I had a huge problem.
It wasn't a Spacequake.
It wasn't Kotori yelling in my ear.
It wasn't Tohka's gluttonous appetite either.
No this problem was much worse...
And currently stuck to my side like glue.
"Fufu..."
Tokisaki Kurumi laughed softly, her breath brushing against my sleeve. Both of her hands were wrapped around my arm, fingers laced together like she never planned on letting go. Every step I took made her shoulder bump my blue hoodie, and something a lot softer pressed against my upper arm through the fabric.
From the outside, it probably looked like the riajuu dream.
From the inside, it felt like walking around with a smiling landmine clinging to me.
This has to be her.
The "dark visitor."
Spirit.
Dangerous.
Huge, walking red flag.
Stay calm. Stay sharp, I told myself. Over and over.
Kurumi's scent drifted to me every time she shifted. Some light perfume—sweet, soft, not cheap candy-sweet but something that fit the way she looked. I couldn't pin down exactly what it was supposed to be.
Her voice was smooth and warm. Every chuckle came wrapped in this gentle lilt that slid past your guard if you didn't slam the doors shut fast enough.
And her looks were just... unfair.
Black hair like a glossy curtain, tied so that her bangs half-hid one eye. Pale skin. Doll-like features. A gentle smile that would've looked harmless on pretty much anyone else. On her, it felt like bait.
Her beauty was almost aggressive. Every time my gaze slipped, it wanted to stay on her face; I had to consciously drag it away.
On the outside, I kept up the look. Lazy half-smile, relaxed shoulders, dry voice.
Inside, every nerve was on full alert.
"Ne, Shidou-san," Kurumi said, her cheek brushing my arm as she leaned in just a little. "This school is quite charming. It has... a lively atmosphere."
"That's one way to say 'it's loud and people run indoors,'" I said.
"Oh my," she giggled. "How blunt."
Her eye slid down, taking in my.... apparel.
"And your clothes," she added, amused. "You're wearing that strange outfit... and slippers instead of shoes. Is that allowed?"
"Not really," I said shrugging. "But my motivation filed for early retirement this morning."
"Fufu. How rebellious," she smiled. "It suits you. Like a character who walked out of a game."
"Comes with bad puns and pathetically low stats," I said. "Limited time offer."
"I'll look forward to those puns," she said.
"Please don't," I muttered.
We moved down the corridor between classes, sunlight coming in hard through the windows and painting long bars of light across the floor. Students were flowing around us in groups, talking, laughing, giving us quick glances that lingered a little too long.
Kurumi shifted her grip, hugging my arm tighter.
"Ne, Shidou-san," she murmured, voice a little softer. "Do you have many friends here?"
"Normal amount," I said. "A couple of idiots. A couple of headaches. The usual."
"How dramatic," she said smiling sweetly. "You mean... Yatogami-san and Tobiichi-san, perhaps?"
Ugh....
"...Something like that," I replied, dodging.
"I see," she smiled. "I'm relieved."
"Why?" I asked.
"It would be terribly sad," she said, "if no one here noticed how interesting you are."
"That sentence..... worries me," I said.
"Does it?" she asked, amused.
Her eye watched my face the whole time, tracking every tiny shift.
"Ne, Shidou-san," she said suddenly, her tone dipping like she was changing keys. "What do you think of Spirits?"
There it was.
"You don't waste time, huh.." I said.
"Is that strange?" Kurumi tilted her head. "I did say that I am one, after all."
"You said it like you were telling us the weather outside," I said. "And then you latched onto me like this, so... forgive me if I'm a little cautious."
"Cautious," she repeated slowly, enjoying the word. "Well? Do you... like Spirits?"
"Well..."
Images flashed through my mind: Tohka smiling over a plate of meat, Yoshino clinging to
Yoshinon.
There was no doubt I cared about those two. But can I really say broadly I like spirits?
those two could very well have been exceptions and most spirits could be in fact, dangerous and mischievous.
Like the one in front of me.
"Hm.. that's hard to say...." I said.
"So do you hate them?" she asked, not missing a beat.
"So far.... No" I answered vaguely. "I know some probably intentionally cause trouble. But the ones I've met are just... lost."
Her fingers tightened just slightly around my arm.
"Are you afraid of them?" she asked, voice quiet but precise.
"Sometimes," I said. "Depends what they're planning to do."
"I see..." Kurumi's lips curved. "And... what about me, I wonder?"
Extremely, I thought
Out loud, I said, "...I only just met you. Little early to grade you."
"Fufu. Ever so cautious," she said. "I like that."
Don't get pulled in, I told myself. She's the one Sans warned me about. Dark visitor. Not a normal spirit. Stay sharp.
