"Yukishita, you hesitated."
Hiratsuka Shizuka stepped forward one pace at a time, pressing closer until Yukino had no room left to retreat and was forced to lean against the wall. Only then did Hiratsuka stop, looking down at the girl in front of her.
"A tsundere act really doesn't suit you," Hiratsuka said with a faint smile. "Someone who always insists on being herself and firmly believes she can change the world—that version of you is a lot cuter."
"I—I'm not a tsundere!"
Yukino pushed Hiratsuka away, her cheeks faintly heated. After hesitating for a few seconds, she continued, her voice firm.
"I don't want to believe in ghosts. They're nothing more than products of ancient imagination and the limitations of their era's understanding."
"That's exactly what I thought at first," Hiratsuka replied, taking a cigarette from her pocket and lighting it. She exhaled slowly, then glanced at Lu Nian with a complicated mix of helplessness and resignation.
"Until I met this guy."
"Teacher Hiratsuka," Yukino said, her gaze shifting to Lu Nian, "you still haven't told me who he is."
She observed the boy carefully. He looked one or two years older than her, exceptionally handsome, with a faint, ever-present smile that gave off a gentle and approachable feeling.
No matter how she looked at him, he didn't resemble someone capable of dealing with ghosts at all.
At the very least, if he were wearing shrine robes, she might have found him more convincing.
Of course, there was also a much higher chance he would be mistaken for a pervert.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself again," Lu Nian said, stepping forward smoothly. "My name is Lu Nian. I'm not an exorcist. On the contrary—I'm a businessman."
"A mysterious merchant."
Sensing Yukino's increasingly strange gaze—and vaguely perceiving her thoughts thanks to his strong mental perception—Lu Nian quickly continued.
"Whether it's superhuman intelligence, a powerful body, dissatisfaction with your personality and a desire to change it, or even lifespan and extraordinary power… everything is for sale."
Cards appeared between his fingers, fluttering like butterflies as he casually played with them.
"So? Interested in buying one?" he asked softly.
"I hear you want to change the world. I just happen to have something that can make that dream come true immediately."
His gentle voice carried a dangerous temptation, like a devil's whisper.
For a brief moment, Yukino—still only a sixteen-year-old high school girl—found her gaze involuntarily drawn to the dancing cards.
"Wake up, Yukishita!"
Hiratsuka stepped forward and smacked Yukino lightly on the head, snapping her out of it.
"Don't believe him! This guy is absolutely full of bad intentions and just wants to scare you!"
Hiratsuka shot Lu Nian an unfriendly glare. At some point, he had already adopted an innocent, spectator-like expression, as if enjoying the show.
"???"
Yukino looked at Lu Nian with confusion, then back at Hiratsuka.
"What Lu Nian said about 'changing the world' is technically true," Hiratsuka said with a sigh. "But…"
She lowered her head and looked at Yukino seriously.
"Are you really dissatisfied with this world to the point of wanting to destroy it completely?"
"Teacher Hiratsuka, what do you mean?" Yukino asked, bewildered.
"Literally."
Hiratsuka took a deep drag and exhaled slowly, her eyes fixed on the card between Lu Nian's fingers.
"That is power capable of changing the world—but only in the form of an apocalypse."
Remembering the horrific scene that had flooded her mind the first time she touched the [Protoenterovirus] card, Hiratsuka felt a chill down her spine.
In hindsight, she might have accidentally saved the world.
Who would have thought that a boy she casually saved from a traffic accident would possess something like that? And judging from Lu Nian's indifferent attitude, she was certain he had more than just one.
...
Yukino fell silent.
Shock warred with disbelief in her heart. After all, everything she knew so far had come solely from Hiratsuka and Lu Nian—she hadn't witnessed any of it herself.
"Here," Lu Nian suddenly said.
"You can borrow this for now."
He casually tossed the [Protoenterovirus] card toward Yukino.
The moment she caught it, ownership transferred instantly. Along with it came a flood of information—exactly the same as what Hiratsuka had experienced before.
Ownership, after all, was easy to obtain.
You just had to buy it.
"Also," Lu Nian added calmly, glancing toward the shadows,
"you've been listening for quite a while now. Aren't you going to come out?"
From the moment he stepped onto the third floor, he had already noticed something watching them—and even following them into the classroom.
There was no malice in that gaze, which was why he had waited until now.
...
Thirty seconds passed.
Then a full minute.
The classroom remained silent, save for the breathing of the three people present.
"Lu Nian…" Hiratsuka asked hesitantly.
"Did it run away?"
"It's still here," Lu Nian replied with certainty.
He crouched down and peered through the gaps between the piled desks and chairs. For a split second, he caught sight of a palm-sized black shadow darting past.
Bang!
The shadow collided with a stool and let out a startled—
"Meow!"
"!!"
Still holding the Protoenterovirus card, Yukino felt her worldview shatter completely as the information and images flooded her mind. When she heard the meow, her eyes lit up, and she snapped her head toward the sound.
In front of the overturned chair lay a thin, small black cat, staring at the three of them with eyes filled with unmistakable intelligence.
"Lu Nian," Hiratsuka said flatly,
"are you sure you didn't make a mistake? This… is the 'ghost' you were so confident about?"
She looked from the frail little cat to Lu Nian, utterly speechless.
This tiny thing didn't look capable of scaring anyone, let alone haunting an entire building.
"Well," Lu Nian said calmly, hands in his pockets,
"if nothing else, Sister Jing, the ghost you mentioned is this little guy."
At some point, Yukino had already squatted down in front of the cat. Completely captivated, she gently extended her hand.
The kitten rubbed its head against her palm, purring softly.
So cute it practically begged to be stuffed into a sack and taken home.
"And also," Lu Nian added, watching the scene with amusement,
"there's been a misunderstanding."
"It wasn't a ghost haunting the girl."
"It was a cat demon."
After a brief pause, he smiled.
"…Or, if you prefer—
a cat girl."
_____________________
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