Sakurajima Mai: "...??"
—
In the small room, Sakurajima Mai sighed.
"Saying too many stupid things will make you an idiot."
Badr didn't mind her disdain. There was a strange kind of mutual understanding between him and Sakurajima Mai. They always seemed to tease each other, but deep down, they knew neither would take it to heart.
They lay together on the single bed, the narrow space making moving impossible.
"Badr."
Mai suddenly called out.
"Yeah?"
"It's cramped."
She said it very calmly.
"...Sorry for squeezing you."
Badr stared at the ceiling, not moving.
"Don't you have anything to say?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Badr turned his head, seeing her fair profile, her long eyelashes almost countable.
"So much has happened. There are many things I want to say, but I suddenly don't know where to start." He looked away and answered softly.
"Say something to make me happy."
She must be feeling down; Badr interpreted her words easily.
"How you're feeling now seems like a tall order."
Sakurajima Mai turned slightly, lying on her side to look at him up close.
"Badr enjoys being teased by me, doesn't he?"
"Knowing that and still teasing me, Mai, you're a queen to the core."
Saying this, Badr also turned slightly, and their eyes met.
The room suddenly fell silent.
Lying in the same bed, they quietly stared at each other.
Being so close, they could feel each other's breath.
Neither intended to look away, just quietly gazing at each other.
— — — — — — —
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Chapter 21: A Silent Plea for Existence
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The atmosphere remained uncomfortably silent until Mai's lips moved unexpectedly.
"Hey... let's kiss."
Her tone was calm as if she were stating something ordinary.
Badr was slightly surprised, but he could sense the girl's emotional turmoil.
"Is this a form of self-abandonment?"
He accurately pinpointed her current mood.
This made Mai Sakurajima fall silent.
She expressed no displeasure at Badr's bluntness; she remained silent, neither shy nor confused, and eventually smiled self-mockingly.
"Sleep well, goodnight."
With that, she closed her eyes as if she didn't dare to look into Badr's eyes, fearing he would easily guess her thoughts.
If it were Badr, he could read her emotions effortlessly. Whenever she was with him, he could always understand her feelings.
Badr knew that the girl was fragile at this moment.
But he didn't have any reasonable solutions right now. The only comfort was that he could still see her and remember her.
"What would you do if I were to cry and say, 'I don't want to disappear?"
Mai suddenly spoke softly.
She wanted to do this, but she had been trying hard to control her emotions.
Badr sighed lightly in his heart, not responding, and instead gently hugged her.
As expected, Mai opened her eyes.
She saw the boy's clear and calm gaze.
"I will always remember you," Badr said softly, his tone gentle yet firm. He then added quietly, "Absolutely."
Mai's eyes wavered for a moment before calming down again.
"Even so, I didn't ask you to hug me."
"Because I guessed you wanted me to hug you, I did."
"That's just what you think."
The girl brushed off the topic with a casual tone.
But she didn't show any intention of leaving the boy's embrace.
After another long silence of several seconds.
"... I still don't want to disappear."
The girl muttered to herself.
"I know."
"There are still many radio dramas and movies I want to shoot. I still want to experience acting on stage, so I don't want to disappear yet."
"Mm."
"I finally met a bold guy who dared to approach me and even started considering attending school. Now... it's not the time to disappear..."
The girl in his arms whispered as if pouring out all her true feelings.
She had always been afraid.
How could she not be?
Badr didn't know what to say, so he held Mai Sakurajima tighter.
When did he start caring so much for this girl?
They had only known each other for a day or two.
Maybe... it was mainly because she was pretty?
That might be a big reason, which he couldn't deny.
But there was also the reason he cared about her loneliness.
He remembered the surprise she showed when he handed her the flyer, making Badr feel like she had suddenly stepped out of a painting.
One moment, she seemed distant from the world; the next, she appeared in reality.
Like him, she was also someone who actively played the role of being unnoticed.
From the first time he saw Mai Sakurajima, Badr noticed this.