Of course, the hallway decided to make everything worse.
"Oi, look, isn't that Itsuka?"
"You're kidding me..."
"He's always with Yatogami and Tobiichi already, right?"
"And now he's walking around with the cute transfer student? Arm in arm?"
"Riajuu..."
"Explode!!"
The comments rippled behind us in an annoyed wave, pricking at the back of my head.
I exhaled through my nose.
"If you keep hanging off me like this," I muttered to Kurumi, "rumors are going to explode."
"Ara?" She blinked up at me, dialing her innocent act to max. "Is that a problem, Itsuka-kun?"
"Yeah," I said. "For my lifespan. How about giving my arm back?"
Instead of letting go, she pressed in even closer and squeezed my arm tighter, her shoulder and chest snug against my hoodie.
"My, my," she said. "Rumors are only as strong as people's imaginations. Isn't this harmless?"
"You absolutely know what you're doing," I said, giving her an annoyed look.
"Do I?" she asked, eye shining like she'd just found a new button to press. "Ufufu."
Quietly, almost like she was humming to herself, she started to sing my name.
"Shidou... Shidou, Shidou~"
"Ugh... don't chant it like some spell," I said. "It's creepy."
"But it fits you," she said.
"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean.." I muttered.
"Ne, Shidou-san," she added, glancing at my hoodie again. "That blue color... it's very distinct. If I get lost, I'll just look for the strange boy in slippers."
"I'm being bullied," I said. "You're bullying me."
"Fufu..." she laughed mischievously.
I sighed.
"Oi, just quit being such a boneh—"
Warm air brushed the shell of my ear.
Kurumi, without warning, leaned in and gently blew into my ear.
It was a tiny breath.
It hit like a lightning bolt.
My spine shot straight like I'd been stabbed with a rod. Goosebumps raced over my arms. My step stuttered; I almost tripped.
"H-huh?!" I yelped, my voice breaking halfway.
Heat surged into my face so fast it was actually painful.
Kurumi drew back, a hand delicately hiding her mouth as she laughed.
"Ara~" she sung, obviously pleased. "I finally broke that cool mask of yours, Shidou-san."
"That's... that's not..." I stammered, ears burning. "Who does that?!"
"I was simply giving you a closer greeting," she said. "More... intimate."
"That's not a greeting, that's a sneak attack," I muttered.
My heart was slamming against my ribs.
She watched, amused, drinking in every bit of my reaction.
She's dangerous, I thought. And she's enjoying this way too much.
"I'm going to the bathroom," I said abruptly. "Wait here."
"My," she said, tilting her head. "Of course. Please don't keep a lady waiting too long, Shidou-san."
"You're not going to die from three minutes alone," I muttered.
Reluctantly, she unwrapped her arms from mine. My sleeve felt weirdly light.
I turned away—resisting the urge to cover my face like a wounded animal—and pushed into the door with the little blue sign.
The noise of the hallway dropped off, replaced by the echo of my footsteps and the low hum of pipes. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead.
I checked the stalls out of habit, then stepped into one and locked it.
Only then did I let out the breath stuck in my chest.
"Haaah..."
So much to deal with..
Now I had to Add "scary teasing Spirit who acts like this is a game" to the list.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and hit the contact I needed without thinking.
Kotori picked up almost immediately.
"What Onii-Chan?" she said, flat and sharp, crunching something as usual. "Make it quick."
"New transfer student," I said. "In my class. Name: Tokisaki Kurumi."
The crunching stopped.
"...Go on," she said.
"In front of everyone, she introduced herself and said, 'I am a Spirit,'" I continued. "After class, she asked to be shown around school and specifically picked me. Now she's glued to my arm and... teasing the hell out of me. I've got a really bad feeling Kotori."
There was a short, clipped breath on the other end.
"Put on the earpiece," she said, voice hardening. "Right now."
"Yeah," I said.
I shoved the phone between my shoulder and ear for a second and reached into my pocket, fingers closing around the small, smooth earpiece she'd forced on me this morning.
I fit it into my ear, snug.
A faint click, a thin wash of ambient sound. Then Kotori's voice came through, clear and much closer, like she was right next to me instead of...wherever she actually was.
"Shidou," she said. "We're linked. Restate the important part so everyone hears."
"In class, Tokisaki Kurumi openly said she's a Spirit," I repeated quietly. "Now she's sticking to me. It doesn't feel like a random accident. It feels... deliberate."
I could hear a vague murmur behind her now: overlapping voices, someone reporting numbers, another voice higher-pitched complaining about "no precedent," a calmer tone asking for a replay.
"Figures," Kotori muttered. "This timing..."
"Any chance this is just some weird joke?" I asked.
