The class moved at a steady pace. Professor Sae didn't pause, as if time belonged to her and no one else.
Yuta tried to focus on his notebook, but his eyes drifted on their own.
Utaha was there. Upright posture, impassive expression. So present… and yet so distant.
'No energy. No disturbance. Nothing.'
The system, silent.
That's what made him uneasy.
How could someone tied to the mission feel so… clean?
Aika noticed.
She didn't need to look long. She could feel it.
The way he watched, even if just for seconds.
Her grip tightened on her pen.
Her gaze landed on the window's reflection. Only there did she let the tension in her jaw slip.
'It's just curiosity, Aika. He admires her as a writer. That's all…'
But even as she repeated it, the words felt hollow inside.
He hadn't looked at her like that yesterday.
Not when she shared her lunch.
Not when she said she trusted him.
Aika lowered her eyes to her notebook but didn't read anything. She only saw the name "Kasumigaoka" flashing in the corner of her phone screen, like a reminder.
'I'm not just competing with Megumi… now there's her too.'
Her fingertips began to tingle. She shifted her leg unconsciously, trying to stay steady. The classroom kept its rhythm—low voices, footsteps in the hall, the board filling with formulas.
But Aika heard none of it.
She only felt her chest tighten, as if trying to hold an invisible water slipping through her fingers.
She glanced at Yuta. He was focused. Or pretending to be.
Aika looked away before he noticed.
'Stop. Now's not the time.'
She bit the inside of her cheek, hard. It hurt. Still, it was better than feeling that other pain.
Her hand went to her phone, swiping the screen aimlessly, just to keep busy.
But there, between the screen's glow and the classroom's noise, the truth slipped through.
Even without knowing why, even without wanting to… she felt left behind.
Across the room, Yuta took a deep breath and discreetly grabbed his phone. Professor Sae kept writing formulas on the board, too distracted to notice his quiet movement.
On the screen, he opened Toknet. Megumi's profile picture appeared quickly.
Yuta began typing:
"Remember what we talked about this morning? I'm feeling something might happen. Stay alert. I'm going to ask Aika to have lunch with you. Stay together. Kisses."
Yuta typed with purpose, his eyes flicking between the professor at the board and the screen's glow. He read the message twice. Then hit "send."
Megumi's reply came quickly.
Megumi Katō – Toknet:
"Got it. I'll wait for her at the usual spot. And… thanks for the heads-up."
The period was there. But the tone felt warmer than the words suggested.
Yuta scrolled down, opening his chat with Aika.
His heart beat a little faster. Not because of the content… but because of choosing the right words.
It wasn't easy to ask this. Not the right way.
He typed slowly, checking each word before sending.
Yuta Okkotsu – Toknet:
"Aika, have lunch with Megumi today. I have something to deal with… something supernatural. Don't be alarmed, it's not an immediate concern, but I need you two to stay together while I'm away. Stick to crowded places."
Sent.
The screen froze for half a second. Then the delivery notification appeared.
Yuta kept the phone on his notebook, his eyes back on the board—but not seeing any formulas.
Aika looked at her phone, surprised to see his name light up in the notification.
For a moment, she forgot the class. Her eyes brightened—even if she didn't smile.
But when she read the word "supernatural," her body went cold inside.
The forest.
The scream.
The blood that wasn't hers.
Her hands gripped the phone tighter.
But she took a deep breath. Focused. And typed calmly.
Aika Kiriyuu – Toknet:
"Okay, Yuta. I'll have lunch with her in a crowded place. I'll be careful. Promise."
Sent.
Then she hid the phone under her notebook, trying to breathe normally again.
But inside… she wasn't in the classroom anymore. She was back in that forest. Again.
Yuta read Aika's reply. A slight relief washed over him, like a weight lifting from his chest.
'Now that's settled… I just need to wait for Utaha to come into contact with the cursed object.'
He closed Toknet with a discreet swipe and turned his eyes back to the board.
The professor kept writing. The classroom maintained its rhythm.
But Yuta was already on a different one—silent, alert, ready.
The mission hadn't truly started.
But the board was already in motion.
Tomoya's classroom was almost silent.
The teacher had finished the lesson and was now grading old tests behind the desk, muttering softly to himself while marking papers with a red pen. The clock's hands dragged slowly toward the break.
The ceiling fan's hum was the only constant in the room—spinning, creaking faintly.
Tomoya Aki glanced at the clock.
Then at his backpack.
Then at the clock again.
The black flash drive was inside, safely tucked away. It weighed more than it should. Not physically—but in meaning.
He'd gone over the plan a thousand times. The script was saved. The notes hidden within the main content. The file name was technical, cold, direct. Like it was nothing special.
But it wasn't.
It was everything.
"Today I deliver it. Today she'll know it's me. The mysterious editor."
He gripped his knee tightly under the desk, his fingers tense. Trying to curb the urge to stand too soon.
He looked out the window. The sky was clear. The sun filtered through high clouds with an almost artificial calm. Nothing seemed off.
But inside, his heart beat faster than normal.
Tomoya raised his hand firmly, but controlled.
"Teacher, can I go to the bathroom?"
The teacher looked up over his glasses.
He was about to deny—the break was minutes away, and hardly anyone asked to leave this close.
But then he saw who it was.
Tomoya Aki.
Quiet. Never caused trouble. And, in that moment, his eyes seemed too tense for a trivial request.
The teacher sighed, setting the pen down with a soft click.
"Alright, Aki. Just this once. But come straight back."
Tomoya nodded slightly, already pushing his chair back carefully.
His hand touched the backpack beside him. His fingers slid to the zipper. It made no noise as he opened it—just enough to grab the flash drive and tuck it into his coat's inner pocket.
He stood.
Firm steps, but not rushed.
Each movement restrained, as if holding something delicate… or dangerous.
As he left the room, he didn't look to the sides.
Only forward.
'Sorry, teacher… but I'm not coming back. I'll stay out until the break.'
As he stepped out, a cold breeze swept through the hallway, despite all the windows being closed.
Tomoya didn't notice.
But the air seemed to vibrate for a second—as if something had stirred. As if the hallway were listening.
He pressed his coat against his chest, shielding the inner pocket.
And kept walking.
As if fate were already waiting.
Bonus Chapter Available!
Enjoying my work on "The curse and the Desire," "DXD: The Awakening of Phenex," or "Reincarnation in Smallville"?
Then I have a surprise for you!
By supporting me on Patreon, you'll gain access to exclusive bonus chapters, behind-the-scenes content, and much more.
Your support means the world to me and helps me keep writing the stories you love.
Support here: patreon.com/22Mirko22
Thank you so much for reading — see you in the next chapter!