Tentacle Monster Conquest Manual

Why did I think of that little rascal? Tsubakihara Mira cupped her face in her hands, a strange feeling creeping over her. Should she tell Xiao Xiao about it? Thinking about the ghost curse she had encountered, Tsubakihara Mira felt a little uneasy.

Just then, Yuuji Tsubakihara returned.

However, the children, who had always been very close, were different this time. Tsubakihara Yuuji did not mention Yuna at all. His childhood friend, with whom he had been close since childhood, was like a stranger at this moment.

Mira even noticed a hint of coldness in Yuji's demeanor.

After dinner, he went straight back to his room, leaving Mira sighing helplessly. What was going on? This situation was probably more than just a normal cold war. But Yuji should have feelings for Yuna and the others. How could he have fallen for Tomie so quickly?

Mira frowned, somewhat displeased.

----------

The next day, Yuna Tsubakihara opened her eyes in bed and glanced at the gray sky outside the window. Although the rain had stopped, the sky had not cleared up and was still covered with dark clouds. Yuna sat up, her eyes showing signs of exhaustion.

She didn't sleep well last night and seemed to have had a nightmare. The girl found that even after sleeping, her fear hadn't lessened much. Every time she thought about what she had done, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Knock knock knock————

"Yuna, are you awake yet?" Her mother's gentle voice sounded outside the door, bringing a glimmer of warmth to Yuna's fearful heart. "Nina and Yuji have already gone to school. Yuna, you might not make it in time now. I'll drive you."

Going to school?

Fear returned to the girl, and Tsubakihara Yuna shuddered violently, biting her lip, "Mom, I, I don't want to go to school."

There was a few seconds of silence outside the door before Mira's gentle voice came through, "Okay."

Without saying much, she agreed immediately. Perhaps she also felt that her daughter's condition was not suitable for going to school. Hearing her mother's agreement, Yuna breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid of school and felt inexplicably terrified at the thought of going to school.

The girl silently thought to herself, "I just want to stay at home, I just want to hide in this safe place, isolated from the world."

It seems that besides fear, Yuna Tsubakihara has also become withdrawn.

“I’ve become a shut-in,” Yuna said with a wry smile as she sat on the bed. In Japan, being a shut-in is very common, but it is also looked down upon. Usually, it is someone who has been bullied who becomes a shut-in, hiding at home every day and not wanting to go to school.

Yuna had only heard stories about shut-ins before, but she never imagined that it would actually happen to her.

At that moment, she seemed to understand the feelings of those who stayed at home, because they were really afraid to go to school, they were withdrawn and isolated, and they just wanted to escape from everything forever.

For three days in a row, Yuna Tsubakihara didn't go to school, staying at home and hiding in her room. Mira brought her meals to her door, and this went on for three days until Mira felt that this couldn't continue.

If this continues, my daughter is really going to turn into a deadbeat couch potato!

She hesitated for a moment, holding her phone, before dialing a number. Soon after, Mu Xiaoxiao's voice came through the phone, a young and innocent teasing tone.

"Isn't this Miss Mira? You promised to come to the Order, but we haven't heard from you for the past few days. What have you been up to?"

“I’m sorry, Xiaoxiao, something unexpected happened these past few days… I haven’t had time to go over,” she said, having stayed home to take care of her daughter.

"Accident?"

"I was just about to ask you for help... Actually, Yuna, she..."

Tsubakihara Mira repeated it, and Mu Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly rose several decibels, "Tomie?!"

"Hmm? Little one, you know?"

Mu Xiaoxiao was speechless. "Mira, you should have told me sooner... It's hard to explain over the phone. I'll come to your house and we can talk in person."

"Okay... thank you, Xiaoxiao~"

“You’re also a member of the order, a partner, so it’s only right that you help out.”

When Mira hung up the phone, she breathed a sigh of relief, then chuckled to herself. It was strange; hearing that small voice made her feel so much safer. That naughty boy really did make her feel secure.

Chapter 314 Well done!

"Yuna..."

After finishing her call, Tsubakihara Mira went to her daughter's room with her phone in hand. Through the door, the mature and beautiful woman hesitated before speaking, "Don't overthink it. No matter what, Mom believes in you. Nina has been worried about you these past few days... We're family, aren't we?"

Although the room remained quiet as always, without any reaction, Yuna Tsubaki heard her mother's words outside the door. A hint of emotion flashed in the eyes of this girl with messy hair, a gloomy temperament, and a hooded jacket covering her body and face. She looked like a fat, shut-in otaku.

