That evening.
"So soon and you already found a client?"
Mukuro, who was planning to walk home with Nanami, stopped at the classroom door. Standing there, waiting for them, was Mei Mei.
"Not exactly a client, but I did find someone troubled by a curse," she answered, twirling her finger. "Information is money, Zenin-kun~"
Her ability allowed her to sense things even while sitting in class. She always knew when and where something unusual was happening outside. In other words, she could pinpoint potential customers.
She waved her hand, and the two boys trailed after her like little followers.
* * *
The three of them weaved through alleyways near the school and finally stopped before a tall building.
Unlike what the boys had imagined, despite the area seeming rather secluded, after they emerged they found themselves in a bustling, open space where Teitan Elementary uniforms could be seen everywhere.
"What heavy resentment..." Nanami was the first to speak in surprise. He could see faint waves of malevolent energy drifting out of the building. Having only seen a few weak, Fly Head curses before, this was much stronger than anything he'd encountered.
"Students hate extra study," Mei Mei said calmly. "Especially when it eats into their free time. It's only natural for resentment to build up here. Besides, this place used to be a well-known cram school among parents."
"No way. A cram school?!" Nanami's eyes twitched as if he'd heard the scariest word in the world. To him, free time after school was sacred. Being forced into after-class tutoring was unbearable. If not for wanting to hone his abilities, he wouldn't be here at all.
"Come on. Time to do business." Mei Mei stepped in without hesitation, ignoring the suffocating aura.
Once inside, Nanami staggered. His body felt heavy, as if invisible weights had been thrown over his shoulders.
"Why… do I feel so drained?" he muttered.
"It's the curse's influence," Mukuro told him, pointing at the girl ahead. "Look at her. Try using cursed energy. You'll be fine."
Nanami followed his finger. Mei Mei walked casually, not the slightest bit affected. Looking carefully, he could see a faint flow of cursed energy around her.
He frowned, trying to stir up irritation to spark his own energy, but nothing happened. His cursed energy refused to respond.
"If you can't move your energy, that means you'll be working overtime," Mukuro said offhandedly.
"I'm not working overtime!" Nanami snapped.
When he said it, his cursed energy burst out of him.
"It worked?!" He stared at his hands. The energy that usually felt so sluggish was suddenly obeying him. The heavy fatigue that had dragged him down vanished.
Still, the energy flow was uneven, surging one moment and fading the next. It gave him a frustrating feeling, like trying to force something out but being blocked halfway.
"Cursed energy comes from emotions," Mukuro explained. "But different emotions affect how much you can control it and how much you lose. A sorcerer knows how to manage that."
His eyes shifted toward Mei Mei. "She does it quite well."
"Thanks for the praise," she replied with a slight smile. "But compared to you, Zenin-kun, I'm still behind. Even standing this close, I can't feel any energy from you."
She tossed out her doubt in the form of polite flattery. Normally, when cursed energy wasn't being used, it was fine not to notice it. But in a place filled with such heavy resentment, was he really not using any to clear away the fatigue?
Mukuro just shrugged. "I'm special."
The three of them then climbed to the second floor, where the main classrooms of the cram school were located.
The hallway was infested. Misshapen curses swarmed like insects, filling the corridor wall to wall. Some were basic Fly Heads, others looked like overgrown mosquitoes, but all of them were small in size and weak in energy.
"I don't want to study…"
"I'm so tired…"
Complaints like these whispered from their mouths, circling around the three children's ears.
Usually, curses of this level only affected people when attached directly to them. But there were so many gathered in one place that the resentment itself spread through the air, strong enough to exhaust anyone nearby.
"So this was the weight I felt earlier? But… there are way too many!" Nanami's eyes widened. He hadn't seen a like this swarm before. Just counting the ones visible to the eye, there were already dozens.
"And that's not all," Mei Mei added, trying to stay calm though a bead of sweat slid down her temple. "The classrooms are full too. So, can we take this job or not?"
Even she would struggle if the swarm retaliated. They were, after all, still elementary kids who had only recently awakened their abilities. Their energy was limited.
"Because they're weak, they like to gather," Mukuro's voice stayed level. "The weaker the curse, the more it seeks a crowd."
He looked completely unbothered.
"Good. If you're that confident, then maybe we can discuss business." Mei Mei put on a professional smile as she led them to an office door. She raised her hand and gave a light knock.
It swung open, revealing a tired woman with dark rings under her eyes. She squinted at them.
"Hm? You kids are here so early. School only just ended, didn't it? Go grab some food first. Cram class hasn't started yet…" She yawned and turned back to her desk, fatigue written all over her face.
"We're here to help you!" Mei Mei strode to her desk and placed both hands firmly on it.
The woman blinked. "Help me? What could a few elementary school kids possibly do? And I don't have any problems."
"Really?" Mei Mei tilted her head. "Every time you step into this building recently, don't you feel drained? Students leaving because of it?"
The woman froze, then she forced a smile. "That's not a problem at all. It's just a lack of rest. You've got the wrong person."
"This place used to tutor many students, didn't it?" Mei Mei pressed. "Your results gave you a good reputation, but if things keep going like this, you might close down because no customers stick around."
"Fine, tell me. How exactly would you help?" The woman leaned back and started spinning a pen between her fingers. She looked at the three children with mild interest.
"One hundred thousand yen. For that price, we'll solve the mysterious fatigue problem plaguing this building," Mei Mei stated firmly.
At that, Nanami's jaw nearly hit the floor. Mukuro didn't flinch.
The woman, however, exploded. "What?! A hundred thousand? Kids these days are unbelievable. Instead of studying, you think up scams like this? Get out of here!"
That sum was equivalent to the tuition of several students. She wasn't about to throw it away.
Mei Mei didn't look bothered. She turned toward the door. "This is just the first offer. When you come for us later, the price will be higher."
She walked out gracefully without looking back, the boys following.
* * *
"Wasn't that too expensive?" Nanami asked on the way, rubbing his chin.
"Not at all," Mukuro responded. "If a real sorcerer handled it, the cost would be far more. But for ordinary people who know nothing, yes, it sounds high."
He glanced at Mei Mei.
"I told you we'd start simple," she said with sly grin. "This one's actually the toughest of the potential clients I've found. We only came here today to show our faces, so later we can raise the price. Our real customer is someone else."
Her voice carried the easy confidence of someone who believed everything was under control.
**
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