"So, do you understand now?"
After who knew how many rounds, Hayashi finally stopped moving.
Once again, the Horse Talisman's power flowed into the thug's body, healing and restoring him completely.
The physical pain might have vanished, but the mental torment—it would never fade.
The blond punk's eyes were filled with fear; his whole body trembled uncontrollably. It took him half a minute before he even reacted, then he scrambled to his feet and fled as fast as he could.
"Good. Full of spirit!" Watching the terrified back of the guy stumbling away, Hayashi nodded in satisfaction.
Now that was what he called giving someone the full Tokyo treatment. This wasn't flirting anymore—it was straight-up harassment. For punks like that, only a heavy hand worked.
He couldn't help shaking his head. No wonder he'd always hated scumbags like that.
Still, something good came out of it—he'd just rediscovered the true potential of the Horse Talisman. Healing while torturing the target... maybe that was the perfect way to break a person's spirit.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Touka suddenly patted his shoulder.
"I didn't expect you could actually heal people," she said, circling him with curious eyes.
Considering Hayashi had somehow turned her from a ghoul into a human, it wasn't that surprising anymore. And despite what she'd just witnessed—bones breaking, blood, screams—she didn't seem disgusted or afraid at all. After all, as a ghoul, she'd seen much worse. In fact, part of her thought he'd gone too easy on them. If it were her, she'd have shredded them to pieces and painted the park red.
"I've got plenty more tricks you don't know about," Hayashi said with a shrug, calm and casual.
"Oh? Like what?" Touka's curiosity deepened.
"For example, I've got endless stamina and lightning speed." He smirked. "You could always test it for yourself."
"I'm not testing anything! You're such a jerk!" Her face turned bright red the instant she caught the hidden meaning.
Hearing that sweet, flustered voice, Hayashi couldn't help feeling amused. Ever since humans came up with the word "idiot," words like "jerk" or "dummy" just sounded like flirting instead of insults. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had said that to him.
"It's getting late. Let's go home," Touka said, standing on her toes to watch the sunset, her eyes shimmering.
Hayashi turned his gaze toward her—the icy, proud beauty beside him. He had to admit, when she wasn't talking, eating, sulking, fighting, or yelling, Touka looked absolutely adorable.
The two walked out of the park under the fading sunlight.
Halfway home, Touka suddenly reached for his hand—interlacing their fingers tightly. Hayashi blinked and glanced down.
"What? Can't I hold your hand?" she asked, biting her lip as her face flushed even redder.
"Of course you can. If it makes you happy," he said, still a little surprised. They usually only held hands during meals.At first, she'd even resisted—but now she was taking the lead? Damn… he'd really trained her well.
When they got home, Touka headed into the kitchen to wash and cut vegetables, while Hayashi unpacked some things he'd bought earlier at the supermarket.
"What's that?" Touka called out curiously.
"This? It's chewing gum. You can try some later." He held up the pack and smiled.
"And that?" she asked, nodding toward a small box beside him.
"Oh, that's your gift." Hayashi pulled out a beautifully made pair of sandals.
"You bought me shoes?" Her expression lit up for a moment—happy, but confused.
"Why shoes, though? I already have plenty."
"Well, it's summer now, right? It's hot. I figured closed shoes would get uncomfortable, so I got you sandals. Let your feet breathe." His tone was perfectly earnest, his expression full of sincerity.
"Really…?" She nodded slowly, accepting the explanation, though something still felt… off.
Seeing she bought the excuse, Hayashi exhaled in relief. Of course, that wasn't the real reason.
The truth was simple — he wanted to see her bare, beautiful feet. What was the point if they were always hidden under socks?
He nodded to himself, satisfied. A pair of feet that pretty deserved to be seen. Hiding them would be a crime against humanity.