"Could it be a weird incident?"
Rikka, who had been unable to contain herself for a long time, immediately jumped out and said something.
Even Sanae looked over expectantly.
Although they wouldn't actively seek out danger or strange things because of Ryuji's reminder, the girls were still curious about strange events deep down.
"Rikka! You guys..."
Yukino was a little helpless. It wasn't easy to encounter such occurrences.
She was just about to say they shouldn't be so childish at a time like this.
But then—
"How did you know?"
Yumiko and the others looked at Rikka in surprise.
Could it be that she had already figured it out?
Was there hope?
"???"
At this moment, not only was Yukino surprised, but even Rikka herself was taken aback.
Had she really guessed that accurately?
Yukino's expectations rose for a moment but quickly subsided.
She had hoped her service club might finally make a difference, but she didn't expect it to be a supernatural incident. This kind of thing wasn't something she could handle!
"Sorry, I can't deal with this!"
Yukino didn't mention that Ryuji could handle it either.
After all, she didn't know exactly what kind of weird encounter the three girls had experienced. If she said something recklessly, it might cause unnecessary trouble for Ryuji.
Clearly, compared to everything else, Ryuji held a more important place in Yukino's heart.
"..."
Yumiko looked at Yukino but said nothing.
If the circumstances were different, she would have wanted to say something.
Maybe they just weren't meant to get along.
Anyway, Yumiko felt that she and Yukino didn't quite see eye to eye.
She looked over at Yui. After all, Yui was the first person she turned to, so it made sense that Yui would be the one to explain things.
"Um, that..."
Understanding Yumiko's gaze, Yui didn't refuse.
She just looked in Ryuji's direction, her heart uneasy and a little confused.
"Ryuji... classmate Ryuji!"
"I wonder if you could help us out?"
As soon as these words left her mouth, even Miko and the others glanced at the girl with the bun and fashionable look.
Although she had the appearance of a trendy girl, she was surprisingly innocent and introverted.
Being stared at by so many eyes, Yui lowered her head shyly.
"How did you know?" Miko asked curiously.
Her boyfriend really could handle supernatural problems, but how did this girl know?
If she really knew Ryuji, she wouldn't be acting so nervous right now.
"Well, actually..."
After hesitating for a bit, Yui explained.
"During class one day, I accidentally saw Ryuji twisting a pen and making it disappear in his hand."
"So, I thought Ryuji might have some kind of superpowers, and that's why we're here."
"So that's it!"
Miko nodded in understanding.
As for Ryuji, the person in question, his expression remained calm the entire time.
It was as if he had already predicted that Yui and the others would come to him for help.
"Then,"
With one hand supporting his chin, Ryuji looked thoughtfully at the three girls in front of him.
"Let me see your palms."
He raised his hand, signaling the girls to come closer.
"Palm reading?"
"I need to check if you've truly encountered something strange."
Miko, who was standing by, wasn't surprised. She had seen Ryuji check the palms of Utaha and Eriri before.
"I'll go first!"
Yumiko stepped forward, knowing Yui and Hina were a bit more timid.
She placed her hand in Ryuji's.
To be honest, the moment he held her hand, Yumiko's face flushed red.
Although she had once had a slight crush on Hayato, they were only ever friends. They had never gone on a date, much less held hands.
This... was her first time.
Yumiko couldn't help but glance at Ryuji. She hadn't paid much attention to him before, but now that she looked closely, he was as handsome as Hayato, maybe even more.
And he had such incredible abilities, too.
"Successfully contacted the target: Miura Yumiko! The purple entry has been triggered. Do you want to load it?"
A purple entry? Not bad.
Snapping back to reality, Ryuji noticed Yumiko staring at him and smiled slightly.
"What, never seen a handsome guy before?"
"N-no!"
Yumiko snapped out of it, quickly pulling her hand back, her face bright red.
So embarrassing! She had just been staring at him. How humiliating!
"It's your turn."
Ryuji didn't tease her any further and looked over at Yui and Hina.
"Alright!"
With Yumiko taking the lead, Yui and Hina felt a bit bolder and approached him.
"Successfully contacted the target: Yuigahama Yui! A golden entry has been triggered. Do you want to load it?"
Oh! A golden entry?
Not bad!
But to his surprise, no entry was triggered for Hina.
