Shido was walking on the streets amid the crowd, checking out the street food stalls that the local residents had set up. He wanted a quick bite before going home as the delicious smell enticed his hunger.
However, while he wasn't paying attention, he bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry…!"
Shido couldn't finish his sentence. The person he bumped into was a girl with long, dark-purple hair that fell smoothly to her knees. A part of her hair was tied into a ponytail with a ribbon, however, keeping her hair in place. Her face possessed both beauty and dignity yet her dark-purple eyes were unbearably cold, enough to dispel any thoughts of anybody who might've wanted to approach her.
Yet, Shido couldn't help but think that the girl in front of him was beautiful as his heart pounded like never before. It was as if somebody had made sure there were no imperfections when creating her.
"You…" Shido shook from the girl's solemn yet melodious voice. "Are you my enemy?"
"What?"
"If you are…" Killing intent flickered in the girl's purple eyes, giving Shido goosebumps. Her aura was so fierce a hallucination of a sword slicing his head off appeared in his mind. It was only when his hands instinctively grasped at his neck did he realize his head was still there. That did nothing to make him feel better however as the girl's hostility was increasing by the second.
Growwlll.
It was at that moment a loud sound emerged from the girl's stomach. Any tension that was still in the air was immediately dissolved as the girl's face turned red in embarrassment. Not giving Shido any chance to respond, she immediately walked away.
Shido watched the girl get smaller in his sight. He couldn't help but notice that before the girl turned her face away, she had looked especially lonely.
"Umu, hungry…" On the other hand, the purple-haired girl sighed after getting away. She rubbed her stomach as it let out another growl. As a Spirit, she could go days without food but she was starting hit her limit.
"Um, excuse me?" The girl turned to see Shido approaching her with a plastic bag in one hand. Suspicion lingered in the girl's purple eyes as she warily stepped back from him. When Shido saw her staring at his bag with caution, he slowed down.
"It looked like you were hungry so I got you this." Trying to reassure her, Shido reached into the bag and took out a kinako bread. "Just some food. See?" The bread was still freshly baked and the girl's nose twitched from the delicious fragrance.
Shido offered the bread to her. "Here."
"…I don't have anything to give you." The girl said that but her hands were already reaching out for the bread. Finally, after much deliberation, she took the bread, and not without giving one last sniff, she made a small bite out of it.
"…!" A twinkle flashed through her eyes. The kinako bread stood no chance as the girl quickly devoured it. Once she finished eating, she looked at Shido again, this time with less hostility.
"Umu, someone who can offer such deliciousness to me is definitely not a bad guy."
"Er, thank you, I guess."
Shido wanted to know what kind of life this girl was living so that a mere kinako bread was enough for her to trust a complete stranger. Of course, he wasn't complaining as he took the chance to get closer to her.
"My name is Itsuka Shido. What's your name?"
The girl hesitated for a moment. Then…
"Yatogami Tohka."
Kotori was lounging in the living room, the television showing a typical soap opera. The show was at its climax yet only a bored expression could be seen on her face.
Kotori was waiting for her brother, already having eaten dinner without him. It wasn't like Shido had never come back late but usually, he would've given her a prior notice via a text or call. She had initially tried to go to bed but was unable to fall asleep. So, she decided to stay up till Shido came back but…
It's already past midnight… She looked at the clock again for the billionth time before sighing. What was her brother doing?
It was then she heard approaching voices in front of her house. Although it was faint, her face brightened as she recognized her brother's voice. Jumping off the couch, she sprinted towards the door without delay and opened it.
"Welcome back, Onii-chan…?!"
Kotori's voice abruptly ended. She was startled to see not only Shido but also an incredible beauty in a gorgeous kimono beside him. The smile on her face quickly disappeared.
Shido also had a surprised expression on his face, clearly not expecting to see her. "Er, Kotori… you weren't asleep yet?"
Kotori harrumphed. "Rather than why I'm not asleep, shouldn't you be explaining why you're bringing a girl to our house in the dead of night? I thought your mood was improving but to think it was because you were seeing a mistress behind my back."
Shido scratched his cheek. After Jessica's attack, Kurumi decided that it wasn't safe to stay in the brothel for the current time. Thus, Shido offered to let her temporarily stay in his house to which she agreed. He thought that by this hour, he would've been able to secretly bring Kurumi into his room but with his sister right in front of him, he knew that wasn't possible anymore.
"Um, it's not what you think… She's just… um…. She ran away from home so… I invited her…"
Shido could tell he wasn't convincing her based on how his sister was giving the "really?" look. However, he couldn't think on the spot how to explain to his sister without exposing Kurumi's true identity and the matter about Spirits.
"Ma~, so you are Shido-san's little sister?" Kurumi decided to step into the conversation. "Shido-san told me a bit about you but I never imagined you would be such a cute girl. Kotori-san, was it?"
"…Yes, that's my name," Kotori admitted. "And, what's yours?" she coldly asked.
"Ah, where are my manners?" Kurumi gave a little curtsy. "My name is Tokisaki Kurumi, Shido-san's current girlfriend."
"Wha-?!" Shido and Kotori both cried out.
