Early next morning.
Mai Sakurajima opened her eyes and, seeing Ye Xing lying beside her, called out softly.
"Good morning."
"Mm, good morning."
Ye Xing smiled before getting out of bed and starting to dress.
"You... you... don't you know any shame!"
Watching Ye Xing stand completely naked before her without any attempt to cover himself, Mai Sakurajima's face flushed crimson. She pulled up the blanket to cover everything below her eyes.
Why below the eyes?
If she covered her eyes, she wouldn't be able to see, would she?
Ye Xing really has such a good physique...
It's just that his stamina is simply too overwhelming.
Even with her body strengthened after receiving the infusion, Mai Sakurajima felt as if she were about to fall apart.
No wonder she'd noticed Rio Futaba looking unusually tired sometimes when she saw her in the club room.
It seemed she'd been thoroughly worn out, too.
"Speaking of which..."
Just then, Ye Xing, now fully dressed, spoke up with a smile.
"This outfit is good, but there's still room for improvement."
Hearing this, Mai Sakurajima asked with a mix of shyness and confusion.
"Room for improvement? Kawasaki-san's craftsmanship is quite good, and it's quite comfortable to wear."
"That's not what I meant."
Ye Xing shook his head meaningfully.
"This bunny tail is in the wrong place."
"Bunny tail...?"
Mai Sakurajima's face was full of bewilderment.
"Isn't the bunny tail attached to the outfit?"
"Mai-san, you're still too naive."
Ye Xing explained with a serious expression.
"There's a type of bunny tail accessory that can integrate with the user's body. That's what you call a real tail."
"Integrate with the body?"
Mai Sakurajima frowned slightly, murmuring to herself.
"But... how would that thing integrate with the body... wait a moment..."
As if realising something, Mai's expression froze completely.
In that moment, it was as if she'd opened the gate to a new world.
Her face flushed red, forgetting she was still wearing the semi-transparent bunny girl outfit, Mai Sakurajima jumped up from the bed, waving a pillow and gritting her silver teeth as she said hatefully.
"Die! You perverted junior!"
...
That noon at Sobu High School.
Just as Yui Yuigahama was about to go to the club room with Miko Yotsuya, she heard someone call out to her from behind.
"Yu... Yuigahama-san."
Yui Yuigahama turned around to find Yumiko Miura standing alone, looking as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"Yahallo, Yumiko-chan."
Yui Yuigahama greeted her with a smile before turning to Miko Yotsuya."Miko, you go to the clubroom first. I'll join you later."
"Mm, okay."
After Miko Yotsuya left, Yumiko Miura walked up to Yui Yuigahama. Pressing her lips together, her usually proud face showed an uncharacteristic expression of nervousness and awkwardness.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Yui Yuigahama nodded without hesitation, her face still wearing its usual gentle smile.
"Of course."
When they reached a quiet corner on campus, Yumiko Miura tucked her pale golden curls behind her ear, pursed her lips, and slightly turned her face away as if avoiding Yui's gaze before speaking softly.
"Well... about that day, I wanted to apologise."
"That day?"
Yui Yuigahama blinked in confusion for a moment before waving her hand with a laugh.
"Oh, you mean during the tennis match? It's fine, neither I nor Ye Xing took it to heart. Actually..."
Here, Yui Yuigahama seemed somewhat embarrassed.
"I should be the one apologising on Ye Xing's behalf. He's just like that—seems hard to approach but is actually very kind. It's just that his methods and words come across as quite aggressive..."
"Yuigahama."
Before Yui could finish, Yumiko Miura interrupted flatly.
"Do you like Ye Xing?"
"Eh?"
Yui Yuigahama froze for a second, then her cheeks flushed red as she waved her hands repeatedly.
"N... nothing like that!"
"Tch."
Yumiko Miura snorted lightly.
"It's pretty obvious from your reaction. That day when he called your name, you looked completely dazed. Everyone could see it. No point hiding it."
