Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

"The Fool represents the undefined, embarking on adventures and journeys. Guest, it seems you have recently begun a brand new journey in life."

After hearing this, Kyushu Makoto actually thought there was some truth to it. After all, he had recently transmigrated, which might indeed represent a "new life".

But then he thought about it again and realized that it was probably just a lucky coincidence, the so-called "Barnam effect." People tend to resonate with ambiguous and widely accepted evaluations, believing that these evaluations are describing them.

Many fortune tellers make good use of this psychological effect, using the rhetoric that "applies to everyone" to gain the trust of their clients.

"The second card is [The Chariot]." The female fortune teller revealed the second card:

"The reversed interpretation of the Chariot is 'being treated violently,' which can also mean 'a delinquent.' But I feel that you have conquered the Chariot and turned it into an upright one... Hmm... The triune Chariot is about to embark on the right path again, and this power will accompany you and help you overcome obstacles."

“The third card is the High Priestess.” She revealed the third card:

"The High Priestess represents wisdom, and may represent...your teacher or something like that. However, this High Priestess is reversed, which means there may be a wise person in your life who should have been your mentor, but due to her shortsightedness and greed, she has instead become an obstacle in your life."

“The fourth card is the [Dharma King].” She revealed the fourth card:

"The Dharma King represents aid and compassion. There might be a kind old gentleman quietly helping you, even if he seems ashamed to admit it."

"The fifth card is... [Love]~" She flipped over the fifth card, raised an eyebrow, and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Will I meet my soulmate soon?" Makoto Kyushu asked curiously.

"Guest, being in love doesn't necessarily mean a destined marriage." The female fortune teller shook her head, explaining meaningfully:

"【Romance】 signifies that you will have a wonderful encounter soon, and perhaps someone will fall in love with you. As for the person you're in love with, I can't sense it yet, so please pay close attention to the female friends around you~"

“Eh…” Kyushu Makoto stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

After he traveled to Tokyo, he didn't make any female friends at all. If he had to name one, it would probably be Edogori Shigenori.

But she was, after all, his teacher in name only, and they were in a state of mutual hatred, so she could never be the object of his "romance".

"The sixth card is... the reversed Queen!" The female fortune teller revealed the last card in the outer circle, her expression somewhat grave.

"The Queen is incredibly arrogant and autocratic, treating everyone as pawns and tools. You may encounter such a person soon, someone who will be your adversary. Please be careful, guest!"

Kyushu listened attentively and nodded silently.

It must be said that this female fortune teller was quite professional, speaking very logically and clearly, which even impressed Kyushu Makoto.

However, his senior brother once told him that divination and fortune telling are always three parts guessing and seven parts fabrication, so just listen to it for fun.

"Next up is the card in the very center, right?" Kyushu Makoto pointed to the card in the center of the deck, looking on with anticipation.

Although he wasn't superstitious, he had already paid the money, so he was curious about which tarot card his "soul origin" represented.

"Hmm... I feel like this is going to be a really powerful card~" The female fortune teller smiled mysteriously and quickly flipped over the middle card.

But when the cards were turned over, the female fortune teller's expression suddenly froze, and she stood there stiffly.

This tarot card has a white background with no patterns, except for a striking "中" (zhong, meaning center) character written in blood-red ink.

This card looks more like a mahjong tile than a tarot card…

Red Center.

“Um… Miss fortune teller…” Kyushu Makoto’s face twitched slightly, and he began to wonder if the fortune teller was deliberately trying to amuse him.

"Although I don't know much about it, this image shouldn't be a tarot card, right?"

“I know… this ‘Red Center’ card is from a set of ‘Mahjong Playing Cards,’ but I bought it because it was bundled with a tarot deck.” The female fortune teller was extremely embarrassed, her face turning deathly pale, and she murmured in a low voice:

"But how is that possible... How could the Red Center be mixed into my tarot deck?"

"Mahjong playing cards" are a type of board game product that has become popular in Wano Country in recent years. They are cards with mahjong patterns printed on them. Their selling points are "easy to carry around" and "can be played without shuffling the table".

Upon closer inspection, the back of this "Red Center" card and the other tarot cards all have the same company logo printed on them, with identical patterns and colors, making it difficult to notice if you accidentally mix up the deck.

However, it's rather strange that a red center card suddenly appears during a tarot reading.

"Hmm... This is bad! Could it be that my divination was wrong from beginning to end?" The female fortune teller gripped the [Red Center] divination slip, looking quite troubled.

"Divination is very detail-oriented; even a small mistake can trigger a chain reaction, leading to complete failure... This is bad, this is bad..."

Seeing the melancholy-looking female fortune teller, Kyushu Makoto forced himself not to laugh and kindly offered some advice:

"Divination is inherently a very mysterious thing. I think next time you're trying to scam someone, you should carefully check the props first."

"No! No!" Suddenly, the female fortune teller seemed to realize something and gripped Kyushu Makoto's hand tightly.

Even through the gloves, Kyushu Makoto could sense something strange about the other person's hands. They felt hard to the touch, like metal rather than flesh. Furthermore, the knuckles had a smooth, spherical texture, like the hands of a puppet.

"Guest, perhaps... your soul's essence is the [Red Center]!" The female diviner looked at him earnestly and said with certainty, "I mistakenly shuffled the [Red Center] into the tarot deck, and then drew it with a 23% probability. This is no ordinary coincidence!"

