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Once back in the classroom, we listened to the teacher\'s talk, and then the parents trickled in from the gymnasium, turning it into something like an open house. The teacher spoke to the parents, and once that was done, we were dismissed.

I found myself a bit underwhelmed, wondering if entrance ceremonies were always this brief... Then I remembered that it was probably because this was my second time going through one.
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"Itsuki, congratulations."

"Thanks, Dad."

My father, dressed in a suit and carrying a bag with his camera slung over his shoulder, might have seemed like any other ordinary dad in terms of his words. However, in the classroom, he stood out like a sore thumb.

My dad is tall, well-built, and with an eyepatch over one eye, he inevitably draws attention. Even more so, his sharp, focused gaze seemed to cut through the air, giving him an aura that was hard to ignore. I noticed a few other parents casting curious glances his way, probably wondering who this intimidating man was.

Come to think of it, I guess I\'ve become somewhat desensitized to it, but yeah, my dad really does stand out. Among Exorcists, it\'s normal to see people with scars on their faces or a strong build, so I tend to forget. I wonder if I\'ll end up looking as rugged as him someday.

"Let\'s have sushi for lunch. It\'s a celebration for your entrance into elementary school."

"Really?"

"Yes, the Shimotsuki family will join us too."

"With Aya-chan?"

"Yes, Renji suggested that since we\'re having entrance ceremonies on the same day, we might as well celebrate together. I thought it was a good idea."

My dad said, checking the time on his smartphone.

The Kisaragi family and the Shimotsuki family belong to different school districts. That\'s why Aya-chan and I ended up at different schools.

Ah, if only Aya-chan had been at the same school, I could have started with a friend from the beginning, making it a perfect start... Even though I was determined to make new friends, having Aya-chan around would have been a comforting safety net.

Speaking of which, Rin-chan from the Satsuki family is the same age as us, but because she was born later in the school year, she\'s technically a year behind. In other words, Aya-chan and I are early bloomers, so we started school a bit earlier.

However, the Satsuki family lives even further away than the Shimotsuki family, so even if we\'d started school at the same time, we wouldn\'t have been in the same school.

As I was about to leave the classroom with my backpack to avoid being late for the "Entrance Celebration" with Aya-chan, I suddenly noticed something.

Nina-chan\'s family hadn\'t come to pick her up.

Were they late? Or had they not come at all? The thought tugged at my mind. I remembered the brief, intense interaction we\'d had in class. She had this aura of someone who was trying hard not to care, but it felt like there was something more behind that front.

"Itsuki? Aren\'t you coming?"

"Yeah, I\'m coming."

That thought lingered in my mind.

We drove to a somewhat upscale sushi restaurant in our local area. The kind that doesn\'t have a conveyor belt. But since it was lunchtime, it wasn\'t that expensive. I found myself caught between excitement and nervousness. Celebrating with family was one thing, but having the Shimotsuki family there too added a layer of formality that made me a bit anxious.

I wondered how Renji-san would act outside of his usual training mode.

As I was thinking about the boring adult concern of money, I noticed that the Shimotsuki family had already arrived in front of the restaurant.

"Itsuki-kun, long time no see!"

"But we saw each other last week."

"It\'s been ages!"

Aya-chan was wearing her uniform for the first time, and it made her look even more like the refined young lady she was. Well, she is a young lady from a good family, so it\'s not a mistake, but it\'s surprising how much just a change of clothes can alter your impression.

I can\'t tell if it\'s a brain bug or if I\'m just that simple-minded. The way the uniform accentuated her neat appearance made me wonder how different I\'d seem in the eyes of my classmates, too.

"How was the entrance ceremony?"

"It was over before I knew it."

Aya-chan laughed as she said that.

I agreed and laughed along with her.

Seeing Hina, who hadn\'t been included in our conversation, starting to pout a bit, I took her hand, and the three of us Aya-chan, Hina, and I headed into the restaurant.

Behind us, my dad and Renji-san exchanged serious looks.

"So, Renji, what\'s the situation with the numbers?"

"At Aya\'s school? I checked, and there are only two. If something happens, they\'ll be in trouble with just that. How about at Itsuki-kun\'s school?"

"Only one, I hear. And he\'s only there part-time, coming to the school for half the week."

"The shortage of Exorcists has really reached its peak, hasn\'t it?"

…What are they talking about?

From the word "part-time," I guessed they were discussing school staff. But then, why were they talking about having one or two? Were they discussing music teachers? The conversation felt odd, and I couldn\'t shake the feeling that I was missing something crucial.

"Hey, Dad. Renji-san. What are you talking about?"

"Ah, we\'re talking about the Exorcist assigned to your school, Itsuki."

"…An Exorcist at my school?"

What?

I\'ve never heard of that before.

Seeing my confusion, Renji-san explained further.

"Itsuki-kun, you know well that monsters target children. Schools are full of children, so what do you think happens?"

"…Monsters are attracted to them."

"Exactly. Schools have always been hotbeds for ghost stories because of this. The monsters that target children are weak, but for people who can\'t use magic, they\'re a real threat. That\'s why schools are supposed to have at least one Exorcist on staff. But lately, there just aren\'t enough Exorcists to go around."

I had heard about the shortage of Exorcists from both my father and Renji-san, so it all made sense to me. Still, the idea of an Exorcist working at my school seemed surreal. I started to wonder what kind of person they were, someone like Renji-san, maybe?

"So, does that mean there isn\'t an Exorcist at my school?"

"It\'s not that there isn\'t one, but there isn\'t a full-time one. The principal mentioned before the entrance ceremony that they couldn\'t find enough staff."

Hearing my dad say that with a serious expression, I couldn\'t bring myself to suggest that he take on the role.

My father is one of the few remaining Fifth Rank Exorcists in Japan. Monsters that only he can exorcise appear all over the country, and it\'s not uncommon for him to be away from home for a month at a time. The same goes for Renji-san.

Given that, the Exorcist stationed at a school is likely one who can be easily replaced. But the fact is, there just aren\'t enough Exorcists to go around. The job itself doesn\'t allow for much downtime.

So, it makes sense that my school only has one part-time Exorcist. In fact, I wouldn\'t be surprised if that part-time Exorcist is working at multiple schools.

"Even so, Souichirou, with Itsuki-kun around, having a less experienced Exorcist might be more of a hindrance than a help."

"True, they might end up being a liability."

Whoa, that\'s way too much praise.

There\'s no way I can compare to seasoned Exorcists who\'ve been in real battles. I\'ve only had a handful of actual fights.

With a wry smile, I let their conversation wash over me.

The only reason I\'m able to handle monsters is that I\'m fully prepared when I face them. Just because of the incident with Raikou Douji doesn\'t mean I\'m about to get cocky or start taking things lightly. I can\'t afford to.

Humans can die from a single stab wound.

No matter how much I train, that\'s an unchangeable truth. But because I want to avoid dying again, because I don\'t want to experience that a second time, I want to become stronger.

"Oh, by the way, Itsuki-kun, have you started getting a feel for the \'sixth sense\' yet?"

"…Yeah, sort of."

The training to sharpen the sense of "Silveit" and develop it into a sixth sense, which Renji-san taught me, has become a daily routine.

Whether it\'s thanks to that or not, I\'ve recently started to grasp what this \'sixth sense\' is all about.

As we slid open the door and entered the sushi restaurant, Renji-san smiled.

"Then, it\'s about time to move on to the next stage."

"The next stage?"

"Yes, next we\'ll work on barrier techniques."