Chapter 70: Bad Feelings Tend to Come True
Although there had been the commotion of Charlotte’s three sizes having changed, Kazuma and the others returned to Japan safely.
Having returned to Japan, Kazuma informed Sakura Hakanai, who was diligently engaged in social contribution using brainwashed people, that they were going for the first shrine visit of the year, and brought her back from her post.
Naturally, since their commander, Sakura Hakanai, would be leaving, he had a substitute appointed for her and ensured a proper handover was completed before bringing her back.
“This is so sudden~”
“Be flexible and deal with it.”
“So unreasonable~”
“That’s your boss for you.”
“You’re perfect material for an exploitative company~”
Sakura Hakanai voiced her complaints about the overly sudden development, but it didn’t get through to Kazuma at all.
It wasn’t so much that he wouldn’t listen, but rather, for Kazuma, who thought as if the world revolved around him, there was likely no point in offering any harsh criticism.
“Are we going with this group?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem?”
Waiting behind Kazuma were the five of them: Alicia, Charlotte, King, Stephen, and Momoko.
Sakura Hakanai joined them, making a total of seven people including Kazuma.
It wasn’t a particularly large group, but if there was a problem, it was their fame.
“Won’t it cause a commotion?”
“That won’t be a problem. We’re planning to go to a small, local shrine, not a big one.”
“So you’re saying there won’t be many people, and it won’t cause a commotion?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I’ll just follow what you say.”
Kazuma tilted his head at Sakura Hakanai’s remark but didn’t pay it much mind, and they headed to the shop where Momoko had reserved rental furisode.
They went on foot, and along the way, people they passed by repeatedly turned back to look at Kazuma’s group, taking pictures with their phones.
Of course, this amounted to candid photography, but King, calling it fan service, took two-shot photos with many people.
“Uh, um, can I get an autograph?”
“Yeah. Of course!”
King gladly responded to the fans’ cheers, providing services like autographs and two-shot photos.
However, as they also had their own schedule, Kazuma pulled King back, and they hurried to the furisode rental.
When they arrived at the shop where Momoko had reserved the rental furisode, Kazuma’s group immediately entered, rented the furisode, and had them fitted.
Naturally, even there, King, Alicia, and Charlotte attracted attention and were asked for autographs and photos.
Normally, they should have refused and left quickly, but this time, as the shop had accommodated their somewhat demanding request and accepted them (almost as if they had arrived without a reservation), they couldn’t be dismissive and gave autographs and took photos as requested.
“Thank you very much! By the way, would it be alright to use these photos for promotion?”
Just when they thought the female shop assistant had bowed deeply with vigor, she timidly asked.
She was quite a shrewd woman, but such strength is necessary for a merchant.
“Of course, I don’t mind! What about you, Alicia and Holy Maiden?”
“I’m okay with it too. We’re borrowing such lovely kimonos, so that much is perfectly fine.”
“Me too. If someone like me can be of service, please feel free to use them.”
“Ah, th-thank you soooo much!”
At the positive replies from the three of them, the female shop assistant was overcome with emotion, tears welling up in her eyes.
Bowing her head once more, the female shop assistant immediately started working on turning the photos into posters and posting them on SNS for promotion.
Meanwhile, Kazuma’s group finished their payment and briskly left the shop.
It was like a sudden storm, but it bore great fruit.
In the shop Kazuma’s group had left, there was great excitement over the matter.
“King, the Witch, and the Holy Maiden! Isn’t it amazing that world-famous superstars came to our shop!?”
“Right! At first, I was super nervous because it was a request from the government, but seeing them in person, all that just flew out the window!”
“Whoa, whoa! I heard King’s fan service was insane, and it was true! I got a two-shot with his arm around my shoulder! And what’s more, it’s a super rare one of him in a hakama!”
“Uhehehe~. Sales were the worst this year because of the year-end commotion, but with this, we can make it all back in one go…! We’ll be number one for next week’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony!”
“By the way, weren’t the people with them also amazing?”
“Ah~, the handsome older guy who looked like a slightly tired Hollywood star! He was totally my type~”
“The boy was great too! He looked a bit cheeky, but that was kind of cute!”
