"Muxiao—!!!"
Muxiao was jolted awake from his slumber by Natsumi Sakura's shout. Lying on the soft, luxurious bed, he was momentarily disoriented, thinking he'd imagined it. This was the Boyman family's villa—how could Natsumi be here?
Opening his eyes, he saw the blue-haired beauty pushing his body, then glanced at the red-haired woman awkwardly waving at him from the doorway.
Muxiao's gaze turned resentful. "Reina…"
"Don't blame me, Muxiao," Reina said, dodging his piercing look. "Natsumi insisted I bring her to find you. I couldn't say no…"
"You said you weren't coming back last night… Of course I had to come find out why!" Natsumi scanned the opulent bedroom, larger than her living room, its lavish decor straight out of a drama.
Her face fell, and she bit her lip, feigning hurt. "I get it."
Get what?
"I get it. You can't bear to leave this fancy lifestyle, right? You think my house is too small, too ordinary, don't you? You've changed, Muxiao. You've become materialistic."
Natsumi looked heartbroken.
"…"
What are you even talking about?!
"My house isn't big, it's inconvenient, we always have to worry about Mom catching us, eating carefully, the bed's small, cramped, no room to move…"
The more she spoke, the weaker her voice got, as if her home had no advantages.
"But… but I'm there with you!"
Biting her lip, she resembled a poor man desperately trying to win back his beautiful girlfriend. Reina, unhelpfully, chimed in, "Natsumi, there are pretty maids here to keep him company—more than one. No wonder he doesn't want to leave."
"…Muxiao."
Seeing Natsumi on the verge of tears, Muxiao shot Reina a glare. "That's not it at all! Reina, how dare you slander me? Looks like last night in bed wasn't enough—next time, I'll really tame you."
"Why bring that up now?" Talking about such intimate topics in front of Natsumi made Reina flush slightly, her legs weakening at the memory of last night's escapades.
"Is this the girl you stayed for?" Natsumi suddenly turned, glaring at Tsubaki, whose cold beauty felt like a threat.
Facing Natsumi's intense stare, Tsubaki remained unfazed, completely unmoved.
"Alright, I'm just staying here temporarily. If you want to see me, just have Reina bring you," Muxiao said, patting her head with a tentacle. "Since there's nothing going on today, let's go check out your school."
At this, Reina's expression grew serious.
"Muxiao, I'm planning to apply as a teacher at Natsumi's school."
"Oh?"
"My health's recovered, and sitting idle isn't great. Plus, I need to earn money to support my family… I have teaching experience, so I figured I'd go back to it. The cult's quiet for now. If you need to go out, Tsubaki can be your temporary secretary and driver. What do you think?"
"If you've got it all planned, go for it," Muxiao said, smiling warmly. "You can look out for Natsumi at school too, right?"
"Reina-nee as my teacher?" Natsumi scratched her delicate face. "Sounds kinda fun."
The four headed out, Reina and Tsubaki in the front seats, Muxiao and Natsumi in the back. Natsumi hugged one of his tentacles, resting it on her lap. "I don't have many friends at school. Having Reina-nee there will be nice."
"Not just Reina—maybe have Tsubaki transfer there too," Muxiao said, then paused, realizing what she'd said. "You haven't made friends at the new school?"
"A lot of people approach me," Natsumi said, pinching her nose. "It's a bit embarrassing, but I'm pretty popular."
"But it's just casual classmate stuff, not real friends."
A peaceful school, Muxiao thought, hiding in a bush, gazing at the unfamiliar yet serene campus. It reminded him of Natsumi's old school, which had fallen to ruin.
A tranquil Japanese school like this—he'd only seen them on screens before. Now, he was experiencing the real thing.
Muxiao poked his head out slightly, scanning the area. It was class time, and the side of the school building, near a garage lined with bicycles, was deserted.
With agile movements, he hopped onto a wall, a tentacle flicking to propel him through a window into the building. Slithering through the hallway, he glanced at the sports field outside, where students were having PE, their shorts and white thighs radiating youthful energy under the sun.
He didn't see Natsumi.
But among the students was a familiar face, another survivor like Natsumi… Wakumaku-senpai, was it?
Muxiao looked away after a glance, shaking his head and slipping into the bathroom. Heh, sneaking into the girls' bathroom… heh heh.
Tap, tap, tap…
Footsteps approached. Someone was coming? His mischievous grin faded. About to leap out the window to hide, he sensed only one person and paused, his lively eyes glinting.
Why not… scare them a bit?
"Maybe I'll start an urban legend at this school…"
Grinning wickedly, he clung to the window, tentacles gripping the wall. The footsteps grew closer until a figure entered the bathroom—a beautiful girl with long black hair, her golden eyes shining captivatingly.
She saw Muxiao.
Their eyes met!
A bizarre, tentacled creature, terrifying to anyone, should've prompted a scream. But in that moment, the stunning girl didn't scream—she remained calm, as if she hadn't seen him.
Composed, unruffled.
Muxiao: ???
That's not the right reaction, girl!
"Can't you see me?" he asked directly.
She seemed not to hear, stepping closer, gazing at the sky behind him. "Nice weather today, isn't it?"
Muxiao: "…"
She turned, entered a stall, and closed the door. Sitting on the toilet, she clutched her chest, sweat beading on her forehead.
"That scared me…"
Almost peed myself! Can't you avoid jump scares or corner ambushes? So terrifying.
Her calm facade was an act. Now, her lingering fear showed.
"And it talked to me… Good thing I didn't respond…"
As she rejoiced, Muxiao, outside, smirked.
"Woman, you've caught my attention."