Tokyo Ravens - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.2

Part 2 

The next day's weather was sunny, a good weather suitable for holding a fireworks festival. 
The festival location was a shrine outside the city, and included the riverbank behind the shrine. Maybe because of the numerous stands or the enthusiasm given off by the attendees, the day's heat seemed completely unabated. Lively noise sounded out often, and the summer sun blended with the air, as if just by breathing in one could taste the flavor of summer. 
"......You hadn't seen the prodigy girl of the main family for half a year, and fought as soon as you saw each other." 
Touji leaned against the vast stone wall encircling the shrine, speaking incredulously as well as teasingly. 
Harutora and Touji had finished their remedial classes, and they waited in the agreed-upon location. Hokuto was late, and hadn't shown up yet. 
As they waited for Hokuto to come, Harutora had revealed the business that had happened yesterday evening to Touji. He hadn't planned on talking about it, but Touji's eyes were sharp and had seen that Harutora's demeanor was different from yesterday's, and unexpectedly, this classmate was a master of persuasion. Somehow, Harutora had not only spilled the conversation on the bridge, but had even thoroughly talked about his relationship with Natsume. 
"What do you honestly think?" 
"You suck." 
"......You're too honest......" 
"You guys can't talk at all. The next time I go pick up girls, you better not come with me." 
Touji smiled coldly from under his bandanna. Harutora squatted on the ground, looking upsettedly at him. 
Harutora would always express as nice of an attitude as possible, but in the end there weren't many girls' numbers in his phone - the number being meager enough to count on one hand - and it would be a great difficulty for him to take a more complex approach. 
"I admit I was a bit childish at the end...... But she provoked me first." 
"It doesn't matter who it was, you could never talk with girls." 
Touji was completely unconcerned as he spoke mercilessly, but Harutora couldn't even muster up the strength for a retort. 
"But, as expected of a great family, even the branch family has to comply with tradition and become a shikigami for the main family......" 
Touji didn't mind the downcast Harutora, muttering sarcastically. 
'Shikigami' referred to servants that Onmyouji manipulated, 'shiki' meaning 'servitude', and shikigami being 'spirits who serve their practitioner'. [4] 
For example, the 'General Onmyoudou' that the Onmyou Agency formally adopted primarily used manmade shikigami, which were created by putting magical energy into a ‘core’ that was the vessel. There were simple shikigami that the practitioner could use on the spot, as well as all kinds of individually-created shikigami. 
The 'tradition' of the Tsuchimikado family was that the branch family had to serve the main family as a shikigami. 
"Hey, slow down, in that case, did Yakou also have shikigami like that?" 
"I don't know. He should have, though I'm not very sure." 
"Yakou's shikigami Hishamaru and Kakugyouki...... Could they have been human?" 
"I just said I don't know." 
Touji showed a strong curiosity, but Harutora just dismissed it casually. 
"Come to think of it, never mind Yakou's time, don't you think it's too strict to have to comply with these 'traditions' now? That's too pethantic." 
"......You couldn't be meaning to say 'pedantic', right?" 
Touji's gaze became colder. Harutora's face reddened, arguing: 'It means the same thing!' 
"In any case, it's unsuited to the times! No wonder my dad told me not to be too concerned." 
"Is that so?" 
"Isn't it? Think about it, forcing people to become shikigami, isn't that just ignoring human rights! That kind of tradition doesn't see people as humans at all!" 
Most people would think of the manipulation of shikigami and use of charms when asked about the most representative magical techniques of Onmyouji. 
However, shikigami were the partners and guards of the practitioner, and to put it roughly, they were servants or slaves, even 'tools'. 
However... 
"There were a lot of situations where people became shikigami." 
"Don't talk nonsense, shikigami can disappear wherever and whenever." 
"That's a metaphor. Simply put, shikigami are actually subordinates that act according to their master's orders. For example the ninjas who served during the Warring States period were a broad kind of shikigami." 
"......In any case, that's in the past." 
"From a modern point of view, the relationship between the practitioner and shikigami is about the same as between a coach and athlete...... Uh, it’s a bit different with regard to absolute obedience." 
"What do you mean, a bit different! That part's the most important!" 
Harutora thought of the conversation yesterday on the bridge. Absolute obedience to Natsume's order? Impossible. He couldn't do it. It wasn't even a question of whether he had talent as an Onmyouji anymore. 
"......On the other hand, if I were a spirit-seer, there would be a high chance I would have ended up like that......" 
