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"Isn't that too exaggerated?"
Chihaya Anon widened her eyes and couldn't help but exclaim softly, "Can humans really jump that high?"
Takamatsu Tomori tilted her head and said, "I remember the limit for a human's standing high jump is less than two meters. Kitahara-kun just easily jumped two or three meters, which has far exceeded human limits."
"Indeed, it's impossible for a human to jump that high… Eh, wait, is Kitahara-kun a monster?"
Chihaya Anon blinked, suddenly her imagination ran wild, and she remembered a shojo manga she had once read.
Nagasaki Soyo said speechlessly, "That kind of thing isn't possible, right?"
"Why isn't it possible?" Chihaya Anon put her hands on her hips and retorted, "If he were an ordinary person, first, he couldn't possibly jump that high from a standstill, and second, he couldn't have strange abilities, right?"
"Kitahara-kun said he's an exorcist. If exorcists exist, then it's reasonable for monsters to exist, right?"
"Moreover, exorcists, Onmyoji, and such beings sound like they have very complete organizations. Only monsters would be alone, right?"
"…"
Hearing Anon's confident rebuttal, Nagasaki Soyo and Tomori all involuntarily hesitated.
Whether it was his physical prowess that surpassed human limits, or those strange abilities, Kitahara Makoto didn't seem like an ordinary human…
(Could Kitahara-kun really be a monster hiding his identity?)
Nagasaki Soyo's expression was hesitant. If so, she could understand why he wanted a harem.
(If he really is a monster, without human morals and shame, then wanting a harem would be excusable…)
"It must be true."
Chihaya Anon became more and more certain as she spoke, almost believing it herself.
(Kitahara-kun is not only a monster, but also a legendary demon of lust, and the evidence is the terrifying great python…)
(Oh, no…)
Chihaya Anon's pretty face quickly flushed, and she suddenly remembered a manga she had once read.
(It is said that humans targeted by monsters eventually can't escape, and will be seduced one by one…)
(I won't be easily seduced!)
"Anon, are you alright?" Takamatsu Tomori looked over worriedly, "Your face suddenly turned very red."
Chihaya Anon quickly raised her hand to cover her face, indeed feeling astonishingly hot, her eyes darting away, stammering, "I'm feeling a little unwell…"
Takamatsu Tomori said nervously, "Are you having a fever?"
"Don't worry, it's just a little bit of discomfort." Chihaya Anon changed the subject, "I wonder if your friend is inside the house."
"…"
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto didn't know that he had been expelled from humanity. After easily climbing into the second-floor window, he first surveyed the room's environment.
"There's only one bed and one desk, it looks very desolate."
"The floor is very clean, it seems to have been swept recently."
"There's no one in the house, so I'll go downstairs… Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto was about to go downstairs when his gaze suddenly focused, drawn to a notepad on the desk.
Stepping up to the desk, Kitahara Makoto reached out and picked up the familiar-looking notepad. Two familiar handwritings immediately came into view.
"…Is this the notepad from when I chatted with Togawa-chan in class that day?"
Looking at the notepad, which was clearly carefully preserved, with even the creases meticulously smoothed out, Kitahara Makoto let out a soft sigh, put the notepad down, and pushed the door open to leave the room.
Outside the door was a hallway, and not far away were the stairs leading to the first floor.
The house was quiet, and the light grew dimmer.
Fortunately, Kitahara Makoto had received a night vision enhancement reward from a previous daily quest, so he could still see things clearly.
Walking down the stairs to the first floor, Kitahara Makoto thought he would have to search high and low, but to his surprise, he found what he was looking for effortlessly. As soon as he arrived in the living room, he saw a girl lying on her side on the sofa, hugging her knees… It was Togawa-chan.
Thump, thump, thump.
Kitahara Makoto deliberately made his footsteps heavier.
"Who is it?!"
Togawa Sakiko quickly sat up, her voice tense, clearly not asleep. She had likely heard the doorbell and phone earlier, but had simply given up and didn't want to move.
Kitahara Makoto stopped, and said softly, "Togawa-chan, it's me."
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko's voice was surprised, "…Kitahara-kun?!"
