#San arrow tanuki

[pick-a-plush]

[asknarashikari]

Sae: *fires an arrow that barely misses Keiwa's ear.* You!

Keiwa: Sae-san? What was that for?

Sae: If you hurt Neon-chan, you'll answer to me.

Keiwa: Hu-hurt Neon-chan? Of course I'd never hurt her!

Sae: We will see, I have eyes and ears everywhere Sakurai, I'll know if you hurt her or not.

(sooo this is Sae's "talk (i forgot what is the name of the "if you hurt her" talk lol) to Keiwa after learning that Neon is head over heels for Keiwa?)

You mean "the shovel talk"

And yeah, Sae definitely gives Keiwa one, especially after his Darth Tanuki era. Though I don't think she'll need to shoot an arrow at him, she'll just intimidate him by glaring at him with her hands at her hips...

I think Sara would give him one too, which would definitely confuse Keiwa because he's her little brother lmao

Poor Neon, while she appreciates the protectiveness she's mortified by the way they did it XD

[pchuaymee]

Ouija board's stories in other cultures.

Hello, everyone!

Today, I will you story about Ouija board, or it can call as "Talking board", or "Spirit board". It is a divination tool for summon a spirit, a demon, an angel, or an entity for talking via by board or paper with alphabets, numbers, and those words are "Yes", "No", and "Goodbye". And it movable by a planchette, a pen, a coin, a sauce tray or a sauce dish, or an empty glass. Also, you can use pendulum or dowsing rod for automatic writing too.

And today, I'll tell a Ouija or spirit board story in other cultures that I can do find a few stories.

In the Western culture.

There is said to use the Ouija board for communication with a spirit, dates back to Ancient Greece era as far as 540 BC. (It is assumed it got the origin from China in ancient.). Pythagoras, who is Greek philosopher was believe in rebirth or spirit, did use talking board with his student's name was "Philolaus". Also, it has connected to Ancient Roman where two people used it for choosing the successors to be king too. Later in 1886, Elijah Bond and Charles Kenner were manufactured talking board in the first time in Chestertown, Maryland. And in 1890, they were giving a name is "Ouija" which from French is "Oui" and German is "Ja" after they did use it for gave a name to be called it by spelled that "O-U-I-J-A" with their cousin who is medium, her name is Helen Peters in Baltimore, Maryland. Thus, "Ouija" is meaning "Good luck". In 1891, Fuld brothers, William Fuld and Isaac Fuld. They bought the rights Ouija board and recorded a patent, and also, they renamed as "Ouija Novelty" by after they did acquisition form Kenner's group. But in 1901, Isaac was his license revoked by Ouija Novelty, but he still did make a Ouija board but is suspended by a judge. Until in 1920, court declared William did won and he did can manufacture Ouija board. Later, in 1966, Fuld's family sold the right to Parker Brothers after William Fuld was passed away by his accident in 1927. In present, Ouija board's image is popular, and it is a standard setting psychical of talking board or spirit board for divination or talking with an entity or a spirit in western cultural too.

In the Chinese culture.

There is assumed that beginning in 551 BC approximately in Zhou dynasty era or in 420 BC about in Liu Song dynasty era when China was Northern and Southern dynasties era. There was used planchette writing by automatic writing with moving by dowsing a rod that called "Fuji or Fu-chi (Chinese: 扶乩/扶箕: Pinyin: fújī)". It uses for calling and talking with gods, goddesses or deities, or a spirit. It became popular in Song dynasty era around in 1100. But it blocked in Qing dynasty era. In present, Fuji is always to use in formally as calling gods, goddesses, or deities in Taoism Temples. And it has way to calling or summon a ghost or spirit for people who don't need to be informally, and they can do it in everywhere by the bottom dish with red arrow down for moving and paper or board has Chinese characters. It called "Die-Xian (Chinese: 碟仙 Pinyin: Dié xiān)". It can call as "Dish spirit" too.

In Japanese culture.

The talking board or spirit board in Japanese version is called "Kokkuri (Japanese: こっくり)", "Kokkuri-san (Japanese: こっくりさん)". It uses for summoning or calling an entity or an animal spirit. Its origin psychical is three bamboo rods arranged to make a tripod upon which is covered by a cloth, or they have tags are inserted into each of the word from animal's names are fox, dog and tanuki. For other words are trancing with finger on the bottom plate. In another story, there is said in 1884. American sailor has brought table turning to Japan and it became so popular. Because it cannot be easy to be find in that time, thus, they did stack up three sets of round rice containers and play that way which they would lean. It was said that "Kokkuri, kokkuri to katamuku (Japanese: こっくり、こっくりと傾く。)" It is meaning as "Leaning, they're leaning.". And the word is "Kokkuri" in Kanji that 「狐狗狸」 is from "fox (狐)", "dog (犬) or tengu (天狗)" and "Tanuki (狸)". It is meaning to summon or calling those an entities or spirit animals too. And it became popular since Meiji era. In present, Kokkuri in modern physical is paper with Torii door on the top-middle on papers and characters is usually writing with Hiragana characters, numbers and a 10-yen coin for moving.

In Thai culture

Ouija board or Talking board in Thai version is called "Phi Thuai Khaeo (Thai: ผีถ้วยแก้ว)", it is Thai traditional game or summon a spirit or an entity. It is assumed from Chinese Ouija board is Fuji. But its physical is looking likes as Ouija board in western, but they are just drawing by a small glass instead of planchette. And should throw that small glass too.

OK, everyone. These are stories of Ouija board how to play are seem as "Using your finger to moving follow for answer, cannot cancel meanwhile you are playing before say 'Thank you' or 'Goodbye', and the last thing is you don't should be playing it alone and you must be brave person." And it may be dangerous to you too. Thus, let be fun with safety or just and read it for fun!

Happy Halloween!

You can read more it forms those references:

Museum of Talking Boards: Ancient Ouija Boards, Fact or Fiction?

More Than A Game: The True History Of Ouija Boards | Ancient Origins (ancient-origins.net)

Introduction - Ouija Board: Topics in Chronicling America - Research Guides at Library of Congress (loc.gov)

The strange business history of the Ouija board (thehustle.co)

Ouija board - New World Encyclopedia

Ouija board made by Willie Ellis, c. 1933 - Museum of the Riverina (museumriverina.com.au)

The Ouija board's mysterious origins: war, spirits, and a strange death | Life and style | The Guardian

Fuji (planchette writing) - Wikipedia

TAOIST SORCERY: Playing The Chinese Ouija Board - Die-Xian (碟仙) (taoist-sorcery.blogspot.com)

TAOIST SORCERY: Chinese Planchette / Spirit Writing - Fu-Ji (扶乩) (taoist-sorcery.blogspot.com)

Kokkuri - Wikipedia

Kokkuri-san | Kowabana

Kokkuri-san: How To Play The Spirit Of The Coin (theghostinmymachine.com)

Japan’s version of a ouija board: We try to summon Mr. Kokkuri | SoraNews24 -Japan News-

What is a Phi Thuai Khaeo (ผีถ้วยแก้ว)? – PAHUYUTH

8 Legit Ways To Summon & See Ghosts In Thailand According To Local Paranormal Experts - ASIAGHOSTS

Notes:

[rurulyywrites]

☁️The Notes|Jack Howl X fem!reader|

Pairings: Jack Howl X fem!reader

Plot: Jack had been slacking in school recently due to him pushing his body to the limits more. Y/n had been nothing but concerned for him. Jack had recently asked Y/n for Alchemy notes,she did give it to him. Well other than the fact that most of her notebooks all have sketches and doodles on the pages..

Requested by: minidekudeluxe99(in wattpad) and they are also the same person to request the "Comfortable Mess" chapter! Do check it out~

and thank you once more to let a moron like me to write a chapter based on your lovely request! I'm suprised you trust me that much..

-

"Hey there again ruru! I was wondering if ya could possibly write up another oneshot!

So y/n leaves beloved sketchbook behind at class. Jack finds it opened to a page with a bunch of drawings of him on it! Most of them are doodles, but there’s one or two drawings that are very detailed.

She also puts a bunch of arrows pointing at the drawings with little notes

And finally there’s a little note in the corner of the next page that says: “maybe I should ask him out? Nah, no way he’d agree..”

Thanks o’ bunch my guy!"

-----------------------------------

3rd person POV

"Y/n San!" Jack shouts as he tried to catch up with the girl. Class just ended and Y/n was already heading to Ramshackle dorm.

"Jack? Do you need anything?"

Y/n asked as Jack caught up to her "yes,actually.. uhm.." Jack said as a hint of shyness went on him.

"Oh! Right! You feel asleep in during Alchemy so you didn't really get any notes,yeah?"

Y/n said in a cheery tone as Jack lightly nods.

Is she a psychic?!

Tsundere wolf boi cute. Cho kawaii~

Y/n then starts to look around her bag for her alchemy notes when suddenly..

"Ah crap.." Y/n said as she sighed and looked at Jack "Sorry,I think I left my Alchemy notes in the classroom"

Y/n said as Jack smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder "It's alright,I think I also left my PE uniform there"

"NYAA!!! Y/N COME ON!! IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP ILL EAT ALL THE TUNA!!"

Grim shouts as Ace held him to stop him from charging or hurting anyone.

"Looks like your Tanuki is hungry.. you should go before he sets the school ablaze,I'll stop by the classroom for the notes and my PE uniform"

Jack said as Y/n smiled and held his absolutely ginormous hand.

"You should stop overexercising. You're gonna slack until you're nothing but an absolutely jacked mess!!"

Y/n used "Puppy eyes! Attack"

-500 health!

Y/n pleads Jack with worried puppy eyes,Jack's weakness ever since he became friends with her. "I.. sure.." "Thank you.. take care, please"

Y/n said as she closed her backpack "For you,I will" Jack said as Y/n smiled and stood on her tip toes as she kissed his cheek and left without a word.

Leaving Jack a blushing and embarrassed mess.

Final attack! Distraction kiss!

K.O.!

Y/n Wins!

--

Jack arrived to the classroom and starting looking around for Y/n's alchemy notes. He eventually found both his PE uniform and the notes.

Jack looked at it and started flipping the pages and looking for the last alchemy lesson notes.

He couldn't find it by flipping through the start of the notebook so he flipped the notebook and started searching from the end of the notebook.

Wrong move. Just honestly.

As soon as he saw the last page of the notebook,he was caugh pretty off-guard.

This dude that I saw in the first day off class looks like he could kill me!

If I was mysteriously murdered,he would be the first suspect.

He saw a drawing of him,well chibi version, holding a knife and looking scary with a text written above him.

"Was I really that scary?" Jack questioned himself as he picked up the notebook and headed to Savanaclaw with his nose stuck in the book.

False alarm! Mr scary-jacked is very nice! Tsundere level cuteness!!!

10/10 workout buddy! Very pushing but I lost alotta weight and sweated alot!

He flipped through the pages and saw a drawing of chibi Y/n and chibi Jack working out. Jack chuckled since he didn't know she could draw this well.

"Cute.."

Jack muttered as he reaches the hall of mirrors.

「Meanwhile..」

"Y/N IVE SEEN WHAT WAS IN THAT ALCHEMY NOTEBOOK!"

Ace shouted at Y/n.

Y/n told ADeuce and Grim about Jack and her alchemy notebook that didn't go quite well..

