Tokyo Psychic

Page 119

Akira Kurusu subconsciously looked up at the gray sky over Tokyo, trying to find some answer or encouragement in the moonlight.

But only fine threads danced in the mist on the horizon, like spider webs scattered by the wind.

We can't see the moon, and the girl on the moon probably doesn't exist in this world.

I recalled that night when I had just transmigrated, repeatedly searching online for "Private Moonlight Academy" to no avail, and I also thought of my now-vanished hometown...

The past is probably like the dust and smoke that raindrops splash on the ground—elusive and unpredictable. If you reach out and touch it, it dissipates.

The restaurant's architectural outline was already visible. The person holding the umbrella seemed to have slipped and lost their grip on it. The umbrella suddenly slid down a short distance towards the direction of Jingqin Rencai before being quickly regained.

Raindrops fell one by one along the umbrella buckle, landing on Jing Qinren's arm, and the sudden chill made her shiver.

"Let's go." Akira Kurusu took Serina Iza's wrist and pulled her into the restaurant.

"Hello, I made a reservation here this afternoon... Yes, my phone number is..." Under the female waitress's almost clingy gaze, Akira Kurusu gave her the room number she had booked in advance and was led into an open-air Japanese-style garden.

The group walked along the wooden floor of the corridor, their footsteps pattering against the ground, the sound blending with the rain in the courtyard.

The waiter escorted Akira Kurusu to the door of her reserved room. As soon as the door opened, the air conditioning, heating, tatami mats, red low table, and paper lanterns, like a samurai sword drawn from its sheath, rushed towards the group standing at the door, braving the cold wind and moisture from the outside.

Anwa Subaru and Toyokawa Shoko, who had been sitting opposite each other at the table, simultaneously withdrew their gazes and knelt down as if nothing had happened, just like ninjas who had sheathed their katana, all the bloody ferocity completely subsided as the blade returned to its sheath.

The waitress shuddered; her adult experience and knowledge made her flee without hesitation.

Only Iori Renna was completely oblivious to the sudden change in atmosphere, smiling and waving as she walked in, "Subaru! Sho! Good evening!"

Both Anwa Subaru and Toyokawa Shoko smiled at her at this moment.

Her gaze fell on Akira Kurusu behind her, and her smile became even sweeter.

Akira Kurusu, looking radiant, calmly took her seat and composedly poured hot tea for everyone, saying, "To celebrate the Phantom Thieves' victory..."

"cheers."

He raised his teacup, and the girls raised their teacups to clink with his.

Anwa Subaru and Toyokawa Shoko exchanged a glance, and their movements suddenly became elegant and gentle, almost perfectly synchronized. This was the tea ceremony, the most standard tea ceremony! Ladies, noble, refined, courteous... these were the "tea etiquette" that, under the influence of modern art, had become synonymous with all the beautiful terms!

Jing Qinren couldn't stand these things. She picked up her teacup and gulped down the hot water, eagerly anticipating each dish to come... She had specifically searched for the restaurant's menu online, and just looking at the pictures made her mouth water.

The food was served very quickly.

While Toyokawa Shoko and Anwa Subaru were secretly vying for dominance, the waiter had already brought the eel sushi topped with caviar to the table.

The waiter bowed respectfully and then silently left the room.

The two were just about to seize the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Akira Kurusu—but in the blink of an eye, the only four pieces of sushi on their plates had disappeared.

Toyokawa Shoko stared incredulously at Izana, her cheeks bulging as she chewed with difficulty, glaring resentfully at Kurusu Akira beside her.

An and Subaru glanced at the empty plate, not a single grain of rice left, then at the celery and Akira Kurusu in front of them, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word...

The moment the plate was placed on the table, Akira Kurusu snatched two pieces of sushi with the speed of a ninja, startling Nina Izare so much that she completely forgot about her upbringing and instinctively began to guard her food.

Once she had finished the last two pieces of sushi and noticed the empty plate, the tension between Toyokawa Shoko and Anwa Subaru vanished instantly.

Feeling a little embarrassed by her two companions' stares, Jing Qinren lowered her face in shame, placed her chopsticks on the bowl, sat up straight, and held her knees with her hands, not daring to move again.

However, when the next dish, "Tuna Offal," was served, and three pairs of chopsticks clattered loudly on the plate at the same time, Izana immediately looked up in shock, staring at Toyokawa Shoko and Anwa Subaru with a horrified expression.

Hey! Where did your princess aura go?!

