Under Miko Yotsuya's expectant gaze, Eriri reached out and brushed her hand over her body. In an instant, her clothes transformed into a set of light pink pajamas, and she slipped under the covers, lying down beside Miko.
Although Miko's bed wasn't particularly large, it was more than spacious enough for both of them. In fact, there was still a gap of about ten centimeters between their bodies.
Seeing that Eriri had actually climbed into her bed as she had hoped, Miko suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of panic. She could feel her heart pounding at an incredibly fast pace.
For a moment, she didn't dare to move a muscle, lying stiffly under the covers like a lifeless doll.
Since Eriri hadn't planned on revealing her true identity to Miko just yet, she refrained from teasing her and simply maintained her 'ghost' state, closing her eyes as if she were asleep.
Eriri, on the other hand, slept soundly, but it was a different story for Miko.
Her nerves were too tense for her to calm down, making it impossible to fall asleep. This state of heightened awareness lasted until the next morning, meaning she had spent the entire night wide awake just because Eriri was lying next to her.
Even when there had been a child's vengeful spirit in her bed before, she had still managed to sleep, yet now, with Eriri beside her, she found herself completely incapable of doing so.
Miko turned her head to the side and gazed at Eriri's exquisitely delicate profile. Despite not sleeping the entire night, she surprisingly didn't feel the slightest bit drowsy.
"Good morning, Miko-chan."
At that moment, Eriri's voice suddenly broke the silence.
She then turned her head to face Miko directly, and their eyes met in an instant.
The suddenness of the situation startled Miko. She quickly averted her gaze, pretending to be looking at the wall instead.
"That was close. I almost got found out."
Seeing that Eriri didn't make any further moves, Miko let out a small sigh of relief.
She wasn't sure how Eriri would react if she discovered that she could actually 'see' her, so she had never mustered the courage to expose this fact.
Calmly withdrawing her gaze, she reached for her phone on the bedside table and saw that it was already eight in the morning.
Her meeting with Hana Yurikawa was scheduled for two o'clock in the afternoon at Tea Leaf Buck, so there was still plenty of time.
However, since it was already morning, it was time to get up; otherwise, she would miss breakfast.
Despite staying up all night, she didn't feel tired at all. Her body was in perfect condition, showing no signs of fatigue, so she had no intention of taking a nap.
With that, she got out of bed and, right in front of Eriri, took off her pajamas and changed into casual clothes.
She wore a loose-fitting light blue hoodie on top and a black pleated skirt on the bottom, revealing a pair of straight, fair, and alluringly slender legs.
Once Miko had finished getting dressed, Eriri floated up from the bed. A soft glow enveloped her body, and her pink pajamas transformed back into the outfit she had worn the day before.
As for why Miko remained so energetic despite pulling an all-nighter, it was because Eriri had subtly tampered with her, replenishing the energy she had expended the previous night. Thanks to that, she was in peak condition.
While following Miko, Eriri also responded in the group chat to the various questions from other members regarding her antics with Miko.
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 1 / Group Leader): Eriri, half a day has passed. Has Miko noticed that you're just pretending to be a ghost?]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 7, Stage 1): She probably hasn't. Based on the memory images, she should be acting cautiously. I think Miko would ignore Eriri just like she does with her father.
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): Exactly, I think so too.]
[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 7, Stage 1): That's not necessarily true. You all know how charming Onee-sama is. This Miko might not be able to resist and could end up exposing the fact that she can see ghosts.]
[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 7, Stage 1): If she does expose herself, I don't think Eriri-sama would keep her identity a secret any longer, would she?]
[Ai Hayasaka (Level 5, Stage 9): I think Lady Kaguya's analysis makes a lot of sense.]
[Kiss-shot (Level 7, Stage 1): I can understand that. If she's exposed, the fun of teasing Miko would be gone, and Eriri wouldn't need to pretend to be a 'ghost' anymore, right?]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): Now that you mention it, that does make sense!]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Mm-hmm, only Shinobu understands me. So I'm also pretending that I haven't noticed Miko secretly watching me.]
[Kiss-shot (Level 7, Stage 1): Haha, of course!]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 1 / Group Leader): So from what you're saying, she still hasn't figured it out? Poor Miko, she's still being played with.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): What do you mean 'played with'? This is called adding a bit of fun!]
[Shinobu Kocho (Level 4, Stage 4): ...]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): What? Shinobu-chan, do you have something to say?]
[Shinobu Kocho (Level 4, Stage 4): No, Eriri-senpai, don't mind me. I just popped in to say hi. Nothing else. My sister called me to practice swordsmanship, so I'll be leaving now. You all continue chatting.]
[Kocho Kanae (Level 7, Stage 1): Oh my, Shinobu-chan, I don't remember calling you for sword practice.]
[Shinobu Kocho (Level 4, Stage 4): Hey! Sister!!]
[Kocho Kanae (Level 7, Stage 1): Mmm, mmm, I understand now. Yes, Shinobu-chan, I did call you for training.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Oh~ laughs.jpg]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 1 / Group Leader): Oh~ laughs.jpg]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): Oh~ laughs.jpg]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): Oh~ laughs.jpg]
[Furuhashi Fumino (Level 6, Stage 9 ~ Level 7, Stage 1): Oh~ laughs.jpg]
...
[Akeno Himejima (Level 5, Stage 8): Oh my, you two sisters have such a great relationship.]
[Kocho Kanae (Level 7, Stage 1): Hehe, you flatter us.]
