[4 P.M.]
The movie ended. Like a tide, the audience surged out of the theater.
"No wonder it's the highest-rated movie recently. The quality is indeed top-notch," Leaving the cinema, Soyo's carefully made-up pretty face still carried a trace of lingering fear. She looked a bit apologetically at her sweetheart beside her, "But Kaito-kun, you didn't really show any emotional reaction the whole time... did you find it boring?"
Kaito slightly shook his head, "Not really. Aside from some logical flaws, overall, it's a pretty good movie."
The movie ticket Soyo bought was for a horror movie that had recently been released.
The cast was star-studded, and both the director and screenwriter were reputable veterans. Backed by strong funding, they even invited a currently very popular girl idol group to make a cameo. The film had only been out for a short time, but both its word-of-mouth and box office had exploded, in the good sense.
Unfortunately... it was still a horror movie.
The director definitely had skill. He excellently portrayed the despair and helplessness of ordinary people facing evil spirits, easily stirring the audience's anxiety and fear.
Soyo was a prime example. She held his hand tightly throughout the film in fear. You could also hear gasps and screams from other audience members now and then.
But to Kaito, it was just noisy.
After all, all fear stems from insufficient firepower.
Just like in any horror game, no matter how scary, once you whip out Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, the nature of the game completely changes.
With his level of power, facing the evil spirits in the movie would be no different from turning on cheat mode.
Compared to the movie, which couldn't provoke even the slightest fear in him, for some reason, Kaito kept thinking about the little Mutsumi back home.
Even when asleep, the girl would subconsciously grab the corner of his clothes with her little hand.
He remembered when he left, the way his sister's brow furrowed ever so slightly, that helpless and fragile sleeping face.
For some reason, in his heart... there was a vague sense of unease.
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Chapter 155: Face-to-Face Sniping at the Central Gate
Leaving the theater, the two of them didn't go straight home.
They went to the aquarium to see penguins, rode the carousel at the amusement park, shared a strawberry sundae like all couples.
As the final ray of daylight slowly vanished beyond the distant skyline, the steel-and-concrete outline of the city blurred into the twilight. The streetlights on either side of the road quietly lit up, like a flowing painting, casting soft light and shadows over the smooth asphalt road.
"Today's date was really fun," While walking through a quiet, deserted park, the evening breeze carried moisture, gently brushing across the entire world.
The girl's brown hair swayed slightly in the air. Soyo stopped walking, the soft white incandescent light behind her reflected brilliant specks of light in her sky-blue eyes, like a full moon at ten o'clock, brimming with gentleness.
"I had a great time too," Kaito rubbed her head.
For girls, maintaining long hair is quite troublesome, just daily care takes up a lot of time.
But with loss comes gain. "Long black straight" is practically a killer attribute for most guys. It has an ethereal fairy-like vibe, easily evoking memories of the sweet and innocent first love of youth. It could be called the standard "white moonlight" hairstyle.
'Come to think of it, there really seem to be quite a few long-haired girls around me?'
'Just in the band alone, Bocchi, Kita, and Nijika all meet the criteria. Only Ryou is the odd one out, keeping her short hair.'
'Secretary Sakiko also has long hair, and her childhood friend, Mutsumi wears her green hair down to her waist.'
'Including Yumiko and Soyo, as well as a certain overly friendly pink baby dragon, a rough count brings the total to nearly two hands' worth.'
'But... that's not necessarily a bad thing either.'
Perhaps because she really likes aromatherapy, Soyo's brown hair always carries a faint fragrance. It not only feels great to touch, but also smells refreshing and uplifting.
The two of them sat on a bench under a streetlamp for a moment of warmth, until Soyo broke the silence.
"It's already quite late... Kaito-kun, do you have any plans next?", Her soft, gentle voice seemed to carry a hint of suggestion.
'No, this was more like an outright invitation, right?'
Kaito wasn't exactly a blockhead. He understood what Soyo meant. But thinking of little Mutsumi back home, especially her helpless, fragile sleeping face before he left, he still felt uneasy.
All great practitioners have a sixth sense, the ability to sense fortune and misfortune.
