2.3
The day after I’d given up, though, I found myself moving toward the fortune-teller again.
“Ah.”
Yet another bizarre meeting; fate had reunited me with Ibuki. We happened upon the same place at the exact same time.
“Why did you come here again? And by yourself?” Ibuki looked disgusted. I got the impression that I thoroughly repulsed her.
“I could ask you the same question,” I countered.
“Well, I said that I like fortune-telling, didn’t I? I thought maybe I could have my fortune read, even if I’m alone,” she replied.
So, Ibuki came here hoping the rules had changed since yesterday. I wondered if she really did like fortune-telling that much, and if so, which part.
“I’m going to ask you something directly. Ibuki, do you believe in fortune-telling?” I asked.
“Are you saying I shouldn’t?”
“No. But it’s generally not something people start to believe in all of a sudden, right?”
Not everyone understood that fortune-telling was the mere application of techniques such as cold reading. Many genuinely believed in divination’s mysterious power.
“I suppose a lot of people start out thinking that way. But if you can’t move past that, fortune-telling’s probably not for you,” Ibuki said.
“So, you’re saying that nonbelievers aren’t qualified to have their fortunes read?”
“No, that’s not it. Let me put it this way. It’s not like I believe in fortune-telling unconditionally. However, people who are overly skeptical from the very start won’t get anything out of it. People who make fun of fortune-telling often lead lives riddled with contradictions themselves. They’ll say they don’t believe in kami or in Buddha, for instance—but when they’re in trouble, they call on a higher power for help, don’t they?”
That was a good argument. Gods didn’t exist, and neither did things like ghosts. Yet many who made caustic statements like “God doesn’t exist” would still visit shrines to bring in good fortune for the New Year. They’d pray for freedom from disease, success in business, or fulfillment in love. They’d clasp their hands and say, “Please, Kami-sama, listen to my prayers.”
What you believed in and what you wished for were infinitely different, and no one could deny that.
That said, fortune-telling wasn’t the same as the existence of a higher power. Fortune-tellers were just people, like you or me. Really, I couldn’t help but be skeptical.
“Do you understand?” Ibuki asked.
“Yeah.”
I still had lingering doubts, but I got the gist. I decided to make a suggestion.
“The fortune-teller only offers readings to pairs, but they’re not only reading for romance, right?” I asked.
“Yes, obviously.”
“In that case, why don’t we go together? We’re both genuinely interested in fortune-telling. If we’re not in a relationship that might have future complications, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
I honestly felt absolutely nothing for Ibuki. My emotions were a flat line, neither good nor bad. It was like dealing with a first-time customer in a store.
“Well, I don’t mind. I would like to have my fortune read, after all. Are you okay with this?” she asked.
“Even if Horikita were here, she’s only a friend.”
“That’s not what I meant. Some students still hold a bit of a grudge toward me because of what happened on the island.”
Ibuki was looking out for me, in a way. She was worried that, if my classmates saw us together, they might resent me.
“I don’t think you really need to worry about that.”
Ibuki craned her neck like she was puzzled. “I don’t understand.”
“If everyone at this school got along, then yes, what you did would be considered a massive moral violation. However, the school believes that ability is everything. Besides, the classes were competing against one another. Spying and sabotage were natural tactics to employ under the circumstances. Am I wrong?”
“But a lot of people operate based on feelings, rather than logic, and they won’t be convinced of that. Not everyone’s quite as mentally flexible.”
“I don’t think people like that would be admitted to this school in the first place.”
Ibuki crossed her arms and looked deep in thought for a moment. “You’re surprisingly shameless, aren’t you?”
“All I am is an unremarkable student. I have no interest in either trying to crawl my way up the ladder or being kicked off it. If working with a student like Horikita lets me coast by, then I’m lucky.”
“That’s not uncommon, though. Every student in this school has their eye on the special privileges that come with graduation. But no one foresaw that the school would make us compete like this, so I’m sure most students are bewildered.”
Apparently, Class C students weren’t really that different from Class D. That probably meant that Ibuki, who’d caught Ryuuen’s eye early on, must be formidable. In fact, after her identity as the spy was discovered, Ibuki was at Ryuuen’s side on several occasions. She said that she was only helping him to make up for her failure, but it seemed like he trusted her, at least to some degree.
Ibuki and I both got in line. The clerk I’d run into the other day came by once again to confirm that we were a pair, then handed us tickets. There were eight couples ahead of us.
“Looks like we’ll be waiting for a while,” I sighed.
If only one fortune-teller was available, Ibuki and I would have to wait longer than an hour, even if they managed the time efficiently. How would the two of us endure that? I probably couldn’t carry on a conversation for that long.
“We’re only together to have our fortunes read, so we don’t really need to make pointless chit-chat, right?” Ibuki asked me.
“I guess you have a point,” I answered.
She’d picked up on what I was thinking. Good. I’d been saved a lot of hassle.
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