Editing Mahou Sensou:Volume 1 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 5===
When Takeshi returned back inside the office through the black door the director had created, he passed the couch and exclaimed:

"Isoshima!?"

"Takeshi!"

His childhood friend Isoshima Kurumi, had been waiting sitting on the sofa, but she quickly got up as soon as she realized he had arrived.

"I knew they meant you, Isoshima. But... what are you doing here?"

Kurumi, who was still wearing the Sakuraya Academy uniform, stared at Takeshi and as they both stared at each other, Mui asked:

"Do you know her?"

"Y-Yeah..." answered Takeshi without taking his eyes off Kurumi.

Until that moment, he had remained doubtful about Kurumi's name being the one he had heard in the previous office. But now that he had her standing in front of him, his surprise had been great, for there was no doubt at all. Kurumi looked at him for a while as if she had been examining him until she noticed the presence of Mui who was standing behind him. Then she made a slight grimace.

To Takeshi that was a clear sign that Kurumi had just gotten into a bad mood. Takeshi and Kurumi had known each other for about seven years. They were just fourth graders when the Nanase family moved into the neighborhood and started living with their neighbors from the mansion next door that belonged to the Isoshima family. Since they were both the same age, they used to send them to school together and did many other activities together.

When they came home from school, they would join Gekkou (Takeshi's younger brother), and the three of them would go together to play. When they reached junior high school, they were both assigned to different classes. Then Takeshi started hanging out more with other male friends, and so they began to drift apart. But it wasn't until a certain incident happened to her that they had to pick up that old habit of going back and forth to school together.

It turns out that, since she was a little girl, Kurumi had always been very beautyful and constantly attracted the attention of all the children in the elementary school she attended. When she grew up and reached middle school, her beauty only increased in the same way that a flower bud explodes and spreads its petals until it becomes the most splendid flower. For this reason, the boys in the middle school she attended were constantly confessing their love for her.

The problem was when she began to receive confessions from students from other schools, because she also began to receive confessions from high school students, college students and even mature, salaried men who saw her in the neighborhood. In her second year of middle school, Kurumi stopped going to school because of a stalker attack. For that reason, she began to distrust all men including Takeshi, even questioning whether she should go to meet him.

But in the end she ended up coming out of her room and in tears told him all the problems that afflicted her. It was then that Takeshi made her a certain promise. Holding up her little finger, she also swore that she would only trust him, and then they made a deal that was still in effect to this day: "let's pretend we're lovers," was Kurumi's suggestion, to which Takeshi frowned.

However, since he had already made her a promise before, which was that no matter how many men she rejected and no matter how many stalkers came her way, he would protect her, he couldn't refuse. In fact, Takeshi had become an expert in kendo and, therefore, no boy would try to get close to Kurumi. He was aware that she would never ask such a thing to a stranger and so he agreed.

From then on, they made everyone in the school believe, during junior high and high school, that they were a loving couple. Kurumi told him that they would only keep up the charade until they both fell in love with someone. However, at present, due to the hustle and bustle of kendo and the academy, that wasn't even remotely close to happening to Takeshi. Besides, there were no girls in his class who caught his eye, and he often avoided talking about that topic.

"By the way, what's all this about? Explain yourself..." Kurumi exclaimed.

Seeing her standing there in front of him made Takeshi feel fear and relief at the same time. It was an absurd situation, because he was relieved to know that Kurumi was safe, but he was afraid to see how angry she was. He knew that when Kurumi got angry, she was someone to watch out for. That was why everyone was afraid of her.

"L-listen Isoshima... even I don't understand everything that's going on."

"Don't give me that!"

"I'm not fooling you...! By the way, Isoshima... what are you doing here? Did you... did you become a Wizard?"

Takeshi replied to the angry Kurumi, making her anger intensify even more.

"Wizard you say?! W-I-Z-A-R-D? Takeshi... how dumb can you get to fall for such a joke?"

After Kurumi spelled the word letter by letter and deliberately insulted him, Takeshi only bowed his head sadly.

During the summer of fourth grade...

Someone had taken Kurumi's locker shoes and filled them with mud. When school was over and Kurumi found her shoes in that state, she noticed four classmates leaving for home while chuckling.

The next day, Kurumi took revenge by placing a pile of huge worms, which she had gotten from the fishing tackle store, in the shoes of each of them. Needless to say, the screams of those four classmates echoed throughout the school after school. From then until now, Kurumi had always been true to her motto: "Whatever you do to me, I'll do to you, in triplicate". Obviously no one found it pleasant to be around a girl who had that kind of philosophy.

