class in Junior High School. At junior high school, she was a good friend of Yuri, after all, they were working together as the chairman and vice-chairman of the class.
“Yeah, I’m free. What’s wrong?”
“…………”
“Hmm?”
Yuri was asked whether she was free or not, so she thought it would be a long story. But when she asked if there was anything she want to consult, the answer was only silence.
“Tomo, What’s wrong? What happened?”
Yuri spoke in a gentler voice than usual.
Yuri was a little worried because her friend was a little strange, but if her friend were in trouble and the called for a consultation about it, she thought that it would be easier for her friend to talk and reassure her friend if she made a gentle voice.
Maybe she’s not familiar with the new high school yet, and she want to talk about it with me… If so, I want to help her as much as possible.
But it was different then what Yuri thought.
“No, no. It’s not like that…, rather it’s the opposite …”
“the opposite?”
Yuri had a question mark in her head in Tomo’s words.
The opposite of what happened… that means, nothing happened…
Then it means that she is enjoying her daily lives in peace.
…… If so, what wrong with the attitude of her just now?
Yuri thought about it in her head, but she couldn’t figure out the answer.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know it for sure but, if nothing happened, isn’t that good?”
“No, that’s not the case. if nothing happens, it just makes me even more confused about what to do.”
Yuri honestly thought she didn’t know what to do with the current situation.
“… Uuum, so, you want to do something, right?”
“… Yes, I want to do it very much. It’s not just me, I think all of our Junior High School classmates want to do it too.”
Upon hearing the words, Yuri finally understood what Tomo wanted to say.
“M,Maybe …”
“Yes, it’s like what you think now. I will hold a class reunion. Regarding that, I want Yuri to invite Hatano-kun, after all you’re in the same class at the same school…, no matter what …”
‘No matter what…’, the words that Tomo gave were indescribable. It was like a hungry wolf…
“Wait, wait, it’s not been so long since we graduated.”
“That’s not the case. It’s about time everyone says, ‘it’s nostalgic’. Besides, this is the decision of everyone else too…”
“I, I see.”
Then, Tomo cut her word and was silence for a while.
“…………”
“….. Tomo?”
“Junior high school… it was fun …”
“Ye-yeah, that’s right.”
“Well… but maybe Yuri doesn’t understand what I mean …”
“Hm? why you say so? I think that’s not the case?”
“Because Yuri is in the same class as Hatano-kun right now, isn’t it?”
“That’s right…”
Certainly, Yuri was in the same class as Kohaku. However, it was hard to say that she used it to the max for now.
“If I didn’t know the life that I had in Junior High School, I think I could have enjoyed High School normally.”
‘But..’, Tomo continued her words.
“The current life I have now, I can’t feel satisfied about it at all…”
“……”
“After all, I ate the most delicious food in the world, and now I couldn’t eat it anymore… but, I still remember the taste, so I asked for it…”
‘Right now, everyone is in that situation…’, added Tomo.
When Yuri heard the words, she hung up the phone, saying that she understood it unconsciously.
Yuri threw the disconnected smartphone into the bed, and she fell into the bed.
It was not like Yuri hated going to a class reunion. Just that from the beginning, it was decided by everyone in junior high school that if one of them could be in the same class as Hatano-kun, that person would invite him.
But…
But I hope that it will be after I and Kohaku get to know each other a little more…
It’s no exaggeration to say that the current class I’m in is an elite class, but even so… the level is too high. Especially, the four major aristocrats, there are two of them… Really, I don’t understand why they must be in the same class too… Moreover, both of them have a good face and personality, and also charisma… please, someone… do something about it…
And, Kohaku is getting along well with those two people… in addition, he is getting along well with the blonde lady and the loli girl too.
To be honest, I feel that I am able to make a difference just because I am in the same junior high school as him.
That’s why I want the class reunion to be hold after I get closer to Kohaku…
After a lot of thoughts, Yuri slammed her face with both hands.
And, a slapping sound echoed in the room.
“Aaahh! Let’s think about something different! I can just get along with him at the class reunion!… Go, go, do your best, Yuri!
While saying that, Yuri pushed her hand up. Then slowly lowered it and rubbed her face.
I placed the ring with the red jewel in my hand on the desk and hit it with a fist covered with Mana.
“――’Mark’.”
Yellow Mana was injected into the ring, and a “character stamp” emerged on the ring.
” ’Close’ “
When I chanted, the ring was sucked into the rectangular talisman next to it.
