Nakajima Atsushi looked at the strange combination in front of him. White Tiger, who was still unaware of the dangers of the outside world, weakly raised his hand...

"Um... may I ask..."

He looked at the three people in front of him, two teenagers in high school uniforms, and a more flamboyant boy with black hair and red eyes.

Many questions popped up in Nakajima Atsushi's mind: Who are they? Does Hanako really exist? Did I succeed in my quest?

"Name." Hanako didn't waste time. He walked to his chair and sat down, tapping his fingers on the table: "I don't talk to nameless people."

"Nakajima Atsushi." The young man answered subconsciously.

Then, he immediately fell into self-doubt.

No, I won't. Is it okay to just say the name out loud?

The white-haired boy, who had heard some urban legends, tensed up.

"...You can relax a little." The Nakajima Atsushi in front of him reminded Yoshino Junpei of the first time he met Hanako.

Maybe it's because of this fear...

Yuji, who was standing next to him, came up to Junpei and asked in a low voice, "Are you going to take over the food next, Hanako-kun?"

Junpei: “…That depends on what the conversation is about.”

However, he felt that the person in front of him probably wasn't here to take advantage of the situation.

After all, everyone heard the loud noise his stomach made just now!

Most likely he was at his wit's end, so he tried to summon Hanako just to give it a try, and to his surprise, he actually succeeded.

What happened next proved that Yoshino Junpei's guess was almost correct.

Even before Hanako asked, Nakajima Atsushi in front of her started talking like pouring beans -

"Well, I was just too hungry. After hearing about Hanako's legend, I wanted to give it a try. If I could summon Hanako, could you give me something to eat? I didn't expect that I could actually summon her. I'm sorry! It must be boring to be summoned by someone like me!"

He spoke so quickly and urgently that Hanako had no idea how to respond.

Moreover, this was the first time he had seen someone like Nakajima Atsushi.

The young boy nervously glanced at Hanako who didn't say a word, as if Hanako was some kind of ruthless devil, and that if he said anything that displeased him, he would be eaten by him.

Hisaen: ...This is the first time I've seen such respectful audience members. Even Yoshino Junpei didn't cooperate so well when he first met him.

Has this child ever lived in a very bad environment?

As soon as they met, he began to deny himself constantly, and it was obvious that he was desperate because of hunger. Normally speaking, people would have a "give it up" mentality at this time, but Nakajima Atsushi obviously did not have such an extreme awareness.

However, he also doesn't like playing tricks on people, so Hanako said directly after noticing that the boy in front of him seemed a little mentally fragile.

"In other words, you want me to help you solve your hunger problem."

Nakajima Atsushi gritted his teeth and said, “…Yes.”

Hanako smiled and said, "Don't be so nervous. It's normal for people to need food and water. I guess you have no other options at the moment, so you're just hoping for help from something as vague as ghost stories. Desperate requests are often very strong, otherwise I wouldn't have listened to them."

Noticing that Hanako's attitude was very gentle, Yoshino Junpei looked at Nakajima Atsushi with a little surprise.

Before he could think about why Hanako was so friendly to Nakajima Atsushi, he heard Hanako say, "Yoshino-san."

"Oh, yes." He walked over subconsciously.

Hanako opened her hands towards him, and the boy's white palms were facing him——

"Money," he said. "I have no money, so I have to borrow it from you."

Yoshino Junpei: "...Huh?"

Hanako: "Please treat that kid to a meal. Only when he is full can he think."

He looked at Nakajima Atsushi next to him and asked, "What do you want to eat? Nothing too expensive."

After confirming that he had heard correctly, Nakajima Atsushi shouted, "Tea, rice soaked in tea!"

…

…

Yoshino Junpei and Itadori Yujin took Nakajima Atsushi to a nearby restaurant, and as soon as they sat down, they hurriedly ordered a few bowls of rice in tea for Nakajima Atsushi. Hanako couldn't go with them due to her limited ability, so she had to go through the toilet. When she came over, the rice in tea had already been served.

Hanako was short, and he sat on the chair with his legs dangling in the air.

Looking at Nakajima Atsushi who was wolfing down his food, Yoshino Junpei said, "If you were very hungry before...it would be better to eat a little slower."

Nakajima Atsushi looked at the black-haired boy with slurred words: "Why?"

Yuji Itadori explained: "Because when you are hungry, the capacity of the stomach will be compressed, right? If you suddenly take in a lot of food, it will stretch your stomach."