"Ace stop shouting! But seriously Y/n, if you need anyone to teach Jack a lesson if he rejects you--"

"Deuce you're not helping! That alchemy notebook has numerous drawings of Jack and I! If he finds it, in which I have a 100% guarantee, I WILL EITHER BE HEARTBROKEN OR I FINALLY HAVE A BOYFRIEND IN THE WORST CONFESSION EVER"

Y/n said to the three of them. "Y'know,maybe Jack likes you-" "GRIM IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT!" The three shouted at Grim.

"I know what's in that notebook,it's horrifying. And if he saw that, he'll give the notebook back and probably never talk to you again"

Ace said as Deuce hit his shoulder "If he did,then mother forgive me for what I'm about to do. But I think it's far from that"

"Pfft- what do you know,Deucey"

Ace said with a laugh "Nah nah,hear him out" Grim said as Y/n agreed

"I really think he's into you. The amount of times he asks me where you went or if you're with me is clear signs he's worried for you and wants you safe"

Deuce said which brought a slight relief to Y/n "How about we ask the witch of NRC!"

Grim suggested "A/n sensei? I think his shop is closed"

Deuce said "DAMMIT!! I REALLY WANTED TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY COOKIES!!"

"Not the time,Grim!" The three shouted once again at Grim.

"I'm always being targeted. All I wanted were cookies,man.."

--

It's already 6 pm and Jack was still looking at all of Y/n's doodles and drawings of him in the notebook. Occasionally blushing and chuckling at each one.

Went to school and in walked this babe with TIG OL' BITTIES! Damn look at those-

There was a very detailed half body drawing of Jack with his *ahem* pecks that were extremely ginormous with an arrow pointing at it.

Jack couldn't help but laugh at it and admiring how details and concerning it is. "She's so hilarious" Jack muttered as be flips through more pages

This bb wolf fell asleep in alchemy. FFS stop overworking yourself!

Like babes no one is stupid enough to be more stronger than you take a fucking break!

He laughs at the drawings and doodles.

Deuce said jacked people are assholes. JUST YOU WAIT BECAUSE JACK IS DIFFERENT

Or not..? Or he doesn't like me

I should ask Deuce first.

"Ask Deuce what..?"

Jack muttered as he tried to read between the lines.

Does Y/n like me?... Too?

It was obvious,I was just so dense. But now with this notebook,I finally realized..

WAIT SHIT I HAVENT DONE ANY ASSIGNMENT--

--

School has started. All Y/n was worried about all night was if Jack saw the drawings.

Meanwhile Jack spent a few hours looking through the drawings and stressed on the last minute about the assignment.

It was,thankfully, a Saturday.

"Jack still has my notebook..." Y/n said as Deuce agrees "I'm going to Savanaclaw." "Slooow down-"

"I'm coming with her"

"FNYAH?! Deuce?! You too?!"

Grim said as him and Ace looked at each other

"I need to get the notebook back! If he still has it by Monday,there's a higher guarantee that he's seen the drawings!"

Y/n explained as Ace and Grim sighed and agreed

"If Jack plans to hurt Y/n's feelings by humiliating her of the drawings,I'll be there to--"

"OH SEVENS DEUCE NO!"

.

As soon as the two got to Savanaclaw,they immediately starting to look for Jack so they don't get ambushed by other Savanaclaw students.

"Stadium"

"Great idea, gives us more chance to not be dead meat..."

Y/n muttered the last part as they both ran to the stadium. As to their suprise..

"Hm? Jack's not here" Ruggie said as the two went pale "What do you mean he's not?!" Y/n asked

"He said he wanted a break and didn't wanna participate in morning training,so we let him. He's been overexercising lately so he needs the first break he can have. Good for him,knows when to stop---"

"wait wait-! Did you say he asked not to participate in morning training?"

Y/n asked again as Ruggie nodded. Y/n grabbed Deuce by the shoulders and looked at him dead in the eyes.

"He saw it."

"Well fuck.."

Y/n and Deuce both thought that such a thing was pretty not Jack-like.

"I'm telling any gods above to forgive me for what I'm about to do-"

"Deuce can you not think so violently? Anyways. Stay here,I'll go talk to Jack"

Y/n said as she sat Deuce down on the Savanaclaw lounge "No! You're alone with Jack."

"Well Jack would be even more threatened if you were there,now would he?"

"Fair. Shout if you need help"

"You don't have to tell me."

.

It'll be fine.

He's not gonna like.. do anything.. right?

Y/n's thoughts started running around with worst case scenarios.

Some of which I can't say..

She reached Jack's room,took a deep breath, said "fuck it" and opened the door.

To see such.. humble.. surprise.

It was dim due to the drawers curtains in the room, quite unlikely since it is just the afternoon, and a path of fake candles and rose petals across the room.

Y/n closed the door and looked around "Uhm... W..wrong.. room?"

She muttered "I..uh.. n..no.. I think you got the right one"

with that familiar voice,the lights went on and she saw that the path of candles and rose petals were leading to Jack who was holding the notebook and a rose bouquet.

"Jack..? What's.. what's all this?"

Y/n asked,confused to everything around her. "I saw it.. all of it. I uh.. I actually like you too"

Jack said as he walks closer to Y/n. It suprised her but she didn't back up or anything.

"Don't think that I don't. I really really love you,Y/n"

Jack said as he took Y/n's hand and kissed the back of it

"And I'm serious. I will never ever hurt you in any way you wouldn't like"

Jack said as Y/n starts breaking into tears and hugged him.

"I fucking love you too..  you ginormous baby"

Y/n said,muffled from her face burries in his chest. "I've always wanted to do this" Y/n said,still lightly muffled from her face in his badongkas. "Hug me?"

"Nah. My face on your tits."

"You are so downbad"

A familiar voice spoke as Jack chuckled,Y/n turned around and saw Deuce sitting on the window "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Y/n shouts in shock "Deuce was my accomplice" Jack said with a chuckle as Deuce nods

"What? Did you think I expected you to come in my dorm room today?"

Jack said as Y/n face palmed herself and went back to her face in his tits.

"1 hour,please Deuce" Y/n said as Deuce sighed

"Can I use the door? I don't wanna climb down.."

[thefinalcinderella]

Tsurune Book 2 Chapter 4-Unsolicited Statement (Part 1)

To all the people who sent me messages the past month: I swear I will answer them tomorrow!

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. The word used here is sanpaku, a Japanese term referring to when the whites above or below the iris are visible. The literal translation here is “having a sanpaku with all his strength” but since that makes no sense I had to do some creative interpretation

2. I believe this refers back to the first chapter of Book 1 when Minato mistakes Masa-san for a ghost or zombie. Yokai has a lot of different meanings (since there’s so many types of them) including ghost or spirit, so that’s why Minato told everyone to forget what he just said,  probably

3. This is a real game. It’s the Japanese version of the Game of Life

4. Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) was a samurai with many legends, such as sinking an entire ship by shooting a single arrow into its hull and having a left arm that was four inches longer than the right one so he had a longer draw

5. If you read/watched Chihayafuru you’ll probably be familiar with the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, which are one hundred classic poems by one hundred poets.

6. This is poem 77 by Emperor Sutoku. I used the translation here

7. Shugendou is an old religion that combines Shinto, Buddhism, local practices, etc. Apparently they train in mountains a lot

8. Altair and Vega, aka Cowherd and Weaver Girl or Hikoboshi and Orihime, are the two stars involved involved in the Tale of Cowherd and Weaver Girl, which Tanabata is centered around. The tale involves two lovers separated by the Milky Way who could only meet each other on the seventh day of the seventh month by crossing a bridge of magpies

9. You’ve probably seen this in various anime, like MHA, but a cavalry battle or chicken fight is where a team with one person is carried by three people have to take headbands from the other teams

10. The school year in Japan starts in April and ends in March, so anyone born between April and March of the next year would be in the same grade, so even though Ryouhei is born in February he is one year younger than the other boys 

11. The original combined guuguu neru (which means sleeping soundly or snoring as you sleep) and schlafen. I debated whether to keep it like that or not before deciding to translate it

12. Egg drop soup is a Chinese dish of chicken broth with wispy beaten egg

13. See Chapter 2 of Book 1 for this incident

Previous | Next

Nanao grandly stretched towards the sky that signaled the end of the rainy season.

He was in the corridor on the third floor of the school building. As he walked, girls followed him in succession, and the other students trembled and gave way to them. Thanks to Shuu arriving at Kazemai High School a few days ago, the Nanao Fan Club was not able to admire Nanao in hakama, and they were falling into a state of starvation. Perhaps because of that reaction, he was more surrounded by girls than ever, and the boys, who felt nothing but animosity, made sour faces. However, there was a way to deal with this.

“Thanks for waiting, Kacchan!”

When he opened the classroom door and shouted that, there was Kaito, who made impressive sanpaku eyes. (1)

“I’m not a little kid, so stop coming to get me. We can go to club by ourselves, at least.”

“But Kacchan, weren’t you the one who said not to be late?”

“Good grief, what a pain.”

When Kaito stood from his seat, the girls surrounding Nanao left, scattering in all directions.

The power of the Kaito Barricade was immense. The fact that Kaito won’t sit back when it came to Nanao was a lesson etched into the bodies of those who adored and idolized Nanao. But, because he could also drove away the undesirable suitors—in other words, the girls who were secretly acting before the others—they maintained a reasonable distance as to not wake the sleeping gatekeeper.

How dependable. That kind of skill was not something one resolved to try to learn.

However, Nanao felt a little sorry.

“Nanao. Kaito-kuuun. You guys are early!”

Ryouhei ran up to them with a smile. By chance, he also met up with Minato and Seiya, and so the five walked to the kyudojo together.

Minato, who had a bandage around his left wrist, was chipper, raised his left hand as he was walking and made his tenouchi in mid-air. Similarly, Ryouhei was also pretending to shoot a bow. Seiya and Kaito kept watchful eyes on the two, who were both in a state of impatience for not being able to draw a bow sooner, so they would not get in anyone’s way. It was a charming scene with a fine combination of people, but Nanao’s heart was not there.

Because, recently, there were “footsteps” coming from an empty room in Nanao’s house.

On the second floor, there were sounds, as though a child was running lightly.

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Three years ago, they moved to their current house. For their parents, it was their dream home, and for Nanao and his three-years-younger sister, it was a newly built, beautiful home with large bedrooms. Their school districts changed by moving, and he and Kaito ended up going to different middle schools, but the distance between their houses hadn’t changed much and it was a comfortable home.

However, for the past few months it had become possible to hear footsteps. Although they hadn’t been deciding on a time, there were many instances of the inside of the house falling completely silent. It couldn’t be called a boast, but neither Nanao nor his parents had any psychic powers at all. They could not tell any experiences like seeing ghosts or talking to time travellers. And yet, everyone in his family had been hearing those footsteps. Thanks to that, it was a bit scary to stay home alone.

When he talked about it during their break in club practice, the girls covered their mouths with their hands.

“Uwah, scary!”

“Isn’t that really dangerous?”

Seiya mimicked Nanao’s tone.

“…There’s footsteps coming from an empty room, you know? On the second floor, there’re sounds, like a little kid is running lightly… Tap, tap, tap, tap…”

“Stop——!”

“Takehaya-kun, you’re awful—!”

Seiya gave a little chuckle.

“Sorry. But, what is that phenomenon, really? There’s also the possibility of rats, tanukis, or weasels.”

Nanao shook his head.

“Nope. We called someone to check to see whether or not there are small animals settling in the attic, but there was nothing unusual.”

“Is that so, hmm.”

Minato, quietly listening to everyone talk, muttered just a few words.

