The cursed Kurumi's appearance once again confirmed for Shun that whatever was going on at this school was tied to her.
The only thing still unclear was how exactly the "normal" Kurumi was connected to her.
He had suspected that the human Kurumi might be the true body.
But judging by the way she acted, she did not seem afraid in the slightest.
Of course, it was possible she was just bluffing.
Even so, Shun did not dare test that theory lightly.
If the cursed Kurumi was to be believed, that girl was someone "far too pitiful to hurt."
If he guessed wrong, what kind of expression would that kid make?
Would she hide under her blanket at night and cry?
Just picturing it felt miserable.
"Forget it. Judging by that curse's attitude, we will probably be seeing each other a lot from now on. I do not believe she can keep her secrets forever."
There was definitely something about him that drew that cursed spirit in.
Otherwise she would not be showing up this often.
Shun left the rooftop and walked down toward the field.
By that time, Itadori's class had already finished.
Yuji and his friends were heading toward the school kiosk, arms slung over each other's shoulders, on their way to buy drinks.
Shun's presence naturally drew the attention of plenty of students nearby.
Shyer girls only sneaked glances at him.
Bolder ones were already gearing themselves up to go ask for his contact info.
But when they followed his line of sight, they were baffled.
Why was he staring at a guy?
"Hey, hey, Itadori, that super handsome guy over there is staring at you!"
Yuji's friends elbowed him excitedly.
"A super handsome guy? Staring at me?"
Yuji looked over at Shun in confusion.
From a distance, Shun gave him a small smile and a nod.
Yuji, though puzzled, still returned the gesture politely.
In Shun's eyes, the boy's physical abilities were clearly far beyond that of a normal human.
But at the moment, there was almost no cursed energy flowing through him.
So it was not time yet.
Still, with Megumi's arrival, he figured that moment was not far off.
He was just about to walk over and say hello when someone clapped him on the shoulder.
"Shun, what are you looking at?"
In this school, the only one who would talk to him like that was Kurumi.
Shun glanced at her. "That one over there. Do you know him?"
"That one?"
Kurumi followed his gaze and spotted Yuji.
Her expression shifted into something like mild awe.
"Itadori Yuji, huh."
"Of course I know him. He is our school's athletic genius. He broke all the records easily, and they say he even beat some world records."
She looked at Shun curiously.
"What about him? Do not tell me he is a cursed spirit."
Shun gave her an odd look. "Why would you assume your classmate is a cursed spirit?"
Kurumi shrugged. "Because his physical ability is ridiculous. He really does not seem like a normal human."
Shun nodded. "He certainly is not normal."
"Hm?!"
Kurumi's eyes sparkled. "Then what is he?"
Shun cut her a sidelong glance and answered lazily, "A Super Saiyan."
"..."
Her face fell.
"If you do not want to tell me, fine. I did not want to know anyway."
Shun shrugged. "It is not that. Even if I explained it, you would not really get it, so there is no point."
"Hmph."
Kurumi snorted. "Dating you would be so pitiful in a way."
"You have never dated me, so how would you know whether it is pitiful or not?" Shun replied dryly.
"..."
Kurumi decided she did not want to talk to this man anymore.
...
On the other side of the field, Yuji and his friends had also noticed Kurumi.
"Hey, Itadori, that is Tokisaki Kurumi, right?"
His buddy looked absolutely crushed.
"Sure looks like her," Yuji said with a nod.
If Yuji was famous at school for his athletic talent, Kurumi was well known for her beauty, decent grades, and her ridiculously wide skill set.
Combined with her very distinctive style, students could recognize her at a glance.
"Do you think that guy is Miss Tokisaki's boyfriend? No... nooo..."
The boy's face twisted in heartbreak.
Yuji comforted him. "It is pretty normal, you know. At least they look like they fit together. If she was with you instead, that would really be tragic."
"You... what is that supposed to mean?!"
His friend glared at him indignantly.
"What is wrong with me?!"
Yuji sighed. "You tell me. Do you think you are a match?"
"..."
The boy was quiet for a long moment.
Then, miserably, he muttered, "No."
Yuji patted him on the back like a wise old man.
"You will find your own true love someday."
"Really?"
"Really."
Yuji gave him a thumbs up and flashed a warm, reassuring smile.
-------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / ElvenKing20