A Misunderstanding? / Hua? What Are You Doing Here?

"An annoyance."

Okita shook the file in his hand, then paused.

"Is there something wrong with her?"

"Maybe. If there is, she's the most suspicious person here—if we set the Kaishoku family aside."

Ogane replied, then handed over the next file.

"That's all the information we have on Kaishoku Shugaku. Looking into her any further would mean delving into internal conflicts within the Kaishoku family. In fact, this is all Kawamori could give us about them. Compared to an exorcist family, the Kaishoku family is more like a powerful clan—they run an actual business in the Kawamori region."

"They run an actual business?"

Okita narrowed his eyes, catching the implication.

"A big one?"

"While Kaishoku Shugaku's parents were still alive, it was small. The rest of the family may not have had much talent for exorcism, but they were good at speculation. In just over a decade, they rode the tide of the times and grew the business into a major success. They're now one of Kawamori's biggest taxpayers."

After listening, Okita glanced at the file and took another one from Ogane.

"Who's next?"

He glanced at Ogane as he spoke.

"Give me the cases we can handle."

"The Investigation Department can handle the rest."

Ogane looked at him, understanding what the head of the Investigation Department meant.

"Are you leaving Kaishoku Shugaku's case to the Special Affairs Department?"

"No need. That guy probably knows better than I do what he can and can't do."

Okita flipped through the other file in his hands and gave his orders casually.

"Send two people to protect Miss Kaishoku under the guise of providing security. Oh, and remember to ask the Kaishoku family for a protection fee."

"Oh, and use your name."

Ogane could only shrug, wearing a helpless expression.

"There's no getting through to you. Fine, use my name."

Meanwhile, after Yuria returned to class, Miko's cryptic remarks had changed the way she looked at Kaishoku Shugaku. The latter gave her a strange look.

"What are you planning to do to me?"

"Nothing. I just think you're strange."

Yuria spoke frankly. Since she had no intention of becoming friends with this girl, she didn't bother holding back.

"You don't seem like someone who belongs here at all."

"Then where should I be?"

Kaishoku Shugaku twirled a strand of hair, giving Yuria a taunting look.

"A dump?"

"A private school for the wealthy."

Yuria said it because she could sense traces of places Shugaku had once been.

"But you don't dress like you belong in one."

Honestly, the biggest mismatch about Kaishoku Shugaku was her bearing and her clothes. They were completely at odds.

"My clothes?"

At that, Kaishoku Shugaku looked down at what she was wearing, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"So you judge people by their clothes?"

She glanced at Yuria's outfit. Yuria, at least, was properly wearing the school uniform.

"Your clothes are even worse. Honestly, I can't believe someone dressed like that would dare stand in front of me and chatter. I don't know where you get the nerve."

"Once your uniform arrives, you'll be dressed like us too."

"Is that so? Even then, I'll look more like a person than you do."

The girl spoke as if putting others down and raising herself up. If that counted as arrogance, she had taken it to the extreme—it had become pure narcissism.

Yuria didn't continue the conversation. She simply took out her phone. The message Miko had told her to expect had arrived. She opened the screen and switched to her chat with Miko. As she read what Yotsuya Miko had sent, her expression changed abruptly.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Yuria merely turned off her phone screen, her expression settling back into its former calm.

"I just realized there's no point talking to you."

Miko's message had been short, just two lines: Kaishoku Shugaku was a psychic, and she might be one of the Shepherds.

Looking at the person in front of her, Yuria's attitude had changed. Her impression of Kaishoku Shugaku had sunk to rock bottom.

After all, Shugaku had never made a good impression on her to begin with.

"Fair enough. I don't feel like talking to someone as mediocre as you either. You've been glaring at me this whole time. I wonder what I ever did to offend you."

She paused, then added,

"Did those people pick on you because of me? Then you really should hate me."

After hearing that, Yuria finally gave up on talking to the unpleasant girl and waited to see what Yotsuya Miko would do next. If Kaishoku Shugaku might be one of the Shepherds, then someone else could deal with her.

Hopefully, she really was one of them.

A misunderstanding?

After giving up on talking to Kaishoku Shugaku, Yuria felt that the atmosphere around her had improved considerably. After all, she was most comfortable doing things on her own, without anyone bothering her.

The afternoon passed quickly, and before long, it was time to leave school.

She looked at the unfinished Straw Rope Doll in her schoolbag and headed toward the fortune-telling shop she'd been planning to visit.

Yuria intended to finish making the Straw Rope Doll that afternoon. With that in mind, she quickened her pace.

Although the existence of the Shepherds and Kaishoku Shugaku made her feel some pressure, she figured an organization like that wouldn't openly come after her at a time like this.

She strolled along the street, thinking about how far away the fortune-telling shop was. It was probably just two or three blocks away; once she crossed them, she'd be there.

But today's route seemed a little unusual.

As she passed an alley, she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

She knew that voice all too well.

Kaishoku Shugaku...

The voice's owner immediately came to mind: the new transfer student, Kaishoku Shugaku. Only someone like her would speak in such a contemptuous tone.

Could she really be one of the Shepherds?

The thought came to her at once. She quickly hid beside the alley, peeking in with half her head. After one glance, she pulled back.

