Tokyo Psychic

Page 135

"That sounds dangerous," Sakura Sojiro said with some concern.

“We have taken safety precautions,” Akira Kurusu said, crushing a spoonful of coffee beans. “Most of the time we’re practicing with the band and working part-time.”

"Then you should definitely relax in a hot spring."

The two chatted idly while the television hanging in the shop played the news.

[Hot News! In yesterday's decisive game of the "Japan-Korea Shogi Exchange Tournament," renowned female shogi player Togo Ichifumi, who scored first, lost 1-0. It is reported that this was because "Togo did not place the shogi pieces on the lid of the box, violating the new rules established by the Korean side a week before the tournament, which led to multiple complaints from her opponent, ultimately resulting in her defeat."]

The accompanying coaching staff angrily stated, "This was a humiliating match; our athletes lost to morality and conscience."

The Tokyo Shogi Association has filed a complaint with the International Shogi Federation, emphasizing that it will pursue the matter to the end.

A representative of the Tokyo Shogi Association stated, "We absolutely cannot allow such a shameless and disgusting match to happen to our players. No dirty victory can rightfully exist in the history of shogi."

[After the match, Togo Ichifumi's mother angrily confronted the refereeing team on camera, saying, "This is not shogi at all!"]

【...】

"Ah, Miss Togo has lost the competition." A customer who was dining noticed the content on the television.

“It’s infuriating,” a female student nearby, who was about to order food, muttered.

"Miss Togo clearly outclassed that woman with glasses!"

"So this is how you can win at shogi..."

As the news broadcast aired, the atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became intense and angry.

As everyone watched the South Korean contestants deliver their acceptance speeches on television with righteous indignation, someone remarked, "If only the Phantom Thief could change their hearts," and the surrounding discussion immediately shifted dramatically.

It seems they genuinely hope that the legendary "Mind Thief" can truly reform these guys who have no competitive spirit.

Akira Kurusu was brewing freshly ground coffee when she suddenly turned to Sakura Sojiro and asked, "Was that competition held in Tokyo?"

"Yeah, it's around Asakusa... What's wrong?"

"I was thinking... if only Mind Thief could really make those shameless guys repent."

"Haha, how could there possibly be a super-powered thief in the world who can steal evil?" Sakura Sojiro laughed.

At that moment, the shop door opened, and the wind chimes swayed gently, making a pleasant sound.

A young woman with shoulder-length white hair and wearing oversized sunglasses walked into LeBron.

Half of her face was covered by a mask, and her pale blue eyes peered curiously at Akira Kurusu behind the counter through her sunglasses.

They just kept staring at Akira Kurusu as she moved, until she stopped right next to the counter.

"Dioscuri" flashed past Akira Kurusu.

Akira Kurusu immediately deduced from various details that the girl in front of her was the famous lead singer of "Morfonica," Mashiro Kurata.

He accompanied the girls who had just finished their band performance in Shibuya to Morfonica's show, and even helped Shoko Toyokawa get their autographs backstage...

"Hello, would you like a cup of coffee?"

Akira Kurusu questioned Mashiro Kurata, who was disguised.

Unexpectedly, she curiously propped herself up on the table with her hand, leaned closer to look at the boy in front of her, and said, "It really is you."

Kurata Mashiro was saying things that were confusing.

I remember this girl from "Tsuki no Mori Girls' Academy" was once Toyokawa Shoko's idol.

Akira Kurusu said, "I'm flattered that you still recognize me."

He then handed the menu to Kurata Mashiro, but to his surprise, the other person shook his head and refused, saying, "I've already had breakfast at home... I'm going to school now, I just stopped by to see you."

Upon hearing this, Sakura Sojiro, who was standing next to Kurusu Akira, immediately turned around and headed towards the kitchen as if to avoid suspicion.

"May I ask what brings you here?" Sensing the other party's ulterior motives, Lai Xixiao cautiously inquired.

