Vol. 1 Chapter 2 – The Partner Is Someone Popular

“That’s impossible…”

In the morning, Kaga Ryousuke muttered in a daze. His gaze was fixed on his lower half—completely still and silent, perfectly flat.

The bold tower that had declared his youth every morning was gone.

“Lisaraaaaaaa!”

He shouted, sprang up, and bolted out of the room. His destination: the dining room, where he could hear someone humming a tune.

“It still hasn’t come back! My symbol of youth—wait, what are you doing?!”

He stormed into the dining room, brimming with anger, but the sight that greeted him left Ryousuke standing there in shock.

Lisara was indeed in the dining room. Ryousuke had assumed she couldn’t bear the hunger and was rummaging through the fridge for breakfast, but she was standing at the kitchen counter.

Moreover, she was wearing her school uniform with an apron over it, holding a kitchen knife, and skillfully slicing vegetables with precision.

“What do you mean,【what】? Isn’t it obvious?”

Without even turning around, Lisara simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Uhh, well…”

He couldn’t process what he was seeing. It was impossible to think that the same grim reaper who tried to kill him last night was now rhythmically going ton-ton with a kitchen knife in an apron, looking like a completely different girl.

“Why are you just standing there like an idiot?”

Lisara poured miso soup from a pot into two bowls and carried them to the dining table in front of the kitchen, casting a puzzled glance at Ryousuke.

The steam and aroma of the miso soup tickled his nostrils, and his empty stomach let out an involuntary guu~ growl.

“Fufu.”

As she turned back from the dining table to the kitchen, Lisara let out a small laugh upon hearing the sound. Embarrassed beyond words, Ryousuke instinctively turned his face away. At that reaction, Lisara let out another small giggle.

“Aha, sorry, sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you. See, it just makes me happy when my cooking makes someone’s stomach growl, you know?”

Certainly, the thinly sliced daikon cut into fine julienne strips had a translucent sheen and the slight hint of dashi blending with the miso gave off an aroma that made everything look delicious.

And yet, Ryousuke couldn’t shake off the feeling that something about this Lisara just felt off.

“You’re in the way. Why don’t you sit down?”

Lisara placed a salad on the table, beautifully arranged with the red of tomatoes, the green of lettuce, and the fresh blue of cucumbers, then pointed to a chair. Ryousuke awkwardly sat down as instructed.

Then, Lisara opened the rice cooker and scooped out steaming, fluffy rice. It was the first time in half a year that the rice cooker had actually been used.

“There’s no poison in it, okay?”

With a mischievous smile, Lisara bent forward a little, untied the apron strings knotted behind her back, and hung it over the chair before sitting down.

Ryousuke stared at her face intently.

“W-What is it?”

Lisara looked away, a little embarrassed. Even staring hard enough to bore holes into her face, she was still undoubtedly the same grim reaper from last night.

“L-Lies… No way, this is a lie…”

“A lie? What do you mean?”

Lisara tilted her head slightly.

“This is just… totally a cute girl, isn’t it?!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Don! She slammed her hands on the table and half-rose from her seat.

“No, I mean—you’re in a school uniform, you’re wearing an apron, you’re cooking, and you’re not even messing it up. That’s not right! A violent, rough, wild type like you should be oversleeping in the morning, burning food—something like that! This kind of cute girl stuff? That’s not your character! That’s not the stereotype!”

“I’d love for you to tell me what version of me you have in your head. Sounds like I’m some totally un-cute girl to you. But just so you know, I can cook just fine and I’m actually an early riser. Sorry to disappoint you!”

“Ugh… I still can’t believe the same grim reaper who tried to kill me is the one sitting here now.”

“Believe it or not, this is me. More importantly, are you going to eat or not?”

“I’ll eat. I’ll definitely eat!”

Ryousuke hadn’t had breakfast in ages. And while he had all sorts of complaints he could make, this was, after all, a home-cooked meal by a beautiful girl. Missing out on a miracle like this would be asking for divine punishment.

“Wait, where’s the side dish?”

The salad, the daikon miso soup, and the steaming rice were great, but he didn’t see any actual side dishes.

Then Lisara placed a jar of pickled plums between them.

“Wait—is this it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I looked in the fridge, but there wasn’t a single decent ingredient. That jar of umeboshi was the only thing that stood out. Even the miso had hardened, and I was honestly surprised there were even usable vegetables in the crisper.”

“Vegetables… oh right, my childhood friend used to force me to eat them, saying they’re good for my body.”

“From today on, I’ll be in charge of your health management.”

Leaning over the table, Lisara glared straight into Ryousuke’s face. He didn’t mind being fussed over—it didn’t feel bad, honestly—but…

“A healthy soul comes from a healthy body. If your soul weakens, that causes trouble for me.”

It was purely for her own benefit.

“That’s more like it. I’m actually kind of relieved.”

“Did you say something?”

“Just talking to myself. So breakfast is for draining spiritual power from my soul, huh? You’re pretty serious about it.”

“Oh my, it’s not just breakfast, you know.”

Lisara took out a package and placed it in front of Ryousuke.

“No way… No freaking way—don’t tell me, this is my bento?”

“Yes, it’s your lunch, Ryousuke. Thanks to you, I think I can start searching for the Singular One today. As thanks, I used up all the ingredients I brought from the Death God realm to make this special bento.”

The moment he picked up the lunch box, Ryousuke involuntarily began to tremble.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I can’t believe something like this is really happening…”

A homemade lunch from a girl, eaten at school. It was a dream, it was romance, it was the ultimate sign of victory. With trembling hands, Ryousuke raised the lunch box high into the air.

“Viva! My liiiiiiiiife!”

He shouted triumphantly.

“Well, I mean, I’m glad you’re happy and all, but… why do I feel this overwhelming guilt…?”

Lisara gave a strained smile at the sight of Ryousuke’s dramatic reaction.

A few minutes later, Ryousuke suddenly realized something.

“Wait… why are you wearing a school uniform?”

He had been so shocked to see her cooking that he hadn’t questioned it. She wasn’t in the same rain-soaked outfit as before, nor was she in just a shirt—somehow, she was now dressed in a familiar school uniform.

“Why? Because I’m going to school, obviously.”

Lisara wore an expression that said isn’t it obvious?

“Going to school… Wait, that uniform…”

“It’s the uniform of Momozono Academy—the one you attend.”

“Since when were you a student at Momozono Academy?”

“Geez, why would a first-class Death God like me already be attending a human school? I’m starting today, of course. Today.”

“So you’re transferring in?”

Ryousuke nervously peeked into her face.

“Yup. I’m transferring into Class 2-B at Momozono Academy, same as you. Looking forward to it.”

“【Looking forward to it】—wait, hold on! Why are you even coming to school in the first place?”

“To search for the Singular One, obviously. This time I’ve decided to check each person directly. Momozono is the biggest school in this city, right?”

Apparently, Ryousuke was going to be dragged along for this【check each person one by one】process. He already felt drained.

“B-But what about the paperwork? Can Shinigami just transfer in like that?”

“If I came to the human world through official channels, the Restall family’s influence could make it happen, sure. But right now, I’m technically sneaking around. So I have no choice but to transfer in while hiding my identity as a Shinigami and pretending to be a normal human.”

“You’re just going to pretend to be a normal human? Is that even possible?”

“Easy. While you were snoring away like a slob, I forged all the documents and finished the transfer process.”

While skillfully breaking apart a pickled plum with her chopsticks, Lisara continued:

“I’m a first-class Shinigami. As long as I can use spellcraft, forging documents is a piece of cake. Even this uniform—I made it from dust using the pamphlet as reference.”