“The women were also shockingly beautiful, like models, and cute like idols. I wonder what kind of group they are…”
“I heard it was a request from the government, so they’re probably government-related people, but…”
“It’s best for us not to pry into such things. Also, the boy is Satsuki Kazuma-kun from the Seventh Esper Academy.”
There was no information about Momoko and Sakura Hakanai, but Kazuma was now a celebrity.
It wasn’t that his identity as the Crimson Knight had been revealed; he had shot to fame due to his performance in the Academy Battle Tournament.
“Ah! I thought I’d seen him somewhere, so he’s The Strongest Civilian!”
“That’s right. The Strongest Civilian, Satsuki Kazuma-kun, who defeated Kenzaki Souji, hailed as the strongest student, and brilliantly led the Seventh Esper Academy to victory. Maybe America came to scout him? The fact that King and the Witch came along means they’re that serious.”
“I see! So that’s what it was!”
It was a grand misunderstanding, but that was probably the limit of information civilians could obtain.
Rather, it was impressive enough that they could deduce that much.
“Well, more importantly than that, it’s work time! We’re going to get busy from now on~! Everyone, get fired up!”
“””Yes!!!”””
And so, the employees all worked hard together, gearing up for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony next week.
◇◇◇◇
Meanwhile, Kazuma’s group had arrived at a nearby, deserted shrine.
There were hardly any worshippers, and the only people they saw were elderly individuals who likely lived nearby.
The younger people had probably gone to a larger, more famous shrine instead of this one.
Thanks to that, they didn’t cause a commotion there, but because they had passed several people on the way, it was causing a huge stir on SNS.
“‘Saw King! Took a picture with him too!'”
“‘The Witch was there! Super cute in a furisode! Awesome!'”
“‘Could this be the Holy Maiden? She’s wearing a furisode, and her hairstyle is different, but I think it’s probably the Holy Maiden.'”
“‘An insane group was walking around my neighborhood.'”
“‘The aura around them is different. They’re like people from another world…'”
“‘Location identified. Probably here. Since they’re wearing furisode, I guess they came for Hatsumode. Judging by their location, the shrine they’re heading to for Hatsumode is presumed to be this one.'”
It was causing a huge stir on SNS, and their location had even been identified, but thanks to some people making wildly mistaken statements, no one had come to this shrine.
“Alright then, let’s throw in our offerings, pray to the gods, buy some talismans, draw fortunes, and then head home,” Kazuma said.
“What are you going to wish for, Kazuma?” Momoko asked.
“That’s a secret. It’s better not to say these things out loud, right?”
“I’m curious. Please tell us, Kazuma-san,” Charlotte requested.
“Nope. Come on, Alicia, Shar, stop talking and put your hands together.”
“”Okay~”” Alicia and Shar replied.
After tossing in their offerings, Kazuma’s group rang the bell and then clasped their hands in prayer.
There are proper ways to worship, but Kazuma only vaguely remembered them, and with Alicia and the others being foreigners, they simply clasped their hands.
“(May I finally have a peaceful year!!!)” Kazuma prayed.
“(May I become closer to Kazuma!)” Momoko wished.
“(May Kazuma-san take responsibility for me!)” Charlotte pleaded.
“(Gods, praise me too!)” King thought.
“(May I find a good match…)” Stephen hoped.
“(May I spend the year in good health, both mind and body!)” Alicia prayed.
“(I hope something interesting happens~)” Sakura Hakanai mused.
After each of them finished praying, they bought talismans and omikuji fortunes.
They showed each other their omikuji results, wondering what kind of year it would be, and everyone burst out laughing at Kazuma’s “Great Curse.”
“Ominous…” Kazuma muttered.
“It’s okay, Kazuma! ‘Great Curse’ means things can’t get any worse!” Momoko reassured him.
“That’s right. Good things are sure to happen!” Alicia added.
“Kazuma, you even have luck with fortunes, huh~. You got me there!” King chuckled.
“Well, isn’t it better than my half-baked ‘Good Luck’?” Stephen commented.
Kazuma was being comforted, but he couldn’t shake off his unease.
He knew he should just dismiss it as a mere fortune slip, but he had a premonition that something bad might happen.
He wished it were just a misunderstanding, but Kazuma, whose premonitions of this kind had never been wrong, looked up at the sky melancholically.