There was one occasion when Takeshi managed to bring three of his friends to the Isoshima Residence so that she could socialize with others, but it did not go well at all. Quite the opposite of what was expected, such an event only caused the mutual dislike between Kurumi and the others to increase. That day, Takeshi and his friends were playing hide and seek with her in the gardens of the luxurious Isoshima mansion, and it was her turn to be the one to search. She had been searching for ten minutes and finding no one, she began to call out to them with concern.

"Kurumi-chan is calling us," commented Takeshi.

At that time, he used to call her "Kurumi-chan" and she called him "Tak-kun". Those three companions, who were glued in front of a TV screen showing a video game in a large game room, answered:

"Don't worry about her..."

"Yeah, let's leave her there for a while..."

The area designated for playing hide-and-seek was supposed to be only the garden part, but they had returned to the inside of the mansion without warning. That playroom was located on the second floor and, from the window there, they could observe Kurumi wandering alone all over the garden. Takeshi looked confused at his three friends who were simply laughing at her.

"That girl only acts lively because she lives in a luxurious house. The truth is that she's very selfish. I only came because you asked me to. But look how she is: she wanted to stop playing just because she didn't want to stay and seek."

"You're right. Let's see how long it takes him to realize that we're not..."

"It can't be..." Takeshi muttered.

Having ignored Kurumi, the three companions set out to play video games without permission. Meanwhile, Takeshi stood watching her for a moment through the window.

"Tak-kun...! Where are you guys...! Where are you?"

As she hovered around the garden, Kurumi called out to them louder and louder. But after a moment, she began to rub her eyes. She had realized that they had actually left and so she shouted:

"Taaak-kuuun!!!!"

As he continued to watch her through the window, Takeshi said:

"I think I better go get her..."

"Ah? Hey no...!"

"Don't go Nanase-kun!"

Takeshi quickly left the room heading for the hallway, leaving behind the voices of his classmates who tried to stop him.  He hurriedly put on his shoes that were at the entrance and went out into the garden to look for her.

Kurumi had not moved from the place where she had just been seen, and as soon as she noticed Takeshi's presence, she quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"Tak-kun... where were you? Kurumi asked, looking at him piercingly.

"Well..."

Takeshi avoided eye contact.

"And where are the others?" She asked again, with a serious expression that showed no signs of having cried, but with her eyes still red from having done so.

Takeshi turned his face away from her and looking away answered:

"It was already late, so they had to leave for home..."

"..."

"I live next door so it's no problem if I'm still here..."

Kurumi stared at Takeshi who was trying to trick her, and then lowered her gaze to her feet and stopped at her shoes that were misplaced. She stood thoughtfully for a moment and suddenly held Takeshi firmly by the sleeve of his shirt saying to him:

"Come here..."

At that moment she led Takeshi towards a door, but it was not the main entrance of the mansion, but a service door leading to the kitchen. Once there, he asked him:

"What do you think about staying for lunch here today?"

"May I?"

"Sure, as long as it's just you. The other guys definitely won't..."

As Kurumi whispered that in his ear while faking a cough, Takeshi couldn't help but smile with a complicated expression.

"I really appreciate it, Kurumi-chan..."

She turned to look at him with a wide smile, and he just looked away like someone who has just been bullied.

"By the way, how about playing video games later? They bought me a game console the other day. Or if you prefer you can go right now, it's not a problem for me...

Even though she was acting arrogant and hostile, Kurumi's cheeks were flushed up to her ears.

"Wow... I wish I was from the Isoshima family..." commented Takeshi in a joking tone.

"That's fine with me..." muttered Kurumi.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Kurumi quickly looked in another direction, and then started walking answering:

"I didn't say anything, only that I'll let you play with my console, but in return... you'll help me tomorrow with my homework."

"Of course. You're bad at math anyway, Isoshima."

"I'm not bad! I just don't like it..."

In that way, Takeshi's attempt to make Kurumi like his friends failed, and from that moment on, he never tried to integrate her into his circle of friends again. He had realized that forcing things was pointless because, even if she lacked friends, she didn't want to have them. Besides, it had become impossible for Takeshi to find someone who wanted to befriend her. That same situation continued when they moved up to junior high school and even when they entered the same high school....

Currently.

Kurumi was standing with her arms crossed in a posture of disgust in front of the sofa in the principal's office:

"Are you telling me that you just got yourself into this, and now you intend to help this girl?"

"Well... you could put it that way..." replied Takeshi sheepishly.

"Nothing like that...! It's just that they've already filled your head with nonsense...!"

Takeshi tried to excuse himself by saying:

"It was an accident...!"

But hearing that, Kurumi twisted her mouth even more angrily and replied:

"What an unfortunate accident, isn't? though I've never heard of an accident involving becoming a wizard before!

