Kaito stretched out a hand without leaving a trace, gently probing forward.
The ghost face that had already floated into the kitchen and was frantically repeating in front of the two girls, was like being sucked into a level ten tornado, easily caught into the palm of his hand.
'Saved!'
Little Bocchi, who was nearly scared out of her soul but still had to pretend not to see anything, had tears in her eyes.
'Uwuuwuw, did Kaito-kun notice the commotion here and come to help? He's so gentle, I'm going to cry to death!'
The ghost face clearly hadn't realized what had just happened.
Evil spirits like this had such low intelligence, with nothing but harmful thoughts in their heads. Keeping them around for even one more minute was a waste of air.
'Though, evil spirits doesn't seem to need to breathe?'
But that didn't matter. What mattered to him was a world without evil spirits.
Kaito gently clenched his fist, and the ghost face in his palm disappeared like a bubble, silently.
"Was there something lacking in our hospitality?", Mr. Gotou noticed his strange action and became a little nervous.
He'd finally made a friend, and it was such a flawless pretty boy. If he scared him off, he'd really have to commit seppuku in apology.
"No."
"Just... squashed a bug, that's all."
After taking care of the ghost face, a strand of golden light invisible to ordinary people suddenly burst out.
Then, it drilled into Kaito's body.
The ghost face was clearly stronger than the Ki-Kidoko, and it provided a bit more merit too.
Kind of like the difference between a sesame seed and a mung bean.
The purification was already complete, and Kaito was planning to find some excuse to leave.
But the Gotou family was far too enthusiastic. The two kids also clung to his legs, blinking their big sky-blue eyes and softly pleading for "big brother" to stay for dinner, or even spend the night, that was fine too.
Kaito thought about it. Other than training when he got home, he didn't have much to do, so he nodded and agreed.
Mrs. Gotou was clearly very happy.
Specifically, during dinner, she enthusiastically picked dishes for Kaito and opened up a stream of chatter.
"Where is Kaito-kun from?"
"Do you have any hobbies?"
"What do you think of girls with pink long hair, blue eyes, a shy personality, and who can play guitar? Are you thinking about dating?"
"It's okay if not yet. Feelings can be cultivated over time~"
Social anxiety, timid, and never daring to reject others' requests…
Her daughter Hitori's personality meant it would be hard for her to form a normal romantic relationship in this lifetime.
As long as she didn't get scammed out of her money and body by some frivolous playboy, that was already success.
'But no worries, Mama Gotou will step in!'
Having been through it herself, Mama Gotou knew: good men are like good jobs. You have to actively fight for them.
Especially in Japan, where matrilocal sons-in-law were common, and ordinary people didn't have much prejudice against it either.
Boys from ordinary backgrounds but with outstanding looks or abilities were already targeted during school. Once they graduated, they'd be snatched up, with zero availability on the market.
The Kaito her daughter brought home had looks that were just too exceptional. Even someone like her, a mature housewife, couldn't help but blush and feel her heart skip a beat.
Since Hitori was willing to bring Kaito home, she clearly had a good impression of him.
It was rare to see her daughter like a boy this much, how could Mama Gotou miss such a golden opportunity?
"M-Mom! What are you even saying!"
But Mama Gotou clearly overestimated her daughter's tolerance.
Hearing her mother's unfiltered matchmaking, Little Bocchi was both shy and annoyed, her face heating up to an unbelievable degree.
'Even though it is true that I have a huge crush on Kaito-kun… but someone like me, rustic and not cute at all, should just keep those fantasies inside her head. Blurting them out would only invite ridicule, right?'
In her mind, Kaito's disgusted expression seemed to appear: "I only helped out of classmate friendship. To think Gotou-san harbored such filthy thoughts about me. It's truly disgusting."
'Dame! I don't want something like that to happen!'
Bocchi mustered up her courage and stammered to correct: "I-I and Kaito-kun… are just normal classmates."
'Mhm mhm mhm, yes yes yes,' Mama Gotou just smiled without saying a word, but understood her daughter was shy and didn't press further on the topic.
She merely looked toward Kaito beside her and sincerely said, "My daughter Hitori is rather shy. Please take care of her at school, Kurumizaka-kun."
Gotou Futari also blinked her big sky-blue eyes and asked with her childish voice, "Big brother, can you take care of my sister?"
Even though Gotou-san was timid, she had a loving family who cared about her deeply.
Kaito was slightly dazed, but quickly nodded and agreed.
All were happy.
After dinner, Mama Gotou even warmly suggested he stay the night, but since it was the first visit, Kaito casually declined with an excuse.
Mama Gotou didn't insist. She just held Kaito's hand tightly and repeatedly emphasized that he must come visit again in the future.
Mr. Gotou also coughed and solemnly said, "Hitori, Kaito-kun is leaving. Aren't you going to see him off?"
"If Onee-chan doesn't want to, Futari can go instead?", The little loli beside him looked full of anticipation, and Jimihen at her feet barked with his tongue lolling out.
"N-n-n-no need! Let me do it!", Bocchi, who had just been on the verge of backing off, suddenly perked up and stammered at Kaito beside her, "T-then… Kaito-kun, I-I'll walk you to the station…"
"Then I'll trouble you, Gotou-san," Kaito smiled at her, and the two of them left the house under Mama Gotou's giggling gaze.
———
It was dusk.
The warm spring sunlight was slowly setting in the west, casting tens of thousands of rays of sunset glow across the earth, dyeing even the sky a shy orange-red.
"Thank you… for everything today," After a brief silence, Bocchi summoned her courage and said quietly, "S-sorry for troubling you, Kurumizaka-kun, riding the train for such a long time, just to help exorcise our house…"
She really wanted to take out more money to thank him, but she had already given him the piggy bank her mom had set aside for her wedding.
She wasn't completely broke… but was indeed pitifully poor.
"I'm eternally grateful! Please, Kaito-kun, don't hesitate to order me around in the future. I-I can do anything!"
'Where did this old-school drama line come from?'
Seeing Bocchi's face turn red, even her ahoge trembling, Kaito gently shook his head.
"'I can do anything' that kind of line is too heavy. Don't make such promises lightly."
"Especially when facing a classmate of the opposite sex, Gotou-san."
'B-but, Kaito-kun is clearly a gentleman, right?'
'A-and someone like me, gloomy and old-fashioned, there's no way anyone would like me…'
"Gotou-san, it seems you don't have a clear understanding of your own charm," Kaito actually found it odd, too.
The girl in front of him was clearly beautiful. Even with bangs covering her eyes, he could tell her facial features were delicate, and because she stayed indoors so much, her skin was even fairer than most girls her age.
As long as she dressed up a bit, she definitely wouldn't lose to the class queen Miura Yumiko. In fact, based on Kaito's keen eyes, Gotou-san's figure was even better.
Yet this obvious beauty acted like a sewer rat.
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