Sett Chapter 23: Need Help, who to call? (Patreon)

"Could it be a supernatural event?" Yukino furrowed her brows.

Having experienced the haunting by the nekomata, she now instinctively linked anything unusual to the supernatural.

"No matter what, I should record this first!"

Yukino set aside her baseball bat and grabbed her phone, pointing it at Haruno in the living room to capture the footage.

After about ten minutes, her arm began to tire. Only then did Haruno stop fiddling with the door, put down her keys, and turn to head back to her room.

As Haruno passed by Yukino, her expression remained blank, eyes unfocused. Even though her younger sister was standing right there recording her, Haruno paid no attention and simply returned to her bedroom, pulled up the covers, and went to sleep.

"Sister..." Yukino ended the recording, gazing at Haruno sleeping soundly, her face filled with concern.

…

The next morning.

Yukino woke up early, practiced a bit of her training, and then began preparing breakfast for Haruno. She planned to have a serious talk with her sister.

“Huh?”

Haruno, having been woken by her alarm, emerged from her room, surprised. "Yukino, you're already up?"

"And you made breakfast?"

"It's only 6:30. You don't need to wake up this early for school."

Rubbing her eyes, Haruno sat at the dining table.

"Sister!" Yukino said sternly.

"What's wrong?" Haruno was taken aback by the seriousness of her sister's expression, something she had never seen before.

"Take a look at this." Yukino handed her phone over, "I recorded this last night after you woke me up."

"Me?"

Haruno, feeling uneasy, took the phone. She was sure she had gone to bed peacefully after drinking, without bothering her sister in the middle of the night.

So why did Yukino look upset, as though Haruno had somehow disturbed her?

With her mind full of questions, Haruno glanced at the screen.

It was a video.

Haruno clicked on it, and the footage began to play.

In the apartment's living room, a figure in pajamas was fiddling with keys at the front door, seemingly trying to leave.

But for some reason, they couldn’t seem to get the key into the lock.

The figure showed no urgency, continuing the action over and over.

Repeating the same movements.

Endlessly repeating, repeating, and repeating…

Like an emotionless puppet incapable of getting tired.

"…"

Haruno's face gradually paled, and her pupils began to constrict.

At the same time, the camera panned slightly to show the wall clock—it was past 2 AM.

"Is that… me?" Haruno's voice trembled with unease as she asked.

She felt an eerie chill envelop her entire body.

If it was merely sleepwalking, she wouldn’t be too concerned.

However, Haruno clearly remembered feeling a strong urge last night—something calling her to the construction site, as if there was something there waiting for her.

At first, she had dismissed it as a dream.

But now, with the footage Yukino had captured, she realized this was far from simple!

She might have encountered the very thing Shizuka had called a supernatural event!

"Sister, I know someone who specializes in dealing with such matters," Yukino said slowly, her expression conflicted.

Just yesterday, she had been angry at Tadashi. And now, she had no choice but to ask him for help again.

Yukino’s mood was understandably sour.

'With Tadashi's habit of taking advantage, he'll definitely use this as an opportunity to make some unreasonable demands!' Yukino thought bitterly, clenching her teeth. 'I really don’t want to give in to this jerk, but for my sister’s sake…'

She weighed her options.

Though Tadashi’s massages were certainly inappropriate, part of the blame lay with her for allowing it to happen.

She couldn’t expect a teenage boy, full of energy, to resist such temptation.

'I bear some responsibility, too.'

Yukino sighed inwardly, making up her mind.

'Besides, I owe him for the precious training method he gave me—a debt I may never be able to repay.'

She owed him too much already.

All she could do was go along with whatever unreasonable request that jerk made in return.

"A professional?" Haruno paused, as if something clicked in her memory.

Wait a minute!

Hadn't Shizuka said something similar before?

"Who is this person?" Haruno asked.

"A boy my age named Tadashi. His personality… well, it’s not great—he likes to take advantage of situations—but when it comes to serious matters, he's reliable and skilled," Yukino said with an odd mix of emotions in her voice.

Boom.

Haruno’s pupils dilated in shock.

She could hear the hints of frustration, anger, resentment, but also admiration and… pride?

Oh no!

Had her little sister fallen for this Tadashi guy?

The way Yukino was acting, it seemed she had already given her heart to him!

“No way!”

Haruno slammed her chopsticks down, her face growing cold.

She would rather die than allow her sister to be taken in by any guy.

"Sister?" Yukino looked at her, confused. "What’s wrong?"

"A sixteen-year-old boy? Absolutely unreliable." Haruno scoffed, her tone icy. "I know someone far more reliable; there's no need to involve this Tadashi."

Yukino frowned at her.

Her sister seemed to be acting on impulse.

"Whatever, just leave it to me. I’m making a call." Haruno stood up and walked out onto the balcony.

She shut the door behind her and dialed Shizuka's number.

Back at the dining table, Yukino sighed and shook her head.

After a long pause, she, too, picked up her phone.

...

...

After a few rings.

"Hello?"

Shizuka’s lazy, sultry voice came through, laced with drowsiness.

Anyone with experience could easily tell what state she was in.

But despite Haruno’s sharp mind, she was actually quite naive when it came to matters between men and women.

She only thought that Shizuka’s voice sounded odd—softer than usual, with a strangely pleasant tone.

"Good morning, Shizuka!"

Haruno cheerfully greeted her.

Predictably, this earned her a torrent of expletives.

"Haruno!"

"What time do you think it is?"

"Are you ****ing kidding me!?"

The furious shouting echoed through the phone.

Haruno awkwardly held her phone at arm’s length, waiting until the storm had passed before bringing it back to her ear.

"Come on, Shizuka, I wouldn’t bother you unless it was important."

"I’m dealing with that supernatural issue I mentioned… yeah, could you refer me to that professional you talked about?"

"Great, see you tonight then."

Meanwhile,

In the living room, Yukino also set her phone down, her expression unreadable.

...

...

Back at Shizuka’s apartment, clothes were strewn all over the floor.

She put her phone down, her expression worried, and turned to Tadashi, who was beside her.

"One of my former students is also dealing with a supernatural issue. Her name is Haruno, and she's Yukino's older sister."

"Do you have time to meet her tonight?"

Tadashi listened, his expression becoming a little strange as he glanced at his phone.

It displayed a new message from Yukino on Line.