"Please forgive my late introduction. It's just that Shido-san was too embarrassed to introduce me to his family. However, we've already confirmed our feelings for each other." Kurumi hugged Shido's arm tightly and rested her head on his shoulder.
On the other hand, Shido had an exasperated look. "Kurumi, you…"
"There's no need to be shy. After all, didn't we already share the same bed and sleep with each other?" Kurumi teased.
Of course, such words only riled up Kotori even more as she gritted her teeth. "Onii-chan…"
"Wait, wait, this is a complete misunderstanding!" Shido tried to explain himself but Kotori scoffed.
"Really? Are you saying that nothing happened between you and this vixen?" Kotori's tone expressed that she didn't believe that. She could clearly see that despite Kurumi being so close to Shido, there were no signs of rejection from him. Clearly, the two of them weren't just mere friends.
Shido insisted, "I promise you. My relationship with Kurumi is completely pu… I did nothing indecent to her."
"Hey, why did you suddenly change your words?"
Shido avoided Kotori's eyes. He was going to say they were completely pure but he was reminded of how Kurumi's hand wrapped around him. Shido couldn't say in good conscience that nothing was going on between the two but he could definitely say that he never made a move on Kurumi. After all, it was Kurumi who made them.
Kotori was still clearly dissatisfied but Kurumi spoke up before she could. "Now, if you excuse us, me and Shido-san have something to discuss in private. Be a good girl now and go to sleep."
"What did you say?!"
"Ara ara, what a scary face you're making." Despite the fury in Kotori's voice, Kurumi remained unfazed with a smile. "With that kind of anger, you're going to spit out flames, you know?"
"You…! Onii-chan, say something!" Kotori, instead of arguing, looked to Shido, hoping to get his support.
Unfortunately, her expectations were dashed as Shido scratched his cheek. "Um, sorry, Kotori, but I do need to talk to Kurumi alone. I know I'm asking a lot but please calm down. I'll explain everything later."
"Well, there you have it, Kotori-san" With those words and an almost condescending smile, Kurumi abruptly walked past her, while dragging Shido along with her as they walked upstairs to Shido's room.
"Just, wait a…!" Kotori was about to follow her but when she saw the imploring look from her brother, she stopped. Just like that, Kotori was left standing alone. Kotori still had many questions but most of all, she was worried.
"Shido, what did you get yourself into…"
"Ara ara, so this is what Shido-san's room is like. How fascinating~."
As if a girl who found a new playground, Kurumi strolled around the room excitedly until finally, she jumped into his bed and began rubbing her face into his pillow. Shido felt she was being a bit too loose for a girl in a boy's room.
"Um, sorry about earlier." Shido apologized. "Kotori isn't usually that stringent with visitors. She wasn't like this with Tohka. It's almost like you two had bad blood with each other but you never met her before, right?"
"Mm, I don't recall ever meeting an Itsuka Kotori." Swinging her legs over, Kurumi fixed herself to sit on the edge of the bed. "But, doesn't Shido-san have other things he would rather ask of me?"
"Right." Shido took a deep breath. "First, are you a human? I know you're a Spirit but is this your true form or are you…?" Shido thought back to the rumor of Nightmare Tonomachi had told him. According to him, Nightmare wasn't actually human but a man-eating monster.
"I'm human," Kurumi assured him, however. "But, I've bonded with something called a Sephira Crystal. That's what gives me my powers as a Spirit, letting me become much stronger than a normal human. And this…" Kurumi hopped off the bed and raised her arm up. In an instant, shadows wrapped around her before revealing herself in a crimson red and black gothic dress with her twin tails up. "is my Astral Dress."
Giving a little spin, her Astral Dress fluttered beautifully with her beautiful black hair twirling as well. Even though it wasn't Shido's first time seeing this form, he still found his breath being taken away.
Kurumi noticed his dazed look and playfully asked, "Do I look good?"
"Yeah…" Shido instinctively nodded his head before realizing what he actually said. "I mean, you don't look like a monster in any case. Also, you have control over shadows?" Shido asked. He remembered how Kurumi used shadows to slowly but surely corner Jessica while using her two guns simultaneously.
Kurumi nodded. "Yep. But, there's one more attribute I have control over. Why doesn't Shido-san guess what it is?"
"Hmmm…" Shido thought for a moment. He quickly came up with an answer but…
"Um, don't laugh, okay?"
Kurumi put on a questioning face to Shido's request but gave her agreement. Shido hesitated but in the end, gave his answer.
"Is it… charm?"
Kurumi's eyes opened wide. A smile appeared on the corner of the lips, before growing bigger and bigger. "Kihihihihihi!" Soon, she was unable to hold back her laughter as she put her hand in front of her mouth.
Shido was extremely embarrassed. "Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh!" However, Kurumi continued as if she didn't hear him, letting her laughter roll out without restraint.
"Ufufu, how can I not when Shido-san gives me such an amusing answer?" Kurumi finally regained her composure but a teasing smile remained on her face. "Tell me, which answer does Shido-san want to hear most? Would it relieve you or disappoint you if I said that it's only because of my charm powers that you hold perverted thoughts about me?"