I saw the ring disappear and the talisman was dyed red. Then, I clenched my fist and made a small victory pose.
“Sealing, complete!”
‘Mark it’-> ‘Say the name’-> ‘Seal’.
This was the basis of the Sealing Technique.
‘Mark it’ by hitting the object with a fist with Mana, placing a vessel (talisman, jar/box, object that does not contain Mana) with the name of the target and an appropriate magic circle written on it, and reciting the incantation, ‘Close’, to seal. Then, the object to be sealed would be sucked into the vessel.
If I broke the vessel or if I thought about releasing the object that I sealed, the seal would be broken. This was called ‘Unsealing’.
There was no need to ‘say the name’ except for living things. That was why, I straight recited ‘Close’ after I marked it.
No, but…
Never did I think that I really could do it…!
I had accumulated it as knowledge, but I didn’t know if I could actually do it.
It was unexpectedly easy. I was honestly happy.
…Hmm? Maybe I’m a genius?
” ’Open’ “
The seal was broken, and a ring with a red jewel embedded in it popped out of the talisman.
The unsealing was also successful.
The name of this ring was <Osiris Orb>. It was a magical product imbued with Mana that the old man asked to be brought to the cell by the guard.
“Good.”
I suddenly heard a voice from behind.
Looking back, a familiar white-haired old man stood there.
“Did you see that…?”
“Well, yeah.”
As expected of an old man, he woke up early.
“How is it, I could do the sealing technique properly, right?… Well, you’ll scream ‘slow’ anyway … “
“It took me about ten years to learn how to seal.”
At the same time, I said, “What?!”.
A hand with only bones and skin was placed on my head.
Even though it was only bones and skin… it was a warm palm. I was stroked for the first time in my life.
“Well done, Seal… you’re a genius.”
The old man laughed, and I could see the wrinkles on the corners of his eyes.
I wondered what was the feeling I felt at that time. If I let my guard down, I would definitely cry.
I was purely… really happy.
“tch, don’t treat me like a kid.”
Contrary to the inside of my chest, I glared at the old man’s hand.
“Huh, I’m sorry. I just remember that my granddaughter is about the same age as you …”
“Granddaughter? Is she cute?”
“Yeah.”
“Introduce me to her.”
“… I’ll kill you.”
I could feel a serious murder intention from the words. Perhaps because of his love for his granddaughter.
Well, I didn’t really care even if he didn’t want to do that. Also, I didn’t trust that his granddaughter was cute.
“Now I don’t have anything more to teach… Please practice by yourself from tomorrow. “
Huh?
Hey, old man Bar. You’ve only taught me one sealing method yet…
“If I teach you a lot, you’ll have no creativity. That’s why, find out how to use it yourself.”
The old man brought a wooden chair to the corner of the room and placed it in front of the chair I was sitting in.
“Didn’t you say that you won’t teach me anything anymore?”
“No, the only thing I won’t teach is about Sealing Technique… Let’s change the topic a little today. Well, it’s just an ordinary story. “
The old man smiled and closed his eyelids.
The story that spilled from the old man’s mouth was neither about something that had to do with Sealing Technique nor Magic. It was just an adventure story.
White sea, rainbow-colored fog, fortress floating in the sky.
The story of the dragon and the sacred sword that appeared in the story about a Hero.
Oceans, deserts, volcanoes, trees. The beauty of nature.
The old man talked about all of that. But, I quickly realized that the adventure was the old man’s own adventure.
The story that the old man told was full of romance.
The old man happily talked about the beauty of the world.
Sometimes he was laughing, sometimes he had a sad face.
The old man didn’t talk about the dark part of the adventure at all.
He told me only the story of the beautiful world from beginning to end.
My heartbeat kept skipping a beat when I listened to the story.
I had never left the city I was born. Therefore, I was afraid of the outside world. I didn’t know what was there, I was scared because I didn’t know anything.
The old man might have seen through my weak heart.
That was why the old man told me that story… about…The fun of adventuring in the outside world …
“Old man. I will travel to the outside world when I leave here.”
A dream was born within me for the first time.
“Oh, that’s good.”
I wanted to say, ’together with you…’, but I decided not to say it.
The old man had a face like he had achieved his purpose… He had a happy face.
He talked about adventures like a young boy, and when he was done, he realized like an old man.
The face of the old man who had returned to the young boy looked really happy. That was why I also wanted memories that I could laugh and talk about.
Perhaps the old man’s story would be over soon.
