Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

And so, they try to find a way out of the situation as peacefully as possible.

The five of them racked their brains, but in the end, they finally settled on a straightforward idea: "If Suzu is not an option, then we should get information from Principal Ootori".

There are not so many ways to counter the overwhelming power.

Since the obvious way of relying on another power is not available, Chihiro and the others have no choice but to resort to other means.

They appeal to the emotions. Or, they can threaten others by taking advantage of their weakness.

In any case, what they need to do is to make contact with Principal Ootori again.

Fortunately, contact with Principal Ootori is not forbidden.

And so, on Monday night, Chihiro sent a message to principal's private address saying "I would like to meet and talk with Kurohane Suzu-san about Kurohane Yotsuba-san" and received a reply on the same day.

He asked him to come alone the next day at lunchtime.

At the appointed time, he visited the principal's office and was immediately greeted by a grumpy voice. 

「I told you I would take care of it」

「I can't leave her alone after knowing what happened」

When he brought his lunch box for camouflage, Principal Ootori spat at him at his desk, "You can eat as you please".

「Where did you get the information?」

「It's just a rumor. It's not something serious to hide, is it?」

「......」

As Chihiro opens his lunch box, he catches a hateful look from the other side.

「Did your girlfriend make this?」

「Yes, she did」

「...So, why do you touch another woman when you're in love with her? It will only make her sad」

Principal Ootori's point is correct.

In general, though.

「Then, is it right to tie Suzu-san down and not let her fall in love either?」

「...I told you not to call her by her first name」

「Please don't change the subject」

Principal Ootori let out a sigh.

「It's none of your business」

「How can I be uninvolved when someone I know is suffering?」

「I told you not to get involved with Suzu」

「I was not told to forget even the memories of talking with Suzu-san until now」

The conversation remains deadlocked, but Chihiro persists.

The reason why they can continue to argue is that Chihiro is speaking with emotion, not logic. He is expressing his feelings that he does not agree with, after all there is nothing more annoying than a child's nonsense.

「I am Suzu's guardian」

「Suzu-san is an adult now」

「She's a child. Suzu is still a child」

Admittely, Principal Ootori doesn't consider Suzu as a woman who drinks beer in front of children as a respectable adult.

「You are engaged to Kurohane-senpai, but you are tying up Suzu-san?」

「I told you. Suzu has another lover」

「Is that person still alive?」

And now, Chihiro tries to imply that it is Principal Ootori's brother, the former principal.

This is like a bet. It was a provocation based on speculation without proof,

「...What are you trying to say!?」

A gruesome scowl escapes his lips.

Finally, Principal Ootori raised his voice clearly.

「If Suzu-san herself is thinking of the deceased, that's fine. But I don't think it's right for someone to bind her. Dead people don't come back to life and they don't talk」

「You don't know anything about us!」

Boom!

Principal Ootori's fist pounds his desk.

No wonder he is angry. What Chihiro is doing now is an act of trampling on his family's situation.

However.

「I don't know. I don't have any knowledge of it. But that's why I can't accept it!」

Principal Ootori glared at Chihiro who stopped his chopsticks and shouted.

His gaze was filled with intense hatred.

Then, he quickly walked around his desk and walked up to Chihiro. And as he stared back at Chihiro, his arms, covered by the sleeves of his suit, reached out to Chihiro's neck. 

「Stop!」

His arms stopped at the sound of scream.

Suzu, who was wearing a ladies' suit that Chihiro had seen when they first met, was standing in the room before he knew it. He thought it was a setup again, but Principal Ootori's eyes widened in surprise.

「You're here!」

「You called me, didn't you? I just didn't let you know I was coming」

She said coldly.

Then, Suzu looks back at Chihiro.

With a sad smile.

「Chihiro-kun is right. I don't have a lover. The man I was engaged to died many years ago. And he never took my virginity」

「Stop it, Suzu!」

「I won't stop!」

Principal Ootori yells, and Suzu screams.

This situation is such that if a faculty member were to pass by, he or she might hear the commotion and jump into the room, but fortunately there is no sign of such a situation at the moment.

And then Suzu lifts his arms up in the air and shouts once more.

「That's enough! I'm going to quit that shack, and quit my job too!? I never want to see Yuu-chan's face again!」

An emotional outburst ensues.

Chihiro knows that once a woman is like this, she does not calm down easily. Of course, he's not saying that all women are like this,

「Do you have a place to go? What about living expenses? What are you going to tell the people at home? How can you just say, "I'm quitting my job", and then just process it? It takes time to process and take over...」

「Shut up!」

And when they are really angry or sad, it is the result of their inability to control their feelings, not of their logical thinking.

At such a time, if someone throws a "good argument" at them, they feel as if they are being rejected by the world.

They think that the most important thing is to be right than to be sad now, and their thoughts are turned in the wrong direction, in such a way. 

「...Suzu」

Chihiro finally understood Suzu's rough state, but was at a loss as to what to do.

While he thinking so, Suzu told Principal Ootori who stood there in a daze.

「I've been disowned by my family anyway, and I don't have a special job right now. It's not my job to find new people and teach them. Anyway, I have a good amount of savings」

She sniffed as if to say, "Are you satisfied now?".

And then looked back at Chihiro and walked up to him.

「Let's go, Chihiro-kun」

「But...」

「It's okay」

She smiles and looks at Principal Ootori again.

His eyes still remained fixed on the same spot.

「If you want to force things, just do it. If you want to tell my family that "I have angered your daughter" or "I have expelled one of students out of anger", you can do that」

「Suzu!」

Principal Ootori's face turned red and he shouted angrily, but Suzu was no longer listening.

...There was nothing could be done.

And knowing that there was nothing else to do but to leave, Chihiro put away his lunch box and stood up.

「Let's go」

Suzu then takes his hand.

The two should now be unrecognizable to Principal Ootori.

They open the door of the principal's office and walk out into the hallway, with Suzu taking the lead.

「Umm, Suzu-san」

「You finally called me by my name. You're not going to tell me to go back, are you?」

「No」

There is no way Chihiro can say that now.

So, He shook his head and told her with an apologetic look on his face.

「I can't skip classes and student council meetings, so can't we wait until then to talk about the details?」

It might not seem like such a case, but after having dared Principal Ootori so much, it would be unwise to be so unserious.

After all, for Chihiro, a student, this was a serious and important issue.