Yui Yuigahama had no retort. She could only shrink her head like an ostrich and mumble meekly.
"Well... it's complicated..."
"How complicated can it be?"
Hearing Yumiko Miura's slightly dismissive tone, Yui Yuigahama, who had been suppressing her feelings, lowered her head with dimmed eyes and spoke softly.
"There are several club members who are both my classmates and my friends. If..."
"If you confess, you'll lose these friends?"
Yumiko Miura frowned slightly, waving her hand carelessly.
"If it's the kind of false friendship where you have to hide your true feelings and act like you're performing in a play, what does it matter if you abandon it?"
Hearing these blunt words, Yui Yuigahama opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
Yumiko Miura didn't stop there but continued speaking.
"Moreover, do you really think your friends are the kind of people who would abandon a friendship over something like this? I don't know the people in your club well, but in my opinion, rather than this friendship being destroyed because of this..."
Yumiko Miura looked directly into Yui Yuigahama's eyes, speaking each word clearly.
"It's more that you're afraid to face it yourself, so you imagine a possible outcome and distort the true meaning of this relationship."
Hearing this, Yui Yuigahama stood frozen, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.
"That's enough now."
Yumiko Miura displayed her classic tsundere demeanour, frowning slightly and letting out a light hum. Her voice carried arrogance, but her words were full of concern.
"If you're not going to hurry up, I might make a move instead. When that happens, you'll be hiding in the corner, regretting that you couldn't face your true self today, secretly wiping away your tears."
Seeing Yumiko Miura's tsundere appearance, Yui Yuigahama suddenly burst out laughing.
"Yumiko, you're actually a kind person too."
"Hmph."
Yumiko Miura snorted coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.
"That's just how I am with friends."
"Eh?"
Yui Yuigahama blinked in surprise, then laughed.
"You consider me a friend?"
Yumiko Miura felt exasperated by Yui Yuigahama's innocent reaction, sighing as she pressed her fingers to her forehead.
"You're already calling me by my first name, doesn't that count as being friends?"
"Hehe, I suppose that's true."
...
After school, Kyoto City Hospital.
"All the older sisters are here?"
Seeing that Shoko Makinohara wasn't wearing hospital pyjamas today but had changed into normal clothes, Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Shoko, are you being discharged from hospital?"
"Yes."
Shoko Makinohara smiled faintly.
"The doctor said my condition has gradually stabilised. As long as I don't engage in strenuous exercise or experience major emotional fluctuations, I don't need to continue resting."
Yui Yuigahama also smiled gently.
"That's wonderful. Summer holidays are coming up soon, so you can come play with us then."
"Come play together?"
Hearing this, Shoko Makinohara's eyes lit up with delight.
"Do you mean we'll go exorcise evil spirits together?"
"Um... well..."
Yui Yuigahama gave an awkward laugh, exchanging glances with Rio Futaba and the others, none of them knowing how to respond.
The doctor had warned that although Shoko was being discharged, she shouldn't engage in strenuous exercise or receive any shocks.
If they were to battle evil spirits...
Well, that would probably violate both medical instructions.
Not to mention...
Exorcism isn't child's play—it carries real, life-threatening dangers. How could we bring a child along?
At times like these, Mai Sakurajima demonstrated exceptional emotional intelligence.
She stepped forward and patted Shoko Makinohara's head, smiling sweetly as she said,
"We can't take you along for exorcisms, but there are plenty of other fun activities we'd be happy to include you in, like fireworks festivals or swimming at the beach. Of course, that would require your parents' permission."
Though Shoko Makinohara was somewhat disappointed not to be able to participate in exorcisms, she couldn't help but smile when she heard about fireworks and beach trips.
"Mhm, it's a promise then."
Due to Shoko Makinohara's congenital heart condition, her parents were extremely indulgent with her and would agree to almost any request as long as it wasn't too unreasonable.
