Chapter 70: Living Together with Sakurajima Mai, Chance Encounter with Touma Kazusa
While Yoru was taking three beautiful girls out for a hearty meal and a grand celebration at a high-end Western restaurant.
At the National Institute of Technology in Chiba Prefecture.
Yukinoshita Haruno, who had just walked out of the library, felt the slightly cool night breeze. She cupped her hands together and gently breathed warm air into them.
"A bit cold."
Haruno didn't like summer.
Although her name contained the character for "Sun" (Haru/Yang), she didn't like summer, nor did she like winter.
Haruno didn't like any season.
Beep beep beep~
Hearing the ringtone from her pocket, Haruno took out her phone, pressed the answer button, and spoke in a flat tone.
"Mother."
"Haruno."
Mrs. Yukinoshita's tone didn't sound like a mother calling her daughter, but more like a boss communicating with a subordinate.
"Construction on that building in Kyoto has resumed. You did well this time."
"Thank you for your praise."
"However..."
Mrs. Yukinoshita suddenly changed the subject.
"You requested an additional 400,000 yen from the company funds. The reason is... needed for greasing palms?"
"Yes."
"Good, I trust your judgment."
Mrs. Yukinoshita was obviously very reassured about Haruno, and the Yukinoshita Construction Company didn't lack a mere 400,000 yen.
Compared to money and profit, the decoration project of the Kyoto office building actually represented more symbolic significance.
This was the first step for the Yukinoshita Construction Company to expand its influence outside Chiba Prefecture. Even if they didn't make money or even lost money, they had to do it beautifully.
"Mother, Yukino is doing well."
"Hmph."
Hearing Haruno mention Yukino's name, Mrs. Yukinoshita's voice noticeably turned much colder.
"Leaving Chiba to study elsewhere is one thing, but choosing a mere Sobu High instead of prestigious schools like Advanced Nurturing or Shuchiin, which are worthy of our Yukinoshita family name... truly disappoints me."
Facing Mrs. Yukinoshita's words, Haruno could only choose to remain silent.
She also didn't understand why her sister, who was outstanding in both appearance and academic ability, didn't choose Shuchiin or Advanced Nurturing but chose the mediocre Sobu High.
"If not for your pleading, I would never have let her leave Chiba to study alone in another place."
Although she didn't understand, Haruno was still willing to support Yukino's decision, even if it meant confronting her domineering mother directly.
Current Yukino still thought that being able to enroll in Sobu High was a result she obtained through her own arguments.
In reality, Haruno was supporting her from the shadows.
"Company matters are important, but your studies cannot fall behind either. After all, you are the future hope of the Yukinoshita family. That is all."
After Mrs. Yukinoshita hung up, Haruno's eyes became somewhat complicated. She sighed slightly, with a bit of bitterness in her smile, and muttered to herself.
"Little Yukino, sometimes I really envy your honesty that can be called naivety."
....
A pleasant day passed just like that.
On the way home, Yoru felt satisfied.
He was a normal... barely normal person.
Devouring the souls of evil spirits and wicked people to become stronger was something he definitely had to do.
If I can become strong, why remain ordinary?
However.
Improving strength didn't conflict with enjoying a peaceful and beautiful youth.
The former was the process; the latter was the ultimate goal.
After fighting against the supernatural for so long, finally waiting for the frequency of "Doors" appearing to decrease, it was time to relax.
When Yoru walked to the door of his home, he found a beautiful girl wearing black tights squatting quietly in front of the door.
Fortunately, it was only past 9:00 PM.
If he saw this scene at two or three in the morning, it would look like a female ghost coming to claim his life.
"Sakurajima Mai-san, why are you here?"
Yes, the beautiful girl squatting pitifully next to the elevator like a bullied puppy was none other than the former national idol actress, Sakurajima Mai.
"You're finally back."
Hearing Yoru's voice, Mai rubbed her eyes, patted her skirt, and stood up.
"For the two days of the weekend, I hope to stay at your place."
"Sure (Chi Chu), let's go."
In those school anime he watched in his previous life, there was one thing Yoru found most incomprehensible.
Clearly, the female lead launched a direct attack, almost throwing herself at him.
Why could the male protagonist still miss the opportunity or misunderstand her meaning from various unexpected angles?
That won't do.
Yoru wouldn't make the same mistake.
Why Mai wanted to stay at his place, whether she knew he lived alone.
Don't ask these questions.
Come, enter the house with me first.
"Your house is quite big."
After following Yoru into the elevator and arriving at his home, Mai uttered a sigh similar to Miko's back then.
This independent two-story house wasn't a luxury residence, but it was considered quite nice in Kyoto.
"There are instant foods in the fridge. If you're hungry, make something yourself in the kitchen."
Yoru sat on the sofa and said nonchalantly.
Mai looked helpless. She thought she would be reserved and nervous visiting a boy's house for the first time alone.
But seeing Yoru's nonchalant attitude, her tension and anxiety were instantly relieved a lot.
