After lunch, Miyauchi Hikage took the Honma siblings to the filming set.
After all, the young people in the village nowadays were either resting at home or working at the filming set.
The children and teenagers who had gone on the spring outing together back then were the very group of people who had most supported his revitalization of Asahigaoka over the years.
Being able to earn a good amount of money in their hometown under Miyauchi Hikage's arrangements without having to work long hours, and with a bunch of outsiders now wanting to get a piece of the pie at Asahigaoka Media, naturally, few would choose to leave Asahigaoka after graduating from high school or university.
Today, they happened to be filming the segment that has been circulating on the internet for a long time: "My blade is a poison blade, coated with a powerful poison."
The low-quality set and exaggerated acting couldn't hide the relaxed atmosphere on site. The filming was basically completed amidst various bouts of laughter.
But then again, this kind of spoof drama was all about being nonsensical and playful. The fact that the set could have such an atmosphere also meant that Koshigaya Suguru and Kagayama Kaede had no major problems with their management of the filming site, and the entire crew could maintain a stable state to carry out the shooting.
"Satoshi, do you want to give it a try later? This is a low-budget comedy series. Those background extras don't need any acting skills and don't have any lines. It should be a good experience. Maybe when the series airs, you'll even have a chance to see yourself on TV," Miyauchi Hikage asked Honma Satoshi. It was clear that the thirteen-year-old boy was very interested in these things.
He had been looking at his masked sister with some hesitation, seemingly worried that she might not be used to the overly lively environment of the set.
However, Honma Meiko waved her hand at him and even encouraged him to give it a try.
"I'm fine physically, and with Miyauchi-kun looking after me here, there won't be any big problems. If I feel uncomfortable, there are plenty of places to rest nearby."
She really wanted to find an opportunity to be alone with Miyauchi Hikage. Before, it was either his sister or her brother around, and she couldn't find any chance.
Seeing that time was ticking away and she would have to go back by evening at the latest, she felt a little nervous in her heart.
Therefore, watching her brother excitedly being led by the crew members to pick out clothes and get his makeup done, she couldn't help but look at Miyauchi Hikage standing beside her.
She was almost a year older than him, but due to her frail health, she was slightly shorter than other girls her age.
Miyauchi Hikage was different. Not only did his skin not look like that of a boy who grew up in the countryside, but at the age of 16, he was already nearly 1.8 meters tall, a whole head taller than her.
Coupled with the confident aura he exuded, Honma Meiko, who had spent these years mostly at home without going out much, couldn't help but feel a sense of inadequacy in front of him.
So much so that when she finally got a chance to talk alone, she didn't even know what to say to him at first.
It was Miyauchi Hikage who took the initiative to start the conversation.
"Your breathing rhythm is messy."
With this sentence from Miyauchi Hikage, Honma Meiko immediately looked at him with an astonished expression.
She was still wearing a mask. How did Miyauchi Hikage notice that her breathing rhythm was messy?
Or could it be that Miyauchi Hikage had already realized that she had also mastered a breathing method through her breathing rhythm?
Because as long as she could keep breathing, Hamon could continuously restore her stamina. So even if her own talent was not good, she had always reminded herself to develop the habit of maintaining Hamon breathing at all times.
However, when her emotions fluctuated greatly, it was still easy for her breathing rhythm to become disordered.
She hadn't expected Miyauchi Hikage to be able to see even this.
In response, Miyauchi Hikage pointed to an open space on the side.
"The sunlight there is good. Your physical condition really needs more sun. Let's go there and talk while we walk."
Feeling her heartbeat inexplicably speed up again, Honma Meiko managed to adjust her breathing and then followed behind Miyauchi Hikage in the direction he pointed.
Miyauchi Hikage had adjusted his pace, so she could keep up without much effort.
Further away, Kagayama Kaede, who was still constantly watching the situation here, couldn't help but grit her teeth again.
That guy, Hikage, is flirting with a girl again.
It was one thing to flirt with all the girls in Asahigaoka, and another to not stop in Tokyo, but now he's even come to the filming set to flirt. What a shameless man.
But thinking of the text message Miyauchi Hikage had sent her before coming to the set, Kagayama Kaede resisted the urge to go over and disturb them.
That girl was pitiful too. She fell into the water once and was bedridden for four or five years. Even Asahigaoka, which was less than twenty kilometers from her home, was the farthest she had traveled in all these years.
Her heart must have accumulated a lot of negative and pessimistic emotions over the years.
This was indeed a time when Miyauchi Hikage's help was needed.
After all, this guy was best at telling those chicken-soup stories and making grand promises to inspire people. It was quite appropriate for him to help this girl regain her confidence in life.
Kagayama Kaede looked again at Miyauchi Hikage and the silver-haired girl who looked particularly delicate standing beside him, and she felt a little more at ease in her heart.
Miyauchi Hikage would never like this type of girl.
Thinking of this, she refocused her attention on the set, only occasionally glancing in Miyauchi Hikage's direction.
On Miyauchi Hikage's side, after walking with Honma Meiko for a while, and confirming that no one nearby could overhear their conversation, he turned to face her.
"Take off your mask. The air here is nice, and you can also get some afternoon sun. This kind of environment is the most suitable for practicing breathing methods."
Honma Meiko looked at Miyauchi Hikage before her.
Even though in the diary's radar map, the dot representing him was much smaller than hers, which meant that his Hamon intensity was definitely not as high as hers.
But from his words, it was clear that Miyauchi Hikage's level of research on the breathing method was much higher than theirs.
