Actually, she still occasionally saw scary evil spirits on the way to school, but those times were very rare, and as long as she pretended not to see them, nothing happened.
She didn't feel comfortable bothering Kaito over such small matters, especially since he exorcised her house for free last time.
'If I keep owing him favors, I might only have the option of repaying with myself, right?'
'Though that will basically be rewarding me but Kaito-senpai definitely won't be interested in someone as plain as me, so it is better not to fantasize.'
"Forget it, I won't beat around the bush," Kaito originally wanted to ease into it, but felt there was no need, being long-winded didn't suit his personality, so he just got to the point, "Gotou-san, would you be interested in joining a club I just created?"
Bocchi froze, "Eh? Me?"
She felt like she had just been hit by a jackpot. If this opportunity got out, the girls in her class would probably fight over it until someone bled, right?
Kaito nodded slightly, "The Supernatural Research Club. You don't need to do anything troublesome, and there aren't any weird club activities. Just need you to be a member."
He thought for a bit and added, "If Gotou-san isn't willing, I of course won't force you. Just go with your heart."
"I-I-I", Bocchi's face turned bright red from nervousness, nodding quickly, "Of course I'm willing!"
"Then thank you, Gotou-san."
Kaito smiled and handed her an application form, "Just fill out the contents."
Warm spring sunlight streamed in along the windowsill, wrapping the smiling boy in a golden veil. He looked like a holy child from an oil painting, about to lower his head and kiss his lamb.
'U-ugh, that smile should be illegal!'
'Ugh my brain, my brain is going to overheat.'
Bocchi, feeling dazed, took the A4 paper, filled in her info while still dazed, and then dazedly left the clubroom.
Even on the way home, passing through a certain park, she kept smiling like an idiot.
At the same time, not far away, a blonde girl in little red shoes happened to see the guitar bag on Bocchi's back, her eyes lighting up, "A guitar!"
When Kaito got home, dusk had already deepened. The brilliant clouds on the horizon looked like layers of continuous flames.
After playing games in his room for a bit, he took a moment to glance out the window, only to realize it was already dark without noticing when it happened.
Then he went to the kitchen and made dinner for two. Mapo tofu, stir-fried chili pork, and fish-fragrant eggplant just some classic homemade dishes that paired well with fragrant white rice, appetizing just by sight.
Ding! Dong
The doorbell suddenly rang.
Seeing the blue-haired girl clearly dressed up, Kaito was a bit surprised, "Togawa-san?"
"Sorry to bother you all of a sudden," Togawa Sakiko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and offered a finely wrapped gift box, "This is a visiting gift, please accept it."
Actually, Sakiko could've come earlier, but she suddenly had overtime last night. By the time she got home, it was nearly midnight. She couldn't possibly knock on Kaito's door at that hour and say, "We agreed I'd visit, so I'm here now."
"Togawa-san, you're too polite."
Kaito took her gift, then said, "Come in and have a seat. Slippers are in the shoe cabinet. They're all new, feel free to pick any."
Togawa Sakiko nodded.
She bent over to take off her rounded leather shoes, revealing her small feet in white lace-trimmed socks, then changed into a pair of dark-colored slippers and obediently followed behind Kaito.
Perhaps because she had just bathed before coming, she carried a faint, unknown fragrance. Her long blue hair was still slightly damp, and her fair, delicate face looked like a peeled egg, radiating that unique softness of a youthful girl.
Seeing the still-steaming dishes on the table, Togawa Sakiko felt a little awkward, "Did I come at a bad time?"
After all, not everyone liked being disturbed during meals.
'What if Kaito-kun thinks I am trying to mooch a meal?'
"It's just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks," Kaito didn't mind at all. He went back to the kitchen to get another bowl of rice and placed it in front of Togawa Sakiko.
"T-then, I'll gladly accept," Togawa Sakiko discreetly swallowed a bit of saliva.
Her cooking skills weren't good. After her family's decline, she was busy working part-time to earn money and didn't have time to learn cooking. She usually ate out for all three meals.
Ever since she tasted Kaito's cooking last time, it felt like someone who had been forced to eat bland food for years suddenly got to eat gourmet dishes again.