In the clean living room, Mai found a somewhat abrupt item.
She took off her small leather shoes, her feet in black tights stepping on the wooden floor. Taking two steps forward, she looked at an unopened can of Pepsi on the entryway shelf and asked curiously.
"You like drinking this?"
"Not at all."
"Then why put it here?"
"Because it was a gift from someone else."
"Then why don't you drink it?"
Hearing Mai's question, Yoru looked conflicted and complicated, as if this ordinary can of Pepsi was harder to deal with than the legendary Great Yokai Tamamo-no-Mae.
"I really hate drinking Pepsi, but since it's a gift, throwing it away is definitely not okay. Regifting it to someone else is also a bit impolite. So, just treat it as a decoration."
"Is that so..."
Mai nodded, then said meaningfully.
"The person who gave you this gift was a girl, right?"
"Indeed."
Next came silence.
Mai didn't know what topic to bring up. She could only sit quietly on the sofa, tucking her long hair behind her ear with her hand. Her small movements of adjusting her clothes from time to time revealed the nervous emotions in her heart, contrary to her calm appearance.
Yoru glanced at her and said faintly.
"You should be... afraid, right?"
"How is that possible? I..."
Mai instinctively wanted to deny it.
But the moment she met Yoru's eyes and saw his unwavering gaze, she felt seen through. Like a deflated ball, her voice became much heavier, and she lowered her head.
"Yes... I am very scared. Scared that I will disappear from this world from now on."
A look of melancholy appeared in Mai's eyes, and she sighed.
"Now, besides you, no one can see me anymore. Whether at school or after school, it's the same."
The reason Mai wanted to stay at Yoru's house was simple.
Because she was afraid.
Today was Friday.
This meant if she didn't do something, she wouldn't see Yoru for the two days of the weekend.
Two days.
For the former Mai, it was just a mere two days.
But now, she was terrified that when she entered the Super-Quant Clubroom on Monday lunch break, she would see Yoru's gaze pass straight through her body.
In that case, she would completely disappear from this world.
Now, Mai's only connection to this world and the only person who could observe her existence was Yoru.
"Don't worry."
Yoru smiled.
"Even if I forget you, as long as you put on a sexy swimsuit or a bunny girl outfit and stand in front of me, I will definitely remember you again."
Hearing this, Mai's pretty face blushed slightly, but she still put on a calm appearance, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hmph. As a mature adult and your senpai, if it's a request from a junior who lacks relationship experience and is very curious about women... as long as the attitude is sincere, wearing it for you to see isn't impossible. Consider it repayment for your help during this time."
"Is that so?"
Yoru smiled meaningfully and spoke slowly.
"Then how about we don't bother tidying up the guest room tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
Mai asked subconsciously. After a few seconds, she realized the meaning of these words. Her exquisite face flushed red instantly, and she gritted her silver teeth.
"You... you are not allowed to do strange things."
Sakurajima Mai, a second-year student at Sobu High, former national idol actress.
And she had another identity.
Famous for High Attack, Low Defense. (Glass Cannon in teasing).
Meeting someone like Yoru, who spoke his mind directly without any scruples or shyness, was simply a complete attribute counter.
"By the way."
After teasing Mai, Yoru suddenly remembered a question.
"Did you ever shoot swimsuit gravure photos before?"
This question made Mai's face sink instantly, and she replied very unhappily.
"How is that possible? I am an actress, not a model. With my professional acting skills and strength, I don't need to use such methods to attract attention at all."
"That's good."
Yoru thought it was quite nice that didn't happen.
It was good to have one less painful memory in her life.
Watching Mai sitting bored on the sofa, crossing her legs—her legs slender and well-proportioned, fair skin looming under the translucent black tights, looking a bit tired—Yoru had to admit one thing.
Mai's appearance was indeed outstanding.
Of course, Miko, who exuded a Kuudere aura but also made one want to bully her hard.
Yui, who leaned towards a Gal style but was unexpectedly pure and innocent inside.
And Rio, with an amazing figure and rational composure.
They could all be called eye-catching beautiful girls.
However.
Compared to the former national idol actress Sakurajima Mai, who debuted as a child star, they were ultimately a notch inferior.
Moreover, the mature and languid temperament on her body was something ordinary high school girls didn't possess.
The only one Yoru had met who could compete with Mai in terms of appearance and temperament without losing ground was Yukino's sister, Yukinoshita Haruno.
The others were somewhat lacking.
But hey, they can be cultivated.
....
The next morning, inside the shopping district.
"Oh my, long time no see."
Seeing Yoru walk into the shop, Oda Noto (Old Geezer), who was sitting at the counter smoking, immediately stood up with a smile to greet him.
Yoru returned a smile.
"Business has been good lately, right?"
"You bet. Thanks to you."
Oda Noto was all smiles, wrinkles on his face almost twisting together.
He had been feeling great during this time.
Although Oda Noto transferred all the exorcism rewards to Yoru without keeping a penny for himself.
