In fact, even before Kaito came, Mizusaki Aki could control Nagasaki Soyo's body and leave the room to do what she wanted.
But due to past experiences, she had imposed a mental seal on herself, thinking she 'absolutely couldn't leave,' so she never even considered it.
"In that case", Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Soyo let out a soft breath, "Why not let Mizusaki-senpai use my body one more time?"
Also had parents who divorced when she was young. Also lived with her mom.
Mizusaki Aki's situation always reminded her of herself, so Soyo could deeply empathize.
The brute force method sounded simple, but it gave off a crude feeling. She was a bit worried something might go wrong.
By comparison, the latter method clearly seemed gentler.
Although ghost possession harms the body, if spiritual energy is replenished in time, the side effects aren't too severe, just some fatigue.
Since even Soyo herself didn't mind, Kaito naturally had nothing more to say, "Then let's do that. But, for the sake of your body, it's best if you hold onto my wrist."
Passing spiritual energy over and over again was too troublesome.
In folk legends, even boy's urine and black dog's blood had some exorcising effect, let alone a former Nascent Soul Heaven Lord?
Even with just simple physical contact, the yang energy radiating from his body was enough to neutralize the side effects of ghost possession.
"Th-this way?", Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face flushed slightly, shyly said, "W-wouldn't that be too forward with Lord Kaito?"
She had always gone to an all-girls school, and had never had close contact with boys her age.
But
She secretly lifted her head, and used the corner of her eye to glance at that soul-stirringly handsome face.
Nagasaki Soyo quietly clutched her chest.
'Maybe it's not so bad?'
"Actually, I can do it too!", Yumiko Miura raised her hand, 'This kind of open, upright chance to take advantage of ahem, I mean, a good opportunity to act bravely. How could I possibly turn it down!'
Off to the side, Bocchi also weakly echoed, "M-me too"
Kaito was a little speechless.
'You guys think being possessed by a ghost is a good gig or something?'
'Why are you all fighting over it?'
"Thank you both for your kindness, but with Nagasaki-kouhai's help, it's already enough," Mizusaki Aki already felt guilty toward Soyo, and now she was reciprocating the favor and fiercely wing-manning her.
Since even the person involved said so, the matter was settled.
Moments later.
Mizusaki Aki's soul floated in front of Nagasaki Soyo, and gradually merged into her
Perhaps because she already had possession experience, nothing went wrong.
Soyo remained conscious and could perceive the outside world, but control of her body had shifted to Mizusaki Aki.
And just as Kaito said, after possessing Soyo, Mizusaki Aki tentatively controlled the girl's body and took a step outside the door.
But this time, the force that once trapped her here didn't appear.
However, after possession, Nagasaki Soyo's spiritual energy rapidly depleted. If it wasn't replenished in time, it would be exhausted in about an hour. She wouldn't die, but she'd probably fall seriously ill, and Mizusaki Aki would also be expelled.
To avoid that outcome, Mizusaki Aki acted swiftly and grabbed Kaito's hand.
As soon as their skin touched, a magical warmth spread through her entire body, lifting her spirits.
'It really workes!'
Mizusaki Aki instinctively tightened her grip on Kaito's hand. Already very close, now they interlocked fingers completely.
'W-what a strange feeling'
Although her body was being controlled by Mizusaki, Soyo still retained sensation. Everything Mizusaki Aki felt, she could feel too.
Her parents divorced when she was young, and she grew up with her mom, having had very little contact with boys.
This was her first time holding hands with a boy her age. Fingers interlocked at that.
'It is practically just like a real couple.'
'Didn't he say just to grab his wrist?'
On the other side, staring at the two's interlocked fingers, Yumiko Miura's mood was very complicated.
'I clearly came first'
'Whether it is knowing him longer, or joining the club first'
'And yet now the fruit was picked by this Nagasaki Soyo. So hard to let go.'
But she didn't seem to have much ground to stop it, so she exchanged glances with Bocchi, a sort of mutual understanding between defeated dogs
'Ptu! Ptu! Ptu! Who're you calling a defeated dog, huh?'
'Classmates and clubmates, don't you know how valuable it is to be close to the water and get the moon first?'
'That Nagasaki Soyo is just a background character. Nothing to fear!'
