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Sakurajima Mai could tell that the first idea Jack suggested might actually work—it could really change her current situation.
But if she went along with his plan, then the only person who would still be able to see her and help her would be Jack himself. And if that happened, he'd inevitably get dragged into her mess.
The entertainment media were like sharks in bloody water—endlessly prying, digging, and violating privacy for a scrap of gossip. If Jack got caught up in that storm, things would never end well for him.
Even though Mai was cornered right now, she still didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of her.
Since the leading lady had vetoed his first plan, Jack could only respect her choice and move on to plan B.
"So, the first question now," he said thoughtfully, "is how we can find the source of your condition."
He paused, then added, "Could it be your talent agency?"
After all, this strange phenomenon had formed out of Mai's own subconscious wishes. It made sense that it might've first appeared somewhere tied to her work.
But Mai simply shook her head. "It's not the agency."
Her voice was soft but certain, so much so that Jack couldn't figure out where her confidence came from.
"Why not?" he asked.
"No reason. I just… know it isn't." She went quiet for a moment, leaving it at that.
Jack glanced at her curiously. His instincts told him there was something she didn't want to talk about—some unspoken story behind those words.
So there's more to it than she's letting on…
He filed that thought away but didn't press. Instead, he gave a casual smile.
"Alright then, we'll cross the agency off the list."
He dropped the subject without pushing further, choosing instead to trust her.
Mai felt a small spark of gratitude—he'd noticed her hesitation but didn't pry.
"In that case," he continued, "where were you the first time you realized this was happening?"
"An aquarium," she answered right away. "I went there on a whim, just to relax."
He blinked. "…You mean that aquarium? One of the top three date spots in the city?"
"Yeah."
Jack tilted his head, suspicion creeping in. "…You went alone?"
He didn't need to say anything else—his expression said it all. Mai understood immediately.
Without a word, she stepped down on his foot. Hard.
"Yeah, alone. What, a girl can't go to an aquarium by herself?" she said coolly.
"…No problem at all. But, uh, Mai—your foot."
Jack glanced down at the leg in question—slender, wrapped in black stockings.
Her gaze snapped toward him, sharp as a blade.
"Add 'classmate' to that."
"…Mai classmate, your foot."
But Mai didn't move it. Instead, she pressed down harder, her face perfectly calm.
"My foot? What about it?"
Jack stared straight ahead, forcing his voice flat.
"I humbly request that you trample me harder, Your Majesty."
Mai froze. "…Huh?"
Since when are demons this good at this kind of thing?
"So, anyway," she said evenly, steering the conversation back on track, "you think that aquarium might be the place we're looking for?"
"Unlikely," he admitted. "Based on what we know, the odds are low."
"Guesswork's fine too," she said with a shrug.
He nodded. "Fair point. Even if the chance is small, we should check it out and rule it out properly."
She could only agree. One look at the time told her it was getting late—they'd have to wait until tomorrow.
"Tomorrow's Saturday," she said. "Are you free?"
Jack's face immediately lit up with exaggerated excitement.
"I'm not dreaming, right? This is my first time being invited on a date by a girl!"
"…Really?"
To a pro like Mai, his acting was painfully clumsy.
"That was terrible," she said flatly.
"…I humbly accept that critique," he muttered, deflating.
No denying it—his acting didn't hold a candle to hers. Not that it could; for her, performance was a livelihood.
"Just so we're clear," she added with a teasing grin, "you'll be going in alone. I'll wait outside."
Jack's head tilted again, voice stretching out in disbelief. "…Eh?"
Seeing his expression, Mai finally broke into a satisfied smile. "Kidding."
He rolled his eyes. "So this is payback for teasing you earlier, huh? You're awful, Mai classmate."
"Right back at you."
With that playful exchange, they finalized the meeting time and place.
"I'll be there on time," he said, standing to leave.
"Good." Mai watched him, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "You going to teleport back using that paper again?"
He smirked. "Curious? Watch closely."
He took a deep breath, bent his knees slightly, and looked like he was about to spring into the air and vanish.
Mai's eyes widened—she half-expected him to disappear in a flash.
Instead, Jack gave a small hop… then strode to the door, opened it, and walked out.
Mai blinked. "…Huh?"
Watching his figure disappear down the hallway, she stood there blankly for a few seconds before closing the door.
This guy… is he actually insane?
On the way home, Jack sighed, looking gloomy.
He'd barely started this whole "summoned demon" business, and already things were this tough.
They said life rarely goes smoothly, but come on—he was a demon now. Couldn't he at least catch a break?
Well, whatever. Setbacks were part of the job. He needed to stay calm and think things through.
Maybe, if he retraced the details, he'd notice something useful.
He walked in silence, replaying Mai's words in his head—until someone suddenly rounded the corner ahead of him.
Before he could react, the two of them collided.
"Ah!"
The figure stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground with a soft yelp—a girl's voice.
Jack immediately reached out his hand. "Sorry!"
"N-no, it's my fault, I wasn't looking!" she said quickly, taking his hand to stand up.
Only then did Jack notice what she was wearing—
…A nun's outfit?
"..."
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