Haru’s raven form landed on the ground next to Keiko. He looked around to make sure no one was around and transformed back into a human.
“I’m here, Keiko-chan,” he said. “I need to do some tests to make sure you’re not cursed.”
“Like medical tests?” Keiko asked.
“Sort of. The first step is to see if you’re cursed at all,” Haru answered.
He pulled out a bag of salt and poured a ring around Keiko.
She looked at the circle, “You carry salt around with you?”
Haru replied, “Of course, I do. Salt is a very important tool for magic users. That and it makes food taste better.”
After the circle was made, Haru cut his finger. Blood dripped into the salt. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth.
“You aren’t cursed,” he said.
Keiko wondered, “Then why does everyone want to fight me?”
“Well, you were pretty active in the school’s martial arts clubs,” Haru pointed out. “They know how good you are.”
“It’s annoying, Haru-kun. Maybe I should be around you more? I don’t think they’ll want to be anywhere near you,” she stated.
He replied, “We’re around each other all the time. This is just happening; because, we’re both helping out with the school festival.”
Keiko leaned against a fence and sighed.
“Us being roped into the festival has led to people wanting to pull us into other things too.”
“That’s the way humans are,” Haru grit his teeth as anger pulsed through him. “Do one thing for them, and they’ll keep asking for favors. We had better make sure that we’re repaid for them.”
“Stay calm, Haru-kun. Getting mad won’t help,” Keiko held up her hands in a placating gesture.
He took a deep breath, “Right. Let’s think this through rationally.”
She nodded, “That would be best.”
“We both have things we need to do. These aren’t things we can do together since yours keeps you very occupied. As long as you’re not around me, people will try to fight you. They won’t when I’m around; because, my curse will make them want to avoid me,” Haru said.
“That’s right,” Keiko stated. “Is there anything that you can do with your magic?”
“Nothing that would keep them out of a hospital. The social-based curses I have won’t help with a situation like this. Well, they might, but they’d hurt you too.”
“Maybe our solution comes with why they want to fight me? It’s because they know I’m a skilled fighter and want to test their strength,” she speculated.
Haru said, “That’s it! Just tell them you’re out of practice, Keiko-chan!”
“I like that idea.”
Shortly after, Keiko was in the Tea Ceremony Club’s room.
“Look,” she told them. “The reason why I can’t fight you is because I’m out of practice.”
The club head asked, “What? But you train all the time!”
“I did in the past,” Keiko explained. “But I stopped when I met Haru-kun. We’ve been spending too much time together for me to get in any training. I’d get my ass kicked if I fought anyone.”
“That’s…a terrible shame,” his face turned sour.
“It really isn’t that bad. We’re in a safe area, and I only trained for my family in the first place.”
“Alright,” the club head nodded; however, his internal thoughts were different. “That bastard, Baba-san. He must have manipulated Keiko into not training so he could abuse her! I’ll cut out his intestines and make him eat them!”
Keiko said, “I have the teacups. Will you accept the interview from Jirogame now?”
“Of course. We promised to, after all.”
Quick as a flash, rumors overtook the school regarding Keiko being out of practice. They changed from person to person; however, they had the similar theme that Haru was responsible for her not training.
“Dammit!” Tsurugi slammed his hand against a table. “That bastard. How dare he constrain Mae-san’s ambitions!”
“Yeah! We know that Baba boy is scum!” a guy in his club agreed.
“There’s only one thing we can do: kick his ass and make him break up with Mae-san!”
The club gathered together, bringing their shinai with them. They found Haru waiting outside of the school after his own activities had ended. Tsurugi grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.
“Hey, there, Baba-san,” Tsurugi said.
Haru asked, “What do you want?”
“I want you to break up with Mae-san,” the club head answered.
“Mind your own business.”
“You little shit,” Tsurugi grit his teeth. “We outnumber you and no one’s coming to your aid. We’ll beat the living crap out of you if you don’t break up with her.”
“What is this about, anyway?” Haru wondered. “Is this some personal grudge or do you just like beating up random people.”
The club head replied, “You know exactly what this is about!”
“Of course, I don’t, dumbass! Why would I ask you if I knew?”
“Damn you!”
Tsurugi swung his shinai, aiming for Haru’s head. A gust of wind hit it at just the right point. Instead of hitting Haru, it bonked Tsurugi’s face.
“Owww,” the club leader groaned.
Haru wrenched himself out of Tsurugi’s grasp. He wheeled around and uttered an incantation under his breath. Wind wrapped around Haru’s arm, boosting its speed and power. His fist slammed into Tsurugi. The boy was sent to the ground.
All those in the Kendo Club looked on in shock.
“How strong is Baba-san?” a boy asked.
Another club member replied, “I have no idea. He shouldn’t have taken out Tsurugi like that.”
“I’m not down yet,” Tsurugi stood up. “To think that a coward like you is that strong. Yet, you drag down Mae-san with your cowardice! You must think that if you can’t be brave, she can’t be either!”
Haru narrowed his eyes, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb! I know you’ve forced Mae-san to stop training!”
“Why does this sort of thing always backfire on me?” the witch thought before speaking. “Did you talk to Keiko-chan before coming over here?”
A girl shouted, “Don’t call her chan! We know you manipulated her!”
“You’re not going to listen to reason, so I’m done talking,” Haru said.
He turned and walked away before a thought came to him.
“I was waiting here for Keiko-chan. Why am I walking away? I should go inside the school.”
Tsurugi jumped into the air, brandishing his shinai.
The club leader shouted, “Sneak attack!”
Haru stepped out of the way. Tsurugi missed him and crashed into the ground.
“Impossible! How did you dodge that?” he asked.
Haru answered, “Because you shouted ‘sneak attack,’ dumbass.”
“Hey! I didn’t shout ‘sneak attack, dumbass!’ I just shouted sneak attack!”
“Did he take too many shinai blows to the head?” Baba Haru questioned.
“No,” a club member said. “Tsurugi’s a great fighter, but he isn’t smart like Mae-san is.”
Gritting his teeth, Tsurugi swung his shinai again; however, a tight fist clenched around his weapon. He turned to see Keiko there.
She glared, “What are you doing to Haru-kun?”
Tsurugi replied, “Mae-san, I’m solving your problem!”
“What problem?”
“That…thing forced you to stop training. I’m making him take that back,” he told her.
Keiko said, “Haru-kun didn’t do that!”
“Oh, come on,” Tsurugi scoffed. “Don’t tell me that a coward like him would accept being with someone like you?”
A moment later, Tsurugi was laying backwards on the ground. Keiko’s fist had impacted his face and he was rolling around in pain.
“Come on, Keiko-chan,” Haru waved. “Let’s get out of here.”
Tsurugi gritted his teeth as they left.
“This isn’t over, cowardly bastard. I’ll definitely make you pay.”
Ved'ma Story 