And, surely… that was where the story of a man named Seal began.
Since I was able to use the Read Mana (Mana of Strengthening) safely, it was decided that I would be taught Sealing Technique.
As for the Green Mana (Mana of Creation), I didn’t learn anything about it because it said that it was difficult to practice in the prison environment.
If anything, I was more interested in the Mana of Creation than the Mana of Strengthening, so I was very disappointed. After all, when it came to magic, everyone would think of a fireball… Everyone should yearn for a ball of fire.
After all, boys were such creatures.
‘Fireball’, I’ll definitely learn it when I’m released, so wait till then…
And so, I was completely struck by the old man’s Sealing Technique.
First of all, as basic knowledge, I was taught about what was a Sealing Technique and what was a Sealer.
――A Sealer…
…was a person who manipulates the Sealing Technique. The target was sealed in a ‘Mana Fillable Object’ like a talisman or a box, confined, and isolated from this world.
The old man said that the only thing that can be used for sealing was limited to a ‘Mana Filled Object’.
For example, the small stones in the surroundings or pigs and cows that weren’t able to be filled with Mana, weren’t applicable.
There were three major conditions required for Sealing,
・ Knowing the other party’s name
・ The opponent’s Mana must be less than the Sealer’s Mana
・ To mark the other party by putting a ‘Character Stamp’ on them.
If the target weren’t a living thing, the first condition could be omitted. In other words, a name wasn’t needed to seal a sword or spear.
There were many loopholes in the first and third conditions, but basically the second condition ―― The Target’s Mana must be less than the Sealer ―― couldn’t be excluded.
“By the way, the only one who can be sealed in this prison cell is me or you.”
Well, there was nothing here that could be filled with Mana.
“Hmmm? So, I can’t put it into practice right now even if I learned it?”
“Well, there is a way, it’s to seal yourself…… However, it’s a waste to do that, and also Sealing Technique takes time to learn because it’s a high-level technique.”
No, no, even if I knew how, I wouldn’t do it because I was scared to do something like, sealing myself.
“Don’t worry. In my personal belongings that I let be kept in this prison, there is a demon. So, let’s bribe the guard with money and ask him to bring it here.”
The old man made a bribe declaration brazenly.
The characteristic of the guards in the prison was that they were vulnerable to money. That said, perhaps the old man’s strategy would work.
“Old man, you said that you need the name of the creature to seal it, but what about monsters and others that don’t understand language?… I mean, you can’t even ask for the name.”
“A monster is basically be thought of as something that can’t be sealed… Given that it is not necessary to seal the non-speaking monster. “
“From the way you say, it sounds like there is a monster who can speak?”
“Monsters gain intelligence every time they eat a person… after they eat hundred people, the monsters can learn the human’s words and have the same thoughts as humans. And that kind of monster, I called it <JINMA>. On the contrary, a human who has gained power by eating a monster <MAJIN>… Both are evil and atrocious, but unlike normal monsters, they are aware of their name and can be sealed.” [TN: The literal translation of the word is… ‘Jinma’ is Humanoid Demon and ‘Majin’ is Demon Human]
<JINMA> and <MAJIN>…
Seeing that the old man made a bitter face, it seemed to be a troublesome opponent.
“Another question, is there any fixed form for the ‘character stamp’?”
“There is, the shape depends on the sealing method. I will tell you about it later.”
After finishing the explanation, the old man was out of breath and sat down on a chair in the prison cell.
“Sealing is a lot of work, isn’t it?”
“But it’s a magic technique that can beat anyone if the conditions are met… It requires a tricky action, but you don’t hate to play with it, right?”
“Oh, it looks like you’ve grasped my personality in this short period of time.”
“You have a lot to remember.”
” ――Well, I can use it to kill time.”
(1) Hit the target with a fist covered in Yellow Mana. If the target’s total Mana is less than you, the opponent will be marked.
(2) Take out the object with the magic circle drawn in advance. This object can be anything as long as it does not contain Mana. If the opponent is a living thing, write the name of the target in the outer frame of the magic circle.
(3) Cast the sealing spell. The target will be sucked into the object on which the magic circle is drawn. If the magic circle is dyed red, it is a success.
(4) Cast a special spell to unlock the seal. Sealed items that can’t hear your voice cannot be unsealed.
That was the basic procedure for sealing.
———————————-
After eight hours of ‘class’, I was burying my face on the stone floor.
How to write magic circles, types of spells, how to handle Yellow Mana… It took a considerable amount of time to accurately pull this information out from the old man’s mouth.