But today's feeling was strange. It wasn't a warning of danger, but something... indescribable and hard to explain.
After some thought, he still turned down Soyo's invitation, "Maybe next time. I still have something to take care of at home tonight."
The brown-haired girl lightly bit her lip, looking a bit disappointed.
'It is the perfect time to indulge, with mom not around, and I could've gone all out without a care, but it ended up like this?'
Still, Soyo didn't want to be seen as a lustful girl, and her personality was inherently understanding. She didn't protest or even show a trace of displeasure. Instead, she asked with concern,."Is it something important? If there's anything I can help with, feel free to say so, Kaito-kun~"
"If I have to say, it's not exactly urgent," Kaito didn't hide anything from her. After all, their relationship was already close enough, "Actually, it's about little Mutsumi. When I left today, I felt like something was off with her, like she had something on her mind. So I'm a little worried."
"L-Little Mutsumi?", The brown-haired girl froze, clearly caught off guard.
'Why does my boyfriend notice Mutsumi's condition is off before going on a date with me?'
'When did their relationship get so close?'
"I didn't tell you?", Kaito was a bit puzzled too. But after thinking carefully, it seemed he really hadn't explained this part to Soyo in detail. Still, it wasn't too late to say now, "At Mori Minami's request, Mutsumi is currently staying at my house for a while."
'Staying over?'
The smile froze on Nagasaki Soyo's face, and her mood suddenly turned dazed.
'So... without me knowing, Mutsumi and my boyfriend has actually been living together this whole time?'
It suddenly felt like something heavy landed on her head, like she was wearing a hat.
Kaito didn't notice her odd reaction. He briefly summarized how he and Mutsumi met in a few sentences.
Of course, due to length constraints, he didn't mention Secretary Sakiko, he only said he had accepted a commission from the Wakaba family.
Hearing that her friend had once been haunted by a nightmare spirit and nearly died, Soyo's expression grew complicated.
Angry? Of course she was.
But Mutsumi's experience... really made it hard for her to say anything harsh.
Having personally experienced being haunted by an evil spirit, Soyo understood that pain and despair all too well.
Mutsumi was already quiet and withdrawn. After going through something like that and developing a psychological shadow, it was understandable that she could only sleep peacefully beside Kaito.
After all, she had once felt the same way too.
'But understanding is one thing... Does that justify freeloading my boyfriend?'
The only good news, if you could call it that, was that Mutsumi really did seem like what she once claimed: having no intention to compete.
Even though she had the natural advantage of being close, Soyo still seized the initiative.
If Mutsumi really had the intention to compete, just living under the same roof with Kaito would've given her way more chances than Soyo.
Thinking of this, Soyo stayed silent for a long time before quietly saying, "Can I... also go with Kaito-kun to visit Mutsumi?"
After receiving this bombshell of news, there was no way the girl could just pretend nothing happened and head home.
Naturally, she had to see the truth for herself, with her own eyes.
"Of course," Kaito didn't think too much about it.
Soyo and Mutsumi were classmates and good friends. Hearing that Mutsumi wasn't doing well and wanting to visit her in person was a perfectly normal reaction.
Besides, they were both girls.
If Mutsumi really had something troubling her that she couldn't tell him, she probably wouldn't hesitate to tell Soyo instead.
'And seeing a friend come to visit, surely, that will make Mutsumi happy too?'
Helping his little sister smile with pure innocence was something any good big brother should do.
The two of them rode the train home together, though the atmosphere was a bit heavy.
Soyo stared blankly out the window the entire ride, lost in thought, no one knew what was on her mind.
[Forty-Five Minutes Later]
With a beep, the password authentication passed, and the door opened.
The girl with light green long hair greeted them with a bright smile and happily rushed over.
"Onii-chan, welcome hoeh?"
Those brilliant golden eyes froze slightly, staring at the brown-haired girl before her. Even time itself seemed to stop.
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Chapter 156: Mortis: Guaranteed Condom
"Soyo?"
In the living room, the girl with light green long hair tilted her head slightly, a trace of confusion just right showing in those golden foil-like translucent eyes.
"Why are you here?"
