#52 Fortune-teller: Boy of Misfortune

-----(Karuizawa's POV)-----

Aaah! What was I thinking?! I shook my head after Felix left the changing room.

It just came to me so naturally...but it didn't look like he minded it. I couldn't help but touch my hot cheeks with a small smile across my face.

He actually leaned forward. Hehe,..... I started to fantasize about what would happen if we weren't interrupted but I quickly shook my head again.

No! I can't fantasize about it!

I already learned that he didn't mind it, therefore I can make that reality and not just fantasy!

I clenched my hand as hard as I could.

I can't hasten it. When he was comforting me, he wanted to say something but he stopped himself. It seems that he is still hesitating a bit.

It doesn't matter, the foundation is there! That's what matters, I will keep on strengthening that foundation until he won't be able to live without me! Hehe...Once again I started to fantasize while changing my clothes.

But I couldn't help but furrow my brows when I remembered one problem.

Although I don't want to hasten the process, he is indeed handsome and even though he isn't as sociable as Hirata, he can still hold a pretty nice conversation. It's just that most of the girls have sights set on Hirata but there can still be some girls who will go for him since his looks doesn't lose to Hirata's. And if that happens, they might actually fall in love with him. One can discover his real charm only when talking with him, that's pretty ironic considering how much he looks unapproachable.

Now that I think about it, there is still Matsushita who might like him. She indeed spent quite a lot of time with him in the past. I must be careful.

After a while of thinking about all kinds of things and forming strategies on how to steal Felix's heart, I finally made up my mind.

Until Valentine's day, I will keep on strengthening the foundation until that day and I will steal his heart right on Valentine's day!

Well...I wouldn't mind it if it would be even earlier but just the imagination of having a nice romantic date with Felix right on Valentine's day is simply...Hehe, my mind once again faded into my fantasies.

"Are you ready, Kei-chan?"

I was surprised when I heard Felix's voice right behind the cover and he also woke me up from my fantasies.

"Ah! Y-yes, just- give me a second" I answered in panic when I noticed that I was still just in my underwear.

Wait for me, Felix! I will definitely make you say those words you once hesitated to say! If you think that you can just make this lady fall in love with you and then disappear then you are absolutely wrong. You have to take responsibility! I swore to myself with a beaming smile while I was quickly dressing myself up.

-----(Karuizawa's POV END)-----

The fortune-teller event was apparently hosted on the higher floor so we decided to take an elevator but when we arrived near it, there was already crowd formed in front of the elevator.

"Should we use the stairs instead?" I asked her with a concerned smile. I don't mind taking the elevator with more people but I noticed that most of them were guys so I asked how Kei feels about it.

"Sure, we are already on the 4th floor anyway..." She smiled and her eyes softened up when she noticed my intention.

When we arrived on the 5th floor, it was pretty easy to find where the event was being held.

"Are you kidding?" I couldn't help but mumble when I saw the number of people waiting in the queue. I also noticed that most of these people were lined up in pairs, to be more precise they looked like couples.

"You knew about it, right?" I asked her when I also noticed a sign saying 'Fortune-telling, couples only'

"Hehe, you can't blame me. I was really interested in it and wanted to try it. I wasn't sure if you would have accepted if you knew this detail" She smiled at me in a silly way and I could only shake my head upon seeing it.

"Aren't you worried about rumors? I know that you broke up with Hirata-kun just recently but if someone sees us here they might start spreading some nasty rumors about you" I asked her if she was sure about this.

"I wouldn't invite you in the first place if I minded some rumors but I appreciate your concern. If I am not afraid of any rumors then you should have nothing to be afraid too, right?" She said with a sly smile.

I hope she won't regret her words in the future...

We went to join the queue but we were called out by the woman who stood at the beginning of the queue, managing it.

"Hello, are you two here to get your fortune divined?" She asked us with a smile.

"Yes!" Kei excitedly answered.

The lady responsible for managing the queue just quickly looked at both of us before she gave us tickets. I guess they can't really limit this for couples only.

"See? No one will be able to tell that we aren't a real couple." Kei said while waving with the ticket right in front of my face.