My head hurt so much.
However, the old man looked tired more than I was.
“Old man, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
No, you’re not, you’re lying.
An okay person wouldn’t lean forward and sit in a chair like that.
The old man looked completely exhausted.
And, to such an old man, I was half-jokingly suggesting, “Let’s me massage your shoulder.”, But, then the old man smiled.
“Is that okay?”
Oops. I intended it to be a joke, but it was hard to say that it was just a joke now, especially after he gave a carefree smile.
I scratched my head, stood up, and went around behind the old man. Then I made a fist and rhythmically hit the old man’s shoulder.
“… Seal, can you weaken your strength a little more?”
“Hmm? like this?”
“That’s too weak.”
“Then, how about now?”
“It hurts! Seal, it hurts! Are the option only 1% or 100% force?!”
“Tch, I can’t help it! I’ve never massaged someone’s shoulder before!”
I hit the old man’s shoulder while searching for the appropriate strength.
As I hit the old man’s shoulder, I immediately felt the brittleness of his shoulders. Weak shoulders which were likely to be dented… Based on his age, it shouldn’t be strange.
I somehow asked the old man a question I couldn’t ask before.
“Old man, why do you teach me Sealing Technique?”
“Ummm?”
“I mean, you’re the only sealer in the world, right? That means you haven’t taken a disciple until now.”
“That’s right… maybe you could say that it’s similar to human nature who want to leave an offspring before they die… My life won’t last so long, so I want to at least leave my skills before I meet my end. “
Not last long…
There was no lie in that word… The feeling that I felt in my fist said so.
I stopped and sat on the floor, leaning against the old man’s chair.
“Seal, why did you decide to learn Sealing Technique?”
“Just for killing time.”
“Isn’t there any other purpose?”
“I have no other purpose, even a dream too, not at all. So, I have no plans for my future… I’ll be free for my whole life… That’s why I’ll always kill my time for the rest of my life. And, this Sealing Technique is likely to be a good way to kill time after being released… That’s why I’m learning it.”
“Just for killing time, huh… It might be the same reason why I’m teaching you Sealing Technique… Just for killing time, no, maybe it’s just an act of vain struggle?”
The old man laughed with a strained smile.
I didn’t even know what the old man was carrying or what he was trying to carry.
I didn’t think the old man would ask me to do anything or fulfill his wish just because I learned Sealing Technique from him. I didn’t think that Sealing Technique would be useful. I wouldn’t even try to take over the things that the old man was carrying.
Well, as a gratitude for this, I wanted to give something back to the old man. I would do anything if it was something within my ability.
I didn’t hate studying. After all, it was fun to get new knowledge.
Besides, the information about “Magic” learned from the old man was interesting.
The old man first explained to me the power of magic.
There were seven colors of Mana.
Red, Green, Blue, Black, White, Yellow, Rainbow.
Of these, Mana of the colors Red, Green, and Blue were flowing in all humankind, called, 《Three Main-source Colors 》.
And Mana of the colors Black, White, Yellow, Rainbow, called, 《Four Sub-source Colors》. One of these was randomly given to one individual.
In other words, it seemed that a total of four colors of Mana were flowing inside humans, Three colors of《Main-source》+ one color of 《Sub-source》.
Mana had characteristics for each color.
Red …… The Mana of Strengthening.
It was a Mana that strengthens things. You could increase the strength of things and strengthen your own body by using the Red Mana.
Green …… The Mana of Creation.
It was the Mana that create things. You could make flames, water, or substances/objects, such as iron and steel from the Green Mana.
Blue …… The Mana of Operation.
it was just the Mana that moves the Mana… It was this Mana that guided the Red Mana to the place where you wanted to strengthen, and also ejected or stagnated the substance created by the Green Mana. The more dexterously you could move the Blue Mana, the wider the range of magic. In a sense, it might be the most important Mana. When Blue Mana was exhausted, it became impossible to operate any other Mana.
The role of the Magician also changed depending on what extent you could operate the《Three Main-source Colors 》.
If you were good at using Red Mana, you would be a warrior type that pushed anything with your physical strength,
If you were good at using Green Mana, you would be a Magician type that cast magic as many as you could.
If you mastered both Red and Green, you would be a versatile type that could handle both.
However, basically, it was said that increasing both Red and Green was a waste of efficiency, so it was popular to choose and focus on one of them, and at the same time learn how to use Blue Mana…. It was just a theory though.
