Reincarnated in Dandadan

"Miss Ayase! Thank the Goddess! You're all right! I was so sure I'd end up killing you!" Ken exclaimed, his face streaked with exaggerated tears as he sat on the floor. Momo closed the temple doors immediately. 

"You're actually alive, you four-eyed freak," Momo snapped, her frustration built up, and she started kicking the doors as if trying to vent her emotions.

"Excuse me for being alive," Ken retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he adjusted his glasses.

Before the bickering could escalate further, Seiko Ayase, Momo's grandmother, appeared in the doorway. "Since when did you start keeping monster friends, Momo?" she asked coolly.

Trailing behind her was Kenji, who entered with a casual gait, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his usual smirk lingering on his face. He leaned against the wall, watching the unfolding drama with amusement.

Momo straightened up, realizing she'd need to explain everything. "Well," she began hesitantly, "Okarun… had his 'dong' stolen by Turbo Granny and cursed in the process. To break the curse, we need to retrieve it."

Seiko raised an eyebrow at the explanation, but before she could respond, Momo's face turned remorseful. "It's all my fault, really. If only I'd been more careful... I wish I could do something to help him."

Seiko hummed thoughtfully before speaking, her tone unexpectedly teasing. "I see. So, you like him, huh?"

Momo turned beet red and immediately stammered, "I never said anything like that!"

Ignoring her granddaughter's protests, Seiko crossed her arms and shifted the topic. "And what about these psychic powers you supposedly have? When did that start?"

Momo explained how she had gained her psychic abilities after encountering aliens. Her grandmother, however, brushed off the mention of extraterrestrial beings with a scoff. "Aliens? Ridiculous. But your powers… those, I believe," Seiko said, her tone softening slightly.

Seiko then took a seat and began recounting the history of Turbo Granny. "She's not just a recent phenomenon, you know. And now… now she's something far more dangerous. She's merged with another spirit, one from the tunnel. That makes her even stronger."

Seiko's gaze hardened as she looked at Momo. "You should forget about Ken. I can't bear the thought of losing you, Momo."

Momo's hands balled into fists, her resolve shining through. "I can't do that, Grandma. I won't abandon him," she said firmly.

Seiko sighed deeply, recognizing her granddaughter's stubbornness. "If you insist," she said, "then the only way to defeat Turbo Granny is to challenge her directly."

"Challenge her directly?" Momo echoed, confusion flickering across her face.

Seiko nodded. "If you can lure her out of the city, you'll have the upper hand. Spirits like her draw strength from the places they haunt. The farther you take her from here, the weaker she becomes."

Momo frowned, doubt creeping into her voice. "But… we can't beat her. She's too fast."

Kenji, who had been silent up to this point, let out a low chuckle. He seemed amused, as if he were waiting for someone to finally realize something obvious.

"Could we use something like the exorcism talisman you put on the temple?" Momo asked hopefully.

Seiko shook her head. "No, that won't work. The only way to defeat her is to surpass her speed."

Momo's shoulders slumped. "Then it's hopeless. I'll never be fast enough."

Seiko smirked slightly. "Who said I was talking about you?" she said, gesturing toward the temple. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing Ken standing quietly in front of door.

Ken looked up at them, his expression calm but serious. "I can only use my full power twice. After that… I'm spent," he admitted.

"Then you'll have to train," Seiko declared without hesitation. "Do five sets of 100 push-ups, sit-ups, back exercises and squats right now. You need to improve, and fast."

She turned to Momo and added, "You too. You've got potential, but you're not nearly disciplined enough. I'll train you myself."

Momo hesitated but nodded. She knew her grandmother's words were true.

"First, you both need rest," Seiko said firmly. She left the temple, signaling that the discussion was over for now.

Kenji lingered behind as the others began to disperse. He walked over to Ken, who was still seated, and grinned. "I could be your training partner" Kenji suggested.

Ken glanced at him skeptically. "Why would you want to do that?"

Kenji shrugged nonchalantly. "You've got potential, and I want to get used to my powers. What's the point of power if you don't test it every now and then?"

Ken considered this for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But don't hold back."

Kenji's grin widened. "You don't know what you wished for."

After the discussion, Kenji returned to the Ayase household. He found Seiko already settled in the living room, watching the evening news. He joined her, sitting down with his usual air of indifference.

The news was abuzz with the scandal of a 27-year-old idol whose secret marriage and child had just been revealed. "Yeah, now tell us about how you like curry and not ramen!" Seiko remarked.

Kenji chuckled. "They didn't believed you first, right?"

Seiko hummed in agreement, but her mind was elsewhere, already thinking about the challenges ahead for Momo and Ken. For now, though, they all deserved this brief moment of peace before the storm resumed.