""
Mrs. Yotsuya sat with a complex expression on her face, silent for a few moments. At last, she parted her lips:
"Miko, it's not your fault."
"Do you know why I always told you never to open that room?"
"Um because Dad and my brother's memorial tablets are in there."
Miko had always assumed her mom simply wanted to keep them undisturbed, as a sign of respect for the dead.
However
"Sigh"
Mrs. Yotsuya let out a deep sigh. "Miko, in fact, my eyes can see things that ordinary people can't."
"Huh?"
Miko lifted her head in shock, knowing all too well about seeing what shouldn't be seen.
"Mom, you can see them too?"
There was a glimmer in her mother's golden eyes, although her face was laced with worry. "Yes, I can see themthough I never thought you would"
"Ah, so that's it," said Rei Ao. "Mrs. Yotsuya, you look quite drained. I imagine all the oddities you've been seeing have been wearing you down?"
"Mmh." Mrs. Yotsuya nodded resignedly. "Recently, I realized I could see these strange apparitions."
"Mom's awakened spirit sight too!"
"Spiritsight?" Mrs. Yotsuya repeated the term, not having heard it before.
Rei Ao explained, "It's a special ability enabling you to see evil spirits and other unseen entities. You can think of it as a kind of superpower."
"Ohhh, a superpower?"
She was astonished, but she was even more astonished by Rei Ao.
"Rei Ao-kun, how do you know all this? And about my husband and childwhat was that situation? I'd like you to tell me."
Her eyes pleaded for answers. Even though she and her late husband had the title of 'husband and wife'albeit for a short timeshe was a traditional woman who yearned to learn the truth of what happened.
"This world isn't as simple as it looks," Rei Ao said. He didn't mind explaining, especially to such a lovely, cultured, and intriguing lady. It took him some time, but he filled her in on the true nature of things.
"So that's how it is"
Mrs. Yotsuya stared blankly. Souls, evil spirits Who knew the world wasn't quite so normal, that most people simply lacked the 'eyes' to see such things. Yet gaining these special eyes hardly pleased her.
"It's safest when you can't see them," she murmured heavily. "Maybe having these eyes is really just a curse?"
Rei Ao shrugged. "In other worlds, maybe not. But here, it could be considered one."
"I personally don't mind, but for Miko" Mrs. Yotsuya hugged her daughter, face clouded with sadness. She knew that with such eyes, Miko might spend her life in constant terror.
"Mom, don't worry. Rei Ao-nii gave me a charm that can wipe out evil spirits!" Miko exclaimed, taking out the black crystal to show her mother.
"Huh? There's really such a charm?"
Mrs. Yotsuya examined it curiously. Given everything Rei Ao seemed to knowplus how he had delivered her husband's restless spiritshe felt inclined to trust him.
"In that case, Mrs. Yotsuya," said Rei Ao, "since you're Miko's mother, you should have one too."
He casually conjured another magic-infused crystal and handed it to her. Then, spreading his five fingers, he laid a barrier around the house.
"I've set a ward on your home now, so no evil spirits can approach in the future."
~~~
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Chapter 256: Lovely Mother and Daughter, Ai and Sayuri Farming...
"Is this?"
Mrs. Yotsuya stared in a daze at the crystal in her hand.
"Is it really okay to give me something so valuable?"
She felt she was entirely benefiting thanks to Miko.
Rei Ao smiled. "Of course. You're Miko's mother, and my relationship with Miko isvery good."
He winked at Miko as he said that, causing her face to flush bright red.
Well, of course their relationship was closethey had already engaged in extremely intimate contact.
"Naturally, I also don't want a beautiful lady like Mrs. Yotsuya to be tormented by evil spirits, weakening your vitality and spirit."
"Hmph!"
She was taken by surprise at the sudden compliment and felt a bit shy. Then again, what woman dislikes being called beautiful? Mrs. Yotsuya was no exception. A tranquil smile inadvertently surfaced on her lips.
"Rei Ao-kun, you have quite a sweet tongue. No wonder you could become Miko's boyfriend, right?"
"B-boyfriend?!"
Miko's eyes widened, and she hurriedly denied it. "Mom, we're not in that kind of relationship!"
"Oh? Not in that sort of relationship?"
A look of surprise surfaced on Mrs. Yotsuya's face.
"Rei Ao-kun has helped both you and me so much, I assumed"
She was serious. She'd even grown to approve of Rei Ao. Her impression of him was extremely favorable, and she genuinely hoped to see him and Miko progress further. If Miko's partner were Rei Ao, she'd be quite open-minded about it.
Seeing Miko's shy expression, Rei Ao explained, "We're indeed not dating."