"Given the readings we're seeing? No," she said. "It's her. We're getting a unique signal around her. That's enough."
A tired voice—Reine's—drifted faintly through.
"...We'll keep analyzing. For now, proceed according to usual protocol," she said.
Kotori cleared her throat.
"Listen up, Shidou," she said. "Same basic role as always. Build affection. Gather intel. Find out what she wants. We'll keep scans running from above."
"She's already running circles around me," I said. "She blew in my ear."
There was a short pause on the other end.
"...She what?" Kotori asked.
"You heard me," I said. "Anyway, I'd like it if I didn't die of heart failure before we even get to the 'save the world' part, so..."
"Quit whining," Kotori snapped. "Return before she gets suspicious. Keep her talking. Don't let her provoke you into doing anything insane."
"I'm not the one who keeps throwing insane choices at me," I muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," I said quickly.
I ended the phone call, leaving only the earpiece connection, and stepped out of the stall.
The mirror over the sinks showed a guy in a half-zipped blue hoodie over a rumpled uniform, cheeks still faintly pink, eyes a little sharper than usual. I cupped water into my hands and splashed my face, letting the chill reset my brain.
"Dark visitor, huh..." I muttered at my reflection. "You really had to come wrapped like that."
I dried my face on a paper towel, crumpled it, tossed it, and headed back out.
Kurumi was right where I'd left her.
Same spot on the wall. Same straight posture. Same gentle, patient smile, like she'd just been paused and unpaused.
Her eye brightened when she saw me, like someone turning a light up.
"Welcome back, Shidou-san," she said. "I was lonely."
"I was gone a few minutes," I said. "That's some high-speed loneliness."
"But time feels longer when you're waiting for someone important.." she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
My ear warmed again.
"Right," I muttered. "Well. Let's keep this tour moving before the teacher files a missing persons report."
She fell into step beside me as I started walking.
This time, she didn't cling to my arm.
She walked close—just enough distance that we weren't actually touching, but close enough that I could feel her presence like a little patch of warm pressure at my side.
For some reason, that sliver of space made me more conscious of her than before.
"Where will you be taking me next?" Kurumi asked lightly. "I'm in your care, Shidou-san."
"Science wing," I said. "Then maybe the club area, gym, rooftop. Depends how much stamina you have."
"My, I wonder." She smiled. "Please be gentle."
"I'm not answering that," I muttered.
In my ear, Kotori's voice flickered back on.
"By the way," she said, "we've picked up two individuals trailing your general direction. Ten, maybe fifteen meters behind. Moving when you move, stopping when you stop."
I didn't even have to think about it.
Tohka. Origami.
Of course.
"Yeah, figures," I muttered under my breath.
"Don't look back," Kotori warned immediately. "Act normal. Keep guiding Tokisaki. We'll keep an eye on them."
"Normal," I said. "Define that, because whatever today is, it's not it."
"Less commentary, more data!" she snapped. "You're our only on-site camera."
"This is the worst streaming job," I sighed.
"Shidou?" Kurumi glanced up at me. "Talking to yourself again?"
"Yeah I do that sometimes," I said simply. "Don't mind it."
"Ufufu. I see," she giggled. "That means I should keep listening."
We turned another corner. The hallway quieted a little; fewer students passed by now that most had settled into their after-school routines.
Kurumi moved a half-step to the side to avoid bumping into a teacher, then slipped back next to me. Her hair swayed with the motion. For a second, her bangs parted cleanly.
Her right eye stared at me.
Crimson. Deep and vivid, like a wine glass filled in the dark. The color hooked my gaze in a way that didn't feel normal.
She'd been watching me from the side this whole time, catching every reaction.
Our eyes met.
For a moment, the background noise—the distant footsteps, the hum of lights, even chatter from Fraxinus in my ear—faded.
Kurumi's lashes lowered just a little. Her lips softened into a small, gentle smile that, for a dangerous half-second, looked completely sincere.
"It really is... nice," she said quietly. "Walking here next to you, Shidou-san."
My heart stuttered. Heat crawled up my neck and into my ears.
I tore my gaze away and glared at the far wall instead.
"This is just a school tour," I said. "Don't talk like it's some once-in-a-lifetime event."
"Isn't it?" she asked softly. "For me, it feels that way."
"Stop saying things that make people misunderstand," I muttered.
"Fufu. You're the one making strange faces," she said.
Too close, I thought. Don't get fooled. She's still dangerous.
"Alright!" Kotori's voice cut in, sharp again. "We can't let her run the show entirely. Time to push from our side."
There was muffled chatter in the background: someone mentioning "affection metrics," another voice talking about "event triggers," the faint thud of something—or someone—being reprimanded.
