Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V4 Chapter 32

Chapter 32: “Time for Some Intel Gathering?” ②

“Ah, so you do know him?”

“Of course I do. He’s a descendant of the Abe family, after all.”

As expected, even in the supernatural world, Abe-no-Seimei was just as famous as he was among regular people.

“I also heard you guys got into a fight with the Abe clan over in Tono.”

“Woooow.”

“Eh, that’s not really the issue here. What I wanna know is—why are you so hung up on Madoka Abe?”

“Well, apparently, Madoka Abe really hates yokai.”

“Oh yeah, that’s super well-known. The direct line of the Abe family is usually pretty chill, but Madoka-san? Hardliner, extremist—I don’t even know what to call him. All I know is, he’s on the ‘kill all yokai’ team. Word is, his best friend was killed by an oni a few years back. So, you know… can’t really blame him.”

“And apparently—that friend’s name was Natsuki Yura.”

“…Wait. Same exact name? No way. I mean—what are the odds of that?!” 

Even Ginko, who had seen plenty of strange things, couldn’t hide her shock.

“And on top of that—I’ve never been to Kyoto. At least, I shouldn’t have. But then I had this super vivid dream of me as a kid, spending time with Madoka Abe-kun.”

“…Ohhh, so that’s why you shouted in Hindi when you woke up. Wait—why the hell was it in Hindi?! Shout in Japanese, damn it!”

Satan let out an exasperated sigh.

Even Natsuki had no idea why he had shouted in Hindi.

It just… came out on its own.

Maybe, in a past life, he had lived somewhere in India.

“…Memories buried deep can sometimes resurface because of a trigger, y’know? If anyone would know whether you’ve been to Kyoto, wouldn’t it be Mama Haruko?”

“Hmm… Back during spring break, I was talking about how, when I became a third-year, I’d be going to Kyoto for the first time on a school trip. She didn’t say anything about me having been there before.”

“Then maybe it was just a random dream. You probably just got emotional after hearing about a kid with the same name as you dying.”

“…I hope that’s all it is.”

“Overthinking something when you don’t have an answer just makes it worse. If it’s gonna bother you that much, why not just forget about it?”

“…Yeah. Yeah, maybe I should.”

Ginko never seemed like the type to overthink things.

And in moments like this—that was exactly what Natsuki needed.

“Personally, if Natsuki-kun and Madoka Abe-kun turned out to be childhood friends… uhehee~—Oh, whoops. Got a little too carried away there.”

“…Uwa.”

“Hey, don’t look at me like that! Listen, Madoka Abe-kun is kinda famous in our industry. He’s got that ‘needs to be put in his place’ energy, so he’s really popular!”

“…That sounds terrifying.”

“But imagine it! That cold, aloof Madoka Abe-kun, finally getting humbled by Natsuki-kun… Just thinking about it is enough to make me eat three bowls of rice for breakfast.”

For a moment, Natsuki actually felt bad for Madoka Abe.

“…Anyway, do you know Shinonome Abe too?”

Madoka Abe’s older brother, Shinonome Abe.

The moment Natsuki said his name—

Ginko’s expression completely vanished.

“Ginko-san?”

“…Wait. You met Shinonome Abe?”

“Oh. Uh, yeah. He gave me yatsuhashi.”

“Listen. I’m telling you this for your own good—stay away from him. The Abe clan has been doing whatever they want without joining the Institute for generations. And the only reason they’ve been able to get away with it is because their leaders have always been insanely powerful. The current head is also rumored to be inhumanly strong. But Shinonome Abe? He’s an exception.”

“What do you mean, an exception?”

“He’s a monster. This isn’t about whether you could win or lose against him. If you get involved with him, bad things will happen. Got it? I don’t think you’ll be dealing with the Abe clan again, but even so—whatever you do, stay the hell away from Shinonome Abe.”

“U-Uh… okay.”

Ginko had never been this serious before.

No—this wasn’t just serious.

There was a desperation in her voice as she pressed in close, practically pleading.

Natsuki couldn’t ask any more questions.

All he could do was nod.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

Koume: “Seimei, huh? Man, that takes me back!”

Satan: “Right? He was completely off the charts for a human. Never met another one that powerful.”

Koume: “I still can’t get over how he’d sprint through Kyoto, screaming ‘Fox ears are the best!’—I was so done with him.”

Satan: “Yeah, Seimei-kun was way ahead of his time. Even I had no idea what the hell he was talking about half the time.”

Koume: “Seimei and Doman used to argue over whether fox ears were valid or not and fight about it all the time. Kinda nostalgic.”

Satan: “Neither of them ever backed down on their tastes. Honestly, I still have no idea what they were even arguing about.”

Koume: “Same here!“

…Or so the story goes.

If you enjoyed this chapter, a follow, review, or comment would really encourage me!

Thank you for your support!