"Ye Xing... you... you're actually..."
Looking at Mask standing before her - wearing a black mask and a black coat - Setsuna Ogiso was dumbfounded, stammering as if wanting to say something but too shocked to utter a single word.
"Ka... Kazusa... he... Ye Xing he..."
"As you can see."
Kazusa Touma took hold of Setsuna Ogiso's hand that was pointing at Ye Xing, speaking in a calm tone.
"He is Mask."
At this moment, Setsuna Ogiso's mind went completely blank from the shock of what she was witnessing.
Her friend from the same band - the one who liked to speak abstractly, occasionally brought out various instruments to perform amazing feats, sharp-tongued but actually kind and considerate, the one who had saved her - Ye Xing was actually the mysterious hero Mask, who had been active in Kyoto recently?
Compared to Eriri, who had known about Ye Xing's special powers before discovering his true identity, Setsuna Ogiso's shock was even greater because she had never considered that possibility at all.
This feeling was like a distant fantasy suddenly becoming real, appearing right before her eyes, even sharing the same hot spring pool with her.
How had they suddenly jumped from a youth band theme to a superhero theme?
Who could handle such a drastic shift?
Setsuna Ogiso wore a dazed expression, only coming to her senses after a long while, murmuring to herself.
"So... the two of you in that Supernatural Society... Mai-senpai and the other members... Oh heavens... How is this possible..."
Setsuna Ogiso's brain had already overheated to a crimson temperature.
Yet through her current murmuring, one could still discern that upon learning Ye Xing was Mask, Setsuna Ogiso immediately connected that Mask's assistants were members of the Supernatural Society.
One couldn't call her particularly clever, but at the very least, it proved she wasn't foolish - certainly more capable than that single-celled golden-haired failure of a girl Eriri.
"Setsuna."
Kazusa Touma rose directly from the hot spring, her model-proportioned yet curvaceous figure, with certain areas whose scale could make Setsuna Ogiso feel ashamed of her own, pale body exposed amidst the hazy steam.
"I don't know how you'll react after learning the truth. After all, this kind of thing is truly too difficult for ordinary people to comprehend. And I understand perfectly well that no matter what, while what Ye Xing and I are doing helps others, it's indeed illegal and extremely dangerous."
"To be honest, you don't need to involve yourself in these matters. It's just my selfish, willful belief that if we're truly close friends... there shouldn't be any secrets between us. That Ye Xing can tolerate such a troublesome me is the luckiest thing in my life."
"I won't force any decision upon you - you have the right to choose. If you can't accept this, then treat today... and all those previous events as if they never happened. Return to how we were before we met... two separate lines that never intersect."
Hearing these final words, Setsuna Ogiso's expression changed dramatically. Without even caring that she was unclothed, she immediately stood up sharply, her face showing complex emotions as she whispered:
"No... We've already been through so much together... How could we possibly return to how we were before we met, pretending nothing ever happened?"
"No... That won't do..."
Setsuna Ogiso shook her head firmly, her tone resolute.
"Something as trivial as this would never affect the relationship between the three of us!"
At these words, Kazusa Touma - who just moments before had looked sorrowful as if making a final farewell - instantly transformed her expression into a bright smile, turning toward Ye Xing, who had already cancelled his transformation and was leaning back, with a boastful expression."
"See? I told you Setsuna would definitely choose to stay with us."
Ye Xing nodded, offering generous praise.
"Indeed. Only you could have managed this - truly impressive."
"Hmph, as long as you recognise that."
Listening to Kazusa Touma and Ye Xing's conversation and seeing their smiling faces, Setsuna Ogiso finally realised.
Good heavens, so I was just part of your little play all along?
"You... you two..."
Blushing with embarrassment and anger, Setsuna Ogiso scooped up a handful of water from the hot spring and splashed it toward Kazusa Touma.
"You were just teasing me earlier, weren't you?"
"Of course."
Not to be outdone, Kazusa Touma laughed and splashed water back at her.
"Since we promised to always be together, how could I possibly let you escape like this? I already knew you'd give this kind of answer - there's no chance for regrets now. Now that you know the truth, you're already bound to both of us."
"Damn you, Kazusa! How dare you trick me like this!"
Setsuna Ogiso and Kazusa Touma playfully wrestled. Though she spoke these words, it was clear she wasn't truly angry, but rather looked completely relieved.
"Faster, faster, put more effort into it!"
Ye Xing watched the scene before him with appreciation, clapping his hands.
"I love watching women fight the most."
"Mm..."
Only when she heard Ye Xing's voice did Setsuna Ogiso belatedly realise she was completely naked, wearing nothing at all.
Even with the steam providing some cover, this wasn't an anime - how could it possibly obscure things to the point of being unclear?
Setsuna Ogiso immediately sat down, her face flushing bright red as she submerged everything below her nose in the water, blowing bubbles like a goldfish.
