After all, humans are social animals and need to interact with others.
Even someone as socially anxious as Bocchi can still vent her surplus desire for communication online.
Of course, there are indeed people in this world who can truly endure loneliness, but a young girl like Mizusaki Aki clearly doesn't have that kind of mindset.
Only a few days into her dull and tasteless ghost life, and she was already fed up.
No phone, no internet, the days were just too hard to bear. Thinking that this kind of daily life might continue for a month, a year, ten years…
The future was pure darkness.
It was one thing when she had no choice before, but now that she finally encountered a real and skilled exorcist, of course she couldn't let such a great opportunity slip by.
She wanted to reincarnate. She wanted to transmigrate. She wanted to become a princess.
"I know this request might be a bit presumptuous...", Mizusaki Aki bit her lip and said seriously, "So, I can pay!"
"But aren't you currently a spirit? Where would you get money from?", Yumiko Miura couldn't help but interrupt.
"Right now, I don't have any," Mizusaki Aki put her palms together sincerely and said, "But my family has some modest assets, definitely enough to offer a reward that would satisfy Lord Kaito."
The Mizusaki family couldn't be considered a top-level wealthy household, but they did have assets worth several billion yen. Not the best, but certainly not the worst.
As the only daughter of the Mizusaki family, Mizusaki Aki was deeply loved by her mother.
As for her father… her parents divorced when she was very young, and he now had another family.
A business that came knocking on the door, Kaito had no reason to refuse.
He really liked generous clients, so he simply nodded, "I'll take this commission."
"Thank you so much, Lord Kaito!"
Mizusaki Aki bowed deeply, then when she lifted her head, she seemed a little hesitant again, "Actually, I have one last, small wish…"
"Before I pass on, may I trouble Lord Kaito to let me see my mother one last time?"
If, after losing that competition back then, she hadn't taken it out on her mom, hadn't had a huge fight and then come to school alone to practice piano, would the ending have been different?
Her life was already nearing the other shore.
But some guilt, no matter what, Mizusaki Aki still wanted to find her mom and apologize to her.
Generally speaking, as a bound spirit, Mizusaki Aki's soul was tightly locked. With her obsession unresolved, she couldn't leave this music classroom.
However, this wasn't a problem for Kaito.
There were many ways to help Mizusaki Aki break free from the chains on her soul.
The simplest method was brute force. Using great spiritual power to forcibly cut off the invisible chains binding her.
Alternatively, he could choose a suitable person to act as a medium for possession.
Mizusaki Aki could temporarily return to life using someone else's body, and of course then she could leave the music classroom.
In fact, even before Kaito came, Mizusaki Aki could control Nagasaki Soyo's body and leave the room to do what she wanted.
But due to past experiences, she had imposed a mental seal on herself, thinking she 'absolutely couldn't leave,' so she never even considered it.
"In that case…", Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Soyo let out a soft breath, "Why not let Mizusaki-senpai use my body one more time?"
Also had parents who divorced when she was young. Also lived with her mom.
Mizusaki Aki's situation always reminded her of herself, so Soyo could deeply empathize.
The brute force method sounded simple, but it gave off a crude feeling. She was a bit worried something might go wrong.
By comparison, the latter method clearly seemed gentler.
Although ghost possession harms the body, if spiritual energy is replenished in time, the side effects aren't too severe, just some fatigue.
Since even Soyo herself didn't mind, Kaito naturally had nothing more to say, "Then let's do that. But, for the sake of your body, it's best if you hold onto my wrist."
Passing spiritual energy over and over again was too troublesome.
In folk legends, even boy's urine and black dog's blood had some exorcising effect, let alone a former Nascent Soul Heaven Lord?
Even with just simple physical contact, the yang energy radiating from his body was enough to neutralize the side effects of ghost possession.
"Th-this way?", Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face flushed slightly, shyly said, "W-wouldn't that be too forward with Lord Kaito?"
She had always gone to an all-girls school, and had never had close contact with boys her age.
But…
She secretly lifted her head, and used the corner of her eye to glance at that soul-stirringly handsome face.
Nagasaki Soyo quietly clutched her chest.
'Maybe… it's not so bad?'
"Actually, I can do it too!", Yumiko Miura raised her hand, 'This kind of open, upright chance to take advantage of… ahem, I mean, a good opportunity to act bravely. How could I possibly turn it down!'
Off to the side, Bocchi also weakly echoed, "M-me too…"
Kaito was a little speechless.
'You guys think being possessed by a ghost is a good gig or something?'
'Why are you all fighting over it?'
"Thank you both for your kindness, but with Nagasaki-kouhai's help, it's already enough," Mizusaki Aki already felt guilty toward Soyo, and now she was reciprocating the favor and fiercely wing-manning her.
Since even the person involved said so, the matter was settled.
Moments later.
Mizusaki Aki's soul floated in front of Nagasaki Soyo, and gradually merged into her…
Perhaps because she already had possession experience, nothing went wrong.
Soyo remained conscious and could perceive the outside world, but control of her body had shifted to Mizusaki Aki.
And just as Kaito said, after possessing Soyo, Mizusaki Aki tentatively controlled the girl's body and took a step outside the door.
But this time, the force that once trapped her here didn't appear.
However, after possession, Nagasaki Soyo's spiritual energy rapidly depleted. If it wasn't replenished in time, it would be exhausted in about an hour. She wouldn't die, but she'd probably fall seriously ill, and Mizusaki Aki would also be expelled.
To avoid that outcome, Mizusaki Aki acted swiftly and grabbed Kaito's hand.
As soon as their skin touched, a magical warmth spread through her entire body, lifting her spirits.
'It really workes!'
Mizusaki Aki instinctively tightened her grip on Kaito's hand. Already very close, now they interlocked fingers completely.
'W-what a strange feeling…'
Although her body was being controlled by Mizusaki, Soyo still retained sensation. Everything Mizusaki Aki felt, she could feel too.
Her parents divorced when she was young, and she grew up with her mom, having had very little contact with boys.
This was her first time holding hands with a boy her age. Fingers interlocked at that.
'It is practically… just like a real couple.'
'Didn't he say just to grab his wrist?'
On the other side, staring at the two's interlocked fingers, Yumiko Miura's mood was very complicated.
'I clearly came first…'
'Whether it is knowing him longer, or joining the club first…'
'And yet now the fruit was picked by this Nagasaki Soyo. So hard to let go.'
But she didn't seem to have much ground to stop it, so she exchanged glances with Bocchi, a sort of mutual understanding between defeated dogs…
'Ptu! Ptu! Ptu! Who're you calling a defeated dog, huh?'
'Classmates and clubmates, don't you know how valuable it is to be close to the water and get the moon first?'
'That Nagasaki Soyo is just a background character. Nothing to fear!'
'This round, the advantage is mine!'
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