The Lady In The Street

A red-haired boy ambled through the labyrinthine halls, desperately trying to locate the elusive library. He found himself navigating the vast school maze in his befuddled state after karate-chopping his own nether regions.

His mind was still wrestling with the paradoxical forces of Yuri's assertiveness, even surpassing that of Hanako! It was an enigma – how could one human being wield such power over two friends?

Shuuta was astounded, for he now understood the depth of Yuri's devotion. Her words echoed in his mind, "I'll gladly give him my soul, my body, and mana..." Shuuta found himself parroting her exact words in a bewildered stupor.

Facepalming, he muttered, "What am I going to do?" His mind was a whirlwind of promises he'd made to the intimidating ghost, clashing with the growing signs of affection from his childhood friend.

"Let's not forget about the chunni..."

The word "Master" reverberated with a tender voice.

"And Kurumi..."

Mikazuki's image intruded for no apparent reason, leaving Shuuta perplexed.

What was this? A harem in the making?! The thought of such a predicament was too overwhelming. Shuuta was convinced he lacked the fortitude to manage such a complicated web of relationships.

So, he kept pondering, lost in his own thoughts. However, Shuuta's primary mission was still to locate the library, which turned out to be an arduous task given the school's colossal size.

"Excuse me, do you know where the library is?" Shuuta approached a random student passing by, his voice courteous.

To his surprise, he was blatantly ignored.

"Umm...Excuse me! Do you know whe-"

"Eep! A Mystic..." A girl gasped and abruptly fled from Shuuta, leaving him flabbergasted.

Shuuta's eyes turned teary. "So that's how it is?"

"I'm not that scary, I swear...Well, I did bring catastrophe and destruction to Izumi...but still, I did it to save a life."

He wandered aimlessly through the labyrinthine hallways for about twenty minutes, searching for the elusive library. It wasn't until Mr. Keishi stumbled upon him, his face reflecting Shuuta's own forlorn expression.

"The Library? Why, yes. It's on the second floor, right next to a club, I forget the name of the club...Home of Layla?"

'I think he means House of Maya...why is it that close to Kakoyo's club?!'

"T-thanks...I appreciate it Keishi-san."

Keishi turned away and remained frozen for a minute. "Good luck with your future missions, Shuuta. I may not be your Squad leader, but I can help you with anything." He then departed.

"S-squad leader? Wait, huh?"

"...Was he a Mystic all along?" Shuuta pondered, rubbing his chin.

The red-haired lad finally stumbled upon the library, his eyes alighting with triumph. "Finally. I will remember where it is."

Shuuta entered the library and glanced around, only to find that every desk was occupied by students he didn't recognize. They were all diligently studying, except for one table where a young man was being bullied by three girls. Shuuta decided to ignore the commotion.

He then spotted a girl seated at the main desk, engrossed in reading a bible-like book with a black cover adorned with red lettering. From a distance, it had a sinister appearance, but the title made Shuuta chuckle.

"Dating tips 101: Adult version," Shuuta murmured under his breath, his eyes wrinkling in amusement as he glanced at the book.

"Umm…excuse me? Is there any available spot around here?"

The girl, who sported twin tails and round glasses, abruptly slammed her book shut, startling Shuuta and the students nearby.

"Y-yes? I'm sorry; I was so fixated on my book…heh heh."

Shuuta couldn't help but notice her hand slowly inching towards the book's title.

Shuuta grinned slightly. "Oh! I love reading a lot! What book are you reading?"

The girl averted her eyes and turned slightly red, seeming to sweat nervously. 'It's not that I like books... I'm very desperate here...'

"A-and why would you care? It's not like you're interested in me!"

Shuuta furrowed his brow. 'Oh no. A tsundere…' he thought. Tsunderes were notoriously challenging to converse with, and he wondered how he should respond.

"Dating tips 101... and an adult version to make it better."

"You saw the title!?" The girl blushed intensely.

"Yup! I find those books very interesting, but trying the tips is the hardest thing ever. So I gave up. I wish the best of luck with your hunt."

Shuuta was prepared to leave the library, but then...

"Wait! Please don't tell anyone about the book! I beg you…"

"Who can I tell? Do you have any friends?"

"…"

"See? Don't worry about it. Even if you had friends, I wouldn't have told anyone. Your secret is safe with me." Shuuta winked at her and glanced behind him to see the library. "Yup. It's full alright."

Just as Shuuta turned to leave, his long sleeve was tugged, abruptly halting his movements. "Huh?"

"What's your name? I-I-I think you might have some good recommendations from the author…"

Shuuta smiled and responded gleefully. "I'm Shuuta, Katashi Shuuta. And you are?"

"Ichijou Sayomi…"

"…!" Shuuta's eyes widened. 'Sayomi? I think I've heard of her…no clue but…' Shuuta scrutinized her thoroughly and was shocked to discover that she was beyond cute! Her entire presence radiated a pinkish aura of cuteness that was almost terrifying.

"It's a pleasure, Sayomi-chan. Well, I'll leave for now…I don't want to bother your reading time." Shuuta played it cool and made his exit, fearing that if he stayed, his manly instincts might kick in and potentially derail the conversation.

"Sayomi-chan…I never gave you permission to call me that! Shuuta…does he not know who I am?" After a moment of silence, she formulated a hypothesis that brought a gleeful smile to her face.

"I should keep it that way…I prefer him not knowing who I am." A solitary cloud appeared overhead, shedding a few raindrops. "I'm not sad!" she proclaimed, puffing her cheeks and waving her arms as the rain cloud dissipated.

