Chapter 21: Omamori charm (Protection amulet)
This morning, while sitting in the club room organizing documents to make it in time for the literature club, Kanon noticed Suoh returning to the room in a dazed state. Kanon blinked her eyes, wondering if something had happened. She decided to call out:
"Takamura-senpai?"
No response.
"Takamura-sama?"
Still no answer.
"Oh my goddes, it's wisteria fairy over there!"
As soon as she said that, Kanon was startled because Suoh's shadow was still there, but Suoh himself had swiftly appeared in front of her.
"What did you say? Do you know her? Is she playing the flute?"
"What do I know? I was calling your soul back to your body, senpai. Haven't you heard the legend of the wisteria fairy? It is said that anyone who sees her will find their other half and experience eternal love. And if you call out her while longing for someone, you will regain your clarity of mind."
The first half of the sentence is true, but the second half is completely made up, and that made-up story was so obvious so that even Nokoru and Akira, who just stepped into the room, were dazzled and almost slipped and fell. Yet, Suoh, who had been oblivious to his own longing, earnestly interrogated Kanon to ease his heart:
"So... is the wisteria fairy real?"
Oh my goodness, Kanon would like to add that it wasn't just the IQ and EQ of girls when it came to love that went offline, but also those of boys. However, cold-faced Suoh's expressions and behavior were truly adorable beyond measure, no wonder Nokoru enjoyed teasing Suoh like this.
"Yes, it is true, just like… Rokurokubi, Yukionna, and Ameonna, you know"
Blood rushed to Suoh's head, his face turning dark as he realized he had been tricked by his kouhei. He quickly turned back to his desk and coincidentally bumped into Nokoru, who had been trying to escape from work and was holding a vase of wisteria flowers. This time, it was his turn to almost fall. It seemed that what you sow is what you reap, but, well, using this phrase here felt a bit off.
After regaining his composure, Suoh hesitated and asked Nokoru:
"Kaichou! This flower..."
"I saw the wisteria tree near the archery ground blooming so beautifully that I asked the botanical club for a branch to put it on my desk."
Then, with great concern, Nokoru turned to Kanon:
"Kanon-chan, would you like me to place it on your desk?"
Kanon twitched her mouth, 'Has he never heard the legend of the wisteria flower or something?' and instead of asking him about it, she stared at the charming and adorable face of Nokoru, who seemed confused and flustered:
"What?... Did I say something wrong again?"
Only then did Kanon let go and tactfully declined:
"Kaichou, next time, don't casually give wisteria flowers to any girl and ask so confidently like that. Well, for you, boys should be considered. Do you know the meaning behind giving wisteria flowers?"
Nokoru was taken aback, he knew the meaning of the wisteria flower but he was unaware of the act of giving flowers so he showed a learning attitude. Akira, curious, also chimed in:
"What is it, Hanazaki?"
"It means 'I'm waiting for your answer' for my confession, of course" – Kanon smiled gently.
The entire student council room fell silent, sweating profusely. It was just a flower, was it really that big of a deal? But it was fortunate that they knew now, so they wouldn't die without knowing why they died. Nokoru trembled and confidently placed the vase of flowers on his own table, with a determined look in his eyes "Having Kanon-chan in the student council is truly refreshing and enlightening."
Kanon calmly returned to her work, ignoring the three individuals with their different expressions and thoughts. Afterwards, she quickly left the council room and headed to the club. She and Akira would both be absent from the student council during the most romantic scene of this anime episode, as they were about to embark on a 5-day field trip with their fourth-grade class. Kanon felt a sense of regret, but she couldn't do anything about it because she was also looking forward to this field trip.
The next day in the council room, Kanon saw Utako talking to the three handsome detectives. Utako noticed her and cheerfully greeted her:
"Hi, Kanon-neesan!"
After that tea party, the girls had become very close and decided to address each other by their first names.
"Good morning, everyone. Hello, Utako-chan!"
"Oh, you two know each other?"
Nokoru was slightly surprised, not expecting the two girls to address each other by their first names.
