"Of course, it's also okay if you don't agree."
Miura Yumiko kept carefully watching Kaito's expression, "The extra two million yen… just think of it as my little token of appreciation…"
She really wanted to cling to this golden thigh.
Even if nothing could happen between them, she at least wanted to maintain a good relationship.
After all, ordinary people facing evil spirits were as weak as babies, with no power to resist.
Although the long-haired evil spirit had been easily burned to ashes by Kaito's fire spell, Yumiko didn't think the spirit was actually some weak small fry.
Just its special effects when appearing, able to block electronic signals and control temperature, put it at least on the elite boss level in horror games, the kind with dedicated CG scenes.
No one ever knew when they might have bad luck and run into the supernatural.
Yumiko was just a freshman in college. Her life was still long ahead of her, and she couldn't guarantee she'd never encounter another terrifying evil spirit again.
Though there were many shrines and temples around Tokyo, who knew how many frauds were among them?
Meeting a truly capable spiritualist was a rare and lucky fate. Definitely not someone you should let slip away easily.
"Actually, you don't need to worry," Kaito casually glanced around the room and said, "The only evil spirit is already dead. There's no trace of any others here."
Evil spirits in this world were still quite rare, not some common thing you'd bump into on every street corner.
Most people probably wouldn't even encounter one in their entire lifetime, never seeing the other side of the world even at death.
That said, fear had always been a primal instinct of humans. Something not easily overcome.
Just like how everyone knows the ghosts in haunted houses are just staff in costume, but people still get scared.
Not to mention, Yumiko had encountered a real evil spirit.
"Forget it," Looking at the girl still wearing that bitter, pitiful expression, Kaito shook his head, "It's fine if I stay here for a night. Do you have a guest room ready?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Of course there is!"
Yumiko lit up with joy, her little head nodding furiously, almost shaking her brains loose.
Her voice was bright and lively, eyes sparkling, "Kaito-senpai, please follow me!"
———
The guest room wasn't anything special.
Although it was clean and tidy, with brand new bedding, perhaps because no one had lived in it before, it looked more like a hotel room. Lacking a sense of home.
After confirming the location of the room, Kaito returned to the living room.
As for Miura Yumiko…
The girl was currently showering in the bathroom.
She had been so flustered when the long-haired spirit appeared, but once it was gone, she realized, belatedly, that she'd broken out in cold sweat. Add in the incident at the clubroom that afternoon. In short, her current condition could be summed up in six words: Strong smell, no need to elaborate.
Though it wasn't exactly unpleasant, and to certain people with… specific tastes, it might even be stimulating.
But Kaito clearly didn't have that kind of weird kink.
To maintain her image, a shower was essential.
The process was calm and uneventful. None of those cliché romantic-comedy accidents like "forgot the towel" or "slipped in the bathroom."
By the time Yumiko came out, more than half an hour had passed, and that was only because she didn't take time to dry and care for her waist-length blonde hair, worried Kaito would wait too long.
Otherwise, double the time would've been normal.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kurumizaka-senpai," The girl had changed into a white camisole, revealing her pale shoulders and arms, her round chest forming a beautiful curve.
Below, she wore simple denim hotpants, exposing two long, snow-white legs like chopsticks.
Since she'd just gotten out of the shower, her skin was crystal clear with a few drops of water still clinging to it. Like a lotus emerging from clear water.
But even with this cool and refreshing outfit, Kaito only gave her a casual glance before looking away.
Yumiko was a little disappointed by his reaction.
Though she looked like the perfect example of a "gyaru" girl, blonde, fashionable, outgoing. Deep down, she was quite conservative. She'd never even held hands with a boy before.
Even when going out, she didn't wear revealing clothes. This camisole and hotpants combo was something she only wore when home alone.
She thought she could reclaim her image as a goddess this way, but Kaito's indifference made her doubt her charm.
'Aren't boys this age supposed to be full of youthful passion?'
Still, Yumiko quickly perked up again, determined to take a different approach.
Her mom once said: ("If you want to win a man's heart, first win his stomach.")
And she deeply agreed.
So, excitedly, she put on an apron, planning to let Kaito-senpai taste her cooking.
But Yumiko clearly didn't have much cooking experience.
Before entering the kitchen, she was full of confidence. Even patting her chest, saying she'd give him a surprise.
Then she couldn't even figure out how to use a kitchen knife, and when trying to julienne a potato, she cut her hand instead. It was hard to watch.
"Um… looks like I messed up."
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep. After disinfecting, Yumiko carefully covered it with a band-aid.
The girl looked embarrassed, scratching her cheek awkwardly, "How about… I change clothes, and we go out to eat instead?"
Watching all those cooking videos gave her the false sense that cooking was easy.
But actually doing it, she realized how hard it was. She wanted to julienne potatoes, but what she ended up with looked more like potato chunks, didn't it?
"Forget it. I'll do it," Kaito thought for a moment and rejected her suggestion.
Even though Yumiko's cooking skills were… painful to watch, her house was well-stocked with ingredients, which made his fingers itch to cook.
———
'So, so skilled!'
Watching Kaito-senpai put on an apron and walk into the kitchen, Yumiko covered her mouth softly in amazement, her emerald eyes full of awe.
All kinds of heavy kitchen tools seemed to obey his every command.
Even the way he stroked the cutting board looked like a king inspecting his domain.
She couldn't help but feel that, if Kaito-senpai were to suddenly shout "Pots and pans, submit to me!" it wouldn't feel out of place at all.
And also…
'S-so handsome!'
If his usual demeanor was elegant and reserved like a lazy, noble lion-cat, then now, wearing an apron and seriously cooking, he had an irresistible "husband aura."
Soft white lighting shone on his face, like an angel bowing to gently kiss his cheek.
Miura Yumiko leaned quietly against the doorway, staring without blinking, nearly greedy with admiration.
Who knew how much time passed, until her legs even started going numb, before the beautiful boy, wearing a cat-themed apron, finally stopped and smiled softly, "All done."
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