"And there's a quiz this Friday. If you score poorly, your mom will definitely nag you, you can join us" Miko said with a sigh. "Hana will be joining too."
Amamiya frowned. "Isn't it a bit awkward for me to join your girls' study session?"
"It's fine," Hana beamed, raising her right hand cheerfully. "Just bring Pipitaro along."
Wait... Pipitaro?
Seeing Amamiya's puzzled expression, Hana giggled. "That's the name I gave your dog, Pipitaro. Isn't it cute? It's like Butt Daifuku—so delicious!"
"Enough with the weird names already!" Amemiya said, rolling his eyes. 'Butt Daifuku? Who names a dog that?' He sighed inwardly.
"Alright, let's go then," Amemiya agreed.
"Natsuki-san, can I walk Pipitaro?" Hana asked, her hands clasped together, her eyes wide with the same innocent eagerness of a fawn begging for treats in Nara Park.
"Sure," Amemiya said, handing her the leash.
"Thanks, Natsuki-san!" Hana cheered, patting the dog's head. "You're such a nice person."
"Please stop handing out 'nice guy' cards so casually," Amemiya muttered, slightly exasperated.
"Don't worry," Hana said with a teasing grin. "You're childhood friends with Miko, so you won't stay single forever."
Miko's face flushed slightly. "We're just friends!" she protested, her voice lacking its usual strength.
In truth, Amemiya and Miko 'were' childhood friends. When Amemiya transferred schools in his first year of junior high, his family moved next door to Miko's. They'd been inseparable ever since. Over time, Amemiya had witnessed Miko's transformation from an ordinary middle schooler to the blossoming young woman she was today.
Their families were close, and Amemiya's parents were often away on business, so Miko's mother frequently invited him over for dinner. They had a bond, but it had never crossed the line into romance—they were simply good friends.
But let's be honest: real-life childhood friends rarely stay together. They're usually just that—friends from childhood.
Soon, they arrived at Miko's house.
"I'm home," Miko called out, pulling out her house key.
"Excuse me," Hana chirped, following behind with Pipitaro.
As Amemiya stepped into the entrance hall and began to take off his shoes, a soft, disembodied voice caught his attention. "Welcome back," it said.
"Huh?" Amemiya blinked in surprise, glancing toward the source of the voice, only to see a middle-aged man—transparent and glowing faintly—drifting toward the living room.
A ghost.
'Miko's father', Amemiya realized instantly.
He'd seen many evil spirits recently, but this was the first ghost that radiated warmth instead of malice. Unlike the chaotic, dangerous apparitions he'd encountered before, Miko's father seemed peaceful, almost serene.
Miko, however, was not as calm. Out of the corner of her eye, she observed Amemiya's reaction. 'He can see my dad... wait!'
Her heart sank. Amemiya had awakened a strange ability that let him deal with vengeful spirits. In some cases, even weaker spirits would vanish just by being near him.
'Is Dad in danger too?'
Without thinking, Miko launched herself into Amemiya's arms.
"Eh?" Hana's eyes widened as she covered her blushing face, peeking through her fingers. "You said you were just childhood friends, but now you're hugging!"
Miko's face turned red, but she leaned in closer to Amemiya and whispered into his ear. "Amemiya, please... don't hurt my dad."
Amemiya caught the faint scent of green apple shampoo mixed with the sweet fragrance of strawberry cake and Miko's perfume. He whispered back, "I won't."
He had control over his spirit-repelling aura and could turn it on or off at will. Right now, it was off.
Miko sighed in relief, stepping back quickly to create distance. She shot a glance at Hana, who was watching them with amusement.
"I just slipped," Miko said, feigning nonchalance.
"There's no water or banana peels around. How could you slip?" Hana teased, grinning.
"I... wasn't standing properly."
"..."
Amemiya remained silent, changing into his slippers.
Meanwhile, Miko's ghostly father drifted closer to the group, a content smile on his face. "Miko's really grown up," he mused aloud. Then, turning to Amemiya, he added, "Take good care of her, Amemiya. You can get married right after high school."
Amemiya's eyebrows shot up. 'Isn't that a bit too soon?'
Miko's ears turned pink, but she pretended not to hear her father's comment. "Come on, let's head to my room."
"..."
Upstairs, they entered Miko's room.
"Wow~ Miko's room is so... normal," Hana observed, looking around.
"Sorry for being so 'normal,'" Miko responded, unfolding a small table in the center of the room.
"I thought you'd have a giant stuffed bear or something," Hana said, her hands behind her back. "You know, like those that are bigger than people."
"Those are too expensive and hard to clean when they get dirty." Miko knelt down and pulled out a box of daifuku from her bag. "I don't like them."
Hana's curiosity was far from satisfied. "Why do you have a world map on the wall instead of posters of cute girls?"
"Only boys put up posters of cute girls," Miko replied, dark circles under her eyes. "Now, let's start studying."
Hana petted the Akita Inu's head, glancing over at Amemiya. "Does Natsuki-san have a poster of a cute girl in his room?"
Amemiya shrugged. "If you're curious, you're welcome to come see for yourself."
"Really?" Hana clutched her chest in mock alarm. "But my mom says girls shouldn't go into strange boys' rooms. It's dangerous."
Amemiya sighed dramatically. "So, in Yurikawa-san's eyes, I'm just a dangerous stranger?"
"No, no!" Hana flailed her hands in protest. "We're friends! I'll come visit your room later."
"I refuse."
"Huh?"
"My room has... things I'd rather not share. It's really dangerous. You shouldn't come."
"..."