"No, it's okay."
For a chef, an empty plate is the recognition from a diner.
Kaito offered, "If it's not enough, I can go to the kitchen and make a few more dishes."
"I'm already full~"
Togawa Sakiko's smile was slightly shy. Only here, only beside a certain someone, could she rest for a moment and find the carefree self she once was.
Kaito didn't insist. He chatted with the girl for a while longer, then took the initiative to offer help in cleaning the dishes.
Eating a free meal was already quite ungraceful; she couldn't possibly let someone else clean up the tableware too.
Normally, for this kind of cleanup job, one cleaning spell would be enough to make even the greasiest bowls and chopsticks look brand new.
But seeing the girl's eager gaze, as if she couldn't wait to do something for him, Kaito didn't refuse.
She tied her shoulder-length hair into a neat ponytail, put on the apron hanging on the wall, washed all the used bowls, chopsticks, and wok clean, and even took the opportunity to tidy up the entire kitchen.
After doing all that, Sakiko finally said her goodbye.
Kaito walked her out and kept watching until the girl returned to the old house across the street, then turned and went back inside.
Perhaps because of this visit, over the next few days, the relationship between the two slowly became familiar.
Because they lived nearby and went to the same school, they would always run into each other at the train station.
Sakiko would take the initiative to greet him, not engaging in excessive small talk, and when on the train, she would always use her body as a shield to block the stares from the pervy girls toward Kaito.
Just like a dutiful knight, shielding the princess from all the coveting gazes of the outside world.
Though this kind of protection always made Kaito feel a bit weird, he didn't really mind it.
Because, there were more troublesome matters waiting for him to deal with.
———
[Sixth Floor, Club Activity Room]
Looking at the pile of club application forms in front of him, a rough glance showed at least a hundred or two, most of them from girls.
Kaito couldn't help but sigh.
Since the establishment of the Supernatural Research Club, there hadn't been many real requests, but plenty of obsessive harassment.
Some even came directly to the door, shyly saying they might've been possessed recently and urgently needed a strong exorcist to "purify" them physically.
That kind of scheme was too obvious, Kaito rejected them outright.
'Speaking of which, lately Gotou seems to be quite busy as well. Is she also getting harassed?'
'Better ask her another day just in case.'
Thinking this, Kaito leaned back in the soft chair. Just as he stretched lazily, there was a knock on the door.
"Um… excuse me, is anyone here?", The visitor had golden hair down to her waist, but her beautiful face looked slightly haggard.
"Miura-san?", Kaito raised an eyebrow and sat up straight.
In his perception, a faint black aura lingered around the girl before him. It was nearly identical to the situation when Gotou Hitori had encountered a ghost.
'After waiting for so long, finally a real case.'
Miura Yumiko sat on the chair across from him. Her pretty features still faintly showed dark circles under her eyes, her face full of fatigue, as if she hadn't rested well.
"I heard… Kaito-san is quite interested in ghost stories and similar things…"
The girl bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "Lately, I keep feeling… like there's an invisible person in my house."
The fridge door would be mysteriously opened. The curtains she had drawn before going out would be tightly shut when she came home. The items in the washroom would sometimes shift positions for no reason.
These were all little details that were easy to overlook if not paying attention, but once noticed, they sent chills down her spine.
Miura Yumiko had even reported to the police, but after a thorough investigation, the officers didn't find any trace of an intruder. Everything seemed normal.
She thought it might just be her imagination.
But this morning when she woke up, Miura Yumiko found a strange bloody handprint on her ankle.
It wasn't the kind left by someone grabbing her, more like a natural birthmark. Almost fused with her skin.
As a girl living alone, encountering such a supernatural event, one could imagine her feelings.
To make things worse, both her parents were abroad and wouldn't return until next month. She didn't even have anyone to consult with.
In a state of utter confusion, Miura Yumiko suddenly remembered a conversation her friends had some time ago.
'Kaito-san is really into ghost stories, even founded a dedicated club. Maybe… just maybe, he might be able to help?'
However, after actually arriving at the Supernatural Research Club and recounting the strange things that had happened to her, Miura Yumiko began to regret it.
Founding a Supernatural Research Club could also just mean he's a fan of ghost stories.
'Sure, Kaito-san is indeed handsome… but being handsome can't put food on the table, and it definitely won't make evil spirits kneel and beg. What if I drag him into trouble?'
'Maybe it'd be better to consult a shrine or temple…'
Thinking this, Miura Yumiko was about to take her leave, but the boy in front of her lightly tapped the table.
"I roughly understand the situation. If you don't mind, could I take a look at that bloody handprint?"
"Ah… huh?", Miura Yumiko hesitated a little, but since she was the one who came here to request help, walking away now felt a bit too rude.
So she nodded, "Of course, no problem."
But this led to a bit of a problem.
To hide the bloody handprint on her ankle, Miura Yumiko was currently wearing black over-the-knee socks.
And she had even deliberately chosen a high-denier pair.
Since she had to let Kaito-san see the bloody handprint, she would definitely have to take the socks off.
'But taking off socks in front of a guy…'
'It just—it just feels way too embarrassing, what should I do?'
Miura Yumiko's pretty face turned a little red, and her gaze started to avoid his.
She seemed to have completely forgotten there were options like "ask Kaito-san to turn around" or "go to the bathroom to take them off." After a tough inner struggle, she quietly bent down.
First came the black round-toed leather shoes.
Maybe because she lost the protection, the toes wrapped in 120D over-the-knee socks curled up uneasily, then slowly relaxed.
Miura Yumiko let out a soft breath, grabbed the edge of the sock, and slowly pulled it down—
Let's skip the unnecessary details for now.
The only flaw in this otherwise perfect scene was the crimson handprint on the girl's ankle, almost deeply fused into her skin, exuding undisguised malice. Just looking at it gave off a bad feeling.
"…Kaito-san, are you done looking yet?", Miura Yumiko felt like her face was burning.
Even worse was…
'Yesterday I just took a bath, and I only changed these socks this morning. They… probably don't smell, right?'
'But leather shoes aren't breathable, maybe I just can't smell it myself?'
[T/N: Guess what, guys. Kaito got his FIRST girlfriend. Stay tuned for "Chapter 35: I Crave Your Body, I'm Being Honest!"]
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