The bell rang with a soft echo through the corridors of Kuoh Academy.
Chairs began to creak. Backpacks were opened. The natural bustle of break time took shape. But for Megumi, the sound brought no relief.
She put away her pen calmly and closed her notebook. The pencil case, the bookmark, the papers—everything moved with the precision of someone eager to leave. Anxiety hid behind the careful gestures.
'It'll be fine.'
She had decided to go to Yuta's classroom.
To have lunch with him.
Even with Aika there.
Even with the stares of classmates.
She wanted to make this work. For her. For them.
But as she bent to grab her lunchbox from her bag, a shadow appeared beside her desk.
"Katō… can I talk to you for a moment?"
The voice was low but direct.
Megumi recognized it without looking.
Tomoya.
She didn't respond immediately. Her body still bent, her hand gripping the lunchbox strap.
Inside, everything froze.
'Right now?'
She took a deep breath. Straightened up.
Looked into his eyes.
---
Across the school, Class 2-B was nearly empty.
Aika was already there.
With her lunchbox resting on the desk, she approached Yuta casually, as if it were something they'd been doing for days.
"Is she late?"
The question came lightly as Aika sat sideways on the desk in front, elbows propped up, chin in her hands.
Yuta was internally checking his system. Spiritual energy was under control, the amulets stored.
"She's probably on her way."
Aika smiled but didn't press further. She opened her lunchbox. The faint scent of ginger-seasoned rice wafted into the air.
Utaha watched from a distance.
She was seated near the window, her pencil case still open but untouched.
When she saw the last students leaving the room, she took a deep breath and stood.
She walked to Yuta's desk.
Stopped a step away.
"I need to tell you something. It's quick."
Yuta looked up.
Aika paused with her chopsticks for a moment.
Utaha didn't lower her voice but chose her words with precision.
"Tomoya's working on a script for a new game. And he wants the protagonist to be based on Megumi."
Aika furrowed her brow.
Yuta just listened.
Not a muscle in his face moved.
Utaha continued, her tone still matter-of-fact.
"He hasn't told her directly yet. But he's mentioned it to me and Eriri. It's real."
Silence.
Yuta tilted his head slightly.
"Thanks for letting me know."
Utaha nodded.
"I don't know what you'll do with this. But I thought you should know."
She turned and left.
No ceremony. No looking back.
Aika stared at the door for a few seconds.
"Well… that was unexpected."
Yuta didn't comment.
He was too calm.
---
Five minutes later, Megumi entered.
The sound of the sliding door drew Aika's attention.
Megumi carried her lunchbox, her face calm but her eyes… a little darker.
She said nothing as she walked in. She moved to her usual desk—next to Yuta's—and sat carefully.
Aika watched.
So did Yuta.
Megumi opened her lunchbox slowly. The utensils were spotless. The food still warm.
But her fingers were a bit stiffer.
Aika broke the ice:
"I swear, the way you hold chopsticks looks like you trained with a monk."
Megumi looked up. A brief smile appeared but didn't linger.
"Thanks."
Aika didn't push further.
Megumi poked at her food for a few seconds. Then, without looking directly, she slid a small side container toward Yuta.
"I made some for you too."
Her voice was soft but steady.
Yuta looked at the container. It was smaller than hers but carefully prepared—molded rice with furikake, neatly cut omelet strips, and lightly grilled vegetables.
He met her eyes.
Megumi seemed focused on her chopsticks, but the tension was still there—in her shoulders, her neck, the way her eyes avoided his for too long.
"Sorry I took so long."
Yuta didn't respond right away. He just observed.
Megumi took a deep breath, finally meeting his gaze.
"It was Tomoya. He stopped me before I left the classroom."
Aika raised an eyebrow subtly but stayed silent.
"He wanted to talk about… a new project. But I said no."
Yuta exhaled slowly. He didn't seem surprised. Just attentive.
"Did he push after that?"
Megumi hesitated for half a second.
"…He did."
