Love

A dark-tinted car stopped in front of the sorcery school. It moved smoothly, like a predator gracefully gliding toward its target. The vehicle appeared luxurious and imposing: a gleaming body without a single scratch, stylish black rims, and tinted windows that hid whoever was inside. The soft hum of the engine ceased as the car halted at the main gate, standing out against the gray and quiet evening.

The rear doors of the car opened in unison, and out stepped Maki Zenin and Yuta Okkotsu. Yuta was dressed in the standard uniform of the sorcery school: a black jacket and trousers. The only item that stood out from his outfit was a pair of white sneakers. Yuta disliked formal shoes or boots and always wore white sneakers, regardless of the season or occasion, even pairing them with his school uniform. He fondly remembered the outfit he used to wear in the original story—a loose white jacket with three-quarter sleeves and dark trousers tucked into his white sneakers, which matched the jacket. Yuta eagerly awaited the day he would achieve the rank of Special Grade Sorcerer to finally wear that outfit. He had no doubt he would attain that rank, as he trained and sparred with Gojo two or three times a month, showing significant progress. He believed he could master Domain Expansion in the near future.

Maki wore the same uniform as Yuta, but hers looked worn and slightly torn—a testament to recent battles with curses. Maki didn't care about appearances; she was more focused on training and fighting than making an impression. She carried a weapon case in her hands, something that rarely left her side. She appeared tired as she exited from the opposite side of the car, which was parked in front of the sorcery school. As a result, she lagged slightly behind Yuta.

Noticing this, Yuta turned around, waited for Maki to catch up, and they walked together toward the dormitory of the sorcery school. The night was cool, with a light breeze rustling the treetops along the path. The school buildings loomed dark and almost eerie, but such sights didn't faze the students who were used to them.

When they reached the dormitory entrance, Maki stopped, turned abruptly toward Yuta, and, softening her voice slightly, said,

"Thanks for agreeing to help me with this issue. It might not seem like it, but I do appreciate it."

Yuta, caught off guard by Maki's words, was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure and replied,

"It's no trouble at all, so you don't have to say that. I'm just glad to help."

Maki, who had seemed genuinely grateful just a moment ago, quickly changed her expression and said irritably,

"I know it's no trouble for you. You could've just said 'You're welcome.'"

Yuta had recently been assigned to missions with Maki since he was a Grade 1 Sorcerer. Maki had specifically asked for his help on some missions. Unlike most, Maki was in a difficult position; her family often hindered her progress and prevented her from advancing in rank. Because of her low rank, she was either not assigned missions or was sent as a mere assistant—neither of which suited her. Frustrated, she sought the help of her new acquaintance. Now Yuta was responsible for two sorcerers: Megumi Fushiguro and Maki Zenin. Lately, Yuta spent more time on missions with Maki since Megumi, now a Grade 2 Sorcerer, could take on missions independently.

As they entered the dormitory, the smell of cooking food wafted through the air.

In response to Yuta's questioning glance, Maki said,

"That's Toge. Lately, he's decided to become our chef. On the one hand, it's great; on the other, he experiments on us with recipes from the internet." She shuddered at the memory.

"Was it that bad?" Yuta asked, surprised.

Maki removed her shoes and replied,

"One time, he decided to cook chicken in a watermelon. It wasn't just bad—it was disgusting. He stuffed the chicken into the watermelon, poured boiling water over it, let it sit for an hour, and then served it. Even Panda's stomach couldn't handle it, and Toge himself got sick after tasting it."

"You ate it?" Yuta asked in disbelief.

"Well, despite how it looked, it was tasty—or so Toge convinced us. Of course, after one bite, we threw it away and ordered fast food."

Yuta took off his jacket and hung it on the rack by the entrance.

Maki looked at her worn uniform and said,

"Alright, you go sit down. I'll go change first."

The first-year dormitory, like the others, had a shared kitchen at the end of the corridor near the common room, with dorm rooms lining the hallway. It had been three months since they had become classmates, and they had grown somewhat accustomed to each other. All the first-years except Yuta lived in the dormitory. While Yuta occasionally stayed there with his friends, he had his own house nearby and didn't need to stay in the dormitory. This meant he sometimes missed out on fun moments or avoided unpleasant ones, like the infamous chicken-in-watermelon incident.

Yuta walked past the empty rooms and turned toward the kitchen. Inside, standing at the stove, was Inumaki. He wore a white T-shirt with a dog-themed apron over it and simple blue shorts that fell below his knees. He was frying chicken fillets.

