Crossover: The Curse and the Desire

The gate to the house was already unlocked when Yuta arrived.

The early morning light bathed the street in a soft golden glow, and the cool air carried the scent of spring's first blooms mixed with the faint steam of freshly baked bread from the corner bakery.

Megumi was there.

Standing in front of the gate, as if she knew the exact moment he'd appear. Her uniform neat, her bag slung over her shoulder, her loose hair swaying gently in the breeze.

But what stood out was her gaze.

She looked at him with an almost ancient calm—as if this moment had happened countless times before.

Yuta stopped two steps away from her.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

She smiled. Small. Restrained. But real.

And for a second, they stood there. Just looking at each other. As if the world around them mattered less than those two seconds of comfortable silence.

Megumi started walking beside him without a word. Only after a few steps did she say:

"I have no idea what you're going to give me… but I think this will be the first gift from my boyfriend."

Yuta glanced at her sideways.

"You seem happy about that."

"I am."

Her reply came without hesitation.

"Even without knowing what it is?"

"Especially because of that."

The path to school was the same as always—cross two streets, pass through a park, then follow the edge of the plaza until the school's entrance wall.

But that day, every step felt different.

Yuta waited until they were away from most of the other students.

He pulled a small object from the inner pocket of his jacket and showed it to her: a simple silver circle, with nearly invisible threads crisscrossing the center like lines of solidified energy.

"This is a protection amulet."

Megumi stopped. Not abruptly—she just slowed her pace and turned to him with full attention.

"Against curses?"

Yuta nodded.

"It doesn't block everything, but it holds enough to buy you time. Works best against mid- or low-level presences."

She took the amulet carefully, as if it were made of fine porcelain.

Her fingers traced the uneven surface.

"…You made this?"

"Last night."

Her silence now was different.

He could feel it.

Megumi gripped the pendant more firmly and took a small step forward. Her eyes still on him.

"Thank you. Truly."

Yuta shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal.

"I made more than one, actually. One for you. One for your mom. One for your dad. And another for your grandma."

That was the moment everything shifted.

Megumi blinked once. Then again.

Her body didn't move, but her eyes… her eyes shone in a way she didn't even try to hide.

Yuta sensed the change. And before he could say anything—she acted.

She closed the half-step between them.

And kissed him.

Right there. In the street.

In front of all the students heading toward the school.

It wasn't a long kiss. Nor desperate.

But it was real.

The kind that carries too much meaning to be casual. The kind that silences any comments around them.

Some students turned their heads, surprised. Others whispered among themselves. But Megumi didn't care.

She knew what she was doing.

When she pulled back, she kept her eyes on his.

"You have no idea how much this means to me."

Yuta lightly touched the tip of the amulet now hanging from her neck.

"I just… wanted to protect you."

"You always do. Even when I don't ask."

She tucked her hair behind her ear, still feeling the gazes around them but unbothered.

"I guess now it's my turn to show I'm not hiding you."

Yuta gave a soft laugh.

"That was pretty direct."

"Sometimes it needs to be."

They continued walking side by side.

The kiss still lingered in the air, even as their steps tried to seem ordinary. Megumi's fingers rested lightly on the amulet, as if its warmth might fade with the breeze.

Neither spoke.

But the silence wasn't awkward. It was full of everything already said.

The activity around them grew as they neared the school. Students from different years came in small groups, some still yawning, others hurrying to avoid being late.

The school gate was visible in the distance—tall, dark iron, with the school's name in polished bronze.

Megumi glanced at it.

Then at Yuta.

"You heading straight to class?"

"Think so. There's some reading for class I haven't done."

"You always read everything ahead."

"Today… I didn't have time."

She didn't comment. Just smiled.

As if she understood that protecting people is a form of study too.

When they reached the gate, they entered together.

Two classmates of Megumi's greeted them, poorly hiding that they'd seen the kiss. She just nodded. Yuta responded with a calm glance, uninterested in their reactions.

In the inner courtyard, soft bell chimes echoed through the school's speakers, signaling only a few minutes remained before classes began.

The school was divided into blocks separated by covered walkways. To the left, the first-year wing. To the right, the second-year building.

Here, their paths split.

Megumi stopped by the stairs leading to her classroom.

Yuta stood a few steps away, still watching her closely.

"See you after class?"

"I want you to tell me more about these amulets."

"Sure."

She stepped just close enough that no one else could hear.

"And maybe… I'll kiss you again."

Yuta raised an eyebrow, surprised by her directness. But before he could respond, Megumi was already climbing the stairs.

At the top, she turned slightly.

"Good class."

Yuta nodded.

"You too."

Then he turned, heading toward the right wing.

The second-year corridors were starting to fill, but he still had a few minutes. He stopped by his locker, stowed his bag, and adjusted his uniform calmly.

The weight in his chest wasn't from responsibility.

It was the weight of something good.

A bond built with care, strengthened amidst chaos, and now… protected by a simple silver piece with spiritual traces.

Before entering the classroom, he paused for a second.

He looked at the light streaming through the tall windows and felt a rare calm for someone who lives with curses.

Because, that day, everything felt… right.

And maybe—just maybe—the world was starting to make sense for a brief moment.

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