It was definitely Kaishoku Shugaku, though Yuria didn't know what she was doing.

When Yuria peeked out again, a sharp shout rang out, forcing her to duck back.

"Spirit Summoning!"

But it seemed Shugaku hadn't noticed her. She was calling out to something else. After hearing her shout several times, Yuria was finally sure of it, and dared to keep watching.

Kaishoku Shugaku was alone in the alley. There was nothing in front of her—except for several ghostly figures that appeared briefly before vanishing.

Was she exorcising spirits?

Exorcising spirits?

Yuria was stunned. She rubbed the corner of her eye and checked several times before finally accepting that Kaishoku Shugaku really was exorcising spirits. Her level seemed far higher than Yuria's, too. Shugaku was banishing spirits Yuria couldn't see at all—if the scene of her seemingly struggling with thin air really was an exorcism.

But... wasn't this exorcism a little too abrupt?

Yuria grumbled inwardly. It was as though Shugaku had staged the whole thing to intercept her on her usual route. Would the next scene be Shugaku spotting her from outside the alley and kicking off some classic confrontation?

As she thought that, Yuria had already taken out her phone and opened her messages with Yotsuya Miko. If Kaishoku Shugaku really did anything like that, she'd contact Miko and let her handle it.

But after finishing whatever she was doing, Kaishoku Shugaku didn't notice Yuria at all. Instead, she walked toward the other end of the alley, off to who knew where.

Watching the girl ignore the expected script, Yuria was momentarily stunned. She glanced at her phone and finally managed to steady herself.

Since things had turned out this way, she decided to follow her.

Whether Kaishoku Shugaku was one of the Shepherds or not, the fact that she'd appeared on Yuria's route was enough to make her uneasy. She could have asked Yotsuya Miko for help, of course, but that would have been too much trouble for her.

Besides, even if Yuria made a mistake while following her, she could send Miko a message in time. With Yotsuya Miko to back her up, there was no need to panic.

Thinking that, she quickly sent Miko an explanation, then followed Kaishoku Shugaku. Shugaku strolled along at an unhurried pace, with no sense of caution at all. She had no idea she was being followed.

Yotsuya Miko was out shopping with Hana when she stopped laughing and took her phone out of her shoulder bag. She glanced at Yuria's message and paused briefly before shaking her head.

"What's wrong, Miko?"

"Nothing."

She said it with little change in her expression, but then changed the subject.

"Come to think of it, it's been ages since we had Butt Mochi. I wonder if we can get the strawberry flavor."

"Is that right? But it's probably sold out by now. Would another flavor be okay?"

"Sure. Then will you come with me, Hana?"

"Of course! I want some too."

Yuria's actions weren't particularly alarming to Miko. Just as Yuria had a mysterious faith in her, Miko wasn't all that worried about the Shepherds either.

She hadn't learned any techniques meant to deal with cultivators, but the supernatural forces in this world were extremely underdeveloped. From what Takeda Mie had said, the exorcists didn't seem to have a fully established system. They'd focused their supernatural abilities on exorcism, while in other areas they were almost no different from ordinary people. Any cultivator's methods would be highly effective against ordinary people, even if they had guns.

So Miko wasn't especially worried about Yuria's safety. The Amanita Muscaria Charm she'd given her could buy enough time for Miko to come save her. Still, it was necessary to take precautions. What if Kaishoku Shugaku, the person Yuria was following, really was one of the Shepherds, and the organization had methods Miko hadn't anticipated?

Thinking this, she quickened her pace, growing a little worried about Yuria's safety. At least Yuria hadn't been foolish enough to follow Shugaku without sending a message first. If she had, Miko really would have been angry with her.

Meanwhile, Yuria had no idea that Miko was on her way. She continued following Kaishoku Shugaku, her expression growing increasingly strange.

The place Shugaku was heading was all too familiar to Yuria. As they drew closer to a certain high-rise, she grew more and more tense. There was no doubt about it: Shugaku was heading for Yuria's building.

What was she planning?

Yuria gripped her schoolbag tightly. The closer Kaishoku Shugaku got to the building's main entrance, the less Yuria understood. A sense that she'd been seen through and completely exposed rose in her heart. If Shugaku was one of the Shepherds, then it was clear why she knew Yuria's movements so well: the Shepherds had set their sights on her.

For now, Shugaku was only scouting the place. Next, they'd find...

The main entrance suddenly opened, and Kaishoku Shugaku walked inside. Yuria couldn't quite process what she was seeing.

If she hadn't been mistaken, Shugaku seemed to have used a key card to get in.

And having a key card meant...

She owned an apartment here.

Was the Shepherds' organization really that rich?

The thought came to her unconsciously. Then she shook her head and walked up to the building as well, taking out her own key card.

As the main entrance opened, she began to wonder if she'd gotten something wrong.

After all...

She glanced at the building in front of her.

Forget whether the Shepherds had money. Buying an apartment here required all sorts of local paperwork. They wouldn't let you move in until every detail had been checked thoroughly.

There was another way, but that was even less likely.

"So she's actually a rich young lady?"

Yuria murmured, still unable to believe it when she saw Shugaku's clothes. It wasn't that they were ugly; she just seemed not to have given any thought to dressing nicely.

Hana? What are you doing here?