"Onee-san is very strange today..."
Taki's small face was serious as she whispered, "Mom and Dad have already left for work. Onee-san doesn't have Kessoku Band practice today, so normally, she would sleep in until noon."
"It's fine to wake up early sometimes, isn't it?" Kitahara Makoto said in a low voice, "Perhaps your onee-san just wants to wake up early to exercise?"
"Let me finish first." Taki looked up and said softly, "If it was just waking up early to exercise, I definitely wouldn't say it's strange."
"But just now, I was hiding in the bathroom and saw onee-san come out of her room with a tense expression, hurrying along, her hair not even combed, a messy mess, and then she went out. Not long after, onee-san came back in carrying a cardboard delivery box from outside."
"Onee-san is very particular about her personal appearance; for her to go out so sloppily to pick up a delivery is very abnormal."
"After onee-san returned to her room, I came out and passed by onee-san's door..."
Taki lightly pursed her lips, a hint of worry appearing on her small face:
"Then I heard what sounded like faint crying from inside."
Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but mutter, "Taki didn't just happen to pass by your onee-san's room; you specifically went to eavesdrop, didn't you?"
Taki's small face quickly flushed red, and she glared at him angrily:
"This is my home! How can it be considered eavesdropping?!"
"Yes, yes." Kitahara Makoto soothed her, "Whatever Taki says, it is."
"Hmph." Taki lightly snorted, "Besides, I was just a little curious."
Kitahara Makoto retorted, "Curiosity is false; worrying about your onee-san is the truth, isn't it?"
Taki bit her teeth in exasperation:
"You're still talking!!"
Kitahara Makoto raised both hands, making a zipping motion:
"I promise not to say anything more."
"Hmph~"
Taki let out a soft hmph, crossed her arms over her chest, and furrowed her delicate brows:
"Onee-san, who usually sleeps in, suddenly woke up early, went out sloppily, and then came back and was actually crying in her room... It's really super concerning."
Kitahara Makoto mused, "It seems Taki's onee-san's abnormality is related to that delivery box."
"That's right, that's what I think too." Taki nodded slightly, then looked up with her small face, "Kitahara-kun, do you have any way to find out what's inside that delivery box?"
Kitahara Makoto looked at her speechlessly:
"You're biological sisters. If you want to know what's in the delivery box, you can just ask your onee-san, can't you?"
Taki turned her small face away at his words and whispered, "I haven't knocked on onee-san's door in a long time... And I understand onee-san's personality very well; if she doesn't want to say, asking is useless."
Kitahara Makoto: "There are always exceptions. Taki, go ask; maybe your onee-san will tell you?"
Taki: "No need to ask. If onee-san wants to say, she'll say it even if I don't ask."
"..."
Kitahara Makoto sighed helplessly:
"...How awkward."
"What did you say?"
Taki's small face instantly tensed.
"I'm sorry." Kitahara Makoto raised his hands, "I take back what I just said."
"...It's too late to take it back now!"
Kitahara Makoto quickly changed the subject:
"I have a way to find out the contents of the delivery."
Taki immediately quieted down:
"What... way?"
"There are two ways." Kitahara Makoto extended two fingers and said softly, "The first way is for Hana and I to come over again tonight and have Hana pull your onee-san into a dream to find out the truth in her dream."
Taki pursed her lips and said softly, "What's the second way?"
"I have a rather mystical item called the Shadow Person Bowtie..."
Kitahara Makoto didn't keep her in suspense and briefly explained the effect of the Shadow Person Bowtie.
[Item: Shadow Person Bowtie]
[Current Status: Optimized]
[New Entry: Black Shadow-kun. When you wear this bowtie, you will transform into a black shadow. Apart from your eyes and teeth, which will appear white, the rest of your body will be pure black. In this pure black state, no means can detect you, and any interactive behavior will not produce sound unless you actively speak.]
When Kitahara Makoto went out, he would carry a backpack containing all his optimized tools, just in case he needed them.
"Taki, if you want to use the bowtie, you can use it anytime..." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "So, Taki, what do you choose?"