"Not only do I know, but both my sister and I idolize Kanon-sensei, and now we're very close to each other. She even allows me to call her by her first name."
Utako was very cheerful and proud as she told the story, completely oblivious to the uneasy expression of Nokoru-who-called-others-by-their-name-without-permission sitting across from her.
Kanon chuckled inwardly, giving a thumbs up to the young lady Ohkawa, but maintaining a gentle and graceful demeanor of an admired older sister. Instead of joining them at the tea table, she went back to her own desk and sat down:
"I apologize for being a little busy, but what brings you here so early this morning? Isn't it because of the upcoming kindergarten cultural fair?"
"Yes, I was actually planning to tell them about it."
Then Utako anxiously recounted Nagisa's incident and her speculation that there might be an attacker. Suoh suspected someone using a laser gun in the school, but Nokoru immediately dismissed it. Akira, on the other hand, stood still, lost in his admiration for the little Utako. Kanon absorbed everyone's expressions, sighed, and thought to herself, 'Everyone is overthinking, including Utako. Is she caught up in a detective novel?'
Nokoru, taking charge of the case, first instructed Suoh to protect Nagisa, providing various ridiculous but logical reasons. Kanon and Akira, on the other hand, were preparing for their field trip. Nokoru felt a strong sense of responsibility towards the student council's work, so he decisively sent Suoh to find his other half while also escaping from Suoh and work, making him even more enthusiastic. After both Suoh and Utako left, Akira still stared blankly, following her figure. Kanon found it interesting and asked:
"Utako-chan is so adorable, isn't she, Iyjuin?"
"Absolutely!"
Unconsciously answering, with a silly smile on Akira's face.
"And she's also independent, kind-hearted, courageous, and strong."
This time it was Nokoru who spoke.
"That's right!"
Again, an unconscious response. Then Akira suddenly snapped out of it, turned around, and saw the two fox-like faces squinting and smiling at him. His face immediately turned bright red, and Kanon even saw smoke coming out of his head. Oh my goodness, she was about to lose her mind over this deadly cuteness.
"Um... I... I excuse myself... to prepare for the field trip."
Akira was also a class representative. And with that, he quickly disappeared. Nokoru then looked at Kanon, who still had the same foxy smile:
"Now I know that Kanon-chan has this hobby too."
Now it was Kanon's turn to feel anxious, swallowing her saliva. She had forgotten that Nokoru was sitting here. If Nokoru felt like they were accomplices, then her not-so-peaceful days would be no more. Thinking that, she waved her hand:
"You're overthinking, I just had good intentions to pair them up. They would look good together, that's all."
Seeing Kanon's confused expression, Nokoru couldn't help but want to tease her, but he was afraid she would run away, so he reluctantly held back and pulled her along:
"You and Akira are about to leave for school field trip, and I'll be the only one left to witness the interesting events. After all, joy is diminished when it's not shared. So why don't we go together and observe Suoh's search for the other half?"
Deep down, Kanon also wanted to do that, but she really didn't want to go with this troublesome Student Council President. She didn't want to go with him, she didn't want to go with him, she repeated the important point three times.
And now, Kanon was following Nokoru to observe Suoh. Nagisa wanted to practice playing the flute at Salad Ball, a concert hall with a dome-shaped roof. Kanon and Nokoru stood below the spectator area, staring at the two figures on the nearby stage.
"Oh my, why is Suoh standing so far away? He won't achieve anything like that."
Kanon instinctively moved further away from the excited Student Council President. Why was he getting so worked up about someone else's business? Then she saw Nokoru scratching his chin with a mischievous smile and continued:
"But maybe his conservative nature could be an advantage. What do you think, Kanon-chan?"
Now you remember me, huh? Kanon gave Nokoru an annoyed look and replied hesitantly:
"How would I know? But I think those two are a good match. I've met Nagisa, she's a gentle and kind girl, very compatible with Takamura-senpai's calm and stable personality."
"Hmm, I trust you. That's why we need to help bring them closer together."
Seeing Nokoru's excitement, Kanon felt even more annoyed. Who did he think he was, thinking everyone had the time for his schemes? Besides, fate had already played its part, so why should he interfere?