"That's the first time I've heard of it, too..." Takeshi replied.

"You idiot!" Kurumi shouted, causing Takeshi to jump in fright.

Then he lowered his arms and let out a heavy sigh.

"Haaa~ It doesn't matter anymore... I see you're okay at least. Let's go back home, Takeshi."

Saying that, she started walking towards the exit of the office. He also started walking behind her, but as he did so he muttered:

"Even if you tell me to go back home..."

Meditating on leaving and leaving things halfway, Takeshi turned his gaze to the headmistress.

"You may go..."

The headmistress had already returned to her seat and Takeshi was surprised that she had given them permission so easily.

"However, I would like to ask you not to use your magic when you are there. I explained that a moment ago, so I'm sure you understand my warning. If magic is used to attack other wizards, the magic power disappears."

"Excuse me..." Mui tried to speak, but the headmistress continued:

"As I said, our institution maintains a neutral position, therefore, if <the Trailers> captures you, we will not be able to help you. You must be very careful. Although... I'm sure they will be back sooner than you think....

While the headmistress spoke in total tranquility and with a smile, Takeshi kept silent, but Mui couldn't do it and spoke to Kurumi who had just come out to the corridor:

"It's dangerous out there. I think it would be best if they stayed."

Takeshi who was still inside the office, also warned Kurumi:

"That's right, listen to what Mui just told you."

But of all the above said, Kurumi only noticed a single word Takeshi said and frowned asking:

"Mui?"

"Aaah, that's me. Aiba Mui, nice to meet you."

Mui had just introduced herself to her with a smile, but Kurumi completely ignored her and didn't even turn to look at her. Instead, she spoke to Takeshi.

"Takeshi, do you really believe in all this big farce they've put up, or are you an accomplice of these weird people?"

"You're wrong..."

When she heard that, Kurumi entered the office again with a single step and then took Takeshi by the hand.

"Then I'll repeat it one more time: let's go back home Takeshi, okay? Please..."

Kurumi looked up and looked him in the eyes seriously. Then Takeshi started walking with her.

"Aaah, it's okay..."

"Wait, Takeshi-kun...!"

While he was being led by Kurumi's hand, Mui stepped in by quickly grabbing the other hand that Takeshi had free. At that moment Kurumi turned to look with a clear murderous intent.

"You're Aiba-san, right?"

"Yes..."

"You look very calm bothering people you don't know..."

"Ah? That was rude..."

"Whatever! We'll leave this strange place as soon as possible and go straight back to where we belong. Whatever problems you guys have, it's none of our business."

At that moment, Takeshi's feeling of being between Kurumi and Mui was similar to being in a tundra with a terrible icy wind blowing from Kurumi's side.

"I wonder if Isoshima's bad mood will be fixed if I go with her..." thought Takeshi.

The two had engaged in an argument that ended up overwhelming Kurumi's patience. But as Mui ended up being overwhelmed by Kurumi's intensity, her hands loosened a bit and Kurumi ended up snatching Takeshi away from her.

"Now let's get out of here, Takeshi!"

Treating him as if he was her pet, she pulled him out into the hallway, but at that moment he turned to look at Mui who had stayed behind depressed, so she stopped.

"Wait, Isoshima..."

In terms of strength, Kurumi was no match for Takeshi, and no matter how hard she pulled on his arm, she couldn't get him to keep moving, so she gave up and let go.

"What now, Takeshi, so much has already happened because of you?"

Takeshi felt that was true, so he didn't deny it. However, he was worried about Mui. But as he stood looking at her silently, Kurumi enraged greatly, pressed Takeshi's cheeks with the palms of her hands, and forced him to look in her direction.

"Did you hear what I told you? You absented yourself from the club activities without saying anything and since I was worried I went to look for you all the way to the house. When I got there, someone attacked me. Everything went from bad to worse."

Hearing Kurumi say that she had been hit, Takeshi was shocked.

"You're hurt? What did they do to you?"

Holding Kurumi by the shoulders, Takeshi pulled her away from him to get a fuller view of her, and frantically checked her over as he looked her over from head to toe. Kurumi had been shocked at such a reaction, and simply put her hand to the back of her neck saying:

"A strange man hit me in the neck?"

"And are you all right? You look a little red..."

Kurumi was still surprised, because Takeshi was now checking her neck. Then she pressed her hand against his chest and answered:

"Yes, I'm fine."

The truth was that the only thing red was her cheeks, but Takeshi didn't notice that.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault," Mui burst out.

At that instant Kurumi's face distorted in disgust at hearing Mui's words, as if she had just been insulted.