Seeing her so embarrassed, Kazusa Touma smiled and sat down beside her, speaking softly.
"Oh, right, all that talk about death earlier - I was just joking with you, too."
Kazusa Touma pointed towards where Ye Xing was sitting.
"Don't be fooled by how unreliable he usually acts - he's actually someone very dependable, capable of solving any problem. With him here, there won't be any danger."
Setsuna Ogiso nodded, not feeling that Kazusa Touma's assessment was too blindly given, because she felt the same way - her trust in Ye Xing could be described as blind too.
As long as Ye Xing was here... things would always work out perfectly.
The band's formation had been like this, the school festival had been like this, and the relationship between the three of them had been like this too...
Setsuna Ogiso looked at the steam rising in the room, and at the faces of Ye Xing and Kazusa Touma visible through the mist, unable to suppress a slight smile.
From now on... the three of them would continue walking forward together, just like today...
...
Originally, this was what Setsuna Ogiso had thought.
Until they spent a peaceful night, left the hot spring inn the next day, returned to Kyoto city, and it reached Monday's lunch break.
"Let me introduce you."
Kazusa Touma led Setsuna Ogiso into the Supernatural Society's club room, not noticing the other's bewildered expression, and proceeded with introductions in order.
"In order of joining time, this is the deadpan Miko Yotsuya, this is the science geek Rio Futaba, this is the very cute but definitely don't eat her cooking Yui Yuigahama, this is the former showbiz girl Mai Sakurajima, and then me - no need for further introduction..."
"Wait a moment."
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita slightly furrowed her brows and said.
"Shouldn't your joining time be after mine?"
Kazusa Touma retorted expressionlessly.
"Is that so? When you first entered the club room, I was already sitting here, wasn't I?"
Yukino Yukinoshita didn't back down at all.
"But when I went to submit the application form to Shizuka-sensei, the member registration list only had Ye Xing, Yotsuya-san, Futaba-san, Yuigahama-san, and Mai-senpai's names. I definitely became an official member before you."
"Heh, but on the first day of school, I already spoke with Ye Xing. What about you?"
"Hmph, that's only because..."
Halfway through speaking, Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly realised something was wrong.
What was she arguing with Kazusa Touma about?
Although Yukino Yukinoshita had a competitive personality who hated losing, she had never shown it in front of others before, at most, only wanting to compete with Ye Xing over who was more capable of helping others solve problems.
Why was she arguing with Kazusa Touma now?
Didn't this make it seem like she was competing for attention?
"Hmph, boring."
Seeing that Yukino Yukinoshita didn't seem to want to continue the argument, Kazusa Touma said lightly.
"Anyway, this is the very stubborn Yukino Yukinoshita."
"Very stubborn..."
Hearing Kazusa Touma's evaluation of herself, the corners of Yukino Yukinoshita's mouth twitched. She wanted to refute it, but upon second thought, if she didn't refute it, it would still count as being stubborn, and if she did refute it, it might reinforce Setsuna Ogiso's impression of her as stubborn.
This was an undeniable open scheme.
"This is Marin Kitagawa, who likes cosplay, and this one you're already familiar with - Saki Kawasaki, who made our performance costumes before, is clever with her hands, and though she looks like a delinquent girl, she's actually the good wife and loving mother type. They joined at about the same time. Oh yes..."
At this point, Kazusa Touma paused slightly, leaned close to Setsuna Ogiso's ear, and lowered her voice.
"Marin is the only one in the club who doesn't know the truth, so be careful not to let it slip."
"And these two are Hina Amano, who's good at cooking and very considerate, and Hana Yurikawa."
Only when mentioning Hana Yurikawa did Kazusa Touma not add any adjectives.
She didn't need to.
"Ogiso-san, you've finally joined the club too, that's wonderful"
The airheaded Hana Yurikawa directly stood up, ran forward, and gave Setsuna Ogiso a big hug.
The latter looked at Hana Yurikawa with her cute face and short orange hair, yet her gaze couldn't pull away from a certain part of her body.
Are they really that big!?
Setsuna Ogiso had already been shocked once by the hidden giant breasts of Kazusa Touma when they visited the hot spring two days ago, even feeling somewhat inferior.
Who would have thought there was yet another expert within the Supernatural Society!?
The key point was...
Setsuna Ogiso suddenly recalled the words Kazusa Touma had said to her when they arrived at the hot spring inn and were settling into their rooms.
"There are more people."
At the time, Setsuna Ogiso didn't understand what this meant, but now she finally got it.
So all this time she thought it was the season for White Album, wavering between friendship and romance, agonising over it, pretending everything was fine, trying her best to maintain the current relationship between the three of them... was she just putting pressure on herself all along?
Seeing the expression on Setsuna Ogiso's face, Yui Yuigahama, who was about to step forward to greet her, suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
This Ogiso classmate...
Was she also a rookie player who just upgraded to the new version?
