Yuriwaka Hana stared blankly at Yotsuya Miko. Only now did she realize she had completely misunderstood her friend Miko's meaning, Miko hadn't been lusting after Hachiman at all.
"Gulp! Hachiman, you wouldn't have conspired with Yotsuya to scare us, would you? There aren't any vengeful spirits in this world...", Everyone from Kessoku Band expressed surprise and disbelief. Only Ijichi Nijika shivered, glancing at Hachiman with a nervous, unsettled expression.
At that moment she desperately hoped Hachiman was only saying that to extort a "bullying" reward, that he was deliberately frightening her so she'd fall into his arms.
But she knew Hikigaya wouldn't need to go through such complications just to get bullied.
Gotou Hitori, however, brightened at the idea, she wanted to see these unseen ghosts for herself.
Although Yotsuya and the others had said it was dangerous, with Hachiman there she felt she didn't need to worry.
"I don't know how Nijika and the others happened to be here, though. How could we have planned this with Yotsuya in advance?"
Hachiman looked at Nijika, who didn't want to face reality, and, after a moment's thought, told Yotsuya Miko his idea.
"Although I'm not too worried about the ghosts, I have ways to deal with them, I actually haven't seen any myself. Yotsuya, can you lead us around the streets to look for them?"
"You don't have to point them out explicitly. Just give me a hint so I know where to look."
Iris has been so great and taken care of things so thoroughly that he half-suspected she and the others had quietly cleared the nearby ghosts for him. Otherwise, given how his body and reflexes had been improving, it would be very strange that he hadn't noticed the hordes of spirits on the streets.
Even without Yotsuya asking him to help, he was curious whether it was Iris and the others protecting him so well that he hadn't encountered any ghosts, or whether his own constitution was somehow special and kept him safe.
In the original story, Yuriwaka Hana's life energy could be used by strong ghosts to roast the shells of weaker spirits. If her life energy was that strong, then surely it could roast the shells of big ghosts as well, right?
"Ah? This... okay... I really can't say it out loud in front of them, I'm afraid they'll hear, but I can secretly point them out to you," Yotsuya Miko bit her lip, her expression grave, and slowly nodded.
Hachiman was willing to help her, and since she'd come seeking him, Miko couldn't refuse now.
She could only hope he really could handle those terrifying ghosts.
"I'll settle the bill and then go. Wait for me a moment," When Yotsuya agreed, Hikigaya stood to pay.
Although the ordered desserts hadn't arrived yet, continuing to eat now would be odd, better to finish the Yotsuya matter first.
"Pack it up, Hachiman, pack it up, I haven't eaten mine yet, my coffee jelly!", Yamada Ryou, seeing the waiter carrying the black coffee jelly topped with white cream coming toward them, called after Hikigaya. Although she'd received a little hush money from him, it still wouldn't be enough to get through the month; she'd better eat as much as possible.
She didn't mind taking advantage of Hachiman, if he touched her, whatever. Whether he touched her by hand or through the sympathy collar, it was still being touched; she'd rather have him touch her thigh directly. That way he'd be responsible, and she could confidently eat and drink off him without worrying about Nijika objecting.
"Th-then can I have mine packed too?", Yuriwaka Hana hesitated at the sight of her own untouched dessert, raised her hand, and whispered.
"...", Yotsuya Miko silently watched the two foodies, speechless for a moment.
'You two... can't you read the atmosphere? Why are you worrying about food at a time like this?'
After the takeout was boxed up and Hikigaya paid, he led a trembling but unwilling-to-leave-totally Ijichi Nijika, and Yotsuya Miko went with them to look for the ghosts.
Everyone was surprised and tense about what Yotsuya had said, but the one who was most frightened was Nijika.
"D-did we find any? They won't be right next to us, will they...", Ijichi Nijika looked around anxiously at the streets darkening with night, clinging tightly to Hachiman's arm and refusing to walk away.
She hadn't thought going out at night was a problem as long as it wasn't too late, but after Yotsuya said there were ghosts everywhere, she felt on edge.
"Huh? Strange... why can't I see any... It's late; there should be quite a few," Yotsuya Miko walked the surrounding streets with Hikigaya and Nijika, her serious expression slowly turning puzzled as she looked at Hikigaya in bewilderment.
Although the number of ghosts couldn't be as many as she'd imagined, otherwise she wouldn't dare go out at all, it was already night and they weren't inside Sobu High. How was it that after walking around, the ghosts she had been so intent on avoiding during the day had all disappeared at this hour?