From Natsume's tone yesterday, she might be unexpectedly committed to the revitalization of the Tsuchimikado family. Was that as a result of her position or personality? Whichever it was, Harutora was completely uninterested in accompanying his childhood friend in chasing after that lofty ambition. 
"What 'useless friends', what 'duty as a family heir'...... Doesn't she get tired of dramatizing things?" 
"She's pretty straightforward." 
"Straightforward how? Ha." 
"'I'm lonely'... That's what the next heir of the main family actually meant, right?" 
Touji looked at Harutora, and his gaze momentarily flashed with a sharp light. Those words felt hugely unexpected to Harutora, who went speechless for some time. 
...That Natsume, showing weakness to me? But...... how could that...... 
But, it wasn't impossible. People who wanted to become specialized Onmyouji congregated at the Onmyou Academy that Natsume studied at, and of course these students knew the relationship between the Tsuchimikado family and Tsuchimikado Yakou. Natsume, alone, associated with these people, studying Onmyoudou. 
Moreover, Natsume was gifted, and that could very possibly lead to jealousy or resentment. Considering her personality, it was really hard to imagine her being able to find a happy group of friends or wash away her negative emotions. In that case, could it be that she spent every day in Tokyo unhappily? 
"............" 
Harutora frowned, looking depressed and staying silent. Touji lowered his head to look at Harutora with interest, as if he thought him to be simple and easy to understand. 
"......Okay, you were just rejected, don't be upset, it's not the end of the world, right?" Touji's gaze turned to behind Harutora as he spoke while shrugging his shoulders. 
Harutora stopped his deep thoughts, looking upwards with an annoyed expression. 
"Who did you say got rejected?" 
"......Who got rejected?" 
A terrifying voice that sounded like a volcano about to erupt rang out. 
It was Hokuto. 
Touji grinned, and Harutora who was squatting on the ground hurriedly stood up. Harutora turned around as if to resolve the misunderstanding, but choked just as the words were about to leave his mouth. 
His eyes widened blankly. 
Seeing Harutora's reaction, Hokuto said: "......What..." and turned her head, glancing at Harutora out of the corner of her eye. She pretended to be calm, but her face was flushed from expectation and tension, and her toes anxiously traced circles in the ground. 
Touji coughed lightly. 
Harutora hurriedly spoke: 
"Y, You're late, Hokuto." 
"......Sorry." 
Touji coughed again. 
"Um, no, it's alright...... Well...... What happened, for you to be dressed like that?" 
This time Touji didn't cough again, but sighed lightly instead. The tense Hokuto slowly puffed out her cheeks. 
"Nothing! I just wore a yukata because I was attending a festival, something wrong?!" 
Hokuto was currently wearing a yukata. 
It was a black-colored yukata, decorated with white peonies [5] and butterflies near the top, with an elegant pink belt. Her entire body gave off a traditional and mature air, as if a completely different person from the Hokuto of yesterday. 
"No, no, sorry! That...... Seeing you dressed like this, I feel like it doesn't seem like you...... I, I was surprised because that appearance looks really unexpected, so I doubted my own eyes......" 
The volcanic activity in Hokuto's heart became more and more active every time the flustered Harutora opened his mouth, seeming like it would erupt from the crater at any time. The excitement-filled eyes that she had gazed at Harutora with gradually filled with tears. Touji, standing behind Harutora, covered his face because he couldn't stand it. 
But... 
"But... it looks good on you. It really surprised me." 
The moment before the volcano erupted, Hokuto's anger disappeared. 
"......R, Really?" 
"Yeah, how should I put it...... It looks fresh, and seems more mature than usual." 
Harutora also wasn't really clear on what to say, and spoke hesitatingly, honestly saying his heartfelt thoughts. 
Hokuto moved her gaze, as if spying on Harutora's expression. He hadn't done anything of note, but his heartbeat quickened. 
Not long after, Hokuto expressed her satisfaction, relaxing and composing herself. 
"......Thanks." 
She feigned calm, holding the corners of her mouth back from forming a smile, and thanked him quietly. 
The two of them sank into silence. 
Hokuto's gaze flicked around, seeming bashful, and Harutora stood still, also showing a fidgeting and anxious appearance. The two of them both seemed like they wanted to open their mouths, but they couldn't catch the opportunity. 
The silence continued. 
Touji silently counted to a hundred. 
After that, he decided not to keep waiting. 
