“Mom～” Hanako rushed into her mother's arms as soon as she got home.
“What's wrong, Hanako? Why are you back so late today? Did something happen?” Hanako's mother was a kind woman, her eyes filled with love as she looked at her daughter who was acting spoiled in her arms.
“No, I met a really kind classmate, he helped me solve some problems.” Hanako buried her face in her mother's chest, her voice muffled. Remembering Lin Ze’s fighting style, she felt… so happy!
“Is that so? Let me guess… is it a boy?”
“How did you know, Mom?” Hanako looked up at her mother in surprise. “You know.” Her mother tapped Hanako's forehead. “I can tell just by looking at you. Did you thank him?”
“Of course.”
“That's good. Although I don't know what happened, he helped you, so you should keep it in mind, hmm… how about treating him to dinner sometime?” Gratitude is one thing, but the most important thing is to see what kind of person he is. My daughter is too easy-going.
…
Lin Ze, on the other hand, was already home, searching for paranormal events on his phone. Since this world has Kayako, there might be other things as well. With this in mind, he searched and was startled by a trending post.
“Slit-Mouthed Woman sighted!”
He clicked on the post, only to find it was just a rumor. There were no actual eyewitnesses. He browsed the post for a while and then it suddenly got blocked. It seemed to be the same as in his previous life, there were no ghosts, just rumors…
“But Kayako is real.” As he idly scrolled through the posts, he was suddenly drawn to one. “Hypocritical abusive husband mysteriously disappears.”
He glanced at it briefly. It seemed to be about a blogger who had been creating a persona of a harmonious and happy family and a devoted husband. But he had recently died at home, and his wife was suspected of being the murderer. However, investigations revealed that it wasn't her.
This plot… the Pocky-man? Is he here?!
It should… not be? It’s not possible to confirm yet, but if it’s true, does that mean the strongest exorcist, Bika Kinako, also exists? I have to find a way to find her.
He left a message in the post saying that he was looking for a medium. No matter which medium it is, as long as they are in that circle, they will definitely know her existence.
Next, he just has to wait for news. Turning off his phone, Lin Ze, exhausted, fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Ze didn't dream of Ju-On again this night. It seemed that last night’s dream was just a simple nightmare. Early in the morning, Lin Ze checked his phone posts and found countless messages. After filtering out most of the obvious scams, he focused on one that had the most intense discussion. Many people left messages below, saying that the medium was very effective. He noted down the phone number and planned to contact the medium later.
A knock on the door suddenly rang out. Lin Ze quickly got dressed and went downstairs. “Coming.” Who could it be so early in the morning? Kobayashi Junsuke? It’s unlikely, he’s always waiting for me. It couldn’t be…
“Good morning, Lin Ze.”
As expected! “Good morning, Kayako.” Kayako was holding a small package. She nervously bowed and handed it to Lin Ze with both hands. “Yesterday Lin Ze treated me to food, so I specially made a bento today and I wanted Lin Ze to taste it.”
“Is that so? Then I look forward to lunch today.”
“It… it’s not something to look forward to so much… I just made simple rice balls.” There weren't many ingredients at home, so she could only make a few corn and chicken rice balls and some salt-flavored ones.
“Haha, it's mainly because Kayako made it herself, this is much more thoughtful than what I bought, come in, wait for me to wash up.” Lin Ze stepped aside.
“Then I’ll bother you.”
When Lin Ze came out of the bathroom, he saw a glass of milk on the table, next to it was the same sandwich as yesterday. “Lin Ze, you got up late today, so I made you a simple sandwich like yesterday.”
The key is how did you become so skilled, girl? How many times did you rehearse this in your mind last night? You could still speak smoothly even with your head smoking. It's really hard work on your part.
“Thank you, Kayako. Would you like some?”
“No, I had breakfast at home.” Lin Ze didn't reject me, does this mean he won't reject me in the future when we live together?
The girl’s soul was nowhere to be found as she sat across from the table. Lin Ze knows a lot about Ju-On, but it doesn’t mean he understands what Kayako is thinking. But it’s not too hard to guess. She must be fantasizing about herself…
Lin Ze had finished eating and was about to wash up. Kayako was still sitting there dazed. “Let’s go.” Lin Ze called out to her. Kayako, whose fantasy had been interrupted, only then realized that Lin Ze had already finished eating and even put away his cup. “I… I wanted to grab it and wash it myself so… I could secretly try some.”
Kayako wanted to cry. She followed Lin Ze out of the house, just now everything was fine… Now Lin Ze really has no idea what she’s thinking.
“What's wrong, Kayako?”
“No! Nothing!”
“Really? Tell me if there’s anything, don’t bottle it up.”
How can I say it?!!! If I say it, Lin Ze will think I'm a pervert! Looking at Lin Ze’s concerned eyes, Kayako cheered herself up. “Really, it’s nothing.”
“Alright, let’s go find Kobayashi Junsuke.”
Yesterday Lin Ze said he would send Kayako home. He thought he would be alone today, but as soon as he went out, he saw Kayako. “Lin Ze, you’re so lucky. Kawaguchi actually came to school with you this early in the morning?”
“I… My home is just further away, so I can stop by to find Lin Ze on the way to school.”
“Oh… just stopping by… huh…”
Facing Kobayashi Junsuke’s ambiguous gaze and his slightly teasing tone, Kayako couldn’t take it anymore. She crossed in front of Lin Ze and hid behind him.
“Scram, scram, you not going to school?”
The two of them were teasing each other along the way, while Kayako quietly watched. But at the school gate, Lin Ze was stopped by someone.
“Good morning, Lin Ze.” Hanako seemed to have been waiting at the school gate on purpose. When she saw Lin Ze, a cute smile spread across her face. She ran to Lin Ze’s side, greeted him, then turned to the two beside him and said, “Good morning, Kawaguchi and Kobayashi.”
“Good morning, Hanako.”
A simple greeting, but it changed the two’s expressions. Kobayashi Junsuke’s expression was strange. “Lin Ze, are you that close with her? Did I miss something? Yesterday before school ended, wasn’t it Hiraki-san, Hiraki-san? Did something happen after I left?”
Kayako was alarmed. “Why is Lin Ze so close to her? That’s right… a girl as cute as her would make boys like her… It's alright, as long as Lin Ze doesn't drive me away from his side, I'll be satisfied.”