Vol 3 Chapter 13.5 (1/2)
Kuji’s Short Story
My name is Kamiki Kuji. I am 16 years old. Right now, I am faced with the worst thing that could happen in my entire life.
“Hime-chan, Father wants to talk to you about something. Actually, you have a fiancé. His name is Lin Xiang. After the new year, you will be starting school in the same cla.s.s as him. You should have plenty of time to get to know him.”
When I heard this news, staring at Father’s smiling face, the warm and happy feeling I normally got was taken over by a harrowing feeling.
I… I already… have a fiancé?
Two years ago, my childhood playmate was sold out by her family, and got married into another family. After going through all sorts of torments, her usual red and perky cheeks slowly hollowed out and turned a shade of pale gray… At the time, I was glad that I didn’t have to become someone else’s tool and trade in my lifetime of happiness for the greater good of the family… But now… even I…
“You are just kidding, right?” I was still grasping at a slim chance of hope that my father would nod his head and tell me that he was just joking… Unfortunately…
“Not in the slightest – Father wasn’t joking around. That young man is the son of Lin Fan, the famous Battle Technician. Don’t you know? Ten years ago, our family was slowly declining. It was all thanks to Lin Fan that our family was able to rebuild itself again. So, so long as… Hime-chan?”
I ignored Father. I left the study with a blank look on my face… I don’t understand. Why… why is it that a daughter of a distinguished family like myself would have to become a bargaining chip?
Lying on my bed, I just couldn’t figure it out… It felt like my tears were about to flow out. I felt really, really tired, and then, I fell asleep…
…
When I woke up, all of a sudden, I got a clear understanding of a lot of things. As part of a big, distinguished family, wasn’t this kind of thing to be expected? I was just unlucky enough to be the one in the family who got picked by destiny.
———————— High School Commencement
Pillar Nofu Academy is a well-known spirit user training academy. It was founded only a hundred years ago, and it already rivals the long established Michi Suguru Holy Spirit Academy, and has been called a miracle amongst spirit user academies.
Pillar Nofu Academy has only gone through one generation of change for Headmaster. The founding Headmaster, Ijima Takaaki, a Fourth Level Battle G.o.d, was once part of the battle against demons. Like a G.o.d, he killed two superior demons all by himself. To top it off, his battle tactics were so brilliant and masterful that it won the admiration of all those around him. As powerful as he was, he gave up the honor of being a Human World Guardian and went ahead with founding this school.
Ijima Michita is the son of Ijima Takaaki. Ijima Michita completely inherited his father’s spiritual power. At the age of forty-three, he had already reached the rank of Battle Ancestor. Now, at the age of sixty-seven, he has reached the rank of Fifth Level Battle Elder. Just like his father, despite his power, he gave up his position as a Guardian of the Human World. After he a.s.sumed the position as the second generation Headmaster, he gave a most memorable speech, and that was, “To be a single Human World Guardian? I’d rather teach a group of students so that they can become Guardians of the Human World.” His reputation rose even further after this speech. Of course, there were people who doubted him and said that he was posturing. But soon enough, those negative opinions were drowned out by the voices of his loyal followers.
————————— First Year, Cla.s.s C
First Year, Cla.s.s C, this will be the cla.s.s that I am stuck in for the rest of the year. To make it worse… I will need to face that fiancé of mine as well… Speaking of, just who is this fiancé of mine?
I looked around and noticed that a lot of the boys had their eyes on me. They made me sick to my stomach….
…
“Well then, students, I will be your homeroom teacher this year. My name is Kusaura Youtaku. I look forward to working and learning with you all. Okay then, so that we can get to know each other better, shall we each do a self-intro, just in the order of where we are all seated?”
The instant the homeroom teacher said this, some people already started complaining; but no one objected…
“My name is Kamiki Kuji, interest… none.” When I saw those disgusting glances from the boys in the cla.s.s, I really couldn’t continue – I had to finish up quickly, “Well, that was it for my introduction.”
“Eh? That quick? You didn’t even mention what type of boys you like.”
“That’s right, that’s right. Also, you measurements.”
As expected, boys are just gross.
I ignored them and went straight back to my seat, waiting for the self-introduction of that fiancé of mine.
…
After about ten or so people had finished with introducing themselves, a boy who was both handsome and full of spiritual aura stepped up onto the podium. When he got up there, he gave us all a sunny and charming smile before introducing himself, “Well, everyone, nice to meet you! My name is Takahas.h.i.+ n.o.buhiko. I am happy that I could be in the same cla.s.s as everyone here. I, er, have interests in a lot of things, like music , jogging, and eh? The type of girls I like? This, I don’t really know. Anyway, I look forward to learning with you all from now on.”
“Wow! So cool…”
“His name is Takahas.h.i.+ n.o.buhiko? d.a.m.n, he is good looking, and he is the type of boy that I like.”
