Yuta kept his eyes fixed on the door even after it closed behind Tomoya.
No unusual sound. No spiritual pressure. Nothing.
The phantoms that had hovered around him—those translucent smudges, dragging presences like damp dust—had simply vanished.
'He came surrounded by phantoms… and left without a single one.'
Yuta turned his gaze to Utaha.
Her eyes were glued to the flash drive, a small, almost silly smile on her lips—as if holding something more valuable than it seemed.
But it wasn't joy. It was affection. Nostalgia, perhaps.
And around her… they returned.
Like shadows crawling beneath the world's skin.
The air grew denser around her desk. Invisible to others. But to Yuta, it was like seeing smoke gather without scent or sound.
'She has no idea what she's holding.'
He kept his body still, but his eyes burned with contained energy.
'Lucky for her, those phantoms—even the most grotesque ones—are harmless to those who can't see them. But if she attracts a curse… she's done for.'
The door opened with a muffled click.
Aika entered.
Her uniform slightly disheveled, hair tied back, and her gaze… locked on Yuta.
She crossed the room silently, ignoring the chatter of classmates and the hum of voices filling the space.
She sat at the desk beside him with a soft thud. Took out her pencil case, opened her bag—but didn't write anything.
"You okay?"
The question was low, meant only for his ears. It wasn't accusatory. Just firm.
"Yeah."
Yuta didn't turn his eyes from Utaha's desk.
His voice was clear.
"And lunch?"
"It was good."
Aika crossed her arms on the desk.
"Very… informative."
Yuta felt, without looking, the weight behind the word.
He turned his face slightly, just enough to catch the subtle curve of her lips.
Before any further comment could surface, the door swung open with purpose.
The sound of heels on the floor silenced half the scattered conversations instantly.
Sae Chabashira strode through the room with decisive steps, clutching a folder of documents against her hip. Her gaze swept over the students like a silent blade, demanding respect without a word.
She stopped at the teacher's desk, set the folder down, and drew a pen with the precision of someone who'd done it for far too many years.
"Silence."
Her voice was firm. Clear. Curt.
It worked.
The last whispers faded. Desks stopped creaking. Even the fingers tapping distractedly on tabletops retreated.
Yuta closed his notebook slowly, keeping his gaze on the front of the room. Utaha was seated upright, the flash drive tucked away, but her eyes still carried the distant gleam of someone thinking of more than one thing at once.
Aika merely turned her face, leaning back in her chair with a studied ease.
Sae approached the chalkboard, scribbling three equations with quick, sharp strokes. Then she turned slightly to the class.
"Who can give me the result of the third line?"
A brief silence.
Then a hand rose.
Suzune Horikita. Elbow firm, posture impeccable.
"It's an equation of irregular motion with negative acceleration. If the data holds, the result is -3.8 meters per second squared."
Sae nodded.
"Justify."
Suzune was ready. Her explanation flowed as if memorized—but it wasn't. It was genuine mastery.
Yuta followed with only half his attention.
The other half… was buzzing.
His phone vibrated once in his pocket. Subtle. Brief.
He moved his hand slowly and slid the device to the edge of his lap, angled under the desk.
Toknet — Megumi Katō:
"How are you? Everything okay?"
Yuta read the message more than once.
Her simple gesture of concern stirred something inside him.
His fingers replied in the same rhythm, steady.
"Yep. All under control. I'll tell you more later."
Aika turned her face slightly, noticing the phone's movement—but didn't comment.
Yuta locked the screen and turned his eyes forward.
Suzune's explanation continued at the board, but he wasn't hearing it.
'If this keeps up… that flash drive will attract something worse.'
His hand lightly gripped the phone, still under the desk. His gaze shifted to Utaha. She was writing something in her notebook, eyes focused… but there was a different aura around her. Subtle. Almost imperceptible.
'I can't destroy it here. Not with so many students around.'
He thought of Megumi.
The way she looked at him. The steady touch of her trust.
'If it were her there… I'd explain everything.'
