Sett Chapter 17: Contact Information (Patreon)

"That's great," Yukino sighed in relief, clutching her chest.

The nekomata that had tormented her for days was finally dealt with, and now she could rest easy without any worries.

"Thank you, Tadashi-kun!" Yukino bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, expressing her gratitude once again.

"You're being too polite," Tadashi waved his hand, indicating it wasn't a big deal. After all, someone had already paid the price.

"Exactly, Yukino. If you're too polite, it comes off as distant," Hiratsuka Shizuka said, patting Yukino's shoulder with a carefree attitude. "You're the same age as him, so becoming friends should be fine."

"Friends?" Yukino repeated the word, looking slightly lost in thought.

"That's right!" Hiratsuka smiled, but internally she was a little concerned.

Friends were fine, but just friends.

She silently raised her guard, thinking, ‘As long as they don’t become more than friends.’

Hiratsuka couldn't help but feel cautious. If she, a 27-year-old, had been thoroughly charmed by Tadashi, then Yukino, a 16-year-old innocent girl, would be no match for him.

With that thought in mind, Hiratsuka shot a warning look at Tadashi.

"…"

Tadashi, feeling the silent rebuke, shrugged his shoulders, speechless.

He hadn’t even done anything yet, and already he was getting warnings!

‘Come on, thinking about something isn’t illegal, right?’

‘Honestly, with how beautiful Yukino is, who wouldn’t have some thoughts?’ Tadashi glanced at Yukino, who was talking to Hiratsuka.

Yukino stood upright, her black hair shining. Her skin was flawless and radiant, with big, bright eyes and a face that was almost unfairly cute. She looked like a finely crafted treasure, too beautiful for words.

‘A girl like this shouldn’t be missed,’ Tadashi thought to himself with a sly smile.

"Is it fully resolved now?" Hiratsuka asked after chatting with Yukino for a bit, turning to Tadashi.

Her question interrupted Tadashi’s thoughts, and he quickly gathered his focus, smiling at the two of them. "It’d be best to check Yukinoshita's home too, just in case there's some lingering energy."

"Residual energy?" Hiratsuka hesitated, sensing some truth in his words.

It was a reasonable suggestion, but the idea of taking Tadashi to Yukino's house didn’t sit well with her. It felt like she was inviting trouble.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, is something wrong?" Yukino asked, noticing Hiratsuka's hesitation. "Is it inconvenient to go to my house now?"

"No, nothing at all," Hiratsuka smiled, pushing aside her concerns. "Let’s head over now."

As she spoke, Hiratsuka shot another glance at Tadashi.

His expression remained neutral, and his demeanor was entirely proper. His suggestion to visit Yukino’s house was entirely professional, out of concern for any remaining energy.

For now, he had no ulterior motives.

His intentions were as clear as day!

...

At a luxury apartment.

Two bedrooms, one living room.

"Please come in, Tadashi-kun, Hiratsuka-sensei," Yukino opened the door, inviting them inside.

Tadashi stepped in after taking off his shoes, glancing around the apartment.

He didn’t find any trace of the nekomata's energy but did spot a small curse spirit, writhing like a worm.

‘Might as well get rid of it.’

As he walked in, Tadashi casually brushed his hand against the curse spirit.

*Boom!*

The spirit's body exploded, disintegrating into cursed energy that quickly dissipated.

‘Oh yeah, I leveled up,’ Tadashi suddenly remembered. When he had killed the nekomata, his *Sett* template had reached level 3.

…

Template: Sett

Level: 3

Skills: Pit Grit (Passive), Knuckle Down (Level 1), Facebreaker (Level 1)

Skill points: 1

…

After leveling up, he had gained another skill point, but Tadashi decided to hold onto it, planning to use it once he unlocked *Haymaker*.

"This is my room, please come in," Yukino said, opening the door to her bedroom, her ears slightly red as she invited Tadashi inside to inspect it.

It was her first time letting a boy into her room, and she felt an inexplicable sense of shyness.

"No problem," Tadashi replied as he walked in, looking around.

There was no residual energy, nor were there any curse spirits or shadows.

"Your home is clean. No traces of the nekomata’s energy remain," Tadashi concluded. "You can continue living here without worry."

Yukino let out a soft breath, placing a hand on her chest, visibly relieved. Hearing Tadashi's assurance finally lifted the weight off her heart.

"Since there’s nothing wrong, we won’t disturb you any further," Hiratsuka said, preparing to leave. "Rest well, Yukino, and if anything comes up, don’t hesitate to contact me."

"Wait, won't you stay for tea?" Yukino asked in surprise.

"No, maybe next time," Hiratsuka shook her head firmly, glancing at Tadashi as if to say she wasn’t giving him any more chances.

Tadashi could only shrug helplessly.

‘This woman is really guarding me like a hawk, not giving me any openings.’

"Alright…" Yukino said with some regret, though she didn’t push the matter. Instead, she pulled out her phone. "Tadashi-kun, can we exchange contact information?"

Hiratsuka’s eyes widened in shock.

‘What?’

‘I’ve been trying so hard to protect you from a bad influence, and now you’re offering yourself up?’

"Contact information?" Tadashi blinked in surprise.

He had been wondering how to exchange contact details without tipping off Hiratsuka, but now Yukino was taking the initiative herself.

"What’s wrong?" Yukino asked, confused by their reactions. "Why are you surprised?"

"I just thought, if something like this happens again, it would be better to ask Tadashi-kun directly. That way, I could avoid potential danger beforehand."

"Is that okay, Tadashi-kun?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

"Of course," Tadashi agreed without hesitation, pulling out his phone.

The two exchanged numbers and added each other on Line.

Hiratsuka stood off to the side, anxious but helpless.

Yukino’s reasoning was sound, so she had no grounds to stop them.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go," Hiratsuka urged, pushing them to leave.

"Goodbye, Yukinoshita," Tadashi waved as he put on his shoes and walked out the door.

"Goodbye, Hiratsuka-sensei, Tadashi-kun," Yukino stood at the door, bowing respectfully to them. "Thank you both so much for today."

Hiratsuka waved her hand with a smile.

"It’s no big deal," Tadashi chuckled before stepping into the elevator with Hiratsuka to head downstairs.

...

Once they left Yukino’s apartment, Tadashi and Hiratsuka quickly made their way back to their own home.

As soon as they entered the door, Tadashi embraced Hiratsuka from behind.

"What are you doing?" Hiratsuka blushed, startled.

"Collecting my reward," Tadashi replied matter-of-factly. "It’s what you promised earlier today, isn’t it?"

"Didn’t we already take care of that this afternoon?" Hiratsuka retorted, surprised.

"Who said it was a one-time thing?" Tadashi raised an eyebrow, lifting Hiratsuka into a bridal carry and striding toward the bathroom.