Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

"Ah, my money!"

A piercing cry echoed through the silent night, startling a small cat perched on a trash can. Its fur bristled, and with a loud "thump," it leapt off the trash can and darted away into the darkness.

Kaguya collapsed to the ground, clutching a handful of paper scraps that had once been crisp bills. Her delicate face was pale as a sheet, her wide eyes lifeless, as if she had just lost everything.

She had just escorted Yoriko Kuroiwa home and was heading to get some dinner when she felt a strange chill in her pocket. Upon checking, she discovered a large tear, and most of the cash she had tucked away was gone. In a panic, Kaguya rushed back to the park, but the majority of the money had already been blown away by the wind. What remained were scraps, torn beyond recognition.

During the earlier battle, although Kaguya had dodged the Clown's attacks with only a minor cut on her arm, the cash in her pocket hadn't been so lucky. It had been shredded to pieces. The remaining fragments were barely salvageable and, even if taken to a bank, would most likely be deemed worthless.

"That bastard! I'm going to kill him!"

Kaguya screamed in rage toward the sky.

That little girl—she had to be cursed. Every time Kaguya ran into her, nothing good ever happened.

The last time they met, Kaguya had joked around, pretending to be a ghoul to tease her. She hadn't expected Yoriko to take it seriously and scream so loudly that she almost got mistaken for an actual ghoul.

Now, staring at the ruined scraps of money in her hands, Kaguya felt like crying but had no tears left.

What was she going to do?

...

The next day, Koutarou Amon noticed something strange about Kaguya. Normally brimming with energy, she now seemed listless, clutching her stomach with a pained expression.

Concerned, he approached her and asked, "Are you okay? Did you get sick?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Kaguya replied with a forced smile.

It wasn't illness—it was hunger. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday evening, and now her stomach burned, threatening to spill acid.

"Are you sure?" Amon pressed. "If you're unwell, you should go home and rest. I can handle the reports for you."

"There's no need," Kaguya shot back, rejecting his offer without a second thought.

Like hell she'd leave—she was waiting for the cafeteria to open so she could score a free lunch. Even if the food wasn't great, it beat starving.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Amon began, his voice full of concern. "It's important to—"

Before he could finish, Kaguya slammed her hand on the desk and shouted, "Can you stop nagging? Do I have to tell you about my period too? What are you, a pervert?"

"Huh?"

Her outburst drew the attention of everyone in the room. They turned their gazes toward Amon, their expressions shifting into ones of judgment and disbelief.

"Wow, he looks so proper, but who knew he was such a creep?"

"Really unexpected. I used to think he was a decent guy."

"Just goes to show—you never truly know someone."

"Though, to be fair, having such a gorgeous partner must be hard to resist."

"Wait, does that make you a pervert too?"

"Of course not! Hahaha... ha..."

Hearing the whispers and seeing the strange looks directed at him, Amon's face turned bright red. He awkwardly scratched his head, stammering, "Sorry, I didn't mean to... uh, my apologies. I'll leave you alone."

Amon fled in haste after finishing his apology.

"This guy is actually kind of funny," Kaguya murmured as she watched Amon retreat in embarrassment. Yet, she showed no remorse for teasing him. Holding her growling stomach, she slumped over the desk weakly. "So hungry... I'm going to starve to death."

...

At Anteiku coffee shop.

"What? You were attacked by ghouls last night?" Touka Kirishima exclaimed, her hands frozen mid-task. She looked at Yoriko with wide eyes. "Are you hurt?"

"Idiot, of course not! Otherwise, how would I be standing here?" Yoriko said smugly. "There's no way I'd let myself get eaten by ghouls!"

"Then what happened?" Touka asked, sitting down with a puzzled expression.

"Well, let me tell you a secret," Yoriko leaned toward Touka, glancing around cautiously as though sharing confidential information. In a hushed tone, she said, "I was rescued by a really amazing person!"

"An amazing person?" Touka's frown deepened.

