Chapter 185: Shh, Don't Speak!
"Shh! Don't speak!"
Hearing someone call her name, Isayama Yomi quickly got up from the ground and hid behind a billboard.
Peeking her head out to check the situation ahead, she made a "silence" gesture toward Hikigaya Hachiman.
"???"
Looking at Isayama Yomi in a sailor uniform with knee-high black stockings, Hikigaya Hachiman slowly had a few question marks appear over his head.
As a rare high-combat psychic, what was she sneaking around like this for?
At the same time, Isayama Yomi, who had been secretly observing Tsuchimiya Kagura and Komachi ahead, suddenly realized something.
Someone just called her name, right?
And in Chiba, someone she knew…
Turning her head cautiously, she indeed found Hikigaya Hachiman's trademark deadfish eyes entering her field of vision.
This is bad…
In an instant, Isayama Yomi reviewed in her mind all the ways she could have died over the years.
She actually dared to tell an exorcist not to speak? This wasn't something a simple ritual suicide could atone for, right?
Thinking that a single slip of the tongue could result in severe punishment not only for her but also her entire family, Yomi's body trembled slightly.
"Um… are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing Yomi shaking so violently, Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't help but suspect she might be seriously ill.
After all, most people don't tremble like that.
"N-No, it's fine. Thank you for your concern! I sincerely apologize for my offense just now! If possible, please punish only me!"
Yomi spoke very quickly. Not only that, she even tried to perform a dogeza (deep bow of apology) right then and there.
In public, having a beautiful girl suddenly do a dogeza in front of you is completely socially mortifying, something Hikigaya Hachiman would naturally not allow.
A layer of spiritual power wrapped around Yomi's body, restraining her movements.
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman was about to ask why she was reacting so strongly, he heard Komachi's voice nearby.
"Komachi?"
Since Komachi was here, the person next to her must be Tsuchimiya Kagura, right?
Turning to look at Yomi, he saw her face full of nervousness, as if she were terrified of being discovered while tailing them.
Honestly, Hikigaya Hachiman couldn't understand why she was so afraid.
Still, he released the control over Yomi and began looking toward where Komachi had called, planning to greet them.
"Wa-wait!"
Now able to move again, seeing Hikigaya Hachiman trying to go to Kagura and Komachi, Yomi quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him back behind the billboard.
"Um, Isayama-san, could you give me a reasonable explanation?"
Sitting down right next to her, Hikigaya Hachiman felt the warmth of her body through her clothes. His heart beat faster, but his face remained expressionless as he asked.
Why was she secretly following Komachi and Kagura? Why couldn't she let them notice she was tailing them? And why not let him greet his own little sister?
Three questions came out in quick succession from Hikigaya Hachiman's mouth, leaving Yomi completely speechless, unsure how to respond.
"Um… yesterday, we encountered a little accident during a mission…"
Hesitating for a moment, Yomi decided to reveal a bit of information to Hikigaya Hachiman.
After all, as an exorcist, if he really wanted to know, the higher-ups would gladly hand over such intel.
"Are you sure it was just a little accident?"
Hikigaya Hachiman wasn't naive regarding Yomi's words. What she called "a little accident" probably meant a huge disaster, right?
"Alright… last night, when Kagura and I were on a mission, we ran into a big problem…"
Seeing that he wasn't buying her excuses, Yomi let out a sigh and began recounting the events of the previous night.
A few minutes later, Komachi and Tsuchimiya Kagura had already left for their next destination.
Hikigaya Hachiman crouched in front of the billboard, pondering the information Yomi had just shared.
"So, Miss Tsuchimiya mistook the corpses possessed by evil spirits for living people, and, out of necessity, killed them, which left her psychologically traumatized?"
"Exactly… Not only that, the mission site was your sister's middle school, and among those corpses were classmates and teachers they both knew."
"Then the psychological trauma must be significant…"
Hearing that the incident occurred at Komachi's school, Hikigaya Hachiman's heart instantly sank.
However, realizing that Yomi and Kagura had already cleared the area, he relaxed.
The danger at his sister's school had been eliminated, and now Hikigaya Hachiman began pondering Tsuchimiya Kagura's situation.
Having personally killed classmates and teachers she knew…
Honestly, Hikigaya Hachiman was somewhat impressed that Kagura only had psychological trauma instead of being completely broken.
"So that's why Komachi decided to take her out this afternoon?"
Hikigaya Hachiman had a thought—perhaps Komachi's sudden plan to go out today was intended to help Kagura relax.
"Alright, I understand the cause of the incident now."
Understanding that Yomi was stopping him to avoid interfering with Komachi's plan, Hikigaya Hachiman nodded in acknowledgment.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Yomi felt both surprised and relieved that she could convince Hikigaya Hachiman so easily.
"By the way, could you tell me about you psychics?"
Deciding not to greet Komachi, Hikigaya Hachiman had originally planned to return home.
But looking at Yomi crouching on the ground, he realized this was a good opportunity to gather information.
Although it might be somewhat intrusive, the intel someone from an official organization like Yomi would have was far more reliable than Takeda Mitsue's.
"......"
Looking up at Hikigaya Hachiman, Yomi realized from his serious expression that he wasn't joking—he genuinely wanted information about psychics.
Yomi hesitated. As the top combat member of her squad and the next heir of the Isayama family, the information she had was highly classified.
But if an exorcist like Hikigaya Hachiman wanted to know, it seemed she didn't have the right to refuse…
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