The shop owner, an elderly woman from the fortune-telling shop, tried to calm herself down but clearly appeared tempted by the situation. Her son's family wasn't wealthy, and his wife's health wasn't great. To support her granddaughter's future, she had to keep the shop running, despite her age. In Japan, without the right cram schools, getting into a good university was almost impossible, and her own life had been tough. Yet, she held onto her values and didn't agree immediately.
"Although you can't see them, your life force is very strong, so you don't need to worry about being harmed by them at all," she explained, trying to reassure Sosuke. She didn't outright refuse his request but instead gave him a glimpse of her thoughts, explaining his situation to him honestly.
Sosuke didn't mention that he could already see the things she spoke of. After thinking it over for a moment, he felt the old woman probably wasn't lying. The ghosts and monsters couldn't hurt him. Miko had mentioned that pretending not to see them generally kept their attention away. However, Sosuke didn't want to avoid them. Even if he could live peacefully without their interference, his curiosity about the unknown—those abilities ordinary people didn't have—was too strong.
Sosuke didn't say something overly dramatic like "I want to gain power," knowing such words would likely be rejected. Instead, he wore a thoughtful expression, as though remembering something. He raised his left hand, which was wrapped in gauze, looking at it blankly before speaking.
"Just a few days ago, I met a girl who could see those things... She's been struggling to pretend she can't see them. It's been very hard for her."
"I want to help her, but my current abilities aren't enough to deal with that sort of thing."
He shared his thoughts openly, his words earnest. But then, he adjusted his request slightly, making it sound more positive.
"Granny, please help me. There's someone I want to protect!"
Sosuke's voice was firm and serious, half-truthfully conveying his need. While he genuinely wanted to help Miko, he was also more eager to gain the special abilities that ordinary people lacked.
He didn't rely solely on words but also offered ten Fukuzawa Yukichi bills to the woman, showing a more convincing approach.
"Cough cough…" The shop owner cleared her throat twice, pretending to be indifferent to the money Sosuke handed her. She then casually came up with an excuse.
"It just so happens that I need help here. Come work for me on weekends from now on."
In truth, the shop owner had been planning to help him all along. When she was younger, the Divine Mother had been a righteous woman, and despite Sosuke's wealth, she saw no reason to refuse him, especially considering her granddaughter's future.
Sosuke couldn't help but think, There's clearly no one ever here, so why would you need a helper? But he said nothing, knowing that the few customers she had suited his purpose. With that settled, he made his way back home.
The journey was uneventful, just like when he came. The only difference was that now, strange life forms appeared in his vision—an old man missing limbs, a woman with half her head gone, a bloated fat man over three meters tall, and other unsettling shapes. Shadows that emitted faint black mist appeared intermittently—things he had never seen before.
"How wonderful…" Sosuke thought, narrowing his eyes in fascination. He didn't feel any fear; instead, he felt grateful for his experience at the shrine. Compared to living oblivious to the hidden side of the world, he would choose his current path over and over, even if the beings were disgusting and eerie.
Back home, Sosuke quickly went through his basic training before ordering a few items online. Afterward, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Who is it? Speak quickly... hic!" A rude woman's voice came from the other end of the line.
Sosuke immediately recognized it as the police officer Date Makiko. "Definitely drunk," he thought, hearing her slurred speech.
"It's me, big sister. I need your help with something," he said, trying to sound polite despite her state.
"Sosuke?" Date Makiko muttered his name, then squinted at the phone screen, confirming the caller. "Then say it. But nothing illegal, okay? I won't help with anything like that…"
Sosuke smirked inwardly. "Yeah, I trust you completely."
Suppressing a chuckle, Sosuke didn't take her words too seriously. Instead, he quickly explained the situation with his family's cat, Kokoa.
Date Makiko, still recovering from her drunken haze, finally recalled the event. "Hmm… no, no, I can't give you the high school student's info… I can't tell you that."
Sosuke frowned and reminded her, "But my cat is probably still with her."
A brief silence fell on the other end. Then, Makiko spoke again. "How about this? I'll give her your phone number."
Sosuke thought for a moment before agreeing. "Sure, whatever you like. It doesn't matter."
Before he could say more, Makiko's voice interrupted, sounding playful. "Don't rush. Chat with me a bit more, okay? A good woman like me, drinking alone at home with no man to keep me company... It's so boring~"
Sosuke could already picture the scene on the other end of the phone. He hung up quickly without saying another word, relieved she didn't call back.
Sosuke then went into his bedroom, opened his laptop, and started watching the recording of the All-Japan Karate Championship finals. Makoto Kyogoku was a rare monster, but there were people capable of fighting him. In the age of the internet, the cost of acquiring knowledge had become incredibly low.
Sosuke planned to ask the school for two days off, using a doctor's note, to rest at home and process everything he had learned. Meanwhile, in a luxurious villa on a high hill in the city, Sawamura Spencer Eriri was reading a message from her classmate Satomi Azusa. Upon seeing the contents, her whole demeanor shifted into a panic.
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Need More Chapters
Every 300 Power Stones
2 Bonus chapter
Every 500 Power Stones
4 Bonus chapter.
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Try Other Fics I Have
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