Taki hesitated for two seconds, then her eyes quickly firmed:
"I want to use that Shadow Person Bowtie."
It was only nine in the morning, and there was still a long time until night, so she naturally wanted to find out as soon as possible why her onee-san was hiding in her room crying.
After all, for such a long time, no one knew what might happen in the interim, what if...
"No what-ifs."
Taki quietly clenched her small fists, looked at Kitahara Makoto, and bowed in entreaty:
"Kitahara-kun, please."
Kitahara Makoto nodded lightly, opened his backpack, took out the bowtie, and handed it to Taki.
"Oh, I forgot to say something just now." Kitahara Makoto reminded softly, "When using the bowtie, only the human body becomes invisible; clothes don't turn into a black shadow with it... So, Taki, you understand what to do."
Taki blinked, her small face quickly flushed red, and she took half a step back, covering her chest with her hands, warily saying, "You're not trying to trick me into taking off my clothes, are you?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted, "Is there any part of Taki's body I haven't seen yet?"
"You..."
Taki's small face quickly turned crimson, and she involuntarily recalled the 'desperate' scene of being stuck in the mirror before:
"Hentai!"
"..."
Embarrassed as she was, Taki ultimately took the Shadow Person Bowtie.
Her onee-san, hiding in her room and secretly crying, was indeed very worrying, and she wanted to find out why her onee-san was crying as soon as possible, no matter what.
After getting the Shadow Person Bowtie, Taki brought Kitahara Makoto back to her room, preparing to take off her clothes, as she didn't feel safe leaving Kitahara Makoto alone in the bathroom outside.
"Turn around." Taki covered her body, "No peeking."
"Understood."
Kitahara Makoto nodded lightly, turned to face the wall, and played on his phone.
Important matters came first; he certainly wouldn't cause trouble at a time like this.
Rustling sounds came from behind him.
Not long after.
The entire room became completely silent, with only Kitahara Makoto's breathing remaining.
"...You can turn around now."
Taki's voice suddenly rang out.
Kitahara Makoto turned his head and saw a pair of eyes 'floating' in mid-air at the level of his chest... At first glance, it was quite startling.
"You almost gave me a heart attack." Kitahara Makoto clutched his chest, "Taki must compensate me with a lap pillow."
"Noisy! Hurry up and knock on onee-san's door!"
Taki's voice was exceptionally embarrassed.
Although no one else could see anything, the state of being completely naked still made Taki incredibly ashamed.
Kitahara Makoto nodded, picked up the potato chips from the desk, then left the room, threw the potato chips on the floor, and went to Taki's onee-san's door.
Bang, bang.
Kitahara Makoto raised his right hand and gently knocked on the door.
After knocking, he quickly hid inside Taki's room. Taki, who had turned into a Shadow Person, covered her chest with one hand and her lower abdomen with the other, hiding shyly nearby, waiting for the right moment.
In the Shadow Person state, Taki's knocking wouldn't make any sound, so the knocking had to be done by Kitahara Makoto.
Click.
The door opened quickly.
Taki's onee-san, her eyes slightly red, opened the door and quickly saw the empty corridor with the potato chips, then naturally walked out.
"Whew..."
Taki covered her eyes with her hand, watching her onee-san walk past her, her gaze not falling on herself at all. She couldn't help but quietly breathe a sigh of relief and, taking advantage of the moment her onee-san was out, silently entered the room.
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto stayed in Taki's room and soon heard knocking from outside, followed by Taki's onee-san's voice, but opening the door was out of the question.
The knocking quickly stopped. Kitahara Makoto continued to quietly play on his phone. How much information could be gathered next depended on Taki's performance.
Twenty minutes later.
Kitahara Makoto's gaze flickered, and he saw a note silently slipped under the door crack, so he reached out and opened the door.
In her Shadow Person state, Taki naturally couldn't use her phone, and knocking couldn't confirm who it was. If it were Taki's onee-san knocking, a sudden encounter would be troublesome. So Kitahara Makoto and Taki had agreed that when a note was slipped under the door crack, it meant Taki was ready to return.