"That's…!" How the hell was Shido supposed to answer that?!
Kurumi let out a last chuckle. "Don't worry. I do not have such power." She grabs his chin, bringing their faces extremely close. "Any attraction or feelings you may have for me is purely out of your own desire."
Shido blushed and tried to look away but her hand kept him still. As a result, he found himself looking into Kurumi's eyes. Both of them as Kurumi's left eye which was usually covered by her hair was now revealed, a gold clock in contrast to her right scarlet eye.
"Time," Shido said in realization. "That's your second attribute."
"Ding dong! Correct~!" Hearing Shido's answer, Kurumi playfully imitated the sound one would hear in a game show after getting the right answer. "But, this attribute consumes my life force so I sparingly use it. It helps that I can replenish it by absorbing some from other people. The brothel was the perfect place in that way. I would often have customers come to my room and once they let their guard down, I would have a light snack."
So, this is the truth of the Nightmare rumor. Shido finally felt the pieces of the puzzle falling into place in his mind but he subconsciously frowned. "So, you ate all your customers?" If I hadn't stood my ground, would have I… He thought back to when Kurumi first invited him to her room and also how Jessica had sunk into the shadows after Kurumi had defeated her.
Kurumi gave an ambiguous smile. "Don't worry, Shido-san. Before I ate them, I made sure to gain their consent."
"Consent?!" Shido exclaimed.
Kurumi gave a laugh that wasn't a laugh. "Yes, yes. All I had to do was ask nicely and I would have my customers begging me to eat them. Though, their faces would immediately turn to despair when I did. I wonder why?~" Kurumi teasingly asked.
Shido was dumbfounded. At that point, he felt that the customers had only themselves to blame for being so perverted. Yet, it still didn't sit well with him that the customers were being eaten.
Kurumi noticed the uncomfortable look on his face. "Don't worry, Shido-san. I made sure that I would take only a certain amount of time from them. At most, they would only feel fatigued for the next few days with their memories hazy."
Shido gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. I'm glad you didn't kill anybody."
"…"
Kurumi's lips pursed.
"Shido-san, you're wrong."
"What?" Shido watched as Kurumi stood up and moved to the window before sitting on its sill. Seeing Kurumi's grave face, he knew he didn't hear wrong.
"I told you, didn't I? About my dear friend who died due to an unfortunate accident." Kurumi took a deep breath before dropping the bomb. "I was the one who killed her."
Shido knew this was a sensitive moment. He carefully asked, "How?"
Kurumi clenched her fist. "I was naïve back then. It was all because of the First Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Origin. She is the one who created the Sephira Crystals and gives them to humans, turning them into a Spirit. That's how I became one as well. But, sometimes, a Sephira Crystal doesn't bind well with a human and causes the human to turn into a monster.
"She gave a Sephira Crystal to Sawa-san behind my back and turned her into an unrecognizable monster! Only after I killed her did I find out the truth!" Kurumi's voice conveyed anger as her fist slammed against the window frame. "That wretched woman told me that we were doing the world justice by getting rid of the monsters but in actuality, I was just a convenient tool to clean up her mess!"
Shido felt his throat go dry. He never saw Kurumi this angry. However, he couldn't help but ask, "So what happened to the First Spirit?"
"I dealt with the First Spirit," Kurumi said to Shido's shock. She continued, "It took quite some time tracking her down but did she think I would let her get away with tricking me? I don't know what her plan was, trying to create Spirits but I made sure that she would never be able to do such a thing ever again."
"Didn't you say that she gave Spirits all their powers?" Shido asked. She said it casually as if it was nothing but he knew it wasn't as simple as she was making it out to be. "She should've been really strong, right?"
"I'll admit it was a near-impossible task but whom do you think you're looking at?" Kurumi smirked. The moonlight shimmered through the window and enveloped Kurumi in a celestial glow. "With enough time, even if the heavens stand before me…" Kurumi made a finger gun before shooting at the night sky with a clear conviction. "This Tokisaki Kurumi will make sure they fall no matter how high it may be."
The sheer confidence in her voice along with the sure smile on her face turned Shido speechless. Kurumi, you look really cool. Shido felt he saw a glimpse of Kurumi's true self, seeing more than the flirtatious and playful act she usually displayed. Yet, it wasn't unattractive at all. Rather, it only made Kurumi more captivating as the only thing he could do was stare at her, her charisma overwhelming him.
"But, my revenge isn't over yet." Kurumi's eyes sharpened. "I've recently learned that the First Spirit wasn't born naturally but was created by a certain person. I right now don't have any information on who they are but I won't rest until I find them. Any person who could create such an abomination definitely doesn't have good intentions. Shido-san, you told me that Tohka-san was hit by a drunk driver, correct?"
"Yes," Shido replied, breaking out of his stupor when he heard his name. "That's what I was told."
"That's impossible." Kurumi shook her head. "A Spirit, especially one of Tohka-san's caliber, wouldn't die to something like that.
Shido's eyes narrowed. "It wasn't an accident?"
"Yes. The mastermind has already killed many Spirits that I was acquainted with. I suspect that Tohka-san was likely done in by them."
