Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Why do you keep staring at him during class if you don’t like him? Oh, right! Earlier, your gaze seemed to follow those boys running… No, wait! You were actually looking at Hoshino, weren’t you?”

Suzuki Sawami’s face was filled with suspicion as she turned to glance at the pack of boys running laps. At that moment, they happened to be starting their second lap and were now quite close to the resting area where the girls sat. There was no need to look carefully; as long as her gaze swept across the crowd, her eyes would naturally lock onto one unreasonable figure.

Amidst a group of red-faced boys, sweaty and panting from running, stood a calm and composed boy. The sunlight illuminated his fair skin, making him look almost ethereal.

For a brief moment, Suzuki Sawami’s expression of indignation froze. Then, she turned back around, clasping Shimizu Yuu’s hand with a look of heartfelt concern.
“Yuu-chan, you can’t be this shallow…”

“…”

“What? Yuu-chan likes Hoshino?!”
At that moment, a few other girls came over, their faces lighting up with curiosity like squirrels sensing a juicy nut.

Before Shimizu Yuu could clear up the misunderstanding in exasperation, Suzuki Sawami waved them off with a playful grin.

“Just joking! There’s no way. That Hoshino guy is so weird; he’s definitely not Yuu-chan’s type.”
Joking around was fine among friends, but if rumors spread, it could damage Yuu-chan’s reputation!

“Ugh, boring,” complained one of the girls, a short-haired girl named Sakurajima Yui with a pure, sweet face. Her sporty uniform and lively demeanor gave away her identity as the energetic, athletic type.

The other two girls were Oguri Aino and Itou Saki.

Oguri Aino, with her high ponytail and commanding air, looked sharp and spirited. As the class president, she could be a bit assertive, but in private, she was just an ordinary high school girl who loved gossip.

Itou Saki, with her straight black hair and fair skin, had an almost ethereal beauty that made her second only to Hoshino Gen in terms of presence in the class. Her delicate, anime-like features earned her the nickname “real-life Yukinoshita Yukino” among classmates who loved anime. However, those who knew her well understood she only looked like a cool, intelligent beauty. In reality, her grades were disastrous, on par with Shimizu Yuu’s, and her personality leaned more towards shy than aloof. If not for her two childhood friends pulling her along, she wouldn’t have joined in at all!

The trio quickly joined Suzuki Sawami and Shimizu Yuu’s conversation, and the discussion veered wildly—from a new bubble tea shop opening nearby to celebrity scandals. When they started critiquing the latest drama airing on Tokyo TV, a commotion erupted behind them.

The girls turned around simultaneously to see a tall, long-legged girl with a flushed face holding a bottle of juice, walking toward the group of boys who had just finished their 1,000-meter run.

Amid a chorus of cheers and teasing, the girl shyly handed the bottle to Hoshino Gen.

“Tsk, being handsome has its perks. Even with such a weird personality, he still gets attention,” Suzuki Sawami muttered half-jokingly. She discreetly observed Shimizu Yuu from the corner of her eye. Seeing no reaction, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed she had been overthinking things.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t accept her friend falling in love; she just felt that someone like Hoshino Gen wasn’t suitable for the average girl. Although her bestie was undeniably a rare beauty, she was also a bit of a klutz. She simply didn’t want Yuu-chan to walk into a pitfall, that’s all.

On the other side, Hoshino Gen accepted the juice with a practiced polite smile. Then, pulling a 500-yen coin out of his pocket, he handed it to the girl. Amid groans of disappointment and the girl’s crestfallen expression, he casually walked away with the juice.

…

By the time PE class ended, it was also time for school to let out.

As Hoshino Gen passed by Shimizu Yuu, who was still tidying her desk, he discreetly dropped a folded piece of paper onto her desk.

Puzzled, Shimizu Yuu picked it up and unfolded it. Scrawled on it were the words: “No work today.”

She looked up to ask him what it meant, only to find that he had already left the classroom.

Suzuki Sawami ran over just then.

“Yuu-chan, do you have work today?”

Blinking, Shimizu Yuu folded the note and shook her head.
“Nope, not today.”

“Great! I don’t feel like going to my club today either. Let’s go shopping!”

“Uh… okay.”

…

Outside the school gates, Hoshino Gen scanned his surroundings until a red Ferrari slowly pulled up in front of him. Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Just as expected.

The car stopped. The scissor doors lifted, revealing a luxurious interior. In the driver’s seat, a stunning woman with long, wavy burgundy hair and black stockings turned toward him. Her magnetic voice carried the charm of a mature woman.
“Need a lift, handsome?”

Hoshino Gen didn’t reply but tossed a lollipop toward her as he climbed in.

“Here’s the fare.”

Unwrapping another lollipop in his hand, he popped it into his mouth and settled into the passenger seat.

The doors closed, and the car roared to life, speeding away.

As the scenery blurred outside, the air inside was filled with a citrusy car freshener. The woman introduced herself nonchalantly.

“My name’s Asakura Meika, of the Tokyo Special Incident Response Unit. I’m a colleague of that little girl you hurt yesterday.”

“Hoshino Gen. Just a student.” He smiled.

“Oh, I know. Your sister’s performance was fantastic. Most of the younger members in our unit are fans.”

“Really? Thanks.”

His gaze wandered over the car’s interior. Feminine and dotted with unique decorations, it was clearly the personal vehicle of the woman beside him. Quietly, he mentally labeled her as a “rich lady.”

Casually, he asked, “Does your job pay well?”

“Not really, just average office-worker pay. The bonuses for completed missions are decent, though. Why? Interested in joining us?”

“…”