"It's me." Kitahara Makoto stopped, not rushing forward. "Where's the light switch in your house? Turn on the light before we talk."
"…Wait a moment."
Togawa Sakiko quickly got up and walked to the wall.
Clap.
The lights suddenly brightened.
After clearly seeing Kitahara Makoto standing at the staircase, the wary look on Togawa Sakiko's face finally faded, followed by her eyes widening in disbelief:
"It really is Kitahara-kun… How did you come down from upstairs?!"
"Of course, I climbed through your window."
"…Ah?"
Kitahara Makoto said with righteous indignation:
"When we first met, I went to the Otherworld and lost contact with the outside world. Togawa-chan was worried about me then and even found a way to pry open the window to get in. I'm just re-enacting the scene."
Togawa Sakiko: "…"
Recalling the past events, Togawa Sakiko pursed her beautiful lips and said softly, "I understand… But how did Kitahara-kun know I was here?"
"The answer book."
"What are you doing here?"
"You didn't reply to my messages, so of course I was worried about you."
"…"
Togawa Sakiko raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "I sent a message to Kitahara-kun this morning saying I wasn't feeling well and would be taking two days off. Thank you for your concern, Kitahara-kun…"
Kitahara Makoto's expression was calm as he looked at the bandage on Togawa Sakiko's forehead:
"What happened to the injury on your forehead?"
Togawa Sakiko's gaze instinctively darted away, and she turned her pretty face, saying, "It's nothing…"
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice:
"Was it your father who did it?"
"How did Kitahara-kun know?" Togawa Sakiko looked over in surprise.
Seeing Kitahara Makoto frown, his expression serious, she quickly bit her lip and explained, "Dad just pushed me…"
Kitahara Makoto calmly said:
"Just a gentle push, and your forehead gets injured. Togawa-chan is really so delicate."
"…"
Togawa Sakiko moved her pink lips and softly explained:
"The rental contract for this house has already been signed, and the rent has been paid.
Yesterday, I wanted to tidy up things with my dad and then move in together… Dad had just come back from outside, and he had been drinking.
It seemed like all his money was spent on pachinko, so he reached out and asked me for money."
Pausing, Togawa Sakiko took a deep breath and continued:
"I said I didn't have any money and told him to pack his clothes. Maybe I said it too many times, and Dad impatiently pushed me… My forehead accidentally hit the door."
Was that an accident?
He clearly pushed her on purpose!
Kitahara Makoto knew very well that the matter was definitely not as understated as Togawa-chan made it sound.
A father returning drunk and having lost all his money gambling was clearly not a momentary slip.
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I can handle it myself, Kitahara-kun doesn't need to worry…"
Togawa Sakiko lightly bit her lip and turned her head to look elsewhere.
The reason for not telling Kitahara Makoto was simple.
Family shame should not be aired, especially for Togawa Sakiko, who had extremely high self-esteem.
"You should know very well that pachinko is gambling." Kitahara Makoto said seriously, "Gambling plus alcoholism, constantly asking you for money, and now even laying hands on you—it will only get worse in the future."
"…"
Togawa Sakiko bit her lower lip, silent.
She, of course, knew the situation Kitahara Makoto described, but what could she do?
"Mom is gone, and the only family and reliance I have is Dad…"
"You also have me."
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice.
"Eh?"
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Togawa-chan, we are partners, right?"
"…Of course, we are."
"So, don't always bear everything alone."
Kitahara Makoto walked up to Togawa-chan, extended his right hand, and said gently:
"From now on, I will be by Togawa-chan's side to support her.
I will never let Togawa-chan be alone again, so… from now on, just rely on me."
"…"
Togawa Sakiko parted her pink lips.
She had originally thought that after a full day of self-therapy, her mood had calmed down.
But at this moment, the grievances in her heart suddenly turned into a bursting flood, no longer able to be contained, surging out profusely.
Weak emotions quickly occupied her entire mind.
Togawa Sakiko no longer wanted to suppress her weak self, letting her emotions drive her body, and she directly rushed into Kitahara Makoto's embrace:
"Kitahara-kun… help me…"
Kitahara Makoto gently hugged the weak Sakiko:
"Leave everything to me."
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