After that good-looking boy named Takahas.h.i.+ finished with his self-intro, the girls went all boy-crazy like… Humph… For sure, that guy named Takahas.h.i.+ is quite good looking; plus, when he was at the podium just now, his eyes didn’t glue onto me – that was different from all the other boys. He is not bad at all.
…
“My name is Satsuki Risa, er? If you have to ask me the type of boys I like? I… I don’t know either.” Her face turned red as she said this.
The girl named Satsuki Risa is quite pretty. Meh, but that’s about it.
“So cute… Her face even turned red… Ah, my G.o.ddess…”
“What are you saying? Of course, Kamiki is superior, you idiot.”
“What Kamiki? Satsuki is way better.”
“Kamiki is the best.”
Those disgusting boys – could they not discuss things like this out in the open? I shook my head slightly.
After that girl named Satsuki stepped down from the podium, a boy with unbelievably weak spiritual power stepped up. He was decent looking enough, but he just looked like he would be a wimp? If he were my fiancé, I would totally go jump off a building.
“Hi… everyone…” When he spoke, his voice was trembling? What a loser!
“My…name…is Lin Xiang…” Oh, so he is called Lin Xiang… hmm… ugh? What? Did he just say that his name was Lin Xiang? This is not a joke, right? My… my fiancé is him? Do I… do I have to go jump off a building now?
“Aiya… Trash Lin Xiang, hurry up and come on down, and let other people go.” Right at this moment, a boy with strangely dyed hair interrupted that Lin Xiang’s pathetic self-intro. I remember…him… What was his name again? Yamamoto? Or was it Yamada?
“That’s right, that’s right. Just hurry up and come on down.” The boys sitting on either side of that strange boy shouted in agreement. That homeroom teacher also just let them be. From his expression, I could see the look of disdain. What an incompetent teacher! He notices that his student is weak and he looks down on him… Speaking of, is he really the son of Lin Fan, that famous Battle Master? This isn’t a joke, is it?
———————— A Week Later
For a whole week now – I have been observing that guy named Lin Xiang for a whole week now. Just what exactly is going on here? Should I say that he is hiding his true power? Or should I say that he is really useless? He has been ordered around like a dog by that Yamada, and his gang, and he hasn’t complained, he even follows along with a smile on his face… How could my fiancé be someone like him… I’d rather die…
———————— Home
After I got home from school, the first thing I did was run into my father’s study. My father had a guest with him at the time. But I didn’t care; I really didn’t want to be the wife of someone like that.
“Father! That student named Lin Xiang, he’s useless through and through. I don’t want to be his fiancée. On top of that, his father and his mother have both pa.s.sed away already. Why do we have to follow through a marriage agreement that only you insisted on anyway?”
The moment I said this, both my father’s face and the guest’s face dropped. Did I say something wrong?
All I could see was that my father gave me this nasty look and yelled at me, “What silly things are you saying now?” Then, he turned to the guest and bowed, “I have to apologize, Lin Hao-sama. Because of my lack of discipline, my daughter’s temper is a bit…”
“Not a big deal… she… what she said was also the truth… Since your daughter doesn’t want to, then let’s not force it on her. Nowadays, they advocate freedom of love. The way I see it, let’s just go with that. Let’s not interfere with their affairs and just let them develop at their own pace. If they each find love separately on their own, then we can just annul this engagement proposal.” Who is this man? A relative of that piece of trash? How come his words made me so happy?
“No, this would be a bit unfair. Lin Xiang is still in the dark about this whole arrangement; if he had known about it, he might just agree to it. So, this whole freedom to love thing need only apply to your kid, Lin Xiang. It needs not apply to my daughter.”
“Father, what are you talking about? I don’t want to. How could anyone possibly like a loser like that?” Even in front of his relative, I didn’t have any qualms talking about it. After all, I was determined to not be that piece of trash’s fiancée.
“Are you not going to listen to me?” Father’s expression looked really unpleasant…
Ahhh… I let out a sigh and replied, “I understand.”
Why do I have to be a daughter of this type of large and prominent family…
————————— June 3
Today’s Sunday. I was bored at home, so under the protection of my bodyguard, I came to Meredith, the clothing store I frequent. After I had picked myself out some clothes, I saw Lin Xiang come through the door… But this is a store for women clothes only….
Hm? Is he buying women’s clothes? Does he have a girlfriend already? It can’t be, right? Who would date this kind of guy?
I saw that piece of trash picked out a few random pieces of clothing, and walked towards the undergarment area…
Wait a minute, where does he think he is going? The Lingerie and Intimate Apparel section? Is he a pervert? When I think about it, the possibility could be quite high – his ability is low, and there is a lot of pressure, isn’t it quite natural that his mind could become warped?
When I thought of this, I despise him even more. I hope that there is some girl out there who would have a lapse of judgment and fall for him…
————————— June 4
Today, as usual, I got to school early. It is such a pain, being nominated as the cla.s.s rep by all those boys in cla.s.s, but I can’t do anything about that… As I opened my locker, a few love letters fell out.