"Alright, since Hokuto's here too, we should be about ready to go take a look, right?" 
Harutora and Hokuto nodded their heads slightly, as if feeling relieved. 

Unfortunately, Hokuto's mature air didn't last long. 
"Next, cotton candy! I want to eat cotton candy!" 
"......Why don't you eat the candied apple in your right hand and the chocolate banana in your left hand first." 
"Harutora, there are masks! Hey, which one's good? Which one do you think is good?" 
"The clown...... No, I'm kidding! I was joking, don't kick me with your sandals!" 
"I see goldfish! Yeah!" 
"Wait! Don't run around wearing a yukata! What kind of person can run that fast in a yukata!?" 
She was inordinately happy, so excited that she even scared a group of elementary students walking by her, having completely returned to her normal tomboy demeanor. 
Touji was stunned. 
"......Was she like this last year too?" 
"She was even worse last year." 
Harutora replied with a dry smile from behind Hokuto. 
Hokuto would normally occasionally be childish, but once she entered this celebration, she seemed as if she had truly become a child. "Harutora, look at this!", "Harutora, come here!" - Her eyes flashed with light as she pulled Harutora's arm, pointing to mundane booths one after another. 
Actually, Harutora would sometimes feel like he couldn't put up with it, but once he saw Hokuto's carefree smile, he would completely swallow that anger and his derisive words. It was a happy thing to see the sincerely joyful face of others. 
Also, when he was with the naive Hokuto, he wouldn't have to remember the past. 
Long ago, when he was still a small child. Every time he went to the main family, his childhood friend would be overjoyed, her face flushed with happiness. 
She would listen to whatever Harutora had to say, always following him around...... 
Harutora inadvertently thought about a question. 
...Could it be that she attended the festival? 
He couldn't imagine it. Natsume might not even know what fun was in the first place, having been ignorantly shackled to the name Tsuchimikado, and living her life by studying and training every day. 
While he was having fun at the moment, what was she doing- 
Just then...... 
"......Harutora?" 
Touji called out quietly, and Harutora hurriedly recomposed himself in surprise. 
"What is it?" 
"Uh...... Nothing, never mind." 
Harutora smiled, glossing things over and letting his consciousness return to the festival before him. 
The sun was setting in the west, and the lights hung on the stalls along with the rows of lanterns illuminated the surroundings. The fireworks performance would begin in a while. 
Just then, Hokuto, who had originally been squatting on the ground looking wide-eyed into the small eyes of the goldfish, stood up. 
"Ah! What's that? I never saw it before!" 
"Oh, it's a shooting range, how nostalgic." 
Just as Harutora spoke, Hokuto had already rushed to the booth with the shooting game. 
Harutora hurriedly chased after her, and Touji also followed behind. There were a pair of what seemed like college-aged lovers taking the challenge, and Hokuto stood to the side after rushing ahead, carefully observing them. 
"......So it's played like that, you use that toy gun to knock over the prizes in there, right? And then you can get the prizes you knock over......" 
"You've never played it?" 
"Didn't I just say I never saw it before!" 
Saying this, Hokuto paid the price per play (two hundred yen) to the booth manager. 
The manager gave her a toy gun. 
"......How do I use this?" 
She looked at Harutora, and Harutora took the toy gun from her hands, pulled the spring, and stuffed the cork bullet into the muzzle. 
"Then you just need to pull the trigger." 
"Thanks! Then, let's see, what prizes should I get?" 
"Listen, Hokuto, you can't get whatever big prizes you want in this kind of game, not only will you be unable to hit them, even if you hit, the prizes won't fall over if they're too heavy. In theory, you should set your target on the row placed in the very front, those are the comparatively light prizes--" 
"Ah, I missed." 
"Listen to me!" 
Hokuto began shooting on her own, and didn't hit a prize a single time. She bravely aimed the gun at the highest row, with a ribbon-wrapped box as her target, completely unheeding of Harutora's proposal. 
Touji chewed a grilled squid that he had bought at some point in time, joining the fun from the side. The fried smell of soy sauce was mouth-watering. 
"Uu, really, they all missed!" 
"That's your own fault." 
"Harutora, I want that prize." 
"Don't be troublesome." 
"What about Touji? You look like you'd be good at this kind of game." 
"Not interested." 
Hearing their cold replies, Hokuto showed a reproachful look, saying 'so useless'. Then, she paid another two hundred yen again, and challenged it again. 