However, up to this point, each Magician had no personality.
The Magician’s personality was determined by the 《Four Sub-source Colors》.
Black … The Mana of Destruction.
As the name implied, it was a Mana that destroys the substances touched by it. Applying it to one’s magic could enhance the destructive power of the magic and applying it to a sword would increase the sharpness of the sword. It was similar to Red Mana, but unlike Red Mana, it couldn’t strengthen the body or objects themselves.
This was because the body would collapse when the activated Black Mana was being circulated in the body. This was the same for the sword. There was no problem if you applied it to the sword like an aura, but if you put it on the sword itself, the sword would break. It was a Mana that said difficult to handle.
White …… The Mana of Regeneration.
It could be used to repair the body and things. You could heal a wound by lighting the White Mana on the wound, and also repair an object by lighting the White Mana on the broken object. Healing could only be performed by using White Mana.
Yellow …… The Mana of Domination.
The Mana that targeted the brain and soul, then controlled the vessel. Used for causatives of spirits and brainwashing of others. So, it could be said that the Mana had a bad property, and if you were known to have it, you would be hated. Yellow Mana was a must for a summoner or necromancer.
Rainbow … the Mana of Freedom.
The other Manas that cannot be classified by the other six colors were generally called Rainbow Mana. So, it also could be said as ‘the other’. It didn’t have a fixed property, so it was said to be versatile in application. It was a mysterious Mana that had not been studied yet, and it was a rare Mana with the smallest number of individuals who possessed it.
Basically, there were many people with Black Mana or White Mana, and the theory for it was well established, so it seemed easy to handle. The Magician who handles black magic was called ‘Black Magician’, and the Magician who manipulates white magic was called ‘White Magician’.
There was no particular name for the one with the other two colors, Yellow and Rainbow. Perhaps because the number of individuals was small.… Well, the name ‘Yellow Magician’ or ‘Rainbow Magician’ would be just weird.
“So from the《Four Sub-source Colors》, I wonder what is my color…”
I was mumbling so, but…
“It’s Yellow.”
The old man answered immediately.
Contrary to his crumpled skin, the old man was staring at me with his fresh silver eyes.
“How do you know it?”
“I have a little special eye.”
I wonder which one is the ‘special eye’, the blue right eye or the silver left eye?
“Yellow… so it’s Mana of Domination?”
“The Sealer is useless unless he has the Mana of Domination. So, you’re in luck.”
Domination… “Sealing”, my image of it was like keeping the other party in a jar or a bill.
Can it be called “Domination” depending on the viewpoint? After all, you need to control, bind, and trap the other person’s body.
“You’ve confirmed that I’m qualified, so please teach me a sealing technique.”
“Before that, you need to know how to handle 《Three Main-source Colors 》. Grasp the features of Mana with it, and after that, start training for 《Sub-source》. This is the basic pattern of a Magician … “
With that said, I learned about how to handle the Red Mana. And at the same time, the Blue Mana too.
Red Mana was the Mana of Strengthening, and the core was the heart. It was said that there was an energy source that produced Red Mana in the heart.
… I need to Imagine something like transferring power from the heart to the limbs through blood vessels.
Blue Mana was the Mana of Operation, and the core was the brain.
… I need to Imagine something like transferring power from the brain to the limbs through blood vessels.
Blue Mana from the brain and Red Mana from the heart, I needed to mix and transfer them to the whole body.
Ah, I got the image. Easy-peasy――
“It’s impossible.”
I practiced as I was told and gave up early.
In the first place, I had never dealt with Mana, and I didn’t know how to transfer power… at all.
“Tell me why I can’t do it, Master.”
“Because…. you don’t have the sense. That’s it.”
“You, are you really want to teach me?”
He was an old man who wasn’t good at explaining.
Perhaps, he had never taken a disciple.
After all, he said he was the only sealer in the world.
“I mean, is it really present, something like Red Mana…? or Blue Mana? Isn’t it just your nonsense?”
The old man stood up silently and swung his thin arm up.
“Hmm!”
When the old man hit his fist on the stone ground…. Well, the ground cracked.
I was worried that such a sloppy old man could keep up with the prison labor, but there seemed to be no problem.
“I broke a rock when I was eight. When I was the same age as you, I split the sea with my fist.”
“Ah, Yes! It’s definitely exaggerated! After all, old geezer and old hag, like to forge their own heroーic story.”
The old man was looking at me with a blank face. The face was saying, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’.