If she said she wanted to go out with a group of high school students, her parents would definitely refuse.
But with Mai Sakurajima present, the situation was different.
After all, Mai Sakurajima was a former nationally famous idol actress, and Shoko's parents had watched her television dramas—they could even be considered half-fans.
Shoko thought to herself that if she went out with Mai, her family would surely agree.
Thinking this, she glanced at the Supernatural Society members standing before her and asked with seemingly casual curiosity,
"Eh? Is Brother Ye Xing not coming today?"
Not just Ye Xing—Kazusa Touma hadn't come to the hospital today either.
Among the core members of the Supernatural Society, only these two were missing.
Of course, Shoko Makinohara had never met Kazusa Touma.
"Oh, him," Hina Amano replied casually. "He said he had something to do today, so he's not coming."
"Oh, I see..."
Hearing this, both Shoko Makinohara and Menma, sitting beside her, swinging her pale little legs, couldn't help but show some disappointment.
They really wanted to see Ye Xing.
They wanted to see him transform again.
"Right, let's get to business," Mai Sakurajima said as she walked up to Menma, bending down slightly with a gentle smile. "Menma, would you like to come live with me?"
"Eh?"
Hearing this question, Menma didn't answer directly, instead looking first at Shoko Makinohara beside her.
The latter pursed her lips, her eyes revealing some reluctance.
But Shoko Makinohara's personality was more mature than others her age, and despite her unwillingness to part with Menma, she nodded and said,
"Mhm... My parents are always home, and if Menma stays with me all the time, it could easily raise suspicions... And if she stays with Sister Mai... Menma would also..."
Here, Shoko Makinohara stopped, not continuing.
From Rio Futaba, she had already heard some information about evil spirits and spectres.
This included the part about resolving lingering attachments from their past lives to achieve reincarnation.
Shoko Makinohara knew she was just a child herself, and helping Menma resolve her lingering attachments would probably be very difficult for her to accomplish.
As the saying goes,
The living and the dead walk different paths.
Though Shoko Makinohara couldn't bear the thought of Menma disappearing, she understood that Menma wasn't human after all.
Sooner or later, they would have to part.
"Then it's settled," Mai Sakurajima smiled, then looked at Shoko Makinohara sitting on the hospital bed, her eyes showing concern as she said, "But... what should we do about Shoko's spiritual power?"
Shoko Makinohara's current situation was exactly the same as Miko Yotsuya's had been before.
She could see evil spirits and spectres, and would even attract them, yet she herself lacked the power to fight back.
Although Shoko Makinohara was more mature than her peers, it was still unrealistic to expect her to remain as composed as Miko Yotsuya when facing the terrifying, suddenly appearing evil spirits.
More importantly.
Shoko Makinohara had a heart condition.
What if she got scared into having complications?
However, Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya couldn't possibly move into Shoko Makinohara's home to live with her.
Besides, they still needed to investigate clues related to the Sunny Doll Killer.
Just then, Hachishaku-sama, who had been crouching in the corner, spoke up.
"How about... I take responsibility for accompanying Shoko?"
Rio Futaba said thoughtfully,
"That's actually a good solution. Shoko's parents are just ordinary people who can't see you."
Then, Futaba's tone shifted.
"However, Shoko's constitution easily attracts the attention of powerful evil spirits. Can you guarantee you'll be able to handle them?"
"Yes, I can."
Hachishaku-sama nodded, an innocent smile appearing on her face.
"The boss has tempered me many times. I've become very strong now, and ordinary evil spirits don't dare approach."
Upon hearing this, Shoko Makinohara and Menma asked in unison, curious,
"Tempered? What kind of tempering?"
Rio Futaba let out a slight sigh and said meaningfully,
"You'd better not be curious about such matters."
...
Meanwhile, in the Supernatural Society club room at Sobu High School.
"Well now."
