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The Little Witch’s Sure-fire Techniques Vol01 Ch05
Life passed slowly and tediously.
Koizumi felt like a gyroscope, chasing after so many celebrities every day. She was still an excellent entertainment reporter and her exclusive interviews and articles were always being published in Tangerine Weekly and Tangerine Daily. She was getting more and more popular and some celebrities’ secretaries had contacted her boss to get an exclusive interview with her. Even Burst Weekly tried to get her to join their group, with higher pay.
But she was unhappy.
Reporting on eye-catching news was giving her less and less satisfaction. She suddenly felt lonely and realised, that she didn’t have any real friends.
She once had a good friend——Ming Xiao Xi. But she had left and could only contact her through phone calls. Koizumi had been busy recently, so she hadn’t been able to call her friend either.
She once had another good friend——Kaoru. His pure smile and trusting eyes were like a cool wind in summer. However, he was so angry that he ignored her. Although she had threatened him with the sticker, he refused all interviews and he was always as cold as a snake when she saw him. She felt a little sad.
She wasn’t a cute girl, was she?
No one had ever wanted to be her friend.
Countless spotlights.
The recording studio was as bright as daylight.
Takahashi held on to his camera and shot a side look at the listless Koizumi, who was sitting on the ground. How strange! Tangerine Weekly’s ace reporter usually always had enough energy to do eighteen somersaults in a row, but today, she looked as dejected as a stray puppy.
“Koizumi, are you sick?”
He eyed the shooting scene. Today was Senya Kaoru’s first shooting of the MV of his new song, ‘Intuition’. Only East Phoenix station, Burst Weekly and Tangerine Weekly were allowed to enter the recording studio. Securing a place to interview at this place had been very difficult.
Koizumi looked up at him pitifully, “Senpai, am I a very unlikeable girl?”
Takashi was so surprised that the camera almost fell out of his hands. After much thought, he earnestly reply, “Ahem, Koizumi, you’re——very talented!”
What was with that reply!
Koizumi buried her head in frustration and tears dripped from her eyes and nose. She knew she wasn’t cute, that no one liked her and no one wanted to be her friend…Takahashi realised that he had probably said the same thing, as she now had the expression of an abandoned child.
“Koizumi…”
He was prepared to comfort her, when he heard the sound of arguing from the shooting side.
The MV director, Makishin, shouted at the indifferent-looking Senya Kaoru. “Love! You have to portray your love! Your expression is both cold and bitter! Tenderer, or else the audience will think you hate her!”
He then shouted at the new model, Rika. “You should have a big, sunny smile on your face! Smile at him and inspire him with your enthusiasm! What’s with that complaining face?! It’s not a song of separation or death, but one of being happily in love!”
Rika hunched over, while Kaoru simply stared at her with his icy eyes. She couldn’t smile; it was difficult enough not to cry….
“Again!”
Makishin ordered everyone back into place! Action!
The soundtrack sounded——
…Your hands are
As hot as the sun
It feels like
I’m in the sun
You’re a bad girl
You always have countless
Reasons to hurt me
But as long as ya
Hold on to my hand…stop!
The fan fluffed up the girl’s pretty hair. As the white veil fluttered, there was hope in the girl’s eyes as she lifted her hand towards his…
Senya Kaoru closed his eyes! {Note: The next set of lyrics weren’t sung aloud – see translation note}
She smiled like
A mountain full of wild
Golden sunflowers
She smiled, said
“We’re friends” yet
She waved her fist
And cried, “I’m
Tangerine Weekly’s ace
Reporter, Fire Witch
Koizumi!”
In her outstretched hand
She gave him a tube
Of cream, saying
“For you!” and then
“The cream worked right?”
“You didn’t have any
pimples, did you?”
Her hands were
Hot and warm
As if holding his
Was always taken
For granted
She grabbed his arms
Hugged his waist
Hey, “Are we friends?”
But “No” was his reply
As he slowly sank
Into the depths of hell
Senya Kaoru turned around and left the recording studio, leaving the group of stunned staff.
“Senya Kaoru!”
The group instantly started to yell.
Makishin stopped them from calling him back. He had worked many times with Senya Kaoru before. Senya Kaoru had always been able to fulfil his requests and had always been dedicated and very serious about his work. He was acting very unlike himself and there was presumably a reason for his bad mood. Anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to wait until he was in a better mood.
“Everyone can take a twenty minute break!”
They hoped that Senya Kaoru be back by then.
※※※
It was pitch-black in the utility room.
Senya Kaoru sat quietly in the corner. He didn’t need light as the darkness gave him a sense of security.
He really was an idiot.
It was so obvious that he had been lied to and although he was very upset, he wished that she had continued lying to him. He would rather her lie, even if it was a ridiculous excuse. However, she had already given up on lying to him.
