The light turned green, and Yamashita started crossing. As Misato watched him walk away, her face fell without her even realizing it.
But why…? I know I followed all the instructions…
Maybe the 5151 spell didn’t actually work?
While Misato wallowed in disappointment, she started to cross the street.
“Oh, right, Taniguchi,” Yamashita suddenly said, as though he’d just remembered something. He looked over at Misato. “Are you free this Sunday?”
“Sunday? I have club in the morning, but I don’t have anything in the afternoon…”
“In that case, want to head to an anime shop with me after club is over? I want to buy Princess of Tennis merch, then we can eat cake after. It’ll be my treat, of course.”
Huh? An anime shop? And even cake?!
When Yamashita suggested that out of nowhere, Misato looked all around.
“Uh, um, you mean just the two of us?” she asked.
“Yeah, of course. If you don’t want us to be alone, then you can invite another friend, too.”
“Oh, no! I’m fine with just us two!” Misato said in a hurry.
This…this is a date, isn’t it? Then Yamashita just asked me out on a date?! I did it! I’ve really done it!
The love spell really had worked.
Misato kept yelling in her head to herself over and over again, It’s happening! She was getting excited.
“What?! You liked Yamashita this whole time, Misato?!”
It was break time.
Misato had gone to the classroom next door to see Nanami and to tell her about what had happened that morning. Nanami was surprised that Misato’s crush was someone she knew.
“I used both the kamisama e-mail and the 5151 spell to finally get a date with him!”
Misato explained how she’d used the two love spells.
“Right, I hadn’t even thought of trying that.”
“Isn’t it brilliant?!”
“Yeah, it is. Now spring has finally come for you, too!”
“Spring?”
“They say spring comes for people who are in love. You’re going to be so happy, Misato!”
“Yeah, thank you!”
Misato really was filled with happiness now that her wish had finally come true.
That evening.
Misato had finished tennis club and was on her way home when she decided to make a detour to Kayo’s house. She wanted to let Kayo know that the love spell had worked for her.
Half of the credit should go to Kayo, after all! Misato thought as she walked up to Kayo’s house, but when she got there, she saw Kayo talking to a boy at the front gate.
It wasn’t the tall high school boy from last time. Instead, it was a young boy of average height wearing red clothes and a red hood over his head.
“Oh, Misato! Perfect timing.” Kayo waved Misato down as soon as she noticed her.
The boy next to her turned to look at Misato, too. Under his hood, she could see that his skin was pale and he had large and clear eyes, a straight nose, and handsome but thin lips.
He seemed closer to Misato’s age and maybe in middle school.
Who is he? I don’t think he goes to my school.
As Misato was thinking, Kayo said, “He’s looking into the love spell.”
“Looking into it?” Misato cocked her head quizzically.
The boy asked her, “Do you know anything about it? She told me about the 5151 love spell, but apparently, there’s one more going around town, too.”
“Do you mean the kamisama e-mail?” Misato said without thinking anything of it. This earned her an intense stare from the boy.
“You know about it, then?”
His eyes looked serious.
Even though Misato was shaken by his expression, she still answered, “I don’t just know about it. I actually used it. Oh, and I used the 5151 spell that you taught me on the same person, Kayo!”
“You did what?!” the boy suddenly shouted. “You used both methods on one person?!”
“Y-yeah… I did…”
“Do you know what you’ve done?”
The boy narrowed his large eyes and glared at her.
“What do you mean by that?!”
“When you use two spells in combination, you’re in for trouble.”
“What?!”
“You’ve mixed two spells that were never supposed to have been used together.”
Misato felt a shiver go down her spine. Kayo quickly intervened when she saw the state Misato was in.
“What happens when you use them both?!”
The boy simply looked at Kayo, his eyes still narrowed.
“Anyone who mixes the two spells…” At that point, the boy paused.
“What happens?” Kayo nervously asked.
“Anyone who mixes the two spells will face misfortune,” the boy said, looking straight at Kayo.
“Misfortune?”
“Kayo, I…” Misato was suddenly scared and gripped Kayo’s sleeve.
“It’ll be okay. There’s no way that’s true.”
When Kayo realized Misato was afraid, she gave her a gentle smile.
“Do you think it’s funny to scare a girl?” Kayo tried to scold the boy, but he’d already disappeared. “Huh? Where’d he go?”
“What? He’s gone.”
Right when they’d taken their eyes off him, he’d disappeared.
Misato and Kayo searched for him, but in the end, they were never able to find him.
The next day.
As Misato was on her way to school, she remembered what the boy had said the day before.
“Anyone who mixes the two spells will face misfortune.”
I wonder what will happen to me. I’m kind of freaked out…
Right after their encounter, Kayo had told her the boy was just trying to mess with them, but Misato was unconvinced. His eyes had looked serious, and she doubted he was lying.
But how did he know so much about the spells…?
She had no idea who he was, but it seemed as though he knew a lot more about the spells than either she or Kayo did. As Misato mulled that over, she reached the intersection with the glasses sign. Yamashita was also at the edge of the intersection and waiting for the light to turn. When he noticed her, he smiled.
“Yamashita!”
Misato’s worries were all behind her as she ran over to Yamashita.
Buzz, buzz.
Then, suddenly, her phone started to vibrate.
“Who would call me this early?” Misato stopped and pulled her phone out of her bag.
She saw she’d gotten a message, but the sender field was blank.
“What is this?”
Misato opened the message, curious about what she would find.
Then…
“θ#&※$♂?;ʃʃ☆♯※#&※$◇￥#&※”
The message was in characters she couldn’t understand at all.