Chapter 68
After rising from the sitting cushion in the shrine, Tojo Nozomi performed a final respectful ritual to the deity enshrined before her. Then, she picked up her bag from the floor and quickly left the shrine.
Upon arriving home, Nozomi took out her phone, intending to contact Eli to discuss something. However, she was surprised to see an incoming message.
Takamine Mineo: "Nozomi-chan, are you there?"
Much like Eli, Tojo Nozomi hadn't had many friends since childhood. Her parents were office workers who left early and returned late, often traveling for work, so she frequently lived alone without close companions.
Until three years ago, a contact named Takamine Mineo had suddenly appeared on her phone mysteriously, which immediately piqued Nozomi's interest.
Since she was a child, Nozomi believed that gods truly existed and held a strong interest in supernatural abilities. Therefore, regarding the contact "Takamine Mineo" that had appeared out of nowhere, Nozomi felt it was a fated encounter, and so she immediately started a conversation with him.
At that time, Mineo—who saw that he had a friend named Tojo Nozomi—had also enthusiastically chatted with her. However, back then, Mineo assumed the identity of "Tojo Nozomi" was just a persona used by someone suffering from heavy delusions, so his chats with her were just casual banter.
However, in Nozomi's heart, Mineo was a best friend she cared for and respected deeply. She had never even told Eli about this. Nozomi often poured out every little event in her life to Mineo.
She had been quite busy the last few days and hadn't had the chance to initiate a chat with him. When she saw the message from Mineo, Nozomi opened it immediately. The matter of calling Eli could wait until later.
"Mineo-kun! I've been busy these past few days so I didn't have time to talk to you... I'm sorry..."
"Is Nozomi-chan busy? That makes sense, you are the Student Council Vice President, so it's only natural you'd be busy. How have you been lately? Are you eating and resting on time?"
"Yes, I always pay attention to my rest. It's just that I feel a bit fatter these last few days, maybe because I've been eating too much. Starting tomorrow, I have to make time to exercise and lose weight."
"It's okay, there's no need to lose weight. Nozomi is very cute; even if she's a bit plump, she'll still be very attractive!"
"What woman doesn't care about her body shape... No, from now on I must control my diet!"
While chatting with Mineo, Tojo Nozomi stared down at her flat stomach with a bit of worry. Her stomach wasn't actually visible because it was blocked by her rather large chest.
"Nozomi-chan, I heard from a good friend in Tokyo that Otonokizaka Academy is facing a school closure crisis?"
"Eh? Mineo-kun has other friends in Tokyo? The news of our school crisis sure spread fast. Even you, who are far away, have heard about it..."
Nozomi smiled faintly, feeling a bit helpless, before she continued typing her reply to Takamine Mineo:
"It's true that there's a problem, but we are all thinking of ways to solve it. A few days ago, I used Tarot cards to divine the school's fate, and the card that appeared was the Wheel of Fortune in the upright position!"
"Wheel of Fortune upright? The card that symbolizes a chance for life within destiny?"
"Yes, that card. However, I couldn't be sure where that opportunity for the school's future lay. But today, I found it."
"Mineo-kun, do you know about School Idol groups?"
"School Idols? I know them. My friend said they are very popular in Tokyo right now. Many schools use School Idols as an attraction to draw in new student enrollments."
"Correct. Many schools that were initially unknown became popular in their local areas thanks to a good idol group."
"Today while working in the student council office, I found three second-year girls at our school who want to use that method to help the school through this closure crisis."
"Earlier, I also used Tarot cards to divine their future, and this time the card that appeared was The Star in the upright position!"
"The Star upright? That's good. If I recall, that card symbolizes boundless hope and a beautiful future. It seems your school's future really does depend on them. So, what is Nozomi-chan's next plan?"
"I plan to watch over them secretly. If the situation is right, I will give them the appropriate help."
"That move perfectly suits your character, Nozomi. Since you've decided, do it well. I believe with your intelligence, you'll be able to provide a lot of help to those girls."
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