Chapter 13: This trouble is not over, another one is coming
If your strongest opponent, the one you consider a rival from the moment you knew how to walk, the one you tirelessly study and train to defeat, to feel confident and strong, to be yourself, was standing in front of you, what would you do? What would you say? Ichikawa Seiji had never thought about this. Since setting his goal to defeat the successor of the Takamura family, Seiji had never thought about sitting down and having a conversation or even saying more than three sentences to Suoh. Besides, Seiji always used actions as his standard measure, considering all words as mere passing wind with no effect.
On the contrary, Suoh didn't think like that. It could be said that Suoh had a very simple and kind nature. He knew that Ichikawa Seiji didn't have a favorable opinion of him and for some reason always saw him as a rival, but that wasn't a problem for Suoh. He always tried his best to show his true self and always expressed his intentions to others regardless of whether they accepted them or not, shaping Suoh's character to be calm and quiet like a serene autumn lake. But as someone once said, "Don't be foolish enough to shoot a gun at a peaceful lake."
Under the silence of his cousin, Setsu, unintentionally curious, wanted to observe the one considered a role model in the world of teenage martial arts, Takamura Suoh. Setsu felt that Suoh's demeanor was very good, not inferior to his cousin Seiji, and even somewhat superior. This Takamura Suoh had something that immediately impressed Setsu, from talent to demeanor, while with his cousin, Setsu always felt a desire to provoke and challenge. However, on the surface, between the two clans and in the minds of these young people, their own clan was always number one, but the other clan was always viewed with scrutiny, competition.
Under the curious gaze of the boy standing beside him, Suoh turned slightly, smiled, and nodded, causing Setsu to startle and quickly regain his composure. And in the end, they sat like that for a while, until Suoh decided to break the silence with a question for the visit to the Takamura house that day:
"So, the Ichikawa clan has decided to protect Hanazaki-san?"
Seiji furrowed his brow slightly, surprised that Suoh's first question was about his lady. What did the Takamura clan know in the end?
But not as composed as Seiji, although Setsu admired Suoh, he felt that Suoh was trying to provoke them and interjected:
"Don't think that protecting the Imonoyama house makes you great. Our house has taken on the protection of... Miss Hanazaki, so she must be special, surely superior to the Imonoyama."
After saying this, Setsu felt absurd because it was clear he didn't even know what was special about Hanazaki Kanon. Seiji's face darkened wanting to just throw his impulsive cousin into the lake. Regaining his composure, Seiji tried to say something to salvage the situation. He couldn't reveal too much, but he also couldn't let others misunderstand that their clan was protecting someone of unknown background, as it would damage the reputation of the Ichikawa clan and make Kanon, the one being protected, appear ordinary. Seiji couldn't allow that to happen because, more than anyone, he knew how special Kanon was. But before he could speak, he heard Suoh interject:
"I have no intention of looking down on the Ichikawa clan or Miss Hanazaki. If my question was inappropriate, please forgive me. Miss Hanazaki, from what I know, is extremely kind and intelligent, although it's unclear why she needs such protection."
Suoh avoided mentioning the Imonoyama and Nokoru, this was how Suoh protected Nokoru.
All of Seiji's words vanished, he himself was subdued by Suoh's aura and humility. Setsu, on the other hand, felt even more confused, realizing how rude his words had been. Finally, Seiji spoke up:
"I sincerely apologize, Takamura-san. My cousin Setsu tends to be straightforward, we have no intention of comparing or measuring anyone. You probably understand the situation, I am currently the bodyguard of Miss Hanazaki. I can't speak for others in the clan, but I can say that I chose to protect her not solely out of clan duty."
This was Seiji's honest statement, which not only surprised Suoh but also made Setsu widen his eyes at his cousin. What was this? Wasn't it just the clan's duty? Why did he mention "choosing a master," a choice usually reserved for very few in the clan because not everyone felt the desire to protect someone to the extent of becoming their caretaker, and the chosen one might not necessarily want to be constantly watched like that. In short, this was a matter that required consent from both parties because it involved emotions more than reason.
After the heads of the two clans finished their conversation and went their separate ways, the veil of secrecy behind why Seiji chose to protect Kanon remained unlifted.
That night, the main character causing controversy in those conversation at that time, Hanazaki Kanon, laid straight on the bed reflecting on her life over the past few years. She had a slightly clearer sense of what was strange about herself. Since arriving here, she had never considered herself to be truly living in this world. It could be said that she pushed herself away from the people in this world, seeing herself only as a passerby watching everyone perform, because she knew this was the world she had watched, all created by people from another world. Just like how she created characters in her works now, could they also have a world of their own like this, and one day someone who had read her work would enter it, what would they think? Wouldn't they also consider themselves just readers?
