There was still about half an hour left before school was out. Qin Zi, unable to cope with such a situation and needing to deal with the fan, left Lin Ze at the doorstep of Hanako's home and left.
Ding-dong.
“Lin Ze-kun? Why are you here so early? It shouldn't be time for school to be out yet.” Mrs. Hiraki, wearing an apron, seemed to be cooking. She was quite surprised by Lin Ze's early arrival.
“Good evening, Mrs. Hiraki. I left school early today because of something. Now that I’m finished, I came straight here. Don't mind my interrupting you.”
“Why would I mind? Come in, come in. What are you carrying? Just treat this place like your own home.” Mrs. Hiraki was quite warm towards Lin Ze.
After entering, Mrs. Hiraki brought some fruit and drinks. “Lin Ze-kun, have some fruit first. I'll finish up dinner. It'll be ready soon.”
Mrs. Hiraki’s enthusiasm made Lin Ze a little overwhelmed. “Okay, Mrs. Hiraki. Just call me Lin Ze. You go ahead and busy yourself. Don’t worry about me.”
Mrs. Hiraki had just turned around and entered the kitchen when Hanako suddenly appeared and sat beside Lin Ze.
“Hm? Hanako? You can come out?”
“Hmph. My statue is enshrined at home. This is considered my territory. You, on the other hand, why are you here?!” Hanako glared at Lin Ze, dissatisfied.
“I've been helping with everything regarding Hanako Hiraki, okay? It’s normal for Mrs. Hiraki to call me here. How are you doing now? Is there anything special happening?” Lin Ze was always curious about what kind of existence these so-called past lives were like.
“It’s alright. Lately, our soul connection has been getting closer and closer. I feel like one day our memories will be shared. When that time comes, perhaps we will become inseparable, but I don’t know… if it’ll still be me.”
Speaking of this, Hanako felt somewhat forlorn. It was the first time she had experienced something like this. If she could find herself as an independent entity, wouldn't everyone want that?
“Why wouldn’t it be you? You were always one. Your souls have always been intimately connected. And didn't I tell you? You will become whole after a few decades. I asked Sister Qin too. In certain special circumstances, you might still be able to appear as a guardian spirit. That's what this enshrined statue does. Strictly speaking, you are the guardian spirit of the Hiraki family. It's like ancestors protecting their descendants. Hm… does that make it ancestral protection? My own ancestors are me?” Lin Ze touched his chin and started thinking about this profound question.
“…You're sick.” Hanako was speechless.
“Heh, just a little joke to lighten your mood.”
“Right, you still haven't answered me. You urban legends, do you know other urban legends?”
Hanako didn’t expect him to still remember this question. “We know, alright, but we usually don’t interfere with each other. Otherwise, if a conflict arises, it’s a death match where one swallows the other. Except for that woman!!!”
“Hm? Who?” This was the first time Lin Ze had seen anyone other than himself make Hanako angry like this.
“The Eight Feet!!!”
“…”
“Uh… What happened between you two?” Hanako’s anger went through the roof. There was a fire flickering in her eyes, causing Lin Ze to lose his momentum.
“That woman, that woman… she likes kids!” Hanako couldn't continue when she said this.
“Pfft! Sorry, pfft… hahahahahaha!” Lin Ze couldn’t help but laugh, holding his stomach and suppressing his voice. He could only guess what would happen next. “She… does she want to kidnap you, hahaha.”
“Shut up! That awful woman!” At this point, Hanako refused to talk about it anymore.
“It's fine if you don’t say anything. I'll ask Eight Feet when I get back.”
“Hm? You! You know Eight Feet? She’s still at your house? Didn’t she tear you to shreds?” With every word, she pulled Lin Ze closer by his collar, until the ghost was practically pressed against him.
“Are you hoping I’ll be torn to shreds? Sorry to disappoint you, Eight Feet is now my shikigami. We’ve signed a contract and now have a mutually beneficial relationship.”
“Huh? Really? Are you kidding me? You actually managed to make that terrifying woman your shikigami? How did you do it?” Hanako was excited. That terrifying woman, who had chased her all over the world, was actually subdued?
“Kayako.” Lin Ze calmly uttered a name.
The expectant look on Hanako’s face collapsed. She wanted to hear how Eight Feet had been captured, but instead, she heard that terrifying name again, and suddenly she didn’t want to laugh anymore… unpleasant memories flooded her mind.
“I’ll have Eight Feet come see you sometime. You two are old acquaintances after all.”
“You dare let her come? I’ll kill you!”
In the midst of their argument, Mrs. Hiraki came out from the kitchen. “Lin Ze, who are you talking to?”
“Oh, I just sent someone a voice message. Is dinner ready, Mrs. Hiraki?” Lin Ze gave Hanako a look, and she glared back at him secretly.
“It’s ready. Let’s eat as soon as Hanako gets back.”
Mrs. Hiraki sat down opposite Lin Ze and chatted with him about Hanako. She was thanking Lin Ze, then wiping away tears. It was driving Lin Ze crazy.
“Mrs. Hiraki, Mrs. Hiraki. You really don't need to be so polite. Hanako is my good friend. Protecting her is only natural. If you continue to be so polite, I really won't be able to take it.”
Lin Ze pretended to be heartbroken, which made Mrs. Hiraki burst into laughter. “Alright, alright. It’s my fault. What month were you born, Lin Ze? Are you an only child? Are your parents at home too?”
The more Lin Ze answered, the more he felt something was wrong, but he couldn’t refuse to answer these small questions.
“Ah, I can't let go of Hanako. It’s a good thing Lin Ze is protecting her now. If only there was someone who could always protect her like this in the future.”
Lin Ze felt Mrs. Hiraki's gaze fixed on him. He swallowed hard. “I… this… is this… Is she interested in me?” The ghost beside him, Hanako, also opened her mouth wide, her gaze shifting between Mrs. Hiraki and Lin Ze.
“Hanako… She will surely get better and better. You don’t need to worry about her. Hanako and I have always been friends. I will always try my best to protect her.” Lin Ze could only pretend to be oblivious.
“Hm? Was I too hasty? I can tell my daughter is fond of Lin Ze. We can talk about this later. As a mother, I can only ask Lin Ze to take care of Hanako for now.”