But don't forget.
The clients came to him. In the eyes of the outside world, the one who solved those supernatural events was him, Oda Noto.
What did this mean?
Events that other exorcists in Kyoto couldn't solve, he, Oda Noto, could.
Not only could he solve them, but his speed in handling commissions was surprisingly fast.
Not every exorcism commission needed to be handed over to Yoru. Most commissions were actually due to the client's psychological effects, and quite a few were small ghosts that could be solved by selling an amulet or bracelet.
Oda Noto didn't care much about monetary benefits.
After all, at his age, with half his body already in the ground, having no sons, daughters, or grandchildren, he was a lonely old man.
The reputation gained during this period and the sense of accomplishment seeing clients turn danger into safety were far more valuable to Oda Noto than mere money.
"Came alone today?"
Hearing Oda Noto's question, Yoru glanced out of the corner of his eye at Mai beside him, who was looking around at the shelves like a curious baby, examining goods like amulets and bracelets. He nodded slightly.
"Mmhmm, came alone."
"Oh, oh. The rewards for this period have been transferred to your card."
"I know. There's something else this time."
Hearing this, Oda Noto suddenly looked troubled. He took a deep drag on his cigarette and said sorrowfully.
"That Student Yotsuya already told me. But finding truly powerful spiritual items will take some time. It's not that I'm stingy with money, but there are more and more people using fakes to scam others nowadays. Why do these guys have no bottom line?"
Watching Oda Noto looking indignant, Yoru thought if I hadn't been scammed by you too, I might have believed your nonsense, old geezer.
However, Oda Noto couldn't really be considered a charlatan.
He really had spiritual abilities and some real goods in hand. He just didn't want to waste genuine spiritual items on clients who weren't actually infested by evil spirits but only suffering from psychological effects.
Selling a fake casually and blowing it up with flowery words to create a placebo effect was about enough.
Speaking of which, Miko had indeed matured.
Yoru didn't ask her to contact Oda Noto to prepare powerful spiritual items.
Presumably, this was because Miko gradually realized the importance of weapons in battles with evil spirits and started preparing for a rainy day.
Why do I feel an inexplicable pleasure of raising an exorcist girl? What's going on?
"Do you know anything about the phenomenon of Spirited Away (Kamikakushi/Shen Yin)?"
As the saying goes:
When three people walk together, there must be a teacher among them.
From beginning to end, Yoru had a clear positioning of himself.
Exorcist, Evil Spirit Killer, Kyoto's Number one Abstract Artist, Police Department's Arch-Enemy, Future Harem King.
But when it came to knowledge about supernatural events, Oda Noto had more experience.
"Spirited Away?"
Hearing this term, Oda Noto frowned.
So-called Kamikakushi was a legend handed down in Sakura Prefecture since ancient times, referring to people disappearing suddenly one day without leaving any trace for no reason.
To put it bluntly, missing persons.
Oda Noto naturally wouldn't be stupid enough to think the "Spirited Away" Yoru mentioned was that simple.
"What exactly do you mean? Tell me about it."
"I have a friend."
Yoru used the classic opening line and told Oda Noto about Mai's general situation.
Mai, who was wandering aimlessly in the shop, looked surprised hearing his words.
She didn't expect Yoru came out today specifically for her matter.
Mai was somewhat moved inside.
"This..."
After listening to Yoru's narration, Oda Noto frowned tightly and murmured.
"This situation... I've never heard of it before either. Not only the person disappears, but memories also disappear?"
"Then investigate it."
Hearing Yoru's matter-of-fact tone, Oda Noto rolled his eyes and sighed helplessly.
"You kid, really not polite with me at all."
"You bet. Also hurry up with the powerful spiritual items. Get something heirloom-level."
"Alright, alright, I know. My old bones really can't handle you."
"Okay, leaving now."
.....
After leaving the shop with Mai, Yoru stretched lazily and rubbed his eyes sleepily.
"Hungry? Want to eat something?"
Mai bit her lower lip lightly, brushed her long hair behind her ear, and said softly.
"Just buy something random at the convenience store, then go home."
Yoru smiled and asked back.
"We finally came out; not gonna walk around more?"
Hesitation flashed in Mai's eyes. After a while, she nodded.
"Then... let's buy something at the convenience store and eat while walking."
Looking at Yoru walking half a step ahead of her, a strange thought suddenly arose in Mai's heart.
Although her strange illness was troublesome, it seemed...
There are benefits too?
In the past, let alone coming to such a bustling area, Mai would be recognized by passersby even taking the train to school.
Where would she have the opportunity to enjoy such free time without being stared at by everyone?
Yoru led Mai into a random convenience store on the street. Just as he was planning what to buy, he saw a very familiar girl with long black hair, exuding an aura that kept strangers away.
"Yoru... -kun?"
Touma Kazusa, who had just picked up a rice ball from the shelf, clearly didn't expect to meet Yoru here either.
Her slender white right hand froze in mid-air.