"Okay!"

  Seeing Yumiko's indifference, Hayato could only smile helplessly and shake his head. Since Yumiko wasn't willing to join, he knew Yui and Hina, who were also part of the girls' group, wouldn't go either.

  "The's go together after school!" Hayato said, turning to Ooka and Yamato, who were both part of the current group.

  "..."

  Ooka and Yamato exged go be ho, they didn't particurly care about Tobe. A friend of a friend doesn't automatically bee your friend. They had an average retionship with Tobe, but since Hayato had spoken up, they could only nod in agreement.

  "Sure!"

  The m csses were retively rexed. Ryuji sat at his desk, flipping through a book out of boredom.

  When lunchtime arrived, Miko immediately came over.

  "Ryuji-kun!"

  At first, Miko had been shy about calling out to Ryuji in front of their cssmates. But after spending so much time together, she had grown bolder, not g about the stares from the other students. Happily, she waved to him.

  Notig Miko's call, Ryuji casually walked out of the , unfazed. He wasn't hiding anything. By now, most of the css khat the once lonely Ryuji from their css was in a retionship with Miko from the ext door.

  "Ryuji's girlfriend is so pretty!"

  "Man, I'm so jealous!"

  "Ugh, when will I find a girlfriend?"

  Most of the boys sighed. After all, they were at the age when love was a frequent daydream.

  ...

  "You two are so close!"

  On a ben the schoolyard, Hana watched as Ryuji and Miko sat across from each other, feeding each other food. The sight made the lun her own hands feel a little less appetizing.

  "Ah..." She sighed deeply.

  Her best friend had found love, and of course, she should be happy for her. But the more she looked at them, the worse she felt.

  "Hana is so pretty. I'm sure you'll find a great boyfriend in no time!" Miko smiled, notig her friend's mood. In the past, she would've been shy about showing affe in public, but now she wasn't embarrassed at all.

  "I hope so!" Hana replied with a small smile, but in truth, she didn't know what else to say.

  "Don't worry!"

  Ryuji patted Hana's shoulder in a natural, casual manner.

  "If you hang around me for too long, it might actually bee harder for you to find a boyfriend!"

  "Huh? Why's that?" Hana looked at him curiously, not even fling at his shoulder pat. She didn't seem to mind being close to Ryuji.

  "Well, I'm just too handsome. If you get used to seeing a guy like me, when you meet someone else, no matter how good they look, they just won't measure up." Ryuji expined with a shrug, sounding pletely serious.

  "That... makes sense." Hana nodded, looking as if she genuinely sidered his words. But the moment, she lightly smacked Ryuji's shoulder in monoyance.

  "No way! You're not that handsome!"

  "Hahaha!"

  Ryuji ughed and casually ed his arm around Miko's shoulders, pyfully raising his eyebrows at Hana.

  "Miko, tell her! Isn't your boyfriend the most handsome guy in the world?"

  Knowing Ryuji was joking around with Hana, but feeling the o support her boyfriend, Miko pyed along.

  "Yes, yes, my boyfriend is defihe most handsome!"

  "See!"

  "Tsk!"

  Hana didn't say anything else, simply rolling her eyes at Ryuji's exaggerated fidence. He was defihick-skinned, but at the same time, she couldn't really deny that he was attractive with his short wavy hair and bright red eyes.

  After a bit of pyful teasing, the group settled into their lunch. Ryuji, however, was subtly brushing against Hana and Miko iionally, attempting ter another entry. Although the probability of repeatedly triggeriries on the same person wasn't high, persistence would eventually pay off.

  And sure enough—

  "Successfully tacted a target: Yurikawa Hana!

  A goldery has been triggered. Do you want to load it?"

  It worked! And it was a goldery this time.

  Ryuji was a bit surprised and immediately checked what kind of talery it was.

  "Goldery: Motrag Physique!"

  A Motrag Physique? In simple terms, it meant having a body that attracted moo e closer.

  No wonder Yuri Kawana was alroe happenings.

  "Loading!"

  This time, Ryuji didn't choose to depose the entry. His Soul Dev ability needed cursed spirits and moo grow strohis newly gained Motrag Physique meant Ryuji wouldn't even have to go looking for cursed spirits they would e straight to him!

  ...

  While Ryuji enjoyed his leisurely lunch, across campus, Yukino was finishing hers in a hurry. As soon as she was done, she headed straight to Shizuka's office.

  "What did you just say? You want to give up the ission?"

  Hearing Yukino's request, Shizuka was visibly surprised. It wasn't because she was against it, but because Yukino was known to be incredibly stubborn. Unless something serious had happened, Yukino rarely gave up on anything halfway through.

  "Did Ryuji do something bad to you?"

  "No!" Yukino shook her head immediately, worried that Hiratsuka might get the wrong idea.

  She quickly expined, "I just think this ission is unnecessary. Ryuji isn't the lonely person I thought he was."

  Yukino recalled that Shizuka had mentioned Ryuji was a solitary student, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

  The reason he hadn't made any friends in css before wasn't because he was incapable. It was likely because he didn't care to.

  After all, in Yukino's eyes, as a sorcerer no, a special-grade sorcerer how could Ryuji have the time or io engage in typical teeivities like making small talk or pying games with cssmates? Most of his time must have bee dealing with cursed spirits and maintaining peabsp;

  People are great at strug narratives in their heads, and Yukino was no different. She had built up the idea that Ryuji, in his itment to handling cursed spirits, had sacrificed friendships and lived as a loner because of his duties.

  In fact, the reason society seemed so stable today was thanks to people like Ryuji, who silently worked behind the ses to protect everyone, so she thought.