Tokyo Psychic

Page 226

Following the fingertip, there was a pretty face that was in no way inferior to An and Subaru's.

This girl is stunningly beautiful.

She looked at Akira with a smile, "Hello, I'd like to order a 'Friendly Self-Introduction,' and my friend would like to order a 'Rare Signature Smile.'"

As Akira Kurusu looked at the girl he had longed for day and night and would never forget, his pupils quickly dilated.

Am I dreaming?

Am I being influenced by the enemy's Persona ability?

Did I somehow travel to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, where the "Monster Resurrection" spell card is everywhere?

......

The Mind Thief's usually infallible intuition completely stopped working at this moment.

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(I stayed up all night for 12 hours straight, almost causing my heart to stop, but I managed to finish this chapter. Six chapters today, totaling 1.2 words!)

(The million-word milestone for "The Phantom Thief in Tokyo" has been reached!!)

(In view of the extra updates, I'm begging for your free monthly tickets and swords!!!)

195. First love is like a boomerang (two parts)

(Tip: Reading the prequel in the table of contents will provide a better understanding of this chapter.)

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My thoughts drifted back to more than a decade ago.

One day during lunch break at the private Moonlight Academy, the classroom of Class 6A was as noisy as ever.

"Akira, did you know? Hase-san from Class C next door is dating Mori-san!"

"To...date?"

For Akira Kurusu, who was just a primary school student at the time, the concept of love seemed distant, superficial, limited to comic books and television, and ended by the inappropriate teasing and ridicule from his peers.

At an age when holding hands would make her blush, Akira Kurusu, sitting behind her desk, curiously looked at her classmate who had a gossipy expression. "How did you know?"

"Because they're right there in the hallway... going to and from school together, having lunch together, isn't that dating!"

Perhaps out of youthful naiveté, Akira Kurusu followed her classmates outside to watch the spectacle without a second thought.

The boy and girl, their faces still showing signs of immaturity, stood in the center of the crowd, their faces flushed, looking incredibly embarrassed and awkward.

Thankfully, lunch break was about to end. With the clear sound of the preparatory bell, the teacher in charge walked out of the office with the textbooks, and the elementary school students who had been crowding the corridor scattered in a hurry.

......

Sensing the restlessness of the children, the Chinese teacher specifically used Natsume Soseki's line, "The moonlight is beautiful," in today's Chinese class.

When the teacher explained "the moonlight is so beautiful" on the podium, Lai Qixiao was absent-minded.

I feel that the so-called "moonlight" is just the brilliance that exists in haiku in Chinese literature classes, a product formed after the crystallization of thoughts and words.

After all, if you've watched science programs on the science channel, you'll know that the so-called moon is just a lifeless rock hanging in the sky.

At the age of 11, he had a strange arrogance, and he could think that these pedantic descriptions and expressions of emotion were meaningless whining.

They also believe that indifference and ruthlessness are symbols of aloofness, and then they claim that being unconventional is proof of being cool... In an era where mainstream shonen anime is prevalent, the onset of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) is occurring earlier and earlier.

During a moment of distraction in class, I suddenly heard the girl in the seat in front of me exclaim in surprise.

Akira Kurusu subconsciously looked in the direction she was pointing towards the classroom door, where she saw a stunningly beautiful girl in her high school uniform standing by the door, making a heart shape with her hands and mouthing, "Akira, I'll be waiting for you downstairs after school."

The eyes of everyone in the classroom were drawn to Akira Kurusu without them even realizing it.

Akira Kurusu, who originally considered herself aloof and arrogant, was now blushing.

On this afternoon when he looked up and saw Shiomi Kotone, the smug elementary school student suddenly fell silent, trying to pretend he didn't know her, but instead looked down at the blank page in his textbook.

Ten years after their separation, in a corner apartment in Tokyo, the now-dressed Phantom Thief of the Mind looks out at the vast moonlight on the horizon and inadvertently recalls those ridiculous and absurd thoughts from his childhood.

As I sat at the desk, gazing at the photo of myself with Shiomi Kotone, I began to write, the tip of my pen kissing the paper with a soft, scratching sound.

"I think I saw the moon."

......

December 24, 2022.

[One day left until the "Morfonica Seibu Dome Concert".]

