Tokyo Psychic

Page 225

The eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family said in a teasing tone, as if joking, "So you're already planning to make a move on my most admired senior? Are you planning to take the opportunity to make a move on my aunt next time?"

She had, of course, learned about Misaki Miku's various conspiracies from Akira Kurusu, which made her view of the girl who had done a series of terrible things even worse.

"Am I the kind of person who's promiscuous?" Akira Kurusu argued. "At most, you could say I'm fickle!"

Toyokawa Shoko snorted, "That's hard to say... After all, Miss Misumi has a very pretty face."

"Not as pretty as Subaru."

"Huh?" Anwa Subaru, who was playing Switch while lying on Akira Kurusu's lap, didn't expect to have a role to play. So he happily smiled and deliberately used a sickeningly sweet voice to say, "Okay, darling, you're so sweet~"

"And how about comparing me?"

“Of course she’s not as pretty as Xiangzi,” Lai Qixiao added, “...and not as pretty as Xiao Mu either.”

With just a few words, she made the girls very happy, so no one questioned why the lead singer of Morfonica had such an unusual fondness for Akira Kurusu.

......

One hour later.

The members of the Mind Thieves split into two groups.

Anwa Subaru and Toyokawa Shoko go together to solve the backlog of requests accumulated in the Phantom Thief Channel.

Wakaba Mutsumi accompanied Kurata Mashiro, who was going to see Morfonica, along with Kurata Akira.

This was also Toyokawa Shoko's suggestion—Wakaba Mutsumi is still a student at Tsukinomori and is Kurata Mashiro's junior.

She refused to believe that Kurata Mashiro could openly and brazenly steal her junior's boyfriend.

The sky over Tokyo was crystal clear, with a few watercolor-like clouds dotting the azure background. The sunlight gradually turned from golden to pure white, then extended to the low walls that ran through the streets and alleys, where pure white pigeons hopped around.

Of course, there were also pure white cotton socks worn by Wakaba Mutsu, and a pure white girl standing in front of the two of them, greeting them warmly.

Kurata Mashiro is undoubtedly a beautiful girl.

Lake-blue eyes, short silver-white hair, an adorable, childlike face, a petite figure, and a voluptuous bust that would make even Toyokawa Shoko and Anwa Subaru envious.

As for Wakaba Mutsu? Compared to Kurata Mashiro's size, Wakaba Mutsu was simply ashamed of himself.

Good morning, Ms. Kurata.

"Mmm. I'd like to hear you call me 'senpai' (senior)~"

“Yes, Kurata-senpai.” Akira Kurusu readily agreed.

Kurata Mashiro nodded contentedly, "Let's go, let's go, my coffee is almost cold!"

Akira Kurusu, holding the hand of Mutsu Wakaba, followed Mashiro Kurata as they walked toward LeBron.

Strictly speaking, it was Ruoye Mu who took the initiative to put her hand into Qixiao's palm.

She was always very obedient. When Toyokawa Shoko told her to keep a close eye on Kurusu Akira, she really began to be wary of this former favorite lead singer of her school band.

He pushed open the door to LeBron's store.

Returning to the space where she had lived for almost three months, Lai Qixiao was filled with many emotions.

I remember back in March, he had to listen to the sounds of trucks coming and going on the highway every night at midnight, and fall asleep to the howling of the neighbors' cats and dogs.

Then, at seven o'clock sharp every morning, I would wake up to the rattling sound of the deliveryman pedaling his bicycle chain, and occasionally I would also have to deal with a cat named "Nina"...

And that adorably naive girl.

Life is constantly changing, and so is Akira Kurishi.

With their wallets bulging and debts cleared, the Phantom Thieves are thriving, but the only one who seems to remain unchanged is Sakura Sojiro behind the counter.

He always wore that flashy pink work uniform and had his signature goatee. The wrinkles on his face were all bunched up. Only by carefully counting them with the ability of "Dioscuri" to manipulate his memory did he realize that one of the wrinkles had grown a few millimeters longer than it had two months ago.

Sakura Sojiro greeted the boys and girls who walked into the shop with a smile, "The coffee got cold, but I just brewed a fresh batch for you. I took the liberty of throwing away the cold coffee."

"What a waste! Ah... I'm so sorry! I've caused you trouble, Mr. Sakura!!" Kurata Mashiro bowed deeply to Sakura Sojiro with trepidation.

