Chapter 322: The Dramatic Arrival of Natsume Takashi
The soft chime of the bell above the door was accompanied by a gentle glow, signaling a new arrival. The timing, however, was so unexpected that it startled not only Kasugano Sora but also Ren and Lucifer. No guest from the myriad other worlds had ever appeared at this hour.
Lucifer's expression was blank. "Ren… has a guest ever arrived this late before?"
"No," Ren murmured, his eyes fixed on the illuminated doorway. "I'm also very curious who this could be…"
As the words left his lips, the light faded to reveal a young man in a school uniform. The moment Ren saw his face, he froze, completely and utterly dumbfounded. He never would have imagined, not in a thousand lifetimes, that this particular person would be the one to walk through that door. Ichihara Yuuko, who had been observing Ren with her usual knowing gaze, immediately caught the shift in his demeanor.
"Ren, what is it?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity. "Do you know him?"
Ren could only nod, his voice barely a whisper. "I truly never expected it would be you…"
The young man started, a look of mild confusion on his face. He scratched the back of his head, a slightly sheepish gesture. "I'm not sure why, but I was trying to sleep and suddenly got this feeling… that something was about to happen. I couldn't get back to sleep after that. I figured I'd come here to see if you were still open and maybe get some breakfast. I'm glad you haven't closed yet, Shopkeeper Ren."
A faint, complicated smile touched Ren's lips. "Your intuition is remarkably accurate. Something did happen, and it's related to you. Would you like something to eat, Natsume?"
The moment the name was spoken, every eye in the room, save for Kasugano Sora's, widened in shock. A collective, hushed exclamation filled the air.
"Natsume Takashi?!"
The young man, Natsume, jumped slightly at the sudden attention. He nodded hesitantly. "Yes, that's me… Do you… all know me?"
Ren let out a soft sigh. "Of course they do. They were all here when it happened."
Natsume's brow furrowed in confusion. "Eh? When what happened? Was my intuition right after all…?"
Ren's expression was one of gentle helplessness. "You were right, but your intuition should have kicked in a little earlier. If it had, you wouldn't have missed Mr. Clow Reed."
Natsume's eyes went wide with surprise and a touch of dismay. "Mr. Clow Reed was here, too? What a shame, I didn't get to see him… I can only hope I'll have the chance to meet him again in the future."
Ichihara Yuuko hesitated, a flicker of deep sadness in her dark eyes, before she finally spoke. "So you're Natsume-kun… You're the one he kept saying he wanted to see before he left… But he's already…"
Ren cleared his throat softly, cutting her off before the truth could spill out. "Hmm. The regret of a missed meeting only makes the next one more anticipated. Natsume, you will see him again."
A gentle, hopeful smile graced Natsume's features. "Mm! So that feeling I had today was because Mr. Clow Reed came… It's a pity, but I'll just have to look forward to our next meeting. There have been a few things happening recently that I wanted to tell him about…"
A wave of sorrow washed over everyone present. The sheer, tragic irony of Natsume Takashi's arrival was crushing. Clow Reed, even as he walked the path toward his own end, had never forgotten the young man he considered his first true friend—the boy who treated the world, and himself, with such deep gentleness. And yet, in the end, they had missed each other.
For this kind young man to walk in at the very moment Clow Reed had departed, guided by a feeling that something was amiss… it was a proof of a connection that transcended worlds. Gentleness could reach out to gentleness, and friendship could bridge any distance, but the weight of this particular regret felt almost too heavy to bear.
Ren's voice was soft, a comforting anchor in the quiet room. "Then you should gather more stories to tell him. I'm sure he'll have a lot to say to you, too. It's the anticipation of tomorrow that gives our lives meaning."
He shifted gears, his tone becoming warmer. "What would you like for breakfast?"
"Sandwiches and juice, please… Thank you, Shopkeeper Ren!"
Ren nodded, a genuine smile returning to his face. "Would you like a bento for lunch as well?"
"A bento… that sounds nice. Yes, please, Shopkeeper Ren!"
"Please wait a moment."
With that, Ren turned and disappeared back into the kitchen. Natsume Takashi, his school bag slung over his shoulder, stood quietly to the side, his white school uniform shirt immaculate.
Ichihara Yuuko understood perfectly that Ren was trying to shield Natsume from the news of Clow Reed's fate. After a moment of thought, she lowered her voice, her tone gentle. "Natsume-kun, what was it you wanted to tell that man?"
Natsume blinked, then his expression cleared. "That man… Ah! You mean Mr. Clow Reed, right? It wasn't anything major…"
"Was it about a youkai?"
The word hung in the air, and Natsume froze. He had been hesitant to speak because he didn't want anyone besides Ren and Clow Reed to know about his ability to see spirits. Ichihara Yuuko's casual, knowing question left him momentarily speechless.
He hesitated for a long moment before giving a small, reluctant nod. "Mm… I've encountered two youkai recently… What is your relationship with Mr. Clow Reed?"
Ichihara Yuuko considered this, a faint smile playing on her lips. "If I had to put a label on it, I suppose you could call us friends."
"Oh… I see."
"So, I'm curious about what you wanted to tell him," she continued, her voice a low, inviting murmur. "Or is it something you'd rather not say?"
Natsume shook his head. "It's not that I can't say… It's just…"
The shop fell silent, the only sound Natsume's gentle voice as he began to recount his recent experiences. Everyone listened, rapt, as he spoke.
The story itself was short and, on the surface, perhaps even ordinary, but there was a unique quality to the way he told it. When he finished, Ichihara Yuuko let out a long, quiet sigh. "That's truly… Natsume-kun, how do you feel about those two youkai?"
"I'm not sure," Natsume admitted. "But I can feel its loneliness. From the way it acts, it seems to resent me quite a bit… If I could, I'd like to find out what I did to hurt it. But it keeps calling me Reiko… That's my grandmother's name. So maybe my grandmother knew it."
At this, a soft smile touched his lips. "If that's the case, it would be good to resolve the misunderstanding. It seems like a rather simple youkai, deep down."
His words stunned the listeners. Even Yuuka Kazami, who had remained a silent, serene observer, seemed to register a flicker of surprise. Lucifer tilted her head, her expression one of pure bewilderment. "You don't resent this youkai? The one that wants to ruin your life and kill you?"
Natsume simply shook his head, his voice unwavering in its gentleness. "I don't resent it. I'll admit, it can be quite scary, but… if this is all a misunderstanding because of my grandmother, then I'd like to clear it up. After all, underneath all the anger… I can feel its loneliness."
In that moment, Ichihara Yuuko finally understood. She understood completely why Clow Reed, on the verge of his final journey, had so desperately wanted to see Natsume Takashi one last time. A faint breeze seemed to drift through the shop, stirring her long brown hair. Her expression remained unreadable, but a evident warmth emanated from her, a silent acknowledgment of the boy's deep kindness.
"Natsume, it's ready."
Ren emerged from the kitchen, holding a neatly wrapped bento box and a plate with a sandwich. Natsume took them, his movements graceful. "Thank you, Shopkeeper Ren. How much will that be?"
"Five hundred yen in total."
"Still as affordable as ever… Well then, Shopkeeper Ren, here you go." Natsume handed over the coins. "I'll be going now. Goodbye, everyone."
"Please come again."
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