"The Red Center has no connection to the Tarot system, yet it has cleverly infiltrated the deck, taking the place of other cards... This may mean you are carrying a destiny that is not yours, embarking on a journey that is not yours! Your future is shrouded in mist, unclear and uncertain, as if... you are surrounded by deception and lies... Danger... too dangerous..."

The female fortune teller spoke eloquently, but Kyushu Makoto couldn't help but frown.

It has to be said, this fortune teller is quite stubborn. He clearly made a fool of himself by pulling a mahjong tile from the tarot deck, yet he insisted it was a "revelation of fate," forcibly interpreting it as some kind of explanation.

However, after such a major mistake, she was still able to continue fooling people without blushing or skipping a beat, which made Kyushu Makoto start to admire her ability to adapt to the situation.

After the female fortune teller finished speaking, her gaze towards Kyushu Makoto became even more intense and focused: "Guest, your destiny is truly wondrous. This is the first time I've met someone like you! If possible, could you please leave your contact information? I hope to perform another fortune telling for you in a while!"

Hey, this tactic is way too obvious!

Kyushu Makoto suppressed his urge to complain and sighed inwardly.

She would first deliberately say some alarming things, then play the long game to catch a big fish, making him a long-term customer, until he was completely trapped in her lies and drained of his money... This female fortune teller was probably plotting this.

Kyushu Makoto, of course, didn't want to leave his phone number, lest the other party really see him as a cash cow. Therefore, he quickly and cleverly changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, is your hand... a prosthetic?"

When the topic came up, the female fortune teller glanced at her hands subconsciously and answered somewhat awkwardly, "It's because of a work injury."

"Sorry, I accidentally touched a nerve..." Kyushu Makoto lowered his head in feigned sincerity, then praised, "But your card-cutting action just now was very skillful. You must have practiced diligently for a long time, right?"

Despite making polite remarks, Kyushu Makoto intended to get up and leave as soon as possible.

Although this female fortune teller is disabled, being disabled does not mean she is immune to fraud and crime.

Today's 600-yuan fortune-telling experience was quite interesting; at least it made him laugh. Besides, she's just trying to earn her money through hard work, so there's no need for her to make things difficult for a disabled person. But if she tries to turn herself into a long-term cash cow, Kyushu Makoto won't tolerate it.

"I have to go, Mom's calling me home for dinner." Kyushu Makoto stood up, trying to slip away with some flimsy excuse: "See you next time!"

Next time you see her, just pretend you didn't see her.

"Wait a minute!" Just then, the female fortune teller grabbed Kyushu Makoto's sleeve and insisted:

"Your fate is peculiar, and it's accompanied by great danger! Please let me do another divination for you; I can do it for free!"

As she spoke, the female fortune teller picked up her pen and wrote two lines on the back of the "Red Center" card, then slipped it into his hand.

Kyushu Makoto looked at the back of the card; it only contained a name and a phone number.

【Night Tour of Tianyin】

Contact information: 03-xxxx-xxxx

"Night Wanderer...Miss?" Kyushu Makoto awkwardly pronounced the other person's surname.

"Guest, let me give you another piece of advice," the Night Wanderer said seriously, pursing her lips.

"Your wheel of fortune tells me that the power of the bonds between people may help you overcome difficulties."

18. Is she a junior or senior student at Mizuhashi?

The following day at noon, Kyushu Makoto did not go directly to the rooftop to eat with the three delinquents, but instead went to the first-year students' floor.

During PE class yesterday, he found a student ID card belonging to a junior named "Mizuhashi Eiki" and was going to return it to her.

However, Kyushu Makoto clearly remembered that the person from yesterday should have been a "junior." Although that junior was petite and had a rather effeminate appearance, he was wearing a boys' school uniform.

Could it be that the junior student actually has a sister who is also studying at Xiujin Academy?

Although he had many questions in his mind, Kyushu Makoto wasn't particularly eager to know the answers. He was more concerned about why his junior was being bullied.

Since it was lunch break, there weren't many people in the first-grade classroom, only a few scattered students and a small group chatting.

Makoto Kyushu walked into the classroom of Class 2, Grade 1 and asked a junior who was reading a comic book:

"Hello, is there a classmate named Mizuhashi Eiki in your class?"

The junior student suddenly looked confused, pouted, thought for a while, and then said:

“There’s a student in our class whose last name is ‘Mizuhashi,’ but his name isn’t Eiji; it’s Eigi.”

"Is that so..." Since he was already here, Kyushu Makoto simply asked, "Where is Mizuhashi Eiji sitting?"

"Over there." The junior student held out his hand and pointed to a corner.

After thanking him, Kyushu Makoto quickly walked over.

That junior student named Mizuhashi Eiji isn't here; he must have gone out for lunch.

But as he approached that spot, he couldn't help but frown.

Mizuhashi's desk was very dirty, covered with graffiti and craft knife scratches, and someone had written vicious words like "sissy," "soft-legged man," and "stinky otaku" in marker.

Not only that, but someone also stuffed a bunch of crumpled paper into Mizuhashi's desk drawer, and glue was smeared on his chair.

Kyushu Makoto quickly asked a female student next to him, "What's going on?"

The female student gave him a strange look and walked away quickly without saying a word.