Kanon had felt excited like a child for the past few years without realizing this strangeness. She only knew she was happy to be in the world she had longed to touch and see with her own eyes, to interact with the characters she loved and was curious about in the frames. She had felt this life was too beautiful, peaceful because she knew the outcome of everything.
Kanon also tried to remember her previous world, how she had lived, but couldn't recall. Why was she so easily accepting of a strange world, of strangers like that? She treated them as strangers but also accepted their feelings naturally, like her current mother.
In the past, she used to avoid the main characters of the story and falling into the same troubles as them in the plot. But she had forgotten that they were not just simple drawings on the pages of a book or characters in a movie, they were real people in front of her.
This afternoon in Nokoru's classroom, Kanon felt Nokoru's genuine concern for her when he asked if she was okay. She felt warm, touched, even a flutter of a girl's emotions. It was truly strange!
With Mrs. Hanazaki, she felt uneasy when Mrs. Hanazaki acted strangely after meeting a strange man this afternoon. Mrs. Hanazaki's gaze as she watched Kanon eat dinner was filled with a mother's affection, tinged with a hint of sadness. Why was that?
Kanon felt like a child growing up, transitioning from carefree to mature. But isn't this all too much? Her soul when she arrived here was already that of an adult.
And where did her supernatural powers come from? She had completely accepted being in a magical world, so she hadn't cared much, but now that she confirmed this world was real to her, she started to think about it.
With countless questions swirling in her head, Kanon slowly drifted away. She felt like she knew the answers to all of these things, but in a haze, she couldn't quite grasp them.
The next morning... At the Elementary Student Council office.
"Kanon isn't coming to school today?" Nokoru asked with a concerned tone, looking up from the pile of papers on his desk. Suoh nodded thoughtfully, while Akira exclaimed in surprise:
"Why is that? Isn't Hanazaki usually very healthy?"
This made Nokoru and Suoh both turn to look at him with a slightly puzzled and probing gaze.
"You seem to know Kanon well, Akira." Nokoru inquired.
"Oh, no, it's just that I noticed Hanazaki-san submits over ten literary works to the magazine every week without fail, never late. Her academic performance is also excellent, so I thought she must be very... um, very healthy to handle such a heavy workload," Akira quickly explained.
"I see."
Nokoru calmly responded, causing Akira to breathe a sigh of relief.
"If everyone is worried, why not..."
Suoh and Akira held their breath, waiting for their student council president to finish speaking:
"Why not visit Kanon-chan after school today?"
Of course, Akira enthusiastically agreed to this proposal. Suoh had no objections but became contemplative. He had never paid much attention to Hanazaki Kanon before, only noticing that she was truly kind, talented, albeit a bit eccentric. However, this time, Hanazaki's connection to the Ichikawa family and the Takamura clan piqued Suoh's curiosity. Who was Hanazaki Kanon, after all? Suddenly, Suoh realized something strange. Despite his relatively good knowledge of Hanazaki Kanon in the past, he had never felt guarded or attentive towards her, even when she was recruited by Nokoru to the Detective Team and invited to join the Student Council. Suoh's keen ninja instincts told him that there was something about Hanazaki Kanon.
While Suoh was lost in thought, Nokoru had already planned out their day. Contemplating over a stack of papers in front of him, Nokoru looked up with a bright smile as he received a refreshing cup of iced tea from Akira.
"Thank you, Akira, your tea is always the best!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Kaichou. Takamura-senpai, here is your tea!"
In the face of the allure of Akira's tea, Suoh temporarily halted the chaos in his mind taking a sip of tea. However, before he could even compliment Akira, the voice of Nokoru made him startle:
"Suoh, Akira, let's go solve the threatening letter case now. This is a good time."
It's study hall time!
Nokoru conducted an investigation and found that all the threatening letters Midoriko received were on days with study hall periods. The culprit was very clever, choosing study hall hours when people had the freedom to move around but were expected to study. During break time, people would chat and pay attention to each other, but study hall was entirely different. Teachers also wouldn't supervise students but would sit in the teachers' room; if students had questions, they could come and ask. The study hall schedule at Clamp was quite dense to ensure students had time for self-study. During this time, people wouldn't care about what others were doing; students could go to any classroom or anywhere to study or research topics. Therefore, leaving a letter wouldn't attract any attention.
