"Oh..."
In response to Yukino Yukinoshita's analysis, Ye Xing merely gave a noncommittal nod.
"I see, that's quite reasonable."
Seeing his reaction, Yukino Yukinoshita slightly furrowed her brows as her thoughts rapidly processed.
Was Ye Xing's acting just too good, or was he truly not Mask?
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't want to believe that a male high school student who had achieved first place in Japan's unified exams, with such a promising future ahead, would gamble his prospects and fate to become a vigilante operating at the edge of the law.
This completely defied normal logic.
The problem was...
Was Ye Xing normal?
Moreover, what other explanation could there be?
How could Ye Xing confidently declare that the Sunny Doll Killer would definitely lose before the Metropolitan Police Department had even issued an official announcement?
Going back to the beginning, how did he dare to use that exclusive interview article as bait - using several Supernatural Society members, especially himself - to lure out that serial killer?
Was it madness?
Or did he have some unknown backing?
Setting aside her doubts for now, Yukino Yukinoshita looked directly into Ye Xing's eyes and spoke slowly.
"In that case, what's the result of my test? Pass or fail?"
"There's no such thing as failure."
Ye Xing shook his head, then suddenly changed his tone with a smile.
"However, Yukinoshita-san, with your intelligence, you should have collected enough clues by now to deduce the truth of the entire matter."
"Passing or failing doesn't depend on whether you can deduce it, but rather whether you can believe the conclusion you reach after deducing it."
"Even if... it completely contradicts everything you've believed for over a decade."
As Yukino Yukinoshita wore a complicated expression, Ye Xing continued with a smile.
"Moreover, every one of our internal members possesses unique, irreplaceable qualifications. I haven't seen that in you yet."
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita's competitive spirit was inevitably aroused, and she replied in a calm voice.
"Every one?"
"That's right, every one."
"Futaba-san's qualification?"
"The logical thinking ability to maintain an objective perspective and make absolutely rational analysis even while being personally involved."
"Yotsuya-san?"
"Extraordinary psychological resilience - remaining completely unfazed even if Mount Tai were to collapse before her."
"Mai-senpai?"
"Flawless acting skills, extremely high recognition - anyone who knows her wouldn't suspect her of having malicious intentions even at first meeting, and..."
Ye Xing deliberately emphasised with a serious expression.
"Mai cooks very well, handles all the meals for our internal members, and is our Supernatural Society's important rice cook... no, cooking master."
Yukino Yukinoshita really wanted to complain.
'What you were about to say just now was rice cooker, wasn't it?'
Even someone as gentle and graceful as Mai-senpai would fly into a rage upon hearing such a term, wouldn't she?
"And what about Amano... no, Touma-san?"
Yukino Yukinoshita started to ask, but suddenly changed her wording mid-sentence.
She had already vaguely guessed the answer.
But Yukino Yukinoshita was afraid.
She couldn't believe it—if she received direct confirmation from Ye Xing that Hina Amano was a superhuman capable of changing the weather...
What kind of reaction should she even have?
Yukino Yukinoshita usually appeared quite straightforward, one might even say blunt.
But when faced with questions she couldn't answer, she would unconsciously choose to escape.
Just like an ostrich.
"Kazusa Touma? She plays the piano very well, and due to her family background, she says sharp things that ordinary people wouldn't dare voice, even when speaking to me."
Yukino Yukinoshita pressed her lips together, thinking to herself that what Ye Xing said was indeed reasonable.
Every member qualified to attend the internal meetings possessed unique qualities.
But...
Was it that these members were remarkable?
More than these members with their various talents, the one who gathered these eccentric individuals with their different personalities—people whom ordinary folks would consider difficult to get along with—into one club and made them work together toward the same goal...
Ye Xing, who could accomplish all this, was the truly crucial core figure.
"Then..."
Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment before finally voicing the doubt in her heart.
"What about Yui?"
...