…You’re joking right?… Did you really split the sea? You’re kidding, right?
“You can do it too, if you try hard.”
My so-called Master folded his arms, spitting out stupid words.
Yeah, yeah, you want me to try hard, right?
————————————
“Oi, you d**khead, Seal! What did you just say?!”
“I said, Let’s fight and bet the prisoner’s boss seat.”
In this prison, prisoners took a bath at the same time in the public bath.
I was now facing another prisoner, the one who bossing other prisoners, who were 2 meters tall and weighed 150 kilograms, equipped with a towel.
The Prisoner’s Boss, Butamaru, glared at me, then stood up.
“If I win, I’ll have you take over the labor that my room was assigned to.”
“Haah! I hate it. There is no reason for me to ride this game!”
“If you win, I’ll give you a dessert for lunch every day.”
“Alright !!!”
Butamaru kicked the ground before deciding the rules of the game.
A greasy giant approached. A rock-like fist was swung up.
If I received the fist, I would have been knockout before the game started.
CRACK!!, There was a crushing sound.
My forehead and Butamaru’s fist clashed.
“Uggghhh-aaaahhh!!?”
Butamaru held his right fist with his left hand and rolled around the stone floor of the bathroom.
“Alright, I succeed in controlling it.”
I focused the Red Mana in one place, on my head, and received Butamar’s fist with it.
There was no damage to my head, but a slight shock was transmitted from the neck down.
I thought it would be good enough to just concentrate the Mana in one place, but it seemed that if I didn’t cover the other parts with a certain amount of Mana, the impact would be transmitted.
“Next is……”
Butamaru kneeled on the floor and glared at me.
Butamaru screamed and rushed to me like a wild boar.
I kicked up the wooden bucket at my feet, caught it with my right hand, and let the Red Mana flow into the bucket.
――Objects Strengthening.
I threw the bucket at Butamaru.
If it was a normal wooden bucket, he could repel it easily and even if it hit, it wouldn’t cause much damage. But what if it was hard as steel? Well…
“Uggguuu?!!!”
Yup, it would end like this.
Butamaru broke his nose as he tried to catch the tub on his face. And he was dispirited.
Apparently, it was my win.
I passed through the noisy prisoners and approach an old man who scooping hot water from a bathtub and pouring it onto his body.
“Shall I wash you back?”
“No need. It seems that you became quite skillful in handling the Red Mana now.”
“Yeah, it’s perfect. Well, it took me a whole week though.”
“If so, I will start the real training of sealing techniques from tomorrow.”
I and the old man entered the bathtub and sat side by side.
“Hey, old man. Who was the one that tricked you into this prison?”
“Tricked? Why do you think so?”
“Because you’re not a sinner. You see, I’ve lived on the other side of the city since I was born. So, I know the smell of ‘trash’. “
The old man looked like he was thinking about something.
“I can’t trust that nose, because I’m a ‘trash’.”
“If you realize that you’re a’ trash’, it means you’re now the real deal.”
Warm water ran around my whole body.
I would have liked it better if the water was hotter. After all, the hot water in this prison was way too warm.
“It’s warm …”
“I agree.”
I nodded to the old man’s grumble.
It had been a week since the old man came, and finally, I was able to handle Red Mana and Blue Mana… I wasn’t sure if one week was too short or long.
The photoshoot session went smoothly, and finally it came to the last one.
Up to this point, there were poses that were questionable whether it would really be used for school guide or not, but I decided to not think too much about it and used it as a reference to what kind of poses that women would like men to do.
…But! every pose I did, they always had a happy reaction so, I don’t know which one is the best…
“Then, this is the last, please stand in front of the school gate.”
The pink-haired woman came to the school gate and said that this was the last photo.
In front of the school gate, huh… Maybe because it’s the face of the whole school and also the place where the image of the school is decided.
What kind of pose will she request this time? From the flow until now… will she request a little extreme pose?
…Well, I can’t imagine what kind of pose it is…
“Then …”
The pink-haired woman cleared her throat, ‘Uhumm’, and she continued her words.
“Because it’s the last, Hatano-san… will be the one who think the pose… please give me a nice pose, okay?”
With a red face, the pink-haired woman said so.
…… This woman… what she embarrassed about?
Let put that aside now. After all, the problem is the words she just said.
I didn’t mishear it right?
“… Huh?”
Never mind, let her say it once more time…
So, what you were saying just now?!