“A little kid’s footsteps…that sounds like a zashiki-warashi…”

“Zashiki-warashi…that’s the yokai that looks like a child and brings luck to those who see it, right?”

“Ah, no, forget what I said!”

At the word “yokai”, Minato hurriedly withdrew his remark. Beside him, Masa-san was holding back a laugh. (2)

Ryouhei’s eyes were sparkling.

“Awesome! Having a zashiki-warashi live with you is the best. I wanna meet it too! I wish one would come to my place as well.”

Hearing that, Kaito wrinkled his brow.

“Ryouhei, aren’t you no good with spirits?”

“Nah. I hate ghosts, but I like yokai.”

“Once again, the distinction between what you like and don’t like is practically nonexistent. How are they different?”

“They’re completely different. Ghosts are scary, but I want to be friends with yokai.”

“Yeah, I don’t get it at all.”

Next to Kaito, whose brow wrinkle was getting deeper and deeper, Nanao was thinking.

I see, so there is also that kind of explanation. If I think that, then those footsteps aren’t scary.

They’re lucky footsteps.

If that’s the case, let’s warmly welcome our sudden visitor.

A corner of Nanao’s mouth lifted.

The next day, the place Ryouhei headed for was a large estate surrounded by white walls.

Even when standing before the gate, the only thing that could be seen was a single path leading to the forest, and the essential residence could not be seen anywhere. Ryouhei could not hide his surprise at how a place like this was owned by one person.

“What a huge place. I wonder if this is the intercom?”

Ryouhei pressed the button.

“Sorry for how sudden this is. This is Yamanouchi Ryouhei from Kazemai High School speaking. Is Fujiwara Shuu-kun at home?”

“——Please excuse me, but have you made an arrangement with him?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“——I am afraid I must decline visits from those who have not made arrangements beforehand. I am sorry.”

“I understand.”

Ryouhei hummed while he walked along the white wall.

When Shuu returned home that evening, the butler, Toujou, was waiting for him. He seemed somewhat agitated.

“Yamanouchi—Ryouhei came here?”

“Yes. As he had been waiting before the gate for a long time, I allowed him to enter, based on my judgement. Please forgive me.”

“No, it’s no problem.”

“And, there is another matter. To tell the truth, I, Toujou, unintentionally succumbed to my youthful impulses… That young man is quite strong. I was overwhelmingly defeated.”

“Defeated?”

Toujou was speaking in an unusually roundabout way. In the first place, it was the first time he showed in a guest without confirming with him. Shuu opened the door to the guest room.

The room was decorated with a bamboo for Tanabata that was so tall it almost reached the ceiling. A single table was placed in the center of the room, and sitting in front of it was Ryouhei, who grinned at Shuu from ear-to-ear when he noticed him. He could practically see the illusion of a tail wagging back and forth. What’s more, to his surprise, even his little sister Sae and his mother were there.

Shuu felt vertigo and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“Shuu-niisama, welcome home!”

“…What are all of you having so much fun with?”

“It’s a board game, Shuu-niisama. Sae has made a lot of children!”

“Children?”

Sae showed him a Japanese board game with the slogan, “Life has many ups and downs. Aim to be a billionaire!” (3) His grandfather left it to him as a present when he was young. You spun a roulette and advanced your piece by the number of spaces you got, and aimed for the goal indicated on whichever space you landed on. The pieces were in the shape of automobiles, and pins of people were inserted into the seats, but as children were born, the number of pins riding in the car also increased. Sae’s car piece was full.

“Will Shuu-niisama be joining us next?”

“No, please, the four of you should continue on like this.”

At Shuu, who declined, Ryouhei grinned meaningfully.

“In that case, I guess you don’t feel like beating me?”

“…Alright. Let’s do this.”

After the game began, toy banknotes went flying. Thirty minutes later, the winning order was decided with Shuu’s mother in first, followed by Sae, Ryouhei, Toujou, and Shuu. Shuu could not accept himself being in last place, but it felt fresh having those faces surround the table. Afterwards, they played many other games, and then took dinner together. When the meal was finished, Sae was completely attached to Ryouhei.

Ryouhei sat next to Sae on the couch, and showed her something on his phone. It was the figure of Shuu drawing his bow at Kazemai High School.

“Shuu-niisama is so amazing! He looks so heroic!”

“For the Japanese bow, there aren’t only two choices of hitting or missing, and hitting correctly is in itself incredibly hard. Shuu-kun is super amazing. He is already a god.”

Shuu’s mother put a slim finger to her mouth.

“Well, I had thought that getting the highest score comes from hitting the centre of the target…”

Sae grasped Ryouhei’s hand.

“Shuu-niisama doesn’t talk about it at all. He told us not to come and cheer him on.”

“Hey, Sae.”

“Isn’t it okay? Ryouhei-san, could you please give me this picture?”

“Gladly.”

Sae borrowed her mother’s phone and took Shuu’s picture, then gently hugged it close.

“Well then, I also have a gift. Please write on it by time you go home and tie it on the tree.”

A strip of paper for Tanabata was placed in Ryouhei’s hand.

Shuu and Ryouhei moved to Shuu’s room.

The sight of his always prim mother swinging from joy to sorrow was strange and lovely. It had been a long time since he had heard his mother’s laughter from up close.

“Sorry about that, Sae said something unreasonable.”

“Not at all. Your mom is really pretty. As expected of a parent and child, you really look a lot like her.”

Shuu was shocked.

“…Where do you think we are alike?”

“When we were getting in the bath at the hotel we were staying at for the regional tournament, I saw you washing your hair, but I think it’s around the nape of your neck or behind your ears, like, the back of your head.”

“The ‘back of our heads’ are alike…?”

“Yeah, exactly alike. When you and Sae-chan and your mom are together, you really get the sense of, 'This is the bloodline.’”

At Ryouhei, who stated that so definitively, Shuu burst into laughter. Normally, when people said that they were alike, it was their eyes, voice, way of speaking, and other traits like that. That unexpected answer was unbearably funny.

He felt like that even if he and Ryouhei were standing in the same place, the scenery they both saw would be different. Ryouhei’s everyday was brimming with new discoveries, and it was brightly coloured.

“By the way, what kind of business did you have here, Ryouhei?”

“That’s right. I wanted to repay you for lending me your arrow.”

Ryouhei handed him an amulet.

“It’s from a shrine famous for the guardian of sports and Emperor Sutoku, but the god of improvement in kyudo is also enshrined there. My dad had a business trip so I asked him to get me one. You’re also matching with Minato and the other guys.”

“Thank you. This will encourage me.”

Shuu accepted the small pouch.

When it came to historical archery masters, the name of Nasu no Yoichi, who shot through a fan on a ship during the Genpei War, would come foremost to mind, but the person who was deified at the shrine was Minamoto no Tametomo, the eighth son of Tameyoshi and military commander during the Heian era who was said to have used a powerful bow and was unparalleled. Legendary tales of him, such as him being a giant who was over two meters tall and his left arm being longer than his right arm, and that it took five people to string his bow, remained through the ages. (4)

On the other hand, Emperor Sutoku was the seventy-fifth emperor, and famous as one of the poets for the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. (5)

Though a swift stream is

Divided by a boulder

In its headlong flow,

Though divided, on it rushes,

And at last unites again. (6)

——The flow of a river is swift, and even if it is blocked by a rock and divided, I believe I will definitely meet with you——.

This poem was regarded as a love poem, and it still attracted the hearts of many women even now. It seemed that the feeling of longing for someone remained unchanged in any age.

Thought was humanity itself.

It was something brought into existence by people.

People were always thinking something. They were creatures who could not stop thinking.

Practitioners of Shugendou (7) meditate and become ascetics as a means to suppress the “thoughts” which were brought about by people, in order to reach the level of the gods and Buddha. By casting away worldly thoughts, which were part of a wicked heart, with the chanting of sutras and the relentless sounds of waterfalls, and by being forced to concentrate intensely under the circumstances of being side-by-side with death, one would recall the bodily intuitions which were naturally endowed humans, as living things.

Words were thinking itself. Those who were able to not think of anything without training to do so were probably babies who had yet to learn words, people who were sleeping, and the dead.

Reaching the level of the gods?

Babies and the dead—— ?

The wind that came dancing in from the window blew through Shuu’s and Ryouhei’s hair.

“Ryouhei…I can see it now. I found the hidden door…”

“Hidden door? Where is it?”

“You can also find it. Follow me, I’ll be waiting.”

“Shuu-kun, don’t say difficult things like that. I don’t really understand, but okay.”

Ryouhei laughed lightly, carefreely.

Let’s open that door.

A spiral staircase leading upwards is there.

A staircase that has the same shape as DNA. Inherited memories.

To the place we must aim for.

To where light is shining——.

Before he went home, Ryouhei tied the strip of paper, on which he had written, “Family trip to the southern islands”, to the bamboo.

“Shuu-kun, what did you write?”

“Nothing. Just my name.”

“Oh, so it’s a wish only the other person knows. Mm, I hope it comes true.”

Shuu smiled gently.

In his head, Ryouhei recited the words Sae whispered into his ear when she gave him the paper.

“This is kept a secret from Shuu-niisama, but when you write your wish here, it is not Altair-sama and Vega-sama who grants it, but Father——.” (8)

After his committee meeting, Nanao went to the kyudojo by himself. There were only a few scattered signs of people in the school, probably because most students were either already going to club activities or going home.

With the Nanao Fan Club no longer shadowing him, Nanao regained his everyday life. There were still the sounds of a child’s footsteps at his house, but it was charming if he thought of it as the mischief of a zashiki-warashi. With this, he was able to concentrate on practicing until the national tournament in August.

As he was walking in the hallway with a light gait, some people who were passing by deliberately bumped into him.

They were three third-year boys.

“Oh, sorry. No girls today, Nanao-sama?”

“You’re going to club now? Kyudo doesn’t suit a shallow guy like you at all. Or are you aimin’ for a university sports recommendation spot? Doesn’t seem like you’d have a lot of rivals for kyudo. Maybe I should do it too!”

“What about Kacchan?”

“Kacchaaaan!”

Nanao clenched his fists behind his back before the third-year boys whose faces were distorted in loud laughter.

Don’t say my cousin’s name with your filthy mouths——.

He wanted to say that.

He wanted to punch them hard.

However, if he caused trouble here, he would be playing into his opponents’ hands. If Nanao caused a problem, he would then not be able to go to the national tournament. Because their own activities for their future courses were going badly, they were looking for an unwitting scapegoat. At their cores, they were not dissatisfied with the other person, but irritation at themselves for not being able to study for university entrance exams, even though they thought they must do it.

“Yo, Nanao-chan, why so quiet?”

It happened when one of them roughly grabbed Nanao’s collar, and Nanao glared back at him. Someone ran in from ahead of his field of vision and tackled Nanao.

Ryouhei held Nanao, carried him over his shoulder, and ran away as they were. At this extremely sudden event, the left behind third-year boys stood still, open-mouthed.

Nanao was carried on Ryouhei’s shoulder, folded in half around his waist, until they passed through the hallway.

“…Ryouhei, could you put me down soon? There’s a lot of pressure on my stomach and it hurts, and blood is rushing to my head.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Nanao stretched his body with a sigh after he was dropped onto the ground. He had often been the one to ride on top in cavalry battles (9), but being a high schooler and getting shouldered like a sack of rice was proof that one never knew what was going to happen in life.

After he fixed his disheveled hair, he looked at Ryouhei and saw that he was frowning.

“I went to get something I forgot in the classroom, but does that kind of thing happen a lot? Why did you stay quiet even though they said all that to you?”

