Chapter 98 – A woman spent 20,000 points on me?
"Didn't you say before!" Ibuki immediately turned to the clerk, stating that she hadn't seen any notice when she came earlier.
The clerk maintained a smile and pointed to a sign hanging on the side of the shop, clearly stating they only handle groups of two for their services. This means if someone comes alone, they cannot get their fortune told.
No wonder, Yukio looked around and noticed that everyone was in pairs, either high school couples or close friends. He felt relieved not to see two guys coming in to get their fortunes told together, appreciating that the customs at Advanced Nurturing High School were still quite commendable.
Feeling a gaze on him, Yukio returned his attention to Ibuki, who was giving him a look as if to say, "How about it? Want to join me?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Seeing Yukio turn around, Ibuki diverted her gaze, turning her head away and avoiding eye contact: "You're the only acquaintance I have here. Or are you saying you're too busy with something else right now?"
Yukio didn't really mind, as he had no particular plans for the day: "I'm free, but you could have invited some friends to come for fortune-telling. Is it because you don't want to wait in line again?"
"Waiting in line is normal; I can wait for a long time." Ibuki didn't care about the length of the queue. Instead, she pointed to herself: "You must have noticed, right? Because of my personality and the way I speak, I... don't really have friends."
That made sense to Yukio, who internally agreed. In class, Ibuki always seemed to be on her own. Even Shiina, who has some difficulties with social interactions, managed to make a few friends by tutoring other girls. Only Ibuki remained like a lone wolf in the class.
Of course, there are differences between them. Shiina's situation stems from her childhood experiences, which led to her reluctance to share her interests with others and eventually becoming isolated. Ibuki, on the other hand, simply has a sharp tongue, which makes it difficult for her to socialize.
Yukio couldn't help but feel relieved: "It's a good thing that back on the uninhabited island, I had you go to Ichinose's class to gather information. If it were any other class, you might have been directly kicked out."
"Ha? You think I went undercover in Ichinose's class because she's nice?" Ibuki reacted defensively upon hearing this, feeling as if her efforts were being attributed to Ichinose, her gaze sharpening with displeasure.
Is this guy clueless? She had warned him multiple times about Ichinose and Kushida, whose kind exteriors could be hiding unknown flaws. Yet, he seemed utterly unguarded.
Was he blinded by Ichinose or Kushida's two fat balls? Ibuki thought resentfully inside.
Yukio saw the change in Ibuki's expression and considered the feelings of this key contributor: "No need to worry, no one can deny your strength."
"That's more like it." Ibuki's mood improved again: "I just automatically become tense and defensive when facing others, which is why my words come out so sharp."
"But if it's a mission, I can overcome this tension and act naturally." It seemed like the daughter of the martial family had undergone significant training as a child, which might explain her heightened sense of alertness.
"Um..." The clerk looked awkwardly at the two who were blocking the door without entering: "Are you here for a fortune-telling session?"
"Yes." Yukio realized they couldn't keep chatting outside and entered the shop, followed by Ibuki, who, after a moment of surprise, looked pleased and quickly followed.
The interior was intriguingly decorated, almost like stepping into a medieval witch's magical cottage. It was dim and somber, illuminated only by candles on both sides, with various decorations like animal bones and furs, and a cauldron emitting a green light.
There were three booths, two of which were concealed behind black curtains and seemingly occupied. Only one booth was open, with a kindly old grandmother in a black robe, her face exposed, beckoning them.
Yukio and Ibuki chose this booth and pulled the curtain behind them. The setup looked quite authentic, with a crystal ball in the center, tarot cards on the left, and bamboo fortune sticks on the right.
Seeing the witch-dressed elderly woman with a crystal ball to her left and a set of temple fortune sticks to her right somewhat broke the immersion for Yukio.
Then came an even more immersion-breaking moment when the kindly old woman handed them a price list, with the most basic love fortune-telling session costing ten thousand private points.
There were various packages available, including future careers, health, friendships, and more, along with fortunes about overcoming obstacles and seizing happiness, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to a hundred thousand points. Yukio couldn't help but marvel at how easy it is to earn money from women.
Ibuki, seeing the love fortune-telling option at the top of the list, felt her face heat up, wondering if the air conditioning was off as the heat seemed unbearable, almost causing her to sweat.
"What would you like to have fortune-told?" Seeing their silence, the elderly woman maintained her smile, thinking the young couple might be shy, and gently pushed the price list closer to them.
Yukio decided on a love fortune-telling session and prepared to pay the ten thousand points from his phone. He was just accompanying Ibuki and wasn't really interested in fortune-telling, choosing the cheapest option to avoid unnecessarily spending money.
"I'll pay," Ibuki quickly stepped in, paying twenty thousand points first: "I dragged you here, so it wouldn't be right to make you pay."
After her somewhat bold declaration, Ibuki immediately became shy: "Um, I'll also have my love fortune told..."
Fortunately, it was dark inside, allowing Ibuki to hide her blushing face. The warmth on her cheeks was uncontrollable, and she felt a rush of embarrassment.
The elderly woman, without saying much, performed the fortune-telling with efficient movements around the crystal ball, staring intently before finally appearing to conclude: "Hmm...I see."
"You two aren't a couple, are you? Coming here together made it quite challenging for me to discern your fates."
Yukio smirked secretly, guessing the fortune-teller deduced their relationship based on Ibuki's action of paying first.
The fortune-teller shared the results: "Based on the future shown by the crystal ball, the lady's love fortune is very smooth. Your occasional assertiveness will bring you great happiness, but remember not to always be so dominant."
"The gentleman's love fortune is also good, but being more considerate and gentle will make it even better and bring more happiness."
That's it?
Yukio considered opening a fortune-telling studio in Sakura Island, marveling at the easy money. Just a few words convinced someone to spend twenty thousand points!
Of course, the session couldn't be that simple. The fortune-teller must provide services worth the high fee. Ibuki, experienced in asking for detailed advice, inquired, "Is there a clear boundary between 'occasionally' and 'always' being assertive?"
Her skilled questioning suggested she had visited many fortune-telling shops before.
"Fate cannot be fully disclosed," the fortune-teller replied, perking up at the sign of an expert. She happily engaged with Ibuki: "However, I can offer you a piece of advice..."
After more than ten minutes, Ibuki left satisfied, ready to call Yukio to leave when she remembered the fortune-teller's words about not always being dominant. Under the cover of darkness, her face reddened again, making her act shyly and gently: "Shall we go, Yukio?"
This made Yukio involuntarily shiver, feeling goosebumps on his arm.
***
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