pared to Ryuji 's rexed demeanor, the three girls from the game produ club were far from fortable. They had spent the night pgued by the strange enter at Aki's house, and it showed on their faces when they met up during the break.

  Upon seeing the dark circles and fatigue in each other's expressions, it was clear none of them had slept well.

  "It seems like you all had the same dream, right?" Utaha sighed as she sat down on the rooftop, unsciously standing on tiptoe, a habit she had when feeling uled.

  Megumi nodded silently. She was beginning tret ever going to Tomoya's house the previous night.

  Oher hand, Eriri was far less posed. Her twin ponytails swayed wildly as she vented her frustration. "After I got home, every time I closed my eyes, I'd see that woman with half of her face as a skeleton, just standing there, staring at me. I couldn't sleep at all!"

  Eriri looked exhausted. She had thought she was being haunted by something unnatural, and while nothing happened physically, the ck of sleep was taking its toll.

  Utaha didn't say much, but it was clear she felt the same way. What they had experie night had pletely shattered their sense of normalow they uood why Tomoya had seemed so different, so unnervingly detached.

  "What should we do now? Go to a shrine?" Eriri suggested, her voice tinged with desperation. She had never beeo believe in the supernatural, but after st night, it seemed like the only logical solution.

  "That's a good idea,"Utaha agreed, folding her arms. "There's got to be a shrine nearby that hahis sort of thing."

  Megumi, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up, her voice calm but with a hint of something else behind it. "I think I know someone who help with this kind of problem."

  Both Utaha and Eriri turo look at her in surprise. "You do?" they asked simultaneously.

  ---

  During lunch break, Ryuji ending time with Miko. She barely spared a thought for her best friend Yurikawa Hana; all she wanted was to be near Ryuji.

  "Ryuji, what do you think we'll do after graduation?" Miko asked dreamily, holding onto his arm as they strolled through the school grounds.

  "Maybe I'll go into demon exorcism, or something like that," Ryuji replied with a shrug. He wasn't someoh grand ambitions like saving the world. His goal was simple bee strong and live life fortably.

  Miko seemed thrilled by the idea. "That sounds perfect! We start a demon-hunting agency together. I'll be your assistant!"

  Ryuji smiled, not wanting to burst her bubble. "Sounds good. You take care of all the little things."

  Just then, his phone buzzed with a message. He gnced down and saw it was from Kato Megumi, the girl he had saved from a strange enter not long ago.

  "Who is it?" Miko asked, notig Ryuji's distra.

  "Ah, it's from someo our school. I helped her out with a weird situation a while back. Seems like she's in trouble again and needs my help."

  Miko nodded uandingly. "You should go, then."

  Ryuji thought for a moment before pulling Miko closer. "e with me. o stay behind."

  "Really?" Miko asked, looking a bit hesitant. She worried that her presence might plicate things, especially when it came to supernatural matters.

  "You're my girlfriend. You belong with me."

  Miko blushed and nodded happily, letting Ryuji lead her by the hand.

  Not far from them, Hana watched the two of them with a sigh. "Miko's really ged. She used to tell me everything, and now... I've been pletely fotten." Hana pouted. "I want a love like that too..."

  ---

  Ba the rooftop, Utaha and Eriri were still staring at Megumi, processing what she had just said.

  "You know someone who help with... this?" Eriri asked incredulously.

  "Yes," Megumi replied calmly. "I ran into something strange a little while back after school, and this person helped me out. I think he help with whatever is happening now."

  "Really?" Utaha's i iqued. "What happeo you?"

  Megumi told them about her enter with the human-faced dog, expining how Ryuji had saved her just in time.

  Both Utaha and Eriri were shocked by her story, leaning in as she spoke. It was hard to believe that someone as calm and indifferent as Megumi had been caught up in something so terrifying.

  "And this person... is he a student here?" Utaha asked.

  Megumi nodded. "Yes, he is. He should be here soon."

  Just as they were processing this information, the rooftop door opened again. Ryuji stepped through, Mikht behind him, her hand still in his.

  "Ryu..." Megumi stopped herself mid-greeting as she noticed Miko standing with him, her hand iwined with his.

  "Hello again, Kato-san," Ryuji greeted casually, not seeming to notice her pause.

  "Hello, Ryuji-kun," Kato Megumi replied, keeping her usual calm expression, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes perhaps surprise or curiosity.

  Seeing Megumi's subtle rea, Ryuji decided to introduce Miko properly. "This is Yotsuya Miko, my girlfriend."

  "Hello, my name is Yotsuya Miko!" Miko greeted with a bright smile, clearly proud to be introduced as Ryuji's girlfriend.

  Utaha and Eriri blinked in surprise but quickly posed themselves.

  "o meet you," Utaha said politely, giving a small nod.

  "Yeah, o meet you!" Eriri added, though she couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. They hadn't expected Ryuji to already have a girlfriend, let alone one as sweet-looking as Miko.

  As the introdus ended, Megumi observed the pair. She had hought much about Ryuji's personal life beyond their brief iions, but seeing him with Miko... it made her feel something, though she wasirely sure what it was.

  "So," Ryuji started, "Kato-san, what seems to be the problem this time?"

  Megumi quickly posed herself and expined, "It's not just me. Kasumigaoka-san and Sawamura-san here have also been having strange experiences after visiting Aki's house. Something... off is going on."

  Ryuji listetentively, nodding as Kato expihe eerie events, including the uling presence of a woman with half her face skeletal, who seemed to be haunting them. As he listened, his expression darkened slightly.

  "Sounds like you've been caught up in something serious," he said, his tone more serious now. "I'll take care of it. Where's this Tomoya now?"

  The three girls exged gnces, unsure. "We don't know," Utaha admitted. "We tried tag him after st night, but he's not responding to our messages."

  "Well, we'll have to find him first. But don't worry. I'll get to the bottom of this."

  Megumi, Utaha, and Eriri all nodded, a sense of relief washing over them. Even though the situation was bizarre, there was something about Ryuji that made them feel everything was going to be alright.