Back in the room.
Kitahara Makoto opened his backpack, took out the answer book, and handed it to Nijika, softly saying, "My question attempts for today are already used up. Nijika-senpai, why don't you ask?"
"...Okay."
Ijichi Nijika took a deep breath and eagerly took the answer book. Her eyes were still misty, and tears kept swirling.
However, after placing her right hand on the book, a hint of hesitation appeared on Ijichi Nijika's pretty face.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
What if the soul in the Buddha niche wasn't Mama, but some other random existence?
In that case, she would definitely be explosively disappointed, right?
Kitahara Makoto sat quietly beside her, not urging her, silently waiting for Nijika's action.
With Nijika's personality, she would clarify the situation no matter what.
A moment later.
"Hoo..."
Ijichi Nijika took a deep breath, her gaze quickly firming. She bit her lower lip tightly and softly asked, "The soul inside the Buddha niche... Is it Mama?"
Whoosh.
The answer book flipped rapidly without any wind.
Ijichi Nijika's heart immediately rose, as if suspended in mid-air, drifting aimlessly.
Fortunately, at this moment, a hand reached out and gently held Ijichi Nijika's soft hand.
Kitahara Makoto softly said, "Senpai, I'm here."
"..."
Ijichi Nijika didn't speak, but instead quietly switched to a clasped-fingers posture, tightly interlocking her fingers with Kitahara Makoto.
The 'cutscene' ended, and the answer book finally stopped flipping.
On the blank page, a single character quietly emerged:
[Yes]
Seeing the answer given in the book, Ijichi Nijika once again raised her hand to tightly cover her lips. Little pearls (tears) poured down, and she even spoke incoherently.
"It, it's really Mama... Mama was actually here all along... Ugh..."
Kitahara Makoto opened his arms and gently embraced Ijichi Nijika, comforting her softly, "Nijika-senpai, don't cry. You should be happy. This is a huge piece of good news."
"Good, good news?"
Ijichi Nijika, with teary eyes, looked up, her small nose sniffling.
Kitahara Makoto said earnestly, "Since Auntie's soul is still here, we can definitely find a way to make Auntie an existence like Ghost-senpai. Then Auntie can return to Nijika's side again."
"Ye-yes..."
Ijichi Nijika quickly wiped away the tears on her face, her eyes shining brightly as she said, "I can see Mama again!"
"So, Senpai, don't cry anymore."
Kitahara Makoto pulled out a tissue and handed it over, "First, wipe your snot."
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but glare at him.
"I'm not sniffling at all!"
"..."
Quickly wiping her nose and tears, and throwing away the tissue, Ijichi Nijika's mood finally calmed down a little, but then a worried expression appeared on her pretty face:
"Something's wrong. If I can see ghost Senpai, then I should be able to see Mom too… Why haven't I seen Mom's ghost even once after all this time?"
Kitahara Makoto turned his head and looked at Hana:
"Hana, what do you say?"
Hana tilted her small face:
"The soul is very weak."
Ijichi Nijika asked nervously:
"Do you mean Mom is very weak? What do I need to do to see Mom?"
"I don't know."
Seeing Hana shake her head, Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but show a look of disappointment.
"Don't worry, Nijika, we can still ask the answer book." Kitahara Makoto gently squeezed Nijika's fingers and said softly, "The answer book still has one question left. Do you want to call Seika-nee?"
Ijichi Nijika was clearly tempted, but after hesitating for a few seconds, she still shook her head gently and said:
"Let's not for now. Don't tell Seika about this for the time being… I remember the answer book's question count refreshes every day at midnight, right?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded: "That's right."
"It's almost eleven now." Ijichi Nijika said softly, "Let's wait an hour, then we'll get up and ask."
"Okay."
"…"
Kitahara Makoto held Nijika in his arms, gently stroking Nijika's back, his mind unusually free of distractions.
"No matter what the cost, I must see Mom again. There are so many, many things I want to tell Mom…"
Ijichi Nijika did not act tsundere this time, quietly leaning in Kitahara Makoto's arms, listening to their heartbeats while softly recounting her past life.
Nijika's father, due to the nature of his work, was on business trips outside for many years, basically only returning once a year, so from childhood, the family basically only consisted of the three mother and daughters.
When Nijika was nine years old, Seika, who was twenty-one at the time, didn't get into college at all. After graduating from high school, she became obsessed with the Kessoku Band with her friends and basically never came home.
Nijika believed that the Kessoku Band had stolen her sister, and thus developed a dislike for the Kessoku Band. Once, for revenge, she secretly turned up the volume of Seika-nee's performance speakers to the maximum.
