Mushi Uta:Volume 10 Chapter 1

1.00 Tamaki Part 1

Kitazawa Tamaki had become a Mushitsuki around the time she enrolled in a prestigious middle school in the capital.

Mushitsuki were people possessed by the supernatural being known as Mushi. Mushi possessed adolescent boys and girl in order to eat their wishes, hopes and aspirations. —Apparently.

“Thanks, Tamaki!”

“Mhm, you’re welcome.”

Mushi were the subject of rumors for about ten years. Eyewitness reports increased, and the more realistic it seemed, those rumored to be Mushitsuki were being discriminated against. —Apparently.

“How did you manage to shake off that persistent stalker?”

“Oh, I just told him clearly. Don’t come any closer, you pervert! Like that.”

Recently she’d heard the word Mushi a lot more. Obviously, since the mass media and the government still claimed they didn’t exist, it was only at the level of rumors, though.

Perhaps the existence known as Mushi slowly became impossible to hide from the public.

—So she thought.

“What! That’s so scary!”

“Really, Tamaki, you have some guts!”

“Isn’t that dangerous? Would’ve been real bad if he attacked you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It might’ve been different if it was anyone else, but once the ‘actual person’ he’d been stalking told him this, it was quite the shocker for him.”

17 years old Tamaki narrowed her eyes, smiling and waving her hand around.

The place was the very, very back of a large shopping mall’s parking lot. Including Tamaki, there were five high school girls in this inspection site for a discontinued private railway line.

The vast premises had piles of rusted containers and the asphalt was cracked everywhere. The tracks used for transferring materials were also rusted red, and the railway crossing and rails had weeds growing between them. Chain-link fence on the verge of destruction was as good as not there, so the fact that anyone could easily enter the place was a problem.

There were cicada corpses at their feet.

Soon true summer would come. Since Tamaki hated the summer, she could hardly wait for winter.

“The actual person?”

Four faces looked at Tamaki with a blank look. Being stared by four cute high schoolers wasn’t unpleasant, but her slip of her tongue caused her to cover her mouth.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing. Anyway, you’re fine now. Right?”

“Thank you so much… he would follow me even on the way home, it was so scary…”

One among the uniformed girls, a petite girl with glasses, looked up at Tamaki with tears in her eyes.

Ugh, groaned Tamaki.

Oh my… she has that “plain girl” style with glasses and braids that’s rare nowadays, not to mention that slender body and cute face… no wonder a perverted stalker got interested in her. Not to mention she looks so weak against pressure—

Her classmate friend had come seeking advice about being stalked three days ago.

And Tamaki managed to find the culprit just yesterday.

Then, just a while ago she’d called him to this very spot, barraging him with insults and abusive language to drive him off.

“Oh no! Tamaki’s looking at us with those wild eyes again!”

“Why are you breathing so heavily?”

As the friends all exaggeratedly shielded the glasses girls, Tamaki sidled closer.

“A-as thanks, please allow me to take a few pictures… C-can I, please? You can even just wear a school swimsuit…”

“Gyaaaa! She’s a pervert!”

“Even more than the stalker!”

“Please do something about that creepy dude-like side of yours.”

“D-don’t be mean, it was just a joke.”

As Tamaki pouted, the bespectacled girl averted her eyes bashfully.

“…I-If it’s one picture then it’s fine.”

“Really?! That’s quite enough! Also, please give me a s-smooch on the cheek!”

“This girl’s the real deal!”

“And she even snuck in something else!”

“I knew you had that sort of fetish!”

“No no, that’s obviously not true. Really. Probably. Definitely. Maybe a little.”

Tamaki laughed while denying it. One of her friends sighed.

“What a waste, really. You’d be able to seduce so many men.”

“Seducing is dirty.”

Putting a hand on her mouth, Tamaki feigned ignorance. Her friends were probably talking about her appearance.

She was the tallest one among them by a full head. Her long hair, with its bangs held by hairpin, reached all the way to her waist, and her bespectacled face was supposedly quite neat. Her body, clad not in the kind of uniform dictated by her public school but a casual t-shirt, was slim. Being slender was fine and everything, but ideally, she wished she had just a bit more volume in the chest area.

All of her friends instantly burst into laughter.

“What’s up with acting like you’re some rich lady—oh, actually, you’ve been to that kind of rich lady school, right?”

“Right, you told us about it. Horusu Seijou Academy in Akamaki City, right?”

“No way, that’s a super prestigious school! Then why are you in this countryside dumpster now?”

Throb.

For just an instant there was pain in her chest.

But it did not show on her expression. She was used to hiding her pain with a smile.

“Right, I am a lady. How do you do?”

“Wow, sounds so fishy! Is that true?”

