Risa woke when her phone alarm chimed at six. The sound was soft, almost polite, but it still felt like an intrusion. She lay on her bed for a moment. Staring at the ceiling. Listening to the quiet apartment breathe. Outside, the day was starting whether she liked it or not.

  She got up. The floor was cold. That woke her the rest of the way.

  The bathroom light showed her a familiar face. Awake but already tired. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm, steam creeping up the walls. When she stepped under it, she let herself believe, just for a minute, that the day might go smoothly. That nothing would go wrong.

  By the time she dried off and dressed, the feeling was gone.

  She checked her phone while sitting on the edge of the bed. The message was short. Disappointing. No explanation. She dropped the phone beside her and stood up, jaw tight.

  She chose black. Skirt. Blouse. Boots. Clothes that made her feel put together, even if she wasn’t. In the mirror, she looked fine. Confident, even. But her eyes told the truth.

  There was a knock.

  She checked the peephole. Ryoichiro stood there, shifting his weight.

  “Ryo-chan, you’re early,” she called.

  “W-well, you said ten,” he stammered.

  She smiled when she opened the door. The kind of smile you use to keep things moving.

  They ate breakfast at a family restaurant on the corner. The kind of place that smelled like syrup and old coffee. Outside, kids played in the park. Cars rolled past. Everything worked the way it was supposed to.

  Risa took a bite of pancakes. “Don’t feel bad but… I’ve got bad news.”

  Ryoichiro waited.

  “You know, the guy I told you about… he’s umm… kinda out of town,” she said. “But I think I know where to get the talisman.”

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  He nodded, then frowned. “What about the anchor? The personal item.”

  She chewed. Swallowed. “Probably something tied to someone important.”

  He touched the ring on his finger. “My mom gave me this.”

  She saw the look in his eyes and didn’t push.

  “I-I wish I could tell her,” he said, “all about this…”

  Risa watched him carefully. “You’re handling this,” she said. “You’re doing fine.”

  He wasn’t convinced.

  They lingered after the meal. Ryoichiro glanced at her, then looked away.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he said. “Just glad you’re dressed normal.”

  She smirked. “Oh, I thought you were having some naughty thoughts about me.”

  Ryoichiro turned bright red. “Wha- No way! I would never —”

  “It's alright. You don't have to explain,” Risa interrupted, her tone playful. “I don't blame you. After all, you're looking at the cutest girl in the world.” She gave him a teasing smile. “Besides, I only wore the warding because Ed could be a magnet for spirits. Meme-san told me he has a spirit familiar and can see other otherworldly entities because of it. She mentioned that if those spirits knew you could see them, they'd try to contact you, asking for help or something.”

  Risa dug her makeup pouch out of her bag and went to work on her face, quick and practiced, like it was something she’d done a thousand times in worse places than this.

  “And if something bad decides to show up,” she said, not looking at him, “who’s to say it won’t stick to me?”

  She snapped the compact shut after one last look, satisfied, like the mirror had told her what she wanted to hear.

  “So one of them could be latched on to me?” Ryoichiro asked, fear in his eyes.

  Risa put her makeup pouch back and joked, “What's worse than the one latching on to you right now?”

  Ryoichiro's face turned from fear to annoyance. “Not funny, Risa-chan. That is never funny.”

  “I know, I know, I'm sorry. I'm just realizing it now. Sorry, Ryo-chan!” Risa's tone was earnest but slightly amused.

  Ryoichiro still looked annoyed.

  “Really, I'm sorry,” Risa said, a hint of insincerity in her voice. “Here, here. You can take this. Those monk prayer beads I wear because they're stylish anyway. I also got this bracelet if you like.” She showed off her accessories.

  “No, I'm fine,” Ryoichiro said, tensing up.

  Risa, in an adorable way, held her hands out in forgiveness. “I really mean it, Ryo-chan.” She excused herself and got up from the chair.

  “Bathroom break.”

  Ryoichiro rubbed his ring again. His thoughts went dark. Same place they always went.

  Then the window exploded.

  Glass flew inward. A baseball slammed past his head and hit metal with a sound like a gunshot. Someone screamed.

  Chaos followed fast. Too fast.

  A waitress slipped. Trays fell. The floor turned slick. A woman tried to help and went down hard. Above them, a light fixture swayed, then tore loose.

  It came down on an old man sitting at a table near the window.

  There was blood. Too much blood.

  People shouted. Chairs scraped. Someone cried for help. Outside, the kids in the park stood frozen, staring at what they’d done without meaning to.

  Ryoichiro didn’t move.

  He knew.

  The ball hadn’t hit him. It had gone on. That was the worst part.

  Sirens wailed in the distance. The old man didn’t get up.

  Risa came running from the restroom. She saw the glass. The blood. Him.

  “Ryo-chan,” she said, grabbing his arm. “Are you hurt?”

  He shook his head slowly. “It’s my fault.”

  “No,” she said. “No, it isn’t.”

  But he was already sinking. His knees hit the floor. His hands shook.

  “It followed me,” he whispered. “It always follows me.”

  Risa stayed with him as the restaurant emptied and the paramedics arrived. She held his arm while the guilt wrapped itself tighter around him.

  The day kept moving. The world didn’t stop.

  And Ryoichiro understood, with awful clarity, that the danger wasn’t the curse itself.

  It was what happened to everyone else when it passed him by.