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"…Togawa, you can temporarily sit in the very back seat."
After the self-introduction, the teacher began to assign seats.
There was only one empty seat left in the classroom, right behind Kitahara Makoto. There was actually no choice.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Togawa Sakiko politely thanked her, carrying her school bag in both hands, her skirt swaying as she walked over.
Their eyes met.
Kitahara Makoto's expression was a bit subtle.
He had just searched the news on his phone, and it turned out that CRYCHIC really existed in this world. So… it really was that Miss Fallen Ojou-sama who had fallen on hard times and secretly became a customer service representative?
That was acceptable.
After all, he had met the real Bocchi-chan, so the existence of other music anime characters was normal.
Kitahara Makoto collected his thoughts and immersed himself in studying again.
On the other hand, Togawa Sakiko, who was sitting behind him, had an interested gaze fixed on Kitahara Makoto's back.
"I didn't expect him to be my deskmate… It was easier than I thought."
"…"
In a flash, it was lunchtime.
Kitahara Makoto stood up and walked out, preparing to go to the cafeteria for lunch, when a cool, sweet voice suddenly rang out behind him:
"Kitahara-kun, please wait a moment."
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto turned his head to look back.
Togawa Sakiko stood up, a polite smile on her face:
"I just transferred today and forgot to prepare a bento. Are you planning to go to the cafeteria for lunch, Kitahara-kun?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded and said:
"That's right."
Togawa Sakiko softly made a request:
"I haven't been to the cafeteria yet, and I might get lost by myself. May I go with Kitahara-kun?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Strange.
Going to places like the restroom and cafeteria with someone, it's usually with girls, isn't it?
"Hey, hey, hey, gossip!"
The gossiping students in the class all cast curious glances.
After the first class, many people in the classroom came over to talk to Togawa Sakiko. Humans are visual creatures after all, and no one could ignore a cute beautiful girl who suddenly transferred in.
However, Togawa Sakiko's attitude was quite cold, exuding an aloofness that kept people at a distance. She would talk a bit with girls, but completely ignored boys who came to hit on her.
In just half a day, Togawa Sakiko had already been labeled as 'difficult to get along with'.
Now she was actually talking to a boy voluntarily?
There was a problem!
Definitely a problem!
"Could she be interested in Kitahara-kun?"
"Very possible."
"Although Kitahara-kun is quiet, if you look closely, he's actually very handsome."
"…"
A group of gossiping students exchanged frantic glances.
Kitahara Makoto hesitated for two seconds, then nodded and said:
"No problem, Togawa can come with me."
For a place like the cafeteria, she could just ask any girl for directions. There was no need to ask him, let alone go to the cafeteria together. In Japan's schools, a boy and a girl eating alone together could easily be misunderstood as dating.
His intuition told Kitahara Makoto that Togawa clearly had something else she wanted to say, so he was naturally a bit curious.
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun."
Togawa Sakiko thanked him softly.
"Let's go."
The two walked out of the classroom, one after the other.
"Togawa, for something like going to the cafeteria, isn't it more appropriate to go with a girl?" When they reached an empty corner, Kitahara Makoto stopped and spoke directly, "…Why did you ask me?"
Beating around the bush?
A true man always gets straight to the point!
"Eh?"
Togawa Sakiko was slightly startled, not expecting Kitahara Makoto to ask so directly. After a two-second hesitation, she quickly decided to tell the truth:
"First, I want to thank Kitahara-kun for his help this morning…"
At this point, Togawa Sakiko bowed again in thanks.
Kitahara Makoto said speechlessly:
"I just helped you walk two steps, it's not that serious, is it?"
"To me, that was not a small favor, but a life-saving grace." Togawa's tone was serious, "This kindness is etched in my heart, and I will definitely repay Kitahara-kun in the future."
"…"
Kitahara Makoto felt a subtle shift in his mood.
Who understands this, my friends? It's like you casually helped an old lady cross the street in the morning, and then she insists on having you inherit her family business. The feeling is just too subtle!
Togawa straightened up: "Besides that, there's one more thing I'd like to ask Kitahara-kun."
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"Tell me."
The reason Togawa followed him out was probably to say what she was about to say.
Togawa Sakiko pursed her pink lips, raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair falling to her chest behind her ear, and softly said:
"Kitahara-kun… do you believe in the existence of evil spirits?"
