Chapter 22

The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the day, and I finished my work. No, I finished my class.

Miharu slumped over her desk, letting out a tired sigh. The cute Miharu-chan, even when tired, sounded adorable, like a kitten purring. The classmates around her giggled at her voice.

Miharu is a third-grade elementary school student. If there were a photo shoot, no boys allowed, please.

"En-chan, you must be tired, huh?"

Her silver-like hair flowed smoothly over the desk, and the girl, who looked like a painting with a melancholy smile, called out to me casually.

I lifted my head with a start and answered the girl who called me, but I yawned in the process. "Whaa~ I'm so sleepy."

"Ooh~, you look really sleepy. Did you stay up late last night?"

"Mm~ I stayed up late for the first time in a while."

"What time? Around 10?"

"Sorry, it was 9 PM."

I was watching a special gourmet show where the price of the dish is guessed, and the person who gets it wrong has to pay. I got scolded by my mother. She told me to go to bed. I want to try that foie gras terrine. I've never had foie gras before.

So I'm very sleepy. My body isn't ready for staying up late yet. I'm still young.

Unfortunately, I was about to close my eyes and say goodnight. "How much is a ticket to the world of dreams? I'd like a discount for cute girls. I'll order a dream of eating foie gras terrine."

"Don't fall asleep! Kon-chan, wake up En-chan!"

The girl raised her palm and used mana. A gentle wind swirled, and a magic circle appeared, from which a palm-sized fox emerged.

"Kyaa"

The cute fox let out a chirp, climbed onto my shoulder, and started licking my forehead.

"Whoa, stop it, stop it, stop, stop!"

I screamed and tried to grab the fox, but it darted away, and I couldn't catch it.

"Wake up, wake up~"

With a mischievous smile, she tickled my sides, and I finally gave up. "Kan kan kan kaan."

"Ugh. I wanted to take a nap until someone came to get me."

Miharu puffed out her cheeks, looking dissatisfied. If it's not something important, I'll be mad.

"What's up, Tamamo-chan?"

In front of me stood a young girl with heavy breathing. She had golden hair and eyes, and a lively, energetic face. Her hair was styled in a small side ponytail, making her look cute.

She was holding a fox the size of a squirrel on her palm. The fox she had summoned earlier.

The cute girl, who smiled like a small animal, is Yuki Tamamo-chan. She's in the same third grade as me and is an energetic 'Yokohoshi User.'

A 'Yokohoshi User' uses mana to summon and control yokohoshi, which can perform a variety of magic. It's like a special version of a 'Summoner.'

Tamamo awakened to 'Mana' last year. Her parents are elite mages.

So, you understand now, right? She's not an 'Attribute User.' The 'Attributes' and 'Jobs' are just frames created for the game. The original work has various types of mages. 'Attribute' holders are often high-ranking nobles, but there are also 'Unique Magic' holders. It's a very versatile material for novels.

The golden hair is a sign of awakening to 'Mana,' but it doesn't mean she awakened to light or lightning.

A 'Yokohoshi User' is similar to a 'Summoner.' The concept of jobs in the game is a bit forced, so it's understandable why it's considered gray.

Tamamo is playing with a fox she created with mana. The fox, Kon-chan, runs around her body like a squirrel. It's so cute; I wonder if she could give me one. A cute girl and a fox. I think it would make a good photo. It would definitely go viral.

Tamamo giggled and spun around, her skirt fluttering like an idol group's uniform in a novel.

As I enjoyed Tamamo's cute dance, I opened my eyes wide.

But Tamamo's dancing figure began to disappear, as if melting into the air, enveloped in bubbles.

"Ooo?"

Clearly, it was magic. She disappeared. This girl is amazing.

"Hehe~. Can you see me? No, you can't see me, right?"

"I can't see you. Amazing, Tamamo-chan! You've learned magic!"

There's nothing in the space. It's not like you can see the space distorting like a mirage. You can't tell where she is. You only hear her voice coming from where she is.

Well, I can see her. How? When I think 'investigate,' a triangular cursor appears above Tamamo's head. But if I don't think 'investigate,' I can't see her, so it's truly impressive.

I clapped, and the other girls were surprised and clapped too. The sound of clapping spread through the classroom, creating a warm atmosphere.

Yeah, just the girls. A garden of girls. This is an all-girls school. Why is it scary? Well, a school without boys is different from an anime all-girls school. It's okay since we're still in third grade.

