Mygo, are you all yanderes?

"...So why is that?"

Kusano Akira didn't want to move out.

"Because...your house is haunted!"

"..."

"Oh."

Kusano Akira now understood why Nagasaki Motoyo looked so terrified; she had seen Mortis.

It's understandable that she was so frightened, since Mortis's appearance is indeed scary. He was terrified when he was scared too, and it seems that the lights in his house were off, which only made the horror level soar even higher.

"Su Shi, that's..."

"I know you don't believe it, but it's true."

Nagasaki Motoyo interrupted Kusano Akira, her azure gem-like eyes reflecting her seriousness. Her eyelashes trembled slightly with her hurried words, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if caused by the brief tears she had shed earlier.

"You don't have to believe in ghosts, but you at least have to believe that I won't harm you. You absolutely cannot go home tonight."

"...Where do I live? At your place?"

"...No, I'm not going home tonight either."

Nagasaki Motoyo hesitated for a moment before speaking.

That doll definitely saw her face clearly. If she still wanted to go home under such circumstances, it would be a dead end. She's not stupid.

按照套路来讲，她绝对会在准备睡觉9¤÷4＞'824「（330¨》5肿℃☆:的时候就被‘咔嚓’掉的！她不想死，她还没活够呢！

“We can find a hotel to stay in and make do for the night. The next day, we’ll find some people who can perform the ritual…”

"I'm out of money. I spent it all when I went out to play. All my remaining savings are at home. You can see for yourself."

Kusano Akira showed Nagasaki Motoyo his empty wallet, which contained only a few coins. Judging by the denominations, it wasn't even enough to buy a can of coffee.

As for staying in a hotel, that's simply wishful thinking.

"I have some, you can borrow it."

"..."

"Oh dear, how should I tell you this..."

Kusano Akira was in a bit of a predicament. He didn't know how to explain to Nagasaki Motoyo that Mortis was actually a harmless ghost that posed no threat to people—except for uppercuts.

Volume 1: Chapter 115 (2k)

"Su Shi, I have a question. The so-called ghost you saw in my house... was it a doll-like thing?"

Just in case, Kusano Akira decided to ask Nagasaki Motoyo for clarification. Better safe than sorry, what if what Nagasaki Motoyo said about ghosts was true?

These days, even supernatural phenomena like mortis have appeared, so it's not impossible that a few ghosts with malicious intent towards humans would actually appear.

If a second unidentified creature were to appear, Kusano Akira would have to buy a plaque and put it on his front door that says "Monster Apartment".

“That’s right…”

Nagasaki Motoyo's brows furrowed suddenly, forming two shallow curves. Hearing Kusano Akira's words, she was somewhat surprised. Her previously confident expression was replaced by doubt, and the certainty in her tone was gradually replaced by confusion and hesitation.

"And wasn't that 'ghost' also green-haired, with scarlet eyes, and a really big mouth?"

How did you know...?

"She looks scary, right? She looks exactly like one of those scary dolls from a horror movie?"

“…Ming-sang, you…”

"Su Shi, besides this, is there a second figure—a ghost?"

"That's it, only this one left..."

"That's right."

Kusano Akira snapped his fingers, the crisp sound exploding in the air. He slightly raised his chin, the corners of his mouth curving up into a perfectly symmetrical arc.

Looking at the puzzled Nagasaki Motoyo, he smiled nonchalantly, his voice carrying a hint of ease, as if he was doing it on purpose to make the person in front of him feel relaxed as well.

“Su Shi, what you saw was not a ghost—you could call it a ghost, since it could move, but it was definitely not the kind you thought it was.”

"...?"

Kusano Akira glanced at Nagasaki Motoyo, whose legs were still trembling.

"Simply put, it's a kind of earthbound spirit. You know what an earthbound spirit is, right?"

"But the building we live in isn't one of those old buildings from the last century, and I haven't heard of any murders happening there..."

"I don't know either. Anyway, you don't need to worry. It's not a threat at all. Look, I'm still alive and well, aren't I? I even spent a whole night with it."

Standing under the streetlight, Kusano Akira stretched out his arms, showing off his physique.

"Look, I don't have a single scratch on me, do I? My complexion is perfectly fine, I'm very healthy, and there's absolutely nothing like what you're thinking."

"Don't worry, you and I will be fine, so you don't need to be so scared."

"..."

"Let's go home."

"……no."

"Ming-sang, I think it's better to move out. What if the thing in your house was just deceiving you, and is actually a dangerous ghost? What will you do then?"

Although her voice was trembling slightly, clearly indicating that she somewhat believed the other party, Nagasaki Motoyo still stuck to her own opinion.

Her fingers unconsciously twirled the strands of hair by her ear, tucking the loose hair behind her ear and then letting it go. Nagasaki Motoyo bit her lower lip, her voice slightly nasal.

Since she gained strength, she had sometimes felt unwell. Now, after such a physically demanding long run, she had no strength left, so her tone became softer and more genuine compared to her previous deliberate voice.

"You really should listen to me. Let's run a bit further away and go back during the day. It'll be safer then. You don't need to pay for the accommodation..."

"No, my door isn't closed yet."

Kusano Akira turned and took a step, as if to leave. Nagasaki Motoyo, seeing that he wouldn't listen to her advice, felt anxious and almost reflexively reached out, her slender white fingers gripping his wrist tightly.

"Wait a minute, I'm serious...!"

Seeing that she couldn't persuade Kusano Akira or hold him back, Nagasaki Motoyo was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. With a determined effort, she simply followed in his footsteps.

"Ming-sang, you really can't..."

"I don't want it."

Kusano Akira turned around and gave Nagasaki Motoyo a quick glance.

