"Whoa~ Eating the crepe while it's hot is so yummy~ The melted chocolate inside it, the crunchy texture, and Young Master's face! We're lucky we have Hino that masters her fire magic completely~," Tama seems to be melting together with the chocolate inside her crepe.
"Wait, what kind of connection do I have with the hot crepe?"
"True, eating this while staring at Young Master made the delicacy doubled, right, Tama?" (Hino)
"What are you saying? Looking at big bro's emotionless face will only make you feel nauseous," The one who said these mean words are no other than my dear little sister, Sachi.
"Sachi... Even as emotionless as I am... Your words still could break my fragile heart, you know...?"
"I don't care," replied her coldly.
H-How mean...
I could hear the sound of my fragile heart scattering, you know?
"The princess is as harsh as usual, huh~" (Tama)
"It's fine, Sachi-Chan. I have the same opinion," (Ao)
"Of course, Ao-Nee. Ah, Ao-Nee~ Could you please recommend me some good drama again? The last drama you gave me is so good that I cried so much, you know~," (Sachi)
"Ah~ The 'Scarlet moon love', right, Sachi-Chan? I have some other masterpieces like that drama, I'll give the list to you later, okay~," (Ao)
"Oi! Don't corrupt my cute sister with your godforsaken drama, you goddamned otaku yokai!"
"Geez. You're so fussy, big bro. Just eat and be quiet there, will you?" Again, my little sister said another harsh word to me.
"S-Sachi..."
"Ah! A critical hit!" (Hari)
"Damage: 9999999 points!" (Tama)
"I-Isn't that too much...?" (Hino)
"You all... Even though I've brought those crepes for all of you..."
*Bzzt!* *Bzzt!*
My phone vibrated.
"Ah? A call, Ray?" (Ao)
"Yeah, from Dexter. You guys can continue, I'll be right back," I went to the balcony and answer the call.
"What is it, Dexter?"
[Sorry for interrupting your night, boss. But there is an urgent report] (Dexter)
"Go on,"
[There is another murder near the Zhongchu high school where you attend!] (Dexter)
"...What did you say? Tell me the details,"
[Rakuzan said that the way the victim got killed is different, but there are the same symbols carved into the corpse's skin] (Dexter)
"I see... So it's a different culprit from before,"
[Yes, boss. They are still looking for more hints, I'll give you the full report when they're done] (Dexter)
"I see. I'll be counting on you, Dexter. For now, since I couldn't count on the onmyojis, deploy all of the yokai under us to guard the whole city. Deploy all of the Baku and ask them to gather information about any suspicious sightings,"
Baku, a yokai with a form of a tapir and devour dreams and nightmares. Dreams and nightmares are connected to people's memories, and they could interpret the dreams, so they're handy for gathering pieces of information.
[Noted. I'll mobilize all of them at once] (Dexter)
"Well, let those who have families guard their families and their region. While mobilizing the yokai who don't have a human form to search through the city,"
[Roger that. I'll report to you if anything happened] (Dexter)
"Yes, I'll be waiting..."
Dexter ended the call.
"A crack in the barrier... An unknown murderer..."
I stared at the night sky as the cold winds of the night hit my body, and vowed.
"No matter who they are if they dare to lay their hands in this city where my family and I live. I will show no mercy,"
___
"Oi. Ray, stop taking your sleeping position and hear me out. I heard that Tachibana and her group experienced a mystical experience yesterday, you know?" Hiroto's voice entered my ears as I've taken my sleeping stance so that I could sleep through the first break.
"Oi! You four-eyes bastard, don't ignore me!" Said him as he pulled my hair.
"Ouch! That's hurt! What do you even want, idiot Hiroto! Aren't you talking to me too much lately? Did your friends finally leave you out!?"
