Ye Xing didn't respond verbally but answered with action.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
Holding Ye Xing's hand, Miko Yotsuya suddenly had an inspiration as they entered the cinema, switching from a palm-to-palm grip to interlocking their fingers in a more intimate style.
After entering the screening room, Miko first glanced around before letting out a relieved sigh.
"Confirmed, no evil spirits or spectres."
A rare joyful smile appeared on Miko's face as she tightly interlocked her fingers with Ye Xing's, sitting down together in the screening room seats.
"Just to mention something first."
Looking at the slightly confused Miko, Ye Xing chuckled.
"Screening rooms usually have cameras, night vision ones at that. Don't do anything strange later."
Hearing this, Miko's face turned red with both embarrassment and irritation.
"I... I'm not that desperate. What are you thinking?"
"I'm worried you might not be able to control yourself."
"Stop being ridiculous here."
Just as Ye Xing and Miko were chatting and laughing while waiting for the movie to start, they saw a group of delinquent-looking boys, appearing like troublemakers around their age, noisily entering the screening room.
"Hey, I'm saying, why hasn't the movie started yet?"
"So slow."
"Can't you speed things up?"
Unlike the cliché scenarios in TV dramas where delinquents would hit on someone's girlfriend, nothing of that sort happened.
Just their noisy presence alone made the few audience members in the screening room, including Miko Yotsuya, slightly frown.
"How annoying."
Having finally gotten a chance to watch a movie only to be disturbed by such noise, Miko showed clear displeasure on her face, gently patting the back of Ye Xing's hand as she said softly.
"Wait for me."
Ye Xing grabbed Miko's arm.
"What are you planning to do?"
"What... of course to tell them to keep quiet."
Ye Xing reminded her: "Have you forgotten that incident with the train molester when we first met?"
"Don't worry, this time is different."
Miko wore a confident expression.
"The current me can take them all down within five seconds!"
Ye Xing shook his head.
"You could take them down, but if it causes a commotion, we won't be able to watch the movie."
Then, Ye Xing added in an extremely serious tone.
"Besides, fighting isn't good, you know."
Hearing this, Miko began to wonder if she was hallucinating.
Fighting isn't good?
If someone else said this, it wouldn't be a problem.
But you, Ye Xing, weren't you the one who slapped that boy from another class in the Sobu High School corridor in front of everyone?
And you even had a record of causing injuries during middle school.
Now you're telling me fighting isn't good?
And adding "you know" at the end?
"Miko, your perspective is still too narrow."
Ye Xing patted Miko's shoulder, speaking with profound sincerity.
"In this world, violence isn't the only path available."
"Listen to me, you should..."
Ye Xing leaned close to Miko Yotsuya's ear and whispered something.
His exhaled breath brushed against Miko Yotsuya's fair, delicate earlobe, causing her face to flush red involuntarily. Her golden eyes showed a hint of hesitation.
"Like this... is it really alright? Can spiritual power... be used for this purpose?"
"Of course it can."
Ye Xing replied with a smile.
"How spiritual power should be used depends entirely on our own thoughts. There's no need to impose restrictions on ourselves."
Miko nodded with partial understanding, thinking to herself that this seemed to make sense.
"Then I'll give it a try."
Meanwhile, the group of male high school students dressed like delinquents continued to make loud noises despite feeling the disgusted glances from those around them.
If there had been no other audience members in the screening room, they wouldn't have been so noisy.
This world has people like this.
They only feel comfortable when making others uncomfortable.
Just like immature children who use deliberate bullying to attract the attention of girls they like.
Fundamentally, they're all just childish methods to gain attention.
At that moment, a woman's cool voice came from behind them.
"Could you... please be quiet?"
"Huh?"
Hearing that someone had actually dared to admonish them, and considering the woman's soft, gentle voice, one of the delinquents turned around with an impatient expression.
"Shut up, if you don't like the noise then get out..."
Just as he was halfway through his sentence, he suddenly froze, his pupils dilating in shock.
"Hey, what are you looking at? Could she be really beautif..."
His companions were about to tease him when they saw the terrifying scene behind them.
More than a dozen eyeballs of various colours, connected by dark red threads, were swaying in the air, each one's gaze firmly fixed on them.
"You... can see me?"
"Gh... ghosts!"
Hearing this word, infinite resentment and killing intent suddenly emerged from the more than a dozen eyeballs.
"You... can see me!"
"Ghosts!"
The delinquents turned pale with fear. Watching the approaching eyeballs, they scrambled away in panic. One of them even tripped and fell, blood streaming from his nose, but he didn't dare stop for even a moment as they quickly fled the screening room.
To the remaining audience members, these delinquents had inexplicably started screaming as if they'd seen something terrifying, then ran out.
Young people these days...
Their mental state is truly concerning.
"Hahaha..."
Miko Yotsuya initially covered her mouth with a light laugh.
After a few seconds, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter, tears forming in her golden eyes from laughing so hard.
