The evil spirit's muttering grew increasingly deranged, its long, shadowy hair tightening its grip around Hiratsuka Shizuka's neck.
Hiratsuka suddenly felt a crushing pressure on her throat, gasping for air.
"Hiratsuka-sensei!"
"Huh? What is it?"
She barely managed to turn her head.
In that instant, Shiraishi Asa stepped forward, reaching out casually.
He snapped his fingers right next to her ear.
Bang.
The malevolent spirit disintegrated instantly, vanishing without a trace.
LV1. Telekinetic Exorcist: Exorcises any malevolent entity within the range of psychic power, regardless of its strength. (Note: Range for LV1 is 10 cubic millimeters.)
Though the range was ridiculously small, the absolute effectiveness made it a terrifying ability.
Still, Asa couldn't help but sigh.
"Doesn't quite fit a succubus like me. I need something... longer."
Putting that aside, Asa smiled innocently.
"There was a bug next to your ear just now, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Almost immediately, Hiratsuka realized her breathing had eased. The crushing exhaustion that had been gnawing at her all day vanished like smoke.
Without thinking, Asa's fingers lightly brushed her earlobe.
And then—
A strange, indescribable sensation shot straight to her brain.
"Hnnn..."
A soft sound escaped Hiratsuka's lips before she could stop herself.
...
Meanwhile, not far away—
Yotsuya Miko had always considered herself ordinary.
Decent grades, passable looks, a couple of friends, average life.
Sure, sometimes she had weird dreams or random fantasies, but nothing out of the norm.
Until now.
Until she started seeing them.
The monsters.
The spirits.
Wretched, twisted creatures prowling the human world, feeding on life energy.
Whenever their empty, soulless eyes locked onto hers, she could feel the overwhelming malice radiating off them.
"Can you see me?"
The first time, she almost screamed.
She had learned fast—never acknowledge them. Pretend they weren't there. Answering meant death.
Salt, crosses, garlic—none of it worked.
She had no choice but to endure.
She turned a blind eye to the hideous things appearing beside toilets, under desks, even in her own bed.
No matter how often she heard those words whispered in her ears—
"Can you see me?"
—she played dumb.
But the strain was killing her.
In class, a grotesque spirit squatted on her desk, grinning hideously.
Two more floated through the classroom like drifting corpses.
On the teacher's shoulder, another spirit clung like a parasite.
Yotsuya kept her head down, shaking.
She didn't dare look at anyone.
She just wanted to survive the day and run home, even if she dreaded the spirits waiting there.
Until—
She heard it.
A voice, shrieking like nails scraping against glass.
The spirit on Hiratsuka Shizuka's shoulder was wailing furiously—
And it was staring at someone.
At a little boy.
Yotsuya's heart leapt into her throat.
She was about to warn him instinctively—
When she saw it.
The boy casually raised his hand and flicked his fingers.
Bang!
The spirit exploded into nothingness.
Gone, like a puff of dust.
Yotsuya's eyes widened in shock.
He could actually destroy them!
For days she had lived in fear, pretending to be blind.
And here he was, casually snapping them out of existence like swatting a fly.
He could save her.
She clutched her chest, overwhelmed by hope.
Then she watched as Hiratsuka Shizuka collapsed into a chair, flushed and gasping softly.
Yotsuya blinked.
"Getting rid of evil spirits... feels that good?"
She retreated into a corner, secretly observing.
...
In the teacher's office.
Still trying to compose herself, Hiratsuka Shizuka set Asa down gently.
"Here, Asa-kun, take all these snacks. Chips, candies, cookies—whatever you like."
Her voice trembled slightly despite her best efforts to sound normal.
The lingering pleasure from earlier still tingled at the edges of her mind.
She had no idea what had just happened.
Why had a little boy's touch left her feeling so... light?
So relieved?
So—
"Am I secretly a shotacon?"
She caught herself sneaking glances at the small boy beside her.
No, no, no. She forced herself to look elsewhere, into the mirror perched on her desk.
Beautiful.
Stylish.
Radiant.
By all appearances, she had everything a woman could want.
And yet.
At nearly thirty, with a bad personality and rough habits...
And now, secretly a shotacon?
It was like something out of a dark comedy manga.
"Who would want to marry someone like me…?"
She whispered under her breath, despair creeping in.
"You're beautiful, sensei. If it were me, I'd marry you."
Asa's innocent voice piped up.
Hiratsuka stiffened.
She hadn't meant to say that out loud.
Flustered, she grabbed Asa's chubby cheeks and rubbed them hard.
"Brat! Sweet talker!"
Still, his words melted into her heart like honey.
She smiled.
"When you grow up, I'll be an old lady, Asa-kun. You won't want someone like me then."
"That's not necessarily true," he answered slyly.
If only she knew the real Asa was far, far older than he looked.
"Anytime you want snacks, come to me," Hiratsuka said, ruffling his hair.
"I have a ton of snacks stockpiled. And I'm pretty good at games too."
Asa grinned and nodded, arms loaded with candy and chips.
He turned and left the office, bouncing happily.
Hiratsuka watched him go, then smacked her forehead with a groan.
"Hiratsuka Shizuka, you idiot."
"Enticing a kid with snacks? What are you, some creepy uncle?"
Her self-loathing grew.
Still, even as she berated herself, she found her fingers opening her shopping app.
New snacks were urgently needed.
Lots of them.
...
Meanwhile, Asa reflected as he skipped down the hallway.
He hadn't expected it.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's weakness turned out to be her earlobe.
And the reaction was massive.
The LV3 God's Hand skill's effect was way stronger than he'd imagined.
If he ever leveled it up to the maximum...
He shook his head, laughing to himself.
Back at the Service Club room, he pushed open the door—and stopped in shock.
A familiar figure was standing there.
"Ai-Nee?"
Hoshino Ai turned at the sound of his voice.
Her flawless face broke into a blinding, radiant smile.
"Asa!"
Without hesitation, she rushed forward and scooped him into a tight hug.
***
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