Tokyo Psychic

Page 194

"Amamiya!"

"Go ahead." Seeing that Jingqin Rencai's mood was quick to come and quick to go, Laixi Xiao simply handed her the folder in her hand for safekeeping.

Jing Qinrencai took the folder. "What exactly is your relationship with Xiao Mu?"

“With Anwa Subaru, Toyokawa Shoko, and... the same relationship as you.” Although Akira Kurusu had completely given up hope on Izare Nina, she couldn’t help but try to guide her when she occasionally noticed that Izare Nina was curious about her love life.

What if... what if this child suddenly has a breakthrough?

Knowing that Iori Rina has a good personality, Wakaba Mutsu also hopes that she can find her own true love.

Then... as expected, Izare Nina showed a look of sudden realization, "I see! Mutsumi and Amamiya are also very good friends."

There's no problem with close friends holding hands—Igarashi Rina confirmed her thoughts once again, and thus felt even more at ease placing her little hand into Kurusu Akira's palm.

Hopeless.

Akira Kurusu looked at Nina Izayoi with a touch of sadness. Even Mutsuka Wakaba had to look at this girl with a mixture of admiration and pity because of her astonishingly strange thought process.

......

"Look at that girl, she's as cute as a doll!" As you walk into Shimokitazawa High School, you can immediately hear several girls who have just finished cooking class and are on their way back to the classroom exclaiming at the school gate because of the carefully dressed-up Wakaba Mutsumi.

In fact, a similar scene has already played out once before in Showdown.

The quiet, doll-like girl sat obediently on the bench next to the security booth, her knees and calves together, her hands resting flat on her knees, and her back straight, which made her figure appear even thinner and more slender.

She wore a dark blue knitted dress with a mesh pattern, a lace-trimmed silk choker around her neck, and her long, light green hair was neatly combed, revealing her small, fair ears. When the sunlight shone on her, she looked like a rare, limited-edition doll displayed in the most dazzling spot in a toy cabinet, waiting in the light for her destined boy to take her home.

The automatic turnstile started with a clang, and Akira Kurusu sat down next to Mutsumi Wakaba with a huge cup of mango juice without ice.

The girl's eyes seemed to light up, and she thoughtfully reached out to support the base of the glass to prevent the juice from spilling.

There were two straws in the cup. Ruo Yemu nonchalantly bit her own straw and took a slow sip.

Under Akira Kurusu's gaze, the girl's cherry-colored lips left the straw, leaving a faint trail of water.

"It wasn't very cold."

"After all, Xiaomu's stomach is still a little sore, right?" Laixi Xiao held the middle of the glass in one hand and wrapped the other arm around Ruoye Mu's soft waist, so that she could lean against him more easily.

Upon hearing the words "stomach ache," Ruoye Mu immediately recalled her experiences from last night and this morning, and a noticeable blush rose on her clean, fair face. She quickly bit the straw and took another small sip of juice to hide her embarrassment.

"Shy?"

"Hmm..." When faced with Akira's teasing, Wakaba Mutsu didn't dare to look at him at all, but simply agreed honestly, and then her blush deepened.

"Even though it's iced, you should still drink less." Akira Kurusu watched as Muku Wakaba buried her head in her juice, showing concern for her like an elderly, nagging father.

Wakaba Mutsu put down her juice, clearly pleased, and handed over the glass she was holding.

Then she watched as Akira Kurusu unceremoniously bit down on the straw she had just used, and suddenly felt her hands holding the cup lose some strength. She quickly lowered her eyes, feeling a kind of panicked helplessness.

After a long while, Akira Kurusu finally heard Mutsumi Wakaba's voice, which was barely audible.

"No... you can't pretend to talk like that anymore."

"why?"

"What if I accidentally read it out loud later...it would be so embarrassing." Wakaba Mutsumi's face was completely red, all because Metathus was mentally commenting things like, "Amamiya Ren sounds like Mutsumi's dad..."

“I don’t mind,” Akira Kurusu said, sipping her juice and placing her hand on Mutsu Wakaba’s lower abdomen. Through her clothes, she could feel the slight rise and fall of the girl’s abdomen as she breathed and the subtle warmth emanating from it. “Actually, those random nicknames can be considered part of the ‘fun’ in a relationship.”

If Ye Mu remained silent, nestled in Lai Qixiao's arms as if escaping reality, she wouldn't utter a word no matter how Lai Qixiao teased or flirted with her. She would just blush and shake her head frantically. Later, she didn't even dare to shake her head anymore, just listening silently, as if she had maxed out her submissive skills.

More than ten minutes passed, and Ruoye Mu finally couldn't stand her boyfriend's various ambiguous and inappropriate teasing. She slunk away into the world of her mind, completely forgetting the agreement she made that morning to punish Motis by not letting her out for a week.

“Finally out…” Metath easily hugged Akira Kurusu, took the empty glass from his hand and placed it at her feet, then grabbed his hand and placed it on her burning face, before looking curiously at the empty seat to the side, “Where’s Nina?”

