Lunch break was already half over, yet Dòu Táng was still rambling — spinning stories half-true
and half-made-up.
He sat cross-legged on the classroom floor, while Kume Chinatsu sat a few meters away,
wiping her tears and sniffling.
"Kiryu-kun, uuuu… it's just so sad! Poor Huaiyin-chan, she's suffered too much… uuuuu…"
Watching the school idol cry like a pear blossom in the rain gave Dòu Táng a strange sense of
satisfaction.
Finally, someone appreciates my tragic protagonist energy.
"Oh right — come to think of it, Kume-san," he said, tilting his head, "aren't you one of the
people who appeared in the newest video on the Tang Dou Ren Channel?"
He pulled out his phone and opened the Tang Dou Ren website.
The dark, minimalist layout radiated an eerie kind of mystery — and the extreme close-ups of
Tang Dou Ren made the whole thing look oddly unsettling.
…Wait a second.
Why the hell would Tang Dou Ren look creepy?
I'm supposed to be adorable, okay!?
The latest upload was titled in classic Lu Zizhen fashion:
"Exorcising Evil Spirits in a Hormone-Filled Campus with a Tall, Muscular
Man!"
…Yeah. That was definitely her handiwork.
Holding up his phone from a few meters away, Dòu Táng motioned for Kume to look. The video
showed Tang Dou Ren sprinting through a hallway, tackling the blood-clad spirit. Two
bystanders' faces were blurred — but one of them was unmistakably her.
"Kume-san," he said, his tone suddenly serious, "you had those talismans that night, and you
clearly knew about vengeful spirits. Putting that together… there's no doubt, right? The person
in the video is you."
His voice carried an almost accusatory weight as he thrust the phone slightly forward. Even from
a distance, Kume felt cornered — like he was standing right in front of her.
Ah yes.
The classic 'take control of the situation' technique.
"Uh… um…" She lowered her head, thinking fast, then nodded timidly.
"Yes… it was me. But I swear I don't know who Tang Dou Ren really is! I was just a victim too! I
thought you were—"
"I was what?" Dòu Táng asked, head tilted.
"I thought you were him! Tang Dou Ren! I'm so sorry!"
She bowed so low she nearly fell over, apologizing like she was one breath away from full-on
dogeza.
"I didn't know Kiryu-kun had been through so much. I was rude before — please forgive me!"
This kind of girl who trusted people way too easily… seriously, how had she survived this long?
Still, this wasn't a bad outcome.
Dòu Táng waved a hand and smiled. "No need to be so formal, Kume-san. There's a saying
back in Huaxia — 'No fight, no friendship.' After a misunderstanding like this, we might even end
up better friends than most."
"'No… fight… no friendship'?" Kume echoed, brow furrowed.
"It's an old Huaxian proverb," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, Kume-san, can we end this
awkward staring contest now? Honestly, if someone walked in right now, they'd think I was
bullying you."
Kume blinked, realizing he was right.
She nodded quickly and tried to stand — but the moment she did:
"Hiss—!"
"Legs fell asleep?" he asked.
"Mm…" she nodded miserably.
You are seriously the most refreshingly clumsy gyaru I've ever seen.
Dòu Táng sighed, stood up, and offered a hand. "If you don't mind, I'll help you up."
But Kume just shook her head, cheeks red. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"
She pushed herself up, wobbling like a baby deer, then hobbled toward the stairwell.
At the doorway, she turned back. "Kiryu-kun, aren't you coming?"
Dòu Táng pointed at his own legs, laughing. "Actually, mine are numb too. I only noticed after
standing, haha. You go ahead, Kume-san. I'll be right behind."
Kume flushed again. "O-okay. Um… Kiryu-kun—are you free after school today?"
"Ah! W-wait, don't get the wrong idea!" she added quickly, hands waving frantically. "I just
wanted to talk more about the supernatural—and Tang Dou Ren! That's all!"
Dòu Táng pretended to think it over. "Sorry, I have to spend time with my little sister today. How
about Sunday instead?"
Of course, with his Huaxian straightforwardness, he had no idea how that sounded in Japanese
context.
To her ears, it basically screamed "date invitation."
Still, after hearing his story, Kume's opinion of him had softened. Dòu Táng was one of the few
people she knew who truly understood the supernatural—and compared to the distant shrine
maiden Kamikura Ringo, he was much easier to talk to.
Her face turned a shade pinker. "O-okay… um, then I'll find you between classes to talk about
it!"
And with that, she covered her face and bolted.
As soon as she was gone, Dòu Táng yawned.
"Boring."
He looked up. Clouds had thickened, swallowing the sun. The air felt cooler—smelling faintly of
rain.
The rooftop… not bad, actually. She hadn't even told him to relock it.
Might as well take a nap up there.
He started toward the stairs—but the moment he reached the top landing, he froze.
Something felt… wrong.
A pulse. Heavy and cold.
Resentment.
Dòu Táng's eyes narrowed. After a moment's thought, he clasped his hands together, forming a
blade shape.
His right forearm swelled, veins bulging pink beneath the skin—
—and he drove it straight into the concrete.
Crack… crack…
The ground split like brittle stone.
In Tang Dou Ren form, his arm possessed monstrous strength—enough to crush rebar like
candy sticks. Within seconds, he had carved a small pit.
Inside it lay something gray-white.
A human skull.
Dòu Táng's pupils stretched and twisted, turning pitch-black as his body flared with soft pink
light.
Transformation complete.
He stood, doing a few awkward warm-up hops.
Goddammit… why can't this transformation ever have a cool intro?
Then he looked back into the pit.
A thick haze of black resentment coiled around the skull, rising and writhing like smoke. There
was no doubt about it — this was part of a powerful vengeful spirit.
Who could have suffered such a fate?
What kind of hate could lead someone to be dismembered and buried across the school
grounds?
Still… carrying around a skull was inconvenient.
Stuffing one into his bag would be way too conspicuous.
With a shrug, Dòu Táng scooped the dirt back in, tamped it flat, and patted the spot smooth.
Unless someone was insane enough to go digging up the roof, no one would ever find it again.
When he finished, he returned to human form, leapt down from the last step, dusted off his
hands, and locked the door behind him.
Whatever it was… I'll deal with it later.
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