"That wasn't really my concern, after all, they have no way how to confirm it. They can't actually force us to kiss in the public. What I am worried about is this long queue..." I answered while throwing an annoying look at the people in front of us.

"Come on, don't be like that. We can use this time to get to know each other even more..." She said with a comforting smile.

"Well, I have nothing against your idea but I think we already know each other quite a lot" I replied to her idea neutrally.

"Really? How is it possible that I don't even know what is your favorite meal or what you like to do in your spare time, huh?" She asked in a slightly angered voice.

I guess we actually know each other's personalities but we have no idea about such regular things.

"I guess that actually sounds like a good plan on how to spend time waiting in this infinite queue"

We started talking about regular and boring things but somehow I wasn't bored when I was talking with Kei.

The time flew by quickly and it was already our turn to go. It looked like each couple took around 10 minutes.

"Next person please" We heard the voice inviting us in behind the curtain.

When we entered, I already saw a sight I was expecting. Large wooden table with a crystal ball and thick book lying on it. Even the lighting inside looked 'poor' but I guess it was just to create a good atmosphere.

I couldn't help but smile at this sight, however, when I looked at the so-called fortune-teller, I frowned and took a small step closer to Kei.

The fortune-teller was actually an old woman with a hood so I couldn't see her expression, neither her eyes but I was feeling a weird aura coming from her.

The 'working' place definitely looks like what you would expect from 'fortune-telling', perfect to use for a person with an actual skill who doesn't want to be discovered.

These were my thoughts when I first saw that old woman.

"Oh? Please come forward, no need to be afraid" She looked straight into my eyes and was slightly surprised before telling us to come closer with a chuckle.

We stepped closer but I kept my guard on.

"Normally, I ask for the money first but you, boy, made me slightly interested so I will decide if I should charge you or not after we will be done." She said with a hollow laugh.

Kei looked confusedly at both of us but she didn't say anything.

"Hm? What have I done to deserve your interest?" I asked her with a polite smile.

"Come and lend me your hand, no, both of you come closer" She didn't answer me and completely ignored my question. She kept on observing my expression but I still had my polite smile on. She probably thought that I would get angry over such a small thing. But I guess normal teenagers would get upset after being totally ignored.

We both sat down in front of the fortune-teller and both of us put out our hand for her.

"What can you divine for us?" Kei asked with a curious expression.

"Work, love, whatever you want me to..." She quickly answered and started palm reading from both of us at the same time.

The old woman smirked when she saw how Kei's eyes shined for a little when she heard 'love'.

"You two aren't really a couple, right?" She let go of our hands and asked us with a smile.

Oh? Interesting... Did she guess it by our hand's temperature? Couples usually hold hands so their hands tend to be warmer but it's still quite a blind guess.

"What? Of course we are, right darling?" Kei slightly panicked but I stopped her. I had a feeling that she really knew but I wasn't sure what method she used.

"She already knows. If she wanted to throw us out she would have already done it." I reassured her and made her stop the act. Trying to make a fool out of this woman will only anger her.

"How?" Kei couldn't help but ask aloud with a confused expression.

Good question, Kei-chan.

"From him" She pointed her finger at me which surprised me.

"Don't underestimate old woman like me, I have a lot of experience. I would tell you the reason but it would be better if we could talk just face to face alone." She said and threw a quick glance at Kei.

I see...

"Alright, I appreciate your honesty and I don't really care about you not being a couple as of right now, after all, it won't take long before- ups, hehe." She stopped herself from finishing the sentence with a laugh but it made Kei even more curious.

"I will divine fortune for both of you for free, you can even choose whatever you want me to divine for you" She offered to do this for free

"It's not for free. You will gain something from doing this, right?" I coldly said. I didn't believe that she would do this for free for absolutely no reason.

"...You are right, boy. My biggest gain here will be divining fortune for you" She calmly explained without being bothered that I saw through her plan.

I would like to ask why but I have a feeling that she wouldn't answer.

"Then if you have nothing against it...The lady first, please"

She asked Kei for her name and asked her if she doesn't mind her being able to see her secrets and private things. She tensed up a bit but she still agreed.

