After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

It was an obvious candid photo, taken from a skewed angle with blurred quality.

In the center of the image, a beautiful young girl with a petite figure, dressed in a red kimono, walked into an old-fashioned house expressionlessly, surrounded by smiling men and women of all ages.

Although only her profile was shown, there was no doubt that it was Komori Ai, whom I had met twice before.

It was impossible to forget, and impossible to mistake.

After all, she was the only other being like Kagura Hikaru in this world, and the first person with special abilities that he had encountered besides himself.

And that aura of independence was not something that could be easily imitated.

But why would the police think her name was Serizawa Mai?

No, I almost forgot, 'Komori Ai' was a borrowed name, a name of a child who got lost and died on the mountain.

Serizawa Mai might very well be her real name.

"Where was this photo taken?" Kagura Hikaru turned over the paper printed with Komori Ai's image and asked Inspector Yamazaki.

The other members of the Happiness Cult all had a formal ID photo, but only Komori Ai was different, with just a candid shot. This might mean she was a person without an identity from birth, so-called unregistered.

A girl without an identity, brought up in a cult and revered as a Shrine Maiden, none of it boded well.

But was she really imprisoned?

Kagura Hikaru felt that with Komori Ai's mysterious and elusive hypnotic abilities, there should be no one in this world capable of stopping her.

But if this was true, didn't it mean that Komori Ai was now at the mercy of the Happiness Cult?

"Ah, are you curious about Serizawa Mai?" Inspector Yamazaki said, "That photo was taken by me a while back at the home base of the Happiness Cult. As I've mentioned before, the Happiness Cult treats her as a Shrine Maiden, an Arahitogami, almost like a princess on her travels."

"A while back... so, she's still at the base of the Happiness Cult now?"

"I can't be sure of that."

Inspector Yamazaki's tone became cautious, his gaze assessing Kagura Hikaru. It seemed he realized the questions were numerous and too probing.

[Why did his attitude suddenly change after seeing Serizawa Mai, could it be that he's with the Happiness Cult? No, that can't be, or he wouldn't have obtained the honey.]

[Or could it be, he's a lolicon?]

[You've gained through Soul Gaze: Handgun Shooting +2]

[Handgun Shooting lv4 (67/100)]

Not a bit of what I wanted to see.

Kagura Hikaru remained silent.

He realized that if he wanted help from the police, he would have to give something in return.

Kagura Hikaru planned to meet with Komori Ai in person, to ask her directly what was going on and why she was involved with a cult, whether it was of her own volition or by coercion.

Considering the worst-case scenario, Kagura Hikaru thought that he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

With that thought, some ideas began to clear up.

If he was to infiltrate a place infested with the madness of the Happiness Cult, it would be best to have external support and a proper justification.

The best outcome would, of course, be to join an undercover plan and have the police as backup.

He raised his hand to call the waitress, asked her to clear away the empty cups, and ordered another coffee. Then he sat down and said to Inspector Yamazaki, "I've changed my mind about that undercover operation you mentioned. I'm in."

Inspector Yamazaki regarded him with a thoughtful look, his finger tapping the coffee cup pensively: "Your attitude has changed quite quickly. Is this related to Serizawa Mai?"

Was I too obvious?

Well, let's give the police something interesting to ponder.

"Actually, I've seen her before," Kagura Hikaru said.

"What, are you serious?!"

Inspector Yamazaki immediately got excited, hastily pulled out his notebook and ballpoint pen to take notes, and stared at Kagura Hikaru anxiously as if afraid he might run away, as though he were looking at a criminal witness, "Please tell me in detail about the situation at that time!"

After pondering for a moment, Kagura Hikaru said, "It was about half a year ago, during the school trip to Sendai, that I saw her once."

"In Sendai... Were there any other people with her at the time?"

"No, she was alone."

"Impossible, Serizawa Mai is a shrine maiden of the Happiness Cult, not to mention whether she's allowed to leave her station, but it's unthinkable that she'd be without attendants if she did leave." Inspector Yamazaki scratched his chin in thought, "Could it be that she snuck out? And all the way to Sendai by herself...? Anything else, did she say anything to you?"

"Not really, just an ordinary encounter."

"The place, where exactly was it?"

"Tanigawa Peak Mountain."

Inspector Yamazaki meticulously noted down everything Kagura Hikaru said, then paused and asked, "Classmate Kagura, you wouldn't still be hiding something, would you? For someone you've only met once, you wouldn't normally agree to go undercover just for her."

Kagura Hikaru was prepared for the plainclothes officer's suspicion.

He pulled out the most universally compelling reason in the modern world—

"It was love at first sight."

"...Ah?"

"I fell in love with her at first sight, was head over heels for her, dreaming of seeing her once more. It's as simple as that."

"..."

Yes, in the modern world, what is universally compelling is love! Love is invincible, love can solve all problems!

Inspector Yamazaki had a hard-to-read expression, "Classmate Kagura, with you saying that, I'm even more worried that you might do something inappropriate if you successfully infiltrate the Happiness Cult..."

"Don't worry, I am a reasonable person," Kagura Hikaru confidently said.

"Those words you just said don't sound like they could come from someone reasonable at all!"

Inspector Yamazaki let out a big sigh, "Are all high school students nowadays like this? I, as an uncle, am starting to feel out of touch with the times."

"So, Inspector, what's your answer," Kagura Hikaru asked, "Can I take it that I'm already part of the plan?"

"...Classmate Kagura, let me confirm one more time, when I said I wanted you to go undercover, I didn't mean for you to act like a secret agent in the movies and rummage around looking for the Happiness Cult's criminal evidence. It's enough just to stay there. Keep a clear head, don't get brainwashed by the religion, and report back to me privately what you see. That's all, do you understand?"

"I understand."
Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Really..."

After being shook by Kagura Hikaru's incredible assertion, Inspector Yamazaki expressed some disbelief, scratching his head in annoyance, "Eh, although you chose this yourself, I'm still responsible. After all, you're underage. If it gets out to the media, I would definitely lose my job. Maybe it's better to forget it and find someone older..."

"Inspector Yamazaki."

"What?"

"If you don't agree, I will infiltrate by myself. Is that okay with you?"

"..."

Just who was it that said they were very reasonable?!

Inspector Yamazaki's stomach began to hurt. He filled his coffee with milk and took a bitter sip, "You've really got me beat, Classmate Kagura... Fine then, from now on, you're my personal informant. I'll support your infiltration into the Happiness Cult."