"Tonight?"
Ye Xing glanced at Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, and Mai Sakurajima, who were already packing up to leave.
Their weekend plans were simple.
One of them would remain on standby at Kyoto Municipal Hospital, keeping Shoko Makinohara and Menma company, while the other two would team up to scout the surrounding areas.
During this process, Rio Futaba and Miko Yotsuya, with their relatively extensive experience in exorcism, could help Mai Sakurajima adapt to the rhythm of fighting evil spirits.
Although the three of them had no prior relationship with Shoko Makinohara.
According to the Supernatural Society's principles, protecting innocent people in Kyoto City and eliminating supernatural threats were the most important missions.
Moreover, Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya didn't want to see someone as young as Shoko Makinohara die at the hands of evil spirits.
"I am free, actually."
Hearing Ye Xing's noncommittal response, Hina Amano took out her phone, somewhat secretively holding it out to him while deliberately lowering her voice, though unable to completely conceal her joy.
"Ye Xing, that webpage you made has finally received a commission."
"Is that so? That's quite good news."
Ye Xing took the phone, which displayed the commission for Amano Hina's Sunny Girl ability that he had created for her.
This was something he had promised her even before she joined the Supernatural Society.
Through her ability to bring clear weather, Amano Hina could accept commissions from others, thereby earning enough income to support herself and her younger brother.
"It's raining again..."
Looking at the rain beginning to fall outside the window, Ye Xing picked up his schoolbag with one hand and smiled at Amano Hina.
"Let's go then."
"Wait a moment."
Seeing the two about to leave, Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been reading a light novel, put the book into her bag and slowly stood up, speaking calmly.
"I'm coming with you."
"You?"
Ye Xing glanced at Yukino with an amused expression.
"Do you know what we're going to do?"
"Ye Xing."
Yukino Yukinoshita's tone remained completely even.
"Please don't underestimate me so much."
"Quite impressive there, Flatno."
"It's Yukino. Remembering the names of fellow club members shouldn't be difficult for someone with your top-of-the-year memory, should it?"
"Heh, now you're being sarcastic with me. Come along if you're following us."
As she followed Ye Xing and Amano Hina out of school, Yukino Yukinoshita privately contemplated.
When Ye Xing had created that commission interface, he hadn't hidden it from other members of the Supernatural Society.
She had seen the content herself.
One hundred per cent Sunny Girl?
Turning rainy days into clear weather?
Yukino had only one thought about it.
Pathetic chuunibyou.
If it were just the chuunibyou fantasies of adolescent boys and girls, Yukino had no interest in understanding them.
Accepting commissions and demanding monetary compensation from others – that fundamentally changes the nature of the matter.
To put it bluntly, this could be considered a criminal act.
Yukino had followed along today precisely to see what was really going on.
If it truly were about swindling money from people, she would strike hard, speaking bluntly and with full aggression.
But...
Watching Ye Xing walking a few paces ahead under his umbrella, chatting idly with Hina Amano, Yukino felt somewhat hesitant.
Although they hadn't interacted deeply, during their recent time together, she felt he wasn't the type of person who would tell such lies just to greedily pursue petty cash.
Yukino's rational mind made it difficult for her to believe that "Sunshine Girls" who could control the weather actually existed in this world.
Yet based on her understanding of Ye Xing, she couldn't find any other explanation.
Yukino wasn't stupid.
Quite the opposite – she had achieved the second-highest comprehensive grades in her year. If not for that monster, Ye Xing, she would be ranked first.
Yukino was a very intelligent person.
Unfortunately, due to her inner resistance, she remained completely unaware of—and had no desire to learn about—the business that Yukinoshita Construction was conducting in Kyoto.
Otherwise, by connecting the dots between that problematic abandoned building plagued by frequent accidents, her sister Haruno's inexplicable acquaintance with Ye Xing, and this supernatural-like commission...
Yukino might have vaguely approached the truth of the matter.
...
The manager of a certain flea market had arranged this first commission.
After arriving at the designated location by train, Yukino Yukinoshita looked at the scattered stalls displaying all kinds of miscellaneous goods, her eyes revealing intense curiosity like a kitten spotting a cat teaser.
"Never seen this before? First time? Fascinating, isn't it?"
Hearing Ye Xing's teasing triple questions, Yukino Yukinoshita lightly coughed twice, adjusted her expression, and said calmly, "I'm merely observing since it's my first time visiting such a place."
Just then, the flea market manager – a white-haired elderly man with a stooped back – slowly approached.
"Are you the ones from online... the so-called Sunshine Girl?"
Hina Amano appeared extremely nervous at this moment, stammering and unable to utter a single word.
Eventually, Ye Xing took over the conversation.
"Yes."
"Ah."
The old man sighed heavily. Though his eyes showed scepticism, his face maintained a kind, gentle smile.
"To be honest, inviting you here is mainly for good luck. Look at this weather."
He pointed towards the overcast sky that had already begun sprinkling light rain.
"Our facilities here are quite basic. If the rain continues nonstop, not only will we get fewer visitors, but the goods might get damp too. It's quite troublesome."
"I see..."
