The situation in Osaka was far from over.
And here I was, hiding at home and happily indulging in fan creations.
So shameless~
Even so, Jiang Jian Yue couldn’t resist sending a message to the only guy in the Osaka trio.
“How is it?”
“Is it dangerous?”
Saori Saiyonji hadn’t replied yet, clearly still busy.
Looking at Saiyonji’s almost-too-much MIMD on the screen, Jiang Jian Yue felt a little guilty, tapped the triple like, and moved on.
At that moment, the penguin icon in the lower right corner began to flash with a private chat avatar—it was from the artist, Autumn Moon Aitouli.
“The suit has been fully adjusted. Should I send it over? Do you know how to use the software?”
“Fully understood.”
After downloading the data package and fiddling with it for a while, Jiang Jian Yue realized she hadn’t prepared her camera.
Well…being sick anyway, maybe it’s better to wait a while before going live again.
***
The next day, Monday, the last school day of the semester.
An ordinary day, which became extraordinary after the homeroom teacher mentioned the news that broke this morning.
“Students, the school has always emphasized safety during holidays. Recently, for well-known reasons, Tokyo hasn’t been very safe. We hope that after the break, the teachers can still see you all.”
Although Second Year Class A was a focus class, as the holiday approached, students everywhere became restless.
Chatter buzzed endlessly below.
The homeroom teacher was an old-fashioned, slightly rigid teacher.
His graying hair was combed meticulously, and his sharp eyes glinted behind his glasses.
He knocked on the lectern sternly, making a dull, steady thud.
“Quiet!”
Once the classroom calmed a little, with only the sound of wind from the window and the faint hum of the radiator, he continued.
“This morning’s news—there’s a group of cultists under various banners entrenched in Tokyo. During the holidays, be vigilant. Don’t get scammed or lose money…”
A wave of light commotion swept through the students, filled with playful teasing.
Girls quietly chatted on LINE, typing “So scary” followed by a string of “wwwww.”
Jiang Jian Yue heard this, rubbed her messy gray hair, and lowered her head to tap the news board on her phone in the drawer.
“Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, together with Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu, urgently destroyed ‘Society of Truth’ and ‘Peeping Media’ cult organizations in Tokyo!”
So Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu took action after all?
Jiang Jian Yue carefully read through the news, only to find that the so-called destruction was merely a raid on the cult buildings—the people had already fled!
Useless!
She silently deducted points from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu in her notebook.
Suddenly, she felt someone standing nearby.
A wave of killing intent—it was…the Teacher’s killing intent!
Jiang Jian Yue stiffly raised her head to find the homeroom teacher standing beside her desk, staring intently at her phone.
Without expression, the teacher placed a neatly folded piece of paper on the corner of her desk with a faint sound.
“This is your Final Report Card. Come to the Office after class.”
…?
Is this really how you talk to me?
Interesting. Man, you have my attention.
Of course, Jiang Jian Yue wouldn’t fuss over such a trivial matter.
She casually straightened the report card on the desk.
Most of the deviation scores were over fifty, with a few at sixty.
This level was already quite good.
Even if she failed every subject, she would still inherit the Dawn Resources Group, or just stay at home and count money.
Jiang Jian Yue only became a studying worm to compete a little.
The bell rang like a trumpet of liberation, and students surged out of the classroom like zombies, excitement for the holiday plain on their faces.
Jiang Jian Yue walked against the crowd toward the teacher’s Office, where the atmosphere was the complete opposite.
She pushed open the door, and the scent of books and coffee washed over her.
The homeroom teacher sat behind the desk by the window. Instead of discussing grades or discipline, he asked about the Supernatural Club.
“You young people can’t be kept still, I know that. So I have only one thing to say—be careful. Nothing is more important than staying safe.”
Master……
Jiang Jian Yue was a good person—at least she thought so herself—and was moved by such simple concern.
Leaving the Office, the winter wind poured through the open windows in the hallway, blowing away the lingering scent of the Office and clearing her feverish head.
She exhaled, ready to return to the classroom to grab her bag, but her gaze happened to fall on the window at the end of the hall.
A boy leaned quietly against the cold tiled wall, as if he’d been standing there for a long time.
The dark blue school jacket made his figure look tall, and the winter light through the window outlined his profile sharply.
It was Yuki Asahi.
He seemed to have been waiting for her, watching her quietly, focused and deep.
Jiang Jian Yue paused slightly, a hint of helplessness welling up inside—he really tried to seize every chance to be alone with her.
“Is your fever gone?”
“Yeah.”
Their exchange was simple and natural as usual.
“You didn’t catch it, did you?”
Walking one after the other back toward the classroom, Jiang Jian Yue suddenly asked.
Yuki Asahi seemed surprised by her concern. He froze for a moment, then a faint smile tugged at his lips.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good.”
Ah…a little embarrassing…
Jiang Jian Yue entered the classroom to get her bag.
Yuki Asahi stood by the rear door, then spoke hesitantly.
“Um…about Osaka, Onishi-san just messaged me that the case seems to be over and she’ll be back soon.”
Saori Saiyonji’s ability was still way too overpowered, far more than Yuki Asahi’s emotion power—not necessarily a good thing.
“And then…”
Yuki Asahi’s voice dropped, tinged with anticipation.
“For the holiday…about Hokkaido, I discussed the schedule with Onishi and the others. We’ll probably leave the day after tomorrow? Is your health okay? Can you go?”
He asked cautiously, as if afraid Jiang Jian Yue would say something like “I can’t go.”
The cold wind from the rear door ruffled his bangs, his clean profile clear in the winter light.
Jiang Jian Yue glanced at him, packed up her things, and returned to his side with her bag.
At times like this, what would happen if I suddenly said “Hahaha, I’m not going”?
This dangerous thought flickered through her mind—for last time, that line had instantly turned Ikeda Sachi into an enemy.
Better not to joke about it.
“As long as…nothing unexpected happens.”
But nothing ever goes as planned.
Before Yuki Asahi’s shy smile could fully form, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He quickly pulled it out.
It was Mr. Honda from Takashi Taguchi of Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu.
“Yuki-kun! We detected an unregistered Superpower User near your school on surveillance! Most likely a member of the cult organization swept yesterday. It’ll take us some time to get there…”
Yuki Asahi’s fist unclenched.
…Good, nothing major.
Time to earn some money.