"Was it Kanou? But she was trapped and couldn't leave the woods at all. Did you provoke her again?" Kujou Oto did not mind when the little girl Kazuko pushed her hand away. She simply sat down on the ground in front of Kazuko and looked at her with certainty.
"Mm~ It's because you never came. I was bored..."
Kazuko looked at Kujou Oto resentfully, as if saying it was all Kujou Oto's fault.
"I have to go to school!"
"What about today? You were supposed to have classes this year too, right? But you came here instead, so you clearly don't care whether you go to school or not."
Kazuko did not believe Kujou Oto's explanation at all.
"Today's an exception. Oh, right, let me introduce you to a friend. She's an angel I met today, and her name is Seele. Isn't she cute?"
Kujou Oto hurriedly introduced Seele to Kazuko.
"Are you stupid? She can see me?"
Kazuko looked at Kujou Oto as if she were an idiot. Humans were not supposed to be able to see her.
"Of course. Seele is like me; she can see ghosts too, right, Seele?"
"Seele, Kazuko is the spirit I told you about. She's a Zashiki-warashi! A Zashiki-warashi who can bring people good luck and blessings. So you weren't disappointed to come with me, were you?" Kujou Oto stood up and happily pointed at Kazuko beside her as she introduced her to Seele.
"A Zashiki-warashi? No wonder..."
Seele looked at the little girl before her in surprise and immediately understood why Kazuko could appear so strangely... and why she could bring others good luck and blessings.
A Zashiki-warashi could be called a yokai, or perhaps a deity, though spirit was probably the more accurate term.
Zashiki-warashi might be the souls of