"Can't find any? Well, then... let's leave it for tomorrow," Ijichi Nijika breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Yotsuya said she hadn't seen anything, and she immediately urged Hikigaya to leave. Still, she kept clinging to his arm and whispered.
"Hachiman, can you take us home? Please."
She felt she'd be unable to sleep tonight. If they did find a ghost, she might not sleep at all.
"I'll go back with Hana too, then. Sorry to trouble you, Hikigaya-kun."
Seeing Nijika so frightened, almost hanging off Hikigaya entirely, Yotsuya Miko reluctantly decided they should return.
Although she couldn't solve the ghost problem completely and it troubled her that they'd come to Hikigaya for help, at least not finding anything was a relief, tonight she and Hana could go home without worry.
"I'll walk Nijika and the others back. Call me if anything happens."
Hikigaya left his contact information when Yotsuya said she hadn't found any ghosts and Nijika had been scared. What was this. No vengeful spirits had shown up, and Nijika was scared stiff at the mere mention.
———
"Bye, Hikigaya-kun... Miko, did you really encounter ghosts before?"
Yuriwaka Hana and the others waved to Hikigaya as he left with Yotsuya and then headed to the station, asking questions she'd missed earlier.
"Miko, have you actually seen them, or have you just been watching too many horror movies?"
"What do the ghosts you saw look like? Were any pretty, or were they all ugly?"
"Are those ghosts wandering mindlessly, or do they have intent? Do people become ghosts after they die?"
"Miko? Miko?"
Not hearing an answer from her friend, Yuriwaka Hana looked toward Yotsuya Miko, who had suddenly stopped in her tracks. She saw Miko frozen in place, staring at the street ahead with a terrified expression.
Following Yotsuya's gaze, Yuriwaka Hana saw nothing unusual, only a few people standing there.
But in Yotsuya Miko's view, not far away, a long-tongued vengeful spirit with disheveled hair and a terrifyingly ugly face seemed to have heard their conversation. It slowly turned its head to stare at them. Its gaze wandered between the two of them for a moment, then fixed on Yuriwaka Hana as if it had discovered a tasty meal.
"Grr!"
The tall, ugly long-tongued spirit lunged at Yotsuya Miko and Yuriwaka Hana.
Before they could react, halfway through its pounce it suddenly stopped as if struck by lightning. The spirit crackled and sizzled, as if burned by an invisible fire, and quickly dissipated into nothing.
Having witnessed such a terrifying scene that ordinary people couldn't see, Yotsuya Miko swallowed hard. Without thinking, she grabbed Yuriwaka Hana and ran toward the direction where Hikigaya and Ijichi Nijika had gone.
"Hikigaya-kun! Hikigaya-kun! Wait! Wait! Wait for us!"
———
"Do those invisible ghosts really exist... I feel like I won't be able to sleep when I get home," In the distance, Ijichi Nijika still clung tightly to Hachiman's arm as they walked away, glancing left and right against his side, afraid some ghastly spirit would suddenly pop out.
Even though Yotsuya Miko herself had said she hadn't seen anything, Nijika's serious manner made Nijika anxious.
After all, Yotsuya had said ordinary people couldn't see these ghosts, if they were out to harm someone, Nijika wouldn't even know how they'd died.
"Don't worry. There aren't many ghosts with intent. Most ghosts can't touch people and might even be afraid of humans. Vengeful spirits that actively harm people are even rarer."
Hachiman looked down at Nijika pressed against his arm and calmly explained, with no impure thoughts, his reassurance.
Maybe there were so many well-proportioned girls around him that Nijika's small, peaceful temptation didn't stir him, it paled compared to Nijika sitting on a desk, lifting her skirt and showing off her white stockinged foot to "bully" him.
But thankfully, Nijika was fine, Bocchi-chan could handle it.
Bocchi, who was holding his other arm, wasn't hugging him out of fear of ghosts but for the comfort of being with someone familiar in a street full of strangers.
"Yotsuya can see vengeful spirits ordinary people can't, and that attracts their attention. Since you can't see them, you don't have to worry about them targeting you."
"You also don't need to worry too much. Normally someone would be in charge of this kind of thing. Didn't the student council just add a new vice president?"
"Origamine Ouka is a shrine-maiden of the ghost clan; she's a skilled person who handles these issues. Now that she's joined Sobu High as an inhuman representative, it probably helps maintain order between inhuman beings and ordinary people."
