Chapter 43: Gathering

"What did that Bika Haruko want with you? Why is she acting like a ghost that won't go away?" Fuje asked with a frown inside the club room.

Utada Kaha thought for a moment and, considering Kayeko's special circumstances, simply explained Bika Haruko's identity as an exorcist.

"Eh? An exorcist... Is that really a profession?"

Unlike Kayeko's exclamation, Fuje glanced at Kayeko upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, and subtly pointed toward her.

It has to do with her?

Utada Kaha shook his head and did not tell Fuje about the special nature of the bracelet Kayeko had given him.

"It has to do with that thing."

Recalling the figure that had suddenly appeared and given her an intense sense of threat just by a single glance, Fuje furrowed her brows tightly.

Utada Kaha thought she was worrying about the puppet spirit and quickly opened his mouth to comfort her.

"It has already been resolved."

"Resolved?"

Just by that woman? Could she really resolve that thing?

Kayeko, completely baffled, looked at the two of them who were clueless and out of sync. What on earth were Kaha-kun and the others talking about?

Meanwhile, on Bika Haruko's side, she had just walked to the open-air parking lot and pulled open the car door when she suddenly sensed something watching her.

She snapped her head around to look in the direction of the gaze, only to see a pitch-black cat squatting silently on the edge of the eaves.

After locking eyes for a moment, the little cat raised a paw to wash its face, leaped down, and vanished from sight.

"A warning?"

On the other side, after working together to tidy up the club room, Fuje sat in a chair to rest while Utada Kaha and Kayeko were sorting out the folklore books on the bookshelf.

Watching the two of them quietly cooperating, even though she had long since mentally assigned Kayeko her place, Fuje still felt a wave of irritation.

"Let's go, stop cleaning. To celebrate the official establishment of our club, we're going out for a nice meal today!"

Hearing this, Utada Kaha turned back to look at Fuje, who was standing with her hands on her hips.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Just come along~"

Without waiting for Utada Kaha to react, Fuje took two steps forward, linked her arm through his, and walked toward the door.

Kayeko watched the two departing figures, a flash of yearning and loneliness crossing her eyes before she continued organizing the books.

Years of experience had long accustomed her to gatherings like this, where no one would pay attention to her.

Yet she still felt a little sad. She also wanted to link arms with Utada Kaha just like Fuje did, and she wanted to act spoiled in front of Kaha-kun just like her.

But if she did that, she would be hated. Kaha-kun would hate her, and classmate Fuje would force her away from Kaha-kun.

Yet, I like Kaha-kun so much, I like him so, so much...

I don't want to be hated by Kaha-kun, and even less do I want to be driven away from Kaha-kun's side by classmate Fuje...

"Why are you standing there?"

"Eh?"

Fuje was leaning her head out from the outer side of the doorframe, holding onto it with her hand.

"Me... Me...?"

"Is there anyone else in our club? No, wait, there's one more... Never mind, that doesn't matter, she's just a nominal member anyway. Let's go, why are you just standing there?"

"Really, do you really want me to go...?"

***

Looking at Kayeko standing there by herself, Fuje frowned.

She didn't have the same patience for others as she did for Utada Kaha, so seeing Kayeko's hesitation, Fuje turned and walked away.

"Go if you want, stay if you don't..."

"I... I want to go...!"

By the time Fuje's figure disappeared from the doorway, Kayeko, snapping out of her daze, tremblingly voiced her true desire.

However, Fuje was already gone. Kayeko stood frozen in place, slowly pressing her lips together tightly, her eyes reddening as she gradually squatted down on the ground.

"Why didn't you say it right away?"

Hearing the voice, Kayeko slowly raised her head to look at Fuje, who was crossing her arms with an annoyed expression.

"What are you staring at me for? Get up and walk! Honestly... What is wrong with your personality..."

Having said that, Fuje turned around angrily and headed toward the door.

This time, Kayeko didn't daze off again; she hurriedly wiped away her tears and scurried to follow.

In the hallway, Utada Kaha looked at Kayeko, who was following behind Fuje like a aggrieved little pet, and the fuming Fuje.

"You guys..."

"It's none of your business, don't ask."

Cutting Utada Kaha off coldly, Fuje grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward.

Utada Kaha turned back to look at Kayeko several times, but each time he only received a forced smile from Kayeko indicating that she was fine.