"They ran away."

"Huh?!"

"When I was buying drinks, the store was having a couples discount event, and I suggested that he pretend to be my boyfriend. He just ran away and even forgot his wallet at the counter."

"It seems hopeless." Motis added insult to injury without any politeness. In her mind, any girl other than Xiao Mu who had the intention of taking Qi Xiao away from her was an enemy.

She shifted her position and, as she sat on Lai Qixiao's lap, suddenly remembered the excruciating pain she felt that morning, as if she were being torn apart. She trembled for a moment, but still mustered the courage to hug Lai Qixiao's shoulders tightly, and then tilted her head up to kiss the corner of his mouth.

"Isn't it inappropriate to do this kind of thing right at the school gate?" Lai Qixiao didn't expect Motisi to be so bold.

Unfortunately, Metis' courage only lasted for a moment. She immediately reverted to her original posture, shrinking back down and sitting like a wilted cucumber leaf.

Speaking of cucumbers, at noon today, Wakaba Mutsu made a special trip to the rooftop of the club building.

It seems that the senior student Okumura did not participate in the study tour. Even though the members of the Mental Health Education Department were away for four days, she still took good care of the cucumbers that the girls planted.

Akira licked the corner of her mouth; there was a sweet and sour mango flavor there.

He glanced at Metis, who was puffing out her cheeks, clenching her little fists, and striking a pose like a pufferfish, ready to face his mockery and teasing at any moment. Thinking that he should be considerate of the little girl's feelings, he pretended not to know anything.

He casually took out his phone, opened Line, and began bombarding Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo with text messages.

[Pre-order Homelessness - Today's Special (Kurasu Akira): I remember this is your last class today, right?]

I happened to see their school's timetable when I was helping Ichiji Nijika with her homework.

Several tens of seconds passed before a reply came in the chat room.

[Niji Natsumi: Oh, right! Ryo and I are having a Japanese literature class.]

[Pre-order Homeless - Today's Special: Now you know why she's not talking.]

[Nijika Ijichi: After all, I didn't hand in my homework...]

[Pre-order for Homelessness - Today's Special: Should we help deliver it up to her?]

[Nijika Ijichi: Thank you!]

[Pre-order Homeless - Today's Special: We're all friends in the same band, no need to be so polite.]

[Nijika Ichi: Oh, right. How about I treat you to ice cream tonight on Ryo's behalf?]

【...】

Akira Kurusu led Mutsu Wakaba up the teaching building where classes were gradually coming to an end.

As the time for school to end drew closer, an invisible sense of anxiety and restlessness permeated the hallway.

The afternoon sun was particularly glaring.

A girl wearing short sleeves and shorts leaned against a white wall, looking up at the ceiling connected to the water pipes.

Red and white sneakers, white socks that barely cover the ankles, and beautiful calves with soft curves and clean lines, like the neat and clean strokes of a painter's quick brush.

She held a notebook in her hand, and a fountain pen rested on her slender, straight nose.

Her cool, pretty face was etched with a unique sense of confusion and ethereal beauty characteristic of adolescence, and her bright yellow pupils seemed to reflect a distant, glittering stage...

Actually, I was just spacing out.

As time went by, Yamada Ryo, who had been standing outside the classroom as punishment, had somehow moved towards the stairwell next to the second-grade classroom floor.

School's almost over, and my time as punishment for standing is about to end... Anyway, I'm leaving sooner or later, so I might as well leave now.

With that in mind, Yamada Ryo felt perfectly justified in preparing to leave early.

Anyway, she'd already been made to stand for the entire class as punishment, so no teacher would know whether she'd left early or not.

Just as I was about to go downstairs, I saw Lai Xixiao walking upstairs with a folder in her hand.

Yamada Ryo looked at Kurusu Akira with some surprise, not expecting that he would actually bring his homework.

"Do you feel ashamed?" Yamada Ryo asked the boy in front of her impatiently.

Unexpectedly, Akira Kurusu showed a disdainful expression.

"It was just on the way."

Yamada Ryo carefully observed Kurusu Akira's expression, then shook his head with regret, "Then you're going to miss out on a chance to date a super beautiful girl."

"You've suddenly become like a completely different person."

"Recognizing the band's current situation, I had no choice but to join." Yamada Ryo casually took out his phone, opened the post for "Morfonica Seibu Dome Concert," and showed it to Kurusu Akira.

"Since the start of lunch break today, rumors about me and Hongxia have been circulating all over the classroom."

"I think I told you not to worry about it, right? Xiangzi will help you solve it."

“Hmm… indeed, but that girl Nijika actually trusts you surprisingly, and doesn’t take this seriously at all…” Yamada Ryo took the folder from Kurusu Akira’s hand and walked towards the faculty office. Suddenly, he turned back to look at Kurusu Akira calmly, “I hope you don’t hurt her.”

