Akira and his friends were standing in front of the "Park of Encounters" when, out of nowhere, a wild bunny girl appeared.
Akira used his Mystic Eyes of Truth, and immediately realised that that girl was Sakurajima Mai, the main heroine from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.
As Akira was thinking about what to do about this, Selena's voice echoed telepathically in his mind. "So… what are you going to do, brother?"
Akira sighed. "Well, this has nothing to do with me. We can just quietly leave this place."
Selena's tone turned teasing. "Why not talk to her? Besides, we still need more data about how "Puberty Syndrome" works in this world. Wouldn't it be smart to investigate?"
Akira sighed. "I mean, I'm curious about Puberty Syndrome too, but I don't have the time. I still need to make those super food blocks and prepare before the mission starts. Besides, Sakuta can fix her problem anyway."
While he was busy talking telepathically, Shiro suddenly blurted out,
"Wait, wasn't that Sakurajima Mai? The famous actress?"
Erika blinked. "Yeah! It does look like her. But… what is she doing here, and in a bunny girl outfit of all things?"
Akira turned toward them. "Wait, you guys know that girl?"
Erika gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean by 'know'? She's a famous actress! Everyone knows her!"
"Really?" Akira muttered, genuinely confused, then realised. "Right... she was an actress in the anime too, he thought, but this is actually the first time I've heard about her here".
Erika sighed. "How could you not know about her?"
Akira shrugged. "Huh? Erika, I've been traveling the world, and even then, the only thing I usually watch is anime. Maybe some sci-fi or fantasy movies if I have time. I don't really bother with live-action stuff."
Everyone sighed in unison. Yeah, that sounded exactly like Akira.
"So," he said, brushing his hands, "if no one's going to ask for an autograph, can we go home? It's getting late."
But Seichirō narrowed his eyes. "Wait. Something about her feels off… It's like some kind of mana is surrounding her."
Iori nodded. "Yeah, I feel it too. It's almost like she's cursed, but it doesn't feel unnatural."
Akira glanced at her through his Mystic Eyes again and nodded. "You're right. It's like she's cursed by nature itself. I've never seen anything quite like this."
Erika said softly, "Then shouldn't we help her? She looks like she's in trouble."
Akira groaned. "Huh? Why do we have to get involved in this?"
"Because a girl's in danger!" Erika shot back. "It's the right thing to do, so go save her!"
"She's right," Selena added telepathically. "We don't even know if Sakuta exists in this world. It's better to save her while we can."
Akira sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine… let's all go together. You guys distract her, and I'll try to figure out what's affecting her."
Iori waved his hands quickly. "Wait! That's not a good idea. We might scare her. How about you go alone and talk to her?"
Akira frowned. "Why? This makes no sense. At least one of you could come with me."
Iori smirked. "Because it's more entertaining that way and I want to see how good your communication skills really are."
Everyone, including Erika, nodded in agreement. It was always funny to see the usually confident Akira struggle with normal social interactions.
Akira sighed deeply. "Fine."
He snapped his fingers. A dark sphere of magic enveloped him, and when it faded, he was wearing a black trench coat, a fedora hat, and sunglasses. Looking like a secret agent from an old movie.
Iori blinked. "Oh, A new magic?"
"Yeah," Akira said proudly. "Costume Change Magic. Helps when you need an urgent wardrobe change."
Erika asked, "But… why a detective outfit?"
"You'll see," Akira said dramatically, walking toward the bunny girl in slow motion.
Sakurajima Mai sat quietly on the swing, lost in thought. Her expression was distant and troubled.
Was she really… disappearing?
Her heart felt heavy, and the world around her had grown quiet, too quiet.
Sakurajima Mai was a famous actress, a name known in every household. She began her career at the age of six. After landing the lead role in a drama, her popularity skyrocketed. Films, TV shows, commercials, her face was everywhere. She had enjoyed the spotlight despite the pressure it brought, but it all came crashing down when her mother, who also happened to be her agent, forced her into a swimsuit photoshoot in ninth grade against her wishes.
That was when Mai decided to quit acting and take a break. She joined high school midway through the year, but by then, all the social circles were already formed. She became the odd one out; she was never bullied, but was avoided. Her classmates didn't know how to deal with a celebrity, and slowly, it felt like she was fading from everyone's world, as everyone in school chose to ignore her.
At first, she didn't mind the peace. But soon, she realized something was wrong. Even outside school, people would pass by as if she didn't exist. No matter how loudly she spoke, they simply didn't see her, as though she were invisible.
To test the limits of this strange phenomenon, she wore something outrageous, a bunny girl costume, and went out in public, expecting shocked reactions. Yet, nobody noticed. Not a single glance.
Eventually, she found this park. It was quiet, almost empty, and for reasons she couldn't explain, the swing seemed to call out to her. She sat down, and everything she'd been holding in, the stress, her mother's pressure, the loneliness, all came crashing down at once.
As she thought about her situation, the air suddenly shifted. The afternoon sky dimmed, clouds gathering as if a storm were about to break. A chill breeze swept through the park, rustling the trees.
Then suddenly.
A calm, almost amused voice cut through the wind. "Oh? A bunny girl sitting in a park? Now that's something you don't see every day."
Startled, Mai looked up. Standing before her was a young man in a black trench coat, black fedora, and sunglasses. He looked like a secret agent straight out of a spy movie. But what unsettled her more was how suddenly he had appeared. She hadn't heard his footsteps… hadn't even noticed him approach.
"Who… who are you?" she asked cautiously.
The man's voice was calm, mysterious. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is—you're in danger."
"D-Danger?" she repeated, confused.
"That curse affecting you," he said, glancing at her with an odd intensity. "It's something even I've never seen before. It's only at the beginning stage right now. But if left alone, it'll grow worse."
Mai froze. "Curse…?"
He sighed. "Yes, I'd love to examine it more closely, but I'm kind of busy today." He raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, a card appeared in his hand as if from thin air.
"Here," he said, handing it to her. "My contact information. Call me when you need help."
Without thinking, Mai accepted it instinctively, and the man turned to leave.
"Wait!" she called out. "Who are you, really?"
He stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "I'm a Spirit Detective. My job is to maintain the balance between worlds until fate crosses our paths again, Bunny girl."
A gust of wind swept through, carrying dust and fallen leaves. Mai blinked to shield her eyes, and when she opened them again, the man was gone.
As if he had never been there at all.
The clouds parted. The warm afternoon sunlight returned, leaving Mai alone once more in the park, holding a mysterious card that shimmered faintly in her hand.