Hoshino froze. After a long silence, he let out a faint, uncertain "Huh?"
If it were the usual him, he'd have seized the opportunity, pressing forward like a man possessed,
"Then who am I? Speak up! Look me in the eyes! Who am I to you? Say it!"
But right now, that was impossible. His head was spinning, his face felt hot and itchy.
Please, Kobeni-san, don't say stuff like that. I swear, I'm gonna die from how cute you are.
He didn't respond for a while, and Kobeni cautiously lifted her gaze to study him.
His face is so red…
Suddenly, Hoshino turned his head toward her. Their eyes met for a split second before he quickly looked away, and she ducked her head.
Her movement was too sharp—her hair ribbon slipped loose, sliding down her hair.
The long brown strands spilled over her shoulders, gleaming faintly.
To Hoshino, it felt like a divine pardon. One of his muscle fibers slipped from his sleeve, hooked the ribbon off the floor, and brought it into his hand.
"You dropped your hairband."
"Mm-hmm."
Kobeni's head was still bowed, but she had clearly seen that subtle little motion.
The room went quiet again.
"I—I'll tie it for you?"
"You—you'll tie it for me."
They spoke at the same time.
Immediately, the grip on his arm tightened.
Help, help, I'm gonna die here!
Hoshino's grin almost split his face in half. He was thrilled—but still turned away, trying to hide it.
Excitement, embarrassment, nervous restraint…
Pull yourself together, Harem King! Don't you dare collapse now!
He took a deep breath and said, "Alright, turn around."
"Mm-hmm."
Kobeni let go and obediently turned her back to him.
Hoshino buried his hands in her hair, gathering it up and pulling it gently behind her head.
The pale skin of her neck was suddenly exposed—a stretch of porcelain-white that almost glowed under the dim light.
Her slim figure was swallowed by an oversized cotton jacket, leaving a soft gap that revealed the light brown T-shirt underneath.
Only then did Hoshino realize—Kobeni was wearing his clothes. His jacket, his pants, his shirt.
Even in 1997, married couples wouldn't do this. Maybe couples in 2025 would.
Then another thought hit him:
Wait, didn't I read somewhere that the back of the neck has a special meaning in Japanese culture…?
He blinked, a mischievous spark flickering in his eyes.
He leaned closer, took a playful breath—and blew softly against that delicate, porcelain-white skin.
"Ah—!" Kobeni trembled from head to toe, trying to pull away, but the muscle fibers wrapped around her held her still.
"Huff!"
"Mm!"
"Huff!"
"Ah!"
…
After a few shivers, all strength left her body.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, tiny beads of sweat glistening on her face. Her long legs folded inward in a shy pigeon-toed stance, completely unable to support her. Her whole body hung slack in the fibers' grip.
Oh crap. I think I might've just done something really bad.
Hoshino swallowed hard, forcing himself to behave, and tied her hair into a neat, low ponytail—just like he would on any normal day.
"Kobeni… -san?" he asked cautiously.
"Hmph."
"Huh?"
He'd heard her make all kinds of sounds before—but this was the first time she'd ever hmphed at him.
"Apologize," she said flatly.
"Sorry." He obeyed immediately.
Then suddenly grinned. "You should apologize too."
"No!"
"You slapped me in the face at the hotel last night, didn't you? My cheek still hurts!"
"You—you—you have some nerve! You didn't even realize I'd woken up, and you were, you were—you were right there—"
"Right where?" he asked, curious.
Kobeni fell silent.
"Fine, I'll let you off the hook." Hoshino nodded solemnly.
It seemed that while unconscious, he might've enjoyed quite the unexpected bonus.
He then told her about scouting out the hospital earlier—only to earn a sharp glare in return.
"You've changed, Kobeni-san." That was the last thing he said before leaving the tatami room.
---
Okura Central Hospital.
After a quick inspection, Hoshino noted that it was a decent-sized facility, well-equipped but not overly complex in layout.
The obstetrics department occupied the third floor of the main building. Four examination rooms lined the corridor, and across from the desks sat semi-transparent metal cabinets filled with paper records.
Computers weren't widely used yet, so most data was still on paper.
The scouting went smoothly.
Afterward, he returned to the inn, had dinner with Kobeni, and waited until midnight before they both set out for the hospital together.
Ever since their "sort-of" relationship had been confirmed, their conversations had grown sparse. Hoshino wasn't used to it—he couldn't even bring himself to say his usual nonsense.