"Hey, Toge," Yuta greeted simply.

"Konbu," Inumaki replied, glancing briefly at Yuta.

"What are you making?" Yuta asked, trying to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Inumaki pointed to a phone on the counter.

Yuta walked over and looked at it. The screen displayed a YouTube video titled "Best Dinner Recipe." He decided to watch the whole video to understand what Inumaki was cooking. In the video, an attractive woman demonstrated how to prepare a light dinner. First, chicken fillets were fried with carrots and bell peppers, then grated ginger and ground pepper were added. Afterward, tomato sauce and soy sauce were poured into the pan, and everything was simmered on medium heat for 6–7 minutes. Finally, sugar and starch were added, and the dish was heated on low for two minutes. As a finishing touch, sesame seeds could be sprinkled on top, and it could be served with boiled rice.

Yuta glanced at Inumaki, who had all the necessary ingredients prepared on the counter. However, it seemed he either hadn't watched the video to the end or decided not to bother with boiled rice. Yuta liked boiled rice and decided to handle it himself.

The kitchen door creaked open softly.

"What are you guys making?" Maki asked as she entered.

Her hair was damp, suggesting she had just taken a shower. She had changed into her casual clothes: a white shirt layered with a green tracksuit jacket, dark tights, and gray shorts.

"Don't worry, I guarantee the food will be great," Yuta reassured her with an "OK" gesture.

Maki glanced around the kitchen and asked, "Where's Panda?"

Inumaki gestured to indicate that Panda was in the common room watching TV.

"Alright, call me when it's ready," Maki said, leaving for the lounge.

"Where's the rice?" Yuta asked, rummaging through the cabinets.

Inumaki gestured that the rice was finished.

"Out of rice?" Yuta asked. "That explains why Toge decided to skip it."

"Then I'll quickly run to the store for some rice," Yuta said, already heading for the exit without waiting for a response from Inumaki. He grabbed his jacket and sneakers and stepped outside.

The night was not too cold, despite the sun having long set. It was December, and Christmas was just two weeks away. For Yuta, this year had been a good one. He had made three new friends, bringing his total to five. His first friends were Megumi and Tsumiko, who often visited during holidays. Initially, they didn't talk much, but over time, he and Tsumiko quickly bonded, discovering shared hobbies and similarities.

Panda was always cheerful and could lift anyone's mood, making him easy to befriend. Inumaki, though quiet and reserved, was insightful and attentive.

Maki was a determined and straightforward girl who could often be blunt. Driven and capable, she was focused on breaking free from her family's constraints. At first, she had seemed rude to Yuta, which, to some extent, was true. Yuta saw in Maki some traits similar to his own. She liked to analyze people, form opinions about them, and consider her judgments absolute. Because of this, she could be harsh toward some individuals. In the beginning, she probably thought of him as an arrogant kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Thinking about it, Yuta realized that if you get to know people better, you can always find good qualities in them. Most people don't think of themselves as bad, after all. Yuta pondered why he hadn't made friends in his previous life or during his current school years.

In his past life, he had considered friendships a waste of time—time he already had little of. He thought everyone around him was just as foolish as the kids at the orphanage where he grew up. His first impression of people came from that place. In the orphanage, the children were cruel, and the staff treated them with neglect, only pretending to care when inspectors came. Their hypocrisy disgusted him, leaving a lasting impression. He began to see everyone around him as hypocritical fools. He didn't trust their smiles or praise.

After being reincarnated, it was as if he became a new person, freeing himself from unnecessary hatred and disdain toward others. But why hadn't he made friends at school in this life? Was it because he thought he was above them?

He was an adult in a child's body and a member of the sorcerer society. Was that arrogance? Thinking they could never understand him? Perhaps his classmates' cold attitude toward him played a role—or was it only his perception that they were cold?

After meeting Gojo and later Megumi, Yuta felt he had changed for the better.

Lost in these thoughts, Yuta arrived at the store.

The sorcery school was far from the city, so he had to run quickly to reach the store. It was an average convenience store in Tokyo. Upon entering, he saw two employees behind the counter. One was a long-haired blonde who resembled a hipster, and the other was a tall man with short hair. Both wore aprons with the store's logo, "Nico'Mart."

The short-haired man, wearing a nametag labeled "Ken," seemed to be watching Yuta attentively.

"Hello," they greeted him simultaneously.

