Chapter 22: Miura Yumiko Makes Up Her Mind!
"Why is it you again?!" Miura Yumiko clutched her phone tightly, yet felt an inexplicable sense of relief in her heart.
"Every exorcist has their own territory," Luke explained simply.
"Anyway, are you okay?"
"N-no, I'm fine," Miura Yumiko said, clutching her arm and turning her face away.
"If you're fine, then I'm leaving."
Luke picked up his wooden sword, just wanting to go home and sleep cuddled up with his maids.
"C-can you stay with me for a little while?" The blonde girl asked softly, head bowed.
"Hmm..." Luke pondered for a moment, guessing she was probably scared, and agreed.
"Alright, just for a little while."
Miura Yumiko familiarly found a place to sit down.
Luke sat down beside her, idly polishing his wooden sword, waiting for the silent Miura Yumiko to speak.
He waited for quite a while; the wooden sword was almost polished to a shine.
"What do you think of my circle with Hina, Yui, and Hayato?" Miura Yumiko finally spoke.
Luke paused his actions, glancing at Miura Yumiko curiously, wondering why she brought this up.
He barely knew them.
But he still offered his opinion.
"The top normie group in the grade, right? Isn't that how most people see it..."
"Really?" Miura Yumiko buried her head between her knees.
"Is that how you see it too?"
"How else would I see it? I don't even want to look," Luke said helplessly.
"Right... Everyone seems so happy together every day," Miura Yumiko said muffledly, her head still buried.
Silence fell for a while.
Luke tapped his feet lightly on the steps, one leg up, one down.
He recalled recent events in class; nothing seemed different from usual.
Looking closely at Miura Yumiko's downcast expression, Luke asked tentatively:
"Afraid someone will break it all apart?"
"...How did you know?"
"Figured it out from your expression and words."
"Your eyes are really sharp," Miura Yumiko muttered.
Looks like he guessed right.
"So is it you? Wanting to take things further, but afraid of breaking your friendship," Luke continued guessing.
"How could it be me? I'm not ready! Don't talk nonsense!" Miura Yumiko quickly denied, blushing.
After venting, Miura Yumiko muttered again, "Although I really do want to hear some honest thoughts..."
Luke gave her a speechless side-eye.
"It's Tobe!" Miura Yumiko, seeing his look, quickly blurted out, blushing.
Tobe?
Luke narrowed his eyes, thinking.
Probably that noisy, long-haired guy always around Miura Yumiko's group?
Tobe, the atmosphere guy of the clique!
"Vaguely remember him."
"Although he tries hard to hide it, I can still feel that he has feelings for Hina."
Hina, Ebina Hina, that fujoshi girl...
Can a guy really like her... But thinking back, when that fujoshi wasn't talking, her appearance did seem very quiet and cute.
It wasn't strange for a guy to be deceived by appearances and like that kind of girl.
Too bad that fujoshi has a brain she shouldn't have, full of nonsense.
"But Hina... Although she seems weak on the surface, she's very strong-willed inside. She'd do anything to maintain this relationship," Miura Yumiko sounded somewhat downcast.
"If it breaks, everyone will drift apart, get hurt... I don't want anyone to get hurt."
That was the crux of it.
But are you their mom? Miura-san! Luke sighed inwardly, then spoke:
"Miura-san, forgive my bluntness, but your kind of group can only be called a gang that hangs out together to chat."
"What did you say?!" Miura Yumiko looked somewhat angry.
"Am I wrong?" Luke looked at her.
"The atmosphere you create is indeed good. You're happy and enjoy yourselves when you're together."
"But as soon as something happens that could change this environment, you use lies and falsehoods to obstruct and delay... leading to the problem never being solved."
"So the same problems will just keep coming back, again and again. You can only carefully maintain it like this until graduation. Don't you... get tired of it?"
"B-but isn't that what everyone does?" Miura Yumiko said, trembling slightly.
Luke thought of Yukinoshita Yukino, then said firmly:
"I don't know if pretending to fit into a group is right or wrong, but staying true to yourself definitely can't be considered wrong."
"I don't intend to discuss such grand principles with you, nor have I interacted much with your group members. But I believe that with people like you who wholeheartedly maintain friendships, the group won't fall apart just because someone expresses their feelings."
"Or rather, if it really is like that, then it might be better for such connections to truly break apart."
"But, I really... don't want everyone to separate," Miura Yumiko felt the cold and instinctively hugged her legs tighter.
Hungry, want food.
Luke pressed his stomach, helplessly stood up, and looked at the pitiful Miura Yumiko:
"How about this... Although I don't know if we count as classmates, acquaintances, or even friends, but..."
He extended his hand to Miura Yumiko.
"If something like that really happens, come find me at the Service Club. I'll help you..."
Miura Yumiko stared blankly at his outstretched hand, reacting foolishly for a moment, then quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Don't need you to act tough... I can handle it myself."
"That would be best." Luke withdrew his hand.
Looks like Miura-san has her own plan already...
Luke glanced at the blonde girl, whose eyes were gradually recovering from their softness.
Miura Yumiko stood up, patted her cheeks, and said 'angrily', "Damn it... I actually told you all this, and even let you see me without makeup."
Her switch flips faster than a pancake.
Luke put the wooden sword back into his backpack.
"Is there something wrong with me seeing you without makeup?"
"Of course! Who wants a shut-in like you to see~ You better forget all of this! And..."
Miura Yumiko pointed at him, blushing shyly.
"And that lap pillow from the other day, forget all of it."
The rebellious Luke wouldn't obey her and said casually, "Can't forget."
"Ah?" Miura Yumiko cried out in panic.
"Telling someone to forget while emphasizing it so much..."
Luke then took out a talisman.
"This is for you, it can defend against ghosts... No idea if you have a spirit-attracting constitution, seeing ghosts every day."
"Ah, thanks," Miura Yumiko reacted, finally accepting it with a blush, then muttered, "If you can't forget, then just don't forget."
"What did you say?" Luke asked while feeling hungry.
"I said I'm going back!" Miura Yumiko raised her voice.
"Mm, I need to go back and eat too." Luke nodded, stretching his stiff ankle.
"No charge for today's exorcism."
"Heh heh." Miura Yumiko reverted to her usual demeanor, pointing at him bossily.
"Walk me back."
"When asking for favors, please show some sincerity," Luke walked ahead.
His Spirit attribute was quite high; he could clearly remember the way to Miura Yumiko's house from before.
Miura Yumiko, seeing his confidence, asked suspiciously from behind, "How do you know my way home so well? Didn't you only come once? You're not really a pervert, are you?"
"I'm not a pervert. I can remember the way simply because I'm not an idiot," Luke glanced at her.
"Tch!" Miura Yumiko huffed disdainfully again.
They had reached her doorstep.
"Then I'll be leaving, bye-bye," Luke bid her farewell.
"Right, worth mentioning, Miura-san looks much better without makeup."
"Ah—! What did you s..." Miura Yumiko shrieked shyly, then quickly quieted down, carefully glancing inside the house.
Thankfully, there was no unusual movement within the brightly lit rooms...
Luke looked at the suddenly furtive Miura Yumiko, once again subverting her previous image, looking incredibly cute.
"What nonsense are you talking about now..."
Miura Yumiko whispered, shrinking her neck slightly, propping her hands on her arms hanging at her sides, gently pushing outwards with the back of her hands.
"Go on, go."
"Goodbye."
Luke reached the intersection, looked back one last time at Miura Yumiko standing there, waving goodbye with her hands near her chest, and waved back.
...
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