Shido went silent after that. One would think that it was a rather meek response, considering that his friend didn't die in an accident but was murdered. However, Kurumi could easily sense the silent anger that was being emitted from him. Kurumi recognized that look all too well. It was the same look she had when she learned that the First Spirit had tricked her.
"Shido-san, why don't you enter an alliance with me?" Kurumi proposed. Hopping off the window, she began to walk around the room slowly.
"An alliance?" Shido asked.
"Yes, I believe that if I stay by Shido-san's side, I'll be able to find more information about the mastermind since they seem to be interested in you. This is the biggest opening I've got yet. In turn, Shido-san will be protected by me and I can also assist in your vengeance for Tohka-san. How does that sound?"
Shido thought for a moment. "Kurumi, are you fine with this? I'm basically taking advantage of your protection." Aside from the lead he gave to Kurumi, there was nothing else Shido could do for her. In fact, rather than helping, it would be a surprise if he wasn't a hindrance instead. He continued, "I'm sure you'd be able to investigate whom the mastermind is even without staying by my side."
To Shido's statement, Kurumi smiled. "Well, Shido-san doesn't really need to worry. I have a feeling Shido-san will be of great help to me. My instinct has never been wrong before. And…" Kurumi licked her lips, "if worse comes to worst, Shido-san can serve as extra food provisions."
"Hey! That's not funny!" Shido hoped she meant that as a joke but when he saw how Kurumi looked at him like he was delicious prey, he wasn't sure anymore.
Kurumi deigned to not answer, only giving him a small smile. "So, is it a deal? Even if you have some misgivings, don't you want to find out the truth about Tohka-san?"
Shido looked at the outreached hand. He wondered if this was how people felt when the devil offered someone a contract.
Even so, Shido took her hand. "Kurumi, please help me. I'll do anything." He knew that it was only out of Kurumi's goodwill that he even had this chance. He was going to take any help he could get.
"You will?" A playful glint appeared in Kurumi's eyes. She suddenly fell forward into Shido's chest. Shido let out a slight cry of surprise as his back met his bed. Kurumi quickly mounted him, not giving him any leeway for escape.
Shido's heart began to beat louder as her head slowly leaned down toward him. He asked, "Wh-what are you doing?"
"You did say anything, right?" The only thing he received was a small smile from Kurumi as her face approached his.
"Yeah but…" Shido's breath was taken away when he saw her attractive eyes, both colors hypnotizing him with their allure. Her beautiful face took up his entire vision as a sweet fragrance filled his nose. He braced himself when their lips almost touched yet to his surprise, Kurumi went towards the side of his face instead. He then felt his earlobe being softly nibbled by a pair of soft lips to his alarm.
"You shouldn't make such promises so easily," she breathed charmingly in his ear. "It makes it really hard to hold myself back. Shido-san's charming, innocent face is just… just so cute it makes me want to eat you up so badly."
"Ah…" Shido couldn't refrain from letting out a soft moan when Kurumi blew lightly in his ear. That along with her sultry voice that could make any man go crazy made his body go through an intense shudder. Shido's face immediately turned indescribably red before quickly pushing Kurumi off him to her surprise. He instantly proceeded to go under his blankets and curl into a ball as if to hide something.
"Ara ara, did something happen, Shido-san?" Kurumi curiously asked. She had never seen such an adverse reaction from him.
"N-no!" A muffled voice came from through his blankets. It didn't seem he had any intention to move from his current position.
Well, he's probably just embarrassed as usual. Kurumi gave a light chuckle before standing up slowly.
"Forgive me for the abruptness, Shido-san, but there is something else I have to investigate for a bit so I'll be out for a while. I'll try to be back in the morning."
"At this time?" Shido peeked his head out to look at her. He couldn't help but ask, "Do you have to go?"
Kurumi tilted her head. "Ara ara, does Shido-san perhaps want me to stay the night with him again? If so, let me take off my clothes and we can…"
"Forget about it!" Shido shouted which garnered Kurumi's laughter. With a small curtsy, she slipped into one of her shadows and made her exit seamlessly.
After confirming that she was gone, Shido buried his head in his pillow before tossing around and kicking.
Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!
Shido screamed internally, his face bright red as he recalled the near kiss with Kurumi. He knew Kurumi was beautiful but when she had seductively gazed into his eyes with her gold clock eye out in the open, Shido was hopelessly charmed. And when her mouth teased his ear, it was too much stimulation for the awestricken Shido. Kurumi said before that she would hold back out of respect for him but what would happen if she knew that at that moment, he couldn't control himself and had…
Shido looked down and felt a wave of humiliation fill him. He could already imagine Kurumi teasing him and calling him a pervert. With a bright face, Shido tried to go to sleep but somehow, he knew he would be dreaming of a certain nightmare.
"Shit, where the fuck am I?!"
Jessica Bailey woke up to see darkness all around her. When she tried to move, she found there were black chain-like shadows wrapped around her limbs. No matter how hard she pulled at them, they refused to budge.
"Ara ara, perfect timing. You woke up just on time." A charming voice spoke out, grabbing Jessica's attention. When she saw who it was, anger filled her face.