"What a joke! I'd have to work for days to earn enough for today's meal..." thought Toyokawa Shoko, who needed to be self-reliant.

This meal almost cost more than one of my game cartridges... An and Subaru thought the same thing, as they had been spending money extravagantly on Pokémon merchandise lately and were now struggling financially.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly put aside their dispute.

As Jingqinrencai (a type of wild vegetable) joined the fray, not to be outdone,...

The atmosphere at the dinner table completely changed.

Having committed the sin of gluttony, Akira Kurusu completely tore away all manners and decorum, transforming into a ravenous beast and frantically devouring all the dishes, even dipping rice in the sauce before stuffing it into her mouth, which terrified the three girls at the table, turning their faces pale.

Especially Toyokawa Shoko, who watched as Kurusu Akira devoured all the free rice balls by herself, couldn't help but wonder how long she would have to spend in the kitchen to satisfy Kurusu Akira's appetite...

Actually, that's not the case. Akira Kurusu didn't particularly respect food or hunger; he was just respecting money.

I always feel like every bite I take is a bonus.

As the celebration banquet progressed, the room did indeed become quite harmonious and joyful.

Akira Kurusu is, after all, just an ordinary high school student. No matter how much she eats, she can't possibly finish enough for four people. She just eats quickly.

The girls, who were all in their adolescence, were consciously trying to maintain their figures and didn't dare to eat too much. They stopped eating as soon as they felt full, watching as Akira Kuriki devoured the dishes at the table.

Then, when Ishigami brought up the topic of "bands," the girls started chatting enthusiastically.

When dinner was over, Akira Kurusu, who was stuffed, struggled to her feet and, accompanied by three beautiful girls, strolled out of the restaurant amidst the envious and even hateful gazes of all the male guests along the way.

The rain has stopped.

Lai Xixiao tied up the umbrellas by the door and escorted the girls home one by one.

As An and Subaru boarded the train, Akira Kurusu and Nina Izayoi stood in the waiting room waving goodbye to her.

The thief's eyes were vaguely reflected in the car window.

he thought.

I won this time.

Only three heroes could defeat Lü Bu.

There are only two of you. It's a bit early for you to try and fight me.

Akira Kurusu nudged Serina Izayoi's arm with her elbow with a smug grin. "Let's go sit in LeBlanc for a bit. I'll give you a quick review of the basic math problems. You have an exam tomorrow."

The previously beaming Jingqin Rencai immediately fell apart, following behind him with a long face, "I know!"

......

Walking home alone, An and Subaru stopped in their tracks.

A group of middle school students in front of her cheered and pointed to the sky, "So beautiful!"

So I looked over there and saw that the rain clouds that had been gathering on the horizon had dispersed a lot, revealing clusters of pink sunset, as beautiful as cherry blossoms falling.

Suddenly, I couldn't resist taking out my phone to capture this scene in a photo.

And that's exactly what An and Subaru did.

The photos were saved to the album, but my finger inadvertently opened Line, wanting to share them with a few close friends. However, as my eyes scrolled up and down the list, they couldn't help but look at the ID of "Attic Thinker".

The profile picture of "The Attic Thinker" is a photo of the moon, with pale lunar soil and craters of all sizes, making him seem at first glance to be someone who is very fond of astronomy.

Akira Kurusu does indeed have a considerable interest in astronomy.

He always seemed exceptionally knowledgeable when talking about the "moon," able to clearly state the moon's diameter, rotation speed, and period. He could also discuss a series of news stories about "moon landing" and "lunar exploration" in great detail, as if he had done his homework thoroughly in this area.

The moon is about to rise.

An and Subaru thought that at this moment, Akira Kurusu might be looking at the same moon as them.

She used to not quite understand why people would say that the beautiful moonlight tonight was a subtle way of expressing their feelings.

Until she saw the golden scales shimmering on the sea under the setting sun, the orange clouds that lingered around the white moon, or the lively conversations outside the izakaya at dusk, mixed with the aroma of skewers grilled over charcoal, she would subconsciously take out her phone to share with someone... eager to pass on what she found interesting or beautiful to that boy.

An and Subaru suddenly realized that this was what liking someone meant.

For many people, understanding the word "like" is just a fleeting moment, a glimpse in a crowd or an encounter during a downpour.

When exactly did I start liking Akira?

A chance encounter in an abandoned cram school?

What happened the moment the phantom thief transformed?

It was during the torrential rain at Shigen Chaya that he suddenly handed me the umbrella.

......

