"Hello, Kasumigaoka-senpai, I'm Yotsuya Miko!"
"...You're surprisingly polite."
After school, Kasumigaoka Utaha arrived at the newly established Spiritual Exorcism Club that Ryuu had ntioned.
The mont she stepped inside and saw the lineup of girls, her crimson eyes slightly widened before narrowing in quiet realization. With a small sigh, she shut the door behind her and took a seat.
Aside from greeting Yotsuya Miko, she outright ignored Miura Yumiko sitting across the room.
Placing her schoolbag on the desk, she turned her gaze to Ryuu and spoke in a relaxed yet sharp tone.
"So, you're telling this club was officially registered under the Spiritual Exorcism Club—but in reality, it's just a campus harem? Is that why you invited ?"
Miura Yumiko crossed her legs, placing her phone down with an amused smirk. "If you don't like it, feel free to leave."
Utaha chuckled and shot her a sidelong glance. "Who said I disliked it? I signed up, didn't I?"
She then turned back to Ryuu. "But I'm guessing this little confrontation was sothing Yumiko wanted to say but was too embarrassed to admit herself?"
"When did I ever say that?!" Yumiko snapped back, then realized sothing. "And don't call so casually!"
"Why not? Aren't we family now?" Utaha's smile deepened. "Shouldn't family mbers be close?"
Watching the scene unfold, Yotsuya Miko internally sighed.
Ah… I really shouldn't have gotten involved in this.
"This is our first official club gathering, so let's keep things calm," Ryuu clapped his hands, redirecting the tension.
Both girls huffed and turned their heads away, still refusing to acknowledge each other.
Ryuu didn't find this surprising in the slightest.
With two proud, sharp-tongued won, conflict was bound to happen. If they suddenly beca best friends overnight, that would have been the real cause for concern.
Still, for their first proper eting, a little less hostility would have been preferable.
So, he decided to shift the attention elsewhere—towards Yotsuya Miko.
"As expected, Miko is the most well-behaved here."
Imdiately, Yumiko and Utaha turned their scrutinizing gazes toward her.
Even with her steel-like ntal fortitude, Miko felt an invisible pressure settle on her shoulders.
"N-No, that's not true!" She waved her hands frantically. "I think Senpai and Yumiko-san are both amazing, and you're both very beautiful!"
Ryuu, you traitor! Miko cried internally.
At a ti like this, shouldn't he be the one defusing the situation? Instead, he just pushed her into the spotlight!
How was she, a simple girl, supposed to handle being judged by two of the most admired girls in school?
However, Yumiko and Utaha seed to catch onto sothing from Miko's words.
Not only did she possess unique abilities, but she was also ek, kind, and unassuming.
This made her… unexpectedly dangerous.
With the two of them bickering, Miko could easily gain favor with Ryuu by simply not being a hassle.
That realization made both girls imdiately cool down.
Seeing this, Utaha coughed lightly, as if moving on from the prior argunt, and elegantly asked,
"So, is this club just for your personal amusent, or does it serve a real purpose?"
"Half and half," Ryuu replied without hesitation.
He leaned back against the desk and continued, "This club will serve as our base of operations in school. I'll make sure it's a comfortable environnt for all of us."
Then, he turned to Miko.
"And this school has a high concentration of cursed spirits. It's the perfect place for you to start training."
"H-Huh?!" Miko yelped, eyes wide. "So soon?! I'm not ready!"
"Relax," Ryuu smirked. "I'll have Oka Tooko train you first. We'll start with minor cursed spirits."
---
anwhile…
Aki Tomoya staggered ho, clutching his stomach.
The school nurse had told him there were no serious injuries—he just needed rest. But the lingering pain told him otherwise.
That one punch…
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't just a difference in height or build. The sheer force behind that hit—he'd never felt anything like it.
The impact had sent him flying. His ribs still ached with every breath.
On one hand, he was terrified Ryuu would attack him again. On the other, he hated that Kasumigaoka Utaha had humiliated him so thoroughly.
He clenched his fists.
If I can't retaliate in real life, then I'll do it online.
He had spent years curating his blog, gathering like-minded people. He would use that influence to ruin Utaha's reputation.
She would regret looking down on him.
With this in mind, Tomoya quickened his pace.
Yet, unbeknownst to him, an invisible force had already been set in motion.
Due to Ryuu's control over magic, he had left two types of lingering effects on Tomoya.
One was a protective charm, like the one he had placed on Utaha.
The other… was a curse.
Unlike ordinary people, who were generally ignored by weak cursed spirits, Tomoya had been unknowingly marked as a beacon for them.
Cursed spirits were now drawn to him...
As he walked, unseen creatures crept closer.
At first, they only lurked nearby, observing. But as their numbers grew, they began to fight amongst themselves, their malevolent energy growing stronger.
Then, just as Tomoya stepped onto a crosswalk, he suddenly felt a shove from behind.
His body lurched forward.
He whipped around, expecting to see the culprit—
But there was no one there.
Panic flooded his senses.
Then, the blaring horn of an approaching truck filled his ears.
---
A few days later, Ryuu heard about Tomoya's fate.
He had been involved in a traffic accident.
Hit by a speeding car, he had miraculously survived—if one could call being in a coma surviving.
His condition? Vegetative state.
Ryuu wasn't surprised.
When a person was exposed to negative energy for too long, their life force was gradually drained.
From a dical standpoint, there would be no clear explanation—just a body slowly failing, as if afflicted by an unseen illness.
And in Tomoya's case, that effect had been amplified by the curse Ryuu had placed on him.
Of course, he hadn't intended for things to escalate this quickly. But the result was still… convenient.
However, hospitals were breeding grounds for cursed spirits.
And since Tomoya's soul hadn't fully left his body yet, there was a chance sothing else might decide to take residence inside him.
I'm not a bad person, Ryuu mused to himself.
So, after school, he decided—
He'd visit Tomoya in the hospital.
To check in on him.
And, of course…
To reapply the curse.
=====
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