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Boom—!
Benio's actions instantly sent shockwaves through the class.
Everyone stared at Benio and Asher in disbelief.
"W-What's going on?"
"Asher knows the new student?"
"Th-This is just… wow…"
"And the way Adashino looks, it's like she already knew Asher was in this class."
"So this wasn't a coincidence?"
"…"
In an instant, the classroom was filled with wild speculation.
Thanks to the raging hormones of high schoolers, the theories grew increasingly unrestrained.
The most widely accepted conclusion was this:Adashino Benio transferred here because of Asher.
In other words, their relationship was far more than just acquaintances.
As more and more students embraced this theory, fragile hearts began shattering left and right.
A beautiful new student had finally arrived, and she was a cool, elegant girl with an almost aloof charm.
In an environment where demand far exceeded supply, Benio was basically a rare treasure.
And now you're telling them that this precious flower wasn't even up for competition—
She already belonged to someone else?
That was more painful than outright rejection for the boys who had been full of hopeful fantasies.
At the same time, quite a few girls felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy settle in their hearts.
.....
Just based on Adashino Benio's flawless looks alone, she had already crushed the hopes of who knew how many female classmates.
With her around, everyone's chances of successfully chasing after Asher suddenly looked even slimmer…
Still.
As the very center of all that gossip, neither Asher nor Adashino Benio seemed affected by the surrounding whispers in the slightest.
Asher looked at the girl standing in front of him, his eyes showing a hint of something unreadable.
"He sent you, didn't he?"
Hearing that—
Faced with Asher's question, Adashino Benio didn't try to argue or deny it.
She wasn't good at lying, and she had no interest in doing so either.
"Yes, Senior Asher."
"I see…"
Asher nodded lightly.
Just as the atmosphere between the two of them grew a little strange, Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had been casually observing from the podium the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Miss Adashino, Mr. Asher, do you two know each other?"
At her question, both of them turned their heads and nodded at the same time.
"I see…"
"Well then, since that's the case, for this class, Miss Adashino and Mr. Asher will share one textbook."
"After class, come with me to the library to get your books."
"Yes, Sensei," Adashino Benio replied, her voice calm and cool.
It was as if nothing in the world could stir her emotions.
And so—
Hiratsuka Shizuka had someone bring over a chair for Adashino Benio and placed it beside Asher's desk. Once she was seated next to him and looking at the book together, the teacher returned to the podium and began the lesson.
During class, Asher originally wanted to ask Adashino Benio more about Tsuchimikado Arima.
But seeing how straight-backed she sat, her expression serious as she listened attentively, he decided to drop the idea.
What Asher didn't know was—
Adashino Benio was nowhere near as calm as she looked.
Inside her chest, waves were crashing wildly.
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be this shaken.
But the person sitting next to her right now was Asher.
A senior whose mastery of onmyōji arts was overwhelmingly powerful.
That lightning summoning spell he had used before still lingered vividly in her mind.
And more than that—
There was that incident between the two of them. One that made her unbearably embarrassed.
Asher had helped wash her body.
And whether he was supposed to see it or not, he probably had.
Whenever her thoughts drifted back to that night in the bathroom, to what might have happened—
Even though she sat upright, listening to the lecture with a serious face—
The moment she realized Asher was right beside her—
Her right leg started trembling uncontrollably.
Clearly, Adashino Benio was doing everything she could to suppress the blush and embarrassment threatening to spill out.
She had always been quiet, reserved, and inwardly conservative.
But when she thought about the order she had received that very morning, confusion welled up again.
Not long after waking up that day, while she was doing her usual morning training as an onmyōji, a command had been delivered to her.
[Transfer to a comprehensive high school in Chiba City and enroll in Class 2-B]
[Supreme Commander Tsuchimikado Arima will arrive at the Chiba Onmyōji Bureau this afternoon]
When she received the mission, Adashino Benio couldn't understand it at all.
As a top-tier onmyōji, if she were to attend school, shouldn't it be an onmyōji academy? Why was she being sent to an ordinary high school instead?
And not only that, the order even specified Class 2-B by name.
Even though she was full of doubts, she had no right to refuse an order from above.
All she could do was follow instructions and come to the designated comprehensive high school.
The middle-aged, balding principal who received her was extremely respectful, clearly aware of her powerful background.
It wasn't until she reached Class 2-B—
When Adashino Benio's gaze swept across the room—
That she finally understood.
Why she had been ordered to attend a normal high school in the first place.
Everything… was because of Senior Asher.
It was obvious now. The higher-ups wanted her close to him.
Once she realized the true objective of her mission, Adashino Benio actually felt relieved.
At least she wasn't really being sent here to live out the life of a normal student and just finish her studies.
Class ended quickly.
When the bell rang, Hiratsuka Shizuka announced the end of the lesson, then looked once more at Asher and Adashino Benio.
"Miss Adashino, Mr. Asher, since you already know each other…"
"Fetching the textbooks, I'll leave that to you, Mr. Asher. Help Miss Adashino out."
Her request was perfectly reasonable.
After all, Adashino Benio was small and petite, the kind that clearly didn't look very strong.
And the only person she knew in class was Asher.
Asher didn't refuse.
He also planned to use the opportunity to ask her a few things.
So the two of them followed Hiratsuka Shizuka out of the classroom together.
Leaving behind only two retreating figures that made all the boys in class stare with envy.
After picking up the books from the library, Asher and Adashino Benio walked back toward the classroom side by side.
Only then did Asher speak again.
"Miss Adashino, can I ask why you're here?"
Without any hesitation, Adashino Benio answered him.
"It's an order from above."
"From above? Then it really is that guy, Tsuchimikado Arima."
Asher nodded.
So Tsuchimikado Arima really had noticed his existence.