[9:15 AM.]

The glass jars filled with coffee beans on the counter reflected a soft, reddish-brown light. Beyond the edge of the counter, the first thing that caught the eye was a pair of low-heeled, high-top sandals. The feet were small and delicate, with carefully trimmed, round toenails that shone with a faint pink hue, and blue veins that were faintly visible. Following the delicate and slender ankles upwards, there were crescent-shaped calves and round, straight thighs.

A blue and white lace-trimmed mini skirt, a white puff-sleeved top, an expensive-looking belt cinching her slender waist, followed by narrow shoulders and delicate, butterfly-like collarbones...

Finally, at the top, there was a pretty face with excessively exquisite features, wearing a playful smile... Without a doubt, this was a girl who was stunningly beautiful.

But her bright eyes were veiled with tears, and though they were filled with tears, she smiled with joy and emotion.

Like an invisible electric current brushing across his mind, the "Phantom Thief Intuition," which had ceased functioning, regained its ability to work, and the Persona "Dioscuri" flickered behind Akira Kurusu.

The girl behind the counter clearly carried the scent of Shiomi Kotone, possessed the exact same appearance, voice, and that resonance emanating from the depths of her soul...

This girl, who had been dead for twelve years in my memory, should have long since become a legend, a savior who collapsed into nothingness in the disaster along with the world she once knew... but she has truly "resurrected" and is standing alive right in front of me.

Akira Kurusu clearly understood this. All the words she had accumulated since graduating from elementary school were stuck in her throat. She didn't know where to begin. She just stared blankly at Kotone Shiomi, who was smiling through her tears behind the counter.

It wasn't until Wakaba Mutsu gently tugged at his sleeve that Kurusu Akira turned to look into the girl's eyes, where a wavering face was reflected in her pale golden pupils.

The electric fan hummed, and in the distance, the faint sounds of children chasing and playing with Ultraman toys on the concrete could be heard, followed by the fleeting roar of a car...

In May, as summer begins, in an erroneous time and space, a vast past catches up with a vast future.

......

If Akira Kurusu were still in high school, struggling with the anxieties of puberty, she would definitely be crying her eyes out right now, a truly pathetic sight, which would make Kotone Shiomi burst into laughter.

But he had already witnessed far too many partings.

They have even accepted the fact that the world is about to end.

The moment Shiomi Kotone returned, the sadness and excitement that surged from her memories quickly subsided. The remaining emotions were like the needle of a record player moving second by second along the grooves on a vinyl record, or like an old film reel playing black and white images frame by frame.

Without tears or laughter, Akira Kurusu looked at Kotone Shiomi with deep reminiscence and emotion, then extended her right hand to her, "Ren Amamiya, 17 years old, currently a second-year student at the private Shujin Academy."

"Hmm... Shiomi Kotone, 17 years old, will soon be a second-year student at the private Shujin Academy." Shiomi Kotone held Kurusu Akira's hand tightly, as if unwilling to let him escape, and said, "You've changed so much."

A faint sadness flowed in the girl's wet eyes, "So many years... I've grown up."

The composure and calmness that the Mind Thief had just displayed crumbled instantly.

From the fragmented language system, a sentence was barely pieced together: "You haven't changed at all."

Shiomi Kotone glanced subtly at Wakaba Mutsu, who was standing next to Kurusu Akira.

As if in fear, Wakaba Mutsu instinctively moved his feet and hid behind Kurusu Akira.

The thoughts that were flowing hot in her heart suddenly froze, but Shiomi Kotone quickly felt relieved. After all, Akira Kurishi was no longer the child who could only follow her around.

It's understandable that he would have thoughts of falling in love—even though he felt a little bittersweet, he still accepted this development.

Kotone Shiomi knew very well that her feelings for Akira Kurusu were not purely romantic; rather, they stemmed from a sense of concern and care that arose from her own series of tragic circumstances. However, these feelings unknowingly developed into a subtle possessiveness.

It's like the prince charming you've painstakingly raised has been kidnapped by a princess from who-knows-where.

I feel inexplicably lost.

Akira turned around and looked at Mutsuka Wakaba behind her. This girl, who was always well-behaved and quiet, expressed a sense of resistance and aversion to others for the first time.

......