"Bringing up a choice set," Kotori said. "We'll suggest a few conversational routes."
I caught scraps through the interference: "...ask about this morning... ask her previous school... panties option is rejected— who put that in..."
Then, like the universe had tuned only one phrase to perfect clarity, I heard:
"—ask what kind of panties she's wearing today."
I stopped walking for half a second.
"...Huh..." I whispered.
"Something wrong?" Kurumi asked, stopping with me, eye curious.
"Just considering if I should jump out the window," I said.
"Please don't," she said. "I'd be lonely."
The earpiece crackled with a brief scuffle; someone up there was absolutely getting hit.
Probably Kannazuki.
I exhaled, long and slow.
You know what....?
That could work.
Kurumi had been playing with me nonstop. Clinging, blowing in my ear, watching my reactions like they were her favorite show.
And instead of taking one of the "normal" routes, my brain wanted to choose violence.
Fine, I thought. You want to mess with me? I'll at least try to bite back once.
"Hey, Kurumi," I said.
"Yes?" she answered immediately, head tilting.
I could feel some heat already gathering in my cheeks. Still, I pulled my mouth into a lazy smile.
"You've been teasing me all afternoon," I said. "So I figured I should ask you something rude at least once."
"Oh my," she said, delighted. "Rude? I'm interested. Go ahead."
"Don't sound that happy," I muttered.
Still, I inhaled, braced myself, and looked straight at her.
"What kind of panties are you wearing today?" I managed, voice only trembling a little. "Think you could... show me?"
The hallway seemed to swallow sound for a moment.
Kurumi's steps halted. Her bangs shifted, hiding more of her expression than I liked.
"...Ara," she breathed at last, cheeks tinting a faint pink. "My, my. Shidou-san is quite daring."
"Call it... revenge. Or something." I said smiling.
Her smile reappeared, slow and curved, dangerous at the edges.
"If it's you..." she murmured, "I wouldn't mind."
Huh..?
"That's.... not a normal answer," I said. "We're at school. There are people."
She took a small step toward a support pillar where the shadows were a little deeper, but we were still in the corridor.
Facing me, Kurumi pinched the edge of her skirt between two fingers.
"Well then," she said, lashes dipping. "Since you asked so bravely..."
"Don't!" I said immediately. "This was supposed to be a bluff..."
"That's not fair," she pouted lightly. "You started it."
"No, no, wait—"
She lifted the hem.
"HEY—!"
In that instant, my brain took a snapshot I was pretty sure would never fully delete.
Her legs, pale against black tights that clung up to her thighs. And under that thin fabric, unmistakably visible for a fraction of a second, a glimpse of black underwear.
My mind produced white noise.
"H-hey!" I threw myself forward and yanked her skirt back down, hands clamping onto the fabric. "Are you insane?!"
"Fufu," she laughed, not resisting at all. "You're the one who asked, Shidou-san."
"Not in the middle of the hallway!" I hissed, feeling my face burn like I'd stuck it in an oven. "Do you want both of us arrested?!"
"If it's you," she said calmly, eye gleaming, "I wouldn't mind."
"I would!" I shot back. "I'd like to finish high school without a criminal record, thanks!"
Somewhere above, I knew Kotori was probably howling, but I tuned the earpiece out before I overheated.
My hands stayed gripped on her skirt hem for a second longer, just to make absolutely sure there wouldn't be an encore. Then I released it like it was boiling water and staggered back a step, half-turning away to cool my face.
I needed to get us anywhere else.
"A-anyway!" I blurted, grabbing the nearest non-lewd topic like a life ring. "This morning... you said you were a Spirit. Were you actually serious...?"
Kurumi's smile changed.
The mischief softened into something quieter, but the danger didn't go anywhere; it just went under the surface.
"Fufu..." she laughed, low and warm. "Please don't pretend, Shidou-san."
"...Pretend what?" I said carefully.
"That you don't already know," she said, looking up at me from under her lashes. "I could see it in your eyes when I walked into the classroom. Those watchful eyes... they weren't shocked. They were... evaluating."
My throat tightened.
"You've seen Spirits before," she said. "You already knew exactly what I meant. Didn't you?"
I didn't answer.
She took a slow, small step closer.
"And... I didn't come to this school for just anyone," she continued softly.
Something twisted in my stomach.
"...For who, then," I asked, even though I already knew what she was going to say.
Kurumi's crimson eye held mine. The hallway, the distant chatter, the buzz in my ear—all blurred at the edges.
"For you, Shidou-san.." she said.
It landed with a dull thud somewhere behind my ribs.
"I've known about you for some time," she went on, voice gentle, like she was sharing some sweet secret. "Watching you. Thinking about you. There hasn't been a single day you weren't on my mind."
