Fujino (Bonus) / Everyday Life at the Agency

"You're clearly a Magecraft, but you're such a pushover. I don't know what to say about you."

Touko Aozaki looked at her friend, whom she had known for some time, and shook her head, unsure of what to say. If she wanted to help Fujino Asagami predicament, she should have just said so; why did she have to go through all this trouble?

"After all, you're so famous. When the Asagami Family sees you come to their door, they might just offer Fujino Asagami up right away."

Once his act was exposed, Wang Xiaoming stopped trying to outdo his clumsy acting and simply shrugged in response.

"However, let me make this clear from the start: if Fujino Asagami's Mystic Eyes aren't enough to sway me, then I won't make a move."

Please rest assured about that.

Wang Xiaoming responded confidently.

"But speaking of which..."

Just as Touko Aozaki was about to leave, she suddenly turned back and looked Wang Xiaoming up and down with a playful gaze. "Why do you know so much about the young lady from Asagami Construction? Could it be—"

"Well, journalists, they know more than others, don't they?"

The meaningful tone sent a chill down Wang Xiaoming's spine, so he just chuckled casually.

"Well, I'm a journalist who does it out of interest, right? Hahaha~ Hahaha~"

Please, angels, have mercy! Orz After all, you're not Demon, are you? QwQ

Chapter 158. Fujino Asagami (Supplement)

How is she?

Late at night, Wang Xiaoming, who was waiting outside the Magecraft workshop, approached Touko Aozaki and asked her a question after she came out.

"Ah, just as you said, her [painlessness] is indeed caused by human intervention. No, according to the current medical definition, it's not painlessness at all."

Touko Aozaki took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and after taking a deep drag, slowly answered Wang Xiaoming's question.

--The so-called analgesia refers to congenital loss of pain sensation, and Fujino Asagami's situation does not fall into the category of analgesia at all. During the examination just now, Touko Aozaki had already discovered that Fujino Asagami's loss of pain sensation was not a disease at all, but was simply suppressed by medication.

"Once she stops taking the medication, her pain sensation will gradually return in a short time. Although her body has suffered some irreversible damage due to long-term medication... however, compared to that, the cause of the medication—the lesions in her eyes—is the priority that needs to be addressed."

"It seems to be neuromyelitis optica."

Wang Xiaoming instinctively replied after recalling some information deep in his memory, but was immediately silenced by Touko Aozaki's glare, which carried a hint of murderous intent.

"After all, I'm a journalist. Investigating things that nobody knows is no problem for me, right?"

Seeing Wang Xiaoming's evasive answer, Touko Aozaki sighed and dropped the matter. She now understood that unless Wang Xiaoming was willing to talk, she couldn't get anything out of him.

"So, can this be cured?"

Seeing Touko Aozaki smoking by herself, Wang Xiaoming skipped the previous topic and continued to ask about Fujino Asagami's situation.

Who do you think I am?

Touko Aozaki glanced at Wang Xiaoming out of the corner of her eye, a disdainful smile playing on her lips.

As Grand Puppeteer, Aozaki Touko can even recreate human bodies, which shows her understanding of human anatomy. Although she is not a doctor, her medical skills are more advanced than any doctor's.

A mere eye ailment is hardly worth mentioning. As for the damage to the body caused by long-term medication?

To Touko Aozaki, the divine healer, it was just a trivial matter that she dealt with casually.

One month later--

During this period, Touko Aozaki + completed negotiations with the Asakami clan.

As a branch family of the Asakami Clan, a family of exorcists from the original Nagano region, the Asagami clan naturally has its own unique way of contacting the [mystical side], and it is certainly not so "ignorant" as to not have heard of the name [Aozaki Touko].

Therefore, upon receiving Touko Aozaki's invitation, it was delivered to the head of the family immediately.

However, to the surprise of the Asakami clan, Touko Aozaki only made one request—

Hand over "Asakami Fujino".

His arrogance as a high-ranking Magecraft is evident between the lines.

