Chapter 143: What's-Her-Name Kei!
The phone kept ringing early in the morning.
Who had the nerve to call someone at dawn on a weekend? Absolutely no manners…
Luke picked up his phone.
Oh, it was that miko Kasumizuki~
Never mind, then.
"What do you want?"
Too lazy to lecture her, Luke asked directly.
Whenever she called, it was almost guaranteed to mean trouble.
"Come over to my place today. The villa you visited last time."
"Oh, and remember to bring those spirit-possessed items you collected before. I have some business to discuss."
"…You're not going to explain why?"
Luke frowned.
"And what do you want those dangerous things for? Life getting boring, so you're planning a Night Parade of a Hundred Demons?"
"I'm not joining you in that."
"Who would— Actually, if that ever happened, whose side would you take?"
"Choose a side? I'd stand with whoever wins."
"…Fair enough."
Kasumizuki paused.
"Anyway, those items are useless sitting with you, right? Just bring them over. I'm treating you today. That's all."
She immediately hung up.
"This woman…"
Having gone to bed late, Luke stared sleepily at his phone's home screen before dropping it aside.
Still, he had some idea why Kasumizuki wanted those dangerous items.
It was probably related to the Chiba branch leader she had captured earlier.
His unique ability could potentially be used on those objects, after which Kasumizuki could either sell them or use them to deal with certain people.
Well, she had not specified a time.
Luke could sleep some more first.
Despite the long-awaited sunshine outside, the thick curtains in his bedroom blocked most of it, keeping the room comfortably dark.
When Luke turned his head, he found Mikasa lying on her side, quietly watching him from her pillow.
She had always been an early riser, yet today she looked calm and relaxed.
Still half asleep, Luke did not think much or speak.
He simply looked at her.
After a night of pleasure, Mikasa had broken her routine—she hadn't woken him up, nor had she gone for her usual morning exercise.
Though sleeping in wasn't a great habit, he had to admit... this felt amazing.
And for some reason, even though Annie was just as gentle, Luke felt that Mikasa's black hair gave her a softer, more serene aura.
"Uh... what was I doing?"
His mind was a jumbled mess of random thoughts. Mikasa, her face flushing slightly, answered him candidly. "You're lying in Annie's arms, completely shameless, and you're touching my leg."
"Oh, right..."
He withdrew his hand from between them, still carrying the girl's scent. He couldn't help but think how great it was to be in such good physical condition.
"Forget it. I might as well go early and return early."
That phone call had completely destroyed his desire to remain in bed doing absolutely nothing.
Besides, the weather was already too hot.
Luke had the strange habit of being unable to sleep without a blanket no matter how warm it became, so he finally crawled out from beneath it.
"You're getting up?"
Seeing him leave the bed, Mikasa also sat up and pulled the blanket around herself.
"Mm. Sorting those items will take time."
"There's too much junk stored in the abandoned shrine next door anyway. I might as well organize it."
"Then I'll get up too."
Their movements gradually awakened Annie.
"Mm? Why are you getting up so early…?"
Annie, who had the weakest constitution of the three, rubbed her eyes and asked sleepily.
"Something came up."
"What do you want for breakfast?"
Even while drowsy, Annie rubbed her eyes, stretched lazily, and asked, "It's the weekend. We could make something nicer."
"Don't you want to sleep longer?" Luke asked.
"I promised a friend we'd go shopping today, so getting up early works out."
Mikasa nodded beside her, confirming Annie's words.
"Then something simple."
Luke thought for a moment.
"Oh, we haven't had beef in a while…"
"…Meat takes time, and I don't think we have any beef left."
Annie looked at him with a headache.
What happened to something simple?
"Then I'll compromise. Just give me some bread and grass."
"…That's a rather extreme compromise."
"I'll leave some room so I can make Kasumizuki pay for a good meal."
In the end, breakfast was their usual bread, pastries, and milk.
Oh, and some leftover konjac tofu.
"By the way, is that friend from your school?"
Luke asked curiously after breakfast.
He had never paid much attention to their friendships before.
Both girls had somewhat unapproachable personalities and found socializing tiring, so he had never pressured them to be more outgoing.
He had not expected them to genuinely make a friend.
"Ah, she's Annie's classmate."
Mikasa answered.
"What's her name?"
Annie did not immediately clear the table.
Instead, she murmured while thinking.
"Her… name…?"
"Why are you hesitating just trying to remember a name?"
Luke stared suspiciously at them.
"I think it was… Fujiwara Kei? Or Kada Kei?"
Annie tilted her head and thought carefully.
"Itou Kei!"
Mikasa declared with absolute certainty.
"Was it?"
Annie looked at Mikasa doubtfully.
"There's no way I remembered incorrectly."
Mikasa sounded completely confident.
"Oh. Then it must be Itou Kei…"
Annie raised her eyes thoughtfully.
"Still, something feels wrong."
She eventually gave up and nodded toward Luke.
"…Are you sure she's actually your friend?"
Luke asked cautiously.
Internally, he apologized to that what's-her-name Kei.
It was his responsibility for failing to educate these two properly.
They could not even remember their friend's name.
...
Luke arrived at the dilapidated shrine for the first time in quite a while.
The weeds had taken advantage of his absence and grown wildly across the grounds.
"You're looking healthier lately."
As usual, Granny Nanohana had absolutely nothing to do and floated around him.
"Of course. Not having to work naturally improves your health."
Luke kicked open the door.
"There's a saying, isn't there? 'I lost my job and became anxious about my future, yet somehow my body became healthier.'"
"That makes sense."
Granny Nanohana nodded.
"I've heard from other ghosts that there have been more young ghosts lately."
"I don't really care about that."
Luke looked at her.
"When is that friend you're waiting for going to arrive? Your request has lasted forever."
"It's not like I'm refusing to compensate you. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Granny Nanohana thought for a moment.
"Worst case… don't you people say that objects carrying a dead person's lingering wish can become exorcism tools?"
"When the time comes, I'll give you the memorial tablet from my house."
"Absolutely not!"
Luke rejected the idea in horror.
What kind of supernatural Pokémon development was this?
When Ash battled someone, he threw a Poké Ball and shouted:
'Go, Pikachu!'
Luke would instead throw out a memorial tablet and shout:
'Go, Granny Nanohana!'
The image was far too ridiculous.
"Anyway, I'll keep waiting for your friend, all right?"
Luke sighed helplessly.
"Honestly, who would want something like that? I'm not a summoner-type exorcist."
"That's more like it."
Only then did Granny Nanohana nod in satisfaction.
...
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