"...windbreaker woman?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly, his thoughts immediately pulled back to several months ago.
That night, when he was sending Bocchi-chan home, they encountered two cats fighting. Bocchi-chan was worried about being 'caught in the crossfire,' so she chose to take a detour through an alley and encountered a strange windbreaker woman without a shadow. Her specific gender was unknown, but her appearance indeed looked like a woman.
For a period after that, Kitahara Makoto and Bocchi-chan would go to the Train Station every night to pick up and drop off Mrs. Goto, but the windbreaker woman never appeared again.
"Hitori, how is Auntie doing now?"
Kitahara Makoto asked in a deep voice.
"Mom is already home. Her clothes are all wet from the rain, and she looks very off," Bocchi-chan's voice was worried. "Mom also said that woman borrowed something from her..."
"Borrowed what?"
"I don't know. Mom said her mind was blank, and she couldn't remember what the other person borrowed, or even what that woman looked like..."
Bocchi-chan's voice was tense, exceptionally flustered and helpless:
"Dad is away on a business trip, and Mom is sitting on the sofa staring blankly. She looks so strange..."
Towards the end, Bocchi-chan's voice even had a hint of a sob.
"I'll be right there," Kitahara Makoto said, answering the phone while quickly getting up. "The answer book still has questions remaining today. I'll ask once I get there."
"Mm-hmm."
Bocchi-chan sniffled:
"I-I'll wait for Kitahara-kun at the door."
"Don't hang up the phone," Kitahara Makoto casually picked up his Bluetooth earphone, put it in his ear, and turned to look at Hana. "Hana, come with me."
"..."
Hana silently jumped off the sofa and walked to Kitahara Makoto's side with her short legs.
Kitahara Makoto reached out, scooped up Hana, tossed Hana onto his shoulder, then walked out of the house and into the rain.
Three minutes later.
Kitahara Makoto arrived outside the Gotō home and looked up to see Bocchi-chan holding her phone tightly, standing at the door, eagerly waiting.
"Ki-Kitahara-kun..."
Bocchi-chan looked over with teary eyes:
"Why aren't you using an umbrella? Your clothes are all soaked."
"Using an umbrella means walking slowly," Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly. "Don't worry, this little rain is nothing to me."
"I'll go get Kitahara-kun a towel..."
Bocchi-chan ran into the bathroom, thumping, and quickly came out with a pink towel.
Kitahara Makoto put down Hana, took the towel, and simply wiped his face and hair:
"Where's Auntie?"
Bocchi-chan said nervously:
"Mom is still sitting on the sofa."
Walking into the living room.
Kitahara Makoto quickly saw Bocchi-chan's mother, Mrs. Goto. Her professional attire hadn't been changed yet, and her clothes were damp, clearly from the rain. Her eyes were hollow and blank, and she looked dazed. Even with a 'stranger' suddenly appearing in the house, she showed no reaction, which was indeed very unusual.
"Where's Futari?"
Not seeing the little radish head, Kitahara Makoto asked softly.
"I told Futari to go back to her room," Bocchi-chan bit her lower lip tightly. "Futari is only five years old. If she stayed in the living room, she would definitely be scared to tears by Mom's current appearance."
"Hitori did well," Kitahara Makoto gently rubbed Bocchi-chan's small head, then opened his backpack, took out the answer book. "There's one question left. Hitori, think carefully about what you want to ask."
"Okay..." Bocchi-chan hugged the answer book tightly to her chest. "I want to know if Mom's current state is safe."
The true identity of the windbreaker woman, what she borrowed from Mom, and why Mom became like this—she desperately wanted to know all of it, but safety was always the top priority, no matter what.
Whoosh.
The answer book flipped through its pages at high speed.
As the 'cutscene' ended, a line of text quietly emerged:
[Life is safe within forty-seven hours]
"Ki-Kitahara-kun..."
The mist in Bocchi-chan's eyes instantly thickened, and she looked at Kitahara Makoto with teary eyes.
If there was no life-threatening danger within forty-seven hours, then what about after forty-seven hours?
Would Mom...
