Chapter 11: The poor little character was blackmailed

It was the second day after the rumor about the incident of "Nokoru begging and presenting a gift to Kanon" spread throughout the entire school. Kanon had never experienced such curious gazes following her wherever she went. Even though Seiji was always by her side as a bodyguard, it didn't make her feel any better. In class, everyone tried to comfort her, but the fact that she had caught the attention of the idol of the entire school was truly noticeable.

During lunch, while eating with Zansa and Seiji outside the garden, Kanon felt a cold, piercing gaze directed towards her. Out of reflex, Kanon turned around to look in that direction, only to see a female figure wearing the Clamp school uniform and long flowing hair.

"What's wrong, Kanon-chan?" Zansa asked, concerned for her friend.

"I feel like someone is watching me," Kanon hesitantly expressed her thoughts. She didn't think she had anything worth being watched for and hoped it was just her illusion. She turned back and saw her bodyguard enjoying his meal without any concerns. She doubted and asked, "Do you feel anything, Ichikawa-senpai?"

"It's true that there is a gaze with hostile intentions looking this way, but it doesn't carry any danger. There's no need to worry," he reassured her.

The conclusion was reached at the same time with Seiji's lunchbox being completely empty. He neatly packed his lunchbox and tied it carefully with a cloth, making sure to pour three cups of tea for himself and the two young ladies.

"What does 'hostile' mean?" Zansa curiously asked.

"I thought everyone knew, Hanazaki-sama has always been looked at like that," Seiji replied nonchalantly.

Seiji's casual response left Kanon stunned. It turned out that all this time she had been seen as an enemy in the eyes of the three Student Council members' fangirls.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kanon asked, holding her head in her hands.

Seiji calmly sipped his tea and finally spoke to reassure her,

"It's not a problem because none of those things pose any danger to the you, lady. Just ignore them like you've been doing all this time, pretending you don't know anything."

"But how can I ignore it when I already know?" Kanon exclaimed.

Kanon resented her bodyguard, ever since he stopped wearing a poker face, his sharp tongue became even more unpleasant. Could he be one of the reasons she was being targeted by those fangirls as well? That could be true!

After school, Kanon went to open her locker to store her books and change her shoes, never expecting to receive a letter. Kanon blinked, "Could it be a love letter?" but there was no heart sticker attached to it like she often saw in movies and mangas. Curious, Kanon opened the letter, inside were cut-out letters from a magazine, forming the slanted words, "Stay away from Imonoyama Kaichou!"

Oh my goodness, Kanon slapped her chest, it's truly unjust, and moreover, this blackmail method was the most common and traditional one she had used in her newly released detective story. Wasn't this culprit indirectly challenging her?

Frustrated, Kanon crumpled the letter in her hand. It was such a waste of time, but then she smiled, eagerly looking forward to seeing what else this culprit had in store. She had seen and read about so much bullying stories, and she couldn't believe that in this anime world, there would be someone more malicious than what she had read. It was impossible!

Kanon accepted and fully utilized the words of her poker-faced bodyguard, "Just ignore it!" Indeed, if it weren't for the blackmail, she would be scrutinized wherever she went, knowing the cause and being aware that she was the victim, she couldn't just ignore it and live. But if she encountered a situation where she was being blackmailed, and she knew the culprit was somewhere waiting for her reaction, provoking them back would make her excited. She just wanted to see how the living materials for her new school story project would turn out!

"You, the culprit, better not disappoint me," she said with a wicked smile.

During the lunch break, Kanon used the excuse of needing to find a book in the library to search for the culprit. Lately, due to using her superpowers more frequently and smoothly, she felt herself growing stronger. Yesterday, when she tightly held the letter in her hand, Kanon felt something about the culprit. It wasn't clear, but it led her to the hallway that led to the classrooms today. Something urged Kanon to go to the library at this time, and Kanon knew her intuition was not wrong.

While standing in the hallway, still unsure of what she was looking for, something caught her attention.

"Excuse me, but you're blocking the way to my classroom. Please move aside, don't gather in a public place like this," a high-pitched female voice sounded, filled with anger and even a hint of jealousy, as Kanon perceived.