The girl’s besiegement was intense. When the five of them spoke in high-pitched voices time passed quickly. On the other side of the tracks full of weeds, the red sun was sinking.

“Umm… is it really fine for me not to thank you?”

“It’s fine, really.”

As the conversation settled down, Tamaki parted with the four girls. They were apparently still going to hang out around town for a while.

Tamaki, however, headed to the station. She was going on the train that was actually used unlike this place and would ride home.

Since Tamaki lived far away, she would take the limited express train every day to go to school. If she hadn’t gone back earlier than the others, she’d only get back home in the middle of the night.

“I already got my reward, after all.”

Pulling out a man’s wallet from her skirt pocket, she took out some bills and threw them away.

“Had a decent amount on him. Was he actually rich?”

Moist wind blew through the abandoned inspection site. Walking on top of the cracked ground, Tamaki went over the collapsed chain-link fence, exiting the shopping mall parking lot. From there she went out to the shopping district, and by walking a bit she would reach the station.

“I wish I’d found some weakness and squeezed a bit more out of him…”

While putting the bills into her own wallet, she mumbled with a cold expression.

Tamaki had repelled the stalker for her troubled friend. There was no doubt about that.

However, her method of doing so differed a bit from what she’d told her friends before. They probably wouldn’t understand it even if she explained.

Using her special abilities, Tamaki had literally “transformed” to her friend, telling the stalker “You’re so annoying, stop that”. Not noticing that he was being deceived, the stalker started crying out of shock. In addition Tamaki also received some “reparation money”, but that was a digression. She also thought of a chance the stalker would lash out at her and picked a place where there would be no victims, but it ended up being a needless fear.

Noticing she was disappointed, she sighed.

As she walked along the shopping mall, a couple of foreigners holding a map called out to her.

They asked her in English which way it was to the station.

“You need to go straight down this road.”

Tamaki, who learned some English, pointed with a smile toward the direction of the setting sun.

She waved at the couple thanking her and turned on her heels.

“—To get to the sea, that is.”

Leaking a cold sigh, she kept going to the station.

A collared chihuahua came running at her. It passed in front of Tamaki while dragging its leash behind it, vanishing beyond the crossing.

“…”

After watching the chihuahua pass, as she turned back, she saw a middle-aged woman running at her. When asked with an angry expression about whether she’d seen the woman’s dog, Tamaki shook her head.

“Sorry, didn’t see anything.”

Asserting this and leaving behind the woman who looked all around her, she resumed walking to the station.

It wasn’t like she held a grudge toward the foreigner couple or the dog’s owner.

And there was no malice either.

Even so, lying to them—was only because Tamaki was that sort of person. She would most likely never speak the truth to strangers her entire life.

Tamaki had become that kind of person due to certain circumstances.

“So boring…”

Approaching the shopping district, Tamaki mumbled to herself.

She’d actually been looking forward for the incident with the stalker, but his unconditional surrender bummed her out.

The countryside was boring. Although she’d moved from the capital city for another high school due to familial circumstances, every day was peaceful and without incident.

At the time of her enrollment, she enjoyed the atmosphere that was completely different from the big city, but that also had its limits.

Looking for some thrills, she helped her friends resolve their problems. However, all of them being solved without any huge effort—was perhaps because of her being excessively talented.

A year passed since she moved to the countryside.

The Mushitsuki called Kitazawa Tamaki was bored to death.

“Maybe I should just join that SEPB whatever…”

She unconsciously mumbled.

The Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

It was a government agency founded for the purpose of concealing the existence of Mushi, overseeing unaffiliated hidden Mushitsuki and at times capturing them.

Tamaki already knew of them from long ago. Knowing about them while not being exposed to their threat meant that Tamaki was simply powerful enough to avoid it.

Although she’d mumbled it half-jokingly, it really was a problem.

“But if I destroy them too easily it’ll be really boring… I’m strong, after all.”

Twirling her hair with her fingers, she kept walking to the station when something happened.

She heard arguing voices on the road ahead. Looking there, she noticed a small group of men and women bustling and grabbing the arm of a petite girl.

A fight? But why did they need all these people against one small opponent?

While she was watching, the girl was being pushed into the back alley. Perhaps because it seemed like there were ill-bred looking men among them, although passersby seemed to mind them, they passed without stopping.

Should she call the police? That idea passed through her mind, but her body moved on its own.

“Trying to butt into a fight with this face would be a problem…”

She took off toward the alley where the girl and the others vanished.

Tamaki’s long hair instantly billowed. Her wide-open eyes were dyed in deep blue.

“For a fighting scene it’s definitely better to have this girl.”

Black mist rose from Tamaki’s feet. As the mist vanished, her form walking toward the back alley changed completely.

Seeing Tamaki’s transformation right in front of their eyes, people who passed by were glued to the place looking at her, but Tamaki did not mind. They’d end up thinking that they were merely daydreaming or imagining it anyway.

