Chapter 4: The Diamond of Strength (Parts 1-2)

Chapter 4 Part 1

Retrospective of Hiroki on what he has done so far, he starts narrating himself.

I was in my backyard late at night. My home blends in with the other houses in the area, and the yard is medium-sized. 

I had been training for so long that I didn't realize what time it was. 

Just as I was about to head inside, I saw a kind of shooting star pass by in the sky. 

It fell behind the mountains, made no noise, and didn't shine brightly enough to be easily noticed. 

So, I thought I had imagined it because I was up so late, and I decided to stop thinking about it and go inside. 

I was about to, when suddenly, an object with overwhelming force hit my left arm. 

It started absorbing so much energy that I passed out. 

When I woke up, I found her, hitting me to wake me up. 

— Wake up, idiot! 

It was a teru teru bozu. I woke up furious. 

— Hey! Stop hitting me, you badly made rag doll…! Huh…? 

— What? 

— What the hell are you?! 

I was shocked by what I was seeing, a talking and moving teru teru bozu. And it hits hard too! 

— What am I? 

The teru teru bozu floated up to tell me. 

— I'm Chikara, the spirit of the Diamond of Strength. I have chosen you as the bearer of this diamond. I am willing to fight by your side in all your battles. 

Chikara… apparently, she's a girl, but everything else just left me with more questions. 

— A-a spirit?! A diamond?! What battles are you talking about?! 

— I couldn't tell you, but surely one of my siblings knows something. 

— Siblings?! 

— Yes, the spirits of the other diamonds. 

— There are more diamonds?! 

Chikara got annoyed and hit me on the head. 

— Stop repeating everything I say! 

I hit her back. 

— Then stop assuming I know everything, I don't know what the hell is going on! 

Chikara suddenly grew larger, and I shrank. 

— Shut up, just find a way to find my siblings so we can learn more! 

Then I grew huge, and Chikara got smaller. Is it normal for us to turn "chibi" out of nowhere? 

— And how am I supposed to find them?! You better think of something! 

— I'm not good at thinking, only at hitting! 

Chikara and I kept arguing, making so much noise that we woke up my mom. 

— Hiroki! 

My mom yelled from afar, Chikara and I turned to see her room window with the light on. 

— If you keep shouting by yourself, I'll get out of bed and give you a real reason to scream! 

… I guess that was the only option to calm us down… 

Chikara and I got scared. 

— Okay, let's stop shouting, Chikara. We'll figure out what to do later. 

The next day at school, I bumped into Rasec in the morning. 

— Hey, watch where you're going! 

After that, I headed to my seat, and Chikara started talking to me telepathically. I was starting to understand how to use the diamond. 

— Hiroki, what is this place? 

— It's the school where I study. 

— You study…? 

— Shut up. 

We were silent for a moment when suddenly, a bright green light shone from Urasec's desk. Chikara and I felt something. 

— Chikara… 

— Yes, I felt it. That power and strength… he definitely has a diamond. 

— Don't tell me that idiot has a diamond… 

— He definitely has one. Surely he knows something, so we should ask him for help. 

Just what I needed, but I couldn't swallow my pride. 

— Ask for help? From the guy from the country with the funny name? 

— I don't know about countries, I'm talking about the guy with the girl's hair. 

Yeah, his hair does look like a girl's, but I'm not asking that fool for help. 

— Tch, I don't like the idea… 

— Well, if you don't want to talk to him, we should at least follow him to see what we can find out. 

We started following him almost everywhere, never taking our eyes off him, watching him with the spirit of his diamond. 

But he didn't seem to do anything important. We got no answers, so one day I put my pride aside and thought it would be better to talk to him privately. 

But that same afternoon, Chikara and I saw that he and Miru definitely knew something. 

The retrospective ends, Chikara and Hiroki are walking together at night towards the pupusería, but Hiroki seems unsure about going or not. 

— Come on, Hiroki-kun, we know where my siblings are now! 

— Shut up, I really don't want to see that fool… although, now that I think about it, Miru-chan will be there… 

Hiroki blushed. 

— That guy is called Miru-chan? It seems your head isn't the only thing that's twisted… 

— Hey! What are you implying, you…?! Ugh. 

Hiroki lets out a big sigh. 

— Whatever, let's just go.

Chapter 4 Part 2

Back at the pupusería, continuing from the end of Chapter 3.

Rasec becomes the narrator again.

At that moment, someone bursts through the door of the pupusería.

— So, you possess a diam... aaah!

It can't be, it's Hiroki!

He says very seriously and loudly:

— You guys! We need to talk about them. — said Hiroki.

— Hello, brothers... — exclaimed the spirit accompanying him.

All the other diamond spirits rush towards Chikara.

— So?! — exclaims Hiroki.

