17. Bitchy Junior Sister

In the bustling cafeteria, Kasahara Asuka propped her chin up, curiously smiling at Fujiwara Reya.

"Senior, are you not telling the truth?"

"Really, I'm just an ordinary person," Fujiwara Reya replied earnestly, "Born into an ordinary family, with an ordinary face, ordinary grades, thinking ordinary thoughts. I didn't deliberately label myself this way, but I genuinely believe I'm just a regular person. Did you find something unusual about me?"

Kasahara Asuka stayed silent, gazing at him with clear eyes. She watched as he slowly sipped his lemon water, then mischievously smiled.

"Okay, a change of question, have we met somewhere before this week?"

"No." Biting down on the straw, Fujiwara Reya answered honestly, "A girl as eye-catching as you, if I had seen you before, I'd definitely remember right away, but before that night, you made no impression on me."

"Huh, why would Senior say such a thing?"

Kasahara Asuka was puzzled for a moment, then quickly leaned back, crossing her arms defensively over her chest, her expression alert: "Are you trying to flatter me to make me happy and then plan to win me over? Sorry, even if it makes me happy, Senior is attractive enough, but fundamentally, I can't be moved by a pervert who steals knee-high socks. Please give up on that!"

"...?"

Fujiwara Reya bit down on his straw, somewhat dumbfounded.

This machine-gun-like barrage of rejection lines, so fluent. Is she the legendary professional card giver?

And!

The knee-high socks were given to me by you, alright!

"Hey, Asuka~"

At the table over there, Koike Asami called out loudly, "Hurry up and chat, we're all done eating."

Kasahara Asuka waved to them, indicating "Got it."

As she waved, Fujiwara Reya noticed her nails were painted with transparent nail polish, looking as tempting as some delectable jelly.

"Hey, Senior," Kasahara Asuka turned back to look at Fujiwara Reya, her nails casually poised on her enticing cherry lips, "Although Senior has no impression of me, I've been watching you for a long time."

"Why?"

"Because I think Senior is an interesting person."

"That's not a sufficient reason."

"Then let me give a more sufficient reason."

Kasahara Asuka narrowed her eyes slightly, clasping her hands together at her chest, and spoke in a soft, nightingale-like voice.

"Over the past year, Senior completed a total of 120 exorcism commissions, averaging one every three days. Nearly half of them were D-level commissions, while according to Onmyo-ryo's official records, you haven't even taken the lower-level priest exam! Can you tell me how you completed these commissions?"

Fujiwara Reya seriously listened before giving his answer.

"People's constitutions differ, I once tore dozens of monsters apart with my bare hands in utter rage, and was even courted by a vengeful spirit..."

"Senior~!"

Kasahara Asuka puffed up her cheeks in anger, gripping the edge of the table tightly.

Seeing that she was about to flip the table, Fujiwara Reya quickly changed his tune, "I have a Shikigami."

"What kind of Shikigami?"

"Secret!" Fujiwara Reya put down his chopsticks, wiping his lips with a napkin.

Kasahara Asuka propped up her chin again, smiling at him, "Senior, tell me~"

A sweet and adorable girl acting coy was enough to give anyone goosebumps.

Was she planning to seduce him?

Fujiwara Reya was willing to bet a semester's allowance that any healthy boy would gladly become her plaything given such a plea.

"Kasahara, you seem like a candle."

"Huh, why say that?"

Useful parts are meant to be provocative... Fujiwara Reya replied earnestly, "You can light the way for teenage boys."

Kasahara Asuka gave a cute smile, flicking her hair, "Can you light Senior too?"

"No."

"I see..."

Kasahara Asuka murmured to herself, then looked at Fujiwara Reya with wonder in her eyes, "I think your behavior is not good, Senior."

"Why?"

Being stared at with such an odd look, Fujiwara Reya felt he was becoming strange himself.

Kasahara Asuka's glossy lips pouted into a beautiful arc, "Excessive self-protection!"

Though she was smiling, her tone had a chill and a hint of mockery. But after blinking a few times, she was back to the innocent and cute girl, as if those words hadn't come from her.

Fujiwara Reya checked his wristwatch and said to her, "I have to get back to class."

"Okay, okay," Kasahara Asuka put on a rather well-behaved look, coquettishly saying, "I've already worked up the courage to talk to you, but Senior still won't seriously introduce himself?"

"Fujiwara Reya, seventeen, no cavities. A native of Nagano Prefecture, currently residing in Tokyo, no property but land. Full-time high school student, part-time Shinto priest, undertaking exorcism commissions, gardening, home appliance repairs, student tutoring, bar singing, recycling, and Shikigami care businesses."

"Can even keep a straight face while joking." Kasahara Asuka exclaimed in amazement, looking at him as if he were some endangered animal, "Senior's really a weirdo. If you write an autobiography in the future, please be sure to include this line."

"If possible, I'll definitely add it."

"Hey, let's add each other on Line." Kasahara Asuka took out her phone, smiling at him.

Fujiwara Reya blinked.

Line was Japan's most popular communication app, he certainly knew that, the problem was, he seemed to have not created an account yet...

"Senior?"

"..."

"Don't tell me you don't have Line?"

"...Yeah."

"What a miracle!" Kasahara Asuka exclaimed, covering her little mouth, a barrage of questions followed: "Why not use it? Can't use it? Or got ditched by an online girlfriend on Line? Senior, don't tell me you're an old demon from the Showa Era?"

"Please, I'm the genuine Heisei Little Demon!" Fujiwara Reya rolled his eyes at her in exasperation, helplessly said, "The reason I don't use it is that there are no necessary contacts."

"Heisei Little Demon, haha, so Senior's a lonely 'Second Year Syndrome' boy." Kasahara Asuka looked more hilariously at him, "Likes traveling alone, eating alone, sitting far away in class?"

"Stop your guesses, I'm creating an account right now!"

Fujiwara Reya swiftly pulled out his phone from his pocket, downloading Line from the Google Store.

Once he created the account and added each other as friends, Kasahara Asuka suddenly stood up, moving her face close to Fujiwara Reya's ear, whispering softly, "Please take care of me from today on, Senior."

The voice was sweet and gentle, warmly melting towards Fujiwara Reya's ear. The sticky hot breath wafted into his ear canal, like a feather lightly tickling across his soul's surface, causing his body to shiver subconsciously.

Before he could react, Kasahara Asuka swiftly turned around, walked away with graceful and lively waltz-like steps.

The hem of her uniform skirt outlined lovely trails beneath her pert hips, her orange hair catching sunlight swayed slightly with every step.

"Hey, wait a minute."

Fujiwara Reya called after her.

"Do you not want me to leave?"

Kasahara Asuka stopped and turned back, seeing him run up, pulling out two pairs of knee-high socks from his pocket.

"Your socks."

"They are now Senior's socks," she said with a mischievous, accomplished smile, "If you miss Asuka at night, use these two pairs of socks for now, at least they're marked with Asuka's scent."

"No need..."

"If you refuse, I'll scream."

"...?"

This was framing!

Though Fujiwara Reya wasn't all that concerned about others' views, being wronged out of nowhere was frustrating too!

"Bye-bye."

Kasahara Asuka waved, humming a song as she walked away.

Returning to her table of friends, she said a few words with a smile, making the three girls turn their heads, amazedly eyeing Fujiwara Reya, including Koike Asami whom he'd met before, who waved at him, "Senior Fujiwara, Asuka said she feels good about you, good luck winning her heart!"

Those tricky junior girls... Fujiwara Reya was mentally plotting that once he got his reward, he would stay as far away as possible, ideally never crossing paths again.