"Nightmare! You bitch, let me go-"
Bang!
A cry of pain came out of Jessica when Kurumi pulled the trigger. Kurumi smirked, "Ara ara, did your parents never teach you the proper etiquette when speaking to someone?"
"You…heuk!" Jessica was about to curse again but when Kurumi shot at her, she almost bit her tongue.
"It's okay to scream." A condescending smile appeared on Kurumi's face. "After all, it's just the two of us."
That was no comfort to Jessica, who understood the implicit meaning that nobody would come to rescue her. Although her face was in clear pain, she still managed to spit out, "Where's your boyfriend?! Bring him here so that I can kill both of you!"
Jessica's threat showed no signs of scaring Kurumi. "Ara ara, to call Shido-san my boyfriend. You're making me blush. Is that what we look like?" Kurumi put a hand to her face in an embarrassed manner. "Ufufu, but now that Shido-san asked me out, won't it just be a matter of time before that becomes reality? I'll definitely make him fall for my charm and head over heels for me. The moment Shido-san submits to me willingly, one night will lead to another, and then…"
Kurumi giggled uncontrollably to Jessica's disbelief. Why the hell did the monster before her with the moniker, "Worst Spirit," look like a maiden in love?!
Kurumi realized she was getting off track. "Shido-san won't be here to entertain us. If he were to see the subsequent events that were to happen, he would see an ugly part of me. On the other hand, you…"
Horror and fear overwhelmed Jessica. Seeing Kurumi was about to make her move, she cried out as a last resort, "Didn't you keep me alive to investigate me?! Let me go or I'll keep my mouth shut! You wouldn't want that!"
"Ara ara, it seems Jessica-san seems to have the wrong idea. I didn't spare you for such a reason. Besides, you?" Kurumi snorted. As if hearing a ridiculous joke, Kurumi's lips curved up in extreme disdain. "Please, soon enough, you'll be begging me to let you tell me everything."
Kurumi's gold clock eye glowed intensely in the darkness. Snapping her fingers, the darkness suddenly surged like a raging storm around the two of them, and under Kurumi's command, shadows immediately penetrated Jessica before ravaging her from the inside mercilessly.
"AAAHHHHH!".
Pain. Unbridling pain. As someone who went through specialized training, Jessica's pain tolerance was higher than a normal person's. Yet, a bloodcurdling scream was released from Jessica's mouth immediately.
She felt as if pieces of flesh were being carved out of her and her organs were erupting inside of her. Her blood vessels began to bulge before bursting and her body began to convulse uncontrollably. Her eyes began crying blood as her throat became destroyed from the nonstop screaming.
"AAAHH…. YOU MONSTER!"
All the while, Kurumi watched this without any signs of discomfort.
"You hurt Shido-san, didn't you?"
An obsession that bordered on the line of madness brewed in Kurumi's eyes.
"You can't do that. Not to my Shido-san."
Kurumi's face became tinged with hysteria and sadism.
"It was very hard, you know? I could barely hold myself from tearing your limbs apart when I saw you stomp on my dear Shido-san ruthlessly. But, there's no need to restrain myself any longer. I'm going to make you suffer to the point where death will be but a relief to you."
More shadows bombarded Jessica, her cries becoming inhumanly louder than before.
"PLEASE! STOP! I CAN'T…! AAAHHH!"
"Kihihihihihihi, you can't break now, Jessica-san. The fun has just begun after all!"
Seeing Kurumi with a deranged smile, Jessica discovered a fate worse than death.
Shido was at the entrance of Saito University. He was dressed in a black dress suit and pants. The gala was about to start. Faint music was coming from inside the campus and many people who were also dressed fancily were making their way through the gates. Yet, he made no signs of going in as he was reading a text on his phone.
"Sorry, Itsuka-kun! I forgot to finish my midterm project yesterday and my professor told me that he would only accept a late submission by tonight at midnight! Wish me luck! Also, have fun at the gala, and don't leave too early!
"Tonomachi…" Shido could only facepalm. He had previously agreed to meet Tonomachi before going in but clearly, that wasn't possible anymore. He had always wondered if Tonomachi was handling his studies properly with how much he went out but he gave him the benefit of the doubt. But, that clearly wasn't the case. He could already imagine Tonomachi typing away at his keyboard, trying to finish his project as fast as possible before the deadline.
"Hmm…" Shido checked the time on his phone. Is Kurumi also not coming? He hadn't seen Kurumi in the morning or afternoon so he didn't know where she was. He did tell her previously about the event tonight due to their date so he thought she would potentially meet him here. However, it was almost 6 pm which was the time the gala officially started and Kurumi was nowhere to be seen.
I really hoped she would come though… When Shido thought that, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. He hadn't expected to feel disappointment to this extent. Kurumi was probably just teasing him when she made him ask her out on a date. It was his fault for taking it seriously.
Just as he gave up on his hopes and began to make his way to the campus, a hand tapped Shido on the shoulder from behind, calling out his name in that familiar seductive voice.
"Found you, Shido-san~."
Shido instantly turned around, only for his eyes to shoot open as he gazed at the most beautiful and sexy woman he ever saw in his life.
