Morning rose over the city, and Haru and Keiko were on their way to school.
“So, that’s the situation?” Keiko asked.
Haru answered, “Yes. Things haven’t been easy with Watanabe. I know you don’t want to help her and you’re busy with your own things, but I’d really appreciate it if you at least helped me think things through.”
She said, “I can do that. Your plan of getting her to interview people at a wrestling event isn’t a bad one. The main issue is how you can convince her since she doesn’t want people to know she even likes watching wrestling. Maybe you could get some of the club members to convince her for you?”
“I might need to do that. Could you get Jirogame?” he wondered.
“Of course,” Keiko smiled. “He already owes me a lot with all the crap I’ve had to go through.”
Tsurugi jumped out of the bushes in front of them.
He shouted, “Sneak attack!”
His shinai swung down at Haru. Keiko grabbed it midair and wrenched it out of Tsurugi’s hand. She bonked him on the head, sending the club leader collapsing to the ground.
“Impossible!” Tsurugi stood up. “There’s no way you could get that strong so quickly! I was easily stronger than you back when you were part of the kendo club, and you haven’t gained any muscle either! What kind of workout routine did you do?”
“The truth is,” Haru stepped in.
“Haru-kun, what are you doing?” Keiko asked.
He said, “Telling the truth. You see, Tsurugi, Keiko-chan is actually part oni. Her increased physical strength is magical in nature, which is why she hasn’t gained any muscles. Of course, she can take an oni form where she’s even stronger and has muscles.”
Silence fell over them. The kendo club head narrowed his eyes.
Tsurugi shouted, “Don’t fuck with me! Do you really expect me to believe such a ridiculous story?”
“I don’t,” Haru replied. “But it’s the truth.”
“I’ll get you next time, dammit!” he picked up his shinai and ran off.
Keiko said, “Why did you tell him that, Haru-kun?”
“Because when you’re a supernatural being, sometimes the truth is the best way to hide your identity. Most people, even ones who believe in the supernatural, don’t believe it when people tell them they’re a supernatural being. And even most of the people who would believe others if they said they met a supernatural wouldn’t believe someone who says they are a supernatural.”
Watanabe jumped out from behind a bush, “Holy crap! Then you really are a witch?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Haru asked.
“I came here to meet you and Mae-san early,” she answered.
Keiko stated, “I’m guessing you were trying to ask me to help you too?”
“Of course,” Watanabe nodded. “But that doesn’t matter now! Baba-san, use your magic to erase the Journalism Club members’ memories of Jirogame’s idea!”
“No,” Haru said. “I can’t do that.”
She was shocked, “What? Why not? Are you chickening out?”
“No. I literally can’t do it. I don’t know any memory erasing spells.”
“Then how do you hide your magic?” Watanabe wondered.
Haru told her, “I don’t use blatant magic very often, and I come up with excuses. Speaking of which, I’ll need a new one soon. My old one clearly had a massive flaw in it.”
“Telling people that you’re a witch to trick them into thinking you’re not a witch is pretty silly,” Keiko stated.
“And it took me three months to come up with that idea,” he sighed. “I thought it was so clever too.”
Watanabe said, “So, do you have any magic that can help me?”
“No.”
“Fucking great. Can I get an interview with you on your magic?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then what are we going to do now?” Watanabe thought out loud. “Let’s see…maybe if we got one of those Western siege weapons…the ones that look like giant slings?”
Haru said, “Trebuchets.”
She nodded, “Yes! If we got a trebuchet, we could get people so excited that we’d have to change our stall from being based around images of me doing wrestling moves on the school to images about the trebuchet.”
“And how am I supposed to help with that?”
“All you have to do is summon one,” Watanabe stated.
“Hang on!” Keiko was shocked. “You think Haru-kun can summon trebuchets?”
“Why wouldn’t he be able to?”
“Oh, come on!” Haru groaned. “That plan is ridiculous. Even if I could summon a trebuchet, where would we put it, the exercise area where clubs are practicing? Or maybe we’d put it on the school rooftop?”
Watanabe smiled, “That’s a great idea! If we put it on the rooftop, everyone will be able to see it!”
He realized this was his chance to enact his and Erik’s plan, “I have another idea. Watanabe-san, there’s a few fighting and pro wrestling events coming up. You could interview some of the people going to those events.”
“How would that help?” she asked.
“It’d be a trick. People would think that, rather than you liking pro wrestling, these pictures were made because the Journalism Club wanted to interview lovers of pro wrestling and fighting in general.”
“Will this go like you telling people the truth to cover up being a witch?” Watanabe wondered.
Haru shouted, “Hey! I did that trick 69 times and it only failed once!”
Keiko was shocked, “You were counting?”
“Of course, I was,” he replied. “I count pretty much everything.”
“Then how many spells did you cast in that incident in our beach trip?” she was careful to not mention that there was a battle there.
“Thirty-seven,” Haru said.
“How many times did you read the school newspaper?” Watanabe asked.
He answered, “Zero.”
A look of disappointment crossed Watanabe’s face.
She sighed, “Well, I’m still not going to a pro wrestling or fighting event. Someone might see me and start spreading rumors. You know how hard those are to get rid of, Baba-san.”
Sudden sympathy flashed across Haru’s face.
“I know that very well; though, I stopped trying to get rid of mine a long time ago,” he admitted.
“Hang on!” Keiko got an idea. “Watanabe-san, do you actually practice any wrestling moves?”
The club head nodded, “Yes. My brother trains with me.”
“Then I think I have an idea that solves all of our problems,” a smile crossed Keiko’s face.
“Great!” Watanabe gave her a thumbs up. “I’ll talk to you later! I have to get to school now.”
She ran off.
Haru asked, “Keiko-chan, what’s your plan?”
She answered, “We have Tsurugi date Watanabe. She’ll have a boyfriend, and he’ll stop bothering us.”
“Are you sure about that? He seems quite persistent,” he stated.
“Tsurugi likes to concentrate on one thing at a time. So, if he’s in a relationship with Watanabe, he’ll focus on that,” Keiko said.
“Just be careful, Keiko-chan,” Haru told her. “Tsurugi’s an idiot, and I’ve dealt with my fair share of idiots.”
She chuckled, “If anyone has experience with idiot, it’s Erik. After all, he lives with a pair of them.”
“Then maybe we should get our resident idiot expert’s advice on it?” he suggested.
Keiko replied, “You get his advice, and I’ll talk to Tsurugi. Divide and conquer.”
They agreed on that and kept going to the school.
Ved'ma Story 