There are so many places to reminisce about, and every moment seems to be enough to explain why she likes Laiqi Xiao.

When you fall in love with someone, you try to like everything about them.

There is no reason to like something.

It was as if many mysteries that had accumulated in his heart had suddenly been answered. An and Subaru's mood became exceptionally bright.

She stepped lightly across a puddle and passed the middle school students in front of her.

A few boys, neither too young nor too old, looked at the elegant and beautiful girl who suddenly passed by like a princess, and suddenly felt that the girls in their class next to them were somewhat insignificant.

The telephone poles plastered with advertisements, the streets shrouded in white mist, the scorching sunset, and the bustling dusk were all left far behind by the quietly delighted girl.

The goodwill accumulated in my heart has become the soil of happiness. Countless beautiful things are revealed as the flowers sprout and grow, waiting for the moment when the flowers bloom.

After passing through the somewhat cramped commercial street, walk down another pedestrian crossing and pass the bustling Yoshinoya.

The gate of "Fujiki-ju" is nearby.

The familiar iron fence spread out in sight.

They hadn't forgotten the hundreds of escapes they'd experienced here, only to return as victors a few hours later.

Even though I had broken free from the shackles of death, I felt as if I were being bound back by some invisible chains.

An and Subaru suddenly wanted to imprison themselves in the summer when they met Akira Kurusu. There was vibrant heat, torrential rain, an unexpected boy, and love.

......

I'm thinking about summer.

An and Subaru, who had been sleeping soundly all night, turned over and woke up because of the heat.

It rained lightly again last night, but when I woke up it was incredibly hot.

Wearing autumn pajamas feels like being covered with a thin layer of sweat.

This is the season that An and Subaru, who are homebodies, hate the most. They're too lazy to shower and just want to curl up in front of their computer and play games, but they have to shower anyway. They have to style their hair every day and protect themselves from the ubiquitous mosquitoes...

Summer used to be awful, but now it seems like it's suddenly not so bad anymore.

She picked up her phone and glanced at the time; it was only seven o'clock.

So I got out of bed and went to the living room to open the window and cool off for a while.

Sitting on the sofa, I couldn't resist taking out my phone and opening Line to find the boy with the moon avatar.

I once read an article by Natsume Soseki, in which he interpreted "I love you" as "When the moon is beautiful tonight," and I thought I understood it, thinking it was nothing more than the subtlety of Easterners. But last night, when it rained, and in a moment when I really wanted to tell someone that it was raining, I suddenly understood what it meant to feel when the moon is beautiful. It has nothing to do with subtlety; in fact, it is the opposite of subtlety. It is a very direct expression of love.

As An and Subaru watched the Pokémon anime replay on TV, they inexplicably clicked into the input box and began typing on the numeric keypad.

Did you know? It rained again where I live last night. The effects of rain are: Water-type moves have 1.5x increased power; Fire-type moves, Solar Beam, and Solar Blade have half power; the HP recovery from Synthesis, Dawn Light, and Moonlight is reduced; Thunder and Hurricane always hit; Pokémon with the Swift Swim ability have double the Speed; Pokémon with the Rain Dish and Dry Skin abilities recover HP each turn; and Pokémon with the Wet Body ability are immune to status conditions.

The living room curtains were open, and the sunlight after the rain shone on An and Subaru's faces.

A blushing girl frantically taps on the number keypad, a Pikachu pendant dangling from the edge of her phone case, and Pikachu's cheeks are also a similar shade of pink.

Rupa, who was getting ready to go out to work, looked at An and Subaru on the sofa with their faces flushed and couldn't help but remind them, "It's gotten much warmer today, you should change your pajamas into short sleeves."

Rupa just checked the weather forecast, and today is more than ten degrees hotter than yesterday!

"Mmm." Anhe Subaru gave a perfunctory reply, biting his lip as he haphazardly typed and deleted text. The rambling he had sent was too long and had already been marked as read, so there was no way to undo it. He could only anxiously wait for the boy's reply on the other side of the screen.

Her blush wasn't due to the temperate monsoon climate, but rather because the sun had betrayed her, showing the flutter in her heart in the early summer of 2022.

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(Although it's final exams, I'm still updating four times! Please vote! Please give me your hate mail! Please give me your recommendation votes!)

107. Is the Sunny Day Team even playable without being nerfed? (Two-in-one)

The morning mist drifted along the streets of Shigen Chaya.

Dressed neatly, Akira Kurusu stood beside the shelf, staring at the cardboard boxes at the bottom.