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Published at 11th of April 2020 10:25:31 AM


Chapter 30.1

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Tomotaka-senpai decided to let go of Chako’s hand.

 That was something I sought from Tomotaka-senpai.
I’ll get Tomotaka-senpai to inform Chako, and I’ll tell her about the method to release the familiar contract.
Surely, after Tomotaka-senpai lets go of her hand, I believe Chako will be willing to listen to me.

 Kousuke-kun and Sensei, they are moving forward.
Yuusei-kun and and Tomoyuki-san too.
Lastly, if Tomotaka-senpai moves forward…

 Chako will probably think about wanting to move forward too.
Think about wanting to live in this world.

 I can hurt everyone for the sake of that.

 Hurting many, different people.
Even then, I’ll move forward.

 

 Winter begun, the New Year started.
Everyone went for the first shrine visit of the New Year and had a snowball fight on a day the snow piled up.
When Tomotaka-senpai played with everyone, he seemed to talk to Chako more than usual.

 As though he loathed to part with Chako.

 Chako was extremely troubled by the Tomotaka-senpai who smiled gently.
Even then, Tomotaka-senpai continued to smile at her.

 That, wasn’t because he wanted to move Chako’s heart.
It wasn’t because he wanted to get Chako’s attention.

 Surely, it was because he decided it would be the last.

 He was treasuring the time spent with Chako so that no regrets were left.

 Such a Tomotaka-senpai truly sparkled…
Whenever I saw Tomotaka-senpai smiling gently while looking at Chako, my chest would throb with pain.

 And, before I know it, Tomotaka-senpai’s birthday has come.
As always, we gather at Tomoyuki-san’s house, and spend it with everyone.

 Same as Kousuke-kun’s birthday, the cake that Tomoyuki-san, Chako and I baked is the present from us.
Kousuke-kun got a slightly expensive calligraphy pen with Sensei.
Yuusei-kun gives something odd, a stone that came from a phantom.

 Smiling, Tomotaka-senpai… received it somewhat carefully[1].
There’s a lot of snow outside the window, and the snow piled up from yesterday night has gotten deeper.

“Kousuke-chan, Yuusei-chan! Come help out a bit.”
 When everyone is chatting, Chako points at the outside of the window, and calls Kousuke-kun and Yuusei-kun.
Apparently, she wants to do something outside.
After hearing the matter from Chako, Kousuke-kun and Yuusei-kun nod with smiles.
Then, putting on the coats and gloves they took off when they entered the room, the three of them head to the entranceway as one.

“Yui-chan and the rest wait for a bit okay?”
 Grinning, Chako leaves from the door.
Not knowing what Chako’s group is going to do, I exchange glances with the nearby Tomotaka-senpai and tilt my head.

 Chatting with Tomotaka-senpai, Sensei and Tomoyuki-san, we wait for the three of them to return.
As we do so, the side where the wooden deck is becomes very noisy so we walk to the patio windows.
The trio who left from the entranceway some time ago are there…

“Kousuke-chan! Whose is bigger, Yuusei-chan’s or mine?”
“It’s Chako’s.”
“I know right? So mine will be the body.”
“Mine’s the head?” [Yuusei]

 We can hear voices from across the window glass.
Next to Chako and Yuusei-kun are big masses of snow that reach up to about the waist.
Chako rolls that and leaves it in front of the patio window.
Seeming to notice Tomotaka-senpai and I peeking from the patio windows, Chako looks at us and laughs “Hihihi”.

“Snowman?”
“… So it seems.”

 Tomotaka-senpai nods when I quietly mutter while looking outside the window.
On the wooden deck, Kousuke-kun easily carries the mass of snow Yuusei-kun made and places it above the body Chako made.
Although it should have been considerably heavy, he did it so effortlessly as though he was carrying a mass of straw.
It’s really at times like this that I strongly feel that phantoms are different from humans.

“Should we go out and see?”
“… Yes.”

 Nodding to Tomotaka-senpai’s voice, I softly open the window.
Coldness blows into the room with a swoosh.

“Chako, snowman?”
“Yes! Snowman!”

 Going out under the portion of the overhanging roof where there isn’t snow piled up, I call out to the Chako about 2 metres ahead of me.
Chako replies by sending a smile in my direction. Then she waves her hand, and creates a pretty deep blue gem.

“Ta dah! This is, an eye. It’s a Student Council president snowman!”
 Chako laughs “Hihihi”, twisting and pushing that pretty gem into the head of the snowman.
Once she placed 2 pretty gems in… I see, they’re the same as Tomotaka-senpai’s eyes.

“Amazing, they sure are pretty.” [Yui]
“Right, right? But I wonder what gem is this?” [Chako]
“Wouldn’t it be lapis lazuli or sapphire?” [Kousuke]

 The Kousuke-kun looking admiredly at the gems Chako made, tilts his head at her question.
Chako laughs “Who knows?”

“You don’t understand clearly when you made it yourself? … Interesting. I get the thrills just imagining how much you can make.”
“Ah, stop. Really, stop with those eyes.”
 Yuusei-kun’s eyes shine dubiously, looking at Chako.
Chako’s brows knit at such a Yuusei-kun and she replies with displeasure.

