[Spell Return] Beast of Despair

48.

—June 2018, Tokyo, Psychology Clinic—

There's a reassuring faint scent of orange blossom in the air, and the walls are painted a bright, warm beige.Shizhi sat in a corner of the sofa, with her back straight all the time, even though everything here was designed to make the patients feel comfortable, she still couldn't stay here comfortably.

But she didn't dislike it too much.At least she likes the smell of this orange blossom aromatherapy.

The psychiatrist sat on the opposite sofa and looked at him with a gentle smile. The distance between them was the width of a glass coffee table, and the artificial flowers placed on the table were the best choice for him to place his sight.From the moment she sat down, she had been staring at the petals of the artificial flower. Only occasionally, she raised her eyes and glanced at the doctor out of curiosity.

This is the first time she has come for psychological counseling, and it is also the first time she has seen this doctor.He looked as if he was a few years younger than her, and his surname was written on the name tag in front of the white coat, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

It's only been a few minutes since she came to the consultation room to meet with the psychologist, but she has already begun to hate the feeling of staying here, and she just wants to leave quickly, but everything has just begun.

At first it was the usual small talk.The doctor casually asked her how she was doing, whether she had any physical discomfort, and how she was adapting to the prosthesis.Yes, give a simple answer, and still look forward to the end of this conversation as soon as possible.

"You started working again recently, right?" His smile had an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, "How is it? Do you think it's too hard?"

Yezhi lowered his eyes, wandering between the leaves of the fake flower, shrugged his shoulders, and answered him "it's okay".

It's really not that hard.

The doctor nodded knowingly, and continued on this topic: "Have you encountered any obstacles in your work for the time being? Do you feel a heavy psychological or physical burden?"

Of course the doctor didn't know that her real occupation was actually a conjurer.So, maybe he regards himself as an ordinary office worker.

That being the case, it's better to think about what kind of answer to give.

Shizhi leaned slightly sideways, raised his right hand resting on the armrest of the sofa, and touched his ear.

"Physiologically, I haven't encountered any obstacles for the time being." She paused for a moment, and said what she didn't want to say, "But before starting every job, I always have a kind of...hesitation? Hesitation? I don't know what to say."

"Feel like you can't do your job well?"

"Well, yes. But I'm still done."

Whether it was exorcising the curse hidden in the factory or placing the cursed object, she had done it—just like breaking up the cursed spirit that fell on the hydrangea leaves with a wooden stick when she was a child, as easily as if it was a Nothing could be more natural than that.In contrast, pre-anxiety worries and fears take up a longer period of time.

Moreover, this fear became more and more intense and prolonged during each mission. Even after she easily exorcised the curse, it still existed and would not disappear.

"That's right—" the doctor dragged on, and put on an expression of sudden realization, "It's actually quite normal to feel fear, and it's understandable..."

He seemed to have babbled a lot, and he heard some words, but more words passed by her ears without leaving even a little impression.

A little sleepy, even more bored.When will this conversation end?If I remember correctly, she has to receive at least three 10-minute psychological consultations each time.

Yezhi straightened up a little, and glanced at the wall clock on the wall.

Very good, twenty and ten minutes have passed.Just be patient for another 10 minutes.

"Why don't we talk about the future?"

Probably sensing her lack of cooperation, the doctor quickly changed the subject.But this topic, I don't even want to talk about it.

Her attitude has also completely changed from indifference to resistance.

"I don't think I like this topic." She looked at the doctor, this was the only formal eye contact between them in 10 minutes, "So can we not talk about it?"

"Of course, of course. Can I ask you a quick question?"

Perhaps his tone was too soft, so he couldn't say anything that was too firm to deny at once.Besides, she will come here to meet him in the next few months.After thinking about it, she thought it would be better not to make the relationship between them so rigid.

She shrugged: "You can ask, but whether I will answer or not depends on what your question involves."

"Okay, please forgive my faux pas first. I kind of want to know what prompted you to come here? It's because..."

"Well, it's just what you think."

That's a pretty good question to answer.she thinks.

"Because regular psychological counseling is required after the prosthesis is installed, I appeared in front of you."

The very simple reason is that Zhizhi doesn't want to hide his pure to the extreme purpose at all.This also explains why she has always been a passive and overly silent answerer during these 10 minutes.

From beginning to end, she didn't come here to get help.

So the doctor was also silent, but he still smiled. She thought this was probably the so-called professional accomplishment, maybe he had already fallen into a situation where he was at a loss.

For such a young doctor, she was probably the most troublesome and difficult patient he had ever encountered in his career.Yezhi wouldn't deny the fact that she was annoying.

I'm really sorry for being so troublesome—but thinking of this, she didn't feel any apology in her heart.

I heard the doctor's laughter again, and heard him say: "I know, it's very difficult for you to chatter a lot when we meet for the first time."

I won't tell you more in the future.

That's what he told himself in his heart.

"But I think it's more likely that you won't tell me anything in the future."

The mind is understood.

