Aoharu Devil [Vol 1 Chapter 2]
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CHAPTER 2: THE EXORCIST WILL MEET TOMORROW
After a long while, Ioka finally woke up. Before that, I had been sitting on a small stool quietly watching her lying on the bed.
My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her closed eyes as she slept. But looking at her like that, I couldn't help but feel a strange sensation run up my spine and make me want to turn away.
I had been doing this almost continuously until she woke up.
"Uh..."
Ioka woke up and looked around.
"Great, you finally woke up. Um, you almost released flames..."
However, she stopped my explanation by holding out her palm.
"I remember it very clearly. I also remember you forcibly touching me."
"Well, you also pushed me down."
"I-I didn't push you down! In the end, it's all because you said unnecessary things..."
She rebutted me while nervously fixing her hair. Then, as if realizing something, her face paled.
"Um, ah, it's gone."
I saw her look around nervously, and I reached into my pocket to pull something out.
"Here."
It was her star-shaped hair accessory.
I saw it on the floor earlier and picked it up. I guess she dropped it when she was making a fuss.
"Thank goodness..."
As soon as she saw that the accessory was safe, she relaxed.
It was completely different from the moment with the peppermint candy.
She picked up the accessory and put it back in her hair, then rubbed her fingers together.
"Um, it's just..."
"What?"
"T-Thank you very much..."
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her flushed face. She was so flushed she looked like she was about to burst into flames.
"Yes, yes. Boys and girls confessing their feelings to each other in the infirmary beds are really juvenile. As long as their bodies and minds grow healthy, it's natural for them to be interested in the opposite sex. But it's not good to get carried away by desire. On the contrary, it's important to understand the relevant knowledge, respect each other's will and obtain their consent."
When I came to myself, Sai-san was standing next to me and saying absurd things.
"You really lack the consideration that a healing teacher should have..."
"Um ..... Saitou-sensei."
Ignoring my stupefaction, Ioka turned to Sai-san.
"You can call me Sai. Just remember me as Sai, the one who excels in everything, and is a beautiful and capable person."
"It's embarrassing when you say that every time."
"Hey, isn't it easy for you to remember? It'll hurt if you say that, little brother."
"Wait a minute!"
"Little brother...? Are you two siblings?"
I reluctantly explain to the confused Ioka.
"Sai-san is friends with my older sister."
"That's right, I'm friends with Aruha-kun's older sister, we've been friends since college. We are best friends and soul mates. We also met at the same university when we were in seminary."
"Oh..."
"It's a surprise to me that I became a health teacher and ended up at my little brother's high school. Isn't it exciting for high school boys to have a cute health teacher who also happens to be friends with his sister?"
"I think my sister has bad taste in choosing friends."
Although I find it unbearable that she always meddles in my life, I also understand that she only takes care of me. She always takes care of me in various ways. Therefore, I feel embarrassed and at the same time unwilling to be treated like this in front of her.
"I'm sorry for asking such personal questions."
Ioka apologized again in a formal manner, but it's not her fault. Before she could say anything, Sai-san lightly put her hand on Ioka's shoulder.
"Relax, Ioka-kun. There's no need to be so formal. You may be a professional in the outside world, but here, you're just a student who came to the infirmary and a student in trouble."
For a moment, Ioka's eyes widened slightly. It was as if a fortune teller had read her correctly.
After a moment's thought, she stared at Sai-san and asked,
"Sai-sensei, do you know what's happening to me?"
"I can say I know, or I can say I don't know. The question is always in your heart. Of course, the answer is also there."
Sai-san replied with a cheerful smile, then pointed her finger at Ioka and stated,
"Then, let's start with the conclusion. Ioka-kun, you are being possessed by a devil."
Ioka blinked a couple of times with narrowed eyes and asked again.
"A devil ..... what did you just say?"
"You didn't hear wrong. It is a devil. Your symptoms of flames coming out of your body are definitely caused by a devil."
After a moment of silence, Ioka put on her shoes and stood up without a word, throwing off the blanket covering her.
