I really didn’t want to lead Ultra Star astray
Chapter 18 - Sakurajima Mai

Chapter 18: Sakurajima Mai

“Why did it take you so long?”

Asagi, seated on a chair, asked casually—perhaps he had been so captivated by some girl he couldn’t walk away.

“Yeah, the girl selling ice cream was really cute.”

Luo Yun handed her an ice cream, teasing as he spoke.

“…If you were actually into girls, you wouldn’t have been so unbothered all this time.”

Asagi looked at him incredulously, then quickly realised she’d said too much. She shifted the topic, taking small licks of the ice cream to cover her misstep.

The ice cream stand wasn’t that far—within plain sight, in fact.

With Asagi’s personality, she’d probably watched him buy it the whole time.

And yet, even so, she hadn’t noticed Sakurajima Mai dressed as a bunny girl.

“So it really is that only I can see her?”

Luo Yun pondered silently.

“In the end, it’s because you’re hopeless with women that I feel sorry for you. That’s why I agreed to hang out with you like this.”

Lan Yu Asagi stood up from her chair, full of spirit.

“Alright, let’s head somewhere else next!”

Luo Yun and Asagi continued their outing, strolling through the amusement park and the shopping mall outside. After buying her a small gift, they wrapped up their “date” as dusk settled in.

“Next time, it’s my treat. Can’t keep letting you spend so much on me.”

Asagi stood at the intersection, bidding Luo Yun goodbye.

Then she glanced at her phone.

“Ah, crap! It’s this late already? I’ve got to get to work—fast!”

Asagi mimed typing in midair, as if hammering away at a cash register, though in reality, the security department of Itogami Island wasn’t somewhere ordinary people could just waltz into.

“Work really does seem rough.”

“Of course! I am a genius programmer, you know! Bye-bye!”

Watching her retreating figure, Luo Yun relaxed his slightly weary body.

Shopping with a girl really was exhausting.

But instead of heading home straightaway—well, it was the weekend after all—he didn’t mind lingering out a bit longer. That month wouldn’t say much about it.

Still, rather than kill time alone, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

Like the issue with Sakurajima Mai.

The area in which she remained unseen was expanding—so solving her situation had become urgent. Otherwise, based on the original story, her existence would eventually be erased from the world completely. Even her family would forget her.

Luo Yun had two reasons for intervening. One, because Sakurajima Mai’s case was a storyline mission—resolving it would grant him not only social recognition points but also one chance at a fate-designated reward.

The other reason—call it hypocrisy if one must—was the feeling he’d had when he once watched her story unfold on screen. Luo Yun couldn’t stand the thought of her vanishing without a trace.

“Alright then… where would she go next?”

Just as Luo Yun began scanning the surroundings, trying to locate her, a curious voice suddenly sounded behind him.

“Are you looking for me?”

He turned around to find the girl—now dressed in a school uniform with long black hair falling straight down.

A light beige sailor outfit, a blue collar at the neck, and a sky-blue plaid skirt that barely covered her hips—it fit her well but seemed a few sizes too small.

New school uniforms were usually loose. Most girls altered their skirts for style. But in Mai’s case, it looked less like tailoring and more like shrinking.

“You’ve been following me?”

Luo Yun asked, surprised.

“No. I walked around a bit after leaving the amusement park and just happened to spot you.”

Sakurajima Mai held several convenience store bags, filled with small items and food.

“People here can still see me, so I figured I should stock up while I can.”

Her words gave Luo Yun some reassurance. Things hadn’t gotten completely out of hand yet—though the situation was still far from optimistic.

“Also… from the look on your face, you seem to know what’s happening to me?”

“More or less.”

Luo Yun’s reply made Sakurajima Mai pause.

She hadn’t expected such a direct answer from a casual question. Her eyes lit up slightly, a flicker of hope appearing in their depths.

Luo Yun did, in fact, understand the situation. In the original story, this was a condition known as Adolescence Syndrome. The solution had always been a bit delicate, though.

After a moment of silence between them, Sakurajima Mai said, “This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s find somewhere to sit.”

In truth, her invitation was a kind of compromise.

No one wanted to simply disappear. And for someone like her—whose desire to exist was stronger than most—it was even harder to accept.

A theme park filled with thousands of people, and only Luo Yun could see her. In him, the girl saw a glimmer of hope.

Soon, Sakurajima Mai led Luo Yun to a quiet café.

Yes—it was the same antique café he had visited earlier with Asagi.