"What are you looking for?" asked the long-haired man.

"Hello, I'd like five kilograms of rice, please," Yuta requested.

"It's on that shelf," the man indicated with his hand.

Yuta walked over to the indicated shelf, picked up the rice he needed, and returned to the counter.

"Cash or card?" asked the brunette.

"Card," Yuta replied, pulling a card from his pocket and tapping it on the terminal.

A beep confirmed the payment had been succ

essful.

"Thank you," Yuta said softly, leaving the store.

"Come again!" one of the clerks called after him.

---

Yuta quickly returned to the dormitory; he had gone to the Shinjuku area, and it took him no more than ten minutes. He entered, took off his shoes, and also took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. He immediately moved towards the kitchen, his steps quickening. In the kitchen, as before, was Inumaki. He was sitting at the table, watching a YouTube video. Yuta glanced at the frying pan on the stove. It looked like it was ready because the stove was turned off.

"Is it ready?" Yuta asked Inumaki. Inumaki gestured that he had been waiting for him. Yuta, with a guilty look, said, "Sorry, I thought it would be more filling with rice."

"Shake," Inumaki said, agreeing with Yuta's words. Yuta found the right pot for the rice porridge, searching through the cupboard. He put it on the burner, poured in water, and turned it on. Then he spread the rice out into a separate container, rinsed it with water, and finally put it into the boiling water in the pot. Cooking the rice didn't take long, as Yuta set it on a high flame, and it took only ten minutes.

Yuta looked at Inumaki and said, "I think we should invite Panda and Maki-san for dinner." After a brief pause, he continued, "I'll call them; you set the table."

"Takana," Inumaki nodded. Yuta went to the common room to invite his friends to dinner. On the television, there was a show with different comedians performing. Panda was sitting on the couch, occasionally chuckling at the funny jokes. Maki, on the opposite side of the couch, was sleeping, curled up with her face in a pillow. Yuta walked over to Panda and greeted him first. "Hey Panda," he said.

"Hey, Yuta! Did you decide to spend the night with us today?" asked Panda with a joyful expression on his face. Yuta scratched the back of his head and awkwardly replied, "No, actually, at first, I just wanted to escort Maki to the dorm, and hearing that story about the watermelon, I decided to help with the cooking."

"That's how it is," said Panda, pretending to be serious, "if you're staying for dinner, maybe you should stay the night?" Yuta found it hard to refuse Panda when he made such a face. He decided to stay; after all, he didn't often spend the night here. He sometimes thought about moving in, but then he realized it would be better if he just dropped by occasionally. Yuta still saw his classmates every day because he studied here and sometimes went on assignments together. If he moved here, he would see his family very rarely.

"Alright, for tonight, I'll stay," Yuta conceded. "Ooo, that's the right decision," Panda beamed. "So, what were you and Maki up to that made her so tired?" Panda asked, his voice dripping with humor, pointing with his eyes at Maki.

Yuta sighed at Panda's inappropriate jokes and replied, "I'll take Maki-san to her room, and you go to the kitchen and tell Inumaki to leave food for Maki." Yuta instructed Panda.

"Roger that, sir," Panda replied, closing his mouth with his hands and chuckling. "Be gentle with her," he added. Yuta had learned to ignore Panda's silly jokes over these three months. He understood why Panda would joke around with the two of them—Yuta and Maki had gotten along very well during this time, and he also noticed that Maki was kinder to him than to others. But he considered that a relationship between them was impossible; mentally, he was much older than Maki.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel that warm feeling for this young girl. It was very similar to those feelings he experienced when he was learning the reverse cursed technique or when he recalls the plot of an anime. He justified himself by telling himself that it was just friendly feelings. Yuta carefully picked up Maki and carried her to her room. Maki's room was in another building, for girls; there were currently only two people living there.

Yuta approached Maki's room and opened the door, using his elbows and feet, trying not to bump Maki. Maki's room was simple—a single bed on the left side of the room, across from the bed was a shelf with textbooks, art books, and books on martial arts. To the left of the shelves was a wardrobe. Yuta very carefully placed Maki on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Her hair was very tangled; she had fallen asleep after taking a shower. When she woke up, he was sure she would be unhappy about it.

In the common room of the dormitory of the magical technical school, a relaxed atmosphere prevailed. Around a small wooden table covered with a clean light gray tablecloth sat Yuta, Toge Inumaki, and Panda. In front of each of them were neatly served plates with chicken in sauce and a side of boiled rice. There was also a small bowl of sesame seeds on the table for those who wanted to add it to the dish, and a pitcher of cold water.