Midoriko received threatening letters in several places, but two places were particularly difficult to investigate: the shoe cabinet and the desk drawer. The shoe cabinet was challenging to investigate because anyone could pass by, especially during study hall. However, Midoriko always had the habit of going to the library during study hall, meaning leaving a letter in her desk drawer wasn't difficult. However, doing so would attract more attention to the culprit.
Nokoru had a sly, intelligent smile on his face. The veil of mystery needed to be lifted soon, but Nokoru was puzzled. Why did Kanon also receive a threatening letter? Nokoru knew about Kanon receiving the letter, and even knew beforehand that Midoriko had also received one.
Kanon accidentally dropped the letter in the library just as Nokoru was looking for some materials. Shortly after, Midoriko approached him about the recent strange letters she had been receiving, threatening her not to get close to him. The letters were written in the same way, cutting out letters from magazines and pasting them onto paper, which raised suspicions that Kanon might be the one sending the letters to Midoriko. However, even considering this, our three detectives didn't bother to think about it.
Why?
Firstly, was Hanazaki Kanon really that free? Nokoru knew her hectic schedule and thought it was possible that she was so much of a workaholic that she created a case to gain real-life experience for her writing.
But the second reason shattered this theory. Clearly, Hanazaki Kanon wouldn't want anything to do with the troublesome Kaichou. This was Suoh's opinion. If we were to say that Midoriko wrote the threatening letter to Kanon, it would make more sense.
Thirdly, Hanazaki-san is a good person; she would never do such a thing. This was the purest and most convincing reason from the innocent angel, Akira. But this flawed reason was agreed upon by both Nokoru and Suoh. They believed in Kanon.
Therefore, the three of them only had one goal left: to find the culprit and prove Kanon's innocence. Nokoru noticed that while the style of the letters was similar, the content of the two letters was slightly different. In the letter sent to Midoriko, the culprit wrote, "Stay away from Imonoyama-sama," with a tone of reverence towards Nokoru and hatred towards Midoriko. In the letter sent to Kanon, it said, "Stay away from Student Council President Imonoyama Nokoru," which didn't seem to be all about hating Kanon but rather a warning about something.
Nokoru stroked his chin, finding this case truly fascinating!
Meanwhile, Kanon was struggling at home, still not understanding what was happening to her and unaware that the renowned Clamp Detective Team was investigating the case for her. Kanon gave up, not thinking anymore, as deep thinking was never her strength. And just like that, the answers to each question slowly began to reveal themselves.
Ding Dong!
The doorbell rang for the fifth time, and Kanon finally remembered that her mother had left early, more likely to meet a strange man yesterday evening than to go shopping. Kanon lazily went downstairs to open the door. Since her house had never had visitors before, Kanon thought it must be a salesperson or a mistaken delivery. That's why she was utterly shocked when she opened the door.
"Kanon-sensei! My beloved Kanon-sensei!"
No one else but Ohkawa Mako had that high-pitched, enthusiastic voice. Kanon was taken aback and quickly closed the door in front of that smiling face. But after a moment of silence, a knocking sound echoed:
"Sensei, how can you be so cold! It's me, Ohkawa Mako, your biggest fan!"
Kanon was startled, with Mako's loud voice and the banging on the door, surely attracting the entire neighborhood to witness the amusing scene. So, she reluctantly opened the door, pulled Mako inside, and quickly shut the door, completing the whole process at the speed of light. As Mako was pulled inside, she was excited, making herself at home and starting to explore her idol's house with her bright, shining eyes.
Kanon decided not to mess with Mako and headed to the kitchen to make tea.
"Do you live alone, Kanon-sensei?"
"No, I live with my mother, but she's out for shopping."
"I see! So, where do you usually compose? Where in the house inspires you the most? Is it out here?"
While her mouth was spewing a series of questions, Mako's hands and feet were not idle. The place she had just opened was the kitchen door leading to the backyard.
"The garden may be small but beautiful, very neat, with a Western style. In spring, it must be filled with various flowers, right?"
Despite being quirky and talkative, Mako's knowledge was not to be underestimated.
"No wonder you're the Class President of the 1st grade!"
Kanon smiled and asked, "Would you like to have tea inside or outside in the garden?"
"Outside, please, sensei. I like open spaces," Mako replied.
And so, the quirky duo Kanon and Mako sat outside in the garden, with Mako even bringing a homemade sponge cake. Considering it as payment, Kanon comfortably sat and answered all of Mako's questions about her writing works. Mako even carefully took out a notebook to jot down notes, her eyes shining with curiosity, her face filled with excitement but also seriousness.