“It’s not like I don’t understand their feelings. We were walking in a big group and I guess it was an eyesore. Since a long time ago, I’ve been raved about by girls, which means that I’m trashed by the boys. I guess I’m, like, used to it.”

“Don’t get used to that kind of thing. It makes me sad.”

“Ryouhei…”

���So, I’ll listen instead. Tell me all about it, Nanao.”

Ryouhei’s earnest eyes pierced through Nanao.

The reason why so many people could not refuse Ryouhei’s requests was probably because rather than it being Ryouhei’s own desire, he seemed to have read the other person’s mind. He correctly guessed the hidden wish that the person concerned had not even noticed themselves. And, Ryouhei did not notice it either.

“I see, mm. Alright, then can I complain for a bit?”

Nanao opened his mouth wide.

“If you want to complain, come tell me one by one, not in a group! And, who the hell’s putting trash in my shoe cupboard and desk! Don’t do this sneaky, petty harassment. Don’t freakin’ underestimate me just because I’m short!”

“Yep, yep…hmm? Short?”

“While I’m at it, I’ll tell you this too. Even though you were born after me, why the hell did you grow so much taller! It’s unfair, you know!”

Ryouhei was born in February. (10) He scratched his head.

“I guess it’s because I do bouldering at the community center and I hang down? Also, maybe it’s because I sleep a lot. Since you aren’t conscious when you’re sleeping, the energy used by my brain might have been used for growing.”

“They do say that a sleeping child grows well. I’ll sleep a lot from now on too.”

“Yeah, sleep, sleep!”

“In German, sleeping is ’schlafen’, so combine it with 'snoring’, (11) and let’s call sleeping a lot 'snorefen’.”

“I want to snorefen?”

“Let us snorefen?”

The two clutched their stomachs as they laughed. If Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo were there, they would probably have no idea what was so funny. The dumb conversations of boys were undecipherable codes to girls.

“That’s right, Ryouhei. Listen to one more thing I have to say.”

Nanao winked.

The area, which had undergone land readjustment, brought to mind the image of a Northern European townscape. The roadside trees were still young, and houses with the newest designs stood in rows.

Ryouhei was standing before Nanao’s house. The other Kazemai kyudo boys were also carrying supermarket bags in addition to their own luggage.

Nanao’s parents’ hobby was overseas travel. Moreover, they were free-spirited backpackers who loved budget travelling without knowing their whereabouts. On that day as well, they left without advance notice, and since his sister was staying at a friend’s house, Nanao was staying at home by himself. When Ryouhei heard about that, the first thing that came out of his mouth was,

“Let’s go meet the zashiki-warashi!”

And so, under the guise of a study meeting, this halfway test of courage was held.

Ryouhei tied the strings of his apron and took out foodstuff from the bags. He was responsible for the arrangement of the salad. Minato wrapped dumpling wrappers around the ingredients with practiced movements. Surprisingly, Kaito was also good at wrapping dumplings. Nanao and Seiya finished deep-frying the chicken and making the egg drop soup (12), respectively.

“Seiya, could it be that we’re really good at cooking?”

“Yep. I think we can probably live on our own right away.”

They sat at the table, and then Minato removed the lid of the hot plate. The room was filled with the smell of dumplings. They stretched out their chopsticks as though to say, “Finally!”

“Ittadakimaaaasu. Whoa, it’s really tasty! This is super good!”

Ryouhei was vigorously stuffing his cheeks, and Nanao also looked satisfied.

“How about that fried chicken and dumplings? There’s no way the zashiki-warashi wouldn’t come out if we make it smell such a nice smell, right?”

“Let’s set some aside for it. It’ll be disappointed if we have nothing for it, even though it took the trouble of coming here.”

Kaito spoke.

“You guys actually believe in it? Isn’t it just Nanao being scared?”

“And yet, didn’t you stop coming to my house for a while when you heard about the kid’s footsteps, Kacchan?”

“Shut up,” Kaito said, then gulped down his Oolong tea.

After they finished eating, they played games in the room. Nanao’s house was well-equipped with game consoles ranging from stationary to portable, and the number of games was impressive as well. They took turns entering the bath, and gamed until it was late.

They got tired of talking and soon decided to enter their futons. After they laid out their futons out in the guest room on the first floor, Ryouhei threw himself down, lying spread-eagled.

“The zashiki-warashi didn’t show up at all.”

“We might have been too noisy. If anything, there are lots of times when it’s quiet. I guess it’ll be a game once we enter our futons.”

They lowered their voices and waited for that time to come. However, even after one hour, there was not one sound. Before they knew, all five of them fell asleep.

Suddenly, Ryouhei woke up. He saw that it was still the middle of the night from his phone that was next to his pillow. Nanao, who should have been sleeping next to him, was not there. He wondered if he went to the washroom, but he never returned. Ryouhei left the room that was filled with the sounds of sleep.

He stood down the stairs and saw light coming from the second floor. He climbed the stairs, as though drawn in by the light.

He peeked into the room where the light was coming from, but there was no one there. The window was left open, and the night sky spread out outside the window. Wondering if it was carelessness after all, he entered the room to close the window. When he placed his hand on it, there was a sudden voice.

“Oh, don’t close it.”

When he poked his head out the window, he saw Nanao sitting on the roof of the first floor.

“What are you doing?”

Nanao pointed up at the sky.

“Look, a sky full of stars.”

“Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

Ryouhei sat next to Nanao on the roof. It was chilly and the soles of his feet were cool.

It was a starry night.

A star fell soundlessly.

Moonlit nights were nice, but nights where the moon was hidden were also special. The tiny stars that couldn’t be seen normally twinkled. Words failed him before that beautiful sight.

Ryouhei sighed.

“Is Kacchan sleeping?”

“Yep.”

“Good. He’s the one who’s scared, so I was wondering if he was too afraid to sleep.”

“Nanao, could it be that you’re Kaito’s guardian?”

“What, no way, too much work. Ryouhei, what’s your wish for the zashiki-warashi?”

“A family trip.”

“Ooh, that sounds nice. Like to a hot spring?”

“…My sister is timid, so she can’t leave the house. She’s been shutting herself in our house for a long time.”

“…Huh?”

Ryouhei looked up at the night sky.

“My sister is kind, smart, and athletic—a sister I can really brag about, but apparently there are people who hate that. At the school she transferred to, there was an unspoken understanding to not stand out more than so-and-so, but she didn’t realize that and did her best for everything. That’s why she ended up not going to school anymore.”

“Is that so… That’s terrible.”

“She found the ’Kaeru kerokerote e pero kero’ you taught me really funny. (13) You’re a genius at words that goes down well with her.”

“Well, as expected of the great me.”

“But, sometimes I can’t understand her. She says she doesn’t want to see me, and yet when I leave home for competitions, she orders me to call her… I don’t get her at all.”

“Oh, that’s because she spoils you. I think that if you try talking a bit selfishly to her, she would be relieved… Though if you try to test another person like that, they might leave instead.”

“She spoils me? No way. I’m worried if I did anything to make her hate me, but in the end, I can’t do anything.”

“I don’t think she hates you at all, in fact, I think she loves you. It’s really reassuring to have someone by your side.”

“I wonder about that…”

“You can bet on that, because I said it. Believe in me, 'kay?”

Nanao said, shining brilliantly with his back against the stars.

It was as though he was being told that by a prince. If the girls from the fan club were there, they probably would have swooned.

“Yeah. You’re Nanao-sama, after all.”

“That’s right. And, since you listened to me talk about my stuff the other day, next time, tell me more about anything that’s going on with you, like about your sister.”

“…Okay.”

He was wondering if he really had to talk about his sister, but Nanao listened to him without making fun or turning too serious and gloomy. Minato and Seiya knew about it, and that was precisely why he never mentioned her with them. He wanted the image of her in their minds to be as cool as she used to be.

When I meet with everyone, I’m so happy, I have so much fun, and I can’t help but feel pumped.

Right after the two brought their faces together and smiled, a boy with the face of a Deva king appeared.

“Hey, what the hell are you guys talking about in the middle of the night?”

“Kacchan!”

Kaito crossed over the window frame and sat between Nanao and Ryouhei.

“It’s pretty cold here. You guys need to get to bed soon.”

“But what are you doing, getting up in the middle of the night, Kacchan?”

“The two of you were gone when I woke up, so of course I would have to come and see what’s going on.”

“Pretty sure you woke up because you were scared, though.”

It happened when Nanao squinted.

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps.

The three exchanged glances.

“I could really hear the footsteps! So cool!”

“Isn’t it just someone who got up?” Kaito said.

“No, that’s definitely the sound of a little kid running!” Nanao said.

Ryouhei turned towards the house and placed his hands together.

“Zashiki-warashi-chan, please grant my wish!”

Nanao and Kaito also placed their hands together. Nanao sent a glance at Kaito.

“You have a wish too, Kacchan?”

“No, I’m just doing it because I got dragged into this.”

“Whaaaaat, that’s such a waste.”

“And what are you wishing for?”

“…It’s a secret.”

——Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The footsteps came again.

Right when Nanao and Kaito closed their mouths, somebody’s voice leaked from next door.

“Kou-chan, no running inside the house! It’s the middle of the night!”

The three looked at each other.

——The true identity of the zashiki-warashi is Kou-chan!?

The baby from the house next door, who still couldn’t walk yet when they moved there, had started walking, and it had only been the sound of the baby running around in the house that travelled into the adjoining Nanao’s house. He never knew that sounds from next door could be heard so well in wooden houses.

The three stared at each other for a minute, and then Nanao and Ryouhei burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

“What the hell were we doing, making our wishes to 'Kou-chan…’ Isn’t it one in the morning right now? Why is a little kid getting up so late at night?”

“I heard that babies are still bad at sleeping, so they inadvertently go to bed in the evening and get really energetic at night. But I can’t help it, this is too funny…”

Ryouhei couldn’t stop crying from laughter, and Kaito was too amazed to say anything.

In the end, Minato and Seiya also got up, and they also went up to the roof.

The five gazed at the starry sky for a long while.

Previous | Next

[tsuki-sennin]

Heyooooo

I uh... Didn't mean for this to be so late, but I've been having a really shitty couple weeks, so uh... oops.

Anyways, Geats! I'm ready for Round 2!

-The fox!

-"I literally almost died, neesan!"

-"Yeah whatever you say bro lmao"

-Ace-sama!

-Everybody loves Ace-sama!

-...did he use his Desire for this hgjkl

-Oh hey, Miss Tsumuri.

-"I am so fucking awesome. ...and yet..."

-What kinda limit would exist for something like this?

-Desire Driver!

-ID Core!

-Tanuki Boi!

-I see Toei's green screen has improved.

-Up to you determine which way I mean that.

-Oooooooh, Trust Last! I've heard this a few times, and this absolutely slaps.

-Bomb for the win!

-God, this sponsor screen is

-Sad

-Jamato! Those freaky plant mushroom people!

-This is a truly twisted game you're making us play, Tsumuri.

-How many people do you reckon not get brought back? Or how many do you think still feel some form of residual trauma and not realize why?

-Moreover, how did the people running the game decide that this is the best way to go about it?

-Desire God power.

-Oh fuck, putting them on the spot like that?

-Where we droppin' boys?

-The Desire Grand Prix. A treasure hunt!

-...did they like... give those loot boxes to them?

-Oh, Neon has no friends... how tragic.

-Daaaaamn, Ace got kicks.

-Armed Water!

-Ready!

-Fight!

