"Mask..."
Upon hearing Natsumi Suga's question, Ye Xing didn't ponder it much and gave his answer directly.
"He's no hero. He's just someone who acts entirely according to his own will, unbound by anything... Whether you call him a hero or a criminal, it doesn't matter. It doesn't change his essence."
"Oh?"
Natsumi Suga hadn't expected Ye Xing to have such an evaluation of Mask.
She had originally assumed that since he had cosplayed as Mask before, he could be considered a fan who, like most of the public, viewed that elusive figure in black as a hero protecting Kyoto's safety.
Acting entirely on his own will? Unbound by anything?
This was the first time Natsumi Suga had heard such an evaluation, and her curiosity piqued, she gazed at Ye Xing with keen interest, chuckling lightly.
"You don't think he's a hero?"
"What I think, what others think—none of that matters."
Ye Xing shook his head and spoke softly.
"Public opinion can't change the essence of Mask. People long for a hero to emerge, so they see him as one. As a media writer, instead of debating the rationality or legality of Mask's actions, you should explore why people view him as a hero—the real reasons behind this social phenomenon."
Upon hearing this, Natsumi Suga was momentarily stunned, then picked up the cold drink on the table. Her glossed lips touched the straw as she smiled and said,
"For a first-year high school student, your words are quite profound."
After a brief pause, she continued,
"So, you can't understand Mask's behaviour?"
"Not at all."
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively and replied with a laugh.
"Precisely because I don't see him as a hero, I can face all his actions squarely. After all, admiration is the emotion farthest from understanding."
"Admiration is the emotion farthest from understanding..."
Natsumi Suga repeated the phrase softly, then once more, her eyes thoughtful, before she beamed sweetly and raised her ballpoint pen.
"Can I include that line in the feature article?"
"Of course."
After obtaining Ye Xing's consent and jotting down their conversation in her notebook, Natsumi Suga studied him with interest, smiling.
"Well then, Ye Xing, tell me about yourself."
Ye Xing chuckled and retorted,
"For the feature?"
"Hmm..."
Natsumi Suga gave a meaningful look, her manicured index finger tapping the table lightly as she grinned.
"Let's say half for the feature, half to satisfy my personal curiosity."
"About myself..."
Ye Xing leaned back on the sofa, a relaxed smile on his face, and spread his hands.
"Honestly, there's not much to say about me."
"Come on... there must be something..."
Just as Natsumi Suga, looking sceptical, was mid-sentence, Ye Xing suddenly stood up with such intensity that she flinched backwards.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
Ye Xing walked over to Natsumi Suga, looking down at her from his height, and declared solemnly and slowly,
"There really isn't much to say about me. I'm just the strongest exorcist in history, Kyoto's top gal-game marksman, the chosen one with unrivalled talent, a professional in love rivalries, the wrecker of shipping wars, the god of harems, Sobu High's king of swagger, Japan's joint exam top scorer, the natural enemy of Shuchi'in Academy, and the founder of the Supernatural Quantum Mechanics Research Society..."
"Hmm, that's about all the titles."
Ye Xing rattled off his long string of titles as if reciting a menu, not even pausing for breath. After finishing, he nodded with satisfaction and smiled at the dumbfounded Natsumi Suga.
"Aside from these, I'm just an ordinary high school student, hardly worth mentioning."
Natsumi Suga's lips parted slightly, completely stunned by what she had heard.
What on earth was all that?
An exorcist? A gal-game marksman? The chosen one with untamed qualifications?
Could this Ye Xing be suffering from severe chuunibyou?
And what was all that afterwards?
Natsumi Suga had indeed heard of those otaku-leaning terms like "battlefield of love", "love rivalry", and "shipping wars".
But the key one was...
God of Harems?
Natsumi Suga simply couldn't comprehend this term.
However, her journalist instincts kicked in even amidst her mental shutdown, allowing her to grasp useful clues.
"Ye Xing-kun..."
Natsumi Suka raised her head, her expression gradually shifting from initial confusion to unbelievable shock.
"You... you're Japan's national exam top scorer!? Is that true!?"
"Tch."
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively, looking thoroughly bored.
"I ranked that title so low on my list, it's hardly worth mentioning."
"How could that possibly be hardly worth mentioning!?"
Natsumi Suga certainly understood the immense significance behind those simple four words - "national exam top scorer".
This meant that this Ye Xing, before her, had academically defeated all his peers, trampling over tens, even hundreds of thousands of students his age to claim that title!
Upon learning that Ye Xing was Japan's national exam top scorer, Natsumi Suga developed the same suspicion that Rio Futaba had when she first discovered this.
"With results that made you Japan's national exam top scorer... why didn't you enrol in Shuchi'in Academy? That should be much better than Sobu High School, right?"
