Morning sunlight poured through the curtains.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the house felt peaceful.
No nightmares.
No oppressive spiritual pressure.
No looming fear that something terrible would happen.
Just the gentle warmth of a new day.
Yuma slowly opened his eyes.
For several moments, he simply lay there, staring at the ceiling.
His body still felt sore.
His shoulders ached from yesterday's fight, and his arms felt heavier than usual. Even turning his head caused a dull pain to travel through his muscles.
"...Ow."
He rubbed his face.
The events of yesterday slowly returned to him.
The Calamity-Class.
Serena's terrified expression.
Alumna's crimson blade.
The surprise birthday party.
And…
Serena hugging him.
Yuma's eyes widened.
He sat upright immediately.
"..."
Silence.
Then his face slowly turned red.
He pulled the blanket over his head.
"...Why am I remembering that first…"
After several seconds of suffering alone beneath his blanket, he finally groaned and climbed out of bed.
There was no point thinking about it.
It happened.
He survived.
Everything was fine.
Probably.
He changed into casual clothes and headed downstairs.
As he descended the staircase, a familiar smell reached him.
Something was cooking.
The scent of eggs.
Toast.
And…
Burnt onions?
Yuma blinked.
"...Burnt?"
He rounded the corner toward the kitchen.
Then stopped.
The scene before him was… strange.
Sunlight streamed through the dining room windows, illuminating the kitchen in a soft golden glow.
At the counter—
Serena stood wearing an apron.
An actual apron.
Her long hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and she was currently staring at a frying pan with a level of concentration usually reserved for defusing bombs.
Beside her sat a cookbook.
Three pages were bookmarked.
The kitchen counter looked like a battlefield.
Eggshells.
Cut vegetables.
A half-opened bag of flour.
A knife.
A measuring cup.
And something that looked suspiciously like a casualty.
At the dining table, Stud floated comfortably in the air while watching television.
The tiny poltergeist held an entire bag of potato chips.
"...And then the hero transformed and punched the dragon!" the TV announced.
"YES!" Stud shouted. "DESTROY HIM!"
Yuma blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
The scene looked so normal.
So absurdly normal.
A girl cooking breakfast.
A tiny poltergeist eating chips and watching cartoons.
Morning sunlight.
Peace.
It almost felt like a completely different world from the one they had lived in yesterday.
Serena turned around.
She noticed him standing there.
"...You're awake."
Yuma snapped out of his thoughts.
"Uh… yeah."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You woke up early."
He nodded.
"I guess."
He glanced at the clock.
7:15 AM.
Then he looked toward the kitchen.
Then at Serena.
Then back at the clock.
A look of confusion crossed his face.
"...Aren't we going to school?"
Silence.
The frying pan sizzled.
Stud slowly looked away from the television.
Serena stared at him.
"..."
Yuma blinked.
"...What?"
Serena blinked.
"...Seriously?"
"...What?"
"...Seriously?"
Yuma looked confused.
The silence stretched.
Then Serena sighed.
"You forgot."
"...Forgot what?"
She put down the spatula.
"The school is still under Poltergeist Protocol."
Silence.
Yuma stared.
She continued.
"The building was attacked."
"..."
"It almost got destroyed."
"..."
"There are containment tags everywhere."
"..."
"The Task Force is still investigating."
"..."
"And classes are temporarily changed to Mondays through Wednesdays."
Long silence.
Yuma slowly looked away.
"...Shoot."
Serena folded her arms.
"You forgot."
"No, I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
"I was… testing you."
"Testing me?"
"To see if you remembered."
"Sure."
"I was."
"Sure."
"I really was."
"Sure."
Yuma looked away again.
Serena's lips twitched.
Then—
She laughed.
A small laugh.
Soft.
Amused.
"Yup."
She shook her head.
"You never pay attention in class."
Yuma looked offended.
"I do."
"No."
"I try."
"No."
"I pay attention sometimes."
"No."
Stud suddenly joined in.
"He doesn't."
"YOU TOO?!"
The tiny poltergeist ate another chip.
"I live here now. I know things."