The only unexpected thing was that his disguise also seemed clumsy to her, which deepened Badr's impression of Mai Sakurajima.
The devil-summoning ceremony that followed was almost the beginning of their fate.
"I definitely won't let you disappear."
Badr suddenly spoke.
"... Thank you for not giving up on me."
Mai Sakurajima heard Badr's words and responded softly.
At that moment, Badr suddenly realized something.
Wait...
Did she say something about wanting to go to school?
He couldn't help but sit up.
Mai Sakurajima also opened her eyes again.
She looked at Badr, unsure of what he was saying.
"Does that mean Mai hasn't been going to school?"
"..., I have," Mai bit her lip, "just without talking to anyone. It's almost the same as being unobservable..."
"Oh, right, Mai is still a high school student. How could I forget..."
Badr was speechless, covering his forehead with his hand, feeling both amused and helpless.
"Considering the origin of her abilities as a high school student, the school has a significant connection. How could I only realize this now..."
Ultimately, Mai's status as a big star made Badr subconsciously think she had already entered society, causing him to overlook that Mai was still a senior in high school.
Her abilities likely originated from her school.
Looking at Mai before him and recalling her helpless yet determined expression earlier, Badr's mind gradually formed an idea.
The first plan he had thought of...
If the origin is indeed the school, then there's no need to hesitate anymore, right?
It's time for her to solve this troublesome situation.
...
Perhaps sensing that Badr's speculation made sense, Mai Sakurajima's expression brightened slightly with hope.
After making up his mind, Badr planned out the time.
"Let's rest early. We'll take the first train back tomorrow morning."
He lay back down, pulling Mai Sakurajima into his arms.
Mai glanced at him without saying anything, quietly staying in his embrace.
Unknowingly, she had come to rely on this boy.
Thanks to him always being by her side. Otherwise, she would have broken down long ago...
Subconsciously, Mai grabbed Badr's arm like a lifeline.
Understanding her confusion and helplessness, Badr could only hold her tighter, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.
Early the following day, Badr took Mai Sakurajima back to the new city.
After a long journey, they finally arrived at Mai's school: Minegahara High School.
Holding Mai's hand a bit tighter, feeling the warmth of her palm, Badr said softly, "Shall we go and have a look?"
"Since we're here, we might as well," Mai Sakurajima replied calmly.
"Then let's go."
Badr then led Mai Sakurajima toward the school gate.
At the entrance, he stopped a student.
"Hi, do you know Mai Sakurajima?"
The student looked at Badr in surprise. "Huh? Of course, I know her. Who at our school doesn't know Mai Sakurajima?"
Hearing the answer, Badr raised his eyebrows.
You got it!
But...
Glancing at Mai Sakurajima, the girl stood beside him, holding his hand, but the boy couldn't see her.
This made Badr ponder.
It seemed that the students at this school were still affected, but their situation was better; at least they remembered Mai Sakurajima.
In that case, using these students as a breakthrough should work...
"What are you planning to do?" Mai Sakurajima asked, concerned.
"Remember the first solution I mentioned?" Badr smiled.
"The one about spreading rumours?"
Mai quickly reacted, her expression changing. "I said that's not a good idea."
"As long as it solves the problem, it's a good idea."
Badr stopped Mai from saying more and calmly said,
"Right now, spreading rumours to break the influence of your abilities seems the most direct and effective. We'll deal with the aftermath later."
With that, Badr took out his phone and sent messages to various media reporters.
"Just say that a famous actress was spotted at Minegahara High School, suspected of having a secret meeting. That should get their attention."
Badr spoke calmly as he composed the message.
His goal was to lure the reporters, not to mention Mai Sakurajima, since they no longer remembered her directly.
"That's barely even a scandal," Mai said, trying to douse his enthusiasm.
"Uh, how about a famous actress having a relationship crisis with a younger boyfriend, and his other girlfriends show up to mock her?"
Mai Sakurajima: "??"
Before Mai could say anything, Badr had already sent out the message.
... Isn't that too extreme?
Aren't you burning bridges?
