A single Glintblade flashed into existence and cleanly pierced the weak cursed object lurking in the restroom corner.
With the threat erased, Luo Yu stepped out and rode the escalator up to the men's clothing floor.
His own wardrobe was rather limited. Since he was already here, he might as well pick up a few things.
Compared to choosing clothes for Ranni, shopping for himself was simple. Two shirts, a pair of casual trousers, and a knitted outer jacket—efficient and done.
"Next, the phone," he murmured. "There isn't a shop inside the mall. It's outside. Time to head down."
After exiting the building, Luo Yu made his way toward a nearby mobile carrier store.
As fate would have it, he spotted Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa sitting on a bench along the street, happily eating their oddly shaped strawberry daifuku.
From a distance, Luo Yu examined the somewhat questionable appearance of the sweets, then glanced toward the dessert shop that sold them.
"Looks strange, and the atmosphere around the place is unexpectedly eerie… but the taste should be good. I'll grab some after buying the phone and bring them home for Ranni."
To the right of the shop, in a narrow alley, more than a dozen wraiths stood in an orderly line, as if they were ordinary customers. One by one, they were being swallowed by a terrifying entity emanating dense killing intent—a wraith far stronger than the rest.
It was unsettling to watch.
But undeniably impressive.
That creature possessed real power.
Perhaps he would return tonight. If it remained, he would eliminate it.
Decision made, Luo Yu entered the carrier store, selected a smartphone identical to his own for Ranni, and set up a SIM card.
When he stepped back outside, Hana Yurikawa was gone. Only Miko Yotsuya remained on the bench, her expression troubled.
Luo Yu considered for a moment. First, he purchased two boxes of strawberry daifuku. Then he walked over to her.
Miko, who had been staring down at her hands, noticed a pair of shoes appear in front of her and looked up in confusion—only to meet Luo Yu's gaze.
"Eh?"
Seeing the bewilderment in her eyes, Luo Yu smiled lightly. "Did your friend leave first?"
"You… know me?"
Luo Yu nodded and sat down beside her, lowering his voice.
"At noon, I saw you meet your friend under the school building. After school, we were on the same bus. I have to say—your composure is impressive. You can see wraiths, yet you pretend not to."
His words caused Miko's eyes to widen in shock.
"W-what? D-does that mean… you can see them too?"
Under her stunned and hopeful stare, Luo Yu nodded once.
"Yes. I can."
"Th-then can you help—"
Before she could finish, Luo Yu raised a hand gently, stopping her.
"Before that, let's introduce ourselves properly."
A flush spread across Miko's pale cheeks as she realized her lack of manners.
"S-sorry. I got too excited. My name is Miko Yotsuya. I'm a first-year in Class C."
Just as he suspected.
"Nice to meet you, Yotsuya-san. I'm Luo Yu. First-year, Class A."
"Luo Yu-san… nice to meet you."
It was the first time since entering high school that Miko had sat this close to a boy and spoken like this. Her heart pounded.
But the moment her gaze drifted toward the alley nearby, where wraiths still lingered, her face turned pale again.
"Luo Yu-san… those wraiths…"
Luo Yu lifted his hand and blocked her line of sight.
"If you're afraid, don't look. The more you stare, the more attention you draw."
"Ah—sorry!"
Watching the visibly tense girl, Luo Yu sighed inwardly.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
After a quick search on his phone, he led her to a café on the next street.
"What would you like? It's my treat."
Miko had never come to a café with a boy before. Glancing around nervously, she murmured, "A-anything is fine."
Luo Yu called the waiter and ordered two cappuccinos and two slices of cake.
When their drinks arrived, he took a sip and looked at her calmly.
"Your spiritual sight can't be turned off, can it?"
"So that's what it's called… spiritual sight?"
Miko touched the corner of her eye.
"I don't know how it happened. One day, I just started seeing them. It's terrifying. Luo Yu-san… can you help me? I can pay you."
He shook his head.
"I'm not short on money. I didn't approach you for that. I just thought your situation was… pitiful. As for your eyes, I haven't examined them yet, so I don't know the exact solution. I'll think about it tonight and find you at school tomorrow."
He paused.
"In the meantime, you've been surviving by pretending not to see them?"
"I… saw something like that on a TV show about the supernatural. I tried it, and it worked."
Luo Yu nodded approvingly.
"Smart. That method works on wraiths. But only on wraiths."
"Only…? D-do you mean—?"
He tapped the side of his coffee cup lightly with his spoon.
"That's right. This world doesn't only have wraiths. There are cursed spirits, yokai, and all sorts of other entities."
"Why are there so many…" Miko muttered weakly, slumping against the table.
Luo Yu chuckled.
"There's no need to despair. There are many monsters in this world—but there are also humans with power who deal with them. The numbers are simply too great to eliminate entirely. As your classmate, I can at least offer some help."
"Really? Then… can you destroy those wraiths?"
Luo Yu nodded.
"The large one outside earlier—I'll deal with it. When you pass by here again, it won't be there."
Though she still didn't understand what kind of power he possessed, he was the first person she had met who could see what she saw.
For now, she could only trust him.
After finishing their coffee and cake, they stepped out of the café.
"Thank you for treating me, Luo Yu-san," Miko said sincerely.
He shook his head, then studied her expression for a moment.
"You're still tense. I'll help you a little right now."
Before she could react, Luo Yu raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead.