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Diamond of Hope

The diamond of love, intelligence, peace and strength find a carrier, as do the inverted diamonds of ignorance, arrogance and evil. All except the diamond of hope that joined me only because I touched it! And now it wants to kill me because I don't deserve to wear it! Together with the friendships I will manage to make here in Japan I will be able to do it without problems.... don't miss this great adventure filled with action, drama, comedy! Y... Pupusas!!!

SoySeido · Action
Not enough ratings
13 Chs

Chapter 1: The diamond of hope (Parts 1-2)

Chapter 1 Part 1

The sun peeked out from behind the mountain to announce that a new day had begun, with the mountainous and forested sounds blending together to create a symphony only heard at the gates of heaven.

The corn and wheat plantations on the nearby mountain swayed to the rhythm of nature's music as the first rays of sun pierced through the window of my room...

I sounded pretty cultured saying that! Although, it was just in my mind... Uh-huh.

A traditional two-story house at the peak of a massive mountain, with a flower garden, a pond, and a cherry blossom tree, was the first to receive the morning sun – well, that was five hours ago.

I've grown tired of pretending to be a poet; now, speaking seriously...

I'm Rasec Zaid, that guy lying in bed with dark circles and a T-shirt that says "fool" in Japanese; the house I described is where I reside, my teacher Seji-sensei's house. No one in this small town knows his real name, though being Salvadoran, I can only imagine the funniest name I've ever heard.

Yes, I said he's Salvadoran, just like me. You'll gradually learn more about that.

I just remembered that summer vacation ends today. I spent every day training to make pupusas and occasionally taking breaks to hang out with friends. However, the thought of returning to school makes me wish the vacation lasted longer.

I can't complain; during the vacation, I played a lot of video games, read plenty of manga, watched lots of anime, and stayed up later than usual to the point where I didn't sleep for three consecutive days.

But right at this moment, I feel like someone is about to interrupt my sleep.

— Get up, lazybones, and find something to do!

My teacher got tired of me still sleeping, so he knocked loudly on my bedroom door to wake me up.

I sit up in bed, looking tired with my hair all tousled.

— Darn it, I overslept again.

I mutter curses as I slip on my cat slippers.

I guess it's not normal to see a room this messy, unless it is, in which case you probably have the same...

After getting up and rubbing my eyes, I head to the bathroom, wash my face, and then proceed downstairs to where Seji-sensei, my cooking teacher, is.

Still groggy, I say to him:

— It's nine in the morning.

— You should have been up at five to chop the tomatoes and prepare the sauce!

Annoyed, he points at the clock with the spatula he was using to prepare pupusas for our breakfast.

— I forgot...

I take a seat at the bar in front of the griddle.

I act indifferent, still half asleep, pretending to have forgotten my duties while Seji-sensei places a plate of three bean and cheese pupusas in front of me.

Despite it being my favorite dish, I look at them with a bit of disdain.

— Pupusas again? I know I love them, but I've been eating this the entire vacation.

Annoyed, he turns towards me, pointing the greasy and hot spatula at me.

— Reina-sensei would be disappointed if she heard those words!

— Yeah, yeah.

Seji-sensei turns back to finish preparing the remaining pupusas.

— Now finish that and come help me at the pupusería.

He continued preparing his breakfast while saying that. To avoid further annoyance, I decide to comply for the rest of the day, so I'll go help him at the pupusería as he requested without complaining.

You're probably wondering, what on earth is a pupusa or a pupusería? Even if you're not, I'll tell you anyway.

Pupusas are a traditional dish from the country where I grew up until I was 10 years old, El Salvador. They are made from corn or rice dough, filled with beans, cheese, pork, or other ingredients of your choice, and then cooked on a hot griddle.

And a pupusería is a restaurant that sells this food.

I came to Japan with my teacher Seji-sensei to learn this art because my parents went on a long trip, and I decided to stay with my teacher here in Japan. I don't know why we didn't stay in El Salvador... oh well, I guess it's adult stuff.

Still, I don't mind being in Japan, as I met the most beautiful girl I could have ever imagined.

Anyway, today I would continue my training to make the perfect pupusa.

To get to the pupusería is quite a journey; I have to descend the seemingly endless stairs of my house because, for some reason, Seji-sensei decided to live at the top of a large mountain. I don't mind going up or down since I've been doing it ever since I've lived here.

I always carry the mixtures of pork and cheese, corn and rice dough, while Seji-sensei handles the curtido, sauce, and chocolates he'll prepare at the pupusería.