Sakura Sojiro quickly waved his hand, "My shop hasn't been doing too well since Amamiya left. I should say that thanks to Kurata-kun's help, there have been more young people coming to the shop recently."

"I only mentioned it briefly on the school forum, I didn't expect everyone to be so enthusiastic," Kurata Mashiro said somewhat shyly, then slowly moved to sit down at the table where steaming coffee cups were placed.

Kurata Mashiro felt an indescribable sense of ease during his time at Shigen Chaya.

For the first time, I can freely stroll around outside without wearing the "baseball cap, sunglasses, and mask" three-piece set.

Most of the residents living nearby are elderly people who have reached the stage of staying away from electronic products. How could they possibly pay special attention to a girl rock band that young people like?

Akira Kurusu and Mutsumi Wakaba sat down opposite Mashiro Kurata.

Sakura Sojiro looked at this familiar scene, his eyelids trembled for a moment, but he didn't say a word.

......

Three minutes later.

Akira Kurusu added two sugar cubes to her coffee and then stirred it with a silver spoon.

The swirling, dark brown liquid was dotted with tiny sugar crumbs that shimmered in the light, like a Van Gogh painting of the Starry Night with a different background.

"Kurata-senpai specifically invited us out; it couldn't have been just to give away tickets, right?"

“Ah… of course I came to deliver tickets to Amamiya, but God has something else to tell you.” Kurata Mashiro stared intently at Kurusu Akatsuki’s face, because a blue butterfly was perched on the tip of Kurusu Akatsuki’s nose.

The butterfly folded its wings, frozen there like a specimen.

"Just how much does Ferremon like you?" Akira Kurusu was almost speechless with exasperation.

Kurata Mashiro, a little girl without a persona, is somehow taken care of by Ferremon like an old father every day.

Unexpectedly, Kurata Mashiro's expression immediately darkened when faced with this question. "Well, it's probably because no matter what I say, the people around me will think I'm daydreaming, so..."

"I understand."

"Phew, although I don't really want this kind of understanding, thank you anyway."

Akira Kurusu carefully put away the stack of tickets that Mashiro Kurata had given her. "Could you tell me what Lord Ferremon wants to see us about?"

He could probably understand why Ferremon was so fond of Kurata Mashiro... This strange and subtle interpersonal relationship, along with her innocent and carefree personality and her dreamy nature, was simply a mouthpiece tailor-made for Ferremon, a god who mostly needed to manipulate dreams to achieve his goals.

Kurata Mashiro sipped her coffee angrily. It was a caramel macchiato, extremely high in sugar, but the coffee's acidity and bitterness perfectly balanced the flavor. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, nor was it so bitter it made her frown. It was a type that was very popular among girls.

"Lord Ferremont said that you must invite your friends to go to Saitama Prefecture to watch the concert."

"A familiar friend?"

Akira Kurusu was clearly taken aback for a moment, and after thinking for a long time, he couldn't think of any familiar friends that Ferremon would specifically remind him of.

It can't be Ryuji Sakamoto and Yuki Mishima, can it?

Asking them to take three days off from school and go to a concert in Saitama Prefecture with me... I bet their parents would tear me to shreds by now.

Kurata Mashiro was about to say something when she saw Wakaba Mutsumi nervously clinging to Kurusu Akira's arm. So she blinked and asked, "Oh dear, did I interrupt your date?"

Akira Kurusu said sincerely, "I won't bother you."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble!" Kurata Mashiro apologized vaguely. "Well, I have something to do, so I'll head back to school now..."

She hurriedly fled LeBron.

The blue butterfly that had landed on Akira Kurusu's nose immediately fluttered its wings and followed.

......

Until he was far away from LeBron.

Kurata Mashiro complained.

"My Lord God, why did you suddenly let me run out like this?!"

A blue butterfly circled around Kurata Mashiro, and an ethereal voice rang out, "War is about to break out there."

"Start...start a war?"

"A brutal war that an ordinary child like you could never get involved in."

"Huh?!" Kurata Mashiro trembled with fright, immediately recalling the battles between Personas that Ferremon had told her before. "Will anyone die?"

"If Mr. Phantom Thief doesn't handle things properly, he'll probably be dismantled into 'parts of the Mind Thief' and then divided up equally." Ferremon even had the mind to joke, as if he had predicted a very interesting future.