"Oh, Ioka-kun, where are you going?"
"It's so disappointing. I don't want to listen to this nonsense."
"Huh, nonsense? So what will you do if the symptoms show up again?"
"I can handle it on my own. That's what I've been doing so far."
"Well, it's good to be confident. It also helps me cut down on unnecessary work. Goodbye then."
Perhaps thinking that the other person would try to persuade her to stay, Ioka put on a slightly surprised expression, but still turned her back on us and prepared to leave.
"By the way, that peppermint candy...."
Sai-san said intentionally as she wiped the lens with the corner of her white robe.
"....It would be great if it worked next time."
Ioka's slender back stopped moving.
Then, she slowly turned around.
Seeing this, Sai-san showed a mischievous smile.
"That's right. Whether it's a devil or not, it doesn't matter. The most important thing for you is that you know how to deal with it. Right, Ioka-kun?"
"... Sai-sensei. What kind of person are you exactly?"
Hearing Ioka's question, Sai-san put her glasses back on and showed a face that had been waiting for this question.
"Good question. Being a health teacher is nothing more than a convenient cover for my interests and benefits. Actually, I specialize in devil research at Johoku University. Graduate School of Integrative Cultural Studies. Member of Cultural Anthropology, Psychology of Conceptual Phenomena course commonly known as Devil Research Group. I belong to the exorcism research group here. It's what's called...."
She took a deep breath and continued.
"....An exorcist. As expected, I can't say it all in one breath."
"Your title is too long."
Sai-san shrugged and adjusted her breathing.
"Exorcist...? I've heard it before, but I'm not sure what it is."
Seeing Ioka's confused expression, Sai-san pursed her lips.
"Well, have you ever seen the movie? You know, the one where the guy does the spider pose and goes down the stairs in reverse, spitting green vomit or something? But in real life, exorcising devils isn't like that."
After thinking for a while, Ioka sat back down on the bed.
"I will listen to your explanation. But ..... I still find it hard to believe."
Hearing her words, Sai-san narrowed her eyes.
"Good girl. So, where should I start?"
After wiping the slate clean, Sai-san drew pictures and explained as she went along.
"Devils have always coexisted with humans and to them they lend their strength. They exchange certain costs to satisfy human desires. Many important events that have shaken human history have had devils involved, and it has been recognized among researchers as a fact. However, devils are composed almost entirely of the fifth element, ether, which guides the heavens and stars, so they can only be invoked through extremely complex rituals to obtain a physical body. Therefore, there is no possibility of seeing them with your own eyes as long as you live a normal life."
"Is that so? Then what about Ioka?"
Sai-san seemed to say "good question" as she pointed her marker at me.
"I said almost, didn't I? But there are cases where possession comes naturally. It's called "Evil Possession." In this case, Evil responds to the person's strong desires through their physical body, and realizes them by using the four elements to materialize. Inconceivably, in today's Japan, these cases are limited almost solely to teenagers. It is quite interesting, isn't it? From a certain point of view, it can also be said that...."
Sai-san stopped talking for a moment and then smiled.
"....What attracts a devil is their youthful hearts filled with desire."
"Youth..."
Ioka and I exchanged glances.
"That's right. Longing for such a desire makes people feel anxious physically and mentally, and they can't help but reach for the untouchable stars in the sky. Ah, surely it must be youth."
Sai-san rummaged through a desk drawer and pulled out a lollipop, nonchalantly opened the plastic wrapper and popped it into her mouth.
Although the words were simple, it still took some time for us to grasp the situation we had never before imagined.
Just as the watercolors slowly soaked into the paper, the facts being told were also gradually infecting our hearts.
Before long, the situation became clear in our hearts, and Ioka replied sharply.
"I never thought it would burn!"
Hearing this urgent cry, Sai-san's shoulders twitched and she smirked.
"It's only natural. If it's a wish you've noticed yourself, then there's no need for the devils to fulfill it. They fulfill those desperate desires that you're not even aware of."
"Then, what do you think we should do?"