He hugged his knees, while sitting in the dark.
It felt like he was back to being the vulnerable child he used to be.
Time passed.
A petite figure tip-toed in.
He turned his head, refusing to look at her.
She went up to him softly and sat on the ground. She was so close, just a breath away.
“Hey…”
She gently greeted.
He ignored her.
“It’s rather funny,” she laughed unnaturally, “that these days, I feel unhappy.”
Her voice seemed to make the utility room float.
“Will you forgive me?” She cried softly, “I ask for your forgiveness with everything I have, so can you please don’t be angry with me anymore? Forgive me once, just once and I swear that I won’t publish anything without your approval. Just give me one more chance, okay?”
Still, he ignored her.
“You don’t understand, I actually feel sad…”
She lowered her head, tears forming at the corner of her eyes, “I know I was wrong, it was all my fault. Just give me one more chance, I…I…”
Her voice caught in her throat.
“…I didn’t know you would be so angry…I thought it’d be alright if I just made you happy afterwards…I didn’t expect you’d be so upset…I was a real heinous villain…but please don’t be angry anymore…”
“Kaoru…”
She sobbed, while begging him.
Darkness.
Kaoru’s face was tight and pale.
His fingers were clasped tight and he bit his lip, still refusing to say a word.
She paused, whispering. “Kaoru, was that song written for me?”
He couldn’t help look at her.
She tried to remember the lyrics.
Your hands are
As hot as the sun
It feels like
I’m in the sun
You’re a bad girl
You always have countless
Reasons to hurt me
But as long as ya
Hold on to my hand…
She sang a little off tune, but it felt strangely sincere.
Her hot palm was touching his back.
Warmth seeped from her palm.
She took his hand in hers.
Two hands: One hot, the other cold.
She smiled at him, her red hair shining like a flame. “See, I’m holding onto your hand…will you forgive me?”
Why?
Why had she failed again?!
She cried.
Although she had actually apologised to Kaoru from the bottom of her heart, he still didn’t forgive her?! He didn’t say a word as he knocked away her hand and stomped out of the room, leaving her alone.
‘Failure’ was finally in Fire Witch’s book of records for the first time.
She sat on a cardboard box and looked helplessly at Senya Kaoru, who was still filming.
The MV filming location in the afternoon was out on the street. Fortunately, it wasn’t the weekend, so most of the people were at work. There wasn’t a huge crowd and the staff could easily usher them to one side, leaving an empty footpath for Senya Kaoru to walk on.
Cars and trucks drove by.
On the street.
Senya Kaoru walked alone.
The bustling street atmosphere seemed to suddenly slow down and got quiet as its people saw a lonely, sad-looking figure. In the sea of cars, there was a pure yet tragic figure of a beautiful teenager, who looked as if he was heartbroken.
Everyone was captivated by him.
Makishin was secretly pleased; it seemed that his decision to change the cheerful romantic scenes into one that featured a boy in grief was correct! Currently, Senya Kaoru was good enough to star in ‘Hamlet’ and possibly even win a few Oscar awards.
Rika sighed in regret. It had been difficult to get the opportunity to work with Senya Kaoru and she had wanted to be in the centre of a scandal with him. This way, everyone would know her name. However, that wish was all ruined now that it had become a one-man show.
How disappointing…the entertainment reporters and the public were rather disappointed. There was to be no kissing scene, no exchange of feelings and now, Senya Kaoru wouldn’t even need to say a word to the actress. How were they supposed to write an article now, or were their efforts just about to get wasted?
Koizumi wracked her brains and looked across the road and the cold-looking Senya Kaoru.
Ah, she missed the smiling Kaoru, whose violet eyes were as lovely as daisies.
She tugged her hair desperately, trying to think. What should she do to make him forgive her?
She suddenly had a thought. What about the movie classic——a gunshot?! Taking a knife for him?! In the pool of blood, while coughing up more blood, clutching to his hand with a pale face and saying, ‘Kaoru…please forgive me…’ should lead to a distraught Kaoru. He’d hold onto her frail body and cry, ‘Koizumi, please don’t die! As long as you’re all right, I’ll do anything!…’
She snickered. Many directors used this scene these days, so it was probably useful. The problem was, firstly, she had no idea where to find a person with a knife and secondly, if everything went wrong, someone could be hurt very badly.
What else was there?
Oh yeah, a car crash! If a car crashed over and he was about to be hurt, she could come flying pat and push him away. She’d fly into the air with a bang! She’d then smash into the ground with another bang! Blood would gush out! Ah! That would hurt!
She shivered.
Never mind, even that was too horrible…she pinched herself and couldn’t help look at the passing cars. She wondered how she thought of such an evil idea when…suddenly——Koizumi’s eyes widened!
Her body jumped like a spring!
