Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Welcome back, Senpai~”

Kiryu Rakuye greeted Hoshino Gen with a cheerful wave and a bright smile.

Shimizu Yuu, however, only cast him a fleeting glance before looking away.

Seeing Kiryu Rakuye appear in his antique shop didn’t surprise Hoshino Gen much. Judging by what the girl had said last time, her current main task seemed to be observing him. Unfortunately for her, the battle he had last night’s vengeful spirit happened underwater—she didn’t catch even a glimpse of it. So naturally, her mission had to continue.

Which meant that for his next treasure hunt… exorcism, this girl would be tagging along again.

Slipping the keys to his newly acquired motorcycle into his pocket, Hoshino Gen strolled over to Shimizu Yuu with a grin and casually flipped through the homework spread out in front of her.
“How much have you done?”

Shimizu Yuu shot him a sideways glare, clearly unimpressed.
“Can’t you see for yourself?”

Unbothered by her attitude, Hoshino Gen replied with a relaxed chuckle,
“Work’s done when all the homework is done.”

With that, he flopped into a nearby armchair, lazily pulling over the book he hadn’t finished reading and diving back into it.

Pouting slightly, Shimizu Yuu didn’t say a word. She silently pushed aside her completed math homework and dug into Hoshino Gen’s bag to fish out his literature assignments.

Kiryu Rakuye glanced between the two of them, her lively eyes blinking with curiosity. She wisely chose not to comment but scooted closer to Hoshino Gen, lowering her voice.
“Senpai, that upperclassman seems like just an ordinary person. Is it really okay to have her working here? I heard from Sister Shiina that your shop holds quite a few vessels for vengeful spirits…”

Hoshino Gen didn’t even shift his gaze from the pages.
“Is that under the jurisdiction of the Special Affairs Unit too?”

“Uh… no,” Kiryu Rakuye stuck out her tongue playfully and wisely dropped the subject. She was exceptionally good at reading the room and dealing with people.

She knew Hoshino Gen wasn’t fond of others getting too close, so even when she approached him, she maintained a polite distance. She understood he hated people meddling in his affairs, so even though she often showcased her friendly and sweet nature, she always knew when to stop.

That’s why she swiftly changed the topic.
“By the way, Senpai, when are you planning to take on the next case? I totally missed seeing your cool fighting skills last night!”

“After school tomorrow,” Hoshino Gen answered offhandedly.

“Tomorrow, huh? I’ve got some student council stuff, but I’ll just skip it. After all, you’re way more important, Senpai!” Kiryu Rakuye declared with such earnestness, seemingly oblivious to the double meaning in her words.

Hoshino Gen glanced at her briefly, then chuckled with a faintly amused smile.

Shimizu Yuu peeked at the two whispering away, rolled her eyes, and went back to her homework. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Kiryu Rakuye plopped down beside her, beaming.
“Shimizu Senpai, are you helping Hoshino-senpai with his homework? Let me help you~”

“…”

Shimizu Yuu gave her a surprised look, then glanced at Hoshino Gen—who didn’t even bother lifting his eyes from his book—before softly muttering,
“Thanks.”

“No problem! After all, Hoshino-senpai’s been so kind to me—I want to do something for him too~” Kiryu Rakuye replied sweetly.

…

By noon, in the spirit of “caring for his employees” (and more importantly, to appease his growling stomach), Hoshino Gen decided to take Shimizu Yuu and Kiryu Rakuye to a restaurant he frequented for lunch.

As for Liz at home—he wasn’t worried. Before leaving, he’d already ordered a custom meal for the little brat from a five-star hotel.

Interestingly, their walking formation said a lot.

Hoshino Gen naturally led the way, hands shoved into his pockets with an air of nonchalance. Normally, Kiryu Rakuye would’ve been right beside him, chatting away endlessly. But today, curiously enough, no one walked beside him.

Shimizu Yuu trailed a few steps behind, silently following. Kiryu Rakuye was even farther back, her hands clasped behind her as she occasionally glanced at Hoshino Gen but mostly kept her eyes fixed on Shimizu Yuu.

To be fair, Shimizu Yuu was undeniably attractive—jet-black hair, a slim waist, and long, slender legs with skin so fair it’d make most girls envious. Her delicate features balanced perfectly between cute and beautiful, capturing that transitional charm between adolescence and maturity.

She’d originally planned to hang out with friends today, but after a single call from Hoshino Gen, she showed up as-is. Dressed in a black-trimmed graphic tee with a matching pleated skirt, her long legs practically gleamed in the sunlight, accentuated by white socks and sneakers that gave her a fresh, vibrant look.

Even standing next to Kiryu Rakuye, she wasn’t the least bit outshone.

But it wasn’t just her looks that caught Kiryu Rakuye’s attention—it was Hoshino Gen’s attitude toward her.

Casual, natural, with a hint of mischief.

On the surface, he treated her with even less courtesy than he showed Kiryu Rakuye. But if affection could be quantified, Kiryu Rakuye figured if Hoshino Gen’s fondness for her was a “2,” then for Shimizu Yuu, it was at least a “20.”

Based on the psychological profiles from the Special Affairs Unit, raising one’s favorability with Hoshino Gen was supposed to be extremely difficult. Kiryu Rakuye had experienced that firsthand over the past few days.

And yet, Shimizu Yuu—who’d only known him for a short time—had effortlessly achieved what she couldn’t.

What really gnawed at Kiryu Rakuye, though, was the reason behind it—a reason she’d figured out after just a few hours with Shimizu Yuu.

The girl had a kind of “foolishness”—but not the annoying kind. It was an endearing, innocent clumsiness. Her “foolishness” didn’t stem from a lack of intelligence but from an inner purity that radiated from the heart.

Kiryu Rakuye admitted to herself that she didn’t possess that kind of purity. No matter how hard she tried, she could never fake it.

And for someone as guarded and suspicious as Hoshino Gen, a girl like Shimizu Yuu—pure and unfiltered—was probably like a diamond gleaming in the mud, impossible to ignore.