I have an unlimited number of shikigami

Her bare feet looked slender and lovely, and her body, illuminated by the wide kimono, appeared exceptionally petite and delicate. Kitagawa Ryoko watched her for a while before coming to her side, sitting down quietly for a long time, and then saying in a low voice, "Yukino-nee-san wasn't really focused on the dance, was she..."

"Uh, I... I do." Yukino Riho looked embarrassed.

"You weren't even looking at me, and you were biting your pen one minute and staring at the paper with a silly grin the next. You weren't helping me find the problem at all; you were probably thinking about that jerk again, weren't you!"

"..." Yukino Riho opened her mouth.

She wanted to say something, but ultimately couldn't.

Actually... she wasn't thinking about Fujiwara Izaya, it's just that Fujiwara Izaya happened to send a message, which distracted her.

"Sister Yukino!" Kitagawa Ryoko pouted, looking aggrieved.

Yukino Riho paused, staring at the few words written on the paper for a long while before looking up and saying softly, "Actually... I've been quite troubled these past few days. I've been wondering if he'll come back someday and tell me what happened. Anyway, Ryoko... I'm so sorry about what happened earlier, please jump again..."

"I knew it!" Kitagawa Ryoko sighed wearily, silently bending down and resting her cheek against Yukino Riho's back. "But seeing Yukino-nee like this breaks my heart!"

"What's hurting you about?"

"Because I like Yukino-nee!"

"like?"

“Of course! Just like how you like that jerk!” Kitagawa Ryoko shook her head and muttered, “But liking him won’t lead anywhere, so why don’t you like me instead.”

"But how can we like each other when we're the same gender?" Yukino Riho asked seriously.

"It's okay to be the same, it's okay for me... Besides, same-sex love is true love..."

Hearing her complaints, Yukino Riho turned around, smiled, and patted her head: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. But don't always talk bad about him, he's a very good person."

"He's absolutely awful! There's no one worse than him in the world! I hate him! I hate him! Yukino-nee... wake up! That guy is too much for you to handle. Even if he likes you, you can only be his mistress... Women who are forever manipulated by him, infatuated with him, and desperately want to throw themselves at him never end well! Ah, I'm not saying Yukino-nee is shameless, but that's just how it is..."

The more Kitagawa Ryoko talked, the more excited she became.

Unable to contain her excitement, she suddenly stood up, waving her hands and circling around Yukino Riho like a little hen, chattering incessantly.

"Yukino-nee, you need to learn more about humans. It's very common for women to like other women; there are plenty of them in the world. After I leave the club, I'll move in with you, Yukino-nee. You can like Ryoko too. Ryoko is so pretty and cute, and she can do housework and earn money. She'll make sure you look beautiful..."

"No." Yukino Riho shook her head faintly.

"Ah, Yukino-nee..." Kitagawa Ryoko said, jumping around Yukino Riho as if she were throwing a tantrum.

"If you keep making noise, I'll punish you by making you jump for an hour without a break!" Yukino Riho laughed and poked her forehead with her finger.

“Really! I’m not kidding, I’ll live with Ryoko! Yukino-nee, really…” Kitagawa Ryoko kept repeating this, but Yukino Riho completely took it as her child’s nonsense. After a while, Kitagawa Ryoko couldn’t help but mutter, “Yukino-nee, what will I do if you really marry him…” Then she continued to make a fuss.

Time passed quickly, and the sunlight dimmed.

The birds seemed to gather in flocks and return to their nests, chirping as they flew over the bushes.

After leaving the Kitagawa Hall, Kitagawa Ryoko insisted on going with Yukino Riho to her place for the night. The two took the train back to Asakusa and walked back to the bakery.

In the distance, on a road with few people and vehicles, you can see the small green lights of a convenience store.

Riho Yukino walked slowly forward, listening to the rhythmic sound of her sandals under her feet. At the end of the straight alley, the streetlights shone with a hazy orange light.

"Here we go again..." She rubbed her temples.

"Good evening, Yukino," Takenaka Akira greeted from the shop entrance.

"Is something the matter?" Yukino Riho shielded Kitagawa Ryoko behind her, staring at him from a few meters away.

