Yuu 301-305

Title: The Service Club’s Usual Ruckus

(Wait, to those of you reading—please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not doing this because I want to conquer Senpai. I’m purely curious about the human being named Tenkuji Yuu!)

(Isshiki Iroha, a beautiful girl and one of Sobu High’s cutest juniors—how could she possibly be after a guy who already has a girlfriend?!)

(Unless… no, there are no exceptions.)

“But did Senpai actually agree or not?”

After her disappointment slightly faded, Iroha glanced at Yuu, then shifted her confused gaze to Kanade beside her.

...For some reason, she seemed utterly captivated by the sight of the two arguing. Her calm, gentle eyes didn’t blink, and even a faint smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Looking at her, one almost wanted to hand her a cup of tea and some senbei crackers.

“Hey, Tachibana-san.” Iroha leaned in, placing her hand beside her cheek and whispering with feigned concern, “If Senpai really refuses, what will happen to the kendo club members?”

“Eh?” Kanade blinked, then asked innocently, “But didn’t he already agree?”

“No, didn’t he?” Iroha carefully recalled. She hadn’t actually heard Yuu say it outright—he’d only listed numerous reasons for refusal.

Before she could ask further, Kanade stood from her seat. She walked up to the two still debating the definition of sexual harassment.

Then, she tilted her head up and looked at Yuu, who turned toward her. They gazed at each other in silence.

“May I?”

Yuu replied with a smile: “You may.”

Kanade smiled in relief, then politely bowed to him. “Thank you, kind mapo tofu man. I’ll also have everyone from the kendo club thank you.”

“Just call me Senpai.”

“Then, Tenkuji-senpai?”

“Just call me whatever you like—as long as you drop the ‘mapo tofu’ part.”

“Understood.”

The others: “...?”

The conversation ended, and the air filled with question marks. After a brief silence, it suddenly exploded.

Yuigahama: “Y-Yuu-kun!? Even though I knew you probably wouldn’t refuse, why did you agree so quickly? Is that really okay?!”

Yukino: “Haaah... If you’d decided to agree from the start, wouldn’t it have saved time instead of spouting all that nonsense... Oh, I see. So this is what Yuigahama-san meant by a troublesome tsundere?”

Ishhiki: “Senpai, were you so charmed by Tachibana-san that you agreed immediately? Your act of pretending not to care is way too obvious! Tachibana-san, don’t be fooled by Senpai! He already has a girlfriend!”

Iroha pulled Kanade back, whose face looked genuinely confused.

“Fool? No... What does Tenkuji-senpai having a girlfriend have to do with me?”

Meanwhile, Yuu turned to Yuigahama with a friendly smile.

“Yui, when she said ‘troublesome tsundere,’ she meant Yukinoshita, right?”

Yukino smirked. “Oh, isn’t it obvious she was talking about you? Even Yuigahama-san knows you’re being dishonest to this extent—shouldn’t you reflect on yourself, Tenkuuji-kun?”

“Eh, I... hahaha...”

Once again caught between their sharp, icy gazes, Yuigahama broke into a cold sweat, nervously laughing as she slowly shrank under the table.

The ruckus in the Service Club finally settled before the autumn sunset.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After locking the door, the empty classroom returned to silence and darkness.

“Although I’ve agreed to be a substitute player, I won’t take responsibility for anything else. If Tachibana-san can’t convince the other kendo club members—including Captain Himura—then consider it as if you never asked for help. Deal?”

Before leaving, Yuu seriously reminded Kanade.

He was willing to help—but not become a slave. If, as an outside helper, he had to deal with various difficulties like internal conflicts from the start, he wouldn’t bother.

The other party needed to understand he was someone they were requesting help from—even if that made him seem arrogant.

Who could blame him for having ability?

“Yes. Later, everyone will welcome you warmly,” Kanade nodded gently, her eyes showing strong determination not to disappoint him.

Iroha swayed her short hair and cheerfully said, “Senpai worries too much~ The kendo club members seem aware of their own limits. Plus, after your skill demonstration during the autumn festival, if Senpai truly joins the kendo club and fights alongside them, they’d be overjoyed. Why would persuasion even be necessary?”

Yuigahama frowned in thought. “What about Captain Himura? Yuu-kun defeated him before...”

“I’ll consult everyone’s opinions. If they disagree, I won’t force it.” Her snow-white hair fell straight down her back. Kanade bowed to the three of them, her voice so soft it seemed to blend with the air. “Thank you for accompanying us this whole time.”

“This is just a Service Club activity—it’s nothing special. Besides, this request doesn’t concern us. You only need to thank that person.”

Yukino clicked her tongue in annoyance. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave Kanade a clear, water-like gaze.

“Tachibana-san, if you encounter any difficulties during the election, feel free to come to the Service Club... I’m very curious what kind of change you’ll bring to the school once you become student council president.”

