Hana had always been thick-skinned, the complete opposite of Miko.
Right now she was happily playing with a stethoscope.
After pressing it to her chest for a while, Hana sighed in frustration.
"I can't hear a thing—too much fat in the way?"
Noticing Miko's flat chest, she brightened.
"I know! Let me listen to your heartbeat; it must be crystal-clear."
"Want to start a fight?"
Miko had already taken two critical hits today; her composure was cracking.
But she spotted a bottle of alcohol used for disinfection nearby and a plan formed.
She would use the alcohol to drive off the evil spirit clinging to Hana.
"Hana, the stethoscope is covered in germs."
"Let's sterilize it."
"Huh? Okay…"
Hana obediently stretched out her hand—only for Miko to grab the alcohol and spray it frantically across Hana's chest.
"Miko! Where are you aiming?"
"Ugh, it's freezing…"
In Miko's eyes, she was dousing the spirit's arm.
Unable to bear it, Hana turned away.
"Totally useless."
"Tch… trying to kill a spirit with alcohol? Give up—none of your methods can harm them; they'll only get you killed."
Akuto spoke at an unhurried pace.
Miko ignored him and apologized to Hana in resignation.
"Sorry."
Hana didn't mind; she lifted the stethoscope again.
"Whatever—now let me hear your heartbeat!"
The girls' romp gave Akuto an eyeful.
Just then the infirmary door opened and the Health Teacher walked in.
"Having fun, are we?"
Miko and Hana froze, forcing awkward smiles.
"Teacher Kido…"
Kido sighed.
"Classes have already started."
Looking at Kido, Miko's thoughts inexplicably drifted to Mr. Finger's tastes.
Come to think of it, Kido ticked every box for him—an S-curve figure, full in front and behind.
While Miko's mind wandered, the spirit groping Hana suddenly lunged at Kido and coiled around her.
Miko's eyes twitched; she opened her mouth but no words came.
"Listen here, you filthy trash,"
Akuto's icy voice echoed from Miko's chest.
"Die."
"No!"
Miko had seen Akuto's slash—an attack that could dice a spirit into mince. If Kido were hurt… she didn't dare imagine; instinct made her shout.
The next moment—
Bang!
With a bizarre sound, the spirit wrapped around Kido exploded, shredded mid-air into scraps that shrieked and vanished as black smoke.
And Kido wasn't harmed the slightest.
Only Miko was left looking like a fool.
"Huh? Miko, what's wrong?"
Both Kido and Hana stared at her oddly.
Miko's eyes twitched.
"I-it's nothing. Let's get to class."
Walking back to the classroom, Miko felt a swirl of emotions.
"No way I'm admitting I lost because of my figure!"
She noticed Mr. Finger had helped Kido without hesitation, yet imposed countless conditions when helping her—simply because Kido matched his tastes.
The thought infuriated her.
Glancing down at her own flat chest, she drew a deep breath…
Classes ended; at 3:30 p.m. Miko and Hana packed up and joined the stream of students leaving.
Akuto scanned the crowd, apparently searching for someone.
"Huh?"
He let out a puzzled grunt; Miko looked up as well.
"Kitagawa Marin?"
Seeing that sun-bright girl in the distance, Akuto felt it was almost unreal.
Must be a mistake.
A world like this couldn't possibly host a rom-com!
"Yo, Kitagawa—let's go together!"
"Hanako! Let's take pictures!"
Miko glanced back, stunned.
Mr. Finger… knew a student?
She looked at her chest—no doubt an S-curve.
Then she felt a pang; the fashionable Kitagawa Haimu was surrounded by girls with dyed hair and manicured nails—girls she could never blend in with.
A total normie queen.
Then Akuto spotted another figure; it took him a moment to recall her name.
He hadn't finished that anime.
He knew his own temper—watching it he'd nearly smashed his monitor.
To spare the expensive screen, he'd dropped the series; it was clearly about to redeem the male lead.
A Silent Voice.
A deaf girl bullied until her hearing was permanently damaged, then the bully gets bullied and starts empathizing with her.
Bullshit.
Damage doesn't vanish with an apology.
Scum who prey on the weak should just die.
"Shoko Nishimiya."
Akuto's voice reached Miko again; she studied the lonely girl walking toward the gate.
For some reason the sight tugged at her heart.
"That's her, right?"
"Yeah, I heard she's deaf—used to get bullied."
"Total weirdo."
A cluster of girls giggled past; Miko stood frozen.
Why did Mr. Finger know those two?
"Miko? What are you staring at?"
Hana came over; Miko shook her head.
"N-nothing… let's go home."
Akuto glanced once more and lost interest—those two stories had nothing to do with him.
Now another question occupied him.
Should he leave a trace of Cursed Energy on Hana?
He'd noticed spirits in this world were drawn to Cursed Energy—inevitably they'd swarm Hana.
Then Miko would have no choice but to beg him for help.
Perched on his throne, Akuto propped his chin, coldly watching Hana and Miko…
On the way home Hana chatted nonstop.
Miko kept her eyes on the finger at her chest.
"Well, thanks to Mr. Finger for exorcising that spirit today; I should show some gratitude."
"Miko! Let's buy daifuku—they're on sale!"
Hana dragged her along, but noticing Miko glued to her phone, she ran ahead.
"What do spirits like…"
Miko scrolled through pages.
"Does Mr. Finger like daifuku?"
Akuto blinked, eyes narrowing in contempt.
"Brat, daring to test this old man with such nonsense."
"Daifuku? Sickly-sweet, fragile trash—unfit for my mouth."
Miko simply nodded, unfazed.
She'd grown used to his mood swings.
"So you don't like them."
"Then…"
She found a post claiming lonely spirits love incense and offerings—an idea formed.
"Miko, why aren't you coming?"
Hana's voice rang out; Miko frowned—she'd been queuing.
When she looked up, her heart lurched and her legs nearly gave way.
The queue line wasn't human at all—it was spirits.
A dozen of them standing in line!
Why are the spirits queuing?!
This is bad—
bad bad bad!
I'm done for!
Surrounded by spirits glaring with pure malice, Miko couldn't keep her composure—this time there was no way to explain it away!
–
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