Nakajima Atsushi hummed, but did not stop eating.

It seems that he is very hungry.

Yuji Itadori looked at the bowl that had been quickly emptied by Nakajima Atsushi.

(…Does that mean he has always lived in an environment where food is scarce?)

Looking at his ill-fitting clothes again, Yuji Itadori became more certain of his guess.

"...No one will rush you or take your food away, so it's okay to eat a little slower."

Nakajima Atsushi swallowed a big mouthful of food.

Gulp.

His eyes sparkled and he said "Oh!" as a response.

Seeing that he was still eating at the same high speed as before, Yoshino Junpei thought that Yuji's comforting method might not work. So the black-haired boy tried to interrupt Nakajima Atsushi's rhythm and asked, "It's...Mr. Nakajima, right? Can I ask if you have encountered any difficulties?"

Hanako shouted in her heart: Good job!

That's exactly what he wanted to ask.

If Nakajima Atsushi was not in such a predicament because he was being hunted or for other shady reasons, he felt that he could recruit him as his employee.

As for the food problem...you can take advantage of the food provided by the technical college these days.

"...Actually, I was kicked out of the orphanage."

Nakajima Atsushi slowed down his eating speed because he had to talk. After putting the last ball of rice in his tea-soaked rice into his mouth, he said, "I thought I could support myself even if I was kicked out, but I couldn't find a job at all... I accidentally fell into such a miserable situation now."

After saying this, the boy shook his head embarrassedly.

"Actually... I've thought about robbing passers-by's wallets, but before that I wanted to give it one last try..."

"I see," Hanako said, "Unexpectedly, in that desperate situation, I was summoned."

"Yes..." Nakajima Atsushi still finds it hard to believe that this is reality.

(It shouldn’t be a witchcraft of the vampire cat… For example, what I ate were actually leaves…)

The boy even secretly touched his belly which was bulging due to the food under the table.

Yuji curled his fingers under his chin, tilted his head and said "Hmm..." before commenting, "It's like a plot from a comic book. When you're at your wit's end, you encounter a turning point that can change your destiny, and your life changes drastically from then on."

Yoshino Junpei agreed: "I agree with that, too."

For him, the appearance of Hanako was the first turning point in his life.

The boy's life went from being normal to falling into a gray abyss, but was picked up again by those hands - then he made new friends, they got along well, had common hobbies, and everything seemed to be getting better.

Although Yoshino Junpei cannot judge whether his new life is leading to a bright future, it will not be worse than before.

"So, do you want to work part-time in my store?" Hanako asked him. "I'll provide food and accommodation until you find a suitable new job."

Nakajima Atsushi was surprised and asked, "Is it possible? But why is it a part-time job..."

"Do you want to be with monsters forever?" Hanako chuckled and said, "We and humans are on different paths after all. We can have brief intersections, but we can't be together forever."

Yuji asked back, "Why? Will Hanako-kun leave?"

"No... Even if I don't leave, we will have a day to part ways." Hanako said, "It's fate, Yuji-kun."

Hanako pointed her finger at the ceramic chopstick holder beside her and said, "We are immortal. In other words, as long as the legend does not disappear, we will be immortal. If we make close friends with humans, it will only bring us harm..."

Yuji Itadori listened quietly, and Hanako continued, "Once we develop unnecessary emotions and ties with humans, humans will eventually leave us first, and in the end, who will be the one to bear the pain?"

Yoshino Junpei murmured, "...It's the person who was left behind."

Those who stay will memorize their past memories and torture themselves with them over and over again.

In this way, memories become painful torture rather than sweet longing.

Hanako used her fingers to push the chopstick holder onto the tabletop.

“Yes.”

For teenagers, separation, death, fatalism, and the separation of the living and the dead are topics that they occasionally think about but want to avoid.

Especially the gap between humans and non-humans, which Hanako placed so clearly between the two of them.

"But..." Yuji had a different opinion. The boy said, "If we give up our relationship for this reason, I'd think it would be a pity."

Hanako looked at him: "Hmm?"

"Because it's not easy to meet someone you get along with. Rather than worrying about the pain of separation before you even start building a bond..." The pink-haired boy shook his hair at the back of his head and said what he thought: "Why not cherish and enjoy the time you spend with your friends more...? I think that if the happiness you get is enough to make up for the regrets in the future, this is a very worthwhile encounter in life."

