Then Rin told her, "Yuri is my cousin from Nara and she just moved in."

He said it casually, his voice steady as he leaned back slightly in his chair, trying to sound as normal as possible while Yuri continued hugging his neck from behind, her soft lips occasionally brushing against his cheek.

The explanation came out smooth, but Akane and Hanako weren’t satisfied with what was happening. Both girls stood there with narrowed eyes and skeptical expressions, their gazes shifting back and forth between Rin and the beautiful starry-eyed girl clinging to him. Akane crossed her arms tightly over her chest while Hanako’s lips pressed into a thin line, clear suspicion written across their faces as they continued staring at the pair.

Then Hanako said to Rin, her tone firm and expectant, "Why haven’t you been coming to the club room...Chris has already approved it."

Rin turned his head slightly, blue eyes widening in mild surprise as he looked toward Chris who was sitting nearby.

"Chris, is that true?? You’ve certified them for me to join?"

Chris replied in their usual calm, professional voice, adjusting their glasses with one finger, "Yes... I have examined them and there’s no problem in you joining. But well, there are other members in the club I haven’t examined yet though."

Then Hanako said quickly, nodding as she spoke, "Yes I know, but it’s all good.

The members you examined the other day are our core members.

The other members are part of the club but not from our school."

The occult club was much larger than it appeared on the surface.

While the club itself only gathered a visible group of students, it actually contained well over 100 active members in the local area.

In reality, it served as a mini gathering point — a smaller, localized branch — for a much broader cult that had members spread nationwide across Japan.

The main purpose of this occult club was to conduct research on various occult phenomena, hidden supernatural knowledge, and mysterious events.

More importantly, it acted as a discreet way of bringing together potential heroes and individuals with special abilities who attended the school, creating a hidden network where talented students could connect, share information, and support each other under the innocent guise of a school club.

Then Rin was like "Hmm, okay..." He rubbed the back of his neck lightly, his expression showing mild reluctance mixed with acceptance.

"Once in a while I’ll join you guys, but you guys shouldn’t impose on me too much..."

Hanako and Akane’s faces immediately showed visible expressions of happiness and relief.

Their previously tense shoulders relaxed, small smiles breaking across their lips as they exchanged a quick, satisfied glance with each other, the earlier suspicion momentarily easing into open delight.

As time went on... Akane and Hanako didn’t like Yuri, and they were clearly trying to bully her.

Whenever they had the chance, they would deliberately meet her in the hallways, near the lockers, or even during breaks, cornering her with sharp words.

They would always say things like, "Hey, don’t let this get over your head.

Just because you’re his cousin and you’re close to Rin doesn’t mean nothing." Their tones were laced with jealousy and warning, eyes narrowing as they looked Yuri up and down.

And well, Yuri would always respond with visible confusion, her starry red eyes blinking slowly as she tilted her head slightly, clearly not understanding why these human girls were pestering her.

She genuinely looked puzzled, her graceful posture remaining calm while she tried to process their aggressive behavior.

The thing was that Akane and Hanako didn’t really see her inhuman qualities.

Just like how normal people didn’t see Inferna’s polished golden horns or her crimson-scaled tail, and how they didn’t notice the tiny white slits inside Muganda’s black eyes, it was the same with Yuri.

People saw that her eyes were red, but they didn’t really see the beautiful starry patterns swirling inside her red irises.

Normal humans simply couldn’t perceive these inhuman qualities — only a select few with special sensitivity or power could notice the subtle supernatural traits hidden in plain sight.

Yuri continued walking beside Rin most of the time, often staying physically close to him, while Akane and Hanako watched from a distance with clear disapproval. The two girls would whisper to each other during class or in the corridors, throwing occasional sharp glances toward Yuri whenever she laughed softly or leaned too close to Rin.

Despite their repeated attempts to intimidate her, Yuri remained mostly unfazed, her confusion slowly turning into quiet indifference as she failed to understand the hostility coming from the two human girls.

The school days continued with this underlying tension. Rin tried to focus on his lectures while dealing with Yuri’s constant affection, Chris handling matters efficiently in the background, and Akane and Hanako keeping a watchful eye on the new "cousin" who had suddenly appeared and taken up so much of Rin’s attention.

The occult club invitation lingered in the air as a future obligation, while the subtle bullying attempts from the two girls added another layer of complication to Rin’s already eventful school life.