“Now, it’s time for you fuckers to let me have some fun.”

In a complete change from before, she mumbled in soprano.

Changing from the tall, black-haired Tamaki, she became a blond, blue-eyed foreigner girl.

The name of the original owner of that body and abilities—was Mitake Anneliese.

A member of the SEPB Central Headquarters, she was a Mushitsuki known by the codename “Kasuou”.

1.01 Tamaki Part 2

Having transformed into a blond girl, Tamaki leapt into the alley between a fast-food place and a clothes shop.

Although she’d used one of her abilities to transform to another person, since she grew shorter her shoes didn’t fit her. She decided to just bear with it being a bit hard to walk.

She saw the men and women corner a small girl in the dark part of the alley.

“—hear us? We said we’re Mushitsuki—”

…Mushitsuki?

Responding to that voice, she hurriedly hid herself behind a power pole.

This was apparently a Mushitsuki-related problem. Since the countryside had a low encounter rate with Mushitsuki, she really chanced upon quite the rare scene.

For now she should be careful and just wait and see—or so she thought, but decided not to.

It really was a rare happening, after all. With curiosity and a little bit of expectation in her heart, Tamaki revealed herself from behind the power pole.

“…! Who’re you!”

The tallest man there noticed Tamaki.

“I saw you all ganging up on a girl… is there any trouble?”

Grinning, she spoke in slightly weirdly pronounced Japanese. Deceiving them with her elegant, friendly way of speaking, she watched over the situation.

Three men and a woman, huh… and the poor girl is over there. She’d even holding her head and shaking—

“This has nothing to do with you, so please leave.”

The teen girl spoke in a low voice, pushing Tamaki’s shoulder. She restrained herself from getting offended.

“Hey, you woman over there! Are you fine?”

Brushing the girl aside, she called toward the other crouching girl.

“I told you to leave!”

A short-haired boy was threatening her. At his feet, the curled-up girl raised her face.

“U-um… I-I really didn’t see anything! I saw nothing about you using some strange creature on the bank’s ATM…!”

“You little…! Why are you saying this?!”

“Eek!”

Being yelled at, the girl curled up again.

“Oh, I see now…”

Tamaki wore a bitter smile. She could more or less imagine the chain of events from that.

The strange creature seen by the girl was probably a Mushi. Meaning, this group probably used their Mushi abilities to illegally draw out money from an ATM.

This was so trifling that she felt disappointed for the second time that day.

By doing this, they would leave traces that would clearly indicate it was the doing of Mushitsuki and the SEPB would immediately find them. These wannabe-delinquents would be captured in the blink of an eye: The End.

Since it was a failed attempt, they weren’t going to be caught by the SEPB… but they probably hadn’t noticed that this girl saved them.

They truly were trash among trash. She could see that their abilities as Mushitsuki amounted to nothing.

“Did you think you could easily make some money by using your Mushitsuki abilities? The SEPB are fully aware of that. In a sense, making you think that way is part of the SEPB’s trap.”

Tamaki had ended in contact with the SEPB a few times before. However, she always successfully escaped or turned the tables on them, so she managed to live alone peacefully.

“Wha—”

Pushing through the circle of the speechless group, she grabbed the girl’s arm.

“Did you try to threaten her to shut her up? —Come on, let’s leave these guys behind.”

“H-hey! No one said you can go!”

“Uu…”

The girl curling up her body raised her face.

Seeing her face, Tamaki’s expression froze.

“—Kanon?”

“Fweh?”

With tear marks on her face, the girl—no, Tamaki’s acquaintance made a strange sound. Petite, cute, round face. The T-shirt that grew longer due to being washed many times, the dirty shoes, the thin hoodie.

She couldn’t readily believe it so she took a hard, long look at that face.

There was no mistake. Even those thick eyebrows and the way Kanon’s hair was bound on top of the left ear was unchanged from the past.

In front of her was the childhood friend who lived in the same neighborhood until middle school.

“Kanon! It’s me, it’s me! Do you remember? We were together until middle school! We used to play in the park together, and in middle school you…”

“Pfft, you’re obviously just pretending to know her to take her away, right?”

“Hey, you! Do you actually know her?”

Asked this by the boy, Tamaki’s childhood friend looked at her face with a scared expression.

After glaring at her for a while, Kanon struck her palm exaggeratedly and nodded furiously.

“Right, of course, an acquaintance of mine! Umm, umm… right, she’s my dad’s, cousin’s, second child’s, neighbor that came from France…”

“So she’s a complete stranger!”

Oh, right.

Shocked at this unexpected reunion, Tamaki had completely forgotten. She wasn’t herself right now.

“Hey, you go away now! —No, actually you wait right there.”

