When Takashi Natsume was a teenager, he had a teacher named Natsume Soseki, a relative of his grandmother Reiko Natsume. After meeting Aunt Toko and Uncle Shige, he suddenly appeared in front of him one summer afternoon.

At that time, Natsume Takashi had not yet met the cat teacher. When he was chased by monsters, he could only run away with a depressed look on his face. When facing Touji and Shige, he was still unable to let go of the barriers, but he looked at the world with a gentle heart.

It was at that time that Natsume Soseki appeared before Natsume Takashi.

On a hot summer afternoon, when Takashi Natsume had just escaped from a monster, Natsume Soseki appeared in front of him with a cane in his hand and said, "Kid, why don't you use your own strength?"

On that day, Natsume Takashi first knew what power he possessed.

Natsume Soseki was very busy and he did not often appear in front of Natsume Takashi. Natsume Takashi vaguely knew something about the "Three-minute Concept", which was also what Natsume Soseki wanted him to know.

After the cat teacher appeared, Natsume Soseki came from Yokohama. With a serious face, he found Takashi Natsume when the cat teacher went out for a drink and said to him, "We can't be together, it will only make you lonely."

At that time, Natsume Takashi just smiled softly, but his tone was firm, and there was light in his eyes, "It's only the bond that I don't want to give up."

After hearing this, Natsume Soseki said nothing, sighed, and his eyes looked a little sad.

Because of Reiko's grandmother, on the way to returning his name, Natsume Takashi temporarily reached a cooperation with Shizuka Toba and began to systematically learn spiritual power. It was because of the cooperation with Shizuka Toba that the occupation of the sorghum took place.

"Natsume," Mr. Deba looked at him seriously, not smiling for once, "Your connection with monsters will gradually fade away in the future."

Mr. Deba is indeed the best demon hunter, he is right.

Natsume Takashi's eyes gradually could no longer see monsters.

At first, it was blurry. Natsume Takashi thought that his eyes were becoming short-sighted, so he went to the hospital to check his eyesight. The result was that there was no problem with his eyesight. Then the monsters seemed to become transparent, and sometimes Natsume would pass through their bodies and could not feel them. Finally, Natsume could not see the monsters anymore.

Fortunately, thanks to the cat-like shell of the teacher, Natsume can still see and barely hear the teacher's voice, and with the help of the teacher, he can still talk to them. But the good times didn't last long. In a battle to protect Yokohama, the cat-like teacher was in a hurry to break free of the "shell" in order to protect Natsume, and not only was he injured, but the "shell" was also damaged.

Now, Natsume can't see the cat teacher anymore.

No matter how the cat teacher called him, no matter how he looked for her, he could not see the cat teacher. Even the formation of the multi-track classmate did not work on him, he still could not see her. His spiritual power was not reduced at all, and his body was not different, but he could not see her. At this time, Natsume Soseki appeared again, and he said that this was the price.

As the price of change.

Natsume didn't understand what that meant, but no matter how much he asked, Teacher Natsume refused to tell him.

"This is the rule," Natsume Soseki said, "That's why I told you not to get married at first. I'm sorry, but I shouldn't have gotten you involved."

Natsume Takashi, who sincerely respected him as an elder, apologized to him. Unable to understand and vent his feelings, Natsume Takashi decided to go find the only god he could still see.

Nakahara Chuuya, the human body of His Highness Aragami walking in the human world and one of the five major cadres of the Port Mafia who once fought alongside him, did not tell Natsume Takashi what to do after listening to everything he said, but nodded with a complicated expression at the air beside him.

At that moment, Natsume Takashi suddenly felt a sense of despair, as if black water was poured into his mouth and nose, his breathing was suppressed, his heart was grasped by invisible hands, and the only sound in his ears was his own increasingly rapid heartbeat.

"…Mr. Cat?"

He wanted to say this, and he clearly wanted to make a sound, but what came out of his throat was an inhuman roar. Natsume began to cough, and he coughed so hard that he almost coughed out tears.

He knew that Teacher Cat was right beside him, but,

Unable to touch or talk, he seemed to be rejected by some existence. Natsume could not catch the figure of the cat teacher in the clear blue eyes of Aragami. Nakahara Chuuya said to Natsume, "He has always been by your side and has never left."

So, Natsume wondered, what was the mood of the cat teacher when he saw him doing all these useless things? And what was the mood of the cat teacher when she always stayed by his side and never left?

Natsume suddenly became frightened and almost trembled.

After that, Natsume was transferred from Yokohama under the arrangement of Natsume Soseki and returned to Yahara to become a teacher. He still couldn't see any monsters. He had spiritual power but didn't know where to start. Deba Shizuji never asked him to do anything related to monsters again, and Natori Shuichi also disappeared from his life. He seemed to be far away from the world of monsters all of a sudden. This was his wish since childhood, but he couldn't feel happy about it.

Natsume can't see the little monsters who say good morning to him on the way to work, can't hear the cat teacher who talks to him, can't participate in the monsters' gatherings, can't touch the monsters' bodies, and gradually begins to get used to the silence around him.

Natsume, who is blind, continues his life.

One evening, Aunt Tachiko and Uncle Shige came to see him. When Natsume got home from get off work, Aunt Tachiko had already prepared the meal, and the house was filled with the aroma of food. Natsume washed his hands after entering the house, put away the things, and came to Aunt Tachiko to help set the table.

Auntie Toko looked at Natsume with a smile. She was getting old and her memory was not good. Her white hair was hidden under her black hair and her face was full of wrinkles. But her voice was still so gentle and her eyes were still so tolerant. She asked Natsume, "Where did Nyanko go? Did he go out to play? The food is ready, why don't you come back to eat?"

Yes, Natsume stood there in a daze. Where is the cat teacher? The meal is ready, why doesn't he come back to eat?

Until this moment, Natsume finally realized clearly that the cat teacher would never appear in front of him again.

Years of self-deception, years of deliberate neglect, years of delusion were now laid bare in front of him.

"…Mr. Cat?"

This time, Natsume called out clearly and completely.

There was still no response. There was silence in his ears and no familiar white figure around. Auntie Tachikawa was still smiling and waiting for his answer. Natsume smiled and said softly, "Teacher Cat is out playing. Come back later. I will leave him a midnight snack."

As Natsume said this, a breeze blew in from the window, blowing the curtains in the air and letting out a faint scent of flowers. The great monster, who had transformed into his original form, lowered his head and looked at the unconscious human being in his arms.

“…”

"I am here."

Natsume, I'm here.

I miss Tazi's cooking, I miss Baka's fur-rubbing skills, and I miss Nanatsujiya's snacks.

I miss your unclouded smile.

=====

The author has something to say:

=====

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2021-03-15 23:02:47~2021-03-17 22:07:47~

Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: 1 for each mountain;

Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 7 bottles of Su Niang;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!