I felt lightheaded. Like that one time I'd grabbed my dad's drink by mistake and the warmth had rushed into my head instead of my stomach, fuzzing the edges of everything.
"There was never a day," she repeated, a tiny smile tugging at her lips, "that I wasn't thinking about Shidou-san. So right now, walking next to you like this... I'm very happy."
My knees felt a little weak. My eyes stung; I realized they were probably a bit red from all the tension.
And of course she noticed. Her smile deepened, amused.
She's lying, I thought. Or... worse, she's telling the truth in a way I really don't want to understand.
"Shidou," Kotori's voice snapped in, cutting the haze cleanly. "Don't let her steer every second. We need to get some control back."
"That's harder than you make it sound," I muttered.
"We're opening another choice set," she said. "Physical contact this time, from your side."
I caught fragments through the noise: "...stroke her hair... trip into her... hand at corner..."
Then Kotori spoke clearly.
"At the next corner, naturally take her hand when you turn and say, 'It's this way,'" she ordered. "Make it look casual. Don't overthink it."
"Overthinking is literally my hobby," I hissed. "You're asking the impossible."
"Shut up and do it," she said. "You're almost at the intersection."
She was right.
A T-junction stretched out ahead, leading toward the stairwell. The floor shone a little under the orange glow from the windows; the hallway was mostly empty here.
Okay, I told myself. Turn. Reach out. Take her hand. Say the line. Easy. You've held hands before. It's not new. You're not twelve.
"Ne, Shidou-san?" Kurumi looked up, eye curious. "You suddenly went quiet."
"I'm thinking about... route planning," I said. "Don't mind it."
"You think very seriously about everything," she said. "Even about something as simple as walking together."
"That's because I keep nearly dying," I muttered. "You develop a habit."
She giggles amused at that.
We reached the corner.
Now...
I turned right. Inhaled. Started to raise my hand toward hers.
Kurumi moved first.
Her fingers slipped into mine like she'd been waiting for the moment.
"Y-you...!" I blurted.
Her hand was small and cool, her grip light but deliberate, each finger settling between mine like it belonged there.
"Ufufu," she chuckled softly. "You looked so lonely after you came back from the bathroom and I wasn't holding onto you. And just now, you were reaching out first, weren't you?"
"I wasn't....." I stammered. "You keep stealing my lines!"
"Shidou-san..." she sing-songed, squeezing lightly. "Could it be you actually like my touch?"
"D-don't get full of yourself," I shot back automatically. "You're the one acting like a barnacle."
"So you don't like it?" she asked, eye shining.
"That's not what I said," I muttered under my breath.
My pulse climbed higher. I could practically imagine some poor tech on Fraxinus staring at my heart rate graph in horror.
Now that our hands were actually joined properly, her scent wrapped around me more clearly. Sweet warmth.
And under it—so faint most people would probably never detect it—a thin metallic edge.
I didn't want to think about why my senses were sharp enough to pick that up these days.
It slipped out before I could catch it.
"...You really do smell like blood and flowers," I muttered.
Static flickered in my ear; confused chatter spiked for a moment.
Kurumi's eye widened just a touch.
She'd heard "blood." I was sure of it.
Then she smiled wider, choosing the part she wanted.
"Flowers?" she repeated, delighted. "I'm glad you think so, Shidou-san. That makes me very happy."
"That is... not exactly what I said," I grumbled.
She used her other hand to poke on my cheek with her finger.
"And you," she said, amused, "smell like terrible puns."
"That's not even a smell, idiot," I shot back. "That's a personality trait."
"It's a presence," she insisted. "When I'm near you, I can almost hear them before you say anything. Isn't that similar?"
"That's called anxiety," I muttered.
"Fufu."
She giggled, eyes bright.
"Hey~ Shidou," she sang. "I have a pun. Want to hear it?"
"No," I said immediately. "Absolutely not. Denied."
"You say that," she said, "but your ears look very ready."
"That's because you attacked one of them earlier," I said. "They're on guard now."
"Come now," she coaxed, tugging gently on my hand. "It will be fun. I promise."
"That sentence has never been true when someone says it before making a pun," I replied.
"Just one," she said. "Think of it as... punishment for that question earlier."
"That was already punishment for me," I muttered.
She leaned in closer, gesturing with her free hand.
"Shidou-san," she whispered. "Just a little closer. I can't tell you properly from here..."
I knew this was a trap.
I still bent my head down.
From above, they'd see our heads drawing close, her lips near my ear. The mic wouldn't catch anything.
Her breath tickled the inside of my ear as she whispered.