Hearing this question, Ye Xing simply smiled indifferently, giving an answer that took Natsumi Suga by surprise.
"Because I didn't want to go."
Natsumi Suga blinked in momentary confusion at his response, then her eyes began to gleam with inexplicable excitement.
Initially, she had invited Ye Xing for an interview simply because his appearance was quite striking and his physique resembled Mask's.
Combined with the Sunny Doll Killer interview content and those perfectly accurate Mask cosplay photos she'd taken of him at the Tokyo cosplay event...
He was practically the perfect substitute for Kyoto citizens craving Mask.
But now, Natsumi Suga's perspective had changed.
She studied Ye Xing unabashedly, not bothering to conceal her interested and curious gaze.
This Ye Xing himself seemed to possess considerable newsworthiness.
Just the fact that Japan's national exam top scorer had chosen to enrol at Sobu High School was already worth a feature article.
"Ye Xing-kun, I've changed my mind."
Natsumi Suga spoke with complete seriousness.
"I'd like to conduct an in-depth feature interview about you as a person."
Ye Xing smiled.
"How in-depth?"
As a mature woman in her early twenties, Natsumi Suga's defences were clearly much higher than those of high school girls like Mai Sakurajima, and far superior to the disgrace that was the adult woman Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Though her cheeks flushed slightly, she refused to back down.
"Ye Xing-kun, do you like women more mature than you? I wouldn't mind dating a younger man, you know."
Contrary to his usual demeanour, the habitual frivolity and laziness vanished from Ye Xing's expression as he met Natsumi Suga's gaze directly, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"I'm doing you a favour by accepting this exclusive interview, so you should provide something that interests me in return. Just to remind you, I'm not referring to you as a person."
Upon hearing this, the smile in Natsumi Suga's eyes gradually faded, though she maintained a proper smile, crossing her hands over her knees and leaning forward slightly.
"Then what is it... that you want from me? Let me remind you too - I have no money, and you don't seem to lack it either."
"I need information."
"Information?"
"That's right, information."
Ye Xing took the cold drink from the table, completely unconcerned that Natsumi Suga's lips had just touched the straw, and took a sip before stating his condition.
"As a media writer, collecting noteworthy rumours around Kyoto is your job, and from what I can see, you're quite good at it."
"I don't mind accepting this exclusive interview, letting you use me as a tool to attract attention and increase your report's popularity."
"But in exchange, any rumours you collect in the future, whether true or false, must be emailed to me."
"Can you do that?"
Hearing Ye Xing's words, Natsumi Suga couldn't help but feel surprised inside.
A high school student, able to negotiate such terms with such practised ease...
This Ye Xing really isn't simple.
However...
After careful consideration, Natsumi Suga felt this deal wouldn't cause her any losses.
As a media writer, she already spent her days running around various places in Kyoto, collecting information discussed by citizens and writing reports - that was her job anyway.
The condition Ye Xing proposed was simply to send him an email after organising the day's collected information.
Moreover, she was genuinely interested in this young man before her.
All things considered, this was a win-win condition.
"No problem."
Natsumi Suga nodded, extending her right hand with a smile.
"Shall we consider the deal done?"
Ye Xing shook her hand, replying with an equally smiling expression.
"Then I'll be in your care from now on, Miss Natsumi Suga."
Feeling the warmth in the other's palm and seeing those utterly calm, unruffled eyes, she suddenly felt a competitive spirit emerge.
Why did it feel like he had controlled her from the very beginning of their conversation?
She was clearly the more mature one here.
Thinking this, Natsumi Suga felt like teasing Ye Xing a bit. Instead of releasing his hand, she lightly scratched his palm with her fingernails and said with a smile.
"So that means there's no chance to discuss dating?"
"You want to date me?"
Ye Xing chuckled.
"You'll have to make an appointment first."
Natsumi Suga parted her lips, about to retort, but then remembered the members of the Supernatural Society around him.
All female.
And all quite cute.
Natsumi Suga couldn't refute this.
In the end, she'd been teased.
...
Two hours later, in a residential apartment.
"Mmm... so uncomfortable..."
Marin Kitagawa curled up on the sofa, watching television absentmindedly like an injured kitten, her face flushed with feverish redness.
"Originally... I was really looking forward to it."
Marin wasn't wearing her coloured contacts at home, and her bright black eyes revealed unconcealed disappointment.
Ever since receiving the phone call yesterday, she had been looking forward to today's exclusive interview at Suga Editorial Studio.
Marin told herself this was all to help her friend Saki Kawasaki hold her ground - if only Ye Xing and that female journalist were alone together in a room, who knows what might happen.
In reality, she could deceive others, but she couldn't deceive herself.
She just wanted to find a suitable reason to see Ye Xing.
After all, they hadn't met since returning to Kyoto.