"Anyway, I'm going back. I'm already very tired today, and I can't wait to go back to my little house and get some rest."

"Su Shi, if you're really scared, you might as well wait here. I'll call you when I get back if everything's alright."

Kusano Akira raised his phone, waved it at her, and then turned and hurried back the way he came without looking back.

"……whispering sound!"

Nagasaki Motoyo's tightly pursed lips turned pale, her canine tooth rubbed fiercely against her other teeth, her cheeks puffed out slightly, and without a moment's hesitation, she immediately followed in the other person's footsteps.

Kusano Akira is as stubborn as a mule. Even after she said all that, he wouldn't even believe her. Is this what he calls caring about his bandmates? How annoying!

But she couldn't bear to let him go back alone. Although she hated him, she just couldn't let go of him for some reason. Nagasaki Motoyo attributed this to her kindness.

Since we can't stop the other person, we should at least help them get out of danger as quickly as possible when something happens to them. Two people are always better than one.

"Wait a minute, I'll go too!"

........................

"Su Shi, if you're really scared, you don't have to force yourself to come with me. Just wait for my news."

Kusano Akira glanced at Nagasaki Motoyo, who was still persistently trying to persuade him not to go, and said helplessly.

The other person's legs were trembling with fear, yet they were still trying to walk forward with him.

"I don't want to. What if something really happens to you? If something happens to you, Xiaodeng and Hemu will be very sad."

"..."

"Since that's the case, why don't we take this opportunity to talk again, Su Shi?"

"You came to my house to see me, right? Let me guess your purpose—it's about Mu?"

"...Let's not talk about that now."

"Su Shi, you've probably been looking for an opportunity to talk to me alone all day, right? Isn't this the perfect opportunity?"

"..."

Nagasaki Motoyo had no time to talk about these things. After all, these things were nothing to be proud of compared to the appearance of a ghost. Her mind was completely filled with fear, and she couldn't think of anything else.

"You should now know the real reason why Mutsu and I know each other."

Seeing that Nagasaki Motoyo had no intention of talking, Kusano Akira decided to ignore her and continued speaking.

"So you know I'm lying to you, and in your heart I must be a completely untrustworthy liar."

Volume 1: Chapter 116 (2k words)

"And if I'm not mistaken, this is how you, Su Shi, see me."

The night was as dark as thick ink spreading through the air. Kusano Akira cupped his right hand like a microphone, gently pressed it to his lips, and coughed lightly twice.

"That despicable Kusano Akira must be an incredibly wicked scumbag. He even deceived Kotomi and Mutsuki to such an extent. It's terrifying—is that what you think?"

"..."

"...So what? So what? Why did you suddenly say all this at this time? It doesn't do you any good at all. Aren't you afraid that I'll hinder you in every way from now on?"

Her flaxen hair flowed in the wind like a piece of silk. Nagasaki Motoyo's azure eyes remained unmoved by Kusano Akira's words. She continued walking without stopping, her overly calm voice piercing the cold air.

"So you mean you admit it, right?"

Kusano Akira glanced sideways at the girl beside him, whose tone was calm but whose body was still trembling slightly. Without making a sound, he took half a step forward to shield her from the oncoming cold wind.

"Even if I don't say it, won't you still get in my way? — No, no, you've led me astray."

Kusano Akira shook his head.

"Let me tell you this formally: I have no interest in lights or harmony. All your worries are unnecessary because I will not do the things you mentioned, so the claim that it will cause any problems is completely unfounded."

"In fact, I'm the one who's still troubled by this matter."

"..."

The wind that had been sweeping in front of her suddenly disappeared, and her body began to warm up automatically again. Because Kusano Akira suddenly walked in front of her, Nagasaki Motoyo realized that her hand, which was holding the other's wrist, not only did not separate, but instead became even more tightly intertwined with the other's five fingers.

The warmth of their palms rose slowly along the fibers of the fabric, leaving a slightly burning mark in the cool atmosphere. Their fingers, as if seeking more warmth, slipped between each other's fingers until they intertwined, their shadows overlapping and reflected on the stone slab.

Her pupils widened slightly, and Nagasaki Motoyo quickly withdrew her hand and placed it on her chest. Her heart was pounding in her chest, whether from running or something else.

Nagasaki Motoyo looked at the back of the boy's neck, exposed by the wind blowing his hair, and felt a little helpless for a moment.

What's going on with her? It was just a normal hand-holding, just a normal conversation. The other person didn't do or say anything, and nothing happened here.

But her heart was pounding really hard.

Why is that? Could it be that Qi is actually an easier girl to handle than Lu Gaosong?

No, she isn't.

Nagasaki Motoyo bit her tongue hard, the stinging pain climbing up her nerves like thorns. Her nails dug deep into the soft flesh of her inner thigh. She desperately suppressed the cry of pain that almost escaped her lips, using the pain to distract herself from her emotions.

She didn't want to admit that she was a girl who could be easily won over; everything that had just happened must have been just an illusion.

Yes, that's right, it's an illusion.

"..."

"Ming-sang, do you know?"

Leaving the center of the street, the lights here began to dim. Nagasaki Motoyo touched her fingers and waited until there was no sound in the air before breaking the silence.

“I’ve known Mu for a long time since Crychic was founded. Back then, Xiao Xiang took the initiative to bring her to me.”

When the past was mentioned, Nagasaki Motoyo's tone became complicated.

“She is an introverted child who is almost unwilling to communicate with anyone except Xiao Xiang. Even I only got to know her little by little because we were in the same school and the same band.”

Even so, we rarely chat together on weekdays, and I almost never see the child take the initiative.