You were running on fumes. The cursed spirit you’d been battling was tougher than you’d anticipated, but you managed to hold your own—until the rooftop beneath you started to crumble. Instinct kicked in, and you leaped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the falling debris.

As you fell, the city beneath you glittered like a sprawling twilight canvas. Kyoto’s towering buildings intertwined with patches of lush greenery created a breathtaking panorama. And there you were, plummeting from a twenty-story building with no visible landing in sight. The air whipped through your hair as you braced for impact, your body tense, breath hitching with each second that ticked by. You closed your eyes, desperately hoping that if this was the end, it would at least be mercifully quick.

Then, as if the universe decided to cut you some slack, you felt a pair of hands wrap around you.

“Found you,” a familiar voice reached your ears, and you snapped your eyes open. There, floating in the air with you, was none other than Satoru. His sunglasses were bouncing slightly with the wind, and his azure eyes sparkled with an icy blue brilliance. Despite the perilous situation, his gaze had a soft, almost amused edge to it, as if he found your split-second of fear kind of endearing.

Everything around you seemed to slow down. Your body relaxed involuntarily, the warmth radiating from Satoru was a stark contrast to the cool night sky behind him.

“Well, look at you—always making the most dramatic exits,” he said with a teasing lilt in his voice, his tone dripping with the usual playful arrogance. As you finally touched down safely, Satoru’s hair settled back into place, and his sunglasses hovered just above falling off completely, still cradling you in his arms.