Tokyo Psychic

Page 322

Her voice and appearance are now only lingering in the deepest corners of my memory.

Occasionally, standing in a sea of ​​people, you might see one or two figures that look incredibly familiar. But when you desperately push through the crowd and catch up, calling out to them from behind, you find a completely unfamiliar face when they turn around. At that moment, you feel an overwhelming and suffocating sense of loss.

Akira Kurusu took off her headphones and turned off the music app.

Christmas carols are playing in the student square outside.

Thinking back, many years ago, on the first and last Christmas Eve spent with Shiomi Kotone, she held Akira Kurusu in her arms by the bed and sang a Christmas song that belonged only to him.

Then, as if sensing something, Shiomi Kotone asked Kurusu Akira, "Should we record this song?"

"Too much trouble." The boy, predictably, refused, even pushing her arm away with a hint of disdain. "Don't hug me, it's a bit uncomfortable..."

If it were before, Shiomi Kotone would have been very angry and scolded him, yelling things like, "You can't say such rude things to girls!", "Nonsense, I'm obviously grown up!", "Little brat, do you even know what a 'perfect' body is?!"... But that time, she simply hugged Kurusu Akira tightly with a resolute gentleness that was irresistible and impossible to resist.

"Then, remember this moment, Akatsuki." The girl's eyes flickered in the dim moonlight in the darkness, somewhat like ketchup, giving off a wonderfully sweet and sour feeling just by looking at them.

Tomorrow is Christmas, the day of the "Messiah's" birth, which has given Shiomi Kotone many ideas.

It was as if the hands of fate had reached the last mark on the clock face.

Every minute and every second has become more precious and valuable than ever before.

She hugged Lai Qixiao tightly, imagining that this boy would grow up many years later and become someone who would make her feel gratified and happy from the bottom of her heart, and even someone she could admire and praise as "remarkable".

......

At the time, Akira Kurusu had no idea that just three months later, the girl who had only been with him for a year but would influence his entire future would bid farewell to the world.

Until the moment of true parting.

He bid farewell to his "SEES" predecessors in a daze, ordered a dessert in the student cafeteria as usual, and used chopsticks to break open the egg tart and squeeze on some ketchup.

It's a very ordinary and common taste, but it's so sour it makes your heart ache, and so sweet it brings tears to your eyes.

......

I wish I could record Shiomi-senpai's voice on Christmas Eve.

I really regret it.

But more than that, Akira Kurusu regretted not being able to thank her before parting ways.

He hung his very old headphones around his neck, pushed open the glass door covered in a layer of white mist, and walked into the dormitory.

The dormitory was spacious, and many necessary clothes and electronic products were carefully packed into suitcases.

With the second semester of her first year of high school coming to an end, Akira Lai, who was preparing to transfer to a high school in the city center to study hard and prepare for the college entrance examination, examined the dormitory room where she had lived for almost five years.

Even though I've packed everything up, I still feel like I can't take anything with me.

The clock on the wall slowly turned its hands, as if turning the wheel of fate.

As she grew older, Akira Kurusu came to understand the kind of "forbidden" feelings that Kotone Shiomi had for her when she was young.

It turns out that even the girl who saved the whole world has some little dirty thoughts hidden in her heart that make people both angry and amused.

No one is born to be a messiah who saves the world.

But when disaster strikes, in order to protect the people and things she cherishes and loves, she must stand up and become the "Messiah" in her destiny.

Akira Kurusu lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and began to recall the events of the past year from when she met Kotone Shiomi to when they parted ways.

It's a very strange feeling.

Even though five years have passed, I remember every single moment of it perfectly.

If the photograph were removed, the girl's smiling face would gradually become blurred in his memory, but he could never forget her warmth, like a flame that burned in the empty fields of his heart when he felt lonely—a scalding and burning pain.

Loneliness is not scary. What is scary is that when you face it after experiencing liveliness and warmth, the loneliness will be magnified twice.

