Chapter 040. Souls Are Drawn to Each Other

May 1st.

The fifth day of Golden Week.

A new imperial era had begun.

After thirty years of Heisei, it was now Reiwa.

The nation celebrated together.

Of course, what delighted everyone most was the rare ten-day holiday.

Yet, half of those ten days had already slipped by, unnoticed by many.

Qiao Qiao continued his daily routine.

Studying, exercising.

Even the Shinjuku branch was closed for Golden Week.

Only those on duty remained to keep basic operations running.

Wasn’t Miss Sakura on shift today?

Qiao Qiao hadn’t received any assignments in recent days.

He was quite at leisure.

As evening approached, Qiao Qiao headed for the Midnight Diner.

The owner had returned from Kyushu.

When he learned of what had happened on the first day of Golden Week, he drew a deep breath from his cigarette.

“It was my fault that Oshima-san got hurt.”

In the owner’s voice, Qiao Qiao could feel the helplessness of adulthood.

Even someone as strong as the owner couldn’t fully protect those around him.

What use was Qiao Qiao’s nine thousand units of spiritual power?

Oh, after some time studying, his spiritual power had already surpassed ten thousand.

Ten thousand, two hundred and forty, to be exact.

Qiao Qiao felt somewhat melancholic.

He saw the turmoil of the world, and his own insignificance.

He took the opportunity to ask the owner if he had any contacts at the major smartphone companies—O-nee, Ping-O, San-O, and the like.

“I’ll see what I can dig up when I get back,” the owner replied after a long hesitation.

“I’ll count on you then.”

Qiao Qiao had finished editing the chime from the sacred bell, making versions for alarm clocks, ringtones, and message alerts, suitable for various exorcism scenarios.

Though it couldn’t fully eliminate vengeful spirits, it could offer some measure of prevention.

Now, all he needed was the owner’s network.

Then he could start moving this plan forward.

Qiao Qiao pictured it: the chime of the sacred bell echoing from people’s phones as they walked the streets.

Surely, the world would become a more peaceful place.

“By the way, boss, I always thought it was odd—why did that troublemaking child, who’d only caused minor accidents before, end up causing such a major incident with the truck delivering your goods?”

Qiao Qiao asked as he ate his pork soup set meal.

“Don’t worry about that. The Onmyoji Bureau has taken care of it,” the owner replied leisurely.

“Oh.”

If the owner said not to worry, then it must be fine.

Qiao Qiao nodded.

“But still,” the owner mused, exhaling another plume of smoke, “I should have anticipated this. Oshima-san’s been in this line of work for so long—trouble was bound to find him eventually.”

“Why is that?” Qiao Qiao was puzzled.

“Because spirits attract one another,” the owner said, tapping ash from his cigarette.

“Oshima-san’s spent years transporting items for exorcists. Over time, he’s picked up traces of spiritual energy.”

“To certain vengeful spirits, that scent is a delicacy.”

“It’s like how those with spiritual power, just walking down the street, might stumble upon lost souls.”

Qiao Qiao listened to the explanation and understood.

In the past, when the lines between the strange, exorcists, and the supernatural were still blurred, many renowned exorcists lived out their lives in solitude.

Not by choice.

But because those who possess spiritual power attract malicious spirits.

If they’re weak, they’re devoured.

If they’re strong enough to destroy evil spirits, they still might not be able to protect those around them.

They could only watch as one by one, their loved ones slipped away, beyond the reach of their hands.

In time, exorcists grew accustomed to loneliness.

Alone in the world.

Like the owner.

No wife, no children, no family.

Until meeting Qiao Qiao, he’d walked this world alone.

The owner’s words were a reminder.

It didn’t matter how much spiritual power you had, or how strong you were.

If you couldn’t protect those beside you, it was all meaningless.

“I understand,” Qiao Qiao said, nodding in deep agreement.

“?”

The owner paused, not sure what exactly Qiao Qiao had understood.

But since he said he did, perhaps he really did.

“As long as you understand,” the owner said.

