"Question: What is the best way for Aoi to parasitize Shimizu-san?"
Kitahara placed his hand on the Book of Answers and asked the first question of the day.
If Shimizu-san were an ordinary person, there would be no need to ask; he could simply have Aoi parasitize her directly. However, Shimizu Rin's "HP" was over a hundred points, so naturally, he had to be extra cautious.
It was like how Venom could easily possess an ordinary person but would struggle greatly to possess Spider-Man; not only might the attempt fail, but he could also end up suffering a disastrous loss.
Rustle, rustle.
The Book of Answers flipped its pages rapidly without any wind. As the "cutscene" ended, text quietly emerged.
[Seek Shimizu Rin's opinion and get her to voluntarily agree to the parasitism.]
"Wait, is that even reasonable???"
Seeing the answer appear on the page, a row of question marks practically popped up over Kitahara's head.
Seek her opinion? And get her to voluntarily agree?
Aoi's parasitism turned the host into a puppet—how could anyone possibly agree to that willingly?
Kitahara had envisioned many possibilities yesterday: a hypnotic pocket watch, "sleep-inducing black tea," dragging her to the basement for "conditioning," or having Hana borrow her memories... He had considered all sorts of scenarios, but never once had he thought about getting her to voluntarily consent to the parasitism.
"But this is the optimal solution... In other words, if I use other methods, uncontrollable situations might arise?"
Kitahara furrowed his brows slightly.
Unfortunately, there was too little information; speculating out of thin air wouldn't achieve much.
"I'll have Mutsumi ask about it later, and then I'll know..."
With the Book of Answers available, the cost of trial and error was zero. There was no need to rush; he could take the time to find the safest and most secure path for the parasitism.
"Time to get breakfast ready."
Kitahara put away the Book of Answers, draped a kitchen towel around his neck, and took out his phone to message the girls, asking who wanted to come over for breakfast. Once the headcount was confirmed, he stood up, walked into the kitchen, and began preparing the meal. While hunting down "Imposters" over the past few days, Kitahara had brought Pandora's Box along. It must be said that human emotions fluctuate most intensely during moments of despair and fear, generating an exceptionally rich supply of "idealistic energy." Consequently, the box's charging progress was impressive—enough to unlock the second tier of rewards.
However, Kitahara forcibly suppressed the urge to open the "Blind Box" right then and there; instead, he decided to keep charging it.
Being stuck in limbo was agonizing. Since the charge was already past the halfway mark, the logical move was to fill Pandora's Box completely and force it to cough up the top-tier reward.
As he walked into the kitchen to prepare a meal, Kitahara opened his daily task panel. He had been so engrossed in eating rice bowls earlier that he'd forgotten to check what today's tasks actually were.
The first two tasks were the usual non-negotiable fitness routines. The third was a "Glutton Challenge," requiring him to consume a specific amount of food—of any variety—within thirty minutes.
"Huh?"
Kitahara's gaze fell upon the fourth daily task.
"Limited Task... Catching Loaches (Two-Person Team)?"
The task itself wasn't difficult; what caught his attention was that the required partner for this mission was none other than Hitori.
Getting Taki or Seika to go loach-catching wouldn't be easy, but getting Hitori to do it? That was a sure thing—practically in the bag.
A task this simple was basically a freebie.
Before long, it was 7:30 AM.
"Good morning, Makoto-kun."
Mutsumi walked down from the second floor, dressed in pajamas with her hair slightly tousled.
"Good morning." Kitahara happened to be stepping out of the kitchen. "Go wash up and brush your teeth; breakfast is ready."
"Okay."
Mutsumi quickly finished freshening up and came to the kitchen to help carry out the food. Once the task was finished, Mutsumi quickly tugged at the hem of Kitahara's shirt, tilted up her lovely face, and said with an impassive expression:
"Makoto-kun, reward."
Kitahara looked down at her: "What kind of reward does Mutsumi want?"
Mutsumi showed not a shred of shyness; her eyes shone brightly:
"A kiss."
She's skipped the cucumber phase entirely and gone straight to asking for a kiss!
Just as Kitahara was about to speak, the bathroom door suddenly opened. A pink-haired girl stepped out; upon seeing Mutsumi standing on tiptoe and asking for a kiss, she instinctively turned her body away:
"Sorry, sorry—I didn't see a thing."
