My Classmate Became My Familiar - Chapter 3.8

Chapter 3.8

A few days went by in the blink of an eye.

I returned to the dormitory after the first strategy meeting with the president. Sophia was not in her room. She was probably out surveying around the school again.

Good.

I opened the grimoire on my study desk and wrote down a new magic formula on a blank page.

Actually, when I was analyzing the grimoire that the president had given me, I came up with a formula that I could maybe apply to this special technology. If I somehow put it into practice, it would be of great help during the battle.

I dipped my quill in special ink and dragged it across the blank page.

Little by little, the formula for the magic grew.

It was a completely new magic formula, different from existing magic. But how could I create something like this?

It was as if I had always known it. As if someone inside me had created it, rather than the current me.

I’ve heard that once you learn something, you basically keep it in your head forever. Even if you couldn’t remember something anymore, the information was still in your brain.

In other words, it was possible to remember a long-forgotten memory.

… No, of course, I hadn’t been exposed to this sort of magic in the past and was remembering it now. But still, it’s a mystery.

Ah.

As I was thinking, I suddenly remembered the time when I met Fujiwara.

I don’t know why I ended up remembering Fujiwara this way. It’s strange.

It was the day I entered this school.

“Do you have a minute?”

After homeroom, while I was changing my shoes at the entrance to go back to the dormitory, someone called out to me.

At first, I didn’t think it was for me.

“Don’t ignore me. Hey, I’m talking to you.”

When she grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around, I realized the voice was directed at me.

There was a beautiful dark-haired girl staring straight at me.

I remembered her from before when she was surrounded by many students in the classroom.

I was surprised by the unexpected appearance of someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were talking to me. What is it?”

“What’s your name?”

Was this an introduction?

She gave me a curious look as if she was trying to find out what I was thinking.

I wouldn’t say it was unpleasant, but it was not an attitude that I found pleasant either.

“It’s Souta Ashiya.”

But at that time, I didn’t have the bravery to argue against one of the most powerful people in the Magic Society, so I answered honestly. It’s uncommon for a mere citizen to go up against the daughter of the Fujiwara family.

No. Well. I would reach the end of my patience and blow it off later.

Fujiwara’s mouth was half open…

“Ashiya… Sou… Ta…? I knew it. I knew it. I knew it…!”

What’s that?

“Well, I don’t know. But if you don’t need me for anything in particular, can I go home now?”

“Wait! I’m… Hey, you don’t recognize me!”

She was so eager that she leaned in closer.

She came at me with a glowing, uplifted, expectant look.

I nodded my head as I leaned back.

“Yes, of course. You’re Chikage Fujiwara.”

Fujiwara choked on her words, “Ah, ugh, wow, me… I was, all the time!” And then her expression crumpled as she tried to say something to me.

She looked as if she was too overcome with emotion to express it.

I had a feeling that I was being misunderstood, which was not good.

I hurriedly said, “Oh, no,” stifling Fujiwara.

“There isn’t a magician in Japan who doesn’t know about you, Fujiwara-san. You’ve been featured many times in magazines, your picture published countless times, and your videos are all over the internet… You’re a celebrity, don’t you know?”

Fujiwara’s expression froze for a moment. I felt her disappointment as if I had done something wrong, but I couldn’t help it because I had no idea what else to do.

No, I don’t think it’s possible that maybe we’ve met… somewhere before, based on her reaction.

But how could I forget if I was acquainted with such a famous person?

“So? What do you want?”

When I prompted her, Fujiwara’s eyes looked like she was about to cry.

While trembling, she took a few steps forward and tried to reach out to me with one hand… but then stopped in the middle.

“… Nothing. I just thought I’d say hi as a fellow classmate.”

No, you were definitely not that light-hearted.

But since she said so, I wouldn’t pursue it. It was too much trouble, and I wasn’t that interested.

“I see. Thank you for your kindness. I’m Souta Ashiya. Nice to meet you.”

“… Yeah, nice to meet you. Ashiya-kun.”

We exchanged a word or two, and I went on my way while Fujiwara went back to the school.

My first encounter with Fujiwara was like this, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect.

Whatever the case, I thought that we would end up as strangers who I just knew by face, without any deep connection. We live in different worlds.

But I was wrong.

I didn’t know what tugged at my heartstrings during this exchange, but ever since, Fujiwara took the initiative to start messing with me. The summoning test was a good example.

I’m sure she’s mistaken me for someone else.

That was all I could think of, yet I felt otherwise.

I was stuck.

The misunderstanding should have been cleared up, but she didn’t even show any sign of it, so what’s the point of coming after me?

It may sound strange, but had I really never met Fujiwara before that moment? Maybe, I’ve known Fujiwara for a while…

Was I forgetting something?

Every time I proceeded to analyze the grimoire, I felt as if I could recall a frayed memory.

I had a feeling that an isolated memory that I could no longer remember was speaking up somewhere in my heart.

Yes, I remembered Fujiwara and I… No, it must be my imagination. This is ridiculous. Even if I had known Fujiwara before, if I couldn’t remember her, it just means that I didn’t need to remember her anymore.

Yeah, that’s fine.