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

[You have gained: Computer Assembly +5 through glimpsing the future]

[Computer Assembly Lv4 (55/100)]

Stay calm, stay calm.

Having blasted through the headquarters of the X cult and seen firsthand the corpses, Kagura Hikaru simply rubbed his temples and recovered from the shock.

He didn't doubt the things he saw in his prophecies since, up to this point, this ability had always exhibited exceptional accuracy.

Unless he deliberately went against the predicted future, it was an event that was bound to happen.

It must be some sort of 'Laplace's Demon' calculation, Kagura Hikaru couldn't understand the principle, nor did he care, but having seen what the future had in store, he naturally felt that he should make preparations for the corpse dressed in the Shrine Maiden Attire.

The segments from the prophecy made the situation quite clear.

The female corpse must have been dumped into the well a long time ago, not only had the flesh fallen off, the clothing was also tattered, barely recognizable in shape, and had a deeply aged color to it.

There was no doubt this was murder since the well had been sealed intentionally; the killer was the one who sealed the well in the first place.

After the body decomposes, the smell is unbearable, and if there is water in the well, the body would float up; he didn't believe the person who sealed the well could be unaware, this crime was most likely committed by that person, closing up the well to hide the body.

As for the identity of the murderer, Kagura Hikaru had already made an educated guess—the middle-aged man who was subdued by the police and collapsed on the ground, he was the most suspicious.

He had memorized that man's face, the town wasn't big, and since most villagers would come to the funeral, he could take the opportunity to find people.

Then, with a bit of mind-reading interrogation, once he knew the exact location of the body, he could notify the police.

Being present when the body was dug up in the prophecy suggested that he indeed would successfully catch the killer in the future; as long as he carried out his own plans, this gave Kagura Hikaru some peace of mind.

A few hours later, as dusk fell, the Kagura Family finally arrived at their ancestral home in the Wakayama countryside town.

When he got out of the car, Kagura Hikaru saw an old lady coming out of the house to greet them.

That was Kagura Hikaru's grandmother.

He vividly remembered that every summer break when he returned home, his grandparents would be waiting for them at the door in advance, and as soon as they got out of the car, they would see their smiling faces.

But today, he could only see one.

The old lady warmly welcomed Kagura Hikaru and the others into the house, and soon, steaming dishes were brought to the table.

At the dinner table, Kagura Hikaru saw his father gently comforting his grandmother.

The grandfather had been found dead that morning, and the grandmother had been sleeping in the same bed with him; she might have been left with psychological trauma.

But the grandmother was unexpectedly open-minded and dealt with issues of life and death with ease; she had been prepared for a long time and was even consoling Kagura's father, who had teary eyes.

While talking, Kagura Hikaru could see a faint sadness in the grandmother's eyes.

Clearly, she wasn't completely unaffected by grief.

In Kagura Hikaru's eyes, his grandfather was a man of scholarly temperament who liked to recite poetry, discuss politics, and buy snacks for Kagura Hikaru. Every morning when he woke up, he would see him reading or playing chess by himself.

Occasionally, the grandfather would invite Kagura Hikaru to play chess with him. Kagura Hikaru would always let him win because he would get upset if he lost, as he wasn't very good at the game.

However, for the most part, the grandfather was a gentle person.

Realizing that he would never see such a person again, Kagura Hikaru couldn't help but feel a sourness in his heart.

Death means just that.

After dinner, and having washed up,

Kagura Hikaru, with his damp hair, returned to his room, simultaneously drying his hair with a towel and reading a book.

Living in the countryside had its benefits, one being the cheap land.

Grandpa and Grandma's house was a self-built one, and in Tokyo, it'd be fair to call it a 'little villa,' not as upscale as the Kiryu Family's high-rise apartments, yet still larger than the Kagura home.

The room where Kagura Hikaru currently stayed was the same one he often inhabited during his annual summer trips back to his hometown. It was generally a guest room, but Kagura Hikaru knew his grandparents probably considered it his private space, as they kept some of his personal belongings that he hadn't taken with him.

The countryside was pleasant and quiet. If it had been Tokyo, even late into the night, one could often hear the sound of traffic, but now it was inaudible. At most, there were only the calls of insects and small animals.

This gave Kagura Hikaru, who was used to the noise, a sense of novelty, and he easily immersed himself in this serene environment.

That is, if one could overlook Komori Ai in the corner being infuriated to the point of turning dark by the absurd stats of a boss from a Dark Souls DLC.

Knock, knock, knock.

There came a knock at the door.

Kagura Hikaru looked up and got up to open it.

It was his stepmother.

This caught him off guard.

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"Um, Mister Hikaru..." His stepmother twisted her hands together, timorous and shrinking, her presence as weak as a primary school student entering the teacher's office.

Kagura Hikaru's gaze was inquiring, before becoming indifferent, "What's the matter?"

"I…" She opened her mouth but, upon seeing Kagura Hikaru's eyes, became frightened and closed it again.

Kagura Hikaru grew increasingly impatient.

He knew his stepmother was this kind of person, but that did not mean he was willing to waste time in a meaningless staring contest.

"Speak directly if you have something to say, or you can wait until tomorrow."

"...I'm sorry!"

As if she had finally made up her mind, she bowed deeply toward him with a firm nod.

Kagura Hikaru looked at her, "What does this mean?"

"Earlier in the car, I might have said some things that were too much..."

Kagura Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

Did she? He couldn't recall.

Scouring his memory carefully, Kagura Hikaru finally remembered, when they were leaving from the Kiryu residence, that his stepmother seemed to have subtly jabbed at his mother.

One was her husband's ex-wife, and the other was the interloper who climbed up. It was only natural for his stepmother and Xiaosong Risa to be at odds; Kagura Hikaru even thought that it wouldn't be unexpected if they had never met.

Even from the standpoint of being Kagura Hikaru's stepmother, she had a reason to show animosity towards Xiaosong Risa.

After all, when his stepmother was forced to leave Tokyo because his father broke his leg, she never expected Xiaosong Risa to come in and 'pick up the pieces.' She had assumed that Kagura Hikaru would stay at home alone waiting for their return, only for him to be snatched away midway.

In his stepmother's view, perhaps this felt like an encroachment upon her territory.

She worried that Kagura Hikaru growing closer to his birth mother would result in him hearing bad things about her and forming a negative opinion.

After all, his stepmother was very aware of the illegitimacy of her position.

Without mind-reading, Kagura Hikaru saw through his stepmother's thoughts by observing her expression and found it amusing.

When had she developed the illusion that he had a good impression of her?

Indeed, his stepmother was a good person, kind and gentle, and she cooked delicious food.

But Kagura Hikaru had never forgotten that she was one of the reasons behind his parents' divorce.

To truly forgive her... there was probably still a long way to go.