"They don't! And what do you mean by finally, huh? You stupid four-eyes! Anyway, rumors said that Tachibana-san and her group experienced a mystical experience yesterday. The rumors said that they fainted together inside that dark and scary abandoned mansion near the academy, you know?" (Hiroto)
"I don't know, I don't care. And what kind of people got fainted inside a dark and scary abandoned mansion together anyway,"
"Hohohoho! It turns out that there is someone who saw them entering the mansion. Since it's a guy, he thought that they're going to do lewd things inside the abandoned mansion so it said that he follows them stealthily," (Hiroto)
I didn't sense anyone other than Mark, though. I bet the rumor must be spread with some means from that guy.
"But this rumor made some controversial argument between some people. You know that Tachibana and Takabana are pure and cheerful, and Arazuka and Utaru are famous amongst the girls as well. And the four of them had been close since junior high school," (Hiroto)
"I don't know, I don't care,"
"And there are some rumors going on that said that they're secretly going out with each other. And that's the reason why there are lots of people who believe that they're going to the mansion to do lewd things," (Hiroto)
Still continuing, huh...? But what a nasty rumor...
"So? Which one do you think is true? They said that they're going to have a test of courage like they used to do when they were kids. But they're still too close to each other so don't you think there is a possibility of them doing that?" Asked Hiroto.
"Who cares whether they really do it or not. We should leave it at 'it's lucky they're found well even though they fainted together inside the scary mansion and nothing bad happened', don't you think?"
"Pfft! What the hell with that, dude? Are you their father or something? But well, that's why I'm comfortable talking to you, you're too kind, Ray. Just why the hell could that rumor of your middle school life appear anyway?" (Hiroto)
The rumor Hiroto meant is definitely the same as what the ice mannequin witch mentioned. The case where I almost 'killed' several students.
"The hell, man. I'm not gay,"
Rumors.
A spreading malice, one of the most delicious foods yokai could feed when they're inside a school.
No matter how tight-lipped the academy is and how they will protect a student's privacy at a whole different level, the students are not as tight-lipped as to the academy. As long as the students share the rumors themselves, the information will still spread.
And one of the worst experiences to experience at high school is having a rumor about yourself. And that is something that is currently happening towards the princess and her friends.
"But you see, If it's Tachibana alone, I believe that people will ignore the rumors because she's too kind. Bat Takabana, Utaru, and Arazuka are different. The three of them are you know, kind of like that they..." (Hiroto)
"Kind of annoying,"
People who thought of themselves as a person standing at the top of the social hierarchy.
"Y-You really have no restraints, aren't you...?" said Hiroto with a wry smile.
"You too. You often talk with them and you're talking behind their back like this. Know some shame, stupid Hiroto,"
"Hahaha! Well, that's not wrong, though. But... That rumor really makes the class feels so awkward, don't you think?" (Hiroto)
I see... That's why he's talking to me right now, huh.
I slightly raise my head as I observe the class. The princess's group is currently conversing with Hiroto's friends that usually eat lunch together with him. They look like they're trapped to have a conversation there rather than having a friendly conversation.
Well, that's normal since talking together with someone with a bad rumor going on about him/her will make you look bad as well.
So Hiroto is bothering me right now to use me as his shield, huh...?
"Hiroto... I'm not your shield, you bastard,"
"Hehehe! Don't mind me, don't mind me," (Hiroto)
"How could I don't! You're the one who keeps on bothering me anyway!"
"Don't be so mean, Ray. I'm your friend, aren't I," (Hiroto)
*Sigh*
I let out a small sigh.
I once again observe the class.
As someone who is enjoying the fact that they're on the top of the social hierarchy, having such a bad rumor about them must be hell. The classroom is having an awkward atmosphere too because of it. The other classmates are avoiding the princess's group and ignoring them.
Ao is... She had gone to the canteen together with her friends, huh?
"Well, it's about time..." I muttered to myself.
"Eh? What time?" Asked Hiroto, confused.
And as I've anticipated, the sound of steps that slowly gets closer entered my ears.
"T-Takabana?" (Hiroto)
"Hey, Four-eyes," A haughty voice sounded from my right side.
I raise my head and saw the curly brown-haired girl staring daggers at me.
"Yes?" I asked indifferently.
"You. You're the one who spread that nasty rumor about my friends and me, right!?"