“…Shuddup, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Tamaki glared at the boy who put a hand on her shoulder. Being glared at, his movements froze. It was because he saw a black mist rising from Tamaki’s legs.

“I’ve got a nice idea.”

She mumbled in her mouth.

Knocking out all these Mushitsuki and rescuing her childhood friend would be easy. Child’s play.

Because of that—she decided to try a little prank. She wanted to make Kanon recall who she was, but just revealing herself was boring.

One of the boys, upon seeing Tamaki wrapped by mist, paled. He started trembling.

“B-blond hair and a black mist… no way, is she Kasuou?!”

Great, if they have someone who knows her, it’ll be even more effective—

Smirking, Tamaki put a hand on her hip.

“Right, I certainly am the Central Headquarters combatant, Blaze Class Rank 3 Kasuou, but—”

The government agency called the SEPB used rational measures in order to capture Mushitsuki. These measures being training the captured Mushitsuki, supervising them and using them as soldiers to capture more Mushitsuki.

“If you know about me, then you also know—what’s about to happen to you, right?”

Also, the organization’s Mushitsuki were classified in ranks based on their powers. The “Blaze Class Rank 3” that Tamaki mentioned meant someone with an ability specialized for combat, as well as ranking right below Ranks 1 and 2.

“It is Kasuou! Why’s a combatant from Central Headquarters all the way here…?!”

Their group looked ready to flee. Even if they tried to rush out of the alley and into the shopping district, she could block their way with the black mist. —The mist created by Kasuou’s ability had high defensive capabilities, and human limbs would not be able to penetrate it.

Having their escape path blocked, they all turned to the back alley.

However, that was—a dead end.

“S-shit…!”

“Alright, it’d be easy to finish you off right here and now, but first—”

Tamaki was obviously Tamaki, so the Mushitsuki called Kasuou was a completely different person. The reason she could use Kasuou’s ability was obviously because it was part of her own Mushi’s ability. It wasn’t a mere transformation ability and had its own quirks, but—

Tamaki averted her gaze from the boys, turning to look at the person sitting helplessly on the ground.

“First, you. Resign yourself to your fate, ankle-biter.”

“Fweh?”

“Since you’ve seen my face, I can’t let you live.”

Even though she was the one who’d revealed herself in the first place—it seemed like the nuance managed to pass through. Kanon’s expression went from fear to half-crying, half-laughing.

“It’s time for you to die.”

The name of the girl in front of Tamaki was Nakayama Kanon.

They were childhood friends who once lived at the same building. Since they were close in age and both had familial problems, they would at times meet up in the neighborhood park and play together.

Tamaki especially remembered that day.

When the foreigner calling himself Alpha appeared, Kanon had told an amusing lie.

“Are you ready?”

Did Kanon remember?

It already happened more than years ago. It would be much more natural to not remember.

Tamaki did remember.

—We’ll erase the monsters.

Thus Kanon spoke at the time.

And so, as a little greeting for their reunion, Tamaki had a little surprise.

“DIEEEEEE!!!”

Tamaki powerfully swung down her mist-clad arm.

Kanon’s reaction was—

“Gyaaaah!”

Much more extreme than expected.

“Gyaaaah! GYAAAAH!”

Tamaki never expected Kanon’s display of head holding, exposed teeth, shedding tears, shouts and cries in as loud a voice as possible.

No, you really shouldn’t be that scared—

“…”

Tamaki froze at this unexpected reaction.

And Kanon froze as well, mouth open wide.

Even the group of Mushitsuki surroundings these two were unable to understand what happened and stayed silent.

“Wha…”

Tamaki came back to her senses and glanced around. —She ended up being surprised, but now she was going back to the script.

The black mist filling the back alley completely vanished.

“What the hell! My mist was erased?!! Who the fuck are you?”

“Fweh?”

“No way, do you have… an ability that erases Mushi?! Shit, I’m done for!”

Taking a step back from the stunned Kanon, Tamaki stamped her feet in annoyance.

While acting like she was mad, she stole a glance at Kanon.

Her childhood friend looked puzzled. Tamaki clicked her tongue.

“You have the power to erase monsters?! You’re unbelievable!”

She tried repeating it again.

She heard a gasp. Kanon rose with a puffed chest.

“R-right! Kanon has an amazing ability!”

“Shit! Then this means I’m now a normal person without any powers!”

“Fwahahaha!”

“Oh, it’s useless!”

Kanon was roaring with laughter and the blond girl, Kasuou, drooped her head while pretending to cry.

Seeing that scene, the Mushitsuki boys and girl were speechless.

Having Kasuou’s mist ability vanish was obviously not because Kanon could erase Mushitsuki abilities. Tamaki simply cancelled her own ability.

“—Yup, this should be enough.”

