Chapter 70: 70

Chapter 70

Lies and Promises

Translated by LyraDhani

Edited by LyraDhani

After separating from Agatsuma and walking alone down the hallway, Tsugumi confirmed that no one was around and whispered.

“Thinking about it normally, it would be more efficient to cooperate, but I’m a little stuck.”

It would be best to share information with other people who were pursuing the same case. But he felt that he did not have enough information and understanding of Agatsuma to offer that.

–And her eyes are concerning.

The deep anger that seemed to burn behind her smile. For Tsugumi, knowing the truth about the disaster was an important issue, but somehow he and Agatsuma seemed incompatible.

“The right thing to do is to not get involved more than necessary.”

“Bell-sama.”

Bell appeared softly on the spot and said that. It seemed she was aware of the exchange in the cafeteria.

“Their very nature is that of vindictive, vengeful demons themselves. If you get involved with them, you’ll end up getting burned.”

“‘Them’? Are there others besides Agatsuma-san?”

When Tsugumi asked that question, Bell frowned.

“…I talked a little too much. Forget it.”

“I don’t mind if Bell-sama says so… For now, I’m going to distance myself from Agatsuma-san for a bit. I feel like we’re not going in the same direction.”

Aside from a casual exchange of information, he decided not to actively cooperate with her. Besides, there was the matter of the advice from Bell. …He felt a little uncomfortable about it, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Even so, those burn scars…”

–Me and Chidori ran through the flames, but we didn’t get that kind of injury.

The day of that disaster. In Tsugumi’s memory, he was scrambling through a wall of flames that exceeded his height, and he was running frantically along the rubble-strewn road, hand in hand with Chidori. But why? He remembered the warmth of her hand, but he just couldn’t remember the heat of the flames.

As he was thinking about this, he felt the presence of someone from the end of the corridor. He quickly mended his expression and started walking as if nothing had happened. It would be a bad idea to do anything that would make the government people suspicious of him even though there was no information on him yet.

Fortunately, perhaps because he’d been acting as “Hagakure Sakura” a lot lately, the acting didn’t come off easily. He had also learned how to behave as a woman properly, so as long as he didn’t mess up, there should be no problems.

–But such naive thoughts were easily shattered when he saw the face of the person who walked up to him.

The person with long, shiny black hair, wearing a white blouse and checkered skirt, and a card with the word “Temporary Staff” on it hanging from her chest – Nanase Chidori – looked at the face of “Hagakure Sakura” who appeared before her, and a look of astonishment came into her eyes.

The moment she stopped, the papers in her hand fell to the ground in pieces. As if to represent what was going on in her mind.

Staring at the scene, Tsugumi clutched his right hand tightly as if trying to twist down his upset mind.

–Smile. Don’t look upset. Pull up the corners of your mouth. You knew beforehand that Chidori is in the government. Don’t get upset over something as trivial as this!

That was how he reprimanded himself. He couldn’t say he was prepared to meet Chidori as “Hagakure Sakura”.

Tsugumi knew in his head that they would eventually meet in the government, but he had put it off. –He was afraid.

If it was Chidori – if it was the only member of his family, she might be able to see through the transformed Tsugumi. The thought of that frightened him,

The contempt and loathing for being in the female form. Grief and anger from being lied to. If such feelings came from Chidori, Tsugumi didn’t think he could live anymore.

Tsugumi managed to suppress his agitation and smiled, then he squatted down and began to pick up the papers that had fallen out of her hands.

“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

As he handed her the papers he had picked up, Tsugumi made a worried expression and said to Chidori. Chidori looked surprised when he spoke to her, and bowed her head slightly as she received the documents.

“Oh, no, …I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Well, then. Please be careful.”

With that, Tsugumi turned to leave.

“Please wait!”

He was approached from behind by Chidori.

“What is it?”

“Um, my name is Nanase Chidori. You are Hagakure Sakura, right?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

Clutching the document in her hand so tightly that it wrinkled, Chidori gazed at Tsugumi – Hagakure Sakura with snarling eyes. When he replied with a puzzled look, she exhaled deeply and opened her mouth, as if she had made up her mind about something.

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“Hagakure Sakura-san. –Do you have any idea about a boy called Nanase Tsugumi who looks just like you?”

Chidori’s straightforward words made his eyes involuntarily twitch. –Did she notice? No, it can’t be.

He dismissed the possibility in an instant. If it was fount out, Chidori would have been more emotional and questioned him. Besides, the expression on her face. She looked more frightened than suspicious.