Just thinking about it for a moment, Bocchi-chan's eyes were already misty with tears.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Kitahara Makoto opened his arms and gently embraced Hitori:
"Auntie's current abnormality must be related to that strange entity. We just need to eliminate that strange woman within forty-eight hours."
"B-but..."
Bocchi-chan looked over with teary eyes.
"What Hitori needs to do now is trust me," Kitahara Makoto said seriously, "I will never betray Hitori's trust."
Bocchi-chan sniffled, and her anxious little heart finally settled down temporarily.
(N-no, that's right...)
(At a time like this, I just need to trust Kitahara-kun...)
"Auntie's clothes are wet, she might catch a cold if this continues," Kitahara Makoto said softly, "Hitori, do you want to help her take a bath?"
"Yes, she does," Bocchi-chan nodded quickly, "Mom didn't use an umbrella when she came back, so she definitely needs to take a bath and change clothes."
Mrs. Goto was in a state of daze at the moment, but still had some instinctive reactions. Bocchi-chan stepped forward and pulled her to take a bath. Mrs. Goto obediently got up, and there were no surprises.
After washing up.
Bocchi-chan sent her mother back to the upstairs bedroom, then came downstairs to Kitahara Makoto's side, her eyes red and swollen, and whispered:
"Kitahara-kun, you should also take a bath. Your clothes are all wet."
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto nodded gently, walked into the bathroom, and quickly took a shower.
When he came out, he saw Bocchi-chan sitting alone on the sofa, her eyes red, staring blankly.
"Hitori, I'm done."
Kitahara Makoto said softly.
Bocchi-chan quickly got up:
"I-I'll go clean the bathroom..."
"The bathroom has already been cleaned," Kitahara Makoto stepped over, held Bocchi-chan's cold little hand, "Let's go upstairs to Hitori's room."
"Eh?"
"It's only nine o'clock now, Futari probably isn't asleep yet, and she might come downstairs at any time. It would be troublesome if she saw us."
"Y-you're right..."
Bocchi-chan nodded subconsciously, her little head feeling dizzy, and she obediently led Kitahara Makoto upstairs.
"Excuse me."
Kitahara Makoto stepped into the room, curiously examining the room's environment.
This was his first time in Bocchi-chan's room. Compared to Nijika's room, it was much tidier, except for the walls covered with Kessoku Band posters, which looked a bit intimidating at first glance.
"I won't be going back tonight."
Kitahara Makoto sat down cross-legged on the floor and said directly.
"Eh?"
Bocchi-chan blinked, quickly understood, pursed her lips, and whispered:
"Kitahara-kun, you don't have to worry about me, I can... I can..."
"Don't say it," Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand and rubbed Bocchi-chan's little head, "I'm staying."
With a five-year-old sister, a bedridden mother, and a father on a business trip out of town, there was no way Bocchi-chan could be left alone at home at a time like this.
If Bocchi-chan were left alone, she would probably cry until dawn, right?
"The answer book's question count will reset after midnight," Kitahara Makoto said steadily, "We'll wait until midnight, locate the windbreaker monster, and then go out and eliminate it directly."
Hearing Kitahara Makoto's plan, Bocchi-chan's eyes suddenly lit up:
"C-can we really do that?"
Her mother's dazed condition was worsening. If her mother could recover quickly, the sooner the better.
"Hitori's mother will be my mother from now on," Kitahara Makoto said with a serious expression, "Of course, it's better sooner than later."
Upon hearing this, Bocchi-chan's little face quickly flushed red, but remembering her mother's situation, she didn't shy away. Instead, she looked up with her small face and thanked him seriously:
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun..."
"You're welcome for now," Kitahara Makoto interlaced his fingers and propped up his chin, "After I eliminate that strange entity, Hitori, don't forget to give me a special reward."
Bocchi-chan's little face quickly flushed red, and she didn't know what she was thinking, stammering softly:
"I-I understand..."
There was no need to say more about what happened next.
Mrs. Goto's crisis had not yet been resolved, and Bocchi-chan would occasionally worry and go to visit her. In this situation, Kitahara Makoto could not possibly take advantage of Hitori.
During this time, Futari did come over with her rabbit doll, wanting to sleep with Bocchi-chan, but Bocchi-chan found an excuse to send her back to her room.