-Oh wow, not even gonna give us water pressure, huh game?

-Then again, a BONK is just as good a strategy as any.

-Guess it's nice that there're more people are willing to help each other out than not so far.

-...how long will that last, I wonder?

-You did it, Keiwa! You survived your first encounter~!

-Don't you dare think you're safe for a moment though~!

-"Ohhhhhhh, you're that nice kid I rejected!"

-World Peace, eh, buddy?

-Awww.... this must be the Dad Rider I've heard so much about.

-"Hey hey, congrats! You did it!"

-Well fuck, man, now I'm wondering how the hell we have all this swanky stuff.

-I will follow your career with great interest, Neon-san.

-"Haha, woooow, you're all

-Buffa! Asanaga,right? Er... Michima? No, no, Azuma Michinaga!

-Tycoon and Nago!

-Background characters hjkl

-Free time, he says.

-Faucet and Shield!

-"Trash!"

-"...trash? :("

-No fighting, no cheating.

-Holy shit, these go by so quick.

-"Those who survive!"

-Oh yeah, Keiwa saw that

-"Not if you're a Kamen Rider."

-So, poor Shirowe from last episode is absolutely dead.

-Rest in peace, Kyoryu Blue.

-Oh god, is she another rider fan.

-Oh hey, the Jamato have their own language! Like the Gurongi and the Femushinmu!

-Pretty neat.

-I see Mary and Nago are a fine dynamic duo.

-Armed Arrow is absolutely cursed now.

-Panda Magnum.

-And I get

-A panda sniper... perhaps a call back to the Scouting Panda Raider from Zero-One? That would make sense considering Takahashi...

-"Oh fuck I could actually die here."

-Ginpen's family!

-C'mon Keiwa! Get your butt in gear!

-For a tanuki you seem to lack any balls!

-Nooooo, Taira-san!

-So, if the ID Core is smashed, that's it. Game over.

-Y'know, for as suspicious as Tsumuri is, she genuinely seems kinda broken up about Ginpen.

-"I fight for the children. For their futures."

-If you don't fight, you can't make your dreams come true.

-Change the world.

-"Hey so, can I borrow that? All those orphans and poor people I'm fighting for kinda need it."

-Boost Armed Water looks so sick.

-I think I get it now. Armed Water and these other low tier items are pretty sorry on their own, but using it in conjunction with the

-Daaaaaamn, that's a strong finisher.

-"Good job, idiot! Thanks, dummy!"

-"You lied?! You can't just do that, I trusted you!"

-Ahhhh, little Boost is a fickle sort.

-No chance at bringing them back, huh?

-Ohhhhh, Ace.

-You may be a lying son of a bitch, but... you're still a Kamen Rider at the end of the day, huh?

-Some exceptions, huh?

-Zombie Survival!

-Zombie for Zombie!

-Part of me wonders... how do the administrators of the game pick out Riders?

-What manner of bizarre criteria have to be fulfilled to be chosen? Is there even an age limit? I mean, Da-Paan's a high schooler, right?

-If you hadn't noticed, Ace's coin is a Roman denarius with a relief of Julius Caesar. Considering Caesar's own strategic track record and claims of divinity, this fits very well with his character.

-Right, so! I'm quite excited to jump into the next round. Here's hoping we both make it through to the end, huh?

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Mahou Shoujo Ore 5 | Yotsuiro Biyori 4 | Lupin III Pt 5 5 | Hinamatsuri 5 | BnHA 43 | Boueibu HK 5

Mahou Shoujo Ore 5

Hey hey hey, this is the second show I’ve seen ape Osomatsu-san this year. Seriously, no show is safe in a parody as a target for humour’s sake…Note Osomatsu-san is also by Pierrot, though, so they’re attacking themselves to some extent.

Now that they’ve pointed the Osomatsu-san reference though, I can’t believe I didn’t see the scarf colours last time! But…this is episode 5…

Oh, I kind of noticed it, but I’m probably too used to it since I watched the first season of Osomatsu-san – the blue lines are part of that show’s signature style.

Muscovado is apparently a substitute for sugar. It literally translates to “black sugar” though…

Sagami is…a former place in Japan…?

Tama River. I’m terrible at Japanese geography, so I don’t think you should be asking me about this…

Dang, apparently Pierrot is based in Mitaka, Tokyo so whatever joke I was chasing there fell flat.

Wow, they got really self-referential this episode…yikes.

So this is the rumoured Chiba-san? Uhh…

Oh my…I do not see the word “Japanimation” get much mileage at all these days, but I cringe every time I see it.

It’s Pokémon Go! Wow, that’s another level of meta for sure. My hopes for resolving all the stray plot threads while maintaining that wacky sense of humour (or however I phrased it) definitely went out the window…Notice the footage is dated April 24th 20X8, which is about a week before the episode went to air if the X actually hides “2018”.

Suginami. Apparently, Bones, Sunrise and other studios are stationed there…but Pierrot isn’t.

If there’s one thing I didn’t expect in MSO, it’s the fact this show became Shirobako in a sense. I still need to get around to Shirobako, by the way…

Ey, wait a second! Astral, you got your wish! We get to see…Fujimoto’s face!

Whoa! They went all out on the CGI fire effects! What is this show, Golden Kamuy?! (LOL)

Comichiya’s probably Comiket. The katakana (chi -> tsu, to -> ya) look kinda similar if mangled.

Dangit! I missed my mark on the guesswork again! Tokyo Big Sight isn’t in Suginami.

Basically, this is just a long road to admitting they couldn’t do a recap episode, but they don’t have enough content to pad this ep either. Ah, sweet revelations (sarcastic).

Is it just me, or does the bottom of Fujimoto (1)’s face look kind of like…Mohiro??? Wagh??? Update: No, the hair colour’s off.

The “on the train” technically says “on the NEXT train” (emphasis mine).

Wow, they namedropped Ishikawa (probably Kaito)! Ishikawa voices male!Saki, so it makes sense.

Oh my gosh, Mahoutsukai Watashi! What a bold move this show’s taken – it’s telling its own meta-narrative. Which means when I cover it for the collab post…it’ll be meta of meta…that’ll put my head in a spin for sure.

You can see Fujimoto and Sakuyo character designs if you pause for one scene (the one with “staff working from home”).

You can see the name Masayuki Ito (伊藤雅之) on that list with the downward arrows, but I don’t know what significance that name has unless they’re an animator or something...

Mensore is explained here.Basically it’s youkoso in Okinawan.

Jimami Tofu…isn’t tofu, as weird as that sounds. It’s an Okinawan-sponsored drama.

Well, at least this time I got a big epic battle (no matter how short it is). Nothing better than that!

They got Akira Ishida, Tomokazu Seki, Koichi Yamadera and some other guys to voice the Fujimotos this time. Notice there’s no crossover between the Osomatsu-san voices and the Fujimotos, which was probably intentional.

I thought there’d be a real Shinzo Chiba, but there doesn’t seem to be one…

There was a shot of Fujimoto (before the manager)! Wah! Was that there in previous episodes???

Every time people promise wardrobe malfunctions, they tend to…uh, deliver on that…

The Monokubo illustration this time is creepy…I like it!

Yotsuiro Biyori 4

Is this a zombie movie (LOL)?

Wow, Sui really loves cats, doesn’t…he…? (LOL)

Oh, so that weird zombie movie in medias res opening was actually one of those fakeouts…DN Angel’s anime did that, I remember…

Wow, they make Tokitaka so epic in this scene! A determined man is more handsome than one in an ordinary state, don’tcha think?

You can even see rice flying! Amazing! Tokitaka’s got such skill.

I am so spoilt for smol boys this season, between this and Boueibu HK…

Ooh! My eyes have been blessed with the hotness of Tokitaka!

There’s more chicken than usual this ep, eh?

Shiratama anmitsu.

I never thought we’d need a backstory for the resident cat, but okay. It was hilarious and fun while it lasted and now it’s almost over…huh.

Denzou? Eh? (I kinda get why the name’s badass with the kanji involved, but it’s hard to explain to a non-Japanese speaker…)

Agedama.

The next ep title translates to roughly “A Loving Hand for the Lost Lamb”…as in, to extend a hand to it.

Lupin 3 Pt 5 5

Okay, part 5 episode 5 is confusing when it’s just “5 5”, isn’t it?

I think the guy in the green jacket will be important later…? He’s in a key visual for this show, at least.

“This pasta called soba’s pretty good!” – LOL, soba ain’t pasta, y’know…

I’ve learnt about the stack before. Here you go.

IP camera. Hey, I’ve done something on IP cameras before, but normally Detective Conan (and most other mystery shows of the modern day) seem to be reliant on CCTV…

Chicken game…? Sounds tasty!...Not.

Ami doesn’t seem too pleased about all the shooting, LOL.

Even Ami knows bowing is a sign of Japanese respect. Just like how dragons understand the meaning of “Hatori Chise” involves birds…(i.e. I’m kind of skeptical that a real French girl would learn to bow to her Japanese friends when her life is always on the line, a la Ami.)

Episode…1? Y’mean, there’s more adventures, but no Ami? Aw, I was enjoying having her in the fray.

Hinamatsuri 5

A TV? $30??? Wow, I would fight a psychic girl for that! That’s friggin’ cheap!

“Toshibu” (sic), LOL.

Bikkuri means “surprise”, LOL.

“A teacher and a student walk into a bar…” – it sounds like a joke. Not that that could be conveyed accurately in Japanese, though. The fact it even works as an English joke must be a coincidence…

Hitomi’s such a terrible liar! Wahaha!

Nitta’s just like “I’ve given up on this girl”. Either that, or he has a hangover…(LOL)

Sayo looks kind of like Hina. If it weren’t for the hair colours I would’ve mistaken the two.

BnHA 43

Carrying a gun to a fistfight…yep, bad. Plain bad, Mustard, ol’ boy.

Sorry, there was a lot of fighting this ep and nothing much to say!

Boueibu HK 5

LOL, the bald bodyguard…he looks kinda grumpy.

Notice Kyotaro goes “ore kyoumi nai” (I have no interest in it), but the subs missed the subject of the sentence! CR, you weirdoes!

Echire butter…exists!

“You know about genetic testing?” - Irina! I think this is your department!

Ryoma’s the end of the evolutionary line!

Hmm…if there was no Ice Age in Honyara Land…might there have been something else that caused the Furanui/Karurusu conflict? There’s only animosity from one side, after all.

Bunbuku Chagama. Magozaemon was fat, so he would make a perfect teapot/tanuki…

Wait, if Maasa = Ichiro in the age department (roughly 16), that would add up. He went abroad for 4 years and held off on carbs the entire time…yikes.

“The people of this world envy those who represent the opposite of what they fear for themselves, so they criticise and attack them.” – Ooh, Ata makes a lot of sense here…! It’s a quote for the collection.

Asobukoto = It’s not really “fun” per se, but “playing” or “hanging out”. That is, if you translate rather literally.

They’re all underage (roughly 16 – 18), of course they wouldn’t drink! Of course, this is coming from a person who doesn’t drink…the only samples of alcohol I’ve had are few and far in between…

Hey, I studied this stuff in the past, you don’t have to regurgitate this info (about needing food to better absorb alcohol). Lemmee tell you, alcohol ads are weird…

They didn’t make the “glasses fogging up” a weird plot hole. Phew.

Wow, to think I’d be getting a science lesson of things I already know in my Boueibu…I never thought I’d see the day where that happened.