"Ohkawa-san, you want to become a writer, don't you?"
The lack of mention of Mako in Clamp's works made it a bit challenging for Kanon to determine the girl's personality and purpose. One thing was certain, though - Mako was deeper than her quirky and lively outward appearances.
Upon hearing the question, Mako smiled gently, a confident and bright smile similar to Nokoru's, and replied, "It has been my dream for a long time. Sometimes I think even before I was born, I wanted to be a writer."
"With your talent, I believe fulfilling that dream won't be difficult at all," Kanon said confidently.
Kanon was very sure about this, as Mako possessed all three elements needed to become a great writer: intelligence, depth, and quirkiness. But that bright smile suddenly faded from Mako's lips, puzzling Kanon. She then pulled out a piece of paper from her bag, slightly crumpled, and handed it to Kanon.
Kanon took the paper and glanced over it, realizing it was a draft of a story. However, after flipping through a few pages, Kanon felt a surge of embarrassment, as the writing style seemed too childish, or even worse, less mature than a child's.
Title: The Tale of the Little Wandering Dog
For my little sister,
There was a little dog, a tiny one, so tiny that everyone who saw it would exclaim, "Why is it so tiny?" One fine day, the dog got lost from its pack and became a small wandering dog. The poor little wandering dog wandered around, feeling pitiful because it wandered and was too tiny and...
There was nothing more, just repetitive lines about how tiny and wandering the dog was.
Kanon gasped in disbelief as she looked at the paper, then glanced at Mako, who was burying her face in her hands and then slumping down on the table, murmuring:
"Why, why, why, why! Why is it like this? Why can't I describe a little wandering dog?"
Kanon was at a loss for words, unsure of how to console Mako as she herself was equally shocked. Clearing her throat, she flipped back through Mako's story and a sudden idea sparked in her mind.
"You don't have to write stories, maybe try writing poetry instead, Ohkawa!"
"Poetry? What's that?"
"You can use repetitive words following a certain rule, use very short sentences as long as you convey the main idea. Even a poem only needs a central theme, no need for elaboration like in prose."
But this not only failed to console Mako but also made her cry even louder:
"No! No! No! I want to write stories, I want to be like sensei."
And then the volume of her crying increased steadily along with Mako's level of agitation. She grabbed Kanon's hand and shook it, exclaiming:
"I want to be like you! Please teach me, teach me how to write good stories like you! Hu hu hu!"
"Hey, calm down a bit!"
Indeed, it was even harder than finding the way back to Kanon's previous world. Just then, two figures flew over the walls surrounding the garden of her house, heading straight towards the two of them. In no time, Kanon found herself and Ohkawa Mako separated, with the two figures standing in front of her, staring intently at Mako who was still emotionally crying.
"What is this?"
Mako stammered, asking who these two people were, why they were blocking her and Kanon-sensei. What were their intentions? In an instant, Mako's eyes sharpened, she stood up straight, displaying the demeanor of the Ohkawa family lineage:
"Who are you? Why did you barge in here to interfere with my conversation with sensei? Trying to steal sensei away from me? Hmph, no chance!
Ichikawa Seiji and Setsu always closely guarded Kanon. When they heard crying from inside Kanon's house earlier, they looked in and witnessed the scene, thinking Kanon was in trouble, so they rushed in, only to find...
Both Seiji and Setsu turned back to look at Kanon with suspicious eyes, as if to say, "Someone confessed to you, is it necessary to hurt her that much? Look, even after being rejected, she still wants to protect you, such a good person, where can you find one now?"
Kanon frowned, locked eyes with the Ichikawa brothers, and retorted:
"It's not what you guys think!"
Upon hearing this, Mako immediately shouted:
"Why not? Sensei clearly said it was possible, why are you saying it's not now?"
Mako definitely misunderstood Kanon's intention, it's like Kanon said one thing and she understood another.
Seiji and Setsu looked at Kanon again with a knowing look "Oh, is that so?", which made her furious. Before she could explain herself, the door from the kitchen to the garden swung open, revealing three familiar and slightly puzzled faces. Seeing them huddled together against the wall like that, it was clear they had been there for a while and had heard the entire conversation. Nokoru scratched his head, smiled, and said:
"I kept ringing the bell but no one answered, so the door was open... we came to visit you, Kanon-chan!"
Kanon's face darkened even more:
"Since when did you arrive?"
"Since the moment of 'Trying to steal sensei away from me?' Kanon-chan!"
Nokoru raised his voice as he repeated the dialogue, then winked at Kanon, making her feel like the world was spinning. In the end, where will all this lead to?
