There is no shortage of yokai in this world who feed on human malice - it should be said that the vast majority of youkai in this world are very fond of human emotions, especially negative emotions.

And Shuichiro Takahashi happened to meet such a monster.

The yokai's rhetoric lured Takahashi deeper into the darkness - and there was no doubt that the youkai had succeeded.

Shuiichiro Takahashi's original slight entanglement gradually turned into an obsession, and this obsession reached its deepest point when he happened to see Jiro Takahashi laughing with a certain female friend.

He saw a legend about the "Red Flower" in ancient books, and with the help of a youkai, he planted the seed in Takahashi's eyes.

……

"If you want to unlock the curse, you need to exchange the life of the person who cast the curse."

Hearing Qiao Xi say this, Takahashi Jiro's eyes widened.

After a while, he came back to his senses and said softly, "Is there no other way?" ”

"Yes, there is, but ......"

Qiao Xi paused and added, "The first method is to gain the hatred of your beloved, but as far as I know, Jiro-kun doesn't seem to have a beloved?" ”

He didn't know whether to question or affirm, so Takahashi Jiro helped his forehead and was in a daze.

- He...... It is true that there is no beloved.

As for those who cast the curse......

For a long time, Takahashi Jiro lowered his eyes, and his voice was soft as if he was talking to himself: "That's it...... Then there is no way. ”

"Baba ......"

Qiao Xi didn't know what to say for a while.

- After all, the so-called "curse man", whether it is him or the two parties of the Takahashi family, know it well.

Of course, Qiao Xi can solve this curse person neatly and then end this work, but as an "onmyoji" who pays attention to "humanistic care", he naturally can't ignore the thoughts of the parties.

Well, for now, it seems that the person concerned has no intention of solving the curse.

Qiao Xi knocked the fan in the palm of his hand, waiting for Takahashi Jiro's final answer.

———————————————

"Brother Qiao, welcome home."

"Well, I'm back."

The little boy Natsume greeted Qiao Xi who pushed the door in very well-behaved, Qiao Xi answered, and then took the child's hand and sat on the corridor in a daze.

"Aren't you happy?"

As if sensing Qiao Xi's emotions, Natsume thought seriously for a while before asking in a small voice.

Joe came back to his senses and looked at Natsume.

The child looked over with a pair of big eyes, and the clear eyes at the end were full of concern and worry.

Qiao Xi looked at Natsume Takashi's eyes, and couldn't help but raise his hand to touch the soft hair of the child on his forehead, and sighed: "Human, ......"

"What?"

His voice was so soft that it was blown away by the wind almost the next second he spoke, so Natsume's child didn't hear what he was saying clearly, so he asked with a wink of confusion.

Qiao Xi laughed

"Well, it's nothing."

He poked the child's cheek, changed the subject casually and asked, "Did you make any good friends at school?" You can invite you to your home. ”

He originally just wanted to change the subject, but when he said it, he suddenly became interested.

Natsume Takashi is a very gentle child, and the color of the soul is very pure, usually quiet and obedient, Qiao Xi thinks that such a well-behaved child will be liked by many people.

In reality, however......

The big shining eyes of the little friend who heard Qiao Xi's question dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, he lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembled, and he paused before saying, "...... No. ”

Qiao Xi subconsciously asked, "What?" ”

It's not that he didn't hear what the child said, but he was a little surprised.

Judging from the time he and Natsume Takashi have been together, children are obviously the type that is quite popular among humans.

He asked rhetorically, but Takashi Natsume didn't say anything more.

- Since his parents died, he has never been asked if he has made friends at school.

He even said that he could be invited to his home......

He was born with a very gentle character, and he was gentle and refused to cause trouble to others.

In the past, when he was at a relative's house, he gradually realized that he was different from others, although he didn't want this difference, and tried his best to behave like others, but in fact, the fear of every time he encountered a monster or ghost thing was not something he could control as a child of a few years old.

So every time he is frightened by a monster and makes a gaffe reaction such as panic, in the eyes of ordinary humans who can't see the monster, it seems that he is extremely abnormal.

It's not like little Natsume Takashi hasn't tried to explain.

He told others what was there, but many of the people who heard him thought he was strange and terrible.

- Human beings have always been like this, when it is warm, it can melt the cold things in the world.

But sometimes they reject an existence that is different from themselves as an anomaly, regardless of whether that existence is innocent or not.

The young Natsume Takashi didn't understand that humans were such complex creatures, and no one believed his repeated explanations, and even thought that he was always lying and deceiving people to get attention, and gradually Natsume Takashi learned to be silent.

- At first, he wasn't always so sensible when his parents were still around.

As a child, of course he has the right to be willful, but no one has tolerated his willfulness like his parents.

- The person in front of you is different from others......

Little Natsume Takashi said this in his heart, he felt that Brother Qiao Xi, who was different from others, would not regard himself as a liar when he heard his words, but he still didn't have the courage to say it again.

Qiao Xi looked at his expression and understood-he had already heard it but was a little surprised before asking.

He couldn't help but sigh and touched Natsume Takashi's head: "This can't work......"

When Natsume looked at him in fear, he smiled softly: "When you face me, you can say anything." ”

Natsume's eyes widened at him: "Is anything okay?" ”

"Yes, anything."

Qiao gave him a reassuring look, and patiently and seriously gave an affirmative answer.

Then Natsume blinked: "Then I want to know why you're not happy today, can it?" ”

Qiao Xi: "......"

Kid, your routine is very unusual......

Natsume Takashi regretted it a little after speaking, and even more regretted it when Qiao Xi was silent.

He was just too surprised.

I was surprised and didn't know what to say, but I didn't know how to say this.

He lowered his head and muttered about to speak, when he heard Qiao Xi's voice say softly: "Anything is fine......"

- I didn't say it, but I just thought that the child was still young and delicate, and I was afraid that he would think of something bad when he heard it.