Yes, I still have family who care about me. Even after something like this happened, my mother still trusts me. That's wonderful.

But why is Yuuji completely different? Thinking of the angry look Yuuji Tsubakihara gave her that day, Yuna felt a tightness in her chest. And these past few days, he hasn't come to see her either. Thinking of this, the girl's eyes darkened.

“We’re having a guest coming over later, who might be able to help Yuna. It’s that boy who came over last time, emmmm…” Mira thought for a moment, but ultimately decided not to reveal the little magical ability. Let the person involved tell her about it herself.

"Yuna, if you'd like, you can come out and meet him later."

Mira didn't say much. She chatted with her daughter for a few minutes and then left. There was still no movement in the room. Yuna was motionless inside, her pupils staring at the phone screen, reflecting the light, but she had already heard what her mother said.

The boy from last time, wasn't he my mom's... I think his name was Mu Xiaoxiao?

The Mu Xiaoxiao that Tsubakihara Yuna was thinking about was on his way. He was carrying his schoolbag and sitting on the train with a subtle expression. He glanced at the students in uniforms in the carriage and sent a message to Rena.

Mu Xiaoxiao: "Ling Nai, I can't go to school today. Please help me register."

Lingnai's reply was surprisingly quick, almost instantaneous: "Is it urgent?"

"I've discovered another new Tomie, and she's causing quite a bit of trouble. I need to go check her out (with a sigh)~"

Seeing the emoji behind her, Reina couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly straightened her face and sat up straight. "...Tomie?"

"Didn't we just find one Tomie a few days ago? How come another one has appeared?" Rena's expression was serious. No wonder Xiaoxiao felt that Tomie was dangerous. This guy is everywhere. There's no way to be sure how many Tomies there are in this world.

Thinking of this, Ling Nai replied with a message, "Xiao Xiao, be careful. I'll take care of the school."

Emmm, with Teacher Lingnai covering for him, skipping class has gradually become commonplace. Mu Xiaoxiao put away his phone, a knowing smile appearing on his face. Little did he know that this unintentional smile caused several female students who were peeking at him to cover their chests.

Click————

Hearing the sound of a camera shutter, Mu Xiaoxiao looked over and caught a glimpse of a girl hurriedly putting away her phone. Japanese camera functions are designed to make a sound, so it's impossible to hide it. Mu Xiaoxiao's lips twitched.

She was about to ask her to delete the photo when the tram arrived at the station. Remembering that she had urgent business to attend to, and considering it was just a photo, she figured she might as well let it be. Oh well, what can she do when she's so charming? Mu Xiaoxiao gracefully got off the tram.

The girl who took the photos was both disappointed and happy, thinking she could use it to strike up a conversation... But it wasn't a loss, as she enthusiastically sent the photos to her friends, sparking a heated discussion. Mu Xiaoxiao was unaware that he was gradually gaining some fame among students, especially in nearby schools.

……

Standing at the entrance of the Tsubakihara family villa, Mu Xiaoxiao twitched the corners of her mouth. She hadn't expected to be here again. When she rang the doorbell, she was wondering if the transfer student Kawakami Tomie that Mira had mentioned was related to Ayanokoji Atsuomi.

Now even a transfer student named Tomie has appeared? It feels like there will be more and more Tomies in the future, and unlike the previous Tomies, this transfer student Tomie is a bit troublesome to get rid of, and may attract the attention of some people with ulterior motives.

Mu Xiaoxiao has already started to have designs on Tomie.

"Little one————"

Tsubakihara Mira opened the door and grabbed the boy's arm with a look of surprise. "You came so fast!"

"I'm on my way to school—good morning, Mira."

Mu Xiaoxiao greeted them.

Going to school? When Tsubakihara Mira noticed the boy's uniform and schoolbag, her eyes lit up. Unlike his previous casual clothes, the uniform and schoolbag made Xiaoxiao look even more childish, different from the maturity he usually displayed.

It also seems to constantly remind Mira that the man she has her eye on is just a student, a boy the same age as her daughter, emmmm, that makes it even more exciting!

"Will this trouble you?" Mira asked, pursing her lips shyly.

"It's okay, I'll just consider it skipping class. Anyway, I'm not planning to go to school today."

