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It was still fairly early, so Jack hopped on a train and headed for his destination.
Since Sakurajima Mai hadn't summoned him herself, this was the only way he could get there.
Ugh… who knows when he'll finally evolve into a mid-tier demon. Then he'd be able to use teleportation magic. He'd had his eye on teleportation for a long time now. Being able to teleport would be like being one of those humans who owns a car. He could go anywhere without fuss and wouldn't need to keep bothering big-sister Himejima Akeno.
After nearly twenty minutes on the train, he got off and called Mai.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end was one he'd never heard before. A woman.
Jack frowned. "Who's this? Why do you have Mai's phone?"
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hanawa Jabami, Miss Mai's newly hired manager. She's shooting a commercial right now, so I'm holding her phone for her."
"I see. Is she almost done?"
"Mm, pretty much. Maybe ten more minutes."
"Got it. Sorry to bother you. I'll call again in a bit."
"Eh? Oh… alright…"
The call cut off.
Hanawa Jabami stood there a little blank.
Mostly because she had no idea what kind of relationship this caller had with Sakurajima Mai.
She glanced at the caller ID. The name was "Jack," and the note under it said: Always available.
Hanawa blinked.
Was Mai… a little mischievous maybe? Putting a label like that for this guy? It made it seem like the two of them were pretty close.
And… always available?
Don't tell me he's her boyfriend?
Uh… no, that's impossible, right?
That affectionate note made her suspicious for a moment, but Hanawa still shook the thought away. After all, who could possibly catch the eye of someone as dazzling as Sakurajima Mai?
Soon, Mai finished shooting and walked out of the studio. Hanawa hurried toward her and handed over her phone.
"Miss Mai, a boy named Jack called looking for you earlier."
"Really? Thanks, I got it."
The moment she heard Jack's name, Mai couldn't help but smile as she took her phone. Seeing that smile, Hanawa hesitated for a second.
When she heard that name earlier… Mai looked genuinely happy, didn't she?
But Mai was an actress, and she quickly smoothed over her expression. Her voice was calm again as she said, "Miss Hanawa, my work is done for today. You can go home now. You've worked hard."
"Hehe, great. Then I'll drive you back," Hanawa offered, twirling her car keys.
Mai shook her head with a polite smile. "No need. I've got something else to do. I'll head back on my own."
She raised her phone, already about to make a call. Seeing that, Hanawa knew she shouldn't pry any further. She said goodbye and left.
Mai dialed Jack, and he picked up after just one ring.
"Mai?"
"Yep, it's me. Where are you?" Mai asked, walking out of the building with her bag in hand.
This wasn't her agency but the company that had rushed to book her for a commercial the moment she resumed her career. They were loaded and had worked with her before.
"I'm at the izakaya."
"Then let's meet at the pedestrian bridge."
Mai chose the meeting spot, and of course Jack had no objections. The sky was already dim. Perfect timing to walk her home.
Five minutes later, Jack arrived first. Before long, he spotted a stunning figure approaching from the far end of the bridge.
Long, straight black hair. Perfectly proportioned figure. A calm face as pretty as a porcelain doll, wrapped in a cool, commanding aura like a queen whose presence froze the air.
She still had traces of her professional outfit from the shoot. Paired with black stockings and heels…
Damn.
Tall to begin with, she looked impossibly mature like this. No one would believe she was still a high schooler.
Jack walked up to her and noticed the delicate makeup that made her already gorgeous features look even more unreal, as if she'd stepped out of a painting. Absolutely flawless.
He couldn't help but take her in slowly.
And the people around them had already fixed their attention on her.
"Hey, hey… isn't that Sakurajima Mai?"
"Whoa, seriously? She's gorgeous… think we could sneak a photo?"
"Uh… is that okay though…"
Seeing the two men getting eager, Jack lifted a finger and snapped.
Snap.
Common sense alteration.
In an instant, both men went blank, staring at the phones in their hands like they had no idea why they'd taken them out.
Mai caught everything and couldn't help smiling faintly.
She knew Jack wouldn't let them get away with that.
Usually she encountered this kind of thing all the time, but all she could do was pretend not to notice. She hated it, but what could she actually do? Their hands, feet, and mouths belonged to them, not her. And if she handled it poorly, someone would post online accusing her of "acting like a diva," which would only make a bigger mess.
But now? Her demon boyfriend waved one hand and shooed them out of her life. That alone saved her so much frustration.
"How dare they try to sneak photos of my adorable girlfriend. Rude."
When Mai walked up to him, Jack finally dropped his hand and spoke calmly.
"How adorable am I?" Mai teased, seizing on the word.
Jack answered seriously, "As adorable as a nuclear bomb going off."
She blinked. "What kind of comparison is that…"
"The destructive power is off the charts."
"…"
Mai burst into a laugh, shooting him a sweet, amused look.
"So what brings you all the way out here today?" she asked, slipping her hand around his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Jack instantly felt the soft pressure against his arm.
As enjoyable as that was, he still needed to answer her question, so he grinned and said, "Because I missed you."
"Oh?"
Mai wasn't buying it that easily. "So you didn't miss me the past two days, huh?"
"Of course I did. I just missed you extra today."
Perfect answer.
Mai couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. "Alright. You pass."
Jack chuckled under his breath like he was whispering to himself. "Long live Queen Mai."
"..."
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