“That’s… kinda amazing.”

“Fufu, well, maybe it is something to be proud of.”

Lisara scratched her cheek with a bashful smile, clearly pleased by Ryousuke’s sincere praise. Maybe she was surprisingly easy to please—she cheerfully went back to breaking apart the pickled plum.

“Well, as long as I’ve got spiritual power, there’s not much I can’t do. That’s why, Ryousuke, you’d better think long and hard about what kind of reward you want when we find the Singular One. And I don’t mean some pervy thing either.”

“Don’t call me a perv! Wait—spiritual power…?”

He felt like he was forgetting something important. Something really sad had happened to him that morning. He had been angry. Very angry.

“Wait, that’s right! I almost let myself get distracted again!”

“What do you mean by【distracted】?”

“Spiritual power. It still hasn’t come back—my libido, I mean. Junior is completely silent! And he’s usually so lively every morning!”

“Every morning?”

Lisara tilted her head twenty degrees to the right, a puzzled look on her face.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s a sign of a guy’s youth and vigor—in the morning.”

At that explanation, Lisara paused for about thirty seconds, gripping her chopsticks tightly before slumping her shoulders in defeat.

“I was an idiot for even asking.”

For some reason, Lisara looked exhausted as she shook her head and spoke up.

“It’s not that your libido didn’t recover. In fact, it came back even faster than I expected.”

“It came back…? But I—”

“I told you, didn’t I? I used it—for the uniform and the transfer paperwork.”

Lisara replied without a hint of guilt.

“Damn it! I knew something was off. From the day I first started counting to ten, my symbol of The Kingdom had never skipped a single morning, and then suddenly—silence!”

“K-Kingdom…?”

“I’m talking about morning wood!”

“Eek─────! Don’t say it so clearly! That’s such a vulgar word! I’m a delicate flower of a girl, you know!”

Lisara’s face turned red as she stood up in a panic, then suddenly tilted her head.

“W-What now?”

“Now that I think about it… even after draining you in the morning, you’re still full of energy. How disgraceful—to be so obsessed with such lewd things.”

“I’m not full of energy! I said I wasn’t! My mornings are tragically unhealthy…”

“Stop bringing that up already!”

Lisara glared at him with a fearsome intensity. Though with her face still a little flushed, it didn’t quite carry the full effect.

“Geez… But yeah, it might be worth investigating. For future, more efficient usage.”

“That sounds seriously shady… like you’re planning to suck me dry to the bone…”

“How rude. If it’s used systematically, there’s no problem at all.”

As she said this, Lisara gently stroked her bracelet. Though the red gemstone embedded in it caught the eye, the band as a whole looked a bit too bulky for something a girl would usually wear.

“Oh, this? It’s one of the essential tools for Shinigami. It transforms spiritual power into a usable form—specifically, into Spirit Money, which we can then store.”

“S-S… Spirit Money?”

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Ryousuke awkwardly repeated it. Seeing his reaction, Lisara sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

“You should already know this, even in the human world. Honestly. Listen—Spirit Money is the currency of the Death God realm and the source of all our energy. Death Gods use Spirit Money to activate their spellcraft.”

“Spellcraft…like making uniforms and forging documents?”

“Exactly. And also for summoning 《Carnun Pladur》.”

“《Carnun Pladur》—you mean that scythe that tried to kill me?!”

“If I had gone all out, you wouldn’t be alive right now, you know. I held back for your sake.”

“I seriously can’t believe that…”

“Want me to give you a live demonstration?”

At her low voice, Ryousuke shrank back instinctively.

“Honestly, I can’t tell if you’re bold or just a coward… You’re a weird one.”

“Because you’re a pervert.”

“…Stop it. You’re giving me a headache.”

Lisara hung her head weakly, shaking it in dismay.

“Haaah… I’ll continue…”

Pulling herself together, Lisara lifted her head again.

“Shinigami come to the human world and form death contracts in order to obtain Spirit Money. That way, we can receive the crystallized spiritual energy released by humans at the time of death—what we call Life Jewels.”

“Heh.”

“You didn’t know that either, did you?”

Lisara’s voice carried a deeply exasperated tone.

“I happened to see your phone when it fell, and your wallpaper was from Melro Life Insurance, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a legal requirement. They explain it at the end of the commercials…”

“I edited out everything except the scenes with Iria-chan.”

“You’re a fan of Iria?”

“Hell yeah. More specifically—those boobs!”

“Tch.”

For some reason, Lisara spat that word out in disgust.

“Well, whatever. Let me explain. Humans constantly consume spiritual energy while simultaneously recovering it. Basically, from the moment you’re born, you live with roughly the same amount of spiritual energy, give or take a little.”

“So it’s like using it while being refueled at the same time.”

“Exactly. But it’s not completely stable either. If you live a happy life, your energy can be entirely converted into Spirit Money. On the other hand, if your life is filled with regret, it becomes a poor-quality Life Jewel, unable to convert even half of it.”

“So the quality changes, huh?”

“That’s right. Now, this bracelet—it not only stores Spirit Money, it can also measure the spiritual power of others. It tells us how much Life Jewel we can get from someone at maximum.”

“I see. So it’s like a business tool.”

“Exactly. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be using this to search for the Singular One. Though I can’t get full readings from people without a contract, you and I are connected through 《Gram》, so I should be able to read yours just fine.”

“Wait, you can identify the Singular One like that?”

“I told you, didn’t I? The Singular One has more than a thousand times the spiritual power of a regular human. It’ll stand out immediately.”

With a wry smile, Lisara extended her right hand.

“What?”

“Give me your hand.”

Not entirely sure what was going on, Ryousuke extended his right hand. Lisara took it and gently held it.

“W-Wha—?! Wh-What are you doing?!”

The shock made Ryousuke’s body jerk involuntarily. His face flushed slightly too. After all, holding hands with a girl was… an event.

“D-Don’t misunderstand! I’m just measuring you, that’s all!”

“M-Measuring…?”

“Yes. I’m measuring your current level of spiritual power. Geez, when you blush like that, it makes me feel nervous too!”

“B-But, you say that, and your face is also—!”

Her fingernails dug into the hand she was holding.

“O-Ouch… Nothing! I didn’t say anything! I’m not blushing!”

Apparently satisfied with that, she finally released her grip.

About a minute later, the hand-holding ended and Lisara glanced into the bracelet on her left arm.

“Ryousuke’s total spiritual power is about fifteen thousand…”

“Fifteen thousand, huh? Sounds kinda impressive.”

At Ryousuke’s honest impression, Lisara immediately turned her face to the side. Avoiding his gaze, she continued to peer into the bracelet from a strange angle.

“W-Wait… is that low?”

“W-Well, um, it’s… you know…”

“How low is it?”

“Y-You’re within the range of an ordinary human, okay?”

Lisara turned her face away.

“Ordinary, huh? And how much is ordinary?”

When Ryousuke gave her a sulky look, Lisara’s face visibly stiffened.

“A-Ahahaha…Don’t worry about the number, okay? Seriously.”

That desperate attempt to cover it up only confirmed the grim reality.

“How much is it.”

“Ugh… uuugh…”

Lisara let out a small groan, dropped her shoulders, and sighed.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. An average human is around thirty thousand, give or take.”

“My spiritual power’s only half of that?!”

“It’s not like you’re trash or garbage or a complete loser. I mean, there are some people below twenty thousand, too, sometimes…”

She probably meant it as reassurance, but to Ryousuke, it only drove the point deeper. He slumped forward onto the dining table with a thud. Gotsun! His forehead hit the surface a bit too hard, and it stung.