"But anyway, I feel like you need to tell me everything. I don't mean you have to tell me everything, and you have no reason to trust me completely, after all, we just met today for the first time. I mean Yes, silence is not the best choice, you must at least find a vent. You can try..."

Tick-tick—three ten minutes.

Shizhi stood up, his eyes were a little dazed, probably because he stared at the artificial flower for too long, and the bright color of the petals left an indelible afterimage in his vision.All she could do was blink hard, though it didn't help.

"It was a pleasure talking to you, see you next month."

After the formulaic words, he left after speaking.Her brain was a little dizzy, and she thought it must be because she had smelled the smell of orange blossom for too long.

Thinking of coming here next month and going through the same three or ten minutes, she has already started to feel conflicted.She neither wants to talk about herself with others, nor does she want to be seen through her heart.

Just wanting to get things done, that's all.She wasn't going to follow the doctor's advice, and she didn't want to say anything more.

She walked slowly on the way home, all she could think about was how much she regretted wasting half an hour on psychological counseling today, and how she didn't want to continue wasting her time next month like today.

Speaking of which, she should not have to go to psychological counseling, as long as she can find a "reasonable" reason?

The idea of ​​escape emerged.

She turned to a convenience store on the side of the road, stopped in front of the freezer, glanced at the neatly arranged drinks on the shelves, but thought carefully about the most feasible and least flawed rejection An excuse to receive counseling.

In a daze, she seemed to see a strange black and white shadow reflected on the glass of the cabinet door, which seemed to be a giant panda.She thought she had read something wrong, but when she looked back, it was actually a panda.

Moreover, it is a panda standing on two legs, holding a small cup of yogurt in its big bear paws, and its back looks very cute.

It's really not easy to wear doll costumes in this kind of weather - this is the thought that fills my mind.

Now that I have seen the panda, it is inevitable that I will notice several fellows standing next to it and the school uniforms they are wearing.

It was the uniform of the high school of conjuration.

Yezhi had a bad premonition in her heart, she even felt that she had already smelled the smell of Gojo Satoru - even though her sense of smell had already been smothered by the smell of orange blossom, she couldn't smell much other smells at all.

She hurriedly put back the vegetable juice she picked up casually, took a few steps back, and hid herself behind the shelf, wishing she could leave here immediately.But she only moved to the door of the convenience store when she was stopped.

"Miss Zhizhi?" The familiar voice of the teenager said, "Ah, it's really you. Long time no see."

It was not Gojo Satoru who stopped her, but Fu Heihui.

Although he wanted to pretend he didn't hear anything, but because it was Fu Heihui, he stopped trying to escape.She did not expect to see Fu Heihui at this time.

He was also wearing a loose school uniform, and his black hair was messed up as usual.Standing behind him, Gojo Gojo raised the corners of his mouth, no matter how he looked at it, he seemed to be secretly delighted.

To be able to meet an ex-boyfriend who I didn't really want to meet at this time in an ordinary convenience store at such an ordinary time, so I feel that I should buy a lottery ticket immediately, maybe she Being able to make a fortune in this way, you don't have to worry about money for the rest of your life.

Thinking of this, she tried her best to smile and said good afternoon to Fu Heihui.

"Do you want a drink?" Gojo Satoru's brisk question interspersed with the long-lost greetings between her and Fu Heihui, "These little guys insisted on asking me to buy them a drink, so it doesn't matter if you have an extra one."

"Obviously it's the teacher, you said that you want to treat yourself?" Chanyuan Maki said in protest, and secretly pulled Fu Heihui a little closer, and asked in a low voice, "Speaking of which, who is this? A friend of Wutiao teacher?"

"Not a friend." Fu Heihui's tone carried the sincerity unique to teenagers, "She is the teacher's fiancée."

This is really a shocking year for the second-year students of the High School of Conjuration.

"what?"

"Even fiancee."

“Tuna mayonnaise!”

"This is the first time I've heard of this..."

Although their whispers were deliberately lowered, they heard everything verbatim.Her expression instantly became a little ugly.

She beckoned to Wujo Wuzhao, asking him to come over.

"Is this how you are a teacher?" She said with a cold face, "Send the wrong message to the students?"

Facing her accusation, Gojo Satoru didn't give an answer, just smiled, and he didn't know what kind of thoughts were hidden in this smile.Yezhi knew that she couldn't guess it, and she didn't want to bother to guess it.

Or buy a lottery ticket.she thinks.

Without saying anything more, she turned around and left.Gojo Satoru watched her back disappear at the end of the street, then looked away, took out his credit card and began to perform the duties of a good teacher.The second-grade students seemed to be surprised by the existence of "Teacher Gojo's fiancée", and Gojo Satoru didn't correct them and let them chatter.

Only Fu Heihui felt something was wrong belatedly.

"You told me before that you separated suddenly because she had been recuperating after the accident."

"That's right." Gojo Satoru nodded.

"But I feel like you're lying." Fu Heihui glanced around and lowered his voice, as if whispering, "Seriously, have you already broken up?"

"how is this possible--"

The answer came without hesitation, with the same confidence of Wujowu style in his words.

"We didn't break up."