Time quietly slipped away, minute by minute.
After a long wait, the time finally arrived at midnight.
"The question count has been refreshed."
Kitahara Makoto sat up straight, placed his hand on the answer book, and asked in a deep voice:
"Where is the strange entity that attacked Hitori's mother?"
Whirr-la-la.
The answer book flipped through its pages at high speed.
A line of address quickly and quietly emerged.
Kitahara Makoto simply stood up and said:
"Hitori, you stay at home..."
"Let's go together!"
Bocchi-chan looked up, her voice small but her tone exceptionally firm.
"I know that address. It's a very remote community shrine. I used to play there when I was little. I can lead the way."
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto nodded gently and agreed.
The two quickly went downstairs. To facilitate their actions, they had already changed their clothes.
When they arrived outside the house, the rain still hadn't stopped, drizzling as if it would continue until the end of the world.
Kitahara Makoto turned to look at Bocchi-chan, then reached out and directly picked Bocchi-chan up, his right arm effortlessly supporting the fifty-kilogram Hitori.
His other arm was holding Hana.
With his current physical fitness, a hundred pounds of weight would not affect his movements at all.
"Hitori, lead the way."
Kitahara Makoto turned his gaze over.
"Go left first..."
Bocchi-chan quickly pointed the way.
Kitahara Makoto reminded her:
"Hold on tight to me."
"Mm-hmm."
Bocchi-chan quickly extended her arms and tightly hugged Kitahara Makoto's neck.
The next second.
Kitahara Makoto transformed into an arrow released from a bowstring, suddenly charging into the rain and mist.
"Ugh..."
Accidentally swallowing a mouthful of cold wind and drizzle, Bocchi-chan quickly pursed her lips tightly.
(Too, too fast...)
(It feels even faster than riding a roller coaster...)
Under Kitahara Makoto's extreme speed, it only took less than five minutes to arrive at the destination shrine.
The shrine's area was not large, and at midnight, there would be no one else there. So, the first moment he arrived, Kitahara Makoto's gaze locked onto a strange figure wearing a windbreaker, who was quietly wandering in the cold rain and mist.
"Found it."
Kitahara Makoto put down Bocchi-chan and Hana, then took off his backpack and handed it to Bocchi-chan:
"Hitori, you two back away."
Bocchi-chan hugged the backpack tightly, looking over with worry:
"Kitahara-kun, be ca..."
Before she could finish saying "careful," Kitahara Makoto had already shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, directly charging towards the windbreaker woman.
"I'll win."
Strike while the iron is hot, then wane, then exhaust!
Kitahara Makoto was very confident in himself.
Although he didn't possess skills specifically to counter strange entities, the advantage was on his side.
The physique of a Dutiful Exorcist, his punches and kicks inherently carried demon-subduing properties, allowing him to harm strange entities. Coupled with the passive talent of a Child of the Night, his combat power was now maxed out. There was simply no reason to lose!
Boom!
Kitahara Makoto, like a meteor, collided with the windbreaker strange entity with lightning speed, and the two figures directly disappeared into the darkness.
The windbreaker strange entity had no intention of escaping. Since that was the case, there was no need to use the You Who Slipped Through Nine Years of Compulsory Education ability to trap her. A direct head-on confrontation would suffice.
"Ki-Kitahara-kun..."
Bocchi-chan's small face was full of tension, and she couldn't help but want to step forward.
Hana extended her small hand, pulled Bocchi-chan, and said without worry:
"Papa, will win."
After hearing Hana's words, Bocchi-chan was still very worried.
Unfortunately, it was raining at the moment, and the light was dim. Bocchi-chan tried hard to open her eyes wide, but couldn't clearly see the current situation. She could only hear the woman's sharp, piercing, strange roars, which sounded like a sound no human could make.
Rumble!
Amidst the loud noise, one wall of the shrine even collapsed with a crash.
Bocchi-chan became even more nervous, opening her eyes wide and looking around worriedly, feeling as if every second was exceptionally long.
Fortunately, not long after, the strange roars disappeared, and the shrine quickly fell silent, leaving only boundless dead silence.