As Mu Xiaoxiao spoke, she followed Mira into the house. This was the second time she had visited the Tsubakihara family. The living room was spotless, but the rooms were empty and quiet. The boy took the water glass Mira handed him. "Where's your daughter? Didn't you say she met Tomie?"

“She’s in her room… she hasn’t left the house for the past few days,” Tsubakihara Mira said with a wry smile. “I didn’t tell you in detail before, but something happened to Yuna at school, and she’s naturally very introverted.”

Mira shook her head helplessly, "Now Yuna doesn't even leave her room, let alone go to school."

"Then how does she go to the toilet?"

"..."

Faced with Mu Xiaoxiao's serious and curious expression, Mira was taken aback. This woman, as ripe as a peach, glared at the boy with annoyance, "The bedroom on the second floor has a private bathroom."

Mu Xiaoxiao turned her head and whispered, "Tsk, rich people."

Mira rolled her eyes at him playfully. Was that the point? Xiao Xiao, be serious for once! This brat… But then again, after he distracted her like that, Mira wasn’t so worried, especially seeing Xiao Xiao’s relaxed expression, which put her at ease.

On the second floor, in her room, whether it was because Yuna Tsubakihara had become more sensitive lately, or because the room was too quiet, Yuna's ears twitched. She heard the sound of a door opening and faint voices.

"Is it the person Mom mentioned who's here?"

Yuna Tsubaki immediately realized that the person named Mu Xiaoxiao had arrived. Come to think of it, it seemed that it was because of that person's appearance that so many changes had occurred in the family... Of course, Yuna was not trying to shift the blame, nor did she hate him.

On the contrary, unlike Yuuji, she didn't have much hostility towards Mu Xiaoxiao. Instead, she was very grateful because he had saved her mother. Thinking of how mysterious and special the boy seemed, and how much her mother trusted him, Yuna felt a ripple of emotion deep within her heart.

"Mom said he can help me, is that true...?"

Yuna Tsubakihara was still wearing her hat. She cautiously approached the door and eavesdropped on the sounds outside. There were voices talking, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. After hesitating for a while, she finally gritted her teeth, pushed open the door, and carefully walked out.

This was the first time she had stepped out of her room in the past few days, but instead of going downstairs, she quietly peered down the wall and saw the boy's figure, chatting and laughing with her mother. Their voices were now clearer.

"She hasn't been to school for the past few days? She's been hiding in her room and hasn't come out?"

That's a boy's voice, it must be Mu Xiaoxiao.

"Yes, that's why I called you, Xiaoxiao. I really have no other choice. Is there any way to help Yuna? Otherwise... I didn't expect this incident to have such a huge impact on her—"

It's Mom's voice. I'm sorry, Gasang, I made you worry.

"So does that mean she's become a shut-in?" Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes widened. "I've heard a lot of stories like this in Japan. People get bullied at school, become withdrawn and afraid to go to school, and eventually become shut-ins, hiding in their rooms and becoming dead fat otaku."

"I never expected to run into you in real life today. Mira, you're doomed. Your daughter is going to become a fat, lazy bum."

Mira: "..."

Yuna: "..."

Who wants to become a dead fat otaku?! Baka baka~ Tsubakihara Mira puffed up her cheeks angrily, feeling a bit frantic. Although I am indeed hiding at home now and don't go out... well, I am indeed similar to those NEETs, but I will never become a dead fat otaku!

Unlike those other talents!

"That's why I'm worried, Xiaoxiao, do you have any ideas?"

"Well... I'm not a counselor, and I'm not good at giving pep talks," Mu Xiaoxiao muttered. "I can only say that Tomie has really done a lot of bad things. I know Tomie Kawakami; she's an extremely dangerous person. I didn't expect you to run into her. That girl has actually become a transfer student, and she's bound to cause a bloodbath at school."

"Anyone who gets close to her will become unfortunate... No wonder Yuna Tsubakihara was hurt by her..."

Mrs. Mira was taken aback, then said with difficulty, "She's dangerous? Well, Xiaoxiao, but... it wasn't Yuna who was hurt by her, it was Yuna who hurt her. I didn't explain clearly just now, Yuna pushed her down the stairs."

Mu Xiaoxiao fell silent, stared at Mila for several seconds, and then suddenly clapped her hands.

"Mira, why didn't you explain yourself clearly? If that's the case, why are you still worried? You should say well done!! You should have dealt a heavy blow to Tomie!"

"what?"

Mira was dumbfounded, and Yuna Tsubakihara, who was hiding behind the wall on the second floor, was also stunned.