Shiraishi Kawa's attitude made Miura Yumiko feel at ease. Looking at the confident expression of the boy in front of her, although they were classmates in their second year…
…she always felt her understanding of Shiraishi Kawa was too one-sided. He had excellent academic results, didn't belong to a fixed active group, and had good relationships with his classmates.
If she hadn't suddenly been able to see ghosts…
…it would have been difficult for her to calm down and seriously interact with Shiraishi Kawa like this. Miura Yumiko asked with a puzzled expression, "I don't quite understand…"
"Why did I suddenly start seeing… those things? It was out of nowhere, without any warning."
"You can understand it as everyone possessing spiritual perception, but some people's is particularly weak, and then it might be due to certain catalysts…"
"Once spiritual perception is strengthened, one can see the existence of ghosts."
Shiraishi Kawa explained the concept of spiritual perception in a relaxed tone; if he hadn't met Yotsuya Miko, his everyday multi-anime life would probably have continued.
With the appearance of ghosts and monsters,
The number of people suddenly awakening spiritual perception would also increase. The number of people like Miura Yumiko, who can see ghosts and monsters, would only increase linearly.
If he were short on money,
Becoming an Exorcist would definitely make him a fortune.
"There are actually two ways to deal with ghosts and monsters. The simplest is to bury one's head in the sand. Most ghosts and monsters only attack a target if they are sure humans know of their existence."
"Only then will they attack the target."
As for the simplest solution, it is undoubtedly to pretend not to see the surrounding ghosts and monsters, just like Yotsuya Miko. However, this method
requires a very strong psychological fortitude.
As soon as she heard Shiraishi Kawa's proposed solution, Miura Yumiko immediately shook her head. Having just gained the so-called spiritual perception ability and facing ghosts and monsters... she already felt somewhat mentally drained.
To be able to see those terrifying presences with her own eyes and still have to pretend to be calm—just thinking about it made her feel it was very difficult: "What happens if they find out?"
"Death."
After all, Yotsuya Miko was lucky, and even if she encountered danger before, she could cleverly resolve it. This does not mean that Miura would have such luck.
Shiraishi Kawa gently shook his head and continued, "There's another way, which is to find an Exorcist and have him help you get rid of the ghost or monster bothering you."
"But you should know about this method..."
"There's a saying in our language that describes it as treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Spiritual awareness itself cannot be blocked. If a ghost or monster discovers you, there will still be trouble."
"..."
Under normal circumstances,
but if she hadn't seen the ghosts and monsters with her own eyes and known they were watching her, Miura Yumiko would definitely have scoffed at such a statement.
Now... she looked at Shiraishi Kawa. He was so clear about the existence of ghosts and monsters. If there wasn't some reason for this, she definitely wouldn't believe it.
She really didn't want to live such a life of constant anxiety.
Miura Yumiko took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her emotions, and said seriously, "Shiraishi-kun, I think you... should have a way to solve this, right?"
"Of course there's a way."
Shiraishi Kawa nodded without hesitation.
The simplest method is to become an Exorcist. Alternatively, an Exorcist could regularly help with Purification, leaving holy light within the body.
Just like Hiraki Hanako and Mary.
From urban legends full of resentment and killing intent, they were Purified into pure spiritual bodies, and through the lingering holy light, they could even become immune to the corruption of ghostly aura.
Always maintaining a pure state.
This effect, when used on humans, certainly poses no problems. Relying on pure energy, it can achieve a temporary immune function.
"The simplest method is to become an Exorcist."
"As long as you have the strength to resist ghosts and monsters, I don't think you'll have to worry about being attacked. You can even directly deal with the ghosts and monsters bothering you."
"..."
Listening to the explanation, Miura Yumiko fell completely silent. Her identity was merely an Ordinary High School Student at Soubu High School. As for becoming an Exorcist...
She didn't even dare to think about it!
If there was a way, even the omamori she got from the temple didn't work. How could she become an Exorcist?
It was even harder than her getting into Todai.
Now, the simplest way was like this; the relatively difficult ones were simply unimaginable... She couldn't help but ask, "Are there any other methods?"
"Of course there are. Find an Exorcist to help with Purification. However, this effect certainly can't be maintained, and you'd have to replenish it every so often."
The Exorcist he referred to must be himself.
The reason for the difficulty must be that this method of exorcism was inherently a bit perverse. Shiraishi Kawa didn't think Miura Yumiko could accept it.
He didn't forget to add, "Actually, I least recommend the latter, because this method comes with a price."
"I understand..."
Miura Yumiko nodded gently. She was basically certain that Shiraishi Kawa was an Exorcist. As for the so-called price of exorcism,
She didn't know yet.
Money?
She seemed to have heard rumors that Shiraishi Kawa was not short on money; his family owned an apartment building from which they collected rent.
Considering Yukinoshita and Chitanda Eru were still in the club, she forced a smile on her mentally exhausted face and said, "Shiraishi-kun, can I add you on LINE?"
"I think it's more convenient to ask some things on LINE."
