Chapter 46

"What do you think?" Kaguya's mother turned and looked over.

Natsuki was nearby, munching on some melon. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to be honest:

"Well, to be blunt, a smile that stiff has got to be fake."

Glare!

Kaguya crossed her arms, tilted her head slightly, and unleashed her death stare.

What's so scary about that? You think that's fierce? Go tell your mommy about it!

Natsuki took half a step back. "Uh, don't mind me. Carry on."

"Come on, Kaguya dear, keep trying," her mother urged.

Kaguya was at her wit's end but forced herself to smile again.

"That's so half-hearted. Start over."

"..."

Natsuki silently took out his phone, wanting to snap a photo as a memento.

It must be said, with continuous practice, the ice queen's smile quickly became more natural.

That last smile especially made Natsuki's heart skip a beat.

"Too bad I was too slow," he thought. "If I'd caught that smile on camera, I could've sold prints at school for 100 bucks a pop. People would be fighting to get one!"

"Miss..."

The blonde maid, Ai, pushed the door open and walked in, just in time to catch Kaguya's dazzling smile. Her eyes went wide in disbelief, almost suspecting she was seeing things.

"Miss Kaguya... can actually smile so beautifully?"

"Did that Natsuki guy hypnotize her or something?"

When Kaguya heard Ai's voice, her smile vanished instantly, and she turned back into the ice queen.

"What is it?"

Ai reminded her, "It's evening already. Time for you to head home, Miss."

"I see." Kaguya was quiet for a moment, then looked towards Natsuki. "...Let's go."

The two went downstairs together.

"I need to tell you something," Natsuki said in a low voice. "After signing the guardian spirit contract, your mother can only stay with me. She can't go back with you."

Kaguya paused slightly, then responded in an almost inaudible voice.

"As expected."

If a guardian spirit could roam freely, it wouldn't really be a guardian spirit anymore.

But still...

(My mother suddenly became some boy's guardian spirit. What on earth is going on?!)

(I can't stay away from boys. What am I supposed to do when I'm bathing or going to bed?)

(And what about that "How to Raise a Loyal Boyfriend" guide? I stayed up late last night secretly reading it. Now that Mom's around, how can I practice any of that?)

"Get in the car."

Though Kaguya's thoughts were in turmoil, her face remained calm and composed.

"Just drop me off at the nearest subway station," Natsuki said as he got in the car. "Thanks for the ride."

Kaguya's mom sat next to her daughter, chatting away happily. But with the blonde maid and driver present, neither Natsuki nor Kaguya responded.

The ride was silent.

The black car slowly pulled up to the subway station.

Natsuki said goodbye and got out, but Kaguya's mom stayed put next to her daughter, reluctant to leave.

After watching the car drive off for about a hundred feet, Natsuki suddenly felt a blur, and Kaguya's mom appeared right beside him.

"So the guardian spirit's range is only about a hundred feet?" Natsuki made a mental note.

"I really couldn't help it," Kaguya's mom said regretfully, watching the car disappear. "The further it got, the more I felt this weird force pulling me. When I hit the limit, I just popped up next to you, Natsuki."

As a guardian spirit, she instinctively wanted to call him "master," but after Kaguya's vehement objections, she settled on "Natsuki."

What a nightmare it would be for a mom to call a boy in her daughter's class "master"! No way was Kaguya going to let that fly!

"I'm heading home," Natsuki said, walking into the subway station.

"Natsuki, should I buy a ticket?" Kaguya's mom asked curiously. After being out of it for over a decade, she couldn't stop asking questions now that she was aware again.

"Of course not."

You're a ghost, what's the point of buying a ticket?

Natsuki boarded the subway and headed home.

The ride was quiet.

By the time he got home, the sun had set and dusk had fallen.

Natsuki flipped on the lights, slipped on his house shoes, and went to the fridge. He exorcised the human-faced evil spirit inside (as one does), then grabbed a can of green tea.

"Natsuki, can I have a drink too?" Kaguya's mom looked at him hopefully. "It's been ages since I've had anything."

Natsuki glanced over. "Can you even drink stuff?"

