Ch.123Chapter 19. Memories (4)

When I was younger, I used to be quite indifferent about participating in school events.

I was already attending school reluctantly, and festivals were only fun for kids with lots of friends. As someone who found more enjoyment in reading manga at home, my only thought was to get back home as quickly as possible.

But now, here I am.

This is the very place where all those events from the manga and light novels I read as a child are actually happening.

Of course I should enjoy it.

I once heard from a friend that overseas travel is enjoyable because we don’t know what’s “normal” in that country.

Since we don’t know what’s normal, even small things seem fascinating and special. The same applies to how foreigners feel in Korea.

Having never traveled abroad before, I just nodded along, but now I couldn’t agree more.

The urban atmosphere in Seoul and Tokyo is surprisingly similar. But when you look at the details, you discover that the ambiance and scenery are quite different.

The language on signs changes. There are as many trains running above ground as below, and there are many crosswalks.

Street food is different from Korean street food in many ways, and the living environment and daily diet are different too.

And the same applied to this school festival.

Having never been to a Japanese school festival, I didn’t know if what appeared in manga and light novels was typical or not. I didn’t know if what was happening here was normal either.

So everything that came into view as I walked around was fascinating.

“The tea leaves were better than I expected.”

Yuka said as we finished our tea ceremony experience.

I could distinguish between green tea and black tea, but I couldn’t tell the difference between tea leaves, so I just nodded.

More than that, I was surprised to discover such a place inside the school. From the outside it looked like a regular classroom, but inside was a very Japanese-style room.

A tea ceremony club. It sounded like it would be extremely unpopular, but it was actually located among other popular clubs.

At least it seemed much more popular than the literature club.

“Do you drink tea often?”

“My grandfather likes it.”

I see.

I nodded and made a mental note of that.

I’m thinking of giving him a Christmas present or something like that. Not just Yuka’s grandfather, but small gifts for everyone who has helped me would be nice.

Come to think of it, I know that Japanese people are very diligent about writing New Year’s cards. I should ask Yuka about that later.

“Oh, what’s this?”

Walking down the second-year hallway, we stopped following Yuka’s footsteps.

Walking around with Yuka meant I didn’t have to choose what to enjoy or think about it. Yuka was stopping at almost every classroom, determined to fully experience the festival.

Well, maybe that really is the proper way to enjoy it. She was also taking lots of photos.

There was a sign where we stopped.

[Challenge! Death Race in the Swamp of Doom]

What a bizarre name.

Were the students perhaps showing a short film they made? Judging by the covered windows along the corridor, that might be the case.

“It says this is an interactive experience?”

Following Yuka’s words, I read the guidance text, and indeed it was. Three people could challenge it at once, and the winner would receive a small prize.

People were already lined up at the entrance on the side without guidance text.

Isn’t running from one end of a classroom to the other almost instantaneous? Maybe that’s why they covered the corridor windows. If it looked too simple from outside, people might not participate.

“…Want to try it?”

When I asked Yuka, she nodded vigorously.

Well, I was curious too.

We took Koko and walked to the end of the line.

[30 minutes from here]

At the end of the line, a student was holding a sign with those words.

Impressive. It feels a bit like being at an amusement park.

…Maybe I should ask her to go to one together sometime.

I thought that while looking at Yuka’s excited expression.

*

Ah, so that’s what it is.

With such a grand name as “Swamp of Doom,” I wondered what they had created, but it was a ball pit.

They had scattered small balls like those found in kids’ cafes or department store playrooms all over the classroom floor and placed stepping stones among them.

There were several stepping stones near the starting point, but only one at the finish line. The simple rule was that only one person could reach the end.

Although it was called a ball pit, they apparently couldn’t get enough balls to fill the entire classroom floor. Between the scattered balls were thick mats, probably borrowed from the gym storage, and the stepping stones themselves were only slightly higher than the mats and balls.

Even the corners had foam safety guards like those used to protect children from bumping into things.

For safety, we also had to wear elbow and knee pads, plus helmets.

That must be why each team’s turn took so long!

“Welcome!”

A second-year girl shouted energetically as the three of us entered.

“Risk your lives to complete the race! Sweet victory awaits at the end! Welcome to Death Racing!”

Indeed, the prize was a rather large chocolate.

By the way, the participation fee was 100 yen per person, so with three people required to start a race, they wouldn’t lose money offering a 200-yen chocolate as a prize.

They must have spent money renting the ball pit, but the school probably provided some support for that.

Maybe they even found it stored away in some school warehouse.

“Are all three of you participating?”

We looked at each other and nodded.

“Great, please follow the safety staff’s instructions to put on protective gear!”

Soon, two ghosts and one ordinary high school girl were thoroughly armored from head to toe.