Kitahara looked at her speechlessly: "If you're going to say that, Anon, you should really close your eyes first."
"Hehe~"
Anon stuck out the tip of her tongue, revealing a cute little fang at the corner of her mouth:
"It's not like it's the first time I've seen it; there's no need to close my eyes at all."
After fleeing back home in disgrace from abroad, Anon had deliberately chosen a school far from her family home and was currently living alone in an apartment. Since she didn't have to worry about her family finding out, she always arrived early.
Were it not for a girl's natural reserve—and the fear that her body might give out—Anon would have moved in with him already.
Kitahara looked at Anon: "Did you wash your face and brush your teeth?"
"Of course." Anon placed her left hand on her hip and lifted her charming chin:
"A girl would never leave the house without getting herself ready properly."
"The food is just about ready. Before we eat, Anon, could you help me ask a question..."
Kitahara picked up the Book of Answers and handed it to her.
Anon took it naturally, her movements fluid and intimate:
"Leave it to me."
"..."
Watching their interaction, Mutsumi slowly lowered her head, the light in her eyes quietly dimming.
(Kitahara-kun looks so happy talking to Anon...)
(He never has this much to say when he's with me...)
"Anon, ask what would happen if we tied up Shimizu-san and forced Aoi to parasitize her."
Kitahara asked
the second question of the day. "Sure thing~" Anon readily agreed, then looked up and muttered a playful jab, "To think 'Mr. Small-Fry' would actually try to force someone... You really have no shame left, do you?"
Kitahara put on a stern face: "Who are you calling 'small-fry'?"
Anon lifted her lovely chin: "Kitahara-kun, of course."
Kitahara clicked his tongue softly: "Coming from someone who couldn't even last three minutes, that's rich."
"Pfft~"
Anon scoffed, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance in her voice:
"I've gotten stronger, you know. Don't underestimate me."
Kitahara raised an eyebrow: "Don't leave after breakfast."
"I can't do that." Anon gave a guilty cough: "I've got plans to go shopping with a friend later."
"..."
After a bit of casual banter, Anon quickly turned serious and began asking the Book of Answers questions.
A line of text appeared on the blank page:
[If forced parasitism is attempted, Shimizu Rin will immediately self-destruct.]
"Huh? Self-destruct?"
Anon was startled:
"That sounds pretty scary."
Kitahara sighed helplessly: "It seems using force really isn't an option."
The Book of Answers never made mistakes; in other words, even if he had Aoi forcibly parasitize her, the outcome would do more harm than good.
As they spoke, the bathroom door opened again, and Sakiko and Soyo quickly made their way over.
Then came breakfast.
Once everyone had gathered, Kitahara brought out Pandora's Box and joined the girls for the meal.
"We've finished investigating Shimizu-san's background." Sakiko set down her utensils and clasped her hands over her lap—she was the type who never spoke while eating. "Her father's identity is unknown, and her mother... works at an adult entertainment club."
With the resources of the Togawa family, digging up the details of Shimizu Rin's life was a simple task; there was no need to waste any of their allotted questions on it. "Shimizu is her mother's surname; the two of them used to live in a slum in the valley district." Sakiko pursed her lips as she continued sharing the information she had gathered. "According to the investigation, Shimizu-san's mother had a volatile temper. She frequently abused Shimizu-san during her childhood and even... often brought different men home."
Upon hearing this, Anon furrowed her brows:
"A mother like that is just too irresponsible!"
"The world is vast; while some live in love and sunshine, others inevitably live in pain and shadow." Kitahara's voice was low. "What happened next?"
"Then, six months ago..." Sakiko let out a soft sigh. "Shimizu-san's mother died in a sudden accident, and Shimizu-san herself mysteriously vanished; the police couldn't find a trace of her anywhere."
"Huh?" Soyo covered her lips with her hand, unable to stop herself from whispering a guess: "...Is it possible it wasn't an accident?"
"That's unclear. Perhaps... it had something to do with Shimizu-san." Sakiko shook her head slightly and continued, "As for how Shimizu-san managed to transfer here—a wealthy individual had actually secretly paid off members of the school board."
