88: Real world

Sunlight filtered through the vines, casting mottled shadows on the stone path of the courtyard. When Lin Luo brought Shiina Mahiru into the garden pavilion, the three girls waiting there reacted differently—Kato Megumi calmly closed the pocketbook in her hand, Furuhashi Fumino waved happily, and Ogata Rizu pushed up her glasses.

This morning, Shiina Mahiru had specially prepared a bento, but she hadn't been able to meet Lin Luo in the morning light as usual, so she had to message him to meet at noon. Lin Luo thought that since he was going to tutor them anyway, it would be better to turn this lunch date into a study session—after all, Shiina Mahiru's excellent grades were exactly what a certain girl who struggled with science subjects needed most.

The light blue wrapping cloth was carefully untied, revealing exquisite Japanese cuisine, with the caramel color of the Tamagoyaki being just right.

At that moment, the backpack Kato Megumi had placed by the stone bench suddenly rustled, and the zipper actually slid open on its own. "It's fried shrimp!" Along with the cheer, a snow-white fur ball suddenly pounced out of the bag and landed precisely on the stone table.

The pure white Nekomata extended a paw, skillfully fished out a fried shrimp, and swallowed it whole with a loud "gulp."

"Fat Wave!" A rare look of fluster appeared on Kato Megumi's usually calm face.

Lin Luo was quick and agile, grabbing the white cat by the scruff of its neck and lifting it up under the astonished gazes of the four girls. "Fat Cat, long time no see." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I told you to protect Megumi at all times, but it seems you've treated my instructions as a passing breeze?"

"Meow~" Fat Wave let out a sweet, needy cry, attempting to act cute and get away with it.

Furuhashi Fumino's eyes widened. "Just now... was that cat speaking?"

Fat Wave's body stiffened, and it hurriedly pretended to be a normal cat with a soft cry. But Fumino tilted her head and added, "Why is the voice so unpleasant? It sounds like a decadent uncle."

"You stupid girl! This is clearly a magnetic uncle voice!" Fat Wave's fur immediately bristled, and it broke free from Lin Luo's palm, slapping Furuhashi Fumino's cheek with a paw. Although it didn't use its full strength, it still left a clear paw print on her fair skin.

The air froze instantly. A sharp glint flashed across Ogata Rizu's glasses, Shiina Mahiru instinctively covered her lips, and Kato Megumi helplessly massaged her forehead. Fumino stood frozen in place, feeling the burning sensation of the claw mark on her face, staring in disbelief at the white cat that was now elegantly grooming its fur.

Furuhashi Fumino covered her cheek, her eyes turning slightly red. "I was actually looked down upon by a cat..."

"It's not an ordinary cat; it's a Nekomata." Ogata Rizu pushed up her glasses and analyzed calmly. "In legends, a Nekomata's vocal cord structure is similar to a human's, so theoretically, it can mimic human voices. However..." She looked at Fat Wave, who was licking its paw. "Such an uncle voice indeed doesn't fit the data model."

Fat Wave wagged its tail proudly. "What do you little girls know? This is something refined by the passage of time..."

"Fat Wave," Kato Megumi interrupted softly, her eyes carrying a warning.

The white cat immediately fell silent and rubbed up against Megumi's side to curry favor, only to be picked up by Lin Luo once again.

"It doesn't matter if it's exposed; they would have found out sooner or later anyway." Lin Luo placed it on the stone table, his gaze sweeping over Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu. "As you can see, this is a Yokai."

"A Great Yokai," Fat Wave corrected, puffing out its chest from the side.

Lin Luo ignored its interruption and explained seriously to everyone, "This world has both a surface and an inner side. What we see daily is the 'Present World,' but on a level ordinary people cannot perceive, there exists an inner world known as the 'Hidden World.'" He paused and continued, "The various destructive events frequently reported in the news recently—whether they be bizarre fires, sudden earthquakes, or so-called gas leak accidents—are actually mostly disasters caused by anomalies from the inner world spreading into the Present World."

Furuhashi Fumino instinctively covered her mouth, and a thoughtful glint flashed behind Ogata Rizu's glasses. Shiina Mahiru unconsciously moved half a step closer to Lin Luo, while Kato Megumi gently stroked Fat Wave's fur, a look of worry showing in her eyes.

Fat Wave flicked its tail and chimed in, "So this Great One's existence is very important. If it weren't for a Great Yokai like me maintaining the balance in the shadows, the Present World would have been in chaos long ago." It raised its head proudly, only to be pressed back down by Lin Luo.

"But you don't need to worry too much," Lin Luo's tone softened. "Official agencies are maintaining the balance between the two worlds. As for this guy..." He patted Fat Wave's head. "It did want to cause trouble at first, but now it's Megumi's pet."

"I'm a bodyguard!" Fat Wave corrected with its head held high, its tail unconsciously standing bolt upright. "And a personal bodyguard at the Great Yokai level, at that." It stole a glance at the girls' reactions, deliberately emphasizing the last few words.

Furuhashi Fumino couldn't help but chuckle. "You were just stealing fried shrimp a moment ago."

Lin Luo cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"I'm specifically explaining this to you because these kinds of anomalous events will become more and more frequent from now on," he said with a solemn expression. "And no one can guarantee that you won't be accidentally caught up in them."

With a flip of his hand, several small jade pendants appeared out of thin air, shimmering with a warm luster in the afternoon sun. "The good news is that I've recently had a Breakthrough." The jade pendants slowly floated toward each girl. "Keep this with you; it can protect you in moments of crisis."

Furuhashi Fumino carefully took the jade pendant, a gentle warmth spreading from her fingertips; Ogata Rizu adjusted her glasses, focusing on the flowing light within the jade pendant; Shiina Mahiru gently held the jade pendant in her palm, her eyes shimmering with a misty light as she looked at Lin Luo; Kato Megumi lowered her eyes, untied the red string of the amulet on her wrist, and unhurriedly threaded the jade pendant onto it.

