"Kitahara-kun, a monster has latched onto Tomori-chan!"
Seeing Kitahara Makoto appear, Chihaya Anon anxiously shouted.
"I see it."
Kitahara Makoto frowned and looked towards Tomori.
He saw a transparent monster floating above Tomori's head. The monster's face was a white, ethereal mask, somewhat resembling the No-Face spirit from "Spirited Away" at first glance, but much smaller in size.
This monster floated above Tomori's head, its face pointing downwards, seemingly absorbing something. Wisps of smoke drifted out from Tomori's body and entered the No-Face's body.
"It's Little Rainbow."
The girl's calm voice suddenly sounded in Kitahara Makoto's ear.
"Mutsumi, do you know what it is?"
Kitahara Makoto landed on the cliff edge and, hearing this, looked at Mutsumi in his arms.
"It often appears in my dreams." Wakaba Mutsumi said expressionlessly, "Because the color of its mask often changes, I call it Little Rainbow."
I see.
No wonder there was a strange entity invading the Dream World. This thing clearly followed Mutsumi in... Is it the curse on Wakaba Mutsumi?
"Don't say so much." Chihaya Anon said anxiously, "Kitahara-kun, quickly eliminate that monster."
"It's useless." Wakaba Mutsumi's tone was calm. "I've tried many methods, but I can't drive Little Rainbow away. Also, Little Rainbow disappears after a moment, and it's not dangerous, so there's no need to worry about Tomori."
As she spoke, the ethereal white mask on the curse monster's face had quietly turned golden.
"That's not necessarily true."
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand and made a grasping motion in the air towards the No-Face floating above Tomori's head.
The next second.
The No-Face seemed to encounter some irresistible force, directly detaching from Tomori and flying into Kitahara Makoto's hand.
"Eh?"
Wakaba Mutsumi's eyes widened, her usually placid face showing a hint of surprise for the first time.
This No-Face had shrunk several times, transforming into a ball of mist that appeared in Kitahara Makoto's palm. Sensing danger, it began to thrash about, trying to escape.
"It's definitely a curse."
Upon directly touching the No-Face, Kitahara Makoto quickly understood its essence. This thing was indeed an existence materialized by curse power, but it was not the main body, merely a wisp of its aura.
Pop ~
Kitahara Makoto squeezed slightly, and the No-Face burst open like a soap bubble, turning into gray mist and dissipating, leaving only a small golden mask in his hand.
"Tomori-chan, are you okay?"
Chihaya Anon quickly went to Tomori's side, nervously checking her body.
Takamatsu Tomori was still in a subconscious state at this moment, her eyes hazy and unfocused, looking both dazed and adorable:
"Want to play on the Ferris wheel..."
"Alright, it seems Tomori is indeed fine."
Chihaya Anon felt relieved upon hearing this.
"Makoto-kun, can I see the mask?"
Mutsumi looked up, saying, "I want to know why the mask changes different colors."
"Here."
Kitahara Makoto casually handed over the fallen mask.
He didn't know what this thing was, but at least it wasn't dangerous. He could easily eliminate the No-Face, so he wasn't afraid of a mere mask causing trouble.
"You've only known each other for less than a day, and you're already calling him 'Makoto-kun.' Your relationship is really intimate, isn't it?"
Chihaya Anon crossed her arms over her chest, the sourness in her tone clearly overflowing.
Kitahara Makoto explained, "Wakaba-san is just echoing what Tomori calls him."
"Don't talk to me." Chihaya Anon snorted lightly and turned her pretty face away. "It wouldn't be good if Mutsumi misunderstood."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
He had to admit, this Anon was super jealous. It was a good thing he had revealed his intention to have a harem early on, otherwise, if Anon ever discovered him cheating, it wouldn't be as simple as jealousy; she would definitely pull out a cleaver!
"Anon is the heroine of this Dream World." Kitahara Makoto raised his right hand and promised, "From now on, I won't actively speak to Wakaba-san."
"Hmph ~"
Chihaya Anon snorted softly, puffing out her cheeks, clearly still jealous.
"Anon, do you still want to bungee jump?"