Of course, her target was the ribbon-wrapped box on the highest row. She leaned forward as much as possible, extending the gun barrel, and the bottom of her yukata was lifted up high, making Harutora blush. 
But, the outcome was the same, nothing hit. Hokuto was mad enough to stomp the ground. 
"So annoying! It didn't even touch it!" 
"I said it's no use to aim at the big prizes." 
"One more time!" 
"Give up." 
"No! I want that!" 
She was truly a child. 'Harutora.' Touji stood behind him, putting a word in lazily as if wanting him to think of something. Muttering 'what does it have to do with me' in his heart, Harutora accepted the toy gun that Hokuto handed over, and paid two hundred yen. 
"But I'm really bad at this game......" 

Just as he confessed, his shots curved one after another. 
Harutora's luck was simply the worst possible, and regardless of where he aimed, the bullets would fly in impossible directions. The change in his wallet was spent in moments, and even like that, Hokuto still didn't let him go, and the money he spent quickly broke a thousand yen. 
"If the bullet doesn't hit this time, give up." 
After saying this, he put in the last bullet, leaning forward. 
Hokuto's heart leaped anxiously as she stared at Harutora. 
Then, she blushed as if thinking up something. 
Harutora was currently aiming. Hokuto seemed a bit hesitant, but she still lowered herself, putting her face close to Harutora's ear. 
"Hey, Harutora." 
"......Don't talk to me for now." 
"If you get that prize......" 
"Don't talk to me." 
"I'll give you a kiss." 
His hand lost control for a moment. 
The cork that clearly did not advance in the same direction as the gun barrel traced a beautiful arc, hitting the ribbon-wrapped box dead center. The box let out an unexpectedly hollow sound, falling off the stand. 
Hokuto jumped up and down, cheering loudly. Touji stuck the grilled squid in his mouth, clapping his hands leisurely. But, Harutora wasn't as unperturbed. 
"H, Hokuto, you......!" 
"Huh? What about me?" 
"Uh, that, you said...... If I got that prize......" 
"What? What is it, Harutora?" 
Hokuto faked a casual appearance, smiling sweetly and slightly tilting her head. It was clearly the smile of a criminal. 
'Tch!' Harutora regretted it, but the atmosphere right now wasn't suitable for bringing up what had just happened or continuing to pursue the question. Actually, if it were revisited, it would lead to trouble for Harutora. 
"......When did you learn that move......" 
"Hmm? I haven't gotten anything you've been talking about just now." 
Hokuto laughed and turned around, and upon closer inspection, one could notice that half of that was to conceal her shyness. It seemed that Harutora wasn't the only one who feared unknown risks. 
What was stunning was that the big prize Hokuto had insisted on getting turned out to be a bottle of soap and a straw. 
A bubble-blowing set for children to play with was set inside the prize box, and placing it the highest up was just to fake out the customers. 
"No wonder it fell over in one hit." 
Touji laughed. Harutora's face reddened as he looked at the result of his fruitless labor. 
But Hokuto didn't take it to heart at all. 
"It's alright, this was what I wanted." 
She untied the ribbon around the box, deftly tying it into her hair. 
The ribbon was a beautiful pink, the same color as the belt on Hokuto's yukata. With the ribbon tied in her hair, it seemed as if it had been arranged for from the start. 
"Ah." Harutora made a sound of praise. 
"How is it?" 
"You've also taken up hollow fashions." 
Harutora spoke sarcastically, taking the opportunity to retaliate for his teasing just now. 
But, Hokuto didn't budge. She stared into Harutora's eyes with a serious face. 
"Is it cute?" 
"............" 
"It's very cute, right?" 
"............" 
"Say it's cute!" 
"...Okay, I know. Cute, it's cute." 
"Really?" 
"I told you, since you forced me to say it..." 
"............" 
"Cute! It's really cute!" 
Harutora could only praise it repeatedly upon encountering a look as if she would smack him at any time. Hokuto smiled lightly after hearing it, her entire body loosening. 
"I won." 
"O, Okay......" 
"Really, Harutora really is a Bakatora who doesn't understand girls' hearts. If you properly said that my yukata was cute when you saw it, we wouldn't have had to waste so much effort." 
"Hey, slow down. Just to get me to say the word cute, you wore that yukata you're not used to and made me spend a thousand yen on a shooting game to get that ribbon?" 
"I won." 
"......Fine, I lose." 
Harutora felt exhausted, slackening his shoulders. Hokuto smiled brightly, joyfully playing with the ribbon. 