Panda, comfortably settled in one of the reinforced chairs, looked satisfied, as if he had just finished something important and was now enjoying his well-deserved dinner. He skillfully held the chopsticks despite his large paws and ate the chicken with appetite. "You know, this is even tasty," he said, chewing on another piece. "Inumaki, you've outdone yourself!"

Toge, sitting opposite, silently raised a large thumb in sign of thanks. A slight smile was on his face, and he concentrated on finishing his portion. Despite the simplicity of the dish, his efforts clearly hadn't gone unnoticed.

Yuta, seated between them, also looked satisfied. He slowly ate, savoring the flavor, occasionally glancing at Inumaki. "You clearly watched more video lessons, Toge," he remarked approvingly. "This is much better than chicken with watermelon."

Panda, hearing this, snorted, almost choking on his rice. "Don't remind me of that nightmare!" he exclaimed, taking a big gulp of water. "Sometimes it still haunts me."

Inumaki laughed, covering his mouth with his hand, and made a "peace" sign, hinting that those times were behind them.

Yuta, smiling, raised his glass of water. "To progress, Toge. I hope the next dinner will be just as successful."

Panda eagerly raised a toast, slightly knocking the table with his paw, causing the plates to jump a little. "Yeah, just no experiments!"

Inumaki, with a mischievous squint, raised his finger upward, but it was clear from his expression that they could expect anything in the future.

---

After dinner, with the dishes cleared away and the kitchen tidied up, Panda, comfortably settled on the sofa in the living room, suddenly proposed:

"Hey, what if we have a sleepover in the common room tonight? We can lay out futons, get cozy, and tell scary stories!"

Yuta, who had just returned from the kitchen with the last mug of tea, raised an eyebrow in surprise: — "Scary stories? That's not really my thing..."

Inumaki, already settled into an armchair, nodded approvingly and, gesturing "okay," said: "Tuna-mayo!"

Panda clapped his hands, delighted at their agreement: "Great! I'll go get the futons now, and you guys prepare the room."

A few minutes later, Panda brought three futons, which he noisily laid out in the center of the living room. Yuta pushed the coffee table to the wall, freeing up space, and Inumaki brought over a few pillows and a couple of blankets. The room became cozy, especially with the soft light from a lamp casting gentle shadows on the walls.

They settled into their places. Panda lay on his stomach, propped up on his hands, Inumaki sat, hugging his knees, and Yuta half-lay, watching his friends with interest.

"So, who's starting?" asked Panda, lowering his voice for dramatic effect. "Let's do something really creepy!"

Inumaki raised his hand, volunteering to start. He used gestures to explain the story, using as few words as possible to maintain the suspense. His expressions and gestures were so expressive that Yuta and Panda couldn't help but laugh, though the story about the supposedly cursed train station was genuinely eerie.

Then it was Yuta's turn. He hesitated a bit, but then remembered a story told to him by Gojo. It was a tale about a curse dwelling in an old building. Yuta skillfully held pauses, lowered his voice at the right moments, and made sudden gestures to scare his listeners.

Panda, trying not to show that he was scared, loudly laughed, and Inumaki unexpectedly jumped when Yuta suddenly clapped his hands.

"Well, you're quite the master of atmosphere, Yuta!" said Panda when the laughter subsided.

The last story was told by Panda himself. It was a mix of a creepy tale and a joke, where the ending was so ridiculous that all three burst into laughter. They continued sharing stories for a long time until the clock showed just past midnight. Yuta lay on the futon, trying to get comfortable. Panda and Inumaki had long since fallen asleep, their quiet snoring mingling with the occasional sound of the wind outside. But Yuta could not sleep. The hard surface of the futon made it hard to relax, and his head was still filled with stories about curses and strange events.

He turned onto his side and suddenly heard a faint rustling. The sound was quiet but so distinct that it woke him from his light doze. Yuta froze, straining to listen. It wasn't the usual wind sound or the creak of the building at night. No, the sound was coming from the hallway.

"Who's there?" thought Yuta, trying to remember where he had left his sword. However, he quickly realized he didn't sense any cursed energy nearby. "Not a ghost... but then what?"

Trying not to wake his friends, he quietly got up and, avoiding the creak of the floorboards, headed toward the source of the sound. In the dim light, the common room seemed alien, the shadows from the furniture stretched, ominously swaying on the walls. The rustling happened again, now closer. It was coming from around the corner of the hallway.