For some reason, when I looked at our reflection in the full-length mirror in the corner of the classroom, it was a bit funny. We looked like Sadako preparing for a fall while crawling out of a TV.

After taking a picture of that too, we followed the safety staff’s instructions and took our positions.

“I won’t go easy on you.”

Yuka said with a smile.

“Neither will I.”

“Woah!”

I decided to match the atmosphere since it was more fun that way.

“Is everyone ready?”

The girl who guided us shouted.

“Good. All three of you, no violent behavior or you’ll be disqualified! No hitting or pushing with your hands! You can only fall by failing to step properly on the platforms. Understood!”

When we nodded, the girl smiled and nodded back, then went to the radio at the back of the classroom and pressed play.

The background music was from the movie “Jaws.”

“Then—begin!”

*

The winner was Koko.

Though we said we wouldn’t go easy—neither Yuka nor I are heartless beings.

We wanted to let the purest among us, Koko, fully enjoy the festival and remember this moment for a long time.

It definitely wasn’t because she was already ahead of us before we even reached the middle,

And it certainly wasn’t because Yuka and I had a silent agreement to team up against her but couldn’t keep up with her speed.

I absolutely didn’t reach out my hand, belatedly remember it was against the rules, quickly pull back, and then fall sideways and get disqualified.

…

Well, seeing Koko smiling happily with that large chocolate in her hands made all that irrelevant.

“Here.”

Koko broke the chocolate and handed me a piece.

Though I say a piece, it was nearly a third of the whole thing.

“Thanks.”

I accepted without hesitation.

She gave Yuka a piece too, so we ended up sharing the chocolate equally.

It was very sweet.

“Hmm…”

Yuka, who had been lost in thought for a moment, said,

“Should we head back up soon? Kaoru and Izumi should enjoy themselves too. We still have tomorrow anyway.”

“Sounds good.”

“Woah!”

We both answered Yuka at the same time.

We’d been walking around for quite a while, so taking a break wouldn’t be bad.

The boss and Miki said they’d come tomorrow. So there’s nothing else to worry about today.

Let’s go upstairs, relax, read a book, and then head back.

The three of us walked together with lightened hearts.

*

However, something unexpected happened during that process.

Ah, it wasn’t related to yokai. At least no incidents had occurred at school yet.

If something had happened, there would have been an uproar by now. Unlike the school festivals I remember from my school days, this place was really crowded. Even if just the students and their acquaintances came once, the number would be enormous. Add to that students from other schools, and it would be even more so.

The boss and Miki said they would come to see it, but their schedule was for tomorrow, and grandfather said he would come a little later in the afternoon. So until then, I was planning to wait leisurely in the literature club room.

“So… you’re Kotone’s mother, right?”

By sheer coincidence, I heard those words while walking down the corridor.

It wasn’t particularly quiet around us. On the contrary, there were many people. The only reason I could hear that voice was because the speaker was none other than Teacher Suzuki.

My face turned in that direction automatically.

Teacher Suzuki was partially hidden by the person she was speaking to, but I recognized the back of the person standing in front of the teacher.

“…”

The person standing there without giving any answer was… none other than Kagami.

Wow.

The atmosphere between them instantly became awkward.

This was their first direct meeting.

When Teacher Suzuki came looking for me, Kagami wasn’t there. Even if I went to the police station, Teacher Suzuki had no reason to come there.

The same was true when I was in the hospital.

Of course, Kagami had never visited our school. There was no reason to.

But Kagami would certainly know who Teacher Suzuki was. Even if she didn’t come directly, she would have investigated my surroundings.

She probably tried to minimize direct encounters with Teacher Suzuki.

“Are you here to see Kotone?”

Conversely, how did Teacher Suzuki know Kagami?

Well, she could have investigated if she wanted to. Maybe she even visited Kagami directly, just like she came looking for me. Since the clothes Kagami was wearing now were completely different from what she usually wore, the teacher might have asked to confirm.

As my frozen brain began to thaw, I realized that Kagami wasn’t wearing her usual low-cut outfit but clothes with no exposure at all.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter what, if she had come here in her work attire, I probably would have died of embarrassment right here.

Even Kagami must have thought that was inappropriate.

“Kotone?”

When I fixed my gaze on one spot and stopped walking, Koko called out to me. Yuka, who was walking beside me, also looked at me strangely.

What should I do?

“…Am I not allowed to?”

Kagami seemed to have made up her mind and spoke to Teacher Suzuki with her arms crossed.

And hearing that voice, more attention was drawn to them.

Teacher Suzuki is popular among students. She probably has a good reputation among teachers too.

She has a good personality, is passionate about her work, and listens well to students’ concerns.

Even outside our class, there were plenty of students who chatted with her in a friendly manner.

But Kagami was a face the students had never seen before.

Even if she was speaking politely, confronting Teacher Suzuki could lead things in an unpleasant direction.

And that wouldn’t be good for me either.

In response to Kagami’s words, I immediately started walking.

By then, Yuka had also assessed the situation and quickly approached me.

Before Kagami could say another word, I needed to figure out how to completely draw attention to myself.

“…Mom.”

Before I could finish thinking, that word came out of my mouth.

After saying it, I felt embarrassed belatedly. Calling Kagami, who might actually be younger than me, “Mom.”

Well, it’s not like I’ve never used that word before, but saying it in such a crowded place made me a bit embarrassed.

The attention shifted to me.

Strangely, my name seems to have spread throughout the school, and quite a few students recognized me.

Those students looked at me and Kagami with curious eyes, as if thinking, “So that’s this girl’s mother.”

But none of them showed any further reaction.

I might be famous at school, but it’s almost entirely because of my appearance.

And Kagami, as long as she keeps her mouth shut, is just an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Kagami’s eyes wavered slightly when she heard my voice and turned around.

And for a very brief moment, she seemed to hesitate about what to call me.

Then she saw Yuka and Koko who had followed behind me.

But I was the first to speak.

“The literature club is this way.”

I said, reaching out to lightly grasp Kagami’s sleeve.

I’m not sure why I acted that way.

Perhaps if I hadn’t spoken first, Kagami would have pretended to treat me roughly, like she did at the police station.

Rumors would spread throughout the school, and Kagami’s reputation would plummet.

“…”

Though it was difficult to articulate the exact reason, I somehow didn’t like that idea.

In front of other students, her image was already damaged beyond repair, but going further here…

“Let’s go.”

When I spoke, Kagami stared at me with a confused expression.

She looked like she didn’t know how to respond to this behavior.

“Kotone.”

Teacher Suzuki, who had somehow come to call me by my first name over time, spoke with a serious face.

“If you need help—”

“I don’t.”

I never needed help from the beginning.

If anything, Kagami was among those who had helped me.

To be honest, I don’t know exactly about Kagami or the association. There were still quite a few shady aspects, and I still felt uncomfortable about the money coming from there.

Especially considering what she did to Koko.

But still… I couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.

“Let’s go.”

When I spoke again, Kagami looked at me with those narrow eyes, then silently moved toward me.

“Kotone.”

Yuka called me worriedly. Yuka thinks Kagami is “that kind” of person.

I shook my head.

“It’s okay.”

“…”

At my words, Yuka glanced at Kagami once and then nodded.

But she stood close beside me.

“Wooh?”

Koko tilted her head.

Is Kagami no longer scary to her? At least she wasn’t hissing like a cat, so it seemed that way.

Fortunately, as we headed to the old building, the number of people decreased dramatically, and as we went up each floor in that building, the number decreased even more.

Still, there were a few people, and they did glance at me in my ghost costume, but that was all.

By the time we reached the literature club room, there was truly not a single person around.

Kagami didn’t say anything until I opened the door and entered.

“Oh.”

Seeing me and Kagami enter simultaneously, Kaoru and Izumi, who were sitting in chairs, quickly stood up.

Between them were the snacks they often ate here. They seemed to have been relaxing comfortably as they said they would.

…This is a bit awkward.

“Should we leave?”

Kaoru perceptively asked.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

Izumi said, standing up with Kaoru.

“Take your time.”

“…”

Kaoru and Izumi roughly know about my relationship with Kagami. At least they seemed to think I wouldn’t be abused, as they quickly left the literature club room.

“Yuka.”

I looked at Yuka, who was still standing her ground.

“…”

Yuka looked back and forth between me, Koko, and Kagami.

“I’ll come right in if I notice anything suspicious.”

And with an extremely wary expression, she said to Kagami.

“…That won’t happen.”

At my words, Yuka looked at me again.

Her expression was very complex.

After thinking for a moment, Yuka finally sighed deeply, shrugged her shoulders, and made way.

After watching the door close, I looked at Kagami.

“Did something serious happen?”

“No.”

Kagami spoke as if she herself didn’t know why she was here. Her voice sounded a bit dazed.

“Then… did you come to enjoy the festival?”

“…Maybe?”

It didn’t seem like a joke. Even Kagami herself was furrowing her brow and tilting her head.

“…”

What should I do?

Should I run out now and call Kaoru? She might be better suited for the exhibits in here.

“Wooh?”

Koko tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what the problem was.

Exactly.

The problem is that there is no problem. Usually when I meet Kagami, there’s always a “reason” for it.

“…Would you like a tour?”

When I said that, not knowing what else to say, Kagami blinked.

“…A tour?”

“Well… there aren’t any visitors here, but we do have exhibits.”

I don’t know why I’m saying this, but it’s better than saying nothing at all.

Yes, that must have been the reason.