"Kitahara-kun?"
Bocchi-chan couldn't help but call out nervously.
Boom, boom, boom.
A figure walked out of the darkness. Kitahara Makoto's shirt was tattered, and he dragged the windbreaker woman like a dead dog in his hand:
"I won."
It must be said that after the negative energy of the Otherworld leaked, these strange existences have indeed been strengthened a lot.
The evil spirit imp that entangled Soyo before, Kitahara Makoto could destroy with just one punch, but the windbreaker weirdo just now was still alive and kicking after a punch, especially tenacious.
Bocchi-chan couldn't bear it any longer and ran forward worriedly:
"Are you injured?"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head: "No."
"Y-You're bleeding!"
Bocchi-chan widened her eyes and checked Kitahara Makoto's body up and down, and soon saw a trace of blood.
"A small scratch left carelessly, it will be fine after two days of rest." Kitahara Makoto didn't care, and threw the windbreaker woman in front of Hana, "Hananā, here you are."
Just when he was about to directly blow up the windbreaker weirdo with his fist, Hananā's voice suddenly sounded in his heart, saying that she wanted to use the windbreaker weirdo as food.
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't refuse, and directly dragged the windbreaker weirdo, who had only one breath left, over.
"Daddy, thank you."
Hana walked up to the windbreaker weirdo, and soon unknown flowers grew under her feet, quickly turning into a Flower Sea.
Then the Flower Sea quietly covered and spread to the windbreaker weirdo, directly engulfing the other party.
When the Flower Sea dissipated, the ground was empty, as if nothing had ever existed.
Kitahara Makoto saw it in his eyes, and was not worried, but rather looked forward to it.
Back then, in the Otherworld of Enoshima, after Hana swallowed the bad Flower, she directly possessed the ability of [Weaving Dreams]. Now that she has swallowed the windbreaker weirdo, can she unlock a brand new ability?
If he keeps capturing weirdos and strange tales and let Hananā devour and grow, how powerful will Hananā eventually become?
"The weirdo is eliminated." Kitahara Makoto looked at Bocchi-chan, stretched out his right hand, "Let's go, let's go home."
"Yes, yes."
Bocchi-chan wiped her eyes and hugged Kitahara Makoto's arm.
There was no talk along the way.
When they came, Kitahara Makoto ran all the way, but now that the weirdo has been eliminated, there is naturally no need to be so anxious. It took a full ten or twenty minutes before they finally returned to Gotō's house.
After entering the entrance hall, Kitahara Makoto took out the answer book and handed it to Bocchi-chan:
"Hitori, ask about Auntie's physical condition again."
Bocchi-chan nodded quickly, and asked the answer book nervously and expectantly.
Whoosh.
After the book turned pages rapidly, a line of text quietly emerged:
[Turning Danger into Safety]
"Mom is okay!"
Seeing the answer on the book, Bocchi-chan breathed a sigh of relief, and the whole person completely relaxed.
Sure enough.
Turning danger into safety is the most wonderful word in the world, without one.
"Kitahara-kun, go take a bath first." Bocchi-chan looked over with sparkling eyes, "I'll go upstairs to see Mom."
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto nodded and turned to walk into the bathroom.
He was embarrassed because he eliminated the windbreaker weirdo, and he really wanted to take a bath.
A moment later.
Knock, knock, knock.
A soft knock suddenly rang.
"Hitori?"
Kitahara Makoto turned to look over.
"I-It's me…" Bocchi-chan's voice sounded outside, stammering, "Kitahara-kun, please open the door."
Kitahara Makoto thought Bocchi-chan was going to deliver a bath towel, but when he opened the bathroom door, he found Bocchi-chan standing outside with empty hands.
"What's wrong?"
Kitahara Makoto asked curiously.
"Th-That…" Bocchi-chan's face was flushed red, and even her neck was dyed pink. She lowered her head shyly and stammered, "I-I want to help Kitahara-kun scrub his back…"
Scrubbing his back is fake, repaying his kindness is real, right?
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't be a gentleman, his eyes lit up, and he opened the door and said:
"Then I will be very grateful."