That regained joy, combined with the delicious food, was hard to put into words.
Like most girls, Sakiko had a small appetite. She usually felt full after eating two-thirds of a convenience store bento.
But
Looking at the empty rice bowl, not even a single grain left, Kaito naturally took it and served her another full bowl of rice.
This was already the fourth time she had asked for more.
At first, Sakiko felt a little embarrassed and wanted to maintain her image as a refined lady, but her hands had their own ideas.
A big plate of fish-fragrant eggplant was eaten clean by her.
And that was only because she couldn't handle spicy food. Otherwise, the other two dishes wouldn't have been spared either.
But humans have limits after all.
After finishing four whole bowls of rice, Sakiko put down her chopsticks in satisfaction, clasped her hands together, "Thanks for the meal. Today's dinner was just as delicious as always!"
Looking at the empty plates, the girl's face turned a bit red, "Um did I eat a little too much?"
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Chapter 12: The First Request
"No, it's okay."
For a chef, an empty plate is the recognition from a diner.
Kaito offered, "If it's not enough, I can go to the kitchen and make a few more dishes."
"I'm already full~"
Togawa Sakiko's smile was slightly shy. Only here, only beside a certain someone, could she rest for a moment and find the carefree self she once was.
Kaito didn't insist. He chatted with the girl for a while longer, then took the initiative to offer help in cleaning the dishes.
Eating a free meal was already quite ungraceful; she couldn't possibly let someone else clean up the tableware too.
Normally, for this kind of cleanup job, one cleaning spell would be enough to make even the greasiest bowls and chopsticks look brand new.
But seeing the girl's eager gaze, as if she couldn't wait to do something for him, Kaito didn't refuse.
She tied her shoulder-length hair into a neat ponytail, put on the apron hanging on the wall, washed all the used bowls, chopsticks, and wok clean, and even took the opportunity to tidy up the entire kitchen.
After doing all that, Sakiko finally said her goodbye.
Kaito walked her out and kept watching until the girl returned to the old house across the street, then turned and went back inside.
Perhaps because of this visit, over the next few days, the relationship between the two slowly became familiar.
Because they lived nearby and went to the same school, they would always run into each other at the train station.
Sakiko would take the initiative to greet him, not engaging in excessive small talk, and when on the train, she would always use her body as a shield to block the stares from the pervy girls toward Kaito.
Just like a dutiful knight, shielding the princess from all the coveting gazes of the outside world.
Though this kind of protection always made Kaito feel a bit weird, he didn't really mind it.
Because, there were more troublesome matters waiting for him to deal with.
[Sixth Floor, Club Activity Room]
Looking at the pile of club application forms in front of him, a rough glance showed at least a hundred or two, most of them from girls.
Kaito couldn't help but sigh.
Since the establishment of the Supernatural Research Club, there hadn't been many real requests, but plenty of obsessive harassment.
Some even came directly to the door, shyly saying they might've been possessed recently and urgently needed a strong exorcist to "purify" them physically.
That kind of scheme was too obvious, Kaito rejected them outright.
'Speaking of which, lately Gotou seems to be quite busy as well. Is she also getting harassed?'
'Better ask her another day just in case.'
Thinking this, Kaito leaned back in the soft chair. Just as he stretched lazily, there was a knock on the door.
"Um excuse me, is anyone here?", The visitor had golden hair down to her waist, but her beautiful face looked slightly haggard.
"Miura-san?", Kaito raised an eyebrow and sat up straight.
In his perception, a faint black aura lingered around the girl before him. It was nearly identical to the situation when Gotou Hitori had encountered a ghost.
'After waiting for so long, finally a real case.'
Miura Yumiko sat on the chair across from him. Her pretty features still faintly showed dark circles under her eyes, her face full of fatigue, as if she hadn't rested well.
"I heard Kaito-san is quite interested in ghost stories and similar things"
The girl bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "Lately, I keep feeling like there's an invisible person in my house."
The fridge door would be mysteriously opened. The curtains she had drawn before going out would be tightly shut when she came home. The items in the washroom would sometimes shift positions for no reason.