The place we're heading to is located in the heart of the town nestled at the foot of the mountains, a small rural town surrounded by them, named Ana no mura, which in Spanish would be "town of the hole" or as I know it, "The Hole," because where I used to live there was a place similar to this called "The Hole" due to it being at the foot of a hill and by a mountain range.

At the pupusería, I take care of setting up and arranging the wooden seats while Seji-sensei cleans the tables.

Once that's done and I'm fully awake, we begin.

— Alright, time to continue your training, Rasec!

— Yes, Seji-sensei!

With a steady hand, Seji-sensei cuts a tomato in half, leaving both halves visually similar in size.

— This is the correct way to cut a tomato!

— Yes!

With great energy, Seji-sensei adds half a cup of white vinegar to the mixture of cabbage, carrots, and jalapeños.

— To make a good curtido, you must use the exact amount!

— Yes, Seji-sensei!

It's not bad to see him so energetic, but it's quite unusual; I'm amazed at how quickly he moves, radiating an enviable energy for someone his age.

When flattening the pupusas, I can see how swift he is.

— To ensure the pupusa is uniform, you must shape it into a round form while flattening it!

— Y-yes, Seji-sensei!

Just being near him makes me feel tired, and the atmosphere becomes heavy; that's very unusual.

— Finally, flip the pupusa so it sits at this exact angle!

— Uh, y-yes, Seji-sensei!

The hours pass by quickly, thinking about all of this leaves me exhausted; it's six in the evening, but I decide to go to bed early tonight because summer vacation is over.

That idea doesn't last long in my mind when suddenly someone opens the door.

— Uraseku-senpai!

— M-Miru-chan!

I'm surprised and nervous to hear a girl calling me.

A

 beautiful girl with orange hair as fine as silk appears in the shop, wearing a pink button-up shirt and a long white skirt – it's Miru-chan, my friend for three years. When I couldn't rely on anyone else in this town, she was always there for me.

We attend the same school, but she's a year younger than me, so she calls me "senpai," which in Japan is a term for someone of higher grade.

As someone who's lived her whole life in Japan, she struggles to pronounce my name properly, so instead of calling me Rasec, she calls me "Uraseku" because here they don't have the sound of the letter 'r' without a following vowel.

— Uraseku-senpai!

— Uh, well, just call me Rasec.

I blush and look away.

It was impossible to hide the fact that I blushed after she called me senpai; even though it's something I hear every day, I still haven't gotten used to it – those weird games and anime I watch seem to have corrupted my mind...

Seji-sensei looks at me with admiration and says:

— Oh! Is this the girl you talk about so much?

— She's my friend...

It was impossible to hide my blushing face, and it was even more impossible to hide my discomfort after Seji-sensei said that.

— That doesn't matter, senpai, please come with me!

She looks concerned, so I decide to go with her.

It seemed quite serious.

Chapter 1 Part 2

Miru-chan takes me to a place not far from my house, the daylight was beginning to disappear behind the mountains as the sun set.

— What did you want to show me?

I asked with much curiosity and concern because she remained serious and quiet the whole way to the place.

— Look at that.

— Huh?

She takes me to the other side of the mountain slopes and shows me a meteorite split in half.

I can't hide my surprise as I observe it; by its appearance, it doesn't seem to have been here for more than twenty-four hours. I'm surprised that it didn't make any noise when it fell or cause significant destruction due to its size.

This meteorite could really have wiped out this country and its surroundings.

— A meteorite?

— Last night, while I was stargazing, I noticed a strange glow, it seemed quite odd to me, and then something rapidly approached me and knocked me out.

She slowly looks down at the ground.

— And when I woke up, I noticed this.

— Hey!

Miru-chan starts unbuttoning her shirt.

At first, I didn't understand why she was doing that. Being a guy with almost no contact with women, and humans in general... I couldn't help but blush and think indecent thoughts, but it wasn't anything like what I was thinking.

While I try to act distracted, she shows me her back, and amidst it all, there appears to be some kind of mark or tattoo of a pink diamond with a polygonal heart shape in the center.

— That's a tattoo?!

— Last night, a pink diamond hit me and left this mark. It's not exactly a tattoo, I'm not sure if it's bad in the long run for it to still be there.

— T-that's really weird... I really don't know what to think about it...

Why can't I stop stuttering?! I try to look away, but I only end up noticing something surprising.

— Hey, Miru-chan, the meteorite seems to have something shiny.