"Maybe she's the one who cleared the ghosts from Sobu High, which is why Yotsuya sees none on campus."
"B-but Hachiman, didn't you say you haven't seen ghosts either? How do you know so much about them?"
Ijichi Nijika listened as Hikigaya explained confidently, then suddenly remembered he'd never personally encountered ghosts.
"Anyway, don't worry. If you're in danger I'll protect you."
Hikigaya fell silent for a moment at Nijika's skepticism, but then firmly reiterated his assurance.
Although he hadn't seen ghosts firsthand, if a yuki-onna counted as a yokai, then he hadn't entirely lacked encounters with spirit-like things.
Besides, with so many inhuman beings, angels, and demons around him, he had a pretty solid understanding of the world's situation.
Wherever vengeful spirits existed, there would naturally be shrine maidens and exorcists to oppose them. Extraordinary forces usually have rivals, otherwise there'd be chaos. Origamine Ouka, the ghost-clan shrine-maiden, should handle eliminating vengeful spirits easily.
Still, the invisible vengeful spirits weren't friendly to ordinary people; if one accidentally targeted someone, they'd be in trouble.
In the original, Yotsuya's strong life energy had drawn the attention of vengeful spirits. Given how his abilities were improving, would his life energy draw those spirits too?
His life energy was being watched by Iris, Elio, Ursula and the others, not by those vengeful spirits.
He didn't know what he looked like in the eyes of the vengeful spirits, but to elves and succubi he constantly exuded an enticing aroma. From afar they could sense it, and up close they might be unable to control themselves.
"Alright, you must absolutely protect me. If you don't, I won't bully you anymore. No, I mean, protect everyone: Ryou, Yumiko, Marin, Bocchi-chan... and my sister," Ijichi Nijika, seeing Hikigaya's confidence, could only trust him and started muttering names of people close to her.
She and her circle were ordinary people; she didn't know Vice President Origamine Ouka, so she wondered if she could really rely on Hachiman.
At least Hachiman knew magic, which made him far more capable than they were. And if push came to shove, Iris and the other big inhuman figures he was close to could be called in to help.
"Your house's bed isn't big enough for so many people, even just the four of us would be cramped."
Yamada Ryou carried her dessert and, seeing Nijika seriously considering asking Hikigaya to protect so many people, calmly reminded her.
How could Hikigaya protect all those people by himself? Only by sleeping together, but Nijika's room wasn't large enough for that many.
"I didn't mean that! Just keep in contact with Hachiman and call him when you need him; you don't expect him to protect us forever."
Ryou's strange remark snapped Nijika out of her fear. She glared at Ryou, who seemed to be hinting at something, and scolded her in annoyance.
What was Ryou thinking? Had she already taken favors from Hachiman and planned to sell her out? She'd already heard Marin was selling her out; if Ryou did too, and Hachiman liked her to bully him along with Marin and Yumiko, she'd surely be betraying Yumiko.
"Heh!"
Seeing Nijika's fear dispersed by embarrassment and anger, Ryou shrugged and smiled lightly.
"Don't worry, Nijika. I was just teasing. Yotsuya hasn't seen them for days, she pretends not to see the ghosts and everything's fine. We can't even see them, so there's nothing to be scared of."
Kita Ikuyo watched Ryou and Nijika's affectionate banter with mild interest and wasn't overly worried about the ghost matter.
It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of terrifying ghosts; she simply had no concrete sense of the ghosts Yotsuya had suddenly mentioned. Also, she hadn't seen Hikigaya's invisibility magic, so she couldn't react like Nijika. She wasn't ready to believe in ghosts and immediately panic.
"Just call me Kita, and... huh? What's your name again?"
Ryou, seeing Kita still politely calling her "Ryou-san," suddenly asked what she should call Kita.
After all, they were all going to be on the receiving end of Hachiman's touches from now on, so there was no need for excessive politeness.
Bocchi-chan was so socially anxious and bad at cooperating with them that who knew how long Hachiman would need to touch her before she fully integrated and no longer feared eye contact with others.
But when Ryou tried to call Kita by her given name, she realized she'd blanked on it.
"Uh, hehe... Ryou-san, you can just call me Kita," Kita Ikuyo said, her face stiffening when told to call her name. She was about to find an excuse to pass the topic when rapid shouts approached from behind.
"Hikigaya-kun! Hikigaya-kun!"
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