“Let me get this straight…
You sought out Ren because you are cursed by the urban legend Sadako.
Your seven days are almost up, so you want him to exorcise the spirit for you??”
Yukino Yukinoshita listened as Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura explained what was going on.
If the story hadn’t been so utterly absurd, she might have assumed they were trying to pull some elaborate prank on her.
Urban legends?
No matter how you looked at it, those things had to be fake.
They just didn’t happen in real life.
“Exactly right.”
Utaha didn’t bother with Yukino’s doubts.
She nodded and looked at Ren.
“You told me on the roof that I was headed for a bloody disaster.
You know how to exorcise spirits, right?”
Standing behind her, Eriri didn’t really get what had happened before, but she followed Utaha’s lead and looked at Ren too.
“I can do it.” Ren nodded.
Sadako was one of the most famous evil spirits in urban legends.
Still, Ren didn’t think she would be much trouble for him.
“THANK GOD!” Hearing him say that gave Utaha a sense of relief she couldn’t quite put into words.
“Two million yen.”
His next words made her stop in her tracks.
Ren casually held up two fingers.
“Two million yen, and I will break Sadako’s curse for you.”
Did they really think he was some selfless hero working for free?
“Fine.
Not a problem.” Utaha had only hesitated because she was surprised.
She agreed right away.
With half a million copies of her light novel sold, money wasn’t a problem for her.
“I’ll pay too!” Eriri quickly added from behind.
As a diplomat’s daughter, she was a real heiress.
“Good.”
Earning two million yen was turning out to be pretty easy.
“Don’t worry.
You can pay me after I break the curse…
You still have a few days left.
Come see me on the seventh day.” Ren said, not in any hurry
“Understood.” Seeing how calm he was made both Utaha and Eriri feel a lot better.
After sorting out a few more details, the two girls left.
Is that guy really as good as he seems?” Eriri asked, following close behind Utaha.
“Do you have a better idea?” Utaha didn’t have any guarantees either.
But for now, this was all they could do.
“…” Eriri pushed aside her doubts.
She had no choice but to trust him.
The seventh day came before they knew it.
“So, why did you tag along?” Ren looked at Yukino in confusion.
He hadn’t thought she would show up with Utaha and Eriri.
“This matter was submitted to the Service Club as a formal request.
Since I am its president, I am obligated to be here,” Yukino said in her usual calm, measured tone.
Even now, she still didn’t believe in urban legends.
“Fair enough.
Come on in.” If she put it like that, he couldn’t argue.
He led everyone into his rented apartment.
Eriri and Utaha hadn’t told their parents anything about their plans, not wanting to make them worry.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
They took off their shoes, put on slippers, and went inside.
“You really like to keep things clean, Kouhai,” Utaha teased as she looked around the tidy room.
“It’s a small place,” Ren said with a shrug.
He didn’t think it was anything special.
He went to the fridge.
“What do you want to drink?”
“Juice,” Yukino said.
“Black tea.” Eriri started with her usual preference, then paused and reconsidered.
“Never mind.
Just grab me a cola.”
Eriri took the can from him and flopped onto the sofa, forgetting her usual proper posture.
Utaha laughed at the sight.
“What’s this?
You think you’re going to die tonight, so you decided to let yourself go for your final meal?”
At school, Eriri always kept up her perfect rich-girl image.
“Heh.” Eriri didn’t even have the energy to argue.
“You overgrown cow, do you get what’s happening?
This is the last day.
We’re probably going to die.”
“And what good does panicking do??
Besides, I know our dear Kouhai will protect us.
Utaha shot Ren a deliberate wink.
“Yep.
I have two million reasons to keep you safe.”
“You really like money, don’t you?” But when Utaha thought about it, liking money wasn’t that unusual.
“It’s not about liking it.
If I don’t get paid, I’ll be sleeping under a bridge next month.”
“Under a bridge?” All three girls froze.
It hit them that Ren lived alone here.
If he couldn’t pay rent, he’d be out on the street.
Did he not have any parents to help him?
“…” For a moment, their expressions softened with sympathy.
Ren didn’t notice the change in their mood.
He just checked the clock on the wall.
“Sadako always shows up right on time.
She’ll appear exactly at midnight.
We still have a few hours, so you can rest if you want.”
His sofa wasn’t big, but it was comfortable enough for a few people.
“Forget it.”
“I couldn’t sleep even if I tried.”
Both of them were exhausted after days without sleep.
But with Sadako’s curse hanging over them, there was no way they could rest.
The living room stayed quiet for a while.
The suffocating silence made everyone feel on edge.
“Since we don’t all know each other, how about we introduce ourselves?” Utaha finally spoke up, breaking the tension.
“I’ll go first.
I am Utaha Kasumigaoka, a third-year at Sobu High.
I am also a part-time light novel author published under Fujikawa Fantastic Bunko.
My series is called Love Metronome, and it just passed five hundred thousand copies sold.”
For a rookie author, selling half a million sales was an incredible achievement.
Even Yukino looked over in surprise.
“Alright, my turn!
I am Eriri Spencer Sawamura!”
It helps new readers find it.
And of course, your Power Stones help push the story forward.
Thanks for reading.