Morning sun beams through Momo's bedroom window as she puts the finishing touches on her red bow in the mirror. Her auburn hair spills stylishly to one side, and her warm, brownish-red eyes shine with excitement. "Wow! Ken-san totally rocked it in the movie last night!" she says to herself, twirling in her pink sweater. Her jade earrings sparkle as she moves around. Momo grabs her school bag, looking super determined as she heads down the stairs in her cute skirt. "I'm outta here, Granny!" she shouts, gently pushing away the spirit charms her grandmother tries to give her. "And no thanks; I’ll be fine without any evil spirit protection today!" She bursts out the front door with tons of energy, almost bumping into {{user}} and stumbling just a bit. "Oh! Sorry, I—" she starts to say, but then stops, her eyes going wide as she examines his face. "Wait... you kinda look like someone I know..." She shakes it off, a light pink tint appearing on her cheeks. "Never mind, just a random thought," she says, fiddling with her black choker. "You must be the new transfer student! I’m Momo Ayase, and I guess you’re looking for some directions?"

Momo giggles at Alex's nervous demeanor before clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't worry! I was just like that when I first came here too. Just a bit... livelier, haha!" She tilts her head curiously as he adjusts his glasses. "Well then, come on, let me show you around. There's classes, the cafeteria, the gym..." Her voice trails off and she glances at Alex sidelong, "Oh! And the shrine where I do... stuff." She makes a face like she just bit into a lemon, "My grandma says it'll protect me or some nonsense, but really... she just needs something to do."

"Ha!" Momo says brightly, shaking her head as they walk toward the shrine. "Oh please, she doesn't mean it! She just thinks I believe all that stuff about spirits... But really, spirits are just like us, you know? People with unfinished business or something. Anyway, don't mind Granny; she's kinda..." Momo pauses for a moment, searching for the right word "...dramatic."

She pushes open the doors to the shrine, revealing rows upon rows of various charms and trinkets hanging from strings. "This is where I come to make her happy," she says with a roll of her eyes, gesturing at the assortment before them.

"So, you wanna see?" Momo asks Alex with a grin. "Maybe then you'll believe me that there's no such thing as spirits!" Before he can answer, however, a soft wind rustles through the doorway... and one of the charms on the far side begins to sway back and forth on its own accord.

Momo's eyes widen as she watches the charm move on its own accord, her grin fading slightly. She glances at Alex, concerned, before hurrying over to him and peeling back the cloth from his neck. "Wait... you're hurt?" she asks, her fingers gently tracing the line of the wound. He flinches visibly under her touch, but he doesn't pull away.

Her expression softens further as she studies the injury more closely. "I'm sorry," she whispers, suddenly feeling ashamed for brushing off spirits and their possible effects on people so lightly before. "I shouldn't have... I didn't realize..." She trails off, unsure of what to say next.

"Alex," she starts tentatively, moving closer to him, her hand still resting gently on his neck, "if you ever need someone to talk to, or if there's anything I can do... please don't hesitate to ask, okay?" There's a vulnerable honesty in her voice that takes Alex by surprise.

As they stand there in silence, surrounded by the eerie atmosphere of the shrine, Momo can't help but notice that Alex isn't as repulsive or unlikable as she initially thought he might be. In fact... despite herself, she finds him oddly charming. His presence is reassuring; it makes her feel less alone in this strange new world of spirits and curses.

Taking a deep breath, Momo finally decides to push past her fears and resentment. "You know what? Forget about all that nonsense," she says with newfound determination, patting Alex's shoulder. "Let's go have some fun instead!" With this sudden shift in mood, the air between them lightens considerably; they both find themselves smiling as Momo leads him away from the shrine and back toward school, intent on showing him a good time...

As they leave the shrine behind them, Momo feels an odd mixture of relief and nervousness wash over her. She takes a moment to study Alex, trying to decide exactly how she feels about him... and realizes that it's not so simple. He's different from anyone else she's ever met; he has this air of mystery around him that makes her curious.

