"Seika is a bit too much." Kitahara complained, "What kind of heinous crime did I commit to become a pervert?"
"You and Nijika and..."
Although Seika had been drinking, she still retained some sense. The words reached her lips, but she swallowed them back, her pretty face flushed crimson as she glared:
"No reason needed, you're just a perv!"
Can't say.
The secret of the bracelet can't be revealed no matter what, it's too embarrassing!
And... and those positions you used to torment Nijika, only a little brat with a head full of lewdness could come up with such terrible things, right!
Kitahara said with an innocent expression:
"I didn't take advantage of you. Whether it was kissing or hugging, Seika was the one who initiated it, right?"
"You're still talking!"
Seika was clearly in a half-drunk, half-sober state. Hearing this, she angrily raised her foot, wanting to kick him:
"It's all because of your panacea..."
As a result, her foot didn't even touch Kitahara, and she let out an 'ouch'.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
"Does your back still hurt?"
Kitahara sat down on the sofa:
"Back pain must be very uncomfortable. Has Seika seen a doctor?"
"No." Seika took a deep breath, "It's just a little back pain. It'll be fine after two days of rest."
After a pause, Seika's mouth curved into a bitter smile:
"Anyway... I'll be idle every day from now on..."
As Seika spoke, she reached out her right hand and picked up another can of beer:
"Why did you come here?"
Kitahara pressed Seika's right hand and said softly:
"Don't drink anymore. Drowning your sorrows in alcohol only makes them worse."
"You, you go away." Seika clearly didn't appreciate it, "Perverted Kitahara, study hard. Don't meddle in adult affairs..."
No, you're getting addicted to calling me that. Be careful, you might get banned!
Kitahara exerted a little force, took the beer, and decided to cut to the chase:
"Is Seika drinking because the store is going to be shut down?"
"You..."
Seika's body trembled slightly, and her pearly teeth bit her lower lip:
"How did you know?"
"Because Nijika was very worried about you, I used my own channels to investigate, and then I found out the truth." Kitahara said seriously, "I can solve the store's problem."
Seika subconsciously retorted:
"You're clearly just a high school brat..."
Kitahara's tone was calm:
"Seika-nee, don't forget, besides being a high school student, I also have the identity of an exorcist."
"..."
Seika parted her lips and fell silent.
"So." Kitahara smiled and looked over, "Seika-nee, do you want my help?"
Seeing Kitahara's smile, Seika's pretty face slightly flushed, and her eyes involuntarily darted elsewhere. Her tsundere personality flared up again, and she lightly snorted:
"I don't need you to meddle."
"Alright then." Kitahara deliberately sighed, stood up, "Since Seika-nee said so, then I'll just leave..."
But after only two steps, Kitahara felt his clothes being tugged.
Turning his head, he saw Seika lift her pretty face, her eyes slightly hazy with mist, and she softly pleaded:
"Don't... leave..."
Clearly, Seika, having drunk a lot of alcohol, finally revealed her deepest, pitiful, weak, and helpless inner self in her half-drunk, half-sober state.
Having known her for so long, Kitahara saw such a fragile Seika for the first time. After a slight surprise, he quickly raised his right hand and gently placed it on top of Seika's head, saying gently:
"Since Seika-nee has sincerely begged me, then leave this matter entirely to me."
"You brat, don't touch my head!"
Seika glared at him in annoyance, and lightly snorted:
"You say it so easily, but maybe you're just boasting..."
"Whether I'm boasting or not, Seika-nee will know soon enough."
Kitahara sat back on the sofa, took out his phone from his pocket, and directly dialed his exclusive liaison's number.
His idea was simple.
First, he would ask his exclusive liaison to see if she could handle this matter.
If the liaison couldn't handle it, then he would call Sakiko's aunt. The Togawa family, to express their goodwill, even welcomed Sakiko's father back into the family. If Kitahara asked them for help, they wouldn't mind at all; in fact, they would be especially happy.
As a well-known financial conglomerate in Japan, a small store could definitely be handled.
A few seconds later.
The call quickly connected.
"Kitahara-sama, how may I help you?"
The exclusive liaison on the other end of the phone had a sweet voice and a respectful attitude.
Kitahara said calmly:
"It's about the matter from two nights ago. Yesterday, a safety officer came to inspect, saying that..."
