"Different strokes for different folks, I guess?" Marin put her hands on her hips, looking around curiously. "I think it's acceptable, it's just the music is so loud, my head is buzzing."
Natsuki said from the side, "That's why bars play heavy music. When your head is buzzing, your judgment and reaction time decrease, making you more willing to spend money foolishly."
"Let's quickly find the bar manager, get the items, and then leave." Kaguya frowned, clearly disliking the bar environment. "The air smells terrible."
Before entering, everyone was still curious about the bar's environment, but after entering, their curiosity quickly turned into disappointment.
After successfully finding the bar manager and stating their identity, the manager's attitude was exceptionally respectful and immediately arranged for someone to retrieve their personal belongings.
While waiting, the bar switched to a new heavy metal song, which turned out to be even more jarring, making their heads buzz.
"I can't take it anymore, I'm going out first." Chika covered her ears with both hands. "My head is going to explode."
Kaguya followed, saying, "I'm going out too."
Sayu also covered her ears and said, "My, my, my ears hurt so much."
Several girls wanted to leave first, so Natsuki could only stay inside and say, "I'll go out as soon as I get the stuff."
Haruno smiled and said, "I'll stay with Natsuki. It's a bit worrying for him to be alone, especially since there are so many bad women in the bar."
Don't call other people bad women, you're pretty much one yourself!
Yukino had originally planned to go out with them, but hearing that Haruno was staying, she pursed her lips and said, "I'll stay with my sister."
Haruno looked over: "Yukino, you should go out first. You don't need to stay with me. Natsuki will protect me, so don't worry."
She couldn't help but worry.
She couldn't put her mind at ease at all.
When they were eating at the restaurant at noon, Natsuki had already said that his previous service had expired, and if they wanted him to continue keeping his distance from Haruno, they would have to renew the service. Yukino naturally refused outright; she wouldn't let Natsuki get his way so easily.
So, at this moment, she was inevitably a little worried.
Generally speaking, the moral standards of players are noticeably low.
Natsuki was like that; despite being a scumbag who toyed with girls' feelings, he could be self-righteous and shameless.
So she had to stay and keep an eye on her sister, otherwise, wouldn't all her previous sacrifices be in vain?
Yukino said without changing her expression, "Sister, there's no need to say more. Three people are safer."
"..."
As Kaguya and the others left, soon only Natsuki and the two Yukinoshita sisters remained.
"Stare--"
Yukino crossed her arms, glancing at her sister, constantly observing Haruno's every move.
She had expected Haruno to seize the opportunity to launch her offensive, but who knew that Haruno would suddenly stretch, then wave her hand with a smile and say, "Oh dear... I drank a lot of beverages earlier, I'm going to the restroom. You guys wait for me, okay?"
"Hmm?"
Watching Haruno wave and walk away, Yukino was slightly stunned, then quickly realized.
Is this creating an opportunity for herself?
Upon realizing this, Yukino couldn't help but sigh softly, moving two steps to the side, widening the distance between herself and Natsuki.
They could clearly cooperate as equals, yet her sister always wanted to depend on others...
Yukino did not agree with Haruno's idea, but she knew very well that she alone could not change Haruno's mind.
"Why are you so far from me?"
Natsuki looked at Yukino and couldn't help but ask.
Yukino's voice was cold as she said, "Being further away from the Scumbag-kun makes the air feel clearer."
That's too much! In such a smoky bar, no matter where you stand, the air won't be fresh!
The music in the air was deafening; they had to speak very loudly to hear each other. Natsuki shrugged and simply started playing on his phone.
However, not long after, he suddenly felt someone unfamiliar speaking nearby. He turned his head and, sure enough, a middle-aged man had approached Yukino, clearly trying to pick her up.
Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly, put away his phone, and walked to Yukino's side, directly taking her right hand and declaring his claim, "Uncle, this is my girlfriend."
Upon hearing the term 'girlfriend,' Yukino's lips moved slightly, wanting to refute, but in the end, she didn't speak.
In front of outsiders, just give him a little face...
The middle-aged man showed no embarrassment, chuckled, and raised his glass, saying, "Can I buy you two a drink?"
Natsuki pulled Yukino behind him and said expressionlessly, "Sorry, minors cannot drink alcohol."
"..."
Watching the middle-aged man slink away, Yukino whispered, "Let go."
"We'll talk about it when we get outside." Natsuki said righteously, "The bar is so chaotic, what if someone takes advantage of you?"
Yukino lightly bit her silver teeth, half-closed her eyes, and couldn't help but say, "Does Scumbag-kun have the nerve to say that?"
Natsuki pretended not to hear, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Yukino, I saw someone you know."
"Hmm?"
Yukino's tone was suspicious.
Someone she knows?
How could there be someone she knows in a bar?
"It really is someone you know." Natsuki pointed, "If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
Yukino pursed her lips, looked in the direction Natsuki was pointing, and her eyes widened slightly. She finally spotted a man in a suit sitting in a dimly lit corner. He looked somewhat familiar and was holding two hostesses, one on each side, clearly having a good time.
Natsuki leaned close to Yukino's ear and said, "It's the man who picked you up at the train station."
Warm breath fell on her ear, and Yukino subconsciously dodged, a faint blush involuntarily rising on her pretty face. She glared at him in annoyance and said, "Don't talk into my ear!"
Natsuki looked innocent and said, "The bar music is so noisy; if I don't talk into your ear, you won't hear me clearly at all."
Yukino tightened her pretty face and said, "Then you don't have to say anything."
"Yes, yes..." Natsuki nodded and said, "He was picking you up this morning, and now he's drinking with hostesses at a bar. He really is a scumbag."
Yukino originally didn't want to bother with him, but upon hearing that, she couldn't help but say, "Do you have the nerve to call someone else a scumbag?"
Natsuki said without changing his expression, "I am a scumbag, yes, but that doesn't stop me from despising other scumbags."
Yukino: "..."
"He saw us." Natsuki whispered, "Looks like he's coming over?"
Yukino turned her head and looked, and indeed, she saw the man in the suit walking towards them with an embarrassed expression.
"Yukino, you're not eighteen yet, are you? Why are you in a place like a bar?" The man in the suit walked up to them, cleared his throat twice, and explained, "I was entertaining friends and couldn't get away, that's why I came to a place like this..."
Natsuki smiled and said, "Why don't you call your two female friends over to chat?"
The man in the suit's gaze shifted to Natsuki, and he frowned, saying, "Yukino, don't come to a place like a bar with just anyone. Go home quickly, don't make your sister worry."
"Please call me by my name." Yukino lightly furrowed her delicate brows, her voice cold, "I know what I'm doing."
For some reason, hearing Natsuki called 'just anyone,' Yukino felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
The man in the suit coughed lightly and whispered, "Alright then, I'll have one more drink and then go back. Don't tell your sister about the bar..."
"Hmm?"
Natsuki looked over in surprise.
When they met at the train station this morning, he thought he was hitting on Yukino. Was Haruno his real target?
No wonder he endured the embarrassment to come over and explain. So he was worried that Yukino would tell Haruno!
"Don't tell me what?"
A sweet and pleasant voice suddenly sounded behind them.
The man in the suit quickly turned his head and stammered, "H-Haruno-san?"
"Ah, so it's Yamada-san." Haruno's smile was bright, but clearly a standard social smile. "What a coincidence to meet you here."
After speaking, Haruno's eyes shifted, and she tilted her head to ask, "What were you all just talking about? What is it that I can't know?"
The man in the suit's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Yukino pleadingly.
"Nothing." Yukino calmly shook her head, not liking to gossip behind people's backs.
"Phew..."
The man in the suit let out a sigh of relief, then his expression changed again, and he looked nervously at Natsuki, worried that Natsuki would tell Haruno.
