After speaking those words, Saki Kawasaki felt her head grow dizzy from lack of oxygen due to excessive nervousness.
If she got rejected...
What should she do?
"What did you just say?"
Seeing Ye Xing's confused expression, Saki Kawasaki froze for a moment, thinking to herself, 'Did I speak too quietly just now, so he didn't hear me clearly?'
She parted her lips slightly. Her complexion, already much fairer than most girls, made the blush from her shyness completely impossible to conceal.
Speaking those words - "I like you" - had already exhausted all of Saki Kawasaki's courage.
If Ye Xing didn't hear clearly...
Should she say it again?
Just as Saki Kawasaki's mind went completely blank, not knowing what to do, Ye Xing suddenly spoke softly.
"Saki, I like you."
"Eh? Eh!!?"
Just as she was hesitating over whether to raise her voice and confess again, Saki Kawasaki froze upon hearing this, her face flustered and panicked.
"That... that, I... I..."
"Saki Kawasaki."
Ye Xing first softly called her name, then said with a gentle smile.
"Please become my family."
Saki Kawasaki struggled to calm herself down. Too shy to meet Ye Xing's eyes directly, she kept her head lowered. After remaining silent for a long moment, she finally extended her pale, slender hand and lightly placed it on the back of Ye Xing's hand, twisting awkwardly as she spoke.
"This... this is what you said yourself. You absolutely cannot go back on your word later."
"Don't worry, I'll never go back on it."
Ye Xing grasped Saki Kawasaki's hand in return and laughed.
"This way, Keika will officially be my little sister-in-law from now on."
Saki pursed her lips, a complex expression appearing in her eyes.
"She... probably wants to be more than just your little sister-in-law."
"What kind of outrageous nonsense are you saying?"
Ye Xing frowned deeply, seeming somewhat displeased.
"Keika won't even start elementary school until next year - she's practically still a toddler! How could I possibly do something so universally condemned and heaven-defying!?"
This statement left Saki Kawasaki completely stunned.
She could almost feel a righteous, shining aura emanating from Ye Xing's body.
But before Saki Kawasaki could even formulate a response, she heard him immediately add.
"Of course, little girls do grow up eventually, but we'd have to wait at least until high school, minimum."
"You...!"
Saki Kawasaki gritted her teeth, speaking with resentment.
"You actually do have designs on Keika!?"
"Don't make baseless accusations, little Saki."
Ye Xing retorted with righteous confidence.
"This isn't about me having designs on your sister - it's about your sister having designs on me! My position doesn't stem from personal desire, but rather a reluctant compromise to maintain the relationship between you sisters. I know Keika is the most important person to you - I'm doing all this for your sake!"
Hearing these words, Saki Kawasaki felt a pang of guilt.
It seemed... he might actually be right.
When she first met Ye Xing, because of his poor reputation at school, her attitude wasn't particularly friendly.
If she really thought about it, her younger sister Keika Kawasaki had liked Ye Xing from the very beginning.
At that time, Saki Kawasaki had simply assumed her sister was superficial, thinking Ye Xing was handsome and wanting him to become family, specifically, her brother-in-law.
But after all this time, Saki Kawasaki had long since realised.
Keika's intentions were obvious to everyone.
The relationship she wanted with Ye Xing wasn't the simple one of brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
She wanted him to be brother-in-law... and also...
It was a case of wanting to have her cake and eat it too.
Saki Kawasaki thought that after their long, drawn-out back-and-forth, she had finally expressed her feelings to Ye Xing and received the most perfect response, even far exceeding her expectations.
Not just as lovers, but taking it a step further to become a family that would never separate.
But...
Was this alone really enough?
What would Keika think?
Just like Haruno Yukinoshita, Saki Kawasaki was also an extremely severe sister complex case, and she didn't even bother hiding it - it had always been quite obvious.
