Chapter 2: The Protagonist Meets a Crazy TS Girl

"Nagisa-kun."

A sweet, gentle voice reaches him—one that seeps into his ears, as if invading his very mind.

In front of him stands a girl drenched in blood. Her silver hair sways, parting just enough to reveal blue eyes beneath. The corners of her lips are slightly raised; despite wounds that look unquestionably fatal, she smiles as though she’s enjoying herself.

"Come on, wake up, Nagisa-kun. You’re our hero, after all."

"Heh… heh…"

The girl lets out a soft, amused giggle as she speaks. Even as she does, blood continues to pour steadily from the gaping wound in her chest.

I have to heal her… but how?

His thoughts refuse to come together. He has to save the girl right in front of him, and yet—

The girl presses a hand to her chest. Her expression twists in pain, but her smile never fades.

"Hehe… ahaha. Maybe now… you’ll remember me."

He doesn’t understand what she means. And yet, somehow, he knows those words were meant for him.

"—Starting today, you’re a hero."

Then, the girl collapses limply.

He grabs her shoulder. She doesn’t move at all. That’s strange—she’s still so warm.

The shoulder beneath his hand feels unnaturally soft.

—He jolts upright with a gasp.

Sweat runs down his body. His heart pounds violently, thump-thump, refusing to slow.

"A dream… huh…"

The words leave him dryly. The smell of blood, the sensation of touching her—it all felt disturbingly real.

"…That was a weird dream."

He gets up, prepares for the morning, and heads to school.

For a moment, the girl from his dream resurfaces in his thoughts. She felt familiar somehow… and yet, she should have been a stranger. Even so, her voice is burned deeply into his memory.

"Come on, wake up, Nagisa-kun. You’re our hero, after all."

Dreaming about a blood-soaked girl calling out to you… just how stressed do you have to be?

He exhales heavily, then takes a deep breath. He needs to set the dream aside. Reality demands more of him.

By the time he arrives at school and opens the classroom door, everything is as usual. His classmates chat casually, and he takes his seat.

His gaze drifts to the hallway visible through the window—and stops.

A small girl stands there.

She’s beautiful. Smooth, jet-black hair, a slender neck, pale skin. She looks so delicate, as if she might vanish if touched.

It’s not that he’s staring because she’s pretty.

It’s just that she resembles the girl from his dream.

"Nagisa-kun."

That same soft, invasive voice echoes in his mind—even though her hair and eye color are completely different.

"Yo, what’re you looking at, Nagisa?"

"Oh—nothing."

Kanzaki, the guy next to him, calls out, and he quickly brushes it off to hide the fact that he was staring.

"…Still, it’s about time for us too, huh?"

"For what?"

"Connectors. Don’t you think we’ve got way too much responsibility?"

Kanzaki speaks with a serious expression. It’s only natural—this is how things are.

A Connector is someone who supports Curse Seekers. They can enhance abilities and even provide healing.

Because of that, the team leader usually ends up being the Connector. Since they don’t directly participate in combat, they’re expected to oversee everything and give instructions.

…That’s a heavy responsibility.

"Even so, it doesn’t feel real yet. Fighting Deep Curses already, huh…"

"Yeah… I don’t really feel it either."

Deep Curses—enemies that suddenly appeared in this world.

Creatures that once destroyed entire urban areas, reducing them to rubble… can they really win against something like that?

No one voices those doubts. There’s no point.

Today, the school assigns them into teams—teams meant to fight the Deep Curses from now on.

More than the battles themselves, he’s worried about whether the team will function properly.

They’re supposed to gather after school, but he’s been too distracted to focus all day.

…Was he always this sensitive?

He knows the real reason.

It’s the dream.

Maybe forming a team today has made him more on edge than usual.

Each team has its own room, so he heads to the one assigned to them.

No one else is there yet. Looks like he’s the first to arrive.

"Huh? Someone’s already here?"

As he sits down, someone enters almost immediately—a girl with red hair tied back.

"Oh, hi there. You’re the Connector, right?"

"Yeah. I’m Shinozaki—"

"No need for names. Well, I guess it’d be confusing if I didn’t say mine, huh? I’m Kurokawa Kisa. Nice to meet you."

He tries to introduce himself, but she cuts him off.

…She seems cheerful, but there’s a slight distance in the way she speaks.

At a glance, she looks like a normal girl—but she’s also a Curse Seeker, one of those who fight the Deep Curses.

"…Excuse me."

The next to arrive is a sharp-featured beauty.

Long blue hair flows down her back. She’s beautiful—but gives off a cold impression, like she’s radiating a clear “don’t come near me” aura.

"I’m Kotozuka Reina. Pleased to meet you."

That’s all she says before moving to the far side of the room.

"Uh… this person here is the Connector—"

"I know."

"And I’m Kurokawa Kisa."

