Many, many choices...

Every morning marked a fresh chapter in the peculiar life of Shuuta. Navigating the stickiness of Hanako, dealing with Yuri's unrelenting neediness, and bracing himself for Noara's unique brand of torment were all part of his daily routine. It was like being a character in an anime, surrounded by outlandish girls, and Shuuta couldn't help but wonder if it was all part of a grand, divine comedy.

The only missing piece in this mad jigsaw puzzle was Kurumi, the enigmatic murder shorty. Shuuta couldn't shake the feeling of concern that crept up on him like a mischievous cat.

"I haven't checked on her... I hope she's alright," he pondered as he stared out the classroom window, where birds danced through the sky.

The relentless sun cast its fiery gaze upon the school grounds, and in the midst of this blazing inferno, Shuuta's mind took an unexpected detour, conjuring up a delightful daydream. In it, Hanako donned a bikini, playfully splashing water in his direction.

However, just as Shuuta's mind ventured into this saucy territory, an old friend, Kazuma, caught him in the act. A sly grin crept across Kazuma's face, triggering a trip down memory lane.

"Pervert stays a pervert..." Kazuma mused, reminiscing about their middle school days, which were filled with a menagerie of rather questionable escapades.

Back in the good ol' days, Shuuta's boundless curiosity often led him down forbidden paths, including secret missions into the girls' bathroom for some rather unsavory recon missions.

Unable to resist a chuckle, Shuuta's laughter echoed through the halls, a testament to his mischievous exploits. All the while, Kazuma, in the know about Shuuta's secret hobby, chose to turn a blind eye.

"You're holding it in for too long, buddy; you might explode one day," Kazuma taunted with a devilish grin, his voice dripping with amusement.

The school day eventually drew to a close, and it was time for lunch. Despite the bizarre revelations regarding Kurumi and her peculiar curse, Shuuta's relentless curiosity got the better of him. His feet led him to the infirmary, a battleground of inexplicable events.

"That curse... it's dumb," Shuuta muttered, recalling Noara's characteristically blunt explanation. But even for this weird world, it seemed too surreal to be true.

"It's an arousal curse. She has to... you know... fulfill her desires," Noara had explained, her tone unapologetic.

"Specifics? Can you spell it out for me?" Shuuta prodded, eager for a more detailed explanation, though perhaps not entirely prepared for it.

"Idiot... it's not easy to say."

"Just spill the beans!"

"She has to touch herself regularly. If she doesn't, she'll die," Noara revealed, her matter-of-fact tone bordering on absurdity.

Shuuta's face took on a sullen, almost tragic expression. Did Noara really just suggest that without some self-indulgence, Kurumi would meet her untimely end? It was almost too absurd to wrap his head around.

"You're joking, right?" Shuuta inquired, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, searching for a hint of jest in Noara's expression.

"Of course not!" Noara's firm confirmation left Shuuta in a state of disbelief, making him instinctively take a few steps back. The revelation was nothing short of unnerving.

"It wasn't a joke..." Shuuta muttered, his shock palpable.

"Dummy, she won't devour you. Just mess with you," Noara said, offering a laugh that did little to alleviate Shuuta's concerns.

"Hey! Don't even say that!" Shuuta scolded, though it was hard to maintain a stern façade in the face of such a bizarre revelation.

"Anyway, I can't exactly banish the curse... but I do know someone who can at least weaken it," Noara hinted at a potential solution, planting the seed of hope amidst the bewilderment.

...

Shuuta made his way to the infirmary, where he found Kurumi engaged in conversation with a friend. Relief washed over him as he observed her seemingly good health.

"Oh?" Shuuta greeted her with an unexpectedly bright smile, the worry that had clung to him all day now vanishing.

"S-Shuuta?" Kurumi was taken aback, her cheeks turning a vivid shade of pink. Her reaction wasn't lost on Shuuta, who, in turn, couldn't help but feel his own face flush with embarrassment.

"I'm just here to check on you... if you don't mind," he stammered, his voice marked by a touch of anxiety, unsure of how to navigate this unexpected encounter.

Seeing the opportunity to play matchmaker, Kurumi's friend swiftly made her exit, leaving the two alone.

