"It's okay, onee-san. Do you want me to deal with the two evil spirits behind you too?"
The shota's tender, childlike voice registered in Miko's ears, and her beautiful eyes widened instantly.
"How did you find me?" Miko stared at the little shota in astonishment.
"The evil spirits following onee-san are so obvious, it's hard not to notice them."
Hearing this, Miko's cheeks flushed slightly.
"You can see me!"
"You can actually see me!"
At this moment, the two evil spirits entered a frantic state. The ear-splitting sound of chalk on a blackboard rang out again. The black mist around the two evil spirits began to twist and spread, nearly enveloping half the restroom. The restroom lights started flickering wildly.
Miko's cute face was tense and slightly pale watching the scene unfold. This was her first time facing enraged evil spirits head-on. She was utterly panicked. If she hadn't just witnessed Asa destroying an evil spirit with her own eyes, she would have fled in terror long ago.
Now, she could only treat Asa as her sole lifeline. She pressed close to him, finding a sliver of safety only in his proximity.
'These two seem a bit stronger than the last one...' Asa thought, looking up at the wildly flickering lights.
But in front of Psychic Exorcism, which ignores strength, they were negligible. The only flaw, he noted, was that his arms were too short to reach. Asa looked up at the two evil spirits floating in mid-air, feeling slightly helpless.
"Onee-san, can I ride on you?"
"Ride on me?" Miko was taken aback, her mind immediately jumping to conclusions as her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
"...Uh, I mean, on your shoulders."
Asa quickly clarified, and Miko understood.
"A piggyback ride! No problem!"
The word 'piggyback ride' sounds even more suggestive...
Miko quickly crouched down. Feeling the little shota climb onto her shoulders, a strange feeling arose in her heart. With the evil spirits still right there, Miko quickly pushed the thought aside, slowly but surely standing up.
The terrifying and bizarre evil spirits were screeching right in front of them, making Miko tense up. As the temporary mount, she felt a sense of participation in the battle. Especially when facing the source of the fear that had tormented her for days, her emotions were naturally different. She was terrified that her actions might interfere with Asa's performance, and her heart began to thump rapidly.
"What do I do now?"
"Should I move?"
"You don't need to move, onee-san. I'll handle it."
With an attack range of 10 cubic millimeters, the Psychic Exorcism power was essentially just glorified close-quarters combat. Asa reached out and delivered two slaps to the evil spirits.
Under Miko's nervous and trembling gaze, the evil spirits were mere dust in Asa's hands, dissolving with a single strike.
"Amazing! You're so amazing!" Miko's red lips were slightly parted. She carefully carried Asa down, looking at the little shota with utter admiration.
"Onee-san was so nervous just now, little brother, you are truly incredible!" Seeing the oppressive evil spirits that had tormented her for days destroyed, Miko's eyes brightened. Her cute, delicate face was flushed with excited color.
"My heart is still thumping!" she said, pulling Asa's little hand and placing it on her chest so he could feel it.
"Mmm~"
"Why is my heart beating even faster now~"
Asa saw Miko's eyes glaze over, her red lips slightly parted, instantly falling into a dazed state. He quickly pulled his hand back. He felt a bit helpless. Why is she so ditzy?
Once Asa's hand was gone, Miko gradually came back to her senses. She released Asa's hand as if she had received an electric shock. Her eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze. She was a high school girl in her second year. Although she hadn't had a boyfriend, she wasn't completely ignorant either. She'd seen her share of certain media and had explored a bit in the dead of night.
'Why did I just...?'
The blush on Miko's face, whether it was shame from realizing what she had done or the leftover flush from earlier, was intense.
"Onee-san, I need to go back now."
Hearing Asa's words, Miko suddenly remembered. She had a genuine reason for seeking out the little shota! She quickly explained her predicament.
"Can you destroy the evil spirits at my house?"
"I'll pay you according to the exorcist market rate!" Miko pleaded, looking at the little shota before her.
"I can, but I won't be free until tomorrow."
"Tomorrow... is fine too." Miko bit her lip. She could endure the few evil spirits for one more day.
Following that, the two exchanged LINE contacts. Only then did Asa return to the Service Club room.
"What took you so long?"
Seeing Asa's figure appear in the doorway, Yukino's slightly furrowed brows relaxed.
"Come sit next to me. I'll coach you on your homework." Yukino patted the chair next to her.
"Okay." Asa obediently moved over.
Yukino leaned in, her cascading, smooth black hair falling from her shoulder and occasionally brushing Asa's nose, carrying a unique, clean fragrance. All Asa had to do was look up to see her perfect profile illuminated by the evening sunset, a scene like a painting.
At that moment, Yukino's delicate nose subtly wrinkled. She caught a scent on Asa that she hadn't noticed before. She was quite sure.
Her little kitten had definitely been sniffed by another woman.
"Hmph~"
....
The next day.
In the Service Club room.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had just finished work, cheerfully pushed open the clubroom door.
"Asa-kun, I bought new snacks today..."
"Oh? Yukinoshita, didn't Asa-kun come in today?"
Not seeing the shota she'd been thinking about all day, Shizuka's good mood, which she'd looked forward to all day, dimmed somewhat.
Yukino looked up at Shizuka, her cool eyes looking lifeless.
"He was picked up by someone today..."
At the end of school, she had received a text from Asa: "Yukino-neesan, Ai-neesan is picking me up to play today, so I won't be coming in."
In that moment, Yukino felt a rare sense of defeat.
....
Meanwhile, at the Yotsuya house.
"Mom, I'm home!" came the girl's bright call.
The beautiful woman with the curvaceous figure and the dangerously severe hairstyle opened the door.
"Mom, this is my... friend. His name is Shiraishi Asa!"
Touko sharply noticed the unusually bright glow in her daughter's eyes as she looked at Asa.
She fell silent.
Good News: Her daughter seemed to be developing feelings and finally knew what romance was.
Bad News: The person she was interested in looked like a little shota!