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"I'll be there in a bit."
Kitahara Makoto replied to the message, grabbed his school bag, went to the club room for a while, and then unhurriedly left school.
Having been to Soyo's once before, there was naturally no need to worry about getting lost this time.
The journey was uneventful.
Arriving downstairs at Soyo's apartment building, Kitahara Makoto didn't rush upstairs. He first went to the convenience store and bought a bag of fruit.
He was still meeting Soyo's mother today, and although it was just a formality, the necessary courtesies had to be observed.
After buying the fruit and coming out, he happened to encounter a brown-haired, blue-eyed Young Miss returning, carrying her school bag in both hands. Her gentle demeanor was reassuring, as if anyone could be treated with kindness by her.
Unfortunately, only Kitahara Makoto knew that the young girl's gentle appearance was just a disguise; inside, she was quite the Tsundere Young Miss.
"Eh, Kitahara-kun?"
Nagasaki Soyo's eyes lit up, and a look of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on her pretty face.
Kitahara Makoto smiled and said:
"Soyo-san, good afternoon. I just arrived and was about to message you."
After a few days apart, this Tsundere Young Miss was noticeably more haggard. Not only did she have faint dark circles under her eyes, but her complexion also looked listless.
"It's already Friday tomorrow, and Kitahara-kun is finally here."
Nagasaki Soyo gently bit her lip, and the surprise on her pretty face quickly disappeared, replaced by a strong sense of resentment.
"I have been quite busy these past few days…" Kitahara Makoto felt no guilt. "You've managed to keep going for four days and still attend school normally. It seems Soyo-san is doing quite well."
At the time, he had said they would meet next week if there was time, but he hadn't set a specific day, so it didn't count as breaking his word.
"What do you mean 'doing well'?" Nagasaki Soyo's tone was resentful. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in days. That evil spirit imp is getting more and more out of hand; last night, it even crawled under my bed right in front of me… You said we would all be haunted, right? Why does the evil spirit imp never go after Kitahara-kun?"
"Hmm…" Kitahara Makoto pondered for two seconds. "It's probably because Soyo-san is too weak. Even evil spirit imps know to pick on the weak."
Nagasaki Soyo: "…"
This conversation couldn't continue!
"I'm really sorry for being so weak."
Nagasaki Soyo raised a hand to her forehead, exhaling softly in resignation: "Let's go to the convenience store first to buy some ingredients. I'll prepare dinner tonight."
The two walked into the convenience store together.
"What kind of dish would Kitahara-kun like to eat?"
Nagasaki Soyo carried her school bag in both hands, walking side by side with Kitahara Makoto. As she spoke, she tilted her head to look at him, her voice gentle:
"Common dishes are all fine."
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and said:
"It seems Soyo-san is quite confident in her cooking skills."
"While not a lot, I do have some confidence." Nagasaki Soyo's rosy lips curved slightly upward. "When I was very young, my mom and dad divorced. Later, my mom was busy with work, so I basically cooked for myself. Although my cooking skills can't compare to Kitahara-kun's, they shouldn't disappoint."
"Then I won't be polite…"
After buying the ingredients.
The two returned to the apartment together.
"Kitahara-kun, these are the slippers I bought last night." Nagasaki Soyo bent down and took out a brand new pair of men's slippers. "Wear these today."
Kitahara Makoto politely thanked her and put on the slippers.
Nagasaki Soyo put down the ingredients she was holding and suddenly lowered her voice:
"That evil spirit imp might be inside the house… Shall we try to find it?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded and said, "Let me put on a necklace first."
"Eh?"
Under Nagasaki Soyo's curious gaze, Kitahara Makoto opened his school bag, took out an ordinary gray necklace, and put it around his neck.
The next second.
Nagasaki Soyo only felt a slight dizziness in her head, and her eyes quickly became blank.
"Strange, what just happened… I feel like I forgot something very important…" Nagasaki Soyo looked around blankly until she looked down at the shoes on the floor and finally realized, "Men's shoes… Wait, Kitahara-kun?"
Kitahara Makoto took off the necklace, regaining his presence.
"Kitahara-kun, what just happened?" Nagasaki Soyo was startled, her eyes wide with shock. "You can even turn invisible?"
"It's not invisibility, it's reducing my presence…"
Kitahara Makoto briefly explained the mysterious necklace's effect: "After putting on the necklace, your presence disappears, just like what happened just now. That evil spirit imp might be like Soyo-san and unable to detect me."
Hana-chan could see through the necklace's presence-weakening effect, but the evil spirit imp at the amusement park might not be able to. In any case, it's better to wear it just in case; it might come in handy.
"How amazing…" Nagasaki Soyo's eyes were full of curiosity. "Kitahara-kun, can I try it?"
"Of course you can try, but I just said that wearing the necklace consumes energy, so you can't wear it for too long." Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't be stingy. "If you want to try, wait a bit. Let's first check the house to see if that evil spirit imp is here."
The discussion concluded.
Kitahara Makoto put the necklace back on, eliminating his own presence.
"Kitahara-kun?"
A living person suddenly disappeared from in front of her, with only a vague impression remaining in her mind. Nagasaki Soyo panicked again.
"Don't panic," Kitahara Makoto said. "I'm right beside you. Let's check the house first."
"Okay…"
Nagasaki Soyo took a deep breath, enduring the discomfort in her mind, and began to check each room one by one.
A moment later.
"No trace of that evil spirit imp was found."
Kitahara Makoto took off the necklace, his tone regretful.
"Maybe that evil spirit imp sensed Kitahara-kun coming," Nagasaki Soyo also said with regret.
"Don't worry, you might not be afraid after being scared a few times," Kitahara Makoto handed the necklace to the Tsundere Young Miss. "You can try it now."
"Let me try."
Nagasaki Soyo took the necklace with interest. A mystical item that could eliminate one's own presence—she wanted to try it no matter what, just to satisfy her curiosity.
"Pay attention to the front and back," Kitahara Makoto reminded her from the side. "Don't wear it incorrectly. The front side will greatly increase your presence."
Nagasaki Soyo softly said:
"Has Kitahara-kun tried the effect of the front side?"
"I haven't tried it," Kitahara Makoto shook his head. "But the effects of the front and back should be similar. If worn on the front, the presence might be enhanced to an exaggerated degree… This necklace was made by the Beast Eared Girl, and it might cause misunderstandings, so I've only worn it briefly once and haven't told anyone else."
Throwing the blame onto the Beast Eared Girl, Kitahara Makoto felt no guilt whatsoever.
Those small cakes every day weren't eaten for nothing!
"Eh?"
Nagasaki Soyo blinked upon hearing this, then raised a slender finger, playing with a strand of hair by her ear, and said gently, "So, I'm the first person to know about this necklace?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded and said, "That's right."
Upon receiving a definite answer, Nagasaki Soyo's rosy lips curved slightly upwards: "Then I'll wear it both ways, front and back, so Kitahara-kun can experience the effects, okay?"
Whether it was the first time with the front or the first time with the back, she truly wanted both.
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