Kurata Mashiro moved even closer, and her ivory-white, delicate skin could be clearly seen.

"Have you often seen a blue butterfly...?"

Akira Kurusu paused for a moment, then looked at Mashiro Kurata with a strange yet subtly delighted expression. "Of course I've met you."

"Then I'll test you... What is His name?"

“Felemont,” Akira Kurusu replied instantly.

Kurata Mashiro was equally delighted. She excitedly grabbed Kurusu Akira's hand and shook it vigorously, "As expected, as expected, the God is real!"

--------

120. Don't bring the rhythm of Toyokawa Shoko (two-in-one)

Kurata Mashiro is a second-year student in Class A of the Tsukimori Girls' Academy High School and the lead vocalist of the famous band "Morfonica".

She was a quiet and composed girl with a richer imagination than others due to her love of reading. For a long time, she was troubled by her uncontrollable escapades of various wild thoughts, even daydreams and hallucinations... until one day three months ago, a blue butterfly fluttered its wings and flew past her.

He calls himself "Felemon" and is a deity residing deep within the collective unconscious of humanity.

From that day on, Ferremon began to tell Kurata Mashiro bizarre and fantastical stories.

Sometimes it is a sword-wielding boy who climbs the tower and seals away the Grim Reaper who is about to destroy civilization.

Sometimes, a confused teenager wanders through an alternate world on television, repeatedly confronting the dark side of himself.

Then recently, the hallucinations have almost always revolved around a mysterious phantom thief lurking in the cracks of the city or the space of impressions, causing countless villains to repent and even perform the feat of annihilating an evil god.

Therefore, Kurata Mashiro believed in the existence of the "Psychic Thief" more than anyone else.

She also caused quite a few laughs during her school and band schedules because of her inexplicable belief in "Mind Thieves".

Perhaps driven by curiosity, or perhaps by an urgent desire to find an answer... she inexplicably got off the bus halfway through the journey today and switched to Shigen Chaya.

As she ventured deeper into the old street, her joy grew.

Because everything here was something Kurata Mashiro had "dreamed" about.

When she saw LeBron's coffee shop and mustered the courage to push open the door, the joy, pride, and satisfaction of achieving self-identity were truly exhilarating.

About half a minute later.

Kurata Mashiro belatedly released Kurusu Akira's hand, then looked at him apologetically, "...Sorry, I was a little offensive."

She was very shy, but when faced with this phantom thief who had appeared in her "hallucinations" or "dreams" many times, she only felt familiar with him. Even though it was only the second time they had met in reality, she could place a great deal of trust in him. In this coffee shop that she had dreamed of many times, she felt a little relaxed and peaceful.

Akira Kurusu pointed behind her, and "Dioscuri" quietly appeared, standing in mid-air with his arms crossed.

Can you see it?

Kurata Mashiro blinked. "I saw it."

"Do you know what He is?"

Faced with this question, Kurata Mashiro shook her head in confusion, not knowing where to begin explaining.

Then she looked up at the clock behind Akira Kurusu, "Oh no, I'm going to miss the next tram stop."

The strange girl seemed to have no interest in the persona that Akira Kurusu had displayed. After bowing to him in thanks, she hurriedly left LeBron.

Akira was about to try to persuade her to stay, thinking he could take her to school on his motorcycle.

At this moment, Kurata Mashiro had already rushed out the door.

Akira Kurusu gazed thoughtfully in the direction she had left.

She seemed completely unsurprised by the existence of "Dioscuri," or perhaps she had known about Him for a long time in some way?

It wasn't until Sakura Sojiro returned to Kurusu Akira's side and patted his shoulder that he snapped out of his daze.

"Young man, restrain yourself."

Sakura Sojiro seemed to have misunderstood the relationship between Kurusu Akira and Kurata Mashiro, and thus offered this advice.

The shop door opened and closed, and the wind chimes by the door made a tinkling sound.