According to this page, one of the things the ramen shop serves is gomoku soba. Wait…that’s right! Ramen’s appeared in this show before! In the Chri-pa episode! Sorry Astral, I gotta spoil s2 for you!

Wow, this chicken carcass is even less of a threat than anything else so far! Wow-hee.

Taishi only seems vaguely fazed about the fact he’s being made to fight monsters. Interesting. I never think about the perspective of the non-red boys regarding fighting monsters until they’re pointed out, really.

So wait, the magic knight of space…makes bubbles? Uh, Astral, you might wanna learn from this…?

Hey hey, I found a page on tonkotsu ramens (sic from the Hakata anime) and paitan ramen.

Kyotaro on stairs = basically my mood when I want to imitate the “draw me like one of yor French girls” meme. (Very badly.)

So…when I said I missed individualised attacks, I never saw this coming. Sorry about that, people. (Even if that was only Ichiro’s bubble attack.)

Kyotaro makes a lot of sense here. But seriously, I think I need Astral’s easy button right now. That was easy.

Notice Karurusu is acting as a pelt…weren’t otters hunted for their pelts?

Oh, Sujikawa’s a first year, huh?

*Sujikawa picks up the boulder* - *round of applause from me* Wow!

Both Maasa and Dougo have such supportive friends, it almost makes me jealous.

The English! It’s…correct! (thinks back to a magazine article with “Difence” (sic) written on it in pink letters)

I, for one, am happy they’re tackling relationships aside from “brothers” this time. Finally, here’s something that stacks up against its competition in regards to deeper themes, even if it is a comedy!

Dougo and Maasa (Magozaemon) were in class 2, if you pause at the right time. Notably, the members of class 2 were all boys, LOL. Even with the boy to the left of Magozaemon, I think that name might be pronounced “Ai” (due to this page), but it’s in manly kanji.

[musicprincess655]

Hello @ssho25 (sorry it won’t let me tag you). I’m your secret santa for the @fydaiyanoace exchange! I hope you like this!

“But what am I supposed to get?” Eijun complained, looking sadly in yet another window that hadn’t offered him any wisdom.

“I really don’t know, Eijun-kun,” Haruichi sighed. “Aren’t you the one who knows Miyuki-senpai the best? Shouldn’t you be the best one to figure something out?”

“That’s what Kuramochi-senpai said when I asked him for help,” Eijun complained. “Some best friend he’s supposed to be. Can’t even help his kouhai find a gift for his best friend.”

“I don’t think the gift exchange was meant to be this difficult,” Haruichi said. “You could just find him some generic little gift.”

“Haruichi, that would ruin the Christmas spirit!” Eijun wailed, drawing stares from passersby.

Haruichi watched Eijun mutter to himself about idiot tanukis, settling deeper in the scarf Furuya had wrapped around his neck when his cheeks had started turning pink from the cold. His cheeks were pink for entirely different reasons now.

Furuya himself looked content, not at all bothered by the freezing air around them. Haruichi had been surprised that he’d wanted to come with them to go shopping – or rather, to watch Eijun go shopping, since Haruichi had drawn Eijun’s name for the gift exchange – but Haruichi wasn’t about to complain about his company. It was nice to have someone quiet to stand with while they watched Eijun run himself ragged.

“Are you cold?” Furuya asked. Haruichi shook his head. He really wasn’t, not with the scarf Furuya had wrapped around him in addition to the jacket he’d worn. He didn’t want to give Furuya a reason to hand over his jacket too. Hokkaido native or not, it was still freezing outside. They needed to stay warm.

Haruichi was shaken from his thoughts with Eijun’s cry of triumph making both him and Furuya jump. Haruichi turned in time to see Eijun bolt into a store.

“Do you think he found something?” Haruichi asked.

“I hope so,” Furuya said. “I want to go back and take a nap.”

Haruichi agreed with that sentiment. As much fun as wandering all over the city had been, he really just wanted to hide in his room and recover from final exams. Luckily, it seemed Eijun had been successful, because he came out of the shop with a bag and a big smile on his face, leading them back towards the school.

Eijun was easy enough to find a gift for. Even with the ¥500 limit everyone had agreed to set on gifts, that still left Haruichi enough to buy a volume of the latest shoujo manga that the girls in their class had been passing around. Haruichi wasn’t an expert in these things, but it seemed sparkly and bubbly enough for Eijun’s tastes.

The look of delight on Eijun’s face almost made the earsplitting yell when he ripped open the wrapping paper worth it.

“Haruichi! How did you know I’d been wanting this?” Eijun demanded. Haruichi smiled.

“Merry Christmas, Eijun-kun,” Haruichi said.

“Merry Christmas, Haruichi!” Eijun said happily. “Oh! I think Furuya’s waiting for you.”

Haruichi turned to see Furuya watching them both. He raised a hand in greeting.

“I’ll see you later, Haruichi,” Eijun said. “Oi! Miyuki Kazuya!”

Haruichi didn’t stay around to see the carnage of Eijun’s well-meaning but ultimately very loud presentation of the gift he’d finally decided on for Miyuki. Instead, he walked towards where Furuya had tucked himself into a corner, nicely out of the main area so they wouldn’t be the center of attention, especially with Eijun drawing all the attention to himself.

One of the best things about being best friends with Eijun was Haruichi was never the center of attention if he didn’t want to be.

Without a word, Furuya held out a gift wrapped package. It was surprisingly neat, nothing like the clumsy job Haruichi had done on Eijun’s present.

“This looks really good, Furuya-kun,” Haruichi told him. Furuya looked quietly pleased.

“Yoshikawa-san helped me,” he said. “She’s surprisingly good at wrapping.”

It was surprising to hear that their clumsy friend could do something delicate like gift wrapping, but Haruichi figured everyone had to be good at something. He carefully ripped the paper off, revealing a blue 3DS case. He looked up to see Furuya giving him an expectant look.

“You dropped your 3DS on the bus a few months ago, and you were sad because you thought you broke it,” Furuya explained, looking strangely earnest. Haruichi was just surprised he’d noticed at all. He didn’t remember being that visibly upset, even though he would have been a little heartbroken if he’d broken his 3DS with no way to replace it.

Haruichi turned the case over to see a dragon head sticker on the front part.

“Mortal Kombat?” he asked.

“I asked Kuramochi-senpai, and he said you really like this game,” Furuya said. He really had done a lot of work to get Haruichi a gift.

“I do like it. Thank you, Furuya-kun,” Haruichi said, hoping his tone conveyed the gratitude his words didn’t. It seemed like a simple enough gift on the surface – a case that was probably used to comply with the ¥500 limit and a sticker to go with it – but Haruichi had never been vocal about his hobbies and interests, and to get him a gift like this, Furuya had proven that he both paid attention to Haruichi and was willing to do some extra work for what was meant to be a silly team gift exchange.

Sometimes Haruichi wished he still had his bangs to hide behind, because he could feel his cheeks flushing. It didn’t help that Furuya was keeping his intense gaze on him. Haruichi realized that, though it would have been more in character for Eijun, Furuya was looking for his praise.

“I like it,” he said again. “This is really sweet.”

“I’m glad,” Furuya said, looking monumentally pleased with himself. Haruichi wasn’t sure exactly what the tension between them was, but he was interrupted before he could examine it more carefully.

“Haruichi!” Eijun gasped, startling the two of them with his volume. “I didn’t realize you and Furuya were like that!”

“Like what?” Haruichi looked up to where Eijun was pointing, puzzled, before he saw what exactly Eijun meant.

He and Furuya were caught under the mistletoe.

Furuya hadn’t reacted yet, so Haruichi tried to wave Eijun off.

“Eijun-kun, it’s fine, it doesn’t mean we have to kiss,” he tried to start, but Eijun was having none of it.

“But Haruichi, if you don’t, a god will shoot an arrow through your heart and kill you,” he whined, looking legitimately concerned for everyone’s safety. Haruichi was pretty sure that wasn’t the actual legend, but he didn’t know enough about it to dispute it.

He sighed, and tried to control his blush.

“Furuya-kun, please come down here,” Haruichi said, reaching up to put his hands on Furuya’s shoulders. Furuya didn’t look bothered as he leaned down so he was in Haruichi’s reach. Haruichi pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

A low ooooo spreading throughout the room let Haruichi know they had an audience. He let go of Furuya’s shoulders, blushing furiously. It was times like this that he wished he still had long bangs to hide behind.

“Is that good enough, Eijun-kun?” he asked. Eijun exhaled heavily through his nose, looking appeased.

Furuya hadn’t moved from Haruichi’s side.

“Sorry about that, Furuya-kun,” Haruichi said, trying to laugh it off, because there was no other way for him to disguise his hammering heart and bright blush. “You know how Eijun-kun gets.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Furuya said. “I’m not upset.”

“You’re not…?” Haruichi thought back to how unfazed Furuya had been about the whole kissing thing, how eager he had been when Haruichi had opened the gift, how pleased he had looked upon confirmation that Haruichi liked it.

He hadn’t seen Furuya for most of this party, and had only noticed him when Eijun had pointed him out, standing in a corner. Haruichi had assumed he just didn’t want to make a big scene, but there were other corners in the room that didn’t have mistletoe hanging over them.

“Did you stand here on purpose?” Haruichi asked. Furuya nodded. “Why? You wanted to kiss me?”

“Yes.”

Sometimes Haruichi forgot how blunt Furuya was because of how quiet he could be.

“Why?”

“Because I like you.”

Haruichi’s face was probably permanently scarlet at this point.

“I didn’t realize,” he said faintly. It wasn’t like he hadn’t found himself attracted to Furuya too, but he never thought either of them would act on it.

“Is it alright if I kiss you for real?” Furuya asked. Haruichi looked around to see if they still had their audience. They didn’t. He nodded.

Furuya leaned all the way down again, giving him a light kiss on the lips. It was fleeting and sweet, and even though his cheeks were still burning, Haruichi felt happy about it.

“Let’s get out from under the mistletoe before someone else decides to point it out,” Haruichi said, grabbing Furuya’s arm to drag them out of the danger zone. Furuya shifted his arm so they were holding hands instead of Haruichi grabbing his wrist.

Haruichi let him, and he kept holding his hand while they watched their teammates laugh about the gifts they’d received, the entire room happy and boisterous and full of Christmas cheer.

[ghikij]

Ch5 - Garazu no Hanazono

[Ch1 - Start:DASH!] [Ch2 - Afterschool Navigators] [Ch3 - Diamond Princess no Yuutsu] [Ch4 - Yume no Tobira] [Ch5 - Korekara no Someday] [Ch6 - Loneliest Baby] [Intrld1 - Hane was Shitte Shimatta no?] [Ch5 - Garazu no Hanazono]

Words: 4,337 Summary: The hustle and bustle of daily life can be very overwhelming. Having so many responsibilities, Ellis does his best to keep himself from getting run down. It is a difficult feat sometimes. But perhaps a moment with his inspiration, even though it’s not the best of times and certainly not the most exquisite of places, can invigorate him. And her.

Spring had always been one of Ellis’ preferred seasons. It was not too hot and definitely not too cold either, allowing him to think and focus in his rigorous responsibilities. Of course, spring just so happened to be the busiest season as well, what with the new freshmen coming in, clubs that need sorting, and the dread annual budget discussion that he had loathed since his first year in the student council. The job was tedious and there were lots of numbers and students to satisfy, but doing it right meant that the rest of the year would be easier. And if there was one thing that Ellis wanted out of his last year in high school was for it go as smoothly as possible.

 “Kaichou, good afternoon!” A student greeted him as he passed by and he responded with a nod and a short greeting of his own. “Working hard again?”