"Such a shame"
"M-Mom, what are you saying?!"
Miko never would have guessed her mother would react as if it were a pitylike she regretted he couldn't become her son-in-law.
"I feel it's a pity too," Rei Ao said solemnly. "So I'll do my best to pursue Miko and hopefully make her mine, becoming one family in the future."
"Eh?!!!"
Such bold words left Miko's face steaming red. She didn't dare look at either of them. She spun on her heel and rushed to her room.
Slam!
The door shut.
Rei Ao and Mrs. Yotsuya met each other's gazes and shared a bright smile.
"Rei Ao-kun, please don't tease Miko like that. She's easily embarrassed."
"Haha, it's just that Miko's timid or frightened expressions are too cuteI can't help wanting to fluster her."
"Mm, I agree."
Mrs. Yotsuya nodded in sympathy.
"Well, we've resolved the situation here, so I should get going."
"You're leaving already? Why not stay for dinner?"
Hearing that he was about to leave, Mrs. Yotsuya sincerely tried to persuade him to stay. She hadn't had a relaxed conversation with anyone else in a long time. Ever since the accident on her wedding day that took her new husband and his child's lives, rumors had circulated; she rarely socialized. She also never expected she could chat so easily with a boy much younger than herself, yet share such a natural rapport.
Rei Ao didn't mind building a closer relationship with this wonderful lady, but he remembered his plan for that evening: meeting Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu. So he politely declined.
Still, he added, "Maybe next time. I hope I'll see you in high spirits and looking even more lovely, Mrs. Yotsuya. I'm really looking forward to it."
"!!!"
Suddenly hearing those words and seeing his charming smile made Mrs. Yotsuya's heartbeat speed up. By the time she came back to her senses, Rei Ao had vanished.
She stood gazing at the spot where he had disappeared, unable to snap out of it for a long while.
"..."
After a few moments of silence, Mrs. Yotsuya went into the bathroom, facing the mirror at the sink. Indeed, she saw that her appearance looked somewhat drained and weary. Placing a hand on her cheek, she murmured softly, "I really do need to get some proper rest."
Shortly after
Click!
Having heard no sound from the living room, Mikowho had been waiting by the dooropened it a crack and peeked out.
"Huh?"
No one was there. Confused, she walked out of her room and saw her mom busy in the kitchen.
She asked, "Mom, where's Rei Ao-nii?"
"He already left, dear~"
"L-left?!"
Miko exclaimed, suddenly feeling a pang of loss. Noticing her reaction, Mrs. Yotsuya smiled and teased, "Miko, next time you see your Rei Ao-nii, try being more open. You've got to hold on to your future, after all."
"Ugh!"
Her whole body tensed at those words. She knew her mom didn't mean anything special by it, but she couldn't help imagining a bunch of scenarios.
"Uuu!!!"
Instantly, Miko was all flustered again, like a kettle letting off steam.
"Huh?"
Mrs. Yotsuya had no idea what images were bouncing around her daughter's mindshe just assumed Miko wasn't comfortable expressing her feelings about romance yet.
"Sigh"
She let out a small sigh, wishing her daughter could be bolder in showing her emotions. Meanwhile, there was a trace of envy in her heart: If she were in Miko's position, she'd definitely take the initiative to get close to such a wonderful young man as Rei Ao. Sadly, she wasn't Miko; she was an older woman now.
"You two look like you had quite a bit of fun."
Rei Ao suddenly reappeared in front of Koyuri and Ai. Rather than doing normal things like shopping or strolling around, they had come to an abandoned, half-finished construction sitehow bold! Obviously, it wasn't for the scenery or photos.
They'd come here to exterminate evil spirits. As expected, many spirits lurked in the decaying shell of the place. Plus, their bodies, imbued with Rei Ao's power, seemed to attract evil spirits' attention the same way intense life energy did, drawing them in. Relying on Rei Ao's protection, they fearlessly wiped out the evil spirits infesting the site.
Their motivation was straightforward: They both wanted to work together to grow stronger, to be of use to Rei Ao. Even being able to endure more "impact" was importantfor they knew there was a huge gap between their physical endurance and Rei Ao's. They might be satisfied, but he was not. They wanted to let him enjoy things more fully.
Rei Ao certainly understood their intentions. Their efforts did not go unnoticed.
[Name]: Sakurajima Ai
[Level]: 5
[Name]: Sawamura Koyuri
[Level]: 5
"You've done well," he praised them without reserve.
Ai and Koyuri exchanged a smile. "That's just what we should do."
"Then let's head back."
