Next Target, 400PS!
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"MOMMA NIJIKA IS SO STRICT!"
"D-Don't call me that!" Nijika Ijichi's cheeks turned red when Ryo Yamada called her 'mom,' and she quickly snapped back, clearly annoyed.
"Hehe!" Ryo grinned, clearly proud of herself after seeing how flustered Nijika got from the prank.
Kai watched Hitori get on her train and started to leave. As he turned, something caught his eye. He stopped and raised an eyebrow.
"..." In the middle of the busy train platform, a girl in a full bunny girl suit walked calmly through the crowd. She looked perfect, but nobody seemed to notice her at all. People rushed by, brushing past her without even glancing her way.
'Mai Sakurajima??'
Kai suddenly realized who she was. He stayed where he was, quietly watching her.
It was hard not to notice her—Mai's striking looks and the bold bunny girl suit stood out. He realized he hadn't seen Sakiko Togawa in a bunny outfit yet and made a mental note to suggest it later. With Sakiko's looks, she could easily match Mai.
While Kai's thoughts drifted, Mai finally noticed someone staring at her.
"Hmm?" She turned her head, locking eyes with Kai.
"Yo!" Kai was never the shy type. Catching her gaze, he casually raised a hand in greeting.
"???"
Mai stopped in her tracks, shocked. She walked right up to Kai and waved her hand in front of his face to see if he was really looking at her. When she saw his eyes following her hand, she realized he could actually see her.
"You can see me?" she demanded, breaking the silence.
Most high schoolers would probably freak out if a girl asked them that. Kai, though, didn't hesitate. He just looked her up and down.
"Kind of hard to miss. I didn't expect a big celebrity to show up at a train station dressed like that. Is this for a TV show?" Kai asked, glancing around the platform as if looking for hidden cameras.
"Stop looking. It's not a TV show!!"
When he casually mentioned who she was, Mai relaxed a little. 'Thank god. It isn't a delusion. Someone in this world can actually still perceive me.'
However—
"About my outfit..." Mai hesitated, looking away awkwardly. "Pervert!"
"..."
'I didn't even say anything!' Kai wasn't like the usual timid anime protagonist who would just accept the insult.
"Honestly, it's pretty debatable who the real pervert is here. I'm not the one walking around a train station in a bunny suit."
Mai gasped, surprised by his comeback. Did this guy have any manners at all?
"I'm a staunch advocate for true gender equality," Kai declared, cutting her off before she could formulate a comeback.
'What a jerk.' Still, he was the only person who could see her now. Mai pushed down her annoyance and focused on him.
"Since you already know who I am, what's your name?"
"Kai." He shrugged and gave his name without hesitation. "Let's go somewhere less crowded."
"Excuse me? What exactly are you plotting?"
Mai blinked and glared at him, suddenly on guard. She knew exactly how much her outfit could affect a teenage boy. "Look, I know I'm charming, but that's not happening. You—"
Before she could finish, Kai was already walking away.
"HEY! WAIT A SECOND!"
As she watched him disappear into the crowd, panic hit her. He was the only one who had seen her in days. Afraid he might not be real, she ran after him.
"I just don't want people thinking I'm crazy for talking to thin air," Kai said as she caught up to him.
"Huh? You figured it out!"
His words made her realize he knew about her condition. He wouldn't have said it that way otherwise.
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Kai shot back.
Even without knowing the anime's story, anyone paying attention could figure out what was going on just by watching the crowd.
"Your looks and figure speak for themselves, Sakurajima-senpai. If you can walk around like that without getting a single glance, then something supernatural has to be going on."
"So the first thing you notice is my figure?" Mai smirked, taking the chance to tease him.
"You're joking at a time like this? I thought you'd be off somewhere crying by now," Kai shot back.
"..."
'God, he's annoying...'
But he was right. When all of this first started, the fear of disappearing and being left all alone had been overwhelming. She had cried herself to sleep more than once, but there was no way she would ever admit that to him.
"Sorry to disappoint you, kouhai, but I'm an adult. I don't have secret pity parties." Mai kept her face calm. "It started about two weeks ago. People slowly began to forget I existed. Lately, it's gotten much worse. Now, it's at the point where..."
Mai wasn't wearing the bunny suit for attention. She only put it on to see if something so bold would break the invisibility. It didn't work, but at least one person could still see her.
"Looks like you've run into a classic paranormal case," Kai said, rubbing his chin as he studied her.
In the original story, her condition was called 'Adolescence Syndrome,' though Kai had never fully understood how it worked. But in a world filled with Cursed Spirits, there was no telling whether her invisibility was psychological in nature or the result of a curse.
"Paranormal case?"
Japan was known for its endless urban legends. Mai had heard plenty of ghost stories growing up, so she understood what he meant right away.
"If that's true, why are you the only one who can see me?" She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what made this high schooler different.
"Maybe it's because I'm the main character here," Kai said with total confidence, shrugging.
"..."
Mai was left speechless. She'd met plenty of bold men in show business, but none quite like him.
Still, as she looked at him, Mai had to admit he was annoyingly handsome. Normally, she might have felt something, but right now, romance was the last thing she cared about.
"Never mind. Since you know what's going on, let me give you some advice."
"Oh?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
Mai looked at him seriously. "Stay far away from me."
"?"
"You don't want to get dragged into a paranormal anomaly, do you?"
Dropping the warning, Mai didn't wait for an answer. She turned and walked away, trying to look as independent as possible.
Kai stayed quiet and watched her walk away.
As expected, she only got a few steps before stopping. When she saw he wasn't following or calling after her, she dropped her act.
"Aren't you going to say something??" she shouted, turning back to face him.
Where was the usual curiosity you'd expect from a teenage boy?
"Say what? Didn't you just say you were a mature adult, Sakurajima-senpai? I'm sure you can handle this on your own!"
"You..."
Little shit...
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