With a gorgeous smile on her face, Kurumi was wearing a skin-tight black dress that showed off her slender figure and emphasized her well-endowed breasts. The dress was long in length yet a slit at one side all the way to her hip allowed a tempting side view of her perfectly shaped and toned leg. The dress was short-sleeved as well, her slim arms showing off as much porcelain skin as possible. A thin layer of makeup covered her face and her twin-tailed hair was glossy black and flowing freely. Her bangs covered a part of her face, only allowing her right scarlet eye to be seen but if Shido looked closely, he could see a bit of gold through the hair.
In front of such an astounding beauty, Shido was unable to focus on anything else as his eyes were fixated on the literal goddess before him.
"You came." Shido dumbly said, after what could've been an eternity. His eyes looked up and down, taking in her full figure once more.
When Kurumi saw him stealing glances at her, her lips curved. "Shido-san, I know I'm attractive but even I'm going to be embarrassed if you just keep staring."
"Ah, sorry. It's just… you're really beautiful."
Kurumi was clearly pleased with his answer. She asked, "More than Tohka-san?"
Shido was starting to get a headache. Didn't she ask a similar question before? Yet, when he looked at her again, he couldn't help but be honest. "Yes."
"Ufufu, Shido-san doesn't know how happy that makes me feel. I wore this dress just for you after all."
Kurumi smiled cutely and grabbed his hand. The skin of her palm was smooth against Shido's, perfect and smug as she interlocked their fingers.
"Now, Shido-san, let's begin our date."
"Yeah…"
Her smile was bewitching as she led him into the campus, holding hands intimately. It took Shido a few minutes to finally have his brain working at full capacity. By that time, they had already arrived at the site of the gala.
Saito University's campus had a large field that was spacious enough to hold the gala outside. Many tables and chairs were already set up with food aisles on the side while leaving an open space in the middle. There, people would dance to the soft symphony music playing in the background.
While both of them were getting food, Kurumi drew many people's attention with her dress, making the heads of many men turn her way, even those with their dates. There were even some people who tried to talk to her but Kurumi would only reply with a polite smile before casually brushing them off. She made it clear that she wasn't interested as she intimately looped her arm around Shido's, showing she was only here for one man tonight.
Even after the two of them sat down at a table, Shido saw that there was still a small crowd that was eyeing them. He said to Kurumi, "We've only been here for a few minutes yet you've already attracted so many people's attention. You really do deserve your title as the most beautiful courtesan."
Kurumi gave a belated sigh. "It's unfortunate that due to one person, I feel that my title is being undermined. He refuses to do anything with me despite implicitly telling him that I would be completely fine with it, if not eager."
Shido coughed and turned his head away. "Kurumi, do you offer that to all your customers?" For some reason, when he thought about Kurumi getting intimate with other people, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Of course, he knew Kurumi was a courtesan who had her fair share of customers so he knew what he was feeling was unreasonable as one of her many customers.
Kurumi laughed when she saw Shido's expression. "With my customers, I only talked to them at most before eating them. I never did any nighttime activities with them." Leaning in, she whispered in his ear sensually, "Shido-san is the only one whom I feel is worthwhile and fun to be with. That's why if it's Shido-san, I wouldn't mind giving you my first."
Shido gulped. Kurumi was a courtesan yet she was still a virgin? He didn't know if that was true or not but hearing her say such things to him made his heart race. He could understand why so many customers had fallen for Kurumi's charm. Even if one knew they were playing into her hand, one couldn't help but enjoy it.
Trying to shift the mood, Shido asked, "I didn't see you the whole day until now. Did something happen?" Kurumi did tell him that she would try to be back by morning but since that wasn't the case, Shido wondered if there was some emergency. Thankfully, that wasn't the case as Kurumi replied.
"Nothing important. I was merely frolicking around." Kurumi lightly laughed. "I just happened to lose track of time. Was Shido-san worried about me?"
"Yeah, I was." Shido's eyes were honest as he looked straight at Kurumi. "You're someone that I care about. If something happened to you, I don't think my heart could take it."
"Oh." Kurumi's face turned a bit red. She was only trying to tease him but she didn't expect such a counterattack. What was this? How could he say such a thing with such an honest gaze? She was actually starting to feel sorry for toying around with Jessica for so long.
"My apologies. I should've taken Shido-san's feelings into accordance." Kurumi said to Shido. Her tone indicated she was truly sorry.
"It's fine. I didn't mean to douse the mood." Shido waved his hand, a bit flustered by Kurumi's apology.
The slow music in the background filled the silence in their conversation as the two of them stared at each other. Shido's insides began to light up a bit as he became more conscious of Kurumi's beautiful face and the lovely perfume that she was wearing. He also noticed some redness on her cheeks but he wasn't sure if that was from her makeup or not.
Kurumi looked towards the dance floor. "Since we're here, does Shido-san care for a dance?"
"A dance?" Shido questioned.
"Ara ara, it would be a shame if we didn't take this opportunity." Kurumi stretched out her arm and give him a flirty wink. "Unless, Shido-san finds poor me unworthy to dance with?"