“A-Ahahaha… A-Anyway, let’s move on. Right, right, I borrowed about three thousand from you this morning, but your current spiritual power is… oh, wow.”

“Forget it. At this point, even if you praise me, it just makes me sad.”

Without the will to even raise his head, Ryousuke remained slumped over, answering weakly.

“But still, you’ve already recovered a thousand, you know? That’s strange… I was taught that humans only recover about a thousand per day, at most…”

“So, what, my recovery rate is above average then?”

Even if his overall spiritual power was only half of the norm, there was something about him that exceeded the average. That sliver of hope made Ryousuke lift his head just a bit to look at Lisara. But Lisara still looked like she was deep in thought—

“Maybe it’s because of 《Gram》. I don’t think even the teachers have ever used an item of this high a class.”

She answered like she was talking to herself.

“Yeah, whatever. Just go ahead and call me trash.”

Gon! Ryousuke slammed his forehead into the table again and slumped forward. Hearing that sound, Lisara panicked and hurriedly tried to explain herself.

“W-Wait! Th-That’s not what I meant! I’m sure you have some kind of redeeming quality… you know?”

To Ryousuke, those words felt completely empty.

“Whatever… Just tell me one thing—how long until I’m back to normal?”

“Well, at this rate, it should be back by evening.”

“Evening is too late!!”

He smacked the table hard. The dishes jumped, clattering with a gachan.

“Too late? Why? Don’t tell me… You have a date with your girlfriend or something…?”

Lisara swallowed with an audible gulp.

“Like I’d have a girlfriend!”

“Ah, yeah, of course. I mean, who in their right mind would go out with you, Ryousuke… not likely, right?”

“First period! It’s third-year P.E.!”

“…Come again?”

“Compared to first-years or second-years, third-years are more developed! They run around the schoolyard! Their chests jiggle, you know?!”

Without saying a word, Lisara sat back down. For some reason, she turned sideways.

“To see that—and not feel anything, even while remembering it clearly—how can I… not feel anything?! Ah… ugh… sniff… uuugh…”

“Haaah… the miso soup is delicious.”

Avoiding the sight of Ryousuke trembling and slumped over the table, Lisara quietly sipped her soup.

“…Maybe I should’ve contracted with Caesar instead.”

As she gazed around at the dirty, cluttered room, Lisara murmured under her breath.

※　※　※

The classroom was buzzing with noise.

“Please quiet dow───n!”

Their homeroom teacher, Ranbashi-sensei, shouted, but no one paid attention. Then again, she was never exactly the intimidating type to begin with. Despite being just shy of thirty, she had no authority, no presence and not even a trace of sex appeal—some even called her Ranbashi-chan behind her back.

“Ugh, fine… Lisara-san, could you go ahead and start your self-introduction~?”

In the end, no matter how many times she shouted, it didn’t work. Ranbashi-sensei slumped in defeat and move things along.

Lisara, who had been standing beside her, replied calmly with a【Yes】then stepped forward to take the teacher’s place at the front of the class.

“Nice to meet you all.”

The moment Lisara began to speak, the classroom fell completely silent. Honestly, if it weren’t for her school uniform, you’d mistake her for the teacher. That’s how dignified and commanding her presence was.

‘How many masks does a girl have to wear…?’

Still stunned by the contrast from last night’s chaos, Ryousuke turned his gaze away from Lisara and out toward the schoolyard. Meanwhile, completely ignoring what was going on in Ryousuke’s mind, Lisara said,

“My name is Kaga Lisara, and starting today I’ll be in your care at Momozono Academy.”

She introduced herself seriously and gave a graceful bow. Her red hair shimmered and danced in the light, drawing sighs of awe not just from the boys, but even from the girls.

“I’m still not used to life in Japan, so I hope you’ll teach me many things. I look forward to learning with you.”

She tilted her head just slightly and smiled sweetly. In an instant, the classroom exploded with excitement. The boys’ eyes went bloodshot at the sudden arrival of a beautiful girl from the heavens, while the girls started squealing over her sheer beauty.

“Whoa, she’s super gorgeous! Is she a model or something? What do you think, Ryousuke-kun?”

The girl sitting in front of Ryousuke turned around with excitement lighting up her face.

That was Ookura Mina—his easygoing childhood friend. With her naturally wavy hair, round face, and droopy eyes, she gave off a soft, round impression overall. But above all else, what left a strong impression on anyone who saw her was her bust. It was big—no, huge.

Yes, Mina was known school-wide as one of the top three bust sizes in their entire second-year class.

“…Haa.”

But despite Mina’s enthusiasm, Ryousuke only sighed and turned his head to the side.

“Ryousuke-kun?”

“Haaaaaah…”

“Umm, is something wrong? A pretty girl like that just showed up and you’re not even flustered. Are you feeling okay?”

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah…”

“Did you eat the vegetables I gave you? I keep telling you, if you don’t eat balanced meals, you’ll wreck your health someday. Want me to come over and make dinner for you?”

Mina leaned in, clearly worried. Even though she was wearing a bra, her breasts bounced beyond the support of its wiring.

But none of that registered for Ryousuke.

Outside the window, where he sat by the edge of the classroom, the third-year girls were changing into their gym uniforms and warming up. In pairs, one girl would climb onto the other’s back, stretching their bodies deeply. Breasts stretching, uniforms riding up to reveal toned stomachs, faces contorted in exertion.

It should’ve been the kind of paradise that made Ryousuke’s heart go full tropical. And yet…

“Fuu… how empty it all feels…”

All Ryousuke could do was sigh. He didn’t feel a thing. In fact, he only felt a strange warmth—like a heartfelt cheer of【Everyone sure is doing their best out there】.

“Ryousuke-kun, are you okay? A-Are you going to die?!”

“Die… huh. Yeah, maybe. My youth has basically met its end. Fuu…”

Ryousuke looked up at the sky, narrowing his eyes. A bright, clear blue sky stretched out before him, the kind that hinted summer was truly on its way. The world was shining so brilliantly.

“And yet here I am, quietly witnessing the death of my youth. So this… is what they call fate…”

“U-Ugh, that was… kind of cool, I hate to admit.”

“Youth… everything about it feels nostalgic now. That brilliance… I miss it.”

He slowly closed his eyes, as if giving up on everything.

“What’s with this weird aura you’re putting out?”

Kotsun! He felt a light knock on the top of his head.

When he looked back, Lisara was standing there, fist still clenched from her light punch, looking down at him with a face full of exasperation.

“Lisara-san?”

Mina, caught off guard by the sudden scene, blinked and looked up at Lisara blankly. Lisara, still holding her fist, gave her a small, wry smile.

“Nice to meet you… um…”

“Uh, um, I, uhh…”

Despite both being girls, Mina blushed and flustered like she was about to faint.

“She’s Ookura Mina. My childhood friend.”

With no other choice, Ryousuke provided the necessary information.

“Ah, y-yes, I’m Mina. I used to live next door to Ryousuke-kun’s house.”

Mina stood up in a hurry and gave Lisara a deep bow. Lisara smiled at her and extended her right hand.

“Eh?”

“Nice to meet you, Mina-san. You can just call me Lisara, though.”

“Y-Yes! Thank you very much, Lisara-san!”

Mina hurriedly wiped her palm with a handkerchief and grasped Lisara’s hand.

“You really don’t need the【-san】you know.”

“E-Eh? But…”

“Fufu, it’s fine. If that’s easier for you, Mina-san.”

Lisara chuckled softly and released her hand, then glanced into her bracelet.

“One hundred times Ryousuke’s level… so about 1.5 million in spiritual power, huh? Pretty impressive, but…”

She murmured quietly.

“Hey, could you not bring that up now…?”

“Oh, come on. This is my job, you know?”

“Umm… Ryousuke-kun? Lisara-san?”

“Ahaha, sorry! Just talking about something unrelated,” 

Lisara said with a smile, clearly brushing it off.

When Mina pouted and let out a【Uuu~】Lisara shifted her gaze to Ryousuke with a mischievous grin for some reason.

“To think someone this cute is your childhood friend. Guess you’re more fortunate than you look, Ryousuke.”

“C-Cute… Ehehe, ehehee, ahaha~…”

While Mina looked down, red-faced and overwhelmed, Ryousuke tilted his head in confusion.

“I’ve been through hell with her so many times, over and over…”

Even looking at a blushing Mina didn’t stir anything in him. Sure, her chest had grown ridiculously big, but he just couldn’t see her as the opposite sex.

Both of their parents had been busy when they were young, so they spent a lot of time together as kids. Because of that, he’d ended up cleaning up after her countless accidents—changing her clothes, washing her underwear, wiping the floor, and soothing her until she stopped crying. As a result, Ryousuke could only see her as a clumsy little sister.

“Hmph. You’re spoiled, you know.”

“Even if you say that… Why are you even over here? Go back to your own seat.”

Annoyed, Ryousuke waved his hand to shoo her away.

“Ryousuke, you weren’t listening to my self-introduction at all, were you?”

“Yeah. I was busy savoring the emptiness of youth.”

“Geez. My seat is here. Right next to you.”

“Next to me? That’s Oohira’s seat.”

Oohira was a kind friend who had gone out of his way to convert the Iria-chan commercial into a video for Ryousuke’s phone. On top of that, they had a healthy and ever-developing relationship involving DVD exchanges and more.

“I asked him to switch with me. See, I’m still not used to life here, right? So I figured it’d be easier for you to support me if I was next to you.”

“How high-handed can you be…”

Panicking, Ryousuke looked around for Oohira—and found him already seated in the very back row. He was glaring silently at Ryousuke. That gaze said more than any words could:

Traitor.

‘No, it’s not like that! She’s not what you think! She might look like a beautiful girl, but inside she’s the absolute worst! She’s the cruel enemy who stole my youth!’

But apparently Ryousuke’s gaze wasn’t as expressive as he hoped—Oohira’s glare didn’t soften.

“Ugh… our friendship…”

One dear friend had now drifted away from Ryousuke…

“U-Um… Excuse me?”

Mina timidly called out to Lisara.

“What is it you want to ask me?”

Mina paused, hesitating for a few seconds, then spoke with apparent resolve.

“W-What’s your relationship with him?”

Lisara glanced up at the classroom ceiling for a moment, then said:

“You mean my relationship with this one, I suppose?”

She knocked Ryousuke on the head again. Mina gave a big nod and the rest of the class did the same.

“Our relationship, huh… How should I explain it? What do you think, Ryousuke?”

“Don’t throw that to me!”

“Oh, how cold. We do live under the same roof, don’t we?”

The classroom fell into utter silence. So quiet, it felt like even their breathing—or maybe even heartbeats—could be heard.

And in that silence, Ryousuke could feel it—gazes. Sharp, deadly gazes.

‘Oohira…? No, this is even worse. This killing intent is huge—worse than Lisara’s from last night!’

From all directions, killing intent pierced into Ryousuke. Even Mina, sitting right in front of him, was radiating it for some reason.

“I-I-It’s a misunderstanding! It’s not what you think, I swear!”

“Oh? But it is true that we live together. And this morning, we had breakfast together, didn’t we?”

Gata! A boy’s chair scraped against the floor. Everyone was now in a semi-standing stance. That’s a ready-to-pounce posture.

“Stoooop! Don’t go throwing oil on the fire like that!”

Lisara just smiled smugly. This woman—she knew exactly what she was doing.

One wrong move and this whole room could blow—DEFCON 1, Ryousuke was five seconds from death. Cold sweat trickled down his cheek, and he swallowed hard. The unbearable tension stretched through one second, two seconds, three…

“Fufu—ahahahahahaha!”

Suddenly, Lisara broke into laughter.

“I’m sorry, everyone. It looks like I caused a misunderstanding with how I phrased things.”

“Lisara-san… a misunderstanding?”

Mina blinked up at her, wide-eyed.

“You see, Ryousuke and I are distant relatives. I was interested in Japan, so I ended up staying at Ryousuke’s house. That’s all it is, really.”

“Relatives…? I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

“We’re distant relatives. Isn’t that right, Ryousuke?”

Goku goku—he nodded desperately, again and again. If people thought he was dating Lisara—and living with her—he’d definitely be murdered. To be misunderstood as going out with the worst girl ever, someone who stole his youth… that would be way too unfair a reason to die.

“But… living together and waking up together is still the same, isn’t it…? Uuu…”

Mina mumbled something under her breath, causing Lisara to give her a suspicious glance.

“Is there something else?”

“N-No, it’s nothing… really.”

Replying quickly, Mina sat back down in her seat and faced forward.

“Hm… well, whatever.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Lisara took the seat she had claimed from Oohira.

Thirty minutes after the start of homeroom, the commotion finally settled down and class looked like it was about to begin.

“Okay, that wraps up this morning’s homeroom!”

Ranbashi-sensei declared—and then for some reason, her face turned pale.

“Oh no! I forgot!”

She bolted out of the classroom, looking panicked. Lisara watched her go with a curious expression, then leaned toward Ryousuke and asked in a small voice:

“What’s with that teacher?”

“She’s always kinda scatterbrained, but…”

Even if Lisara asked, Ryousuke didn’t know either. But when he listened closely, he could hear her apologizing profusely somewhere down the hallway.

“Hey Mina, what’s our first class today?”

“I think it’s the Shinigami Contract explanation. A reaper from Melro Life Insurance is supposed to come explain it.”

“A Shinigami is coming all the way out for this? That’s rare.”

“Really?”

“Oh, absolutely. Hey—Ryousuke.”

Lisara leaned in and whispered to him:

“I’m using an alias, so I don’t think they’ll notice, but if anything happens, make sure you cover for me, okay? Tell them I’m not a Shinigami.”

“Your alias is just your last name changed, though.”

Kaga Lisara—real name: Lisara Restall. It was way too simple a fake name.

“Yes, and?”

“Well, if you’re okay with that…”

“Anyway, just back me up, got it?”

Grumbling, Ryousuke nodded with a reluctant【Yeah, yeah.】This was all for the sake of his youthful survival—and the reward, if everything worked out. He had no choice.

“…They really do seem close.”

And for some reason, Mina quietly looked down, sulking…

Garaaaan! The classroom door slid open, and Ranbashi-sensei returned—bringing with her a beautiful onee-chan. The classroom erupted into its second wave of excitement for the day with a collective【Oooooh~!】

“Fufu.”

The beautiful woman gave a sultry smile.

Unlike the childlike, cutesy appearance of Ranbashi-sensei and distinct from Lisara’s graceful beauty, this woman exuded a glamorous allure steeped in mature sensuality. Her outfit was a black leather bondage-style getup, with her white breasts munyu—spilling out from the black leather.

Even the sound of her high-heeled boots clicking across the classroom floor as she walked to the podium was incredibly sexy.

“Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m sorry for the late introduction; I heard there was a transfer student and got delayed. I’m the Shinigami from Melro Life Insurance, Paoi Malbec. For the time being, I’ll be here to provide you with knowledge about Shinigami so you can make better death contracts. Pleased to meet you.”