I kept thinking about it.
If the devils are fulfilling wishes. In that case...
"We should fulfill our own wishes on our own, right?"
Sai-san turned the lollipop toward me.
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"Correct. Find your wish and fulfill it with your own hands. If you have no wish to fulfill, the devils won't be able to do anything either. It's as simple as that."
The words themselves are not complicated.
The problem is that discovering the wish is too vague.
"Then, why can the mints calm them down? I ..... thought that as long as I kept my emotions calm, I'd be fine ..... so..."
"Feeling hungry and wanting to eat something is a basic human desire. By temporarily satisfying it, devils get the mistaken impression that their desires have been fulfilled. Mint candies bring a refreshing sensation and make you feel comfortable, so they also fall into this category. In theory, it's best to raise blood sugar levels, so chocolate is also effective. Ultimately, however, this is only a temporary solution. If you leave things as they are, the devils will continue to satisfy your desires and their power will increase."
"How can that be possible!"
"In fact, what was once effective is now ineffective, isn't it? It's getting worse."
Ioka bites her lips and remains silent.
"But you're lucky. After all, I'm a professional exorcist for teenagers. I'm as firm as an old dog, no, I should be at the level of a dead dog now, so you can leave it to me."
Sai-san stood up and patted her chest, just then the familiar bell rang.
"Oh, is it time already? Well, that's it for now. We're closed for the day. Come see me again tomorrow."
"Please wait, I still..."
However, Sai-san ignored Ioka and fixed her gaze on me.
"Oh, sure, sure. You should come too Aruha-kun."
"Why do I have to come too?"
"Heh? You want the frail health teacher to be the opponent of the terrifying devil?"
"Isn't that different from what you just said?"
"You see, Aruha-kun, this is something you have to do."
Hearing these words, my head receives a jolt like that of an earthquake.
In an instant, memories of the past flash before my eyes.
I once fired someone in the same way.
(This is something I have to do.)
I still don't understand the full meaning of these words.
The only thing that is certain is that this person never came back.
Every time I think about this, indescribable emotions well up inside me and consume me.
"So, you have to work hard, little brother."
After saying this, Sai-san winked at me seductively.
What the hell is this person up to?
"Okay, okay. Hurry up and go, go, go! We're closed! Fireflies flickering in the snow!"
"Hey! Wait, Sai-san, wait!"
Although I resisted being left stranded in such a state of bewilderment, I was eventually kicked out of the infirmary along with Ioka.
An awkward atmosphere arises between the two of us.
She lowers her head dejectedly, showing an expression I had never seen before.
Even so. We've already embarked on this journey. It's not like we can abandon it now, is it? I sigh and reply.
The perfect figure from the video is nowhere to be seen. The confidence that commanded me to be silent has also vanished.
In a way, she looked vulnerable and fragile.
I feel my chest tighten tightly.
Seeing her like that made me want to protect her, but I wasn't that arrogant.
"Well, see you later."
"Wait a minute!"
I was about to leave, but Ioka grabbed my wrist tightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Tomorrow, will you come with me?"
"Well, I don't know anything. I've only heard about devils from my sister and Sai-san, so I wonder if it's really like that..."
"But Sai-sensei said you should come too. So it must have something to do with you."
She stared at me, looking for an excuse.
Although I don't know what Sai-san is up to, to be honest, even if I'm there, I can't do anything.
Still....
After all, the saying goes, even if you send a Buddha to the West, you can't leave things as they are.
I sighed and replied.
"... I understand, I'll see you tomorrow after class."
"Understood, bye."
"You are so haughty and powerful..."
"This is called behaving in a manner befitting my position. I hope you consider it elegant."
"Modesty is what is elegant."
"Anyway! Don't run away! See you tomorrow!"
I watched her back in amazement. The anxious expression she had a moment ago has disappeared, and she walked away with a mighty stride.
And the phrase "see you tomorrow" echoes in my mind.
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TL: Diego
Raw : Saekano-TL
Need proofreader, contact me at diegosky#5650