They'd only been apart for a single day, yet Yukino could clearly feel that he somehow looked even more handsome than before.
Even though she wasn't a face-obsessed girl, nor any kind of shameless pervert,
the yearning for beauty carved into her very genes was something she simply couldn't control.
Especially now that her Yuki-onna bloodline had awakened, that uncontrollable instinct had only grown stronger.
"Mm…"
Sitting in the chair, Yukino shut her eyes and forced herself to calm down for a full ten seconds before she finally stabilized her emotions.
Before she could even call out to him, Takumi had already taken a seat across from her with Asia at his side.
Looking at him face to face, she blurted out, "How did you know I was here?"
All she'd done was tell him they should meet here, nothing more.
"Sitting all by yourself at the café entrance, that black-long-straight look is pretty conspicuous. And the thing I hone in on most is your scent—that clear fragrance like a snow-lotus. I could pick it out in an instant."
Takumi tapped his own nose and casually explained. By the time he finished, Yukino's cheeks had already taken on a faint flush.
"Pervert~~" she muttered under her breath.
"Tsk~ I can't just pretend I didn't hear that. That was simple analysis, nothing perverted at all."
Takumi very seriously pushed back—while also noticing the master–servant contract curse hadn't triggered.
Which meant, in Yukino's heart, those words hadn't come from malice.
Why did this suddenly feel a bit like Senjougahara? Takumi grumbled inwardly, then took the initiative to introduce the person beside him.
"This is my assistant, Sister Asia."
"H-hello, Yukinoshita-san~"
Asia immediately bowed her head politely, standing obediently at Takumi's side.
Yukino gave Asia and Takumi a suspicious look. This combination was way too weird.
"Your… assistant?"
"I moonlight as an exorcist, spirit remover, and curse specialist. Here's my card."
Takumi smoothly handed over a business card. Taking it, Yukino skimmed through it and fell silent for quite a while.
Only after a long sigh did she finally recover.
"Anyway, whatever the case, I want to resolve what's happening to me. Ever since you forced me to sign… whatever it was last time, my life has been completely thrown into chaos. Look."
As she spoke, Yukino lifted her coffee cup and blew on it lightly.
Fwooo~
A bone-chilling gust brushed past, and the coffee in her hand instantly froze solid.
"See, Takumi-kun? I can't control it at all. What exactly is happening to me…? I… I can't go on like this."
Her voice was tiny, but her expression was tight with tension and anxiety. Like this, she barely felt human anymore.
Seeing this, Asia's face softened with understanding.
When her Sacred Gear had first awakened, before the Church took her in, the looks on the faces of people who saw her power were nothing but fear and rejection.
No one wants to be treated that way. Even if Yukino normally didn't have many friends, she still didn't want to end up like this.
Looking at her flustered state, Takumi simply gave a faint smile. "This is a minor issue. Just listen carefully to what I say."
As his words fell, Yukino focused on him at once.
Takumi didn't beat around the bush and pointed straight at the crux of the problem.
"Because of the master–servant contract I signed with you, your Yuki-onna bloodline awakened. Right now, you just can't control that power properly.
I've got two options for you."
"First, you slowly adapt. This power is yours, so you just need to learn to control it. It'll just take time. Second, you let me control it for you—but you'll have to pay a bigger price."
After listening, Yukino went silent again. She sat there for quite a long while before she finally snapped back.
"Wait… what master–servant contract?"
"Insignificant detail. Ignore it. Objectively speaking, it just means you're my slave, that's all."
"What!?" Yukino shot to her feet, glaring at Takumi in outrage.
In the very next instant, a pink heart-shaped collar manifested around her snow-white neck.
Waves of curse power like rolling surf surged up from within, crashing through her body and mind.
"Uuuh~ What's… happening…? My body…" Yukino's face flared scarlet as she dropped back into her seat, dazed eyes locked on Takumi.
"Yukinoshita-san?" Seeing her abnormal state, Asia called out in worry.
Snap!
Takumi snapped his fingers, temporarily lifting the curse.
On a normal day, he definitely wouldn't let this kind of opportunity slip by. But with Asia here, and the two of them sitting in a public place, he could only let it go for now.
He promptly warned her, "Don't go thinking bad thoughts about me, or rejecting the fact that you're my slave. If you do, the curse triggers. You've already had a taste of what that feels like."
"Huff… huff… th-this is… way too cruel."
Biting her pink lips, Yukino gave him a pitiful glare. But that resentful look ultimately melted into helplessness.
If she lost control and had an accident on a public street, her life really would be over. For now, she had no choice but to set aside the whole master–servant contract issue.
After a moment of brooding, she finally spoke up again.
"I'll take the second option. I have no idea how to control this kind of power."
"Good. Fuse this." Takumi casually condensed a Divine Envoy piece and handed it to Yukino.
Seeing him do this so openly, she instinctively glanced around. Noticing that the passersby didn't seem to see them at all, she finally reached out to accept it.
Given that she no longer had any real choice, she chose to fuse it.
As the piece sank into her body, Yukino felt a warm current surge chaotically through her.
At the same time, Takumi's voice rang in her ear.
"Now the link between us is tighter. I'll personally move your body and help you sort everything out. Pay close attention to the feeling."
"Eh?"
While Yukino was still stunned, her body began to move on its own.
Takumi's magic flowed into her, like a giant hand gripping every corner of her body from the inside. The scattered magic leaking through her limbs and bones gathered under his guidance into a single current and started to flow in unison.
Only when he'd finished smoothing out every last strand of magic so she could control it herself did Takumi withdraw his influence.
Outside, less than three minutes had passed.
"This feeling is… so weird~" Yukino let out a few soft little whimpers, her face flushed with deep embarrassment.
Just now, she had felt as if she'd been completely possessed by Takumi, everything about her under his control.
And what made it even more unbearable, even more mortifying, was that she'd actually enjoyed the whole process.
Shameful. It was far too shameful.
Only after that flurry of emotions subsided a little did Yukino exhale a long breath.
She blew lightly again—and this time, only an ordinary breeze came from her lips. A serene smile bloomed across her face, as fresh and lovely as a flower bud opening.
That breathtaking moment vanished almost immediately, and her brows knit tightly once more.
....
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