024. Progress toward igniting the Spirit Incantation: 3/4

"Of course I'm interested," Nagumo Uyuki said, looking at the phone screen Sakiko Togawa had pushed toward him.

Hearing this, Sakiko puffed out her chest with a hint of pride. "Well? Not bad, right? Sumimi is a super popular group lately; lots of people listen to their music. Their guitarist, Ui Misumi—I've known her since we were kids."

"I see." Nagumo nodded. Nearby, Mutsumi Wakaba also leaned in slightly, curious to see what Sakiko was showing him.

Nagumo looked surprised. "So, Tsukinomori doesn't actually regulate electronic devices?"

"Used to," Mutsumi replied concisely.

Sakiko, standing by their desk, took the opportunity to elaborate on Mutsumi's remark. "Before, the school board chairman implemented some very strict rules and demanded they be enforced. But after meeting with intense opposition from the students, some of the unreasonable ones were eventually abolished."

Sakiko’s eyes shone with admiration as she waved a small fist. "Thanks to the call to action from some of the seniors in the Butterfly Troupe, everyone was able to unite against the chairman. Otherwise, even the Tsukinomori Music Festival would have been canceled."

"I see," Nagumo nodded, thinking to himself that Tsukinomori had quite a history. No wonder Sakiko looked up to the members of the Butterfly Troupe so much.

Just a moment earlier, after class ended, Sakiko had come over to the desk to ask if the wound on Nagumo’s leg had healed. To be honest, Nagumo had been taken aback when she brought it up. In truth, the wound had healed almost completely after she said those words, "Don't die." But seeing the earnest expression on Sakiko's face, he answered lightly that it was mostly better and thanked her for her concern.

Sakiko nodded, then turned to chat with Mutsumi. The two of them somehow jumped from their previous topic to the currently trending group, Sumimi. Sakiko was very enthusiastic, and while Mutsumi tried her best to keep up, she remained characteristically quiet. Nagumo’s sudden interjection into the conversation gave Mutsumi’s language system a chance to rest and prevent overheating.

Sakiko had a keen interest in Sumimi, perhaps linked to her acquaintance with Ui Misumi. She excitedly told Nagumo about her childhood summer vacations, playing with Ui on Kamikamagari Island near Misumi Island. Catching beetles, climbing mountains, watching the stars... It was clear that Sakiko held these childhood memories dear.

As Nagumo listened, occasionally letting out a sound of wonder, Mutsumi remained silent but continued to listen to everything Sakiko said. Seeing how intently the two were listening, Sakiko was delighted and shared several more details.

*At this point in time,* Nagumo thought, *Sakiko still doesn't know Ui Misumi's true background...* The relationship between them was certainly bizarre—the kind that wouldn't feel out of place in certain niche genres, or perhaps even in more "human-interest" categories. The old man of the Togawa Group was certainly still vigorous in his old age, adding many inexplicable coincidences to this world.

They chatted for a while longer, and as class time approached, Sakiko returned to her seat, still feeling there was more to say.

"Phew." Nagumo stretched his arms and sat back properly. He looked at Mutsumi, who had already taken out the textbook for the next lesson and thoughtfully turned it to the page they were about to cover.

Nagumo then remembered he hadn't gone to the teacher's office to pick up his books. When he and Sakiko had gone yesterday, the office was inexplicably locked, so they had to turn back. He had intended to go this morning, but Sakiko had come over during the break, and he had lost track of time.

Still... not having the books didn't seem like such a bad thing. Nagumo found himself liking the seat next to Mutsumi more and more. Who wouldn't want a seatmate who listened intently in class and would even remind you where the teacher was if you were called upon? He remembered his past school days, where there were always people making strange noises, shaking their legs, clicking pens, or scratching at papers like they were trying to destroy them. Sitting with a quiet girl like Mutsumi felt like it could cure the hypersensitivity of his previous life. *Sigh, I really don't want to sit alone... I want to sit with Mutsumi.*

Just as he was thinking this, another classmate called his name. Nagumo stood up and looked toward the door. A girl from his class looked at him and said, "There's a girl looking for you outside. I think she's from Class A."

*Huh?*

Nagumo felt a bit strange; he didn't recall knowing anyone in Class A. He nodded and walked out the door.

A girl was standing there. She wore a dark uniform that outlined her slender figure, with white stripes accenting the hem of her skirt, adding a touch of academic flair. She held a few books in her arms, and her long black stockings encased her slender calves as she stood perfectly straight.

As Nagumo looked at her, he found her eyes particularly beautiful. She carried an air about her that didn't quite feel like a junior high student; she felt more like a gentle older sister from next door, standing there in the sunlight, looking at him softly.

Nagumo tentatively spoke up. "I'm Nagumo Uyuki. May I ask..."

The girl snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. "Hello, hello. I'm Soyo Nagasaki. I'm here to bring you your books."

Nagumo’s gaze shifted to her arms, where Soyo was holding the textbooks. As she handed them to him, the pleasant curves previously hidden by the books became more apparent.

*Doesn't feel like a junior high student at all...*

Nagumo said, "Thank you so much for bringing these over. I just realized I hadn't picked them up yet. I owe you one."

Soyo smiled, pursing her lips. "It's no trouble at all. I happened to go to the teacher's office to ask about the music festival, and the teacher mentioned that a transfer student still hadn't collected their materials, so I thought I'd just bring them along."

Soyo looked at Nagumo. "It’s inconvenient to attend class without books. I hope you have a wonderful time at Tsukinomori, Nagumo."

Nagumo looked at Soyo’s gentle face, about to thank her again, when suddenly, the system's notification sound rang out once more.