Chapter 55: Amuro Fengnai

Suddenly, a clear but complaining young female voice rang out in the corridor.

“Mom? I’m exhausted! I want a drink!”

Footsteps thudded closer.

A stylish middle school girl with sparkling silver-pink curls and glittering diamond studs in her ears burst in.

Sharing the cramped kitchen space with Yuki Asahi, she didn’t even glance at him, lunging straight for the fridge and yanking it open to rummage inside.

“Where’s my drink?”

Bang—

The fridge door slammed shut with such force that it buzzed from the impact, only to bounce open again.

The middle school girl glared at Yuki Asahi’s back, her face full of anger.

“Did you steal my drink?”

Yuki Asahi glanced at his half-sister—Funae Amuro—and shoved the cleaned rice bowl back into the rice cooker.

“I’m talking to you. Didn’t you hear me?”

Funae Amuro clenched her fists, fuming.

“Are you deaf?”

“I didn’t drink it.”

Yuki Asahi wiped the water from his hands with a paper towel.

“Then where did my drink go?”

Funae Amuro pressed on relentlessly, grabbing his arm as he tried to leave.

“You drank it! I know you did!”

Ridiculous.

Yuki Asahi was already used to Funae Amuro’s rudeness.

He just wanted to get it over with quickly, so he pulled a One-man Yen Banknote from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Here. Compensation.”

Funae Amuro stared blankly at the ten thousand yen note in her hand, her expression turning excited. She ran to the hallway and shouted.

“Mom! Dad! Yuki is stealing our family’s money!”

“Funae!”

A Kurokami Woman coming down the stairs from the Kantou frowned.

“Keep it down. Don’t disturb the guests.”

“Mom, look! I found it. Yuki definitely stole our family’s money.”

Funae Amuro lowered her voice and waved the banknote in her hand.

Then she shot Yuki Asahi a provocative look.

The Kurokami Woman glanced at the note’s value, then at Yuki Asahi, suspicion flickering in her eyes.

“Don’t make wild accusations!”

She didn’t ask about the origin of the banknote, but her eyes conveyed her doubt.

Yuki Asahi left in silence, moving past the two of them and heading toward the Kantou.

“Hey! Thief! Ugh…”

“Funae!”

The woman covered Funae Amuro’s mouth and whispered something in her ear.

Yuki Asahi had no interest in eavesdropping.

He went straight back to his room.

He was used to keeping the lights off, only turning on the desk lamp.

He pulled a folder from his bag and took out a thick wad of banknotes.

Inhaling the scent of ink, Yuki Asahi felt his mood improve.

I guess this counts as my payment, huh?

Working to support myself… though the job is a bit strange!

Once I save enough, I’ll move out.

Yuki Asahi didn’t really hate his family.

Those suffocating and bitter feelings—he’d tasted them so many times that he was numb.

He had once tried to resist, but found that it only hurt his mother and that man, and changed nothing.

As a child, Yuki Asahi had realized that childish tantrums were pointless.

So he hid all his feelings inside—gradually, he grew more distant and indifferent toward them.

These days, just having a room in the Amuro Residence and a little pocket money was enough—he was grateful to these strangers.

Now that he had a way to support himself, it was time to say goodbye to the Amuro Residence for good.

There was no hatred or anything.

He simply thought living alone would be more comfortable.

He stuffed the money into a pile of books, leaving only one bill as a spare, and took out his homework, ready to start.

Bang—

The bedroom door burst open.

Funae Amuro stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her mouth twisted in a sneer.

“Thief, why are you still living in our house?”

Yuki Asahi said nothing, pondering the math problem before him.

“One day, I’m going to kick you out! Do you hear me?”

Funae Amuro stepped into the room, not even bothering to close the door.

“I’ll leave.”

Yuki Asahi put down his pen helplessly.

He couldn’t even be angry at Funae Amuro’s provocations.

He just found them strangely funny.

Funae Amuro hadn’t expected such a reply.

She hesitated, then snorted.

“Hmph, you’d better.”

Her gaze swept the desk and landed on a black-and-white patterned Omamori hanging there.

Funae Amuro raised an eyebrow, reached out, and grabbed it by the cord with a look of disdain.

“This is an Omamori of Certain Victory from the Meiji Shrine? Looks like you have a lot of free time.”

Yuki Asahi frowned, his voice cold.

“Put it down.”

A few days ago, Senior Jiang had bought this for him when they left the Meiji Shrine.

Funae Amuro paused, a hint of delight flickering across her face.

She tightened her grip on the Omamori.

“I’m taking it.”

Screee—

The chair scraped sharply against the floor.

Yuki Asahi stood up, golden eyes shadowed by his bangs, filled with menace.

“Give it back.”

It was the first time Funae Amuro had seen that expression on his face.

Frightened, she took a few steps back, her fear obvious.

Then, feeling ashamed for being intimidated, her face twisted and she bared her teeth.

“Who do you think you are! Don’t talk to me like that!”

Yuki Asahi remained silent.

The field of his Chantsui ability extended like tendrils, brushing against Funae Amuro’s emotions.

Fear, humiliation, anger?

What right do people like you have to feel wronged?

Shouldn’t I be the one feeling that way?

Suddenly, Funae Amuro’s pupils contracted, her whole body trembling as if shocked.

Her face went blank, eyes dull. She collapsed, sitting on the floor like a duck, the Omamori falling from her hand.

Yuki Asahi looked at her in disgust, picked up the crumpled Omamori from the floor, and sat back at the desk, resuming his homework.

He ignored her.

One minute passed.

Ten minutes.

Behind him, all was still silent.

Just as Yuki Asahi began to wonder if he’d gone too far, he heard a faint sobbing behind him.

“You bastard! What did you do to me?!”

Funae Amuro wiped her tears, glaring at Yuki Asahi’s back with hatred.

“I’m telling Mom!”

Yuki Asahi was speechless.

She’s not even a child anymore.

Funae Amuro ran off crying.

Even after Yuki Asahi finished his homework, no parent came to question him.

After his shower, Yuki Asahi returned to his room and lay on the bed, scrolling through LINE.

He noticed that Senior Jiang hadn’t messaged him today, and felt a little down.

Usually, Senior Jiang would send a greeting.

The last message was from yesterday at noon, thanking her for the new phone.

There was no reply from Senior Jiang.

Yuki Asahi felt a strange ache in his nose.

He didn’t know what he’d done wrong to make her distance herself from him.

Ding—

Suddenly, a message popped up on LINE.

Yuki Asahi wiped the dampness from his eyes.

External link: Teach you how to create a viral video account in thirty days.

Message retracted.

Emi: Sent by mistake.

Eh?