A faint blush of warmth rushed to his cheeks. "Of course not." Shido locked arms with her as they walked to the crowd of dancers and found a spot.
Yet, before they could do anything, Kurumi uncharacteristically stumbled, causing her to fall. Thankfully, Shido caught her quickly, bending down slightly to lend his arms.
"Are you all right, Kurumi?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to Shido-san helping me." Kurumi smiles gratefully. "To be honest, part of the reason I don't go out that much is because I have a severe case of anemia. I would feel suddenly weak and in the worst case, collapse."
"Should we go back?" Shido asked concernedly.
Kurumi hesitated. "I would hate to trouble Shido-san if I happened to collapse while we're dancing." She thinks for a moment before dropping her head with a mellow sigh. "Perhaps that is indeed the best move. Shall we go back then?"
A surprised look appeared on Kurumi's face however when Shido grabs her hand. "It's not trouble at all." Shido smiled in a reassuring tone. He could obviously see how disappointed Kurumi was. "I'll make sure to support you. Just tell me if there's anything wrong."
Upon hearing Shido's words, Kurumi's face relaxed. "Shido-san really is gentle."
Kurumi wrapped both of her arms around his neck and gently pressed her body against his. Her generous breasts against his chest, she rested her head on his shoulder so that their faces brushed against each other.
"Kurumi, this is…"
"If it's like this, there's no chance of me falling, right?"
With his hands nowhere else to go and stunned by Kurumi's forwardness, Shido stiffened before tentatively putting his hands to the side of her waist in a light hug.
The two of them began to dance slowly to the music. It wasn't so much of a dance however but rather, the two of them just taking small steps in rhythm to the music.
Shido's breath hitched when Kurumi briefly brushed his hips with hers. Thinking it was just an accident due to their close proximity, he tried to forget it and move on. However, her hips once again grinded into him, eliciting a quiet grunt from him.
"Kurumi-" Shido was about to say something but Kurumi was faster.
"Shido-san, can you hold me a little tighter? I'm starting to feel a bit lightheaded. I think my anemia is starting to come back."
"…"
Kurumi, you don't really have anemia, do you?! Shido was starting to suspect that Kurumi created this situation on purpose. Yet, when he saw her pleading eyes and her light-paced breathing as if she would collapse at any second, he couldn't say no. If by the off-chance she wasn't faking it, he had to help her.
Shido shifted his hands more towards her back, bringing their bodies even closer. Yet, when his fingers accidentally stroked the small of her back, she let out a soft gasp. Shido, whose ear was right next to her mouth, had to pretend that wasn't especially arousing to hear.
Focus on the dance. Focus on the dance. Focus on the dance. Shido did his best to recite the mantra in his head but by this point, the dance was the last thing on his mind.
Making full use of their current arrangement, Kurumi made sure to swing her hips into him softly and gently. She made it inconspicuous enough so that an outsider wouldn't suspect anything but it was incredibly clear to Shido. Whenever her hips fleetingly brushed against him, it was incredibly stimulating to the point of frustration.
"Shido-san, look at me." Kurumi whispered.
Shido did his best to hold on to his rationale but when he fixed his eyes on her enchanting eyes, her gold clock eye shining in a beautiful and flirtatious light, Shido helplessly swallowed his breath from such unobtrusive vision. There was no way he could remain unfazed as his body responded in a clear manner.
"Ah~." Kurumi lets out a sensual coo when her hips met a noticeable bump from his pants. With a domineering yet still seductive gaze, she rolled her hips against him with less discretion this time. She flashes him a charming smile, knowing full well what she's doing to him as she runs her fingers through his hair.
Shido's hands twitched as Kurumi's hips stroked with a hard-upward motion, causing him to almost grab her rear end. She continues to drive him to the edge with her swaying, slowly but steadily building up lust inside him. The thought that Kurumi would be more than willing to know him on a more physical basis was overwhelming as she pressed her perfect and slender body against him, her full and firm bosom squished on his chest.
When Kurumi saw his eyes looking at her with desire and fervor, she was reminded of previous customers who looked at her the same way. Yet, instead of feeling disgusted like usual, a sense of eagerness filled her. She could tell his self-control was already on its last straw. No holding back anymore. She had waited so long for this and was going to savor him fully.
"You want me," Kurumi said. It wasn't a question but an affirmation. With a demanding yet flirtatious look, she gazed into his eyes with hunger.
Under such an intense look, Shido broke. "I want… I… Kurumi, I want…" His voice cracked out of craving yet hesitation still held him back.
"Yes, Shido-san, you do want." Kurumi had her face right in front of him. She placed her hands on the sides of his face. Finally, she pulled him close and passionately kissed him, moaning against his lips. The taste of her lipstick overwhelmed him as her warm, teasing tongue gently caressed his.
Any restraint or doubt Shido had was destroyed. He kissed her back, his hands holding tight around her back. Every breath he took was of her, her perfume and saliva overtaking his senses. His tongue tangled with hers in a heated dance, his head craning over in desperation for more.