Just then, as Nagisa finished playing her flute, a gust of wind blew across, causing a set of stage lights to fall right behind her. While Suoh frantically rushed to take Nagisa to the infirmary, Nokoru and Kanon exchanged nods.
Nokoru immediately handled the situation smoothly, collecting evidence and explaining what had happened. Kanon, knowing she was about to leave, didn't do much either. She also realized that this was a great opportunity, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance, to bring Suoh and Nagisa closer together, so she didn't intend to warn anyone. But throughout the day, she couldn't sit still. Tomorrow, she had to go on a school trip, and the cultural fair would take place in two days. Nokoru had scheduled a meeting with Utako tomorrow to discuss preparations. Kanon had never seen herself so restless before. Nokoru thought she was worried about Nagisa, so he spoke softly to comfort her:
"Don't worry too much. I've got everything under control. Just enjoy your trip."
Kanon furrowed her brows. She didn't intend to reveal the truth, but this uneasiness was also true. She was no longer just a spectator applauding in front of a screen when Suoh rescued Nagisa in the nick of time. She was a person living in this world. Therefore, she decided to speak up:
"Kaichou, I think you should warn the university's science department about the outdoor stage transforming into circle form. This is related to the lives of many people."
She still couldn't understand why someone as meticulous as Nokoru would allow such a foolish oversight in the warning process, letting the university not update the fact that the fair stage had changed to a circle form. Wasn't that the most important matter?
Nokoru saw her worried expression and furrowed his brow, Kanon had never paid attention to anything so carefully.
"I promise you, I will warn them thoroughly and send them the materials I have analyzed and information about the stage and the time of the fair. Are you reassured?"
Kanon had to nod at that, and Nokoru immediately validated his words by sending an email and making a call to the university's science department, then looked at Kanon with a look that said, "Praise me, I did a good job, didn't I?" But Kanon's cold and disdainful expression crushed his enthusiasm, and only then did she feel somewhat at ease as she left the room.
Hurriedly, Kanon went to the club to give some instructions to the younger members responsible for helping with the club's work, then rushed back to the classroom to tidy up a bit. Passing by the locker, she hesitated for a moment and then opened it, putting away some books she had just taken from the club room. As she reached in, she accidentally touched a hard object and pulled it out. Seeing the flame symbol on it, Kanon remembered that she hadn't opened the locker in a long time. This was the box containing omamori charms she had requested at the beginning of the year to give to some friends but had been too busy to remember. Kanon packed up her things and took the box with her to the cafeteria.
Sitting at a table, she opened the box, revealing seven strands of leaf-adorned rectangular protection amulets with a flame symbol on top. She had intended to give them to three detectives, Seiji, Setsu, Zansa, and Kyou, but had forgotten. It seemed like she needed to make some adjustments now. Kanon wasn't superstitious, but if she didn't do something, she wouldn't feel at ease. She tightly held the charms in her hand, closed her eyes, and prayed, "Kami-sama, if I have any extraordinary power within me, please infuse these charms to protect those who wear them."
After finishing, Kanon looked around and, seeing no one paying attention, smirked to herself, feeling a bit ridiculous for what she had just done. Now it was time to give out the charms she had prepared earlier.
So, for the first time, everyone saw Kanon-sensei, the idol of the whole school, running frantically from one corner to another. First, she went to the kindergarten student council room to give Utako the omamori charms. Since she couldn't find Nagisa, she asked Utako to pass it on to her and reminded her to wear it on the day of the fair. Utako, with tears in her eyes, looked at her idol rushing off and promised to organize the fair well to not disappoint her.
After that, Kanon rushed to the university's science department once again to remind them about the schedule and structure of the fair stage. She then returned to the Student Council room to give Nokoru and Suoh the charms. Seeing Kanon drenched in sweat, panting heavily, Nokoru's gentle gaze couldn't help but show a hint of concern:
"Why do you have to be so careful? We are deeply touched, but seeing you exhausted like this truly breaks our hearts."
