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ArabicAnime Crossover: Eating Evil in a Daily World — Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Establishment of a Club
Miko fell utterly silent.
She didn’t react at first, her mind stalling on the sheer absurdity of the conversation. But after chewing on the words for a long moment, the meaning behind the so-called ‘Miko Futatani’ finally clicked.
Honestly, she could even picture the crude imagery in her head.
Taking a deep breath, Miko steadied her trembling hands, trying her absolute best to smooth out the anxious, uneasy mood gnawing at her chest. Just as Yozora had warned her—evil spirits were a fundamentally dangerous existence. If she acted too impulsively, if she let her fear dictate her reactions, she would die a miserable, agonizing death.
She didn’t want to be a coward, but she certainly didn’t want to die at such a young age either. At the very least, she deserved to experience a sickeningly sweet high school romance before kicking the bucket, right?
“Sigh, the atmosphere in this school these days is really…”
Yozora glanced sideways at Kazusa, who was currently sleeping soundly against her desk. Taking on the weary expression of an old sage who had seen through the hollow truths of the mortal realm, he shook his head and let out a heavy sigh.
“Sleeping first thing in the morning. Sobu High School has truly degenerated.”
Before Miko could even formulate a retort to his blatant hypocrisy, she watched Yozora casually reach into the satchel hanging from the side of his desk. He pulled out two exquisite, perfectly plump little pillows.
Without a word, he gently lifted Kazusa’s head, slid one of the pillows onto her desk, and let her rest back down. Then, he used the second pillow to cushion his own desk, laid his head down, and in less than a single second, fell into an infant-like slumber.
Witnessing this seamless sequence of events, Miko could only offer a look of deep helplessness.
But she could easily guess the truth. The reason Yozora was always dead to the world during daylight hours was likely because he spent his nights being highly ‘active’ all over the dark streets of Kyoto.
Thinking of this, a complicated wave of emotion washed over her. If she were in his shoes, even if she possessed the heaven-defying ability to devour evil spirits like Yozora did, would she have the courage to make the same choices? She had a deeply ingrained, visceral understanding of just how terrifying those monsters were.
Because of that, she felt even more certain that Yozora was anything but a normal person.
This guy was practically more of an evil spirit than the evil spirits themselves.
The boring morning classes dragged on, eventually coming to a merciful end.
When Yozora finally woke up and stretched his stiff shoulders, he discovered that Kazusa was still fast asleep, her face buried comfortably into the little pillow he had passed over earlier.
At that exact moment, he felt like a literal saint.
This girl had previously handed him a bottle of room-temperature Pepsi that tasted suspiciously like toilet cleaner. Yet, here he was, returning the favor by providing the exact ergonomic support she desperately needed.
What was this, if not the modern equivalent of repaying malice with boundless grace?
“Look at me,” Yozora said, turning his head. “Am I emitting the holy light of merit?”
Hearing the sudden question, Miko blinked, stunned for a moment before answering cautiously. “The light of merit… isn’t that something only Buddhist monks have?”
“Never mind then.”
Miko shook her head, deciding right then and there to stop paying attention to the bizarre things that came out of his mouth. She had finally figured out the golden rule of survival: if she seriously pondered every single sentence Yozora said, sooner or later, her brain would become just as abstract and unhinged as his.
“Here. For you.”
She handed over a packaged cream bread and a cold drink, placing them on his desk.
Yozora picked up the bread, shaking his head in mild disappointment. “Is this supposed to repay your life debt? According to standard anime tropes, shouldn’t this be a homemade bento wrapped in a cute cloth, with a giant heart secretly drawn inside using ketchup?”
Miko helplessly held her forehead, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. Not knowing how to even begin responding to such outrageous demands, she simply turned on her heel and returned to her own seat.
Just as Yozora tore open the plastic wrapper of the cream bread, Shizuka suddenly appeared at the classroom door, leaning against the frame and waving him over.
“Yozora, come here for a second. I have something to discuss with you.”
“Alright.”
He stood up, pushing his chair back. As he strolled out of the classroom and into the corridor, he immediately noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The students chatting in the hallway instinctively shrank back, pressing themselves against the walls to clear a wide path for him.
After a full day of fermentation, the rumors surrounding Sobu High’s newest ‘dangerous element’ had completely spiraled out of control.