The words were... technically a pun on my name and.... "raising spirits." And also, somehow, about something way dirtier than I could ever repeat out loud without spontaneously combusting.
My mind went blank.
Heat flooded my whole face in an instant. I could feel even the tips of my ears burning. My grip on her hand tightened so hard I probably should've apologized.
Kurumi laughed softly, satisfied, shoulders shaking just a little.
"Ara ara..." she murmured. "Shidou-san, you're really cute."
"Shidou!" Kotori almost screamed into my ear. "What did she say!? Report! Report!!"
"Nope," I said immediately. "Nope, nope, nope. Not repeating that."
"Shidou!" she snapped. "This is vital psychological intel!"
"Then you come down here and ask her yourself," I hissed under my breath. "I'm not saying that out loud."
"I swear, when you get home—"
I tuned her out.
Kurumi looked like she was about to say something ominous. Her lips parted; her eye gleamed.
"Ne, Shidou-san," she began slowly. "I have a small request—"
The universe decided it had seen enough.
A crashing noise exploded behind us. Metal clanged. Something heavy slammed into tile.
We both whipped around.
The door of a cleaning equipment locker burst open like it had finally lost a war with gravity. Mops, brooms, buckets, rags—everything—avalanched onto the floor in a spectacular mess.
Under all of it, two human shapes flailed.
Tohka clawed her way out of the pile first, a mop head stuck to her hair like a hat. Origami followed a second later, pushing a bucket off her shoulder with terrifying calm.
I stared.
"...Tohka," I said.
"...Origami," I added, because of course it was them.
Tohka pointed at me dramatically, cheeks pink.
"We weren't spying!" she yelled.
"That's exactly what people who are spying say," I sighed.
Origami, still half-buried under a broom, looked at me with her usual neutral expression.
"...We were performing reconnaissance," she said.
"In a closet," I pointed out.
"Closets are efficient hiding places," she replied.
"Tohka-san," Kurumi said, tilting her head slightly, still holding my hand. "Tobiichi-san. What a coincidence..."
She didn't say anything about the question. Her smile smoothing back into polite curiosity.
"...Whatever were you two doing in there?" she asked instead. "Is this some... new club activity?"
Tohka staggered upright, shoving a mop aside, and her gaze snapped immediately to our joined hands.
"Shidou!!" she shouted. "Why are you wandering around with this girl holding hands!?"
"Because the world hates me?" I said.
Origami rose, dusting off her uniform. Her eyes moved from our faces down to our hands, her expression sharpening by a fraction.
"Tokisaki Kurumi," she said steadily. "A school tour does not require holding hands. Release Itsuka Shidou."
Only then did I fully register how tightly I was still gripping Kurumi's hand. My fingers were locked around hers from that cursed pun.
I tried to loosen my grip and seperate my hand.
Kurumi's hand tightened, stopping me, like she'd read my mind.
I groaned quietly.
Kurumi let her shoulders sag slightly. Her eye turned gentle, almost weak. She looked between Tohka and Origami, then down at our hands.
"The truth is..." she said softly, voice trembling just a little. "I have very severe anemia."
I stared at her.
"If I walk too long, I get so dizzy," she continued, ignoring me. "I might collapse at any moment. This kind Shidou-san is lending me his hand so I don't fall. Please don't blame him."
Tohka froze.
"A... anemia?" she repeated.
Origami's eyes slid to me.
"Is that true?" she asked.
Three gazes, three different kinds of pressure, all aimed at my face.
I exhaled through my nose.
"Yeah, sure," I muttered. "What the pervert said..."
"My," Kurumi said, amused, clearly not offended at all. "How rude."
Both Tohka and Origami flinched slightly at the word "pervert," their eyes cutting back to Kurumi with new hostility.
Origami suddenly dropped to one knee right in front of me.
"Anemia," she said, like she was diagnosing herself.
"What-?"
She took my left hand in both of hers, serious as if we were performing some kind of ritual.
"If you're supporting her," she said, eyes briefly flicking to Kurumi, "then I'll support you. That way, the risk of collapse is reduced."
Before I could respond, Tohka stepped forward, refusing to be left out.
"Shidou!" she cried. "I—I also have anemia!"
"No you don't," I said.
"Yes I do!" she insisted. "T-to tell you the truth, my butt doesn't have much flesh!"
...
There was a long, deep silence.
"That.. has nothing to do with anemia," I said flatly.
"It does!" she shouted. "If I sit too long, it hurts! That means something is wrong, right?!"
"That means you need a cushion Tohka," I muttered.
Tohka puffed her cheeks.
"Th-that's not the point! The point is that I also need support, so Shidou's hand should be—"
She looked down.
My right hand: still clamped in Kurumi's.
My left hand: trapped in Origami's careful grip.
Realization hit her like a truck.
"So both of your hands are taken..." she then let out a loud whine. "That means I can't hold either of them?! That's unfair!"
"My god....." I groaned.
Kurumi's smile only grew more amused, watching with obvious enjoyment.
However Origami's phone chimed in her pocket, the sharp vibration cutting through the chaos.
She used her unoccupied hand to fish it out answering it.
"...Yes," she answered, voice shifting into an even calmer register. "Understood."
She hung up, stood smoothly, and brushed dust from her skirt.
"I have to go," she said. "Something urgent came up."
"Work?" I asked quietly.
"A prior engagement," she said.
She very slowly moves her hand with a Grimace.
As she moved past me, she leaned in just enough that her lips were near my ear.
"Beware of Tokisaki Kurumi.." she whispered giving me a deep look.
Then she straightened and walked away quickly, not looking back once.
The moment her hand left mine, Tohka moved like she'd been waiting in ambush.
She lunged forward, grabbing my now-free left hand with both of hers.
"Then I'll take responsibility for this hand!" she declared, holding it possessively.
Tohka's hand was very warm.
I sighed "Jeez.."
Kurumi's fingers tightened around my right hand at the same time, as if to say and this one is not going anywhere either.
I stared at our joined hands, then at the two girls flanking me.
Great, I thought. Perfect. Exactly the triangle I didn't need today.
After that, the rest of the afternoon blurred into a weird, exhausting montage.
I kept doing the "school tour" thing because there wasn't really an off-ramp out of this situation. Kurumi wanted to see everything; Tohka refused to leave us alone.
We went to the rooftop. Kurumi stepped close to the fence, eye half-lidded as she looked over the town bathed in afternoon light. Every time the atmosphere started to feel even a hint too quiet, Tohka barged between us and demanded to know what we were talking about.
We moved through stair landings, club corridors, any place a normal dating sim would flag as an "event" spot. Every time Kurumi tried to edge a little closer, Tohka grabbed my arm or hand and pulled me away. Every time Tohka got too loud, Kurumi's smile sharpened like she was imagining something unpleasant happening to the noise source.
Internally, I was... grateful for Tohka's presence. She kept Kurumi from completely running the board.
Externally, my shoulders and hands were screaming from being pulled in two directions nonstop.
Kurumi never complained. If anything, she looked like the entire circus was just getting more and more entertaining.
By the time the sky started tinting orange, my brain felt like someone had wrung it out and hung it up to dry.
We finally found ourselves walking toward the front gate.
The campus was quieter now. Most students had gone home or to clubs. The low sun stretched long shadows across the ground, painting everything in red-orange.
Kurumi had, at some point, finally let go of my hand. Tohka still clung to my left like she'd glued herself there.
I flexed my right fingers slowly, not sure whether I missed the warmth or not.
We stepped out through the gate.
"That's most of the campus," I said, rolling my shoulder. "Think you can manage tomorrow without getting lost?"
Kurumi turned to face me, the evening light catching in her hair and eye.
"Yes," she said. "Thanks to your guidance, I feel much more prepared."
Then her lips curved, that teasing spark lighting up her expression again.
"Though..." she added softly, "I would have preferred a little more time alone with you."
Tohka practically exploded.
"N-no more alone!" she shouted, pointing at Kurumi with her free hand. "Absolutely not! If you try to sneak off with Shidou, I'll—"
"I'm not a package you can steal Tohka.." I said.
Kurumi brought a hand to her mouth, chuckling.
"You two are so close," she said. "I'm... jealous."
Alone with Kurumi under this sky, I thought, glancing at the red-streaked clouds behind her, and I really might end up eaten. In several possible ways.
We walked together until we reached a small fork in the road.
One street led toward home. The other branched off deeper into town.
Kurumi stopped at the split and turned, folding her hands neatly in front of her skirt.
"Well then.." she said, bowing slightly. "I'll end here for today."
"Yeah," I said. "See you tomorrow."
Tohka huffed beside me.
"Don't do anything suspicious on the way home either!" she said. "And no more weird lines!"
"I'll... be careful," Kurumi said, smiling.
Her eye drifted back to me for one last look.
"See you tomorrow, Shidou-san," she said softly. "I'm already looking forward to it."
Then she pivoted on her heel and walked down the side street, her figure gradually swallowed by the orange light and lengthening shadows.
I watched until she turned a corner and vanished.
Only then did I let out a long, heavy sigh.
"...She's suspicious," Tohka muttered.
"You think everyone around me is suspicious," I said.
"Because they are," she shot back.
She wasn't wrong.
Kotori's voice drifted back into my ear, tired and exasperated.
