CHAPTER 63: 58. IF YOU DON’T WORK HARD, YOU WILL BECOME A PLAYTHING FOR WOMEN.

April 28, the day before the holiday.

After today, Japan’s traditional Golden Week holiday will begin, from April 29 to May 5.

After the school bell rang in the afternoon, Fujiwara Reya grabbed his backpack and headed to the room for Paranormal Research activities, with Ikeda Aoshu following beside him.

The sunset cast its glow from the west into the campus, dyeing all the walls of the building a beautiful sunset yellow. In the bustling courtyard, the lovely sound of an oboe could be heard, and a flock of plump gray pigeons hopped from the branch of one oak tree to another.

"Darn it!" Ikeda Aoshu muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at the couples flirting in the courtyard with a grim expression.

"Don’t you already have Koike?" Fujiwara Reya asked oddly, "Why do you still look like a member of the FFF Inquisition?"

"Because ever since the incident with the stolen love letter, Koike has been ignoring me for a while!"

"Serves you right."

"Fujiwara! Could you help me out?"

"Help you with what?"

"Help plead my case to Koike."

"I’m not close with Koike."

"Then ask Kasahara to plead for me."

"... I’m even less familiar with Asuka!"

No sooner had he said this than, as if intentional, a beautiful girl appeared around the corner of the staircase. The glass of the opposite school building reflected the sunset onto her, her dazzling orange hair shimmering like fire.

"Ah, it’s Senior~!"

Upon seeing him, Kasahara Asuka’s face instantly broke into a charming smile.

She wore a light yellow cardigan, reaching down to her thighs; inside was a crisp white uniform shirt, with a crooked bow tie above her bosom, giving the illusion that her lively chest was growing vigorously and about to burst free.

"Da, da, da..."

Each step closer to Fujiwara Reya made the heels’ crisp, chilling sound.

Dammit!

Students must wear standard flat shoes in school; high heels are against the rules!

Junior, take them off now and walk barefoot!

Ikeda Aoshu silently stepped back, casting a resentful look at Fujiwara Reya: "This is what you call not familiar?"

"... I," Fujiwara Reya opened his mouth but couldn’t form words, speechless.

The little monk’s expression turned even more forlorn.

Everyone, look, he doesn’t even bother to explain to me anymore!

Ha!

A man who’s changed his heart is indeed heartless!

As Kasahara Asuka got closer to Fujiwara Reya, her smile disappeared. Holding one sleeve of her oversized cardigan against her eye, she formed a fist and tapped lightly on Fujiwara Reya’s shoulder, feigning tears.

"Senior, waah, so heartless—"

"... What’s your deal now?" Fujiwara Reya asked wearily.

"Why didn’t you respond to Asuka last night?"

"I was doing homework..."

"Liar!"

"Where did I lie to you?"

"The moment Asuka asked about the club, Senior read and didn’t reply. Just admit it; are you hiding something with Senior Sister Hoshimi, which is why you’re avoiding me?"

Fujiwara Reya: "..."

Why should I explain this to you?

Kasahara Asuka whined pitifully without any regard for her image, successfully turning the curious onlookers’ gaze into one of contempt (jealousy) towards a scumbag.

"I’m innocent with Senior Sister!"

To avoid being labeled a scumbag, Fujiwara Reya could only explain, "We’ve known each other for over a year, and we haven’t even held hands. What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

Upon hearing this, Kasahara Asuka’s expression changed again.

From a wronged aggrieved look to that of a sweet first-time girlfriend, she coyly tugged Fujiwara Reya’s sleeve, whining, "I believe Senior wouldn’t betray Asuka!"

"I say, Fujiwara, that’s not fair of you!" Ikeda Aoshu protested indignantly at Fujiwara Reya, "It’s already reached the point where you need to explain relationships with other girls, yet you still claim not to be close with Kasahara. Isn’t that too scummy?"

The onlookers nodded in unanimous agreement.

"... Think what you like."

Fujiwara Reya temporarily gave up struggling.

Thinking it over, being labeled a scumbag isn’t all that bad; at least it might reduce the number of date invites.

"By the way, there’s something I want to discuss with Senior," Kasahara Asuka sidled closer with a pleading expression, "Would you come over to my house for Golden Week?"

"I need to work!" Fujiwara Reya refused directly.

"Help Asuka mow the lawn," Kasahara Asuka flashed a crafty smile as if she’s got him figured out, "The reward is 1 million yen."

million yen?

Does she think I’m the sort of person who can be swayed by money?

She’s wrong!

Fujiwara Reya just likes to work!

Considering it carefully, mowing lawns falls within my business scope, so I might treat it as just an ordinary part-time job... right?

Making money isn’t shameful!

"It’s settled then." Kasahara Asuka rose on her tiptoes, cutely grasping his sleeve to dab away nonexistent sweat from his cheek, "Mother also wants to meet Senior, so please prepare yourself."

Meeting the parents already?

Isn’t this a bit quick?

Inhaling the citrus scent from the junior, Fujiwara Reya instinctively wanted to ask, "Should I bring a gift?" but she had already pranced away before he could.

The perfectly swaying waist, the long legs encased in knee-high white socks, the pleated skirt subtly revealing that absolute zone...

Beautiful!

