"Haruto-kun, leave Shizuka to me."
After Mafuyu whispered, she turned and helped Hiratsuka stand up. "Shizuka, let's go."
"Sorry for the trouble."
"Hmm~"
As Shizuka stood, her legs suddenly gave way, and her entire body leaned on Mafuyu.
"She's so heavy." Mafuyu silently bit her lip.
As might expect, once someone is drunk, they experience dizziness. It's difficult to stand, let alone walk!
So, almost all of Hiratsuka's weight was on Mafuyu, and she had to support her to keep her from falling. As a result, it was quite a struggle to help her walk.
"I'll do it!"
Haruto reached out to take hold of Hiratsuka. At this point, there was no need to worry about boundaries between men and women.
But he couldn't help but complain, "Didn't you say you weren't drunk?"
"It's just that my legs went numb after sitting for so long."
Hiratsuka snapped back out of habit, then covered her head, leaning on him, and whispered, "Kuromori, please..."
At this moment, she rarely showed such vulnerability on her face.
It was completely different from her usual strong posture.
Haruto sighed, placed his arm around Hiratsuka's waist, and said, "Let's go."
"Thank you." Hiratsuka whispered. Though it was embarrassing to show this side of herself, as an adult, her pride was the least of her concerns.
Mafuyu couldn't do it herself, as she'd also had two glasses of wine. Her drinking capacity was far worse than Hiratsuka's.
So, Hiratsuka could only ask Haruto for help.
Haruto glanced at her and responded gently.
Mafuyu supported Hiratsuka from the other side and softly said, "Shizuka, let's go, we're heading back."
"..."
As they walked out of the park, a cold breeze blew by.
Hiratsuka felt the chill, but instead of noticing, her head became even more muddled.
"So cold."
She muttered and instinctively sought warmth. As a result, she hugged Haruto's entire arm.
Haruto looked at Mafuyu.
Mafuyu bit her lip and whispered, "Shizuka is just drunk, that's all."
'I really think Mafuyu-chan is quite frustrated!'
Haruto thought for a moment and said, "How about I sober up Hiratsuka-sensei?"
"Don't use your abilities carelessly."
Mafuyu raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, sighed, and gently said, "It's all because that guy was so infuriating. He said so many annoying things. That's why Shizuka's like this."
"If I hadn't stopped her, Shizuka would have acted out."
Haruto said, "You shouldn't have stopped me."
As a man, he looked down on people like that.
Hiratsuka clearly became more upset as she thought about it and then drank too much. She wasn't just angry, she was downright irritable.
Because as time goes on, it becomes harder to find someone suitable that she both likes and feels satisfied with!
"Couldn't fight back."
Mafuyu rubbed her eyebrows, "If something happened, it would bring very troublesome consequences."
Haruto calmly said, "As long as I'm here, nothing will happen."
Mafuyu looked at him and said nothing.
She knew that since Haruto was there, she couldn't let a conflict arise.
Because Haruto was the type to always take his loved ones' side, no matter what.
No one could predict what would happen next.
But one thing was clear, he would use his abilities to the fullest. Compared to all the other factors, making sure she was safe was his top priority.
Hiratsuka couldn't help but rub against him softly twice and murmured, "So warm."
Several dark lines appeared on Haruto's forehead.
It was already very generous to let her hold his arm, but Hiratsuka actually rubbed against him in front of Mafuyu?
Mafuyu took a deep breath and looked away silently.
The next moment, a warm hand clasped Mafuyu's.
Mafuyu's face suddenly flushed, and she heard Haruto say, "Be careful, there's a car."
A bicycle sped by.
Mafuyu looked at Hiratsuka nervously and whispered, "Let go of me quickly."
"Don't let go."
'If I let go now, you'll definitely feel sad inside.'
Haruto put on a serious face and said, "You're drunk, what if you start running around? Like earlier, you almost got hit by a bicycle."
"That was an accident."
Mafuyu retorted without confidence, but under the influence of alcohol, she agreed, and after a while, she held his hand again.
She didn't want to hide it... She felt really sad.
She had never been held like this before.
The night breeze blew gently, and the wind that once carried a chill became more refreshing and no longer cold.
His hand remained as warm as ever.
Mafuyu slightly lifted the corners of her mouth, and a soft glow appeared in her eyes.
Their eyes met.
Haruto understood her meaning. He released her hand, then intertwined his fingers with hers.
The two of them returned to Chiba City together, holding each other all the way.
It wasn't unforgettable or thrilling, but it made people smile unconsciously.
Could this be happiness?
Mafuyu's cheeks flushed. She lowered her head and followed closely behind Haruto, letting him lead her step by step toward the apartment.
Under the streetlight, her cherry lips shimmered. Due to the lip balm she had applied, her lips looked even more moist than usual. The sensation...
Haruto couldn't help but wonder what the lip balm Mafuyu used today tasted like?
But unfortunately, due to force majeure, there was nothing he could do about it today.
As they walked near the apartment, Haruto raised his eyebrows slightly, but the ghost girl was no longer there.
He carefully sensed her presence and didn't detect any energy fluctuations.
This indicated that she had left of her own accord, rather than being absorbed by some oddity or captured by an onmyoji.
Haruto turned his gaze and continued moving forward.
It was fine.