At that time, the two sisters' relationship could hardly be described as harmonious.
To ease the conflict between the sisters, one day Nijika's mother went to Seika's Kessoku Band, hoping that the two could become the most harmonious sisters in the world, hoping Seika would stop making Nijika cry, care more about her younger sister, and ideally take Nijika to see a Live, etc.
Ijichi Seika was in her rebellious phase at the time and didn't take her mother's words to heart at all. Who knew that this would be their last meeting in life…
Not long after, Nijika's mother unexpectedly passed away due to a car accident.
Nijika was deeply affected at the time, her entire life plunged into gloom. She hid at home, unwilling to go out, and even unwilling to go to school.
Seika, on the other hand, quit the Kessoku Band, took out all her savings, opened a Livehouse, and lived with Nijika, depending on each other… until today.
Time quietly slipped away minute by minute during Nijika's narration, and unconsciously, it was already midnight.
"Nijika, the question count has refreshed."
Kitahara Makoto said softly.
"Okay."
Ijichi Nijika silently sat up, picked up the answer book again, took a deep breath, and then softly asked:
"How can I make Mom move freely like ghost Senpai?"
Rustle, rustle.
The answer book quickly flipped pages.
Before long, a line of text quietly appeared:
[Offer Eden Fruit]
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
Eden Fruit again?
This thing can not only beautify and nourish, make people youthful forever, and prolong life, but now it can also be used to worship ghosts. Why not rename it the all-purpose fruit!
"Tomorrow evening, we will go to the Otherworld, get the Eden Fruit, and then offer it to Auntie."
Kitahara Makoto said decisively without hesitation.
Ijichi Nijika looked up, her pearly teeth gently biting her lower lip:
"Thank you, Kitahara…"
"Besides thanking me, shouldn't Nijika give me a little reward?"
"…"
Ijichi Nijika blinked her eyes. This time she didn't say 'don't even think about it.' Instead, she propped one hand on the bed, raised the other hand to tuck the strands of hair behind her ear, her pretty face slightly flushed, and leaned down to kiss him.
Lips met.
The room quickly fell silent.
Kitahara Makoto gently embraced Nijika, and the two silently savored the tranquility of the moment.
After an unknown amount of time, a soft sound suddenly echoed in the room.
Pop!
Ijichi Nijika quickly sat up, her pretty face flushed crimson, panting. One hand covered her chest, and the other hand couldn't help but rise again, smacking Kitahara Makoto one more time, utterly embarrassed:
"You need to know when to stop!!!"
Letting you put your hand inside my pajamas was already the limit, but you're still not satisfied and want to put your hand under my nightgown… Don't even think about that!
"I'm sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me."
Kitahara Makoto apologized three times decisively, raising both hands and saying:
"Nijika, one more time, I promise not to move around."
"Pfft~"
Ijichi Nijika lightly spat, her pretty face crimson as she glared at him.
"There's no more reward. Hurry up and sleep. We still need to go to the Dream World to let Seika know how to write the words 'fear'."
"…"
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
There's no need to say much about what happened in the Dream World. The subway crisis cycled several times, which surely left a very deep impression on Ijichi Seika.
"While Seika hasn't woken up yet, you two hurry and leave."
Ijichi Nijika went out first to scout the situation. After confirming that Seika hadn't woken up, she quickly took Kitahara Makoto and Hana and secretly snuck out of the house.
"Whew…"
Ijichi Nijika clutched her chest, letting out a sigh of relief, then raised her chin and said:
"Operation plan successfully completed!"
Kitahara Makoto asked softly:
"Are we calling everyone to the Otherworld this evening?"
Ijichi Nijika hesitated for a few seconds, then gently shook her head and said:
"Let's not… Everyone has their own things to do, let's not trouble them."
Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly and said:
"Then at least call Ryo-senpai."
For no other reason, Ryo-senpai is the most capable and has the best teamwork.
To clear the game, Ryo-senpai is indispensable.
"I know." Ijichi Nijika raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair behind her ear, then reached out to pat Hana's small head, pursing her lips and saying, "I'll talk to Ryo."
Kita and Bocchi-chan are friends, good friends, but Ryo is a bosom friend, so troubling Ryo is not a problem.
"See you this evening, Nijika."
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand, then left with Hana.
There wasn't much to do today. Besides daily tasks, there was filming a short film. He originally wanted to go to the driving school with Bocchi-chan to brush up on lessons, but unfortunately, Bocchi-chan's shame hadn't cooled down yet, and she was hiding at home, not daring to go out.