Looking at the worried old man, Hina Amano nodded with a very serious expression. "Rainy days are indeed inconvenient."
"Yes."
The old man nodded, smiling at the three people before him.
"So, I'll leave it to you."
Hina Amano pressed her lips together, hesitating slightly as she said, "Well... I'll give it a try."
"Not 'try'."
Ye Xing added calmly from the side.
"You must achieve this. You should understand what the consequences would be if you can't control your abilities, right?"
Upon hearing this, a flicker of fear appeared deep in Hina Amano's eyes.
Psychics become the primary targets for evil spirits' attacks, including special ability users like her.
The most powerful and twisted evil spirit the Supernatural Society had encountered so far happened to be the first one Hina Amano ever saw - that ten-meter-tall giant evil spirit fused with the Gate.
The terrifying scene from that time had given her nightmares for several nights.
Always seeking protection from others...
That wasn't in Hina Amano's nature.
If her younger brother hadn't happened to be out playing that day, if Ye Xing hadn't been present...
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
To continue living, and for her brother's safety.
Hina Amano knew she not only needed to master this power...
But also needed to become stronger.
As the person involved, Hina Amano understood what Ye Xing meant.
But to Yukino Yukinoshita, who didn't know the full story...
This sounded like a threat?
Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly and moved closer to Ye Xing, lowering her voice.
"Although I don't know the specific circumstances... Can Amano-san really do something like this?"
"Of course."
Ye Xing held an umbrella for Hina Amano with one hand, watching as she closed her eyes and prayed with her hands clasped together, replying softly.
"She was able to join the Supernatural Society precisely because of this special talent."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita's brow furrowed slightly.
"So that means I was able to join the Supernatural Society because you thought I had some value in certain aspects?"
"You're overthinking it."
Ye Xing glanced at Yukino Yukinoshita and smiled.
"You were able to join the Supernatural Society because you have a beautiful sister - you got in purely through connections."
"You..."
Yukino gritted her silver teeth but didn't know how to refute.
She had been a member of the Supernatural Society for some time now.
But until now, she hadn't made any contributions.
In contrast, if you counted creating the club webpage, plus Hina Amano, Saki Kawasaki, and Marin Kitagawa, Ye Xing was already four missions ahead of her.
The gap was indeed quite significant.
The competitive spirit hidden deep in Yukino's heart was completely ignited.
Just as she was about to say something, a bright light suddenly fell upon the waterlogged ground.
Yukino looked up and was shocked by what she saw in the sky.
"This is..."
The thick clouds that had been covering the sky were now dissipating at a visible pace.
After the clouds disappeared, sunlight descended upon the ground along with the light rain that hadn't yet stopped.
Centred on Hina Amano, the rainy weather in this area rapidly cleared.
"The rain... stopped?"
Watching as the area before her returned to sunlight, the clouds in the sky disappearing as if they had never existed, Yukino Yukinoshita's pupils dilated.
At this moment, she could almost see an unusual radiance emanating from Hina Amano, who had her eyes closed and hands clasped in prayer.
The rain... actually stopped!?
"Haa..."
Hina Amano wiped the sweat from her forehead, watching the joyful expressions on people's faces as the rain stopped. Though feeling somewhat exhausted, she couldn't help but reveal a faint smile.
'I... really did it.'
The market manager, an elderly man, approached with a kindly smile and pulled a thick envelope from his pocket, offering it to Hina Amano.
"Miss, this is the agreed payment."
"Eh?"
Seeing the envelope's thickness, Hina Amano was momentarily stunned before quickly waving her hands in refusal.
"No... this seems much more than the agreed amount, doesn't it?"
The old man smiled and pushed the envelope forward again.
"Judging by your appearance, you're a high school student, right? Our market will remain open until the end of this weekend, so this isn't payment for just one commission, but the full payment for three days of work."
"This..."
Hina Amano first glanced at Ye Xing, and only after seeing him nod slightly did she accept the envelope from the old man's hand, smiling sweetly.
"Well... thank you very much."
"Eh, I should be the one thanking you."
The old man looked at the stall owners with their joyful expressions and slowly said, "Sunny weather always lifts people's spirits, doesn't it?"
...
After finishing the day's events and returning home, Yukino Yukinoshita, who had maintained her rational and composed demeanour all along, didn't even bother to remove her shoes before sitting directly on the floor.
"What in the world... is going on..."
Yukino couldn't believe that Amano-san closing her eyes in prayer, followed by the rain stopping and the weather clearing up, could be simply written off as a coincidence.
One hundred per cent Sunny Girl?
A supernatural ability user?
How could such things exist in this world...
Wait.
Yukino suddenly remembered something.
The full name of the Supernatural Society... was it called the Supernatural... Quantum Mechanics Research Society?
She had some understanding of what quantum mechanics was—occasionally, in the club room, she would see Rio Futaba studying specialised books on the subject.
But supernatural...
Could it be that this club name wasn't just chosen randomly?
Did it actually relate to the supernatural?
While thinking this, Yukino took out her phone.
As soon as she turned it on, a pop-up news notification caught her eye.
