"You're getting nosebleeds? You two are such wimps!" Suzumiya Haruhi ran over with a swim ring in her arms, frowning slightly at the two boys clutching their noses. She had clearly misunderstood something...
In the sunlight, droplets of water glistened on the girl's smooth, fair skin. Her perfectly slim figure made the swimsuit look like it had been made just for her.
"Looks like I have good taste," Jiu Ming muttered. He made no effort to hide his gaze as he admired the girl. It was purely appreciation...
"Are you flattering me?" The girl's frown softened into a smile. She put her hands on her hips, radiating youthful energy.
"No, I mean the swimsuit."
Crack!
A cross-shaped bump appeared on Suzumiya Haruhi's forehead. "No wonder you'll be single for the rest of your life!"
"You're actually right about that. I really will be single for the rest of my life." Jiu Ming didn't shy away from the subject; he even joked about himself. He'd barely had any contact with women in his life. Aside from his family, there had only been a few nurses.
"Shut up!" Suzumiya Haruhi shot an annoyed look at the two boxes beside her. She ignored the beer, grabbed a bottle of soda, popped the cap, and gulped it down. Before Kyon could stop her, she had already drunk half the bottle.
"Hey, hey, if you drink too much of that, you'll get a nosebleed..."
"Ahh, delicious!" Her eyes lit up. It was clear she liked the drink that left her feeling full of energy. Hearing Kyon, she turned to him with a scornful look. "Stop using your youthful hormones as an excuse."
Kyon sighed helplessly. Was he really just an ordinary person after all?
Why wasn't Suzumiya Haruhi affected at all?!
Now that her energy was back, Suzumiya Haruhi quickly forgot what had upset her. She ran back to the beach and resumed teasing the timid, busty girl.
Seeing this, Jiu Ming muttered, "Youth is wonderful."
"You're not drinking?" Kyon and Itsuki Koizumi felt an odd sense of dissonance as they watched Jiu Ming basking lazily in the sun with his eyes closed. Weren't ghosts supposed to be afraid of sunlight?
But look at him, enjoying himself like that. Who was he kidding?!
"Oh, right. Ghosts aren't supposed to be able to eat." Jiu Ming gave him a scornful look. Having been teased so many times, Kyon hurriedly added, "Maybe you can just smell the food?"
"Who told you that nonsense?" Jiu Ming rolled his eyes and replied sourly. He really couldn't eat. The idea that ghosts could enjoy food just by smelling it was no more than a consolation prize, and he wasn't even a ghost.
After bleeding from their noses for a good while, the two finally recovered. "Phew, that's better. Still, I think public beaches have a much nicer atmosphere."
"That's probably because there are so few people here," Itsuki Koizumi replied with a smile, glancing briefly at Jiu Ming's expression.
"Yeah... I don't mind if you bring more people." Noticing his look, Jiu Ming waved a hand. "It's usually pretty empty here anyway..."
"That sounds like a pretty lonely thing to say," Kyon muttered. "If there were more people..."
"It's fine. You're the ones paying the 'admission fee' to come here, so I don't lose a thing." Jiu Ming's answer left Kyon staring at him in surprise for a moment. When he put it that way, it was true!
This place wasn't like someone's home, where you could just drop by and hang out without worrying about anything. To come here, you had to pay some kind of... 'Origin' or whatever it was.
"Come to think of it, I'm still confused about that 'Origin' you mentioned. How do I get it?"
"Origin... It includes the Origin Power of all things." Seeing Kyon's bewildered expression, Jiu Ming waved a hand. "Figure it out yourself. It takes insight. And here's a tip if you want to get some: take that Invitation Card to a power station. Maybe you can steal some electricity and convert it."
"Hey! You shouldn't encourage people to commit crimes!"
"Right! I've decided. This place will be our main base during summer vacation! My deputy Regiment Leader, can you change the scenery?"
"Deputy Regiment Leader... What's that supposed to be?" Jiu Ming shook his head. "I can't change it. At least, not today. Also, coming here probably costs you quite a bit, so don't be too extravagant... Fine, forget I said anything!"
The reason was simple: Jiu Ming had seen the number on the Invitation Card jump when Suzumiya Haruhi pulled it out. It hadn't gone up by much, but he could tell that if she wanted to, she could max out the card!
"What cost? Your Regiment Leader can apparently have as much as she wants."
Jiu Ming's mouth twitched. "Ahem. Anyway, don't let the number go over three digits, or the card will break."
With no other choice, Jiu Ming quickly came up with an excuse, then sincerely praised her. "You're really amazing!"
"Hmph." Suzumiya Haruhi folded her arms and smiled smugly. Before she could say anything, the World Crossing Gate appeared in an open space nearby.