Akira Kurusu, holding Wakaba Mutsu's hand, followed behind Ryo Yamada. "Ryo is really perceptive."

"Trying to use this opportunity to shape their own emotional network into a place that everyone in the band must rely on is a bit too obvious..."

"Did it make you feel uncomfortable?"

"Surprisingly, it's kind of cool."

"As expected of Liang."

"You flatter me." Yamada Ryo walked into the office smugly, placed the folder with the name tag "Yamada Ryo" on the teacher's desk, and then walked out of the office. Suddenly, he raised his palm and pointed it at Kurusu Akira.

Akira Kurusu gave her a high five. "Why did your mood suddenly improve again?"

"Because dating a 'super popular and handsome guitarist who is currently flirting with several rich girls' sounds like a very cool thing."

"Does he really understand the meaning of 'relationship'?" Akira Kurusu had become numb to Ryo Yamada's unconventional ways.

"Isn't it just hugging, kissing, and sleeping together?" Yamada Ryo said nonchalantly. "If the other person is a guy like Amamiya who is ridiculously good in every way, he won't feel like he's at a disadvantage."

Then she added, "Let me clarify first, I'm not that kind of girl, and this isn't an invitation to date. I've only relaxed my guard a little because we'll be working together in the band in the future and we have a good relationship..."

"Are you thinking of going pro?"

“Ah, that’s true.” Yamada Ryo put on an “aha” look, then leaned closer to Kurusu Akira, scrutinizing the boy’s handsome face hidden under his bangs. “After all… messy relationships are part of being a professional rock band.”

While chatting, the three of them started walking down the stairs.

Yamada Ryo thought about it carefully for a few minutes, glanced at Wakaba Mutsumi who remained silent beside Kurusu Akira, and then said, "If you are willing to form a professional band with me for the rest of your life, I can agree to be your girlfriend."

Upon hearing the word "a lifetime," Wakaba Mutsu trembled as if some kind of psychological trauma had been triggered, and almost blurted out, "It won't last long."

What she actually wanted to say was that "a band that relies on emotions as a bond to bind itself together cannot last long," but thinking that Akira Kurusu should have a more far-sighted perspective than herself, she swallowed her words.

Seeing Yamada Ryo's "strike first" attitude, Lai Xixiao understood that this girl liked to pursue individuality, and the minor online storm at noon today had forced her into an atmosphere where she "had to defend herself".

Yamada Ryo wasn't one to explain things or be swayed by public opinion, so he simply stopped arguing and openly admitted the truth of the rumors in front of those busybodies.

In short...

“Even if you don’t agree to be my boyfriend, try to pretend to be close to me in the future,” Yamada Ryo said calmly, “because I just nodded and admitted it when those guys who are as idle as cockroaches surrounded me.”

"This is truly astonishing."

"Although I stepped on the cockroach, I still felt a little uneasy after the brief moment of pleasure."

"The price of being cool... So what exactly is it that you're uncomfortable about?" Akira Kurusu was also surprised that someone as rare as Ryo Yamada, a once-in-a-century oddity in the high school student circle, could have "discomfort."

"It seems I accidentally dragged Hongxia into this too. I suddenly remembered that my original words were, 'I am a member of that guy's harem, so what? Are you guys going to talk about me and my band to my face?'... At that time, those boys who didn't even dare to confess to each other were dumbfounded. Thinking about how cowardly they were, how jealous and angry they were but dared not speak, it was really funny."

"You're really something."

"So you absolutely have to stay in our band for life, otherwise, if this kind of public opinion continues to develop, or if even more outrageous rumors emerge in the future, who knows if Hongxia will ever be able to get married. Hmm, what's the band's current situation called again... internal consumption?"

"If I were Hongxia, I would definitely twist your head off."

“No way, I still owe her 60,000 yen. If you twist my head off, it'll just become a mess.”

As Ruoye Mu watched the two making a racket, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

She thought of the seven-stringed guitar that she had temporarily left in Xiujin's music classroom, wondering when it would be useful again, and suddenly felt a little envious.

......

【PM. 5:45.】

At dusk in the height of summer.

As dusk settled, it was like a cup of matcha gradually diluted, soaking the rows of buildings in Shimokitazawa into a translucent amber.

A girl in a loose T-shirt crouched in the shade of a fire hydrant, her collarbone aching from the guitar strap. The heat was unbearable, let alone for a cat—

Yao Lenai felt her hands were covered in sweat, and she vaguely imagined it would drip down her palms and form a sheet of guitar music on the cement floor. In reality, she wasn't sweating much at all. The temperature had gradually dropped, and she wasn't the type to sweat excessively. In fact, she rarely sweated, but she would often have this inexplicable illusion when she felt hot: "I'm sweating a lot, especially my hands and feet; my socks are soaked."

Like a stray cat left to frolic in the street in summer, covered in thick fur but only its four paw pads can sweat.