Satisfied, Tamaki stopped pretending to cry. Rising up, she put a hand on Kanon’s shoulder.

“So, you remember?”

“Remember what?”

Kanon still looked puzzled.

…Apparently her hopes were misplaced.

Tamaki sighed, turning back to the group behind her. She shooed them off with her hand.

“Hmm, well, so, if you don’t want your Mushi to be erased you should run away—eek!”

She unconsciously let out a real yelp.

Brushing Tamaki aside, the four Mushitsuki dashed to Kanon.

“Please erase my Mushi!”

“Mine, too!”

“Mine too! You can do it, right?!”

“Save me! Please… I beg you!”

Their rough behavior caused Tamaki and Kanon’s voices to overlap.

“Eh?”

“Fweh?”

The four Mushitsuki clung to Kanon with no regard to how pathetic they looked. All of them rattled on at once, so it was impossible to understand who was saying what.

But what Tamaki could understand—was that the four of them wanted their Mushi erased.

They wished for it from the bottom of their hearts. The girl was even crying profusely.

“U-umm…”

Suddenly being asked to save them, Kanon apparently didn’t know what to do, glancing around in confusion.

Ah, I see—

Tamaki realized and glared at them with cold eyes.

All Mushitsuki wanted to be saved. Their bodies hosted the monsters called Mushi that ate their dreams, and at one point they’d become fully devoured—they couldn’t tell when their death would come. Mushitsuki had to shoulder that sort of fate.

It was quite natural, come to think of it.

Tamaki hated Mushi too.

If she really did know someone who could erase them—not this stupid lie, but an actual person like that—perhaps she would cling to them like that as well.

“Ah…”

If her lie was exposed here, they might turn on them and hurt her childhood friend. She wanted to help Kanon, but she obviously couldn’t erase their Mushi for real.

If she couldn’t erase them—she just needed to invent a reason why.

She would paint over her lie with another lie.

Tamaki looked up at the sky. The sun had already set, and a full moon was floating in the heavens.

“Thinking about it, I’ve heard about it before.”

A full moon.

That ominous, lustrous glow was just the right thing to deceive people. Throughout all of history people revered it and worshipped it alongside the sun.

Yup, I can use this—

“There’s someone who can erase Mushi on a full moon night—and only once. Nakayama Kanon. Is that you?”

Saying this, Tamaki looked at Kanon. It was a bad improvised lie, but it should just be enough to fool them here. Just the means to buy enough time to vanish.

Following Tamaki, the four Mushitsuki also looked at Kanon.

Just nod, please.

As Tamaki glared at Kanon, just like she thought, her childhood friend—

“…”

Slowly nodded.

At that time, a calm voice was heard from above.

“—Is that true?”

“…!”

Everyone there raised their faces.

A human figure stood with the night sky and the full moon behind them. Someone was standing on the roof of the fast-food restaurant.

“The SEPB…?”

Tamaki put herself on guard. When she’d looked up just now there was no one there. Even so that person appeared in an instant and she wasn’t even able to sense their presence.

Seeing the stance of the person with the full moon at their back, Tamaki realized.

Seems quite strong… also, our position is bad! I can defend against most attacks using Kasuou’s ability, but I’d better use another—no, Kasuou’s ability is definitely the most adaptable!

Running fast simulations through her mind, Tamaki was about to generate her black mist.

“If so, I’ve got a favor to ask…”

However, no attack came from their enemy.

Dancing in the air, the figure landed in front of Tamaki and the rest. They managed to land safely from quite the height, but Tamaki couldn’t tell whether they underwent such training or perhaps used some ability.

“I have a Mushi inside this… so I’d like you to erase it.”

Illuminated by the moonlight, the one who spoke this was a boy around Tamaki’s age. He wore tattered shirt and jeans and a vintage motorcycle helmet on his head. His half-open eyes had dark circles under them and he looked completely languid and lacking energy.

The boy who appeared like this extended a bag held in his arms toward Kanon.

Suddenly looking around the speechless, frozen people around him, the boy spoke.

“…So, where am I in the line?”

1.02 Tamaki Part 3

Tamaki and Kanon. A day passed since the two childhood friends had a bizarre reunion after some years.

They had their second “reunion” near the private school Tamaki was enrolled into. Entering a family restaurant at the shopping district, Kanon bent forward while seated in a four-seat table.

“So was that blond girl from yesterday really you, Tama-chan?”

Nakayama Kanon spoke in a low whisper. Looking at Kanon’s face from up close, Tamaki could see the round, cute eyes. A dirty hoodie, eyes like a raccoon, sharp canine teeth like a kitten’s—Kanon’s appearance seemed to gather all the charms of a small animal.

“Yes. That’s why I’m not a Mushitsuki, but a normal person.”

