The Japanese-fear sorcerer who started by taking in Tomie

That was close; I almost lost my reputation.

Xin Hengyuan patted his chest, still shaken.

"snort!"

Tomie snorted coldly, crossed her arms, puffed out her cheeks, and turned halfway to the side, looking like she was saying, "I'm angry, and you can't coax me."

Xin Hengyuan's lips twitched slightly.

No, you're a ghost story, you get jealous?

Is he jealous of himself?

In his eyes, all Tomie are the same; ultimately, they all split off from the original Tomie, so what's there to fuss about?

"How about this, if you bring Tomie over, you won't have to sleep in the basement anymore. You can choose a room upstairs to sleep in, how about that?" Shin Hengyuan said.

Tomie's eyes lit up.

Thinking it over carefully, it seemed like doing this would only benefit him. If he agreed to Xin Hengyuan's request, he could say goodbye to that dirty and damp basement and sleep in a comfortable bed.

And most importantly, you can arrogantly mock the counterfeiters every day, and even order them around to do this and that. Why not?

As a "senior," once I have a fake, I can no longer be promoted from slave to pet. Isn't it only natural for a pet to command a slave?

Besides, how could Tomie be the only one to suffer such a shameful thing as being captured and taken home by humans?

So, Tomie readily agreed!

"Deal! However, there are no other counterfeit goods nearby for the time being, so it will probably take some time for the counterfeiters to get here."

"no problem."

Xinhengyuan nodded.

It's just a matter of waiting a few days. You can't rush things. He has that much patience.

"Hello, your noodles have arrived."

The waitress came over with a tray, on which were three large bowls of steaming ramen and some snacks. She first put one bowl on each of them, then picked up the last bowl from the tray, preparing to place it in front of Xinhengyuan.

"The two-person set meal is hers," Xinhengyuan said.

"what?"

The waitress's hand froze in mid-air, her mouth slightly open, and her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Tomie sitting opposite her.

She looked him up and down, at his slender waist, his exquisitely delicate collarbone, and his incredibly delicate wrist.

With such a thin body, can she even eat two bowls of food?

She looked down at the ramen bowl in her hand, then at Tomie's flat stomach, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Eating so much and still being so thin, it's truly enviable.

"Sir, you must be joking." The waiter forced a smile. "Our ramen portions are very generous."

"What, can't girls eat more than boys? Miss, stereotypes aren't good," Shin Heng Yuan replied half-jokingly.

"Haha, my apologies for being rude."

The waiter smiled, placed all the items in his hands in front of Tomie, and then turned and walked away.

"Eat up. If you can't finish it, this will be your breakfast tomorrow." Shingen looked up at Tomie.

Tomie: "..."

Looking at the two large bowls of steaming ramen in front of her, she couldn't help but swallow.

There are so many, it's impossible to fit them all in, right? They'd break if they were stretched.

Tomie forced a smile: "Shin-chan, I ordered the two-person set meal because I was worried you wouldn't have enough to eat. You eat, you eat."

Xin Hengyuan rolled her eyes, reached out and took a bowl from in front of her, placed it on her side, and started eating.

After a whole day of running around, he was indeed hungry.

To be honest, this ramen is actually pretty good; it looks, smells, and tastes great, though it's a bit too salty. But it's tonkotsu ramen, what's the point of calling it tonkotsu ramen if it's not salty?

Watching Shin Hengyuan eat with gusto, Tomie inexplicably found her appetite improving as well. She picked up her chopsticks, scooped up a strand of noodles, and put it in her mouth.

His eyes lit up slightly.

She hadn't expected that this common food would taste so good.

……

"Thank you, two thousand nine hundred yen."

By the time I stepped out of the ramen shop, it was completely dark. The streetlights on both sides of the street turned on one by one, bringing a little light to the dark road.

The two walked side by side on the way back, and Xin Hengyuan started a conversation, intentionally or unintentionally.

"Kawakami-san."

"Shingen, you don't need to be so formal. Just call me Tomie."

"Alright, Tomie." Shin Gen turned to look at her. "How long have you been living?"

Tomie paused, her brows furrowing instantly.

"…Shinheng-kun, didn't anyone teach you? Asking a girl's age is very rude."

Are you a girl?

"How can I not be?"

Tomie's voice rose half an octave.

"From a scientific point of view, you should be considered a monster."

Tomie opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn't refute it.

She turned her face away angrily, staring at the white light emanating from the convenience store by the roadside, and after several seconds she finally uttered a muffled sentence.

"...Anyway, I'll live longer than you."

"How long?"

"long time."

"Specifically?"

"Not specific!"

"Fine, don't tell me then." Xin Hengyuan withdrew his gaze and didn't press the matter further.

After walking about half a street, Tomie suddenly spoke, her voice muffled by the sound of her footsteps.

"...I don't remember."

"Um?"

"How long exactly?" Her gaze was fixed on the road ahead, her tone as indifferent as if she were discussing something trivial. "I remember the first few years, but then I lost count. With each split, some things become a little blurry. What they remember, I will also remember. What I remember, they will also remember. Too many imposters' memories are mixed together, and time becomes disordered."

The light from the streetlamp slid across her face.

At that moment, her expression was very calm, unlike the Tomie who used to throw tantrums, act bossy, and curse.

It was so quiet that it almost didn't seem like a monster.

Xin Hengyuan didn't reply, but a possibility suddenly popped into his mind.

In the process of continuous splitting, will the soul also be split away?

Shin Hengyuan thought it was more and more likely, because although there were some slight differences in the personalities of each Tomie, they were generally similar.

The two walked silently for half a block, their footsteps echoing on the empty street.

"...Don't you have any other reaction?"

Tomie suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at him.

"What was the reaction?"

"For example, 'How pitiful' or something like that."

"You are a monster, and monsters don't deserve pity, just as I don't pity those who have been bewitched by you."

Tomie stared at his face for a few seconds, then snorted, turned around and continued walking. She walked several steps away, leaving without looking back.

"...More than ninety years, I guess."

New Hengyuan followed in her footsteps.

"Haven't you encountered any other monsters in all these years?"

"Of course I've encountered them." Tomie stopped, rolling her eyes dramatically. "And then I ran into you, you monster!"

She couldn't help but complain, "I really don't understand how a human like you can be immune to my charm. Many monsters and ghost stories can't do that."

"Hey, can you hear me?"

Seeing that Shingen hadn't paid any attention to her for a while, Tomie raised her voice in annoyance.

Xin Hengyuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze passing over her and landing on the crossroads not far away.

A figure wearing a trench coat and a mask stood under the streetlight, the face of which was obscured.

His instincts told him so.

That thing is definitely not human!