It's because I've been tainted by your scent, that's why the kitty ran away.
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels for adding this to your collection. Mwah 0330
Chapter 34
As it turned out, being stubborn was useless; the cat was still going to run away regardless. Kisaragi Chiyo worked incredibly hard, but in the end, she didn't even manage to touch a single strand of cat fur.
On the other hand, relying on his own charm, Hara Kenji successfully got an orange cat to lie on his lap, where it generously exposed its belly and let out comfortable purrs under the evil spirit's stroking.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
"Just what kind of methods did you use?" Kisaragi Chiyo squatted seven or eight meters away, staring gloomily at Hara Kenji, who was already lying down amongst the cats. It would be a lie to say she didn't feel a sense of envy.
The sun overhead made his head and his black haori feel hot, his long tassel earrings reflected a silvery light in the sunlight, but Kisaragi Chiyo was like a gloomy monsoon mushroom, crouching alone and solitary in the shade of the tree.
"Methods?" The hand of Hara Kenji, which was stroking the orange cat's belly, paused for a moment; the black trench coat he was wearing was already covered in quite a lot of cat hair. There were all different colors; spring was truly the season for cats to shed.
“Or maybe it's just personal charm?” Hara Kenji tilted his head and looked over, a beautiful smile on his face.
A light, cheerful curve rose on his thin lips, his eyes, like beautiful glass beads, shimmered with mirth. His long black hair fell onto the grass like luxurious velvet, smooth and lustrous.
Hara Kenji was in a very good mood right now, his mood became even better upon seeing Kisaragi Chiyo clearly being shunned by the cats.
However, he restrained himself from showing all of this good mood, after all, he didn't want to provoke Kisaragi Chiyo, who would be radiating resentment after being rejected by the cats.
"In that case, which of us actually looks more like an evil spirit?" Hara Kenji lowered his eyes, the sunlight softening his rugged facial features. His long eyelashes cast a small patch of shadow beneath his eyelids. He reached out to scratch the chin of the cat lying on his lap, using a technique and pressure that he had learned entirely from Kisaragi Chiyo.
I guess you still prefer puppies over me after all? Back then.. your way of speaking and your manner toward me were completely different. Nowadays, you aren't paying any attention to me at all.. You really are cold, Chiyo-chan.
Hara Kenji narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in aimless thought, yet his hands did not stop moving. Under his touch, the cat had already slumped into a comfortable, pancake-like shape.
Then what about cats and dogs? Which one does Kisaragi Chiyo prefer more?
After all, shouldn't one choose puppies? Puppies are humanity's loyal best friends.
..
Hara Kenji's movements stopped, because out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly stand up under the shade of the trees and walk away in the opposite direction without saying a word.
'Could it be that she's angry because she didn't get to pet the cat?' Hara Kenji thought amusedly. He gently patted the kitten's head to signal for it to come down, then stood up to straighten his hem that the kitten had ruffled, began walking toward Kisaragi Chiyo.
What's wrong?
His wrist was grabbed from behind, a cool palm gripping his wrist firmly, making it impossible to shake off even with a little effort.
A shadow loomed over from behind, the haori, which had been heating up under the sun, was instantly tinged with the other person's cool, faint fragrance.
Hara Kenji grabbed his wrist, stopping him from continuing his steps deeper into the forest ahead.
"Did you see something?" Because of her previous recklessness, Kisaragi Chiyo's credibility was failing in the eyes of Hara Kenji. He was truly worried that, while he wasn't paying attention, she might once again accidentally do something that would make his heart skip a beat.
Of course, his heart had stopped beating long ago, so this was merely a figure of speech.
"I.. think I saw someone?" Kisaragi Chiyo's voice held a hint of hesitation as he brushed the grass clippings off his haori and pointed his right hand, clad in a black glove, toward the area not far ahead.
Because it was just a casual glance, a single look, that figure had quickly turned around and vanished into the woods. Combined with the fact that they were a bit far away, Kisaragi Chiyo could not be certain whether the figure was actually a human or just a humanoid creature.
Do you think it would be a human who, just like you, came looking for a cat and got lost?
"Maybe, maybe not," Kisaragi Chiyo gave a meaningless answer.
After hearing that, Hara Kenji couldn't help but let out a smirk; the other party was indeed still feeling depressed about not being able to pet the cat.
Thinking this, Hara Kenji's actions were very decisive. He narrowed his eyes slightly, white mist spread from beneath his feet, quickly creeping into the depths of the forest.
But just as the white mist began to spread, a sudden, powerful gust of wind blew from the distance. As the branches swayed, the chilly white mist was quickly scattered by the wind, swept away toward the distance.
"Was that a warning?" Although Hara Kenji's tone remained unchanged, the smile on his face faded. He stared intently at a patch of rustling grass, as if something were hiding inside, ready to leap out and launch an attack on them at any moment.
The presence in the grass did not keep them waiting for long; with a meow, a black shadow leaped high from the bushes and finally landed with a light grace in front of the man and the ghost.
It was a black cat, its fur as dark as pitch without a single stray hair of any other color. Its pure golden eyes were as clear and translucent as gemstones, shimmering brightly. It possessed a dignified and elegant posture, calmly licking its paws, while its lithe and long tail flicked gently against the ground behind it.
The beautiful black cat finished licking its paws unhurriedly and, with its long tail held high behind it, walked toward Kisaragi Chiyo and the others with an elegant, cat-like gait.
"This black cat's tail.. has two." Hara Kenji whispered into Kisaragi Chiyo's ear, his hand still firmly gripping Kisaragi Chiyo's wrist; without knowing what was going on, Hara Kenji felt it was necessary to keep a close watch on Kisaragi Chiyo, who could easily be easily deceived and lured by something fluffy.
“..”
"I don't have that kind of personality," Kisaragi Chiyo also retorted in a small voice.
Of course, he also noticed the black cat's two upright tails were not stuck together, but were completely separate.
“It's a Nekomata.” Kisaragi Chiyo made the judgment almost without needing any time to think.
A split tail is the most obvious characteristic of a Nekomata. Generally, they have two tails that split into two strands, as their spiritual power grows stronger, the split becomes even more pronounced.
Clearly, this was a yokai with powerful spiritual energy. If a conflict were to arise with it, it would certainly not be the type that could be easily dealt with, but if he worked together with Hara Kenji, victory would not be impossible.
Kisaragi Chiyo thought calmly, yet her gaze still could not move away from the tip of the other's furry tail.
Then, in the next second, his wrist was given a light squeeze by Hara Kenji, as if expressing dissatisfaction with his distraction.
I remember that a cat raising its tail.. is a sign of greeting, right?" Kisaragi Chiyo withdrew his gaze somewhat reluctantly, his voice carrying a hint of admiration. "It really is polite.
Hara Kenji: ".."
"What about me? Am I not the polite type? You've never praised me like that before." Hara Kenji asked with a smile, his voice gentle and reasonable.
“You?”
Kisaragi Chiyo finally managed to tear her gaze away and let it fall upon Hara Kenji. He was standing very close to her right now; the so-called safety distance was completely non-existent for an evil spirit. His handsome features were magnified before her eyes, those dark purple eyes on his pale face stared at her unblinkingly, as if waiting for an answer.
“You are the antonym,” Kisaragi Chiyo replied with a smile as well.
Just what kind of misunderstanding did Hara Kenji have regarding the word "politeness"? From his initial malicious voyeuristic teasing to his completely unreasonable intrusion into her private space, in what way did any of that have anything to do with politeness?
"I did say please," Hara Kenji continued to argue with his usual audacity.
“Your definition of politeness is quite low.” Kisaragi Chiyo had already lost the interest to complain; in her memory, the ability to accurately dig up that conversation from her mind was a decision made without any regard for the person involved.
As they spoke, the black Nekomata stood quietly to the side, patiently waiting for them to waste time with such mindless conversation.
So, great Yokai," Hara Kenji said, moving a step ahead to cover Kisaragi Chiyo's mouth before she could say, "Please let me pet your tail.
After pinning Kisaragi Chiyo in his arms, Hara Kenji smiled politely at Nekomata, who had come specifically to meet them, asked, "Is there something you would like to ask of us?"
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Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for adding this to your collection. Mwah!
Chapter 35
There was no sense of hostility or aggression.. According to Kisaragi Chiyo, a raised tail was a sign of greeting. In that case, perhaps this powerful yokai lord had something he couldn't do himself and needed their help with?
Hara Kenji thought this, the polite smile on his face deepened slightly.
Because he fundamentally did not understand the other party, even though this Nekomata did not show any signs of hostility, Hara Kenji still subconsciously pricked up his ears like an alert canine, feeling sharp, wary, a little uneasy.
Nekomata said nothing, or perhaps it couldn't speak at all; it simply tilted its head, its crystalline, pure gold eyes gazing calmly at Hara Kenji, while the two long tails behind it swayed gently from side to side, before it turned its head and let out a meow toward the depths of the forest behind it.
After a moment, a student wearing a long-sleeved sailor uniform stepped out from behind the trees. She wasn't very tall, her face still possessed a youthful innocence, she had short black hair, looking to be only about fourteen or fifteen years old.
The girl smiled at Kisaragi Chiyo and Hara Kenji, the wind blowing softly through her translucent body and drifting unobstructed toward the distance.
The girl called herself Mizuno Yuri, a second-year student at Shio Junior High School, who had unfortunately passed away in a car accident three weeks ago.
I have been wandering on that road ever since I died, unable to find a way out, until Nekomata found me and brought me here.
And the Little Black that Mizuno Yuri spoke of naturally referred to the yokai Nekomata.
"I didn't think I would see any other humans in a place like this." Mizuno Yuri's hands twisted together anxiously, her expression looked somewhat tense.
Noticing her emotions, the black Nekomata beside her let out a soft meow, stood up, walked to the girl's side, gently rubbing its furry head against her leg.
"I know this might be a bit intrusive, but I would still like to ask you two for a favor." It seemed that Nekomata's comfort had worked, as Mizuno Yuri spoke the words she had been stammering and too embarrassed to say out loud, her voice loud and clear.
When he heard Mizuno Yuri say that she wanted to ask them for a favor, Hara Kenji subconsciously frowned, without any thought or hesitation, he wanted to refuse her request.
Ghosts that linger at a death scene generally exist in the form of earthbound spirits, remaining in this place because they are obsessed with unfinished business from their lives and refuse to leave.
Even though Mizuno Yuri looked innocent and harmless on the outside, no one could guarantee that her request would be anything simple or easy to handle.
Although he felt pity for her, Hara Kenji did not want Kisaragi Chiyo to involve himself in potentially dangerous matters just because of the small amount of compassion in his heart.
But Kisaragi Chiyo seemed to have taken an interest in this matter. This time, he was clearly on guard; before Hara Kenji could speak, Kisaragi Chiyo smiled and raised his hand to interrupt him.
“What is your wish?” Kisaragi Chiyo looked at the girl with the translucent body before him, her misty gray eyes reflecting the expression of astonishment mixed with disbelief on the other's face, as if she couldn't believe that her inexplicable request to a stranger would be granted.
Because once Kisaragi Chiyo asked that question, no matter whether the girl's wish was simple or difficult, Kisaragi Chiyo would have to help her fulfill it; this irrational cause and effect was the origin of the warning: "Do not easily grant their requests."
A clean scent, like that emitted by clothing heated by the sun, a pure white, flawless soul without a single impurity—that was the impression Mizuno Yuri gave Kisaragi Chiyo. It was also the reason why Kisaragi Chiyo would agree first, before even knowing what the other's wish was.
*
"Today is my younger sister's birthday." Mizuno Yuri carefully cradled a bloodstained blue gift box in her arms; its pink festive ribbon had become filthy from the dust, making it difficult to recognize its original appearance.
But Mizuno Yuri still held it so carefully in her arms, as if she were protecting a rare and precious treasure.
"I want to give this to my younger sister," Mizuno Yuri said, opening the gift box in her hands to reveal a music box shaped like a carousel.
But it's broken now; it won't spin, it can't make any sound anymore.
As a junior high school student, the amount of money Mizuno Yuri could freely dispose of was quite limited. Therefore, in order to buy this music box, she saved up her pocket money for a long time before finally purchasing this gift three weeks ago.
Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent for a moment, then reached out and took the music box from the other's hands. With its exquisite craftsmanship and substantial weight in hand, it was perhaps an expensive gift for a student.
“This..” Hara Kenji replied with half-lidded eyes. He reached out and took the music box from Kisaragi Chiyo's hands, inspecting it from all angles, quickly identified the core of the problem. It was likely because some of the internal components were broken, which was why it couldn't function properly.
It's not a big problem," Hara Kenji answered in a lighthearted tone. "At this level, three minutes is more than..
For this type of bomb, I only need three minutes..
Hara Kenji stopped his movements and opened his mouth helplessly, as if some images were flashing through his mind. But the images were too fast, too fast for him to even recall them, like glass falling from a great height to the ground, turning into scattered fragments that could never be pieced back together into their original form.
Hara Kenji?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked up as if sensing something, gazing at the suddenly dazed Hara Kenji. "What's wrong.. why the sudden expression?
“..” Hara Kenji almost subconsciously flashed a smile, setting the vague fragments aside in the back of his mind for the moment. He lowered his eyes toward the music box in his hands and shook his head gently.