"In a dream?"
Was that even possible?
Masumi herself was taken aback.
But after hearing this, she thought of something and said with surprise, "I have felt like I was dreaming lately, but they were all pleasant dreams!"
Besides, she'd had dreams before, and since they were pleasant,
Masumi never thought much of it.
"It's precisely because they're pleasant dreams that it's harder to wake up!"
It was more surprising that she had experienced beautiful dreams for several consecutive days.
"Oh!"
Masumi hadn't realized that.
So there were so many hidden layers to this!
"Is there a way to solve this?"
"Come here."
Ryuji didn't waste any words, simply motioning for Masumi to come over.
"Huh?"
After glancing at Arisu beside her, Masumi nodded obediently and stepped in front of Ryuji.
"You—" She was about to ask what he was going to do when suddenly, Ryuji raised a hand and touched her forehead.
Before Masumi could react,
Ryuji pulled out the form of a cursed spirit from her body.
From its strength, it was only around a level two or three, nothing particularly powerful.
The only unique aspect was its method of possession.
"Ahhh!"
The cursed spirit, initially confused as it was extracted, immediately let out a piercing scream.
But the scream didn't last long.
"Dissipate."
Ryuji activated his cursed speech, and the cursed spirit's form vanished in less than a breath, completely obliterated.
With Ryuji's current power, such a cursed spirit didn't even warrant using his more advanced abilities.
It simply disintegrated with a single command.
"This…"
The girls in the service club didn't find this scene strange at all.
They were well aware of Ryuji's capabilities. But even though Arisu had prepared herself mentally, she was still left speechless.
She expected Ryuji to succeed, but not so effortlessly. She thought it would at least take some time.
What just happened?
It was resolved with just a word, showcasing just how formidable Ryuji truly was.
No wonder her father had insisted on seeking him out.
Arisu's interest in Ryuji grew even more at that moment.
"Is… is it over?"
As the one directly affected, Masumi was at a loss for words. When she saw such a terrifying entity pulled out from her body,
Her entire body shivered with fear.
Who wouldn't be scared knowing a monstrous being had been living inside them?
But she never expected that Ryuji would resolve it so easily.
She looked at Ryuji, disbelief in her eyes.
"What else?"
Ryuji shrugged, seeming unfazed by the amazement.
"Now that your problem is fixed, it's time to leave."
Even if she was beautiful or had a significant role, Ryuji wasn't particularly interested in girls who only sought him out with clear motives.
After all, what's special about being a main character in some story? He was surrounded by plenty of those.
"Uh!"
Masumi was momentarily speechless.
It wasn't that she was being arrogant.
Masumi knew well enough that she was considered attractive.
There were plenty of boys who had shown interest in her.
Even those who weren't interested still treated her with courtesy.
This kind of casual dismissal was a first for Masumi.
"It seems Mr. Ryuji must have more important matters to attend to."
Compared to her, Arisu was much more composed.
Not only did she take no offense, but she also smiled gracefully.
"In that case, we won't overstay our welcome!"
With that, she began to guide Masumi out.
"Hold on!"
Saki couldn't stay silent any longer.
"Huh?"
Under Arisu's curious gaze, Saki spoke up, annoyed.
"Did you forget the payment we discussed earlier?"
No way. Saki wasn't one to help out of the kindness of her heart.
She'd mentioned the reward upfront, and now that the issue was resolved, they couldn't just walk away.
What did they think this was? Free service?
"Oh, of course! My apologies."
Arisu chuckled, realizing it had slipped her mind.
Arisu wasn't lacking in funds. She immediately had a sum of one million transferred to Saki.
It wasn't too large of an amount, enough to avoid suspicion and keep things straightforward.
Saki's face lit up as she checked her phone.
Arisu didn't dwell on it and turned back to Ryuji with a sincere expression.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Ryuji. If there's ever anything I can do to assist you, please don't hesitate to ask."
She bowed to Ryuji and left, leaning on her cane for support.
"Uh…"
Masumi, still feeling dazed, saw Arisu leaving and quickly followed.
"That girl is not simple."
Utaha, Yukino, and the others exchanged knowing looks, recognizing the sharp mind behind Arisu's actions.
She was another smart one.
"Right!"
Before Ryuji could respond, Saki nodded in agreement.
"And she's pretty rich, too."
"…"
Everyone rolled their eyes at Saki's remark but didn't say anything.
"That girl doesn't seem well, does she?"
If she were healthy, she wouldn't need a cane.
"Yes, congenital heart disease."
Ryuji didn't elaborate on how he knew, only confirmed it.
It was indeed a serious condition.
However—
"It looks like she'll definitely be back to see Ryuji again."
***
Check the Reading List on my profile for other books i'm working on.
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 100+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.