"Hahaha, that was just too funny."
Miko wiped the corners of her eyes, showing a rare, genuine smile as she spoke to Ye Xing beside her.
"They're such cowards, aren't they?"
Ye Xing replied with equal amusement.
"So, what do you think? Not a bad method, is it?"
"Mmm, it's really good. It drove away those annoying guys."
Miko Yotsuya wore a happy smile, glanced down at the armrest separating them, pursed her lips, and spoke softly, her cheeks flushed.
"That... could you lift the armrest? I... I..."
Miko hesitated, then suddenly remembered what Futaba had told her about being bolder. Finally resolving herself, she spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"I... want to hold your arm."
The response didn't come in words.
Instead, Ye Xing silently lifted the armrest that had been between them.
Miko shyly wrapped her arms around his, a smile appearing in her golden eyes.
Right now, she felt truly happy.
...
Meanwhile, in an abandoned building in Kyoto City.
"Appear!"
Yui Yuigahama struck an extremely cool pose, flicking the hem of her non-existent coat with her left hand while reaching forward with her right, adopting a thoroughly chuunibyou manner and tone as she softly uttered these two words.
Seeing her like this, Mai Sakurajima and Rio Futaba exchanged glances before speaking in unison with puzzled expressions.
"What... are you doing?"
"Huh?"
Yui Yuigahama noticed that her true soul manifestation, Kiyohime, hadn't appeared as expected, showing a confused, blank expression.
"Isn't this... how you use Soul Materialisation?"
"Of course not, who taught you that?"
"But isn't this the exact move Ye Xing uses every time? I even replicated the lines and expression perfectly."
Rio Futaba took off her glasses, tied her long, grey, curly hair into a high ponytail with a hair tie, and sighed helplessly.
"We're performing exorcism here, not participating in a Mask cosplay competition. That's not how it's done. Watch carefully, I'll demonstrate for you."
Rio Futaba slowly placed her glasses into her coat pocket and softly chanted.
"Tear off the disguise, Bone Woman."
The moment the words fell, Bone Woman in her kimono materialised behind her.
"Rio... so cool..."
Yui Yuigahama's mouth slightly hung open as she watched Rio Futaba's appearance - so different from her usual science-girl self with her glasses off and hair in a high ponytail, looking dashing and heroic - she couldn't help but voice her admiration.
Rio Futaba's face flushed slightly. She cleared her throat twice to hide her embarrassment and said calmly.
"Like this, speak the words from your initial awakening, then call out your true soul's name, and you can summon your Soul Manifestation."
Mai Sakurajima added from the side.
"Of course, once you become proficient with the Soul Materialisation ability, you can also omit the incantation and directly call out the soul's true name. For example, like this..."
Mai Sakurajima said softly.
"Suzuhiko-hime."
Similarly, the moment her words fell, Suzuhiko-hime—dressed in a pink gauze dress, graceful and enchantingly beautiful—appeared behind Mai Sakurajima, stirring a breeze carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.
"Mai-senpai... so cool!"
Facing Yui Yuigahama's praise, Mai Sakurajima smiled gracefully and replied gently.
"As for the advanced applications of the Soul Materialisation ability, such as transforming into clothing and merging with oneself, I'll teach you those after you've had your soul's true form devour enough evil spirits."
"Okay."
Watching Yui Yuigahama, Mai Sakurajima, and Rio Futaba discussing the uses of spiritual power, Menma stood obediently nearby, gazing at the sky with a thoughtful expression, murmuring to herself.
"The ability to affect reality... with the mind..."
"If I could do that too..."
...
Two hours later.
"Phew, that film was quite good."
Miko Yotsuya looked as if she hadn't had enough, holding Ye Xing's hand as they walked out of the screening room.
She felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
When terrifying scenes appeared on screen, she could scream out loud just like the other audience members, without having to hide her fear at all.
"You might have found it good..."
Ye Xing shook his head and laughed.
"But for me, it was rather torturous."
"Eh? Torturous? You think..."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Miko Yotsuya's golden eyes, and she spoke apologetically.
"You think... watching horror films is boring..."
"That's not it."
Ye Xing gently pinched Miko Yotsuya's cheek, crouched down slightly, looked directly into her golden eyes, and once again deployed his speciality—a direct attack.
"Being with you makes anything fun."
Miko Yotsuya's face flushed slightly, her eyes shimmering, the corners of her lips lifting as she mustered her courage and nodded.
"I... I feel the same. Being with you, I don't find things boring or scary."
After a while, once the other audience members from the screening room had all left, Miko Yotsuya couldn't resist her curiosity and spoke up again.
"Then why did you say watching the film was torturous?"
"Miko, you still don't understand how I feel."
Ye Xing looked deeply moved and replied seriously.
"Just imagine—such delicious-looking food swaying before my eyes, yet I can't eat it, only stare longingly. Isn't that torture?"
"Uh..."
