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After ordering a mountain of food, Hana sat down and curiously asked, "Takumi, since you're an Exorcist, can you tell me—do ghosts really exist?"
"They do. Not only ghosts—aliens too."
"Waaah~ amazing! I really wanna meet one someday!"
Instead of laughing it off, Hana's eyes shone with pure wonder. She truly believed him. Even if she had never seen any spirits, her instincts told her Takumi wouldn't lie.
"If you really want to see one, Hana-chan," Takumi said with a smile, "it's not impossible. You're actually quite… special."
Pointing playfully at her as she devoured her food, Takumi chuckled. Hana blinked, her round orange eyes full of confusion.
"Me? Special?"
Miko Yotsuya looked at him in surprise, suspicious. She reached under the table and gently tugged on his hand.
"Y-you'd better not trick Hana."
Hana was her best friend, and Miko didn't want to see her end up as another one of Takumi's slaves.
But the moment that thought crossed her mind—a sweet, burning pulse ran through her body, and a pink collar pattern appeared around her neck.
"Haa… haa… wh-what is this…?" Her body trembled; her breath grew shallow. She glanced up at Takumi with watery eyes.
His calm voice echoed inside her mind: "As my servant, harboring rebellious thoughts will trigger the Dream Demon's curse."
"A-ah… why… does it feel like this…?" Miko whimpered softly, her voice weak and trembling.
Seeing her friend suddenly flushed and limp against the table, Hana tilted her head in confusion. "Miko, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
"Y-yeah… just a little. I'll rest for a bit…" Miko's voice came out feeble and breathy, like someone recovering from a fever.
Takumi smiled slightly and explained, "What I meant by 'special,' Hana, is your unusual appetite."
"My… appetite?" Hana blinked in confusion, then swallowed the food in her mouth. Sure, she ate a lot—but she never thought that could be something unusual.
"The food you eat turns into Life Energy," Takumi said, resting his chin on his hand. "That energy has a strong purifying effect on evil spirits, but it can also attract monsters or yokai. If I'm right, your appetite suddenly increased sometime recently, didn't it?"
Hana's eyes widened in realization. "Yes! During summer break, my stomach started growling like crazy! One night I even woke up at three a.m. starving. I raided the fridge—ate leftover dinner, fried chicken, gyoza, hamburger steak… and it still wasn't enough!"
As she recalled it, her expression turned dreamy, almost drooling again.
Takumi sighed, amused, and pulled a card from his pocket. "Well, there's nothing dangerous about it for now. Just remember—your Life Energy might draw attention from things that shouldn't notice you. If anything strange happens, call me, okay?"
Hana nodded enthusiastically, her round eyes sparkling. To her, Takumi was a mysterious master figure, a person of power—someone she could trust completely.
She carefully tucked the card into her pocket.
That's when she noticed Takumi helping Miko up from her seat.
"Miko?"
"…"
Miko's face was scarlet, her head buried in his chest, too flustered to speak.
Her pale legs trembled slightly, and as she shifted, she accidentally spilled soup across the table.
Hana's gaze followed the motion, concern rising. Takumi quickly said, "Miko's not feeling well. I'll take her to the infirmary."
"Oh, then hurry!" Hana exclaimed, immediately worried.
"I've got it covered," Takumi assured her. "Please let the teacher know she's taking a break."
With that, he guided Miko toward the infirmary.
Seeing the pink flush on her cheeks and the trembling of her body, he exhaled quietly. The Master–Servant Contract's curse was far too strong—even he couldn't suppress it completely.
"Try repeating to yourself—everything you did was for me. It'll ease the curse."
"Mmh… I… I can't… it's too much…"
Miko whimpered weakly. Her dazed eyes unfocused as wave after wave of heat overwhelmed her. Even if she tried to resist, the curse shattered every bit of her self-control.
By the time they reached the infirmary, her body had already convulsed three times.
"No one's here."
He closed the door and looked around—the nurse, Chisato Hasegawa, was absent. Gently, he laid Miko on the bed. Her skin glowed pink, her breath hot and heavy, her body trembling like a flower in full bloom.
Takumi's fingertips brushed her smooth cheek. "Do you want me to help you ease the curse?"
"Y-yes… please…"
"Then tell me—how do you want your master to help you?"
Leaning down, his face hovered close, his breath warm against her lips.
"Mm…"
Miko shivered, the heat in her body intensifying. Her instincts overpowered her restraint—she raised her face and kissed him softly.
"I like that answer."
Takumi smiled faintly and pressed his lips against hers. For a moment, the world fell silent; only their breathing filled the room. The faint smell of disinfectant slowly gave way to a sweet, intoxicating fragrance.
"Haa… haa… haa…"
When Miko finally caught her breath, the pink collar pattern on her neck was still glowing. Sweat clung to her uniform, tracing the curves of her trembling body.
Takumi's voice came softly by her ear. "Miko, do you want to become stronger? Strong enough to defeat the Cursed Spirits?"
She panted, her voice fragile but determined. "Yes…"
"Good. Then remember—growth comes with hardship. These energies will push your limits and let you evolve. You have incredible potential, Miko—I can see it. Once your level rises, everything else will fall into place."
His voice was both soothing and commanding, and every word rang true.
Under the gleam of his [Jade Eye], her status panel appeared before him:
[Name: Miko Yotsuya]
[Level: 1]
[Traits: Spirit Arts (Purple), Protagonist's Aura (Blue), Spirit-Affinity Constitution (Blue), Yin–Yang Eye (Blue), Calm Mind (Green)…]
[Spirit Arts (Purple): An innate art that allows the user to subdue Cursed Spirits or borrow their power.]
[Spirit-Affinity Constitution (Blue): A natural spiritual body that excels at channeling cursed energy but also attracts spirits.]
[Yin–Yang Eye (Blue): Eyes that can perceive both the living and the dead.]
[Calm Mind (Green): A composed temperament that automatically stabilizes emotion under fear or panic.]
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