Kanon wiped her sweat while feeling goosebumps after hearing that. As she turned around, she accidentally bumped into the sparkling eyes of her ninja senpai, causing another creepy feeling.
"No, it's nothing. I have to go now."
Then, she quickly escaped from those sparkling eyes. Before closing the door, she heard Nokoru saying to Suoh:
"I've told you, we need Kanon-chan."
Without waiting for Suoh's response, Kanon fled for her life. As soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into Seiji.
"Ah, senpai, I was just about to meet you."
"Uhm, you have a school trip tomorrow, Setsu is in the same grade as you, so he will replace me in protecting you."
Ichikawa Seiji was truly a responsible bodyguard. Kanon smiled and then remembered her task, so she pulled Seiji to a nearby seat and asked for his help.
"I want to ask you to keep an eye on the upcoming two-day Kindergarten Cultural Fair," she said.
Seeing her worried expression, Seiji also realized the seriousness of the matter and nodded, listening to her further:
"Although Kaichou and I have tried everything to prevent any incidents, I'm still not at ease. I have a feeling that something might happen. You may think I'm being paranoid, but I'm really anxious."
Seeing Kanon becoming more agitated as she spoke, Seiji remained calm and placed his hands on her shoulders to help her calm down:
"Lady, take a deep breath in and exhale evenly. Inhale deeply, exhale strongly!"
Kanon followed his instructions and felt slightly better.
"Don't worry, I will keep an eye on the fair. Nothing will happen. You also need to be careful. Setsu is still quite immature. Just yesterday, he got scolded for being too competitive."
Mentioning Setsu made Kanon think of his pretty face, which appeared confident and mature but was actually quite naive and prone to frowning. It couldn't help but make her smile, and her mood improved.
"Thank you, senpai. I got too agitated."
"No need to thank me. Don't forget, I am your bodyguard."
Kanon smiled brightly in response to the cold demeanor of her bodyguard senpai. It was good to have someone to rely on when needed, there was no need to pretend to be strong and shoulder everything alone.
Kanon and Akira went on a school trip, and everything was prepared smoothly for the Kindergarten Cultural Fair. Nokoru and Suoh couldn't attend due to their busy schedules, but Seiji was always nearby, ready to intervene if anything happened. Amidst the lively and cheerful atmosphere, Utako happily greeted each guest, Nagisa chatted with her friends, preparing for her performance, and Nokoru sat at his desk teasing Suoh. Just then, Nokoru's computer alerted him, and he quickly operated it to display images on the screen. For an unimaginable reason, the weather forecasting device was still flying towards the fair stage at a speed equal to the speed of sound in the next three minutes. Nokoru widened his eyes in disbelief. It couldn't be!
Upon hearing the news, Suoh didn't have time to think. He opened the window on the third floor and jumped down, rushing towards Nagisa as if his life depended on it.
Although Seiji had heard Kanon talk about the situation, he couldn't believe that a weather forecasting device could be so devastating. Standing outside the stage, he could feel the immense pressure shaking the entire area, followed by a loud noise echoing from afar. Seiji guessed that it might reach its maximum speed soon, so he rushed to inform the Kindergarten Student Council members. When he saw the student council member running back to Utako, Seiji also ran to help with the evacuation announcement for the fair attendees. Fortunately, the stage was quickly evacuated as soon as the warning was given, so it didn't descend into chaos. However, Nagisa was so immersed in her performance that she didn't notice, even when Utako ran back to call her.
The weather forecasting device reached its maximum speed and swept through, creating a fierce wind-cutter. This wind-cutter was even more terrifying than what was described in anime, as it not only cut through a path but also sent rocks and debris flying around the stage. Utako was forcefully pushed by the wind and almost fell, but luckily Seiji protected her, although they were still lifted off the ground. On the other side, when Nagisa realized the danger, the wind-cutter was already approaching her. Just in time, Suoh rushed over and held her tightly, but the wind-cutter also touched both of them. Suoh felt as if his heart was being squeezed by that pressure, but he still held Nagisa tightly to protect her. However, they both felt a warm breeze in front of their chests, and when they realized it, their bodies gently and safely landed on the ground next to the deep groove left by the wind-cutter. On the other side, Utako and Seiji also landed softly, without any harm.