"Hey, Fujiwara!" Ikeda Aoshu grinned ingratiatingly, winking at Fujiwara Reya, "Can you have Kasahara plead on my behalf in front of Koike? I’m entrusting my happiness to you; you’re not going to turn a blind eye, are you?"

"I’ll try..."

"That’s what good brothers do!" Ikeda Aoshu rubbed his buzz cut, smiling innocently, then enviously said, "Pretty, rich, and only acts cute around you... If I were you, I’d laugh myself awake from dreams every night."

He’d probably have nightmares and wake up scared... Fujiwara Reya quipped.

The two parted ways in front of the club building, and he walked alone toward the Paranormal Research Department.

All along the way, he pondered a question.

The junior’s mother is the Chairwoman of the Kanto Branch of Onmyo-ryo.

To fully understand the power inherent in this position, one must look at Onmyo-ryo’s structure.

Japan’s traditional regional division is roughly into 8 parts. Among them, Shikoku Island, Kyushu Island, and Hokkaido Island each have an Onmyo-ryo branch. Meanwhile, the Honshu Island in the middle consolidates its 5 traditional regions under the jurisdiction of the Kanto and Kansai branches.

The Onmyo-ryo Headquarters is located in the Kansai Kyoto Prefecture.

Each branch establishes a council of directors to manage daily affairs. The council is controlled by four Chairpersons and a Chief Director dispatched from Headquarters (except for the Kanto Branch), collectively dubbed the big5 in the industry.

Each branch’s big5 also serves as members of the Onmyo-ryo Headquarters Council. These 25 Headquarters Council members manage the nation’s temples and shrines.

According to Fujiwara Reya’s information, the Chief Director of the Kanto Branch hails from the Meiji Shrine and is the current head of the Tsuchimikado family. The four Chairpersons are appointed respectively from the Tokyo Grand Shrine, Hachiman Shrine, and Asakusa Temple, with one more position currently vacant.

The Asakusa Shrine is naturally part of the Kanto Branch’s council.

However, Fujiwara Reya is just a small fry, without the clearance to attend the annual advisory meetings.

The more he thought about it,

The more Fujiwara Reya felt puzzled, as a growing sense of unease crept in.

A handsome boy must protect himself when out and about, lest one day the Little Devil Junior devours him whole.

Arriving at the Paranormal Research Department, he pushed open the activity room door.

Sitting by the window, Hoshimi Rinko wore headphones, twirling an automatic pencil between her fingers.

The west-setting sun spilled onto her, causing her inky black long hair to glint slightly. Between her slender, pale arms lay a thick hardcover book.

The spring breeze blew, not enough to lift her book’s cover page but enough to ruffle the bangs on her forehead.

Witnessing this beautiful scene, Fujiwara Reya suddenly felt the urge to say something to her—anything, really.

Ideally, mundane and silly chatter would suffice, to alleviate the gloom that Asuka’s antics had left. But as he moved to pull out a metal pipe chair, the thought was dismissed.

Hoshimi Rinko took off her headphones, giving him a puzzled look: "What happened?"

"Nothing." Fujiwara Reya shook his head, laying his backpack on the table.

"You seem to have something on your mind."

"Just from studying hard, I guess."

"Oh?"

Hoshimi Rinko crossed her arms, smiling silently, without blinking her clear eyes.

Strangely, under her watchful gaze, Fujiwara Reya felt guilty. It’s as if he’d been out carousing all night and returned home in the morning to find his wife on the sofa wielding a feather duster.

Stay calm!

Don’t panic!

Fujiwara Reya gave himself a warning.

Live life with a sense of ceremony.

Even when caught cheating, kneel on a durian with a smile!

After scrutinizing him for a while, Hoshimi Rinko suddenly quipped with a smile: "Are you free during Golden Week?"

"No." Fujiwara Reya lowered his eyes to the dictionary.

"Oh."

Hoshimi Rinko responded casually, lowering her gaze back to her book.

The sky bore a layer of rose-colored clouds, and the setting sun reflected off the opposite classroom’s windows, bathing the activity room in a golden hue. Harsh crow calls pierced the courtyard.

After a moment of silence,

Hoshimi Rinko looked up and said unhurriedly: "You haven’t been to my place in a while."

"I’ve been busy lately, you know how stressed I am already. I’m poor as it is, if I don’t work hard, I’ll end up like... look below."

Saying this, Fujiwara Reya suddenly pointed down to the courtyard.

Hoshimi Rinko glanced outside, spotting a large orange cat pancake sprawled on the green lawn.

"If I don’t work hard, I’ll become that fat cat; dazed every day, reduced to... um?"

His critical tirade came to an abrupt halt as he watched in astonishment several cute girls gathered around the fat cat, some grooming its fur, others massaging its limbs, and one taking out a cat treat stick to feed it.

"Meow meow~"

Its contented purring filled the courtyard.

When those girls were done playing, an unbelievably attractive girl appeared. She removed her flat shoes and with her feet in black knee socks, softly massaged the fat cat’s belly.

"Fujiwara, I think I understand your point," Hoshimi Rinko turned back, looking at Fujiwara Reya with a sly smile, "Isn’t it that if you don’t work hard, you’ll become a woman’s plaything?"

"... " Fujiwara Reya wanted to argue.

But Senior Sister’s words were so spot-on; he had no way to refute them.

Whether it’s Asuka or Mrs. Hiraki, it seems like they have some extraordinary temptation waiting for him to fall prey to, fully intending to turn him into their toy.