Fortunately, Natsuki just shrugged and had no intention of tattling.
Haruno asked, "Natsuki-kun, have you gotten the stuff?"
Natsuki said, "I've already got the stuff."
"That's good." Haruno took half a step forward, and under the man in the suit's shocked gaze, she naturally embraced Natsuki's arm, smiling sweetly as she said, "Let's go out."
"H-Haruno-san?" The man in the suit was dumbfounded, saying in disbelief, "What are you doing?"
"Eh?" Haruno tilted her head and looked over, her expression puzzled, "Is there a problem with hugging the arm of a boy I like?"
The man in the suit's face quickly flushed red, his gaze falling on Natsuki's face. He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "I saw it clearly just now, he held Yukino-san's hand."
Natsuki: "..."
Hey, hey, that's too much!
I didn't mention you were hugging two hostesses, but you're being merciless!
"I know." Haruno's expression remained unchanged, still smiling, "I told Natsuki to hold it, okay? In a chaotic place like a bar, isn't it perfectly reasonable for a brother-in-law to hold his sister-in-law's hand?"
Yukino: "..."
Brother-in-law?
Sister-in-law?
How could you even say that!
"H-how could this be…?" The man in the suit clearly didn't want to believe it. "Haruno, don't lie to me. He's just a high school student. How could you like such an immature boy?"
Haruno still smiled:
"Although Natsuki is a high school student, he has a special skill that I find very satisfactory."
The man in the suit stubbornly pressed:
"What is his special skill?"
"Well, that's a very private secret. I refuse to answer." Haruno smiled. "Natsuki, shall we go?"
Natsuki nodded, not kicking him while he was down, and turned to leave with Haruno and Yukino.
Only the young man in the suit remained standing there, lost, watching Natsuki, Yukino, and Haruno's retreating figures, muttering to himself:
"Special skill… private…"
The young man in the suit's expression suddenly changed, and he involuntarily looked down:
"C-could it be…?"
"Impossible!"
"Haruno is so gentle and lovely, she wouldn't submit to a high school student!"
"..."
As the deafening music was shut out by the bar door, Natsuki felt his ears instantly clear.
"Sister." Yukino couldn't help but say, "You can let go of his hand now."
"Ah, I'm sorry." Haruno released Natsuki's arm, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and explained, "Yamada-san's parents and my parents are friends. He used to pursue me, but we weren't a good match. I'm terribly sorry for using Natsuki as a shield just now. Please forgive me."
"I'm not angry." Natsuki stretched his arm and casually said, "Rather, being held by Haruno's arm makes me happy all day."
"Eh?" Haruno blinked, her gaze sweeping over Yukino's face, revealing a sweet smile. "Natsuki, it's very hard for you to Copy and Paste skills every day. As a reward, you can ask me for small favors anytime."
Natsuki replied:
"Then I won't be polite."
"..."
Watching the two of them going back and forth, Yukino couldn't help but take a deep breath, secretly gritting her teeth, and quickened her pace to walk upstairs.
Out of sight, out of mind.
She didn't want to hear it at all!
Stepping out of the bar, Kaguya, Chika, and the others were all waiting outside, craning their necks.
"We got the item." Natsuki raised the personal item in his hand. "Let's go to the next place."
Everyone moved swiftly, heading straight for the next location.
A moment later.
"That should be enough." Natsuki led the girls out of a restaurant, looking around. "Next, we need to find a quiet place to perform Divination."
The streets were bustling with people, so there was no way they could perform Divination on the street. Even if ordinary people couldn't see ghosts, it would be too embarrassing.
"Shall we go to a hotel?" Chika extended a slender finger and suggested, "In the entire Kabukicho Ichibangai, a hotel room is probably the quietest place."
Marin put her right hand on her hip and said:
"Marin is right, we can just get a hourly room."
Natsuki nodded:
"Then let's go to a hotel."