[Kyoto Underground Railway Experiences Sudden Malfunction, All Stations Temporarily Suspended, Restoration Time Yet to be Determined.]
"Suspended? Sudden malfunction?"
Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly, thinking that when she had taken the train back earlier, there hadn't been any issues whatsoever.
Besides, today's rainfall hadn't been that heavy either.
What kind of malfunction could be severe enough to cause a complete station shutdown?
...
Meanwhile, in an underground train tunnel in Kyoto City.
"How could something like this happen..."
Marin Kitagawa and Saki Kawasaki stared at the pitch-black carriage, listening to the panicked footsteps of passengers around them, both feeling somewhat at a loss.
"Marin, do you have any signal on your phone?"
Marin Kitagawa took out her phone and glanced at it, shaking her head.
"None."
"Mine doesn't either."
Saki Kawasaki looked at her phone, showing no signal bars at all, her expression troubled.
Marin Kitagawa turned to Keika Kawasaki, who was sitting between them, swinging her little legs. Even though she was quite frightened herself, she forced a smile and gently patted the younger girl's head to comfort her.
"Keika, don't be scared. They'll fix it soon."
"Mhm."
Keika Kawasaki nodded obediently.
"Sister Marin, I'm not scared."
"That's good then."
Marin Kitagawa smiled gently, then sighed as she looked at the completely dark carriage, illuminated only by passengers' phone flashlights.
"I wonder how long it will take to fix, and there's no explanation either. What kind of train just stops halfway like this, really..."
She had planned to meet Saki Kawasaki today to take Saki's younger sister, Keika, to the shopping district to look at materials needed for cosplay costume-making, then have dinner together.
She never expected they'd encounter such a situation right after picking up Keika.
"Eh... what's that?"
Keika Kawasaki pressed against the train window, noticing black mist forming outside.
Saki Kawasaki and Marin Kitagawa glanced at it but didn't pay much attention.
"Probably just dust in the tunnel? It's nothing."
Other passengers didn't think much of it either.
But the expression on Keika's little face instantly changed.
She had seen this strange black mist before.
During that incident at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten.
Back then, those armed kidnappers had also been surrounded by this faint, flickering black mist.
Keika Kawasaki didn't know what it was, but she felt in her heart that this time was dangerous.
Without any hesitation, she immediately took out her phone.
Marin Kitagawa was taken aback when she saw this.
"Eh? Keika has a phone too?"
Saki Kawasaki nodded, forcing a smile.
"Yes... since our parents are very busy with work and I used to not be home often, I got her a phone for emergencies. But it's just a flip phone without any entertainment features."
"But..."
Before Marin Kitagawa could finish, Keika Kawasaki exclaimed happily.
"My phone has signal."
"Huh?"
Marin Kitagawa and Saki Kawasaki exchanged glances, then looked down at their own smartphones.
Flip phones are just superior.
While the two older girls were still processing this, Keika Kawasaki had already dialled a number.
When the call connected, her little face broke into a happy smile.
"Hello, big brother, it's me."
Hearing this address, Marin Kitagawa and Saki Kawasaki immediately knew who she was calling.
"Mhm, mhm, I'm on the train."
Keika Kawasaki nodded and was about to say something when she glanced at her sister and Marin Kitagawa, then sneaked aside, covering her mouth as she whispered a few words.
"Mhm, I'm sure."
"Our location is near Shimogamo Gojo Station."
"Mhm, okay."
After Keika hung up the phone and returned to her seat, Saki Kawasaki sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead.
"When did you get Ye Xing's phone number?"
"Last time at the hospital."
Keika looked innocent and clueless as she retorted, "Didn't you get his number too, sis?"
Saki's face flushed slightly at the question, and she seemed flustered, forcing herself to appear calm.
"I... I, why would I need his number? Stop talking and sit still. It's too crowded here, it's dangerous."
"Mhm."
...
Meanwhile, Ye Xing, who was walking alone on the street, was planning to head to the Reverse World for a feast, muttered to himself.
"Sigh, I can't go to my favourite buffet again today."
"Whatever."
"Food is food, no matter where I eat it."
Ye Xing took out his phone and dialled Rio Futaba's number, explaining the situation to her.
At Kyoto Municipal Hospital, Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, and Mai Sakurajima had already seen the news about the suspended train services.
Now that Keika mentioned a faint black mist in the underground passageway, it was undoubtedly an incident related to the supernatural.
"Mmm..."
Rio Futaba glanced through the small hospital window at Shoko Makinohara sitting on the bed, staring blankly outside, then thought for a moment before turning to Miko and Mai.
"Should one of the three of us go?"
"Then you go."
Hearing this, Mai Sakurajima spoke without hesitation.
"My abilities aren't strong enough. One of you two should go."
Miko Yotsuya nodded and looked at Rio Futaba.
"Then Rio should go."
Rio Futaba was taken aback, puzzled.
"But, in terms of combat ability, you're clearly more..."
Miko blushed slightly, leaning close to Rio's ear and whispering.
"Last time during the experiment, wasn't I ahead of you?"
"So I'll let you have this chance to act alone with Ye Xing."
"Hurry up and go."