The Shinigami who introduced herself as Malbec offered a practiced greeting, then immediately turned to the blackboard and began writing with chalk… but honestly, the boys couldn’t spare a glance at the board.

Because her butt was spilling out quite a bit. And each time she moved the chalk, her hips swayed—undeniably provocative.

“I’m amazed the school even allowed that outfit…”

“For real. Seriously, the Melro people—always so vulgar.”

There was a faint note of hostility in Lisara’s muttered remark.

“What’s this, Lisara? Jealous your bust totally lost the battle?”

“Don’t be stupid. As if someone like me would stoop to competing with a low-tier Shinigami like that. And she’s vulgar on top of it.”

Lisara didn’t even flinch at Ryousuke’s jab—she just snorted through her nose with a hmph.

“Low-tier?”

Ryousuke scooted his desk closer to hers and asked quietly. Lisara leaned in as well and answered in a hushed whisper.

“Yes. Unlike me—a First-Class—she’s only qualified to support average humans like you. Shinigami of her class can’t even properly use spellcraft in the human world.”

“So she can’t do the kind of thing you did—summoning that weird scythe?”

“Exactly. Just staying 《Existence Bond Raise》 in the human world maxes them out. They don’t have the extra capacity to handle other spell techniques.”

“So if they use spellcraft during contract support…”

“Generally, they don’t. Only if something serious happens will higher-class Shinigami be summoned in their place to use spellcraft.”

Lisara said it all without hesitation.

“But why? I mean, we’re giving them Life Jewels when we die, right?”

“It can’t be helped. Spellcraft uses up a lot of spiritual power. The supply from an average soul is really limited—unless they’ve hoarded a good amount of Spirit Money, it’s impossible.”

“But you use spellcraft, don’t you?”

“That’s because I’m in an upper class that can use spellcraft efficiently—and thanks to 《Gram》, I draw power directly from the core of your soul. Without that kind of supply, I wouldn’t be able to do much either. But if I told people that outright, no one would agree to the contract. And lying is prohibited under agreements with the human world. So the Melro agents dress all provocatively like that to hook young men like you.”

Lisara looked up at Malbec at the podium with a slightly disdainful gaze. Even to Ryousuke—whose libido had been drained dry—her seduction was excessive.

“Iria-chan’s commercial was from Melro too, come to think of it.”

“Well, I’ll admit—it’s a clever tactic.”

“How come?”

“It depends on the country, but normally, you’re only allowed to sign a Shinigami once you’re old enough to make sound judgments. In this country, that’s age sixteen—you know that, right?”

“Y-Yeah, more or less.”

“So targeting people who just turned sixteen is the most efficient. That’s why the Melro agents try to catch the eyes of sixteen-year-old boys. Basically, they’re using sex appeal to lure them in.”

“Ugh, that’s awful.”

“Oh? You’re the type who would’ve fallen for it instantly, Ryousuke.”

“Hmph. That may have been true—until yesterday. But today’s me is different. Because—because… I don’t feel anything. Nothing at all! Not even when I look at that Malbec woman. All I feel is—tacky, vulgar, just that… kuh, gusu…”

Tears were about to spill from Ryousuke’s eyes.

“I told you, you’d be back to normal by evening, didn’t I? Don’t cry already.”

Lisara looked troubled as she glanced around nervously.

“It has to be now! Do you understand this feeling?! It’s like looking at the most luxurious eel bowl and somehow thinking it looks gross! That kind of pain… that kind of sorrow!”

“I don’t know what to tell you… That’s your problem. Anyway—shouldn’t you be more concerned?”

“Concerned about what?”

“That Malbec-sensei is looking right at you.”

At her words, Ryousuke quickly snapped his eyes toward the podium—and sure enough, she was staring.

“Let’s see… Kaga Ryousuke-kun, was it? I’m about to explain something very important, so if possible, could you focus on me instead of your girlfriend?”

“S-Sorry. But, uh—she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, is that so? My apologies.”

Shrugging lightly, Malbec-sensei turned back to the blackboard and began writing out key points with chalk.

“You denied it really clearly there.”

Lisara muttered, sounding slightly displeased.

“Well, I mean—it’s true.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Besides… that moment back then was just an illusion anyway.”

She said something Ryousuke didn’t quite understand, and for some reason, her lips pouted a little.

“All right, everyone. Please direct your attention to the blackboard.”

Malbec-sensei straightened her posture.

“As you might expect, Shinigami abide by the laws of the human world. While we are called【Shinigami】we do not harm humans. On the contrary—we work tirelessly day and night for the happiness of humanity.”

She then launched into a long explanation about treaties with various world governments, their historical significance, and more. The dull lecture dragged on for about ten minutes. Though she hadn’t finished explaining everything, Malbec-sensei closed her textbook.

“Since we started late and there were… a number of distractions today, this will be all for now, even if it’s a bit lacking in content. I’ll go into more detail next time, so please don’t rush into a Death Contract before this orientation is over.”

She gave a polite nod and stepped down from the podium with the katsu katsu sound of her heels echoing. Ranbashi-sensei followed behind her in a fluster, completely lacking the authority of a proper teacher—more like a clumsy student teacher.

Then, just as Malbec-sensei opened the door, she turned back and said,

“Of course, if it’s a contract with me from Melro Life Insurance, I’ll always be waiting.”

She finished with a dazzling wink, her mascara perfectly in place.

According to the rumors afterward, just that day alone, multiple students—including those from other classes—signed Death Contracts…

※　※　※

“Mina-san, may I ask you something?”

A few minutes into lunch break, Lisara called out to Mina, who had just taken out her bento box.

“Y-yes, if it’s something I can answer, then anything…”

“Is Ryousuke, by any chance, a celebrity?”

“Eh, ah, ahahahahaha.”

Mina let out a troubled laugh and glanced at Ryousuke.

“Because the other girls have been asking me things like,【Of all people, why Kaga-kun?】I’ve even been asked by students from other classes.”

“Well, um, Ryousuke-kun has a nickname… he’s kind of a minor celebrity.”

“What kind of nickname?”

“E… Erosuke.”

Mina answered in a small voice, looking apologetic.

“That’s quite a cruel nickname. What did you do, Ryousuke?”

“I’m just a harmless guy who borrows and critiques ecchi DVDs with Taihei and the others.”

“Um, you also tend to watch P.E. classes from other classes a lot…”

Mina added hesitantly, correcting him. She’s strangely serious.

“It just happens to be in my line of sight, can’t help it.”

“R-really?”

“Jeez, I wish you’d at least try to act cooler.”

Lisara shook her head sadly.

“I have no interest in making futile efforts. Even if I did try to act cool, it’d be meaningless.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Besides, I’m just being a little honest about my youth.”

“Being honest about a lonely youth… that just sounds sad, doesn’t it?”

Lisara’s words pierced his heart so deeply, he almost cried. Although, Ryousuke didn’t even have that youth to begin with…

“Whatever, I’m just gonna eat now.”

Ryousuke sluggishly took his bento box out of his bag. It was the first bento in his life made by a girl. It should’ve been something to be proud of—something to be happy about more than anything else—but just looking at Lisara’s face made him feel completely drained.

“What’s with that face? You were so happy this morning.”

“You slice people’s hearts into ribbons and don’t even realize it, huh, this woman…”

At Ryousuke’s mutter, Lisara averted her gaze with an awkward expression and finally muttered, 【Sorry.】

“Doesn’t really mean much if you say it so reluctantly.”

“R-reluctantly…?”

“What is it, did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing. Yes, reluctantly. Reluctantly, okay!? Why does someone like me even have to apologize to someone like you, Ryousuke!?”