“Change? I’m not that capable.” Kanade tilted her head expressionlessly, her eyes showing confusion. “I only want to help others better—that’s why I ran for president... I don’t think I can change the school’s atmosphere.”

“Hmm, what Yukinon means is, with Kanade-chan’s charm, becoming president might bring real change to the school,” Yuigahama, now familiar, immediately explained. Then she grabbed Kanade’s small hand and squeezed it tightly. “Hang in there! I’ll vote for Kanade-chan too!”

“Thank you, Yuigahama-senpai.” Her petite body wobbled back and forth as Yuigahama shook her, but Kanade showed no discomfort at all. She simply sighed quietly in relief when Yuigahama finally let go.

She wasn’t good with overly enthusiastic people—but she didn’t dislike them either.

“We need to stop by the teacher’s office briefly. See you later, Senpai~”

“See you, Iroha-chan~”

At the clubroom gate, the two groups parted ways beneath the twilight glow.

The junior group headed toward the main school building, while the Service Club walked toward the school gate.

Three shadows, not too far apart, stretched long under the dimming light—and would soon merge into the darkness on the horizon.

“Yuu-kun, honestly, did you change your mind because Kanade-chan is just too cute?”

“Hmm? Tachibana? She is very cute—only slightly less than my little sister.”

“So what Isshiki-san said was true? Poor Natsukawa-san—she’ll be cheated on by her fake boyfriend.”

“This has nothing to do with gender. What’s wrong with liking something cute? That’s why narrow-minded people like you... Never mind. Actually, the reason is very simple.”

“What?”

“If the issue is just fighting, isn’t agreeing no big deal? At least, that’s how I see it.”

“But wouldn’t refusing be simpler? That girl wouldn’t force you to help.”

“Yeah, maybe... In that case, let’s just say I did it out of boredom.”

“You’re so indifferent! I feel like Yuu-kun is hiding something...”

“Tch. Since you put it that way, I’ll be honest—I just wanted to look cool there and make more girls fall for me.”

“Hmph.”

“Heh.”

“...Why are you both reacting with such disdain?”

Just as they stepped out of the school gate, they exchanged glances—and two cheerful laughs rang out together.

“You’re the one looking down on us!”

“How dare you tell such a transparent lie to us, your friends!”

Yuu paused momentarily, staring at the two girls beside him. Finally, he smiled helplessly.

“True enough. After all, even if I didn’t do it, I still...”

Before he could finish, Yukino, her long hair shimmering like night, turned and walked away.

“Yuigahama-san, if you don’t want to suffer mental discomfort, you’d better distance yourself from this person as soon as possible.”

Yuigahama nodded repeatedly, quickly hurrying after her.

“Yuu-kun’s been getting more narcissistic lately—I can’t stand it... I wonder who’s influencing him.”

“Yuigahama-san, did you say something?”

“Nothing~”

As if trying to preserve this rare after-school time, the sky darkened extremely slowly. The evening sun still hung on the horizon, not yet set.

The usual ruckus of the three Service Club members seemed destined to continue for a while longer.

-

Title: Impressions Always Linked to Beautiful Girls

Inside the school building bathed in twilight.

“Isshiki-san, why do you want to help me with my campaign?”

Hearing the question, Iroha turned her head thoughtfully, then replied jokingly, “Same as what Yukinoshita-senpai said—I want to change a little too!”

“I see.” Kanade blinked. Her transparent golden eyes seemed capable of seeing straight into one’s heart, but she didn’t say it aloud.

This wasn’t a fleeting impulse, nor a heartfelt confession—such hidden motives were audible even if awkwardly expressed.

On this matter, Kanade simply said:

“I’ll fight to become student council president... So Isshiki-san, you must fight too.”

“...”

Watching the snow-white-haired girl enter the teacher’s office, Iroha slowly stopped in front of the door. Her doubtful expression gradually faded. She let out a soft sigh, and a hollow, helpless smile appeared on her face.

“Geez, I don’t have anything worth fighting for… Helping with this campaign? I’m just trying to use Tachibana-san’s talent and popularity for my own gain.”

She murmured, almost scolding herself.

The voice, as soft as a feather falling, quickly vanished in the empty corridor.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Yuu waited until Yukino had gone upstairs before taking a detour toward the luxurious apartment building.

He took the long way not without reason—he simply didn’t want to walk home together with Yukino, nor did he want to explain why he was suddenly visiting his girlfriend’s place, who also happened to be a former client.

Successfully avoiding any potentially awkward atmosphere, Yuu waited for the elevator and finally arrived at Masuzu’s floor.

*DING-DONG!*

He pressed the doorbell, and someone immediately opened the door.

“Welcome back—you’re a bit late today.”

“My club had an activity, so I was delayed.”

“Oh, poor thing.”

The girl who opened the door casually took his jacket and work bag. After placing them down, she smiled shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said:

“So, do you want to eat first, take a shower first, or… eat me first?”

Yuu walked past her expressionlessly.

“I’ll cook, so no time for a shower. And you… you can’t be eaten unless you’ve taken a shower.”

Her innocent, teasing expression instantly collapsed. Masuzu looked quite sulky.

“You’re treating me like I’m dirty—that’s outrageous!”

Yuu’s voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the sound of the fridge opening. “That’s not what I meant. Do you enjoy torturing yourself?”

“Who told you to stay such a saint all this time—completely unmoved no matter how much I tease you?”

Peeking secretly into the kitchen to make sure Yuu was too busy to look her way, Masuzu buried her face into his jacket, inhaling deeply as she whispered calmly:

“Do I need to (inhale)... give you a Mona Lisa painting (exhale)... to make you return to normal (inhale)?”

“I’m not some ordinary employee—what good would something like that do me?” Yuu called out while chopping ingredients. “What kind of noise is that? Are you sick again?”

“No, just suddenly having trouble breathing.”

Having recharged her energy, Masuzu happily removed the jacket, her face flushed with satisfaction. Leaning against the doorframe, her tone became mature and alluring.

“In that case, next time you come, I’ll take a shower first and wait for you.”

Amid the sound of slicing vegetables, Yuu casually replied, “No need. I’ll just make your food and leave. There won’t be enough time for that.”

“Oh? Are you implying you’d last very long?”

“I can’t help boasting. As for whether it’s true or not—wait until you’re ready, Masuzu-san, you fan of dirty jokes.”

Wearing loose house clothes, Masuzu giggled, her eyes filled with lazy smiles.

“So you know me well after all. How scary~”

From the entrance to the kitchen, there was now a warmth, a homely feeling that hadn’t existed before.

Conversations like this had repeated countless times since Yuu got used to pressing her doorbell.

And Masuzu always tried to tease him—it seemed she truly wasn’t afraid of what might happen when they were alone together.

Yet, whenever he approached with a serious expression, Masuzu would shyly pull away. Clearly, she wasn’t ready yet. At home, his movements were even more restrained than during their kisses outside...

Though in this regard, Yuu was almost the same.

Even so, ignoring Masuzu, Yuu wasn’t some untouchable saint.

Although the system granted him higher thresholds, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t one day act impulsively and cross that line. He might just make the woman fond of crude humor understand exactly what it means to “talk the talk and walk the walk.”

But there was no other choice. The world wasn’t peaceful yet, and the ever-strengthening dragon had to remain sealed.

A mature man recognizes his desires, then restrains himself with unavoidable reality—that’s why Yuu could always keep control.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“Alright, remember—let it cool before putting it in the fridge, or it’ll spoil quickly.”

As usual, after making porridge for her, Yuu prepared to leave Masuzu’s apartment—he had a younger sister at home waiting to be fed, so he needed to head back soon.

“Good job, Yuu.” Masuzu smiled softly, reaching out her cold hand to touch his cheek, gazing into his eyes with her deep blue ones. “You’re starting to look more and more like a house husband. How about I support you instead? Supporting your sister wouldn’t be a problem either.”

“The money you earn now isn’t necessarily more than mine—already planning to support me?” Yuu irritably swatted her hand away, then crouched by the entrance to put on his shoes.

“Later, I’ll support you, and every day you’ll strike JoJo poses for me—how about that?”

“To think of something so weird—you truly deserve the title King of Demons, Yuu.”

Masuzu pulled her hand back and laughed indifferently, her fingers slowly moving behind her, as if reaching for something.

After putting on his shoes and standing up, Yuu suddenly said, “By the way, I might be a bit busy lately.”

“Busy?” Her movement paused. Instinctively, Masuzu asked, “Weekends? Do you have time on weekends?”

“Weekends? I have to take my sister to the doctor.”

“...Anything else?”

“I also have to participate in the national kendo club tournament. The schedule isn’t set yet—I’ll let you know.”

Unconsciously, Yuu had grown accustomed to reporting his whereabouts to her with the attitude of a boyfriend.

Yet Masuzu didn’t seem to notice. She only widened her sapphire-like eyes, staring at him in confusion.

“Kendo club? National tournament?”

“Yuu, did you get involved with another beautiful girl I don’t know about?”

Yuu: “...”

(So she immediately assumes it’s related to a pretty girl… What kind of impression do I even have in Masuzu’s eyes?!)

-

Title: The Luck-Curse Talisman

Regardless of how bad his image was in Masuzu’s eyes, Yuu genuinely intended to find an opportunity to tell her everything that had just happened.

He had a habit—once he had a girlfriend, he would share every big and small event in his life with her, so she could understand his world well and transparency could be maintained.

Though he wouldn’t remember every single thing to report, and there might be some things he truly didn’t want to reveal, at the very least, by frequently sharing experiences, he could reduce his girlfriend’s anxiety and prevent misunderstandings or arguments.

I may have missed your past, but I’ll accompany you into the future until the end—perhaps because Yuu liked this sentiment, he unconsciously lived by it.

Even when not physically together, they could share all joys and sorrows. Yuu believed he enjoyed this kind of relationship.

“So that’s what happened...”

At the entrance of the luxurious suite, Yuu recounted the afternoon’s events in detail.

Masuzu, her expression calm once more, folded her arms across her chest while supporting her chin, nodding slowly as she thought.

“A first-year silver-haired angel... A national kendo club tournament... And your siscon tendencies, Yuu... Hmm, I see.”

“See what? I like older women with big chests—I’m completely uninterested in little girls like that.”

“Oh?” As if hearing shocking news, Masuzu raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly, “Really? Lately I’ve been wondering if you’re actually a pedophile or gay.”

Not the slightest bit angry, Yuu merely shrugged. “Guess? I won’t leak my XP to you.”

Masuzu suddenly looked enlightened. “Or maybe you secretly like tentacle-type girls but are too embarrassed to admit it? Like a girl whose real body is a jelly monster, or an octopus girl from another world?”

“What weird options are these...” Yuu rolled his eyes, too lazy to argue further. He pressed the door handle, preparing to leave. “Anyway, if you don’t have anything else to do, you can come watch. It shouldn’t take long—we can still go home together as usual.”

“Of course. Wherever you are, I am too, until death do us part... We are two souls in one body, Tobio.” Masuzu smiled, then suddenly touched her chin with her fingertip, gazing softly. “Your honesty pleases me greatly. What reward would you like? Candy? How about two pieces? Or three? No, I’ll give you five.”

“JO-fans who mix up Tobio and Secco are trash.” Yuu remained unaffected, even commenting flatly.

For reference, both were villains from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5, known for their personality disorders.

“I didn’t mix them up. True JO-fans are Stand users who freely play around. Don’t question my professionalism.” Huffing, seeing Yuu completely unprovoked, Masuzu prepared to let go.

But unexpectedly, Yuu suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulled her against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her slender, beautiful waist.

This sudden action made Masuzu widen her eyes. Her soft cheeks quickly flushed red, like two blooming red plum blossoms atop snow.

“W-what are you doing...”

She squirmed slightly, yet gently sank into his chest. Her cool silver hair brushed softly back and forth.

“A farewell kiss or something—that’s what couples do. We’re different from them...”

Her voice came out incredibly soft, from deep within, sighing weakly—like a little girl lazily whining in bed, hinting at strange hope and joy.

The air around them began heating up, and the skin touching felt like burning.

“If I did nothing, you’d be disappointed.”

Helplessly, Yuu lifted her chin, gazed into her moist, beautiful blue eyes, and gave a faint smile. “This has nothing to do with being a couple. We’re just doing what we want... If you can’t believe in love, then believe in the things you can trust, Masuzu.”

“...”

Her confused gaze instantly cleared. Seeing his serious eyes, Masuzu opened her mouth, wanting to say something—but no words came out. She could only silently look away.

She knew what he said was true, but somehow, when held in his arms, she couldn’t easily agree as she usually did.

It was as if a thorn was lodged in her heart—no matter whether she advanced or retreated, a layer of pretense would tear, revealing her most honest self.

“Don’t think too much. I’ll be by your side.” As if seeing through everything, Yuu spoke gently, his tone tender yet cruel.

(Why is he saying something like this now?)

Masuzu didn’t understand. She always failed to guess what was on his mind, and sometimes it made her anxious.

(Is he just saying this casually, or implying something? Wouldn’t it be better to keep deceiving each other like this? Why point it out specifically?)

The arm circling her waist felt warm and firm. His strong embrace seemed ready to pull her into another abyss.

In silence, their lips met again, tasting each other.

And for the first time, during a kiss with Yuu, Masuzu remained conscious—unable to sink into dreamy happiness as before.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Outside the luxury apartment.

Yuu turned toward the brightly lit high-rise windows, his face expressionless. He only asked himself:

“Do you love me?”

He would certainly answer: “Of course, I even love you.”

Yet that clearly wasn’t a sincere answer.

No matter how close they became, Yuu would never hear her truthful reply.

Because the very thing he avoided himself could never be given to someone else.

Distrust and fear toward love were deeply rooted in Masuzu’s heart, leading her to treat everything as lies and excuses—so she could enjoy things she’d long avoided.

Wanting to get closer, yet afraid of getting hurt. This contradictory attitude created their twisted relationship.

And this was something Yuu accepted—he once thought this was exactly what Masuzu needed. She could be filled with fake love like this, and he only needed to keep giving her the warmth she required.

“But apparently, it doesn’t work.”

Yuu sighed, turned around, and gazed at the city night illuminated by streetlights. Someone’s figure appeared in his mind.

In the end, he and that woman both desired something authentic and undeniable.

Wrong direction, wrong result... Because they were too intelligent, they understood this better than anyone.

And they could never accept such a wrong outcome from the depths of their hearts. They could only keep deceiving themselves, fooling themselves, unwilling to wake up, continuing endless self-comfort.

Now, he was making Masuzu sink deeper into lies, accompanying her in gaining fleeting happiness from this self-deceiving relationship.

If there were no system, Yuu might not care too much—after all, if they stayed together, ten or twenty years down the line, her warped worldview could surely be corrected.

But this was already Task Three. After two more tasks, his life manipulated by the system would end. Though he claimed not to rush, Yuu still didn’t want to delay too long.

What if his mission ended after they had a child?

Once the timeline changed, would the newborn baby return to its origin?

Don’t joke! No matter how strong his mentality, facing something like that would break him.

Precisely to prevent this, Yuu tested Masuzu.

As for the results... They couldn’t be called good or bad—only that the road ahead was still long.

“Why is it so hard to have a normal relationship, where we can enjoy sweet moments, end with regret, and welcome a new life...”

Amid the cold October night wind, the boyfriend’s sigh drifted away with the chilly air.

Leaves fell, and winter, trying to change, would soon arrive.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After returning home and having dinner with Sora, Yuu went back to his room.

After finishing all pre-sleep routines, he opened the locked drawer, inside which lay several odd items.

A broken phone, a pencil snapped in half, strangely colored water in a crystal jar, and a T-shirt labeled “Grand Strategy”...

All were objects he’d exchanged using the Miraculous Exchange ability. Like pulling the lowest-tier prize from ten gacha rolls, none of them were useful at all.

He traded an old phone for a Samsung Note 7 That Explodes, a regular pencil for a Pencil Broken by a Genius Student, plain water for Princess Charlotte’s Holy Water, and clothing for the Garment Worn by a Conquering King.

The first was useless as a weapon, the second irrelevant since he himself was already a genius, the third—though seemingly capable of curing all diseases—he didn’t even want to touch it, and the fourth...

Holy relic?

He had no plans to participate in the Holy Grail War—why would he need such an item?!

He hadn’t thrown them away simply because Yuu wanted to collect these trinkets, later checking whether his luck was good or bad, as souvenirs.

He tried exchanging once daily; when the drawer filled up, he’d discard a few utterly useless items.

“Today, let’s try this...”

He took out a talisman labeled Academic Success and held it in his palm.

It was a charm he bought at a shrine back in middle school third year—for himself and Yuigahama. Not particularly important, so suitable to trade with the system.

Since it involved supernatural matters, perhaps he’d receive an unexpected surprise?

Thinking this, Yuu closed his eyes and skillfully activated Miraculous Exchange.

After confirming the exchange, there was no countdown. A familiar drowsiness enveloped his head, and the feeling of drained energy arose—stronger than ever before.

“Oh, seems like this is a good item...”

This final thought surfaced in his mind. Yuu gathered his remaining strength to turn off the light, cover himself with a blanket, and fully sink into deep darkness.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The next morning.

Staring at the charm in his hand, transformed from red to green, Yuu, briefly startled, opened the window without expression.

“Luck-Curse Talisman.”

“Get as far away as possible!”

Damn it, of course he’d get a DEBUFF! This was absurd to the core!

Watching the charm turn into a green comet and fly away, Yuu wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief.

“You said you wouldn’t harm me, you damn system—you tricked my innocent heart...”

System: “Exchanged items are entirely random and beyond system control. Please use this ability carefully.”

“Why didn’t you say that from the start—“

His complaint choked in his throat.

Yuu saw the charm, somehow already back on his bed. His cheek twitched slightly, his expression oddly strained.

On the dark green cloth, the large word “CURSE” seemed carved in blackened blood, radiating a chilling aura that sent shivers down the spine.

“This plot... I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

“...System, explain.”

Yuu pressed his temple, feeling slightly dizzy.

As if analyzing data from the talisman, after several seconds of silence, the system finally spoke in his mind.

System: “Talisman created by the God of Misfortune during boredom. Once touched, it binds automatically—cannot be destroyed or discarded. It absorbs surrounding misfortune. When saturation reaches a threshold, a misfortune incident will strike the host. The talisman will vanish automatically, regardless of success or failure.”

“...So it’s not purely a cursed object?”

Taking the charm, Yuu calmly examined it for a moment, then abandoned his intention to burn it.

Against supernatural forces, struggles like this were just a waste of time. Figuring out how to deal with it was the necessary task now.

...But, it seemed there was nothing he could do.

After trying to rinse it with Princess Charlotte’s Holy Water and finding it only emitted a strange smell with zero exorcism effect, Yuu reached a helpless conclusion.

“Can’t discard, can’t destroy—so I just have to wait for the misfortune incident to happen?”

He sighed resignedly, sitting on the bed and scratching his head. “Turns out I can’t casually eat gifts falling from the sky. I need to be more careful with exchanges... By the way, system, if I fail to survive the misfortune incident, will I die immediately?”

System: “Host need not worry. With the system present, the host will not face mortal danger.”

“And what about losing limbs?”

System: “As long as it does not interfere with task completion.”

Yuu gritted his teeth angrily. “System, I’m sick of you! Just leave all your treasures—let’s break up!”

System: “...”

How low can a man go to say something like that?

Jokes aside, Yuu had to face this sudden stroke of bad luck.

Fortunately, the system could warn him when misfortune accumulated, so he could prepare at that time instead of living in constant anxiety from now on.

He tossed the cursed talisman onto the bed, then showered, changed into his uniform, packed his school bag, and went downstairs to make breakfast.

“Morning~ so sleepy...” Soon after, Sora shuffled into the living room, grabbed a glass of barley tea from the kitchen, and lazily walked out again.

Her eyes barely open, leaving only narrow slits, her steps wobbly.

Carrying two freshly made salad plates, Yuu followed behind her—and happened to see Sora’s tiny big toe nearly collide with the leg of the table.

The reason it was “nearly” was because, just before impact, Sora’s body suddenly swayed and tilted sideways. Her clean, cute toes narrowly passed beside the table leg.

Then, unaware, she climbed onto the chair and continued sleeping while hugging her plushie.

“...Coincidence?”

With a strange expression, Yuu set down the plates and reached into his pocket.

The green charm, which should’ve been on the bed, he quietly pulled out.

The thick black letters “CURSE” seemed to emit a mysterious glow.

-

Title: Masuzu Calls

“Hmm, what is it?”

Half-opening her eyes, Sora noticed her older brother intently staring at her feet. Instinctively, she pulled back her cute, pale toes and turned to him, confused.

Still not fully awake, she harbored no suspicion whatsoever. She only murmured, slightly puzzled, “What’s so great about my feet...?”

“Don’t worry about it—I was just spacing out for a moment.” Yuu snapped back to reality, casually pulling up a chair and sitting down. He said, “Your feet are still as pretty as ever. Keep it that way.”

“Oh, okay.” Sora nodded dumbly, her chin resting on the head of her rabbit plushie, her eyes blankly gazing into the distance.

After more than ten seconds, the girl’s pale face slowly flushed red. She scrunched her nose and glared angrily at him before lowering her head and starting breakfast. Her appetite seemed much better than before.

Yuu ignored her reaction, continuing to eat while pondering the Luck-Curse Talisman.

(I don’t know if this is good news or not...)

(Sora, who should’ve stubbed her toe on the table leg, managed to avoid a future where she’d be holding her foot and crying—her misfortune absorbed by me.)

(From a self-sacrifice-for-others perspective, this object could actually be considered a Luck Charm.)

(Let only I get hurt. Let me bear all the misfortunes of others!)

If the scope were limited solely to his sister, Yuu wouldn’t mind sacrificing himself.

No matter how much pain came his way—stubbing his toe on furniture or paper cuts—he wouldn’t fear it. As long as Sora stayed healthy, everything would be fine.

...Yes, if only this object were truly that simple.

Not to mention whether the bad luck he received would directly affect himself—the written description didn’t specify the range or targets of misfortune absorption. If he had to endure all misfortunes from people within a hundred-meter radius, who knew what kind of terrible treatment he’d suffer before the talisman vanished?

“Not very advantageous.”

Reaching such a conclusion, Yuu silently sighed and decided to temporarily stop thinking about the charm issue. After all, he couldn’t change anything. Ignoring it felt easier anyway.

Just as he thought that, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

A message from Masuzu.

“What does she want so early...” With chopsticks still in his mouth, Yuu pulled out his phone, swiped the screen, and examined it carefully.

Masuzu:『Ngik ngik ngik, ngik. Ngik mmm, ngik ngik, ngik oh, ngik ah ngik! Ngik mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm—』

What appeared were characters even stranger and more nonsensical than random code—completely incomprehensible, with no clue as to what she intended to say.

Yuu narrowed his eyes, staring at his phone expressionlessly.

...Masuzu, did she finally go insane?

Or was she in such bad shape that she couldn’t type properly? Should he rush her to the hospital?

However, the message was quickly retracted and replaced with several normal sentences in Japanese—

Masuzu:『The previous message contained many typos and omitted words. I deeply apologize. The original text should have been: Can we go to school together? I want to cling to you. I look forward to a satisfying reply.』

With a slightly resigned expression, Yuu swiftly pressed the send button, glancing up to see Sora peeking over from the side.

“What?”

“...Focus on your breakfast. Don’t play with your phone.”

“Not playing—it’s just a friend reaching out.”

“A friend? Hah, yeah...”

The brief, awkward exchange ended there. Sora continued eating, while Yuu hit the send button.

Yuu:『Sure, but are you really feeling alright? If you’re unwell, better stay home and rest.』

Masuzu:『I’m just a bit sleep-deprived. Thank you for your concern, dear. Your warmth has filled my body since this morning.』

The text conversation ended. Apparently, Masuzu was getting ready to leave.

Yuu put away his phone, sped up his breakfast, and after finishing, placed the dishes in the sink for Sora to wash later.

“I’m off. When you wake up, don’t forget to exercise.”

“You don’t need to tell me, Mother Hen Yuu.” Sora’s lazy voice drifted from the living room.

Yuu set his school bag beside the shoe cabinet. As he sat at the entrance putting on his shoes, his phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from Masuzu.

“Hello?” Yuu answered, quietly lowering the volume so the silver-haired girl peeking from the living room couldn’t hear. “Why are you calling all of a sudden?”

Masuzu didn’t answer immediately—she only softly giggled twice, then spoke in a gentle, mysterious tone:

“Hello, this is Masuzu. Right now, I’m crossing the street.”

Yuu paused briefly, then reacted instantly: “...Miss Mary?”

Miss Mary was one of the urban legends—a prank caller known for stalking.

She liked reporting her location to unsettle her victims, ultimately appearing behind them and stabbing them to death when they turned around.

As the information flashed through his mind, Yuu tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear, sighing helplessly as he finished tying his shoes.

“You really intend to imitate an urban legend this early in the morning.”

“This is Masuzu. Now I’m at the alley entrance.”

As if not hearing him, Masuzu continued speaking in a creepy tone, delivering one sentence every few moments:

“This is Masuzu. Now I’m crossing the street.”

“This is Masuzu. Now I’m at the corner.”

“This is Masuzu. Now I’m at the convenience store.”

“This is Yuu. Still at the front door.”

“This is...” Masuzu hesitated, interrupted by him—she nearly lost her rhythm. “...This is Masuzu. Now I’m in front of your house!”

“Really?” After putting on his shoes, Yuu stood and looked outside through the peephole. “Nobody’s there. By the way, wouldn’t it be scarier if you hung up and called again? Though if you did, I might not answer.”

Masuzu seemed determined to finish the act, completely ignoring his commentary, continuing her eerie performance:

“This is Masuzu. Now I’m behind you...”

Before she could finish, Yuu shouted without turning around, “Sora, is anyone behind me?”

“Nope, who are you talking to? Some girl?”

Yuu didn’t answer her first. Instead, he deliberately asked the person on the phone, “My sister says no one’s there. Where are you?”

“...”

“Alright, enough joking. Where are you right now?”

“...At a place very close to your house. You might see me the moment you step out.” Masuzu huffed, pouting in her tone.

Yuu ended the call. As he opened the front door, he turned and shouted to Sora, “Don’t forget lunch!”

“I know! You still haven’t answered my question—who were you talking to just now...”

Without waiting for her to finish, Yuu closed the front door and stepped into the bright, crisp autumn morning.

-

Title: As Long as There Is Love, Even...

Yuu left without looking back.

“Yuu...”

Sora, who had been about to wash dishes in the kitchen, stood frozen at the living room door. Staring at the closed front door, she even forgot to hug her rabbit plushie. She swung her slender, long legs and ran upstairs.

Reaching the second floor, she quickly opened the bedroom door and rushed to the balcony. She looked down at the street outside, squinting slightly from discomfort.

“Very suspicious... and it has something to do with a girl!”

Sora murmured, her eyes scanning the road in front of their house.

Her suspicion was simple—had the caller been a man, Yuu certainly wouldn’t have answered her question ambiguously or ignored it entirely.

Thus, only one explanation remained for his reaction.

The person on the phone wasn’t just a woman—it was someone so close to him that he couldn’t tell his little sister.

...Was it his girlfriend?

With this uncertain guess, Sora quickly spotted a familiar figure walking down the street. And just as she suspected, at an intersection some distance from their home, she saw him meet a silver-haired girl, then walk away together intimately.

They held hands, almost clinging to each other on the sidewalk. From any angle, she was clearly his girlfriend.

“...”

On the balcony, the silent air felt frozen.

Though the morning sun shone warm and bright, no light penetrated her pale-colored eyes. Sora simply stared silently at the backs of the two figures walking away.

Unexpected.

After witnessing the scene with her own eyes, Sora felt calmer than she’d imagined. She didn’t even feel particularly sad.

It was as if she’d been wounded by this many times before, and now her wounds had already scabbed over. She could even quietly comment to herself—her brother must have a special fetish, going so far as to find a girlfriend with hair color similar to hers. How perverted.

For some reason, Sora herself felt very strange.

She thought she would be more shocked, more disbelieving, then start fearing she’d be abandoned.

But now, seeing her brother and that girl walk away, apart from wanting to ask him to be honest when he returned, she had no urge to cause a scene or claim ownership.

There was only a slight tightness in her chest, a small unwillingness, and anxiety over being kept in the dark. Compared to her past jealous outbursts over minor hints, this could be called remarkably calm.

Had she unknowingly matured?

“Anyway, Yuu belongs to me—no one can take him... No matter if you’re his girlfriend, mistress, or wife, you’ll never take Yuu from me.”

She muttered, as if hypnotizing herself. After taking a deep breath of the cold morning air, Sora stepped away from the balcony.

Barefoot, she skillfully unlocked the door and entered the adjacent room.

No matter how mature she became, her love for her brother would never cool.

No matter how many women he met outside, within this house, Yuu would always be her older brother—and Sora would always be his younger sister.

They belonged to each other, and no matter how the world changed, not even death could separate them.

Sora believed this completely, and since that day until now, she had never doubted it.

“Haaah... Yuu... I love you... always loved you...”

In the empty, quiet room.

Breathing in his scent, surrounded by traces Yuu had left behind.

The silver-haired girl lay on the bed, sucking her fingers. Her pale face flushed red, and her soft breathing gradually grew heavier.

When could she finally confess these feelings to him?

Sora was growing increasingly impatient.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

“By the way, Masuzu, how did you know my home address?”

“It’s easy. As long as there is love, even becoming an omniscient, omnipotent god is possible, ki☆ra~”

“Stop trying to act cute in front of me.”

Yuu slapped his forehead. Masuzu only stuck out her tongue playfully, pretending to be adorable, showing no intention of letting go. She still clung to his arm like a koala.

“Geez...” Yuu walked awkwardly toward the station. He mentally calculated that this girl was five times needier than usual.

Her beautiful body pressed against him without resistance. Her soft, pale cheek occasionally brushed against his arm. Her expression, usually calm and composed, had completely melted away, replaced by pure, sweet joy.

“Ngeh, ngeh...”

Masuzu even made weird noises like that—cuter than a house cat long abandoned by its owner—

Is this really Masuzu?

Normally, she cared about her image, maintaining the grace and dignity of a proper girlfriend.

But now, she seemed to have fully entered another world—completely ignoring everyone else except him, clinging to him wholeheartedly, as if afraid he’d run away if she let go.

(...She’s truly gone crazy. Did what I said yesterday affect her this deeply?)

As these thoughts crossed his mind, his arm was rubbed against again several times.

Yuu’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Unable to endure it any longer, he sighed helplessly.

“...Masuzu, could you please loosen your grip a bit? Lots of people are staring.”

Masuzu tilted her head up slightly, pouting her cheeks, whispering into his chest with a complaining tone, “Ugh, don’t you like it when they know we’re doing well?”

(Look, her way of speaking—she’s regressed at least ten years in age!)

(But wait, seven-year-old Masuzu...)

Yuu shook his head, steadying his conscience, which was nearly wavering.

“I just don’t want you to be seen as a poor, unfortunate beauty with leg problems needing help to walk to school.”

“...True, I was too out of control.”

Seeming to imagine that scenario, Masuzu’s expression slowly regained composure, and the intelligent, mature light returned to her eyes.

After sighing deeply, as if regretful, she straightened up and gently released his arm.

Yet their hands remained intertwined—like grasping the last straw on water’s surface, refusing to let go.

“What’s wrong with you today? Did you suddenly catch a clinginess disease?” After thinking, Yuu carefully asked.

Masuzu replied casually, “No, it’s just that my friction technique has finally reached its final stage. This is a crucial moment. Without strong friction, all accumulated friction energy will be wasted, and I’ll have to start over from scratch.”

Yuu couldn’t help but comment, “Impressive—you’re better at making up stories than I am…”

Since the other party chose not to talk about it, and to avoid worsening her condition, Yuu didn’t press further. Calmly and naturally, he held her hand and walked into the station, boarding the train that had just arrived.

Along the way, Masuzu occasionally tilted her head up, gazing at his profile from the side.

Not knowing what she was thinking, her eyes sometimes looked confused, sometimes complicated—but the moment their eyes met, she concealed all inner turmoil. Casually starting conversations about random, unimportant topics, keeping Masuzu sounding like Masuzu.

At the shoe lockers, they promised to have lunch together, then parted ways to different classrooms.