“Besides, they’re gonna disappear into nothingness soon.”
“That was the case, huh. Even though Chako can make so many things, they’ll disappear when separated from you. What a waste.”
“Well, it’s troubling if they remain forever so it’s okay. Because leaf money is, after all, leaf money.”

 Chako laughs “Ehehe” at Yuusei-kun’s disappointed face.

 That’s right. The things Chako makes with miasma will disappear when they leave Chako for a period of time.
The felt dolls Chako made at the Christmas party.
They were so cute that I wanted to keep them but, they disappeared the next day.
Just like how the leaf money of raccoon dogs return to ordinary leaves when the raccoon dog disappears, when the miasma of the things Chako made can’t maintain their form, they disappear.

“I think having this much made is more than enough.”
 Kousuke-kun looks at Chako, and narrows his eyes.
Chako goes “Suppose so!” at that, replying while sticking out her chest.
Then, her eyes lower as though she realised something.
Those eyes rove about restlessly.

“Um, this.”

 Chako glances with upturned eyes at the Tomotaka-senpai standing next to me.

“This is also somewhat a present…”
“… Ah."

 Tomotaka-senpai replied with a voice as though his breath was blocked.
Chako’s eyes lower again at that reply, her gaze roaming about restlessly.

“Well, at any rate the snowman will melt soon, and these gems will disappear tomorrow.”

 Chako’s eyes are lowered, as she continues her words.
The Chako always laughing “Hihihi” brightly is like a different person.

 Being reserved, and not looking at Tomotaka-senpai.

 … As always, Chako’s attitude is different only towards Tomotaka-senpai.
Somewhat distant, and drawing a line.

 However, Tomotaka-senpai doesn’t take offense at such an attitude of Chako, and quietly mutters, “Thank you”.

“… I won’t forget.”

 Tomotaka-senpai’s eyes narrow gently.

“Even when the snowman melts… Even when the gems disappear.”

 Tomotaka-senpai gives a glittering smile.

“I won’t forget.”

 That smile seems truly happy…

 Seeing that smile Kousuke-kun’s face becomes wreathed in smiles while Yuusei-kun’s brows wrinkle and he makes a complicated face.
Then, Chako goes “Ah”, letting out a voice and, looking up at the sky.

[1] Sorry I’m a bad translator… the raw is くすぐったそう (literally “ticklish”, but in this sentence the meaning is closer to “embarrassed”) so my interpretation was awkward-“how to react when a former enemy-rival gives me something” instead of awkward-“don’t like your weird present but trying not to show it”. Any suggestions?

Tomotaka-senpai decided to let go of Chako’s hand.

 That was something I sought from Tomotaka-senpai.
I’ll get Tomotaka-senpai to inform Chako, and I’ll tell her about the method to release the familiar contract.
Surely, after Tomotaka-senpai lets go of her hand, I believe Chako will be willing to listen to me.

 Kousuke-kun and Sensei, they are moving forward.
Yuusei-kun and and Tomoyuki-san too.
Lastly, if Tomotaka-senpai moves forward…

 Chako will probably think about wanting to move forward too.
Think about wanting to live in this world.

 I can hurt everyone for the sake of that.

 Hurting many, different people.
Even then, I’ll move forward.

 Winter begun, the New Year started.
Everyone went for the first shrine visit of the New Year and had a snowball fight on a day the snow piled up.
When Tomotaka-senpai played with everyone, he seemed to talk to Chako more than usual.

 As though he loathed to part with Chako.

 Chako was extremely troubled by the Tomotaka-senpai who smiled gently.
Even then, Tomotaka-senpai continued to smile at her.

 That, wasn’t because he wanted to move Chako’s heart.
It wasn’t because he wanted to get Chako’s attention.

 Surely, it was because he decided it would be the last.

 He was treasuring the time spent with Chako so that no regrets were left.

 Such a Tomotaka-senpai truly sparkled…
Whenever I saw Tomotaka-senpai smiling gently while looking at Chako, my chest would throb with pain.

 

 And, before I know it, Tomotaka-senpai’s birthday has come.
As always, we gather at Tomoyuki-san’s house, and spend it with everyone.

 Same as Kousuke-kun’s birthday, the cake that Tomoyuki-san, Chako and I baked is the present from us.
Kousuke-kun got a slightly expensive calligraphy pen with Sensei.
Yuusei-kun gives something odd, a stone that came from a phantom.

 Smiling, Tomotaka-senpai… received it somewhat carefully[1].
There’s a lot of snow outside the window, and the snow piled up from yesterday night has gotten deeper.

“Kousuke-chan, Yuusei-chan! Come help out a bit.”

 When everyone is chatting, Chako points at the outside of the window, and calls Kousuke-kun and Yuusei-kun.
Apparently, she wants to do something outside.
After hearing the matter from Chako, Kousuke-kun and Yuusei-kun nod with smiles.
Then, putting on the coats and gloves they took off when they entered the room, the three of them head to the entranceway as one.

“Yui-chan and the rest wait for a bit okay?”

 Grinning, Chako leaves from the door.
Not knowing what Chako’s group is going to do, I exchange glances with the nearby Tomotaka-senpai and tilt my head.

 Chatting with Tomotaka-senpai, Sensei and Tomoyuki-san, we wait for the three of them to return.
As we do so, the side where the wooden deck is becomes very noisy so we walk to the patio windows.
The trio who left from the entranceway some time ago are there…

“Kousuke-chan! Whose is bigger, Yuusei-chan’s or mine?”
“It’s Chako’s.”
“I know right? So mine will be the body.”
“Mine’s the head?” [Yuusei]

 We can hear voices from across the window glass.
Next to Chako and Yuusei-kun are big masses of snow that reach up to about the waist.
Chako rolls that and leaves it in front of the patio window.
Seeming to notice Tomotaka-senpai and I peeking from the patio windows, Chako looks at us and laughs “Hihihi”.

“Snowman?”
“… So it seems.”

 Tomotaka-senpai nods when I quietly mutter while looking outside the window.
On the wooden deck, Kousuke-kun easily carries the mass of snow Yuusei-kun made and places it above the body Chako made.
Although it should have been considerably heavy, he did it so effortlessly as though he was carrying a mass of straw.
It’s really at times like this that I strongly feel that phantoms are different from humans.

“Should we go out and see?”
“… Yes.”

 Nodding to Tomotaka-senpai’s voice, I softly open the window.
Coldness blows into the room with a swoosh.

“Chako, snowman?”
“Yes! Snowman!”

 Going out under the portion of the overhanging roof where there isn’t snow piled up, I call out to the Chako about 2 metres ahead of me.
Chako replies by sending a smile in my direction. Then she waves her hand, and creates a pretty deep blue gem.

“Ta dah! This is, an eye. It’s a Student Council president snowman!”
 Chako laughs “Hihihi”, twisting and pushing that pretty gem into the head of the snowman.
Once she placed 2 pretty gems in… I see, they’re the same as Tomotaka-senpai’s eyes.

“Amazing, they sure are pretty.” [Yui]
“Right, right? But I wonder what gem is this?” [Chako]
“Wouldn’t it be lapis lazuli or sapphire?” [Kousuke]

 The Kousuke-kun looking admiredly at the gems Chako made, tilts his head at her question.
Chako laughs “Who knows?”

“You don’t understand clearly when you made it yourself? … Interesting. I get the thrills just imagining how much you can make.”
“Ah, stop. Really, stop with those eyes.”
 Yuusei-kun’s eyes shine dubiously, looking at Chako.
Chako’s brows knit at such a Yuusei-kun and she replies with displeasure.

“Besides, they’re gonna disappear into nothingness soon.”
“That was the case, huh. Even though Chako can make so many things, they’ll disappear when separated from you. What a waste.”
“Well, it’s troubling if they remain forever so it’s okay. Because leaf money is, after all, leaf money.”

 Chako laughs “Ehehe” at Yuusei-kun’s disappointed face.

 That’s right. The things Chako makes with miasma will disappear when they leave Chako for a period of time.
The felt dolls Chako made at the Christmas party.
They were so cute that I wanted to keep them but, they disappeared the next day.
Just like how the leaf money of raccoon dogs return to ordinary leaves when the raccoon dog disappears, when the miasma of the things Chako made can’t maintain their form, they disappear.

“I think having this much made is more than enough.”
 Kousuke-kun looks at Chako, and narrows his eyes.
Chako goes “Suppose so!” at that, replying while sticking out her chest.
Then, her eyes lower as though she realised something.
Those eyes rove about restlessly.

“Um, this.”

 Chako glances with upturned eyes at the Tomotaka-senpai standing next to me.

“This is also somewhat a present…”
“… Ah.”

 Tomotaka-senpai replied with a voice as though his breath was blocked.
Chako’s eyes lower again at that reply, her gaze roaming about restlessly.

“Well, at any rate the snowman will melt soon, and these gems will disappear tomorrow.”

 Chako’s eyes are lowered, as she continues her words.
The Chako always laughing “Hihihi” brightly is like a different person.

 Being reserved, and not looking at Tomotaka-senpai.

 … As always, Chako’s attitude is different only towards Tomotaka-senpai.
Somewhat distant, and drawing a line.

 However, Tomotaka-senpai doesn’t take offense at such an attitude of Chako, and quietly mutters, “Thank you”.

“… I won’t forget.”

 Tomotaka-senpai’s eyes narrow gently.

“Even when the snowman melts… Even when the gems disappear.”

 Tomotaka-senpai gives a glittering smile.

“I won’t forget.”

 That smile seems truly happy…

 Seeing that smile Kousuke-kun’s face becomes wreathed in smiles while Yuusei-kun’s brows wrinkle and he makes a complicated face.
Then, Chako goes “Ah”, letting out a voice and, looking up at the sky.

[1] Sorry I’m a bad translator… the raw is くすぐったそう (literally “ticklish”, but in this sentence the meaning is closer to “embarrassed”) so my interpretation was awkward-“how to react when a former enemy-rival gives me something” instead of awkward-“don’t like your weird present but trying not to show it”. Any suggestions?





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