It had already been two months since the beginning of the school year. From the beginning when my locker was completely full of love letters, till now with just a few: don’t they know when to call it quit?
I threw all the love letters into the trash as I walked to my desk. I turned around and looked towards the back of the cla.s.sroom, where that piece of trash was usually already seated, reading his book, and noticed that he wasn’t even here yet? What had happened? Never mind, I don’t want any relations with him anyway; besides, he is a weirdo who buys women’s underwear…
“Yo, is that Trash Lin Xiang late for cla.s.s today?” As I heard the disgusting voice of Yamada, I looked up and saw that piece of trash just came in. He was late for cla.s.s? I really have never seen this before.
Today, I kept getting the feeling that he was different? The looks in his eyes, it was as though he was ready to attack Yamada? Was that my imagination?
“Yamada, you don’t want to live anymore?” The attractive voice of Takahas.h.i.+ n.o.buhiko echoed in cla.s.s, followed by a bunch of girls agreeing with him.
I really don’t understand, how a piece of trash like him could have such an amazing friend…
————————— Lunch break
He is really strange today: he fell asleep in cla.s.s, got called out by Ijima Sensei, and during the mock battle, he even managed to dodge that low-rank demon’s attack… am I the one who is actually asleep?
Oh? That piece of trash didn’t even go to the cafeteria with Takahas.h.i.+ for lunch? And he brought his own bento? What is up with him today? Plus, he seems to be on very friendly terms with Satsuki.
…
After I finished the lunch that my family chef had prepared, that Yamada came back into the cla.s.sroom and walked over to where that piece of trash was. Ah… from the looks of it, that piece of trash is going to be bullied again… I didn’t pay attention to what happened after that, and just focused on tidying up my bento box. All of a sudden, with a loud “boom”, Yamada fell onto the floor, and it looked as though he couldn’t get back up? What happened?
What did that piece of trash whisper in Yamada’s ear?
Why is it that when he left, he shouted, “Lin Xiang! You just wait and see.” Could it be that that piece of trash beat him? It can’t be, right?
————————— Two weeks later
Very strange, that piece of trash has been acting very strange. Just what exactly happened? I keep getting the feeling that he is different than when I first met him. The cowardice from before turned into more of an air of casualness, and he had this easy-going att.i.tude about everything… Then, there is that Satsuki – it is clear that she is real close to that piece of trash, and at times, she would appear to be quite intimate with him… Could it be that they are together? It can’t be, right? That Satsuki could be called an idol for the school… how could she be running around with that piece of trash?
————————— Sunday
Today, like always, l came by the Meredith Boutique to get myself some new clothes. When I pushed open the door to the store, I saw Satsuki and that piece of trash, together, picking out clothes? They must be together, right?
After chatting with Satsuki for a few minutes, and judging from how she blushed during our conversation, I dare say that they are together. This is fantastic! I am finally free; I have to go back and let father know.
I got so excited about finding out about this news, that I completely forgot about buying new clothes; and asked the chauffeur to take me home straight away, so that I could tell Father all about this incident…
————————— The Next Day
“Really?” Satsuki exclaimed excitedly, and I turned to look at her, and found that Satsuki was hugging that piece of trash, and was hugging him quite snuggly, “I knew it! I knew it, I knew that you actually felt it. As I thought, you actually knew this whole time, right? You’re so mean. You actually had me come out and say it. You’re too mean.”
And that piece of trash that is being hugged, I could see it on his face that he was enjoying it. Then, as though he had noticed that I was watching him, he quickly pulled himself together and said, “That… Satsuki?? What on earth are you talking about? Quick, quickly, let go, people are looking at us.”
This man shouldn’t be aware of the marriage arrangement between the two of us, right? He couldn’t be thinking that he could two-time me, could he? No way. I won’t let him do this to me. Something just has to be made clear.
So, I asked him to come to the rooftop…
After I told him everything, he pretended like he didn’t know a thing, “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I never knew about having such a pretty fiancée. Also, there’s really nothing going on between Satsuki and I. Plus, couldn’t you have just told me about this earlier, and have me talk to your dad about annulling this engagement?”
I don’t need you feigning your concern for me, you useless weirdo piece of trash.
“Go ahead and keep pretending, I’ve seen through your games. Alright, let me tell you, even if you’re willing to annul the engagement, my father would definitely say that I manipulated you. That old-fas.h.i.+oned man definitely won’t agree to it. So, let me make it clear now. I don’t care whether you knew about it or not, all I ask is that you let me go. Just be satisfied and go out with that Satsuki, alright? I am not like her who has bad taste in men. I couldn’t possibly like you. As I said, we are not compatible.”
“Hey! Watch what you’re saying, what’s with Satsuki having bad taste in men and all? Let me tell you, there’s nothing going on between Satsuki and I. It doesn’t matter whether I know about the engagement or not, what I do know is that I’ll never f–king go out with you!!!” He even got angry? Could it be that I hit the nail on the head and he got upset? Really, what a worthless man…
—————————— Spirit Summoning Day