Meanwhile, outside Ye Xing's house.
Ding dong.
Hearing the doorbell ring, Saki Kawasaki stood up and walked to the entryway to open the door.
"Yaha..."
Yui Yuigahama, standing outside the door, hadn't even finished saying the third syllable when she realised that the person who opened the door wasn't who she had expected, but rather Saki Kawasaki.
The smile on her face instantly froze, and even her hands holding the exquisite box began to tremble slightly.
"Um..."
Yui Yuigahama forced a smile.
"I didn't know Kawasaki-san was here, this, that..."
Saki Kawasaki also blushed, quickly waving her hands to explain.
"Eh... didn't Ye Xing tell you... Well, that is, it's not just me, there are others here too."
"Others!?"
Yui Yuigahama was greatly shocked, her pupils trembling violently.
Why?
Why were there many people here, but she hadn't been included?
Why hadn't she been invited?
"You bastard..."
Seeing Yui Yuigahama's expression, Saki Kawasaki immediately knew she had gotten the wrong idea and couldn't resist raising her hand to tap Yui Yuigahama's head.
"Oww..."
Yui Yuigahama looked utterly pitiful.
"Why did you hit me..."
Saki Kawasaki sighed helplessly.
"If hitting you could make those dirty thoughts in your head disappear, I'd gladly use a rolling pin on your head."
"Stop overthinking things and come in."
Yui Yuigahama responded meekly.
"Oh... okay."
When they entered the entryway, the first thing Yui Yuigahama saw was Keika Kawasaki sitting on the sofa.
Her pupils shook with shock once again.
Yui Yuigahama's brain had never been so overloaded as it was at this moment.
A little girl?
A little girl with light blue hair who looked very similar to Saki Kawasaki?
Wait.
Is she Ye Xing's daughter!?
But that can't be right...
There hasn't been enough time for that.
"Oh, right, you haven't met before."
Saki Kawasaki took the initiative to introduce them.
"This is my younger sister that I told you about, Keika Kawasaki."
"You... younger sister!? So young!?"
Yui Yuigahama's lips parted in disbelief.
Ye Xing...
How could he commit such a heinous act!?
"Eh? Yui?"
At that moment, Marin Kitagawa, who had been curled up in the single armchair facing away from the entryway, straightened up and turned to look at Yui Yuigahama standing there, greeting her with a sweet smile.
"Yahallo"
"Eh? Marin, you're here too."
Seeing Marin Kitagawa there too, Yui Yuigahama was momentarily stunned before clutching the box to her chest with both hands and letting out a sigh of relief.
"So you're here, too. It seems I was overthinking things."
"Er..."
The corners of Marin Kitagawa's mouth twitched. Although she didn't understand what misunderstanding Yui Yuigahama was referring to, judging from the other's expression and tone...
She couldn't help feeling like she was being inexplicably insulted?
What did that mean?
Little Dango, being sarcastic here?
"Ye Xing is in the study discussing matters with Yukinoshita. I'll take you there."
"Mm, okay."
Saki Kawasaki, carrying herself with the grace of a hostess, led Yui Yuigahama upstairs.
Before going up, she deliberately glanced at Kazusa Touma, curling her lips into a triumphant smile.
Kazusa Touma bit her silver teeth lightly, a flash of unwillingness in her eyes.
Her weakness had been exposed.
Kazusa Touma simply couldn't bring herself to initiate conversation with people she wasn't familiar with.
And most importantly...
Aside from Ye Xing, she wasn't familiar with any member of the Supernatural Society.
Today's battle outcome:
Saki Kawasaki's victory.
...
Meanwhile, when Saki Kawasaki led Yui Yuigahama to the study door, they happened to hear voices coming from inside the room.
"Yui Yuigahama..."
"She also possesses unique qualities."
Hearing Ye Xing's voice saying such words, just as Saki Kawasaki was about to raise her hand to knock, Yui Yuigahama grabbed her wrist and made a shushing gesture, saying cautiously:
"Shh, Ye Xing seems to be discussing something with Yukino; we shouldn't interrupt."
Saki Kawasaki watched Yui Yuigahama sneak around like a thief, her expression one of utter disbelief, thinking to herself, 'You just heard your own name and got curious, didn't you?'
"Yui Yuigahama's potential..."
This time, it was Yukino Yukinoshita's flat, emotionless tone.
"Yui... no, Yuigahama-san's personality is indeed very good, and she's quite lovely in appearance. Even I sometimes find myself unable to handle her, but as for any unique potential, I genuinely haven't noticed any."
Hearing Yukino Yukinoshita's evaluation, Saki Kawasaki couldn't help but sneak a glance, wondering if the good-natured Yui Yuigahama would get angry because of this.
What surprised her was...
Yui Yuigahama actually looked deeply moved, even wiping tears from the corner of her eyes as she whispered,
"So in Yukinoshita-chan's eyes, I'm actually such a good person."
'No...'
Saki Kawasaki stared blankly.
'Is your personality so gentle it's become foolish?'
'You only listened to the first half of that sentence and completely ignored the second part.'
The study fell silent for a few seconds before Ye Xing suddenly spoke up.
"Yui Yuigahama's potential... while she may appear no different from an ordinary high school girl..."
"Whenever she's present, even groups with incompatible personalities that normally couldn't blend together can get along smoothly under the influence of her aura."
"Looking at when everyone joined the club, me, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya were the original three."
"Actually, in my mind, the original Supernatural Society wasn't a trio, but a quartet."
"Although Yui Yuigahama herself doesn't think so, she's a very important person to both me and the Supernatural Society."
Hearing these words, Yui Yuigahama, who had been eavesdropping outside the study, instantly blushed bright red.
This was the first time she had ever heard Ye Xing say something like this.
She...
Was important?
Noticing Yui Yuigahama's expression, Saki Kawasaki shook her head helplessly.
'Doomed.'
'Another one falls.'
'Young lady, you've fallen for him.'
Saki Kawasaki let out a complicated sigh and raised her hand to knock on the study door.
"Come in."
She pushed the door open and gave Yui Yuigahama a meaningful look.
"You go in."
Yui Yuigahama looked utterly clueless as she asked in confusion,
"Eh? Aren't you coming in too?"
After days of strategic battles with Kazusa Touma, Saki Kawasaki felt somewhat unprepared when suddenly facing an opponent of Yui Yuigahama's level of innocence.
"Why would I go in? I have no business with him. Go on, go on."
Yui Yuigahama carefully entered the room holding a box, and upon seeing Yukino Yukinoshita sitting there, she cautiously smiled and greeted.
"Yu... Yukinoshita-chan, Yahallo~"
To Yui Yuigahama's surprise, Yukino Yukinoshita stood up, hesitated for a moment, and actually responded in the same manner.
"Ya... Yahallo, Yui."
After uttering this embarrassing greeting phrase, before Yui Yuigahama could reply, Yukino Yukinoshita's fair cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Th... then, I'll be going now."
With that, Yukino Yukinoshita quickly left the study.
She remembered the words Ye Xing had once said.
If there truly existed in this world the kind of relationship she sought, untainted by any falsehood, then it must surely exist within the Supernatural Society.
To connect with others and thereby reveal one's true heart...
This was a path Yukino Yukinoshita had never before contemplated.
...
After Yukino Yukinoshita left, Yui Yuigahama approached the desk with a somewhat nervous expression, carefully placing the box she was holding on the desktop.
"Um... Ye Xing, these are... cookies I made. Since the ones from yesterday fell on the ground, so..."
Ye Xing's smile stiffened slightly as he reached out to open the box, nodding as he did so.
"Alright then... I'll give them a try."
Yui Yuigahama wore a sweet, innocent smile, like an angel's.