"I'm sorry, we were just..." another gentle female voice tried to explain but was overshadowed by the previous voice.

"Senpai, please don't blame me for not knowing how to respect seniors, but honestly, I feel extremely bothered. This is a public place, and it's a hallway leading to classrooms. It's wide enough for everyone to pass through, but it's not designed for people to gather like this."

After that, a silence fell, and then a familiar male voice spoke up:

"I sincerely apologize, Miss Midoriko, if I'm not mistaken. This is indeed my fault, none of the other ladies here did anything. So, I would like to offer my most sincere apologies to you, and promise with honor that such a thing will not happen again in the future."

There was no response afterwards, only the sound of the high-pitched girl walking away. Kanon hid behind a nearby corner and witnessed everything. Isn't this the story of the beautiful and arrogant Midoriko Kyogoku secretly admiring the handsome and genius Imonoyama Kaichou? The anime also mentioned a scene where she was blocked by a group of senior girls who were giving gifts to their idol, Nokoru. Although the hallway was still wide enough, she raised her voice, seemingly only to attract the attention of the person she liked.

Kanon sighed, 'How childish! She is definitely a tsundere!' But what Kanon didn't expect was that this girl's words were sharper and more straightforward than in her imagination. It seemed that she didn't show any respect for her seniors at all. With her background and talent, it was no wonder she was so arrogant.

Kanon stood leaning against the wall, one hand supporting her chin, the other crossed. Her detective-like contemplative posture made Nokoru notice her and approach cautiously, not wanting to disturb her. After thinking for a while and getting nowhere, Kanon decided to ignore it and continue walking, only to bump into the focused face of Nokoru. Seeing her wide-eyed, Nokoru chuckled and asked:

"Kanon-chan, were you planning to find me for your gift?"

Kanon stared at him intently, causing Nokoru to feel uneasy. He finally spoke up:

"If... if you don't want the gift, then forget it! Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It seems like I underestimate your charm, Kaichou"

"Please don't joke like that. There was nothing special about what just happened."

Nokoru chuckled awkwardly. Kanon rarely saw him like this, and it seemed that being scolded wasn't pleasant for him, especially since Nokoru never wanted to be disliked by others. Kanon couldn't help but recall the time when Suoh's suspicion had caused Nokoru to feel sad and uneasy. And now Kanon felt empathy for Nokoru. He was truly kind-hearted and didn't want anyone to have the wrong impression of him. That's why Kanon did something that even she herself would find hard to believe in:

"Kaichou, you don't need to think too much. How many times have you met Miss Midoriko? How many times have you found yourself in situations like today?"

Hearing Kanon's question, Nokoru lowered his head and pondered. He realized that he had encountered Midoriko not too many times, but not too few either. However, every time they crossed paths, it seemed like a battlefield, and it appeared that the blame always fell on him.

"Think carefully, Kaichou. If something happens once, it may be accidental. The second time, it could be considered a coincidence. But by the third time, it can only be seen as intentional. It's not a coincidence that someone keeps pointing out the faults of only one person, it's clearly an attempt to draw attention."

Kanon spoke in one breath, realizing that Midoriko's character development in the anime was reasonable. However, she didn't have much fondness for this girl because her attention-seeking behavior towards someone she liked was truly detestable. Kanon considered herself childish, so she tolerated such childish matters. After saying that, she walked away, leaving Nokoru standing there, looking bewildered. Regardless of whether he understood or not, Kanon wanted to make him aware of the upcoming events.

Speaking of which, Nokoru's birthday was coming up soon. How did Kanon know? Not because she cared, but because Nokoru's birthday had become a hot topic at school for the whole month. In the classroom, corridors, schoolyard, and club room, there were groups of female students discussing what gift to give Imonoyama Kaichou. Kanon regularly received threatening letters warning her to stay away from him, but apart from the letters, there was nothing else. The emotions expressed in the letters led her to different locations in the school, and she suspected that those were the places where the culprit was considering blackmailing her with the strongest emotions. One was the library, two was the school's tea shop, and three was a path right behind the Elementary Student Council office.

