"The way the Wish Note grants wishes is unpredictable, it might cause trouble..."
Kitahara Makoto tactfully persuaded her.
Seika was the best example.
Nijika wished for her sister to rest well for a period, and as a result, Seika fell in the bath, directly losing sensation in her lower limbs and becoming paralyzed in bed. The way the wish was fulfilled was too terrible!
"Just try it," Soyo whispered coaxingly, "I really can't hold on by myself."
Having not personally experienced Nijika's drastic ups and downs, Soyo naturally didn't take it seriously, as people's joys and sorrows are not interconnected.
"Alright."
Kitahara Makoto nodded in agreement:
"Tomorrow, I'll give Soyo-chan a Wish Note."
Even if there were any unexpected issues, he should be able to handle them and didn't need to worry too much.
And also...
How could he not be tempted by the opportunity to play doubles with Soyo and Togawa!
"Thank you, Kitahara-kun~"
Soyo thanked him happily.
Afterward, Kitahara Makoto and Soyo spent some more time together, and before they knew it, it was already midnight. After Soyo fell asleep, he quickly traveled back home.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next day.
It was another beautiful day, clear and cloudless.
The only minor drawback was that it was still hot.
After breakfast, Kitahara Makoto left on his bicycle and went with Hitori to the driving school to attend classes. At the current pace, he would definitely get his driver's license before the summer vacation.
After returning from his driving lessons, Kitahara Makoto easily completed his fitness tasks for the day. Seeing that it was getting late, he began to prepare food.
Although the Wish Note was a bit crazy, you couldn't say it was useless.
The Kessoku Band, which could occasionally produce good things, certainly couldn't be abandoned. Daily charging was essential.
Kitahara Makoto's plan was to keep charging it without stopping until the pandoras box was completely full, and then open it for a top-tier reward.
Buzz.
As he was about to wash the ingredients, his phone suddenly vibrated.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto turned to look at his phone:
"A message from Nijika-senpai?"
He picked up his phone and checked the message.
"Kitahara-kun, Seika-nee said this morning she wanted to go for a walk. It's almost noon now, and I want to call Seika-nee back for lunch, but she's not replying to messages and her phone is unreachable... Could I trouble you to ask about Seika-nee's situation?"
Kitahara Makoto naturally wouldn't refuse:
"Senpai, please wait."
When he woke up this morning, he had exchanged messages with Nijika and knew that Seika's side effects hadn't disappeared; she still had the consciousness of a sixteen-year-old girl.
Waking up to find that thirteen years had passed in the world, it was perfectly normal for Seika to want to go for a walk.
However, not being able to contact her was indeed worrying.
Kitahara Makoto turned and called out:
"Mutsumi-chan, go get my backpack."
"Okay."
Mutsumi obeyed and quickly brought the backpack.
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"Mutsumi-chan, take out the answer book and ask about Seika-nee's location."
He had already used up his questions for the day, so now he could only ask Mutsumi.
Mutsumi nodded gently and asked the question expressionlessly.
Whoosh.
The answer book flipped pages rapidly, and soon, a line of text appeared on the blank page.
"The name of the school..."
Kitahara Makoto took out his phone and told Nijika the answer.
Nijika: "I remember! That's the school Seika-nee attended in high school!"
Kitahara Makoto opened the map app and quickly searched for the location:
"Why didn't Seika-nee attend high school near home?"
Nijika: "Maybe Seika-nee was in her rebellious phase and wanted to be farther from home?"
Kitahara Makoto: "It's relatively close to me. I'll ride my bike over to check the situation."
Nijika: "I'll leave it to Kitahara-kun. Let me know as soon as you have any news."
"..."
He put away his phone.
Kitahara Makoto quickly walked out the door, hopped on his bicycle, and sped away. The straight-line distance was only about four or five kilometers. For ordinary people, taking the train would be faster and more convenient, but for Kitahara Makoto, the bicycle was faster.
Twenty minutes later.
A school campus appeared before him.
"Arrived."