Lisara’s voice rose higher and higher, until she finally slammed the desk with a don! It was hard to see her as anything but angry. Yet Ryousuke had no idea what had triggered her anger…

‘Wh-what the hell is this awkward atmosphere…?’

As he was at a loss, unexpectedly, the usually meek Mina forcefully interjected with a rescuing,

“Um… could it be that Ryousuke-kun’s bento is, maybe, just maybe… handmade by Lisara-san?”

After a small deep breath, Lisara calmed her voice.

“Well, something like that. Since he’s staying at my place, and… a few other things happened, so consider it a small favor in return.”

Startled by the murderous aura, Ryousuke trembled and looked around the classroom. All the boys averted their gaze at once. When he looked back, his eyes met Mina’s. For some reason, she was glaring at Ryousuke with teary eyes.

“Um… Mina-san?”

Ryousuke asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know anything!”

Mina turned away with a pout. It seemed Ryousuke had no allies left…

“What the hell, seriously…”

Grumbling, Ryousuke reached for the lid of his bento box—only for Lisara to press her hand against his.

“Ryousuke, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s all for your recovery, Ryousuke. There’s not a shred of ill intent, I swear.”

Not a single part of that sounded like a warning before opening a bento box.

“Lisara, this bento…”

“Well… I mean, you don’t have to force yourself…”

Lisara looked up at the ceiling, her expression awkward.

‘What a weird girl. Judging by breakfast, I thought she was definitely good at cooking.’

While harboring doubts, Ryousuke opened the lid of the bento box.

“What kind of bento is it?”

Mina peeked over, then turned her face away while covering her mouth and nose with teary eyes.

“Ah, ahahahaha, that’s the kind of reaction I expected?”

As he listened to Lisara’s dry laughter, Ryousuke quietly closed the lid.

The way the three of them were behaving started to draw attention from those around them.

“Lisara-san, could it be that you’re bad at cooking?”

“You know, it’s that classic trope—beautiful girls making poison for food.”

Hearing those totally presumptive comments, Ryousuke steadied his breathing.

Since this was a bento Lisara made for him, there was no way he could run away from it. If he said something like【Sorry】and returned it, her cooking would forever be branded as toxic.

Even if that were true, Ryousuke knew she could actually cook properly.

Therefore, as a man, as Kaga Ryousuke, he couldn’t afford to hurt Lisara.

Because girls are precious, precious treasures.

“Lisara…”

“Um, y-you really don’t have to push yourself, okay?”

“This food looks absolutely delicous!”

Turning toward Lisara’s worried face, Ryousuke gave a somewhat stiff smile. Then, he once again unleashed the seal known as the lid.

Inside the orthodox square bento box, everything was brown and gooey. Where the rice should have been, there was something jelly-like that looked like coagulated bubbly muddy water, with hair-like things sticking out here and there.

Goku…

He swallowed hard and picked up his chopsticks. But he had no idea which part he should eat first.

The first side dish: An eyeball. A bulging eyed gaze that guaranteed to kill his appetite.

Second dish: A mushroom. Brown base with yellow and red bumpy growths—no doubt it would trigger every instinctual alarm.

Third dish: Some kind of hand. The fingers, opened in anguish, reminded him of the primal sin of consuming life.

Dessert looked like a strawberry. Just… brown and wrinkled.

And the aroma wafting from the whole thing. Just tickling the inside of his nostrils made him feel suffocated. Occasionally, when pop! a spore would shoot from the mushroom and accidentally hit his eye, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

“Listen, I wasn’t trying to make something poisonous or anything. I just… I thought it would be good for Ryousuke right now…”

Lisara began to explain, but Ryousuke stopped her with a hand.

“No, this is exactly what I requested. How absolutely appetising it looks.”

Sweating bullets, Ryousuke smiled.

Then, he picked up the eyeball with his chopsticks.

“GyaaAAAAAAA!!”

Ryousuke simply chose not to acknowledge what he’d just heard.

“R-Ryousuke-kun!? Y-you’ll die, seriously!”

“H-ha-ha-ha, Lisara’s cooking skills are first-class, you know!”

Even though his voice was stiff and monotone, Ryousuke said it as he tossed the eyeball into his mouth.

With each bite, he could hear faint chilling death screams echoing through the bones…

“O-oi… it’s… delicious, really.”

Trembling, he desperately forced a smile. Seeing him like that, Mina turned pale, while Lisara… was simply dumbfounded.

And twenty minutes later—

“It was d-delicious, Lisara.”

Ryousuke gave a thumbs-up with a smile and then collapsed face-first onto the desk.

“He actually finished it, Ryousuke… Knowing him, I bet he was worrying about my reputation or something… Jeez, what a meddlesome guy.”

Lisara’s shocked expression had softened by the time she finished her sentence.

“Lisara-san, um… is Ryousuke-kun okay?”

Mina’s face was pale as she asked.

“Don’t misunderstand, Mina-san. This is—if I had to describe it—like medicinal cuisine.”

“Medicinal… cuisine?”

“Yes. A lot happened, and starting yesterday Ryousuke suddenly became low-energy. So I used some ingredients I brought from my country to make a dish that would restore his energy.”

Lisara gave a bitter smile, causing Mina to tremble with anxiety.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“You said he lost energy yesterday… D-Don’t tell me, is this an aphrodisiac!?”

“Well, I suppose you could call it that.”

“No! No way! It’s way too early for that! I mean, even if you’re not directly related by blood, doing that with someone who’s still technically family is totally wrong!”

At Mina’s shout, the entire classroom stood up.

“W-wait! Wait a second! You’ve got it wrong! Totally wrong! I haven’t done anything yet───────!”

Lisara’s scream echoed and her face turned even redder than her hair.

Some time passed, and with lunch break now over thirty minutes in, Ryousuke finally came back to life—only to see Lisara looking absolutely exhausted.

“Uuugh, thanks to Mina-san, I ended up being terribly misunderstood.”

“I’m so sorry… b-but, everyone realized it was a misunderstanding in the end, so…”

And for some reason, Mina was bowing her head.

“Alright, alright, I get it—so stop apologizing already.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Aahh, geez!”

That kind of back-and-forth repeated a few more times until Mina was finally satisfied and started eating her own bento.

“Did something happen?”

“You don’t need to know, Ryousuke!”

He was scolded as her face turned red.

“More importantly, Ryousuke. Notice anything different?”

“Different, huh… Let’s see…”

“Don’t tell me it’s already working!?”

“My stomach… feels like it’s dying.”

“Ah… I see.”

Lisara slumped her shoulders in disappointment. But within a few seconds, she lifted her face again.

“Well, if it helped him recover, great. If not, oh well.”

She mentally discarded the bento—more deadly than poison—as just another incident of the past.

“Alright then, Ryousuke. Let’s start searching.”

“Searching?”

“Come on, why do you think I’m even here?”

It was to search for a Singular One. And on top of that, if she didn’t find one quickly, Ryousuke’s perverted urges would constantly be in danger.

With no choice, he slowly stood up. That alone made his stomach scream in protest and wobble slightly. Seeing this, Lisara grabbed his arm and helped him stand.

“Be careful, okay? If you fall, I’ll feel responsible.”

Lisara said gruffly while scratching her cheek with her fingertip. That gesture, for some reason, made Ryousuke flustered, and he hastily shook off her arm.

“Well, whatever.”

Looking at the arm that was pushed away, Lisara gave a faint bitter smile.

“When you say【search】are you using that bracelet?”

“Yes. The detection spells didn’t work, so now I’ll have to directly measure spiritual energy to determine if someone’s a Singular One.”

