When Renji Kamisaka awoke, he was alone in bed. Sayu's warmth, a warmth he had only felt last night, had been replaced by the morning chill. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he stepped towards the kitchen, and a faint smile touched his lips. There, Ogiwara Sayu already stood, wearing a simple apron that framed her slender body, her hair tied in a ponytail—a sight so domestic and soothing. She was politely preparing breakfast, her movements nimble.
Watching her from the side, the girl's delicate face and her slender curves beneath the apron were exquisite, a sight that made the morning feel brighter.
"Renji, good morning." Sayu turned, offering a sweet smile and greeting him politely. She had grown accustomed to calling him "Renji" after he instructed her to call him directly or "Boss," as "Renji-kun" sounded strange to him.
"Good morning, Sayu," Renji replied, his steps drawing closer, his eyes admiring Sayu's graceful and nimble movements.
While Sayu greeted him, her hands didn't stop. She continued to fry eggs. The egg liquid in the pan slowly formed perfect circles under the influence of the oil's temperature. Skillfully, she used a spatula to flip the egg, and in less than a minute, fragrant fried eggs with golden surfaces were ready to be served. Their aroma was so tempting, it made Renji's stomach rumble.
Soon, two steaming bowls of egg noodles appeared on the table, their steam dancing in the air.
"I'm starting." Renji Kamisaka couldn't wait. He immediately slurped the noodles. The aroma was abundant, the taste was firm. Renji Kamisaka's eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help but give a thumbs-up, like a satisfied food critic.
"Delicious!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with sincere appreciation. "Sayu, from now on, I'm entrusting my three meals a day to you!"
"No problem, this is what I promised from the start." The girl smiled sweetly, warmth radiating from her eyes, before she also began to eat her noodles.
After finishing the noodles, Renji Kamisaka didn't even leave the soup, slurping it down to the last drop. He ate until he was full, his heart content. Seeing him so approving of her cooking skills, Ogiwara Sayu's mood brightened, the burden in her heart feeling a little lighter. She felt the simple happiness of being able to serve someone who was kind to her.
Renji Kamisaka asked her to wash the dishes and then tidy her own room—the room next to his was now hers. Girls always liked to decorate their rooms to be tidier and have personal space, a place where they could be completely themselves. Ogiwara Sayu dutifully went to her room.
Standing in the room that was now hers, Sayu couldn't help but start daydreaming, her gaze drifting to the window.
Starting today, will I really live here?
Will I not be kicked out because of my vague identity?
Will I not become homeless because I have no money?
After spending all her money on the cold streets, Ogiwara Sayu clearly knew the importance of money. And what was even more important was a place to sleep at night. Without money, you were a nobody and could have nothing—a bitter reality she felt to her bones.
But she didn't regret running away from home. Compared to a home that gave her no warmth, a mother who cared not an iota for her, the tenderness given by Renji Kamisaka impressed her more, etching deeper into her wounded heart. She felt like she had found an oasis in the middle of a desert.
In fact, Renji Kamisaka could have just slept with her, given her some money, and thrown her out. The uncles on the streets were consistent in this method of dealing with runaway girls. But Renji Kamisaka didn't ignore her. He not only bought her clothes, but also helped her with the check-in procedures, gave her shelter, and now even gave her a job.
Thinking about it, Ogiwara Sayu's eyes gradually became moist, tears welling up. A deep sense of emotion surged.
I've decided. As long as Renji Kamisaka needs me, I must satisfy this man who is gentle with me. A promise she etched in her heart, a determination to repay this unexpected kindness.
After breakfast, Renji Kamisaka asked Ogiwara Sayu to look after the house, and he went out. Soubu High School would start in two days, so he had to pick up his custom-made school uniform, a step towards a new normal life.
Originally, the item was supposed to be delivered to his door via courier. However, the phone rang. The courier company called and, without saying anything, just offered a series of "Sumimasen," "Honto ni sumimasen~". The staff repeatedly apologized, saying that all of the company's vehicles had broken down and couldn't deliver on time, and asked him to personally go to the courier company branch to pick it up. They also waived the courier fee this time as a form of compensation.
Renji Kamisaka had no choice but to go by himself to pick it up. Taking the train, he soon arrived at the courier company branch. He and the staff searched for a long time before finally finding his school uniform. Looking very apologetic, the staff bowed and apologized to him again. Renji Kamisaka, with a friendly smile, said it was fine. By the way, aren't you tired of bowing so many times? Apologies just flow out of your mouth. But how much real regret is there in your heart, only they know. He complained inwardly, amused by the exaggerated drama.
Secretly complaining about the staff in his heart, Renji Kamisaka picked up his school uniform and turned to leave. Actually, he was very curious, what had happened to cause all of the courier company's vehicles to be unable to move. There was something odd, but he chose not to dwell on it too much.
