"I... don't have any thoughts."
Kato Megumi didn't say anything more about letting her go—words that were clearly impossible at this point.
And Kato Megumi was careful, avoiding any language that might provoke this man whose name she still didn't know.
The fact that he was so bold meant he had nothing to fear.
So, despite her fear, Megumi wasn't foolish enough to do anything reckless.
After all, when faced with trouble, her mind remained calm.
"I think joining wouldn't be bad."
Nanaya chuckled softly, as if thinking of something.
Hearing his laugh, Megumi knew whatever he was imagining couldn't be anything good.
"However, I believe if you want to improve your presence, you should just beg me."
Nanaya lightly pinched the soft flesh of the girl's waist through her clothes, making her squirm in displeasure.
"No, thank you."
Megumi refused politely but firmly.
Nanaya wasn't disappointed—he took it as part of the game. After all, this delicious piece of meat would eventually end up in his mouth.
"But aren't you curious why I always notice you?"
Nanaya tossed out this question.
That's right, why did he always find her?
Megumi began to ponder.
Her low presence had been a thing since childhood, and even these past few days, no one else had noticed her.
So, she hadn't changed.
He was the anomaly!
Honestly, Megumi should have realized this earlier, but after two encounters where he immediately forced a kiss on her, who would have the presence of mind to think about it?
Now that things had temporarily "calmed down," guided by Nanaya's words, how could Megumi not realize this man truly had a way to solve her presence problem?
But…
She wasn't willing to ask him directly.
That would feel like forgiving his actions!
Nanaya didn't expect Megumi to seek his help right away. There was plenty of time.
He kneaded the pale skin of her thighs beneath her skirt a few more times. The exposed absolute territory between her skirt and white thigh-high socks drew his gaze irresistibly.
If he wanted to touch, he did.
Even as Megumi clenched her legs tightly and sat up straight, she couldn't stop her uniform skirt from riding up.
Feeling that burning hand wandering lightly over her thighs, her body stiffened instantly.
"Alright, that's enough emotional exchange for today."
After one last teasing pinch, Nanaya let her go.
Megumi quickly stood up from his lap, stepping back twice, clearly unwilling to stay too close.
"No need to be so nervous. Wasn't our exchange full of feeling?"
"Not at all," Megumi thought to herself, inwardly scoffing.
"I'll take my leave now. I hope you won't do anything… rebellious."
Ignoring the resistance in Megumi's eyes, Nanaya stood up and spoke casually.
"Oh, and you might want to consider that boring club. Of course, I'll join with you—seems like it'll be fun."
With a wave, Nanaya walked deeper into the grove under Megumi's watchful gaze.
'The path ends at a lake—there's no way out. Is he planning something else?'
As his figure disappeared, Megumi hesitated.
If some other unsuspecting girl fell into this man's hands, she'd surely be miserable.
Slowly, Megumi followed.
The rustling laughter from the bushes along the way didn't falter, completely unaffected by her passing.
But when she finally reached the lakeshore, she froze in shock.
There was no one there.
The lake was crystal clear.
The man had vanished.
Back in the Real World
Nanaya returned to reality, munching on fried squid rings as he checked the time on his computer.
23:21
The exact same time as when he'd left for the anime world.
Meaning, time stopped in reality while he was in the anime!
But what if he spent time in reality?
Would time pass in the anime?
Was his travel affected by the anime's timeline?
These were things he'd have to test.
Still, the perks were undeniable—in the anime, he didn't have to pretend to be a good person. The squid rings in his hand were "borrowed" after a friendly exchange with some motivated youths in an alley.
With the [Calm Mind] ability, even in the heat of conflict, Nanaya could think clearly.
This feeling was amazing.
He couldn't wait to claim his reward for "conquering" Kato Megumi—[Invisibility].
Testing the Rules
Nanaya forced himself to wait, spending a full day in reality before returning to the anime at 23:21 the next night.
He reappeared at his "logout" point—the lakeside.
It was now evening, and the area was deserted.
Under the rising moonlight, he left the school and headed to a 24-hour convenience store.
The clock inside read: 18:25
The times didn't match.
Nanaya exited the store, slipped into a dark alley, and logged out.
He dragged the timeline forward and re-entered.
Still at the lakeside. No changes.
Wait—
An idea struck him. He logged out again, this time focusing on the lakeside in his mind before re-entering.
This time, he spawned right at the school's lake.
After several tests, Nanaya confirmed:
Time in reality affected the anime world, but the ratio was unclear.
Re-entry would teleport him to the last location he remembered clearly—like an anchor point.
Unvisited locations couldn't be warped to.
When he tried visualizing Megumi's home, nothing happened. He could only appear at his last logout spot.
Looks like I'll have to follow Megumi to get her address.
…Or maybe I can just check the school's student directory?
As he pondered, Nanaya decided to explore the night.
Who knew what interesting things he might find?
Armed with a baseball bat brought from the real world, he successfully "fundraised" a generous amount from some enthusiastic young men.
With the bat tucked at his waist, he eyed the women passing by.
Before his eyes, the potential rewards flickered into view.
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