I Play the Role of (Villain/Heroine) in a Japanese-style Otome Game

Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

Chapter 07 – The Outstanding Onmyouji 2

　Summer break arrived at the blink of an eye after the end-of-term tests.
The sky is cloudy today.
I believe today’s the day Chako and Kousuke-kun are heading to the pool but the sunshine is slightly lacking for to say it’s the perfect pool-going weather.
Even then, if it’s those two, they’ll probably enjoy themselves to the point of blasting away these clouds.

　I’m brisk-walking on the path towards school.
The apartment I live in is about 15 minutes away from school.
It appears that Chako’s house is in my neighbourhood but it’s apparently slightly further from school than mine.
She picks me whenever I go to school.
Even during summer break, she goes with me, who goes to school everyday due to Student Council activities.
I was worried that she’d have nothing to do but it appears she studies in the air-conditioned self-study room when I’m carrying out Student Council activities.
Chako’s house doesn’t seem to have air-conditioning; “Studying in a cool place is so productive that it’s scary y’know?” she said, laughing.

　I’m heading to school alone as Chako’s going to the pool with Kousuke-kun today.
The 15 minutes that’s usually over in the blink of an eye feels long today.

“Good morning.”

　Having reached school, I open the door to the Student Council room and greet the person inside.
I left my house at 8 o’clock but Tomotaki-senpai’s here already.

“Morning.”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　After greeting me back, Tomotaka-senpai returns his gaze to the desk and continues sorting the doc.u.ments.
In this manner, he part.i.tions the doc.u.ments for us.
It’s because he always arrives slightly earlier and does this, that the other executives can start their work immediately upon reaching school.

　The Student Council of this school is pretty efficient.
If you do your work efficiently, you don’t need to come to school every day of the summer break.
Partic.i.p.ation is compulsory on days when there’s work with tight deadlines or general meetings but, otherwise, you are free to make your own plans.
Everyone’s able to make time for themselves. Moreover, as they possess clear targets of their own, they’re able to bring out quality work effectively.

　It was Tomotaka-senpai who created such an environment.

　Although Tomotaka-senpai comes earlier than everyone, he doesn’t slack off.
He swiftly ends meetings that seem like they’ll drag on and never had I found myself a.s.saulted with weariness, thinking “It was such a waste of time”.
Of course, once work starts to acc.u.mulate, he strictly convenes everyone and takes the initiative to labour like a cart-horse.
He’s an extremely earnest person. Coupled with his natural grounding, he’s the perfect figure of a Student Council president.

　Which is precisely why his words back then continues to go rounds in my head.

　『Those aren’t human, right?』
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　The warped smile I caught a glimpse of during the inter-cla.s.s matches reflection session.
Did those words really come out of Tomotaka-senpai’s mouth?

　In my opinion, Tomotaka-senpai is kind and perfect.
Even with capabilities like his, he doesn’t lax in his efforts.

　The more I come to know Tomotaka-senpai, the more those words from back then and the Tomotaka-senpai I see diverge.

　Leaving my belongings on my desk, I approach Tomotaka-senpai.
The wind from the air-conditioner feels good on my warm body.

“Let me give you a hand, senpai.&rdqu

o;
“Thanks. I suppose you can clip up the part.i.tioned doc.u.ments there and put them on the respective tables.”
“Yes, understood.”

　I’ve also been coming early to help Tomotaka-senpai.
It’s only about 20 minutes every morning but it’s a period the two of us will surely be alone together.
I can sense that I’ve obtained some amount of trust and friendship from Tomotaka-senpai but the status quo is such that I’m not certain that anything has changed from the first round.

　Looking at the doc.u.ments Tomotaka-senpai part.i.tioned, including the contents, I gather two, three pages and clip them together.
Please do not post elsewhere.
　For areas that require signatures and such, I tag them with a sticky note to make things more easily understandable.
Then, once I’ve acc.u.mulated a certain amount, I leave them at the respective executives’ desks.

“Come to think of it, you didn’t come with that usual friend of yours today.”

　As I carry out that task silently, out of the blue, Tomotaka-senpai lets out those words.
Does ‘usual friend’ refer to Chako?
How does senpai know that I’ve been coming with Chako?

“Isn’t the main gate visible from this window? I often see you together.”

　Perhaps I was making a weird face because Tomotaka-senpai laughs in a slightly embarra.s.sed manner.

