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The only sound in the bathroom was the splash of water spilling over the edge of the tub.
Jack lowered his head and saw Sakurajima Mai's body beneath the rippling surface. The water distorted the view a little, but not enough to blur the outline completely.
Hmm… not bad.
"…Right. Next time I need to remember to add a warning on the flyers: Never use summoning magic while taking a bath."
He muttered it under his breath, but in the quiet bathroom, every word echoed.
Mai's mind finally caught up with what had just happened. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she instantly recognized him—the guy who'd handed her that strange flyer yesterday.
Instead of screaming, she curled up in the tub, arms and knees drawn close, eyes fixed on him like a cornered cat.
"Get out."
Her voice was icy, calm on the surface, but the tremor in it betrayed her shaken state.
Judging by how Jack had appeared out of thin air in her house, she already realized this was another supernatural incident. Fortunately, she'd been through enough weirdness before to keep her composure—barely.
"My deepest apologies. I didn't mean to intrude."
Jack turned his head away at once, climbed out of the tub still dripping wet, and left the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and stood there for a moment, sighing helplessly.
First summoning ever, and he already managed to make a complete fool of himself… and probably offended his summoner, too.
What if she got angry that he'd seen her naked and refused to form a contract—or worse, decided to make his life difficult?
What a headache.
A few minutes later, Mai stepped out, fully dressed, hair still damp. Jack, on the other hand, stood there soaked from head to toe, acting as if nothing had happened.
"I haven't introduced myself yet," he said evenly, as if the whole bathtub debacle never occurred. "Sakurajima Mai, right? I'm Jack. You summoned me. I'm a demon."
Mai's eyes flicked toward him, curiosity breaking through her irritation.
"A demon?"
"That's right. The kind you're thinking of."
He walked toward the sofa, letting his power ripple outward. His black hair lifted as though caught in a breeze, and the sound of his wet clothes fluttered in the air. Within seconds, the moisture evaporated completely, leaving his outfit dry and neat.
Seeing it happen right before her eyes, Mai couldn't deny it anymore. This guy really wasn't human.
"…The world's getting more ridiculous by the day," she murmured, half to herself. Her sense of reality had taken yet another hit.
Jack understood what she meant—he felt the same way, honestly.
Not long ago, he'd gone through his own series of absurd life changes: getting killed, reincarnating, becoming a demon… practically the full package. Compared to that, Mai's shock seemed almost mild.
"The world's always been ridiculous," he said, settling comfortably onto the sofa. "You're just starting to see what it's really like."
His calm tone caught her attention again.
"I came because you summoned me. You want me to help with that problem of yours—the one where people can't perceive you, right?"
Realizing there was no point pretending around someone like her, Jack dropped any façade and spoke plainly. His voice was cool but steady, fitting his naturally reserved personality.
The straightforwardness threw Mai off a little. Yesterday, when he'd approached her with that fake smile and polite tone, he'd seemed like a completely different person.
"How do you know about that?" she asked.
"When you summoned me, I sensed it through your soul's resonance. The flyer I gave you was actually a summoning spell—it links to your soul and passes your wish along to me."
He patiently explained how the magic worked.
If things went well, Mai would be able to summon him again later, so it made sense to clarify.
"So you came to fulfill my wish. What do I have to give in return?"
Mai's voice was calm, her expression unreadable.
Jack couldn't help but find her composure impressive. The initial shock had vanished almost instantly; now she faced him with the kind of steadiness most people couldn't muster in an hour, let alone minutes.
"My goal," he said honestly, "is to form a contract with you."
"A contract? For what purpose?"
"Once it's formed, your emotions and desires will generate energy I can absorb to grow stronger. In return, I'll help you achieve your wishes—within reason, of course."
Mai blinked. "So the legends about demons tempting humans to gain power were true, then."
"You misunderstand," Jack replied mildly. "This isn't temptation. It's a fair exchange."
He leaned back against the sofa, voice lowering into something almost gentle.
"The contract is completely voluntary. I won't force you. And it doesn't affect you negatively—your emotions already release energy all the time; it's just wasted otherwise."
That actually surprised her.
"Didn't expect a demon to sound this reasonable…"
He smiled faintly. "What did you think I'd be? Flesh-eating? Bloodthirsty? Greedy and lustful?"
Mai blinked at him. Isn't that exactly what demons are supposed to be? she thought silently.
She studied him more closely.
He was… striking, to say the least. And now that they were talking properly, the impression of him from yesterday—the pushy guy with the fake grin—was gone. In his quietness, in the way he carried himself, there was something cool and distant… mysterious, even.
He clearly cared about making this contract happen, patiently explaining every detail, but otherwise didn't speak unless spoken to. There was a touch of loneliness in that restraint.
Still, Mai could tell one thing for certain: he didn't mean her harm.
If he did, with power like his, there'd be no reason for all this talking.
"…Let me think about it first," she said softly.
"Of course."
Jack nodded. Patience was one of his few virtues.
Mai found herself oddly satisfied with that response.
Ever since that strange condition of hers started, she hadn't really talked to anyone properly. Now, for the first time in a while, she felt human again—not like some invisible ghost drifting through life.
Even if the one she was talking to claimed to be a demon.
Her tone softened a little. "Would you like some water?"
"Thanks, but I already have my water."
"…What?"
An awkward silence fell between them.
"…Just trying to lighten the mood," he added quickly.
"Congratulations," she said flatly. "You've made it even more awkward."
Jack chuckled quietly, unfazed by her dry sarcasm.
Well… at least the whole accidentally seeing her naked thing seemed to be behind them. Best to pretend it never happened.
"..."
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