Tokyo: I can enlighten all obsessions

Only three minutes had passed.

The air in the men's restroom seemed to have been purified, and tranquility and peace were restored.

Only the faucet was still running, its clear water flowing freely.

Kamiki Tetsu stood in front of the sink, slowly and methodically washing his knuckles with hand soap, looking as relaxed as if he had just finished a soothing hand spa.

And behind him—

The two arrogant tea-loving scoundrels were now kneeling side by side in the standard "formal sitting" posture on the slightly damp tiled floor.

Although the face on the left was swollen like a steamed bun, and the one on the right had an artistically shaped bruise around the corner of his eye, their expressions were full of sincerity and humility in "repenting for their past mistakes".

That docile look in its eyes was even more endearing than a puppy waiting to be fed at a waiting bar.

"Um... Brother Shenmu!"

Seeing that Kamiki Tetsu had turned off the tap, the delinquent A on the left immediately straightened his back, placed his hands on his knees, and lowered his head forcefully, as if a switch had been flipped.

His voice had a unique nasal quality due to the swelling in his face, yet it was full of obsequiousness and awe:

"We were blind just now! We didn't know it was you, brother, with such an honor!"

The delinquent B on the right followed closely behind. Although the movement of the wound at the corner of his mouth made him wince in pain, he still managed to force a fawning smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Yes, yes! Thanks to your guidance, brother, our minds are very clear now! We feel like our lives have been elevated!"

The two exchanged a glance and shouted in unison, as if they were paying homage to some yakuza leader:

"What are your instructions? We'll go through fire and water for you, no matter what!"

Seeing the two guys crying their eyes out, Kamiki Tetsu's heart was like a stagnant pool, without even a ripple of "guilt".

After all, this is not some unwarranted bullying, but rather a belated "retribution".

On his way home from working at the convenience store, he had seen these two scumbags blocking the alley and extorting money from the skinny first-year students more than once.

Stealing someone's lunch money and then calling it a "loan" is more disgusting than a rat in the sewer.

Therefore, those slaps just now can only be considered as "interest" collected on behalf of the victims.

"There's no need for me to go through fire and water; I'm not some kind of demon."

Kamiki Toru casually pulled out a paper towel, wiped the water droplets off his hands, and then precisely tossed it into the trash can in the corner.

"Three-pointer."

He muttered something under his breath, then turned his gaze to the two people on the ground, his eyes cold:

"I'm asking you, what about Hoshino Ruri from Class 2-C...?"

What impression does this name give you?

That name was like a forbidden spell that could break a seal.

The moment the words left his mouth, Toru Kamiki keenly caught two reverberations in the air—

Boom, boom.

The dull thud of the heart pounding violently against the chest was so fast it felt like it was about to explode.

The two people, who had just been grimacing in pain and cowering, suddenly showed a rapid and visible reduction in fear in their eyes.

Instead, a chilling obsession has taken hold.

His eyes, which had been squinting due to facial swelling, were now strangely wide open, his pupils unfocused, and a glistening trickle of saliva uncontrollably dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

"Hoshino... Ruri...-chan..."

"Ah... if it's because of that woman..."

Their breathing became heavy and labored, their bodies began to twist unnaturally, their knees slightly off the ground, as if they were about to transform into mindless zombies, determined to break through the walls in order to find their "goddess".

Reason is rapidly evaporating in this men's restroom.

"Tsk."

Looking at the sudden "illness" scene, Toru Kamiki frowned.

Without saying a word, he raised his right hand, which had just displayed its power, high in the air.

"babble--!!!"

The absolute fear of pain instantly overwhelmed the boiling hormones in my brain.

As if a bucket of liquid nitrogen had been poured over their heads, their restless bodies suddenly stiffened, and the turbidity and fervor in their eyes vanished in an instant, turning them back into two trembling quails.

"Hehe...actually, if you think about it carefully..."

The thug on the left rubbed his hands together, a greasy, ingratiating smile plastered on his face, trying to ease the tension with flattery.

"Only a woman of Hoshino's caliber... is worthy of you, Brother Kamiki!"

However, the moment those words left his lips—

hum.

An indescribable chill suddenly shot up his spine and straight to the top of his head without warning.

The thug shuddered violently, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

It was as if an unseen wild beast, because of his words, had silently... opened its eyes.

But that feeling didn't come from Kamiki Tetsu in front of him.

Seeing his companion inexplicably fall silent, the thug on the right, fearing he hadn't been proactive enough, quickly crawled half a step and interrupted:

"B-Big brother! To be honest... that woman is definitely a bit off!"

"That Hoshino guy... he used to be just an invisible person, someone you could see anywhere, with no presence whatsoever. He didn't even have a single friend he could talk to. But, just these past few days..."

The thug's eyes widened, his hands gesturing in the air, his eyes filled with longing:

"It was like she suddenly awakened! The feeling was awful; every boy in the school who made eye contact with her felt like their soul had been ripped out!"

"The area in front of Class 2-C has completely turned into a hellish battlefield! Everyone's acting like wild beasts in heat, fighting over every little thing. Just yesterday..."

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"That baseball ace Uehara and basketball captain Tamura, those two guys used to be as close as brothers, but they got into a fight in the cafeteria over something as trivial as 'Who was Hoshino looking at just now?' and we couldn't separate them!"

"That appearance... how should I put it, it was like he was possessed by some kind of filthy thing, it was terrifying!"

After listening, Toru Kamiki nodded calmly, showing little surprise at the sensational description.