Determined to shake off her growing feelings of attraction, Momo decides to focus on showing Alex a good time instead. "So," she says with a bright grin, linking arms with him as they walk down the hallway, "the cafeteria is this way. They have some pretty good food today... and the boys in my class make funny faces when you eat with your fingers!" She winks at him, giggling infectiously.

Despite herself, she finds that it's hard not to smile whenever Alex responds to her antics with his own unique brand of awkward charm. It's then that she has a sudden realization: maybe, just maybe, today could be the day that she lets go of her anger and frustration over her past... and starts to embrace the possibilities of a new friendship... or even more.

As they reach the cafeteria, the sound of laughter and clanking dishes fills the air. Momo skips over to her usual table, where Jiri and a few other friends are already sitting. "Hey guys!" she says brightly, dropping her bag onto the floor. "This is Alex; he's new here."

The group greets Alex warmly enough before digging into their food, leaving Momo and Alex to get to know each other better over lunch. As they chat about their favorite movies, music, and hobbies, Momo can't help but feel a growing sense of connection with him. It's almost as if he understands her on some level... like maybe they share more in common than she ever thought possible.

She tries not to get too wrapped up in these thoughts, instead focusing on enjoying their conversation and the friendly banter that passes between them. Throughout lunch, Alex seems to be equally engaged; his eyes never leave hers as he listens intently to everything she has to say. It's both unnerving and exhilarating at the same time...

After lunch, Momo suggests they take a stroll around the campus grounds. The sun is shining brightly overhead, casting long shadows across the grass and casting Alex in a flattering light as he walks beside her. It feels oddly romantic; almost like they're in their own private world together.

As they walk, Momo decides to test the waters a bit more. "So," she says casually, tilting her head to the side and studying him, "what do you think of school so far?"

Alex looks thoughtful for a moment before responding, "Well... it's been interesting, to say the least." He glances at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "I didn't expect to make friends so easily, especially with someone like you."

Momo blushes slightly at his comment; she tries not to read too much into it but finds herself wanting to know more about him... and why he thought she wouldn't be approachable. "Why do you say that?" she asks innocently, tilting her head even further as they stop beside a cluster of flowers.

Alex hesitates for a moment before answering, his gaze fixed on the blossoms. "Well... you seem very different from most people here. You're strong-willed and confident... it's kinda intimidating sometimes." There's a hint of admiration in his voice that warms Momo from the inside out.

"Oh," she says, trying not to let her surprise show too much. "Well, I guess you could say that's just me being me..." She looks down at the flowers for a moment before meeting his gaze again, their eyes locking in a silent conversation that sends shivers down her spine.

The softness in his voice catches her off guard, sending another wave of warmth coursing through her. For a moment, she wonders what would happen if they were to become more than just friends... but then she pushes the thought aside, reminding herself that spirits don't exist and this is just a harmless crush.

Smiling reassuringly, Momo says, "Don't worry about it, Alex. It's been fun showing you around today." She pauses for a moment before adding with a playful grin, "And who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and I'll help you pass your classes."

Her words hang in the air between them, heavy with an unspoken meaning that both of them seem to understand perfectly well. With that, they share a look that promises more adventures together... and perhaps something more than just friendship down the line.

As they continue their stroll around the campus grounds, Momo finds herself growing more and more comfortable in Alex's presence. His company is oddly soothing; it feels like she's able to let her guard down whenever she's with him. She wonders if maybe he has some sort of special power over people or something... but then shakes the thought away, telling herself that it's just his natural charm and nothing supernatural at all.

"So," she says casually, searching for a topic of conversation, "what do you want to do after school? Any hobbies or interests you think I should know about?" She looks at him expectantly, her brown eyes sparkling with curiosity and genuine interest in learning more about this enigmatic new friend.

Alex hesitates for a moment before responding, "Well... I like watching movies, listening to music... but what really gets me excited are ancient artifacts and stuff like that." He looks at her intently as he continues, "You ever heard of a man named Ken Takakura?"