Because Kurumi worked the late shift, the two of them did not stay much longer before closing time arrived.
On top of that, the manager had clearly noticed that Shun and Kurumi did not have an ordinary relationship, so instead of keeping her behind to help clean up, she simply let them both leave together.
That decision made all the other maids jealous.
To be booked for the whole evening by such a handsome guy and then even get to leave work early... who knew what the two of them would end up doing after this.
"Then, see you."
Shun lifted a hand, ready to say goodbye.
However, the girl in front of him did something completely unexpected.
She suddenly stepped in close and wrapped herself around his arm from the side.
His arm sank into something as soft as marshmallow.
Kurumi, late at night, was clearly testing the willpower of decent men.
What guy could possibly pass a test like this?
She smiled brightly. "It is so late already. Are you really okay with letting me go home alone?"
"It should be fine," Shun replied. "You usually go home alone anyway."
"Honestly..."
Kurumi shook her head helplessly, then puffed her cheeks and poked his face.
"Are you really that dense, or are you just pretending?"
"This is the perfect chance to rack up some affection points, and you are just letting it slip by."
"But I do not really want to rack up affection points with you."
Shun looked perfectly calm, like he would annoy her to death and feel no guilt about it.
"I do not care. You have to take responsibility all the way tonight, or I will bite you."
She bared her pretty teeth as if she were really going to chomp down on him.
Except she did not look threatening at all. She was more like a kitten trying very hard to look fierce.
Shun sighed. "I still have to go find a place to sleep tonight. Where would I get the time to mess around with you?"
He had not booked a room, since he assumed that with Gojo Satoru present, the cursed spirit problem would be solved in an afternoon.
He never expected that uncle of his to toss everything to him and run.
So now, Shun still had to find a hotel first.
"Eh? Mr. Gojo is staying in Sendai for a while?"
Kurumi's big eyes seemed to light up.
"Until I deal with that mysterious cursed spirit, I will probably be stuck here."
Mostly, Shun had become genuinely curious about the cursed Kurumi.
Her technique intrigued him far too much.
"In that case, you should come live near me."
Kurumi spoke with unconcealed delight.
"No," Shun rejected instantly. "I refuse any improper cohabitation. You are just a little high schooler. What are you imagining?"
At that, a wicked smile crept across Kurumi's face.
"Ah, I never said you should stay at my place."
"What I mean is, the room next door to mine is empty. I can rent it out to you."
As she spoke, she lifted a finger and traced lightly along his jawline.
"So, what exactly were you thinking about?"
Under the quiet night, the girl's tone and actions were dripping with ambiguity.
Shun, however, had a rather thick skin. He did not show the slightest embarrassment at her teasing.
He simply ignored it.
"I see. That sounds pretty good," he said instead. "How is the rent?"
"Listen to you, changing the subject and pretending you did not hear me. It is kind of cute."
Kurumi laughed alluringly.
"Well, since you saved me today and treated me to such good food, we can just forget about rent."
With that, she slipped away from his side and dashed ahead, running happily under the moonlight.
"Hurry up."
Shun watched the girl in the moonlight, feeling his mood shift ever so slightly.
She really was an incredibly strange girl.
...
Unfinished building
"There was a battle here not long ago."
Mahito and Jogo stepped into the skeletal structure of the abandoned building.
Mahito ran his hand along the wall and said "sadly," "What a pity. Just minding its own business here, and it was killed by sorcerers."
In the eyes of curses, this unfinished building looked very different from how humans saw it.
They could sense that once upon a time, it had been thick with the grudge and malice of curses.
But now, the cursed spirit that dwelled here had been exorcised by Shun Gojo, and that lingering hatred was already starting to thin and fade.
"There was the original curse here, and another one on top of that," Jogo said as he walked deeper inside, looking up at the giant crater smashed into the wall.
That was where Shun had grabbed cursed Kurumi by the neck and slammed her into the concrete.
"Hmm... what a strange smell," Jogo murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Could this be the Nightmare we are looking for?"
Mahito shrugged. "That, I am not sure. But the sorcerer who came here should be the one we heard about."
"The brat who follows Gojo Satoru around?" Jogo asked.
"Right," Mahito replied with a smiling face. "I wonder what kind of soul a sorcerer like that has."
"How far can I twist that soul, I wonder?"
"I am really curious."