"I'll treasure this." 
"Do whatever you want, but it's super cheap." 
"It's alright, because..." 
"What?" 
"No...... nothing." 
Hokuto smiled shyly, taking out the bubble-blowing toy. 
She dipped the front of the straw into the soapy water, and then pursed her lips, blowing into the straw. 
Bubbles flashing in rainbow colors flew through the night sky. 
Several children who had come with their parents cheered one after another upon seeing the bubbles. The ones cheering were a small boy and an even younger small girl who pulled at the boy's hand, seeming to be a pair of siblings. Maybe the reactions of the pair had pleased Hokuto, as she blew more bubbles towards the two children. The clump of bubbles wandered around dreamily, bursting and disappearing without a sound. 
...This childish person...... 
Hokuto turned from an adult talking about ribbons to a big sister playing with the children, without even a trace of her normal boyish air. Harutora was first stunned, and then felt humored, unable to help from grinning. 
Hokuto noticed Harutora smiling at her, and blew bubbles at his face. "Hey, don't be annoying!" Harutora hurriedly escaped - Hokuto chased, and the siblings laughed even more happily. 
At some time, smiles had emerged on everyone's faces. 
Maybe this unobtrusive scene was a summer memory that would be remembered in the future. 
"Alright...... What should we do next, Harutora? We should go over soon, right?" 
Touji finished eating the grilled squid, and after checking the time, whispered words in Harutora's ear. 
It was almost time for the fireworks performance, and though they could see the fireworks from here, the fireworks were shot from the riverbank, so the view was better from there. 
Just then, Hokuto who had parted with the smiling siblings called out: "Ah, wait for me! Just a bit, I'll come right back!", parting from Harutora and Touji, and suddenly running off. Harutora and Touji looked at each other in surprise. 
"What's she up to?" 
"Who knows." 
Though they didn't understand, they didn't think it would be good to wait where they were, so they shrugged their shoulders and followed Hokuto. 
Hokuto had run towards the interior of the temple. 
They walked up a small flight of stairs, passing under the torii [6] . There were no decorative lanterns around the temple, but there were stone lamps lighting the surroundings. 
The further they walked inside, the further they went from the hustle and bustle behind them. The sounds of insects entered their ears, and the feeling of a summer night drifted through the dim surroundings with the shrine as a center. 
They found Hokuto immediately. She was absorbed in praying in front of the wall of the temple where ema [7] were hung. 
"What are you doing?" 
"Ah... D, Didn't I tell you to wait?" 
Hokuto hurriedly covered her ema once she heard the sudden call to her. Unfortunately, though the luminescence from the stone lamps was faint, the words on the ema were still clearly visible. 
'I hope that Harutora becomes an Onmyouji.' 
"......You......" 
The originally joyful atmosphere froze over in an instant, and Hokuto's furtive appearance and the topic that he hadn't expected to come up at this time provoked him into anger. 
"......Hokuto, haven't you had enough? I thought you would have let it go for this kind of time." 
"Because......" 
"There's no because! Why are you doing everything possible to make me become an Onmyouji, do you hate me living this kind of normal life that much?!" 
"I, I didn't say that, it was just for Harutora's sake-" 
Hokuto desperately denied it. But this time, the topic that normally made him tired and dumbfounded inexplicably evoked his anger, and he even felt shocked. 
He understood the reason. 
...'I have no time to pass empty days, nor do I have time to hang out all day with useless friends.' 
Hokuto's words sounded to his ears like the criticism-filled words of his childhood friend. 
But, it was wrong. It wasn't like that. 
He wanted Hokuto at the least to understand that this wasn't the case. 
"......Hey, Hokuto." 
He suppressed his agitated emotions, speaking word by word: 
"Maybe I'm indeed living a boring, insignificant and lax life right now, but I like this kind of life. I love these unrestricted days where I can hang out with you and Touji and do stupid things every day." 
"Liar." Natsume had reproached him like this once. 
Natsume had spoken correctly. He had broken their agreement, and hadn't complied with his promise to protect her by her side, and had willfully run off to live a normal life with normal people. He could do nothing about Natsume condemning him because of this. 
But, as for Hokuto - He didn't want to hear Hokuto, who lived the same normal life as he did, open her mouth to deny his normal life. 
"Hokuto......" 
Harutora honestly confessed his innermost thoughts, taking a step towards Hokuto. Touji called out 'Harutora' as if to stop him, but he was deliberately ignored. 