Kanon felt bored. Why would someone waste their peaceful moments to think about threatening others? Just as she was about to leave the path behind the Elementary Student Council office, Kanon suddenly stopped.

"Hold on! Isn't this where Midoriko is hiding the gift she wants to give to Kaichou and challenging him to find it?"

So, was Midoriko the culprit? Could the story really end so simply like this? Kanon couldn't believe it. Midoriko shouldn't be that bad!

"Kanon-chan, why are you standing out here like that?"

Nokoru arrived at school early in the morning to enjoy the fresh morning air and prepare for his special day, and he noticed Kanon standing behind the council office.

"Are you also planning to give me a gift?"

Nokoru winked, causing Kanon to feel a shiver down her spine.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Happy birthday, Kaichou!"

Kanon's cold expression made Nokoru burst into laughter. But as he looked at the blooming lavender bushes at his feet, he suddenly felt relaxed and exclaimed:

"I feel something refreshing and very pleasant today, Kanon-chan. It must be a beautiful day. I also appreciate our conversation the other day, it made me feel much more at ease."

Seeing the Nokoru's innocent smile, Kanon also felt joyous and wanted to give him a gift:

"Do you see those lavender bushes down there? That's the gift Miss Midoriko wants to give you on your birthday. She has taken care of them for a long time just so you can enjoy them today. They also symbolize 'silence.' She has secretly admired you for a long time but didn't want to express it like others, so she chose a different way. If she challenges you to something today, everything will become easier once you know this."

Nokoru stood still, watching Kanon's figure. There was a mystery aura surrounding her, making Nokoru unable to resist the urge to involve her in the council with him.

But before he could make plans or think about what would happen next, a group of female students approached to give him gifts. Another busy day for the Elementary Student Council was about to begin.

Kanon was sitting in the library, reviewing the threatening letters she had received. There was nothing special about them, just the usual cut-out letters from magazines arranged haphazardly. In Kanon's memory, this blackmail game only started when Yudaiji Idomu appeared, but Idomu wouldn't go as far as to keep her away from Nokoru. There was another character, but if they followed the order in the anime, it would be a while before she made an appearance.

"This is really giving me a headache!"

"You still haven't found the culprit, Lady?"

"Oh, Ichikawa-senpai! You startled me!"

"Seiji! Please call me Seiji!"

Kanon ignored this form of address because what she was currently concerned about was:

"How do you know I haven't found the culprit, or..."

"I am your bodyguard. I should know about these trivial matters. But it's clear that they pose no danger to you. In fact, they have provided you with additional material for your creative work. We should be grateful to the culprit for that."

Kanon noticed that Seiji's voice was louder than usual, so she looked around. Seiji smiled when he saw her reaction. Indeed, his lady was very clever. He deliberately spoke loudly to make the person who was still monitoring her reveal themselves. Following her intuition, Kanon immediately sensed an unmistakable hostile intent coming from the bookshelf behind her. She turned around and saw a shadow hastily fleeing.

"Senpai, over there!"

"Leave it to me!"

How capable are one of the best samurai descendants in Japan? In just a moment, the person who was running away from Seiji, several feet away, found themselves bound and standing in front of Kanon. But what Kanon didn't expect was to see a strange face. A tall girl, slightly shorter than Seiji, beautiful with her violet eyes and long, glossy black hair. Being tightly held by Seiji from behind, her elegant face was filled with resentment and anger. Kanon couldn't figure out which character in the anime had this face, so she stared at the girl for a while before asking:

"May I ask who you are, Miss?"

"He is not a Miss, and there's no need for formalities with this little brat."

"Huh? Little brat?"

Kanon was extremely surprised when Ichikawa forcefully pulled down the girl's hair, revealing a neat and sophisticated short hairstyle. It was at this moment that Kanon exclaimed, apart from Nokoru, she had never seen anyone who possessed both masculine and feminine qualities to such an extent.

"Then who is he?"

"This little brat is Ichikawa Setsu, belonging to the second branch of the Ichikawa clan, and the second person who will protect you, Hanazaki-sama."