Regardless of whether her younger sister's affection for Ye Xing stemmed from a schoolgirl's hero worship or genuine romantic feelings, Saki Kawasaki couldn't help but wonder - although Keika had always been helping her, if she actually entered a romantic relationship with Ye Xing now... wouldn't the other party feel jealous?
Although the probability was small, Saki Kawasaki didn't want to see her younger sister heartbroken because of this.
If she had Ye Xing's promise, though...
Keika probably wouldn't be sad, but rather quite happy, right?
"So... you were thinking of me."
Saki Kawasaki showed a guilty expression and whispered apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."
"No need to apologise."
Ye Xing waved his hand with a smile.
"As the Harem God, the natural enemy of love triangles, the destroyer of shipping wars and faction conflicts, I will definitely do my utmost to achieve a perfect happy ending. I absolutely won't end up like that famous playboy, meeting a divided fate."
...
Early the next morning, when Saki Kawasaki woke up, she discovered Ye Xing had already left.
Opening her phone, she saw the message he'd sent.
[I have matters to attend to today, so I've left first. You can go home if you want, or you could bring Keika over to stay. I'll probably be back around seven or eight in the evening.]
Saki Kawasaki pressed her lips together and smiled gently, murmuring to herself.
"He's quite concerned about me, this guy."
Last night...
Nothing had happened. The two had just sat together on the sofa for a while, held hands, then Saki Kawasaki, fighting back her shyness, hugged Ye Xing before they each returned to their rooms to sleep.
After all, although Saki Kawasaki appeared to be a delinquent girl on the surface, she was actually quite conservative.
Moreover, she had concerns - if she eagerly tried to do something so soon after confirming their relationship...
Wouldn't that make her seem too lustful, as if she were craving Ye Xing's body?
That wouldn't be good. She should wait for a suitable opportunity.
Saki Kawasaki sat on the sofa, her long, fair legs crossed, scrolling through her phone.
When her gaze swept past the name Marin, complex emotions inevitably surfaced in her eyes.
Although Saki Kawasaki kept telling herself that she had known Ye Xing first, that she had joined the club at the same time as Marin, and that the timing of falling for Ye Xing was...
She understood the simple principle of first-come, first-served in her heart, yet she couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty.
Perhaps...
Should she let Marin join, too?
Saki Kawasaki did have such thoughts, but after serious consideration, she felt that in her current position... she probably wasn't qualified to make such a decision.
Although Ye Xing had told her it didn't matter if she wasn't a psychic, within the Supernatural Society, where elites gathered, Saki Kawasaki couldn't help feeling somewhat insecure, thinking her voice and status weren't that important.
If it really came to letting Marin Kitagawa join... that wasn't a decision she should be making.
Who should she approach?
Miko Yotsuya?
She was indeed a founding member who had established the Supernatural Society together with Ye Xing, and her abilities seemed to be the strongest among all members aside from Ye Xing himself.
But the key was Miko Yotsuya's personality - it felt too detached, lacking the presence befitting a harem master.
Rio Futaba?
Hmm... She often takes the initiative, but it seems she's never won.
The Supernatural Society's fastest defeat legend.
Haruno Yukinoshita?
She isn't even a member of the Supernatural Society.
After pondering for a long time, Saki Kawasaki could only think of two candidates: Mai Sakurajima as the senior student, or Yui Yuigahama, who could chat with any member - even the aloof Kazusa Touma - and was practically the club's atmosphere coordinator.
Thinking this, Saki Kawasaki hesitated for a long time before finally dialling Yui Yuigahama's number.
"Yahallo, Saki-chan!"
From the other end of the phone came Yui Yuigahama's energetic, lively, and adorable voice, which made people happy just to hear it.
"Yui..."
Saki Kawasaki took a deep breath, suppressing her nervousness as she mustered her courage.
"Last night... I stayed at Ye Xing's place... overnight with him."
Hearing this, Yui Yuigahama on the other end suddenly fell silent.
