Class time was almost the only leisure Jiang Jian Yue had left these days.
However, her thoughts still drifted away from the podium from time to time, her fingertips sliding across her phone screen as she browsed through the lengthy list of tasks Akimoto Miki had sent to be dealt with after school.
It was truly strange—every time she lit up her phone screen, there always seemed to be a few more items at the end of the list.
This was already the result after streamlining the process—the Gu Wen Tuan that Morita Aoya had organized functioned like the Cabinet of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pre-reviewing documents, extracting key points and suggestions, and finally resolving the awkward situation where Jiang Jian Yue couldn’t understand the documents.
She didn’t dare neglect her studies, of course.
After all, in name, she was still a high school student.
The bell for the last class in the morning rang, marking the start of a brief lunch break.
Jiang Jian Yue bypassed a group of boys enthusiastically discussing GSAC by the back door and walked straight out of the classroom, planning to buy a Pineapple Bun at the school store to fill her stomach.
“Jiang-senpai!”
A timid voice called out behind her, and Jiang Jian Yue stopped and turned.
Before her stood a girl with pale pink braided hair, slightly exaggerated round glasses perched on her nose, and eyes of the same color shimmering with light.
She hugged a stack of books tightly to her chest—a model honor student, only the touch of pink diluted the “discipline.”
“You are…?”
“Uh… I’m Makino Yuzuha from Class 1-D. Please take care of me!”
Makino Yuzuha bowed hurriedly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s.
“Um… Senpai, you’re the president of the Supernatural Club, right?”
She looked up, asking cautiously.
Was there such a thing?
Jiang Jian Yue blinked in surprise, then recalled she did seem to have that title, and nodded lightly.
“Mm, what is it?”
“I… I want to join the Supernatural Club!”
***
As soon as the after-school bell rang that afternoon, Kaori Onishi forcibly dragged Yuki Asahi into the Supernatural Club’s activity room.
“It’s been so long since the holiday—of course the activity room needs a good cleaning! No matter how busy you are, you have to help, Yuki-kun!”
She stood with her hands on her hips, leaving no room for argument.
“Fine, fine.”
Yuki Asahi helplessly took the mop, bending over to clean the floor.
Kaori Onishi’s gaze unintentionally swept over his neck.
She suppressed the sour feeling rising in her chest and forced a smile.
“Yuki-kun has reached the age where he likes to dress up too, huh.”
A vague suspicion formed in her heart.
Yuki Asahi naturally pulled out the Moon Pendant from his collar, rubbing it between his fingers, gentle affection flooding his eyes.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
—Just one look and you could tell it was a gift from Jiang-senpai!
A Christmas present?
As expected…
The two of them must have gone on a Christmas date, right!?
KUSO!
At that moment, the activity room door swung open.
A pink-haired girl was gently pushed inside, her cheeks flushed as she nervously adjusted her slipping glasses and anxiously scanned the room.
“New member.”
Jiang Jian Yue tossed out the three words and vanished beyond the doorway.
Yuki Asahi’s gaze lingered on Makino Yuzuha for a moment, then he called toward the door.
“Will you be back for dinner tonight?”
“No!”
“Eh!? Wa-wait!”
Kaori Onishi’s hand clenched tightly around the cleaning cloth, her expression changing dramatically.
“Going home for dinner… What does that mean?”
Her voice unconsciously rose several pitches.
“Uh…”
Yuki Asahi instinctively tightened his grip on the mop handle, his eyes flickering—he didn’t want Kaori Onishi to know about the cohabitation.
The matter of Jiang Jian Yue’s home life was difficult to explain, and he didn’t feel it was necessary to tell others.
“Jiang-senpai… is indeed living with me right now.”
“Eh?! You… You mean you’re already living together?!”
Kaori Onishi felt her vision go dark.
Since returning from Hokkaido, she had tried to ask Yuki Asahi out several times, but he always seemed busy.
“No.”
Beside them, Makino Yuzuha, who felt as if she had glimpsed an extraordinary relationship, wanted nothing more than to shrink into a ball and slip out the door unnoticed.
“Sorry, we were too caught up talking about ourselves.”
Yuki Asahi finally remembered the neglected newcomer and hurriedly changed the subject, turning to the pink-haired girl by the door.
Kaori Onishi let out a heavy hum, suppressing her roiling emotions, and turned to Makino.
“You want to join the Supernatural Club?”
“Y-yes!”
“Though our club is small, we can’t skip the interview process.”
Kaori Onishi struggled to regain her senior’s dignity.
“Yes! I’m Makino Yuzuha from Class 1-D!”
Makino took a deep breath, as if summoning all her strength, her face turning red.
“I awakened my superpower while eating Soba! I request to join the Supernatural Club!”
“Oh! Full of energy!”
Kaori Onishi’s eyes lit up.
She had thought the other girl was just an ordinary student.
“What’s your superpower? Show us!”
“Uh… This… I need a target…”
Makino looked a little nervous.
Yuki Asahi glanced at Kaori Onishi, then volunteered.
“Try it on me. My body’s sturdy.”
Makino’s face turned even redder.
She nodded, took another deep breath, and clenched her small fists in encouragement.
“I-I’m going to start. Please be ready.”
Her pink eyes suddenly glowed, and she spread her five fingers in a claw shape, pointing at Yuki Asahi.
Yuki Asahi blinked, subconsciously looking down at himself, then up at Makino in confusion.
“Eh? Wait…”
Makino Yuzuha’s speech slowed, every word drawn out, and even her movements with the cleaning cloth seemed to sink into sticky mud.
It was as if someone had pressed the slow motion button on her alone.
Makino released her ability, wiping the sweat from her brow nervously.
“I-is this okay?”
“Ah… Ba… Aba…”
Kaori Onishi’s eyes were still a bit blank, as if she hadn’t fully escaped from the slow-motion scene.
The next second, she jolted, jumping up in excitement.
“Amazing! This power!”
“With Yuzuha-chan joining, the Supernatural Club’s chances of winning the GSAC team battle increased by 12%!”
How exactly was that 12% calculated?
“GSAC…?”
Makino Yuzuha looked puzzled.
“Is that the Superpower Competitive Challenge? The Supernatural Club is participating?”
“Of course!”
Kaori Onishi formed finger guns, firing twice at the air with enthusiasm.
“Our Supernatural Club aims for the world!”
“But… It seems we have too many members now…”
Kaori Onishi counted on her fingers in distress.
She unconsciously included everyone in the Supernatural Club.
“Ah… Um, there’s something…”
Yuki Asahi raised his hand apologetically.
It was something that had to be said eventually.
“I already agreed to Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu and became a member of Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu Team One.”
“What?! Dammit…”
Kaori Onishi was first dejected, then consoled herself.
“Th-then isn’t that just right?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Yuki Asahi shook his head.
“Jiang-senpai… She’s been so busy lately, she’s hardly been seen. I doubt she can participate…”
His voice carried a hint of panic.
She struggled to activate her ability, her arm trembling slightly with effort, the light in her eyes growing ever brighter.
However, Yuki Asahi still looked bewildered, even scratching his cheek awkwardly.
“Eh… Eh? How…”
Makino Yuzuha’s eyes grew red with anxiety, her voice trembling.
“No, that can’t be! Clearly… Clearly before, everything was…”
“Stop!”
Kaori Onishi furrowed her brows, crossing her arms in a big X in front of her.
“Let me try!”
“Mm… Okay.”
Makino sighed in relief and aimed at Kaori Onishi.
At first, Kaori Onishi felt nothing, about to speak when suddenly her movements slowed dramatically.
“Wha… t’s… hap… pen… ing…”
Her speech slowed, every word stretched out, and even her movements with the cleaning cloth seemed to sink into sticky mud.
It was as if someone had pressed the slow motion button on her alone.
Makino released her ability, wiping the sweat from her brow nervously.
“I-is this okay?”
“Ah… Ba… Aba…”
Kaori Onishi’s eyes were still a bit blank, as if she hadn’t fully escaped from the slow-motion scene.
