Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

The First Makeup - 27

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Red Data Girl: The First Makeup
By Noriko Ogiwara
Chapter 4: Hodaka
Part 3 (3 of 3)

Miyuki was a little out of breath. It looked as if he had rushed over as soon as he had heard where she was. His hair was still tousled from the run.

For a moment, the three in the hall were at a loss for words, staring at Miyuki. It was clear that he had chosen the worst possible time to show up. As soon as Izumiko saw him, her newfound stage presence disappeared and she returned to her normal self. The makeup was no good anymore. As she came back to her usual state, Izumiko realized for the first time that she really had felt like a different person during those past few minutes.

“Sagara, what are you doing here?” Honoka finally asked. “Did you come to say something to one of us?”

“Are you Hodaka, the former student president?” Miyuki demanded suddenly. If he had noticed Honoka in her kimono, he didn’t act like it. Honoka repeated herself sullenly, but her voice was no louder than before. Miyuki ignored her again, his attention on Hodaka who was still standing next to Izumiko.

“You’re Hodaka Murakami, right?”

“And you are?”

“I’m Miyuki Sagara, a first year in the student government.”

Miyuki never looked away from Hodaka as he stepped closer to the young man in the kimono. He stopped when they were only a few feet away from each other. Miyuki might have only been a first year, but he was nearly as tall as Hodaka.

“Are you going to tell me what you want?”

Hodaka’s tone was calm, but it was easy to see that he was not happy. Miyuki must have sensed this as well but he did not back down.

“Hodaka, you know about Izumiko, don’t you.”

It hadn’t been hard to come to that conclusion. Hodaka shrugged.

“Is that a problem? I’m one of the judges. I would have refused the position, but as a seer, that is who I am.”

What in the world is a seer?

Miyuki had said that Hodaka knew something about Izumiko. She had thought Hodaka had nothing to do with the world of monks and diviners, but apparently she had been wrong.

Did Hodaka really know about the goddess?….

That’s what Miyuki was suggesting. Whether she believed it or not, she was still struck dumb by the thought. However, what Izumiko understood the least was how Miyuki had ended up here.

It was difficult to tell who was asking the questions when neither Hodaka nor Miyuki were answering the other’s inquiries.

“I don’t care what you are,” Miyuki finally said. Then to Izumiko’s surprise, he continued. “But will you please stop forcing Izumiko to do such strange things?”

Hodaka slid his hands into his kimono sleeves and gazed at Miyuki. He looked unsure of how to handle this underclassman who dared call him out on what he was doing.

“You said you were in the student government.”

“If you’re thinking about chasing me out of the group, I really don’t care.”

“You seem aware of your bad manners so I’m tempted to take you up on that offer. However, you’re not only being rude to me. You’re being rude to Izumiko as well.”

“Only because there’s no time for good manners.”

Hodaka’s smile grew cold.

“Well in that case, do have the right to stop me?”