Kitahara Makoto stopped his bicycle and looked towards the school gate, where a security guard was sitting in the guard booth drinking tea.
He withdrew his gaze and simply went to an uninhabited corner, then leaped over the wall directly into the school campus.
On the way there, Kitahara Makoto had already learned from Nijika that this was an all-girls' school, and the security guard definitely wouldn't open the gate for him. Rather than wasting words, it was better to just climb over the wall.
It was nearing noon, and the blazing sun was scorching the earth. It was still summer vacation, and apart from the loud chirping of cicadas, there was almost no other sound on campus, only some faint movement coming from the direction of the swimming pool.
"It must be those students participating in sports clubs... I can go over and ask about the situation."
Kitahara Makoto's mind raced, and he stepped towards the swimming pool.
"It would be best if someone saw Seika-nee's whereabouts; if not, I'll ask the answer book again."
Most Japan high school students participate in clubs; only a very small number choose to be in the 'go-home club'. Among them, sports clubs are the most popular, allowing students to sweat and share their youth with friends... The downside is that summer vacation isn't peaceful, as they often have to come to school for training camps.
A moment later.
At the entrance of the swimming pool.
Kitahara Makoto entered through the side door and immediately felt a cold aura sweeping over him.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto raised his eyebrows slightly:
"There's an evil spirit?"
Black mist permeated the swimming pool, especially around doors and windows, where the black mist was even denser.
This stuff was one of the evil spirit's common tactics. The mist could make ordinary people lose their direction and confuse their five senses. For example, what was clearly the swimming pool's main door, under the influence of the evil spirit's mist, ordinary people would only see a wall.
Of course, this mist had no effect on Kitahara Makoto. After gaining Extraordinary Vision, everything in the swimming pool was crystal clear.
"Damn it, you broke your promise!"
A familiar voice, feigning anger, came over.
Kitahara Makoto followed the sound and saw a woman standing by the swimming pool. She had waist-length blonde hair and a black choker around her neck. It was Seika.
Besides Seika, there were several other girls wearing dark blue school swimsuits, clearly members of the swimming team who were training at school during the summer.
At this moment, Seika spread her arms, blocking everyone, while the girls in swimsuits were all pale, trembling, and some even covered their mouths, crying uncontrollably.
And in the swimming pool, a translucent phantom floated, vaguely resembling a woman. Her dark hair wriggled like venomous snakes, black energy surged around her body, her body was bloated, and where her eyes should be, there were only two dark holes. It was clearly an evil spirit.
"No wonder she didn't answer calls or messages; turns out she ran into an evil spirit incident..."
Kitahara Makoto clicked his tongue softly.
"Her luck is just something else."
Shaking his head, Kitahara Makoto stepped forward directly.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps quickly attracted everyone's attention. Seika, the female students who were unfortunately caught in the evil spirit incident, and the Swimming Pool Spirit all looked towards Kitahara Makoto.
Kitahara Makoto's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of nervousness. He took a deep breath and then shouted loudly:
"Seika-sensei, your mother is calling you home for dinner."
Seika: "..."
The girls: "..."
"It's a boy!"
"Our school is an all-girls' school, why would a boy break in?"
"That's not important. The important thing is, why isn't he scared at all?"
"Does he not see the monster in the swimming pool?"
"..."
Seeing Kitahara Makoto suddenly appear, the girls' faces lit up with surprise, but the surprise quickly turned into disappointment.
No matter how they looked at it, Kitahara Makoto was just a high school student their age. Although he was exceptionally handsome, it was impossible to use his looks to appease an evil spirit, right?
"Brat, what are you shouting about?"
Seika crossed her arms over her chest, her tone seemingly displeased, but her eyes were full of worry. She lowered her voice and said:
"Why are you here?"
Kitahara Makoto said naturally:
"Of course, I came to find you."
"You..."
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"It's almost noon, and Nijika has been waiting for you to come home for lunch and is a bit worried, so she asked me to come and call you... Why are you soaked?"
Seika's dress and shirt were already soaked, her body was dripping wet, and water was still dripping from her hair, making her look particularly disheveled.