Swallowing hard, Yuta cautiously peeked around the corner. His heart clenched when he saw a vague silhouette. In the weak light, the figure seemed unclear, as if it dissolved into the darkness. It stood still, with its head slightly bowed.

Yuta felt the tension inside him rise. His hand automatically reached for an imaginary sword hilt, but there was no weapon nearby. The figure took a step forward, and Yuta flinched.

"Who's there?!" his voice came out louder than he had intended.

The figure raised its head, and the light briefly illuminated its face. It was Maki, but something about her appearance made Yuta's heart stop. Her hair, still wet after a shower, was disheveled, some strands hanging unevenly as if she didn't care. Her face was blank, her eyes slightly squinted but vacant.

"Maki?" he cautiously asked, feeling the tension ease slightly, though the strangeness of the situation didn't dissipate.

She didn't respond. She took another step forward. Her movements were slow, almost mechanical, and it made Yuta's skin crawl. She walked to the kitchen and switched on the light.

"What are you doing here?" asked Yuta as he came to his senses. The light filled the room and Maki's silhouette as well; Yuta could see her in the light now. She seemed fresh from the shower, holding a towel in her hand.

"You scared me," he muttered, taking a step back.

Maki didn't answer. Her eyes lingered on him a bit longer than was comfortable. She casually spoke: "My hair was too messy after I woke up, so I decided to take another shower and properly dry my hair."

"And I should be asking what you're doing here?" Yuta replied calmly.

Maki pouted a little at this, saying: "You could have woken me up."

Yuta, seeing Maki's unusual display of emotions for the first time, couldn't help but be surprised.

"Did you carry me to my room?" Maki asked unexpectedly.

Yuta nodded, confirming it.

"If you ever do that again without permission, I'll break your arms," she warned.

At that moment, Maki's stomach let out a low growl. Yuta realized what she was doing with the towel in her hand in the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" he asked with a smile.

Maki blushed a bit, not looking away as she nodded.

"I'll heat up some food for you; we saved some for you," said Yuta, going to the fridge. He pulled out the food, put it in the microwave, set it for five minutes, and also put on some tea.

Maki, in the meantime, dried her hair with a hairdryer and waited for her food at the kitchen table.

The microwave beeped, signaling that the food was ready. Yuta took the container out, placed it on a plate for Maki, and set it and tea down in front of her.

He sat at the table, sipping his tea, not wanting Maki to eat alone, so he kept her company.

"And what kind of stories were you telling?" Maki asked curiously.

Yuta briefly recounted the stories they had told hours earlier. Maki listened with interest, eating her food as she did.

"Were the stories really that scary that you couldn't sleep?" she teased with a smirk.

"No, just not used to sleeping on the floor," Yuta replied calmly.

"I see, looks like we both can't sleep; why don't we make this a night of interesting stories?" Maki suggested with a hint of hope.

"Why not, I'll clean up here first," replied Yuta.

"Then I'll make a futon for myself and an extra futon for you; you probably can't sleep because you're used to a soft bed," said Maki as she went towards the common room.

Maki and Yuta lay next to each other, staring at the ceiling. Maki was on Yuta's left, and to his right, Panda and Inumaki were peacefully asleep.

Yuta began the story first, telling her about what he had gone through in his first night in this world. He recounted how he was attacked by a curse for the first time when he was ten, while he was in the hospital. Yuta also talked about how he was saved by Nanami and Gojo, and how serious Gojo was when speaking to his parents. Maki found it hard to believe at first.

It was now Maki's turn.

Maki looked thoughtfully at the ceiling before starting:

— "When Mai and I were about six, our father made us train with the other clan members. For us, it was humiliating; no one took us seriously, especially me. Everyone said I had no chance because I didn't have any cursed energy."

She furrowed her brow slightly, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. "After training, when everyone had gone, Mai was sitting on the stone stairs in the garden, crying. I walked up to her and asked why she was so upset."

"They hate us," she said then.

Maki paused briefly, as if hearing her sister's voice again.

"She was so small and fragile… I told her I didn't care what others thought, that we had to stick together. But Mai kept crying, saying she wanted to be stronger so that no one could make fun of us again."

Maki smiled as she remembered that summer.