Along with a hundred more points of "revenue," a familiar figure stepped out—familiar golden hair and all. This time, she hadn't come with any hostile intent. But since so little time had passed, Jiu Ming guessed Yakumo Yukari was just testing how the Invitation Card worked.
"Heh, has the little shopkeeper moved?" Yakumo Yukari looked around in mild surprise. The scenery here was different from the last time she'd visited.
"Of course not. I just changed the place so my guests could relax." Jiu Ming smiled and took a couple of steps forward, casually positioning himself in front of Suzumiya Haruhi and the others. Apparently, the Mysterious Shop didn't protect guests from attacking one another.
Humans? Yakumo Yukari's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked past Jiu Ming at Suzumiya Haruhi and the others. A faint, eerie smile appeared at the corner of her lips. But when she saw Suzumiya Haruhi and Nagato Yuki, a trace of puzzlement flickered in her eyes. Those two girls were a little strange.
"Be careful. That girl isn't simple." Noticing Jiu Ming's actions, Itsuki Koizumi let his smile fade. He spoke quietly to Kyon. The eerie smile she had suddenly shown sent a chill down his spine.
"Hm?" Kyon didn't understand. What made her so special? Her chest size? Ahem!
"Didn't you notice how even the shopkeeper, who's been so laid-back this whole time, suddenly got serious?" Itsuki Koizumi quietly reminded him. His voice was so low that only the taciturn Nagato Yuki and Kyon heard him. Suzumiya Haruhi and Asahina Mikuru didn't.
The former would probably start making a scene without a second thought if she heard. The latter... well, she was best treated as a cute little mascot!
"!? You're right." Kyon took a careful look at Jiu Ming's back. That drowsy, languid air of his—the kind that seemed to affect everyone around him—had been replaced by seriousness.
And the way he was standing... Was he protecting them? For some reason, when Kyon looked at the voluptuous girl who had suddenly appeared, he felt a heavy pressure. It was as if she were his natural enemy. He could almost hear terrifying roars in his ears, like countless people screaming in agony at the moment of their deaths.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead... Am I going to die?!
Kyon couldn't help thinking that as his whole body went rigid.
"Ahem. Don't scare off my potential customers."
With a light cough, the roars in Kyon's ears instantly vanished. He regained control of his body and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He wanted to lie down and gasp for breath. Itsuki Koizumi was in no better shape. As for Mikuru, she had already collapsed onto the ground in fright.
The only ones who seemed normal were Nagato Yuki, Jiu Ming, whose face was still serious, and Suzumiya Haruhi, who was watching them in a strange state.
"Why did you three suddenly go all glassy-eyed and start sweating? Did you get heatstroke?"
What nerves she had. Kyon gave a wry smile and looked at Jiu Ming. He was the one who had spoken just now.
"Mental Defense construct complete. This type of situation will not occur again."
As Kyon was wondering what to say, Nagato Yuki suddenly spoke.
"Little shopkeeper, do you think it's worth offending me for the sake of a few ordinary humans?" Yakumo Yukari stared straight at Jiu Ming, smiling coldly in a way that sent chills through Suzumiya Haruhi and the others.
Suzumiya Haruhi seemed to realize something too and, unusually, fell silent.
"A tiny bit of pressure was all it took to scare them like that. Why would you think they're worth caring about?"
A tiny bit of pressure... Kyon's mouth twitched. Hey, was she bluffing? And if she wasn't, could that pressure have scared him to death just now?!
Just who was this girl? She was dangerous.
"Since you're not a hostile guest, it's my duty to ensure their safety!" Jiu Ming met her gaze without flinching.
"Oh? Even from me?"
"If someone here could threaten you, then of course!" Jiu Ming answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Heh, heh." Yakumo Yukari somehow produced a folding fan and covered her lips with it as she gave a mysterious laugh. "You're still too weak, little shopkeeper. Take care of yourself."
After giving Suzumiya Haruhi and the others a look that said they were lucky, she walked back through the still-open gate. She had only come to test the Invitation Card.
"Phew... Who was she?" Kyon let out a long breath and helped Asahina Mikuru up from the ground, asking with lingering fear.
"Who was that big-chested woman?" Suzumiya Haruhi asked at almost exactly the same time as Kyon.
"A youkai from another world. She seems to dislike humans," Jiu Ming explained with a sigh of relief.
"A youkai?!"
"...Stop looking so excited. She's the kind that kills and eats people. Don't be fooled by how cute she is." Jiu Ming's mouth twitched as Suzumiya Haruhi tried to leap up. He pressed her back down. "She's vicious."
And he wasn't exaggerating. The first time they met, she'd nearly killed him without a word. Anyone else would already have been reincarnated by now.
Before you continue