“Flapping in the Night, the Blackboard Eraser Fairies” — Weekly Short-Short Note

Late at night.
Buntoku High School.

Small white shadows were bouncing through the empty hallway.
Pat.
Pat.

The blackboard eraser fairies.
“We’re going around erasing nightmares again tonight!”
“Yeah!”
“Let’s make everyone sleep soundly!”

—

Staff dormitory.
Rena Tachibana was tossing and turning in her futon.

“Why won’t you read my messages, Koji... If only I hadn’t sent such a long text...”
The blackboard eraser fairies nod quietly.

“That’s heavy.”
“Let’s erase it.”
Whoosh...
Rena’s face suddenly becomes peaceful.

“...Hehe... the moon is so beautiful...”
The fairies look satisfied.
“Success!”

—

Next room.
Tsumugi Shirai.

“What do you mean putting bananas in takoyaki?!”
She is furious on top of her futon.

The fairies are buzzing.
“Takoyaki again.”
The fairies are a bit put off.
“That’s scary... but it’s a nightmare, so.”
“Let’s erase it.”
Whoosh...

Tsumugi suddenly goes quiet.

“...Eight pieces... Gindaco is a different genre...”
The fairies nod.
“Done!”

—

Last room.
Koharu Kirino.
Quiet breathing. Moonlight.

The fairies approach softly.
“This girl is always so quiet.”
“I wonder what kind of dream she’s having.”
One of them timidly peeks into the dream.

There, it saw—
A vast desert of moonlight.
Pale blue light.
Countless books were silently pounding mochi.
Thump. Thump.
The complete works of Natsume Soseki were swinging the mallet.
Osamu Dazai was turning the mochi.
A dictionary was quietly steaming.

The fairy trembles.
“What is this...”
“This is definitely dangerous.”

At that moment.
Koharu sits up abruptly.

The fairies freeze.

Koharu tilts her head with a dazed look.
“...What are you doing?”

The smallest fairy timidly introduces itself.
“Um... we’re the blackboard eraser fairies. We go around erasing nightmares.”
Koharu thinks for a moment.

“...I see.”
A quiet silence.

Then, she said gently,

“But painful dreams are also a part of life.”
The fairies are stunned.
Koharu continues.
“People can’t move forward just by forgetting the bad things. Sad things and painful things are important, too.”
The fairies go quiet...
“I see...”

“That’s deep...”
“Okay, we’ll put the dream back then.”
Whoosh...
The next moment.
Staff dormitory.

“KOJIIIIII!!”
“TAKUMUUUUU!!”
“SHOUTAAAAA!!”
Rena’s scream echoed through the school at night.

The fairies tremble.
“The number of people increased.”
“The memories chained together.”
“...And she’s even building a lineup of romantic interests.”

—

Next morning.
Classroom.
Tsumugi tilts her head while biting into bread.

“Huh? Where’s Rena?”
Koharu quietly turns a page of her book.
“Apparently, she remembered all her past heartbreaks at once, so she’s taking the day off.”

Tsumugi freezes.
“Is she really a school teacher...”

<The End>

I participated in this project by Mr. Tahara.