Mahou Sensou:Volume 1 Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: Magic Girl In The Summer

Part 1

One step from the entrance Nanase Takeshi slightly breathed in what remained of the cool night air.

It was a clear sky with no clouds.

It was just after 6:30am.

For an average high school student, it might have been a bit too early to depart for school, but Takeshi, as usual, closed the front gate quietly, and started walking.

The fine white gate of the mansion on the right, opened automatically when he came before it.

“Good morning Takeshi.”

A girl wearing the same school uniform as Takeshi came out from the opened gate and smiled sweetly.

“Good morning Isoshima.”

Takeshi and the girl, Isoshima Kurumi started walking alongside each other.

This was a usual sight.

Takeshi's house was your typical single family detached house, while on the other hand, the house of Kurumi who lived next door, was a mansion called Isoshima Residence, which was famous even in the neighborhood.

That mansion which was surrounded by a wide garden in all four directions, had 5 times more land than Takeshi's house. Seeing the white porcelain gate open automatically every morning, Takeshi could only smile wryly as he remembered the waist high fence at his own house.

From Kurumi’s appearance, you could tell she was an ojou-sama, but to Takeshi she was a childhood friend he had known since they were small.

Today, she had a little bit of her long, straight, chestnut-colored hair tied back. Takeshi who was walking next to her could not help but notice her features, slender shoulders, raised eyebrows with eyes that gave a look of determination, her tightly closed mouth with pink colored lips and elegant chin line. Except for the light pink chap stick she had no other makeup on, despite this, she still had an attractive figure.

If 10 youths of the same age were asked, all of them would agree she was cute, if pressed any further they would all say the she was a rare beauty in a class by herself.

Kurumi, aware that she was being watched, lifted her head to look at Takeshi.

“What’s the matter?”

Takeshi shook his head slightly as he smiled.

“It’s nothing, I was just thinking of how quickly the first semester ended.”

While she looked up at the summer sky, Kurumi’s face broke out into a smile.

“Well, before you even know it, the spring exams will be here.”

“Hmmm, that’s true, though I had a difficult time with the aunts because you didn’t want to attend that private girls school in the city, they were surprised and tried to persuade me to convince you.”

Takeshi shrugged his shoulders at Kurumi pouting.

“I’ll choose to go to whatever school I want to and won’t allow anyone to say otherwise, it really can’t be helped, besides, at this point in time I think it’s fine and my parents also think so.”

Takeshi listened to her repeated assertions. “Is that so?” he asked.

“Yeah, if I were to go to a private school I would have to take a train by myself, wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

Takeshi frowned as he tried to imagine Kurumi alone on a train.

“That is certainly possible if you don’t live close to the city.”

“Right!”

Seeing Kurumi’s happy smile glitter and shine like the morning sun, Takeshi could not help but feel somewhat happy too.

It’s the best feeling to be able to laugh with friends even if it is only one other, however, the moment Takeshi arrived at school his facial expression darkened. There was one semester where Kurumi had no friends, they were in separate classes, but not once had Takeshi seen her together with the other girls in her class. Because Takeshi was in the Kendo Club as a first year he was able to become acquaintances with the third years and befriended several people who were in the same class, even in middle school he had numerous acquaintances. Truthfully, Kurumi was also part of the Kendo club, since she was the only girl she became the club manager and was not actually in an environment where she could make a girlfriend.

Kurumi was a friend, did he need to speak about this no matter what? As expected, he began to feel uneasy, that wasn't good and he felt he should just stop.

In Kurumi's world the only worries she had were to be in the same class as Takeshi, eating lunch with him every day, and to be able to rely on him without causing problems, but while that may be true, she should still make friends, even so, there was no reason for her to say that.

It would be expected that a boy would need considerable courage to interfere with a girl bonding, but maybe that was Kurumi's inner desire. Maybe it would have been better if someone had always been angry, even so, while walking next to her, Takeshi would send periodic glances her way, it was hard to believe how many times these feelings would be put away, in some respects, Isoshima was a nice and diligent girl.

There was no way for Takeshi to know of her feelings as Kurumi walked like puppy waving her hand with a beaming smile.

☆☆☆

Part 2

Most of the other students were in the classroom by the time Takeshi finished his morning training with the Kendo Club.

You could tell which students anticipated the start of summer vacation tomorrow by looking at their bright faces, this somehow made the atmosphere in the classroom quite lively.

“Nanase?”

Takeshi became confused when someone turned around and suddenly called out to him after a few minutes.

“Eh, what?”

“Don’t ‘eh, what’ me, were you even listening?”

Takeshi's desk was surrounded by two other people standing next to it, the guy who greeted him and started a conversation from the seat in front was a fellow classmate and friend. There were three pairs of eyes staring at Takeshi.

“So, is Nanase going anywhere during break?”

“Ahhh…” Takeshi said as a subtle smile floated across his face.

“Now, now Nanase, Ida.”

When the the three other classmates started an uproar, Takeshi and Ida quickly denied it and pretended they didn't see them.

“Just meet their eyes.”

All three came to an immediate understanding.

“Nanase and Ida also seem to have reached an agreement.”

“Certainly.”

“A person who is too serious and a delinquent.”