On the other hand, as she was just on the way back home, Tamaki wore her school uniform. She was actually only a year older than Kanon, but since she was often mistaken for a university student, for other people it would probably look as if the gap was about five years.

“Haah, Mushitsuki really are amazing.”

“The risks are big, though.”

Distancing their faces again, they sat down while facing each other. Since this shop was far from the main road there weren’t many customers, and other than Tamaki and the rest there weren’t even enough people to fill a table.

Kanon ordered omurice, a drink and a pepper salad with bacon. Since Tamaki was not hungry, she just wanted the free drink.

“What a shock, though. You didn’t even notice me, Kanon.”

Throwing her torso on the table and looking at Kanon’s face from the side, Tamaki played with her straw.

“Well, err…”

Kanon was busy holding a spoon loaded with omurice. Nom nom, even this manga-like sound effect while eating remained unchanged from the past. One could say it was cute, but, well, it really was just bad manners.

“Since you grew up Kanon ended up not speaking with you a lot…”

Kanon spoke while eating the omurice.

“…”

Watching that face, Tamaki smiled.

“That’s not true. Don’t you remember?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“…Never mind.”

Tamaki did not forget.

She had obviously forgotten nearly everything about her elementary school classmates and the like.

However, she did not forget about Kanon. It was such an important event for Tamaki, but her childhood friend apparently forgot all about it. That was so typical that it was actually moving.

“You said you ran away from home. So you couldn’t stay there anymore, huh.”

“…Yes.”

“I see. I wondered why you were so far out.”

“Thinking about it, haven’t you moved to the capital, Tama-chan?”

“Mhm, I went to a certain private school in Akamaki City, but my parents lost their jobs. So we moved to another, cheaper school immediately.”

“So we both have it tough.”

“We sure do.”

“But, Tama-chan…”

Still holding the spoon, Kanon grinned.

“You look so mature.”

“Thank you. And you turned even cuter, haven’t you?”

“O-oh?”

It was supposed to be half her opinion and half a compliment, but as she saw Kanon’s ears reddening the ratio shifted. It became about 80% her real opinion. She reached out for the rice grain stuck on her friend’s cheek.

“God, you’re so cute. Yup, super cute. Can I pet you…?”

“Kanon doesn’t mind it… but why are you panting like that, Tama-chan?”

“I’m going to pet you just for a bit… I won’t do anything else.”

Petting Kanon’s head for a while as they ate, Tamaki felt satisfied.

“By the way, what are you doing after this?”

“Hmm…”

“Got money? Where are you staying?”

“Net café and the like… Oh, but Kanon got some money from Onii-chan.”

“Huh? Onii-chan? You’re an only child, you liar.”

The dumbfounded Tamaki raised her head. She could already imagine the newspaper headline: “A runaway girl’s obscene act in search of money”. No, that would mean the headline was lying, though.

“W-wait a moment, you can’t do that sort of thing, okay? That compensated dating thing, won’t they do weird things to you? Only scoundrels do that sort of thing.”

“Eh, really?”

“Geez, you really know nothing about society! We’ll somehow manage with money, so stop with it, please! The sort of guys who’d hand money to you are obviously just perverts. No, rather than perverts, they’re trash! Got it? You’re not allowed to go near one ever again.”

“Uh… wait, so does that mean that Onii-chan’s trash?”

Still holding the spoon aloft, Kanon turned around.

“Eh?”

In a far seat there was a boy with bad complexion. Eyes with dark circles under them were staring at the drink in front of them. Whether the cause was him not having slept for a while or anything else, he looked fatigued and sick. His vintage-style helmet was left on the table.

He was the boy they’d met at the back alley yesterday. Tamaki knew that he was sitting there all along.

“…”

Receiving Tamaki’s and Kanon’s stares, the boy glanced at them. However, he did not deny their words and kept looking at his drink despondently. He passively rounded his back, hugging the small bag with both hands.

“So Onii-chan is… him?”

“Yes, he’d won in rock papers scissors and got second place. Nii for the number 2, so Onii-chan.”

“…? Second place?”

“Because the first is me.”

Leaning over the blinds installed at his table, a boy with a large build peeked his face. Following him other familiar faces also appeared.

They were the four Mushitsuki who assaulted Kanon the previous day.

“Named for 1, 3, 4 and 5—Ichi-san, San-chan, Yon-kun, and Gonsuke.”

Seeing Kanon point at each one in turn, her mouth hung open.

“So you mean that it’s…”

“Right, the order Kanon will erase their Mushi. They all decided it last night.”

Kanon said, smiling innocently.

Tamaki pouted.

Wait… they actually believed that third-rate acting? They really think there’s a power to erase Mushi? Are they sane?

“I made so many friends.”

The smiling Kanon seemed jubilant. —But looking closely, that smile was actually similar to Tamaki’s expression. Eyes full of tears silently entreated Tamaki.