"I'm fine..."
Seika bit her lower lip, turned her head, and whispered:
"It's very dangerous here, quickly leave through the mirror."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
As expected of a woman who is strong throughout her life.
Even at a time like this, she was still holding on. No wonder Nijika described her personality as arrogant, arrogant, arrogant... and only a little bit tsundere at the end!
"Human, I don't know how you got in, but it's easy to get in and hard to get out." The Swimming Pool Spirit's voice was hoarse and sinister, "But I can give you a chance. As long as you help me find my eyeball, I can let you go."
"Stop lying!" Seika gritted her teeth, "I already found an eyeball just now, but you went back on your word and wouldn't let us leave at all!"
The evil spirit's voice was sinister:
"You found my eyeball, you can leave yourself, but I didn't say I would let you take everyone with you."
Kitahara Makoto's expression was calm; he didn't believe a single word the evil spirit said.
Evil spirits might seem capable of communication and interaction, but they were actually conglomerations of resentment, obsessive and irritable, with no concept of trustworthiness in their lexicon.
"However..."
Kitahara Makoto turned his head, looking at Seika in surprise.
"Seika-nee still plans to take everyone with her?"
"What?" Seika crossed her arms, snorting lightly, "They're all so timid; if I left them behind, they might just disappear. As a senior, it's normal to look after my juniors from the same school, isn't it?"
What happened to the delinquent girl I was told about?
Aren't you supposed to take advantage of men and dominate women? Why are you protecting the weak?
Now it seems that Seika is indeed different from ordinary delinquent girls; she clearly has a chivalrous aura about her.
"Human, do you want to help me find my eyeballs?" The Swimming Pool Spirit said eerily, "If you refuse, you'll never leave this swimming pool."
Kitahara Makoto narrowed his eyes and looked over.
"Since you put it that way, of course I'll help."
Threatening me, are you?
You have chosen the path of death!
If the evil spirit were on land instead of in the swimming pool, Kitahara Makoto would have already stepped forward and punched it to oblivion, but unfortunately, the swimming pool was indeed a bit troublesome.
"I could try luring it out with bait..."
Kitahara Makoto quietly reached for his backpack.
"Don't move!"
The Swimming Pool Spirit's sinister voice suddenly rang out, and a strand of black hair quickly emerged from the water, coiling around Seika's calf, directly pulling her upside down.
"Throw away the backpack!"
As an evil spirit, it keenly sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Kitahara Makoto, which made it inexplicably uneasy.
"This woman is very important to you, isn't she?" The Swimming Pool Spirit said grimly, "Quickly throw away the backpack, or I'll kill her!"
"Alright, I'll throw it right away."
Kitahara Makoto was expressionless, raising his hand and throwing the backpack far away.
"Idiot, don't listen to it." Seika swayed in the air, clearly a bit dizzy, but still managed to shout, "And don't look over here!"
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
Your life is hanging by a thread; at a time like this, you should be concerned about your safety, not about flashing someone!
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"Seika-nee is a very important person; I absolutely cannot let her be harmed."
As a sister-in-law, she is, of course, a very important person.
"...Huh?"
Seika's breathing hitched, her voice clearly a bit flustered and annoyed.
"Don't say weird things to me!"
Before Kitahara Makoto could reply, the Swimming Pool Spirit continued:
"It's not enough, take off your clothes too."
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow and looked over.
"I have to take off my clothes too?"
"Stop ravings! Take everything off!"
The Swimming Pool Spirit still felt very uneasy, but couldn't pinpoint the source of its unease, which was why it forced Kitahara Makoto to strip naked.
"...I'll take them off right away."
Kitahara Makoto let out a breath and silently took off his shirt and pants.
"So... so amazing..."
"He looked so thin when he was wearing clothes, I didn't expect him to be..."
"His physique is too good, isn't it?"
"..."
Seika and several girls in swimsuits all looked over, finding it difficult to tear their eyes away.