"You can."
Empty words would certainly lack credibility. He had to let Miura understand his strength. After adding her on LINE, Shiraishi Kawa smiled and added,
"If you encounter trouble you can't solve, I'll find a way to help you if I'm free."
"Thank you."
"I feel so much lighter after speaking my mind."
After taking out her phone and saving Shiraishi Kawa as 'Exorcist', Miura Yumiko, who had taken off her mask, sighed with a relaxed smile on her face.
To Ebina, Hayama, and the others,
trying to talk about such things would be a huge psychological burden.
"I'm just offering a small bit of help."
Shiraishi Kawa shook his head, watched the golden-haired gal leave, and then picked up his lunchbox, wrapped in a cloth, preparing to depart.
Having received permission from his homeroom teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka,
there was no need to stay at Soubu High School for the rest of the time. Although he felt surrounded by beautiful girls, improving his strength was still more important.
"I'm leaving, Chitanda-buchou."
"..."
Chitanda Eru nodded, her eyes sparkling, "If there's a follow-up, Shiraishi-kun, please share it with me! I'm very curious!!"
"Of course, no problem."
As he left, his gaze swept over Yukinoshita Yukino, who had remained quiet the whole time. She seemed to have heard everything he and Miura Yumiko said, and had already put down her book.
She sat upright at her desk.
Perhaps out of gratitude for sharing the clubroom, the girl's voice was cool as she reminded him, "Using this method to pick up girls... does it really not break the law?"
"I hope so, because sometimes things aren't as simple as they seem."
He had no intention of lingering in the clubroom.
Glancing at the cool Yukino, Shiraishi Kawa shrugged, not minding briefly sharing the Exorcist's powerful spiritual perception with the ice-cold girl.
The world was gradually ceasing to be ordinary.
He didn't mind giving it a little push. Briefly sharing the spiritual perception remaining on Yukino would allow her to open her eyes and see this world clearly.
"..."
After Chitanda Eru watched Shiraishi Kawa leave, she thought simply and explained to Yukinoshita Yukino, with whom she had exchanged a few words in class.
"Actually, Yukinoshita-san,"
"...this Miura-san isn't the first person to come and ask Shiraishi-kun questions. And this is how our Classics Club activities unfold."
"If it bothers you, we can try to stagger the club activity times."
"Remember to lock the door. Thank you."
Shiraishi Kawa had already left the club, and Chitanda Eru had no intention of staying either. She placed the key to the clubroom door on the desk.
Then she turned and left.
"..."
Looking at the completely empty clubroom, Yukinoshita fell into a brief silence, but soon, the slight upturn of her lips showed she had come to terms with it.
As for ghosts and monsters?
If it was discussing stories, she didn't find anything wrong with it. But Shiraishi Kawa's serious explanation about the existence of ghosts and Exorcists...
She even found it hard to imagine that such words would come from Shiraishi Kawa?
Yukinoshita picked up the extracurricular reading book on the desk. Since there was a quiet place to read, she certainly didn't mind. However, as
a breeze wafted through the window,
though it was nearing summer, she felt a chill. She frowned slightly, wanting to get up and close the wide-open classroom window.
But the temporarily shared spiritual perception
made Yukinoshita feel an endless malice. She subconsciously looked back and saw a ghost with a drooping head standing behind her.
It emitted a strong, foul odor.
Like a rotting corpse, black resentment swirled around it. Its hollow eyes stared intently at Yukino, and it asked in a shrill voice, "You can see me?"
"..."
The clear voice that reached her ears made Yukinoshita Yukino's mind stop thinking. The trembling of her body from instinctive fear almost made her collapse.
Just then,
she recalled what Shiraishi Kawa had told Miura Yumiko: as long as she pretended not to see the ghost, it wouldn't actively harm her.
"I feel... I feel chilly. I should just keep reading..."
Even her words were meant to embolden herself. Yukino, seeing a ghost for the first time, struggled to move her legs back to her chair, and a feeling of weakness swept over her.
The hand holding the extracurricular book was trembling.
Her worldview was gradually crumbling.
Ghosts really existed... Then everything Shiraishi Kawa said must be true, and all the bad things she had just said... Thinking of this, Yukino felt a little guilty.
As the temporarily attached spiritual perception disappeared,
the suffocating sense of oppression quietly vanished. Yukino looked left and right, not finding that extremely terrifying figure.
Only then did she completely relax.
Just as she was about to get up and leave the Classics Club, where she had encountered a ghost, as her tense mood gradually eased, she felt a wetness in the area of her buttocks...
Following the chair, a puddle of liquid gathered on the floor.
"..."
She didn't know why, but Yukino, who was usually quite concerned about her image, finally experienced the feeling of her body and mind collapsing. Ghosts really did exist.
Leaving the Classics Club room, Miura Yumiko found it hard to calm down. At noon, there were fewer students active here.
The relatively quiet atmosphere
left only the grotesque ghosts in the corridor. They seemed to notice someone arriving, and they all focused their gaze on Miura Yumiko.