Hokuto showed a look as if she were being driven into a corner, holding her breath. 
Harutora didn't let Hokuto go, staring intently into her eyes. 
"At this point, I don't want to go run to some Onmyouji or the Tsuchimikado family to make relations and destroy my current life. Could it be that you don't think that way? Huh, Hokuto?" 
Hokuto bit her lip. 
After a long, tormenting silence... 
She lowered her eyes, not saying a word. 
Hokuto's response brought an unexpected shock to him, and he even felt like he had been betrayed. 
"......Oh, so that's how it is." 
He felt anger boiling inside him, but he didn't plan on restraining that anger. He reached his hand out to behind Hokuto's back, ignoring the cry and knocking away the arm that tried desperately to stop him, and grabbed the ema. 
He tore down the ema, hurling it to the ground. 
Hokuto made a weak wail. 
"What are you doing!" 
She ran to the ema fallen on the ground, brushed the dirt off of it, and held it tightly to her chest. It was as if she was moving to guard a valuable, and was simply intolerable in the current Harutora's eyes. He turned around haughtily, not letting himself look at Hokuto's teary gaze. 
"......Harutora, you idiot!" 
Hokuto yelled, rushing out. Her back disappeared in a flash from the other side of the torii. Harutora didn't turn around. The clattering sound of the sandals gradually moved away, but he still stubbornly looked ahead. 
After a long while. 
"......She's gone." 
Touji quietly watched the situation unfold, calmly opening his mouth. Harutora couldn't suppress his rising anger, bitterly muttering: '......Damn!' 
"Oh my, such youth, not bad." 
Touji spoke casually as always, but Harutora no longer had the energy to respond. 
"......Do you think it was also my fault this time?" 
"No, honestly, Hokuto was wrong." 
Touji gave an unexpected reply. Harutora looked at Touji in surprise, but only saw him continue to speak with his normal calm: 
"You're just 'useless'." 
Touji's words sharply pricked his ears, and Harutora felt a particularly profound sensation when he heard this. His originally overexerted energy disappeared, and he collapsed like a deflated ball. 
"Congratulations, you've been rejected two nights in a row. Looking at it this way, you really are a lover boy, Harutora." 
"Shut up. Honestly, I'm incredibly frustrated right now." 
"It's not only magic that can bite." 
"......What does that mean?' 
"My meaning is, Hokuto who got hurt is definitely feeling even worse right now." 
Harutora couldn't help but go somber when he heard this. 
Just now, tears had glittered in Hokuto's eyes. Harutora had gotten furious, hurt Hokuto, and also - he had done it deliberately. 
"What will you do? Do you want to chase after her? If you can't make up your mind, I'll punch you a couple times." 
"Why would you be punching me?" 
"To help encourage you. It's my duty to do that when this kind of time comes." 
Touji grinned. 
Right now, Touji seemed mellow, but actually he had been a violent delinquent who had fought all the time, punching and kicking people for breakfast. Harutora held up his hands, declining his proposal. 
He slightly calmed down a bit. 
...I was over the top...... 
Touji might have said Hokuto was in the wrong because it was the judgment of his friend. Compared to Harutora who was a more important friend, Hokuto wasn't nearby, so he could have said she was 'wrong'. 
Friendship wasn't forced. To take things to the extreme, Hokuto might believe Harutora wasn't a 'friend', and she was free to do so. 
Of course, Harutora didn't think Hokuto looked down on him, and the two of them had known each other for a long time. But, even if Harutora thought Hokuto was an important friend, Hokuto didn't have to respond to his opinions with similar thoughts or attitudes. However differently the two viewed each other, that wasn't a reason to criticize the other. 
"......I'll go after her." 
Harutora contemplated the life before him. Touji and Hokuto were both indispensable parts of his life. 
Just then. 
"...Hold on." 
Suddenly, someone spoke. 
The one who had spoken to them was a person who seemed to have come out from the darkness of the temple, a man wearing a black suit and sunglasses. Harutora and Touji looked at the clothes that were completely unfitting of a festival, and unconsciously moved backward half a step. 
"Sorry to disturb you two, but I heard your conversation just now, and I learned that there was someone from the Tsuchimikado family here." 
The man bowed his head respectfully, as if he hadn't noticed the reaction of the two. 
He expressed to the confused Harutora: 
"Actually, I'm searching for the person from the Tsuchimikado family according to my master's orders. Could you lend me a bit of your time and meet with my master?"