As they continued their playful banter, a young girl's voice suddenly interrupted. Before Haruko could even turn around, the girl had squeezed herself between Haruko and Shinya.
"Miss Lu, Miss Haruko is cooking! It's dangerous to disturb her!" Kogimi gently pulled the girl aside. Haruko hadn't even noticed the girl's entrance, and was startled by her sudden appearance.
"Little Haruko! I'm Lu! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The girl, Miss Lu, had pink ribbons in her hair styled in twin ponytails and wore a modified Victorian-style kimono, which, paired with her delicate features, made her resemble a living doll.
Haruko quickly wiped her hands and returned the greeting, though she was curious. Neither Miss Shimo nor Miss Lu had introduced themselves with full names—were they perhaps performers?
"You've arrived, little shorty," Shinya teased Miss Lu, who was shorter than even Haruko, though it was clear they were old acquaintances.
"Watch your tone, Lion! I'm the elder here, you know!" Miss Lu scolded, shaking her pigtails in mock indignation.
"Yes, yes, just a little earlier than you..." Shinya smirked, clearly familiar with her.
From their conversation, it was evident they had known each other for a long time. However, Miss Lu seemed no older than sixteen—certainly not the age of someone who could be considered an elder.
Kogimi cleared his throat, drawing Miss Lu's attention to himself.
"By the way, Miss Lu, will Miss Shimo be coming as well?" he asked.
"Of course! If I'm coming, she's not going to miss it... Look, here she comes!" Miss Lu ran toward the dining room door, her movements almost as if she could sense Shimo's arrival. She leaped into Shimo's arms, and Miss Shimo caught her effortlessly, as though this was a routine.
"I'm back," Miss Shimo announced as Miss Lu steadied herself, giving a casual nod to the others.
"Miss Lu and Miss Shimo seem to have a deep connection. Have they been living here for long?" Haruko asked Shinya, her curiosity piqued.
Shinya looked at her, a complex expression on his face. It was only then that Haruko realized some matters, especially personal ones, were not meant to be shared, and she hastily waved it off. "Sorry, forget I asked. It's none of my business."
"They've been living here for quite a while. From what I know, they were among the earlier residents," Shinya replied. His answer made Haruko wonder when this otherwise new-looking apartment complex had actually been built.
"Then, what about you, Shinya?" Haruko asked casually.
Shinya opened his mouth, as though about to say something, but Haruko heard nothing.
"Shinya!" Kogimi's warning gaze cut through the air, and even Miss Shimo and Miss Lu cast him looks that were far from pleased.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up. Forget I said anything," Shinya muttered, looking guilty.
Haruko realized she had inadvertently asked something she shouldn't have. She watched as Shinya patted her head, his effort to smooth things over palpable.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "There are still some things we can't explain right now, but once you get more familiar with things, we'll tell you everything. Alright?"
Haruko found herself more confused by Shinya than ever. Her first impression of him had been that of a tough, no-nonsense man, but at times, he showed a more vulnerable, even childlike side. Yet, he could also be unexpectedly reliable, like an older brother. The warmth of his large hand on her head sent a flurry of emotions through her, and she felt a bit embarrassed by the intimate gesture.
"Cough, alright! So, tonight's dinner will definitely include fried chicken! And Shinya, you're in charge of the chicken!" Haruko declared.
"Got it, fried chicken goddess,"
"........I'll give all the large pieces of fried chicken to Miss Lu!"
"Yay, yay!! Give it to me, give it to me!"
"Is anyone else in the apartment?" Miss Lu, while snatching the last piece of fried chicken, answered Haruko's question. Haruko noticed that Miss Lu didn't seem particularly fond of fried chicken, but she did enjoy the act of snatching food. "I think about twenty people are living here?"
"...Most of them are ghost residents. They're rarely here," Miss Shimo said, leisurely finishing the last bite of her egg custard. Although she had eaten some sashimi, she seemed uninterested in the fried chicken.
"I see... I haven't met many people since I moved in these past couple of days," Haruko said thoughtfully.
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, exchanging looks. Finally, Shinya spoke, explaining to Haruko:
"Many times, the company sends employees on business trips. Although Kogimi and I are often here, the others can't be relied on."
"Ah, I see..." Haruko nodded, accepting Shinya's explanation and choosing not to press further.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Haruko began to clear the plates, but Shinya was quicker, collecting all the empty dishes.
"You should go rest, Haruko. Leave the washing to the freeloaders."
"But..."
"No buts. Go get some rest. You still have to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow, don't you?"
Although she indeed had to attend the ceremony, it was merely a formality—greeting the other teachers and leaving after half a day.
More importantly, Haruko didn't want anyone else to wash the dishes, fearing they might break the set of dinnerware that Miss Fukuda had bought for her to celebrate her new job.
"Go for rest, Miss Haruko. We'll handle it here. Good night." Kogimi spoke gently, applying a subtle pressure. Finally, Haruko couldn't resist and, after saying goodnight to everyone, obediently retreated to her room to rest.
Once Haruko left, everyone in the room visibly relaxed. Shinya tossed the plates into the sink, but there was no sound of breaking dishes. The plates seemed to have a life of their own, neatly arranging themselves by the sink. At the same time, the sink opened on its own, as if invisible hands were washing the dishes.
"Little Imp! Have some sense!" Shinya growled, glaring at Miss Lu, who was licking her fingers. Miss Lu merely shrugged, unconcerned by his words.
"It wasn't me who brought it up. It's strange, though! This huge apartment, but so few people living in it, and they still have three managers!"
Shinya knew continuing the discussion was futile, so he changed the subject and asked another woman in the room, "What about you? Can Haruko sense your spiritual power?"
"...She can sense a bit of it," Miss Shimo replied.
"Didn't expect her spiritual power to start growing after just two days..." Clearly, Miss Shimo's answer wasn't what Shinya had hoped for. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, then half-heartedly asked Kogimi, "So, it's Haruko, then?"
"Yes, that's right. Miss Haruko has the potential," Kogimi said, pulling out a brush and unrolling a scroll with his other hand, inscribing something in Chinese characters. "Though her spiritual power is still immature, I believe she is the one we need."
"Is that really okay? To deceive such a sweet child?" Miss Lu began licking her other hand.
Kogimi remained silent, but his brush never stopped moving. Shinya could only sigh and absentmindedly touch the mark on his neck.
He had almost let something slip today, and the curse mark on his neck still hurt. They needed Haruko, but not the Haruko of today.
They needed the one who would, through arduous training, become a spiritual pillar capable of drawing the attention of any demon.
"...I don't want to deceive her."
"There's no other choice," Kogimi said, without even lifting his head, dismissing Shinya's half-formed thoughts.
"I know..." Shinya shook his head, taking a sip of the still-warm wine Haruko had made for him. "But I still don't want to deceive her."