"Then I would like to..." Kei wanted to choose but she kept looking on me.

"No need to tell me, I already know what you want" The old lady replied and started her 'work'

After only a few seconds...

"Hehe, I see..." The old lady said mysteriously with a light laugh.

"What is it?" Kei asked nervously.

"You don't have to worry, just follow your heart and you will get what you want"

I thought that her job was just to tell us if we will have any luck or misfortune with something but why is she giving Kei advice? Is this some kind of bonus?

After she was done with Kei, it was my turn, she asked for my name and also warned me. As for her warning that she can see some of my private things... I simply don't believe that she would be able to tell that I am not the original owner of this body.

"You won't ask me what I want to have divined?" I asked her with a confused expression since she didn't ask me what I want. But she was already too immersed in reading from my palm to answer me.

"Hm? You are really interesting, Felix boy" She said after what it seemed like 5 minutes. It took a much longer compared to Kei's turn.

I didn't answer her and only continued observing her so she decided to continue.

"If I didn't see you right in front of me, I would have thought that you are living misfortune itself"

"What does that exactly mean?" I asked since I no longer felt like I have any misfortune in life ever since possessing this body.

"When I tried to see anything, all I saw was you being shrouded in the black fog, in other words, misfortune. I have already divined fortune for a person who wanted to run away from great misfortune and also a person who accepted misfortune as part of his life. But you are still different from them."

"What do you mean?!" Kei almost shouted with a concerned expression.

"Heh, you don't have to worry. If he was one of those two cases then it could end up badly for him but fortunately, he isn't." She reassured her with a smirk when she saw her concerned expression.

"Then what does it exactly mean? Will he face any big difficulties in life?" Kei asked, with a pleading expression.

She is getting too immersed in this. But I must admit that the old lady definitely isn't a scammer. But I am not too surprised since I also knew that strange breathing technique that improved my stamina and could exceed human limits in body strength. It's not that surprising that someone can divine someone's fortune with a slight accuracy.

"Of course he will... But he is different from a person who already accepted misfortune as part of their life. That person might have accepted it but he is still suffering from it and enduring it deep inside. Felix boy here, he isn't enduring it, he is ignoring it. He no longer perceives the misfortune as misfortune. You are the first person I've met who actually decided to ignore their misfortune."

"Ignore the misfortune?" Kei mumbled with a thoughtful expression.

"Don't you even think that anyone can just ignore their misfortune. Misfortune isn't just slightly bad things happening in your life, great misfortune also involves loss of the loved ones. Therefore, a person who can have such a mindset must have suffered hardships unimaginable for us." She explained further with a serious expression and when Kei heard her words she sent me a sad look.

"...People with such misfortune tend to run away from it by ending it all" She added causing Kei to have frightened expression.

"Alright, let's stop with all this scary stuff. Don't you see what you are doing to Kei-chan?" I frowned at her and told her to stop this nonsense.

If what she said is the truth then it's possible that I don't feel any misfortune in my life just because I stopped perceiving it.

"Felix-kun, is it the truth?" Kei asked me with tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

"Not at all, I was orphan ever since I could remember, therefore I have never even seen my parents. I will explain everything later..." I honestly told her because I felt that my friendship with Kei was already on this level.

Her expression became shocked when she heard me but I stopped her from speaking anymore. She perhaps still remembers how I lied to her mom about my parents...I will explain it later to her...

"Well, I am sorry for scaring you but it simply shows that you won't succumb to any misfortune. I also want to inform you that inside that black fog I could see quite a strong shining light." She apologized and when she mentioned the light she glanced at Kei which didn't go unnoticed by me.

"I found this quite strange and so I thought...aren't you actually keeping that misfortune around you, yourself? As a form of defense? But this is only my just made-up theory...You can go back, thank you boy, for expanding my experience" She didn't require any payment from us and she also gave me her contact information if I ever need help with anything, I should contact her.

Keeping the misfortune around myself? If I could keep it around myself wouldn't that make me a God of Misfortune? I shook my head with a smile but I couldn't help but think about the words the old lady said.

Is Kei-chan actually my light?