"I should be able to touch things..." Kaguya's mom pondered, reaching out to take the green tea from Natsuki. "But it'll drain my energy."

"Huh, it actually worked."

Natsuki was a bit surprised. Looks like guardian spirits really are special.

Just as he was about to test out Kaguya's mom's other abilities, the doorbell rang.

He went to open it. Miko was standing there. "I saw your lights were on, so..."

Spotting Kaguya's mom sitting on the sofa sipping a drink, Miko's eyes went wide with disbelief.

Holy crap, did Natsuki actually kidnap the Shinomiya heiress and bring her home?

"That girl is... Kaguya?" Miko was stunned, hardly believing her eyes.

It was one thing for Natsuki to get in someone else's car, but bringing them home? This went way beyond just being teammates!

"Miko, hear me out," Natsuki pulled her to a corner and whispered, "That's not Kaguya."

Miko bit her lower lip lightly. "Liar."

Though she'd never spoken to Kaguya, she'd seen her at school plenty. That familiar black-haired, red-eyed girl - who else could it be?

Natsuki continued: "It's Kaguya's mother."

"Huh?"

Miko started, doubting her own ears. She looked up in surprise. "What did you say? Kaguya's... mother?"

"That's right." Natsuki nodded firmly. "It's Mrs. Shinomiya."

Miko: "..."

A moment later.

"Wait, let me process this." Miko covered her forehead, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Are you... taking advantage of your classmate's mom?"

Hey, what's with the wild accusations? This afternoon I helped someone in trouble, and now you're making it sound like I'm some kind of creep!

"It was just a coincidence," Natsuki clarified. He then shared the information Miko needed to know. "Mrs. Shinomiya was in the same state as your dad before - both were earthbound spirits."

"Earthbound spirits look just like living people, but they have no real consciousness. All their actions are just ingrained habits."

"We don't know what might happen if we talk to an earthbound spirit," Natsuki whispered. "You still need to be careful. Don't let your dad know you can see him."

Hearing this, Miko bit her lip slightly and nodded gently. "I see."

Indeed. The father who came home after his death wasn't really her father... Miko had known this from the start.

How could she not notice something off about the man she'd lived with her whole life?

"Let's go to my room," Natsuki said. "We haven't practiced your skills today."

Miko crossed her arms over her chest. "You've got a guardian spirit now. Can't you just ask Mrs. Shinomiya?"

"She's a ghost."

"I just saw her drinking something."

"Drinking doesn't mean she has weight. Besides, she's your classmate's mom." Natsuki clasped his hands together. "So I can only ask the great Miko-sensei for help."

"Hurry up, it's getting late. I need to go home and cook dinner soon."

"..."

Mrs. Shinomiya, thinking Miko was just an ordinary person, floated in front of her. She put her hands behind her back and looked at Miko curiously, ignoring everyone else as she commented:

"My, what a figure! High school girls these days are developing so fast."

"..."

Miko's eye twitched slightly as she raised her hands to cover her chest.

The nerve of this woman!

She's only slightly more developed than average, nothing extraordinary.

Seeing Miko's reaction, Mrs. Shinomiya was surprised:

"Natsuki, this girl seems to be able to see me."

"That's right," Natsuki said. "Miko can definitely see you."

"Eh?" Mrs. Shinomiya was startled. "Is Miko also playing that horror game?"

"No," Natsuki looked at Miko. "It seems she suddenly gained the ability to see spirits."

"I looked it up online. It should be the Yin-Yang eyes..." Miko looked at Mrs. Shinomiya, trying to keep her composure. She bowed and said, "Hello, ma'am. It's nice to meet you. I'm Miko Yotsuya from next door. Thank you for your... guidance."

It was Miko's first time speaking to an "invisible thing," and her emotions were quite mixed.

Like astronaut Armstrong taking his first step on the moon, it was a small step for her, but a giant leap for... well, just her, really.

"Call me 'big sis'."

"Huh?"

"You see, I died of a heart attack," Mrs. Shinomiya said sadly. "I was only in my twenties. Being called 'ma'am' makes me feel like an old lady."

Miko: "..."

"Let's go upstairs, quickly."

.........

Power Stone Bonus Chapter [Target]= 490