Aika gripped a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, but her eyes darted between them.
"He kept saying it was important, that I'd understand if I listened… that he'd been thinking of me from the start."
Yuta picked up the container carefully. Opened the lid.
Steam rose with a faint aroma.
"You did well to say no."
"I felt uncomfortable. But I didn't want to make a scene. I just wanted to get out of there."
Aika leaned slightly over the desk.
"Did he get aggressive?"
Megumi shook her head.
"No. Just… persistent."
Yuta said nothing for a moment.
He picked up his chopsticks.
"Thanks for the lunch."
Megumi nodded, returning to her food.
The silence returned. But this time, it was less heavy.
Things had been said. And understood.
Aika took another bite.
"Now I get why your food looks like it's from an anime. It's kind of humiliating to eat next to you."
Megumi smiled genuinely, though small.
"Maybe one day I'll make some for you too."
Aika stared at her for two seconds.
"If that's a peace offering, I'm in."
Megumi looked back. Her response was simple:
"It is."
Yuta kept his eyes on the container, but he wasn't savoring the taste.
His system flickered silently—a visual alert only he could see. Translucent icons appeared in the corner of his vision, subtle but clear.
[⚙️ JJK System – New Mission Available]
[Special Mission: Scarier Than a Ghost]
> Target: Tomoya Aki
> Condition: Indirect threat to the user's emotional core.
> Reason: Attempting to emotionally manipulate Megumi Katō.
> Objective: Teach him a lesson.
> Note: He's alive… but seems to want to play with forces he doesn't understand.
[🎯 Base Reward:
> ➤ +15% Cursed Energy
> ➤ +3 Attribute Points]
[🩸 Variable Reward:
> ➤ The intensity and creativity of the punishment may yield additional bonuses.]
Yuta blinked once.
The words floated there, in stark white against reality.
'The system… is giving me permission?'
He maintained his posture. His expression didn't change.
But inside, his thoughts moved with surgical precision.
'Until now, I've only taken missions tied to spirits, disturbances, curses.'
This was personal.
'He messed with her. Tried to pull her into a project with ulterior motives. Waited until she was vulnerable. And pushed even after she said no.'
The system recognized it.
And offered a response.
'But… what would teaching a lesson mean?'
Yuta glanced at Megumi from the corner of his eye. She was eating quietly now, at ease beside Aika. Her energy was calm, stable. But only because she'd stood her ground—and because Utaha had spoken up.
If not for that…
'Tomoya would be closer than he should.'
Yuta closed his eyes for a second.
He felt the flow of cursed energy moving subtly beneath his skin. As if the system itself awaited his response with silent anticipation.
Cruel?
Creative?
The system didn't demand blood.
But it didn't forbid it either.
'He doesn't need to be broken.'
A pause.
'Just… marked.'
Enough to make him understand that messing with Megumi—or any of them—wasn't a mistake to repeat.
Yuta opened his eyes again.
Aika was saying something about citrus flavors. Megumi smiled politely.
The world seemed normal.
But inside him, the decision was made.
'Mission accepted.'
The system confirmed with a subtle glow.
And the air around him seemed to grow faintly colder.
YAstutoYuta looked sideways, directly at Megumi.
"Set it up with him. Tell him you'll talk about the game. Behind the gym."
Megumi didn't respond right away.
But her eyes met his.
And then, she simply nodded.
No emotion. No surprise.
"Okay."
Her reply was short. Neutral. But clear.
She didn't want to know what would happen next.
And honestly, she didn't seem to care.
Aika took one last bite of her chicken and rice, then wiped her lips with an improvised napkin.
"Seriously… why don't I have a boyfriend like that?"
Megumi turned her head slowly and gave her a tired look.
Not out of jealousy.
Just realization.
She rolled her eyes slowly. Wordlessly.
Aika raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Okay, okay… I'm just giving a compliment."
Yuta closed the lid of his container.
The meal was over.
But the day was just beginning.
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