In the afternoon, having nothing to do, Kitahara Makoto went and teased his dear Soyo again, fulfilling his wish to make Soyo cry with teary eyes, begging for mercy.
In the evening.
Outside the old house.
When Kitahara Makoto arrived with Hana, Ryo-senpai and Nijika were already waiting eagerly at the door.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Kitahara Makoto stepped forward.
"It's just that Ryo and I arrived first." Ijichi Nijika gently shook her head, her voice soft, "Good afternoon, Hana."
"Ah~ It's so hot outside." Ryo-senpai raised her hand to fan herself, her tone lazy, "Shouldn't we at least go inside before chatting?"
Kitahara Makoto nodded, took out his key, and stepped forward to open the door.
The three walked into the house.
Kitahara Makoto opened the refrigerator and casually took out a few bottles of drinks:
"Let's have some cold drinks first, then change into swimsuits, and then we can leave."
After finishing their drinks and chatting for a while, Ryo and Nijika went upstairs to change into their swimsuits.
"Nijika, did you bring the bracelet?"
Yamada Ryo asked in a low voice.
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face quickly flushed crimson:
"I didn't bring anything like that!"
"Oh, that's a shame." Yamada Ryo said airily while taking off her clothes, "Nijika, don't you miss that feeling?"
Ijichi Nijika said in embarrassment:
"I don't miss it at all!"
"I brought the bracelet." Yamada Ryo shook her right hand, a black bracelet particularly conspicuous on her fair, slender wrist, "Nijika, you can share it anytime you want."
"…I don't want to share it at all!"
It was hard enough to get her body back, she definitely didn't want to swap bodies again!
"Wait." Ijichi Nijika's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she looked at Yamada Ryo hesitantly, unsure, "Did Ryo get bigger?"
"Well~"
Yamada Ryo reached up and cupped them, her small puddings trembling. She said without changing her expression:
"It's not an illusion, they really got bigger. I just bought new underwear at the Shopping Center yesterday. The rumors online aren't wrong; a boy's hands really do have magic and can promote development."
"Pfft~"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face quickly flushed crimson. She couldn't help but recall the scenes of herself in Ryo's body, being kneaded and molded by Kitahara Makoto, and she couldn't help but lightly spit.
"Nijika, you must have a lot of resentment about your A-cup, right?" Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, "You can ask Kitahara for help, it will definitely be very effective."
"Of course not!" Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but retort, "How could I possibly ask a boy for that kind of help?!"
"Tsk~"
Yamada Ryo casually retorted:
"Does Nijika still like other boys?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
Like other boys?
That's impossible now, isn't it?
"Nijika, you know very well that everyone won't be able to escape Kitahara Makoto's clutches, right?" Yamada Ryo continued slowly, like a little devil tempting someone to fall, "Since you're going to be pushed down sooner or later, why not enjoy it earlier?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
"Ah, I forgot." Yamada Ryo slapped her forehead, saying indifferently, "Nijika has already been pushed down several times, so I don't need to teach her anything."
"This topic ends here!" Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but shout, "Ryo-senpai, stop talking!"
"..."
After putting on their swimsuits, the two girls went downstairs together.
Kitahara Makoto had already changed into his swim trunks downstairs.
"Ryo-senpai, Nijika." Kitahara Makoto looked up, "Are you both ready?"
Ijichi Nijika took a deep breath: "Ready."
Kitahara Makoto nodded: "Then let's go now."
"..."
Promising Cupcakes, Hana led the three through the spatial node and into the Otherworld again.
Splash.
Splash splash!
The sounds of falling into the sea rang out one after another.
Fortunately, the three of them had prior experience and held their breath in time, putting on their swimming goggles, so no accidents occurred.
Ten minutes later, Kitahara Makoto led Nijika and Ryo safely to the island, rested briefly, then climbed over the cliff and entered the island.
The Eden Tree, which covered the sky, still stood majestically, and the fresh scent in the air was particularly strong.
"Finally back."
Kitahara Makoto led Ryo and Nijika back to the cave, turned on the emergency light, and soft light immediately illuminated the cave.
When they came to the Otherworld last time, most of their supplies were left behind, and looking at them now, it strangely felt a little cozy.
"Ryo-senpai, Nijika, you two wipe yourselves with towels first." Kitahara Makoto put down his backpack, turned and walked out, "I'll go collect some dry branches."
After collecting dry branches, lighting a bonfire, and drying themselves, the three put on their bathrobes, becoming 'social people' again.
After a short rest, Kitahara Makoto then opened his backpack, took out the game disc, and the three entered the game together.