Kitahara Makoto was startled: "What do you mean?"
Togawa bit her lower lip lightly and spoke truthfully: "This morning under the cherry blossom tree, I wasn't feeling unwell; I was possessed by an evil spirit."
If you want to ask someone for help, you must be honest. It's like in front of a doctor, the most taboo thing is to be vague or hide your condition.
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Evil spirits?
What a joke! What happened to the promised everyday world of music girls?
How could there be such messy things as evil spirits!
But then again, according to his memories from his previous life, the Miss Fallen Ojou-sama in front of him had a proud and reserved personality, and was not someone who spoke carelessly for fun.
Could it be… that there really are evil spirits in this world?
The System isn't stupid; if evil spirits truly exist in this world, that's why it would give a [Exorcism] daily quest, right?
"I encountered that evil spirit a week ago. It's been by my side twenty-four hours a day, constantly, and I've tried everything, but I can't get rid of it…"
Togawa Sakiko bit her lower lip lightly, observing Kitahara Makoto's expression as she spoke.
"This morning, that evil spirit even grabbed my arm. At that moment, I felt my whole body freeze up until Kitahara-kun scared it away, and then my body finally returned to normal."
"Scared away by me?"
Kitahara Makoto was slightly surprised, then a look of understanding appeared on his face.
According to this, it must have been the ability [Demon Exorcism] that drove away the evil spirit.
(He really knows something! It wasn't a coincidence!)
Seeing the look of realization in Kitahara Makoto's eyes, Togawa Sakiko quietly clenched her pink fists, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in her heart.
Since it wasn't a coincidence, then it can be inferred that the boy in front of her must have some method or ability to exorcise evil spirits!
"Sorry, this sounds a bit unbelievable…" Kitahara Makoto came back to his senses and said calmly, "Does Togawa-san have any evidence?"
"…The evidence is right here."
Togawa Sakiko pursed her pink lips and rolled up the sleeve of her right hand, revealing a slender, snow-white wrist. Further up, a bluish-purple handprint appeared on the girl's forearm.
The fair skin, contrasting with the dark purple handprint, looked quite startling.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto's gaze sharpened.
In his eyes, faint black aura was clearly emanating from the handprint.
"This is where the evil spirit touched me this morning. It's still a bit numb and cold…" Togawa Sakiko bit her lower lip lightly, "Kitahara-kun, you can touch it and see."
If it were before, Togawa Sakiko would never have imagined letting a boy touch her body on the very first day they met, but now the situation was critical, so she certainly couldn't worry about such things.
Kitahara Makoto was quite curious, so he naturally nodded in agreement:
"I'll touch it."
Although he had gained the ability of [Demon Exorcism], there was no detailed usage description, only a phrase: 'physical exorcism'… The so-called physical exorcism should involve things like fists, right?
In any case, it definitely wouldn't be some kind of bodily fluid exorcism!
The moment his finger touched her skin, Kitahara Makoto felt a bone-chilling cold surge up from his fingertip.
But the next second, Kitahara Makoto felt something within his body erupt instantly, fiercely counterattacking.
"Ugh…"
Togawa Sakiko felt as if a scalding liquid poured in from Kitahara Makoto's fingertips. Wherever it went, it violently flushed away the cold aura within her body, and her soul seemed to be filled in an instant, causing her to let out a low moan.
They both looked down, only to see that where Kitahara Makoto's finger touched, the skin color rapidly changed from bluish-black to fair, and the surrounding bluish-black seemed startled, quickly retreating in all directions.
"It seems that just touching is enough to exorcise…"
Kitahara Makoto understood. He decisively extended his right hand and grasped Togawa Sakiko's wrist, covering the entire bluish-black handprint in his palm. Threads of black mist emanated and then quickly vanished into the air.
"…Kitahara-kun, that cold, numb feeling has completely disappeared!"
Togawa Sakiko's eyes widened as she looked at her arm, which had returned to its fair and delicate state, and a look of surprise quickly appeared on her pretty face.
Kitahara Makoto was about to speak when he suddenly heard a dull 'thud' from a dark corner.
Following the sound, he saw a bottle of juice roll out, and in the dark corner, a girl in a pink tracksuit was trembling, clutching her head:
"S-sorry, I really wasn't eavesdropping…!"
(Tickets, tickets, tickets… I want them all!)
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