 Ellis averted his blue eyes from the bound papers in his hand and said, “A bit. Don’t loiter around the school grounds too late.”

 The boy saluted before passing him, “Yes, sir.”

 “Ara, the beloved Yeti of Otonokizaka is out and about! Why, this must be an omen yan!”

 The school council president frowned at his friend, who, like the witch that she was, just decided to show up. Nozomi was grinning ear to ear, her arms held behind her back like an innocent little girl. Ellis knew better, of course. Nozomi was rarely innocent. She always had a trick up her sleeve, like a wily tanuki.

 “Just where have you been?” He asked exasperatedly. He all but worked Kazuki, the secretary of the council, to the ground to draft an acceptable proposal budget. An extra brain would have invaluable when it came to all the digits, but then again, math was hardly Nozomi’s strong suit. Now that he thought about it, Ellis was convinced that his friend did not even have a strong suit. If anything, Nozomi was a jack of all trades yet a master of none.

 “Oh, around yan. The archery club called to my attention so I went ahead and took a peek at what’s going on.”

 “The archery club?” That piqued Ellis’ attention. Umi was a member of that club and he had seen her just that morning. If there was a matter of import about the club then surely she would have mentioned it. “What’s up?”

 He chose to ignore the mischievous curve that formed on the corner of Nozomi’s mouth. “Oh nothing yan. They were just asking for an increase in budget. Poor Umicchi though. She was put on the spot. The captain thinks that since we’re friends and, by extension, you are personally acquainted with her, that she can influence us a bit.”

 Ellis frowned and tucked the bound file under his arm. “The archery club has one of the highest budgets in the school around.”

 “Because they’re one of the largest clubs yan.”

 “Exactly. Giving them more will upset the smaller clubs that need funds to grow.” He was generalizing, of course. There were certain clubs that he would rather not see bud at all, like the comic club. It would have been great of the members were going to create their own strips as that would have been a productive use of time and maybe even a source of school pride if a volume gets recognized, but the club itself was preoccupied in collecting and reading comics instead. Ellis tended to judge easily, but in this case, he was convinced that that kind of time would be better used studying texts. And then there was the school idol research club. Ellis sighed. Nico was a good friend and his supposed club did not really need a lot of resources, but Ellis would be lying if he said that he want that club to gain members.

 “The members say that they need to replace some equipment as those are aging, and in order to do that, they require an increase. The captain said that it would be okay if it was just for this year to cover for the cost.”

 Ellis shook his head. “It won’t happen. We’ve already drafted a budget proposal that would please as many clubs as possible.” He attempted to adjust the numbers in his head as he remembered them, if only to open the possibility if the situation calls for it. While they could possibly pull a tiny percentage from the other clubs to give what the archery club wants, it could also open a can of worms.

 Nozomi crossed her arms over her chest. “Then, if you really think it is impossible yan, the captain asks that you visit them to see their need firsthand.”

 “You avoided making the decision on your own again,” he retorted with mock accusation. Nozomi would have easily explained that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to cater to their request.

 The vice president raised both her hands and shrugged. “I said I’ll put my word in. But I also told them I’m just the VP. You go there, growl at them a few times, and be done with it yan.”

 “As tiny as you are, I understand that you might see me as a bear, but I do not growl. I’ll go. I don’t want this to be a debate during the deliberation.”

 “Yes, that would be for the best. Oh and Elichi, Nicocchi will be passing club applications to you later.”

 “What for?”

 Nozomi’s green eyes twinkled, “to make our adoption official of course! We’re proud parents of three now, don’t you know.”

 Ellis blinked a few times, “I don’t think I understand…”

 “Nicocchi has three new club members. Remember those three first years that came to watch Tori-kun’s play? They’re all part of the school idol research club now.”

 “How?” Ellis could not help but ask. “What are they…? When? You know what, I won’t even ask what he did to convince those poor innocent first years, but if this application also involves an increase in the club’s budget then forget it.” Once again, he reminded him that Nico was one of his good friends even though for the love of everything that was good in the world, he could not come to terms about what was so interesting in watching school idols.

 “Grouchy…” Nozomi commented, “And you wonder why everyone thinks you’re a polar bear yan. Anyway, I won’t be the one to deliver that bit of news. Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say. In this case, however, I’d rather not be shot from both sides. You boys sort it out.”

 “Hey, where are you going?” Ellis turned as his friend walked right past him.

 “Going to dote on my kids, Elichi.” Nozomi smiled mysteriously. “I’ve heard that, more and more, our fellow students think that we are attached at the hip. We should prove them wrong, ne? Even for a little bit. I’ll see you later, Elichi~” And with that, the vice president all by floated down the corridor, no doubt towards the school idol research club room.

 Shaking his head, Ellis resumed on his way, though the destination had changed a bit. He descended the staircase, exited the main school build, and strolled through the pathways with a purpose until he was within sight of the kyuudo club’s archery range. Rhythmic thudding of arrows on targets and the distinct twang of strings could be heard despite being a dozen yards away. The club must be really focused on practice, especially now that their competition have started.

 Ellis entered the building and saw first years being taught the basics of caring for a bow by their seniors just off to the side. There were quite a few new recruits of both sexes, so the senpais certainly had their work cut out for them. Still, it was heartening to see the prestigious club get new blood. The kyuudo club had given Otonokizaka quite a bit of prestige throughout its history, and the principal was certainly fond of its roots in tradition. Maybe Nozomi was right that they should invest a bit more on this tried and true institution, even if the tradition was not as popular as it did back in their parents’ generation.

 “Oh, Ayase-san, it’s good that you’ve come. Toujou-san mentioned that she would talk to you about our request.” The captain of the team approached him with a broad grin. The captain was a stocky young man with close-cropped black hair and thick eyebrows. Despite his choice of club activities, the captain was also known as a marathon runner outside his responsibilities, giving him an athletic physique. Ellis liked him well enough, though they were barely acquaintances.

 “Hmm, about that…” Ellis slipped a hand in his pocket, an instinctive and decidedly defensive posture, but he found that it also put whoever he was talking to on edge as well. “Nozomi had indeed given me her word, but I’d rather have the council make the decision on that. I can’t give you any promises at this point in time. I hope you understand.”

 “Of course, of course!” The captain chuckled, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Just knowing that you are giving it consideration is enough for now. I’m assuming that you are here because of the supplies we’ve requested?”

 Ellis nodded and he was then led towards the room in which the club kept their equipment. There were a number of broken bows piled to one corner of the room, looking more like firewood than anything else, while tattered targets were neatly organized on the other side. Most of the targets were all but torn apart after continued and punishing use. He remained poker faced, however, his eyes still and calculating. Ellis had long learned that it was wise to keep ones thoughts to himself until he was prepared to say the words.

 “Actual club members, especially those who are members of the competition teams own their own bows.” The captain explained. “But, of course, we depend on the budget to provide training bows and arrows for the newbies. Since the school became co-ed, there are more first years in the club than ever before so I’m sure you can see the need for new stuff around here.”

 “Yes, I do.” Ellis then glanced at the club members, subconsciously looking for long raven hair and amber eyes. “We’ll discuss that during deliberation, but as I have said earlier, I can’t make promises. More students mean more clubs, meaning there are a lot more to balance.” The captain laughed it off amiably, but he no longer held Ellis’ attention.

 He spotted Umi by the range, notching an arrow in her great bow. A brief glance his way confirmed that she was aware that he was there, perhaps because only he and the captain were truly talking during practice. But instead of halting, she raised her daikyu and drew the arrow with such elegance that Ellis had to stop and stare, holding his breath and waiting for her to release to projectile. When she loosed the arrow, his blue eyes followed it towards the target, where it narrowly missed the bull’s eye. Umi drew a deep breath, clearly disappointed that she did not hit her mark, but she notched another arrow, drew and fired.

 A part of him was disappointed that she would not even give him a moment to say hello, but Ellis was also glad that she did not. At least this way, he was able to watch her at her best and at her most breathtaking. The kyuudo uniform really suited her. It brought out her simple, elegant beauty. The third shot she had taken also missed the mark by a merely hair’s width, which attracted the attention of the club’s coach, who briefly and taciturnly gave pointers to her. Umi looked embarrassed, but she nodded and took another deep breath.

 “It’s not like her to miss.” The captain said thoughtfully behind him as Umi drew another arrow. The tension on the bow’s strings seemed to halt all the activity in the range, as the other archers were coincidentally in the middle of reloading their bows. Ellis heard it stretch and complain under the pressure. Umi’s posture was perfect, her eyes focused on the target. All she had to do was to release the arrow, let it fly and find its mark.

 But then, the string snapped.

 Ellis’s body moved before he could even process what had happened. The bowstring snapped so loudly that the other girls gasped, but it was Umi’s pained yelp that had him hurrying towards her. She had dropped the bow and arrow in front of where she fell from the whiplash, and by the time Ellis and her teammates were around her, she was holding her cheek.

 “Umi!”

 “Sonoda-senpai!”

 Ellis carefully removed Umi’s hand from her cheek, “Are you alright?” The girl’s eyes were rimmed with tears due to the sudden pain but she was valiantly keeping at bay. She hissed when air touched where the string had licked her skin red. “I am fine,” she said, but Ellis knew that she should not be. There was long red welt on her cheek and, on some parts, tiny globules of blood seeped from where the bowstring had actually broken her skin.

 He fished out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully dabbed at the blood. “Easy…”

 The coach was by them shortly after. “That was careless,” she said as she inspected the wound. “Did you not check your bowstring before practice?”

 “I did, of course.” Umi answered.

 “Press it against your cheek,” Ellis instructed her. “Accidents happen, unfortunately. Sensei, I’ll take her to the nurse’s office if that’s okay.”

 The captain interjected, “I can take her. She’s my responsibility. You don’t need to bother yourself, kaichou.”

 “She’s my friend,” Ellis retorted more sharply that he intended. He reined himself in immediately and stood up before lowering a hand to help Umi up.

 “Let the volunteer take her.” The coach scoffed, clearly exasperated. “You have a club to run, captain. I’m sure Sonoda-san will be fine walking towards the nurse’s office with Ayase-san. It is not as if she has to be carried up there.” To Umi, the coach said, “However, are you sure that that is your only injury? You didn’t get hit anywhere else?”

 Mortified that she had caused a scene, Umi shook her head. “I am certain, sensei. I apologize for being careless.”

 “Then that’s that. Hurry and get that treated. I’ll nock your bow with a new string myself later.”

 Umi bowed respectfully. “Arigatou and I am sorry once again. I shall return as soon as possible.”

 Ellis and Umi left the club soon after and walked towards the main building with bit of haste. Ellis did his best not to ask how she was feeling every minute and hovered around her as close as respectfully possible. Umi would periodically dab the handkerchief on her cheek, her wound still stinging. She would also look everywhere else but him, making him worry just a tiny bit more.

 “Umi?”

 The girl’s shoulders tensed when he mentioned her name. “That was humiliating. I must apologize that you had to see that, Ellis-senpai. Even more so because I have now ruined your handkerchief.”

 Oh, was that why she was quiet? Ellis felt some of his worries wash away. “Don’t even mention it. Freak accidents happen. It’s just unfortunate that you had to be hurt.”

 “This is nothing.” Umi lowered her head as they stood in front of the nurse’s office. “Um… you do not need to stay if you have other things that you must do.”