The next second, she jolted, jumping up in excitement.
“Amazing! This power!”
“With Yuzuha-chan joining, the Supernatural Club’s chances of winning the GSAC team battle increased by 12%!”
How exactly was that 12% calculated?
“GSAC…?”
Makino Yuzuha looked puzzled.
“Is that the Superpower Competitive Challenge? The Supernatural Club is participating?”
“Of course!”
Kaori Onishi formed finger guns, firing twice at the air with enthusiasm.
“Our Supernatural Club aims for the world!”
“But… It seems we have too many members now…”
Kaori Onishi counted on her fingers in distress.
She unconsciously included everyone in the Supernatural Club.
“Ah… Um, there’s something…”
Yuki Asahi raised his hand apologetically.
It was something that had to be said eventually.
“I already agreed to Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu and became a member of Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu Team One.”
“What?! Dammit…”
Kaori Onishi was first dejected, then consoled herself.
“Th-then isn’t that just right?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Yuki Asahi shook his head.
“Jiang-senpai… She’s been so busy lately, she’s hardly been seen. I doubt she can participate…”
“………”
Kaori Onishi abruptly lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.
A moment later, she suddenly looked up, shouting in despair.
“You! Both of you! Why…?”
“What exactly happened this holiday?!”
***
Many things had happened over the holiday—for example, the upheaval in Koji Hattori’s family.
Today was the day Koji Hattori finally resolved his family affairs and returned to Tokyo.
Since the timing was just after school, Jiang Jian Yue specially went to pick him up at the airport.
When Koji Hattori saw the young lady come to meet him in person, he was so moved he shed tears.
“My lady, if you don’t mind…”
“Not appropriate.”
Jiang Jian Yue cut off Koji Hattori’s awkward Chinese, signaling him to get in the car.
Koji Hattori looked in good spirits now.
After taking the passenger seat, he even greeted the driver, Sasaki Takashi—a rare veteran still in his original position, though he’d been driving Jiang Jian Yue less frequently lately.
“Not staying longer?”
“I’ve been on vacation for so long already. Everyone’s working hard. I can’t slack off anymore!”
Because she’d unexpectedly heard a famous line, Jiang Jian Yue felt a chill run down her spine, a premonition she might be caught in the crossfire.
“Does your family… need help?”
“It’s mostly taken care of.”
Koji Hattori’s gaze grew somber as he looked at the scenery passing outside the window.
“In a way, it’s also a good thing. Kokoro… isn’t being forced to practice Swordsmanship by our father anymore…”
“I gave all my savings to my mother and sister, so they can do what they want.”
Suddenly, Koji Hattori gave a short laugh, relaxing his tone.
“My lady, has my salary changed? I’m a pauper now.”
“I don’t even have money for romance!”
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Jian Yue’s face.
“Meko?”
“Eh? The young lady knows?!”
Koji Hattori looked surprised.
How could she not?
When news of Koji Hattori’s serious injury reached Tokyo, Meko ran up to the fifth floor, bawling and begging to be allowed to resign and go to Kyushu to see him.
Even if their relationship hadn’t been confirmed, it was pretty obvious.
“Meko… is a good girl. Don’t let her down.”
Jiang Jian Yue couldn’t help but nag like a parent.
“It’s not set in stone yet! Marriage… Starting a family and all that… It’s too soon.”
Koji Hattori was a bit embarrassed.
When Jiang Jian Yue heard “starting a family,” her mood dipped without warning.
Family…
Koji Hattori was still a parasite—a risk for Destruction remained.
Meko was an ordinary person, but in the future, who could say if she’d awaken a Heart Worm—the latest Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu reports said the rate of Heart Worm awakenings was increasing, something not seen often in GPRI records.
Elsewhere in the world, something must have changed.
Koji Hattori’s parents’ generation had already had their family destroyed by the Heart Worm…
It felt like the writer’s twisted sense of humor would destroy Meko too.
A sense of powerlessness welled up again, making Jiang Jian Yue’s mood heavy.
“Koji, come with me tonight. We’re meeting someone.”
“Ossu.”