Akira Kurusu does not resist the feeling of being enveloped in loneliness, nor does she care about the pity or worry of others.

He always manages to fall into a state of exceptional calm when he's alone, and then he can feel the warmth of Shiomi Kotone's hands, pushing him forward with each step...

Akira Kurusu must firmly believe that in his loneliest moments, he will become so powerful that he is invincible and unstoppable.

Because the moon is always gazing at his back.

......

When I left the private Moonlight Academy, the former student council president, who had graduated many years ago, was standing at the school gate.

Are you leaving?

"Yes." Akira Kurusu, who was dragging her suitcase, stopped in her tracks.

For the first time, Kirijo Mitsuki made a request to the boy she had watched grow up.

"Go find some like-minded partners; lone heroes are the most likely to perish."

"I don't need any 'partners'; I'm good enough on my own."

"Your blind confidence will ruin you sooner or later. No one can predict how cunning and dangerous the enemies they will face in the future will be." She wasn't usually a talkative person, but seeing Akira Kurusu made her think of the girl who sacrificed herself to save the world. It was as if the softest part of her heart had been brutally pierced, and many warm feelings welled up inside her.

Upon hearing this advice, Akira Kurusu simply smiled confidently and proudly, much like the girl who once stood atop the tower wielding a naginata. "Don't worry, I am invincible."

He turned to Kirijo Mitsuru and said, "After all, no matter what, Shiomi-senpai will be watching me... I have absolutely no reason to give up before I fulfill her expectations."

Akira Kurusu dragged her suitcase past Misuru Kirijo and headed toward the artificial island pier where snow was falling all around.

That Christmas, Moonlight Pavilion had a heavy snowfall.

The boy who took the initiative to embrace loneliness did indeed fulfill his promise.

From that day forward, no matter how formidable the enemy he faced, he never flinched or retreated, and he was never defeated...

The boy named Akira Kurusu, all his hesitations and regrets were forever left in that small dormitory room of the Moonlight Pavilion.

Born from a solitary shell is the legendary "Mind Thief," the invincible Persona.

......

On the Ferris wheel at Disneyland.

Akira Kurusu spoke candidly to Shoko Toyokawa, sharing his past experiences and lessons learned.

“I understand your situation very well... You need to be careful about the excessive love in your heart in the future, so as not to regret it later.”

Shoko Toyokawa gripped the cushion on the seat. "It sounds like some kind of scumbag's self-declaration."

Akira Kurusu smiled regretfully, "There's nothing I can do..."

"After all, lonely people are always eager to reach out to those they encounter."

311. Extra Chapter 2: Happy New Year

Also known as: "The Cycle with Homura Akemi - Chapter 1", "A Story That Happened in an Unknown Number of Cycles"

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January 6, 2023.

A cold wind howled through the streets, the sun blazing in the sky, yet offering no warmth. The piles of fallen leaves under the trees gradually turned from withered yellow to pale white. A gaunt old man pushed his ramen stall through the streets of Shigen-chaya. In a half-open drawer, a radio played classic songs from the Showa era, and boiling water churned in an iron bucket. A strainer scooped up a handful of noodles and poured them into a porcelain bowl.

"Alright, here's your buckwheat." A tall figure was reflected in the cloudy pupils.

"I am very grateful." The boy took out his chopsticks, stirred the noodles and soup, and made a simple, ritualistic declaration to cherish food. "Well then, I'll start eating."

Behind her, the rusty screws of the Takemi Internal Medicine Hospital, which hadn't been renovated in years, swayed precariously, making a sharp, rattling sound as the winter chill loosened. A seemingly impoverished young man staggered out of the clinic and sat down next to Akira Kurusu.

"Thank you so much. I was so hungry I almost fainted. I really didn't know what to do."