“By the way, while I was in Kyushu, I managed to get you ‘that’.”

“Really?”

Qiao Qiao’s eyes immediately lit up.

After finishing his pork soup set meal, he browsed the owner’s little warehouse.

He managed to buy a few large-caliber treasures.

Only then did he ride his little scooter home.

Tokyo during Golden Week was a blaze of lights.

Crowds filled the streets.

Qiao Qiao rode slowly along the roads, taking in the night views of the city.

Shops along the roadside displayed all kinds of signs.

Reiwa-style ramen.

Clothing discounts.

Half-price bento blowout.

All-you-can-drink for two thousand yen.

The latest smartphones.

Wait—

Half-price bentos?

Qiao Qiao stopped his scooter.

He thought for three seconds.

He’d already had dinner.

He didn’t usually eat late-night snacks.

But the allure of a half-price bento was undeniable.

He could put it in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.

Cheap and practical.

Sometimes, you could even get lucky and snag a flavor you wouldn’t usually find.

And for some reason, Qiao Qiao was suddenly seized by the urge to eat a half-price bento.

As an exorcist, he decided to follow his instincts.

He parked his scooter and entered the supermarket.

Ignoring the dazzling array of products, he headed straight for the bento section.

There was no half-price bento battle here.

If you asked why, it was simply because the bentos were almost sold out.

After a quick look around, only the least popular tamagoyaki bento and a single miso mackerel bento remained.

Two hundred ninety yen.

An excellent deal.

Qiao Qiao reached out for the bento.

And at that moment—

Another hand reached for it from the opposite direction.

Their hands met.

Like a scene straight out of a romance manga.

Except that usually happens in a library.

Here, it was the half-price bento section of a supermarket.

The other person instinctively withdrew their hand.

Qiao Qiao picked up the bento.

Then looked at the other person.

“Ah!” came a disappointed exclamation.

It was a cute girl.

Or was it?

Lately, more boys enjoyed wearing skirts, and some dressed even more beautifully than girls, making it increasingly hard for Qiao Qiao to tell.

He decided, for now, to assume it was a girl.

She had short, chestnut hair that just covered her ears.

Probably in her teens, about Qiao Qiao’s own age.

She wore a short-sleeved, multicolored dress and grimy sneakers.

It was obvious her clothes hadn’t been changed in quite some time, with stains accumulating here and there.

For some reason, she also wore a red scarf around her neck, its color already faded.

Wait—

It was May.

Though the weather wasn’t exactly hot, it certainly wasn’t cold.

Was she cosplaying?

Qiao Qiao frowned slightly.

But she stared fixedly at the miso mackerel bento.

“Do you want this?” Qiao Qiao ventured.

She nodded vigorously.

“I—I’ve been eating bean sprouts for two weeks,” she added, referring to herself as ‘boku’.

So, a boy after all?

“If I don’t get this bento, I’ll die!” she declared dramatically.

How pitiful.

Qiao Qiao hadn’t really needed the half-price bento—he’d just acted on a whim.

This girl seemed truly down on her luck.

Maybe she was a runaway.

So he said, “Tell you what, I’ll buy you this bento.”

“Really?”

Her eyes sparkled instantly.

Without another word, Qiao Qiao told her to wait in the supermarket’s dining area.

He went to buy a drink.

After paying, he handed her the steaming bento.

At first, she was a bit reserved, eating slowly.

But the bento must have been too delicious.

Soon, she threw caution to the wind, eating ravenously.

“Big brother, the mackerel bento is so good,” she said to Qiao Qiao.

“Slow down,” he said, passing her a bottle of oolong tea.

She gulped down two big mouthfuls, and soon finished her meal.

“Would you like anything else?” Qiao Qiao asked kindly.

“No, I’m already satisfied.”

She wiped her mouth with a napkin, gazing at Qiao Qiao with heartfelt gratitude.

“Now that you’re full, can you answer a few questions?”

Qiao Qiao pushed aside the empty bento box, looked at the girl, and asked,

“Why is a youkai like you here, trying to buy a half-price bento?”