Akira Kurusu shook her head, not dwelling on the topic. "I'm going to school too... What about Serizawa?"

“She got up a little late today,” Sakura Sojiro said, as a petite figure squeezed through the crack in the shop door.

Jingqin Rencai nimbly ran to the counter. "Amamiya! That customer just now looked familiar!"

“She looks familiar.” As Akira Kurusu took off her work clothes, she picked up the schoolbag from Serina Izayoi’s shoulder and walked around the counter. When she got closer, she whispered in her ear, “That’s Ms. Kurata from Morfonica.”

Serina looked at him in surprise, "How could Ms. Kurata be in such a remote coffee shop...?"

"Hey!" Sakura Sojiro tapped the table in annoyance when he heard Izana loudly criticizing his hard-earned coffee shop. "You two, if you're going to school, hurry up and don't disturb the business in the shop."

Serina quickly bowed to Sakura Sojiro to apologize, and then Kurusu Akira pulled her arm and led her out of the shop.

"So she really is Kurata Mashiro?!"

After leaving LeBron, Izana grabbed Akira Kurusu's arm and shook it vigorously.

She's been listening to a lot of Morfonica's songs lately and really likes their fantastical performance style.

"It's really too late for you to try to get her to teach you singing skills or something like that now."

“Eh…” Jingqin Rencai lowered her head in disappointment.

Akira Kurusu took out her phone and urged An and Subaru to go to school via Line. Although she said "go to school," Xiujin only had one home economics class and a "safety lecture for off-campus study tours" organized by the teachers of each class today.

It was only then that he noticed several red dots lit up in the corner of the application.

[“Wakaba Mutsumi” has requested to add you as a friend.]

[“Nagasaki Motoyo” has requested to add you as a friend.]

[Kurata Mashiro has requested to add you as a friend.]

【"Hiromachi Shichika"...】

Did I accidentally expose the secret hideout of the Moon Forest spies? Why did they all come out like this?

Akira Kurusu began to recall exactly when her contact information had been leaked.

Could it be that he accepted the invitation from the organizers of Morfonica's tour last night?

He accepted the girls' friend requests, and sure enough, no one messaged him.

It seems I was overthinking it; it's just a courtesy between fellow rock band members, whether they're senior or junior.

Akira Kurusu thought that if some skilled hacker could bypass the security program that Futaba Sakura had specially set up on his phone and steal his personal information, then those evil gods hiding in the cracks of society would probably show themselves regardless of their own safety and kill the guy who might reveal his identity as a "psychic thief" at any moment.

......

He accepted my friend request.

In the corner of the classroom of Class 1-A in the Moon Forest, Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly said this.

Standing next to her with her phone in hand, Wakaba Mutsumi stared at the screen on her own phone and said, "I got approved too."

Nagasaki Motoyo looked up at her in surprise, "Mutsu actually secretly memorized his account name too?"

Wakaba Mutsumi: "Account...name?"

Nagasaki Motoyo paused for a moment, "Could it be...?"

Ruo Yemu immediately took two steps back, distancing herself from her friend, "Su Shi, you can't."

Nagasaki Motoyo blushed. "I was just worried about Shoko." She clearly realized that what she was doing was wrong.

Then she looked at Wakaba Mutsu, "Didn't you add him too?"

Wakaba Mutsu shook her head, then whispered, "It was Xiangzi who gave it to me."

"Xiangzi is dating him, why would she give you her boyfriend's contact information?"

Wakaba Mutsu clearly paused for a moment, "Shoko, you want to help me."

At that moment, several girls who had just entered the classroom rushed to gather by the window.

"Look! It's Kurata-senpai!"

"And Hiromachi-senpai and Yashio-senpai too!"

The girls' enthusiastic cheers rose and fell, drowning out Wakaba Mutsu's self-talk like a tidal wave.

"Xiangzi is very happy, we shouldn't disturb her."

"What did you say?" Nagasaki Motoyo frowned.