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Maybe it was because Jack's reasoning made sense, but a spark of hope flickered in Mai Sakurajima's eyes, and her face softened a little.
Once Jack made up his mind, he quickly set a plan.
"Let's get some rest. We'll catch the first bus back in the morning."
He lay down again, naturally pulling Mai into his arms.
She glanced at him but didn't say anything—just stayed quietly in his embrace.
Without realizing it, this boy had become her only source of comfort… her only support.
If it weren't for him being there all this time, she probably would've fallen apart by now.
Almost unconsciously, Mai reached out and gripped Jack's arm like she was holding onto the last bit of hope she had left.
Feeling her tremble slightly, Jack tightened his hold on her, wordlessly telling her she wasn't alone. And like that, the two drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.
The next morning, Jack led Mai by the hand back to the city.
After a few transfers, they finally arrived at her school—Minegahara High.
Jack's fingers tightened slightly around hers, feeling the warmth in her palm. "Want to take a look around?" he asked quietly.
"Well, we're already here," she said evenly. "Might as well."
"Alright then, let's go."
Still holding her hand, Jack walked her toward the school gate.
He stopped a random student passing by. "Hey, excuse me—do you know a student named Mai Sakurajima?"
The student blinked at him, surprised. "Huh? Of course I do! Who at this school doesn't know Sakurajima-senpai?"
Jack's eyebrows shot up.
Bingo.
But… something wasn't right.
He turned to look at Mai. She was standing right there beside him, her hand still in his. Yet the boy clearly couldn't see her.
That made Jack think.
So, the students here were still under the effect—but not completely. At least they still remembered who Mai Sakurajima was.
If that's the case… maybe he could use that to their advantage.
"What are you planning to do?" Mai asked, uneasy. She had that look that said she knew he was about to cause trouble.
"Remember the first idea I mentioned before?" Jack said with a little grin.
"The rumor thing?" Mai frowned. "I told you, that's not a good idea."
"As long as it works, it's a good idea."
Before she could argue, Jack continued calmly, "Right now, spreading a rumor is the fastest way to break the effect your ability has. We'll deal with the fallout later."
And just like that, he took out his phone and started typing up messages to a bunch of journalists.
"Something like… 'A certain famous actress was spotted secretly meeting someone at Minegahara High.' That should be enough to get them running over here."
He said it so casually that Mai almost choked.
"That's barely even a scandal," she muttered.
"Hmm, okay, how about this: 'Popular actress caught in emotional drama with younger boyfriend—attempted suicide after discovering he's a serial cheater, as ten other girlfriends show up to mock her.'"
Mai stared at him. "...Excuse me, what?"
Before she could stop him, Jack had already hit send.
This guy was unbelievable.
She opened her mouth, then just sighed in defeat. "Whatever. Do what you want."
"Just don't blame me when this blows up," she murmured, half amused, half resigned.
Jack gave her an easy grin, flashing an OK sign while scrolling on his phone.
It didn't take long.
Several cars came speeding toward the school gate, and a small crowd of reporters and photographers jumped out, cameras and mics ready.
Jack quickly called one of them, guiding them toward the school—his plan being to make them ask around about the "famous actress."
And since everyone at Minegahara knew Mai Sakurajima, the moment the reporters started asking questions, the students immediately connected the dots.
As expected, with a few interviews and a bit of gossip spreading between students, the rumor went viral almost instantly.
"Could it really be true? Did Sakurajima really get tricked by some jerk?"
"Well, the reporters are here, aren't they? And she is our school's biggest celebrity…"
"Ugh, cheating on Mai? That guy's trash."
The school buzzed with whispers.
Thanks to his sharp hearing, Jack could already tell the story had spread all over.
And now, a few students had spotted him.
When their eyes drifted to the space beside him, their expressions froze for a moment—like they were actually seeing something.
Or rather… someone.
Jack's heart skipped. It's working.
Whispers started rippling through the crowd as more people noticed them.
"Wait, that's her, right? That's Sakurajima!"
"Oh my god, it really is! And that guy holding her hand—he's her boyfriend?"
"Does she even know what's going on? We should tell her!"
Hearing their chatter, Mai's grip on Jack's hand tightened.
She could tell it too—her invisibility had lifted.
Just as Jack predicted, negative rumors spread like wildfire, feeding on pure human curiosity. The effect broke almost instantly.
But, of course… that meant new problems were coming for him.
She looked toward the road. Several news vans had stopped there, and a group of reporters were talking excitedly, already realizing what they'd stumbled into.
Because now that the memory of Mai Sakurajima had returned, they understood what this meant.
This was big.
After all, it was Mai Sakurajima—the child actress turned national sweetheart, loved by millions, famous for being flawless and scandal-free since debut.
And now? A boyfriend and a rumor?
That was front-page gold.
Some reporters were practically jumping in excitement.
"It's Mai Sakurajima! Holy crap, this is huge!"
"Look, there—Mai Sakurajima's right there!"
And in the next instant, every camera on scene turned—click, click, click—locking their lenses on Mai and Jack, still holding hands.
"..."
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