At the Kogyoku Restaurant, Kayeko timidly followed behind Utada Kaha and Fuje.

Coming to such an upscale restaurant for the first time, Kayeko was extremely careful, terrified that a single move of hers would cause trouble.

Led by a waiter, the group walked into a private dining room.

"You have so mu—"

Before he could finish, Utada Kaha remembered that Fuje had taken control of the Inoue family; she probably wasn't short on money at all.

"Order whatever you want to eat."

She casually dropped this remark to Kayeko. By the time Fuje and Utada Kaha finished ordering, Kayeko was still sitting motionless.

"Don't you eat sashimi?"

Faced with Utada Kaha's question, Kayeko shook her head repeatedly, pressing her lips together without a word.

Utada Kaha looked bewildered, but Fuje guessed the reason why she hesitated to order.

"Don't worry, thanks to this idiot, whenever we eat out, whoever initiates treats, we never go Dutch. Go ahead and order."

"Hurry up and order, don't be a spoilsport!"

As those words fell, seeing Kayeko timidly order nothing more than a rice ball, Fuje rolled her eyes.

Was choosing her really the right idea? Don't turn the child into this kind of timid mess...

Arbitrarily ordering some signature dishes for Kayeko along with her own favorites, Fuje told the waiter to start serving the food.

Throughout the meal, Kayeko appeared extremely cautious and submissive, repeatedly preempting the waiter's duties, which made Utada Kaha feel both heartache and deep helplessness.

"I... I'd like to go to the restroom."

"Go ahead."

As Fuje replied, Kayeko timidly followed behind the waiter and stepped out.

"Kayeko is rather timid, you—"

Before he could finish, a sharp metal skewer was pointed straight at Utada Kaha's nose.

"Eat your food, stop talking nonsense."

"...."

After coldly reprimanding Utada Kaha, Fuje wiped her mouth briefly and stood up to head toward the restroom.

"I... I came here with friends..."

"Huh? Friends? If your friends are here, you can call them over to join us too~"

"Please, please don't touch me..."

Just as she reached the entrance of the restroom, Fuje caught sight of Kayeko being cornered by a group of middle-aged men who had had too much to drink.

Their malicious gazes made Kayeko intensely defensive; she instinctively raised her hands to protect her vital areas, which only provoked their malice further.

"Oh, come on, don't be so scared. We aren't bad people, don't be afraid, we're just having a meal, your uncles will pay the bill, it's completely fine~"

Dodge-stepping away from the groping hands reaching toward her, Kayeko tried her best to press herself into a corner in helpless panic.

Fuje stood back, watching coldly and silently keeping time in her mind.

"Don't... Don't come closer... Please, someone help me!!"

Hearing the cries for help, a waiter hurried over and tried to block the men.

"Sirs, please..."

"We're from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, are you going to step aside or not?!"

Hearing the words "Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare," the waiter hesitated for a second. But fearing that bringing trouble to the restaurant due to his own actions might provoke an inspection by the ministry and cost him his job, the waiter thought for a moment and quietly stepped aside.

Seeing the waiter yield, the middle-aged men turned back to Kayeko.

"Look at you, it's just a meal, don't be scared, nothing bad is going to happen."

With that, the leading middle-aged man reached out to drape his arm over Kayeko's shoulder.

"Don't touch me!"

Seeing them about to touch her, Kayeko screamed with her eyes closed and batted their hands away.

"No... Except for Kaha-kun... Don't touch me..."

"Tch, bastard, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, you little—!"

Before the man could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through his knee, and he whimpered as he collapsed to the floor.

The sudden commotion caused Kayeko, who was terrified and trembling all over, to open her eyes and look.

"Fu.. Fuje-classmate..."

Fuje had no time to spare for him right now. Glaring at the remaining middle-aged men who were closing in, she picked up an ashtray from nearby with a terrifying expression and lunged fiercely toward them.

A short while later, looking at the middle-aged men lying on the ground who were still uttering threats, Fuje pulled out her phone and dialed Kiwa Arima's number.

"It's me. Some people are causing trouble at the Kogyoku Restaurant, handle the aftermath."

After hanging up, amidst the gazes of the surrounding onlookers, Fuje flashed an eerie, chilling smile.

"After doing bad things, you will feel so ashamed that you'll commit suicide, won't you?"

With that, Fuje grabbed Kayeko by the hand, shoved her way through the crowd, and walked out.