Miko Yotsuya was momentarily speechless.
Only you.
Others watch horror films, sweating, tense, scared, with their hearts racing.
But you?
You made yourself hungry?
After leaving the cinema, Miko Yotsuya said with a laugh.
"Since you're hungry, shall we find somewhere to eat?"
"Sure, or we could eat at my place."
Hearing the words 'at my place' from Ye Xing's mouth, Miko Yotsuya suddenly felt an inexplicable flutter of nervousness in her heart.
To go... or not to go?
Wait a moment.
This isn't even a choice.
When I finally have the chance, of course I should go!
"Then... then..."
Just as Miko Yotsuya was about to suggest going to Ye Xing's home, she suddenly noticed a large crowd gathered not far ahead on the street, appearing quite lively.
"Shall we take a look?"
"Yes, let's have a look."
Miko pulled Ye Xing's hand, and the two of them moved closer together to see what was happening.
When they got near, the scene that met their eyes left Miko unsure how to feel, her expression becoming quite complicated.
Dozens of exquisitely crafted figurines were displayed on the transparent glass shelves of a shop.
This wasn't particularly unusual.
Although Kyoto's overall atmosphere leaned more toward the traditional and classical than Tokyo's trendiness, this was, after all, a commercial street, so there were bound to be plenty of products that appealed to young people.
But...
Looking at the figurines wearing black coats and pure black masks - some with white smile patterns according to the style, others just plain black masks, with the coat hems specially designed to look like flowing flames - Miko turned to Ye Xing beside her with a complicated expression, lowering her voice as she said.
"Um... you've been put up there."
Ye Xing pointed to a figurine among the shelves wearing a pure white coat with pale gold patterns and replied with a laugh.
"You've been put up there, too."
Miko examined it carefully and murmured.
"Not just you and me, but the others too... they've all been made into figurines..."
Ye Xing nodded in deep agreement.
"Indeed, and they're actually quite well made."
He hadn't deliberately lowered his voice for this comment, and someone who appeared to be the shop owner at the entrance, hearing the praise about them being well-made, immediately responded enthusiastically.
"You've got good taste, young man."
"Let me tell you, although many places in Kyoto make Mask figurines now, mine are the highest quality, always limited edition releases."
"Is that so..."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally and smiled.
"So do people buy them?"
The owner waved his hand dismissively.
"Come on, what kind of question is that? While other styles might have leftovers, Mask himself always sells out instantly."
Hearing this, Miko's mouth twitched involuntarily.
It was obvious.
She, Mai Sakurajima, and Rio Futaba had all been categorised as "other styles."
But, thinking it through carefully, this made sense.
After the previous television broadcast, plus Ye Xing's speech that completely crushed the self-proclaimed Sunny Girl Killer's self-esteem - that righteous, severely critical address...
Mask's high popularity was only natural.
Who is the most popular idol in Kyoto now?
It's Mask!
"You know..."
The owner looked carefully at Ye Xing, who was wearing black casual clothes and had an impressive physique, and said with a hearty laugh.
"Your build would be perfect for cosplaying Mask, and you're handsome enough, too."
Saying this, he went back into the shop, brought out a box, and handed it to Ye Xing.
"Here, I'll give you this Mask figurine as a gift."
"Eh? Is that really alright? You're too kind."
Watching Ye Xing accept the box directly while speaking words of refusal, Miko Yotsuya wore an expression of speechlessness.
You're being very polite with your words, but your actions aren't slow at all.
"Ah, it's nothing," the shop owner said with a very hearty manner. "After all, all the income from selling these figurines is being donated to the families of the victims in the Sunny Doll Killer incident. It's not for profit. We hit it off today, so giving you one is fine. Just support Mask more in the future."
"Don't worry," Ye Xing chuckled softly. "I'm Mask's number one fan, after all."
...
As the shop owner had said, the Mask figurines sold out within a few minutes.
What surprised Miko Yotsuya was that the second-highest-selling figurine wasn't hers, nor was it Rio Futaba's or Mai Sakurajima's.
Instead, it was a figurine of a mysterious person she had never seen before, dressed in magnificent white formal attire.
Of course, Miko felt somewhat embarrassed that her image from the operations had been made into a figurine, but it wasn't too bad.
After all, from their appearances, all the members, including Mask, seemed male.
Naturally, the figurines had been made based on their disguised appearances.
"But Mask's popularity is really high," Miko said, covering her mouth with a light laugh as she looked at Ye Xing beside her. "They've become Kyoto's hero - popular enough to debut as an idol, right?"
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm not particularly interested in that."
Just as the two were about to turn and leave, a petite figure wearing heelies suddenly slid right into Ye Xing's arms.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch... sorry," said the girl wearing a black eyepatch over her right eye, tears welling up as she apologised quietly to Ye Xing. She immediately looked toward the shop owner at the entrance with an urgent expression. "Um... the Mask figurine! I want to buy one!"