The note had been prepared in advance and placed in the bathroom.
Kitahara Makoto had been standing behind the door playing on his phone. Now, opening the door, the hallway was empty; there was nothing there.
Just as he was about to look for Taki, the bathroom door next to him suddenly opened, and a foot stepped out.
Without a doubt.
The person who came out was clearly Taki's onee-san.
The next second.
Kitahara Makoto suddenly felt something transparent and invisible bump into his lower abdomen.
"Taki?"
Kitahara Makoto instantly understood.
For Taki to slip a note under the door crack, she would definitely have to squat down to reach it. And he had been standing behind the door the whole time, opening the door as soon as he saw the note, with no buffer time in between.
Taki should still be squatting at this point, so she couldn't see anything.
Seeing Taki's older sister about to come out, Kitahara Makoto's mind raced, and he quickly made a decision.
Although he couldn't see anyone, physical contact still existed.
So…
Kitahara Makoto quickly bent down, reached out decisively towards the 'air' that had just bumped into him, then swiftly retreated into the room, simultaneously using his toe to lightly nudge the door shut.
"Good, I shouldn't have been discovered."
Kitahara Makoto let out a sigh of relief, feeling at ease.
The next second.
A girl's embarrassed and angry voice rang out from thin air, full of shame, anger, and urgency:
"Lewd! Pervert! Let go of me right now!"
Kitahara Makoto looked down at the 'air' in his arms, releasing his hand while speaking innocently:
"I can't see anything, so it's normal to touch places I shouldn't, right?"
The soft touch that had just been transmitted from his palm was quite familiar; to pretend he didn't know what it was would be playing dumb.
"You're still talking!"
A pair of floating eyes finally appeared in the room, filled with shame and grievance:
"Turn around quickly, I'm going to get dressed!"
...
A moment later.
Taki quickly got dressed, removed the item [Shadow Person Bowtie], and appeared in the room.
Because of the accidental touch incident just now, this Taki's small face was flushed, her eyes were filled with shame, and she bit her lower lip, saying:
"Why did you suddenly open the door?"
Kitahara Makoto said innocently:
"I was waiting behind the door for Taki to come back, and I saw you put in the sticky note, so I opened the door... Should I open it slower next time?"
"There won't be a next time!"
Taki covered her chest with both hands, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance.
Kitahara Makoto's strength just now was quite considerable; besides the shame, it also felt very painful, which was the reason for her grievance.
"Whoosh…"
Taki let out a soft breath and didn't pursue the matter further; after all, it was an accident, and Kitahara Makoto opening the door immediately while waiting behind it couldn't be said to be wrong in any way.
"I already know why Maki-nee was secretly crying in her room."
As she spoke, Taki clenched her small fists directly.
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow:
"What's the reason?"
Taki's face showed an angry expression:
"Maki-nee encountered a perverted stalker!"
"Calm down." Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand and rubbed Taki's small head. "Anger only makes people lose their minds. Speak slowly."
"Whoosh…"
Taki took a deep breath, not pushing Kitahara Makoto's hand away, but instead whispered:
"After I went in, I saw Maki-nee crying at her desk. The cardboard box was already open, and inside were some cosplay uniforms... Next to Maki-nee, there was also a handwritten letter."
"The letter said that he was Maki-nee's fervent fan, and when he was returning home after the fireworks festival two days ago, he happened to recognize Maki-nee on the train, then followed her all the way to confirm our home address."
Pausing, Taki gritted her teeth and continued:
"That guy said he was an 'invincible person,' and his only motivation to live now was Maki-nee. He hoped Maki-nee could wear the cosplay uniform, and then put the worn clothes into a delivery box for him to take back... Otherwise, he might not be able to control himself and do terrible things, and he also told Maki-nee not to call the police for her own safety and that of her family."
The so-called 'invincible person' refers to social groups who have no relatives, no friends, no marriage, and no social life—because they have no attachments, they naturally have no weaknesses.