'This round, the advantage is mine!'
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Chapter 27: Your Daughter Is in My Hands
After leaving the Tsukinomori, Kaito planned to personally visit Mizusaki Aki's mother.
But before that, it was best to first make a phone call and probe the situation.
After all, it had been nearly five years since Mizusaki Aki's death.
In such a long time, anything could have happened. Perhaps the Mizusaki family had already moved away.
"Please pick up", Looking at the still-ringing phone in her hand, Mizusaki Aki was a little nervous.
She still remembered her mother's number, but feared her mother might have changed it.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not occur. Not long after, a cold female voice came from the other end of the call, ["Hello?"]
"Mom! It's Aki! Mom, can you hear my voice? It's me, Aki! I really missed you!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Mizusaki Aki could no longer suppress the excitement and emotion in her heart and was about to pour out the pain of separation.
But for Mrs. Mizusaki, those words were far from friendly.
Her daughter had clearly been dead for several years, and suddenly someone called claiming to be Aki?
["I don't care how you found this number. If you dare use Aki's name to provoke me, then you'd better be ready for my revenge."]
["I'll find you, and then make you regret it, you bastard."]
After saying these two lines, the call was directly hung up, leaving only a busy tone.
"Wait, wait a second!", Mizusaki Aki still wanted to stop her, but she was a step too late.
She also realized that her previous actions were a bit impulsive, and could only look helplessly at Kaito.
"Lord Kaito"
"Calling her 'Mom' right away. No wonder Mrs. Mizusaki got angry," Kaito rubbed his temples with some frustration, "Call again. This time, explain clearly."
"I'm sorry...", Mizusaki Aki pouted a little awkwardly, forgetting that she was currently using Soyo's body.
Clearly styled as a gentle and mature big sister, yet showing such a childish expression, it had a strangely cute contrast.
Calling Mrs. Mizusaki again, this time, the call was hung up directly.
Dialing again, this time it went straight to the blacklist.
There was no other way. In the end, they had to try one by one using other people's phones, and finally managed to get through.
This time, Kaito didn't give Mrs. Mizusaki a chance to flare up, and simply said, "I know the truth about your daughter's death."
Just a few short words, but they were extremely effective.
For parents, even knowing it might be a scam, if it concerns their child, hope still rises uncontrollably.
Sure enough, Mrs. Mizusaki didn't say much. After a long silence, she said, ["What exactly do you want?"]
"Just to fulfill the wish of a lingering soul."
Seeing she was finally willing to talk, Kaito didn't keep her guessing and briefly explained the entire sequence of events.
The daughter who had been missing for years was actually already a lingering spirit, trapped in the music classroom of Tsukinomori and unable to leave?
Such an outrageous story, of course Mrs. Mizusaki didn't want to believe it.
But after Kaito accurately described a few little secrets that only she and her daughter knew, she began to feel unsettled.
To say the other side was a scammer but he could even describe the incident when her daughter wet the bed at age nine and secretly got up at night to wash the sheets for fear of being found out.
What kind of scammer is that omniscient?
But the story of spirits was just too bizarre and unbelievable
Torn between logic and emotion, Mrs. Mizusaki hesitated for a moment and still said, ["Is it convenient to meet somewhere later?"]
Whether true or not, as long as there was even the slightest chance of seeing her daughter again, she didn't want to give it up.
"No problem," Kaito suggested, "How about meeting at the Mizusaki house?"
["That's fine. I'll head home right now. Give me ten minutes."]
Mrs. Mizusaki had a straightforward personality. After giving them the address, she hung up the phone. One could faintly hear hurried footsteps.
The Mizusaki residence wasn't far from Tsukinomori. One of the reasons Mizusaki Aki chose that school back then was also the convenience of returning home.
They took the train, and after a little over half an hour, they finally arrived at their destination.
It was a luxurious villa district.
All the buildings were large houses with walls and private gardens, looking very grand. The security was strict, and it was hard for outsiders to get in.
However, perhaps because the guard had already been notified in advance, when Kaito and the others mentioned "Mrs. Mizusaki," they weren't stopped.
Under Mizusaki Aki's guidance, they arrived in front of a certain standalone villa and rang the doorbell.