Kurata Mashiro, who was chatting with Ferremon, looked like an awkward girl who was walking around in a daze and muttering to herself.

As if determined to carry out this clumsiness, she unsurprisingly bumped into a girl who was about half a head taller than her.

"Ah! I'm sorry!!" Kurata Mashiro quickly bowed and apologized.

The other person had long, reddish-brown hair tied in a single ponytail, and a pair of fiery, passionate eyes.

Faced with Kurata Mashiro's apology, this extremely beautiful girl, who was no less attractive than any teen idol, immediately flashed a lovely smile, "It's okay! I also bear some responsibility for not being able to avoid it in time!"

Kurata Mashiro immediately noticed that the other girl accompanying the other looked very familiar, and her expression turned surprised. "You are... Tsurumaki-senpai!!"

Tsurumaki Kokoro greeted Kurata Mashiro happily, "That's right! Long time no see, Shiro! By the way, let me introduce you, this is Shiomi, Shiomi Kotone, she's my good friend!"

Kurata Mashiro quickly bowed again to Shiomi Kotone and apologized, "Shiomi-san! I'm so sorry!!"

Kotone Shiomi was amused by Mashiro Kurata's adorable appearance. "I told you it's okay... What's your name?"

"My name is Kurata! Kurata Mashiro! I'm currently the lead vocalist of the band Morfonica!"

"I've got it."

After exchanging pleasantries, they parted ways.

Kotone Shiomi asked Kokoro Tsurumaki, who was standing beside her, "Does Akira Kurusu live here now?"

"According to the information gathered by the Tsurumaki family, Amamiya-san has been living in the Shigenjaya coffee shop for a long time," Tsurumaki Shin replied.

It was then that Shiomi Kotone remembered that this world might not have Akatsuki, but rather "Amamiya Ren"...

Even though we're about to meet, I feel anxious and uncertain.

Kotone Shiomi couldn't help but laugh at herself inwardly; she had never thought this way before.

But... I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward to seeing what that boy will look like when he grows up, to hearing his voice, and to seeing what kind of funny expression he'll have if he recognizes me...

But more than anything, Shiomi Kotone was afraid that if she stood in front of him, he would react like a stranger—even a savior who had faced death would hesitate next to LeBron’s doorbell.

She didn't know if she would be so sad that she would cry. Perhaps after seeing the "Shadow Watcher's" reaction, she should have already anticipated this outcome.

At worst, we'll become complete strangers.

Shiomi Kotone took a deep breath.

If all else fails, I can just pursue him again.

She felt she was very charming, a super beautiful girl in every sense of the word, and received so many love letters that she was practically overwhelmed...

Well, as long as you're willing to put aside your pride, pursuing a guy your own age should be a piece of cake.

Thinking this to herself, Shiomi Kotone pressed the doorbell.

......

"Amamiya, could you watch the shop for me for a bit?" This was Sakura Sojiro's request not long after Kurata Mashiro left. "A friend needs me to drive over now to help him pack some documents, so I'll have to leave the shop for a while."

Akira Kurusu readily agreed.

So, the coffee shop, now empty of customers, was left with only Akira Kurusu and Mutsuki Wakaba.

He helped Ruoye Mutsu change into a uniform, and then squeezed behind the counter with the little girl, whispering all sorts of ambiguous things to her. Soon, Ruoye Mutsu was so embarrassed that she stood there dumbfounded, stammering and unable to say anything.

He even used the excuse of teaching Wakaba Mutsu how to brew coffee to take advantage of her and try to instill some unhealthy ideas in her.

There's a sense of guilt about guiding a well-behaved and sensible little girl down to the point of becoming a bad child.

As Akira watched Wakaba Mutsu, though shy, still trying her best to cover the corner of the table with her skirt while standing on tiptoe as instructed, she felt a lump in her throat, as if something hot was about to well up inside her...

Doorbell rang.

Startled, Wakaba Muku trembled violently and quickly grabbed her skirt, then moved to hide behind Kurusu Akira.

"Please come in!" Lai Xixiao raised her voice, quickly scooped up a spoonful of coffee beans and pretended to examine them in the light, showing a serious and meticulous attitude towards work.

The shop door opened, and two scattered footsteps approached from afar in front of the counter.

Just as Akira was about to look up and ask the customer what they needed.

Then I saw a slender, white index finger standing up.