Kōtō-ku, Tokyo
Mai had just started her first job in the IT industry after graduating from university. For the past three months, her life had been consumed by endless overtime and the stress of adjusting to both work and a new apartment near her office. She barely had time for herself, and most of her friends had scattered to different cities for their own careers. She made a few acquaintances at work, but like her, they were too busy to meet up. After long shifts, everyone just wanted one thing: sleep.
Amid this hectic routine, one small comfort carried her through the weeks: reading Natsume's Book of Friends. The manga had a calming effect on her, melting away her stress each time she flipped through its pages. It was her quiet ritual, her escape.
But recently, she had read online that Natsume's Book of Friends was coming to an end. The news unsettled her, and she began searching for something to fill the void. She tried other works, like Fullmetal Alchemist by Muzihsro—the same author as Natsume's Book of Friends. Although she enjoyed the story, it didn't soothe her in the same way. What she really needed wasn't just a good manga; she needed something that offered peace, something that felt like home.
So, when the newest issue of Echo Shroud arrived, she immediately flipped through the index to find Natsume's Book of Friends. She had suspected the story might end this week or next, but seeing the double-length chapter gave it away — this was going to be the final one. She turned to the page with anticipation.
[Note: I couldn't find the matching song, but this one fits the theme well: The Path of the Wind (full piano solo) by Joe Hisaishi]
The chapter opened with Natsume dreaming of a white dragon, flying gracefully over mountain ridges and dropping shimmering scales as it passed. The dragon vanished beyond the hills, and Natsume awoke.
Mai's eyes lingered on the panel. There was something soothing about that image. a creature drifting quietly across the sky.
Later, at school, while cleaning the windows, he caught a glimpse of the dragon again, gliding among the clouds.
"I hope I get to see it again," he thought quietly.
That evening, back home, he told Nyanko-sensei about the dream. Once known as Madara—a powerful yōkai who had shared a bond with Natsume's grandmother—he now spent his days in the form of a chubby, sake-loving cat, grumbling more than he growled.
"I wish I could ride a dragon one day," Natsume said wistfully.
Nyanko-sensei huffed, clearly annoyed.
"After all the times I've let you ride on my back, you still dream about dragons? How ungrateful."
But then he softened, muttering, "Still, dragons are good omens."
Mai chuckled under her breath. Even here at the end, Nyanko-sensei hadn't changed.
From that moment, Natsume began searching for the dragon, though its appearances were irregular. It never showed itself when he was with Sensei. Only when alone would he catch fleeting glimpses of it.
One day, while wandering through his search, Natsume unexpectedly encountered Chobi. Although Natsume didn't recall helping him before, he recognized the name. Chobi looked almost human, but with a large head and long ears reminiscent of Buddha. As Chobi stumbled clumsily and fell, Natsume instinctively reached out to help him up.
"What's wrong?" Natsume asked gently.
"It's nothing," Chobi replied, forcing a smile. "I've just been a little down."
Natsume tilted his head. "Chobi..."
After a pause, Chobi admitted, "My favorite comb broke. I made it from a beautiful clamshell I found at the beach long ago. Now it's snapped in two. I've tried using another, but it's not the same. That comb was... special. But it's fine. Everything has its time. Old things must end eventually."
He walked away, leaving Natsume thoughtful.
The next day, while returning from school, Natsume saw another shining scale drift down from the dragon high above. A thought struck him: What if I could make a new comb for Chobi from one of these scales?
Driven by that hope, Natsume chased the dragon, but it always remained just out of reach. Days passed with no success.
Eventually, a group of yōkai appeared — spirits Natsume had helped in the past, who now followed him like loyal companions, almost like a strange little fan club.
"Chobi isn't here?" Natsume asked.
"We invited him," one replied, "but he's been too down lately."
When Natsume told them about the dragon and his wish to find a scale for Chobi, he added, "I wanted to do this on my own. After all the help you've given me, I thought... maybe this time, I could be the one to give back."
One yōkai smiled softly. "Lord Natsume, it's your kindness that makes us want to help you."
Natsume's chest warmed. "Thank you."
Together, they searched, but the dragon was elusive. When it finally appeared again, Natsume ran after it, calling out. The dragon glanced at him once, then continued to soar.
A passing yōkai explained, "That dragon only flies during its molting season, to shed old scales. From the look of it, the season is almost over."
Realizing this might be his last chance, Natsume pleaded with the dragon. "Please... I need one of your scales. It's for a friend."
The dragon gazed at him, then spun gracefully in the sky, releasing one final gleaming scale before disappearing into the clouds.
Later, sitting with Nyanko-sensei on a bench, Natsume sighed with a small smile. "Even though I couldn't see it with you, it still made me happy."
Just then, one of the spirits from his fan club handed him something. "We found this stuck in a tree."
It was the dragon's scale.
Natsume carefully gave it to Chobi. "Do you think you could make a new comb from this?"
Chobi's eyes widened. He fashioned the scale into a comb, then gently brushed his mustache. Suddenly, his form shimmered and changed—revealing that he himself was the white dragon.
"You took this old scale and called it beautiful," Chobi said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I will cherish this more than the clamshell comb. Thank you, Mr. Natsume. I'll keep it close to my heart, always." With that, he flew into the sky, majestic and radiant.
The yōkai around them were stunned. None had expected Chobi's true form.
Nyanko-sensei groaned. "Don't I feel foolish. All this time, we were chasing him!"
Natsume just smiled warmly. "But now we got to see it together. Isn't it beautiful?"
At the end of the chapter, the following message was printed:
"The story is currently on hiatus with no scheduled return date. We thank all readers for their continued support."
Mai closed the magazine slowly. Her eyes stung, though she couldn't quite tell if it was sadness or relief. The story wasn't over, but with no clear return in sight, she accepted this as the end for now. Still, it left her with a gentle warmth that lingered long after the final page.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)