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Watching the reporters' blank faces, Mai Sakurajima realized for the first time just what kind of demon she had summoned.
Up till now, Jack had always seemed ordinary — calm, polite, almost too normal. He blended in so easily that she sometimes forgot he wasn't human at all, but a demon bound to her by a summoning ritual.
Only at this moment did she finally grasp how terrifyingly capable he truly was.
Jack, on the other hand, looked rather entertained as he watched the dazed reporters and the curious students gathering nearby. He figured, since the opportunity was rare, he might as well test another side of his magic.
The spell demons and angels used typically had two modes: altering perception or erasing memory completely.
He'd already tried the first one. Now, he wanted to see what the second felt like — purely for practice, of course.
"What are you planning to do this time?" Mai asked, already suspicious from his expression alone.
"Well, I did just announce that I'm your boyfriend," he said with a grin, "but since you're at such a critical point in your comeback, I figured it'd be better to keep that under wraps for now. So, I thought I'd erase this little incident from everyone's memory. What do you think?"
He asked casually, but the look on Mai's face turned a faint shade of pink.
"W-well, you're right… having a boyfriend suddenly show up would be… kind of bad for my image."
"Oh? So you do think of me as your boyfriend, huh? That really warms my poor heart," he said, mock-hurt.
His performance, though, didn't fool Mai for a second.
"Boyfriend? You mean the title you gave yourself?" she said flatly. "I don't recall ever confirming that."
"Oh? So you've been waiting for me to make it official?" he teased, feigning surprise.
"Of course," she replied with a playful smirk.
Jack didn't push the subject. Instead, he turned back to the bewildered crowd, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, all the reporters blinked in confusion, glancing around.
"Huh? Why am I here?"
"Wait, you guys too? Is there a story or something going on?"
They murmured among themselves, utterly lost. The students from Itabane High looked just as puzzled, the earlier rumors about Mai completely wiped from their minds.
Then, one sharp-eyed reporter spotted Mai again — and froze.
Of course she recognized Mai Sakurajima . But what really shocked her was the boy standing beside Mai… holding her hand.
Her gossip radar went off like an alarm.
Wait—did Mai Sakurajima just get a boyfriend?!
A headline-worthy bombshell if there ever was one.
"C-come on! Hurry!" she shouted to her cameraman, pointing wildly. "Get the shot! Now!"
Mai blinked, startled.
"Oh no… I forgot they can see you now," Jack muttered, smacking his forehead in mild regret.
Mai gave him a side-eye.
Somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling he'd done that on purpose.
But she couldn't prove it.
Within seconds, the familiar scene replayed itself: cameras lifted, shutters clicked, microphones aimed.
"Miss Mai, is that your boyfriend?"
A flicker of shyness crossed Mai's eyes, but she quickly straightened her posture, meeting the cameras with grace.
"Yes," she said smoothly. "He's my boyfriend."
Jack chuckled. "So this time it's official?"
Mai didn't answer — her face reddened as she stepped on his foot under the pretense of standing still, maintaining her gentle, unbothered smile for the cameras.
"…"
The reporters, meanwhile, were ecstatic. They'd just struck gold. Shutters fired nonstop as they imagined tomorrow's headlines.
Even the students nearby were drawn in, surprised to see Mai — the aloof school idol who barely talked to anyone — standing there with such an intimate expression.
Just as another reporter opened his mouth to ask something, Jack raised his hand, signaling them to stop. Then, turning to Mai with a small smile, he asked,
"With all these witnesses around… I've fulfilled my promise, haven't I? So, are you ready to form the contract now?"
Mai blinked, remembering what he'd mentioned before. A flicker of nervousness crossed her face.
"It's time? So… how do I do it?"
"Ready?"
"…Yeah."
"Then kiss me."
"...Huh?!" Mai's face instantly flushed crimson. "You—you never said it involved that!"
"If I had told you from the start," Jack said calmly, "you'd have walked away. Maybe even called the cops."
She froze.
…Fair point.
"You're not backing out now, are you?" he sighed, half teasing.
"Of course not!" she blurted, flustered. "I'm not that kind of person."
Taking a deep breath, Mai stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his.
The instant their lips met, her whole body tensed.
"Waaah!!"
The reporters collectively lost it — cheers, camera shutters, chaos. Some of them looked ready to take drone footage just to capture every possible angle.
After all, Mai Sakurajima — the star who had never filmed a kiss scene — had just kissed someone in public. For the entertainment world, this was a nuclear bomb.
The students watching from afar were just as stunned. Most had always thought Mai was cold and untouchable. Seeing her like this shattered that illusion completely.
After a few seconds, Mai pulled away, still blushing. She glanced around, feeling… something different, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Did the contract… work?"
Jack smiled faintly. "Not yet. Maybe we should try again?"
"...Huh?"
She stared blankly at him, then realization dawned.
Wait… is he messing with me?
"You—!"
Her eyes widened in exasperation, torn between laughter and disbelief.
This guy was such a devil.
Jack's grin turned sly. "Well, even if it didn't work, I'd say the result wasn't bad."
Then, with an amused clap of his hands, he addressed the stunned reporters.
"Alright, folks! You've had your dose of drama. Send me a copy of those photos, then delete everything."
A faint shimmer rippled through the air — the spell triggered again. The reporters' eyes glazed over, and like puppets, they obediently sent him their photos, deleted the originals, and wandered off in a daze.
Mai watched the eerie scene unfold and sighed helplessly.
Those poor people… completely toyed with.
She looked at Jack — the faint smile on his face, the quiet confidence, the undeniable mischief in his eyes.
Yeah. He really was a demon.
"..."
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