I see a green diamond emitting light; I am quickly drawn to it, but I don't know why the thought of touching it crossed my mind when I saw that the diamond that came into contact with Miru-chan left a mark on her skin.

— Senpai, wait, it could be dangerous!

— Woah!

Without thinking twice, I touch the diamond.

What is all this power?! It's magnificent! Along with the diamond, I start emitting a green light and a lot of energy; it's releasing too much energy!

IT'S TOO MUCH ENERGY!

— GHHHAAAAAAAAAAGHH!

I feel myself gradually getting tired, almost as if the diamond were absorbing all my life.

A strong heartbeat comes from my heart; the diamond starts to merge with my hand, the veins passing through it move aside and disconnect to make way for the diamond and then reconnect to it.

The pain is unbearable; the light and energy released are so great that it can be seen for miles.

That leaves me very exhausted, but surprisingly, I don't lose consciousness.

After so much energy release, I fall to the ground, struggling to breathe and starting to sweat heavily.

Miru-chan was very scared.

— Are you okay? Th-the diamond... It merged with you!

It had joined me, but in a somewhat different way from hers; mine didn't become a mark, but rather something physical.

Miru-chan's back also starts emitting a light; however, it is softer and whiter.

From the diamond mark comes what appears to be a smiling cloth ghost; Miru-chan and I are amazed by this.

The diamond mark begins to turn into a real diamond that seems to be embedded in her, almost like the one on my hand.

— They make so much noise, they won't let me rest! — Exclaims the one that came out of the diamond with a sleepy face.

— It's a teru teru bozu!

What came out of Miru-chan's back is a teru teru bozu, small paper or cloth dolls used to ward off rain, but this one could talk and move freely.

Curiosity forced me to ask, even as I lay on the ground:

— Who are you?

— I'm Ai, the spirit that dwells in the diamond of love.

— Diamond of love? Do you mean that thing on Miru-chan's back?

— Yes, I come from the pink diamond!

What kind of joke is this...?

— Where did the meteorite come from?

— I don't knooooow!

— What is your purpose here?

— I don't knooooow!

Tch, we couldn't get any answers! This thing doesn't seem to know much either.

Miru-chan helps me up from the ground; I'm still exhausted, but I can stand.

Ai, the spirit of the diamond, looks at us curiously.

— I really like you both; I should introduce you to my other siblings!

— There are more?!

At this point, I don't think anything surprises me anymore.

— Yep, we all come from diamonds.

— B-but what do they do, why did they join us?

— The diamond chose you; so, you could say you're worthy of wielding its power.

This teru teru bozu, instead of clarifying my doubts, only leaves me with more questions; still, Miru-chan seems interested in the diamond's functions.

— Power? What kind of power?

— I detected that in your heart, there is no hatred, only love! That's why I chose you as the bearer of the diamond of love.

How cliché...

But it was true; Miru-chan is a spectacular girl, so I'm not surprised that she harbors no hatred. But right now, I was wondering about other things.

— And, is my teru teru bozu in the diamond?

— I don't detect its presence, but it should be nearby.

I was about to ask if it could detect the other spirits and diamonds, but Miru-chan beat me to it.

— So you can detect your siblings.

— They should be close... Huh?

That was the growl of the teru teru bozu's stomach; how is it possible for a teru teru bozu to get hungry? That growl sounded throughout the town! Well, maybe I'm exaggerating.

— I'm huuuungry!

— Alright, calm down, Ai-chan, I'll find something for you to eat.

While Miru-chan tries to calm Ai, my cellphone starts ringing.

— Um, excuse me, I'll answer.

— Oh, sure, Senpai.

Tch, she really knows how to make me nervous; all those visual novels messed with my mind!

At times like these, it's best to maintain composure.

— Um, it's Seji-sensei, hello.

He sounds quite angry and drunk, not surprising, but this case seems different; it's better if I go home.

Turning to Miru-chan, I say:

— It's Seji-sensei; why don't we go home and talk about this while eating pupusas?

— Can you walk like this?

— Don't worry; I'll be fine.

— Uh, yeah, Senpai, then this would be a good

 time for me to try pupusas.

I didn't remember that in three years of friendship, I had never taken her to eat the food I prepare. Who would've thought...?

Miru-chan's diamond hasn't returned to being a mark, and as she puts her shirt back on, there's a kind of lump on her back.

Ai, upon hearing about pupusas, gets very excited and starts fluttering around.

— Pupusas?! What's that, is it eaten, is it delicious?!