What should Kanon do?

“Y-you’re also Kanon’s friend, obviously, Tama-chan. So you’ll stay with Kanon, right…?”

Kanon grabbed Tamaki’s arm. It was actually painful.

“E-eh, obviously? But my house’s far, so I have to go back already.”

Tamaki returned a smile. She tried shaking off Kanon’s hold.

“P-please don’t say that. We’ve met for the first time after so long, right?”

“I’m not a Mushitsuki… so I’m unrelated, right? I think?”

“But I think you do have some, err, responsibility. Fama-chan, wafn’t it you who’f…”

Tamaki tried pushing Kanon’s head away, but her fingers were then bitten.

While fighting, Tamaki decided to look at the others.

The four Mushitsuki group looked at the suspicious pair’s exchange. Having listened to that group’s conversation, they apparently used to belong to the community called Mushibane before. However, although they’d left as a response to the policies of the new leader or whatever, they now had money troubles.

These four were no trouble at all. If push came to shove, Tamaki could use her full powers and escape all of them easily and drive them away.

However, the issue was—

“…”

Tamaki looked at the table for two. Without speaking or doing anything else, the creepy boy—Onii-chan or whatever—simply stared at his cup listlessly without moving.

It was worrying that that Mushitsuki’s strength was unknown. Although she could feel that he was no mere ordinary person, she couldn’t tell whether he was strong or weak. If he was strong and they rubbed him the wrong way, then she couldn’t ensure her safety, let alone Kanon’s.

In the first place—what was the bag he was carrying? It apparently had a Mushi inside, but was it his own Mushi? Judging from the fact he constantly hugged it, he apparently treasured it, but…

“Hey, you. Are you this girl’s acquaintance? Then… do you know about Kanon’s power as well?”

The boy who was apparently fifth in line inquired Tamaki.

Not answering immediately, Tamaki simulated the situation in her mind.

The vintage helmet guy was a problem, but there was an even bigger problem. That being—

“Tama-chan…”

The girl looking at Tamaki with tears in eyes, Nakayama Kanon.

Tamaki’s childhood friend was, well—quite bad at lies.

On top of that, Kanon had no ability to earn any living. It wasn’t what they discussed just now, but it was obvious someone bad would someday take advantage of that.

“…”

As a matter of fact, Tamaki had a bit of a “debt”.

Apparently Kanon forgot all about it, but Tamaki never did.

Therefore, she wanted to help with whatever she could, but, even if she was a Mushitsuki, the things that a mere high school student like Tamaki could do were limited.

What could she even do?

The answer soon came.

Although Tamaki and Kanon were completely different in both appearance and personality, there was a certain common point after all.

Both were liars.

Since they were both here, they could do only one thing.

Tamaki spoke in a calm and collected manner to the Mushitsuki.

“Yes, of course. I also know that she possesses special powers.”

“Oh!”

“See? I told you!”

“She managed to erase Kasuou’s Mushi. So in time, we’ll also…!”

Seeing the four of them look relieved, Tamaki understood.

Before this they hadn’t yet fully believed in Kanon’s ability. Perhaps it was dubious to be suddenly told about erasing Mushi like that.

So that’s how it is—

They wanted to be sure. That was why they ended up believing a lie that would normally be hard to swallow.

No, it was more correct to say that they were trying to believe in it.

Tamaki and Kanon weren’t speaking of something convenient.

They were the ones who believed in something convenient.

So Tamaki decided to press for an answer.

“But other than that, Kanon’s a normal kid. No, even more unreliable than a normal kid.”

Grinning, Tamaki continued.

“Kanon must be protected. If not, she’d quickly die or hunger. Or perhaps she’d be deceived by someone and beaten up?”

“Yeah, we understand.”

Ichi smiled, grasping his fist.

“We’ll protect her.”

“She’d saved us too, after all. We’re in this together.”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to us.”

Strictly speaking she didn’t think this squad of four would prove to be useful, but the other boy behind them was another thing entirely. Although his abilities were unknown, at the very least he had some money, so while he was their ally, they could leave it to him.

“Yes… thank you.”

It was fine; their lie was not going to crumble.

The only thing that could cause it trouble was if the actual Kasuou appeared. However, that berserker was part of the SEPB’s Central Headquarters in Akamaki City. It was likely impossible she’d come out this far.

At the very least, she could keep her childhood friend safe until the next full moon—

“U-umm, Tama-chan…?”

“I’m so glad for you, Kanon. You’ve got some reliable friends now.”

Wearing a relieved expression, Tamaki gave Kanon a hug.

Then, she whispered.

“Try not to have your lie discovered, right?”

Tamaki’s childhood friend’s shoulders shook—

“Eep…”

Seemingly about to cry, Kanon nodded.

1.03 Tamaki Part 4

The moment the bell for the last lesson rang, Tamaki rose from her seat.

“Oh, hey, Tamaki. We were just wondering where to hang out today.”

As her classmate called to her, she turned around.

“Sorry. Today’s a bit…”

“What, again?”

“I just started raising a troublesome pet. Next time, alright?”

After declining her friend’s invitation with a lie, Tamaki headed to the family restaurant at the suburbs. Already a few weeks passed since she began going there.

A troublesome pet.

Rather, it was Tamaki’s childhood friend sitting at the same table like always, munching on a chocolate parfait.

Cutting through the place crowded with customers, Tamaki sat in front of Kanon.

“Welcome back, Tama-chan.”

“I’m back.”

She was used to this exchange as well. Even when Tamaki appeared Kanon’s eyes were still glued to the parfait, and Tamaki ordered a free drink and lay her torso down on the table like always.

“…Now that I think about it, isn’t it a strange thing to say?”

“Isn’t this place pretty much like our home already?”

“For you, maybe. I don’t live here.”

“Then welcome, customer!”

“That’s when you’re an employee. If you only eat sweet stuff you’re gonna lack vitamins.”

“San-chan’s also told Kanon the same.”

“Really…”

Vaguely nodding, she used the moisture from her cup to draw a manga character on the table.

On that note, the both of them would just spend their time talking about nonsense.

Tamaki and Kanon have reunited and decided to keep telling lies at the family restaurant a long time back. Ever since then, although, they were always like this.

Because she worried about what her childhood friend would end up blurting, she had to come here and check the situation.

However, nothing ever happened when she came. Whether aware of her worries or not, Kanon only ate there every day peacefully, the only change being slightly neater clothes. Their new friends took care of food, clothing and shelter.

So Tamaki, was, well.

How would she put it…

“Haa. I feel so bored…”

Still prostrated on the table, Tamaki gave a massive sigh.

Kanon looked happy and was smiling every day.

“So peaceful.”

Too peaceful. No objection to that.

Tamaki really was concerned for her friend, but because Kanon said it was so peaceful, she couldn’t really say what she thought.

However, if she was allowed to voice a bit of her true feelings…

She thought that following this nostalgic meeting, something was about to start—

She couldn’t deny that she had that fleeting hope.

It wasn’t like she wanted something dangerous to happen to Kanon, and neither did she wish for anything life-threatening to happen.

Boredom.

That was the most precise word to describe the current situation.

“You know… when we were in middle school, you saved me once.”

Tamaki suddenly mumbled this. Kanon smiled.

“Stop lying, you were always in first place no matter what you did, Tama-chan. Kanon was always last place in everything, so there’s no way Kanon saved you.”

“…”

For her it was a relatively big event, so she found that hard to believe. Well, since Kanon’s living environment was harsher than others’, perhaps it seemed no more than just a daily event.

“Ah, Kanon remembers now.”

“You’re lying.”

“Yes, sorry.”

Just like that.

Being with Kanon made her feel relaxed.

But that actually made Tamaki feel like she lost all stimulation. Like this, she felt even more bored than before.

“Ah… geez, I’m at my limits. Let’s go play somewhere.”

“Oh, we can go to a karaoke place!”

“Eh. I mean, Kanon, your singing’s a bit… you probably can’t notice it, but you know what I mean?”

“Nothing but lies again. Kanon shall sing today as well!”

“Sure, whatever, then let’s go.”

Tamaki and Kanon rose from their seats.

As they did, as expected another figure nearby rose. That also always happened.

Ichi, Nii, San, Yon, Go. The five Mushitsuki thus nicknamed according to their order. Feeling more and more of their duty to protect Kanon with each passing day, they were already pretty much acting like bodyguards.

“Really now—”

Tamaki sighed.

Because she saw another person rising from another table.

And then from another table.

And from that other table too.

The number of customers rising to their legs was endless. “Where’re we going?” “Karaoke, apparently.” “Oh, let’s bet on it.” “Karaoke? Alright!” the number of people chatting like this increased—

As a result, almost all customers in the family restaurant vacated their seats at the same time.

“Since it turned out like that, we should really keep it quiet next time.”

Mushitsuki #1 to #5 came behind Tamaki and Kanon who exited together, shoulder to shoulder.

And even further behind them—just like a line of ants, a crowd of boys and girls formed.

“We’ll have to rent so many rooms again at the karaoke place, huh.”

Rumors beget rumors and Kanon ended up gaining more and more followers.

They already numbered—several dozens.

“Kanon’s already thinking about what do sing!”

“Haa… I wish something interesting happened already…”

Tamaki and Kanon were peaceful today as well.

There was only one thing bothering her.

The next full moon was approaching—that was her only worry.

Notes

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