"I'll leave you guys alone," she chirped with a mischievous glint in her eyes. The door clicked shut, and an undeniable tension began to build within the room.

Sitting on the bed beside her, Shuuta couldn't help but feel a tad anxious. The weight of unspoken words hung in the air, his mind racing to find the right words.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he began, his voice laced with sincerity as he turned to face Kurumi.

"But I'm glad that you're alright." Shuuta offered a reassuring thumbs-up, his attempt to lighten the mood a bit strained.

Suddenly, Kurumi's chest began to throb, her face turning an alarming shade of crimson. She squirmed in her seat, her legs fidgeting as if she had an itch only she could scratch.

Shuuta couldn't help but notice Kurumi's discomfort, and he began to sweat bullets. "Is-is something wrong?" He stammered, his eyes wide with concern, even though he already had a hunch about the issue.

'Please let Noara be wrong...'

But Kurumi hesitated, her mind retracing the conversation with Noara from earlier.

...

"Wh-who else knows about this curse?"

"Just me," she began.

"I'm glad," Kurumi sighed in relief.

"And Shuuta."

"Eh?! Shuuta knows? What about onii-chan?" She clarified, her emotions shifting through a rollercoaster of expressions. 'Why is this happening to me?'

Noara, with a wicked glint in her eye, chimed in with a teasing tone. "Well, look on the bright side; you can always tell Shuuta to help you... you know."

Kurumi's face turned a deeper shade of crimson as her mind conjured up some rather inappropriate mental images. "STOP! Why am I thinking stuff like this?" She buried her face in her hands, clutching her pillow tightly.

"Oh, erotic images? That's part of the curse! In fact, the last person you saw after you got cursed is the one you'll be thinking of... erotic images of him," Noara cackled, clearly relishing Kurumi's embarrassment.

"No... I'm fine," Kurumi insisted, though her flushed face suggested otherwise.

"Are you sure? You seem sick." Shuuta placed a rough hand on Kurumi's forehead, only to recoil in shock. "Hot!" he exclaimed, his eyes filled with worry.

"Mmmm... still, since that incident, your attitude changed. In a good way! You're showing more emotions now. I'm glad," Shuuta admitted, his tone sincere. Kurumi couldn't help but wonder if he liked this new version of her.

"Shuuta-Kun, I'm sorry..." She began to express her feelings, but the words were cut short. Shuuta furrowed his brow, waiting for her to continue.

"You don't have to apologize; it was my fault for dropping my guard. So don't sweat it..." Shuuta responded, a playful glint in his eye, as if trying to lighten the mood.

"But that's not what I meant," Kurumi murmured, her gaze shifting downward before locking onto Shuuta's eyes with a hint of mischief.

"Then why are you apologizing?" Shuuta leaned in a bit closer, the atmosphere charged with unexpected tension.

A momentary pause hung between them, Kurumi's cheeks flushing a deeper shade as she playfully bit her lower lip. "N-never mind..." Her mind began to wander into more sensual territory, and she mentally chastised herself, 'Stop it, you silly mind!'

Shuuta was left thoroughly bewildered by the sudden shift in the conversation. Little did he know, the romantic undercurrents were gaining momentum.

"Well, I'm glad you're fine," Shuuta said with a warm smile as he stood up, intending to leave. The lingering unspoken words between them thickened the air.

"You're leaving already?" Kurumi pouted, her eyes shimmering with a hidden longing.

Shuuta hesitated for a moment before delivering a line that would change everything. "Well, I haven't eaten yet, and there's almost no time... you know. Would you like to grab a bite together?" The invitation hung in the air like a promise of something more.

Kurumi's heart skipped a beat, and she held a dark expression for a fleeting moment, berating herself internally for her instinctive response. 'I...reflexively declined. I'm sorry, Shuuta!' But the spark between them couldn't be denied.

Shuuta was taken aback by her response, sensing there was something more beneath her initial reaction. 'Didn't she want me to stay? Girls are so confusing...' Yet, he couldn't have predicted what would come next.

"Well, what a pity... anyway, see you around, Kurumi-chan," Shuuta said with a subtle smile, masking his true feelings.

Kurumi clutched her pillow, feeling a deep sense of regret. Her face was even redder than before as she whispered, "I never told him to call me by my name like that..." She had unwittingly revealed a secret desire.