“Ah, hmm… I’ve been instructing you so far, but since this is the last, I was wondering how to maximize Hatano-san’s charm… so…”
“In the first place, I’m sure you’ve taken a lot of my photos.”
“Well, but the school gate is an important place!”
“I know!”
Listening to such a conversation between me and the pink-haired woman, the photographer came into the conversation.
“Well, so, in the end, what to do?”
“Aaah, I’m sorry. Then, since this person said it’s up to me, let’s take a quick shot and end this.”
“Yes, I understand”
With that said, the photographer began to set up the equipment.
Well … what should I do …
I was told that I could do my favorite pose, but… honestly, I don’t have a favorite pose! I’m not an idol! I wondered if I should just stand with a smile, but … This school guide itself is not normal anymore, so why don’t I try something here …
Then, I thought about taking a pose that was a little stimulating for the girls in this world.
The poses so far had been pleasing, but they were not too extreme or erotic. So, the pose that I had been thinking about was a slightly exciting pose.
To be honest, I didn’t think the pose was something that a man would do it, but I thought that there was a different between the cultures of my previous life and present life.
Well, in my consciousness, as a man the pose seemed a little hard to do, but I felt that everyone would be pleased for sure.
Well, I want to see what kind of reaction they will make if I do the poses?
But, should I really do it?.. or not?… what to do …
“Alright, I’m ready. Please start.”
The photographer’s voice was thrown at me who was wondering whether to make a stimulating pose or not.
But, even if it is a trial, is it okay to take an exciting pose for the school guide?… Uhmm…
“…………”
“Hatano-san, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, no… nothing.”
“Is that so? Have you decided on the pose?”
The photographer asked with a worried expression.
….. So, is this ‘I’m worried about you’ a secret formula to be popular with men in here?… But, it seems many men said that it’s appealing to them.
If so, the taste of men in this world is a little bit peculiar huh….
Well, this going to be an important pose since it’s the last… but should I try to do it for the time being?
Even if I try to pose a little stimulatingly, I think this pink-haired woman will definitely use it!
“Yes, I decided.”
“What kind of pose do you want to pose?”
“It’s a little stimulating.”
“I see, so a little stimula… huh?!”
“Well, since it’s no longer an ordinary school guide, maybe…”
The photographer certainly nodded to my words.
“I thought it would be strange if there was only one ordinary photo there.”
“… You’re right, but are you okay with this?”
“Yes, even if it’s a little stimulating, it doesn’t mean that I’ll be naked… it will just make the heart of the one who see it…skips a beat.”
“I understand, so I’ll just focus on making it a nice photo.”
“Yes, please.”
With that said, the photographer went away.
…Somehow, even though from the back, I could tell that she seems to be full of motivation. Is this a professional’ nature? Or is it just her being happy to hear that I’ll do a stimulating pose?
And the last shooting started.
The camera was pointed at me. I was wondering if the school gate could be seen properly, but I decided to not worry too much about it.
For the whole photoshoot, my clothes were… of course, school uniforms……. In other words, I was wearing a skirt.
I picked the end of the skirt with my fingers and slowly raised it little by little.
A stimulating pose that I decided to make was… to raise the skirt to the limit!
The pink-haired woman shouted so much joy at the actions I took.
…based on the reaction, it seems that this pose is good.
I may have the opportunity to use this on others someday …
“It’s still okay! You could raise it more! A little more!”
…… So loud and annoying.
Perhaps, the photographer understood my feeling, she lowered the camera and snapped her finger.
Then, the assistant who had helped with the shooting approached the pink-haired woman, closed her mouth and at the same time pulled her to an invisible place.
It was a splendid decision of the photographer to moved away the pink-haired woman who went wild without even thinking about it.
“Alright, let’s continue.”
When the pink-haired woman disappeared, the photographer said so with a smile.
After that, the shooting was completed in success and was dismissed.
“Thank you for today. I, Maki Kaede, will never forget this day! For sure! Well, I was disappointed at the end …”
And lastly, when I heard the pink-haired woman happily said so, I finally remembered the pink-haired woman’s name.
After the greetings and chats, we went out to start the shooting session.
Kenran High School was unusually large, so there were many places can be used as the background.
“Then, let’s start around here.”
That said, the pink-haired woman stopped. And somehow, she was whispering to the photographer.
…… Very suspicious. Is it something she don’t want me to hear?
When I was wondering about the suspicious behavior of the pink-haired woman, I wondered if she noticed my gaze, and she cleared her throat and announced the start of shooting.