Renji Kamisaka went to a famous sauce-flavored roasted meat shop to buy a portion, asking the server to help pack it, and prepared to take it back for Sayu to taste. This sauce-flavored roasted meat was actually braised meat, but its smell was fragrant and its taste lingered. This food had a delicious flavor that made people want to eat it again after eating it. Of course, if you ate too much, it would still be greasy.
It's worth mentioning that, while queuing, a girl with two braided pigtails adorned with three-color flower hair accessories and wearing thick glasses stood in front of him. For some reason, she felt familiar. Perhaps a character from some anime, he thought, but he didn't dwell on it further. The Life Game System didn't trigger a mission, so he assumed it was an unimportant person, and he had no intention of starting a conversation.
As soon as he got on the train, he didn't linger any longer and prepared to go home. Staring at the packaged soy sauce braised pork, he couldn't help but anticipate Sayu's expression after tasting it. People like Renji Kamisaka liked to share the things they enjoyed with the people they cared about, especially food. Enjoying it together created more happiness. Of course, he didn't share with everyone, some people weren't worthy of sharing with.
As he was thinking, he suddenly smelled a foul odor. It smelled like a dead rat in a smelly sewer, so pungent it almost made him vomit. When he looked up, his eyes searched for the source of the smell. He saw it coming from a girl with long straight black hair and wearing a JK uniform. Upon closer observation, he saw that both of the girl's legs were tightly clamped together, her body tense. She stood in front of the train door, staring at her phone, but Renji Kamisaka noticed her body trembling slightly, as if holding something back.
Perhaps my eyesight is too good, Renji thought. He even thought he saw the pretty girl's skirt looking wet, a faint dark stain.
Suddenly, the system's voice thundered in his mind again.
[Ding, mission triggered: Fear of the Spiritual Girl. Before you is a girl who can see evil spirits and is constantly tormented by them. If the evil spirits know that she can see them, they might take her away. Out of fear, the girl even wet herself. Please help the girl drive away the evil spirits. Completing the mission will give you a skill or item reward.]
Seeing the details of the mission, and looking at the cute face of the black-haired JK girl who was now filled with hidden horror, he immediately knew who she was. Yotsuya Miko, from Mieruko-chan, a funny yet profound anime. This anime used the female protagonist, Yotsuya Miko, who was constantly scared by evil spirits, and her only ability was to hide her fear and pretend not to see them, as a selling point to attract viewers.
But for Miko herself, having the ability to see spirits and constantly being afraid was a disaster, a curse. The fact that she didn't go crazy right then and there already showed her extraordinary mental fortitude.
Renji Kamisaka could already smell the foul odor of the evil spirits, a smell that stung his nose and stomach. So he believed Yotsuya Miko's feelings were even deeper. If these evil spirits stayed any longer, Renji Kamisaka felt he would truly vomit. There was no other way. Both for emotional reasons—pity for the girl—and rational reasons—to get rid of this disgusting smell—he had to undertake this quest.
So he moved his feet, his steps steady, and approached Yotsuya Miko, who was surrounded by shadowy black figures filled with eyeballs and emitting a foul stench. Without hesitation, he stared directly into the red eyes of the evil spirit, a cold aura enveloping him.
"Get lost, you stink," he said, his voice calm but full of authority.
"Gaah? You... can see me?" The evil spirit tilted its head, its entire body writhing like a worm, like twisted braids. Each of its horrifying eyeballs occasionally widened and stared sharply at him. Then, suddenly, the creature opened its bloody mouth and bit him, a horrifying movement.
Renji Kamisaka's "Damage Doubled Reflection" skill immediately activated.
[Ding, attacked by creature (evil spirit), damage doubled and reflected!]
So under the shocked gaze of the girl, Yotsuya Miko, the evil spirit's toothy mouth instantly shattered into pieces, then disappeared accompanied by horrifying wails that only Renji and Miko could hear.
[Ding, Fear of the Spiritual Girl, mission completed. Congratulations, player, you have obtained the skill: Spirit Eyes!]
[Spirit Eyes: Automatically triggers this skill when encountering a spirit, then obtains one charge. Each charge can release one Spirit Eye Strike effect.]
Spirit Eye Strike?
Although he hadn't tried it yet, it should be a type of soul attack, Renji thought. Yes, that was another way to deal with souls. Renji Kamisaka declared that it was a good deal, an unexpected bonus.
He shifted his gaze to the still bewildered girl, her face pale from shock and confusion. Noticing her uniform skirt was dripping water, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around Miko's waist, a simple but thoughtful gesture.
"I'm giving you my jacket, no need to thank me." After saying that, he stepped out as the train doors opened. He had reached his stop, leaving Miko with her confusion and his jacket.
At the same time, in various parts of the city, the courier company's delivery vehicles returned to normal one by one, as if the strange curse that had afflicted them had lifted along with the departure of the evil spirit.
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