As Shuuta made his way back to class, he couldn't help but feel defeated, but something had shifted in the dynamics between him and Kurumi. Unbeknownst to him, he had taken the first step toward something unexpected.

"Fufufu~ you got rejected!" Hanako's voice chimed in with a teasing tone, breaking the spell between Shuuta and Kurumi.

"Shut up, bipolar b--" Shuuta began, but Hanako's infectious laughter stopped him from uttering the insult.

Shuuta clenched his fists, the weight of his guilt and the unresolved tension between him and Kurumi pulling him down. He couldn't help but replay the image of Kurumi getting cursed in his mind. If only he had killed the demon when he had the chance...

"Damn it," Shuuta muttered, the shadow of the unresolved situation hanging over him.

Hanako, however, had different plans. She smirked with an air of mischief and leaned in closer, her words dripping with innuendo. "Oh? Are you troubled? Did it really bug you, being rejected?" The teasing was impossible to ignore.

Shuuta had a moment of self-reflection and admitted, "It's not that. I feel guilty. Kurumi was struck with a curse... because I didn't kill that demon. I'm useless." The vulnerability in his voice tugged at Hanako's heart.

Hanako's smile turned warmer as she remembered their earlier battle, his bravery facing a B-ranked demon with lust powers. She saw a glimpse of his incredible potential. Her words oozed with encouragement. "Are you an idiot? Did that demonized loli hit your head that hard? You... you were incredible. That was your first time vanquishing a demon, and it was incredible... and scary. You got wounded many times, and that... scared me, but you never backed down! You have amazing potential, Shuuta-Kun."

"B-but... I wasn't able to vanquish her. Hikaru did," Shuuta pointed out.

Hanako warmly smiled at Shuuta, her eyes locking onto his with an electrifying gaze. "Then there's always another time... Right?"

Shuuta's emotions swelled, and his chest throbbed. He realized that the unresolved tension between him and Kurumi was just the tip of the iceberg. "Y-yeah," he agreed with newfound determination. The chemistry between him and Hanako had become undeniable.

It was a lovely scene, two people on the brink of something exciting, bathed in the gentle sunlight. Shuuta leaned in closer, and Hanako's breath hitched, but a sudden interruption changed everything.

"Uhh... Shuuta? What are you doing?" Hikaru's voice sliced through the tension like a ninja through soft tofu, snapping Shuuta and Hanako back to reality.

Shuuta's face turned a shade of crimson that could rival a perfectly ripe tomato as he hastily disengaged from Hanako, attempting to brush off his awkwardness like he'd brushed off imaginary dirt.

Hikaru, with a raised eyebrow and a look of bewildered amusement, cut right to the chase. "So, if I understand correctly, you were just caught in a ghostly embrace?"

Shuuta meekly nodded, hoping the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

Hikaru, maintaining his seriousness despite the bizarre circumstances, shifted gears. "Alright, never mind the supernatural cuddles. I've got a favor to ask, and it might be a matter of life and death."

Shuuta's confusion deepened. "What's going on?"

Hikaru sighed. "The principal has decided that you need to assist her with whatever she's dealing with. Noara, for some cryptic reason, won't spill the beans about the curse."

Shuuta's spine tingled, and he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that this curse might have something to do with him. "Sure, Hikaru, I'm in. Let's unravel this mystery together."

Hikaru nodded and suggested, "But first, let's grab lunch before it disappears into the great beyond."

Shuuta, feeling guilty and apologetic, suddenly bowed to Hikaru as if he'd been struck by a guilt meteor. "I'm really sorry for not protecting Kurumi! I swear, next time, I won't let her down."

Hikaru was left utterly flabbergasted by Shuuta's newfound determination. He'd never expected this kind of guilt and determination from him. In Hikaru's book, as Kurumi's brother, he should've been the guardian, not Shuuta.

"You stole my lines. Well, then, we'll get stronger together to protect the ones we care about, right?" Hikaru smiled and offered a fist bump.

Shuuta returned the bump, sealing their promise. But before their bro-moment could linger any longer...

As they strolled towards the cafeteria, an unexpected interruption crashed the party. A girl with bright orange braided hair charged toward Shuuta, tackling him to the ground.