Nothing? Or just bad luck?
Ryuji didn't dwell on it. It wasn't a big deal.
After reading their palms, he spoke seriously.
"There is indeed a strange aura around you. So, have you touched anything unusual?"
Hearing Ryuji's words, the three girls felt oddly relieved.
At least Ryuji could actually see it.
But as for touching something special, the girls looked puzzled.
"Well, just to remind you, it could be a disc with a colorful cover."
Since it had to do with the Skeleton Woman, it must have been her token that carried her aura.
"No way!"
Yumiko immediately shook her head.
How could she have touched something like that? Though she acted carefree, she was actually quite conservative. She didn't want to be misunderstood as some kind of nympho.
"Uh..."
Yui and Hina exchanged glances and then suddenly remembered something.
"Yumiko, I think we actually did encounter something like that!"
"???"
"Don't you remember? That time..."
Before Yumiko could even respond, Yui added another comment.
Wait, was it true? Had she really forgotten?
Yumiko began to think carefully. Recently, due to constant nightmares and exhaustion, she hadn't been able to focus on much else. She had subconsciously forgotten many things.
But now, hearing this, it slowly came back to her.
"I remember now!"
That time, when they went to Tobe's house and didn't find him, they did come across a disc.
Though it had been lost, they did touch it back then.
"So it's true?"
Yumiko looked at Ryuji, uncertain.
"As you guessed, that disc is the source of your trouble. Anyone who touched it would naturally be marked by something strange."
"This!"
Yumiko found it hard to believe but was more overcome with guilt.
She couldn't help but glance at Yui and Hina.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault!"
If it weren't for her persistence, Yui and Hina wouldn't have encountered this problem.
Ultimately, it was her fault.
"It's okay!"
Seeing Yumiko like this, Yui and Hina exchanged smiles.
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"Yes!"
Yumiko nodded, feeling moved by their words.
Then she turned to Ryuji with a determined gaze.
"Please help us. If it's too much trouble, just help Yui and Hina first. Please!"
She bowed deeply in apology.
It was rare to see the usually confident Yumiko bowing her head like this.
"This isn't how you should be rewarding me!"
"???"
Yumiko blinked in confusion. Reward? What did he mean?
Then, when she looked up, she realized where Ryuji's gaze was focused.
Flustered, Yumiko quickly crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning bright red.
"You!"
His gaze was hard to describe, but surprisingly, Yumiko didn't feel offended. That made things a bit more interesting to Ryuji, who just smiled.
"Ahem!"
Clearing his throat, he spoke more seriously.
"Don't worry. The strange aura around you isn't anything major. Of course, I still need to be compensated for removing it! I wouldn't mind being paid in this way, though."
He shot a teasing glance at Yumiko.
"No way!"
She quickly turned around, embarrassed. While she didn't dislike Ryuji, she certainly wasn't that kind of woman.
"Haha, just kidding. Cash is fine!"
Ryuji laughed and waved it off.
No one else in the service club seemed to think much of it.
Only Yukino looked at Ryuji suspiciously.
"Alright"
After saying that, Yumiko looked back at Ryuji.
"Let's exchange contact info. I don't have the money with me right now, but I'll definitely pay you later!" Even though her family was well-off, it wasn't like she could just withdraw large sums on a whim. It would take some time.
"Alright!"
Ryuji didn't mind and took out his phone, exchanging contact information with her.
Miko smiled gently as she stood by, and Hana, in her usual fashion, seemed a bit oblivious to the situation. Meanwhile, Rikka and Sanae, both stuck in their chuunibyou ways, didn't think much of it either.
Only Yukino seemed a little suspicious.
Could it be that this girl was just using this as an excuse to get Ryuji's contact info? She couldn't help but mutter to herself internally.
Perhaps sensing Yukino's gaze, Yumiko became a little flustered. After adding his contact, she quickly pocketed her phone.
"Don't worry! I'll definitely pay you back!"
Ryuji didn't doubt her sincerity.
"In that case, let's begin solving your strange problems."
Hearing that, Yumiko, Yui, and Hina all felt a slight sense of panic.
After all, dealing with the unknown always stirs fear deep within people.
"So, what do we need to do?"
"Nothing much. Just stand there."
Ryuji simply waved his hand, indicating that the girls didn't need to do anything except remain where they were.