Just as expected, Yuriko Takagi's water divination test came back exactly as anticipated—she was a Transmuter.
To some extent, Hisoka's method of judging a Nen user's type based on personality was pretty damn reliable.
"We'll talk while we walk over there."
Not wanting to disturb Rei while she focused on mastering the flow of life energy pouring out of her, Shuya took Yuriko's hand right away and led her off to the side.
Yuriko's hand was impeccably cared for—silky smooth and delicate to the touch.
It didn't feel like the hand of a woman pushing thirty at all. It was more like touching priceless silk.
Her skin was every bit as soft and flawless as the younger girls like Saeko.
But Shuya's mind wasn't on that.
The moment he pulled her aside and opened his mouth to bring up the zombie toxin research, Yuriko suddenly pressed her whole body against his back from behind.
She leaned all her weight onto him, her red lips brushing close to his ear.
Before she even said a word, the warm breath from her nose nearly made him shiver.
"Shuya-kun," she whispered softly, "does what you said earlier still stand?"
Even though it was the most ordinary sentence imaginable, coming from this sophisticated, mature beauty, it carried an endless wave of seductive charm.
"Huh?"
Shuya didn't quite follow.
Earlier? When?
What exactly had he said?
"Have you forgotten already, little brother Shuya?"
Yuriko continued in that same teasing tone, "At breakfast, when I said I wanted to taste the red bean rice you made, how did you answer me?"
Come to my room tonight?
Now that she'd reminded him, Shuya quickly remembered his casual reply from that morning.
He gave her a surprised glance. "You… you've decided?"
"Of course. After all, big sister isn't as innocent and naive as your little girlfriends."
Yuriko said softly, "If things keep going the way they are, there's no way I could earn your trust as easily as they did, right?"
"So why should I keep holding back?"
"I'm just moving up something I'd already decided in my heart anyway."
"Besides, investing enough sunk cost in you early is a good thing for both of us."
"I'm just not sure… whether little brother Shuya will actually welcome big sister when I show up tonight?"
Originally she hadn't planned to move this fast. She wanted to take her time, slowly build trust and real feelings first.
Then naturally become his woman when the moment was right.
But after seeing the contract scroll he showed Rei and learning her own Nen type from the water test...
If it had been any other category, maybe things would be different.
But Transmuter? The type known for being unpredictable and deceptive.
Even Yuriko herself had to admit the description fit her perfectly. No wonder Shuya, the one who came up with the personality test, would think so too.
Maybe this water divination result was his way of giving her a signal?
It made her realize she couldn't afford to keep taking things slow.
Yuriko understood that feelings could be cultivated over time—especially since she already felt some genuine interest and attraction toward Shuya.
But trust was something else entirely.
Once doubt took root, it was almost impossible to erase completely, no matter what the person did.
And she suspected that Shuya's general view of Transmuters was exactly what was keeping that wall of distrust in place.
If she didn't speed things up, she'd never earn the same easy trust the younger, more innocent girls got.
So why wait?
"I don't mind at all," Shuya shrugged. He wasn't overthinking it nearly as much as she was.
After all, being a Transmuter didn't define someone completely.
Characters like Killua and Hisoka were Transmuters too, and they still formed strong bonds with others.
Still, he had zero complaints about her taking the initiative.
His approach had always been simple: don't chase, don't reject, but always take responsibility.
Shuya kept his tone calm. "Just make sure you've really thought it through. Once you come tonight, there's no turning back. Don't regret it later."
Yuriko ignored the warning entirely and said with a playful smile, "Then it's a deal. When I visit your room tonight, you'd better not leave big sister standing outside, okay?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt an enormous weight lift from her chest.
Her whole body suddenly felt lighter.
Even her footsteps seemed bouncier than usual as she started to walk away.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Shuya quickly called out to stop her. He still hadn't brought up the zombie toxin stuff!
"What?"
Yuriko narrowed her eyes at him teasingly. "What's this, little brother? Can't wait any longer? Want to claim big sister right here and now?"
Proof that sometimes you could literally feel how speechless you were.
Shuya swatted away the hand she'd placed on his shoulder and, keeping a straight face, explained the virus experiments he and Saeko had run on the zombies that morning.
He told her about the concentrated zombie toxin he'd successfully extracted.
And he shared his idea of developing a Nen ability modeled after its properties.
Of course, he didn't actually hand over any of the toxin.
Even though it oxidized and lost potency almost instantly on contact with air, it was still way too dangerous for her right now.
One mistake and she could end up infected.
Besides, he wasn't planning to involve her in actual experiments anytime soon.
This was just a heads-up so she could start thinking about it.
The real work would only begin after she finished basic Nen training and signed the contract.
Until everything was completely safe, he'd only ask her—as a Transmuter—to give him some advice and suggestions from that perspective.
"I understand. Is there anything else?"
Yuriko's expression stayed perfectly composed. Once she had his clear answer, she quickly walked away.
But if her earlier light steps had come from relief, these were driven by pure embarrassment. She wanted to escape his presence as fast as possible.
His straightforward response had left her feeling like she was the desperate old virgin dying to get laid.
So embarrassing. Way too embarrassing.
Shuya rubbed his chin, watching her retreat with a slightly defeated posture.
So… would she actually show up tonight?
After thinking about it for a few seconds, he decided not to dwell on it.
He glanced over at Rei, who was still standing in the same spot, working hard to control the constant flood of life energy leaking from her body.
Seeing that she seemed stable for the time being, he turned and headed toward Shizuka's location.
He wanted to check on Rika's progress.
Had the wild sniper managed to grasp any clues about awakening Nen on her own yet?