Yuma looked betrayed.
Serena laughed again.
And this time—
Yuma noticed something.
She looked… lighter.
Yesterday's sadness.
Yesterday's fear.
It wasn't completely gone.
Trauma didn't disappear overnight.
But the heavy cloud that had followed her for years seemed smaller now.
She looked relaxed.
Comfortable.
Happy.
The realization made him smile a little.
Serena noticed.
"...What?"
Yuma blinked.
"What?"
"Why are you smiling?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm really not."
"You are."
"I'm definitely not."
She narrowed her eyes.
"...You're weird."
"And you're burning breakfast."
She immediately turned around.
"WHAT?!"
Smoke was indeed coming from the pan.
"Oh no no no!"
She grabbed the spatula.
The eggs had suffered a terrible fate.
Stud looked toward the pan.
"...A tragic loss."
"BE QUIET!"
Yuma laughed.
Actually laughed.
Serena turned around.
"...Did you just laugh at me?"
"No."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
"I would never."
She pointed the spatula at him.
"You're rude."
"You're cooking charcoal."
"It's eggs!"
"They're dead."
"They're supposed to look like this!"
"They're not."
Stud raised his hand.
"I have concerns."
"You don't get an opinion!" Serena shouted.
"I live here too!"
"You sleep on my couch!"
"I pay rent with emotional support!"
Yuma laughed harder.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
A peaceful morning.
Petty arguments.
Breakfast.
Sunlight.
No monsters.
No battles.
No fear.
Just home.
Then Serena sighed.
"...Anyway."
She transferred what remained of the eggs onto a plate.
"We're not going to school today."
Yuma nodded.
"Right."
She looked toward him.
"Oh."
"What?"
"Sensei's coming over."
Yuma blinked.
"...Today?"
She nodded.
"He said he'll be here this morning."
"What for?"
She shrugged.
"No idea."
Yuma frowned.
That was unusual.
Alumna rarely visited unless it involved training or missions.
Stud also looked away from the television.
"...The scary teacher is coming?"
Serena nodded.
"Yep."
The tiny poltergeist looked nervous.
"...Should I hide?"
"No."
"...Under the couch?"
"No."
"...Inside the television?"
"Absolutely not."
"...Inside Yuma's pocket?"
"No."
Stud sighed dramatically.
"I miss when my biggest concern was being stabbed by you."
"I can still arrange that."
"...Please don't."
Yuma smiled.
Then his expression slowly became thoughtful.
"...An announcement, huh?"
Serena nodded.
"He said it was important."
Silence settled for a moment.
Even Stud stopped eating.
Because if Alumna called something important—
It usually meant trouble.
Yuma looked out the window.
The morning sun continued shining peacefully.
Birds chirped outside.
The neighborhood looked calm.
Normal.
But after everything that had happened recently…
Normal never lasted long.
Then—
Ding Dong.
The doorbell rang.
The entire room became quiet.
Stud swallowed.
"...He's early."
Serena sighed.
"Of course he is."
Yuma stood up.
And somehow—
He had a strange feeling.
That this peaceful morning…
Was the beginning of something new.
The doorbell rang once more.
Ding Dong.
The peaceful atmosphere inside the house immediately shifted.
Stud, who was still floating near the television, froze.
He slowly turned toward Serena.
"...Tell me that's a delivery man."
"It isn't."
"...A salesman?"
"No."
"...A tax collector?"
"No."
The tiny poltergeist's expression became grim.
"...The scary teacher is here, isn't he?"
Before Serena could answer, the front door opened.
Standing outside was exactly who everyone expected.
Alumna.
Dressed in his usual black coat, his expression remained calm and unreadable.
However—
He wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was Reige, wearing casual clothes instead of his usual work attire. The man carried two large black briefcases in both hands.
He smiled the moment he saw Serena.
"Morning."
Serena blinked.
"...Dad?"
"Surprised?"
"What are you doing here?"
Reige grinned.
"Visiting my daughter."
"At seven in the morning?"
"...I missed you."
"You're weird."
"I know."
Reige laughed loudly and stepped inside.
