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"Let's give it a try…"
Miko Yotsuya bit her lip, found Max's email address, and typed out a message before finally hitting send.
Ding, ding, ding~~~
On his way home, Max heard his phone buzz. Pulling it out, he saw who it was.
"Oh? The fish finally took the bait."
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Pretending to be just another paranormal enthusiast had been nothing more than bait for her, and now she'd bitten.
He opened her message.
Miko Yotsuya: Good evening, Max. I have some questions I'd like to ask you. Is this a good time?
Max: Go ahead.
Miko hesitated, staring at the screen's glow before slowly typing her reply.
Miko Yotsuya: Do you… already know about me?
Max's smile widened. Know what about you?
The whole conversation felt like a riddle contest.
Reading his reply, Miko gritted her teeth. He was obviously playing with her. But since she needed his help, she had no choice but to swallow her frustration.
Miko Yotsuya: You can see ghosts, can't you?
Max: You mean evil spirits?
Her eyes lit up. That's right! You can see them too?
A tiny spark of hope welled up inside her.
If Max could also see them, then she wasn't alone. Having an ally meant strength in numbers—and maybe, just maybe, a way to get rid of this curse. She was sick of waking up screaming in the middle of the night, sick of being terrified by monsters no one else could see.
Max: Yeah, I can see them.
"He really can!"
Her eyes went wide. Relief and joy hit her all at once. That explained what had happened earlier that afternoon—he must've realized she could see spirits too, which was why he'd said those things.
Now that she was sure Max was on her side, the questions came flooding out.
Miko Yotsuya: Why can you see them? Were you born this way?Is there a way to stop seeing them?Or something that makes spirits stay away?If evil spirits are real, then… are there people who can actually fight them? Like exorcists?
She fired off message after message in one breath.
Max could practically feel her desperation through the screen. Chuckling softly, he started typing back.
Max: I know you're anxious, Yotsuya. But calm down for now.
Miko Yotsuya: …
Max: Since you have so many questions, let's just talk in person tomorrow.
Miko Yotsuya: ???
What? He drags her curiosity to the breaking point, then suddenly tells her not now?
Before she could protest, another message popped up.
Max: It's settled. Tomorrow at noon, at the student council office. Sleep well.
Miko Yotsuya: …
Who settled this? I didn't agree to anything!
But with no leverage, she couldn't exactly argue.
Miko Yotsuya: Fine. See you tomorrow at the student council office.
Setting her phone aside, she pulled her blanket tight and lay down. Thoughts swirled in her head as she drifted toward sleep.
"The student council office… so Max's part of the student council?"
She had only known he went to the same school as her, nothing more. Now she had one more piece of the puzzle.
Wrapped in that mix of nerves and curiosity, she finally fell asleep.
Outside, spirits wandered the streets.
But not a single one dared enter the homes of the living, as if some invisible barrier held them back.
…
The night passed quickly.
A streak of sunlight broke through the darkness, painting the world in morning light.
The weather looked promising.
Max stirred awake as music buzzed under his pillow. He reached out, silenced the alarm, and groaned softly.
"Mmmph…"
Stretching out, he got up and pulled the blinds open. Warm sunlight spilled into the room. Smiling faintly at the blue sky and drifting clouds, he grabbed his uniform and headed for the shower.
After a quick wash—and a ten-minute soak in the warm bath that made him feel alive again—he got dressed in the academy uniform: black shirt, crisp white jacket with twin buttons, blue tie and clip, white trousers, polished brown shoes.
Girls, of course, had a different design—frilly layered skirts and ribbons instead of ties.
Max didn't bother putting on his jacket right away. He rolled up his sleeves, made himself breakfast, and only after eating got fully dressed for school.
By 7:40 he was out the door, bag slung over his shoulder.
Strictly speaking, he had no reason to be in school anymore. Immortal, untouchable—gods had less to worry about than him.
But he still went.
Why? Simple. To meet his "future wives" and unlock his collection log.
Most heroines were at school. Where else would he go?
Sure, this world was crawling with supernatural monsters, but none of them could touch him. Safety wasn't even on the list of concerns. Neither was "getting stronger."
In this anime-mashup of a world, daily life was king—and he intended to enjoy it.
Besides, interacting with the "collection targets" he'd already unlocked earned him points toward rewards. What those rewards were, he didn't know yet. Right now, his progress was only ten percent. More time, more interactions, more points—that was the only way forward.
So, yeah. Even if it was just for his girls, school was a must.
Call it what it was—he wanted them. At least he was honest about it.
By 8:10, Max arrived at the elite academy in Bunkyō. Students in the same uniforms filled the streets around the gates.
Plenty of them stole glances his way. A few girls' eyes even sparkled, cheeks pink as they practically swooned.
Max ignored it all, strolling in with calm confidence and a faint smile.
No matter how much he tried to tone it down, he still stood out like a crane among chickens.
At the shoe lockers, he slipped into indoor shoes and headed up to Class 1-C.
The moment he walked in, chatter died. Every head turned toward him, faces showing open surprise—like he'd become a completely different person overnight.
Max didn't flinch. He walked straight to his desk and sat down.
At that moment, his collection log chimed. Several new entries had just been added, waiting to be unlocked.
"....."