“So basically… you’re gonna go around shaking hands with everyone?”

“It’s a hassle, though.”

“Shaking hands with the whole school? How long’s that gonna take…”

Just thinking about the sheer number of days it would require made Ryousuke slump his shoulders in despair.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course there’s a priority order. Let’s see… naturally, we’ll start with people popular with the opposite sex.”

Lisara declared, in what could only be interpreted as a jab at the unpopular Ryousuke.

“What the hell is that shady-ass criteria!?”

“Oh please, heroes throughout history have always been popular with the opposite sex, haven’t they?”

“W-well, I guess that’s true…”

“It’s clearly not you, Ryousuke, so tell me—who’s the most popular person?”

At that question, Ryousuke thought for a few seconds before opening his mouth—

“If you say that Taihei guy, I’ll get angry. He’s your kind, isn’t he?”

Lisara cut him off with a sweet smile, stopping him before he could say a word. Left with no choice, Ryousuke seriously considered it, then simply bowed his head to Mina.

“Mina, I’m counting on you.”

“Y-yes?”

Mina, who had just finished putting away her empty bento box, blinked and looked at Ryousuke in surprise.

“Ryousuke-kun, did you call me?”

“Yeah, I did. Do you know who’s the most popular person in the academy?”

“Hmm, let’s see… uh, hmm… oh! I’d say it’s probably Tamano-senpai.”

Instant judgment, instant answer. Upon hearing the name, Lisara was already standing.

“Alright, first let’s go meet this Tamano-senpai person. Come, show me the way.”

Turning her face away from the enthusiastic Lisara, Ryousuke once again bowed to Mina.

“Please.”

Lisara glared at Ryousuke.

“Hey, what’s with that? You don’t want to guide me yourself?”

“Nope. I’m not interested in guys. Tamano-senpai is a guy. Therefore, I neither remember his face nor know his class. Eh-hehn.”

“Ugh, you’re useless.”

“I’m just an average nobody.”

Lisara let out a light sigh in response to Ryousuke’s brazen reply.

“Mina-san, I’m sorry to ask, but could you take us to Tamano-senpai?”

“Um, to Tamano-senpai? But… why?”

“Well of course, because I want to learn about the academy as soon as possible. Social dynamics are the foundation of school life, right?”

With an expression that said this was the most natural thing in the world, a stream of total nonsense smoothly flowed from Lisara’s lips.

“Hmm… well, Lisara-san does have a point. Alright, I’ll take you.”

And just like that, the honest and trusting Mina was completely taken in by the lie.

　※　※　※

“Was it you two who called for me?”

Tamano stepped out into the hallway in front of Class 3-A without showing even the slightest hint of displeasure. Despite being summoned by second-years he barely had any connection with, he didn’t show the slightest trace of confusion. However, when he saw Lisara’s face, his eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

Tamano Hikaru—one of the most famously handsome boys on campus. Though he came from a distinguished family, he had earned his spot through merit as captain of the boxing club, backed by a solid performance record. Thanks to that, his nearly 180 cm tall body was lean, and his exposed chest through the open collar of his shirt was tightly toned with muscle. On top of that, his well-groomed eyebrows and medium-length hair styled wild with wax gave him the very image of someone who is mote-mote (extremely popular). There was no way girls wouldn’t like him—he consistently remained at the top in terms of popularity.

There was no such thing as a【bancho】at Momozono Academy, but in terms of charisma and presence, Tamano reigned supreme over the school.
bancho¹

“U-um…”

Mina tried to speak, but Tamano gently cut her off with a soft smile.

“You’re Ookura Mina-kun from Year 2, right? I’m delighted. That a large brea—ah, no, no, I mean, a cute girl like you would come to see me.”

“C-cute? I’m not that…”

“You are cute. I mean, I’m just the kind of guy who can’t tell a lie.”

He declared it boldly without the slightest bit of shame, lightly fixing his hair that didn’t even seem messy to begin with.

“For a cute girl like you to go out of her way to see me, I rushed out in a hurry. So sorry if my hair’s a little out of place.”

In the face of Tamano’s smooth flow of words, Mina completely missed her chance to speak up. She flailed her hands in a flustered movements, desperately trying to signal to Tamano about Lisara, who stood behind her.

“Ah, my apologies. You’re here to introduce the young lady behind you to me, aren’t you?”

Tamano exaggeratedly shifted his gaze to Lisara.

“How strange. I can’t believe I wouldn’t know a girl as beautiful as you.”

Lisara showed not even a trace of humility in response to the flattery.

“Of course you don’t, Senpai. I transferred into this school today.”

“I see. That means we’re lucky—our Momozono Academy just gained another beautiful girl.”

“I’m Kaga Lisara. A pleasure to meet you.”

Unlike Mina, Lisara brushed off the compliment with a cool【of course】attitude—no fluster, no embarrassment. Tamano let out a soft chuckle and continued speaking calmly.

“So then, what brings you to me today? If you’d like a tour of the school, I’d be more than happy to guide you. How about it?”

“That would be asking a bit much.”

Lisara replied with a wry smile as she held out her right hand. Tamano, in turn, naturally and smoothly took her hand.

Lisara held his hand in silence for several seconds. Even Tamano, usually composed, began to show signs of unease, stumbling slightly over his words.

“W-what is it?”

Lisara didn’t answer his question, instead staring fixedly at the bracelet on her wrist.

That scene didn’t sit right with Ryousuke for some reason. Maybe because the two of them—beautiful guy and beautiful girl—looked so picturesque together.

‘I definitely wouldn’t look like that in the same pose… kuuuuh.’

Several seconds passed in silence between the two. Finally, Lisara let go of his hand.

“Sorry for surprising you. I got a little nervous, that’s all.”

She smiled as she smoothly told the lie, then turned her back to Tamano.

“That’s it?”

“Yes. He’s about the same as you, Ryousuke. Just a little over ten thousand.”

“Same as me, huh? That’s actually kind of surprising.”

“More like a total letdown.”

Lisara shrugged with a bitter smile.

“Could you wait a second?”

Tamano, now flustered, stepped in front of Lisara.

“Oh, Senpai, I’m already done with what I came for.”

“Oh dear, that’s unfortunate. You really must have been nervous—imagine missing my invitation.”

“An invitation?”

Lisara tilted her head. She genuinely didn’t seem to remember.

“Ryousuke-kun, did he invite us or something?”

Even Mina had forgotten…

“He offered to show us around the school.”

“Oh, right.”

“Now that you mention it, he did say something like that.”

Both of them nodded in unison. Even so, Tamano showed no sign of being discouraged by their treatment.

“Yes, yes, exactly. I said I’d give you a tour of the school. And you know what? After school, I could even show you around town. There’s a delicious restaurant—I’ll treat you.”

Is that something a high schooler should be saying? Ryousuke’s wallet would probably scream even at the idea of a simple ramen shop.

“Of course, even if Mina-kun comes along, I won’t mind at all.”

“I’ll pass.”

Lisara cut in sharply with a single line. Hearing her words, Mina finally let out a relieved sigh.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, you know. It’s for your own good too, Lisara-kun.”

Tamano didn’t seem to sense even a shred of dislike coming from the two.

“For my own good?”

“Exactly. Being seen with that gloomy vulgar guy lowers your value, you see.”

That was something Ryousuke just couldn’t let go without a word of protest.

“Calling me gloomy is too much, don’t you think!?”

“You’re not denying the vulgar part though…”

Let’s just ignore Mina’s muttered comment.

“You understand, don’t you? Someone of worth needs a partner of equal worth.”

“Worth, huh… My worth… my worth…”

Under the gaze of all three, he paused to think for several seconds.