I turn my back on Hiroki and start talking to myself in my mind.

Damn it, so he has a diamond! Now I'm really in trouble! I'll be doomed if I don't do something!

Just then, Miru-chan intervenes and starts talking to Hiroki.

— Hiroki-kun? It's great that you're a diamond bearer. Please, come in, we'll tell you everything you need to know!

— Fine.

Hiroki goes to sit at an empty spot, and the diamond spirits sit at the same table as him.

Chie starts talking to Hiroki.

— Alright, I'll explain everything again.

Seji-sensei joins the conversation.

— For such a long story, nothing beats some delicious and healthy pupusas.

Healthy?

— P-pupusas? — says Hiroki, confused.

— Yes, Rasec, go make them!

— Understood, Seji-sensei!

This is a good opportunity to show Hiroki my culinary skills so he'll have more respect for me.

Time passes as Chie tells Hiroki everything we know so far, and meanwhile, I'm making the pupusas, deciding to make them with chicharrón.

After that, I start putting the pupusas on a plate and the chocolate in a cup.

Hiroki, with his doubts somewhat cleared, exclaims:

— I see… so that's all you know so far.

Miru-chan adds to the conversation.

— Yes, but we still have a lot more to learn. But at least we've managed to gather and locate all the diamond bearers.

Once the conversation ends, I decide it's a good time to serve the food.

Being very influenced by anime and manga, I decide to serve the food in a very typical anime style.

I serve the plate in an epic way, almost like a character from some "shonen" anime.

— Enjoy your meal… and let's eat… — I exclaim in a deep voice, worthy of an anime character…

Everyone looks at me weirdly, and I start to feel embarrassed…

Fortunately, Hiroki's diamond spirit, Chikara, breaks the awkward silence and gets excited about the food.

— Wow! It smells delicious!

Hiroki asks Seji-sensei:

— Do I have to eat this with my hands?

Seji-sensei responds very seriously.

— This typical dish from my home country is eaten with the hands. Don't even think about using utensils or eating it like a taco…

— Enjoy your meal! — exclaims Chikara, very excited.

— Oh, yes, enjoy your meal.

Hiroki and Chikara bite into the pupusa at the same time, and from their expressions, I assume they loved it.

— This is delicious! — says Chikara, but Hiroki remains silent.

Hiroki exclaims in his mind: — Delicious! But I can't tell him his food is good, not to the quiet, solitary guy in class!

Finally, Hiroki decides to say something, but his response annoys me.

— It's disgusting.

— What did you say?! How can you say that about Reina-dono-sensei's recipe?!

Seji-sensei starts laughing.

— Hahaha! He didn't insult her recipe, he insulted yours!

— Reina-dono-sensei? You use two suffixes to refer to her? You know that's incorrect, right?

…

Chikara saves me again, happily insisting that my food is delicious.

— It's the best food I've ever tasted! If Hiroki doesn't want it, then… excuse me.

Chikara snatches the plate from Hiroki. He gets angry, confirming that he really liked the pupusas.

Miru-chan gathers her things and says goodbye to everyone.

— Look at the time, I have to go home.

She takes Ai, thanks us, and wishes us goodnight. Ai also says goodbye.

We all say goodbye to her.

Seji-sensei, referring to Hiroki, says:

— You'd better go home too, we need to close the shop.

— Ah, understood, thanks for the meal.

Ha, that last part brought a smile to my face…

— You're welcome… — I say to Hiroki.

Hiroki, very confused, says:

— Uh… hey, no, I didn't mean that!

He gets flustered and tries to say he didn't mean to thank me.

Hiroki, very upset, and I, with a confident look, stare at each other for a long moment, then I decide to break the ice.

— If you want, I can cook for you another day.

— If you want, I can give you a beating another day!

Seji-sensei interrupts our conversation and says:

— Looks like you two have a lot to talk about. Rasec, why don't you walk your boyfriend home?

— What?! — Hiroki and I shout at the same time, very annoyed by what Seji-sensei just said.

— What are you implying, you decrepit old man?!

Hiroki shouts at Seji-sensei.

— Hey, you rude boy, show some respect.

Kibō was laughing loudly in the background, and Chikara also joins in.

— Hiroki, don't let the hair fool you, he's not a girl.

— Shut up, Chikara! Let's go already! — says Hiroki and leaves with Chikara.

Again with my hair?

— W-woman's hair?

Kibō, still laughing, says to me:

— Haha, cut that hair!

— I always tell him that. — says Seji-sensei.

— Enough jokes, let's go home. — says Chie, looking sleepy.

Outside, Seji-sensei is closing the pupusería. I take a deep breath and shout with great force:

— I don't have woman's hair!

— Shut up!

What a way to end the day, so much has happened…