The mysterious person's description of him in the diary was indeed correct. Miyauchi Hikage was this kind of genius suited for creation and research.
She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to ask how Miyauchi Hikage knew about the breathing method. That should have been the normal way of conversation.
But asking such a question when she already knew the answer made her, being thin-skinned and not good at lying, feel a little embarrassed.
"You... can you also... do that breathing method?"
Stuttering three times in just one sentence, Miyauchi Hikage felt that there was no need to prepare so many contingency plans in Tokyo. No matter what he said, she would probably believe him.
In response, Miyauchi Hikage extended his hand towards Honma Meiko.
Honma Meiko was taken aback for a moment, but she still followed his gesture and gently reached out to hold his hand.
In just an instant, a connection was established between their Hamon.
Honma Meiko could feel the Hamon in her body naturally surging out, interacting with the Hamon that flowed from Miyauchi Hikage.
After letting go of her hand, Miyauchi Hikage's expression couldn't help but become "strange."
"How is your situation so similar to Mashiro's?"
"Huh?" Honma Meiko let out a sound of confusion, seemingly not knowing what was wrong with her body.
Miyauchi Hikage then briefly explained Shiina Mashiro's identity, and how he had learned, and then began to analyze, research, and improve this breathing method under his own research with her guidance.
"Do you know Shiina Mashiro?" Miyauchi Hikage asked Honma Meiko.
Honma Meiko quickly waved her hands in denial. Although she hadn't received a danger warning, if she said they knew each other, it would be even harder to explain.
Just this guilty-looking appearance, anyone would be suspicious of your reaction, right?
Miyauchi Hikage thought, but he didn't press further on this question. He just nodded at Honma Meiko and continued.
"Although I don't know why you're the only one in your family practicing this breathing method, looking at the Hamon in your body now, you should have been practicing for almost a year, right?"
Honma Meiko nodded shyly.
She had used all her reading value to improve her Hamon, only keeping a few points as a warning for danger.
By her calculation, the Hamon in her body was indeed about a year's worth.
Seeing Honma Meiko nod, Miyauchi Hikage continued.
"Your situation is the same as Mashiro's. You've both practiced for a year, and you clearly have a decent amount of power in your bodies, but you haven't made the power in your bodies become active along with your breathing, nor have you adjusted your breathing rhythm in a way that is more suitable for yourselves."
As he said this, Miyauchi Hikage demonstrated how to use "half a month's worth of Hamon for a normal person," which was essentially using Hamon to adhere to the palm of his hand and then using this method to enhance his hand strength.
Watching Miyauchi Hikage squat down, leave a palm print on the ground with ease, and then lift his hand without a speck of dirt on it.
Honma Meiko tried to do the same.
Either the power couldn't be accurately gathered in her palm, being either too strong or too weak, or her hand even got covered in a lot of dirt.
It seemed that their level of control over Hamon was not on the same level.
"The power in your body is already not weak. As long as you learn how to control this power properly, it should allow your body to recover faster."
Miyauchi Hikage took out a wet wipe and handed it to her while speaking, then suddenly asked Honma Meiko a question.
"Do you know who the person who taught you this breathing method is?"
Honma Meiko had also been in the chat group last night and naturally knew how Shiina Mashiro had answered.
So she stuttered and answered according to Shiina Mashiro's template.
"Same explanation as Mashiro... a mysterious, unknown person gave you this breathing method through a letter?" Miyauchi Hikage said, while also putting on a look of dissatisfaction with that "mysterious person."
"To not teach such a breathing method in person, but instead to guide through writing like this, aren't they afraid that you'll mess up your practice and harm your bodies..." Miyauchi Hikage continued to mutter, "Fortunately, you've all been honestly practicing according to the contents of the letter this past year. Although it's a bit rigid, at least no accidents will happen."
Then Miyauchi Hikage mentioned the matter of the Demon Slayer Corps from a hundred years ago again and once more took out the story written by his ancestor, asking if Honma Meiko knew about that history from a hundred years ago.
In response, Honma Meiko could only continue to shake her head and deny it in the same way as Shiina Mashiro.
"You don't know, and Mashiro doesn't know either... So what does that mysterious person want to do, and what happened a hundred years ago? And for what reason now is that person spreading this breathing method again?"
Miyauchi Hikage pretended to ponder, then shook his head again.
"But the most important thing right now is your physical condition. You've been practicing the breathing method for a year. Even if you're not good at using the power in your body, this power should have subtly made your body better."
"But your body has only improved slightly now, which is actually a bit abnormal. There must be some other reason affecting your body."
"Anyway, just relax first. I'll teach you how to find the breathing rhythm that's most suitable for you. If you're fast, you can basically learn it in a day or two, and it should also allow your body to recover faster."
Hearing Miyauchi Hikage's words, Honma Meiko became a little nervous again.
According to Miyauchi Hikage, the Hamon in her body was already enough for her to return to a normal life.
It was because her body was affected by other reasons that she hadn't fully recovered.
So what could be the reason?
These past few days, through the sharing of Yotsuya Miko, who had successfully enrolled in the Jujutsu High, the group had gained a lot more knowledge about Cursed Spirits and curses.
This made her can't help but wonder if her body had also been "cursed" by something.
As she thought of this, she immediately felt the diary automatically appear in her hand, and at the same time, it sent her a notification.
She glanced cautiously at Miyauchi Hikage, and after confirming that he had not noticed her action, she opened the diary to look.
A new commission had been refreshed in the diary.
"Go to the place where you drowned back then and find the truth behind your weakened body."