The difficulty of the game is related to the number of players; the more players, the stronger the Boss's attributes, and the more small monsters there are, so even if only three people challenge the game, there is still a chance to clear it.
Unfortunately, the three of them had bad luck. When challenging the Boss slime, due to a coordination error, they were ultimately wiped out by the Boss in one wave.
"We can only wait for the game space to cool down."
Kitahara Makoto opened his eyes and exhaled softly.
"It's uncomfortable sitting for too long." Yamada Ryo stood up, raised her arms above her head, stretched, then tilted her head to look at Kitahara Makoto, "Kitahara Makoto, shall we patrol the small island?"
"Eh?"
Ijichi Nijika immediately looked up.
Patrolling is fake, you want to do terrible things, that's the truth, right!
"Patrolling once is indeed more reassuring." Kitahara Makoto indifferently agreed, then turned and said, "Nijika, you and Hana stay in the cave. It's enough for Ryo-senpai and me to go out."
"..."
Ijichi Nijika lightly bit her lower lip, her rosy cheeks involuntarily puffed out.
An excuse!
It's clearly an excuse for you two to be alone, isn't it!
"Nijika, remember to wear your bracelet~"
Ryo-senpai raised her right hand, shaking it gently, her lips silently opening and closing, telling Nijika without a sound.
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
You two should be more restrained, your bodies won't be able to take it if it's too frequent!
As Kitahara Makoto and Ryo left, the cave immediately became quiet.
Ijichi Nijika sat for a while, and soon felt loneliness and desolation creeping into her heart little by little.
When she came before, Kita, Bocchi-chan, and Rinko were here, but this time no one else came, and only Hana was left in the cave.
It's a pity that Hana hardly ever speaks proactively, and even if they force a conversation, it's just a question and answer.
Ijichi Nijika said a few words to Hana, and soon let Hana go eat snacks by herself. She could only say that chatting with Hana was not as good as reading manga to pass the time.
Unfortunately, the manga that was usually very exciting now seemed quite dull, completely unable to immerse her.
After a long while, Ijichi Nijika had only read a few pages of manga, but her gaze kept drifting towards her backpack.
That's right.
Nijika lied.
She said she didn't bring the bracelet, but when she was organizing her backpack, she inexplicably put the bracelet into her backpack…
"The hourglass has run out, which means an hour has passed." Ijichi Nijika pursed her lips, "There's no movement at all, I'm still a bit worried. Should I take a look at what Ryo-senpai and Kitahara-kun are doing?"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but reach for her backpack.
"No, no!"
The moment her fingers touched the backpack, Ijichi Nijika, as if electrocuted, quickly pulled her hand back.
"Last time, it was because I was worried about Ryo-senpai that I accidentally swapped bodies… What if the timing is very coincidental and it triggers the body-swapping mechanism again?"
"Hold it in!"
"Don't touch the bracelet!"
"With Kitahara Makoto by her side, Ryo-senpai will definitely not be in danger!"
Ijichi Nijika covered her chest with her right hand, her pretty face flushed, and silently put the backpack back in its original place, as if nothing had happened.
But only she knew what kind of ideological struggle she had just gone through.
Facts proved.
Once these three things—gambling, sex, and drugs—are experienced, it is indeed difficult for ordinary people to quit them, not to mention the original sin attribute of the Eden Fruit…
Two hours later.
Footsteps finally sounded outside the cave.
"You're finally back…" Ijichi Nijika heard the footsteps, immediately put down the manga, and eagerly went out to greet them, "Eh, what happened to Ryo-senpai?"
Kitahara Makoto carried Ryo in a princess carry and explained:
"During the patrol, Ryo-senpai accidentally sprained her ankle."
"Ah, is it serious?"
Ijichi Nijika looked over worriedly.
"It's not serious, a little rest will do." Yamada Ryo's voice was weak, "Kitahara Makoto, carry me to the inflatable chair first."
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto nodded and gently placed Ryo-senpai on the inflatable chair.
"Nijika, my mouth is so dry, I want water."
Yamada Ryo turned her head and looked at Nijika pitifully.
"I'll get it for you."
Ijichi Nijika quickly got a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and handed it to Ryo.
"Gulp gulp~"
Yamada Ryo tilted her head and drank more than half the bottle in one go, then exhaled contentedly:
"That was close, I almost got dehydrated just now."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
What kind of terrible words are these! As a girl, you should pay attention to your image!
"But it really does make you thirsty…"
Ijichi Nijika subconsciously responded in her heart, then quickly chased away the chaotic images in her mind, blushing and whispering:
"Does Ryo-senpai's foot still hurt now?"
