Utaha's "declaration of sovereignty" landed like a depth charge dropped into a quiet lake. Even the next day, the ripples it stirred had not settled.
The first place to feel the shift was the Occult Research Club room.
At lunch break, when Yui, Eriri, and Yukino gathered there as usual, Utaha once again appeared with that same exquisite bento box in hand and a flawless, elegant smile on her face.
"Natsume kun, today's bento is tamagoyaki and grilled eel."
She completely ignored the mixed looks from the other three girls in the room and walked straight over to Natsume's side. She set the bento box gently on the desk, her tone as affectionate as if they had been together for years..
Natsume merely gave her a calm glance and said, "Thanks," before naturally accepting it.
That tacit acceptance, that matter of course attitude, was like an invisible barrier, shutting everyone else out.
"Hmph."
A dissatisfied huff sounded from behind the easel. Eriri bit her lip, gripping her pencil so tightly it looked like she might punch it straight through the drawing board. Her golden twin tails even seemed to bristle in sync with their owner's mood.
"So greasy this early in the day. Aren't you afraid of indigestion? A high schooler's lunch should have a balanced mix of vegetables and protein, you know."
Yukino pushed up non-existent glasses, her voice as cool as ever.
"Eriri san has a point. Excessive sugar and fats do impact afternoon learning efficiency. From a nutritional standpoint, this bento is not exactly a model of balance."
Faced with their barbed "academic discussion," Utaha simply brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, a composed smile curving her lips.
"Oh my, thank you both for the concern. But love is the best seasoning and the finest nutrient of all. That is something you can only truly understand once you have experienced it yourself."
She shut down their criticism in one smooth reply.
After seeing the girls in this clubroom once, Utaha immediately sensed the situation was more complicated than she expected. Whether it was the bright and bubbly Yui, the tsundere and adorable Eriri, or the icy perfect Yukino, each one was breathtaking in her own way, and each one had an extraordinary bond with Natsume Yuu.
She knew perfectly well that one night together was nowhere near enough to make her feel secure. So this brilliant light novel author decided to take the initiative and use the simplest and most reliable method she knew: bringing him a homemade bento every day, to announce and solidify her position as "official girlfriend."
And Natsume understood her thinking completely.
He had never once considered limiting himself to only one partner. In this unfamiliar world, the girls who had been pulled into this supernatural world because of him were people he wanted to protect. Being on the receiving end of their feelings was, to him, an indispensable part of this "everyday life" he cherished.
That quiet tacit understanding, however, felt like a sharp blade, carving line after line into Yui's heart.
She sat off in the corner, watching Utaha neatly open the bento for Natsume, even considerately passing him his chopsticks. With every small gesture, Yui felt stabbing pain in her chest, until even breathing became difficult. She lowered her head in agony, her hands clenched into tight fists, fingernails digging so deeply into her palms they left crescent moon marks behind.
Why… why did I not work up the courage sooner?
If I had been the first to ask him for help…
If I had been the one standing by his side…
If… if I had confessed those feelings just a little earlier… would the person standing next to him now be me?
Regret, frustration, and a deep, crushing helplessness wrapped around her like a net, dragging her down until she could hardly breathe.
"I… I just remembered I have something to do, I am heading out first!"
Yui could no longer bear the air that was thick with gunpowder and unspoken rivalry. She shot to her feet and practically fled the clubroom.
At the same time, on the other side of the city, in a high end apartment.
The room's lights were off, shrouding everything in gloom. The only illumination came from several LCD screens mounted on the wall. They displayed live feeds packed frame to frame: Natsume at school, the street below his apartment building, the convenience store he frequented, and more. In one corner, a large city map hung on the wall. Red threads traced his daily routes across it, so precise it was disturbing.
A figure sat in a gaming chair before the monitors, swallowed by the darkness.
She had long, wavy beige hair. It was Houzuki Eiko, who had just returned in triumph from the national collegiate archery tournament.
At this moment, however, the face that should have been glowing with youth and confidence was instead twisted by madness and a sickly possessiveness. Her fingers tapped the desktop in a jittery rhythm as her eyes locked onto the image on screen of Utaha clinging to Natsume's arm.
"Natsume kun… Natsume kun… my… Natsume kun…"
She muttered over and over, her voice hoarse and obsessed, like a beast whose territory had been invaded.
"I was only gone a few days… and someone already wants to steal what belongs to me… unforgivable… absolutely… unforgivable…"
Jealousy burned in her gaze, warping her beautiful features. Her phone lay on the desk, screen still lit. On it was a photo she had secretly taken of Natsume's sleeping face, captured the last time she had hired him to handle the school's curse incident, sneaking the shot while he dozed. From that moment on, her crush had twisted into a warped desire to possess.
Just then, the door opened with a soft click, and a small figure stepped into the room.
"Big sis, what are you doing?"
Yashiro walked in carrying a glass of juice, her expression calm as she looked at her cousin's deranged state. Those heavy black eyes of hers showed not the slightest surprise, as if she had long grown used to this.
Her gaze swept over the feeds on the wall and finally settled on the tiny, almost invisible micro cameras hidden in the corners of the images.
"Big sis, I already told you," Yashiro said, her childish voice unnervingly steady, "the curse energy you attached to those cameras might be weak, but there is no way they can fool those eyes."
Eiko's body went rigid. She slowly turned to look at her cousin.
"Those eyes…"
"Yes." Yashiro nodded, her expression serious as she set the juice down on the desk. "Natsume's Six Eyes are the strongest eyes in the jujutsu world. They can see through every flow of cursed energy. As long as he cares to look, he can notice these tiny cameras you have hidden all over the city at any moment. If you keep this up, it is not only pointless, he will also find out sooner or later."
Yashiro's warning was like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing the jealous flames in Eiko's chest. In their wake came a wave of fear… and an even sharper anxiety.
She had actually forgotten that the man she was obsessed with was the strongest in this world. In front of him, all her little tricks were nothing but clownish antics, making her look foolish and pathetic.
"No… I cannot wait any longer…"
"…I have to… go see him right now."
Eiko shot to her feet, determination blazing in her eyes.
Waiting around was never her style. If someone had invaded her "home," then she had to strike back. She would force her way into his world again with a reason no one could refute and make him understand who needed him most, and who was the one truly suited to stand by his side.