"Mhm, I believe this batch is even better than yesterday's. I feel like this is my masterpiece!"
"Let's not call anything a masterpiece just yet."
Ye Xing responded noncommittally, picking up a cookie. His extraordinary observational skills allowed him to reach a conclusion instantly.
Visually: normal shape, normal colour.
Olfactorily: no difference from the scent of ordinary cookies.
Tactilely: slightly rough surface, weight no different from regular cookies.
It looked, smelled, and felt like ordinary cookies.
So the question remained.
Could Yui Yuigahama's utmost effort, her so-called masterpiece, really be just an ordinary cookie?
Holding this doubt and with unprecedented tension, Ye Xing slowly placed the cookie in his mouth.
"This is!?"
The moment it entered his mouth, Ye Xing was astonished.
What a remarkable texture.
Could cookies really melt in your mouth?
The first flavour that registered was chocolate, mixed with the slight sweetness of cola-flavoured lollipops.
A bit cloying, but still within normal limits.
But immediately after came the ultimate explosion on the taste buds, a thrilling experience like a roller coaster.
Chilli, Sichuan pepper, mint, milk, vinegar, curry...
Ye Xing had never imagined in his life.
That these vastly different, even conflicting flavours could be concentrated into such a small piece of biscuit.
And they weren't even blended together.
This single biscuit actually had remarkably distinct layers of flavour!
In that moment, Ye Xing understood.
He looked at Yui Yuigahama sitting opposite him, her face full of anticipation and nervousness, and sighed with genuine admiration.
"Dango... you... are a true culinary genius."
Yui Yuigahama's soul's true form, Kiyohime, had a personality that deeply despised lies and valued love above all else.
These two traits actually aligned with Yui Yuigahama's recent state of mind.
It was precisely because she had been constantly hiding her true self that she developed this aversion to deception.
The problem was that Kiyohime should have been skilled at cooking, the virtuous wife-and-mother type.
At first, Ye Xing didn't understand why Yui Yuigahama's awakened soul's true form would have cooking expertise.
But in this moment, he finally understood.
To be able to create such clearly layered, complex and varied flavours in an ordinary biscuit...
Wasn't this culinary genius?
It's just that the skill points were allocated in the wrong direction.
The professional exorcist who had never known defeat in his life bowed his noble head before this small biscuit.
"I've lost..."
"Eh?"
Yui Yuigahama looked completely bewildered.
"This... just tasting a biscuit, and there's winning and losing?"
"Absolutely there is."Ye Xing said with profound sincerity, "I've completely felt your intentions."
Yui Yuigahama's face lit up with joy.
"Since you like it, I'll keep making them for you in future."
Ye Xing's soul was screaming, trying to make him refuse this hellish torment.
But when the words came out...
"Okay, I'll eat anything you make."
Hearing this, Yui Yuigahama's face flushed with shyness as she nodded obediently.
After a while, a hint of melancholy appeared in her eyes as she spoke softly.
"Um... about Rio, Miko, Mai-senpai and the others..."
At this point, Yui Yuigahama herself panicked first, waving her hands to explain.
"I... I'm not forcing you to choose, I just think... It's not easy for everyone to come together, and there's all the exorcism business too... if everyone in the Supernatural Society splits up, Kyoto City will..."
"Hey, mate, I've been waiting for you to say this."
Ye Xing began his output.
"Dango, do you think that to protect Kyoto City, capable members like us in the Supernatural Society should work together in unity, without internal conflicts?"
Yui Yuigahama nodded adorably.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then let me ask you, what's the closest relationship in this world?"
Facing this question, Yui Yuigahama thought for a moment before tentatively replying.
"Fam... family?"
"Exactly."
Ye Xing nodded, speaking with complete seriousness.
"So to protect Kyoto City, there's no such thing as competition anymore."
"Mai, Futaba, Miko, you, and several others are all my most important family members."