"Well," she said. "That was... something. But you're alive, which means we'll call it a success."
"That's your standard?" I asked. "Not dead yet?"
"With your track record? Yes," she said. "Anyway, go buy food. It's almost discount time, and we're low on meat."
"You have a whole entire battleship up there," I said. "Why is my wallet the one suffering?"
"Your cooking tastes better," she replied.
"You're not even here to eat it!" I said feeling my eye twitch.
"I live vicariously," she said. "Now move. I want hamburg steak."
"Such a demanding little sister..." I muttered
Ugh....
"Alright fine..." I say rubbing my eyes. "I'll go get it, let's go Tohka."
I heard a victorious sound in the earpiece, followed by the sound of someone getting hit.
Probably Kannazuki.
That made me smile a bit more.
While thinking Tohka tugged on my hand.
"Shidou!" she said. "If we hurry, there might still be red stickers!"
"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Let's go."
We headed to the supermarket.
The fluorescent lights inside felt too bright after the sunset outside. Annoying pop music looped in the background. An automated announcement chirped about "special discount items in the meat section!"
Tohka's eyes locked onto the discounted meat shelf the moment we stepped in.
"Shidou!" she gasped. "Look! Red stickers!"
"That just means it expires soon," I said, grabbing a pack of marked-down ground beef. "Which is exactly why we're buying it."
"That's destiny!" she declared. "The universe wants us to eat meat tonight!"
I dropped the pack into the basket, added another, grabbed some veggies that Tohka didn't like the look of , then made for the register.
In my ear, Kotori hummed.
"I vote hamburg steak," she announced. "With extra sauce. And maybe steak on the side."
"Who said you get a vote?" I asked.
"I'm Commander," she replied. "Comes with perks."
"You're a little parasite.." I mumbled.
"Language!" she scolded.
We checked out and stepped back into the night air with a couple of plastic bags each. The sky had darkened; streetlights buzzed to life, casting pale circles on the pavement.
Tohka walked beside me, humming happily under her breath, probably imagining dinner already.
For a few minutes, it was...peaceful.
My shoulders still ached. My hands still remembered the feel of Kurumi's fingers. The word "dark visitor" kept bouncing around in my head.
But the street was quiet. The bags rustled. Tohka's footsteps squeaked faintly.
We turned down a narrower side street on the way home.
That's when I heard it—the sharp, small squeak of sports shoes against asphalt.
I blink raised my head.
A girl stood under a streetlight a little ahead of us.
She looked about my age. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung slightly in the breeze. Under her right eye, on the smooth skin of her cheek, was a small beauty mark—just a tiny dot, but it drew my gaze instantly.
She wore a light parka over a simple top, loose culottes that reached below her knees. On her feet were white sports shoes.
White sports shoes with faint, dried-looking reddish stains near the soles, like old splatters that hadn't quite washed out....
Was that.... Blood?
She was staring straight at me.
Not at Tohka. Not at the bags in my hands.
Just me.
Her eyes were wide. She wasn't just surprised; it was a look like someone seeing something they'd been chasing in a dream for years.
I slowed to a stop.
"...Uh," I said. "Can I help you with something?"
She didn't answer.
Her lips trembled. For a moment, no sound came out.
Then she breathed a single word, so soft I almost thought I imagined it.
"Nii.....?"
I blinked.
"...Nii?" I echoed.
Tohka glanced between us.
"Shidou," she whispered. "Do you... know her?"
I took a quick step sideways, glancing behind me.
Empty sidewalk. No one there.
So that "Nii" was definitely aimed at me.
The girl's fingers clenched around the hem of her parka. Her shoulders shook once.
Then she moved.
She sprinted toward me.
"W-wait—"
She closed the distance in a handful of desperate steps and crashed into my chest, arms wrapping around my torso.
The grocery bags swung wildly; I tightened my grip by reflex to keep them from flying.
Her hands clutched my hoodie, fingers digging in as if she were afraid I'd vanish if she let go. Her face pressed against my chest, just over my uniform shirt; I could feel how hard she was trembling.
Up close, I caught a faint scent of soap and something sharp underneath it, like dried iron and dust.
My brain scrambled.
"N—hey—" I said. "Hold on—"
Her voice shook against me when she spoke.
"Nii-sama..." she breathed, barely more than a whisper.
The word hit me like a static shock.
My mouth opened. It came out dry.
I didn't even know what I was going to say.
The girl shifted, pressing her cheek more firmly against my chest, as if confirming I was solid and real.
Then, with a breath that trembled all the way through me, she said it clearly.
"Nii-sama...!"
The world lurched.
All I could do as the world flipped was mutter, stunned.
"...What...?"