This is an enemy many times more terrifying than Senior Genmaki.

Wakaba Mutsumi keenly realized the special relationship between Kurusu Akira and Shiomi Kotone.

If he were to face her, Xiangzi would definitely lose.

Not just Xiangzi, but probably even Subaru...

Ruoye Mu shook her head, interrupting her own random thoughts, and looked up at Shiomi Kotone in front of her with some difficulty, "Um... Miss Shiomi, may I call you that?"

"Just call me Qinyin."

“...Okay, Ms. Kotone, my name is Wakaba Mutsu.”

"Hello~ Mutsu, may I call you that? You must be... um, Ren's girlfriend, right?" The very enthusiastic tone made Mutsu feel a little overwhelmed.

She wanted to avoid the topic, afraid that she would say the wrong thing.

But she also had a strong premonition that if she ran away like this, the hard-won happiness she and Toyokawa Shoko had would really be taken away by this "suddenly appearing" girl.

Ruoye Mu could only nod with difficulty, forcing herself to appear generous and cheerful, "I am sixteen years old this year, and I am a first-year student in the high school of the private Tsukinomori School."

Shiomi Kotone's eyes immediately narrowed.

She was acutely aware that the relationship between Akira Kurusu and Mutsuki Wakaba was not simply a romantic one.

Just as she was about to test the waters a little more, she heard her friend suddenly reach over her and grab Akira Kurusu's hands tightly.

"Is the self-introduction segment over? Isn't it time for me to place my 'signature smile'?" Shiomi Kotone's friend, Tsurumaki Kokoro, stepped forward and forced her way into their conversation.

Shiomi Kotone was visibly taken aback, then looked at Genmaki Kokoro incredulously, "You actually know about what happened between them? Akatsuki... did Ren do something strange that's bothering you?"

"Ah... it's not exactly a problem."

Is it inconvenient for you to tell me?

Faced with Shiomi Kotone's question, Genmaki Kokoro whistled and turned her face away, not daring to utter a sound.

Akira looked around, then fell into deep thought.

Even though all the topics revolve around me, it seems like I have absolutely no say in anything.

I always feel like whatever I say is wrong.

In LeBron's café, the awkward atmosphere gradually cooled until it froze completely.

The cold brew coffee pot drips dark brown coffee little by little, then releases a rich aroma.

In the end, it was Shiomi Kotone who sighed.

She gave up asking further questions, and just looked at Lai Qixiao with a helpless gaze, "You, you haven't gone astray and become a scumbag, have you?"

Akira Kurusu nodded somewhat awkwardly, "I guess...I guess so."

"Do you have any secret bases or anything like that?" Shiomi Kotone skipped over the topic that made Kurusu Akira feel awkward. "Everyone in the Shadow Patrol wants to meet you."

"They shouldn't recognize me—wait, the Shadow Watchers still exist?"

"For various reasons, although it almost fell apart, it has finally come back together. Congratulations."

"They don't know me."

“It’s alright, you two will get to know each other eventually.” Shiomi Kotone leaned down slightly, staring intently into Kurusu Akira’s eyes. “And… you’d better find a suitable time, we should have a lot to talk about patiently.”

She wasn't talking about anything romantic or intimate.

As a former contractor of the Velvet Room who narrowly escaped the catastrophe, Shiomi Kotone must cherish her hard-won chance to survive and then discuss the future with Kurusu Akira, the current contractor.

Especially since she has been confined to the artificial island since her transmigration due to her physical condition, she knows very little about the world and is even more lacking in essential information.

"..."

While the two were talking, Shin Tsukumo said, "I'm going to the bathroom," and then tiptoed away from LeBron.

The moment I stepped out of the door, it felt like a huge burden had been lifted, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The eldest daughter of the Genmaki family was already used to the strange and unusual romantic relationships within the zaibatsu circle.

Although she didn't quite understand why her good friend was so familiar with this son-in-law of the Toyokawa family, she felt that revealing their relationship in such a situation would have terrible consequences, so she tried her best to smooth things over.

Fortunately, their conversation gradually veered towards some mysterious and serious topics, which gave her a reason to leave.

Genjuro looked at the old street scene of Shigen Tea House and thought to herself for no reason.

That boy named Ren Amamiya is really something else.