Kitahara Makoto changed the subject, saying, "If you don't want to play, let's start practicing."
"Of course, I do."
Chihaya Anon said decisively, "You and Wakaba-san have both bungee jumped, and you're going to jump twice!"
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
Indeed, a jealous girl is as difficult to appease as a New Year's pig.
"Pervert Kitahara, bungee jump with me." Chihaya Anon raised her delicate chin. "I remember many scenic spots have tandem bungee jumping where two people embrace, right?"
"No problem, we'll go together."
Kitahara Makoto naturally agreed without hesitation. He had just coaxed Anon into helping him with her feet earlier, so he certainly wouldn't refuse this small request:
"Do we need to tie a safety rope?"
"Of course, we need to tie one!"
"Actually, I can also carry Anon and jump down from the clouds. Want to try?"
"Sorry, 100% no."
"Anon, don't you trust me?"
"Even if I trust you, no. It's so high, I'd faint."
"..."
Kitahara Makoto spread his arms and embraced Anon. The safety rope flew up and automatically tied around their waists.
"Are you ready? We're about to jump."
Kitahara Makoto asked softly.
"Wait, wait a minute." Chihaya Anon's pretty face turned slightly pale, and she nervously looked down at the cliff. "Let me prepare a bit more."
"What else do you need to prepare?"
"In short, we need to prepare more."
"Could Anon be scared?"
"Of course not…"
Before she could finish, Kitahara Makoto hugged the pink-haired girl and leaped down.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The girl's scream instantly echoed through the mountain gorge, lingering for a long time.
Sure enough, this was a normal reaction for a regular person bungee jumping; Mutsumi was not a regular person at all.
Thud.
Kitahara Makoto landed steadily on the ground with Anon in his arms.
"You can open your eyes now."
Kitahara Makoto reached out and gently patted Anon's perky rear.
Chihaya Anon's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she nervously opened one eye. Upon realizing she was on the ground, she suddenly let out a sigh of relief, her eyes watery as she said, "St-Stupid Kitahara, I wasn't even ready yet. Why were you in such a hurry?"
Kitahara Makoto retorted, "By the time you're ready, the Dream World will be over."
"It's not that exaggerated, okay." Chihaya Anon's legs felt weak, and she tightly hugged Kitahara Makoto's neck, "I just need a little more time to prepare."
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow, "Then let's go up and jump again. Anon just said she wanted two times, right?"
Chihaya Anon: "…"
One time was already dizzying; another time would surely make her faint, right?
"…How mean!"
The more Chihaya Anon thought about it, the angrier she got. She couldn't help but puff out her pink cheeks, her voice full of resentment:
"Sure enough, what Mom said was right: once a boy gets a girl's body, he'll never cherish it again, will he?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
"You're so gentle to Wakaba Mutsumi, who you just met, but so rough with me." Anon's voice was resentful, "Sure enough, new clothes are better than old, and new people are better than old friends."
Alright, alright, you're the one who can talk, huh?
Do you know what it means to bring trouble upon yourself?!
Kitahara Makoto simply lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Anon's.
"Wh-What are you doing?"
Chihaya Anon's eyes immediately darted around.
"Doing what?" Kitahara Makoto said fiercely, "Of course, it's to kiss you a hundred times."
"W-Wait, a hundred times is too many…"
Unfortunately, before she could finish, Anon's subsequent words were muffled.
The suspension bridge effect is a real psychological phenomenon. If it were in reality, Anon would have been more reserved, but being in the Dream World at this moment, coupled with the influence of the suspension bridge effect, Chihaya Anon only lasted ten seconds before she couldn't help but hug Kitahara Makoto's neck tightly and then actively respond.
After an unknown amount of time, Kitahara Makoto finally stopped, only when Anon was on the verge of collapsing from all the kissing.
"Let's go. First, we'll go up and bring Tomori and Wakaba Mutsumi down, then we can officially begin our training."
Kitahara Makoto let out a light breath and looked down at Anon in his arms:
"Are you still jealous?"
Chihaya Anon was panting, her pretty face flushed, and she quickly shook her head:
"No, I'm not."