"Hehe. It's the 'Mirage' technique, 'ko-gaku-me-sai?'"

"I think it's more powerful than optical camouflage. You can't see anything. Was that what you wanted to show?"

The air doesn't even waver. But I was naive. I underestimated the power of magic. I still don't fully understand a world without levels.

"Toya!"

With a cute battle cry, a gray-haired beauty appeared from the space, tapping her feet and spinning, then striking a pose.

"The most beautiful girl in the world has appeared!"

"Aha, as expected of En-chan."

For some reason, Tamamo laughed at my line. The girl looks familiar, but who is she supposed to be?

Her hair, neatly styled and looking almost silver, reached her back, and her adorable face made me stare. Yes, the most beautiful girl in the world. I like her ice-blue eyes.

"Mou, I'm transforming into En-chan. 'Transformation'~"

"I didn't notice at all! It's me. I'm blushing~"

With a mischievous smile, Tamamo looked at me, but apparently, she had transformed into me. I didn't notice at all. She looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.

By the way, En-chan is my nickname. Tamamo and I have been friends since kindergarten. Enpress is my real nickname. I'm part of the press machine gang.

Tamamo, blushing, laughed and patted my shoulder. Then, she spun around again and was enveloped in smoke.

"Jajaan! Fox girl, Yuki Tamamo-chan, is here, Kon!"

The final form was amazing. She winked, bent her waist slightly, and smiled, with fox ears on her head and a fluffy tail wagging from her behind.

"Wow! Tamamo-chan, you're amazing! You've become a fox girl."

There was a wolf boy, but no fox girl in the original work. If there were, I would remember. No, there definitely wasn't.

So, Tamamo is a minor character. She's a safe friend. If she were a heroine, I might get involved in a complicated story. I'm still weak. I need to get stronger to interact with heroines without fear.

"I learned it yesterday! I can transform by 'Fusion' with Kon."

"It's impressive that you can use magic to that extent at your age, Tamamo-san."

A polite voice called out, and I turned to see Yami. Yami and I are in different classes. Did she come to pick me up? She stood straight, looking as cool as ever.

"Hehe~ I'm blushing. Is Tamamo really that amazing?"

She spun around, blushing, and her fluffy tail wagged, making my hand itch.

"I've heard that 'Transformation' is a high-level magic. To be able to use it at your age, you're one of the few, Tamamo-san."

Yami smiled and praised Tamamo. The other children cheered, and Tamamo's cheeks turned red with excitement as she continued to spin. I was worried she might get dizzy.

"En-chan and Yami-chan can use magic, so I worked hard too~"

Tamamo laughed, apparently inspired by us. I understand. If your friends can use magic, you want to be able to use it too. Even if you're not a mage, it's okay.

"Hey, Tamamo-chan, can I touch your ears and tail?"

"Hehe, my parents asked the same thing. Of course, it's okay!"

What a good girl, Tamamo. I'll touch them without hesitation.

I reached out to touch the golden, fluffy fox ears. Oh, they're so fluffy. They feel so good. I reached out to touch the tail, which felt like a fox's scarf. It's perfect.

"Fluffy~"

"Me too~"

"Fluffy~"

"Soft~"

Yami and the others joined in, enjoying the fluffy sensation. They closed their eyes, savoring the feeling. The gray-haired beauty, the black-haired beauty, and the young girls all enjoyed Tamamo's fox ears and tail, making her giggle and get teary-eyed from ticklishness.

After a while, they were satisfied and returned to their seats. I was very satisfied. I'm convinced that fox girls are the best, even in reality.

"Thank you, Tamamo-chan."

Miharu smiled happily and thanked her. "I enjoyed it."

"Sure, it's no problem~"

Tamamo smiled. She's a good, kind girl. I want a Tamamo in every family. Could she at least give me the fox?

Anyway, I'm no longer sleepy. Should I go home?

"Shall we go home?"

I'll go home and have a snack. What will today's snack be?

"Ah, that's not all! I came to invite you to play on the way back."

But Tamamo wasn't just here to show her fox girl transformation. She waved her small hands frantically. It seems she came to invite us to play.

"I see. What do you want to play?"

"How about floating boards?"

"I'm in!"

My eyes sparkled, and I immediately agreed, raising my hand.

In this world, which is a modern fantasy, there are many things different from my previous life. Playthings are one of them.

Let's go play with floating boards. I'm excited. I'll let my mother know I'll be taking a detour.