Originally an invisible person with no presence, he suddenly gained this bizarre attraction that could instantly destroy reason and incite violence...

It seems that this "heartthrob" has quite a few obsessions entangled with her.

The problem now is...

Is that thing merely beginning to reveal its fangs, or has it already fully erupted into a spiritual barrier?

"As expected... we still have to start with Hoshino himself."

Kamiki Tetsu stroked his chin with his fingers and muttered to himself.

Although direct contact with the walking "source of allure" is very risky, it is undoubtedly the fastest way to confirm whether a "spiritual barrier" has erupted.

Just as he was about to push open the door and leave—

"Um... Brother Shenmu?"

The thug A, who was still kneeling on the ground behind him, suddenly raised his hand cautiously, his eyes darting around like a primary school student waiting for a teacher's question:

"If it's Hoshino's house... I know where it is."

Kamiki Tetsu paused, turned around, and raised an eyebrow at him.

Seeing the "big brother's" gaze sharpen, the thug quickly waved his hands, a shy blush appearing on his face, and hurriedly explained:

"No, don't misunderstand! I'm not going to do anything bad!"

He lowered his head, nervously poking at each other with his two index fingers, his tone carrying a chillingly innocent delusion:

"I was thinking... now that Hoshino has become so charming, she's bound to get harassed by perverts or delinquents on her way home from school, right?"

"So I thought, if I could secretly follow behind her and act as her protector, stepping in to save her when she's in danger..."

The thug chuckled foolishly, completely absorbed in his own world, a trickle of drool even escaping from the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe she'll fall in love with me at first sight because of the suspension bridge effect..."

"Stop joking!"

A roar instantly shattered that pink bubble of delusion.

Just moments ago, delinquent B was kneeling with his companions in repentance, but now his eyes were bloodshot again, and his bewitched and twisted jealousy was growing wildly like weeds.

"Huh? Someone like you dares to be Hoshino-kun's knight?"

He lunged forward, grabbed his companion by the neck, and roared, spitting as he spoke:

"Hoshino-kun's smile... it clearly belongs only to me!!"

"Cough... You're talking nonsense! I was the one who started it..."

"Shut up! Go to hell, you love rival!"

In the blink of an eye, the narrow toilet cubicle was transformed into an arena for two members of a group called "Hoshino Ruri Guard".

The two men, who had just been calling each other brothers, were now wrestling like two wild beasts fighting for mating rights on the slippery floor.

"..."

Kamiki Toru's eyes twitched as he watched this absurd farce unfold before him.

"Feed".

He had no intention of breaking up the fight. He coldly raised his foot and lightly kicked the sole of the shoe of thug A, who was pinned down and whose face was distorted from being squeezed.

"Before we get beaten to death, let's give you the address first."

"Ahem... It's... it's Nishi-Shinjuku... 4-chome..."

While stubbornly resisting his companion's chokehold, thug A, as if to prove that his love for his goddess was even deeper, shouted out a detailed address at the top of his lungs:

"That... apartment with the blue roof!!"

Thanks.

Having obtained the information he wanted, Kamiki Tetsu had no lingering attachments.

He turned and pushed open the door, shutting out the noisy fighting, cursing, and thuds of limbs behind him behind the door that was labeled "Cleaning in Progress."

Completely ignoring the commotion behind him, which sounded like wild beasts fighting, Kamiki Tetsu walked through the corridor and returned to the infirmary filled with the smell of disinfectant.

After confirming that no one was around, he leaned back on the hospital bed he had just been lying on and took out his phone from his pocket.

The screen lit up, and my fingertips flew across the old-fashioned lucky cat image.

[Kujou-san, I've found the "source" of the school disturbance; it's a student named Hoshino. What about you? Any findings?]

The message was sent in less than three seconds.

hum-

The phone vibrated immediately; the response was so fast it was as if the other person had been watching the screen the whole time.

The first thing that catches the eye is an adorable emoji.

A chibi-style white cat stared wide-eyed, spitting out its tea all over the floor, next to which was a flashy artistic caption: "Eh?! Really?!"

Then, the text inside the speech bubble slowly popped out:

[Kujou: As expected of Kamiki-kun! You locked onto the target so quickly. I thought you'd take longer~(★^O^★)]

[Kujo: My situation isn't too good either.]

[Kujou: At our school... everyone seems to have become strange. People who are usually very gentle have suddenly become extremely irritable. They'll hurl insults at each other over the smallest things, and some will even start fighting in the hallway...]

[Nine: It feels like schools these days are like warehouses full of powder kegs, ready to explode at any moment Σ(°△°|||)︴]

After reading the message, Kamiki Tetsu pressed the lock screen button, and as the screen light went out, he casually slid the phone back into his pocket.

He squinted slightly, his gaze unfocused on the pristine white sheets, his fingers tapping idly on the edge of the bed.

"Kujo's side is indiscriminate rage, while mine is fanatical obsession..."

Ultimately, they all stem from certain desires or emotions deep within the human heart.

"Emotional or spiritual problems?"

He pondered the word repeatedly in his mind, but his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Spiritual obstacles that arise from absorbing negative emotions are like expired rice balls in a convenience store—the most common and low-class mass-produced goods.

They usually just huddle in some dark corner, at most affecting one or two unlucky souls.

But in this situation...

It's capable of simultaneously covering two schools, conducting this high-intensity, mass psychological pollution...

Is this really something that any ordinary "small fry" could accomplish?