Tokyo, but I'm a deceitful scumbag.

He turned to look out the window and realized it was already the next morning, so he immediately answered the phone.

A worried middle-aged man's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Why haven't you come back all night? Did you encounter any danger? What do you need me to do? I'll be right there..."

"Ahem, Zhe, calm down."

Hoshino Hideyuki quickly explained, "I had a little accident, but it's been resolved. I don't need any help..."

The uncle on the other end of the phone let out a long sigh of relief.

"How's things going on your end with the yurt?"

"The case didn't come to us. The young lady said it was taken by another department, probably the countermeasures office you mentioned. But the money transfer went relatively smoothly."

"That's good. Keep a close eye on things. I have other things to do here and won't be able to go back until tonight."

"Understood. Stay in touch if there are any problems."

Hoshino Hideyuki tucked his phone back into his tail, then perked up his ear and suddenly noticed that someone's breathing sounded a bit off.

Turning around, I realized that Ichikiku had been woken up by the phone call earlier.

She sat up in bed, her face flushed, one hand smoothing her hair, the other clutching her pajamas collar, hurriedly straightening her clothes.

Seeing this, Hoshino Hideyuki rubbed his eyes, squeezing out a tear, and then, just before Ichikiku could speak, interrupted:

"Waaaaah, I'm only two years old! What have you done to me?!"

Huh...?

Kikuri Ijichi was stunned.

She had assumed that everything was alright since she saw that Hoshino Hideyuki was awake and quite energetic enough to make a phone call, so she planned to bombard him with all her previous questions.

Well, that's it, they choked right away.

What does "two years old" mean?

You don't look two years old at all!

She tried to steer the conversation back on track:

"that……"

"I was so stupid, really. I knew that boys should protect themselves when they are out alone, but I still... I still got brutally taken advantage of by a woman I'd only known for a month!"

Huh...?!

"Don't talk nonsense! I didn't do anything except touch its fur! I... I apologize, okay?"

"Okay, I forgive you."

"If an apology isn't enough, then I'll... wait?"

Hearing Hoshino Hideyuki's decisive reply, Ijichi Kikuri took two seconds to react.

"I was just joking. It's so awkward when a man and a woman wake up together, I was just trying to lighten the mood~"

Hoshino Hideyuki wagged his tail and said, "Besides, Ijichi-san saved me no matter what, so how could I blame you? To be honest, I quite liked the scenery just now, and I've memorized it. I won't forget it even after I'm cremated."

Great, confirmed.

Such a wicked personality, no wonder you're a master con artist!

"cough……"

Ijichi Kikuri sat up with her long legs crossed, patted the bed in front of her, and gestured for Hoshino Hideyuki to face her.

"Now that the joke is over, Mr. Fox, whose real name is unknown, can we clear up some of our doubts?"

"Alright, let's start by telling you how you found me."

"You want to take this too... Fine, I'll go first then."

Iji Chikiku didn't dwell on it and recounted in detail how she found the fox.

Hoshino Hideyuki's lips twitched as he listened.

Good guy.

Knowing that you could escape Kayaba's illusion, your mental resistance must be very high. I didn't expect that even my "Mirror Image" only had half the effect on you!

Even the twin-tailed girl in the countermeasures office can't handle you!

"It's your turn."

"As you can see, I am a fox demon..."

Hoshino Hideyuki was less candid, only casually recounting part of his background and how he used Ijichi to deal with Kayaba Nobuyuki.

He didn't mention anything about things like Inuyama Tetsu's existence or the monster in the bell.

But what was revealed was enough to shock Kikuri Ijichi.

Is the world really this wonderful and amazing?

Monsters, illusions, countermeasures room... Am I really not living in some toilet paper web novel?

An unprecedented surge of emotion welled up in her heart, instantly reminding her of the feeling she had when she performed in front of thousands of audience members during her concerts.

After a long while, Hoshino Hideyuki said:

"Is it almost digested?"

“Uh, um…”

"Well then, it's time to use the 'viewing flowers in the mirror' technique on you again."

"what?"

Kikuri Ijichi's eyes widened: "Why?"

"First of all, whether as a fox spirit or a con artist, I don't want my secrets to be known by people I've only known for a short time. I told you so much just now only to satisfy your curiosity since you saved me."

"Secondly, although you have some talent in certain areas, you are still just an ordinary person in the end. Knowing too much is not good for you. Even from your perspective, forgetting some things and returning to daily life is a good thing."

After counting on his fingers, the fox added, "Of course, I will repay your life-saving grace. You can tell me what you want first, like money or something, and I can easily satisfy you."

Ichikiku remained silent for a long time.

She lowered her head and murmured:

"I don't want money... Can I at least not forget anything?"

Hideyuki Hoshino asked, "From what standpoint did you say that?"

"I……"

"Fine, I'll be more direct."

Before he finished speaking, Hoshino Hideyuki transformed back into human form, leaning forward until his forehead was almost touching that of Iji Chikiku.

Two beautiful eyes met.

"Miss Ijichi, have you fallen for me?"

Chapter 22 Want to be an accomplice of the fox?

what?

Is it really that direct?!

You narcissistic fox! You say you like me? I don't...

As Ichikiku thought about it, her face grew redder and redder. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

I……

Has she fallen for this guy?

Even if Hideyuki Hoshino hadn't asked, Chikiku Iji would have asked herself that question.

However, she does not know the answer to this question now.

She wouldn't deny that the fox in front of her was very attractive to her.

But what is the source of this attraction?

Handsome appearance? Mystique surrounding the monster? The surprise of extraordinary power? The suspension bridge effect after deceiving others together? Or perhaps it's gratitude for being saved?

Can these things be considered as liking?

A mix of emotions overwhelmed her; she couldn't tell them apart, she really couldn't.

Across from him, after Ichikiku fell into deep thought, Hoshino Hideyuki waited patiently in place.

Ever since he became a fox, he has adhered to one principle:

Don't waste a bad woman, and don't let a good woman down.

That's why he didn't care at all when he was with Fujiwara Aiko – if she hadn't been clearly a seasoned pro with questionable purity, he wouldn't have minded going to a love hotel.

Foxes, once they're in the chicken coop, how can they not nibble on chicken butts?

After you finish eating, wipe your mouth clean and slip away before the farmer returns.

On the contrary, Ijichi Kikuri is considered a good woman by him.

In that case, some questions need to be clarified, otherwise he won't be acting recklessly.

Of course, it's worth noting that Hoshino Hideyuki's concept of "not letting down" is somewhat different from what most people think...

At least, as a monster, the concept of "one love for life" doesn't exist in his dictionary—what a joke, he's not even human, so marriage laws don't apply to him.

"I'm sorry, I...I'm not quite sure."

In the end, Kikuri Ijichi revealed her true feelings.

There is definitely some attraction, but it's hard to say how much. She's not the type to fall in love at first sight; she needs time to sort out her feelings.

As for whether this counts as half or two-thirds of a confession, she wasn't sure.

"That's it..."

Hoshino Hideyuki didn't try to persuade him; he simply said, "So, you just don't want to cut off contact with me for now, is that right?"

"Um……"