Mai opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
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Chapter 22: Facing the Media Frenzy
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Fine, let him make a mess of it.
"Whatever happens next, it's not my concern," she murmured with resignation.
Badr fiddled with his phone and gave an OK gesture.
Soon, several cars sped towards them, and a group of reporters and photographers armed with cameras emerged.
Badr quickly called to direct them, intending to have them inquire about the so-called "famous actress."
At Minegahara High School, almost everyone knew Mai Sakurajima, so when the reporters started asking questions, the students naturally associated the "famous actress" with her.
As expected, with the reporters' secret interviews and the students' gossip, rumours quickly spread across the campus.
"Could it be true? Did Mai-Senpai get deceived by a scumbag? Maybe they got the wrong person..."
"The reporters are here, and she's the only star in our school. Maybe she doesn't even know yet!"
"Wow, that's awful. Deceiving someone's feelings is so hateful..."
Students whispered amongst themselves.
With his excellent hearing, Badr recalled many conversations about the matter.
Simultaneously, several students noticed Badr.
Their expressions showed a hint of surprise when they looked in his direction.
Their gazes seemed to be focused on Mai.
Badr's heart stirred, feeling that it was indeed working.
Some students began whispering about them, looking at Badr and Mai Sakurajima with curiosity and surprise.
"Hey, could it be him? Is that Mai Sakurajima next to him?"
"Wow, it is her! Is that guy her boyfriend? Are those rumours true or not..."
"Oh no, Mai-Senpai might not know the truth about her boyfriend. Should we try to tell her?"
Hearing these students' conversations, Mai Sakurajima tightened her grip on Badr's hand.
She realized her ability's influence had lifted.
As Badr had said, such negative rumours played on people's gossip instincts, spreading like wildfire and taking effect almost immediately.
However, this also meant trouble for Badr!
She looked into the distance, where several cars were parked, and the reporters were eagerly discussing something.
As the reporters arrived, memories of Mai Sakurajima were restored in their minds, and they realized it was big news.
After all, it was Mai Sakurajima!
From a child star to a beloved figure known by many, she had never had any scandals. Now, news had finally surfaced, guaranteed to catch everyone's eye!
Some reporters were already ecstatic, dancing with excitement.
"It's Mai Sakurajima! This is huge news..."
"Look, there she is!"
Someone spotted Mai Sakurajima and also noticed Badr holding her hand.
Suddenly, all the cameras pointed at the two of them...
Watching the eager reporters rushing over, Badr stepped forward, shielding Mai Sakurajima.
The reporters were excited, like starving people who suddenly saw food, eager not to miss out.
Seeing their eagerness, Mai Sakurajima tightened her grip on Badr's hand.
Noticing this, Badr turned back and smiled at her.
"Don't worry; you should have more experience dealing with these guys than me."
"...Yes, so let me handle this."
Mai Sakurajima calmed down, wanting to protect Badr.
She knew all too well the nature of reporters who could twist anything. If not handled well, it could turn into a big mess.
She had to step forward, or some unscrupulous reporters would torment Badr.
But Badr shook his head to stop her.
"It's too late to explain. They won't let us off no matter what we say."
He knew that explaining to reporters was futile, especially to entertainment journalists and paparazzi who would do anything for a scoop.
Even if clarified, they twist his words to create sensational headlines and rumours.
Mai Sakurajima was puzzled;
Badr seemed confident and unconcerned.
Seeing his calm demeanour, she tried to stay calm as well;
She knew Badr wasn't reckless, so he must have a plan.
At that moment, the reporters finally reached Badr and Mai Sakurajima after their sprint.
Microphones like guns pointed at them, almost surrounding them.
"Hello, Miss Mai, I'm a reporter from Gossip Entertainment..."
"Hello, we're reporters from Evening Entertainment..."
A cacophony of voices tried to ask questions, and Badr frowned, stepping forward.
His body surged with magical power, and he suddenly exuded an intimidating aura.
To the reporters, Badr seemed terrifying.
His eyes appeared fierce, and just a glance made them shiver.