“So that’s the case.”

　True enough, the main gate happens to be visible from the window in the Student Council room.
If it’s Tomotaka-senpai who always comes early, he might have seen us as we head to school.
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
“Chako is going to the pool today.”
“Pool?”
“That is right. Uhm, I think I have mentioned him before, but she is going with Kousuke-kun, a friend from our cla.s.s.”

　Tomotaka-senpai may be surprised, because he’s looking at me with widened eyes.

“Is it alright for you to not go with them?”
“I don’t really like the pool…”

　　Tomotaka-senpai appears convinced when I smile in a troubled manner.
He doesn’t inquire any further. Instead, he shifts his gaze and looks at the main gate area, through the window.

“Two phantoms going to the pool together… huh.”

　I wonder what’s reflected in those eyes of Tomotaka-senpai’s.
That’s not his usual princely smile.
He has on a warped, somewhat self-derisive smile.

　Sure enough, Tomotaka-senpai gets strange somehow when it comes to phantoms.
He said he doesn’t think anything of them but I’ve a feeling that’s not exactly the case.

“Senpai… as expected, do you hate phantoms?”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　The words that I unthinkingly spoke came out in a voice lower than I imagined.
Tomotaka-senpai slowly turns his gaze away from the window and laughs in a troubled manner when he looks at me.

“I said this before but I don’t particularly hate them. I just don’t think anything of them.”
“Is that so…”

　He wouldn’t tell me.

　I give a small sigh at Tomotaka-senpai’s words.
Seeing the face of me like that, Tomotaka-senpai lets out a small breath and brushes his fringe upwards with his fingers.

“That’s right, huh. I guess I’ll tell you, who’s always working hard, a little of my secret.”

　Deep blue eyes shine deep behind the brown fringe.
As those were words I’ve been antic.i.p.ating, I unconsciously clench my fists.

“You’re aware I’m an onmyouji, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You know, onmyoujis begin training at a pretty young age to manipulate their power.”

　I make sure to strain my ears so that I don’t miss Tomotaka-senpai’s words.
I want to know everything about Tomotaka-senpai.
As I stare intently, Tomotaka-senpai look at me with somewhat distant eyes.

“I begun training as an onmyouji at 3 years old.”
“3 years old?”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　I unconsciously blurt out.

“Three years old… isn’t that the period when a child finally leaves his parents and begins spending more time with his friends or his teachers?”
“Indeed. But that’s normal in the Kamo family.”

　Till this day, I’ve no idea what onmyoujis are.
Surely, just like the amazing people from the kabuki world or those partic.i.p.ating in the Olympics, they receive gifted education before gaining the required skills.

“The Kamo family is a long-standing family of onmyoujis. That pa.s.ses on its techniques and knowledge. Naturally, I was taught those and will probably teach them to my kids in the future.”
“Truly possessing an ancient and honourable origin, huh?”
“Indeed. It’s what you’d call a prestigious family.”

　Tomotaka-senpai gives a sudden, self-derisive laugh.
Even his expression may become a piece of the puzzle.
In order to ensure that Tomotaka-senpai continues telling his story, I give a small nod and urge him on.

“Therefore I started training from a young age. But I was a child after all. I wanted to play more and didn’t clearly understand my own position[1]. Once, I ran away from training and entered a mountain nearby. I think I was about 6 then.”

　Tomotaka-senpai seems to have recalled something; the corners of his mouth raise abruptly as he smiles.
A warped smile.

“You see, there was a fluffy thing, mottled with brown and white… I wonder what kind of phantom it was. It was spherical, like a furball.”
“Furball?”
“Yeah. I think it was roughly a size larger than a basketball.”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　In the blink of an eye, Tomotaka-senpai’s warped smile is erased. “It’s roughly this size,” he indicates with hand gestures.

“Although I knew it was a phantom at first glance, I ended up reaching out back then. Now that I think about it, if that was a strong phantom in disguise, I’d probably have died.”
“… I am glad Tomotaka-senpai did not die.”

　Tomotaka-senpai talked about the frightening experience as though it was something truly enjoyable.
I replied in a criticizing manner.
However, my tone doesn’t seem effective on Tomotaka-senpai; he leisurely returns my gaze.

“Since then, I’ve been to the mountain a number of times to see that phantom.
“Did you only look at it?”
“Who knows, perhaps I did touch it a little.”