"Alright, my dear wife, whether you end up a widow or not depends on tonight," he said, forcing himself back into character.
Kobeni blushed and fiddled with her hairclip. "I-I still have to… g-go to college…"
"Good, college life's important!" Hoshino laughed.
"Once we're out of this mess, I'll pay for your tuition."
"N-no way!"
She crossed her arms into an "X." "No—no sugar daddies!"
"Too bad. You don't have a choice!" Hoshino huffed and vaulted over the fence into the hospital grounds.
Kobeni let out a quiet "hmph" and followed.
They navigated the halls with ease, reaching the third floor in no time.
"Hello, excuse me—are you visiting a patient?" a nurse asked as she approached them.
"I'm here to play," Hoshino replied.
The nurse's face hardened.
"I'm sorry, but the obstetrics ward is off-limits at night. For the patients' privacy and safety, please leave immediately."
"The obstetrics ward is for playing at night."
Hoshino's eyes swirled into hypnotic spirals.
"Sir! Please don't joke abou—You're absolutely right. The obstetrics ward is for playing at night. Have fun!"
"Go have some fun yourself."
"Yes, sir."
He watched her skip down the hall and vanish around the corner, then turned and caught Kobeni's expression.
"What's with that face?"
"Uwah…"
"…"
They reached the door to Obstetrics Room 304. Naturally, it was locked.
Because of the private nature of examinations, there was no window on the door.
Hoshino pressed his ear to it for a moment, confirmed the room was empty, and slid a muscle fiber into the keyhole.
A gentle twist—click. The door opened.
"Uwah…"
"…Yeah," Hoshino admitted. "These powers are seriously shady."
They stepped inside and locked the door behind them.
The air smelled faintly of disinfectant. Under the dim light, Kobeni's silhouette looked slim and graceful, and Hoshino couldn't help the stray thoughts creeping in.
So this is the power of "setting."
He pushed those thoughts down. There was a time and place for everything, and right now, staying alive for a better future was the priority.
Switching on the light, he said, "We need the patient records. Focus on the last three months—pregnant women who haven't yet given birth."
He was certain the Silkworm Devil hadn't been born yet. For one, it was still too cold—completely opposite of a silkworm's natural cycle.
And besides, a birth would've caused a massive panic. The mother wouldn't have survived, and her death would've been gruesome.
No such reports, no rumors. Nothing.
Of course, if a woman lived alone, had no family, and gave birth outside the hospital… the newborn Devil might've devoured her body, leaving only a "missing person" report—which the police would likely bury for the sake of the upcoming festival.
What could you do?
Wait for death, basically.
Kobeni quickly found the record books.
From December 1, 1997, to March 5, Hoshino sifted through the lists of pregnancies and identified four women who could be potential hosts. He jotted down their phone numbers and home addresses.
"There are still three more rooms. Sixteen names per room—we can finish by tomorrow, barely."
"What if… they're not here?" Kobeni asked.
Hoshino thought for a moment.
"They're all in mid-pregnancy—the most comfortable, most mobile stage. It's possible. But given how bad the economy is, most husbands can't support a household alone. These women probably still work. Tomorrow's Friday, so they won't have a day off until the weekend. If they don't work, their families can't afford to spend much."
He didn't mention the rest—that farmers in Japan actually lived pretty well. Their schedules were flexible, and the work wasn't unbearable.
If anyone had gone on a trip, it'd likely be one of the rural families.
"What if… what if they're rich?" Kobeni asked nervously.
"Then we'll check the onsen district. After all, the Okura Snow Story's coming up—they'd probably head there."
"I'm going."
Hoshino was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
They moved to the next examination room. The door, a bit old, had a gap corroded wider near the bottom.
Hoshino's sharp hearing caught faint noises inside.
"Mmm~ Why here? Someone might hear us!"
"That's the point. I want people to hear."
Clearly, the two inside were playing Hoshino's favorite game: Doctor and Nurse.
Kobeni's face turned bright red; she ducked her head into her collar.
Hoshino, all business, activated his power—spirals whirled in his eyes.
In his mind's eye, two flames burned brightly.
After carefully comparing them, his gaze sharpened. One of the two was a Contractor.
A Contractor's flame barely differed from a human's. Without close inspection, you'd never tell.
Judging by their positions… it was most likely the man.