~~~
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Chapter 257: Talk About Love and Adolescence Syndrome
In the World Group chat:
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "You skipped class again, you know how hard it is for me to cover for you?"
She knew Rei Ao had gone off to do a "trade," and everyone else either ignored it or was used to it by now. But as his homeroom teacher, she couldn't help complaining. It was tough every time she had to arrange his absences.
Rei Ao: "Haha, how about I make it up to you with a date next time, is that good enough?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Whowho needs you to make it up, you idiot!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Ew, can't you two talk about this by phone? Why do it in the group chat and shove your lovey-dovey stuff in our faces?"
Eriri: "Agreed!"
Kobayashi: "I concur!"
Shin: "Mom, you've got to work hard so that one day you can flood the chat with that kind of sweet talk, without worrying about what anyone thinks."
Kobayashi: "Stop talking nonsense!"
Kawasaki Saki: "Uh, Hiratsuka Shizukais she that homeroom teacher for Class 3?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Yep, that's her. I can guess what you're about to ask. Let's just sayyou'll get used to it."
Never mind homeroom teachersUtaha had witnessed his editors, other people's wives, all sorts of folks, and none had "won" against him. Whenever she opened the group, she couldn't help feeling she was behind the times.
Kawasaki Saki: ""
Yuigahama Yui: "Um, Rei Ao-kun helped another girl from a different world?"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Maybe it's more accurate to say they made a trade."
Machida Sonoko: "Well, help is still help, even if there's a fee."
Rei Ao: "You should've seen the specifics about Miko in the main group, right?"
Yuigahama Yui: "Yes, yes. It was about evil spirits."
In truth, she wanted to ask if Rei Ao had done that with Miko, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Rei Ao: "By the way, @Yuigahama Yui, how's your condition now?"
Yuigahama Yui: "It seems fine! Everything's back to normal after that day."
Miura Yumiko: "??? What are you guys talking about? Something was wrong with Yui's health?"
Seeing that, Yumiko was puzzled. She had no idea Yui had been unwell in any way. They hung out practically every day, and aside from that one time when Yui's memory seemed off, she'd been perfectly normal.
Rei Ao: "It's nothing bigYui had a kind of 'Adolescence Syndrome.'"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Adolescence?"
Miura Yumiko: "Syndrome?"
Kobayashi: "Ehhh, from the name alone, I can tell it's none of my business."
Sayuri: "Same here."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Sigh, teenagers can be exhausting."
Miura Yumiko: "Is it a disease?"
Rei Ao: "Not exactly. Think of it as a paranormal phenomenon caused by the intense worries or anxieties of teenagers."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "A paranormal phenomenonso not a normal illness."
Rei Ao: "Correct."
Rei Ao: "So far, among those I've encountered with Adolescence Syndrome, there are three in this group: Mai, Yui, and Futaba Rio."
Rei Ao: "Mai's was 'vanishing presence,' Yui swapped bodies with her mom, and Futaba Rio had split personalities."
Miura Yumiko: "???"
Miura Yumiko: "Yui, you and your mom swapped bodies? Does that mean back then"
She recalled the day Yui had seemed out of it.
Yuigahama Yui: "Ugh, that day my mom took my place at school."
Miura Yumiko: "!!! No wonder you acted so strangely!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "I wanted to ask, can anyone get Adolescence Syndrome?"
Rei Ao: "Only teens with especially deep worries are likely to get it."
Kobayashi: "As expected, doesn't concern me."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Ugh, adolescent boys and girls really do encounter all sorts of issues."
Katou Megumi: "Rei Ao-kun, that Futaba Rio's split personalitydoes it mean an actual multiple-personality disorder?"
Rei Ao: "More or less, but with a twist."
Rei Ao: "Her other personality manifested physically as a real person."
Futaba Rio: "Hello everyone, I'm 'Futaba'the other personality of 'Rio.'"
Futaba Rio: "And I'm 'Rio.' Nice to meet you."
Katou Hiromi: "Uh, they're the same person, right?"
Rei Ao: "It's complicated. They're two separate individuals, yet share the same identity, and their abilities are also synchronized."
Machida Sonoko: "Truly, the world is vast and full of wonders."
" "
But the real Futaba Rio felt uneasy. It wasn't just about having synchronous abilitiesboth personalities even shared certain strange physical sensations sometimes.
Sayuri: "If it's an adolescent problem, shouldn't Eriri also"
"Shut up, Mom, I don't have any worries!" came Eriri's voice as she bolted from her room, yelling toward the living room where Sayuri was.
"Haha."
Sayuri let out a soft laugh, narrowing her eyes gently. "Then why have you been avoiding me for the past two days, Eriri?"
