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"The reason you've grown a 'tail' is because magical impurities have built up inside your body… Think of it like a car engine running for too long and accumulating carbon deposits. It needs regular cleaning. I just happen to be able to purify it."
Blake explained seriously.
This was a setting from an idle mobile game. Since the girl in front of him had been identified as a "wild witch that can be captured," the existence of the tail could naturally be explained using game logic.
Kuroneko: "..."
Confirmed.
So he's the same type after all. A fellow chūnibyō comrade.
But even if they're both chūnibyō, that doesn't mean he can just keep holding someone's hand and refuse to let go, right?
They've only just met…
Despite her sharp tongue and chūnibyō tendencies, Goko Ruri was actually a very pure-hearted girl deep down. She had been flustered at first, but now she was slowly calming down. As she became aware of her small hand being tightly wrapped in his and the warmth coming from his palm, her face quickly flushed red without her even realizing it.
"The moment we let go now, the purification process will be interrupted, and everything will be wasted. If we restart later, we'll have to begin from scratch," Blake continued explaining. Glancing at the progress bar in his mind, he fed her a reassurance. "There are three minutes left. Once the tail disappears, Miss Goko will naturally believe what I'm saying."
"You… you're not lying?"
Kuroneko looked up at him, her eyes a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
Even though she was a full-blown chūnibyō, she didn't confuse reality with fantasy. She understood very well how much trouble it would be to have a tail growing out of her back.
If she had a choice, of course she wanted it gone.
"And… besides holding hands, you're not going to ask for anything else, right?" she asked nervously.
"Don't worry." Blake's expression remained calm. "Just holding hands. Nothing else."
"O-okay then…"
Kuroneko bit her lip, her cheeks still bright red as she agreed.
They were already holding hands anyway. Three more minutes… it should be fine, right?
She just hoped the tail would really disappear. Otherwise, she might genuinely have to hide at home forever…
The air fell into a quiet silence.
A strange, awkward atmosphere began to spread between them.
After all, they were strangers who had just met, and they had already jumped straight to holding hands. Of course it was going to feel awkward.
"Foolish mortal… what is your name?"
Kuroneko broke the silence first. If she didn't say something, she felt like she was going to start squirming from discomfort.
"Blake. First-year student. I'm in the class next door to yours," he introduced himself.
"So you're from the neighboring class…"
Kuroneko quietly sighed in relief.
If he had been a senior, she felt like the pressure would've been even worse.
"When did you grow the tail, Miss Goko?" Blake asked curiously.
"It's not a tail! It's just a cosplay prop…!" she immediately turned her face away, denying it out of guilt. Then she bit her lip again and added with frustration, "I was changing in the dressing room earlier, and suddenly my back itched… then it just appeared out of nowhere. It must be a curse!"
"It's magical impurity," Blake corrected her. Then he continued, "Since the tail is just a side effect, did you gain any special abilities?"
"Well…" Kuroneko hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest. Since her biggest secret had already been seen anyway. "Yesterday I suddenly discovered that I can talk to cats."
Blake raised a brow. "Communicate with animals?"
"Yeah." She pressed her soft lips together and spoke quietly. "Yesterday morning I woke up like normal and went to school, but suddenly I heard the cat next door calling for help."
Blake looked at her with interest. "A cat calling for help?"
Kuroneko's gaze drifted away, her blush deepening again. But considering the situation, she still decided to continue honestly.
"That cat was male. It was asking me to help it escape… it said it didn't want to be taken by its owner to get… ge-get…"
Now he understood.
Neutering surgery.
So even male animals couldn't escape that terrifying fate.
"I didn't help it…" Kuroneko bit her lip again and looked up nervously. "Could it be because of that… that I got cursed by that cat?"
"Probably not." Blake complained lightly. "If that cat were powerful enough to curse humans, it wouldn't have been caught for neutering in the first place."
Kuroneko: "..."
Strangely logical. Completely impossible to refute.
"At first I thought I was just hallucinating because I stayed up too late reading manga," she continued softly. "But then I realized I could understand all cats. This morning I even helped a lost cat that had run away from home find its way back."
"..."
While they chatted, three minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"The tail should be gone now." Blake released her soft hand and took a step back. "Miss Goko can check for herself."
"Eh?"
Still blushing, Kuroneko steadied herself and quickly reached behind her.
A moment later, her face lit up with joy.
"It's really gone?!"
She had thought her life had already fallen into darkness, but suddenly it felt like she had been pulled straight back into paradise.
"You're happy too early," Blake's voice sounded faintly beside her.
"The witch's body has already awakened. From now on, even if you do nothing, impurities will still accumulate in your body. And if you use your ability to communicate with animals, the rate of accumulation will increase dramatically, eventually leading to further mutation."
Kuroneko's smile froze instantly.
Her entire being turned gloomy.
"So… after a while I'll grow another weird tail again?"
"Not necessarily." Blake shook his head lightly. Then he pushed her even deeper into despair. "You might grow cat ears instead. Or even lose your human form completely and turn into an actual cat."
Kuroneko: "..."
Cat ears or a cat tail… I don't want any of it!!
"Don't worry too much," Blake said calmly. "If you ever need help, just come to me."
"Thank you…"
She subconsciously replied, then looked up at him again.
"Why are you helping me, Mr. Blake?"
They weren't related at all. There was no reason for him to go this far for a stranger.
Blake looked righteous as he answered honestly:
"My ability is that I get stronger by helping others."
He had successfully purified a wild witch. That was a full hundred experience points—worth an entire week of grinding.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a huge profit.
So building a long-term connection was a must. If this black cat ever had trouble again, he'd show up immediately. A perfect win-win.
"Eh?"
Kuroneko blinked in surprise.
"So… Mr. Blake is actually a magical boy?"
Blake: "..."
"....."