As my father tucked away the police lights and drove through the streets like a regular car, we got caught in the rush-hour traffic jam.

The silence inside the car was broken when my father spoke up.

“Is Irena always… like that?”

“…Yeah,” Nina-chan replied quietly.

Sitting next to me, Nina-chan still hadn’t let go of my wrist.

Why was she sitting next to me in the first place? Well, Irena-san had another job to attend to.

She had confidently announced she was heading to Haneda Airport and disappeared into a taxi, leaving my father in charge of taking Nina-chan back home.

But even after all that, Nina-chan still hadn’t let go of my wrist.

She had been holding onto it for so long that I wondered if there’d be a hand-shaped mark on it by now. Not that I minded; I let her hold on for as long as she needed to, without mentioning it.

“When did Irena start behaving like that?” my father asked.

“…About a year ago.”

“A year ago… Ah, I see.”

My father nodded to himself as if something had just clicked.

A year ago? That was around the time Nina-chan said she last learned magic from her mother.

Judging by the tone of my father’s voice, something must have happened, though I had no idea what. I wanted him to tell me—tell me what had happened.

But he said nothing more about it.

He must have thought it was better not to say anything.

If that’s the case, then it must be something you can’t easily talk about.

Still, with the information I had gathered, even I could make some guesses.

Something probably happened with Nina-chan’s father around that time. But of course, it’s just a theory.

As I mulled over the possibilities, Nina-chan suddenly spoke up.

“It’s fine, though. Mama’s always been like that, so I’m used to it. I’ll just prove myself by defeating monsters and surpassing her.”

“I see. You want to become an exorcist, right?”

“Yes! I’ll become an exorcist who’s even greater than Mama. I can’t afford to be discouraged by something like that!” Nina-chan’s voice was filled with determination.

It didn’t sound like false bravado. It was more like she was encouraging herself, giving voice to her ambitions.

By this point, the hand that had been gripping my wrist was now holding my hand properly. It wasn’t as tight anymore, which was a relief, so I just let her do as she pleased.

“So, Itsuki, you better help me out too!”

I smiled at her feisty words. She looked more like her usual self, which was good. Nina-chan was much more herself when she was competitive rather than down in the dumps.

“Yeah, leave it to me,” I said, nodding.

From the rearview mirror, I noticed my father smiling quietly, watching the two of us.

“Just don’t do anything reckless, both of you.”

“Don’t worry, I know. We’ll be careful.”

Obviously, it wouldn’t mean anything if we got stronger only to die along the way. I want to get stronger so I won’t die, not just for the sake of being strong.

And I’m sure Nina-chan feels the same way.

No matter how much she wants to be an exorcist, it would all be for nothing if she died before getting there. So, we’d be careful. That’s just common sense.

“But first, I’m going to get stronger! I’m going to take down as many monsters as I can!” Nina-chan declared with renewed determination, then turned toward me.

“So, Itsuki, let’s practice in the mornings from now on. Not just after school.”

“Huh? In the mornings?”

“Yes! We’ll train in the mornings, then in the evenings, we’ll hunt for monsters. That’s how I’ll become an exorcist!” she said with a triumphant sniff.

I couldn’t help but think, She’s really fired up right now.

I hadn’t seen Nina-chan this motivated since the entrance ceremony, which made me feel oddly nostalgic. Though, the entrance ceremony was only a month ago.

Thanks to the traffic jam, it took us 45 minutes to get from the park to Nina-chan’s house.

“Is this the right place?” my father asked as he stopped the car.

“Yes! Thank you very much!” Nina-chan said, nodding enthusiastically.

“Of course. Feel free to come over anytime. We’ll always have tea ready,” my father replied kindly.

Nina-chan thanked him once more before finally letting go of my hand and stepping out of the car.

“Itsuki, you should walk her to the door,” my father advised.

“Right!” I said, getting out of the car and following after Nina-chan.

By now, the sun had fully set, and the streetlights, shop signs, and car headlights lit up the sidewalk so brightly that it almost felt like daytime.

Though of course, that wasn’t possible.

As I caught up with Nina-chan at the entrance to her high-rise apartment building, she whispered to me quietly, just loud enough for me to hear.

“Itsuki, thank you for today.”

“No, thank you. You always invite me over, so I should be the one thanking you.”

While we spoke, she pulled out a card from her backpack to unlock the building’s entrance. High-tech.

“And… sorry.”

“Huh? What for?” I asked, confused by her sudden apology.

She glanced down at my wrist with a slightly guilty expression.

“Your hand… I hurt you, didn’t I?”

I looked down and saw my wrist had a clear red mark where her hand had gripped it tightly. She had been holding on harder than I realized.

Well, I guess if someone saw this without knowing the context, they might think I’d been attacked by a monster or something.

“So… why did you hold my hand?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I… I don’t know,” Nina-chan replied, hesitating before answering.

What was with that pause? It’s like she started to say something and then changed her mind halfway through. I know that feeling all too well—I do it myself all the time.

But since I could tell she didn’t want to talk about it, I didn’t press her any further.

If Nina-chan didn’t want to say more, then there was no need to make her.

“But I think I gripped it too hard. I’m sorry I hurt you,” she said again, looking down at my wrist.

“It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it.”

“Still…”

She stared at the bright red mark on my wrist, clearly feeling bad about it.

But I really didn’t mind. To ease the mood, I decided to make light of it.

“Your hands are soft, so it didn’t hurt that much. You can hold on to me anytime,” I said with a grin.

“…Hmph. Well, if you say so, then I guess it’s fine,” Nina-chan muttered, her expression a mix of embarrassment and relief.

But I wasn’t done.

“So, what time are we starting practice tomorrow morning?”

“Hmm, how about 7:15?”

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

I nodded, and Nina-chan, looking slightly shy, returned the gesture. She swiped her card, unlocked the entrance, and headed for the elevator.

I watched her until she disappeared from sight.

I touched the key card to the reader at the entrance of my apartment.

The door unlocked with a soft click, and I pushed it open.

The familiar scent of the room fragrance Mama had bought filled the air.

After I stepped inside, I shut the door and locked it securely. Somehow, it felt like locking the door would keep the monsters out.

“…Weird,” I muttered to myself.

It really was strange.

When I was face-to-face with that monster, and everything felt like it was spinning out of control, I grabbed Itsuki’s hand. Just holding onto him had helped me calm my breathing a little.

I thought that maybe, if I kept holding his hand, I might get used to monsters. So, I ended up holding his hand the whole time we were in the car. Even I think it’s strange. And when I lowered my hand from his wrist in the car, I secretly hoped he might hold my hand back. Why? I don’t even know.

That’s why it feels so weird.

Itsuki is supposed to be my rival. But Mama keeps talking about him like he’s something special, and that irritates me. And yet, having him by my side today made me feel… better. I can’t figure out my own feelings. I don’t even know how to put them into words.

I turned on the lights in my room, and my reflection appeared in the mirror.

My face was bright red. Embarrassed, I muttered to myself again, “Weird.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep