It should have left...
Miko Yotsuya slowly stopped her pace, her fingers lightly pinching the Holy Cross (Lily) inside her sleeve. Finally, she mustered the courage to turn around and look back.
The morning sunlight filtered through the windows, bringing a hint of warmth to the third-floor corridor of the school building. Students from various classes walked side by side, laughing and chatting with one another as they entered their respective classrooms.
The hideous and terrifying Evil Spirit did not appear in the corridor behind her as expected; it seemed the party had indeed departed.
"It really works! Although I can still see them, being able to drive those ghosts away is already fantastic! It's so good to have met Gabriel. Thank you, beautiful and holy Miss Gabriel! Praise be to You, the great and merciful Lord!"
Miko could hardly contain the excitement in her heart. She held both hands to her chest, her demeanor resembling that of a devout believer offering a silent prayer.
This caused the passing students to glance at her frequently.
In the corridor, five meters away from Miko, a small blonde girl with twin tails hid at the corner of the stairs, her hands gripping the edge of the wall.
Cautiously poking out half of her small face, she was currently looking at Miko's back with an expression of pure shock.
The girl's name was Yuria Niguredou. She was a genuine high school girl, but due to her petite stature, she was often mistaken for an elementary school student.
Unlike Miko, Yuria had been able to see the Evil Spirits that lingered in the world without dissipating since she was very young.
However, she could only see some weak and harmless ghosts; she did not possess Spirit Vision as powerful as Miko's Yin-Yang Eyes.
Yuria was frightened at first, but when she sought comfort by telling her parents and classmates, not a single person was willing to believe her words.
Ultimately, her long-standing eccentric behavior and lack of social integration led to her being naturally isolated. To this day, she did not have a single friend she could talk to from the heart.
As the saying goes, everyone has a period of Chuunibyou, and Yuria was naturally no exception.
She believed she was a special type of person, possessing a powerful talent for becoming one of the Spiritual Mediums.
Once she apprenticed under a powerful Psychic, she would be able to Exorcise those ghosts and receive praise and affirmation from others.
The suffering she endured now was merely a test given to her by the heavens.
"As I thought... Miko Yotsuya can see them too. She's even an unfathomable Spiritual Medium!"
Yuria bit her finger and slowly retracted her head.
By a chance encounter, she had discovered Miko's uniqueness.
Following ten days of secret observation, she was now absolutely certain and confirmed that Miko and herself were definitely Kin.
She had to admit, Miko disguised herself too well. If she hadn't been able to see them herself, she really wouldn't have discovered this fact.
"Strange. If Miko herself is a powerful Psychic, then why did she try every possible way to avoid those ghosts blocking her path a few days ago, instead of directly Eradicating them like today?"
Yuria was completely puzzled. Recalling that ghost that had flown backward like a cannonball, the sense of incongruity in her heart grew stronger and stronger.
However, she was basically certain that Miko definitely held a great secret!
Yuria felt she couldn't continue watching from a distance like this. She had to take the initiative and try to make contact with Miko: "After all, we are of the same kind..."
At the same time, Miko, who was in the middle of her devout prayer, suddenly felt two warm and soft masses press against her back. Her best friend's very sunny voice rang in her ear.
"Miko~ Did you miss me after not seeing me for a night? Looking at you just now, were you making a wish or asking Kami-sama for safety?"
Miko opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the orange-haired girl hugging her from behind, smiling helplessly. "Why are you so curious about everything? By the way, I have things to do these next few days, so I can't go shopping with you after school."
She planned to use this time to sell the bouquets in her schoolbag.
The orange-haired girl was named Hana Yurikawa. She had a delicate and attractive face, but her figure was exceptionally good; her bust even reached a D-cup. If her movements were even slightly vigorous, it would draw scrutinizing gazes from nearby students.
Possessing a constitution where she never gained weight no matter how much she ate, she loved all kinds of delicious food and had a stomach comparable to a Glutton.
"Eh?! Miko... are you going to abandon your best friend and just leave me be?"
Upon hearing that Miko wouldn't go shopping with her, Hana's eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"Hana! It's not like that, you've misunderstood..."
Miko panicked.
However, before she could finish her sentence, she saw Hana sniff around Miko's body with her nose. Immediately, Hana wore an expression as if the sky had fallen, sobbing like an abandoned little beast:
"Miko, you have the scent of a strange woman on you. As I thought... you have a new love! You've been seeing another woman behind my back and you're actually unwilling to bring me along, waahhh, I'm so sad..."
Hana was referring to shopping and playing together.
She would be happy if Miko made new friends, but to be left all alone... she didn't want that kind of thing!
The surrounding students were greatly shocked, their gazes snapping in unison toward the crying orange-haired girl and the at-a-loss girl with long black hair.
What kind of explosive gossip was this? So scandalous?!
This was much more interesting than studying.
"Are you a dog?! You can even smell that."
Miko felt her scalp tingle. She never expected her friend's nose to be so sensitive that she could actually smell Gabriel's body fragrance on her.
Last night, she had slept while hugging Gabriel the entire night. While she slept peacefully, it was inevitable she would be stained with some of the other party's scent.
To avoid the misunderstanding deepening, Miko didn't dare delay any longer and hurried to explain: "You've misunderstood. I plan to sell these flowers after school to earn some extra money. I didn't want you to suffer with me."
"Really?"
"Of course! I have so many in my bag. Quick, look and see if there are any you like? I can give you a bouquet!"
"Eh...! It's true! Such beautiful flowers. I knew Miko wouldn't abandon me! I'll just pick one white rose then. But I can't take Miko's things for nothing. If you don't mind, let me help you sell flowers from now on!"
"This... well, alright then. If you really find it too hard, Hana, don't force yourself to hold on."
"Hmph hmph hmph~ Don't look down on my persistence and Resolve!"
Seeing the various bright bouquets in the bag, Hana immediately broke into a smile after tears. After picking a white rose, her expression became serious again as she asked: "But then again, Miko, you really do have another woman! You didn't deny it just now! Um, can I meet her?"
"...Can you stop saying such misleading things? As for meeting, I need to ask Gabriel if she minds first."
"So her name is Gabriel. I feel like I've heard that somewhere..."
After thinking hard for a few seconds, Hana suddenly struck her palm in realization and said, "I remember now! I just passed the teachers' office and happened to hear news about a Foreign Transfer Student coming to our class!"
"Her name is Gabriel White Tenma!"
"But it seems because the teachers can't contact her, they're all frowning in distress."
Miko: "Huh?"
For real?