What he hadn't expected was how quickly Arima decided to act.
Adashino Benio didn't respond to his words.
First, because Asher was right. This was all Tsuchimikado Arima's doing.
Second, because as an onmyōji under the Onmyō Union, hearing Asher casually say Tsuchimikado Arima's name to her face left her unsure how to reply.
After all, Tsuchimikado Arima was the Supreme Commander of the Onmyō Union, the highest authority in the onmyōji world.
Ordinary onmyōji always used honorifics when mentioning him.
Even a prodigy like Adashino Benio was no exception.
Seeing how quiet she became, Asher could only shake his head helplessly.
He didn't ask her anything else after that.
They made it back to the classroom just in time for the next lesson.
Watching the two of them come and go together, the classmates once again cast looks of envy so intense they practically wanted to grind their teeth to dust.
Before long, lunchtime arrived.
As the lunch bell rang and the teacher left the room, everyone immediately pulled out their bento boxes.
The air filled with all kinds of delicious smells, enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Just as Asher took out his own bento, ready to eat—
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Adashino Benio still sitting at her desk.
She looked serious as ever, but there was an inexplicable awkwardness clinging to her.
Only then did Asher remember something.
Even though Adashino Benio was a genius onmyōji and a standout among the younger generation—
In everyday life, she was completely hopeless.
The kind of person who couldn't even take care of herself properly.
The drinks she made were so bad they could go toe-to-toe with Himeko's infamous coffee from that space train game.
Right now, she had probably not prepared lunch at all.
And based on what he knew about her, she definitely wouldn't have brought a single yen with her either.
He glanced at Adashino Benio, then at his own lunchbox.
Asher let out a helpless sigh.
Sure enough, he really couldn't stand watching a pretty girl go hungry and cold.
"Adashino Benio."
Hearing her name suddenly called, Benio paused and turned around in confusion.
"Yes, Mr. Asher?"
"Come with me."
With that, Asher stepped out of the classroom.
Benio had no idea where he was taking her, but she didn't hesitate for long. After a brief pause, she stood up and followed.
Before long, Asher led Benio up to the rooftop of the school building.
At this hour, the rooftop was completely empty.
As expected, Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn't here either. Apparently, she didn't respawn on the rooftop every lunchtime.
"Mr. Asher, why did you bring me here?"
Surrounded by silence and open space, Benio looked puzzled.
Asher didn't answer. He simply motioned for her to sit down on the bench.
After Benio took a seat on one side, Asher placed his lunchbox into her hands.
"Eat."
"…Huh?"
"Senior Asher, why?"
Holding the bento, the surprise on Benio's face deepened.
"I said eat. Why so much talk?"
Asher replied flatly.
Those words caught her off guard.
Benio lowered her head, not knowing what to say.
His tone was calm, almost indifferent, yet somehow she felt something in those plain words.
Concern?
This was the first time she had felt something like that since her parents were brutally killed by kegare, and her older brother died in the tragic incident at the Spark Dormitory.
She held the lunchbox for a long time.
Then her stomach let out a very audible growl.
Benio's cheeks flushed faintly.
Afraid Asher might notice, she quickly opened the bento.
A warm, appetizing aroma immediately filled the air.
"Smells so good…"
Hagi mochi might be her favorite food, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy other things.
Especially not when she was hungry enough for her stomach to protest out loud.
She picked up her chopsticks, lifted some food, and put it into her mouth.
After chewing a few times, she swallowed.
"Delicious…"
Her praise came out flat and emotionless.
That didn't mean she was lying.
From the start, Benio had been written as a pseudo-kuudere. Unless something truly significant happened, it was hard to stir her emotions.
But the moment Asher heard her words, his calm expression cracked into a smile as he looked at her.
"So it's good, huh?"
"Since you've already eaten, we can talk about our deal now."
"…?"
Benio froze mid-bite, her chopsticks hanging awkwardly in the air.
"A… deal?"
She wondered if she had misheard.
Turning her head, she stared at Asher with disbelief.
He was still smiling.
"You didn't really think there was such a thing as a free lunch, did you?"
"…I…"
Benio didn't even know how she felt anymore.
That one sentence instantly shattered the image she had just built of Asher in her heart: a cold-faced but warm-hearted senior worthy of respect.
She looked down at the lunchbox, already half eaten.
Even with her pseudo-expressionless personality, she couldn't help but look resentful. At this point, all she could do was accept her fate.
"Fine, Senior Asher."
"What's the deal?"
Seeing her sulky expression, Asher found it extremely amusing.
But he didn't pause his explanation.
"It's simple."
"You ate my lunch."
"So in return, teach me one onmyoji technique."
"The spell to open the gate to Magano."
He said it as if he had planned this all along.
Over the past few days, Asher had figured something out.
What onmyoji called kegare in Magano were, in ordinary people's eyes, evil spirits, ghosts, and similar entities.
Most of that filth was sealed behind Magano's barrier.
That was why normal people in the modern world knew nothing about spirits or supernatural incidents.
And because the majority of kegare were trapped inside Magano, Asher rarely encountered ghosts or yokai in the real world.
So why not take the initiative?
If he could learn from Benio how to create the talisman that opened the gate to Magano, he could freely move between Magano and the real world.
Magano was packed with kegare.
For Asher, that was basically a high-efficiency leveling dungeon, perfect for farming experience and boosting combat power.
"…That's all?"
Benio stared at him blankly.
The resentment on her face vanished, replaced by confusion.
She had been prepared for some strange or embarrassing demand.
Instead, it was something this simple?
The Magano talisman was extremely basic. Any properly trained onmyoji could make one.
At the same time, the way she looked at Asher turned… strange.
This unbelievably powerful onmyoji didn't even know how to make a simple gate-opening talisman?
If that got out, it would be humiliating.
"....."