Chapter 215: 211 Mimiko

He Jia'an wiped his mouth. He did not answer the invitation for the moment, turning instead to chat: "Can you talk to me about Mimiko?"

At the mere mention of Mimiko, Misaki Naomi's expression immediately became unnatural. She seemed to lose her appetite, putting down the half-eaten chicken wrap.

He Jia'an was in no rush, patiently waiting for her to speak on her own.

Misaki Naomi steeled herself internally before slowly opening up: "Mimiko is the 'protagonist' of that recent eerie video call Urban Legend. That's what everyone calls her."

"Everyone?" He Jia'an was somewhat suspicious. The convenience store clerk from yesterday didn't seem to know the name of the strange woman mentioned in that Urban Legend.

"Yeah, most of the students at school probably know," Misaki Naomi nodded affirmatively. "After all, the legend of Mimiko likely spread from our Kisaragi High School in the first place. There are rumors that she was a senior from a previous year at our school."

The prototype of the monster in the Urban Legend might actually be a character who existed in reality, and this character just happened to be a student at Kisaragi High School.

"Then, do you know about the origin of Mimiko?" He Jia'an asked curiously, temporarily suppressing his inner speculations.

Misaki Naomi took a sip of iced cola, feeling her body and mind go cold. She nodded, eyes wide, and said: "Rumor has it that Mimiko was a beautiful girl whose beauty made everyone's heart flutter... But one day, whether by accident or human malice, during one of Mimiko's chemistry lab classes, the experimental equipment suddenly exploded, and the chemical gases and reagents ruined her face."

From then on, Kisaragi High School lost a flower on a high peak and gained an existence as ugly as a demon. Everyone—the teachers, classmates, friends, and even lovers who once revolved around her—began to avoid Mimiko, and some even began to tease and mock her in every possible way.

Mimiko felt her dignity was lost and that she had been abandoned by the world. Finally, one day, she made a decision. During a class, in front of everyone, she said, 'She wanted to commit suicide, tonight at nine o'clock.'

Everyone was shocked, but whether out of a guilty conscience or sheer indifference, no one responded to her. Even the teacher conducting the class at the time criticized her for such 'attention-seeking' behavior in a private chat after class.

That night, after returning home, Mimiko locked herself in her room. With a knife in one hand and her phone in the other, she dialed video call invitations to the former friends in her contacts one by one, yet... not a single person was willing to answer her call.

Just like that, Mimiko's corpse was discovered after her parents returned home from working overtime. Her state of death was horrific, as she had used the knife to gouge out her own ugly face while alive, eventually dying from blood loss.

Since then, every so often, students at the school will receive a call from Mimiko, see her appearance before death, and be told she will come for them in seven days. The person who answers the call will be taken to hell by Mimiko seven days later at the exact time the call was connected..."

Misaki Naomi took a deep breath, trying to steady her heartbeat: "That's about the story."

Listening to Misaki Naomi's breathing, He Jia'an was silent for a long time before offering his opinion: "A very cliché story."

"But it's terrifying!" Misaki Naomi glared, very dissatisfied with He Jia'an's attempt to suppress a laugh. "It was clearly you who wanted to hear it, and why are you so interested in this kind of thing, Uncle? This kind of thing... everyone is actually terrified of it."

"To tell you the truth, I am an Investigator, although I am on vacation." He Jia'an said with a straight face, speaking half-truths.

Misaki Naomi was surprised, scanning him up and down: "I couldn't tell. Are you actually that capable, Uncle?"

"So-so," He Jia'an laughed. "So, if you have any difficulties in this regard, I will try my best to help you."

"Does that mean you've agreed to move into my house?" Misaki Naomi asked, pleasantly surprised.

He Jia'an froze. Feeling the shocking gazes gradually focusing on him from the surroundings, he said in a helpless, low voice: "... I say, for a girl, aren't you being a bit too unreserved?"

"Because I'm scared..." Misaki Naomi pouted, looking pitiful.

He Jia'an narrowed his eyes immediately. He hadn't expected this high school girl's true nature to be that of a little devil.

"Is it really okay?" He Jia'an was still hesitant. Although he had already prepared himself to abandon his pride, to be honest, moving into a high school girl's home so blatantly made him feel his bottom line had been trampled upon, and he couldn't help but want to retreat.

"It's fine, it's fine, as long as you don't do anything strange, it'll be okay." Misaki Naomi smiled, generously opening the door, turning on the entryway light, and inviting He Jia'an in.

He Jia'an took a deep breath, knowing that if he didn't be brave and kept hesitating in front of a single high school girl's home, he would likely be seen by the neighbors here, which would be even worse for the girl's reputation.

"Excuse me." He Jia'an walked heavily into Misaki Naomi's home.

Misaki Naomi got a pair of slippers for He Jia'an. As he changed his shoes, he surveyed Misaki Naomi's home from the entryway: "Is it just you at home today?"

"Not just today, I'll be alone until the end of the month." Misaki Naomi replied. She led He Jia'an to the living room, invited him to sit on the sofa in front of the television, and walked toward the refrigerator in the kitchen, asking, "What would you like to drink, Uncle? Is juice okay?"

"Juice will be fine, thank you." He Jia'an said, sitting on the sofa and looking around. He suddenly noticed the memorial portrait at the Shrine in the corner and walked over.

The portrait was of a beautiful woman whose eyes and brows overlapped somewhat with Misaki Naomi's, though her face shape and temperament were very different.

"That's my grandmother's memorial portrait. She didn't like how she looked when she was old, so she specifically instructed us to use the best-looking photo from her youth when paying respects to her after she died." Misaki Naomi's voice came from behind him. She held a glass of juice in each hand and handed one to He Jia'an.

He Jia'an thanked her and took the juice. "Your grandmother had quite a unique perspective."

"I think so too." Misaki Naomi understood what He Jia'an meant and said with a smile, "I'm thinking that after I die, I'll also instruct my descendants to use the photo I'm most satisfied with from my youth to pay respects to me."

He Jia'an glanced downward, noticing the high school girl's toes constantly tensing and scratching the floor. He inadvertently took a step away from her. "I'll sleep in the living room tonight. Sorry for the trouble."

"Okay, I'll go prepare things for you." Misaki Naomi nodded, placed her water glass on the coffee table, and hurried away.

Watching Misaki Naomi's retreating back, He Jia'an's expression gradually grew grave. He seemed to see a pale hand growing out of the back of her thick, dark hair.