"What?"

"No way!"

Both Kanon and Setsu screamed out in disbelief. Kanon couldn't believe that there was another strange person here to monitor her, and Setsu, he couldn't accept that this girl was his master either. He didn't understand why his clan would give such an absurd order. Since entering Clamp School over a month ago, he had been observing this girl to learn more about the person he was supposed to protect. His assessment of her was that she was foolish, always sitting alone lost in thought. But he had to admit one thing, she was a literary genius. Despite his lack of fondness for the girl in front of him, he never missed an issue of the literary magazine where Kanon's stories were published. Regardless of the genre, her works had an irresistible allure that Setsu couldn't deny. But that wasn't a reason for him to protect her. The Ichikawa clan, since ancient times, only protected important politicians or individuals who had a significant impact on society, or those with prestigious backgrounds and exceptional talents like Imonoyama Nokoru. As for Kanon, besides her writing talent, she had nothing else, not even encountering any danger that would require protection.

"Setsu! This is an order from elders, and it's not my fault, nor Hanazaki-sama's fault. If you want, you can discuss it with the elders and choose someone else to protect or come up with a better arrangement."

"Don't make it sound so easy, you know it's impossible. How can I go against the elders once their decision has been made."

Kanon listened and felt like she wanted to escape. She really didn't want to get involved in such complicated matters.

"I'm sorry, if you two have family matters to discuss, please go ahead. I have something else to attend to."

Anyway, she knew who the culprit was now, and he unintentionally turned out to be her bodyguard as well, so there was nothing more to worry about.

"Lady, you go ahead, I will explain everything to you later."

And as Kanon walked away, she could still hear a dissatisfied voice from behind:

"Why do you have to be so respectful to her? Where is the noble and courageous demeanor of the most talented descendant of the Ichikawa family?"

After resolving her own problems, Kanon turned to the area where Midoriko and Nokoru's duel was taking place. It seemed like the scenario of searching for Midoriko's secret item was intentionally designed to please her, as it unfolded just like in the anime. However, Nokoru didn't go around searching for it, but rather to understand Midoriko, who was known for her difficult personality. Nokoru's words to Midoriko in front of the lavender bushes touched her even more than in the anime. As for Kanon, who stood from a distance observing the game, she could only feel a chill running down her spine. But then Midoriko smiled and walked away, luckily the foolish genius Nokoru didn't go as far as to harm himself like in the original plot.

"Hanazaki-san!"

Oh, what day is it today? How many more people want to startle her like that? Kanon patted her chest and looked up, realizing it was Suoh.

"Oh, Takamura-senpai, is there something you need?"

In response to Kanon's surprise, Suoh bowed deeply, not in a way to ask for her autograph as he didn't have a magazine with him. While Kanon was in a confusion, Suoh raised his head and explained:

"I sincerely thank Hanazaki-san for always caring about Kaichou. If it weren't for your warning beforehand, Kaichou would have suffered a lot before solving the case. Although I haven't had much interaction with you before, and we haven't talked much, after recent events where you helped the Student Council and Kaichou, both Ijyuin and I recognize you as a member of the Clamp Detective Team. Whether you agree or not, the doors of the Student Council room are always open to welcome you. That's all I wanted to say."

"As the Student Council Secretary or Imonoyama Kaichou's bodyguard?"

Kanon smiled, never having seen Suoh speak so much to someone who wasn't his friend, it seems he now considers her a friend.

"Perhaps both."

"Ha ha, it seems that Takamura-senpai is not as serious as I thought."

"That also depends on the circumstances."

After bidding farewell to Suoh, Kanon looked up at the brightly lit sunset sky after the rain, feeling that today wasn't so bad. It seemed she couldn't escape the sunshine anymore, so she would have to adapt accordingly. There were still many surprises ahead, and it seemed that a leisurely life also had its flaws. If you were too comfortable, you might miss out on many interesting things. If we considered troubles as a part of life and accepted them, then leisure was just one word in a dictionary of thousands of words, and you could add as many words to it as you wanted. Those words were all part of your own life and experiences.