After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

After finishing the second spoon of honey, Kagura Hikaru felt no more change than when he had taken the first spoon.

It didn't get better, nor did it get worse.@@novelbin@@

In other words, by the time he ate the first mouthful, he had already fallen victim to it, and eating any more would probably have the same effect, at most causing him to overeat.

His decision to finish the honey wasn't because he felt he needed to consume it all to carry out his undercover plan; he was mainly worried about his family members finding it and eating it without permission.

If they were affected too, it could turn into a complete disaster for the whole family.

However, as he raised the spoon to start eating, he suddenly realized something was off.

He originally had no reason to finish the honey, yet he inexplicably convinced himself with a seemingly logical but actually illogical reason: fear of his family secretly consuming it.

If he was worried about his family accidentally consuming it, why not just throw it away? Why choose to eat it himself?

Moreover, neither his father nor his stepmother were the type to sneak into his room and steal food. They were adults, capable of buying whatever they wanted to eat.

Staring at the jar full of honey that glistened like liquid gold, Kagura Hikaru felt a sense of horror.

He knew there was something eerie about this substance, yet he almost didn't avoid it.

Perhaps, his continuous skepticism about the honey was also a part of leading him to this outcome?

Lying to oneself...

It definitely had the hallmarks of hypnosis.

If Hikaru had not been completely sure before, he now felt more strongly that the human blood in the honey belonged to Komori Ai.

The honey, mixed with her blood, exhibited characteristics similar to Komori Ai's abilities.

Such a high correlation made it difficult to disassociate it from her.

Kagura Hikaru resealed the honey and put the jar back in the bag, planning to dispose of it later.

At this point, the bizarre honey seemed to have a limited effect on him; at least he was still rational enough not to continue eating it.

That was not surprising.

If the proselytizing method of the Happiness Cult relied on Komori Ai, then he, who was immune to Komori Ai's abilities, logically should not be completely defenseless.

He had eaten the honey; now, all that was left was to find a time to visit the Happiness Sanatorium again.

Kagura Hikaru thought tomorrow would be appropriate.

The next day after school, he appeared again at the gates of the sanatorium.

Before arriving there, Kagura Hikaru met with the undercover police officer, Inspector Yamazaki, to explain his plan for infiltration starting today. The latter didn't object, only cautioning him to be wary of the people on the list shown to him yesterday.

If the operation went smoothly, he would soon be dealing with some of the people on that list.

He stepped into the Happiness Sanatorium.

The person in charge of the sanatorium, a middle-aged man who always wore a smile, approached him cheerfully.

"Is it Mr. Kagura? Are you here to participate in the activities today? Welcome."

"Yes."

Kagura Hikaru looked around nervously and rubbed his arms. "I wanted to ask about the box of honey you gave me yesterday—do you still have it? I'd like to buy some."

Hearing this, the person in charge raised an eyebrow in surprise at Kagura Hikaru's directness.

But considering he was just dealing with an impatient young man, he quickly hid his surprise and revealed a deeper smile. "Are you referring to the Royal Honey I gave you last time?"

"Yes, that one."

"Actually, we have very few in stock here too, but luckily there's one jar left at the sanatorium. Mr. Kagura, please take a seat and wait a moment; I'll go fetch it for you."

"How much?"

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "We'll charge you just the cost price, six thousand yen."

Six thousand yen was no small amount for a student, yet Kagura Hikaru seemed very decisive. He directly pulled two three-thousand yen bills from his wallet and handed them over.

The man glanced at the crowded bills in his wallet, a flash of greed in his eyes. Smiling, he took the money and turned to leave.

After a while, he came back carrying a yellow cardboard bag just like the one from yesterday. Strangely, an old woman dressed in black followed him despite the heat.

"This is Ms. Kurosaki, a happiness specialist recently transferred from headquarters," the manager introduced her to Kagura Hikaru.

But actually, Kagura Hikaru already knew who she was.

In the list of Happiness Cult members Inspector Yamazaki showed him yesterday, there was this 'Ms. Kurosaki.' She was one of the specialists responsible for preaching for the Happiness Cult.

It seemed the Happiness Cult had already taken an interest in him.

A young person with money in his pocket and weak willpower (referring to psychological issues, unable to resist temptations) was exactly the kind of talent the cult needed.

But they had no idea that this was exactly what Kagura Hikaru wanted them to see.

Who was the hunter and who was the prey was still uncertain.

"What is a happiness specialist?" Pretending he didn't recognize her, Kagura Hikaru took the honey, his voice full of confusion.

"Just someone who studies the essence of life's happiness, like those staying here at the sanatorium. It's nothing to fuss over." Ms. Kurosaki smiled 'kindly', revealing rotten teeth and an ugly face with layers of wrinkles, which was rather intimidating.

Yet for some reason, Kagura Hikaru felt an inexplicable warmth towards her, almost like meeting a familiar relative.

This sudden emotion was just like yesterday when he remembered Komori Ai, only much milder this time.

But no matter the intensity, it was clearly unnatural.

Without a doubt, it must have been the influence of that jar of royal honey again.

It wasn't only connecting Kagura Hikaru with Komori Ai, but even the missionaries who came out of the Happiness Cult could inexplicably affect him. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

What in the world was the principle behind this?

Kagura Hikaru's internal alarm bells were ringing, but on the surface, he pretended to be confused, "Are you... a scholar?"

"Not really, but not exactly no. After all, our teachings have not yet gained widespread attention in society; it would be too arrogant to claim ourselves as scholars."

Ms. Kurosaki naturally sat down beside Kagura Hikaru, continuously staring at him with a smile, "Mr. Kagura, I hear you were recommended to this sanatorium by a psychologist?"

"Doctor Honda."

"Ah, him," Ms. Kurosaki realized, "He used to have psychological issues too, but he got better after meeting us and even became a formal physician. Perhaps he thought your condition was similar to his own back then, and so he recommended you to come here."

Ms. Kurosaki's demeanor and speech were slightly theatrical, clearly trying to cozy up to him intentionally.

Yet Kagura Hikaru was unable to harbor any hostility towards her or suspect her with malicious intent. He unjustly trusted her lie.

Of course, these emotions were merely superficial. Kagura Hikaru could still maintain a rational judgment. He even reversed these 'real emotions' into a disguise, casually striking up a conversation with this Happiness Cult missionary.

Ms. Kurosaki, apparently used to such cooperation, didn't find it strange. The sanatorium manager who was listening in seemed unsurprised as well.

Instead, seeing his confused and utterly unresistant demeanor seemed to confirm something for them, their expressions growing even more satisfied.