In the room where the three Kocho sisters lived, Shinobu Kocho, dressed in black training attire, sat with a flushed and embarrassed expression as she read through the chat messages. Her delicate face was tinged with a soft, enticing red.
She then raised her head, glaring resentfully at her sister, who was sitting not far from her.
"Sis, why did you say that in the chat? You embarrassed me in front of everyone! I was telling the truth!" Shinobu Kocho protested indignantly.
"Yes, yes, it was my fault. Don't be mad, Shinobu-chan," Kanae clasped her hands together in an apologetic gesture, smiling at Shinobu.
Although her words sounded like an apology, there wasn't a trace of remorse in her eyes—rather, they carried a hint of amusement.
This also made Shinobu Kocho glance at Kanae suspiciously, as if trying to discern something from her expression.
However, Kanae showed no concern for Shinobu's gaze. Instead, she smiled playfully at her, suddenly realizing that teasing her little sister could be quite entertaining.
Meanwhile, sitting beside them, Kocho Kanao curiously looked at both of her sisters, clearly intrigued by their conversation.
After spending over half a year living with Eriri and the others, Kanao had learned to express her emotions like a normal person. However, her personality remained quiet, and she rarely took the initiative to ask questions.
Even if Kanao were to inquire, Shinobu would likely not reveal the details of the situation.
Seeing that she couldn't discern anything, Shinobu decided not to dwell on it further. After all, Kanae was her most important sister. Even if she figured something out, there wasn't much she could do about it—only adding to her frustration.
Shaking her head slightly, Shinobu adopted a serious expression and said to Kanae, "Sister, didn't you say we were going to the dojo to practice swordsmanship? Let's go now."
"No problem. Kanao, get ready. Let's head to the dojo and try out some newly developed sword techniques," Kanae replied with a gentle smile before leading the way out the door.
"Understood, Kanae-nee," Kanao nodded before happily following along.
...
Although Shinobu and Kanae had stopped speaking in the chat group, the conversation within the group continued.
The topic largely remained centered around Eriri and Miko's interactions.
After Eriri's detailed explanation, everyone understood the current dynamic between her and Miko Yotsuya, as well as some of the events that had transpired over the past half-day.
Upon learning how dedicated Eriri was to protecting Miko Yotsuya, Kaguya Shinomiya found herself inexplicably jealous.
As a result, she eagerly invited Eriri to visit their world as soon as possible.
This invitation, in turn, sparked enthusiasm among the group members, nearly all of whom extended their own invitations to Eriri.
Even Lala, who lived with Eriri, extended an invitation of her own.
It seemed she wanted Eriri to accompany her back to the To Love-Ru universe and spend some time on that world's Earth.
Apparently, after watching the memory footage multiple times, she had developed an interest in characters like Haruna Sairenji and Yui Kotegawa and wanted to meet them in person.
Of course, this did not include Rito Yuuki.
Although Lala had no particular issues with Rito, her heart was now entirely devoted to Eriri, and she had no intention of developing feelings for anyone else.
Moreover, she knew that Eriri disliked interacting with men, so she instinctively excluded Rito from her considerations.
Ultimately, Eriri couldn't resist everyone's enthusiasm and ended up agreeing to all of their invitations, leaving her schedule packed to the brim.
...
Time quickly passed, and soon it was past 1:00 PM.
"I'm heading out!"
After finishing her lunch, Miko slung a brown backpack over her shoulders and slipped on a pair of black high-top sneakers before stepping out of her house.
She then glanced at her phone to check the time, her expression shifting slightly. "I'm going to be late!"
There were less than five minutes until the next bus arrived, meaning she had to reach the nearby bus stop as quickly as possible.
At her usual walking pace, she wouldn't make it in time, so she had no choice but to break into a jog.
"Miko, don't stay out too late!"
At the front door, Miko's father called out loudly to her retreating figure.
Yet, Miko did not respond at all. After spending several days coexisting with her ghostly father, she had grown accustomed to his presence. Hearing his voice no longer caused the same turmoil within her as it had the first time.
As always, Eriri floated beside Miko, providing an indescribable sense of security.
Yesterday, she had planned to buy prayer beads to ward off evil spirits out of fear that Eriri might leave her side.
But now, with Eriri constantly by her side—even while she slept—Miko had completely abandoned the idea of purchasing the beads.
In her mind, Eriri, while not a malevolent spirit, was still a ghost. She wasn't certain whether wearing prayer beads might inadvertently drive Eriri away due to their purifying nature.
If that were to happen, she would deeply regret it. Thus, she firmly dismissed the need for prayer beads.
A few minutes later, after a brisk run, Miko barely managed to catch the bus just in time.
Taking a seat in the third-to-last row on the left side near the aisle, she let out a small sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Eriri casually took the window seat next to her.
Aside from the two of them, there were four other passengers on the bus.
Three of them were ordinary humans. The last one, however, was an actual malevolent spirit.
At present, the spirit was disguising itself as a human, sitting toward the front on the right side of the bus. Although the other passengers couldn't perceive its true form, Miko also failed to recognize it as a spirit.
The fact that it could seamlessly masquerade as a human indicated that it was significantly stronger than typical malevolent spirits.
Although Miko remained oblivious, Eriri immediately saw through its disguise.
Of course, no matter how powerful this spirit was, it made no difference to Eriri. To her, it was nothing more than another weak entity she could obliterate with a single thought.
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