When Ye Xing entered, he happened to see Yukino Yukinoshita sitting there, reading a light novel.
"Isn't this Yukino Yukinoshita, who ranked twenty-first in the joint exams? Not in a hurry to go home today?"
Hearing the number twenty-one, Yukino's eyes noticeably flickered.
What bothered her wasn't losing to those nineteen students from Shuchi'in Academy.
Yukino was competitive, but it depended on the person.
She didn't care at all about those self-important students from Shuchi'in.
But there was one maths problem.
What was twenty-one minus one?
It equalled twenty.
This was the vast disparity in academic ability between her and Ye Xing.
It could no longer even be called a rivalry; it was a difference in class.
"You must be feeling quite pleased with yourself right now, Ye Xing-kun."
Hearing Yukino Yukinoshita's words, the frivolous smile instantly vanished from Ye Xing's face, replaced by an expression of utter boredom as he casually sat down by the window.
"Pleased? Not exactly. I was always going to be first—there was never any doubt about that. Since there was no possibility of failure, a victory that was both taken for granted and expected naturally wouldn't stir even the slightest emotional reaction in me."
Yukino Yukinoshita let out a soft sigh.
"You really are arrogant, aren't you?"
Ye Xing chuckled and replied offhandedly.
"I'm just stating facts."
After a brief silence, Yukino Yukinoshita tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and spoke quietly.
"Well... about this joint exam... thank you."
"For what?"
Ye Xing waved a hand dismissively, his tone flat.
"Didn't I say it before? Even without your situation, I would have taken first place in the joint exam."
Yukino Yukinoshita gave a noncommittal nod, her expression slightly hesitant before she finally spoke.
"Then... what about those things you said to the Shuchi'in Academy teacher? Like Sobu High School being the finest school? And Hiratsuka-sensei being the most outstanding teacher?"
"Oh, that."
Contrary to Yukino Yukinoshita's expectations, Ye Xing nodded directly at this question, admitting without any attempt to conceal it.
"Those words were indeed said to resolve your issue."
"This..."
Before Yukino Yukinoshita could say anything more, Ye Xing held up five fingers towards her and wiggled them.
"Counting this time, I'm five requests ahead of you now."
Yukino Yukinoshita blinked in surprise, then shook her head helplessly.
"You're so competitive, aren't you?"
"It's not about being competitive. I'm just telling you to listen to the arrangements of someone more talented than you—namely, me, Lord Ye Xing—and obediently act as a member of the Supernatural Society from now on."
Noticing Ye Xing's teasing, half-smiling gaze, Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly, a chill entering her voice.
"You... you're not thinking of something improper, are you?"
Ye Xing put on an exaggerated look of surprise.
"Yukinoshita-san, your thoughts are so vulgar. I was clearly talking about club activities—what are you implying?"
"Sigh..."
Knowing Ye Xing's character all too well, Yukino Yukinoshita could only sigh in resignation, resting her forehead in her hand, unable to muster a retort.
Just then.
The clubroom door slid open quietly.
A woman in a kimono, exuding an aura of noble elegance, entered, led by Shizuka Hiratsuka.
The moment she recognised the woman's face, Yukino Yukinoshita froze in shock.
"Mo... mother."
Mrs Yukinoshita glanced at Yukino and gave a slight nod.
Then, her gaze shifted to Ye Xing, seated by the window, and she spoke calmly.
"We meet again, Ye Xing-kun."
Ye Xing grinned and uttered something startling.
"Mum, have you been well lately?"
Yukino could see that her usually stoic, stern mother was struggling to maintain her composure upon hearing Ye Xing's form of address.
Likewise, she nearly couldn't hold back either.
Mum?
Wait, you're calling her that so affectionately?
Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd already married Haruno.
"It's... acceptable."
Mrs Yukinoshita hesitated before responding, then promptly took a seat at the table.
"You specifically had Haruno summon me here - surely not just for something as trivial as reminiscing with me?"