As someone who had experienced these feelings before and had now successfully cultivated herself, Senior Yui Yuigahama could completely understand how the other felt.
"Ogiso."
As the image ambassador of the Supernatural Society, Yui Yuigahama proactively extended her hand to Setsuna Ogiso with a sweet smile.
"Welcome to the Supernatural Society."
...
After school on Friday, outside a third-rate high school in Kyoto.
Naruko Anjou walked out of the school building with two other gyaru-styled girls, appearing somewhat distracted.
"Naruko?"
Only when she heard her companion's call did Naruko Anjou belatedly react, forcing out a faint smile.
"What's up?"
The two gyaru-styled girls exchanged glances, one of them saying with a teasing smile.
"Naruko, we were talking about going to the mixer tonight. You haven't been hanging out with us much recently."
"That's right, we were even wondering if we should still be friends with you if this continues."
Hearing this, Naruko Anjou froze for a moment before quickly waving her hands.
"That's not what I meant... it's just... I've been really busy lately."
To be honest, the current Naruko Anjou had no mood to leisurely sit in a bubble tea shop with her friends like before, discussing topics like makeup.
This world contained evil spirits and malevolent entities that could harm humans.
For Naruko Anjou, who was originally just an ordinary gyaru high school girl, this revelation was far too impactful - it practically shattered her entire worldview.
"Busy?"
The two gyaru-styled girls stared at her with keen interest, teasing.
"Could it be... you got a boyfriend? Finally! But keeping such news from us isn't very friendly."
"No, it's just..."
Just as Naruko Anjou hesitated, unsure how to explain, she suddenly spotted two familiar figures standing at the school gate.
"Eh... Ye Xing... why are you..."
Seeing Ye Xing standing there with Menma beside him, whom ordinary people couldn't see, Naruko Anjou couldn't help but freeze momentarily.
"I came to pick you up. There's something I need to discuss with you."
Hearing Ye Xing's words and seeing his amused expression, Naruko Anjou's two friends clearly misunderstood something. One of them leaned close to her ear and whispered teasingly.
"Oh, so that's how it is. He's quite handsome. I'm almost jealous of you. We'll let you off today, but remember to text us the details when you get home tonight... or tomorrow morning."
After saying this, the two girls dressed in gyaru fashion tactfully took their leave.
Naruko Anjou sighed softly, first stepping forward to greet Menma, then turning to Ye Xing with a somewhat resigned tone.
"You suddenly appearing here and saying you came to pick me up... my friends are bound to get the wrong idea."
"Doesn't matter."
Ye Xing replied indifferently.
"Considering there will be many times when you can't reveal the truth after becoming a real psychic, it's fine to let the misunderstanding stand and use me as an excuse. Just don't misunderstand things yourself."
Hearing the last part, Naruko Anjou frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable inside.
What did he mean by 'don't misunderstand things yourself'?
Did this guy think she couldn't resist his charm and would definitely fall for him?
How could that be?
If higher-level players like Haruno Yukinoshita, Mai Sakurajima, or Yui Yuigahama were here, they would recognise that Ye Xing was using the legendary tactic of playing hard to get.
Poor Naruko Anjou, being manipulated by the Harem God.
"Annaru."
Menma affectionately hugged Naruko Anjou, then said with a smile.
"Hurry up and become a psychic! Futaba-nee told me that after becoming a psychic, if you ask Ye Xing for milk, you can become as strong as them. I specifically haven't asked Ye Xing for any because I wanted to wait until you awaken your spiritual power so we can drink together."
"Ah? Milk?"
Naruko Anjou was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, her face showing confusion as she wondered if this was some kind of code.
What necessary connection could there be between milk and spiritual power?
"I don't really understand. If drinking milk can make you stronger, why does it have to be from this guy? Why not just ask Futaba and the others..."
As she spoke, Naruko Anjou suddenly realised something, her pretty face instantly flushing bright red. She gritted her teeth and glared at Ye Xing, both embarrassed and angry.
"You... you! What kind of ideas are you putting in Menma's head!"
Although Naruko Anjou had no personal experience in this area, her two friends were quite experienced and often discussed risqué topics.
It was like solving a riddle.
What kind of milk did Ye Xing have that Rio Futaba and the others didn't?
The answer was obvious.
"How can you say I'm putting ideas in her head?"
Ye Xing shook his head helplessly, adopting an expression of profound sorrow while bearing heavy responsibilities, almost as if a bright halo was appearing above his head.
"To protect this city from the supernatural, there's no other choice. This is the only way to quickly strengthen psychics. To protect the innocent, some sacrifices are inevitable. Do you think I enjoy doing this kind of thing!?"
Hearing Ye Xing's words, Naruko Anjou showed a guilty expression, lowering her head as she apologised.
"Sorry, I..."
Before she could finish, she heard Ye Xing suddenly change his tone.
"That's right, I am indeed very happy. It would be too hypocritical to say otherwise."