Public Information 1: Yozora threatened a girl with a knife.
Public Information 2: Yozora sleeps through every class.
Public Information 3: Hiratsuka Shizuka just called Yozora to the office.
The student body had already drawn their conclusions. Whispers hissed through the corridor like a leaky gas pipe.
“Is he going to be disciplined?”
“No, no, no, he’s probably getting expelled, right?”
“That can’t be it. It’s only the second day of school. Expelled already?”
“Maybe the rumors are true. He really did bring a knife to school.”
“A knife? I heard it was a semi-automatic rifle.”
“You’re talking nonsense, it was clearly a loaded revolver.”
There was only one silver lining in this entire mess. As the girl playing the role of the victim in these wild rumors, Miko’s name had never once been mentioned.
Nobody actually cared who the so-called victim was. They were all just bored teenagers looking for cheap entertainment, eager to discuss the scandal for fun.
Shizuka obviously hadn’t expected that simply calling a student to the faculty office would trigger such a dramatic parting of the Red Sea. As Yozora walked out to meet her, a flash of genuine apology appeared in her eyes, and she lowered her voice.
“Sorry, I…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Yozora waved his hand, offering a lazy, indifferent smile. “A cute Teacher can always be forgiven.”
Hearing him call her cute so casually, a faint, uncontrollable blush crept onto Shizuka’s cheeks. She clenched her right fist, raising it slightly in a threatening manner as she frowned.
“You are not allowed to speak to your Teacher like that.”
“Fine, fine. So what’s the matter?”
“Let’s talk in the office.”
After leading Yozora into the bustling faculty office, Shizuka sat down at her desk. Out of pure habit, her fingers brushed against her pocket, subconsciously reaching for a thin lady’s cigarette.
She pulled her hand back empty a second later.
Sitting just a few desks away was Mafuyu, staring a hole into the side of Shizuka’s head with a ruthlessly righteous and scrutinizing glare. As an educator, smoking in front of a student was a line she really shouldn’t cross, especially with the school’s strictest disciplinarian watching her every move.
Clearing her throat, Shizuka leaned forward. “I have a suggestion for you. Do you want to hear it?”
“Form a club?”
“Eh?” Shizuka froze, her eyes widening. “How did you know?”
Hearing him directly state her inner thoughts without missing a beat left her completely stunned.
“So that’s how it is.” Yozora leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He put on a deeply reluctant expression, his tone dripping with resistance. “Teacher Shizuka, I’m a very busy man every day. I simply don’t have the time for trivial club activities, so let’s just forget it.”
“That won’t do.”
Hearing his immediate rejection, Shizuka—who had originally just intended to tentatively float the idea—instantly felt her stubbornness flare up.
“Only by forming a club and maintaining normal communication with other students can you reverse your terrible reputation in this school! It’s also a way to find something productive for you to do, instead of just sleeping through every single period.”
“What a hassle.” Yozora crossed his legs, his posture practically melting into the chair as he spread his hands lazily. “Leaving aside whether I’m willing or not, establishing a club requires at least five members. I don’t have five friends.”
Shizuka didn’t even pause to think, replying instantly. “I will apply for a special exception with the school administration. Even if it’s just you, you can form a club.”
“Then what about the members recruited later? I’m not an easy person to get along with. I have standards.”
“They must all be approved by you personally. You have full veto power.”
“There must also be a dedicated club room. I’m not sitting in the hallway.”
“I will apply for a room from the administration as well. They will definitely agree.”
“But if I’m forced to participate in club activities I’m not interested in, that would be incredibly boring. It’s practically torture.”
“The nature of the club is entirely up to you to decide, as long as it’s not too outrageous!”
Yozora fired off his demands at lightning speed, completely disrupting Shizuka’s rhythm and forcing her to answer on pure instinct just to keep him on the hook.
Watching this rapid-fire exchange from a few desks away, a strange, calculating look flashed in Mafuyu’s eyes.
“OK, deal.”
The look of extreme difficulty on Yozora’s face vanished like smoke. He agreed with a calm, perfectly satisfied expression, leaning forward to shake on it.
Staring at his sudden shift in demeanor, Shizuka only realized what had just happened in hindsight.
She… had been completely played.