Yuta took a deep breath, his steps calculated, his gaze fixed on the petals dancing in the air.
'Just a light brush, channel the energy, no one notices… simple.'
Megumi slowed even further, standing directly under the largest cherry blossom tree in the plaza. The light filtered through the leaves, the perfect setting.
'Now.'
Yuta moved forward, subtly extending his hand, fingers ready to disrupt the curse's flow.
But in the instant he closed in, Megumi stopped abruptly.
Yuta couldn't brake in time.
His shoulder bumped directly into her back, his hand landing awkwardly… much lower than intended.
Silence.
The petals fell slowly, as if even they had paused to witness the scene.
Megumi turned her head slowly, her half-closed eyes devoid of any trace of emotion.
"You… just touched me…?"
Yuta froze.
'Shit… shit… shit!'
His mind raced, scrambling for an escape.
'Think, Yuta, you've died once, you're not gonna be taken down by a misunderstanding!'
The System's screen still glowed faintly in the corner of his vision.
[Mission in Progress: 12% of the curse's influence dissipated.]
'I need to fix this now… or I'll be arrested before I finish the mission!'
His eyes darted for any way out, any excuse that wouldn't brand him a complete maniac.
And then… an idea. Risky, ridiculous, but the only one he had.
'It's gotta be this…'
Megumi turned fully, her gaze now carrying an irritating coldness.
"Are you insane or just another dumb pervert?"
Her voice was low but sharp enough to draw the attention of a few nearby students.
Yuta kept his face impassive, even as his stomach churned.
'Damn, this is going worse than I expected.'
More hurried footsteps approached. Curious glances, whispers starting to ripple.
Yuta took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and kept his voice steady.
"You're carrying bad energy. I was just trying to dispel it before it got worse."
Megumi furrowed her brows.
"That's your excuse now? Seriously?"
Yuta didn't break eye contact.
"You've been feeling constant fatigue, like the world's ignoring you, even when you're surrounded by people."
Megumi opened her mouth to retort but stopped.
"Your body feels heavier in the mornings, and even after sleeping all night, you wake up like you haven't rested at all."
She stared at Yuta in silence, her eyes narrowing.
"In the past few days, small accidents have been happening around you. Things falling on their own, electronics failing near you… am I wrong?"
The tension in the air thickened.
Megumi bit her lower lip slightly and looked away, crossing her arms.
'He… shouldn't know those things.'
Yuta caught her hesitation.
'Don't back down now, she's thinking… just need one more push.'
But for now, Megumi stayed silent.
Yuta's words echoed in her mind, even as her pride clung to doubt.
Yuta kept his expression serious and raised his right hand, palm open between them.
"Touch one finger here. If nothing changes, you can report me, call the police, or make whatever scene you want."
His voice was so confident that even the curious students hesitated to draw closer.
Megumi looked at his outstretched hand, then at his face.
"You really think this little act is going to work on me?"
Despite her words, doubt lingered.
'He's so confident… and what he said before… why does it feel so real?'
Her eyes slowly dropped to his open hand.
'This is stupid. Completely stupid. But… what if it's not?'
She sighed, annoyed with herself for even entertaining the idea.
"Just one touch, and then you disappear from my sight, got it?"
Yuta kept his hand steady, even as his pulse pounded in his ears.
Megumi extended her hand slowly, her trembling index finger hovering inches from his skin.
'What kind of absurd situation is this?'
She closed her eyes for a moment, held her breath, and…
Touched the tip of her finger to Yuta's palm.
*****
"Hey… what's going on over there?"
"Dunno, but it looks serious…"
Across the plaza, two boys watched from a distance, leaning behind a tree, trying to mask their curiosity.
"Is he confessing? Right in front of everyone?"
"Like that? With his hand out? What kind of confession is that, dude?"
Further ahead, two girls whispered softly, sneaking glances.
"Did you see? Megumi actually stopped! She's… touching his hand?"
"This is so weird. Megumi never talks to anyone, and now she's… holding some guy's hand in the middle of the plaza?"
"Is this some new dating ritual? Like… energetic or something?"
The stares piled up. No one was sure what was happening, but the scene was too intriguing to ignore.
Amid wild guesses and hurried whispers, the small circle of attention only grew.
But for Yuta and Megumi, in that moment, the world seemed suspended… waiting for something to happen.
*****
The instant Megumi's fingertip touched Yuta's palm, he acted on instinct.
His fingers closed, gently but firmly grasping her fingertip.
A cold current ran through his arm, like a silent shock.
Yuta closed his eyes and channeled the cursed energy to that small point of contact.
For a brief second, everything around them seemed to fall silent.
The curse snapped like a silk thread cut in two, the negative energy dissolving into an invisible mist.
[Mission Complete!]
The notification rang directly in his mind, accompanied by the holographic panel flickering discreetly in the corner of his vision.
[Reward: +5% Permanent Cursed Energy]
When he opened his eyes, Megumi was still there, her expression unchanged… but something about her had shifted.
Her once-heavy gaze seemed clearer, more present. The tension in her shoulders had vanished, as if a weight she didn't even know she carried had simply disappeared.
She pulled her finger back slowly, staring at her own hand in silence, confused but composed.
She didn't say a word. She just looked at Yuta for a few more seconds before turning, as if processing what had just happened.
Yuta exhaled in relief inwardly but maintained his calm demeanor.
'For now… this is enough.'
Yuta stepped to the side, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder. Before moving on, he glanced back over his shoulder.
"If that had stayed in your body much longer… it could've killed you."
His voice was calm, almost casual, as if commenting on the weather.
Megumi froze mid-step. Her eyes widened slightly, her mind reeling from the statement.
'Kill me? Is he serious… or just trying to scare me?'
She furrowed her brow, staring at her hands. Her body did feel lighter. And the headaches that had plagued her for days… they were gone.
When she looked up, Yuta was already walking casually toward school, as if nothing significant had happened.
Without thinking, her steps began to follow him.
Each step was an unanswered question.
'Who is he? How did he know all that? And what was… that thing he took from me?'
She needed answers. And for the first time in a long time, she felt she couldn't just ignore what had just happened.
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