Five minutes later.
Rio stood outside the bathroom door, her long curls now tied into a high ponytail, her body wrapped only in a bath towel. Her cute white toes curled slightly from nervousness.
"Calm down, calm down. You're Rio Futaba..."
She repeated this mantra in her mind, trying to steady her racing heart.
It didn't help at all.
Taking a deep breath, Rio reached out with slightly trembling hands and pushed open the bathroom door.
The bathroom, filled with hot water prepared long ago, was shrouded in a misty haze.
Rio kept her head down, staring fixedly at the white tiles. Whether from the sudden rise in temperature or something else, her entire body felt feverish, her fair skin tinged with a faint pink.
"You're here? Please, have a seat."
Hearing Ye Xing's light chuckle, Rio hesitated for a few seconds before slowly raising her head.
Looking closely.
He was reclining lazily in the bathtub, looking utterly relaxed.
Rio finally let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness (unfortunately), she hadn't seen him completely naked.
Through the hazy steam, Rio felt slightly less nervous.
Holding one corner of her bath towel with her right hand, she instinctively made a motion to adjust her glasses with her left.
"Have a seat... you don't mean... you want me to get in and bathe with you, do you?"
Ye Xing replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Then what do you think 'bathing together' means?"
After calming down, Rio Futaba reverted to her usual speaking style—rational and composed.
"When I said 'together,' I meant within the same bathroom space, not the action itself."
"I see."
Ye Xing nodded noncommittally with a smile.
"Then go ahead and bathe."
Just as Futaba was feeling rather pleased with herself, thinking she'd finally left Ye Xing speechless for once, her expression suddenly stiffened.
She'd realised a critical issue.
He already occupied the bathtub.
That left only the shower.
In other words...
She now had only two choices.
Either share the bathtub with Ye Xing, or shower under his watchful gaze.
This...
Both options... were far too embarrassing!
"You..."
Futaba gritted her teeth, glaring at Ye Xing's smiling face.
"You're too cunning!"
Ye Xing remained utterly unapologetic.
"Miss Futaba, this is also part of my professional exorcist's guidance for a novice like you. Never lose the initiative due to hesitation, or you'll end up trapped in an inescapable predicament like this."
Futaba wore an expression of sheer frustration.
Who'd have thought that hesitating for five minutes would land her in such a situation?
If she'd entered the bathroom first, she could have claimed the bathtub.
Then by drawing the curtain, it would've been you wash yours, I wash mine—no interference whatsoever.
Now, there were no other options left.
Taking a deep breath, Futaba finally made her decision.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
"Fine, let's bathe together then."
With the air of someone marching to their doom, she strode towards the bathtub, hands covering her eyes, then leapt in with a spectacular swan-dive motion reminiscent of a leap of faith.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere.
Only after entering the water did Rio Futaba realise...
She didn't seem to be sitting on the bottom of the tub.
She slowly moved her pale little hands away from her eyes and peeked cautiously.
Opposite her was just a blank white wall.
"Eh..."
Rio Futaba froze.
Several seconds passed before she comprehended her situation.
"Eh!?"
As Rio Futaba's startled cry rang out, Ye Xing's deadpan yet slightly shocked voice followed.
"I never expected you'd choose this position. Truly astonishing."
Generally speaking, there were two positions when men and women bathed together.
The first, and most common.
Sitting opposite each other.
And the second...
The girl sitting in the man's lap.
That Rio Futaba would choose this position - one usually only seen in adult anime - had genuinely caught Ye Xing off guard.
An excellent position indeed.
Made both his heads spin.
"Hey hey hey."
Just as Rio Futaba was feeling utterly lost, her mind blank, a woman's icy voice suddenly sounded in the bathroom.
Turning her head, she saw Bone Woman standing outside the shower curtain in her kimono, wearing an impatient expression.
"Eh... how did you..."
"Enough chatter."
Bone Woman cut Rio Futaba off mid-sentence, her tone unyielding.
"You've already come this far, why hesitate now?"
"Weren't you wanting to be bolder anyway?"
"Needing others and being needed aren't shameful things. I don't even know what to say about you - such a troublesome brat."
This lecture completely dumbfounded Rio Futaba.
"And you."
Bone Woman wasn't finished yet, turning her gaze to Ye Xing.
She extended her skeletal right hand, index finger wagging reproachfully in the air as she adopted a 'why must you disappoint me' tone.
"You know she's the most stubborn person alive - can't you just take charge? Be rougher, more direct? Honestly, she's been dying to—"
"Stop! Stop right there!"