"SHUUTA! There you are!" she exclaimed, her face flushing with embarrassment. "You left me stranded outside your house in my birthday suit! What's the deal with that?! Actually... what happened? I got dragged by something."

Shuuta's eyes widened as he tried to remember the incident. Slowly turning his gaze away from her, he chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry... I kind of blanked out."

"Sorry? Just sorry? That's not even close to cutting it! Do you have any idea what I went through? I had to use a newspaper as a makeshift outfit! People were staring at me, thinking I was a homeless girl!"

"I'm so sorry! I really am!" Shuuta apologized earnestly, though he couldn't help but laugh inside.

"Can you get off me, please..." Shuuta finally managed to request.

Yuri blushed even harder and jumped off Shuuta, who hastily got back on his feet.

Hikaru stood there, bemused and confused, as he tried to process the bizarre scene. Could it be that... Nah, that couldn't possibly be it, right?

Shuuta, still flustered, was bending over backward to apologize, while Yuri glared at him with a vexed expression. Many passing students shot daggers at Shuuta with their eyes.

Shuuta's head was bouncing like a hyperactive Jack-in-the-Box as he offered a profuse apology. But something was amiss – her eyes were gleaming with an otherworldly intensity, and her aura practically screamed, "I'm one step away from a murderous rampage."

"Take responsibility, you blockhead!" Yuri bellowed at the top of her lungs, causing Hikaru's eyes to nearly pop out of his head, and Shuuta's heart to attempt a daring escape.

"W-what?! Keep it down!"Shuuta felt like his world had turned upside down.

"What on earth is happening here?" Hikaru muttered to himself, still trying to make sense of it all.

"Kukukuku~" Hanako couldn't resist laughing at the whole situation. She was having a blast, teasing Shuuta and pulling off flips in the air. It seemed like she'd lost control of her ghostly acrobatics.

Shuuta was feeling the pressure of the awkward moment. He cleared his throat, sounding like a rusty door hinge.

"So, uh... What can I do for you?" he managed to ask, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

Yuri, still flustered, stumbled over her words as if they were a pile of pick-up sticks. "I-Ummm... I never thought I'd make it this far..."

In a heartbeat, Shuuta's heart went into overdrive, faster than a caffeine-addicted squirrel. His nose betrayed him, turning into a crimson waterfall, thanks to a peculiar blend of embarrassment and desire. He tried to play it cool, but inside, he was all shaken up, with his thoughts zigzagging in ridiculous directions. 'She's just too cute... Was Yuri always this cute? She used to beat me up as kids, which is why I joined a karate class!'

Yuri, seemingly unperturbed by Shuuta's unexpected nasal eruption, inched closer to him, her fingers lightly curling around his hand. Their eyes locked, the atmosphere as electric as a faulty toaster. Both of them were blushing like a tomato on steroids.

Hikaru watched the escalating spectacle with a mix of discomfort and amusement, feeling like an audience member in a wacky rom-com. Hanako's frustration bubbled up, and her spectral form pulsed with annoyance, trying to add her own brand of humor to the mix.

"I-I'm sorry..." Yuri stammered, her voice quivering like a leaf in a breeze.

Shuuta, his emotions in a tumultuous uproar, decided to roll with it. He flashed a teasing grin that could rival the cheekiest anime character. "No worries, it's refreshing to see this side of you."

"I didn't mean to!!" Yuri insisted, her embarrassment now at DEFCON 5 levels.

Shuuta leaned in a bit closer, his voice a playful purr, "I actually kinda like it...."

The romantic tension in the air was thicker than a dictionary-sized pancake. Hikaru, feeling more like a third wheel than a unicycle at a bicycle convention, opted to give them some much-needed privacy. He waved goodbye, his expression a cacophony of awkwardness, as he shuffled off to the cafeteria.

Shuuta, still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions, eventually excused himself, feeling a tad embarrassed about the whole situation. He was in dire need of some solitary time to process this unexpected and utterly surreal twist of events.

As he made his exit, Yuri leaned in and whispered, "Meet me at the school's entrance for our date, Shuuta." Her words hung in the air, promising an adventure filled with excitement and, quite possibly, more outlandish surprises.