“Aagh! I really can’t think of anything! Damn it, even though I knew it, it still pisses me off to be told that—especially by a good-looking guy!”

“So basically, you’re just being petty.”

Lisara summarized Ryousuke’s declaration with chilling calm.

“Yeah, that’s right! It’s pettiness, envy, call it whatever you want! A guy like me who doesn’t get any attention has nothing better to do than get envious and watch ecchi DVDs!”

“Ryousuke-kun, um, y-you’re… boldly honest, and that’s kind of cool, maybe…”

Mina’s wholehearted attempt at support only made it a little sadder. Tamano, seeing Ryousuke’s state, gave a deep nod.

“See? Now do you understand? Someone like you doesn’t belong beside someone like her. In fact, no girl in this whole school even gives this guy the time of day. Sure, he acts like a busybody here and there, but let’s be honest—everyone can tell it’s just overflowing with ulterior motives.”

Saying that, he casually placed his hand on Lisara’s shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I always tell the girls: don’t be fooled by kindness that’s rooted in ulterior motives. Seriously, what a troublesome vulgar guy—can’t even tell the difference between being helpful and being a creepy nuisance.”

—SLAP!!

Lisara’s open palm landed cleanly on Tamano’s cheek.

“…!”

“Don’t touch me so casually.”

Her gaze turned ice cold, her voice just as frigid—completely different from before.

“Know your place, mediocre person.”

Lisara snapped. The students who had been watching with curiosity froze into silence. Tamano, too, stood there completely still, speechless.

“Learn your position. Someone like you thinking you’re my equal—that’s just a bad joke, isn’t it?”

With that cutting remark, she called out to Ryousuke and Mina—【Let’s go】—lifted her chin, straightened her back, and began walking briskly down the hall.

Whether it was due to her sheer presence or the ice-cold pressure in the air, the third-years instinctively parted to either side, forming a path. Ryousuke and Mina hurried after her, desperate not to be left behind. Being abandoned here was the last thing they wanted. The stares from the third-years alone would be enough to guarantee stress-induced gastritis.

“Wasn’t that a bit much just now?”

Ryousuke glanced back briefly. Tamano still had a hand to his slapped cheek and was staring at them in blank amazement. For someone who had ruled the academy, this treatment must have been a huge shock. After all, he seemed like the type who might reject others, but never got rejected himself.

“Too much? What part of that was!?”

Lisara snapped, glaring fiercely at Ryousuke.

“Hey, it’s not like I did anything! Don’t take it out on me!”

“Then who am I supposed to take it out on!?”

“Well, I mean… there’s also the option of not taking it out on anyone—”

“Nope!”

She answered him flatly, without hesitation.

“Hey, seriously. What are you so mad about? Was it really that bad having his hand around your shoulder?”

“Oh come on. Don’t you get it?”

“Get what?”

“Unbelievable. Hey Ryousuke, what exactly are you to me?”

“What do you mean? Your babysitter because you’re a selfish princess?”

“Do you wanna die?”

Goki goki—Lisara cracked her knuckles while giving him a sweet smile. Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

“Uh, I mean, I guess I’m kind of… supporting you while you’re here?”

“Good answer.”

Lisara nodded, looking satisfied.

“Ryousuke, whether you like it or not, you’re my support. And then that guy goes calling you gloomy, vulgar, trash, an idiot, hopeless, a moron—can you just sit there and take that!?”

She was definitely adding a whole new arsenal of insults…

“And seriously, Ryousuke, you’re just as bad! You’re always saying you don’t need anything in return, right? Then tell that ulterior motive–dripping bastard that to his smug face!”

“Yeah, I think so too…”

Even Mina was now staring at him accusingly.

“Uh, well… I mean, saying that right then… I don’t think he’d have believed me anyway. And it’s not really something you declare to people, is it?”

“For a pervert, you’re such a damn nice guy…”

“P-perversion and kindness aren’t really related, are they?”

“Anyway! I can’t stand it when someone insults my possessions or the people around me. Especially not from some hollow, pretty-faced jerk like that! Agh, it makes me furious!”

While walking, Lisara kicked the floor with a keri!.

“That scumbag—should’ve punched him instead of slapping him!”

She clenched her fist tightly. Beside her, Mina nodded in agreement.

“Hmmm… I don’t get it.”

Ryousuke still couldn’t quite grasp why the two of them were so worked up.

In the end, even after meeting two more students after school—a top-ranking honor student and the ace of the baseball team—they didn’t turn out to be the special individuals Lisara was looking for and thus her first day at school ended with zero results.

Incidentally, after Ryousuke’s spiritual energy finally recovered… there was no P.E. class that day.

“Damn it all…”

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A Certain Monologue Between a Single Shinigami and a Single Teacher – Part 1

~ At the Station Front Izakaya 《Shoutouryou》 ~

“Puhaaaah, draft beer hits the spot again today!”

“Wow, Malbec-san, you sure can drink!”

“Damn right, Ranbashi-sensei! A low-ranking Shinigami like me can’t get through the day without drinking. Do you have any idea how many people I’m in charge of? Huh? A hundred and twenty-one—oh wait, added another pervy brat today, so that makes a hundred and twenty-six! Goku goku goku goku… puhaaa!”

“Whoa, that’s incredible. I’m maxed out at forty!”

“I wish I had that few, seriously. But hey, what can you do? My annual contract quota is thirty. I have to make more contracts than the number of people who die and give us Life Jewels every year! My list of contracted humans just snowballs endlessly! When the hell am I supposed to take a break!? Aahhh, if only everyone would hurry up and die already.”

“You guys have quotas, huh… That’s rough.”

“Of course we do. Haaah. My folks won’t stop nagging me to come back to the Shinigami Realm. Like I have time for that. I’ve got to support humans and give school presentations!”

“But still, that’s pretty admirable. You’re working so hard for the sake of others’ happiness.”

“Huh? Don’t say something so stupid. Supporting humans is just a job. And it’s one of the highest-paid jobs in the Shinigami Realm. After all, to us, humans are basically money trees.”

“Money trees?”

“Exactly. Human spiritual energy is not just a power source in my world—it’s spirit money. In other words, currency. Just think about it—they spew out money just by existing. You bet your ass I’m going to chase contracts and support them.”

“I see. But when you say【support】… what do you actually do?”

“Come to think of it, you’re still uncontracted, huh, Sensei. Hmm… well, things like setting up arranged marriage meetings, doing a dogeza on their behalf because of unpaid debt, that kind of stuff. Oh! The worst was when someone called me sobbing, and I had to stay over for days helping them meet a manga deadline. They had the strongest spiritual power among my charges—I couldn’t refuse. When it was finally done, I’d become a hollowed-out shell of a person. Oh waiter, one more round!”

“Ah—Sensei will have motsuyaki and kokutou shochu on the rocks, please~~. Still, being a Shinigami sounds tough. From what you’re saying, it’s like you’re just a glorified handyman.”
kokutou²

“Handyman? Gopher? Errand girl? Well, yeah, being a low-level Shinigami is basically that. Aaahhh, if only I had more talent, I could’ve taken the advanced exams. Then I wouldn’t have to suffer through this human realm, and I could snag a good guy and live a rosy life.”

“Huh? But Malbec-san, you seem like you’d be popular—don’t you have anyone?”

“Of course not! With this job, when the hell am I supposed to find a man!? Haaah, I’m getting too old, and I’ve stopped getting invited to mixers…”

“Ugh… I want someone too, Sensei…”

“Haaahhhhh~~”

The sighs of these single women faded into the noise of the finally lively izakaya…

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