"That's when I decided to teach her how to use the practice swords. We found an old wooden sword in the storage room and started practicing when no one was looking. Mai got tired quickly and often threw tantrums, but she still tried her hardest. And at some point, she managed to knock my sword out of my hands for the first time. It was her little triumph, and she was glowing with happiness."

Maki shook her head, as if seeing the scene in front of her again.

"I always remember that moment when I think of her. That's when I first realized how strong Mai is, even if she doesn't always show it."

She fell silent and then turned to Yuta.

"Now it's your turn."

Yuta began to tell about how he first encountered a special grade curse in prison. He described how he was asked for help and what he saw upon arriving at the prison—horrific deaths of the prisoners, it was a prison for the worst of the worst, but what happened to them was horrifying.

"After that day, I sometimes think, maybe I am a hypocrite. I hate two-faced people; I don't know where this hatred comes from, but I hate two-faced people to death." Tears filled Yuta's eyes; he quickly shook them off and continued, "I've always been polite; I behave like a kind person, but I didn't feel a bit of remorse for those people—the way that curse killed them was worse than animals. In fact, I thought it was fair. I realized it was excessive cruelty, but I didn't really try to kill that curse. I was too busy practicing on it, seeing it as a good opportunity. And I keep thinking, am I any better than those I hate? It's stupid, right?"

Yuta asked with a bitter smile.

"No," Maki looked at Yuta seriously and asked, "Yuta, do you love anyone?"

Yuta was taken aback by the question but, seeing Maki's serious face, decided to answer honestly, "Yes."

"And who are they?" Maki asked curiously.

"My family: my mom, my dad, my sister. My student and also my friend Megumi, my teacher Satoru, and my friends Panda, Inumaki,Tsumiki and you, Maki San."

Maki blushed slightly at the last words but quickly regained her composure and continued, "You know, Yuta, I read a very good phrase somewhere. It goes like this: 'Without love in a person's heart, any virtue becomes a flaw. For example, pride becomes arrogance, honor becomes haughtiness, politeness becomes hypocrisy, and courage and bravery without love for people are simply dangerous to society. The same goes for professions. A journalist who doesn't love people is a paparazzo. A poet without empathy is pop music, an actor is a mimic, an imitator... And self-expression without love is mere boasting.'"

She spoke with deep intonation, looking intently at Yuta before continuing, "Yuta, you don't have to feel for those you hate. You're a compassionate and intelligent person; you can understand them, but you don't have to sympathize. That doesn't make you a hypocrite. You know, you're the kindest person I know. You're polite to everyone, and that's not hypocrisy; it's good manners. You try to understand everyone around you, to analyze, but you don't need to force yourself to sympathize. My conclusions about you might be wrong, but I always stand by my choices."

She finished her speech with a bright smile.

Yuta, deep in thought, said, "Maki San, you're very wise; thank you."

Maki, laughing, flopped back onto the futon with a sigh and said with a touch of sadness, "How wise can I be? My own sister hates me."

"You're talking about Mai? Tell me more, what happened?" Yuta asked.

"Nothing particularly awful that would make her hate me, at least I don't think so. I ran away from my clan and enrolled in this college. Because of that, the clan sent her to the Kyoto College. Since then, she hasn't responded to my messages or calls," Maki replied.

"Maki San, you're a very strong person. It seems to me that you're the one on whom Mai relied, and the fact that you ran away from the clan might have seemed like you abandoned her. You should apologize, and I think she'll forgive you," Yuta suggested.

"You think so?" Maki raised an eyebrow. "When you say it like that, it all seems so simple, but as long as Mai is under the clan's orders, she'll never be happy."

Yuta sighed at this, "That clan of Zenin is nothing but trouble; maybe I should just destroy it?"

Mai responded with a cheeky smirk, "Ha, don't you dare steal my prey. You'll see, I'll become the head of the Zenin clan and destroy it from the inside, eliminating all the old traditions." Mai sat down and propped her cheek on her hand, looking at Yuta and saying, "We decided to share stories to fall asleep, but instead, I got much more awake; no sleep in sight, just thinking. You joining me?"

Yuta agreed. Because of these motivational speeches, he, too, became more awake and couldn't fall asleep.

They spent several hours watching films on VHS, eventually falling asleep together on the couch almost unnoticed by themselves. Maki arranged herself so that her head lay on his shoulder, and Yuta, lowering his head, touched her forehead. The light from the screen slowly faded, and the room fell into silence, only their steady breathing breaking the silence.

That's how Panda found them at dawn, quietly giggling and covering his mouth with a paw to keep from waking them.