Ryo-senpai lowered her voice:
"Actually, it doesn't hurt at all."
"Eh?"
"My legs were too sore, I didn't want to walk, so I just found an excuse to have Kitahara Makoto carry me back."
"…How mean!"
Ijichi Nijika's rosy cheeks immediately puffed out.
I was so worried, turns out you were perfectly fine!
"Speaking of which, Nijika didn't 'go online to share'." Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, "Could it be that you really didn't bring the bracelet to the Otherworld?"
Ijichi Nijika puffed out her rosy cheeks:
"It's clearly because my will is strong enough!"
"Eh…" Yamada Ryo drew out her words, "So, Nijika actually did bring the bracelet?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
With the return of Kitahara Makoto and Yamada Ryo, Nijika finally wasn't lonely or bored anymore.
The three played Monopoly to pass the time. During this, Yamada Ryo even suggested playing Old Maid, where the loser had to take off a piece of clothing, but Nijika firmly refused.
Time passed quietly.
The hourglass had been flipped an unknown number of times, and the game space finally cooled down.
"Then… let's challenge again."
Leaving Hana to guard the cave, Kitahara Makoto, Nijika, and Ryo entered the game space again.
This time, their luck was good. With the tacit cooperation of the three, they successfully defeated the Boss slime, helping Kitahara Makoto obtain the temporary skill Unyielding Will.
"Finally defeated the Boss." Ijichi Nijika turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked over, "Kitahara-kun, did you get that skill?"
"Of course I won't disappoint Nijika." Kitahara Makoto stood up and stretched, "Let's go, we're going to pick Eden Fruit."
The two girls quickly followed.
Walking out of the cave, the three arrived at the spot where they had previously picked Eden Fruit, and Kitahara Makoto simply began to take off his clothes.
Now, only Ryo-senpai and Nijika were on the entire island, and both girls had already seen it, so there was no need to be secretive. Therefore, Kitahara Makoto directly reverted to his primitive human form.
"Peh~"
Ijichi Nijika lightly spat, her pretty face flushed as she averted her gaze.
"Nijika, Ryo-senpai, who will hold the bell?"
Kitahara Makoto turned his body, looking at the two girls behind him.
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face was slightly red, and she shyly turned her head to look elsewhere:
"Don't just suddenly turn around!"
"Nijika, it's not like you haven't seen it before." Yamada Ryo suddenly covered her stomach, took two steps back, "My stomach hurts, Nijika, you hold the bell."
"Eh?"
"Nijika, here you go."
Kitahara Makoto handed over the bell, reminding her, "When I turn into an animal, remember to summon me back immediately."
"I, I understand…"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed crimson as she quietly agreed.
"Then I'm going."
Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and walked towards the Eden Tree.
"Nijika, open your eyes and watch carefully." Yamada Ryo crossed her arms over her chest. "Now Kitahara Makoto's life is in Nijika's hands."
Ijichi Nijika was startled:
"Eh, eh, eh? Didn't Ryo say her stomach hurt?"
Yamada Ryo said indifferently:
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"What the…" Ijichi Nijika blinked, quickly realized, and couldn't help but puff out her cheeks. "Ryo, you clearly did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Well, I just wanted Nijika to keep an eye on Kitahara Makoto." Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over, a pleasant smile on her pretty face. "Just thinking about Boyfriend-kun, without clothes, being stared at intently by my best friend, feels especially stimulating and interesting."
Ijichi Nijika: "…"
Pervert!
Ryo's fetish is too perverted!
"Quick, look at Kitahara Makoto." Yamada Ryo reminded her. "Be careful of any accidents."
"…Ryo, you're too much!"
Ijichi Nijika had no choice. She wanted to hand the bell to Ryo, but was worried about it falling in between. She could only hold the bell tightly in one hand, wide-eyed, her pretty face flushed, nervously watching Kitahara Makoto's every move.
A moment later.
Under the tense gazes of Nijika and Ryo, Kitahara Makoto used the same method to successfully pluck the Eden Fruit.
"Five seconds are almost up."
Yamada Ryo reminded her.
"I know."
Ijichi Nijika had already opened her eyes wide, not daring to blink.
Seeing Kitahara Makoto fall from the tree and turn into a dog, Ijichi Nijika quickly shook the pet bell in her hand.
The next instant.
Ripples spread through the space around Kitahara Makoto's body, and he suddenly vanished into thin air.
Bang.
In the blink of an eye, the dog that Kitahara Makoto had transformed into instantly appeared in Ijichi Nijika's arms.
"…He's safe."
Ijichi Nijika breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling at ease.