He wore a dark shirt, no tie, and had evenly broad shoulders. His hair was combed to one side, covering the scar at the corner of his eye. His first impression was that of a neatly groomed short-haired dog.

“No, I just happened to be passing by,” Takenaka Akira said warmly. “You just came back from the meeting place, right?”

"What do you mean?"

Takenaka Akira looked meaningfully at Yukino Riho's outfit: "You're dressed so neatly, you only wear formal attire when you go to the club. You usually wear casual clothes."

“…There’s nothing to say about this!” Yukino Riho felt instantly embarrassed, and her cheeks flushed even more.

These demons are so annoying!

What I wear is none of your business. Can't you have some self-awareness?

“I think they’re all very nice,” Takenaka Akira said in a friendly tone, seemingly trying to build rapport. “Whether in casual clothes or formal attire, Yukino is always so charming. Speaking of which, Yukino, you’re quiet by nature, you love music and dance, and you’re exceptionally talented in these areas. What’s even more remarkable is that among all the women coming out of the club, the scholarly air about you isn’t feigned… How should I put it? In my heart, you’re a truly leisurely woman, and being with you always brings a sense of peace. I can feel this unique quality, and I can understand your extraordinary thoughts…”

"Hey, hey, where did this disgusting man come from?" Kitagawa Ryoko peeked out from behind him, glaring at him fiercely. "If you want a close friend, go to Yoshiwara, go to Kabukicho. You can find one for less than 1 yen, and if that's not enough, you can pay more. Don't try to disgust people by pretending to be sentimental here!"

Yukino Riho tugged at the girl's sleeve: "Ryoko."

“It’s alright, the child is still young.” Takenaka Akira smiled with great composure and said casually, “I came here tonight to invite you to go to Nagano Prefecture with me. The mountain god festival is about to start, and I’m going to participate as well. How about we go together? I can protect you on the way.”

"No need." Yukino Riho shook her head indifferently, her expression showing complete distance.

“Well, it’s mainly for your safety.” Takenaka Akira walked up to her and said, “The Mountain God Festival is a mixed festival, with all sorts of gods and monsters attending. You’re naive, and I’m afraid you’ll be bullied. Like that Fujiwara guy, you were fooled by him for so long, and I can’t bear to see that happen a second time.”

As he spoke, he reached out, wanting to take Yukino Riho's hand.

Yukino Riho took a step back, then slapped him across the face with her backhand.

"Please respect yourself."

After coldly uttering a remark, Yukino Riho led Kitagawa Ryoko back to the bakery.

“You’ll regret this…” Takenaka Akira stood quietly in place, watching the shop door close tightly before turning around and leaving the alley to meet up with Yaeko, who was waiting there, to discuss their plans for the mountain god festival.

※※※※※

Upon returning home, the first thing Yukino Riho did was rush into the kitchen to wash her hands.

She washed it many times, but still felt a bit disgusted... She was angry, angry at Takenaka Akira, and also angry at Fujiwara Izaya. She thought that at the very least, Fujiwara Izaya should have told her what had happened so she could help him refute it, instead of letting others slander him behind his back.

“Yukino-nee, men are all annoying things, aren’t they!” Kitagawa Ryoko’s slender bare feet swayed slowly as she danced on the floor. “Whether it’s this one or that one, they should all disappear from the earth.”

As she spoke, her body swayed, and she looked like she was about to fall, but just before she hit the floor, she quickly turned around, her hair swirling in a circle. She did a backflip towards Yukino Riho, and after catching her breath, she gracefully bowed down.

"Yukino-nee, let Ryoko protect you!"

"You should think about yourself..." Yukino Riho felt a little better and took out ingredients from the refrigerator to start making dinner.

"What do I have to think about?"

"Do you have someone you want to marry?" Yukino Riho asked with a smile.

"..." Kitagawa Ryoko frowned, walked into the kitchen, and angrily reached out to hug her.

"Stop fooling around, I'm cooking!" Yukino Riho deftly dodged.

"If Fujiwara can hug Ryoko, why can't he?"

"He never hugged me. Besides, he was very polite to me, unlike you who have such ulterior motives."

