The cool morning breeze ruffled Mina's dark hair as she froze in place. Semi Nishino was jogging closer—her golden ponytail bouncing with every step, music pulsing through her black cat-ear headphones. Without thinking, Mina gasped, grabbed Pipi's leash, and dove into a bush nearby.
Crunch.
Twigs poked her sides. Leaves tickled her neck.
"Mina?" Lume blinked into view, floating near the bush with wide, glowing eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Are you kidding me?" Mina whispered harshly, pulling a leaf out of her messy bangs. "How do you expect me to talk to her? She's... she's perfect! I can't just—what if I faint?!"
Lume crossed her tiny arms and tilted her head, looking completely unimpressed. "That's kind of the point. You need to step out of your comfort zone. That's how you'll grow. Or have you already given up on your wish?"
Mina sighed. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear—but from something stronger. "She's way too pretty... someone like her would never look at a nobody like me. I'm practically invisible."
They both peeked through the bush.
Semi had stopped near the center of the park, stretching. She lifted her arms over her head, her body glowing softly in the early sunlight, sweat glistening on her forehead. Mina's breath caught in her throat. Her legs turned to jelly just watching.
"Earth to Mina." Snap!
Lume clicked her tiny fingers in front of Mina's face.
She blinked rapidly. "Sorry. I was... distracted."
"That's why you need to do the task," Lume said seriously. "If you don't, you won't get your wish. No shortcuts."
Mina groaned. "Can't I just get another task?"
Lume shook her glowing head. "Nope."
"Fine, then... maybe I don't want to do any more tasks." She pushed her way out of the bush and brushed leaves from her arms. "I'm going home."
But Lume flew in front of her, arms spread like a glowing X. "You can't avoid it. I checked your data. You hate getting bad grades, remember? If you don't complete this quest, your state exam scores will drop."
Mina's jaw dropped. "Wait—what?!"
"You're linked to me now, remember?" Lume smirked. "Quests affect your stats. And right now, your 'academic performance' is on the line."
Mina groaned louder, dragging her hands down her face. "I knew I shouldn't have put this ring on..."
But even as she sulked, something inside her stirred. A tiny flicker of courage.
Pipi barked twice, wagging her tail as if to say "You've got this!"
With a deep breath, Mina stood up straighter and tightened her grip on the leash. "Fine. I'm doing it."
Lume brightened. Literally. She twirled in the air and created a glowing, invisible banner above Mina's head. It read:
You Got This, Girl! I Love You!
Little sparkles fell from the words like confetti. Lume started clapping, and even Pipi bounced on her paws in encouragement.
Mina felt a weird mix of horror and excitement.
Why do I feel like I'm about to enter a boss fight in a dating sim...?
Semi was still stretching, now doing jumping jacks, completely unaware of the chaos about to enter her personal space.
"Okay, okay..." Mina whispered, taking one step. Then another.
The world seemed to blur around her. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. Her throat went dry. Her hands started sweating.
"I'm really doing this. I'm walking up to Semi Nishino," she muttered to herself.
Lume floated beside her. "Confidence, girl. Confidence!"
Then—snap!
Lume flicked her fingers again.
Suddenly, a banana peel materialized on the sidewalk.
Before Mina could react—
Squish!
"Aah—!"
She slipped forward like a cartoon character, her arms flailing wildly. Pipi barked in alarm, tugging on the leash.
And then—THUD!
Mina crashed into Semi. They tumbled onto the grass in a heap of tangled limbs and startled gasps.
For a moment, everything froze.
Mina was sprawled on top of Semi Nishino. Their faces were only inches apart. She could see the tiny sparkle in Semi's violet eyes, smell her vanilla-scented perfume, feel the heat radiating off her skin.
Mina blinked.
Semi blinked.
Mina's lips parted as a goofy smile crept onto her face. "This is just like... in my dream..."
Semi furrowed her brows. "Um. Hello? Get off me?"
Reality hit Mina like a slap.
She yelped, scrambled up like a panicked crab, and extended her hand. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay? That was—uh—not what it looked like—!"
But Semi stood on her own, brushing grass from her pants. "You should watch where you're going next time."
Mina's face turned the color of ripe strawberries. She clutched Pipi's leash like it was a lifeline.
Semi turned to leave, but Mina's mouth moved before her brain could catch up.
"We—we go to the same school! Yorunaka High School!"
Semi paused. She turned halfway and looked back.
A soft smirk played on her lips. "Everyone in Yorunaka City goes to the same school."
Mina felt her soul leaving her body. Nice one, Mina. What a great line. Everyone goes there. So cool.
"I'm Mina," she added quickly, voice cracking a little. "Mina…."
Semi raised an eyebrow.
"I know," she said simply. "Your name is Mina Takane."
Then—she smiled.
Not a sarcastic smile. Not a mean-girl smirk. A real, gentle smile.
And just like that, she jogged away.
Mina stood frozen. Her heart felt like it had just grown wings.
She knows my name?
Not just my first name... but my full name?
Her fingers touched her chest. Her legs trembled. Her cheeks were on fire.
She turned to Lume with wide eyes.
"Did you see that?"
"I did, girl!" Lume beamed, floating higher. "She said your name like it was already stored in her heart!"
Mina let out a high-pitched squeal and bounced in place.
Pipi wagged her tail and barked twice, spinning in circles.
Then—ding!
A red screen appeared in front of her eyes.
Quest Complete!
Rewards:
+10 Popularity Points
+5 Confidence
Unlock: Confidence Boost
Points Earned: 30/100
Unlock Special Abilities at 100 Points
Mina couldn't stop grinning. Her entire body buzzed with a strange new energy.
Semi Nishino knows my name. She knows me.
For the first time in a long time, Mina Takane didn't feel invisible.
She felt seen.
And she had a feeling—this was just the beginning.