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Ever since they entered, the atmosphere in the shop had become unstable.
Kisaragi Rin activated his Heavenly Eye and looked at them again; the short orange-haired girl actually had a golden energy around her. Evil spirits were drawn to her, only to be burned by that energy, some even dying instantly.
This strange ability, combined with how they addressed each other, made Kisaragi Rin realize who they were.
Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana!
The blue-haired one was Yotsuya Miko, who possessed a pair of yin-yang eyes that could see ghosts, but she had no exorcism abilities herself, so she could only pretend not to see ghosts to protect herself from harm.
The orange-haired one was Yurikawa Hana, who couldn't see evil spirits, but her life energy was incredibly strong, constantly attracting ghosts.
If harmful spirits approached, her life energy would be consumed to protect her body, but strangely, her life energy could be restored through eating.
Kisaragi Rin wondered if they were players. Yotsuya Miko showed no sign of noticing the evil spirits around her.
This meant she probably didn't have the ability to resist yet.
Since it was unlikely they were players, they must have innate talent.
He had a feeling Yurikawa Hana would make rapid progress if she cultivated his Golden Light Technique.
Ignoring the two of them, Kisaragi Rin focused on the challenge ramen in front of him.
The challenge had a one-hour time limit.
With the last gulp of ramen broth, Kisaragi Rin completed the challenge.
Mahiru was even happier than he was, and thoughtfully used a tissue to wipe his sweat.
The Boss once again took out a gong from the counter and announced to everyone that someone had successfully completed the challenge.
Amidst the applause, the bearded uncle presented Kisaragi Rin with a voucher and a mystery gift.
Kisaragi Rin used the voucher to pay for Mahiru's ramen and handed the mystery gift to Mahiru.
"Huh, for me? But you completed the challenge by yourself."
Mahiru was a bit embarrassed to accept it.
"Take it. You don't need to think about it; it's definitely a gift girls like."
Kisaragi Rin casually shoved the mystery gift to Mahiru.
After a series of events, the time had already reached nine in the evening.
By then, the rain outside had significantly lessened but was still falling continuously.
Kisaragi Rin held an umbrella, preparing to return to the apartment with Mahiru.
The city at night was always hard to quiet down; colorful neon lights were everywhere, staying on all night, illuminating the entire city.
For many, their vibrant nightlife was just beginning at this hour.
Mahiru hugged the gift box, walking beside Kisaragi Rin, feeling quite pleased.
She automatically filtered out the background noise, inexplicably feeling that the bustling street was starting to become peaceful.
Only the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella and Kisaragi Rin's breathing imprinted in her mind.
Entering the train again, Mahiru placed the gift box at her feet, took out her phone, and looked at Kisaragi Rin expectantly.
"Kisaragi-san, can I add you on Line?"
"Sure."
Kisaragi Rin took out his phone to add her.
"Hi."
Mahiru sent the first message.
"Hi?"
Kisaragi Rin typed back.
"Haha~ hiccup."
Mahiru laughed aloud while looking at her phone, but accidentally let out a hiccup and quickly covered her mouth.
"I can pretend I didn't hear that, you know."
Kisaragi Rin said with a smile.
"Then don't say it out loud!"
Mahiru lightly punched his stomach with her small fist.
After some playful banter, Mahiru stopped and looked at Kisaragi Rin, suddenly saying softly, "It seems we started this way when we met in the park."
you mean that 'Hi'?"
"Yes."
Mahiru lowered her head, the smile on her face gradually fading, and began to voluntarily explain why she was in the park.
"The girls in my class invited me to go shopping."
"But when I got there, they suddenly said they had something to do and couldn't make it."
"So I stayed in the park alone."
"Then it started to rain."
"Maybe my mind was muddled, and I didn't think about avoiding the rain. Thanks to you appearing."
At this point, Mahiru looked up. Although her ears were flushed, she still blinked her amber eyes, insisting on looking at Kisaragi Rin and saying, "Thank you, Kisaragi-san."
"I accept your gratitude."
Taking the opportunity, Kisaragi Rin took the chance to ruffle Mahiru's hair. Her hair quality was quite perfect, as if blessed by sunlight, soft and lustrous.
When Kisaragi Rin touched her hair, a faint current seemed to flow from the top of her head throughout her body, and a strange feeling welled up in Mahiru's heart.
She tried hard to remain calm, pretending not to notice Kisaragi Rin's hand ruffling her hair.
Suddenly remembering something, Mahiru couldn't help but say to Kisaragi Rin, "Don't go looking for trouble with those girls. Although they changed their plans at the last minute, they did send me a message. My getting caught in the rain was mainly due to some personal reasons that are hard to talk about."
"Is my image really that violent?"
Having satisfied his hand, Kisaragi Rin stopped.
Although Mahiru didn't say it, Kisaragi Rin naturally knew the real reason.
Her parents married for family interests, and Mahiru was accidentally born after a one-night stand. Neither of them was willing to take responsibility, and they even disliked Mahiru's existence. Therefore, she had never felt the warmth of a family since childhood, feeling both lonely and longing for genuine affection.
The absence of friends was just a trigger; the real reason was the psychological issues caused by her family environment.
Since Mahiru didn't actively mention this, Kisaragi Rin pretended not to know, otherwise, it could easily hurt her sensitive heart.
"Your reputation at school is indeed very bad. All sorts of rumors are rampant, like 'Yakuza Scion,' 'Underworld Aristocrat,' 'eats three children per meal'…"
Mahiru listed them, unable to help but laugh aloud.
Kisaragi Rin said with a darkened face, "The first parts were normal, but 'eats three children per meal'—what the hell is that? When I find out who spread that rumor, I'll make sure he knows the consequences of slandering."
...
The train arrived at the station.
Kisaragi Rin and Mahiru stepped off the train and returned together to the apartment building where they lived.
Mahiru gently pushed open the door to 102, but suddenly stopped. She turned her head, her eyes sparkling with gratitude, and softly said, "Actually, this is already the second time you've saved me."
After speaking, she retreated into her room.
Kisaragi Rin had a question mark appear above his head.
This was the second time? When was the first time?
Filled with doubt, Kisaragi Rin returned to 202 and couldn't help but collapse onto the sofa.
Had too many things happened today?
In the morning, he discovered that his downstairs neighbor was Mahiru.
On the way to school, he encountered Koshi Torako and the strange Shikanoko.
In the morning, he learned about the concept of talent, and his deskmate, Kato Megumi, happened to possess it innately.
At noon, he was taken by Hiratsuka-sensei to join the Service Club, became the club president through an upset, and even recorded Yukinoshita Yukino's dark history.
After school, he met Mahiru, who was caught in the rain alone, and participated in a double ramen challenge together.
"When did my life become so busy?"
Kisaragi Rin couldn't help but wonder.
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