Although it was in a dream, the contact in the dream would feedback onto the body in reality.
Her lips were already swollen now; if they continued kissing, she definitely wouldn't be able to go out tomorrow, would she?
And… she'd have to secretly change her panties tomorrow morning. She really couldn't kiss anymore!
"Quick, go pick up Tomori, then we'll train!"
"…"
Kitahara Makoto picked up Anon, leaped, and shot into the sky like a cannonball, quickly passing through the clouds and returning to the top of the cliff.
Tomori, in her subconscious state, was still obediently sitting in the waiting area and hadn't wandered off. Wakaba Mutsumi had, at some point, put on the mask that had fallen from the cursed object, but the mask's color had turned to an ethereal white again.
"Wakaba Mutsumi, are you alright?"
Kitahara Makoto put Anon down and raised an eyebrow, looking over.
"…"
Wakaba Mutsumi, like a statue, slowly turned her head to look over. Suddenly, cracks quietly appeared on the mask, and then the entire mask shattered and vanished with a 'crack'.
Mutsumi looked at Kitahara Makoto. Her originally emotionless eyes were, at some point, filled with a hazy mist. She raised her right hand and quickly walked over.
"How strange… Could she have been possessed by a ghost?"
Chihaya Anon nervously hid behind Kitahara Makoto.
"No possession."
Kitahara Makoto was fearless. In the Dream World, he was the true master. The faceless monster transformed by the curse had been crushed, let alone a mere mask.
However, he truly didn't know what Mutsumi wanted to do. The only thing he could be sure of was that this change was related to the cursed mask.
"Makoto-kun, thank you…"
Wakaba Mutsumi clutched her chest, strong emotional fluctuations surging in her beautiful eyes.
"Thank me for what?"
Kitahara Makoto was utterly confused.
"It was like I fell into a deep sea just now, my feet got stuck in the reefs, and I couldn't swim up. Just when I was about to despair, Makoto-kun appeared and saved me…"
Wakaba Mutsumi clutched her chest, her eyes sparkling brightly.
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
I'm sorry, I didn't do any of that.
We've only known each other for less than twenty-four hours in reality, and I haven't done anything to you in the dream either. What you're describing never happened.
But for some reason, Kitahara Makoto felt that Mutsumi's narration was full of familiarity.
"Wait—"
A flash of lightning suddenly crossed Kitahara Makoto's mind.
Before, in the Otherworld, wasn't Tomori swept away by the tide and then fell to the bottom of the sea?
Why did Mutsumi's words sound like what Tomori had experienced?
"That faceless monster first attached itself to Tomori, then the mask changed color, and Mutsumi put on the mask, resulting in her current appearance… Could the mask absorb human emotions or memories?"
The next second.
The girl's soft, delicate body suddenly crashed into Kitahara Makoto's arms.
"Wakaba Mutsumi, what are you doing?"
Kitahara Makoto quickly raised his hands.
Wakaba Mutsumi strongly wrapped her arms around Kitahara Makoto's waist:
"I don't know, my heart is beating so fast, strange things are surging in my chest, I want to hug Makoto-kun."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
"What are you two doing?!"
Chihaya Anon immediately got angry.
Embracing him in front of me, isn't that going too far!
Fortunately, after a brief hug, Wakaba Mutsumi returned to her original position, her expression quickly calming down. She bowed slightly and said:
"I'm sorry, I caused trouble for Makoto-kun."
"I'm fine…" Kitahara Makoto lightly coughed twice, "Mutsumi was probably influenced by the mask just now. How do you feel now?"
Wakaba Mutsumi clutched her chest, her voice slightly puzzled:
"Those surging things in my chest have disappeared."
"That's good…"
Kitahara Makoto felt relieved.
It seemed the cursed mask didn't absorb much emotion. When Tomori woke up, there shouldn't be much of an impact.
Now, it was officially time for training.
Time passes without notice in a dream.
Under Kitahara Makoto's guidance, Chihaya Anon successfully passed the novice stage and advanced to a musician, able to skillfully perform solo with a guitar.