His entire world had devolved to Kurumi as all he could think about was how soft her lips were and how intense her tongue was. Hearing Kurumi lewdly moans as she took control of the kiss only served to arouse him. His tongue couldn't keep up with Kurumi though as he gave way to her tongue. Her kiss was demanding yet not overwhelming, allowing him to enjoy the kiss while letting him know who was in control.
Even after the kiss, electricity was still running through Shido's lips. His mind was still blank as Kurumi lets out a breath of satisfaction before looking at him with renewed zeal.
Pressing her lips into his ear, she whispered, "Shido-san, you're mine. You belong to me now."
Shido shivers when he feels her hand runs through his hair before tracing its way down the side of his neck. Her hand then goes down to his shoulder and then his arm. Finally, she reaches his hand. Her lithe fingers stroke his palm in an almost ticklish manner before taking hold of his hand by the side.
Kurumi pulls his hand towards her face with both hands. Shido watched with his mouth agape as she opens her mouth and proceeds to suck his fingers.
Ah… ah… Shido doesn't know how to act in this situation. He tried to pull his hand away but Kurumi's grip doesn't let him. His pulse increases and his vision gets blurrier. He wants to turn his head away but when he hears Kurumi lewdly moans, he finds himself staring as she puts her all into licking and sucking him. Her eagerness is completely conveyed to Shido as he can feel her desire and it's affecting him too. Her eyes never leave his, glazed with lust as she looks at him almost piercingly, bewitching him.
"Mm~" Kurumi finally lets go of his finger. She wipes the corners of her mouth with her fingers before looking at him. "I want to eat Shido-san so badly~."
Kurumi tilts her head playfully with that beguiling smile that always makes his heart race. "You want me to eat you too, don't you?"
"I want…" Shido's face flushes red. He can still his fingers drenched with her saliva. He had never been so turned on by the words eat than right now.
"I-I want to go to the bathroom!" Not being able to take it anymore, Shido creates a random excuse. Freeing his hand from Kurumi's grasp, he immediately takes off from the dancing area.
"Ah." Kurumi slightly reached her hand out but Shido was already gone.
"Ara ara, perhaps I went a bit overboard with it." Kurumi cutely giggles into her hand, choosing not to chase after him. She was already satisfied with today's results as she traces her bottom lip with her finger. Sharing such a hot kiss with him was enough to send her flying to the moon.
"Well, it's fine." Kurumi puts a hand to her cheek and wistfully sighs with a maiden's blush. "Now that he's mine, I'm sure we'll have more opportunities together. Aahh~, but this is troublesome. I think I might be addicted to Shido-san's trembling red face. It only makes me want to defile him even more."
Kurumi's smile deepens as delusions appear in her head, all of them involving Shido. Of course, she knew if she rushed it too much, she would scare him off like what she just did right now but after they just had their first kiss, Kurumi could barely contain her giddiness.
"Ufufu, I wonder how Shido-san is faring. I wonder if he's feeling the same as me."
Sitting not too far away from the gala in a collapsed manner against a tree, Shido had calmed down considerably compared to his previous state. But, he was still considerably restless.
Shido-san, you're mine. You belong to me now.
Kurumi's words still echoed in his mind. Her seductive whisper had felt so deeply good to listen to and there was a finality to her words so that when he heard them, he felt what she was saying was only natural. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he knew those words were branded in his subconscious.
It was all because he let her kiss him.
Shido could still remember every detail. How her face took up his entire vision just before they kissed. How her tongue had touched his in an almost shy manner at first before eagerly playing with his tongue. How the breath through her nose tickled his face periodically.
He can't think of anything else. His head would always go back to his kiss with Kurumi. He could still feel the sensation on his lips. He can't help but want to experience that sensation again. Just thinking about it is causing his heart to race like never before. He wants to hold her and kiss her. Maybe even more.
The fact that he's thinking like that terrifies him.
How was he supposed to face Kurumi from now on?
"I… should go back now." Shido knew he couldn't hide forever. He knew he had been especially rude to Kurumi for leaving her by herself. Even though the method had been unordinary (who asks someone if they wanted to be eaten?), she still conveyed her feelings for him. He also needed to clarify what kind of relationship they were in now.
Shido stood up and started to make his way back.
"There you are," a cold voice said.
Shido quickly turns around but is met with a hard hit to the gut. The force causes him to start losing consciousness as he falls to the ground.
"Who…?" Despite his rapidly decreasing consciousness, Shido barely makes out a young woman with pale skin and purple eyes before passing out.
…
When Shido wakes up, he notices he's sitting in an empty classroom. He tries to move only to realize he's securely tied up.
"Ya~, Itsuka Shido."
"!" Shido recognizes that voice. His eyes widen as he notices a man in a black suit and white tie. Wearing a smile that's not a smile, the man says, "I was afraid Ellen went overboard but thankfully, you're finally awake."
Shido narrows his eyes. "What is the meaning of this, Chancellor?!"
Shido shouts as he looks at the chancellor of Saito University, also known as Issac Ray Pelham Westcott.
Author's Note: I'm glad I was able to get this chapter out before my schedule gets too busy. I'll do my best to get chapter 4 out but realistically speaking, it'll probably take a couple of months considering my writing skills and real life stuff. Sorry for the slow updates and thanks for reading