"Yeah! At the time, I was scared to death. I thought for sure I was done for! Thinking back now still gives me chills," Yoriko patted her chest and sighed with relief. "But then, out of nowhere, they saved me. It was terrifying but incredible."

"I've told you before not to do anything dangerous, haven't I? Why don't you ever listen?" Touka scolded, her tone tinged with frustration. "If you want to learn to bake, you can do it at home. Why do you stay so late at the bakery?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Yoriko apologized quickly, trying to placate her friend. "I just lost track of time! And you know, I don't have all the materials at home. If I want to become the world's best baker, I need to seize every moment to practice."

Touka sighed heavily. "You're impossible."

"That person was so cool, though. I'm so envious. If only I could be as strong as them," Yoriko said dreamily, her eyes full of admiration. Then, she shook her head and waved her hands. "No, no, that's just wishful thinking. It's better to focus on becoming a baker—it's way more realistic."

"That person?" Touka asked curiously.

"It's such a pity," Yoriko said regretfully. "I wanted to ask their name, but something interrupted us. Now, I don't even know who they are. I really want to thank them properly."

"You can thank them the next time you meet," Touka said. "Didn't you say you made a new bread recipe that turned out great? You could give it as a thank-you gift."

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Yoriko said excitedly, leaning closer. "And guess what—I discovered a secret!"

"A secret?" Touka poured a cup of coffee, pushed it toward Yoriko, and sat down.

"The person who saved me last night might be the same person who saved me before!" Yoriko said with excitement.

"The same person?" Touka's body tensed almost imperceptibly, but she maintained a calm expression. "Why do you think that?"

"The scent. As a baker, having a good sense of smell is really important," Yoriko said, wiggling her index fingers on both sides of her face and winking. "Their scent was almost identical! I don't think I could be wrong."

"Could you have made a mistake?" Touka said hesitantly.

"No way!" Yoriko said confidently. "Everyone has a unique scent. Even the smallest differences are noticeable, and my sense of smell never lies."

Knock, knock, knock.

The clear sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.

"I'll get it," Touka said hastily, standing up and walking to the door.

Opening it with a smile, she began, "Welcome to—"

Her expression changed abruptly, darkening like a storm rolling in.

"You again?!" she said through gritted teeth, glaring at the person standing at the door.

"Hi there," Kaguya waved her hand with a playful smile and said, "Long time no see." Without waiting for a response, she started walking inside.

Touka stepped forward to block her path, letting out a cold snort. "Sorry, we don't welcome customers who eat without paying. And for the record, we just saw each other yesterday."

"Really? Haha, don't worry about such details," Kaguya chuckled awkwardly and leaned in. "I'll have the same as before—double vegetable sandwiches, a latte, and—"

"No way, absolutely not!" Touka crossed her arms in front of her chest, her expression unyielding. "You're not welcome here. You still haven't paid off your previous debt."

"You know, my paycheck hasn't been issued yet, and—" Kaguya rubbed her fingers together, shamelessly adding, "I'm a bit strapped for cash recently. Don't worry, I promise to pay double in the future. I swear on my honor."

"Your honor?" Touka sneered in disdain. "Do you even have something like that?"

"Don't be so heartless. We've known each other for a while now—we're practically friends. Can't you cut me a little slack?" Kaguya pleaded with a fawning smile.

"Sorry, I don't have friends who mooch off others," Touka retorted, turning her head with a snort.

As Kaguya and Touka bickered back and forth, a voice full of surprise suddenly called out from behind.

"It's you, isn't it?"

Kaguya froze at the sound of the familiar voice. Tilting her head, she glanced into the shop.

Behind Touka stood a golden-haired girl with an adorable face, looking at her with sheer delight—it was none other than Yoriko Kuroiwa from last night.

The moment Kaguya recognized her, she spun on her heels and walked away without a word.

You've got to be kidding me. Not this jinx again.

Yesterday, this girl had cost her tens of thousands of yen, reduced to worthless scraps. If she stuck around now, who knew what other misfortune might follow?

