That Time My Anime Life Got Cursed by Outer Gods-Chapter 75 - 74: A Cursed Spirit in the Mirror

She slipped under the covers and fell asleep.

The figure in the mirror grinned wider.

The room filled with curse energy once more, this time unrestrained—but still unable to pierce the protective glow of the talisman.

The charm dimmed slightly.

At this rate, it wouldn't last more than two days.

---

The Next Morning

Shielded from the curse influence for the first time in weeks, Kasumigaoka Utaha slept soundly—peacefully. When she awoke, the fatigue that had clung to her for days had lifted.

She stretched gently, fingers brushing the talisman at her neck.

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Strange... she thought. Wasn't this a lighter color before?

She held it up, frowning. The charm's color had indeed dulled. But she shook her head, dismissed the thought, and got up to start her day.

---

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Shiro Sakamaki stirred.

The scent of lingering perfume clung faintly to the air. Yukinoshita Haruno was already gone.

He sat up, yawning. As he wandered into the living room, he spotted a bento on the table with a note tucked underneath it.

> "Shiro-kun, something urgent came up at the company, so I had to leave early. Remember to eat.

—Haruno"

Her company's address was scrawled at the bottom. Shiro snapped a quick photo of it and sent it to Machida Sonoko, then pocketed his phone.

After finishing breakfast, he grabbed his bag and stepped outside.

Just as he locked the door, he bumped into the Nakano quintuplets heading out for school. The timing was uncanny.

"Yo," he greeted casually.

They responded in their usual scattered harmony.

As they began walking, Shiro's gaze shifted to Miku, who looked even more tired than usual.

"Miku, you look like you fought off a home invasion last night. What happened?"

Her yawns were constant, her long hair a bit messy, her usually calm eyes barely open.

"Ah... that..." she mumbled, clearly dodging the truth. "I was just studying late. Lost track of time."

Playing a Sengoku war sim counts as historical research, she justified to herself.

But her sisters weren't buying it.

"Studying?" Itsuki blinked. "You hate studying."

As quintuplets, they knew each other's habits all too well. That excuse was not going to fly.

If they really studied that hard, their grades wouldn't be a constant disaster.

Miku puffed out her cheeks, grumbling, "You monster meat bun, stop talking with your mouth full!"

Itsuki, munching on a pork bun, retorted, "I just... eat a little more then others!"

Shiro watched them bicker with a mix of amusement and pity. He knew Miku was lying, but spared her the embarrassment and held his tongue.

---

They reached the school gates together.

The new semester had just started, and Shuchiin Academy was in full club recruitment mode. The hallway bulletin boards were plastered with colorful flyers and posters, each club trying to outshine the others.

Yotsuba's eyes sparkled. "Wow! So many clubs! Shuchiin really is something else!"

Nino folded her arms. "It'd be weird not to have this many. This is the top-tier school, after all."

Ichika tilted her head. "Hmm~ Is there any club you guys are thinking of joining?"

Shiro scanned the dense rows of announcements—sports, manga, gaming, music, literature, science, and more.

In his past life, growing up in the pressure-cooker education system of the East, there'd been no time for such luxuries. Every hour had been filled with homework or cram school. Clubs were dreams for kids in anime, not his reality.

Even in college, he hadn't joined any, focused on survival over social life.

But here, clubs at Shuchiin weren't just filler. Each was serious and well-funded. The student council enforced strict quality control, dissolving weak or fraudulent groups.

One particular flyer caught his eye.

"– Join our light music club! Weekly jam sessions and live performances!"

He smirked. Now that's more like it.

Still, none of them truly pulled at him.

Itsuki noticed his lingering gaze.

"Thinking of joining something?"

Shiro shrugged. "Nothing that really calls to me."

She nodded. "I'm joining the study club!"

Her determination surprised the others.

Ichika laughed. "Wow, look at you being all motivated."

Ultimately:

Shiro and Ichika decided not to join any clubs.

Nino signed up for the cooking club.

Yotsuba ran straight for the basketball club.

Miku stayed quiet but seemed interested in something.

Itsuki joined the study club, as promised.

And so, the semester began—with friendships deepening, secrets forming, and, unbeknownst to most... shadows stirring.

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