"…I see."

Kurokawa tries to keep the conversation going, but gets nothing in return.

When he considers stepping in, Reina shoots him a sharp glare.

…Ouch. Maybe she already dislikes me.

"Hang in there!"

"Haha… thanks…"

Even Kurokawa’s encouragement feels a little distant—almost like she’s avoiding him too.

…Waiting in this atmosphere is painfully awkward.

—Slide.

The door opens.

The last member has arrived.

A small girl with black hair and pale skin—the same girl he had seen in the hallway earlier.

Their eyes meet.

The corners of her lips lift. Her cheeks soften as she breaks into a loose, almost goofy smile.

An angelic smile.

She says nothing, simply walking straight toward him.

And somehow, that alone feels unsettling.

She stops right in front of him, then quietly murmurs—

"Nagisa-kun."

It’s the exact same voice from his dream.

That soft voice that seeps into his mind.

His heart begins to pound violently. That blood-soaked sensation nearly resurfaces.

"Let’s get along from now on."

He can’t bring himself to properly look at her face as she speaks.

◇◇◇

"Alright then, let’s begin the ‘Make Everyone Love Nagisa-kun Plan’! Yay!"

Akegami Yuri’s voice rings through the team room.

Written boldly on the whiteboard behind her are the words: “Make Everyone Love Nagisa-kun Plan.”

"…Um, what is this?"

"I mean, it’s exactly what it sounds like—the ‘Make Everyone Love Nagisa-kun Plan.’"

Akegami tilts her head slightly, as if to say, Isn’t it obvious?

…She had seemed mysterious before, but maybe she’s even stranger than he thought.

As he wonders whether Akegami might be the same girl from his dream, she suddenly grabs the other two by the hands and starts chanting, "Go, go, let’s do this!" pumping herself up.

At this point, he has no idea what’s going on anymore.

Today was only supposed to be a simple introduction meeting.

Nothing more.

Yet just as things were wrapping up and it felt like they were about to leave, Akegami stopped them—and this is what followed.

She sits down and crosses her legs.

"I think you already realize this, Nagisa-kun, but… we’re not exactly close, are we?"

"…That’s true."

"I like you, though."

She lets out a soft, amused chuckle.

His heart skips a beat.

…That’s a joke, right?

They only met today.

And she knew his name before introductions…

Had they met somewhere before?

"I only said I find you likable, and you’re freezing up this much? Nagisa-kun, were you bullied or something…?"

As he stays silent, she lowers her brows slightly, feigning concern.

…No, she knows exactly what she’s doing.

Her eyes are smiling.

She’s just enjoying teasing him.

Maybe he shouldn’t take her too seriously.

For now, he decides to ignore it and move on.

"…So, what exactly is this plan?"

"Well, just like the name says—it’s about everyone getting along with you, Nagisa-kun. For example, like this—"

She suddenly leans closer.

Her hand reaches for his, overlapping it.

When he instinctively tries to pull away, she catches his hand, her fingers intertwining with his.

A soft warmth fills his palm.

"Like holding hands, for example."

Her voice is strangely heated.

He should be able to pull away immediately—but his head feels hazy, and he can’t move.

His face grows hot. His heart pounds faster and faster.

Warmth spreads slowly from her hand.

Unlike the girl in his dream, this is the unmistakable warmth of a living person.

"Hehe…"

Akegami smiles faintly and releases his hand.

That bewitching smile leaves him frozen, as if his heart has been seized.

For that brief moment, it feels like his mind itself has been taken over.

"Okay, that was a bit much—but you get it, right? We all need to get along."

"…Um, yeah. I get it… I think."

The heat in his face fades, but his heartbeat hasn’t settled.

His reply comes out awkward.

Akegami watches him with narrowed, amused eyes.

"Hehe, sorry. But I really do want you to get along with everyone."

"You seem pretty fixated on that."

…Though, to be fair, he’s also worried about being disliked.

"—Because no one wants to die, right?"

"…Well…"

"At the very least, make sure you can use Connect Link with everyone, okay?"

“Connect Link”—the power of a Connector.

It allows them to heal Curse Seekers and amplify their abilities.

It’s not hard to imagine how much that could affect survival.

"So, you see? I need everyone on the team to fall in love with you, Nagisa-kun."

"…Does it really have to go that far?"

She sounds serious for a moment—then immediately slips back into her playful tone.

He really can’t figure her out.

"Hmm… well, if it’s only halfway, that means I get to keep you all to myself. That might be nice."

"…Right."

"Ahaha, you ignored me."

That smile, at least, isn’t teasing—it’s open and carefree.

In that moment, she just seems like a normal girl their age.

"Alright then! Starting tomorrow, let’s give it our all with the ‘Make Everyone Love Nagisa-kun Plan’! Go!"

…Her energy might be a little off, though.