Originally, after the Asagami Family went bankrupt, the branch family Asagami assumed the Asagami family's debts on the condition of land ownership. They also required the wife of the Asagami Family head to remarry and join the Asagami Family.

Everything was planned out, but what the head of the Asagami Family didn't expect was that when this woman married into the family, she also brought along "Asakami Fujino," a burden she didn't expect.

The decline of the Asakami Clan was ultimately their own doing. Originally a renowned exorcising family, they raised captured demons as guardian spirits. As a result, the Asagami, who should have possessed exorcising blood, became mixed with demonic elements. Through this continuous mixing, the Asagami bloodline thinned, and the clan's downfall was related to this. Demons possess the power to distort nature, and those carrying demonic elements may exhibit "superpowers," which is the source of Fujino Asagami's "superpowers."

Ironically, despite being the ones who introduced the [demon], the Asagami Family harbored deep prejudice against this power.

Since the main family holds this view, Asagami, a member of the branch family with a prominent position in society, naturally harbors great resentment towards this ability. However, since the person has already arrived, Asagami is too embarrassed to send Fujino Asagami back for the sake of the family's reputation, so she can only continue to use painkillers to seal Fujino Asagami's ability.

And from then on, she stopped paying attention to any of Fujino Asagami's actions, treating her as if she were invisible.

Now, someone actually wants to take over Fujino Asagami, this "hot potato," and the Asagami Family, who are eager for Fujino Asagami to sever ties with her family, immediately agree.

At this moment, inside Aozaki Office

Sitting opposite Touko Aozaki was a middle-aged man who looked quite dignified, but under the imposing aura of Touko Aozaki, who wasn't wearing glasses, he lowered his proud head. The man was the president of Asagami Construction, who was also Fujino Asagami's current "father".

To demonstrate the importance the family attaches to the transfer of "Asakami Fujino" to the Grand Puppeteer, the current head of the Asagami family, Asagami Kozo Yasuzo, came to Touko Aozaki's agency to discuss the matter. However, judging from Asagami Kozo's humiliated appearance, he clearly did not gain any advantage in this "confrontation."

"Then I won't deliver it."

After pretending to adjust glasses that weren't actually on her nose, Touko Aozaki picked up the contract that had just been signed on the table, glanced at it, and finding no errors, gave the guest sitting opposite her a "leave the room" notice.

"In that case, I'll leave my daughter in your care from now on."

There was a hint of resentment in Asagami Kozo's tone, but due to the prestige of the title of [Grand Puppeteer], he had no choice but to get up and leave.

Only after the figure had completely disappeared outside the office did Aozaki Touko breathe a sigh of relief. She pinched the bridge of her nose, put on her glasses, took out a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled.

Why should you help me?

The sudden sound from behind interrupted Touko Aozaki's inexplicable thoughts. Turning around, she saw Fujino Asagami standing right behind her, staring blankly at her.

However, compared to before, her overall complexion is much better.

After all, under Touko Aozaki's "treatment" over the past month, Fujino Asagami's "neuromyelitis optica" has almost completely healed, and the damage to her body caused by long-term medication has also been largely recovered.

"Help?"

Upon hearing Fujino Asagami's question, Touko Aozaki shook her head and gave a noncommittal smile, "I'm just interested in your power."

"Strength?"

Touko Aozaki's words reminded Fujino Asagami of herself when she was a child, and the strange looks she received from everyone around her after she accidentally twisted a spoon with her eyes.

"You... don't you hate this ability?"

"Hate?"

Upon hearing Fujino Asagami's words, Touko Aozaki seemed unable to resist standing up and walking to the window to gaze at the outside world.

"That's just the prejudice of the ignorant. We're destined to be different from them, so why should we care about their opinions?" What Touko Aozaki said next was no longer important; Fujino Asagami's empty and desolate heart was filled by Touko Aozaki's unintentional use of the word "we."