When a person has no weaknesses, they are naturally 'invincible'.
The most typical example is Japan's top male gunner, Tetsuya Yamagami, who, once he erupted, directly made a name for himself in the global annals of history.
Japan's relevant departments have conducted statistics, and the number of these unattached, low-income 'invincible persons' is as high as one million. No one knows when these people will suddenly retaliate against society, and there is no way to supervise them.
"Damn it!"
Taki gritted her teeth in anger, seeing through the other party's essence at a glance:
"He's speaking in terms of requests, but in reality, he's clearly threatening Maki-nee!"
"Maki-nee is too weak; when she encounters such a perverted stalker, she only cries. If it were me, I would have already called the police!"
Kitahara Makoto looked over and said softly:
"Calling the police is useless."
Taki was unconvinced: "How is it useless?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted:
"Taki, open Twitter yourself and search. What kind of punishment do fans receive after the idols they obsessively stalk call the police?"
...
Taki immediately fell silent.
Though she was very reluctant to admit it, the fact was that they wouldn't receive severe punishment.
Even if the perverted stalker is caught, at most they'll be detained for a few days; it's impossible to lock them up for life.
And the other party is an 'invincible person,' so they might retaliate crazily afterwards...
Realizing that calling the police was useless and might even make the other party more deranged, Taki suddenly understood why Maki-nee had been crying at her desk.
Because once civilized methods are useless, they simply have no ability to protect themselves; they are just pitiful, weak, and helpless ordinary people.
"Kitahara-kun..."
Taki's lips parted slightly, her mind in a mess, and she couldn't help but cast a pleading look at Kitahara Makoto, whispering:
"As long as you help Maki-nee, I'll do anything."
"Leave it to me, I'll solve it."
Kitahara Makoto's voice was calm, yet it seemed to possess a magical power; Taki felt her bewildered and helpless heart immediately settle down.
(This feeling... so safe...)
(No wonder everyone, even knowing Kitahara-kun is a harem scumbag, didn't just beat him up and cut ties...)
Taki shook her head, dispelling the chaotic and subtle thoughts in her mind, and looked up with her small face, saying:
"What do you plan to do, Kitahara-kun?"
"First step." Kitahara Makoto extended a finger. "Go next door and have a frank talk with your Maki-nee."
"Huh?" Taki's eyes widened upon hearing this, and she couldn't help but say, "Why do we have to be frank... Can't we just solve it secretly?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted:
"Why wouldn't you tell your Maki-nee about such a big matter?"
"Because..."
Taki stammered, unable to speak.
It would be embarrassing to sneak in and tell Maki-nee, wouldn't it?
"The reason is simple." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "Your Maki-nee is both scared and flustered right now. To deal with that perverted stalker, you at least need to find him first, and during that time, your Maki-nee might do something foolish."
"There's also a second reason: we need Taki's Maki-nee's help to quickly find that perverted stalker."
"I understand..." Taki lightly bit her lower lip, her gaze quickly firming. "Let's go, we'll go and be frank with Maki-nee now."
...
The two walked out of the room and arrived outside Shiina Maki's room.
Bang bang.
Taki stepped half a pace forward and raised her hand to knock on the door.
The door quickly opened, revealing a face with red, swollen eyes and a haggard expression:
"Taki... huh, Kitahara-kun?"
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Maki-nee, good morning."
Taki's older sister is named Shiina Maki, four years older than Taki, and is now a university student, so calling her Maki-nee is perfectly fine.
"G-good morning..." Shiina Maki's eyes widened, still not reacting. "Why is Kitahara-kun at home?!"
"We'll talk about that later." Taki's expression was serious. "Maki-nee, I already know your secret."
"W-what secret?"
"Just open the door and let us in first."
"Okay..."
Shiina Maki agreed, subconsciously opening the door.
Kitahara Makoto immediately felt his vision distorted by an unknown gravitational pull, dropping down from Shiina Maki's neck; she was still wearing pajamas at this moment, and due to the hot weather, the collar of her pajamas was clearly open...