“No. I don’t know this Tsugumi-san? Sometimes I hear that there is someone who looks like me, but it is just a rumor. …What about it?”

Feeling self-hatred, Tsugumi replied with a smile plastered on his face. Then, for some reason, Chidori made a relieved face and bowed her head.

“…I see. I’m sorry for asking such an impolite question out of the blue.”

“I don’t mind. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“No, excuse me.”

Chidori said so and ran down the hallway at a quick pace without even looking at him. …He was worried that she might fall if she ran too quickly.

Tsugumi quietly lowered his eyes, gently holding his throbbing chest. He already knew it, but it was really hard to keep lying to Chidori.

“Do you regret it?”

Bell asked. Tsugumi shook his head and smiled fleetingly.

“It’s too late for that, Bell-sama. I have no choice but to keep moving forward.”

◆　◆　◆

After the encounter with Chidori, Tsugumi stopped by the Demonic Beast Countermeasure Headquarters to say hello and thank them, and then headed home, feeling exhausted. He arrived home via Transportation and collapsed on his bed in the same state he was in.

–I’m really tired.

It was hard enough just to act the part of “Hagakure Sakura” during the transformation, but it also took a lot of nerve to be careful not to make any miscellaneous gestures at a moment’s notice. Moreover, the stop was an encounter with Chidori. There was no way he would not get tired.

He undid the transformation while lying down and picked up his cell phone, which he had left on his bedside table. Looking at the screen, he saw that he had received several messages.

“The first two messages are from Yukitaka and Mebuki. And Suzushiro. She’s pretty busy, too.”

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It had been several months since he started keeping in touch with Suzushiro in this way. Now, it felt like he was being contacted once every few days. Thinking about it, this might be extraordinary.

-Although he exchanged contact information with Suzushiro and Mibu in the hospital room that day, Tsugumi was a little hesitant to contact them.

Partly because Tsugumi was not used to women, but also because those two were so far above the clouds that he felt uncomfortable making contact with them.

But the girls, oblivious to Tsugumi’s feelings, contacted him when they felt like it. They were like true friends.

Suzushiro frequently contacted him to introduce a restaurant where she had enjoyed a delicious cake and to talk about trendy fashions. And Mibu would suddenly send him pictures of incomprehensible objects she had taken on the street, or pictures of ugly stray cats.

Perhaps, in their own way, they considered him a friend. That was kind of crazy.

“What is this? ‘I met Hagakure Sakura! She looks just like you! But I don’t see much of a resemblance on the inside’. …That, well, I suppose she’s right.”

In the message sent by Suzushiro, she wrote about her impression of meeting Hagakure Sakura. From the context, it seemed he had received a good amount of high praise. Tsugumi breathed out a sigh of relief and squinted.

As he read on, he found this at the end of the message.

‘I’m so glad that I can work fewer shifts now that Rikka becomes Jukka and the number of people has increased! So, I have the last weekend of Golden Week off with Yuri-chan, and if you want, why don’t you go somewhere with us? I’ll be waiting for your call.’

Tsugumi checked his notebook and confirmed that he had no plans that day. Then he put his hand on his chin and looked up at the ceiling.

“Hagakure Sakura’s shift announcement will be made after Golden Week. I’ll be free until then. …Maybe it’s fine to take a break for a while.”

Tsugumi replied to Suzushiro, ‘Please let me go with you.’ Going out with them might be a bit conspicuous, but he didn’t think he could resist the temptation of going out with two pretty girls.

The girls would most likely take measures such as disguising themselves, so he didn’t have to worry that much.

To Tsugumi was smiling in a good mood, Bell, who had actually been by his side the whole time, said in dismay.

“This is why humans are. Even though you were on the verge of tears just a few minutes ago, you cash cow.”

“…Ugh, I can’t even gag.”

But let him make a few excuses. Human beings couldn’t live only by suffering. Even in the midst of pain, it was okay to have some fun. Even if it was a kind of escape from reality.

Besides, everyday life and Magical Girl(extraordinary) should only be considered as two separate things. Otherwise, his heart might collapse.

“Hmm, I don’t care what you do on your day off, but don’t have another incident like the last one.”

“…That was a force of nature.”

It was true that the members of the team would be preoccupied at that time, which made him a little uneasy. But irregular accidents wouldn’t happen so soon.

With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi smiled quietly as he thought about the weekend.

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