There were hotels everywhere on Kabukicho Ichibangai, so there was no need to search; many were visible just by looking up.
Everyone wasn't picky, they just walked forward casually and arrived downstairs at a hotel.
"Um… won't it be crowded if everyone goes in together?" Juju hesitated. "How about we wait outside, and you guys go in?"
"Mhm, mhm."
Komi quickly nodded, also not wanting to go to the hotel, feeling that once she went in, she would lose her chastity.
Natsuki looked over at her words, and said seriously:
"The success rate of Divination is not low, but it will probably take a while to succeed. Are you sure you want to stand foolishly downstairs for half an hour?"
Hearing this, Juju couldn't help but hesitate.
Natsuki continued:
"And if it's just the two of you, you'll definitely be approached by all sorts of people, and might even be kidnapped."
Hearing that she might be kidnapped, Komi's face turned pale.
"Don't scare Shoko." Juju put her hands on her hips and couldn't help but retort, "Ichiban Street isn't as scary as you say, otherwise, how could so many people come here to play?!"
"Better safe than sorry." Natsuki said, "Especially the combination of an elementary school student and a punching bag."
"...Bastard!"
Juju clenched her fists in anger. If everyone else wasn't there, she would have already been hitting Natsuki's knees with her small fists.
You're the elementary school student!
Your whole family is elementary school student!
Kaguya said softly:
"Juju and Shoko should still go to the hotel together. Acting alone is very dangerous, after all, no one knows what that anomalies looks like."
This statement was well-reasoned and left no room for refutation.
So Natsuki led the young ladies and others, grandly walking into the hotel.
"Welcome."
The hotel receptionist bowed, her smile standard.
Marin pulled out her wallet and said in a clear voice:
"We're together, we'd like the largest room."
"Eh?" The front desk lady was startled, looking surprised at the girls behind Natsuki. "All of you together?"
"Of course, all of us together." Marin raised her chin and urged, "Please hurry up, we're in a rush."
"..."
The front desk lady couldn't help but cast a complex look at Natsuki, then quickly completed the check-in procedures.
Whatever Natsuki and the others wanted to do, it had nothing to do with her.
It's just… she was really curious.
With so many girls and one boy, how pathetic must that boy be!
Natsuki, of course, didn't know the front desk lady was pitying him, and followed the girls into the room.
"It's hot."
"Turn on the air conditioning first."
"The room doesn't seem small."
"Because the room rate is expensive enough."
"..."
The girls chattered, quickly getting busy. Some turned on the air conditioning, some went to the restroom. After a while of busyness, they finally sat down.
Natsuki held Sayu's right hand and said:
"Everyone, distribute the items and let's start Divination."
Next was Divination time.
The success rate of Divination is not high, but with Copy and Paste, the more times Divination is performed, the higher the success rate naturally becomes.
A moment later.
Kaguya said softly:
"I think I succeeded in Divination."
Kaguya held a lipstick in her hand. This item was naturally a personal belonging. At this moment, the lipstick suddenly glowed faintly, and then the figure of a Miss Ghost appeared out of thin air.
"It's Miss Takeuchi." Natsuki recognized her identity at a glance.
Miss Takeuchi, in her ghost state, had a bewildered expression, as if she still didn't understand her current situation. Seeing Natsuki and the others in front of her, she couldn't help but be startled and nervously said:
"Who are you?"
"Hiss—"
Natsuki casually lit a match. Under the warm light of the flame, Miss Ghost quickly calmed down.
"Miss Takeuchi, please don't be nervous." Kaguya gently soothed, "The current situation is…"
After listening to Kaguya, the Miss Ghost raised her hands in confusion, finally confirming the fact that she had become a ghost. She couldn't help but cover her face and cry, but thankfully, with the match present, she didn't completely collapse.
"Miss Takeuchi, please tell us about the anomalies that attacked you." Natsuki promised, "We will make it pay the price it deserves."