"Yukino-nee will only protect him." Kitagawa Ryoko held up a cucumber and muttered, "Just wait and see, let Ryoko seduce him and show you what a scumbag he really is! Hmph, if he dares to touch me, I'll fight him to the death and I'll never let him hurt Yukino-nee. If he can't beat me, then Yukino-nee and I can finally believe in love..."

"Talking nonsense..."

"Hehe." Kitagawa Ryoko probably thought of some good plan and laughed like a pig.

That night, she wanted to sleep in the same bed as Yukino Riho, but Yukino Riho wasn't used to having someone sleeping next to her and ruthlessly kicked her out. She didn't want to sleep in Fujiwara Izaya's room either, so she could only sleep on the sofa in the living room for the night.

※※※※※

The next day, as dawn was breaking, it was drizzling.

Early in the morning, Fujiwara Rinya flew back to Tokyo and landed when no one was around. When he got close to the noodle shop, he found that the door was closed, but he could see thick black smoke coming out from a distance.

Could it be on fire...?

Fujiwara Izaya quickly ran back.

I took out my keys and opened the door. The first thing I saw was the kitchen on the first floor, where thick smoke was billowing out. In the billowing black smoke, a figure was frantically fanning himself with a book, coughing, and muttering something incessantly.

"ah……"

"Why is it a lake...?"

"Please, please don't let it explode..."

Who else could it be but a stupid woman?

Her face was quite blackened by the smoke, and she was frantically fanning away the soot with a book in her hand. Her expression was somewhat panicked and conflicted, probably wondering whether she should still try to salvage what was inside. Just as she was struggling to decide, she suddenly heard a noise. She turned her head and froze when she saw who it was.

"Good morning." Fujiwara Izaya couldn't help but smile.

After a few seconds of silence, Yukino Riho laughed, wiping her forehead somewhat sheepishly with the back of her hand: "Uh, it's raining today, and I didn't want to go to the bread factory... so I tried making some things to sell myself... but it seems like I failed..."

Deep, dark gray marks were constantly being smeared onto her forehead and cheeks by the back of her fair hands. Her delicate, oval face wore a smile of panic and shyness, but this rabbit-like expression, combined with the dark gray of her skin, only made her appear pure and flawless…

Chapter 151. Miss Yukino and Yuki's First Meeting

"What are you doing?"

"Uh... I bought a charcoal grill, planning to grill meat at home today."

"You don't know how to start a fire, right?"

"...No, that's not it. It's just my first time using it, I'm not familiar with it..."

"Understood." Fujiwara Izaya glanced into the kitchen and used water to put out the charcoal stove.

Yukino Riho washed her face and hands in the sink, then wiped her face with a tissue.

It was probably only then that she realized how embarrassing she had looked. Her cheeks burned as she wiped them, and her wrists trembled slightly. After cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, as the two walked back upstairs, Yukino Riho spoke up, seemingly bored: "Did Fujiwara-kun come back to Tokyo this morning?"

“Yes, I just arrived in Tokyo.” Fujiwara Izaya walked up the stairs. “I was planning to go to the shrine first, but I thought it had been a long time since I’d seen Yukino-san, so I came back here first.”

Yukino Riho was delighted to hear him say "come back".

"Have you eaten anything?" she asked with concern. "Would you like me to prepare breakfast for you?"

Fujiwara Izaya subconsciously turned around and looked at the kitchen on the first floor: "Is the meat overcooked?"

Yukino Riho hurriedly lowered her head and muttered, "It's my first time grilling meat, don't make fun of me for this..."

“If there’s anything you’ve never tried before that you’d like to experience, just ask me to come with you.” Fujiwara Izaya smiled mischievously, his gaze returning to her. “After all, this isn’t a wealthy family; we can’t afford your antics.”

His voice was very pleasant, and Yukino Riho's mood relaxed. She chuckled and said, "Oh, okay, I'll wait for you next time, but don't use that to call me a stupid woman..."

If others were to tease her about being stupid, Yukino Riho would feel uncomfortable. But since Fujiwara Izaya said it to her, perhaps because he had already seen through her stupidity, Yukino Riho felt quite open and honest in front of him, and her attitude was surprisingly good.

She used to think of retorting: No, I'm not a stupid woman, I just don't know!

Now she'll just think: Yeah, I'm stupid, please take good care of me.