These were all little details that were easy to overlook if not paying attention, but once noticed, they sent chills down her spine.
Miura Yumiko had even reported to the police, but after a thorough investigation, the officers didn't find any trace of an intruder. Everything seemed normal.
She thought it might just be her imagination.
But this morning when she woke up, Miura Yumiko found a strange bloody handprint on her ankle.
It wasn't the kind left by someone grabbing her, more like a natural birthmark. Almost fused with her skin.
As a girl living alone, encountering such a supernatural event, one could imagine her feelings.
To make things worse, both her parents were abroad and wouldn't return until next month. She didn't even have anyone to consult with.
In a state of utter confusion, Miura Yumiko suddenly remembered a conversation her friends had some time ago.
'Kaito-san is really into ghost stories, even founded a dedicated club. Maybe just maybe, he might be able to help?'
However, after actually arriving at the Supernatural Research Club and recounting the strange things that had happened to her, Miura Yumiko began to regret it.
Founding a Supernatural Research Club could also just mean he's a fan of ghost stories.
'Sure, Kaito-san is indeed handsome but being handsome can't put food on the table, and it definitely won't make evil spirits kneel and beg. What if I drag him into trouble?'
'Maybe it'd be better to consult a shrine or temple'
Thinking this, Miura Yumiko was about to take her leave, but the boy in front of her lightly tapped the table.
"I roughly understand the situation. If you don't mind, could I take a look at that bloody handprint?"
"Ah huh?", Miura Yumiko hesitated a little, but since she was the one who came here to request help, walking away now felt a bit too rude.
So she nodded, "Of course, no problem."
But this led to a bit of a problem.
To hide the bloody handprint on her ankle, Miura Yumiko was currently wearing black over-the-knee socks.
And she had even deliberately chosen a high-denier pair.
Since she had to let Kaito-san see the bloody handprint, she would definitely have to take the socks off.
'But taking off socks in front of a guy'
'It justit just feels way too embarrassing, what should I do?'
Miura Yumiko's pretty face turned a little red, and her gaze started to avoid his.
She seemed to have completely forgotten there were options like "ask Kaito-san to turn around" or "go to the bathroom to take them off." After a tough inner struggle, she quietly bent down.
First came the black round-toed leather shoes.
Maybe because she lost the protection, the toes wrapped in 120D over-the-knee socks curled up uneasily, then slowly relaxed.
Miura Yumiko let out a soft breath, grabbed the edge of the sock, and slowly pulled it down
Let's skip the unnecessary details for now.
The only flaw in this otherwise perfect scene was the crimson handprint on the girl's ankle, almost deeply fused into her skin, exuding undisguised malice. Just looking at it gave off a bad feeling.
"Kaito-san, are you done looking yet?", Miura Yumiko felt like her face was burning.
Even worse was
'Yesterday I just took a bath, and I only changed these socks this morning. They probably don't smell, right?'
'But leather shoes aren't breathable, maybe I just can't smell it myself?'
[T/N: Guess what, guys. Kaito got his FIRST girlfriend. Stay tuned for "Chapter 35: I Crave Your Body, I'm Being Honest!"]
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Chapter 13: Delicate Pretty Boy
"Wait a moment," Kaito reached out and gently tapped on the spot of the bloody handprint on the girl's ankle.
The bloody handprint indeed carried a strong yin aura and resentment. It was a kind of mark, or more like a curse.
Just like some confident criminals would send a warning letter to the victim before committing a crime, clearly telling you, "You've already been targeted by me."
Judging by the aura alone, the fierce spirit that left this handprint should be the strongest evil spirit he had encountered so far.
'However, it's not a big problem.'
Kaito had no intention of taking advantage, his mindset was more like that of a doctor facing a female patient, with his attention mainly on the illness.
Even so, Miura Yumiko's face still flushed red.
Ever since she entered elementary school, even her dad hadn't touched her feet.
The intense shame came second. In order not to make strange sounds, Yumiko had to bite her lip tightly, using the pain to warn herself, 'You must endure! You absolutely must endure!:
