Machio Araki was a broken man.
By third period, he had already been leashed twice.
First by Matsumi—his evil ex—who, upon spotting him crouched in the hallway polishing Anzu-senpai's shoes, had burst out laughing so hard she tripped over her own heels.
"Ohhh, karma is delicious!" she had cackled, tugging a pink ribbon from her hair and tying it around his neck like a collar.
Now, every few minutes, she yanked on it whenever he passed by.
"Good boy, Machi-kun~!" Matsumi crowed from across the hall, waving like a deranged beauty queen.
Machio wanted to die.
He staggered into the courtyard, cheeks burning, only to run into his second disaster.
Heimi.
The principal.
The woman was in her thirties, looked twenty, and acted... twelve.
"Oooh~ what do we have here?" Heimi cooed, crouching in front of him like a predator sizing up a wounded bunny.
She plucked the ribbon leash from Matsumi's hands (Matsumi didn't even argue—she just smirked and started recording on her phone) and tied it into a fancy, humiliating bow.
Then—
Heimi produced a sparkly pink bell.
And clipped it to Machio's collar.
Ding ding~!
"I've always wanted a school pet!" Heimi clapped her hands joyfully. "Now, bark for me!"
Machio stared at her in sheer, primal horror.
"No way in hell—!"
Heimi's eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Principal's orders."
Machio whimpered.
And barked.
Once.
Softly.
Like the saddest, most humiliated puppy on Earth.
Ding ding!
From the sidelines, two figures watched gleefully: Nariyuki and Yuzu.
"Bro's spirit has officially left his body," Nariyuki whispered, trying to hold in his laughter.
Yuzu nodded solemnly, tears in her eyes.
"A moment of silence for our fallen brother."
They both bowed their heads dramatically.
Then burst out laughing again.
Meanwhile, Machio was paraded around the courtyard on his sparkly leash.
By his principal.
By lunch break, the whole school had seen him.
He could practically hear his social life disintegrating like dust in the wind.
Then, just when he thought it couldn't possibly get worse—
It did.
Enter: Misaki.
Misaki, his "legal ownerof Phantom Kiss Café " thanks to the original Crimson Pact disaster, stormed out of the cafeteria wielding a giant broom like a sword.
Her short bob cut flared around her furious face.
"WHO TOUCHED MY PROPERTY?!" she screamed, voice cracking the heavens.
Heimi blinked innocently.
"Oh? I was just borrowing him~."
Matsumi snickered in the background.
Misaki marched up, grabbed Machio by the collar, and yanked him behind her like a misbehaving dog.
Machio stumbled after her, tail tucked metaphorically between his legs.
In the main hallway, she pinned him against the lockers.
"Listen, pet," she hissed, cheeks flaming. "I don't share."
Machio whimpered again.
Then—
Just as Misaki was about to start lecturing (read: smothering) him, a shadow fell over them.
Tap, tap.
High heels.
Soft giggle.
Then—
Anzu Kotahara appeared, twirling a heart-shaped riding crop like a baton.
"Yoo~ Machio-kun is mine today, remember~?" she sang.
Misaki glared.
Anzu smirked.
Tension crackled in the air like a hundred volt battery.
Machio thought he was about to die between two beautiful, terrifying girls fighting for his soul.
Instead—
Anzu poked Misaki's forehead gently with her crop.
"Temporary contract," she sang. "Senpai's privilege~."
Misaki twitched.
Badly.
Vein popping out on her forehead.
But she backed off.
Grudgingly.
"You have until sunset," Misaki snapped. "Then he's mine again."
She stomped off, broom still in hand.
Machio slumped against the lockers, completely drained.
Anzu leaned down, flashing him a dazzling (and suspiciously evil) smile.
"Come, pet~," she chirped.
She yanked his leash.
And Machio stumbled after her like a doomed soldier heading for execution.
In the gymnasium…
Machio knelt miserably at Anzu's feet, wearing a pair of fuzzy cat paws taped to his hands.
A fake tail had been clipped onto his belt.
His job?
Balance a book on his head and meow every time he dropped it.
And every time he failed...
Whap!
Anzu lightly bopped him on the butt with her riding crop.
"Bad kitty~!" she sang.
Nariyuki and Yuzu had somehow found a bag of popcorn and were providing live commentary from the bleachers.
"Ooh, direct hit to the pride!" Nariyuki crowed. "That's gonna leave a mark!"
"Machio's HP is down to like, two percent," Yuzu agreed solemnly, munching popcorn.
Meanwhile, Machio's soul was slowly escaping his body again.
His dignity was already dead.
He might as well join it.
At one point, Anzu made him do a "sexy neko dance" across the gym floor.
Yuzu actually filmed it.
Nariyuki promised to make it a TikTok.
Machio wanted to eat a mop out of sheer despair.
And just when he thought it was finally over—
When the bell rang for end of day and he stumbled to his feet, battered and broken—
The gym doors slammed open.
BOOM!
Everyone turned.
Standing there, in a swirl of dramatic sunlight and dust motes—
Was Natsume Tachibana.
Machio's accidental Crimson Pact partner.
And absolute wildcard.
Her black hair fluttered around her shoulders. Her crimson eyes burned with righteous fury.
She stomped into the gym, stopping only inches from Machio.
She glared at Anzu.
"You," Natsume said coolly. "Release him."
Anzu pouted.
"Ara~? But I'm just playing with my cute kouhai—"
Crack!
Lightning-fast, Natsume snapped her fingers.
An invisible pressure slammed into Anzu, making her stumble back with a surprised squeak.
Machio gawked.
"Since when could she use magic?!"
Nariyuki and Yuzu were openly gaping now.
"Natsume just pulled a mid-boss move!" Nariyuki gasped.
"Queen energy," Yuzu breathed reverently.
Natsume grabbed Machio's leash, yanked it free, and tossed it aside like trash.
Then—
Without asking—
She grabbed Machio by the chin and tilted his head up.
"You belong to me," she said fiercely.
Machio's heart thudded.
His brain exploded.
He short-circuited on the spot.
"—Huh?!?"
Natsume ignored him.
She scooped him up princess-style—(he yelped)—and stalked out of the gym without so much as a backward glance.
Machio clutched her desperately, face burning hotter than the sun.
"PUT ME DOWN! PEOPLE ARE WATCHING—!"
"I don't care," Natsume said coolly.
And she meant it.
She carried him all the way across campus like a conquering warlord carrying her prize.
Students stopped and stared.
Girls shrieked.
Boys cheered.
Somebody actually threw confetti.
Nariyuki and Yuzu ran after them, shouting commentary.
"THIS IS LEGENDARY!" Nariyuki bellowed.
"BEST. DAY. EVER!" Yuzu screamed.
Machio buried his face in Natsume's chest and whimpered.
This school really was cursed.
But maybe…
Just maybe…
Being Natsume's pet was a little less horrifying than the others.
Maybe.
Maybe.
(Probably not.)
TO BE CONTINUED—!!