Bocchi-chan: "…"
With a red face and lowered head, Bocchi-chan covered her chest with her small hands and walked in nervously.
Kitahara Makoto turned around and sat down on the small stool:
"How is Auntie?"
"Mom is no longer as dazed as before." Bocchi-chan replied softly, "After I went into the room, I woke Mom up. Mom asked me what I was doing in a daze. She just looked very sleepy."
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Hitori can rest assured, let Auntie have a good rest, she should be able to return to normal tomorrow."
"Yes, yes."
"Hitori-sama…the back scrubbing can begin."
"…"
Bocchi-chan's face was hot, she pursed her lips nervously, picked up the towel, and began to scrub Kitahara Makoto's back.
"The strength is a little weak, use more force."
Kitahara Makoto closed his eyes and compared the comfort level of Bocchi-chan and Nijika's service in his heart.
He felt that Nijika's back scrubbing service was better.
"Oh…"
"Not bad, the current strength is just right, keep up the good work."
"Th-Thank you…"
Bocchi-chan helped scrub his back seriously, and said softly:
"After taking a bath later, Kitahara-kun, go to my room. I just found the medicine box. There are trauma medicines in it that can help Kitahara-kun apply medicine."
Kitahara Makoto certainly wouldn't be polite: "Then I'll have to trouble Hitori."
"Also, Kitahara-kun's shirt is torn and can't be worn anymore. I secretly took one of Dad's shirts when I went to the bedroom to see Mom. The size should be about the same. I'll go out to buy a new shirt for Kitahara-kun tomorrow…"
Listening to Bocchi-chan's constant nagging, Kitahara Makoto inexplicably felt something was wrong.
Strange.
When did Bocchi-chan become so talkative?
She usually doesn't take the initiative to start topics, she waits for others to speak first.
Kitahara Makoto turned his head, looked at Bocchi-chan's red face, sniffed his nose, and quickly smelled a faint aroma of wine, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said:
"Hitori drank wine?"
"Th-That…" Bocchi-chan's eyes flickered, "I was a little thirsty when I went downstairs, so I drank a little plum wine…"
This is a lie.
Drinking plum wine was not because she was thirsty, but to embolden herself.
Introverted and socially fearful patients have a common problem, that is, they have a lot of ideas in their heads, but once they want to take action, they become dwarfs in action.
Although Bocchi-chan wanted to repay today's kindness, her usual personality made her very worried that she would not be able to muster the courage to knock on the door, so she drank a full glass of plum wine in one breath.
"The smell of alcohol is so strong, is it really plum wine?"
Kitahara Makoto deliberately raised his eyebrows and said.
"It's really plum wine." Bocchi-chan quickly explained, "It's the plum wine that I bought with Kitahara-kun at the supermarket this afternoon."
"I don't believe it." Kitahara Makoto shook his head and said, "Unless Hitori proves it to me."
"Eh?" Bocchi-chan blinked, "H-How to prove it?"
Kitahara Makoto looked at her intently and said:
"Let me taste Hitori-chan, and I'll know if it's really plum wine."
Bocchi-chan: "…"
Having had so many intimate contacts, Bocchi-chan naturally knew what 'taste' meant.
If it were normal, she would definitely shake her head and refuse quickly.
But now…after drinking alcohol, Bocchi-chan not only talked more, but even her courage was obviously a little bit bigger.
Her eyelashes trembled shyly for a while, Bocchi-chan raised her small face nervously and closed her eyes:
"J-Just once…"
"…"
Several minutes later.
Kitahara Makoto licked his lips with satisfaction and smiled:
"Not bad, Hitori didn't lie, it really tastes like plum wine."
"Wahhh…"
Bocchi-chan gasped for breath, her head was dizzy, and after the warm water flowed onto her body, she realized later:
"Eh, eh, eh…where are my clothes?!"
"I just helped Hitori take off her clothes." Kitahara Makoto said without changing his expression, "Just now the hem of the skirt was hanging on the ground and it was already wet, so let's take it off and take a bath together."
Bocchi-chan: "…"
(Why…why don't I feel anything?)
(So scary, so scary, so scary…)
(Kitahara-kun's movements to take off a girl's clothes are too skilled!)