Her frightened voice was stuck in her throat.
“Kaoru!!!”
Her voice hadn’t even called out before she flew out like a bullet!
Everything happened too fast!
The driver of a black Toyota sedan seemed to drunkenly approach Senya Kaoru. The car wasn’t driving too fast, but Senya Kaoru was completely immersed in his world of silence and was completely oblivious to the danger he was in!
When the crowd realised, the Toyota sedan was already only two metres away from Senya Kaoru!
It. Was. Too. Late!!!
“Senya Kaoru——!!”
“Danger——!!”
The crowd screamed!
In the midst of the screams, a figure leapt towards Senya Kaoru!
And hugged him!
She opened her arms and hugged him tightly!
His body felt cold.
Pity seemed to flash in Koizumi’s eyes. In that lightning-like moment, she realised that she might have really hurt him. Despite that everything was too late, she really wanted to hug him.
He still hadn’t realised what was going on. His eyes were blurry and for a split second, they betrayed a childish delight that resembled purple daisies in a spring breeze…oh no, she was supposed to push him out of the way!
But——but in that second, all she did was hug him close.
She gave him all of the warmth in her body——was it still too late?
It was like a movie in slow motion——the Toyota sedan was about to hit both of them at the same time!
Only one metre left!
A figure flashed past!
The huge impact forced Koizumi and Kaoru to fly in the air!
At this moment——she clung on to him!
He clung on to her!
She wanted to hold on to him forever and wanted him to hold onto her forever.
The two flew into air——and fell——but it didn’t matter anymore. Koizumi shut her eyes and waited for pain to envelope her body. She didn’t want to die at such a young age as there were a lot of things she wanted to do. She didn’t want to say her last words to him while coughing up blood, nor see him hold onto her lifeless body crying…but, it didn’t matter anymore.
Koizumi quietly lay on the floor, tears slipping from her closed eyelashes…
“Call the ambulance!”
“Hurry and call the ambulance!!”
The shooting site was chaotic. Everyone rushed towards the place of the accident, while cars braked hard to stop any further crashes. The sound of sirens pierced the sky as people panicked…Koizumi lay on the ground, hearing footsteps. Her ears twitched as she sniffed.
Weird…where was the pain?! Had she just died this fast? She hadn’t even said her dying message yet. No, her bottom felt a little sore. Why was there no one by her side, but heading in the other direction? Was no one going to care about her, even as she was dying?
This world was so mean.
Eh, someone grabbed her hand. Who?!
She opened her eyes.
It was Kaoru.
Wow, his face was pale and his eyes were so mournful that it wouldn’t have been strange if she died.
She managed to moan out, “…Kaoru…are…you okay…”
“Get up!”
His voice was harsh.
“Uwah~~” Koizumi was so suprised and started to cry. “You heartless villain, I died trying to save you and yet you still yell at me~~~Uwah~~~I don’t want to save you any more~~~and let you~~Uwah~~” She wanted to curse him yet couldn’t. She was so annoyed though.
Kaoru frowned and whispered, “Just get up. You weren’t the one hit by the car – someone else saved us before that.”
Eh?!
Koizumi got up and it was true, although her bottom hurt, she wasn’t in pain. She glanced around, only to see a massive crowd of people around three metres away from her. The ambulance had arrived and doctors, nurses had taken out their first aid kits while someone else carried a stretcher into the centre of the crowd.
She heard people whispering, in worry. “Such a brave girl…”
“She rushed over, in order to save them…”
“She pushed them out of harm’s way but got hit herself…”
“Dangerous huh…”
“She probably won’t make it…”
“So young too…”
“What a pity…”
Koizumi’s heart felt like it had been squeezed and sweat emerged from the palms of her hands and her forehead. Someone else had saved her and gotten hurt? Serious injury?! Maybe even death?!
Her legs felt soft.
Kaoru pulled her hand towards the crowd and squeezed open a gap. They looked at the injured girl.
There was enough blood to fill a sea.
The girl lay unconscious in the pool of blood. Her pale face was like a faded flower and her lips were curved slightly.
Kaoru asked the busy doctor, “How is she?”
The doctor didn’t look up and loudly commanded, “Quick! The patient is in need of immediate treatment.”
This seemed to be like lightning exploding through the skies!
Koizumi found herself trembling.
She knew the wounded girl!
She reached out, wanting to touch the girl’s face, but was blocked by the crowd…she recognised the wounded the girl——and it felt like the devil had grabbed her throat. “…Xiao Xi…”
She was her best friend, a friend she hadn’t seen for a while…she was the Ming Xiao Xi she missed so much!
Koizumi fainted.
※※※
Nintoku Hospital.
The media reporters seemed to know that the injured girl had an unknown relationship with the girl who had been saved.