Without exaggeration, Kitahara simply explained the situation of the store and then said:
"The store is Seika-nee's hard work, so can it continue to operate?"
"Kitahara-sama, please wait a moment. I'll communicate for you."
"Okay."
Kitahara didn't hang up the phone and placed it directly on the table.
Before long, the exclusive liaison's sweet voice rang out again:
"Kitahara-sama, the new business license has been prepared and is expected to be delivered by a specialist within an hour. Please be sure to receive it."
Seika was still a bit dazed, and subconsciously said:
"What is... a business license?"
The exclusive liaison respectfully explained:
"I have applied for a new business license for you. From now on, the STARRY store in Shimokitazawa will no longer need to host band performances as a restaurant, but has obtained a special exhibition hall business license."
Kitahara gently nodded and said:
"Thank you."
The exclusive liaison's voice was respectful:
"It is my honor to be able to help Kitahara-sama."
"..."
After hanging up the phone, Kitahara leaned back on the sofa:
"Seika-nee, it's all taken care of."
Seika's lips were slightly parted, her expression still somewhat bewildered and disbelieving:
"You... you wouldn't be partnering with someone to mess with me, would you?"
"Seika-nee, aren't you trusting me too little?"
Kitahara said speechlessly:
"I'm a privileged individual now, so solving such a small matter is naturally easy."
It has to be said that privilege indeed brings happiness.
The problem that Seika couldn't solve even by running herself ragged, Kitahara could easily solve with just one phone call. No wonder everyone despises the privileged class, yet everyone wants to become a person of status.
"Tsk, just a mere perverted brat..."
Although Seika had already chosen to trust him in her heart, her mouth remained stubborn.
"Tsk~"
Kitahara let out a soft 'tsk' and said with burning eyes:
"Three strikes and you're out. This is the fourth time Seika-nee has called me a perv. It seems necessary to do something lewd."
"You, you wouldn't dare!"
Seika's heart rate secretly accelerated, and she nervously raised her arms to cover her chest:
"I'm Nijika's older sister!"
Kitahara retorted:
"When Seika-nee kissed me, did she ever consider that I was Nijika's boyfriend?"
Seika: "…"
Seeing that Kitahara seemed genuinely intent on acting, Seika, without a word, got up to flee. But just as she stood, she stepped on an empty beer can on the floor, suddenly losing her balance.
Thud.
Kitahara opened his arms, catching the falling Seika.
"Hoo…"
The anticipated pain didn't come, and Seika quietly let out a sigh of relief. Then, she looked up and met Kitahara's face, which was incredibly close.
Their eyes met.
Thump.
Thump, thump, thump~
Seika could clearly hear her heart rate suddenly accelerating.
"…If you dare to mess around, you're dead!"
Seika, flustered, turned her head, threatening him with a brave but inwardly fearful voice, while struggling to get up.
"Don't move."
Kitahara gently tightened his grip, holding Seika in his embrace, and reminded her:
"The night before last, when Seika-nee asked me to save those three unlucky customers, she said that if I could save them, she would do anything I asked. Seika-nee wouldn't go back on her word, would she?"
"You…"
Seika's breathing paused slightly, unable to utter a word of denial.
She remembered clearly what she had promised herself.
"I, I'm Nijika's sister…" Seika's voice was tense, "Don't go too far!"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything too excessive to Seika-nee," Kitahara said softly, "Just let me hug you for five minutes."
With the opportunity to complete the fourth daily task, Kitahara naturally wouldn't miss it.
"What?"
Seika raised her voice, her tone indignant:
"Five minutes of hugging isn't excessive?!"
Kitahara raised an eyebrow slightly:
"If Seika-nee thinks it's too much, then I'll change my request… How about five minutes of kissing?"
"You, you dare!"
Seika tensed her body, her voice filled with shame.
Kitahara said with a normal expression:
"Of course I dare, it's not like I haven't kissed you before."
Seika: "…"
In both verbal and physical exchanges, Seika was completely at a disadvantage, finally turning her head and saying nothing more.
In the dimly lit living room, Kitahara and Seika quietly embraced. A quiet, pleasant scent wafted to his nose, somewhat similar to Nijika's, yet with their own distinct differences.
Time quietly slipped away, minute by minute.
The daily task was quietly completed.