She's very noisy; the journey back home was not serene at all; I wanted to spend more time alone with my kohai... I always wanted to say that! Even if it's only in my mind... kohai is what you call someone in a lower grade here in Japan.

As we walk towards Seji-sensei's house, Miru-chan starts a conversation despite Ai's noise.

— Uraseku-senpai.

— Um, just call me Rasec.

I reply blushing.

— In that case, Uraseku...

Waaaaaaahhh, how can she be so cuteeeeeee?!

— Um, yes, Miru-chan.

I turn to Miru-chan with my best gaze, or at least what I think is my best gaze; the dark circles under my eyes don't help much...

At this point, it's impossible for me to hide my nervousness; Ai talking in the background about food doesn't help!

— What do you think these diamonds are for? I'm nervous that they might be for something bad.

— Um, so that's it... don't worry; I'm sure we'll find someone who can give us information about it.

I turn my gaze forward again with my usual serious expression.

I don't know why I said that; I'm really confused and tired from all the energy release. In a moment like this, I can't think clearly.

These diamonds could be dangerous; I don't know how we'll hide them from people.

At least we arrived home after a noisy journey.

I just want some peace and hope to find it at home.

— I'm home... ahhhh!

I can't believe what I see; does Seji-sensei also have a diamond?!

— Give me that sake!

— Nopi *hic*

Seji-sensei is chasing a teru teru bozu around the house that's drinking his sake; finally, the teru teru bozu faints, leaving Miru-chan and me dumbfounded by what we've seen.

— Ah, Chie, brother! — Exclaimed Ai cheerfully.

— Brother?!

It wasn't so hard to find another diamond bearer... Ai found one of his siblings! We've definitely found another bearer!

I'm glad it was someone as close as Seji-sensei, but now he looks very exhausted.

— Why did such a annoying thing have to come out, what a bother?

— Do you also have one, Seji-sensei?

— Have one of what?

Miru-chan asks:

— A diamond, do you also have a diamond mark?

— Huh? Me too? So you two have one?

There's something strange; they all have a teru teru bozu, but mine hasn't appeared yet. That's what was going through my mind at that moment.

— I have a diamond, but I haven't seen a spirit come out of it; I don't know if...

I didn't finish what I was going to say when someone opens the door to the house very loudly and yells.

— Who touched the diamond?!

— Hey! Who opens the door like that, yo...! Oh Rasec, I think that thing over there is what you're looking for.

— Huh?

I turn to the door and see a teru teru bozu with a green tie.

— Brother, is that you, Kibō! — Exclaimed Ai upon seeing him enter.

— *hic*

— Brother?

Now Seji-sensei looks confused; it's good that someone so clever also feels foolish in the face of something like this, although I think anyone would find all this strange. Ai, in response to my teru teru bozu's question, said:

— That boy with woman's hair touched the diamond!

— Woman?!

I was paralyzed after that; do I look like a woman with my hair this long?

— See why I told you to cut your hair?

Seji-sensei is not helping at all!

— How dare you touch the diamond of hope?! — The teru teru bozu that entered seems very upset, but imagine how I feel after what Ai said!

— What do you mean, woman's hair?! Just because I take care of it and let it grow long doesn't mean it's woman's hair!

— Don't ignore me, you idiot!

My teru teru bozu starts rising, seemingly about to hit me; I suppose since he's a spirit, he won't do anything more than...

— Ouch, did I really feel your punches if you're a spirit?!

Fortunately, Miru-chan intervenes in the argument I was having with my diamond spirit.

— Hey, hey, calm down! What's going on with the diamond that Uraseku-senpai touched?

Miru-chan exclaims, now addressing Ai.

— Well, like all the other diamonds, the diamond of hope can only be carried by someone whose strongest feeling is hope, the same goes for the diamond of love in your case and the diamond of intelligence in the old man's case.

Seji-sensei gets serious, seemingly analyzing the situation; after hearing that he's very clever, he wears an expression of pride.

— I'm not an old man, but well, I understand that I'm very clever, and this girl really seems to love even the ugliest things... but this fool doesn't seem to feel anything.

Seji-sensei was referring to me; what a surprise,

After that, my diamond spirit hits me again and shouts:

— Grrrrah, That's the problem; how do you expect to use the diamond if you don't have a strong feeling of hope!

Very annoyed, I hit him back.

— Hey, I don't even know what it's for!

— Uraseku-senpai is right; what are the diamonds for?

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one confused in this situation; at least I don't feel so foolish.

[To be continued next week]