Saki Kawasaki nervously pursed her lips, her hand holding the phone beginning to tremble slightly.
As expected...
Even if Yui Yuigahama, Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, Mai Sakurajima and the others were generous and had reached a private consensus, as an outsider - an ordinary member who wasn't even a psychic - suddenly inserting herself... would still cause displeasure, right?
But the next moment, Yui Yuigahama said something completely unexpected to Saki Kawasaki.
"Sigh..."
Yui Yuigahama first sighed, then spoke softly with a tone full of empathetic pity.
"Saki-chan, you've worked hard."
"Eh?"
Saki Kawasaki was completely bewildered.
She truly hadn't expected this to be Yui Yuigahama's reaction upon hearing about this.
What's going on?
Could it be that in Yui Yuigahama's eyes, staying under the same roof with Ye Xing and spending a night alone with him was something painful?
How could that be possible?
Saki Kawasaki simply couldn't believe that Yui Yuigahama would feel this way.
Being alone with Ye Xing was something that made her happy, even if it was a bit embarrassing and nerve-wracking.
Besides.
Who would use words like "worked hard" to describe spending time with their own lover?
Unless... Yui Yuigahama was deliberately being abstract with her?
Come to think of it.
Lovers do influence each other. Since Yui Yuigahama was already somewhat airheaded to begin with, it wouldn't be surprising if she'd started saying strange, incomprehensible things like Ye Xing.
But still...
Is she really not jealous at all?
Isn't this atmosphere a bit too harmonious?
What Saki Kawasaki didn't know was that Yui Yuigahama, Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, Haruno Yukinoshita, and even Hachishaku-sama had all realised one thing.
With their current lineup...
They simply couldn't withstand the fierce attacks from Kyoto's number one eroge shooter.
Dozens of rounds in one night while maintaining high-frequency movements - who could possibly handle that?
They had reached a new stage where they needed to recruit new members to collectively challenge the dungeon boss.
Saki Kawasaki remained silent for a moment before changing the subject with a light laugh.
"Yui, are you busy with an exorcism commission right now? If you're occupied, I can call you back later."
"No, no, I just woke up, so I'm quite free actually. By the way, where's Ye Xing? If he was with you, you probably wouldn't feel comfortable calling me, would you?"
"He... he sent me a text saying he's out handling some business."
"Oh, I see."
Hearing Yui Yuigahama's casual and relaxed tone, Saki Kawasaki tentatively asked.
"So... aren't you worried that he... might get injured during the mission, or even...?"
"You're completely overthinking this."
Yui Yuigahama could understand why Saki Kawasaki would have such concerns. After all, the other girl wasn't a psychic, and even though she knew Ye Xing was the strongest, she didn't have the clear understanding of his capabilities that she and Futaba possessed.
"He's really strong - not just the strongest, but several levels above us in terms of power."
"Even without using his Soul Materialisation ability, his physical capabilities are extraordinary. What he showed during the sports festival was just him holding back. To be honest..."
"Strength, speed, eyesight, hearing, explosive power, endurance... From my personal experience... Ye Xing has far surpassed human limits."
Personal experience?
Saki Kawasaki activated her passive skill: Detail Detection.
Wait a minute.
"Hearing?"
"Yes."
Yui Yuigahama, unaware of anything unusual, smiled and explained.
"Ye Xing's hearing is really amazing. I remember one time at school, he could immediately notice someone walking dozens of meters down the hallway even through the activity room's door."
Saki Kawasaki froze.
Ye Xing's hearing was that powerful?
In that case...
Why did he pretend not to hear when she confessed her feelings last night?
Saki immediately thought of one possibility.
Did Ye Xing think that, given her personality, taking the initiative to confess would be too difficult for her, so he deliberately pretended not to hear, then turned the tables by confessing to her instead?
A blush spread across Saki Kawasaki's fair, delicate face, and her heartbeat quickened considerably.
This delinquent beauty with light blue high ponytail hair, fair skin, and a tall, well-proportioned figure...
