Seraphim is a Bystander

Delivering the Souvenir - Part 2
 
 

Holding a ton of luggage and wearing clothes a little more formal than usual, I stood at the front door.
“Aoi, are you sure you don’t need to rest?”
“Yeah. It’s a nice change of pace, and I figured it was time I went.”

I replied that to Mom, who looked a bit worried, and stepped out of the house. I had already contacted Katagiri-san, and while I didn’t have much time, I figured it would be fine.
“Be sure to give my regards to your in-laws, alright? And be polite to everyone else too, okay?”
“Yup. I’m off.”

As I walked down the steps in front of our house, burdened by heavy bags, I spotted Katagiri-san waiting beside the car. I had only contacted her this morning, yet she’d gotten everything ready so quickly. I really appreciated it.
Noticing me, Katagiri-san gave a deep bow. I returned the gesture and called out to her.
“Good morning, Katagiri-san. Sorry for the sudden request today.”

“Not at all, it’s my job. May I place your luggage in the back?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Working together, we quickly loaded the luggage into the car before getting in. Still… I wonder if I disrupted Katagiri-san’s plans. Normally I give her about a week’s notice, and this was the first time I’d ever contacted her on the same day.

“Um, Katagiri-san, I really am sorry for the sudden request. I hope I didn’t mess up your schedule?”
“No need to worry. Currently, my primary role is serving you, Aoi-sama. There’s no one I’d prioritize over you.”
Ugh… yeah, Grandpa and the others did say something like that, but she must have her own time off and plans. Just as I was thinking that, Katagiri-san unexpectedly brought up a topic.

“Still… such sudden notice is quite rare from you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, well… after what happened yesterday, I just wanted a little change of pace. Oh right, I didn’t mention this before, but—there’s someone else inside me. Yesterday, I kind of got pulled by them and ended up in a different body.”
“Is that so… pardon me, did you just say… someone else inside you?”
“Wah!”

Katagiri-san, who almost never takes her eyes off the road or hands off the wheel, whipped around so fast it startled me into a pathetic yelp. Well, yeah… that does sound unbelievable. How do I even explain this?
“Unless I misheard… did you just say, there’s another person inside you, Aoi-sama?”
“Yes, that’s correct. There’s another person inside me—and she’s a woman. Somehow, I got pulled toward her yesterday, and that caused my body to change.”

“………???”
Katagiri-san completely froze in stunned silence. Thankfully the car was on auto-drive, so no risk of a crash. But for someone like her, who usually never lets go of the wheel or looks away, this was clearly a big shock.
“I-I apologize. It’s not that I don’t believe you—it’s just a bit… overwhelming.”

“Ahaha… I understand. I was shocked too. Oh! Maybe it’d be quicker if you actually saw it for yourself!”
“Saw it…?”
Feeling a little bad that she was still so lost, I thought it would be faster to just show her. I called out to Seras in my mind.

(“Seras-san, did you hear all that? I’d like to ask a favor.”)
“…Well, if you’re okay with it, then sure.”
(“...?”)

Her response was vague, but before I could question it, I felt the familiar sensation of switching over to Seras.
“Um… Aoi-sama? You said it would be quicker to see it, so what do you—huh?!”
“Let’s see… I suppose this is our first time meeting? I’m Seras.”

In the middle of her confused question, Seras took over. My senses shifted to her perspective. Katagiri-san stared wide-eyed, frozen in place as Seras calmly introduced herself.
“Well… this reaction was expected.”
Ah—sorry, would you mind explaining things? I just realized I can’t do that if you’ve taken over.

(Yeah, yeah.)
A few minutes later…
After finishing her brief explanation and introduction, Seras gave control back to me. Katagiri-san, having calmed down a bit, returned her hands to the wheel.

“I see… There are still parts I can’t fully grasp, but I understand enough.”
“Thank you for being so understanding. I don’t plan to show up often, so you can continue treating Aoi like always.”
“Understood. By the way, Seras-sama—what exactly is Aoi-sama’s state right now?”

“I’m just residing within him. I can hear and see everything he does—including this conversation—and I can communicate with him freely.”
“I see…”
As I listened to their conversation, I couldn’t help but think, This feels like a talk between teachers or grownups. I mean, Seras has lived a long time, and Katagiri-san clearly senses that, so she responds with formal respect. I usually just see her in “professional mode,” but hearing things from inside like this really makes the difference clear.

“…Well, sounds like you’re bored, so I’ll step back now.”
Eh? Already?
While I was lost in thought, their conversation had apparently ended, and Seras /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ began switching back to me.

“…That transition really is instant.”
“Yup. As you can see, it’s back to just me.”
Maybe because it was her second time witnessing it, Katagiri-san actually seemed kind of impressed. Speaking of which—yesterday, when I was in Seras’s body, she immediately realized it was me. How did she know? Some kind of ability?

“Nope. That’s just how it is.”
…Huh? What do you mean?
“Don’t worry about it.”

…Okay. If you say so, Seras-san.
Well, at least the introduction to Katagiri-san is out of the way. Thinking about it, I should probably introduce her to Grandpa and the others too. Maybe I should’ve just done it all at once…
“…Wait. You mean, you’re going to introduce me to them too?”

Of course! They’re family.
“…Eeeeh?”