By the time the final bell rang, Kiryu Touta didn't even bother lingering.
He went straight home.
For him, school had only one purpose—to provide a legitimate identity while he unraveled the
mystery behind Itsuyan Academy's vengeful spirits.
Everything else—friends, gossip, the so-called "youthful high-school life"—was just theater.
He didn't care about fitting in.
Even swapping contact info with classmates was merely a convenience.
Maybe someday, when everything ended, a normal life could belong to Kaion.
But never to him.
From the very first night he'd arrived in this world, he'd made his choice—
to live as a slayer of evil spirits.
When he reached the apartment building, he could already hear the noise inside.
Laughter, shouting, the unmistakable chaos of a gaming match.
Yup.
Lu Zizhen and Kaion.
Opening the door, he found the two sprawled across the living-room floor, bathed in the orange
glow of sunset, both yelling at the TV as they mashed controllers.
Kaion had officially evolved into a full-time gaming shut-in.
…Was that his fault?
Then again, he'd never exactly been a model guardian.
Kaion was still in pajamas, while Lu Zizhen wore one of his shirts—oversized, sleeves rolled up,
the kind of look that screamed boyfriend's shirt.
Touta rubbed his arm.
"I'm back. And hey—turn down the damn AC, it's freezing."
Kaion jumped, fumbling for the remote.
Lu Zizhen didn't even glance over.
"You? Cold? Don't make me laugh."
"Even if I'm fine, you should have some self-awareness. Who cranks the AC to max and then
puts on extra layers?"
He sighed, dropped his bag on the shoe rack, and stared at the two freeloaders in front of him.
Correction—one freeloader, one dependent.
"You—" he pointed at Zizhen "—you do remember you have your own place, right? Go home
already."
"Aiya, relax! No classes for two days," she said, waving him off. "Let me keep Kaion company!"
Then, without missing a beat, she leaned over, kissed Kaion's cheek, and used the distraction to
overtake her in-game.
"Wuhuhu! Beauty Trap—success!"
Kaion froze mid-blink, then puffed her cheeks in outrage and dived back into the match.
Touta sighed and opened the fridge.
Empty.
Completely empty.
Except for a few cans of beer—Zizhen's, obviously.
"How about beer duck for dinner?" he muttered.
"Heck yeah!" Zizhen cheered, hand shooting up. "Toss me a beer while you're at it!"
He pulled one out, frowning.
"Lao Shan Beer? Where'd you even find this?"
"Trade secret," she said with a grin, catching the can he tossed her.
She cracked it open with a psssht and took a long swig, sighing in bliss.
"Y'know, it's kinda weird," she said, wiping her mouth. "You're supposed to be Japanese, but
you know so much about Chinese stuff. Talking to you feels like meeting someone from home."
Touta chuckled.
"Just… personal interest."
Then his expression shifted, a faint edge creeping in.
"By the way—I ran into that student today."
He reached for another beer, then stopped under Kaion's sharp glare.
Smiling helplessly, he set it back down.
From his pocket, he pulled out Kume Chinatsu's student ID.
If she'd checked his pocket earlier, she would've realized the truth—
that he was Tang Dou Ren.
Too bad she hadn't.
Zizhen snatched the card, whistling low.
"Kume Chinatsu, huh? Underground idol. Not scouted—just lucked out on some Ikebukuro
street interview. The staff liked her 'tough outside, soft inside' vibe and pulled her in. Guess luck
really is talent."
She took another gulp of beer.
"So, how'd it go?"
"I made up a story," Touta said simply, fingers steepled. "Half-truth, half-lie. She bought it."
The conversation was brief, but the silence that followed carried the weight of familiarity—
a wordless understanding that belonged only to people who'd fought monsters together.
Kaion sat quietly on the couch, half-curious, half-uneasy.
Whenever Touta was home, she became smaller somehow—less herself.
And Touta, oblivious as ever, had no idea how much his presence intimidated her.
"If she ever learns who you really are," Zizhen said with a sigh, "that's gonna be a mess."
Then she stood abruptly.
"Anyway, grocery run time. Actually—scratch that, I'll take Kaion. You stay here."
Touta raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. He lived by one rule: don't do unnecessary things.
As he reached for his wallet, Zizhen snorted, leaned close, and patted his cheek.
Her breath smelled faintly of beer.
"Save it. What's a part-time high-schooler gonna pay with? Dinner's on big sis tonight, got it?"
"Just don't buy more beer. And seriously, when are you going home?"
"Who knows?" she said, twirling the can. "Maybe when I've had enough gaming therapy with
Kaion."
Then she grinned wickedly—
and, without warning, peeled off his shirt.
She swung it over her head dramatically.
"Here—breathe in my divine scent and calm those teenage hormones, alright? Finish before we
get back~"
"Who the hell would do something like that?!"
"Hm? Not enough of a view?" she teased, tugging down her camisole strap and leaning forward.
Her chest wasn't exactly large, but confidence did all the heavy lifting.
"This close-up better?" she purred, sticking out her tongue.
"I'm seeing the entire runway of Haneda Airport," he deadpanned.
A vein popped on her forehead.
"Tch."
She grabbed her sheer-sleeved jacket, hauled Kaion upright, and barked, "Forget this ungrateful
idiot! Come on, sweetie, let's go buy pudding!"
Kaion nodded quickly and darted into the bathroom to change.
Moments later, the two girls were gone.
The door clicked shut.
Silence settled in.
Touta picked up the half-finished beer Zizhen had left and took a long swig.
He didn't care about so-called "indirect kisses," and neither did she.
Their relationship hovered somewhere between battle comrades and bickering siblings.
Then—
Ding.
His phone buzzed.
A message. From Lu Zizhen.
It was a photo—
Her upper body bare, facing the mirror, one finger pressed playfully against her chest.
Judging by the background—it was his bathroom.
Another ping followed, this time with a devil emoji.
"Took this this morning~ Before you woke up.
Good thing you're such a convincing sleeper.
Imagine what would've happened if you'd walked in back then~ 💋"
Touta couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head as he took another drink.
In a life surrounded by spirits and death,
maybe this kind of ridiculous teasing—this brief, human absurdity—
was the only reminder that he was still alive.
Outside, the last of the sunset faded.
The golden glow slipped from the table,
and Kiryu Touta's figure sank quietly into the gathering dusk.
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