So Kitahara Makoto ended the dream and returned to reality.
This dream was quite long. When he woke up, it was already the next day, and the sun was shining brightly outside the window.
"Makoto-kun, good morning."
Takamatsu Tomori's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she opened her eyes.
"Good morning."
Kitahara Makoto sat up.
"Tomori, good morning."
Mutsumi also got up.
"Hoo…"
Tomori raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned, rubbing her eyes as she said:
"Last night I had a very, very long dream. In the dream, everyone was playing at an amusement park, and I also dreamed of Anon and Mutsumi…"
I'm sorry, that wasn't a dream. You really did play for a long time in the dream.
"I didn't dream of an amusement park, though…"
Kitahara Makoto spoke while looking at Mutsumi.
Wakaba Mutsumi ran her fingers through her hair, remaining silent and not revealing the truth.
Before the dream ended, Anon specifically found Wakaba Mutsumi and begged her to keep the secret. When it came to keeping quiet, Mutsumi was quite reliable.
"Let's get up quickly." As her consciousness gradually returned to clarity, Takamatsu Tomori quickly remembered the important matter, "We still need to ask about Mutsumi's condition."
"Okay." Kitahara Makoto nodded, "Let's wash our faces and brush our teeth first."
"…"
Just after washing up, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it."
Takamatsu Tomori pattered over:
"It must be Sakiko and Soyo."
The door opened, and the two girls outside were indeed Soyo and Sakiko.
After all, they were members of the Kessoku Band. Now that Mutsumi was entangled by the curse, the two girls naturally couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"Tomori, Mutsumi, good morning."
Looking at everyone in the room, Nagasaki Soyo's pretty face showed a genuine, gentle smile. Her hands were clasped together, and her eyes sparkled as she said, "We just need Taki, and then everyone can be together again."
Togawa Sakiko said helplessly, "Don't drag Taki into this."
"I was just saying." Nagasaki Soyo stuck out the tip of her tongue. "Sakiko, don't be so agitated."
"Tomori, did Kitahara-kun do anything to you two last night?"
Togawa Sakiko's eyes shifted as she asked softly.
"No." Takamatsu Tomori gently shook her head. "Last night, we went to bed at half past ten and slept until morning."
"Mutsumi, what do you say? Did you really sleep until morning?"
Nagasaki Soyo clasped her hands together and looked at Wakaba Mutsumi.
"...Mm."
Wakaba Mutsumi spoke few words.
Togawa sighed silently.
(Sure enough, the thing I was most worried about still happened...)
If anyone knew Mutsumi best, it was undoubtedly Sakiko, as they were truly childhood friends who grew up together.
So Togawa Sakiko knew very well that Wakaba Mutsumi had just lied.
When Mutsumi lied, she wouldn't show any signs of guilt and would appear as usual, but upon careful observation, one could notice that Mutsumi would pinch her ring finger every time she lied.
(So... something unknown happened between Mutsumi and Kitahara-kun last night, and Tomori wasn't aware of it.)
(But as for Mutsumi, she shouldn't fall for a boy, right?)
At the same time.
Kitahara Makoto walked out of the kitchen, wearing an apron. His gaze fell on Togawa Sakiko as he said nonchalantly, "Togawa, good morning."
"..."
Their eyes met.
Togawa Sakiko immediately remembered the 'repayment' incident from the night before. Her pretty face quickly flushed red, and she shyly turned her head away.
For Sakiko, who had received a proper upbringing as a young lady since childhood, Kitahara Makoto's method of repayment was simply too embarrassing. If it weren't for Wakaba Mutsumi's safety, she wouldn't have come over today at all.
That kind of thing could actually happen between a man and a woman... It completely exceeded Togawa Sakiko's imagination.
Terrifying.
Once a boy turned into a beast, he was indeed too terrifying!
"Sakiko, Soyo, have you eaten yet?" Kitahara Makoto said seriously, "Breakfast will be ready soon. I made omurice. Shall we eat breakfast together?"
