Chapter 344: Farewell

Chapter 344
Chapter Details
Volume:	35
Japanese Title:	別れ
Translated Title:	Wakare
English Title:	Parting
Released (Japan):	August 18, 2011
Anime Episode:	None

Characters (in order of appearance)

• Madarao
• Yoshimori Sumimura
• Shigemori Sumimura
• Shuji Sumimura
• Toshimori Sumimura
• Sumiko Sumimura
• Tokine Yukimura
• Tomonori Ichigaya
• Hiromu Tabata
• Masamori Sumimura
• Madoka
• Mr. Kurosu
• Yurina Kanda
• Kyoko
• Ayano
• Konta
• Gatcho
• Eri and Sayaka
• Shichirou Ougi

Summary

Yoshimori and Madarao return to the Sumimura Home after their time away, where the whole family greets them at the door. Yoshimori apologizes and falls to his knees, alarming everyone. A clone Shikigami of Sumiko Sumimura enters behind him, and Yoshimori reveals that he couldn't convince her to come home.

The next day, Yoshimori and Tokine leave for school at the same time, and walk together. Yoshimori says that Toshimori has gone ahead, even though they now attend the same school (due to Karasumori Academy's destruction, middle school students are taking classes at the grade school). Yoshimori asks about the Shikigami that his grandfather sent to replace him at school. Tokine says that it acted like an old man, which doesn't surprise Yoshimori, since the same thing happened when Masamori was in school. They pass the former site of Karasumori Academy, where construction on the new school has already begun. Yoshimori wishes he could still attend there, but Tokine says it's not that great with the portable classrooms and the loud construction. Yoshimori mentions that his night job has ended, and Tokine asks if his Houin has gotten paler. Yoshimori reasons that since Shikigami get weaker the farther away they are from the creator, the Houin might fade if the connection to Chushinmaru was severed, and that his mother's Shikigami might vanish once the Shinkai at Hakuma is complete.

Madoka arrives and waves to Tokine. Tokine comforts Yoshimori by saying he'll soon be back at Karasumori Academy as a high school student. Madoka asks about Yoshimori, and says he looks more grown up.

Yoshimori goes to class with his friends at Mikageyama Grade School. Toshimori, Konta, and Gatcho come to visit him, and he shows them a new castle cake design.

Outside a diner, Shichirou Ougi gets a call from Shijima, who says Shichirou will become the new clan head later that night, with a ceremony to follow soon. Shichirou agrees to come home immediately, and goes back inside to tell his friends he can no longer hang out with them.

At the Sumimura Home, Shuji Sumimura is folding laundry. He goes to check on Sumiko's clone Shikigami, who is resting in bed. Sumiko's clone offers to give him a message from Sumiko, and Shuji accepts. Sumiko says she felt the most human when she was with her family, but because of her great power, she was unable to be a wife and mother. In the end, she wanted to do something for someone else, and apologizes for being selfish. She promises to never forget him. After the Shikigami dispels, Shuji begins to cry. On his way home from school, Yoshimori senses something, looks at his hand to see that the Houin is finally gone, and realizes the Shinkai is completely sealed.