Only upon hearing these words did Miko Yotsuya belatedly realise.
That's right.
She'd completely forgotten about the Gates that appeared in various corners of Kyoto, which could influence spiritual beings.
If one day, a Gate appeared near her home...
Just imagining her once humorous and kind-hearted father becoming a twisted, horrifying evil spirit made Miko feel as if her heart were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, the pain making even breathing difficult.
More importantly.
Her father's spirit had been lingering in their home all this time.
If under the influence of the Gate he transformed into an evil spirit capable of harming humans, the first victim would undoubtedly be her mother.
This was something Miko absolutely couldn't bear to see.
"What should I do?"
For the first time, visible emotion surfaced on Miko's typically impassive face, her golden eyes revealing unconcealed panic.
Ye Xing shook his head: "Not what you should do."
"But what we should do."
Hearing this, Miko looked touched.
"You... you're willing to help me? Ye Xing."
"Of course, we're comrades in the same club after all."
"Club? What club?"
"No time to waste, I'll explain on the way."
...
During the taxi ride to Miko's home, Ye Xing inquired about her family situation.
Contrary to his original memories, Miko didn't have a younger brother - it was just her and her mother at home.
Well, not quite.
Just mother and daughter... plus one ghost.
Ye Xing's offer to help Miko wasn't just because they were both psychics who should cooperate, but for another crucial reason.
Miko's deceased father's spirit belonged to an extremely special category among all evil spirits and spectres.
When people die with particularly strong attachments, they may persist as spirits.
Of course, not all spirits are evil; some are benign, like recordings playing on loop.
Yet Miko's father, while also a spirit formed from attachment, possessed reasoning completely equal to when he was alive.
Ye Xing wanted to attempt communicating with him.
If one wanted information about spirits, who better to ask than a spirit itself?
"Supernatural... Quantum Mechanics... Research Society?"
Hearing the club name Ye Xing came up with, Miko sighed helplessly, rubbing her temples.
Well, it was certainly supernatural enough - after all, neither of them was exactly a normal person.
But pairing it with the term 'quantum mechanics' felt utterly incongruous.
Miko Yotsuya didn't need to think hard to guess that joining such an oddly-named club, founded by the notoriously unpopular Ye Xing, would inevitably make her seem like a weirdo in the eyes of other students.
But she didn't care.
Eliminating the threats of evil spirits and Gates was what truly mattered.
Not because Ye Xing demanded it - he'd never forced her to assist.
This was what Miko Yotsuya had always wanted to do deep in her heart.
What someone with Mystic Eyes like her ought to be doing.
After getting off the bus, Miko walked to her front door. Though she'd already taken her keys from her pocket, she hesitated before knocking instead.
"Coming."
A beautiful, mature-looking woman bearing some resemblance to Miko opened the door, wiping water droplets from her hands.
"Did you forget your keys today? Why knock..."
The woman's words trailed off as she noticed Ye Xing standing beside Miko. She blinked in surprise before asking,
"And this is...?"
"Hello, I'm Ye Xing, Miko's classmate."
Ye Xing introduced himself cheerfully, studying the woman's face before offering a harmless smile.
"You must be Miko's older sister? Nice to meet you."
Hearing him say "older sister", the woman nearly laughed aloud with delight, waving her hand bashfully.
"Oh my, you're mistaken. I'm Miko's mother."
"No way!?"
Ye Xing put on an expression of utter shock, scrutinising Miko's mum with disbelief.
"That can't be true? You look so young, like you're in your twenties!"
"Oh, Ye Xing, you flatterer! Do I really look that young?"
"Absolutely! You could pass for Miko's sister."
"Hahaha, don't just stand there - please come in!"
Watching her mother's beaming face as she enthusiastically ushered Ye Xing inside, practically forgetting her own daughter's presence, Miko could only shake her head in resignation.
During the taxi ride here, Ye Xing already knew that only she and her mother lived at home.
This "older sister" nonsense was clearly calculated flattery.
Yet Miko had to admit - Ye Xing's tactic had landed perfectly on her full-time housewife mother.
When he wasn't having one of his abstract episodes, she mused, with his striking looks, naturally charming smile and precisely targeted compliments, Ye Xing could truly be called a social maestro.
Only after showing them inside did Miko's mother notice the long sword in her daughter's hand.
"What's that you're holding?"
Before Miko could fabricate an explanation, Ye Xing interjected smoothly.
"Since it's my first visit, I wanted to bring a proper gift. This is an antique sword for warding off evil spirits and protecting homes. I hope you'll like it."
"Oh my, my!"
Miko's mother broke into a delighted grin.
"You shouldn't have! Just come by anytime you like - no need for gifts."
"Then I'll take you up on that kind offer."
"Are you both hungry? Dinner will be ready soon, you can rest in the living room for now."
Watching her mother's retreating back as she returned to the kitchen without a second thought, Miko Yotsuya couldn't help feeling surprised.
She was still pondering how to explain the origin of that long sword.
Never did she expect Ye Xing to dismiss it so casually.
A meeting gift?
Could it be he'd already anticipated this scenario?
While Miko was still on the first floor, Ye Xing had already reached the eighteenth floor.
Such a seasoned strategist.
Just then.
A bespectacled man in his forties, with streaks of grey in his hair and wearing a light blue high-collared shirt, slowly approached them.
He studied Ye Xing standing there with undisguised curiosity.
"And this is... your boyfriend? Really?"
"Ah, already dating in your first year of high school... you've grown up so fast. This old father's heart aches so."
As the middle-aged man continued to mutter with exaggerated heartbreak, Ye Xing suddenly stepped forward, extending his right hand with a smile.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Ye Xing."