Of course, the person who was too serious was Takeshi and the delinquent was Ida, hearing them described as such, Takeshi had mixed feelings and could only put on a wry smile.

“It’s not like anything was meant by being too serious.”

However, Takeshi's words immediately denied that.

“No no! Who is the number one most serious guy!?”

All three instantly pointed at him.

“Hey!”

“Well, it’s just a natural result.”

Haa, Takeshi let out an exaggerated sigh, “Well, at least it’s better than being a delinquent.”

That remark was immediately rejected.

“It’s no good after all.”

“Nanase is trying to imagine a delinquent.”

“It looks like Nanase leads a proper life.”

Un-un, three people nodded their head in agreement.

“What proper life?”

With a shocked expression, Takeshi raised his eyes in bewilderment as if to question his friend.

“Huh? So…let me see….”

Another friend urged him to continue.

“Therefore, if you continued to practice Kendo, you could become a police officer and then find a beautiful person to be your wife.”

“I’m sure there are other ways.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Well, I wonder where there will be a beautiful wife.”

“Wouldn’t that be a life of smooth sailing!”

Three people were tried to imagine who would be their wife, Takeshi too, even though he understood it he did not have the willpower to deny it. Besides it’s not like he could, regardless of how many times he repeated it to himself.

“I’ve said everything I want to say.”

As one blind man said “Maybe I will take one serious step in this wonderful life.” The three of them only nodded to each other.

“No no! I am at the limits of envy.”

“It’s seriously enviable”

“Oh, but didn't you say you were going to Law School?”

So they finally moved to the point.

“In my defense, recently it hasn't been profitable. I may have to keep an eye on it.”

Takeshi was finally able to take a breath of relief as they switched to a different topic. Even so, this phrase “life of smooth sailing” was ironic for him.

After he failed in that unpleasant situation, what's left in life may only be atonement. Takeshi's future was too far away, what he could see in front and back of him was an abyss that spread out in all directions, it was too realistic and familiar that he became depressed.

☆☆☆

Part 3

Takeshi had Kendo practice after the closing ceremony, by the time he started to head home it was already late evening.

After he escorted Kurumi (who was the club manager) home, Takeshi opened the door to his house with a depressed look.

“I’m home.”

In a typical family it is normal to call out when you arrived home, and Takeshi wasn't any different. A bright light was on in the hallway. Next to his mother's shoes was a pair of sneakers that were about his size, further back, in the living room, a shadow vaguely moved and could be seen faintly behind the frosted glass door. At the exact moment that Takeshi quietly took of his shoes, he was startled by the laughter coming from the living room.

He hurried up to his room on the second floor, at the same time he entered his room he heard the voices of his mother and younger brother talking downstairs.

It was about the time for dinner to be finished, after Takeshi helped out in the kitchen he changed his clothes. He was sweaty and wanted to take a bath but it was his brother’s time slot.

As usual, he didn’t want to eat dinner and his mother had probably washed the dishes so it couldn’t be helped that there was no way to kill time.

Takeshi had to be careful every day because he wanted to not face his family as much as possible. It had continued be like that because of a certain incident that happened two years ago. From that day on, for him to stay in this house, he always needed to carry that burden.

Takeshi was a rank holder in Kendo..

There was only the special skill. Because of that, it was deemed satisfactory… only if you have freedom.

It is up to the family members to deal with their own ghosts.

He began Kendo as an elementary school student, his younger brother and he would go to the Dojo together. Gekkou, who was the younger brother, and Takeshi were born one year apart and were very close to each other.

However, there was an incident that marked a turning point which caused Gekkou to avoid Takashi, his mother and father also dealt with it in the same way. From that date everything changed, every time his mother saw him she was indifferent, his father would return every day, and his younger brother completely hated him now.

Takashi could not even remember the last time he laughed in this house.

Just to get along with his family, he had to breathe quietly so he didn't meet anyone.

Because it was all his fault he couldn't blame someone else.

After he changed clothes, Takeshi strained his ears for any movement downstairs. If Gekkou was still in the bath there should a loud sound of water.

He went to the kitchen to eat dinner and then immediately returned to his room.

By the time his brother started to watch TV in the living room he had taken a bath and had already gone back to his room to spend the rest of the time until morning.

Once he got used to this way of living it wasn't that bad.

If he was unable to talk to his family then he can just go to school where there are many more people. How many times has he had this thought? Thinking this, Takeshi leaked out another deep sigh.

“I really wish tomorrow would come quickly.”

He looked out the window towards the Isoshima Residence, planted in the garden there was unknown broadleaf tree whose leaves swayed in the breeze, a large shadow jumped from the leaves and branches, “What an eerie looking shadow,” murmured Takeshi.

“It would be nice if time would go by faster.”

The tree branches moved slightly as if it nodded in agreement.

“If I could leave this house, anywhere would be better, even hell itself.”

At school, Takeshi is very diligent and sociable, because of this he had many people he considered friends, but at home, he is nothing but a shadow of his former self.

Right now, Takeshi's greatest hope is when dawn breaks.

Summer vacation only increased the unpleasantness of time in his house.

As a result, Takeshi’s summer vacation was always depressing.

☆☆☆

Translator's Notes and References

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