Ding! Dong~
As if expecting them, the door quickly opened. A mature woman in a ladies' suit appeared, about in her forties.
Though not young, one could still see her former beauty. However, there was a sharp air between her brows, making her seem not easy to get along with.
She was clearly stunned by Kaito's appearance for a moment, but with a strong mind, she focused more on her daughter.
After a slight daze, she came back to her senses and led the group into the villa.
"Sit wherever you like."
She made tea for them, then sat back on the sofa. After pondering for a moment, she finally said, "The idea of ghosts it's just too vague and fantastical. I find it hard to believe."
Such thoughts were not surprising.
Mrs. Mizusaki had lived for over forty years and had never seen ghosts or spirits. Now being told that the world wasn't purely material. Of course she would be skeptical.
Kaito didn't intend to explain either. No amount of words could match the impact of witnessing it firsthand.
So he looked at Soyo beside him and softly said, "Classmate Mizusaki, you can come out now."
Just as the words fell, a faint white light emerged from Soyo's body. In the next second, a transparent figure appeared.
"Mom!"
Mizusaki Aki's voice carried sobs, wanting to rush into her mother's arms and act spoiled.
Though Mrs. Mizusaki was just an ordinary person and couldn't see the spirit before her, she instinctively covered her heart.
Her expression subtly changed, "I I think I heard Aki's voice?"
"You didn't mishear," Kaito was also a little surprised, 'Clearly with no cultivation at all, yet she can vaguely hear her daughter's voice. Is this the bond of blood?'
He shook his head, not thinking further, and opened a temporary spirit-seeing eye for Mrs. Mizusaki.
"Aki!", Seeing her tearful daughter suddenly appear floating in front of her, Mrs. Mizusaki could no longer hold back the surge of emotions, tears flowed freely.
.
.
.
.
With such a rare mother-daughter reunion, Kaito had no intention of being a third wheel.
He took Soyo and Yumiko to the garden to wait, giving this mother and daughter space and time together.
Half an hour later
Mrs. Mizusaki walked out of the villa, her eyes still faintly red.
She first expressed her gratitude to Kaito for allowing her to see her long-deceased daughter again, then seriously stated her willingness to offer ten million yen as payment. She also promised that if they ever encountered trouble, they could call her at any time. As long as it was within her capabilities, she would never refuse.
The Mizusaki family may not have been a top-tier aristocratic family in Tokyo, but they were still relatively well-off.
At least for most ordinary people, getting this connection was something that could not be found even with a lantern.
But to Kaito, it was of no real use. He nodded slightly and then said seriously, "Mrs. Mizusaki, it's about time."
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Chapter 28: Encounter Beneath the Snow
Mrs. Mizusaki was silent.
In the past half hour of talking with her daughter, she naturally understood her daughter's intention to pass on.
Unwilling to part?
Of course. Ever since Aki passed away, and she was once again left all alone, Mrs. Mizusaki had poured all her energy into work.
Only this way could she briefly forget the pain of losing her daughter and barely support her motivation to keep living.
Now, after being lucky enough to reunite with her daughter, she was once again facing separation.
Mrs. Mizusaki's face showed a pleading expression, and she said softly, "Mr. Kaito, is there really no other way to let Aki stay?"
The pain of eternal separation from a loved one always stirs people's hearts.
Several girls turned their gaze toward Kaito, faintly carrying a look of anticipation.
Among them, Soyo was the most nervous. Looking at Mrs. Mizusaki, she always thought of her own mother.
Such a strong woman, and yet one who also deeply loved her daughter.
If possible, she truly didn't want to see Mrs. Mizusaki, who had just reunited with her daughter, lose her again.
Kaito thought for a moment and asked, "Is there something Mizusaki-sensei was most familiar with before her death? Preferably something she used frequently."
"Of course there is!"
Seeing that things seemed to have taken a turn for the better, Mrs. Mizusaki looked happy, "The piano in the practice room. Aki used to play it for four to five hours every day. It should be the thing she was most familiar with."
"Then it can be done," Kaito nodded, "I can transfer Mizusaki-senpai's place of haunting from the music classroom in Tsukinomori to inside the piano. However, long-term contact with a soul can damage your life energy."