“So, let’s get started. I’m already thinking about the layout here, so I’ll give you instructions on poses, etc. Of course, please tell me if you have a better pose or composition. If it turned out good, it might be used instead.”
Apparently, the basic composition had been decided, and I just needed to follow the instruction to pose and sprinkled a smile according to that composition.
…… I hope you smile or don’t pull.
And the shooting started under the instruction of the pink-haired woman.
“Then, Hatano-san, please spin in circle and don’t forget to smile.”
“… spin?”
“Yes, spin.”
“in circle?”
“Please just do what I said.”
……Huh? For what?
“I don’t have to spi…”
“Yes! You have to!”
When I asked a question, the pink-haired woman rushed to say the necessity and importance of spinning around.
“Like this …, see?”
The pink-haired woman spun around on the spot as if to set an example.
“Huh…?”
“Then the skirt will spread with the momentum of turning, right?”
“…………”
“In addition to the feeling of somewhat dynamic, and by the effect of ‘the art of giving a brief glimpse’, it seems to be visible and invisible at the same time, isn’t it the best?”
……the best?
When I was wondering what this person was saying, the pink-haired woman smiled at me asking for my consent, ‘Hey, do you think so too right?’.
When I turned my face to the photographer, she had a slightly embarrassed face.
Perhaps it was a good idea for idol photo books, but I was wondering if it was a good idea for school pamphlet.
But, in this case, the school decided the concept and design of the pamphlet, so the photographer might be refraining from saying anything… Aaaaー, even though she’s the only one here that has a common sense… sh*t…
“Now, please spin around cheerfully!”
I didn’t know the real meaning of spinning around yet, but I decided to do it for the time being.
“Good! It’s beautiful!”
…… and a smile at the end, right?
I made a smile after I spun.
“It’s a good smile, but please give me a brighter smile! Again!”
And, I need to do a retake.
Uuugh, I’m already tired from the first one… what should I do…
After a few retakes, the first photo finished.
This may take a lot of time more than I thought…
Let’s do our best …….
“Let’s shoot here this time.”
The place designated by the pink-haired woman was a place with a large fountain.
“Then, Togashi-san, please take a picture with this fountain and the first school building behind. And, Hatano-san, please do you best.”
“… Do I need spin around again?”
“Huh? Ah, it’s okay, you don’t need to spin this time.”
I was relieved to hear the words.
It seemed that I didn’t need to spin around every time.
“Or, Maybe you wanted to spin? Should you spin again after all?”
“Well, well! Let’s start the shoot now!”
“Hmm, so…”
“Please specify the pose as soon as possible.”
“Well then…, please wink this time and do a horizontal peace near your eyes with one of your hand.”
………… strange, I feel that the pose she ask is a strange pose again.
“Hatano-san, it’s a horizontal peace while winking.”
“Horizontal peace…”
“Yes, it’s a horizontal peace.”
While saying that, the clerk winked and made a horizontal peace.
It looks so fixed… anyway, do I really need to do that…?
“Hmm, this is for a school pamphlet, right?”
I heard a voice of someone questioning the pink-haired woman’s sanity.
That’s right, tell her!… In this kind of situation, it’s an unavoidable question after all. You see, I tried to not question her about this so many times, but she keeps doing that and asking something strange…. so, this question keep pops up in my head again and again.
The photographer, she asked the same question I had in mind.
“Yes, nothing is wrong and strange… it’s perfectly fine..”
However, the pink-haired woman as if the one who was strange were us.
Upon hearing the reply, the photographer, Togashi-san, nodded and muttered as if she was convinced.
“Really?…, I guess, the recent school guide has changed a lot…”
“Last year’s school information was normal!”
Perhaps Togashi-san said so because she wasn’t updated with the recent information about school, so, I rushed to tell the truth to the photographer who was easily convinced by the words of the pink-haired woman.
I mean, please don’t believe anything so easily!
“Well, isn’t it good? Anyway, Hatano-san, please.”
“Seriously~?”
“It’s okay! Everyone is happy!”
But, no one is worried about it…
There was no choice but to do the pose.
The pink-haired woman cheerfully spoke out according to my pose.
“Horizontal piece!”
“…”
“Hatano-san! Horizontal peace!”
…… don’t tell me, you want me to say the words?!
And, once again, the pink-haired woman said,
“Horizontal peace!”
Well, I guess, this really won’t end, until I say it …
“Ho-horizontal Peace!”
When I posed while winking, I heard the sound of the shutter being released.