Kitahara tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his mind racing as he pieced together the sequence of events:
"Shimizu-san's 'mysterious disappearance' most likely involved her entering the Hidden World. There, she met the mastermind behind it all and became their pawn. Upon returning to the real world, she began trafficking Cursed Fruits, eventually receiving orders to infiltrate our circle."
The world is driven by the pursuit of profit.
Transferring schools is a hassle; since the two parties had no prior connection and the wealthy family certainly didn't lack money, the Cursed Fruit was the most probable motive.
Soyo sighed softly. "I feel sorry for Shimizu-san."
"..."
A silence fell over the group.
She was indeed pitiable, but given their hostile stances, they would still have to take action against her when the time came.
"Um, did everyone catch the news this morning?" Anon took a sip of miso soup, trying to change the subject and lighten the heavy atmosphere. "They said another dense fog incident broke out in Kyoto last night."
Kitahara looked up. "What's the situation now?"
"Just like before—the fog dissipated on its own as soon as day broke." Anon leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. "These eerie fog incidents keep happening every now and then; they always start at night and vanish by morning. It feels like too much of a coincidence."
"Something is definitely off." Soyo nodded gently, her left hand clasping her right thumb as she fell into deep thought. "Once might be a coincidence, and twice might be too, but a third or fourth time? That certainly isn't a coincidence anymore."
Sakiko set down her teacup with elegant grace:
"Could it be man-made?"
"Huh?"
"Anomalies generally don't possess that level of intelligence."
"It's possible... but whatever. If the sky falls, the tall guys will hold it up."
"..."
After breakfast, Kitahara had Sakiko and Soyo use up their remaining two questions for the day.
"How can we get Shimizu-san to voluntarily agree to be parasitized?"
Sakiko asked softly.
Flap, flap, flap.
The pages of the Book of Answers flipped rapidly, and text soon appeared. [Build a bond; if the bond is strong enough, the other party will agree to any request you make.]
"Bonds? Isn't that the kind of line you only hear in shonen manga?"
Anon crossed her arms over her chest, making a snarky comment as she glanced up at Kitahara:
"Don't tell me you want Kitahara-kun to use his succubus powers to deceive Shimizu-san—body and soul?"
Stare...
Several girls turned their gazes toward Kitahara.
"You're overthinking it, Anon." Kitahara remained composed; he had nothing to hide. "I can sense Shimizu-san's emotions. She's like a living doll—there's virtually no emotional fluctuation. She harbors neither malice nor affection toward me."
"How about winning Shimizu-san over with good food?"
Soyo rested her chin on her hands, striking a classic 'commander' pose, her voice gentle and pleasant:
"As long as someone is human and needs to eat, they can't possibly resist the temptation of delicious food."
Sakiko gave a slight nod. "I've seen Shimizu-san eating bread; she definitely still needs to eat."
"That sounds like something worth trying." Kitahara agreed it was a viable plan. "Though we'll need to carefully consider the details."
"..."
Nine o'clock in the morning.
The bathroom door slid open quietly, and a "Hitori" crept out.
"Good morning, Hitori."
Hearing the noise, Kitahara turned to look at Hitori.
"Ah, good morning..."
Hitori hurriedly whispered back, glancing around cautiously:
"Is everyone else gone?"
"They've all left." Kitahara put down his book and stood up. "Nijika-senpai and Ryo-senpai didn't come over, and Mutsumi and the others went shopping together. So... right now, it's just some one-on-one time for you and me, Hitori."
"Ah..."
At those words, Hitori's face instantly flushed bright red.
She always got teased when she was with Kita; being alone with Kitahara-kun now had to be even more dangerous, right? "Come here." Kitahara firmly grasped Hitori's delicate hand and pulled the girl into his embrace. "Did you use the sticky note?"
Hitori's face burned hot as she pressed nervously against Kitahara's chest.
"I... I just used it before coming over..."
"Did anything strange happen?"
"No."
"That's good." Kitahara's gaze was intense. "Let's get down to business first."
"B-business?!"
The ahoge atop Hitori's head quivered gently; all sorts of scandalous images involuntarily flashed through her mind, and her face turned bright red—so flushed it seemed ready to explode—as she tried to slip away.
"U-um, I just remembered I have something else to do..."
Before she could finish, Kitahara let out a soft sound of surprise:
"What is this?"
Hitori looked up in confusion, only to see a speech bubble slowly floating up from the top of her head...