With each daily fitness task completed, Kitahara Makoto's body quietly evolved. By now, every muscle perfectly conformed to the golden ratio, a perfect combination of strength and beauty.
"Is that enough?"
Kitahara Makoto spread his arms and stepped towards the swimming pool.
"Not enough!" The Swimming Pool Spirit's voice suddenly became excited, "Strip naked! My command is to take off all your clothes! Your shorts too!"
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
I didn't realize you were a perverted evil spirit!
"All... all naked?"
Several girls in school swimsuits exchanged glances, all blushing.
That boy only had his last pair of shorts on. If he kept taking them off, wouldn't he be... Should they cover their faces then?
"Don't take them off!"
Seika shouted in embarrassment.
During their casual chat last night, she already knew Kitahara Makoto's identity: her younger sister's boyfriend... What kind of behavior was it to strip naked in front of her?
She absolutely did not want to see such a terrible thing!
"Did you hear me? Hurry up and strip naked!"
The female Swimming Pool Spirit's voice was excited, sounding very perverted.
"..."
Kitahara Makoto ignored it, already reaching the edge of the swimming pool, then stepped in without hesitation.
Splash.
Water splashed.
After jumping into the swimming pool, Kitahara Makoto disappeared entirely.
Seika and the girls in school swimsuits all widened their eyes, searching for Kitahara Makoto's whereabouts.
The Swimming Pool Spirit, on the other hand, quickly became agitated, the sense of unease in its heart suddenly intensifying, its snake-like black hair couldn't help but splash the water.
A few seconds later.
A figure suddenly broke through the water, appearing in front of the Swimming Pool Spirit. Without any wasted words, he decisively punched out.
Under the disbelieving gazes of the others, the Swimming Pool Spirit was actually pierced by Kitahara Makoto's punch, and then its disgusting, bloated body violently exploded, turning into black mist and dissipating.
Splash.
Seika fell from mid-air, splashing a plume of water.
Kitahara Makoto reached out and quickly pulled Seika out of the water.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Having been caught off guard and choked on two mouthfuls of water, Seika, in her nervousness, tightly wrapped her arms around Kitahara Makoto's neck.
"Ptui, ptui~"
Spitting out the water in her mouth, Seika looked up, a smile of relief after a narrow escape appearing on her face.
"I didn't realize you were quite..."
The word "amazing" hadn't left her mouth when, as her gaze fell on Kitahara Makoto's profile, Seika suddenly felt her heart rate accelerate sharply, and the rest of her words immediately got stuck.
(Strange, why did my heart suddenly speed up?)
(Could... could it be that...)
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto had already swum back to the edge of the swimming pool, holding Seika.
"What did Seika-nee just say?"
"Nothing." Seika quickly turned her head, feeling her face flush, "Hurry up and put me down!"
"Okay."
Kitahara Makoto climbed ashore first.
"Um... is it alright now?"
A timid voice sounded from behind Kitahara Makoto.
Turning his head, the speaker was a petite girl in a school swimsuit, her expression both timid and a little shy, clearly having mustered up her courage to speak.
"The evil spirit has been eliminated by me." Kitahara Makoto pointed, "The door has appeared, you can leave now."
The girls turned their heads and discovered that the previously disappeared swimming pool entrance had quietly reappeared at some point. They immediately became excited, bowing and thanking Kitahara Makoto one by one.
"Thank you!"
"We are deeply grateful!"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand, letting the girls in school swimsuits leave, then turned to Seika and asked:
"Seika-nee, do you want me to send you home through the mirror?"
Seika hesitated for two seconds, then quickly shook her head.
"Not going back for now."
"Hm?"
Seika crossed her arms, her voice suddenly deepening.
"I'm just a so-called 'side effect,' and I don't know how much longer I'll last... So, before I disappear, rather than staying home and waiting alone, I really want to see the world thirteen years later with my own eyes. At least I won't have so many regrets."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
No wonder Seika didn't want to stay home. At this moment, she could be considered the sixteen-year-old Seika. If she stayed home, she would be constantly aware that she would soon disappear, which would definitely be suffocating, right?