Then, unbidden, he thought of Aika.
Always trying to understand what he hides.
'They both know something's off with me. And they stayed anyway.'
His gaze returned to Utaha.
'I can't trust her like I trust them. But… I can show her enough.'
He grabbed his phone again, typing slowly.
Yuta Okkotsu – Toknet:
"When class ends, stay in the room. I need to show you something. It's important."
The message was blunt, no frills.
Across the room, Utaha's phone lit up.
She raised her eyes almost instantly.
And locked onto Yuta.
For two full seconds, her eyes didn't blink.
Then a reply appeared on the screen.
Kasumigaoka Utaha – Toknet:
"Okay. But it better be quick."
Yuta didn't hesitate.
"It will."
The screen locked again.
But now, his gaze wasn't distracted anymore.
It was focused.
Restrained.
And inside, the decision was made:
'I'll show her. Just enough to understand. Before that flash drive calls something worse.'
The class dragged on with equations and formulas. Most students followed with partial attention, others just pretended.
Yuta kept his eyes on the board, but his mind moved to a different rhythm.
Time crawled—but for him, every second mattered.
When the bell rang, a soft murmur filled the room. Chairs scraped, backpacks were zipped hurriedly. Aika stood, giving Yuta a sidelong glance but saying nothing.
He just nodded.
Aika hesitated for a second, then left with the flow of students.
Suzune gathered her materials with precision and left shortly after.
Utaha didn't move.
She stayed seated, arms crossed over her closed notebook, looking directly at Yuta.
The room emptied in minutes.
Just the two of them remained.
Yuta stood slowly.
He walked to the door. Turned the handle and eased it shut—not locked, but enough to block outside view.
Utaha followed him with her eyes. Her face neutral, but her fingers were lightly interlaced in her lap. A small, restrained gesture.
"You don't usually call people to talk after class."
Her voice was low. Cautious.
Yuta walked to the middle of the room. He didn't get too close. Just stopped between the rows of desks.
"I don't usually deal with things like this in public either."
Utaha uncrossed her arms slowly. Her gaze was steady but laced with doubt.
"If this is a prank or some mysterious act, I don't have time to waste."
Yuta sighed. The exhaustion of accumulated hours seemed to weigh on his shoulders. But more than that—he was bored. And, inside, irritated.
Irritated with the system.
With the phantoms.
With the constant feeling that everything could collapse at any moment.
He raised his hand slowly.
Cursed energy flowed between his fingers like a dark, dense, silent mist. Hot like a fever. Invisible to anyone… except her, now.
Utaha didn't move immediately.
"Touch mine."
His voice was firm. No urgency, no softness.
"You'll understand. But know… your world will never be the same."
Utaha leaned back slightly. Her eyes narrowed.
She hesitated.
For three full seconds, the silence in the room was almost tangible.
Her heart beat faster—not from fear, but from the unstable mix of curiosity and resistance.
Then, curiosity won.
She extended her hand carefully. Her fingers hovered a few centimeters from Yuta's palm, and finally… touched.
The energy snapped back like a silent jolt.
No pain.
But the sensation was overwhelming.
Utaha gasped softly.
The images didn't come as clear flashes. They came as feelings.
Walls that breathe.
Invisible threads pulling at time.
Whispers without voice.
And, above all, a presence.
Five. Six. Seven.
Phantoms.
They circled her, even now. Invisible. Observers. Ready.
Utaha yanked her hand back in a jerk.
Her body trembled faintly, but her face fought to stay composed.
She stared at Yuta.
Her gaze was different.
Her breathing shorter. Her shoulders tenser.
"You…"
She didn't finish the sentence. Her mind was still trying to adjust to the new reality.
Yuta lowered his hand. The energy dissipated into the air like extinguished smoke.
"That flash drive you got… it's not just a gift."
Utaha was still grappling with the internal chaos.
Yuta kept his posture calm. His gaze steady. Cold.
"You activated something. And now those things are following you."
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