Chapter 9: A Peculiar Encounter

"Alright."

Hearing Hikari Nakamura's response, Shinomiya Natsuha smiled.

In truth, it wasn't that she was truly afraid of the short walk up to her apartment. She just wanted Hikari to be by her side, even more so than she missed her childhood friend. Maybe it was the sense of security he gave her.

Shinomiya Natsuha walked ahead, and Hikari followed her up the stairs.

Watching Natsuha's natural yet somewhat hesitant, swaying gait as she moved, Hikari couldn't help but admit that there was a certain allure to it. Some people are just born with it.

Although a few indecent thoughts naturally drifted into his mind, Hikari didn't voice them.

Right now, his main goal was simple: take down as many scumbags as possible and grow stronger.

He wasn't ready to dive into any emotional entanglements yet. After all, this world was far too dangerous. He needed strength to protect himself and his loved ones.

When they arrived at the door of Natsuha's rented apartment, she suddenly turned around, her face slightly flushed. "Um... do you want to come in for a bit? It might take me a while to change. I could make you some tea while you wait."

'Is this… an invitation?'

'Trying to test the resolve of a pure-hearted young man like me, you dare witch?'

Hearing her words, Hikari looked at Natsuha carefully. Although her face was tinged with a shy blush, her gaze was slightly evasive.

He shook his head firmly. "No need. Hurry up and change. Don't waste any more time. I still need to get to class. I, Hikari Nakamura, love to study."

'This guy has no clue, does he?'

Natsuha was speechless. The blush that had just appeared on her face vanished as she turned around, sulking slightly as she went inside.

She couldn't believe that she, a self-proclaimed high school beauty, had just invited him in, and he rejected her so easily. 'Does he really dislike me that much?'

'Do I really have no charm at all in his eyes?'

What Natsuha didn't realize was that it wasn't a question of her attractiveness—it was something else entirely.

Though she didn't understand Hikari's reasoning, her mind couldn't help but replay the events from earlier.

That guy had fiercely protected her, even going so far as to beat up Oga Masaru.

The fierceness of his actions... it was terrifying, but at the same time, it made her feel incredibly safe.

For her sake, he had acted so harshly, without worrying about the consequences. Maybe... he did have some feelings for her after all.

'After all, I am not exactly unattractive, am I?'

Standing by her bed, having just removed her soaked school uniform, Natsuha glanced down at herself.

'Hmm, can't even see my toes. Perfect figure.'

Feeling confident, she picked up a fresh uniform to change into, but on impulse, she grabbed the jacket Hikari had draped over her earlier. She brought it up to her nose and took a deep breath.

After inhaling the scent for a long moment, a strange, blissful expression appeared on her face before she reluctantly put it down.

"This isn't right… What's wrong with me?"

"I've already promised Yuuta we'll be together in the future..."

"How could I start acting like some kind of pervert now?"

Even as she said this, Natsuha raised Hikari's jacket again, took another deep breath, and fell silent.

Carefully, she folded the jacket and placed it inside her wardrobe, which had once been filled with the sweet fragrance of a young girl's belongings. Now, the masculine scent of his jacket seemed to permeate the entire space.

There was no helping it. 'That man's scent... it is oddly intoxicating.'

'Yuuta will understand, right? He will forgive me, won't he?'

"Ugh, that stupid water bottle, it got me completely soaked."

Although only her upper body had gotten wet from the water bottle earlier, Natsuha hesitated for a moment before deciding to change all of her clothes.

———

Meanwhile, as Natsuha was changing, Hikari stood idly outside her apartment. He couldn't help but grumble, "Women are such a hassle. How does changing clothes take this long?"

Just as he was about to complain further, Hikari's senses sharpened, and he looked up.

From his right, a short-haired man was approaching.

Hikari gave him a quick glance, realizing that the man wasn't coming for him but rather seemed to be visiting someone next door to Natsuha's apartment.

The man stopped at the door of the neighboring apartment and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock…

The door slowly opened, revealing a stunning woman with long silver hair, bright blue eyes, and a face of incredible beauty.

For a moment, the short-haired apartment manager was completely entranced by the woman's beauty, staring at her dumbfounded and unable to speak.

Hikari, too, was momentarily stunned when he saw her.

No way…

"A Yuki-Onna[1]?"

Staring at the silver-haired beauty's flawless, snow-white face, Hikari was momentarily dazed.

But it wasn't for the same reason as the apartment manager, who was simply struck by her beauty.

No, Hikari knew her true identity.

A Yuki-Onna!

Those clear blue eyes, the silver hair piled elegantly on top of her head, the stunning face, the perfect, snow-like skin, and that dangerously curvaceous figure…

This face, that outfit, that body—he knew it all too well.

Wasn't she that classic yokai Yuki-Onna from the stories he had seen in his previous life?

Was it possible that even beings like this existed in this world?

He had thought that tales of these creatures were just myths.

"S-sir... What are you talking about?"

A soft, enchanting yet cold voice interrupted his thoughts.

Snapping back to reality, Hikari saw the silver-haired beauty—who he now knew was Mifuyu Yukino—nervously clasping her pale hands together, her clear blue eyes staring at him intently.

She must have been startled and uneasy from having her true identity exposed.

"Ha! Yuki-Onna are just legendary monsters. How could Miss Yukino possibly be one? This gentleman must have been so dazzled by Miss Yukino's beauty that he started spouting nonsense, right?" the apartment manager, Takahashi, chimed in to cover for his earlier rudeness in staring at her.

"Yeah, that's it," Hikari chuckled lightly, not bothering to deny it.

Hearing this, Yukino sighed in relief.

Hikari, too, was relieved inside.

As a Yuki-Onna, Yukino was no joke. Her powers were not to be underestimated.

At his current strength, Hikari couldn't guarantee he could defeat her. The last thing he wanted was to provoke a conflict by revealing her identity.

He vividly remembered that the Yuki-Onna in the stories he had seen in his past life didn't live in a setting like this.

Apparently, the apartment manager wasn't aware of her true nature either. He seemed clueless.

Clearly, this world wasn't an exact replica of what Hikari had known before. There were subtle differences.

In any case, it seemed the situation had been resolved for now.

Yukino wasn't like the bloodthirsty monsters from the old legends. Instead, she was mild-mannered and even had a bit of social anxiety.

Without sparing her another glance—though her beauty was as ethereal as a goddess walking out of a painting—Hikari chose not to linger. He had no interest in stirring up trouble with the enchanting widow living next door.

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[[1]Yuki-Onna:The Yuki-onna (雪女), or "Snow Woman," is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore, typically portrayed as a beautiful, ethereal woman who appears during snowy weather. She is often described with long, flowing black or white hair and pale, almost translucent skin, which gives her a ghostly appearance. Her beauty is both enchanting and eerie, and she typically wears a white kimono, blending into the snowy surroundings.

Yuki-onna is known to have supernatural powers, such as the ability to manipulate snow and ice, or even freeze people to death with her icy breath. In many tales, she is depicted as cold-hearted and dangerous, luring travelers to their deaths in the snow. However, in other versions of the legend, she has a more tragic or sympathetic backstory, sometimes falling in love with a human and struggling between her supernatural nature and human emotions.]