"I won't be eating breakfast." Togawa Sakiko's pretty face was taut as she tried hard not to show any unusual expression. Unfortunately, her gaze still dared not meet Kitahara Makoto's, and her pretty face was flushed as she said, "Business is important. Let's first clarify what's going on with Mutsumi."
"Alright, then let's clarify first before eating breakfast."
Kitahara Makoto nodded, untied his apron, led the girls back to the room, and then took out the answer book.
"Before asking, everyone should think carefully about what questions to ask," Kitahara Makoto reminded them. "After all, the number of questions is precious."
"Naturally..."
The girls naturally wouldn't be careless. After a serious discussion, they finally decided on the questions to ask.
"The first question... How can we lift the curse on Mutsumi?"
Togawa Sakiko took the answer book and asked softly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The answer book turned pages without wind. When the 'page-turning animation' ended, a line of text appeared on the blank page:
[Destroy the curse entity, or consume an Eden Fruit]
"Two options?"
Kitahara Makoto was slightly surprised:
"It seems that besides eternal youth, the Eden Fruit also has the effect of lifting curses."
Nagasaki Soyo took the answer book and asked softly, "Where is the curse entity?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Another line of text appeared.
[Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo...]
Togawa Sakiko's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she said softly, "It's Mutsumi's home address."
"So, the source of the curse is actually in Mutsumi's house?" Nagasaki Soyo clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes filled with worry. "It feels so dangerous. Thankfully, we discovered Mutsumi's abnormality in time, otherwise Mutsumi would have been in danger."
Kitahara Makoto raised his right hand and said, "I discovered the abnormality."
Nagasaki Soyo couldn't help but glare at him: "No one will snatch Kitahara-kun's credit."
"Credit isn't important." Kitahara Makoto said shamelessly, "What's important is, shouldn't you give me a little reward?"
Togawa Sakiko let out a helpless sigh, raised a slender finger, and pressed it against her temple, saying, "Don't even think about a reward... Tomori, you ask the third question."
"Okay."
Takamatsu Tomori's small face was full of seriousness. She took the answer book, ready for anything.
"What does the curse object look like?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
A line of text quietly appeared:
[A blank mask]
"Eh?" Takamatsu Tomori blinked, a look of confusion appearing on her small face. She tilted her head and said, "Last night, I had a very, very long dream. In the dream, I was entangled by a monster wearing a mask, and later Makoto-kun destroyed that monster."
Upon hearing this, Togawa Sakiko glanced at Kitahara Makoto.
Kitahara Makoto nonchalantly shifted his gaze and raised a hand to touch his hair:
"I don't know anything."
Nagasaki Soyo smiled from the side:
"When people feel guilty, they subconsciously touch their hair."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
It seemed his training was not yet complete. He must practice the ability to lie without changing his expression in the future!
"The address and situation are now known. Next is action." Togawa Sakiko let out a light breath, her eyes quickly firming. "Let's go find Mutsumi, have Mutsumi take us to her house as guests, and then find that cursed mask... Kitahara-kun, if you see that cursed mask, can you quickly identify it?"
"I should be able to." Kitahara Makoto nodded slightly. "However, it's best to bring Hana along; it will be more efficient."
Nagasaki Soyo's voice was gentle as she said, "That's right, Hana makes one feel more at ease. Kitahara-kun is indeed still not good enough."
Kitahara Makoto looked over silently:
"Soyo seems to have a big problem with me?"
Nagasaki Soyo puffed out her pink cheeks upon hearing this and lowered her voice, saying, "What exactly did Kitahara-kun do to Sakiko that Sakiko is now unwilling to look at you?"
"Sorry, Sakiko put a gag order on me, so I can't tell anyone." Kitahara Makoto paused in his speech. "However, Soyo can secretly come over tonight, and I'll use actions to tell Soyo the truth."
"Ptooey~"
Nagasaki Soyo lightly spat, her pretty face slightly red:
"I'm not an idiot, I won't come over."
If it could make Sakiko so shy she dared not see anyone, it must have been something super lewd, right?
After the discussion.
The group wasted no time and quickly returned to the living room.
"Mutsumi, there's something I want to tell you..."