All four of them breathed a sigh of relief. Nagisa blushed and thanked Suoh, while Suoh's face turned red, but his expression remained serious, as if preparing to deliver a presidential campaign speech. Utako saw that everyone was safe, took a deep breath, then laughed and turned to bow her head to thank Seiji, just as Nokoru ran over. Nokoru breathed heavily and announced:
"That was truly terrifying. Rijichou has sent a message to the kindergarten block, stating that this is the school's responsibility. She will compensate for all the damages to the fair and conduct a strict investigation. It's indeed a profound lesson for Clamp School."
"Yes, it was an incredibly frightening incident, but isn't it also thanks to that that these two people have a fateful encounter?"
Utako said as she sighed, her eyes looking towards Suoh and Nagisa, who were standing there smiling.
"That's true."
Nokoru only noticed Seiji's presence at this moment and roughly guessed what had happened. He nodded and extended his hand to Seiji:
"Thank you very much, Ichikawa-san, for helping everyone."
"This is something my lady instructed me to do, and it's also something I should do."
Seiji spoke and shook hands with Nokoru, showing a friendly attitude, but quickly let go. Nokoru smiled but didn't say anything, and then something happened that made the stage no longer just belong to Suoh and Nagisa.
"When we were about to fall earlier, I felt a warm sensation throughout my body, and we landed very gently without any fear. It was truly miraculous. Did you feel the same way, Ichikawa-san?"
Utako suddenly remembered something important and turned to ask Seiji. Seiji nodded and then pulled out the charm Kanon had given him from his chest. When he pulled it out, the charm had a tear in the middle, appearing worn, even though it hadn't been affected by anything. Utako also quickly pulled out her own charm from her kimono, and it was in the same condition. A moment later, Suoh and Nagisa ran back, both of them holding their charms, which were also torn in the exact same way, right in the middle. Nokoru looked at his own intact charm, pondered for a moment, and then smiled and said:
"Perhaps everyone's charms have fulfilled their purpose."
All five of them remembered the warm feeling during that moment of imminent danger, looked up at the clear blue sky, and silently thanked the person who had given them the charms.
As for that person, she was far away, sneezing. Akira showed concern and handed her a tissue:
"Hanazaki, are you okay? Feeling a cold?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!"
Kanon took the tissue to wipe her nose and also looked up at the sky, silently praying for everyone's safety at home.
In a place outside of Clamp, in a dark corner of a room, a teenage boy with a sharp face and red hair sat in front of a laptop screen, resting his chin on his hand, and smiled faintly:
"Heh, so everything turned out fine, huh? But that's what makes it enjoyable. Time to prepare for the next level."
--
Author note:
1. Rokurokubi: A long-necked female ghost in Japanese folklore, a yokai (supernatural creature) with a long, flexible, and agile neck. Rokurokubi appear as normal humans during the day but at night, their necks extend to cause fear or secretly observe others, often in luxurious cities and entertainment districts. Generally, these ghosts are harmless.
There are two types of Rokurokubi: one can elongate its neck, and the other can detach its head from its body.
2. Yukionna: The Snow Woman in Japanese folklore, a beautiful female spirit dressed in a white kimono with long flowing black hair. She usually appears during heavy snowfall in winter and is said to lead lost travelers astray or freeze them to death.
There are various versions of the Yukionna legend, but the most famous one tells the story of a young girl who died in the snow.
3. Ameonna: True to her name, Ameonna is a female ghost with a haggard appearance and pale skin, often standing in the rain and licking her hands. Wherever Ameonna goes, rain follows, so many versions suggest that she originated from rain deities whom farmers prayed to for rain. Instead of returning to the heavens, they stayed in the mortal realm and gradually transformed into yokai.
Ancient Japanese people believed that children born on rainy days would become Ameonna (for girls) or Ameotoko (for boys). Whenever they go or plan to do something, it would rain. The rain and these children are connected by an unbreakable bond, like a curse.