　Tomotaka-senpai contemplates, probably recalling the past events.

“There was training every single day so I wasn’t able to make friends, you see. There was only about enough free time to go and see that phantom.”

　“Reluctantly,” Tomotaka-senpai adds.
Subsequently, the corners of his mouth raise just a little.

“I’m not a genius so I need to put in effort. As long as I put in effort, I’ll reap an equal amount of benefits. Though, it appeared my parents were irritated because I’m not a quick study.”

　Tomotaka-senpai says as though there’s nothing to it.
However, I was pretty surprised at his words.
Is it even possible to get irritated at Tomotaka-senpai?

“Your parents are kind of extravagant[2] huh…”
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　Unthinkingly, I murmur, putting my thoughts to words.
Tomotaka-senpai returns a vague smile at that as he firmly looks into my eyes.

“Isn’t there a Abe Yuusei in your cla.s.s? He’s one of the famous Abe no Seimei’s descendants.”

　Abe Yuusei.
Yes, he’s in my cla.s.s.
Short, black hair and eyes of the same colour. Along with the spectacles he has on, he’s someone who gives off an air of intellect.
To think that he’s the descendant of a famous person even I know of…

　Tomotaka-senpai nods at me, who has my eyes wide in surprise.

“He’s a genius. Although he’s a year younger than me, apparently he’s a quick study. That’s why my parents lamented about about the difference in my talent in comparison to his. My parents have never praised me.”
“I see…”

　Tomotaka-senpai didn’t really speak emotionally but even I can tell.
Those were probably bitter days for a young child.

“I’m glad that furball phantom was there.”

　Tomotaka-senpai said he went to see it reluctantly, but even then, it’s fine.
It should’ve been much better than being all alone.

　However, Tomotaka-senpai did not nod at my words.

“I think it was after about a year. I was seen going to the mountain. My parents asked me to erase that phantom on the spot because it was 『opportune』.”
“No way…”

　Tomotaka-senpai said it like it was nothing but didn’t that phantom helped to comfort him?
My brows furrow and I look at Tomotaka-senpai in distraught but continues to speak indifferently, not showing any particular emotion.
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
“I wasn’t able to do it. I didn’t have enough power. The dejection my parents had was so intense, you see, that I no longer had time to go to the mountain after that.”

　”That’s why I don’t know what happened to that phantom,” Tomotaka-senpai continues.

“… Having my incompetency thrusted at me time and again, I may have grown to resent that phantom.”

　Tomotaka-senpai slowly looks out the window.

“Perhaps it was from then on. I began to think of phantoms as something other than humans.”

　Tomotaka-senpai was born in a family of onmyoujis and was raised as one.
It may be that, in the process, he came to not think anything of phantoms.

“I’m an『Outstanding Onmyouji』. That’s all. A year below me is the『Peerless Onmyouji』. He’s in the same cla.s.s as you.”

　The eyes that had been directed outside the window are now directed at me.
On Tomotaka-senpai’s face, the look he’s giving is as though he’s trying to sound me out.

“That’s the『Kamo Tomotaka』you’ve been desperately trying to know. Simply a man trying to hide his mediocrity with hard work.”

　”And that’s my secret,” he chuckles as he turns back to the doc.u.ments.
An atmosphere completely unchanged, identical to before we had the conversation.

　But I understood with that.
This person is the same as Kousuke-kun.

Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com

　Fascinated with an existence stronger than themselves, they take themselves lightly.

Please don’t repost this.

“Tomotaka-senpai is amazing.”

　I don’t know if my words can reach him.

“I am glad that Tomotaka-senpai is the Student Council President.”

　You probably can’t find such a perfect Student Council President no matter where you look.

“I do not know the matters of onmyoujis so I do not get being outstanding, peerless or the like. I do not get it but simply from the conversation just now, I get that Tomotaka-senpai works extremely hard.”
Please do not post elsewhere.
　When I stare intently at Tomotaka-senpai, he looks back at me too.

“I understand that just working hard is not enough. Because it will only be meaningful when the results show.”

　Me too.
Not knowing a thing, I turned back time like this.
Just because I work hard, because I try to make it such that the same happenings from the first round wouldn’t occur, the results will show. That may not be the case.

　Taking Chako back.

　There’s no meaning if I can’t do that.

