“Yes, yes! Let’s all go for a nice walk!” Akane urged, following Saito.
Saito clamped a hand over Shisei’s mouth and clutched his head in agony, while Akane grabbed Shisei’s legs. Together, they abducted her at top speed. Students in the hallway watched the scene with glazed-over eyes, murmuring things like “Ah, the usual kidnapping…” Saito and Akane dashed into an empty classroom, slammed the door, and locked Shisei inside.
Shisei murmured in awe. “Such flawless teamwork… So this is the power of marriage…”
“When you’re about to say something dangerous, be aware of where you are!” snapped Saito.
“I was. There was no one nearby, so there was no risk of being overheard.”
“You never know who might walk in!”
“That’s the thrill. Life is a gamble.”
“No one asked for thrills!” shouted Saito.
Akane slammed her fist against the blackboard. “Saito. You… What were you thinking…?”
Her bangs were swept back in irritation, a vein pulsing on her forehead, and her glare razor-sharp like a wrathful demon. Akane had fully entered Fury Mode.
“I told you not to tell anyone about us! What were you thinking?! You wanna be crushed?!” Akane roared.
“Crushed where?!” asked Saito, who instantly sprang back to put some distance between them.
“I recommend the crotch,” said Shisei with a raised finger in the air.
“Nobody asked for your help!” Screaming, Saito ducked behind a desk, shielding his lower body. “You’re misunderstanding—I didn’t tell Shisei! She figured it out herself! Right, Shisei?!”
Pressed for support, Shisei raised a palm to halt the conversation. “Wait, give me a second. I’m trying to remember the punchline from a comedy sketch I watched yesterday.”
“Who cares about that right now?! My life is on the line!” Saito shouted, his voice cracked with desperation.
“Ani-kun’s life, or the punchline… Which do I choose…” Shisei placed a hand to her forehead, deeply conflicted.
“There should be no debate! Whose side are you even on?!” Getting stabbed in the back at the last minute was the type of tragic ending he really wanted to avoid.
Meanwhile, Akane dual-wielded two chalkboard erasers, creeping toward Saito with slow, menacing steps. Whatever attack she was planning with those, he knew one thing for sure: He was in real danger.
“Calm down. Ani-kun’s telling the truth. I, Shise, figured out on my own that you two are married.”
“Really…? You’re not just covering for Saito?” asked Akane, looking doubtful.
“No one can deceive Shise’s eyes. Shise is a seeker of veracity, the embodiment of the original truth.”
“You’re starting to sound like some cult leader… Let’s not go down that road,” Saito suggested matter-of-factly. With her charisma, Shisei really could convert and control people all over the world.
“Grandpa knows, Saito’s parents know—how could you expect to keep it from Shise? Especially when Grandpa’s subordinates already do whatever Shise tells them.”
“You’re not trying to take over the Houjou Group, are you?” asked Saito, growing uneasy.
“I, Shise, have no greed. I simply want your soul, Ani-kun.”
“…What are you, the devil?!” He hadn’t signed any contracts with Shisei, but now he was starting to worry.
“I see… It’s true, there’s no way your family wouldn’t know. I’m sorry for keeping it a secret from you, Shisei-san,” said Akane.
“No problem,” said Shisei, giving a thumbs up.
Unbelievable. Akane can apologize to anyone but me… Saito felt a bit conflicted.
“So why didn’t you tell me that Shisei-san knew about us?” Akane narrowed her eyes at Saito.
“Because I knew you’d get mad…” confessed Saito.
“No I wouldn’t!”
“You’re mad right now!”
“This doesn’t count as mad!” Akane looked like a wrathful demon.
Shisei shook her head wearily. “I know you’re newlyweds, but please don’t flirt at school.”
Saito and Akane shouted in unison, “We’re not flirting!”
Climbing up to sit on a desk, Shisei let her white-tights-covered legs dangle as she spoke. “Ani-kun told me everything. There’s a ghost in your house and it’s been causing problems.”
“Th-that’s right! And this guy right here doesn’t even believe it’s a ghost! He doesn’t understand how serious this is!” Akane exclaimed.
“I, Shise, understand. That house…is possessed by a malevolent spirit.”
Akane leaned toward Shisei. “Right?! I knew it…”
“I feel an overwhelmingly dark energy from both of you. Akane’s force of will is barely keeping the spirit from invading. You’ve done well to endure it alone,” said Shisei.
“Shisei-san…” Akane sniffled back tears as she was gently patted on the head by Shisei.
“H-hey…you two…” Saito had a bad feeling. This was a classic setup—someone mentally worn down starts believing everything a mysterious medium says. Akane’s stress and sleep deprivation had eroded her ability to think clearly.
“If we don’t exorcise it soon, disaster will spread. Akane’s grades might drop by fifty points across all subjects…” declared Shisei.
“That’s horrifying!”
“That’s not really that bad…” said Saito. But Saito’s sensible observation didn’t reach the ears of Akane, who had already been swept away by this expert exorcist’s words.
“What should I do, Shisei-san?!”
“I, Shise, just need to ‘see’ the house. Once I do, I’ll know what’s there and how to expel it. Trust me.” Shisei gently placed a hand on Akane’s shoulder.
Akane nodded, her eyes spinning. “I trust you! How much will it cost?”
“Don’t pay her!” Just in time, Saito stopped his wife and cousin from initiating a shady transaction.
Saito, Akane, and Shisei walked the road from school back home. It was a wide sidewalk lined with trees. Students commuting by bike zipped past them, their uniforms fluttering in the breeze. Shisei, as usual, wore a blank expression, but her steps seemed just a little lighter. Saito figured she might be in a good mood.
“It’s been a while since I walked home with you, Ani-kun. Is this the first time you’ve gone home together with Akane?”
“Y-yeah… I think so…” Akane, looking restless, kept glancing around. She seemed worried about running into classmates.
“Maybe it would’ve been better if we went home separately, Akane,” said Saito.
“No way! Shisei-san stands out too much. If someone tails us and finds out where we live, it’ll be a disaster. I need to keep watch to make sure no one’s following!”
“I seriously doubt anyone is tailing us,” said Saito, shrugging, but Shisei shook her head.
“I, Shise, get tailed all the time. The other day, a girl from our class followed me home and greeted me from my own room.”
“That’s pure horror! Were you okay?!”
“I was. I expected something like that to happen, so Grandpa gave me this.” With a flourish, Shisei pulled out an object that looked like a magic wand, but the tip had protruding electrodes and crackled with sparks.