Next Target, 400PS!
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Kai mimicked her exact tone, and a faint blush appeared on Mai Sakurajima's neck.
Grumble~
Right then, her stomach gave a loud, empty growl. Mai flinched and quickly looked away.
"Looks like you haven't eaten in a while, Sakurajima-senpai," Kai said.
After a short pause, Mai admitted, "Because no one can see me, no one will take my money."
"..."
Of course, she acted just like a famous anime heroine—way too honest. If Kai were in her place, he wouldn't bother paying. He'd just take what he wanted.
"Follow me." Kai gave her one last look, then turned and walked away.
'Why do I have to listen to a junior?' Even though she felt annoyed, Mai swallowed her pride and hurried after him.
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Soon, Kai brought Mai to a well-known ramen shop.
"What can I get for you, sir?"
"Two bowls of seafood ramen."
"Two bowls?" The waiter looked around. To him, Kai was sitting alone. The beautiful girl across from him wasn't there. "Did you want the second one to go?"
"No, I'm eating both. Just set the second bowl across from me."
"Right away, sir. Please wait a moment!" The waiter didn't think much of it. People ordered double portions all the time.
"I never said I wanted seafood ramen," Mai muttered as soon as the waiter left.
For some reason, ever since she met this guy, he had dictated the entire pace of their interaction.
Dammit. He's just a junior... Yet here she was, dancing to his tune. Mai wanted to reclaim some control over the conversation.
"No worries. If you don't want it, you can just sit there and watch me eat." Kai wasn't going to baby her.
At first, meeting a famous anime heroine was interesting. But did Kai really care about Mai Sakurajima? Not much. He already had plenty of beautiful girls around him, so Mai's looks didn't impress him that much.
This guy...
Kai's calm reaction threw Mai off. She crossed her arms and sat in silence, sulking.
But the moment the steaming bowls of ramen hit the table, the rich aroma flooded her senses. Her stomach violently protested again. She had just acted all high and mighty about not wanting it.
She watched Kai start eating, ignoring her struggle. After hesitating, her hunger took over. Mai picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
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"Phew..."
Mai finished her bowl, looking completely satisfied. She was finally full. It was the best meal she'd had in days.
As she put down her chopsticks, she saw Kai resting his chin on his hand, looking her up and down.
"F-Finally showing your true colors?" Mai looked away, embarrassed by his stare. Still, she kept up her proud, older-sister act. "Of course, it makes sense for a junior like you to fall for my charm."
"Consider this a reward for treating me to dinner. Please, don't hold back."
Under the table, Mai slid her foot, covered in black stockings, against his leg and gave him a teasing smile. She thought this bold move would make the confident junior blush and stutter.
Too bad the guy sitting across from her was Kai.
"Thanks for the meal."
Panic? Zero. Without hesitating, Kai reached under the table and grabbed her ankle.
"Ah??"
This wasn't the reaction she expected. A strange jolt ran up her leg, and Mai tried to pull her foot back, but Kai's grip was strong.
"W-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Mai's voice shook with panic.
"What am I doing? Taking my reward. Didn't you just offer it to me, Mai-senpai?"
"..."
Bullshit reward!!
"L-LET GO!"
Mai warned him desperately as Kai's hand moved closer to her.
"I was just thinking..." Kai smiled and looked her in the eyes. "With your current situation, if I did something to you right now, nobody would even notice."
"!"
Mai froze, feeling a quick spike of fear. But when she saw the calm look in Kai's eyes, her fear turned to irritation. She glared at him. "Jokes like that cross the line, you wicked junior."
For a moment, she had been scared. But looking at him now, she felt a strange sense of trust.
"Tsk. Boring." Kai was disappointed she didn't stay embarrassed. He let go of her leg.
"..." The warmth from his hand stayed on her skin, making Mai blush even more.
"Y-You don't have a crush on me, do you?" Mai knew she was attractive and wanted to take back control, so she asked.
"I have a girlfriend," Kai answered bluntly.
"A girlfriend?" For some reason, Mai felt a bit disappointed. Then she realized what that meant. "Wait. You have a girlfriend, and you just grabbed my leg like that?"
"Is there a problem?" Kai shrugged, not looking guilty at all.
"Scumbag." After a long silence, Mai delivered the verdict.
Now she was sure. The guy sitting across from her was an unapologetic player. Oddly, knowing this made her feel more relaxed around him.
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"Aren't you going home?"
Night had fallen. They walked down a deserted, dim alley. Normally, Mai would never go somewhere like this alone, but being with Kai made her feel safe. She was older, but now she relied on her junior for protection, which felt a little embarrassing.
"Don't tell me your girlfriend kicked you out?" Why else would he be walking around dark alleys at night?
"Sorry to disappoint you, but my girlfriend would never kick me out." Kai kept his nonchalant attitude.
"Tsk."
That was a little disappointing...
"As for why I'm here, I saw a rumor online recently." Kai took out his phone and opened a forum post.
"Hmm?" Mai leaned in to read the headline on his screen.
[Urban Legend Sighted in Deserted Alley: The Slit-Mouthed Woman]
"Pfft!" Mai read the title and couldn't help but laugh.
To her, urban legends like the Slit-Mouthed Woman were just scary stories for kids. Things like that didn't exist in real life.
"Please don't tell me you actually believe in that stuff." Mai kept laughing. She never thought this calm, confident junior would be into ghost stories. "How could something like that exist?"
"Didn't you just encounter something impossible yourself, senpai?"
"Uh."
That one sentence stopped her cold. Her smile disappeared. He had a point—her situation was almost like an urban legend come true.
"Wait..." She snapped back to reality and looked at Kai. He was dead serious. Her face grew tense. "You're not joking, are you?"
Before all this, Mai never believed in that kind of thing. But now, with her own invisibility, she couldn't ignore the possibility. If urban legends were real, maybe that would explain her situation too.
"We'll see if it's a joke once we find it, right?" Kai kept walking deeper into the dark alley.
"..." Mai hesitated for a moment, then hurried after him.
However, before they could track down the Slit-Mouthed Woman, Kai's phone started buzzing. It was a call from Sakiko Togawa.
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