Chapter 47

Natsuki opened the door and entered the room with Miko.

"Let's get this over with," she said, dropping her schoolbag and lying down on the floor.

Miko's mom worked long hours to support the family, often coming home late. That left Miko responsible for cleaning, housework, meals, and looking after her younger brother in elementary school.

It was getting dark, and Miko still had a lot to do. Natsuki didn't want to waste too much of her time.

"Um..." Miko turned to look at Mrs. Kaguya beside her.

The thought of stepping on a boy's body to generate electricity was embarrassing enough, let alone with her classmate's mother watching.

Natsuki glanced at the guardian spirit lady. "Mrs. Shimizu, could you step out for a bit? Miko and I need some privacy."

On the way home, Natsuki had learned Mrs. Kaguya's real name was Shimizu.

Miko's face turned red. "Don't say it like that! She'll get the wrong idea."

"I understand," Mrs. Kaguya said with a wink. "Don't worry, Natsuki. I'll keep your secret safe from little Kaguya."

"It's not what you think," Miko protested, her cheeks flushed. "I'm just helping with a back massage."

"Of course," Mrs. Kaguya nodded knowingly as she stepped out. "Have fun, you two. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

The room fell silent after she left.

Miko sighed and gently placed her right foot on Natsuki's back. The sensation felt more delicate than usual, perhaps because of Miko's black over-the-knee socks.

A few moments later, Miko said, "That's enough for today. I need to head home." She wiped a bead of sweat from her nose. Keeping her balance while stepping had been tiring. "See you tomorrow."

Natsuki sat up, clenching his fist. "Great, I can feel myself getting stronger already."

Miko tugged at her skirt and looked at Natsuki with disdain. "It just feels wrong that you can get stronger by being stepped on."

"There are no bad skills, only bad people," Natsuki declared. "Because it's you, Miko, I'll use this power for good."

Miko turned away. "...Whatever. Bye."

Later that night, Mrs. Kaguya, newly reborn and curious about the world a decade in the future, couldn't contain her thirst for knowledge. Natsuki, needing rest, lent her a spare phone to browse the internet.

The next morning, Natsuki was shocked to find Mrs. Kaguya completely blurred.

"Morning, Natsuki," Mrs. Kaguya called from the sofa, her long black hair cascading down her back as she focused on her phone. Looking up as Natsuki came downstairs, she mused, "You know, when I died, my phone was just a basic Nokia. Now we can make video calls... Technology really is amazing!"

Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "Maybe take a break from the phone. Are you feeling okay?"

"Huh?" Mrs. Kaguya tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Natsuki stared at her, exasperated. Overnight, Mrs. Kaguya had gone from crystal clear to looking decidedly fuzzy around the edges.

"That's odd," Mrs. Kaguya said, finally noticing her blurred state. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"You didn't realize something was wrong?" Natsuki asked, incredulous.

Mrs. Kaguya hugged herself, looking pitiful. "This is my first time being a guardian spirit! I have no idea what's normal. Am I... sick?"

Natsuki sighed. "You're a spirit. You can't get sick. What did you do last night?"

"Well..." Mrs. Kaguya tapped her lip thoughtfully. "After you fell asleep, I stayed up playing with the phone. It ran out of battery, so I kept using it while it charged... until dawn broke."

Natsuki shook his head. Pulling an all-nighter on the phone - that couldn't be good for a spirit's health.

"I do feel a bit weak," Mrs. Kaguya admitted. "Maybe I'm... hungry?"

Natsuki remembered their experiment from the night before. Mrs. Kaguya could consume food and drink, but she couldn't taste anything or feel full. Where the food went after that was anyone's guess.

Natsuki thought for a moment before asking, "Didn't you say yesterday that touching physical objects uses up some kind of energy?"

Mrs. Kaguya blinked. "Oh... I think that's right."

Natsuki nodded, piecing it together. Mrs. Kaguya had drained herself playing with the phone all night. Even for a ghost, it seemed "cultivating immortality" by staying up late could be draining.

"What should we do now?" Mrs. Kaguya asked, looking worried.

"I'm not sure," Natsuki admitted. "Let's just head to school for now."

After a quick breakfast of bread and milk, Natsuki grabbed her bag and headed out, this time with a guardian spirit in tow.

"I really wish I could stay home and keep playing on the phone..." Mrs. Kaguya said wistfully.

Natsuki shook her head. Any more phone time and Mrs. Kaguya might fade away completely.

As they left the house, they saw Miko coming out next door.

"Morning, Miko," Natsuki called, waving.

"Morning," Miko nodded, then glanced at Mrs. Kaguya. "Good morning, Ms. Shimizu."

Mrs. Kaguya smiled and nodded gracefully. "Good morning, Miko."

Miko hesitated, her brow furrowed. "Um... Ms. Shimizu, you look different from yesterday."

Before Natsuki could respond, Mrs. Kaguya covered her face dramatically. "Oh, that's because Natsuki kept me up all night in all sorts of positions..."

Natsuki's eyes widened in panic. If Kaguya heard that kind of misunderstanding, there'd be hell to pay!

Natsuki sighed and explained the situation to Miko. "See? This is why you shouldn't stay up all night on your phone."

Miko glared at him. "You're one to talk. Don't act like you're any better."

They continued chatting as they walked to school. Ever since learning about Natsuki's ability to deal with spirits, Miko had started walking to school with him.

At the shoe lockers, they parted ways to change into their indoor shoes. Natsuki entered the classroom, which was still mostly empty.

In the corner sat Kaguya, a stunning black-haired, red-eyed girl gazing out the window. Sunlight illuminated her flawless profile, drawing admiring glances from boys in the hallway. Yet her cold aura kept everyone at a distance.

Everyone except Natsuki.

"Kaguya, sweetie! Mommy's here!" Mrs. Shimizu called out excitedly.

Kaguya's lips tightened, but she remained silent.

"Oh, you're so cruel," Mrs. Kaguya pouted. "You won't even speak to your mother?"

Kaguya bit her lip, fighting a headache. How could she respond when no one else could see or hear her mother?

Turning to look at Mrs. Kaguya, Kaguya's eyes widened as she noticed the spirit's blurred state. "What... happened?" she asked quietly.

Natsuki sighed. "It's a long story..."

Before he could continue, he felt a tingle in his fingers. He turned to see Chika Fujiwara entering with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Natsuki... huh?" Chika's eyes went wide. "Is that Kaguya's mother?"

Mrs. Kaguya, who had been pretending to be upset, now flashed a victory sign. "That's right, it's me!"

Natsuki and Kaguya exchanged worried glances, realizing the situation had just gotten more complicated.

.........

Power Stone Bonus Chapter [Target]= 490