"I heard from Kaito-kun that it seems like you're feeling a bit unwell, Mutsumi," Nagasaki Soyo still maintained her faint smile, making it impossible to read her thoughts, "So, I was a bit worried."
"I see," Mortis suddenly understood, her beautiful fine brows curving into the shape of crescent moons, her smile innocent and radiant, "Soyo was worried~ But actually, I'm in a super good state right now, you know? In fact, I've never felt this good before~"
Looking at her friend's dazzling smile, one so bright it could be called radiant, Nagasaki Soyo froze for a moment.
'How long has it been... since I saw Mutsumi smile like that?'
The last time she saw Mutsumi smile might have been when CRYCHIC hadn't disbanded yet, and everyone in the band went to karaoke for team bonding.
But the girl quickly shook her head, throwing those random thoughts aside. She didn't come here today to reminisce about the past.
She met Wakaba Mutsumi's gaze, her tone gentle, yet inexplicably sharp, "Speaking of which, I really didn't expect that Mutsumi has been living under the same roof with Kaito-kun all this time. There wasn't even the slightest rumor before. I was shocked when I found out."
"Is Soyo very concerned about this?", Mortis put her hands behind her back. Although it was a very playful gesture, it made Nagasaki Soyo unconsciously frown slightly.
"Just a little surprised, that's all."
'Is it just an illusion...'
'Why does this Mutsumi in front of me feel so... off?'
'If I have to say it... it seems a little too lively?'
Nagasaki Soyo knew her friend's personality very well.
Introverted, emotionless, clearly born with good looks and background, yet lived like a marginal person in class.
Ever since Sakiko left, she became Mutsumi's only friend in Tsukinomori.
But even when facing Soyo, Wakaba Mutsumi's expressions and words were never considered rich.
Most of the time when they were together, it was Soyo who talked, while Mutsumi played the role of the listener. Even when she occasionally responded, it was just with simple words like "Mm," "Oh," "I know," "Not going."
But... the Mutsumi today, was like a completely different person.
That radiant smile, that playful gesture, all fell into Soyo's eyes as a strong sense of discord.
Clearly... just yesterday during class in the Tsukinomori, she hadn't changed this much.
The brown-haired girl's hands resting on her knees couldn't help but twist together.
This was her unconscious gesture whenever she felt anxious or thoughtful.
A friend she knew so well, suddenly changing personality and doing things completely unlike her usual character.
This kind of scenario gave her an odd sense of dj vu, reminding her of that horror movie she watched not long ago.
"Hey hey, Soyo?", A slender little hand suddenly waved in front of her, "Why did you suddenly zone out?"
This sudden movement startled Soyo, making her instinctively shrink back a little.
When she came back to her senses, she realized that at some point, Mutsumi had already walked up to her, tilting her head slightly and casting a curious gaze.
"J-just thought of something else...", Soyo's smile was a bit forced. She had come with some anger, feeling quite displeased about Mutsumi supposedly stealing her boyfriend.
But when actually facing her friend who was nine out of ten acting completely out of character, she felt a kind of suffocating pressure.
"Sorry for making you wait a while," A reassuring voice broke the heavy atmosphere in the living room.
Bending down to place the brewed black tea and mango juice on the coffee table in order, Kaito stood up, just about to say something else when his arm was suddenly hugged tightly.
"It's mango juice!", Mortis' pretty face had a dazzling smile, bright like a small sun full of life, "Thank you, Onii-chan! Love you!"
"It's just a cup of mango juice, no need to be that happy, right?"
Looking at the satisfied girl clinging tightly to his arm, Kaito casually helped tidy up the messy hair beside her ear, though he felt a bit puzzled inside.
In his memory... Mutsumi's emotions weren't usually this expressive.
Although the girl had always been clingy to him, most of the time she just stayed quietly by his side, rarely taking such intimate initiative.
Moreover, with Mutsumi's personality, even as a joke, it would be hard for her to say the words "love you" out loud.
'Could something have influenced her emotions?'
Kaito released his divine sense for a brief check, but didn't find anything out of place.
The girl's aura was perfectly normal, completely consistent with her soul's root and origin, no trace of foreign interference.