The teenage boss of the Makino Yakuza, Makino Ryuho was in the hospital, as was the next prime minister’s contender, Kazama Yuji’s genius son, Kazama Tetsu and the heirs to the biggest company in the country, Toji Hiroo and Toji Hiroyuki. Uwah, all of Japan’s most important teenagers were assembled and even the mysterious Senya Kaoru was there! This news was just too sensational to miss out on!
Unfortunately…the Makino family had sent several delinquents their way and had forced every one of the reporters a way. They had forbidden them to publicise this incident. The media reporters were furious, but even they knew better to infuriate the Makino Yakuza, who had even terrorised the police before.
The silence outside the emergency operation room was scary.
Toji Hiroo’s fist was clenched and he was muttering, cursing nonstop. He paced up and down the hallway. Kazama Tetsu stared at the red light above the operating room’s door, his hands squeezed tightly and his body as rigid as a glacier. Beads glistened from his forehead. Makino, dressed in black, stood furthest away from the room. His beautiful face was unusual pale and his eyes were full of desperation.
Koizumi hugged the bench. She bit her lip and tried hard not to cry.
Toji Hiroyuki could no longer stand it. He tugged her arm and asked, “Koizumi-neechan, do you think onee-chan will make it? She only just came back, so why did she get in this accident before she met up with us?…” She couldn’t stop crying, “Koizumi-neechan….say…do you think onee-chan will die?”
“Shut up!”
Toji Hiroo erupted!
Why yell! Everyone was agitated enough!
Toji Hiroyuki grumbled and pouted. She was upset, so what was wrong with crying a little? Besides, she was really worried about her friend.
Tearfully, she approached Kazama Tetsu. “Kazama-niichan, Ming-neechan isn’t injured too badly, right?”
Kazama Tetsu didn’t seem to hear her.
It seemed that his soul had been pulled out; his eyes could only stare at the red light. As long it was lit, he knew that there was still hope.
Toji Hiroyuki thought that Kazama Tetsu wouldn’t answer her.
Kazama Tetsu’s voice was faint in the quiet corridor. “I believe in Xiao Xi, that she won’t leave us like this.”
A gush of tears fell from Koizumi’s eyes. She suddenly began to cry like Toji Hiroyuki. “I was the one who killed Xiao Xi! Me!”
It was her evil way of thinking that had hurt Xiao Xi. If she hadn’t wanted a crash to happen, all of this could be prevented! She knew that she had harmed Xiao Xi and that she had ruined her best friend!
She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.
She sadly looked up, into Kaoru’s warm eyes.
Makino Ryuho remained in the corner and there was no trace of light in his eyes. His long hair had been ruffled in the wind and his beautiful face looked like it was on the brink of destruction.
The red light went out.
The indifferent-looking Doctor Osamu came out, his face a funny expression.
Toji Hiroo was the first to ask and he was so worried that his face was red. “How is she?!”
Osamu looked coldly at Makino Ryuho and sneered. “I don’t need to tell you that sort of thing.”
“What do you mean?” Toji Hiroo really wanted to punch this guy!
Kazama Tetsu stopped Toji Hiroo and asked, “Doctor Osamu, please tell us Xiao Xi’s current situation.”
His voice wasn’t high, but it was rather threatening.
Osamu leisurely put a cigarette in his mouth. He chuckled, “I’ve never seen such a thing. She had been hit by a car full on yet her organs weren’t damaged. She’s just a bit traumatised, that’s all.”
What a miracle but then again, Xiao Xi had always been a miracle maker so he wasn’t that surprised. He did, however, think that the teenager, clothed in black, in the shadows had overused his power.
“In other words, Ming-neechan is all right?!”
Toji Hiroyuki cheered!
Kazama Tetsu closed his eyes and calmed his shaking body.
Koizumi went limp as the strong tension from the nervousness relaxed.
“But…”
Osamu wanted to tell them one more thing.
Everyone stopped immediately.
“Xiao Xi was hit on the head and she has had similar injuries before. When she wakes up, she may lose a part or all of her memories.”
Eh?!
Amnesia?!
Everyone was shocked.
Translation Notes:
- Lyrics: There’s no punctuation and all of the lyrics in Chinese were crammed into a single paragraph (i.e. no line breaks) so it was impossible to tell whether he was actually singing what and what. I think he didn’t sing the second bit aloud ~ he was thinking those lyrics.
- Ming Xiao Xi: Kept this name in Chinese but these characters simply don’t work out as kanji, unless the ‘Xiao’ is a middle name which is super highly unlikely. If you want to know her story (and Kazama Tetsu, Makino Ryuho etc., go read ‘Ming Ruo Xiao Xi’).
- MV: Music video.
- -neechan / Oneechan: ‘Older sister’, not always related by blood.
- -niichan / Oniichan: ‘Older brother’, not always related by blood.