 “Hey, this is nothing. Like I’ve so carelessly declared in your club, I consider you as a friend. I wouldn’t have minded carrying you all the way up here if I needed to. So unless you think otherwise, let me be a friend and stay with you until you’re done, okay?”

 Umi’s cheeks reddened a tad, “Alright. Thank you.”

 After pausing for a quick moment to indulge himself at how adorable she looked when she was embarrassed, Ellis also flushed, so cleared his throat and opened the door. He called out to the nurse and explained what had happened to Umi. The latter was then seated on one of the ward beds and the nurse examined her closely. “It’s not deep, thankfully.” The middle-aged woman said as she walked towards her medicine cupboards to retrieve a bottle of alcohol, a tube of ointment and a box of bandages. “A bit of antiseptic and a band-aid would do.”

 “Sensei!” A group of boys rushed inside the infirmary all at once. One of them was looking pale and clearly in pain.

 “Oh good heavens, what happened?”

 “Akira-kun sprained his ankle during practice.”

 “I see. Then help him on that bed over there and I’ll be right with him.” The nurse turned back towards Ellis and Umiand smiled apologetically. “Do you mind helping her with the ointment, kaichou? It seems like my attention is more needed elsewhere.” She handed the medicine to Ellis and pulled at the divider to give them and the group of boys a sense of privacy.

 “I… I can do it myself, Ellis-senpai.”Umi told him uncomfortably, nervously fiddling on the cloth of her hakama.

 “Oh? You can see yourself?”

 “W-well, I am certain that there is a mirror somewhere here.”

 “Umi, I can help you. It’ll be a lot easier that way.” He could not help but feel exasperated at how Umi was behaving. She had always been a girl with pride, one who would rather do things herself and be independent. However, the way she refused his assistance was beginning to bother him. Even now, despite him stating the obvious, she seemed reluctant to accept his aid.

 His gaze softening, Ellis lowered himself to her eye level and asked. “Am I really that unbearable?”

 Umi’s amber irises constricted a bit under the late afternoon sun, looking more and more like gold. “W-what? Of course not.”

 “Well, can you blame me for wondering?” He pulled a stool underneath him and sat, applying alcohol to a cotton ball that the nurse had provided earlier. “You’re being so skittish for reasons I’m having a hard time to understand. You’ve assisted me so much in the student council so this is the least I can do to pay you back. Ah, hold still, this might sting a little.” He gently dabbed the welt with the alcohol, pausing to let Umi adapt to the pain as he went on cleaning the wound.

 The girl winced and showed great relief once he was done. “I… I did not mean to be. I just did not want to bother you. A-and…” She lowered her head a bit to shield her eyes with her long bangs.

 “And?” He waited patiently, slowly turning the cap of the ointment.

 “I… um… m-my apologies it is nothing.” Umi lowered her gaze despondently, allowing Ellis to marvel at how long her lashes were. “I only wished that you did not have to see me get so careless.”

 “It was an accident, Umi. And you were doing well before it happened.” He said gently. Ellis supposed to that he was beginning to understand Umi a bit. She was like him in many respects; driven to perfection and mortified of failure. The quality endeared her more to him because he could relate.

 “It was not an accident. I was overconfident and assumed the bowstring would hold. I had forgotten to bring the spare and left it at home.” She bowed her head this time, ashamed. “I-I suppose I only got what I sowed.”

 “Umi…” He responded with a low tone and wished he could say more. He knew that this was not only because of her forgetfulness but rather the indignity of being witnessed by people who respected her and those she respected in turn, and that feeling was all too familiar with him. Awkwardly, he placed his hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. “We all make mistakes. It’s okay.”

 Red-faced, Umi peered up at him with those stunning amber eyes of hers and said, “I did not expect those words to come from you of all people.” Then as if catching herself, she flushed even brighter and shrank back down. “I-I am sorry for being assumptive. It is just that Ellis-senpai strikes me as a perfectionist.”

 At this Ellis chuckled, “I guess I sort of am. Striving for perfection is healthy, I think, but like I said, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Now, sit straight. I need to put the ointment on.”

 “O-oh okay.”

 Dabbing a small amount of the clear ointment on his finger, Ellis leaned forward and gently applied the salve, careful not to aggravate the welt that might still be stinging for all he knew. It really looked like a small whiplash on Umi’s cheek, and he sincerely hoped that it would not scar and ruin her smooth features. His fingertips lingered as he realized that this was the first time he had ever touched Umi’s face. He glanced at her expression and found that she was putting extra effort to stay still. Her eyes were looking as far away as possible and her hands were neatly resting on her lap. But then she returned his stare, shocking him with her striking gaze. He took in her visage; her eyes wide open, her pink cheeks, and her mouth slightly agape.

 Ellis felt his throat dry out.

 “Umi-chaaaan! Are you in here?”

 “Sensei, is Sonoda-san still here? My friend and I were looking for her in the kyuudo club but the coach said that she was sent to the infirmary.”

 “Oh, SonodaUmi-san? She’s over there on the farthest bed. Ayase-san is with her.”

 Ellis sprang away from Umi when a pair of footsteps approached. A moment later, two boys swung the curtain to the side. He recognized them as KousakaHonou and Minami Tori, both of them were close friends with Umi and both looked very concerned.

 “Honou, Tori!” Umi seemed startled by their presence as well. “What are you two doing here?”

 “Are you okay, Umi-chan?” Honou had no reservations in invading Umi’s personal bubble. He was immediately at her face, looking at the offending red streak on her cheek. He had practically bulldozed Ellis off his stool.

 Thankfully, Tori was more civil. His expression was filled with worry but he eventually smiled after Umi struck their mutual friend on the head for being disrespectful and loud in the clinic. “I’m glad it wasn’t serious,” he said, “Sousuke-san made it sound like you were hurt badly so we rushed over here.”

 “Mou…” Umi sighed. “I am fine. It is only a scratch and as you can see it is already treated. There is no need for you two fuss over me. What are you doing at the club anyway?”

 At this, Tori tilted his head, looking bemused. “It is getting late, Umi-chan. Honou-kun and I thought that we could all walk home. I was hoping to buy something from the Homura today. Otou-san asked me to buy some confections for his guests tomorrow.”

 “I told him that I can just bring it to school but Tori-kun never trusts me.” Honou griped. “What a butt.”

 “I’ll end up reminding you several times and you’ll still forget.” Tori shook his head, “I might as well pick it up myself.”

 Umi massaged her temple at her friend’s antics and looked out the window. Ellis did the same and was surprised to find the afternoon sun so red. Was it truly that late already? “I… did not realize.” She then bolted from the bed. “I promised that I would return to the club!”

 “Yeah you did but Sousuke-san said you didn’t so they all assumed that it’s because sensei is keeping you here or had sent you home already.” Honou straightened up, standing nearly a head taller than his female friend. Tori was even lankier than him.

 “No… I was with Ellis-senpai the whole time.”

 The comment made both boys finally acknowledge his presence. Honou certainly looked amazed that he was there, as if he did not just crowd him off his seat a moment earlier, while Tori’s brows were risen. “Kaichou!” Honou exclaimed loudly, grinning like a big, happy-go-lucky oaf. “Hehe I didn’t notice you there. I was so worried about Umi-chan and all.”

 “Indeed,” Tori seconded, “Umi-chan is usually the careful one out of us so this was really a surprise.” He then bowed his head. “I thank you for assisting Umi-chan. It’s common knowledge that you’re very busy.”

 “It was nothing,” Ellis replied, feeling disappointed for some reason. He shook off the feeling and stood tall, taller than both the other boys. He attempted not to wear his typical kaichou face to address Umi’s friends but old habits die hard. “I was there anyway. Plus, Umi has been quite a helper for us in the student council. It’s the least I can do.” He unwrapped the band-aid and carefully placed it on Umi’s cheek, allowing a small smile to ghost his features before bidding his farewell. “I’ll just excuse myself now. I still have some paperwork to sort out.”

 “Ellis-senpai!” Umi called him as he was picking up his bound book from the nurse’s table. Turning back towards her, Ellis saw the sweetest smile on her face that he had ever seen before she bowed. “Thank you for today.”

 He nodded to her and both Honou and Tori before letting the nurse say that he was also leaving. Though outwardly stoic, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest, uncomfortably so. Was it anxiety? He did not know. There was nothing to be particularly anxious about. Befuddled, he paused in the hallway and let his pulse calm down. Yet, the image of Umi’s serene smile would start it all over again.

[asknarashikari]

Let’s forget the canon and have this instead XD

Tsumuri: *wearing a gas mask* Big trouble! There’s a lone Jamato inside the DGP lounge!

Tsumuri: *shows a Jamato who’s wearing a bathing suit in a gravure post* This is the Lussuria Jamato, if you inhale the smoke the Jamato expels, you’ll fall unconscious.

Keiwa: That’s gross.

Neon: Couldn’t agree more

Michinaga: Nothing can beat me, if its just only one.

Michinaga: Prepare to lose Geats.

Ace: Oho? Feeling confident? Don’t worry, I’ll be the one to win this game.

Sae: Here we go again *sighs*

Keiwa: Are they always like this?

Sae: Ever since Azuma joined.

Neon: Heh… it’s like they’re a married couple.

Ace: Well I did Michinaga in one of my past life.

Michinaga: Haaa-?! Give me break.

Ace: Si mi amour.

Keiwa: Somehow that looks both gross and romantic.

Sae: So you’re that type of person.

Keiwa: Type of…

Keiwa: Oh no! Don’t get the wrong idea.

Keiwa: The idea that Ace is trying to flirt with the man that’s trying to kill him, is gross.

Sae: Really?

---sometime later----

Sae: Found no one in the locker rooms

Keiwa: None in training areas 1-50 either.

Ace: None in training areas 51-100 either.

Keiwa: Let’s meet up in the salon.

Michinaga & Neon: *unconscious in the salon wearing only bathing suits*

Sae: Who’s the pervert that changed a woman’s clothes?!

Ace: Only one way to fi- *steps inside and falls unconscious immediately, his clothes also changed into a red swimming trunk*

Keiwa: That answers your question.

Sae: Meaning the Jamato is inside the salon.

Neon: Keiwaaa~ stop staring and ravage me!

Keiwa: What?

Michinaga: That’s it, Tycoon fuck that hole.

Ace: Eh, the innocent Tanuki has another side, well do you worst Tycoon.

Keiwa: Eeeeeh?!

Sae: Huh… Congratulations… I guess?

Keiwa: Sae-san!

Keiwa: This is not the time for that.

Sae: Neon was right, you’re too easy to tease.

Keiwa: Mou!

Keiwa: *finds the arrow buckle on his feet*

-Armed Arrow-

Keiwa: Now to find where the Jamato is.

Sae: 45 degrees north.

Keiwa: On it!

----After the Jamato gets killed----

Tsumuri: Congratulations, Sakurai Keiwa-sama for winning that round.

Keiwa: okay. *leaves in a hurry*

Ace: Now what is his problem?

Ace: He won a round for once and he want to leave immediately

Sae: *face-splitting Grin* Let’s just say, he heard somethings he doesn’t want to hear.

Keiwa: *from a distance* Sae! Please Shut up!

Sae: *shouts back* I did not say anything!

Neon: Can you tell me?

Sae: I keep my promises, princess.

Neon: For me, please?

Keiwa: *shouting from a distance* NO!

Michinaga: What did he hear, its not like we were talking while we were unconscious.

Michinaga: Still a very strange dream to dream.

Sae: *Biting her lips to stop herself from saving anything and laughing*

Sae: No comment.

This sounds like a fever dream straight from the imagination of Random, just less gay