The library was brimming with students, all engrossed in their studies as exams loomed on the horizon. Shuuta decided to find solace in a special place known only to him—an abandoned park.

In his childhood, the park had been bustling with life, filled with parents and their children. Young Shuuta used to play there, desperately seeking friendship and connection.

It was at this very park that he first encountered Yuri, who had soundly defeated him in a footrace, leaving him in her dust. Her fierce competitiveness had instantly captured Shuuta's attention.

…

"Haaa…haaa…yeesh. How are you so fast?! I always eat my veggies!"

The pigtailed girl wore a smug grin on her round face. "Hehehe I'm just better, that's all."

"What?! I call a rematch! I won't lose this time!"

"Are you sure? You look tired"

"Yeah! I won't lose this time!"

…

Shuuta couldn't help but smile as he reminisced about those memories. "I can't believe I barfed after losing a second time. I sure was weak."

On his way to the park, Shuuta suddenly halted, his senses detecting a peculiar odor. He followed the scent to a corridor near the same park he had just fondly remembered.

"Huh? W-why is there blood?" Shuuta's guard shot up as he sensed an ominous presence. He could feel mana in the air but reluctantly followed a trail of blood.

Quickly arriving at the scene of what appeared to be a lifeless woman, Shuuta shook her gently to ascertain if she was still alive.

"A woman? And what's with the cosplay?" Shuuta marveled at her attire—a blue kimono with unique sandals that made distinct slap noises. Her hair was tied behind her back, and she had a sharp, distinct facial structure.

"Did this cosplayer get assaulted? Excuse me! Are you alive?" Shuuta grabbed her hand and applied pressure to her pressure point.

'There's a flow... but what happened to her?' The boy glanced behind and in front of him, finding no one and no trace.

"I can't just leave you here…I'm taking you somewhere safe…Hanako! You useless bipolar ghoul! Make yourself useful!"

"What did you say, Shuuta?! I'm going to haunt you in your sleep!"

"There you are. Can you give me a hand? I found this half-dead woman, and I'm taking her to the hospital. Can you help me lift her up so I can princess carry her?"

Hanako eyed the woman and her gaze turned grave; she instinctively pulled Shuuta away. "Get away from her! S-she…she's from another realm."

Silence. After a prolonged second passed, Shuuta maintained his perplexed expression.

"Huh? Another realm?"

"She's from the realm of Mystics—the city of Hiroyama, where all Mystics reside. When the gods struck Earth, that city was built by our ancestors to protect themselves from deity-level threats. A different dimension was formed and founded by merging create magic with earth magic. It was truly a game-changer to have a place this safe…to protect from gods and demons."

"Mhm? So she's from that city? How did she end up here?"

"I don't know. But, what I do know is that Hiroyama folks are very dangerous people. They are the most greedy, self-centered, and corrupted individuals who live...or at least, most of them are."

"Then what should I do? You think Noara can help?"

"Perhaps? She isn't from Hiroyama, so I really don't know."

"This situation is getting more complicated. School is closed, Noara is probably busy, and I don't think Hikaru is going to help since he's also busy."

Hanako crossed her arms, appearing stressed. "I give you permission to bring her back home."

"Permission? You..."

Both Hanako and Shuuta carried the woman back to his house.

…

It was late at night, and Shuuta sat in a chair, studying the woman on his bed. She was hyperventilating, and her body contorted.

"She…she is not good."

"Not good?! Of course, idiot! These symptoms are Mystical; they come from Hiroyama."

"What are her symptoms then?"

"No clue."

"Then how'd you know that it comes from Hiroyama?!"

"Because I don't know those symptoms! They're new to me!"

"Err…what do we do?!"

Hanako hatched a plan, a crazy and perilous one.

"This might be risky, but given how fast she's deteriorating, we don't have much choice."

"What's your plan?"

"I won't be doing anything. You will. All you need to do is absorb her mana completely and hope for the best."

"Are you insane? I could easily kill her!"

"But she's already dying. Take a look."

A gut-wrenching wail filled the room as the lady convulsed in agony, her body jerking uncontrollably.

"Do it now, or else!"

Reluctantly, Shuuta furrowed his brow, closed his eyes, and hoped for the best. "Please, don't let her die."

Shuuta began absorbing her mana until her screams and convulsions ceased.

"Is she...dead?"

"I don't know...check her pulse."

Shuuta felt for a pulse on her neck, confirming that she was still alive.

"At least she's alive."

"This is quite the mess we've gotten ourselves into."

Shuuta covered her with blankets, his fingers grazing her forehead, still burning with fever.

"She still has a fever. I'll stay up. You can rest." Shuuta pulled out his phone and sent a message to Noara.

"Are you sure? I can keep you company through the night."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I took care of myself as a kid... my useless aunt never helped when I had a fever." Shuuta's words had a touch of humor, but the reality was far from funny. Even Hanako recognized that Shuuta wouldn't joke about his past or family.

"How terrible..." Hanako cast a sympathetic glance at the lad who smiled awkwardly.

"At least I know how to handle fevers." He offered reassurance to the cute ghost.

Shuuta settled into a chair he had placed beside the lady, crossing his legs.

Her breathing gradually steadied, her expression softening.

"Get some rest, Hanako. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." As Shuuta finished speaking, Hanako had already fallen into a deep slumber.

"Classic Hanako. Good night." Shuuta's lips curled into a small smile.

The rest of the night passed quietly, like a serene snowfall. Shuuta sat gazing out the window, his thoughts drifting toward the uncertain challenges of the coming day.