"..."
"According to Shiraishi-kun, it will definitely be fine."
For an Ordinary High School Student, encountering ghosts and trying to calmly accept it was truly difficult, let alone controlling the deep-seated fear within.
Miura Yumiko pretended to look around nonchalantly.
She tried to find familiar figures to accompany her, but in the empty school hallways, she could only hear the extremely ear-piercing roars of the ghosts.
"Hmph."
She took a deep breath, and just as she was about to take a step, she saw the ghosts that had been gathered in the hallway scatter frantically as if they had encountered a natural enemy.
"What… what exactly is going on?"
Hearing footsteps descending the stairs behind her, Miura Yumiko suddenly turned her head and saw Shiraishi Kawa carrying a bento box.
Being able to get into Soubu High School,
she was naturally not a complete idiot. A bold thought sprang into her mind: could these ghosts be afraid of Shiraishi Kawa?
Suppressing her inner doubts,
Miura Yumiko forced a smile and said, "Shiraishi-kun, are you done with your club activities?"
"Not exactly."
Shiraishi Kawa smiled and shook his head, "I went to the Classics Club to hand over the presidency to other members. I just didn't expect to coincidentally run into Miura."
"Alright."
The surrounding environment wasn't particularly oppressive, and even Miura's state had returned to normal. She shrugged her shoulders and walked downstairs side-by-side with Shiraishi Kawa.
"Want to go buy some drinks?"
In the past, it was always other students who tried to curry favor to join her conversation circle. Looking at the usually quiet Shiraishi Kawa, Miura Yumiko felt a bit awkward, but she still proactively asked, "My treat."
"No need, I've already asked Hiratsuka Shizuka for leave. I won't be coming to school for a while, so I'm just going back to the classroom to get my bag now."
After all, she was just a high school student.
Even Miura, who had a good standing among students, it was easy to guess her thoughts in this state. Shiraishi Kawa smiled and shook his head with a relaxed tone, "Is there something you want to say?"
"Mhm."
Miura Yumiko nodded seriously. Since there were no other students around, she was much more candid: "Shiraishi-kun, can you see ghosts?"
"Yes."
"I just noticed that after those ghosts saw you, they seemed really afraid of you. Are you actually an Exorcist?"
If Shiraishi Kawa was an Exorcist,
then did that mean she could be free from the harassment of these ghosts? Thinking of this, Miura Yumiko's eyes held a hint of expectation.
"My main profession is a student, and my side job is an Exorcist."
He had no intention of hiding it.
Shiraishi Kawa nodded truthfully, "I suggest you don't put too much hope in me. Becoming an Exorcist is very difficult, and I'm not good at teaching it."
"As for the other solution, it's not difficult for me, but it would be very hard for you to accept. To a certain extent, it also requires a price."
Without any emotional foundation,
directly using the Holy Sword Curry Stick to help with Purification and exorcism—this rather explicit method was something he didn't even want to explain in detail. The method was quite perverse and could easily lead to him being seen as a pervert.
"I know."
Miura Yumiko nodded seriously. She recalled the more difficult method and asked, "I want to try the other method. What is the price?"
Shiraishi Kawa's gaze calmly swept over Miura Yumiko: "All of you."
"Huh?"
Hearing the price, Miura Yumiko froze. She tried to understand the meaning of "all." The most direct interpretation was her body, her mind... How could she possibly accept such a price?
"That's why I think that's the hardest to accept. I've already told you the solution: ignore the existence of ghosts, and they won't harm you."
"..."
He didn't pay attention to Miura Yumiko, who was still frozen in place.
Instead of chatting, it was better to spend the time on Mana Tempering. After all, he knew her personality, and she wouldn't be able to do that. Would he force her?
Although Shiraishi Kawa's goal was to open a Crystal Palace, the prerequisite was that the other party willingly joined. If Miura Yumiko could make up her mind,
he certainly wouldn't mind helping her.
"..."
Watching Shiraishi Kawa's departing figure, Miura Yumiko stood rooted to the spot, her heart filled with complex emotions. She simply didn't know how to make a choice.
As his figure gradually disappeared from sight,
that familiar cold, suffocating sensation seemed to completely engulf her. Those hideous ghosts swarmed towards her like persistent parasites.
There was no way to solve it... Was she doomed to pretend not to see them for the rest of her life?
Miura Yumiko couldn't even imagine such a thing. And the way to return to normal school life was to ask Shiraishi Kawa for help.
"So... what exactly should I do?"
She didn't feel that this was Shiraishi Kawa's problem. Even if they forced a relationship, they were only classmates. He had no obligation to help her.
Looking at the surrounding ghosts,
Miura Yumiko took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Actually, Shiraishi Kawa was truly excellent, both in terms of academic performance and appearance.
What's more, he also had the hidden identity of an Exorcist... Finally,
she pulled out her phone from her pocket, her hand trembling slightly as she typed. After sufficient mental preparation, she sent the complete request.
Shiraishi-kun, I... I've made up my mind!