Having been disliked since childhood, never being needed by anyone, and unable to even feel her own existence, this was the first time Fujino Asagami had been "recognized" like this.

"Miss Aozaki!"

"W-what's wrong?"

Suddenly interrupted by Fujino Asagami's imposing voice, Touko Aozaki paused slightly and subconsciously asked a question in return.

"What should I do next?"

Touko Aozaki carefully observed Fujino Asagami, and with her keen observation, she noticed that the girl in front of her seemed to possess a new kind of "vitality" compared to before.

After a moment's thought, Touko Aozaki roughly understood what had happened to Fujino Asagami:

"Then I'll leave the office cleaning to you from now on, okay?"

"No problem."

Upon hearing

Oh, right.

Watching Fujino Asagami's retreating figure, Touko Aozaki seemed to have thought of something and suddenly called out to her.

"?"

The girl who turned around again had a slightly puzzled look on her face.

"Please take care of me from now on."

Touko Aozaki flicked the cigarette that had been dangling from her mouth out the window and turned to the girl.

"... Yes, please guide me!"

Bright sunlight streamed through the glass and fell on Fujino Asagami's face. The girl gazed at the faint smoke filling the room, which, like the gloom in her heart, gradually dissipated in the warm sunlight.

There will be more tonight.

Chapter 159. Daily Life in the Firm

"Mr. Ming, your tea."

Inside Aozaki Office, Fujino Asagami, who had just come out of the kitchen, handed a cup of tea to Wang Xiaoming, who was slumped on the sofa.

"Ah, thank you so much!"

Wang Xiaoming thanked Fujino Asagami after accepting the tea, but this scene displeased another person present.

"I said, can you please stop ordering my employees around like that?"

Sitting behind her desk, Touko Aozaki stared at someone slurping their tea like an old cadre with the same look one would give a salted fish.

"No, this has nothing to do with Mr. Ming. I offered to serve the tea."

Before Wang Xiaoming could speak, Fujino Asagami, who was standing to the side, quickly spoke up to explain.

Since deciding to become Touko Aozaki's employee, this period has been the happiest, most carefree, and most relaxed time Fujino Asagami has experienced in over a decade.

Not only did I regain my sense of pain, but I also experienced the feeling of being cared for for the first time.

Miss Touko Aozaki, Mr. Akira, Sakura, and Shirou all care about her, especially Miss Touko Aozaki. Although she always appears cold and sarcastic, Fujino Asagami clearly senses that during their time together, Touko Aozaki would occasionally "unintentionally" inquire about her situation.

This is probably what Mr. Ming secretly tells himself as "tsundere."

There is no discrimination or hatred here, only equality and respect.

It was precisely because of this that Fujino Asagami's wounded yet still yearning-for-warmth heart quickly succumbed. She loved this place, and she wanted to stay in this warm place forever.

That's why Fujino Asagami quickly stepped in to mediate when Touko Aozaki and Wang Xiaoming were arguing.

"It's nothing, Miss Touko Aozaki and I were just joking."

Seeing Touko Aozaki's helpless expression, Wang Xiaoming suppressed a laugh and stepped forward to explain to Fujino Asagami.

"Uh... yes, like he said, we were just joking."

Faced with Fujino Asagami's probing gaze, even Touko Aozaki, who was furious, couldn't lash out and could only reluctantly agree with Wang Xiaoming's words.

"Is that how it is--"

Fujino Asagami smiled with relief upon receiving the answer.

"Oh, right, Ms. Fujino Asagami-- "

Wang Xiaoming glanced at the time, then seemed to suddenly remember something and called out to Fujino Asagami was about to leave:

"Judging by the time, Shirou and Sakura should be getting out of school soon. Could you please pick them up for me?"

"... OK."

Fujino Asagami first turned her gaze towards Touko Aozaki, and after receiving a "think it over" look, Fujino Asagami nodded in agreement to Wang Xiaoming's request. Then she turned and left the office.

They didn't even ask where the two children went to school; it seems this isn't the first time they've received a request to pick them up.