Oh no! Dad's coming!
"Lume, help me!" she whispered urgently.
"Pipi, go stall Dad!" Mina hissed as she struggled to drag Aria's limp body across the floor.
Without wasting a second, Pipi ran down the stairs, barking loudly and jumping around the hallway to stall Mina's dad, who had already begun climbing the steps with a confused look on his face.
"Why is that dog barking like that now?" Mr. Takane muttered, rubbing his eyes as he climbed.
Meanwhile, Lume floated behind Mina, helping her lift Aria's limp body from the floor.
"Lume, quick—on the bed!" Mina whispered.
They dragged Aria inside, and Mina locked the door just as her father's knuckles hit the wood with a firm knock knock knock!
"Honey pup! What's going on in there?! Open the door this instant!"
"I'm fine, Dad!" she called, trying to sound calm even though her voice cracked. "I'm just… um… I dropped something and screamed! Everything's okay now!"
"Are you sure?" he asked suspiciously.
Lume snapped his fingers, and instantly, the room sprang into a flurry of motion. The books stacked themselves neatly. Her overflowing laundry basket vanished into the closet, and even her crumpled blanket folded itself with perfect corners.
The room, which had looked like a floating magic mess just ago, now sparkled with eerie tidiness.
Mina rushed to Aria's side and gently sprinkled water on her face. "C'mon, bestie, wake up…"
Aria's eyelashes fluttered, and she let out a soft groan. "Mmm… what… happened…?"
Mina leaned closer. "Please, Aria. I'll explain everything, but just for now—pretend like nothing happened. Please."
Still dazed, Aria blinked slowly, nodding. "Okay…"
Mina rushed to the door. "I'm opening the door now, Dad!"
The door swung open, and her dad stormed in with Pipi right behind him, wagging his tail like a proud soldier returning from war.
Mr. Takane scanned the room suspiciously, his eyes narrowing. "Why was someone screaming? What's going on?"
"Hi, Mr. Takane," Aria said quickly, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry… it was me. I was just… really excited."
"Excited?" he raised a brow.
"Yeah! We were just talking about—um—our favorite boy band!" she added, forcing a nervous laugh.
Mr. Takane shook his head with a sigh. "What is wrong with teenage girls these days?" He glanced around the room, stopping for a second. "Wow. Mina… did you clean this room?"
Mina grinned nervously. "Umm… yeah?"
"Huh. Miracles do happen," he muttered before turning around and walking out.
As soon as the door closed, Aria spun toward Mina and grabbed her arm tightly.
"Girl," she said with wide eyes, "you better tell me what the heck I just saw."
Mina bit her lip. "What… exactly did you see?"
"Don't play dumb with me!" Aria said. "Your room was like Harry Potter meets Tokyo Ghoul! Everything was flying! I saw clothes folding themselves! The vacuum was cleaning the air!"
Before Mina could respond, Lume hovered above her shoulder and whispered, "If you give me permission, I can erase her memory."
"You can do that?" Mina asked, glancing sideways.
"Of course. It's a standard magical feature."
But Mina looked back at her best friend, who was staring at her with a face full of confusion and curiosity. "No," she said. "She's my friend. I don't want her to forget."
Aria squinted. "Who are you talking to right now?"
"I told you," Mina said slowly. "I met someone… or something. A magical friend. His name is Lume."
"Okay…" Aria said, looking around. "Where is this magical friend of yours?"
Mina pointed beside her. "He's floating here… red, sparkly… only I can see him."
Aria stared at the empty space Mina was gesturing at. "You're seriously scaring me, girl."
"I know it sounds crazy," Mina said gently. "But I swear it's true. Lume is real. He's a floating spirit who talks, eats, nags, and gives me tasks."
Aria raised a brow. "Wait—he gives you tasks?"
Mina nodded. "Yeah… because of this." She raised her hand, showing the ruby ring glinting in the light. "This ring is magical. That's how I met him."
"Okay, whoa…" Aria said, leaning closer. "Are you saying it's like… Genie?"
"Exactly!" Mina smiled. "But more advanced. He said it's not a genie—it's a 'wish protocol system.'"
Aria blinked. "Wow. That sounds like sci-fi anime."
Lume floated in close and crossed his little red arms. "You're telling too much, Mina."
"She's trustworthy," Mina said to Lume firmly. Then she turned to Aria. "He just said I'm saying too much, by the way."
Aria was still trying to keep up. "Okay… so tell me—what did you wish for?"
Mina suddenly looked dreamy. Her cheeks flushed pink as she smiled shyly. "To become popular… so I can date Semi Nishino."
Aria's mouth fell open. "That's your wish?! Not money? Not perfect grades? Not free ramen for life?! You want to date the most popular girl in school?!"
Mina nodded, grinning like a lovesick puppy. "Yes! I'm going to be Semi Nishino's girlfriend!"
Aria laughed and threw a pillow at her. "You're a hopeless romantic!"
Mina caught the pillow and hugged it tightly. "But it's not just a dream anymore. Lume said if I complete the tasks, my wish will come true."
"So… this wish thing comes with missions?" Aria asked, folding her arms.
Mina nodded.
"That's not a genie," Aria smirked. "That's a magical side quest giver."
Mina chuckled. "You're not wrong."
Suddenly, her phone buzzed.
"Oh no!" she shrieked. "I'm late for school again!"
Wait, wait, wait," Aria said, blocking her path. "You're seriously just going to leave after dropping all this magical madness on me?"
"I promise I'll tell you everything later!" Mina said, grabbing her backpack and stuffing books inside it. "But right now, I need to get to school to study for the state exam!"
Aria folded her arms and looked at her suspiciously. "You better. Or I'll come back with garlic, holy water, and a priest."
She leapt from the bed and began stuffing her books into her bag in a frenzy.
"Wait a minute," Aria said, pausing. "You're not wearing your glasses…"
Mina looked up.
"And you can see?"
Mina smiled, her eyes bright and confident. "Perfectly."
Aria gasped, clutching her chest like she just witnessed a plot twist in an anime. "Girl—does that mean… you have superpowers now?!"