Hearing Ryuya's compliment, Sakurajima Mai's lips curved ever so slightly.
"I'm not that cute."
She denied herself softly.
"Then you're very cute," Ryuya replied without a moment's hesitation.
Mai felt her heart lighten. Though her face remained calm, her voice was composed and graceful as she said,
"…You're honest. I like that."
"Are you saying that because you're secretly complimenting yourself through me?"
"Would you be unhappy if I complimented you?"
"Not at all. I'm very happy."
"Then everything's fine."
With a faint smile on her face, Mai slung her small bag over her shoulder. Her steps became lighter, clearly in a better mood now.
After walking for a while, the large glass dome of the aquarium came into view ahead.
"We're here."
"How exciting," Ryuya said with a faint grin. "What should a guy keep in mind when going on a date to the aquarium with a beautiful girl?"
"Try to remember to bring your brain," Mai shot back. "Don't let people see what a fool you really are."
"Mai-senpai, you just said something rude," Ryuya replied casually, not at all bothered by her jab.
"Did I? My apologies," she said lightly, as if it didn't matter at all.
The two of them strolled through the entrance together, appearing like an ordinary couple visiting the aquarium on a weekend.
Since it was Saturday, the place was fairly crowded.
Mai glanced around—just as she expected, not a single person could see her.
Ryuya noticed this and immediately stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her to block the people who, unable to see Mai, were about to bump straight into her.
Seeing Ryuya shielding her like that, Mai's gaze softened slightly.
She hadn't expected that the only person who could still see her now… would be someone claiming to be a demon.
"There's really nothing unusual happening here," Ryuya murmured, frowning slightly. He had hoped to find some kind of clue by coming here, but from the looks of it, there wasn't much hope.
Mai, on the other hand, didn't seem as disappointed as he was.
"I didn't really expect much to begin with," she said calmly.
"Still, let's ask around a bit more," Ryuya suggested.
"That's fine," Mai replied. Then she glanced at him thoughtfully. "But, Ryuya… why are you helping me anyway? Just because of that so-called contract you mentioned?"
"For now, yes," Ryuya admitted plainly.
"I don't quite get it," Mai said, her tone quiet but firm. "Wouldn't it be much easier to find someone else to make a contract with?"
"No can do," Ryuya said with mock seriousness. "You're the only one who's fallen for me, after all."
Mai instantly turned her head away.
"What a disgusting act. I suddenly don't feel like signing any contract anymore."
Ryuya immediately straightened up and bowed slightly. "I was wrong, Lady Mai."
"When you find another contract partner, just give up on me," Mai said offhandedly, pretending not to care.
But Ryuya could hear the faint trace of tension beneath her indifferent tone.
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, instantly seeing through her front.
She was scared, wasn't she?
Afraid that once he found someone else, he really would leave her behind.
She was just pretending not to care.
Ryuya didn't voice any of those thoughts.
Instead, he said casually,
"No can do. I won't give up on any potential contract partner. I've already taken action, and giving up halfway just isn't my style."
Sakurajima Mai fell silent.
But deep down, a small spark of joy bloomed in her chest.
After all, Ryuya was the only person left in the world who could still see her.
She was terrified—terrified that even he might eventually give up on her.
If that happened, she'd truly be left alone in this world, unseen and forgotten.
Though she was touched, on the surface she simply said calmly,
"Do whatever you want. Just don't blame me when it all becomes troublesome in the end."
"No need for you to worry. I'm full of motivation right now," Ryuya replied offhandedly.
He gave Mai a quick glance, easily reading her little thoughts and secret fears.
A quiet chuckle flickered in his mind before he started stopping random visitors in the aquarium, asking each of them if they could see Sakurajima Mai.
The results were, of course, predictable—no matter whom he asked, the answer was always the same.
No one could see her.
It was unbelievable. Just a short while ago, Sakurajima Mai had been a household name—a national idol everyone recognized.
Finding someone who didn't know her used to be nearly impossible.
But now, she was standing right there, and yet not a single person noticed her existence.
Mai could only stand quietly by the side, watching Ryuya busy himself on her behalf.
Every time he approached a new passerby, she couldn't help listening closely, eyes filled with a fragile hope.
But in the end, that hope turned into disappointment, again and again.
Time slipped away, and before they realized it, the entire morning had passed.
Ryuya didn't even have the heart to enjoy the beautiful sights of the aquarium.
Seeing him running around tirelessly for her sake, Mai felt a faint sense of guilt.
"Let's just stop," she said softly. "No point wasting more effort here."
"Yeah… looks like we really came to the wrong place," Ryuya sighed in regret.
"It's fine. You've done enough already. I'll agree to form the contract," Mai said with a gentle smile.
Ryuya blinked in surprise, then let out a small laugh.
"Tempting as that is, I did promise I'd help solve your problem first. I'm not the kind to break my word. You shouldn't give up so soon, either."
He stretched lazily and continued,
"Besides, worst case scenario, I can still see you. So there's no need to worry."
Maybe his reassurance worked, because Mai's heart felt a little lighter.
"…You've got a point."
"It's getting late. Let's head out."
Looking back at the aquarium they had visited twice now—without ever really getting to enjoy it—Mai let out a helpless sigh and followed Ryuya out the doors.
"Since it's neither your agency nor the place where your symptoms first appeared," Ryuya analyzed aloud, "then it's probably somewhere you spend most of your time. That leaves two possibilities—your home, or your school."
He paused for a beat, then asked curiously,
"Speaking of which, Mai-senpai… what about your family?"
He hadn't wanted to assume too much, but surely her family would remember her, right?
Yet the moment the words left his mouth, Ryuya noticed her expression stiffen—an unmistakable change.
"…We'll visit those places later," she said after a brief hesitation, carefully avoiding the question.
"Huh? But it's still early," Ryuya said with feigned innocence, knowing full well he was poking the bear.
"I said, later," Mai replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Ryuya stared at her for a couple of seconds, then, seeing the faint displeasure on her face, simply shrugged.
"Alright."
He didn't bother prying further. It was clear that something complicated lay beneath.
Thinking back carefully, he realized Mai had indeed been avoiding any talk about her family since the very beginning.
Could it be… that things between her and her family had fallen apart?
---
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