"It was nothing." Akira Kurusu pushed another bowl of soba noodles that the shopkeeper had brought to him. "I've already paid, so I won't bother you anymore. As for 'repayment'... just think of me as a Kamen Rider who happened to be passing by."

"About Madarame-sensei..."

"No need." Lai Xixiao got up and left the noodle stall without any hesitation, completely ignoring the boy's attempts to stop her.

"Um... my name is Yusuke Kitagawa!"

Akira Kurusu, walking away from the other side, raised her hand and waved, bidding farewell in silence.

We crossed the threshold of December.

After the New Year, the weather became increasingly dry and cold, and breathing felt like my lungs were filled with cotton wool taken from the Siberian cold wind.

As Akira Kurusu left Shigen-jaya and passed a corner of an alley, he discovered that there was actually a coffee shop there.

In fact, the coffee shop had already closed, and through the glass window in the door, you could see that everything that could be moved had been taken away.

A wrinkled, rain-soaked printed sheet of paper was pasted on the wall next to the door: "Shop for Rent".

Looking up again, you can see the store name "LeBron" on the sign under the red and white awning.

Lai Qixiao lingered for a while, and couldn't help but lament the difficulties of running a small business.

Another year has passed.

he thought.

A whole year has passed since I transmigrated to this world.

He initially ended up homeless, spending his last 1,200 yen sleeping in an internet cafe.

If she hadn't been lucky enough to be taken in by Homura Akemi who happened to be passing by, she would probably have been down on her luck for a long time after losing her Persona.

Thinking of that black-haired, purple-eyed girl, Akira Kurusu suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Despite being just a junior high school student, he possesses a maturity and composure far beyond what most people imagine, and he makes near-perfect decisions about everything in life.

He had to use the word "magical" to describe Homura Akemi.

From their first meeting, she already demonstrated a deep understanding of herself, and made no attempt to conceal this understanding of Akira Kurusu...

From getting to know each other to accepting the confession, and naturally becoming a couple—it only took a week.

After that, when the two of them moved to Takihara City to live together, Homura Akemi often reminded him of certain areas that were off-limits.

The reasons she used to restrict Akira Kurusu's activities can be roughly divided into three categories: "It's dangerous there," "I'll get jealous," and "Come shopping with me."

Homura Akemi is great in every way, except that she's too controlling.

It wasn't until Akira Kurusu's personality mask was awakened that she took the initiative to break up with him.

It's strange... Even though it was a breakup, neither of them felt sad or in pain, as if they had broken up like this many times before.

This is not numbness, but rather a premonition of the next encounter.

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【Divider】

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The afternoon sun, warm and yellow, seemed rather listless, hanging lukewarmly atop the tall buildings like a boiled egg. The sunlight felt neither hot nor warm on the skin, but the cold wind blowing from the artificial lake in Yoyogi Park made one shiver with cold. The chill seeped into the skin as the sunlight shone on the chest, making one involuntarily tighten their collar and hurry past.

Despite being dressed in very thin clothes, Akira Kurusu did not feel cold at all.

It wasn't until he spotted the couple on the park bench that he felt a chill.

Unlike when she first transmigrated, Akira Kurusu now possesses some assets.

Six months have passed since he broke up with Homura Akemi. In Tokyo, he continues to dismantle those mental palaces using information from his previous life. Even though the final enemy is a multitude of evil gods, they still cannot stop him in the slightest.

As the out-of-control incidents in the city disappeared at an alarming rate, the phantom thief felt a sense of emptiness.

Before I knew it, I had walked to the vicinity of a tall tower.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, clinging to the skin before quickly melting and leaving a slight stinging sensation.

He gazed at the towering structure of the observation tower, his thoughts drifting back to the depths of his memory.

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【Divider】

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December 1, 2010.

Tartarus.

【new year.】

Suddenly, Shiomi Kotone executed a dazzling gunfight, pressed the muzzle against her forehead, and pulled the trigger. A clear, resounding bang.