Had completely fallen before the mighty Harem God.
...
Meanwhile, Soichiro Yagami entered his office, ready to begin another busy day of work.
"What's up, brother?"
Hearing that familiar tone, Soichiro Yagami turned to see Mask sitting on the large leather sofa, with two bottles of cola on the coffee table in front of him - one chilled, the other at room temperature.
"Here, this one's for you. Don't stand on ceremony with me, brother."
Soichiro Yagami shook his head helplessly, loosened his tie, took off his suit jacket, sat down opposite Ye Xing, and accepted the room temperature Pepsi that was offered to him.
"I never drink soft drinks."
Even as he said this, Soichiro unscrewed the cap and took a small sip.
Just as he was about to say something, he noticed that Mask, sitting across from him, was looking at him with an inexplicable expression of admiration.
"Soichiro, you're truly something else."
Ye Xing gave Soichiro Yagami a thumbs-up, sincerely praising him.
"You can actually drink room-temperature toilet cleaner. You're really something else."
Then, without waiting for Soichiro Yagami to respond, Ye Xing continued speaking to himself.
"Soichiro, have you identified the two criminals from the Kyoto Tower incident?"
"Yes, we have."
Normally, information about suspects - even deceased ones - in an ongoing investigation would be considered absolutely confidential. But given Soichiro Yagami's level of trust in Mask, he clearly didn't care about confidentiality protocols anymore and immediately replied.
"The man and woman were both Kyoto locals. The woman had a history of sexual assault in her childhood and psychiatric issues. The man was quite normal, just your typical NEET shut-in."
"I plan to conclude it as a case of sudden mental breakdown and assign it to my Special Operations Group, then wrap up the investigation after a couple of days. What do you think?"
As someone who knew the truth, Soichiro Yagami was well aware that the two mangled, gruesomely killed bodies left at the scene were merely shells occupied by evil spirits.
The real culprits who should be held responsible...
Had probably already received punishment a hundred times more cruel than what the law could deliver.
However, there was no way to prove that evil spirits had possessed human bodies to commit crimes. Even if Soichiro Yagami wanted to reveal the truth about the world to others, no one would believe him.
Moreover, to protect the identities of Mask and the others, he would absolutely never disclose such matters.
In the end, just like with the amusement park incident, he could only conclude the investigation with sudden mental breakdown as the result.
"I see..."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally, then spoke with a smile.
"Little So, I'm giving you two tasks."
Soichiro Yagami sighed and complained.
"You brat, now you're not even calling me by my name, just going straight to 'Little So'?"
"Should I promote you to the 'old' generation then? Old So? Old Chi? Old Ro?"
"Never mind, just keep calling me Little So."
"Alright, Little So."
Ye Xing directly stated his request.
"Have you heard of Kuchisake-onna?"
"Huh?"
Soichiro Yagami was momentarily stunned, then his expression changed dramatically.
"Don't tell me Kuchisake-onna has appeared!?"
"Unfortunately, not yet. But since you know about her, that makes things easier."
Ye Xing spoke slowly.
"Here's what you do: find some sparsely populated area, preferably an abandoned zone, then issue a public notice warning Kyoto citizens that the area has been having frequent incidents recently, with the suspect being a woman wearing a mask... Don't explicitly say it's Kuchisake-onna, but make all the characteristics match hers. Don't be too specific either, just say it's under investigation. Understand?"
Soichiro Yagami's ability to analyse and deduce information was clearly exceptional, given his position as head of the Criminal Investigations Bureau.
After hearing Ye Xing's words, he only needed a moment's thought before understanding. He stared at the other with a horrified expression, his square face showing disbelief and astonishment.
"You brat... don't tell me you..."
"Have you watched too many of those strange films and developed some peculiar taste for female ghosts, so you want to create one yourself?"
"I can't help you with this! I can't stand by and watch you develop such strange fetishes!!!"