Chapter 6: An Evil Spirit's Sting Operation
When Yoru returned to the classroom, he saw Touma Kazusa place a can of soda on his desk.
Caught red-handed, Kazusa didn't panic in the slightest. She simply spoke in that same emotionless, flat tone:
"I don't like owing people favors."
Yoru walked slowly to his desk, looked at the soda can, and shook his head with a complicated expression.
"Well now, Touma Kazusa. I helped you out, yet you repay my kindness with enmity. You want me to drink Pepsi, the brand-name toilet cleaner?"
Immediately after, Yoru reached out his right hand and touched the can of Pepsi. His pupils constricted in shock, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
"And it's room temperature!"
"Uh..."
Kazusa had anticipated many scenarios. Perhaps Yoru would misunderstand her intentions and start pestering her.
Or maybe he wouldn't accept it at all.
Even if Yoru had thrown the drink into the trash right in front of her face, Kazusa wouldn't have been surprised. After all, they had just had a disagreement that morning.
But this situation? She truly hadn't predicted it.
"Room temperature... Is there a problem with that?"
Hearing Kazusa's question, Yoru replied in a matter-of-fact tone, as if answering the simplest elementary school math problem.
"Do you know what cola is also called?"
"No."
"Fat Nerd Happy Water."
Yoru picked up the can of Pepsi. His handsome black eyes held a look of profound weariness, like an old man standing under the setting sun, lamenting the impermanence of life.
"Even if it is toilet cleaner, if it were ice-cold, drinking it in this early spring season while admiring the scattered cherry blossoms outside the window might have a unique flavor of its own."
"But forgive me for being blunt: un-chilled soda is just a piece of sh*t."
Kazusa's elegant eyebrows twitched once. She remained silent for a long while before finally saying faintly:
"Anyway, the favor I owed you is repaid."
With that, she slumped back onto her desk and went back to sleep.
"Those two are really weird, aren't they?"
"Not just weird, they're total freaks."
"Shh, keep it down. Don't let him hear you. He's a dangerous guy who carries a revolver around."
Hearing the hushed whispers of his classmates from afar, Yoru rolled his eyes.
Good grief. The rumors are getting more and more ridiculous.
I clearly only brought a peach wood dagger that isn't even sharp, and some plain, common silver nails about twenty centimeters long.
How did it turn into carrying a revolver?
By the time school gets out, will the rumors have mutated into "First-year student Yoru carries the nuclear launch codes in his pocket"?
Tomorrow's headline: "Shocking! The True Culprit Behind JFK's Assassination Revealed!"
Day after tomorrow: "Unbelievable! He Was the One Who Executed Louis XVI!"
Three days from now: "Turns out when Pangu split heaven and earth, this was the kid who handed him the axe!"
"Public opinion truly melts gold," Yoru thought to himself. He glanced at the Pepsi in his hand, and in the end, decided to stow it inside his desk. Then, he slumped onto the table and slipped back into a baby-like slumber.
Throughout the entire afternoon, Yotsuya Miko found it hard to concentrate on her classes.
Her gaze frequently drifted to Yoru in the corner of the classroom.
This detail was noticed by Yui Yuigahama, who sat nearby.
When class ended, Yui leaned over to the contemplative Miko and spoke with a sweet smile.
"Hello, Yotsuya-san."
Hearing Yui's voice, Miko snapped back to reality. She looked up at the girl's cute face and asked tentatively.
"You are... Yuigahama-san, right?"
"Just call me Yui."
Yui Yuigahama's personality was the epitome of friendly; she was practically a social butterfly.
Because Miko had been suppressing her emotions for years due to constantly seeing evil spirits, she appeared to be someone difficult to approach.
But in reality, her personality was similar to that of an average high school girl—leaning towards the cheerful and lively type.
"Um, Yui-san, did you need something?"
Yui covered her mouth and giggled, secretly pointing a finger at Yoru sitting in the corner. She gave Miko a meaningful look.
"I noticed you were stealing glances at him all through class. Could it be that you two...?"
"Huh?"
Miko was stunned for a moment, then waved her hands, laughing dumbfoundedly.
"Yui-san, why would you think that? It's absolutely impossible."
"Why is it impossible?"
Yui tilted her head, looking adorably ditzy and curious.
"Even though Yoru-kun's personality is a bit different from normal people, he's actually quite good-looking. And didn't you two go out together during the lunch break?"
Hearing this, Miko thought for a moment.
"So that's how it looked... I guess it really does seem that way."
Listening to Yui, Miko realized something.
Yoru's appearance was indeed outstanding.
It was just that her focus had always been on his ability to devour evil spirits, so she had turned a blind eye to his looks.
To an outsider like Yui, seeing them go out alone during lunch on the very first day of school... it wasn't strange that such a misunderstanding would occur.
"You've misunderstood."
Miko shook her head and smiled.
"Yoru-kun and I aren't in that kind of relationship. We went out alone during lunch simply because... because of some private matters."
"Oh, I see."
Yui nodded noncommittally. Then, a hint of dimness flashed in her eyes as she forced a smile.
"Um, since you can talk to Yoru-kun, could you help me tell him something? I want to apologize to him."
"Apologize?"
"Yes. Because this morning, I left without saying goodbye to him. That wasn't very nice."
Miko frowned slightly and shook her head gently.
"You don't need to worry about it. He probably forgot about it long ago."
Miko found it hard to imagine that someone with Yoru's personality would care about such trivial details.
Moreover...
Isn't Yuigahama-san being a little too gentle, to the point of being overly sensitive?
Just as Yui was about to say something else, a female student suddenly walked over.
"Yotsuya-san, Shizuka-sensei wants you to go to the faculty office."
"Oh, okay."
Miko stood up, smoothed out her skirt, and nodded slightly to Yui.
"Then, Yui-san, let's talk later."
"Mmhmm, go ahead."
After leaving the classroom, Miko headed towards the faculty office on the third floor.
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she saw Hiratsuka Shizuka's figure disappear around the corner, heading in the direction of the rooftop.
"Shizuka-sensei?"
She tried calling out, but she didn't know if the teacher hadn't heard her or had deliberately ignored her.
Miko's small face was full of confusion. Didn't she call me to the office?
What is Shizuka-sensei going to the rooftop for?
Filled with doubts, she quickly followed, pushing open the heavy door to the rooftop. She saw Shizuka, wearing her white lab coat, leaning against the railing. Her eyes held no emotion, staring coldly straight at Miko.
"Shizuka-sensei?"
Shizuka didn't respond verbally; she simply beckoned to her.
Subconsciously, Miko nodded in response.
In the next second, Shizuka's body and face suddenly began to twist and distort, transforming into a massive, spider-like monster that occupied almost the entire rooftop.
"W-What!?"
Miko's pupils dilated in shock. Her body felt as if it had been plunged into an ice cave, frozen in place, unable to move.
On that twisted, terrifying face, four eyes stared coldly at her. A voice that sounded like a demon from hell rang out.
"You. Can. See. Me."