Ogata Rizu adjusted her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses filled with a verifying focus. "So, Mr. Lin Luo is a successful Cultivator?"

Lin Luo was slightly stunned by the question, then shook his head with a light laugh. "I'm just a Cultivator with a bit more power than an average person." He looked at everyone, his tone peaceful. "Being able to protect those around me is enough."

Furuhashi Fumino held the warm jade pendant close, her eyes sparkling. "But being able to make an amulet like this is super amazing!"

Lin Luo shook his head helplessly and flicked her forehead with his finger. "No matter how amazing I am, I still can't even teach a dummy like you."

"Ouch!" Fumino covered her forehead and pouted. "My math has improved lately!"

Shiina Mahiru carefully put away her jade pendant, her gaze quietly sweeping over the other three girls. Recalling that Mafuyu-sensei once said Mr. Lin Luo would walk girls home, could it be one of them?

Ogata Rizu didn't seem like the one at all; although she was serious, there was always a certain sense of distance between her and Lin Luo.

Furuhashi Fumino was a strong possibility; the two of them interacted naturally and affectionately, their words revealing a deep familiarity.

And there was one more classmate... who was it? Even though she had just been introduced, why was the impression a bit blurry? Kana-san? No... "Shiina-san, my name is Kato Megumi~"

The soft voice brought Mahiru back to her senses, and she saw the girl with the subtle presence giving her a slight smile.

"Eh?" Mahiru's cheeks turned slightly red. "Does Kato-san have mind-reading powers?"

Kato Megumi shook her head gently, her hair shimmering with a soft luster in the sun. "I don't have mind-reading powers. It's just that Shiina-san's expression just now was exactly the same as Fumino's and Rizu's back then."

Furuhashi Fumino leaned in upon hearing this, hooking her arm through Kato Megumi's and laughing. "Exactly! I couldn't remember Megumi's name at first either, even though she sat right next to me."

Ogata Rizu pushed up her glasses and added seriously, "Data shows that Kato-san's presence is indeed below average. However, the longer you spend with her, the more this impression will gradually improve."

Fat Wave lazily flicked its tail. "Megumi's aura naturally carries a 'Concealment' trait, which is even more effective on ordinary people. But with me around, this concealment is suppressed."

Mahiru finally understood and apologized to Kato Megumi in embarrassment. Kato Megumi only shook her head gently, the jade pendant on her wrist turning slightly in the breeze.

"Megumi sometimes gets secretly sad because of this," Lin Luo's voice suddenly came from the side. Unnoticed, he had already naturally sat down on the stone bench next to Kato Megumi. "So, Mahiru, do you want to make friends with Megumi?" As he spoke, he gave a light laugh and reached out to tidy Kato Megumi's hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

Shiina Mahiru was slightly taken aback, watching the natural and affectionate interaction between the two, and something clicked in her heart. She then broke into a smile. "Aren't we already friends now?"

Furuhashi Fumino approached Shiina Mahiru like a cheerful little bird, clasping her hands together with stars shining in her eyes. "She really is a little angel, so cute~"

Shiina Mahiru was a bit at a loss by this sudden, straightforward praise, her cheeks flushing with a faint red. "Furuhashi-san, you're overpraising me..."

"Just call me Fumino!" Fumino warmly hooked her arm through Mahiru's and turned to the others. "Don't you think Mahiru is like a Yamato Nadeshiko stepped right out of a painting? Even the way she gets shy is so perfect!"

Ogata Rizu studied Mahiru seriously and pushed up her glasses. "From an aesthetic perspective, Shiina-san indeed fits the standards of a traditional Japanese beauty. Her facial proportions are close to the Golden Ratio, and her mannerisms have a classical charm."

Kato Megumi softly chimed in, "Like a camellia with morning dew."

Lin Luo watched Mahiru, who was being praised into a state of total embarrassment, and couldn't help but chuckle. "You guys are going to make her even more self-conscious."

Furuhashi Fumino blinked mischievously and deliberately drawled, "Speaking of which, Lin Luo and Young Miss Mai seem very affectionate lately~ Don't you plan to explain?"

Lin Luo's face darkened instantly, and he said through gritted teeth, "Fumino, are you deliberately trying to stir things up today?"

Fumino immediately hid behind Kato Megumi, peeking out with half her head. "Oh my, someone's getting angry because I touched a nerve!"

Kato Megumi had a faint smile on her lips. "It seems Mr. Lin Luo has been very busy lately."

Lin Luo hurriedly raised his hand as if making a vow. "I'm really just helping to handle some... special matters."

"Mr. Lin Luo doesn't need to explain." Kato Megumi took a gentle sip of tea, her eyes soft. "I believe you."

This casual sentence actually made Lin Luo even more restless. Furuhashi Fumino snickered from the side and was given a glare by Lin Luo.

Shiina Mahiru also softly chimed in, "Mr. Lin Luo, I believe you too."

As those words fell, several gazes shot toward her all at once. Mahiru felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at and explained with slightly red cheeks, "Mr. Lin Luo mentioned something about Young Miss Sakurajima to me before; it shouldn't be the kind of relationship we're imagining..."

Furuhashi Fumino immediately leaned in, blinking mischievously. "Oh~ So Mahiru knew the inside story all along?"

"No!" Mahiru waved her hands hurriedly. "We just happened to chat about it..."

Kato Megumi looked at her thoughtfully, her gaze then softly sweeping over the carefully prepared bento box on the stone table, her lips curling into a gentle smile. Mr. Lin Luo really is popular with the girls.