He took a step forward, standing by Miko’s side, and looked up directly at the upside-down female ghost on the second floor.
His gaze was cold and lifeless.
It was an absolute look of disdain from a higher-dimensional soul.
“Begone.”
His lips moved slightly, silently uttering the word.
Simultaneously, a soul pressure enhanced by the system, possessing a devastating blow to spiritual entities, erupted from him, turning into an invisible sword that pierced toward the second floor.
“Screeech—!!!”
The female ghost, who had been arrogantly grinding her teeth, let out a piercingly shrill scream as if scorched by a red-hot iron.
It curled its body in terror, its spiteful eyes now filled only with fear.
It frantically clawed at the window frame, wanting to escape this man’s line of sight, finally turning into a cloud of black smoke and scrambling into the neighbor’s chimney, fleeing in utter disgrace.
Even a few low-level Wandering spirits lingering under the streetlights were scared off by this aura, and within a fifty-meter radius, it instantly became so clear that not even a ghost’s shadow remained.
“Eh? Fujiwara-san?”
Miko hadn’t heard the word “Begone,” nor had she seen the scene of the ghost fleeing (because she had been keeping her head down, not daring to look up).
She only felt the cold, slimy atmosphere around her suddenly vanish.
The air became fresh, and the prickly feeling of being watched also disappeared without a trace.
It was as if…
the whole world had been purified.
“It’s nothing.”
Ai withdrew his gaze, the coldness in his eyes instantly dissipating, returning to his usual indifference.
“I just chased away an annoying fly.”
Miko was stunned for a moment, then she understood something.
She suddenly looked up at the second floor.
It was empty; there was nothing there.
That long-lost sense of security, even at home, made her eyes well up.
he knew all along.
So…
he has been protecting me.
“Thank you… thank you, Fujiwara-san!”
Miko was so moved her voice was trembling.
She could no longer contain the surge of emotion in her heart, stood on her tiptoes, and quickly pecked Ai on the cheek.
“Goodnight! Fujiwara-san!”
After saying that, she rushed into the house like a startled rabbit, her face flushed red, and slammed the door shut.
Ai touched the lingering moist sensation on his cheek.
“…Give her an inch and she takes a mile.”
He muttered a low complaint, but as he turned to leave, his steps were noticeably lighter.
[Ding! Task ‘Pink Resonance’ settlement complete.]
[Rewards issued: Charm +1 (Current: 75), Skill: Guitar Shredding (Mastery) has been implemented.]
[Ding! Deep emotional interaction with Yotsuya Miko detected.]
[Yotsuya Miko Favorability +15 (Current: 67/100).]
[Status Update: Evolved from ‘Dependent’ to ‘Potential Yandere/Possessive’. Her home has now become a place that is only home when you are there.]
[System Hint: Reaching a Charm value of 75 is an important threshold. Your appearance will undergo a qualitative change; please be psychologically prepared.]
Back at his apartment.
Ai first went to the bathroom and took a hot shower.
When he stood in front of the mirror drying his hair, he froze.
If 74 was good-looking, then 75 was the beginning of being “stunning.” (The limit for ordinary humans is 80)
The boy in the mirror hadn’t had his features shifted, but the feeling of them combined had completely changed.
The originally somewhat sharp lines had become soft and refined, and his skin possessed a texture like cold jade.
Especially those eyes—deep and dark, as if hiding endless secrets; just a casual glance could make one feel an inexplicable attraction.
More importantly, it was the temperament.
That mix of “asceticism,” “aloofness,” and a hint of “fragility” brought about by the soul’s pain was practically a specialized weapon against women.
“This face…”
Ai touched his cheek, where Miko’s bite mark seemed to still linger.
Just then, the phone on the table vibrated.
It wasn’t Miko.
It was an unknown number, but the profile picture was a pink…
slug?
[Um… I’m Goto Ichiri.]
[I wanted to ask… about the parameters for that effect pedal… and…]
[Um… goodnight, Master.]
Ai looked at the word “Master” on the screen, his mouth twitching again.
What on earth has this pink creature imagined me to be?
And…
he glanced at the system panel.
Though Goto Ichiri’s favorability was only 35, that status tag of “wants to be kept as a pet” looked dangerous no matter how you sliced it.
“It seems this path of conquest is harder than I imagined.”
Ai turned off his phone and collapsed onto the bed.
Inside his body, the warm current from the charm enhancement surged once more.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, he seemed to see familiar faces, each with a different expression, reaching out their hands to him.