"Hey, hey, don't leave!" Yoriko chased after her in a flash, grabbing the hem of Kaguya's coat with a grin. "Since you're already here, why not come in and sit for a bit?"

"Ah, no thanks. I just remembered I have something else to do, so I'll pass," Kaguya replied in a dry tone.

"It's fine! Just for a little while. I didn't even get to thank you properly yesterday," Yoriko said cheerfully.

"Nothing good ever happens when I'm with you," Kaguya muttered, her eyelid twitching.

"Don't say that. It hurts my feelings," Yoriko pouted, hugging Kaguya's arm as she blinked up at her. "Hey, is your arm better already?"

Kaguya froze for a moment before smoothly pulling her arm back. "It's not healed yet. Don't touch it."

"I never thought we'd meet again here—it must be fate!" Yoriko exclaimed, clutching Kaguya's hand with excitement.

"Ha, then fate must really hate me," Kaguya quipped dismissively, still bitter about the lost tens of thousands of yen.

As the two continued their playful argument, neither noticed the unnatural expression on Touka's face. Her wide eyes betrayed disbelief, and her fingers were tightly intertwined in apparent unease.

Could this all really be a coincidence?

What exactly was this person's goal? Had they discovered something and deliberately approached this place?

Could it be...

As the thought crossed her mind, Touka's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition washed over her. If her suspicion was correct...

Cold sweat beaded on Touka's forehead.

No, she couldn't allow that to happen. Touka resolved silently to herself.

When Touka snapped out of her thoughts, she found two faces—Kaguya and Yoriko Kuroiwa—suddenly right in front of her, staring at her curiously. Startled, she took a step back.

"W-what are you doing?" Touka stammered, retreating another step.

"We saw you suddenly go quiet and thought something might have happened to you," Yoriko said worriedly. "Are you feeling sick? Or maybe you're too tired? If so, you should go home and rest."

"Maybe it's her time of the month," Kaguya teased, taking a few steps back in preparation to dodge.

Surprisingly, Touka didn't react as she usually would by punching her. Instead, she turned around and said softly, "A sandwich and coffee, right? Wait here. It'll be ready in a bit."

Without looking back, she headed toward the kitchen.

"What's with her?" Kaguya asked curiously. "Is she mad or something?"

"Probably not. Touka has a great personality; she wouldn't get angry so easily," Yoriko replied, shaking her head. "She's probably just tired lately."

She has a great personality?

Kaguya's mouth twitched. If Touka had a good personality, then there wouldn't be anyone left in the world with a bad one.

After leaving Anteiku and enjoying another free meal, Kaguya felt full and content—except for one thing: that jinx seemed to be clinging to her even more. Seeing Yoriko on the other side of the street waving enthusiastically confirmed it. What rotten luck to have run into her here.

Sure, Yoriko was cute, but the bad luck she brought wasn't worth it. Kaguya preferred to keep her distance. Who knew what misfortune might strike next time?

True to form, Kaguya hadn't walked far before someone blocked her path.

What did she just say? The jinx strikes again.

The person didn't utter a word and launched an attack immediately. In a flash, they closed the distance, swinging a fist at her face with the speed of a storm.

Kaguya quickly retreated, using her arms to block the flurry of rapid, fierce attacks.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The assailant moved with lightning speed, leaving afterimages in their wake. Each punch was precise and relentless, targeting vital spots with deadly intent. This wasn't a warning; the attacker clearly meant to kill.

Yet Kaguya didn't panic. Instead, a sly smile tugged at her lips.

Through her powerful vision-enhancing abilities, which she hadn't used for a long time, the identity of the attacker was laid bare—Touka Kirishima.

It seemed Touka's bond with her best friend Yoriko ran deep. Deep enough to ambush Kaguya in a dark alley to settle scores for her friend.

While Kaguya found their friendship touching, as pure as a blossoming lily1, she had no intention of letting herself be taken down without a fight.

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