"...That's a really optimistic and positive idea." Hanako said, "I don't dislike your optimism, but... Yuji-kun, after all, I'm the one left behind. How do you know that the happiness I've gained is enough to make up for the pain I'll suffer in the future?"

Yoshino Junpei said: "...Since we have finally met under the arrangement of fate, it would be a pity to give up directly, right? At least we should try to know how much happiness this brings."

Hanako was a little surprised this time.

He looked at Yoshino Junpei and said, "Yoshino-san's style has also changed..." He probably would not have said such a thing before.

Yoshino Junpei: "Maybe... it was influenced by Yuji-kun?"

I see. Hanako nodded.

The chemical reaction between teenagers is really interesting. Under the guidance of another person, each person will become a completely different person from yesterday.

"However, although what you said makes sense." Hanako looked at Nakajima Atsushi with a smile, "It won't be a good thing for Nakajima-kun to hang out with monsters. What he really needs to do is to reintegrate into this society and adapt to it. He is a human being. He was born a human being and will naturally be a human being when he dies. In this case, what he needs to do is to live correctly like a human being. Being with me will only make him out of touch with society."

He continued, "All I can offer is a buffer period. It is up to you to make the choices you want to make in your life."

"——Then I'll ask again, Nakajima-kun, are you willing to work part-time in my shop?"

After listening to their humane conversation just now, Nakajima Atsushi's last bit of wariness disappeared.

He nodded.

"Then I'd appreciate your guidance."

…

…

After getting a new employee, Atsushi Nakajima, Hanako quickly made him shine, starting with the transport work.

Kuen first drained the daily supply pool, and it turned out that all that came out today were furniture, so he asked Nakajima Atsushi and Yoshino Junpei to help move the things into the store and redecorate Hanako's shop. During this time, Gojo Satoru also came to see it.

He looked at the empty shelves and asked, "Nothing for sale?"

Hanako said casually, "It will be available after a while."

In fact, he hadn't decided yet what to buy from the reputation store to put in it.

Products that are too buggy are definitely not okay, but products that are too ordinary are even worse. If you want to make a name for yourself, you must have some unique products.

The children behind him were still busy, and Hanako walked over to Gojo Satoru and asked, "Is there anything that the sorcerer likes?"

"Eh? Me? Sweets or other fun things are fine."

Hanako: "…This is just for you, right?"

Gojo Satoru thought for a moment and said, "Sleeping pills?"

Hanako: “…”

Gojo Satoru smiled and said, "As far as I know, there are quite a few sorcerers who have trouble sleeping. The influence of the curse is multifaceted. Over time, if there is no appropriate way to relieve stress, it will sooner or later cause psychological burden." At this point, he put away his initial playful smile and said in a serious tone, "If there is some way to keep sorcerers in a healthy mental state, that would be great."

Hanako looked up at him and said, "Is this based on your experience?"

Gojo Satoru said vaguely, “I guess so.” He didn’t want to discuss this issue, but changed the subject and said, “If you really have a product that can target this area, I will advertise for you.”

“Free?”

"Of course~"

Since Gojo Satoru said so, he decided to go back and look for it.

…

…

Although they could eat in the cafeteria at the technical college, they could not afford to live there. Hanako sent Nakajima Atsushi to the Kuen family's house, and before leaving, she told him, "When I don't need to run the business, you can help look after the store. You can earn a little money."

Only then did Nakajima Atsushi realize that this store actually sold books, and they were second-hand books.

In the orphanage with scarce resources, he did not have the opportunity to access so many books.

So after Hanako left, the boy started flipping through the books in the bookstore on the first floor. Although most of the books he picked were easy to understand and picture books, the boy still found it quite interesting.

At nightfall, Hanako brought him another set of clothes and told him, "You can't sleep tonight."

Nakajima Atsushi, who had just finished taking a shower, asked: “……?”

Hanako took out the bell used to summon spirits from the warehouse and handed it to Nakajima Atsushi.

"At twelve o'clock midnight, go out, stand at the crossroads, and ring this windchime."

Nakajima Atsushi, who was originally in a relaxed mood, slowly typed a question mark.

...Seven or eight scenes from horror movies popped up in his mind.

Nakajima Atsushi glanced in the direction of Hanako who had already left, then looked at the wind chime in his hand, thinking -

...Is it possible that I was deceived by a monster?