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Maybe realizing her attitude had been a bit off, Mai Sakurajima fell silent.
She walked ahead without saying where she was going, and the two of them just wandered aimlessly down the street.
Jack didn't really mind. He had the whole day free, so wasting a little time was no big deal.
Then, the sound of an engine came roaring up behind them—a motorcycle speeding their way.
Jack stepped aside without thinking, but Mai just stood there, dazed, not reacting in time.
The rider couldn't see her at all and was heading straight for her like she wasn't even there.
In that split second, Jack didn't hesitate. He reached out, grabbed her, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
The motorcycle blasted past with a deafening roar and quickly disappeared down the road.
Jack's arm was still wrapped around her slim waist. When he looked down, his eyes met hers.
They stared at each other for a moment before he calmly let her go and said quietly,"Situations like that are actually pretty dangerous."
Mai nodded. Yeah, this whole "invisible" thing was more trouble than she wanted to admit.
"Thanks."
He waved it off like it was nothing and kept walking, with Mai falling into step beside him.
"Besides what just happened, I bet there are plenty of other inconveniences too," Jack said, glancing at her profile.
"Yeah. Not being able to buy the cream bread from that shop is a real tragedy," she said softly, looking toward a bakery nearby.
Of course, being unseen came with way more problems than just missing out on bread. She just picked the easiest example to say aloud.
Jack followed her gaze, then suddenly grabbed her hand and strode toward the bakery.
"Two cream buns, please," he said.
The clerk smiled. "Sure, just a moment!"
Soon, two warm cream buns were handed over.
The clerk never once looked in Mai's direction—clearly couldn't see her.
"Here," Jack said, passing one to her.
"Thanks."
"No problem. That'll be two hundred yen—cash or transfer?"
Mai blinked, completely speechless.
"...Huh??"
Jack just winked. "C'mon, after all that effort I went through today, treating you to lunch isn't too much to ask, right?"
She gave him a flat look. "You call it treating someone after you make them pay?"
"As long as someone else pays, it still counts as a treat," he said with a grin, utterly shameless.
Mai sighed. "Fine. I'll get you next time."
Which, of course, meant this time counted as her treat.
"...Deal,"Jack said, shrugging.
They ended up by the riverside, leaning on the railing as they ate their cream bread and watched the water flow by.
Across the river, a huge screen on an office building flickered to life, playing a new commercial—starring Mai Sakurajima.
On screen, she wore a flowing white dress and smiled brightly amid a sea of flowers, her hair swaying as she cheerfully delivered a matcha drink ad.
Jack didn't bother commenting on the ad itself. Instead, he found himself comparing the girl beside him with the girl in the video.
Her fans would probably lose their minds if they could see her like this—right in front of them, alive and real.
He had to admit, she was incredibly photogenic. But in person, her aura was sharper, more mature.
Mai, meanwhile, just stood there, eyes fixed on the screen, lost in thought.
Jack exhaled softly....He didn't know what had happened to her, but the frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss.
"It's strange," he said lazily, finishing the last bite of his bun. "The commercials are still running, but nobody remembers you."
Mai didn't answer. She just kept staring at her on-screen self.
Guess it's time for some tough medicine.
Jack tilted his head, speaking casually,"I don't know what you're running from, but you do want to return to acting, don't you?"
"When did I ever say that?" she replied stiffly.
"The way you look at that ad already gave you away," he said evenly, dismantling her defenses without a hint of effort.
"I'm just... interested, that's all."
"And maybe missing what it felt like to be on set."
Nailed it.
Mai stared at him, wondering if demons could actually read minds.
And just like he had read her thoughts, Jack added,"I can't read minds. You're just easy to read. So—are you really not going to try? I bet there are a lot of people still waiting for you."
"…"
She hated how seen she felt right now.
"What would you know? You're not even human," she shot back, her tone icy.
Judging from the glare she gave him, he'd definitely hit a nerve.
"Heh… True, I'm not human anymore," he said, smiling faintly. "But that doesn't mean I don't understand."
Then, softly: "It's because of your family, isn't it?"
He knew he was poking the bear—and did it anyway.
As expected, she snapped.
"You're so annoying."
With that, she turned and stormed up the steps toward the street.
"Not going to check out the area anymore?" he called after her.
"I'm going home!" she barked, voice sharp with anger.
Yeah, she was mad.
Even her tone felt like it was sparking flames.
Unbothered, Jack followed at an easy pace. No matter how fast she walked, he kept up effortlessly.
After ten minutes of trying—and failing—to lose him, Mai finally stopped, spun around, and glared at him.
Seeing him with his hands in his pockets and that annoyingly relaxed expression made her want to laugh and strangle him at the same time.
"Are you a demon or just superglue in disguise?" she huffed.
He only chuckled, smiling lazily. "So, are you done being mad?"
"I wasn't mad," she said instantly.
Denial in record time.
Honestly, it was kind of cute.
Jack smirked, cleared his throat, and said,"I wasn't trying to dig up your old wounds. I just hope we can be honest with each other."
Then, after a brief pause, he added quickly,"And by 'honest,' I mean literally honest—like, no hidden meanings or anything. Don't get the wrong idea."
Mai sighed. "…You could just not say the unnecessary parts, you know."
"..."
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