Seeing Bone Woman's words growing increasingly outrageous, Rio Futaba hurriedly interrupted.
In this moment, she shared exactly the same thought Miko Yotsuya once had:
Why did her Soul Materialisation have to come with a mouth?
Though Bone Woman normally spoke very little.
To Rio Futaba's commands, she typically replied with brief affirmatives, such as "Mm", "Okay", or "Right".
That she'd delivered such a lengthy speech today proved even Bone Woman had reached her limit with Rio Futaba's indecisive, contradictory nature.
If you want it, go for it.
Life is about charging forward without hesitation!
As Bone Woman gradually faded away, Rio Futaba finally made up her mind to perform the boldest act of her life.
First, she stood up, then turned 180 degrees before sitting back down in a face-to-face position.
This time, Rio Futaba could clearly see Ye Xing's face.
She leaned in slowly.
Lips met, cheeks brushed together.
"Mmm..."
Rio Futaba let out a soft moan, pulling back slightly as her flushed face gasped for air.
Her eyes glazed with a misty haze as she bit her lower lip and whispered timidly.
"What... should we do next? I'm not very experienced."
"Let's go to the bedroom."
Though Ye Xing was tempted to experiment, unlocking more adventurous techniques could wait for another day.
For the first time, it should be properly in the bedroom.
...
The next morning.
Gazing at the slumbering Rio Futaba with her dishevelled hair, Ye Xing chose not to wake her, instead carefully rising from the bed.
After their nocturnal battle, he'd discovered one thing.
Rio Futaba was secretly carnivorous.
Even when her legs trembled with exhaustion and her mind grew hazy, she'd refused to retreat from their engagement, persisting until the final moment when she collapsed into unconsciousness.
A truly admirable opponent.
Pity he'd still emerged victorious.
Just as he dressed and entered the living room, his phone rang.
Light Yagami's call.
"Hello."
Light's voice carried its usual amused lilt.
"Ye Xing-kun, how have you been lately?"
Ye Xing's reply was characteristically plain.
"Fine. Had quite an eventful night. Bit tired. You?"
Light sighed lightly.
"I've been rather busy too. The new semester's started."
After exchanging pleasantries, a brief silence followed.
Several seconds passed before Light spoke again, amusement evident.
"Actually, I just arrived in Kyoto. Fancy meeting up?"
"Sure."
"Let's pick a café then. I'll text you the address."
...
After informing Rio, Ye Xing departed.
He knew Light's sudden Kyoto visit wasn't for idle chatter.
This meeting likely concerned matters that were unsuitable for discussion over the phone.
The café hosted only scattered patrons when he arrived.
Though Saturday, 8:30 am explained the quiet.
"Ye Xing-kun, over here."
Light rose with perfect etiquette, waving as Ye Xing approached before sitting only after his guest did.
"What would you like to drink?"
Ye Xing sighed upon hearing the familiar voice.
He looked up into the eyes of a blue-haired waitress in uniform.
"Not you again."
Saki Kawasaki blinked before retorting.
"My thoughts exactly. Stalking me now?"
"Spare me the conceit, Kawasaki. I was invited."
Light observed the exchange with amused curiosity.
"Ye Xing-kun, is this... your girlfriend?"
"Don't misunderstand."
Ye Xing waved dismissively.
"Just a classmate."
"I see."
Light nodded neutrally, offering Saki a polite smile.
"A first-year high school student working part-time on Saturday mornings... that must be tough."
To Light Yagami's surprise, Saki Kawasaki frowned slightly at his remark and responded coldly.
"None of your business."
She then turned to Ye Xing.
"Decided what you want yet?"
"Just regular coffee will do."
"Right."
Only after Saki Kawasaki had walked away did Light Yagami speak with a complicated expression.
"Well... Ye Xing-kun, your classmate is... quite unique."
Ye Xing waved his hand dismissively and grinned.
"Meh, that's just how she treats everyone. Perfectly normal."
"Seems to me she treats you rather normally, though."
"Obviously. I'm better looking than you."
Light Yagami shook his head with a wry smile, choosing not to comment on Ye Xing's narcissistic remarks. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject.
"By the way, what have you been doing in your spare time recently?"
Ye Xing knew the 'spare time' he referred to wasn't mundane activities like sports clubs, shopping or cooking.
It meant exorcism-related matters.
"Nothing special. Honestly, I'm feeling a bit bored from the lack of action."
"Is that so?"
Light nodded noncommittally, his smile suddenly vanishing as he lowered his voice. "According to my intelligence, the Metropolitan Police Department's upper echelons have been focusing surveillance on two cities recently."