Marin couldn't find an appropriate excuse to meet him either.
She couldn't very well say she wanted to attend another cosplay event, could she?
If she really said that...
Would Ye Xing think she wanted to be marked with tally marks again?
To be honest, she did want to, but she couldn't just admit it openly, could she?
Marin Kitagawa made up her mind.
She couldn't do anything that would betray Saki again.
...
Five minutes later.
Marin's resolve had crumbled.
She stole a glance at Ye Xing sitting beside her and cautiously spoke up.
"Um... Ye Xing-kun, why... why did you come to see me today? And to my home..."
"Oh, aren't you down with a cold? You live alone, and when your phone went unanswered, I was worried you might have died in here."
Marin's breath hitched with anger at his words, and she couldn't help sitting up straight, wanting to punch Ye Xing's shoulder.
"You're the one who's going to die..."
Halfway through her sentence, Marin felt a wave of weakness wash over her body. What was meant to be a light hit turned into her body tilting sideways, ending up lying across his lap.
"Sorry... I..."
Panic-stricken, Marin - already unwell - felt her head spinning from the emotional turmoil and struggled to sit up.
"Just lie still, unless you actually want to die."
Ye Xing gently pressed down on Marin's hair. Hearing his words and feeling the weakness in her body, she ultimately had no choice but to obey.
"Here."
Ye Xing opened the cold medicine he bought on the way, mixed it with hot water, and scooped some up with a small spoon, bringing it to Marin's lips.
"Drink."
Marin hesitated for a moment, wanting to take the cup herself. But after trying, she found she barely had the strength to lift her hand, so she could only obediently drink the cold medicine from the spoon.
The bitterness of the medicine made her frown slightly, and she muttered quietly.
"So bitter..."
Listening to Marin's soft complaint, Ye Xing looked exasperated.
"You don't expect me to coax you into drinking it, do you? Or should I feed you mouth-to-mouth?"
Marin's already fever-flushed face turned even redder upon hearing "mouth-to-mouth," and she quickly shook her head.
"That... that won't be necessary."
Though she said that...
The image had already formed in Marin's mind.
'It seems... quite tempting too...'
'No, Marin!'
'Put away those bold thoughts of yours!'
'Think of your good friend Saki - you absolutely mustn't do anything that would betray her!'
Marin Kitagawa's heart was deeply conflicted, feeling as if she was about to become a perverted woman.
And so, Ye Xing fed Marin Kitagawa spoonful by spoonful until the entire cup of cold medicine was finished.
After drinking the medicine, Marin Kitagawa clearly felt much better.
"Don't you have any cold medicine prepared at home?"
Marin Kitagawa shook her head. Because she had taken the cold medicine, her eyelids were already struggling to stay open as she murmured.
"I actually rarely got sick before... I don't know why... this time it suddenly..."
Marin Kitagawa felt she was about to fall asleep.
In that hazy state of consciousness before sleep, she instinctively grabbed the hem of Ye Xing's clothes and murmured.
"Can... can you stay with me?"
Ye Xing reached out and tidied the long hair beside Marin Kitagawa's ear, looking at her delicate profile as he smiled and said.
"Alright, you sleep. I won't leave."
"Okay, you promised me..."
Marin Kitagawa slowly closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
After confirming she was asleep, the smile disappeared from Ye Xing's face as he said softly.
"Onimaru Kunitsuna."
The black-bladed Onimaru Kunitsuna appeared in mid-air, quickly transforming into human form.
She looked at Marin Kitagawa lying sideways on Ye Xing's lap, her cheek still turned toward her master's chest, yet showed no trace of jealousy on her face.
After all, their positions were different.
The only thing that could make Onimaru Kunitsuna jealous was something trying to usurp her position as her master's weapon.
Like...
That damn shower head.
"Go check around this area for any powerful evil spirits. If you find any, chop them into fine mince."
"I understand, Master."
After Onimaru Kunitsuna left, Ye Xing looked at Marin Kitagawa sleeping peacefully on his lap and couldn't help but feel emotional.
If the sick person were Rio Futaba, Miko Yotsuya, Mai Sakurajima, Yui Yuigahama...
Of course, given their current physical condition, it would be difficult for these few to get sick.
But just hypothetically, if one of these four were sick.
He would only need to infuse them with spiritual power, and there would be no problem at all.
But Marin Kitagawa wasn't a psychic, so this method wouldn't work at all. Just like Haruno Yukinoshita, who was an ordinary person, no matter how many times she was infused during their intimate moments, there would be no improvement in her physical condition.
Ye Xing maintained his sitting position, taking this rare moment of relaxation as he closed his eyes to rest and recuperate.
Time passed minute by minute, the sky outside the window shifting from bright to dusk, and finally, to deep night.