Kitahara softly broke the silence:
"Why is Seika-nee's heartbeat so fast?"
"…It has nothing to do with you!"
Seika turned her pretty face away, her doll-like earlobes already flushed crimson, as if on fire:
"Five minutes are up, right? Hurry up and let me go."
(How embarrassing! So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing!)
(Being held in the arms of a high school boy, and her heart rate would be so exaggerated… It's too embarrassing, damn it!)
As for why her heart was beating so fast, Seika didn't want to think about it, nor did she dare to.
(Just bear with it a little longer, everything will be over soon…)
(It's just a hug, it shouldn't be betraying Nijika… right?)
Kitahara said softly:
"Only three minutes have passed, there are still two minutes left."
Warm breath fell on her neck and ears, and Seika's body trembled slightly, the blush on her pretty face deepening by three points, and she said indignantly:
"If you blow on me again, you're dead!"
Kitahara's tone was very innocent: "I'm breathing."
Seika: "Breathing isn't allowed either."
"…"
During their casual conversation, Seika didn't notice that under her strong emotional fluctuations, an eye-shaped mark quietly reappeared on her wrist beneath her sleeve.
After hugging for a while longer, Seika, who had been tense, completely relaxed, even letting her head drop…
"Wait, how did Seika-nee fall asleep?"
Kitahara was quite speechless.
Her heart was beating so fast just now, and the next second she fell asleep; the speed was too fast!
"Hmm…"
Seika hummed softly and raised her head, a hint of confusion flashing across her pretty face, and then her gaze quickly fell on Kitahara:
"Kitahara boy? What are you doing to me?"
Kitahara paused slightly, then quickly reacted:
"Seika-sensei?"
"That's right, it's me." 16-year-old Seika's voice was surprised, "I thought I would completely disappear, but I didn't expect to have a chance to come out… Wait a minute."
Seika raised her hand to press her forehead:
"My head is a bit messy… Huh, so many things have happened during this time…"
Kitahara raised an eyebrow curiously at her words:
"Seika-sensei gained Seika's memories?"
It seemed the cursed mark had undergone an unknown change, allowing 16-year-old Seika to gain memories, though it was unclear if there were any other effects.
Seika nodded and said:
"That's right, but only a little… Monsters appeared in the store, went to the police station to give a statement… And… and…"
As she spoke, Seika suddenly widened her eyes, her already rosy cheeks instantly turning almost blood-red, and her voice became stammering:
"W-wait a minute… What are those things?!!!"
Kitahara said inexplicably:
"What is Seika-sensei talking about?"
"Of course it's you…"
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Seika swallowed them back. Such an embarrassing thing, even a delinquent girl couldn't say it aloud.
Perhaps the memory at that time was too profound, as Seika's breathing quietly quickened as she recalled it now. Her slender legs quietly pressed together, and she couldn't help but lick her lips:
"Kitahara… Do you know that the future me is very disappointed?"
Kitahara paused, puzzled:
"What is Seika disappointed about?"
"Disappointed that you didn't… Eh?"
Seika looked down in surprise at her right hand.
Her little finger was clearly trembling slightly.
Seika blinked, and suddenly realized that her current 'appearance' seemed to be distinctly different from before. For example… her finger suddenly started moving on its own. This should be the future her feeling anxious and embarrassed, right?
In other words, this time the future her consciousness should be very clear, but she was temporarily in control of the body.
After confirming the situation, the delinquent Seika not only didn't mind but became even more excited.
Her future self was too timid. The older she got, the smaller her courage became. She always liked to overthink things, which was simply embarrassing!
If she wanted intimate contact, she should just say so; it's not like they hadn't kissed before!
What?
This guy is Nijika's boyfriend?
Tomorrow and accident, who knows which comes first, why worry so much?
Besides, secretly doing things behind Nijika's back would obviously be more exciting, right?
It seemed that Seika sensed the delinquent Seika's inner thoughts, and she clearly became anxious.
But it was useless.
Currently, besides being able to move her pinky finger a little, she couldn't control her body at all.
"Let me tell you…"
The delinquent Seika tilted her pretty face slightly, unhesitatingly revealing Seika's embarrassing thoughts:
"The future me, just now, was very disappointed in her heart, disappointed that you only hugged her but didn't kiss her, you know."
Kitahara: "…"