Ye Xing showed no surprise at this revelation, merely asking indifferently, "Let me guess - Kyoto and Tokyo?"
"Correct."
Light nodded. "The Metropolitan Police Department has decided to request assistance from that famous detective L. You might have heard of him?"
"Mmm, vaguely familiar."
"Good."
Light paused, his deep brown eyes revealing a complex array of emotions. "I have a request."
"Since you're not particularly busy lately, I'd like you to temporarily play the role of an ordinary high school student and enjoy daily life. You've earned that much."
Hearing this, Ye Xing's smile faded as he replied flatly, "And what about you?"
"Me?"
At this point, Light's expression suddenly became animated with excitement. "I won't stop. In fact, I'll increase my activities."
Ye Xing immediately understood his meaning. It made perfect sense for Kyoto and Tokyo to be under special surveillance.
Kyoto drew attention due to the recent surge in increasingly severe criminal cases, along with their joint operation to dismantle the Black Dragon Society violent group at Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten and Kyoto Municipal Museum.
As for Tokyo?
The serial unnatural deaths of criminals and ex-convicts explained that.
There's only one L, but two cities under scrutiny.
Light's intention was clear - he wanted the Metropolitan Police Department to send L to investigate Tokyo rather than Kyoto, where the Supernatural Society was based.
"You want to challenge that famous detective?"
Hearing Ye Xing's question, Light revealed a meaningful smile. "As expected, you understand me best."
At that moment, Saki Kawasaki brought their coffee. After she left, Ye Xing took a sip and shook his head.
"Disgusting. Doesn't hold a candle to Coca-Cola."
Then he met Light's gaze directly and said calmly, "If you get caught, don't expect me to rescue you."
"Catch me?"
Madness flickered in Light's brown eyes. "If I truly lose, rest assured, Emperor Sutoku will kill me before they can capture me."
"My justice isn't for some Metropolitan Police Department or so-called detective to judge."
"The only one who can judge me... is myself."
Faced with this declaration, Ye Xing sighed softly and offered genuine admiration: "Bloody hell, you've really outdone yourself with this arrogance."
Light Yagami didn't stay long, leaving shortly after finishing his words.
This trip to Kyoto was similarly justified with a flawless excuse.
During his previous visit, he'd "accidentally" left his class notes at his Kyoto residence.
With his father being busy with work, Light didn't want to trouble him over such trivial matters, so he took the Shinkansen himself on Saturday to retrieve them.
This perfectly aligned with the persona he usually projected.
After Light Yagami departed, Saki Kawasaki, in her employee uniform, approached the table and sat directly opposite Ye Xing.
"Hey, I need to talk to you."
Faced with Saki's tone, Ye Xing smiled and retorted:
"Who do you think you're talking to? Watch your attitude. I'm all for gender equality, but don't make me use the Dust Release: Clan Extermination Technique on you."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Saki Kawasaki didn't understand what the Dust Release: Clan Extermination Technique was, but she didn't dwell on it, getting straight to the point:
"I don't want you telling anyone about my part-time job at the bar."
Narrowing her eyes, she added in a threatening whisper:
"In return, I won't report your underage drinking."
To Saki's surprise, Ye Xing responded with complete indifference:
"Pfft, you trying to scare your daddy?"
"You!"
A cold glint flashed in Saki's eyes as she hissed:
"Aren't you afraid I'll report your underage drinking to the school?"
"Go ahead if you want."
Ye Xing grinned like a villain.
"Drinking? I could spin circles on the principal's bald head and he'd still have to coax me."
Saki wanted to argue back.
But remembering how Ye Xing slept through classes yet still ranked first in the year, enjoying privileges like randomly hitting people and having the best clubroom in school, she found herself at a loss for words.
These were indeed indisputable privileges.
Gritting her teeth in humiliation, Saki asked:
"So what do you want to keep my secret?"
Seeing this delinquent beauty's expression, Ye Xing said meaningfully:
"Following certain story tropes, now would be when I make some indecent demands, marking the beginning of your corruption."
Before Saki could respond, he abruptly changed tack:
"But I never planned to expose your part-time job anyway. Why so nervous?"
Saki looked doubtful.
"Really?"
Ye Xing shrugged.
"Why would I lie?"
After a moment's silence, Saki suddenly flushed.
"You... aren't trying to hit on me, are you?"
Studying her delicate features, Ye Xing answered bluntly without hesitation:
"Can't say I don't want to."
"But if you're asking whether I planned to..."
"That thought literally just occurred to me."