Transparent (Takashi Natsume x Reader)

The Book (V)

Natsume choked on the curry he had just swallowed. "Oh! Takashi-kun! Are you alright?" Miss Toukô asked frantically.

"I-I'm fine..." Natsume coughed out. I just sat there in awe. I was blushing madly. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Did Natsume really say that he thought I was 'cute' or 'sweet'?

"Did you really say that..?" I asked him awkwardly. "I-I-I didn't mean it like that!!" He panicked, waving his arms.

When I heard Natsume's words, it was as if my heart had shattered into millions of tinny shards. "Ohh..." I said tying not to sound upset. I looked down at my lap.

Mister Fujiwara placed a glass in front of Natsume. "Here you should drink some water," he calmly said. "Thanks," Natsume said.

"... I should go," I said. I stood up. "But you've barely eaten anything at all!" Miss Toukô protested. "No, it's fine," I said.

"Didn't you say you forgot something, though?" Natsume asked. "Oh. It's nothing important," I reinsured. "I'll help you find it," Natsume offered. He stood up.

"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. I just wanted to get out of there. I was so embarrassed about what I had heard. I kept on wondering what Natsume thought of me.

"Where do you think you left it?" Natsume asked. "... Upstairs," I hesitantly replied. "Follow me," he jestered for me to follow him. He lead me up the stairs and into the hallway.

"Natsume-san," I called. He sweetly hummed 'hmm?' as a response. "What was it that you forgot?" he asked. "A question," I said. He turned his gaze toward me. "What did you want to ask?" he questioned in a more serious tone than before.

"Are you The Natsume? I mean The Natsume that all the yokai have been talking about," I clarified. "Yeah..." he exhaled.

"Pardon me for asking, but why were some of them calling you a woman?" I asked. Natsume glaced around nervously. He was probably making sure that the Fujiwara couple weren't listening. "Umm... This isn't the place to talk about that. Why don't we go to my room"

My face got hot. I quickly nodded. Why was it that I flushed a dark hue of pink at the sudden suggestion? I wondered as I was lead to a sliding door. He slid it open.

Natsume sat down with his legs tucked beneath him. I did the same. He hesitated before explaining. "Yes. I am the Natsume that the yokai talk endlessly about. The reason they sometimes call me a girl is because of my grandmother. She could see them too. She was considered an outsider or a lier. So, to let off steam, she would pick fights with various yokai. And after she had won, she would have them write there name's down in a book. I told you about the book earlier. The Book Of Friends. And with the power of the Book, you can control any of the ayakashi who's name is written in it." I sat through his explanation without so much as a word.

"...Natsume, can I see the book?" I asked. I didn't know why, by I wanted to see the book for myself. "I'll be gentle with it. I promise."

Natsume hesitantly walked over to his satchel and pull what looked like a flip-book with a hard green cover. He handed it to me.

I looked to the cover. There was a white paper on the cover which had '友人帳' written in what looked to be black ink.

"Yuujinchou..." I read in a mumble. I was fascinated. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something about the book in my hands that entranced me. I felt as if a bomb could go off, and I still wouldn't be able to take my eyes off of it.

I decided to open the bewitching book. I peered at a random page. It had black ink splashed in unusual loops and lines. I traced over the ink with my index finger. The book seemed to have an enchanting aura all of its own. "Misuzu," I read aloud.