Alumna followed shortly after.
The moment he entered the living room, his gaze swept over the room.
Then—
His eyes landed on the dining table.
Silence.
A long silence.
Yuma also looked at the table.
Then Stud floated beside him.
The two stared at the breakfast that Serena had prepared.
It consisted of:
A plate of fried rice.
An omelet.
And several hotdogs.
The fried rice looked…
Acceptable.
The omelet looked…
Slightly uneven.
The hotdogs…
The hotdogs looked like they had fought bravely and died.
They were almost black.
Yuma blinked.
Stud blinked.
Then both slowly looked at Serena.
She folded her arms.
"What?"
Silence.
The tiny poltergeist floated closer to the table.
He inspected the food.
Circled it.
Inspected it again.
Then slowly turned toward Yuma.
He placed one tiny tentacle on the boy's shoulder.
His expression became grave.
"My dear boy…"
Yuma already knew where this was going.
"Don't."
Stud ignored him.
"At this rate…"
He looked back toward the burnt hotdogs.
"...you will live up to your mid-fifties."
SMACK!
A book hit him directly in the face.
"AUGH!"
Stud crashed into the couch.
"I'M TRYING MY BEST!" Serena yelled.
"You assaulted a man for speaking the truth!"
"YOU'RE NOT EVEN A MAN!"
"I IDENTIFY AS ONE!"
"THAT DOESN'T COUNT!"
The tiny poltergeist regenerated from the impact and floated back upward.
"...Your cooking is improving."
Serena looked slightly calmer.
"...Really?"
"No."
Another book flew.
"AUGH!"
Reige burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach.
"Oh my god! I forgot how entertaining breakfast in this house is!"
"Dad!"
Even Alumna looked mildly amused.
Only mildly.
Which, for him, was practically hysterical.
Eventually, everyone sat down.
Reige and Alumna sat across from Yuma and Serena.
Stud sat directly beside the plate of fried rice.
Far away from the hotdogs.
Very far away.
The atmosphere slowly became serious.
Reige placed the two black briefcases onto the table.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound immediately drew everyone's attention.
Yuma blinked.
"...What's that?"
Alumna folded his hands.
"Before we discuss our business."
He looked toward both teenagers.
"I would like to congratulate you."
Silence filled the room.
His expression remained calm.
Yet his words carried unusual weight.
"You survived your first encounter with a Calamity-Class Poltergeist."
Neither Yuma nor Serena spoke.
Because they understood.
They understood exactly how close they had come to dying.
Alumna continued.
"Many Geists spend their entire lives without seeing one."
His eyes shifted toward Serena.
Then Yuma.
"And those who do…"
He paused.
"...usually don't live to tell the tale."
The room became quiet.
Even Stud stopped joking.
The memories from yesterday remained fresh.
The giant monster.
Its scream.
Its overwhelming presence.
Serena's fear.
Yuma unconsciously clenched his fists.
Alumna noticed.
Then he nodded slightly.
"You both did well."
The praise felt heavier this time.
Much heavier.
Reige's smile softened.
"As a father…"
He sighed.
"I almost had a heart attack when I found out."
Serena blinked.
"Dad…"
"I mean it."
Reige looked genuinely exhausted.
"I received a report saying my daughter fought a Calamity-Class."
He looked toward Yuma.
"And that my future son-in-law was there too."
Both teenagers turned red.
"DAD!"
"I'M NOT YOUR SON-IN-LAW!"
"You literally are."
"I-I mean—"
Yuma's brain stopped.
Reige laughed.
"But seriously."
His expression softened.
"I'm glad both of you are safe."
For once—
There was no joking.
No teasing.
Just relief.
The kind of relief only a parent could have.
Serena's expression softened.
"...Sorry."
Reige smiled.
"You came home."
He gently patted her head.
"That's all that matters."
Then—
He opened one of the briefcases.
Click.
The lid rose.
Silence.
Everyone stared.
Inside…
Were stacks.
And stacks.
And stacks.
Of Japanese yen.
The briefcase was completely filled with money.
Yuma froze.
