Chapter 4
Of course, it wasn't that ten-square-meter bungalow from before; after all, he was a gold-medal editor now, wouldn't it be embarrassing to live in that kind of place?
However, speaking of this, someone might ask, why doesn't he live with Takatsuki Sen?
Even though he had practically become her guardian.
That point would have to be asked to our beautiful teacher Takatsuki Sen.
What secret does she have that makes her insist on living so far away from Minato?
I hope Minato won't be scared when he finds out.
"Today seems a bit restless."
When Minato boarded the last bus, his body couldn't help but shiver.
The air conditioning on this bus was set way too low.
He glanced at the other occupants in the bus; there were only two.
One was a bus driver he had known for a long time but still felt like a stranger.
Why say that? Because even now, he had never clearly seen the driver's face.
The part above his nose seemed to be covered by his hat.
But his two eyes were as bright as flashlights.
He would also chuckle "hehe" from time to time.
He was just like an urban legend, a monster hidden in a corner of the city.
After all, it just didn't seem right that such a terrifying driver was still employed!
Seeing the familiar youth walk onto the bus, the driver asked in his usual hoarse yet sharp voice, "Youth, do you want to enter the monster academy called Yokai Academy? Hehe."
Every time he came in, this guy would ask this.
Minato stared at the driver for a few seconds; even though they were looking face-to-face, he still couldn't see the driver's face.
His intuition told him it was best not to agree.
Even things like traveling through anime worlds could happen, so who knows what else might exist.
Plus, just the fact that he could always board this bus from different places was very wrong.
"No need."
Minato once again refused the eccentric driver.
The driver nodded, turned his head back, his body trembling there, emitting "hehe" laughter from his mouth.
Even though he had boarded many times, Minato still felt his scalp tingle.
He turned his gaze to the back of the bus.
Besides him and the driver, there was also a lady here.
That lady was not looking at him, but was reading a book very quietly.
He recognized that book; it was the new book Takatsuki Sen had just released last month.
It was currently ranked number one in sales, and he was applying for the Akutagawa Prize for it.
Hmm, this young lady was very intellectual, and most importantly, she had good taste.
In his eyes, as long as you liked Teacher Takatsuki Sen's books, we were brothers and sisters of different surnames.
Of course, those who bashed the books deserved to die, roar!
Thinking of those internet trolls and haters, Minato wanted to pick up his umbrella and smash their heads in.
His own Child was so excellent, how dare they bash her!
His mindset was just like an old father.
The woman seemed to sense she was being stared at and slowly raised her head.
The woman wore thin-rimmed glasses, had long purple hair, and was very beautiful.
Perhaps this was the kind of person described as an intellectual literary woman.
The woman gave Minato a faint smile.
If it were any other time, he wouldn't mind having a good chat with this woman about Teacher Takatsuki Sen's works.
After all, as an editor, he had a lot of say; he could even peel back the surface to reveal the essence.
But now...
Minato blinked, then turned to the driver:
"Mr. Driver, can I get off now? I think I left something behind."
The driver didn't answer him, just pressed a button.
"Bang!"
The bus door closed with great force.
The sound of it closing even made Minato recall that iconic door from when he used to watch Conan.
The driver's answer was already very obvious.
No!
Minato sighed helplessly; as expected, it wouldn't work?
The driver said slowly at this moment:
"To go to Yokai Academy, it can only be you alone."
He specifically emphasized the last word.
Obviously, the driver was reminding Minato that the only way to distance himself from the purple-haired woman on the bus was to agree to him.
"Forget it, let's go, let's go."
Minato shook his head helplessly; compared to unknown things, dealing with known dangers was simpler.
The bus started moving.
Minato held his umbrella in his right hand, sitting near the door.
That spot also allowed him to see the woman behind him through the mirror.
Why was he so vigilant?
It was mentioned earlier, right? Although he hadn't finished watching Tokyo Ghoul, he had watched a couple of episodes.
How could he possibly forget this purple-haired older sister.
Kamishiro Rize, the core character who triggered a series of plot points for the Colonel.
He vaguely remembered her terrifying appearance when she was alone with the male lead back then.
S-class Ghoul.
Minato had a headache; District 11 was so big, how did he run into this gluttonous monster?
Perhaps due to psychological factors, he could even smell the thick scent of blood inside the bus, and... the smell of cheap perfume.
Cheap perfume?
As soon as he smelled this scent, Minato's thoughts flew away.
Takatsuki Sen seemed to be approaching her coming-of-age ceremony; should he give her something for mature women?
Our classmate Minato seemed to really be an enthusiast for mature women.
Kamishiro Rize squinted, looking at Minato who was sitting in front.
She twitched her nose slightly; the Ghoul's instinct made her feel that the man in front of her should taste quite good.
The book snapped shut with a "pa" sound.
This Ghoul took action.
Minato watched the other party's actions, recovered from thinking about gifts, and frowned slightly.
What did this guy want to do?
Prey on him?
"Hello, sir, my name is Kamishiro Rize."
Kamishiro Rize bowed slightly to Minato.
Okay, the Ghoul spoke.
Minato was very helpless; he really didn't want to provoke this kind of trouble.
"Good evening."
Before the other party tore off the mask, he didn't intend to expose this monster that wanted to eat him.
"May I ask, is there something you need?"
Minato asked.
Kamishiro Rize asked:
"Um, may I ask where you are going, sir?"
"Where to?" Minato looked at Kamishiro Rize strangely, "It's so late, of course I'm going home; what, am I supposed to go to a brothel?"
"Uh..."
Kamishiro Rize choked a bit, then continued asking with a smile:
"I meant to ask which station you are getting off at, sir; maybe we are going the same way, since..."
Before Kamishiro Rize finished speaking, Minato spoke up:
"I'm getting off at 21st Street, 2-chome, Beika Town."
Hearing Minato's hurried answer, she smiled.
Thinking she had met a man just like the previous ones.
She repeated her old trick, saying with pleasant surprise:
"Me too! What a coincidence; how about I..."
"Just kidding."
Minato said out of the blue:
"Don't be stupid."
"What?"
Kamishiro Rize was stunned.
"Next time you try to pick someone up, please remember to bring your brain, Miss Liar!"
After saying this, Minato pulled his body back slightly, raised his right leg, and then...
"Bang!"
Minato's right foot kicked hard into Kamishiro Rize's lower abdomen.
In those short few tenths of a second, Minato's foot seemed to turn into an accelerated pile driver.
Both speed and power were present.
This kind of explosive power couldn't be achieved without ten or eight years of training.
The leg doesn't pass the knee by three inches; the move is small and fast, with no fear of being countered when attacking.
The movement was compact and fierce, coordinated, rhythmically distinct, and had strong explosive power!
While kicking, Minato even savored it carefully.
The difference between kicking a Ghoul's abdomen and an ordinary person's abdomen.
It didn't seem to be any different.
Editor Minato felt a little disappointed; what the heck, that was boring.
"Tan legs, four hands; people fear it, ghosts dread it."
Watching Kamishiro Rize, who had been kicked away by him, Minato was very satisfied.
He hadn't kicked something so satisfyingly in a long time; the resentment accumulated from Takatsuki Sen delaying her manuscript seemed to have all been released because of this.
Comfortable!
Kamishiro Rize hadn't even reacted yet when she felt a severe pain in her abdomen.
Minato's kick seemed to have knocked her internal organs out of place; at the very least, her kagune sac felt vaguely awkward.
"Ugh!"
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