“Me too. I am still en route. Surely, even now, Tomotaka-senpai is en route.”

　Yes, the results have yet to show.

　Therefore, please don’t undervalue your own hard work.
Because I, too, don’t want undervalue my hardworking self.

“Let us work hard together.”

　So that meaning will be born out of this hard work.

　My words were meant for Tomotaka-senpai but I started thinking about myself before I knew it.
After my speech, I leave Tomotaka-senpai to his own devices and do not say words of deliverance.
Despite my words, Tomotaka-senpai doesn’t make fun of me and instead gives me a firm stare.

“What are you working hard at?”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　Tomotaka-senpai’s deep blue eyes look at me searchingly.
Receiving that gaze, a gentle, soft smile spreads on my face and I chuckle.

“That is a secret.”

　Tomotaka-senpai’s eyes widen at my words for an instance but he immediately recovers with a princely smile.

“You are truly interesting, aren’t you?”

　In response to his words, I chuckle.
After which, I inform him another thing I’m concerned about.

“Also, Tomotaka-senpai, you do not resent that furball phantom.”
“How can you tell?”
“I can tell.”

　『I don’t particularly hate them.』
　『I don’t think anything of them.』

　Only one answer appears the more he a.s.serts that.

“Tomotaka-senpai, you talk like an elementary schooler, you know?”
“Elementary schooler…?”
“That’s right. Saying『I don’t think anything of you, got it!』, bullying and making the girl you like cry, causing her to ask『You hate me, don’t you!』, to which you frantically reply『I don’t particularly hate you!』. Is that not the same as an elementary schoolboy who cannot bring himself to say he likes a girl he likes?”
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
　He should’ve liked that fur ball phantom.
Even for the talk about a phantom-only relay, perhaps in consideration of his status as an onmyouji, he stayed out of the discussion so much that it was unnatural.

“Senpai likes phantoms.”

　Tomotaka-senpai’s completely stunned by my words.
At first, his mouth opens as though to deny it. However, words doesn’t come out of his mouth and he only manages to leave behind a silly face.
He then brought his hand towards his speechless mouth and goes “Hmm” in ponder.

　It’s been easily about 5 minutes.
Tomotaka-senpai opens his mouth gravely.

“Now that you said it, it may really be the case.”
“… Surely, I suppose it is.”

　You didn’t need 5 minutes for that single remark of mine.
Exasperated, I look scornfully at Tomotaka-senpai. He seems to have understood everything somehow. He looks as though the scales had fallen from his eyes.

“I get excited when I fight them[3] and your stories of the cla.s.smates you often speak of are also quite enjoyable.”

　Then he gives a sparkly smile.
Even though he’s talking about phantoms, it isn’t the usual warped smile.
It’s a smile expressing that he really enjoys himself, from the bottom of his heart.

“So I like phantoms despite being an onmyouji.”

　Haha, Tomotaka-senpai laughs in a sincerely enjoyable manner.
Neglecting me, he bursts out in laughter to the point of tearing up.

“Thank you, Naba-san. I managed to discover a new me.”

　The Student Council room with only the two of us.
The slightly audible operating sounds of the air-conditioning.
The rays of the summer sun pours down incessantly from the window.
Within all that, Tomotaka-senpai wipes the tears from the corners of his eyes with his right index finger as he looks at me strangely.

　Click, it feels as though some sort of piece has fallen into place.

　Something will definitely change now.

　So I believe.
Translated at nakimus.h.i.tl.wordpress.com
Read this at the original site.

　In the end, Tomotaka-senpai continues to laugh all sparkly that entire day.

　Such a Tomotaka-senpai is a first, but the might of that smile is tremendous; regardless of gender, the Student Council executives spent that day with their faces red.
To think he had such a smile too, on top of his usual princely smile…
And me, being me, is no exception before that smile. I think it couldn’t be helped that my cheeks were also red.

　There wasn’t such a Tomotaka-senpai in the first round.

　It’s changing bit by bit.
A little more.
A little more and I’ll surely be able to do it.
Read this at the original site.

[1] Not geographically but in the sense of position/place in life/family/world/amongst peers, etc. You get the drift.
[2] I think she means that they already have a good/capable son but they still aren’t satisfied.
[3] No p.r.o.nouns were used in the original so it could have been “I get excited when (I see them) they fight.”

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