Serena froze.
Stud froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Stud launched himself into the briefcase.
He disappeared into the money.
Then resurfaced.
"This is it!"
He threw bills into the air.
"We're rich!"
Bills flew everywhere.
"We can buy the biggest television in Japan!"
More bills flew.
"NO!"
He grabbed another stack.
"The world!"
"Stud!" Serena yelled.
The tiny poltergeist ignored her.
"We'll buy multiple televisions!"
Yuma's brain still hadn't recovered.
"...That's… money."
"Excellent observation," Alumna said.
"That's a lot of money."
"Another excellent observation."
"Sensei, I think I'm hallucinating."
"You're not."
Reige laughed.
"The government reward."
Both teenagers looked at him.
He nodded.
"The official compensation for assisting in the elimination of the Calamity-Class."
He looked toward Alumna.
"Originally, this reward belonged entirely to him."
Yuma blinked.
"...Sensei?"
Alumna nodded.
"I declined."
Silence.
"...Why?"
"Because I don't need it."
The answer was immediate.
Matter-of-fact.
As though declining hundreds of thousands of yen was perfectly normal.
Reige smiled.
"He said it should go to the two of you."
Yuma's eyes widened.
Serena looked equally shocked.
"Three hundred and fifty thousand yen."
The room became silent.
Three hundred and fifty thousand.
It was an enormous amount of money.
Stud emerged from the briefcase again.
Bills stuck to his body.
"My boy!"
He pointed dramatically at Yuma.
"We shall purchase the largest television known to mankind!"
"No."
"Three televisions!"
"No."
"A home theater!"
"No."
"A private cinema!"
"No!"
The tiny poltergeist looked devastated.
Serena, however, narrowed her eyes.
She looked at the money.
Then at Reige.
Then at Alumna.
Then back at the money.
Her expression slowly became suspicious.
Yuma immediately noticed.
Because he knew that face.
It was the same face she made whenever someone was trying to trick her.
"...Dad."
"Yes?"
"...Sensei."
"Yes?"
She folded her arms.
"You're not giving us this without a reason, are you?"
Silence.
Stud slowly looked up.
Reige's smile froze.
Yuma looked between everyone.
"...Huh?"
Serena continued.
"Especially Sensei."
She pointed at Alumna.
"You don't just hand people three hundred and fifty thousand yen."
Alumna adjusted his glasses.
"...True."
"There it is."
"So let us hear it."
Silence.
The room became quiet.
Then—
Alumna smiled.
A very small smile.
But a smile nonetheless.
"Correct."
Yuma suddenly had a bad feeling.
A very bad feeling.
Alumna folded his hands.
"The money is your reward."
He paused.
"But…"
There it is.
The dreaded "but."
"There is something I wish to discuss."
Yuma sighed internally.
Of course there was.
Alumna looked directly at both of them.
His expression became serious.
"The two of you have improved considerably."
He glanced toward Serena.
"You overcame your trauma."
Then toward Yuma.
"You protected someone despite being terrified."
The room became quiet.
"And because of that…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"I believe you are both ready."
"...Ready for what?" Yuma asked.
Alumna smiled again.
This time—
The smile looked dangerous.
"For next month's examination."
Silence.
"...Examination?"
"Yes."
Reige suddenly looked excited.
"Oh! Right! It's already that time of the year!"
Serena's eyes widened.
"...No way."
Yuma blinked.
"...What exam?"
Alumna's answer came immediately.
"The upcoming…"
He paused.
The room itself seemed to become heavier.
"...Geist License Examination."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Stud stopped swimming in the money.
"...The what now?"
Alumna calmly looked at him.
"The exam that determines whether the two of them can become officially recognized Geists."
Yuma froze.
Serena froze.
Reige smiled.
Stud blinked.
And then—
The tiny poltergeist slowly emerged from the pile of cash.
"...My dear boy."
Yuma looked at him.
Stud looked strangely serious.
"...I suddenly don't think we should buy the television."
Yuma swallowed.
Because somehow—
He had a feeling.
That this upcoming exam…
Was going to change everything.