-568- Don't meet her!

After leaving the Director's office, Rozen and his companions seemed eager to leave, walking through the corridors toward the exit of the Onmyou Agency.

However, during this process, the atmosphere among the three of them felt somewhat abnormal.

"..."

"..."

Natsume and Suzuka maintained silence, following Rozen without a word.

Sensing the subtle movements behind him, Rozen didn't say anything on the surface but felt a growing headache.

With the Shikigami contract, Rozen could distinctly feel the connection between himself and the two girls behind him, as if they were united as one, interlinked.

But what was the reality?

(These two probably haven't been getting along well?)

Natsume was a given. As Rozen's Shikigami, she naturally had certain views about Suzuka. Coupled with Suzuka's shy nature, she wouldn't naturally get close to her.

As for Suzuka, it's needless to say. Although she had become Rozen's Shikigami, she initially chose this path under unclear circumstances.

She appeared arrogant, even if it was an act, presenting herself as a fragile and helpless girl. But at least on the surface, she wasn't the type to easily yield to others.

However, in general, even though Suzuka has become Rozen's Shikigami, given her personality, it's impossible for her to completely submit to Rozen.

Even though she can't resist Rozen due to the contract, it's normal for her to act assertive on the surface, make a few sharp remarks, rebel a few times. Then Natsume will step in, argue and quarrel with Suzuka, and in the end, Rozen would intervene, stopping the situation. Isn't this the standard development?

Rozen even prepared himself mentally for this, ready to intervene the moment Natsume and Suzuka started arguing. But who would have thought that the outcome would be this silence and quietness?

(This is also quite uncomfortable.)

Rozen found himself troubled for a different reason.

This was also one of Rozen's weaknesses. He had extensive knowledge, a sharp mind, but lacked much life experience, especially in handling interpersonal relationships. If it was about thinking for a certain purpose, he could come up with solutions, but when it came to simply getting along with people, Rozen truly couldn't think of much.

(What should I do?)

Rozen was becoming anxious.

At this moment,

"So you're here, Suzuka."

Such a voice suddenly came from behind the group.

It was a voice that sounded very heroic, somewhat stern, yet filled with a sense of innocence.

Upon hearing this voice, Rozen halted, and Natsume was momentarily surprised.

However, Suzuka, upon hearing the voice, trembled, displaying a mixture of fear, hesitation, and dread in her eyes.

Just as Rozen and Natsume were about to turn around, Suzuka suddenly grabbed Rozen's sleeve.

"Quick! Leave this place!"

For some unknown reason, Suzuka's voice sounded urgent and nervous, lowering her volume as she spoke.

"Don't meet her! Especially you!"

Suzuka urgently warned Rozen in this manner.

Seeing Suzuka in this state, even Rozen, not to mention Natsume, furrowed her brows.

In just this brief moment, Suzuka's efforts seemed futile.

"Oh my, I've been looking for you for a while. I wanted to invite you..."

The owner of the voice, who spoke joyfully just a moment ago, approached them while running, but suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence, as if she saw something unbelievable, rendering her speechless.

Sensing this movement, Suzuka seemed to realize she ran out of time. She sighed in disbelief and let go of Rozen's sleeve, as if giving up.

Rozen and Natsume then saw the face of the voice's owner.

It turned out to be a girl dressed in the Onmyou Academy uniform, just like Rozen and Natsume.

Although she was within the Onmyou Agency, she was wearing the student uniform, appearing to be of a similar age to Rozen and Natsume.

Her appearance wasn't just delicate, it was exquisite, possessing a sense of beauty akin to artwork. She exuded a mysterious and noble aura, as if a princess from the Heian era had mistakenly entered the modern world, incredibly eye-catching.

But the most eye-catching aspect was the girl's hair.

Red.

Extremely conspicuous red.

The girl had shoulder-length red hair, with a few braids adorned with beads, enhancing the already noticeable red hair, making it even more splendid.

At this moment, this girl held a bag emitting the fragrance of pastries, seemingly wanting to invite Suzuka for tea.

However, now, the girl looked at Rozen and Natsume standing beside Suzuka, her beautiful face filled with astonishment. Her eyes widened slightly, and her pretty face turned slightly red.

That expression was like seeing someone you've always wanted to meet suddenly appearing before you, a mix of surprise and excitement.

Thus, with an excited expression, the girl approached the group.

Her gaze was fixed firmly on Rozen.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Takiko Soma."

The girl introduced herself in this manner, staring at Rozen without turning away.

Her gaze was straightforward and innocent, making it impossible not to feel favor towards her.

However, the girl's inexplicable behavior made Rozen appear somewhat dazed, completely unsure how to react.

Even more so for Natsume, who was utterly perplexed.

Both of them had one thought in their minds.

(Who is this person?)

This was the most genuine thought.

In this situation, surprisingly, Suzuka was the first to respond.

"Why are you here?"

Suzuka glared at the girl who introduced herself as Takiko Soma, her attitude far from friendly, yet inexplicably lacking the usual roughness, giving off a sense of wanting to keep a distance.

"Me? I just came to invite Suzuka for tea," Takiko Soma replied nervously after recovering from the initial emotion of their encounter, feeling somewhat intimidated by Suzuka's glare.

This indicated that the girl had experienced Suzuka's attitude before and was hurt by it.

However, Suzuka paid no attention to Takiko Soma's reaction.

"Do you think I have time for you?" Suzuka retorted coldly. "I already mentioned yesterday that I'll be released soon, and today is the day I leave the Onmyou Agency."

"Today?" Takiko Soma stammered, seemingly understanding something, and looked at Rozen, murmuring, "I see."

From Takiko Soma's voice, everyone could hear a sense of relief, but also a hint of disappointment.

Clearly, the girl felt lonely at Suzuka's departure.

Facing Takiko Soma's behavior, Suzuka seemed a bit irritated, and for some reason, she also felt fear towards Takiko Soma.

This made Rozen furrow his brow even deeper.

(What's going on?)

Rozen stared at Takiko Soma.

(Who is this person?)

This was the first thing that needed to be clarified.

Because...

(Someone who casually roams around the Onmyou Agency with something so dangerous, no matter how you think about it, isn't ordinary.)

Rozen cast his gaze beyond Takiko Soma.

There, an unseen presence swayed like an illusion.