Tokyo Psychic

Noticing the gaze from above, the black cat, which was rolling around in the cardboard box striking various alluring poses, suddenly froze and stopped moving.

This is the magical creature that Akira Kurusu found in Ren Amamiya's velvet room—we have to use a term from the Harry Potter universe to name it.

Because this cat-like life form, which calls itself "Morgana," is more accurately described as "magic" than "animal."

Morgana, gender and race unknown, claims to be "an apostle created by Igor". When it appears in reality, it is in the form of a "black cat" that conforms to public perception. However, when it enters the Impression Space, it gains the ability to walk upright, thus freeing its hands... In other words, it is a pet cat in reality and an "Elucat" in the Impression Space.

Akira Kurusu speculates that perhaps it is because Monster Hunter is so widely popular that people subconsciously have various settings for "Paladin," which is why Morgana was able to undergo a change in form in the world of consciousness.

He looked at Morgana, who was inside the cardboard box, looking utterly despondent and as if he had suffered a social death, and closed the box. "I'm going to school now. You can stay here."

Morgana immediately jerked violently, like a salmon pulled from the water, and surprisingly uttered a human voice, "Don't abandon us!"

"You must be very tired yesterday, go to sleep."

Akira tied the laces on her sneakers and went downstairs while holding onto the handrail.

As I brushed against the wooden handrail, feeling the rough texture slide against my palm, I suddenly heard my phone ring in my pocket.

The phone rang suddenly.

Akira took out her phone and glanced at the screen; it was a message from Line.

[Pleia: (Too long message)]

What did she post?

Akira looked at her phone screen and then curiously tapped on it.

......

Sakura Sojiro, who was cleaning the shop, heard footsteps in the stairwell, looked up, and saw Kurusu Akatsuki's unpredictable expression.

“You look like you’ve just been through a telecom scam.” Sakura Sojiro wiped the table with a rag, somewhat surprised by Kurusu Akira’s reaction.

After all, ever since this boy moved into the attic, he has always acted decisively and purposefully. This was probably the first time he had shown such a nervous and confused expression in front of others.

“Telecommunications fraud…” Lai Qixiao’s fingers moved up and down in the input box several times, but in the end she remained silent.

Sakura Sojiro asked him, "Do you want to eat some breakfast before going to school? You have an exam today, so you don't need to help with the work at the shop."

"Okay, I'd like a seafood risotto."

"Sit on the sofa for a while." Sakura Sojiro put down the dishcloth and walked briskly towards the kitchen.

Lai Xixiao looked at the nearly two hundred-word essay sent by An Hema and fell into deep thought.

Based on his understanding of An and Subaru's behavior, especially considering the length of the message sent at this particular time, it's possible they genuinely wanted to talk about Pokémon...

Has any new Pokémon game been announced recently? Is it Nintendo's "Pokémon Legends: Arceus"? Or is it the TV series "Pokémon Journeys," which has been running since 2019?

Akira Kurusu repeatedly read the short essay sent by An and Subaru, feeling that there was something more to it than met her eye, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Good heavens, are encrypted calls becoming popular among high school students these days?

The kitchen gradually filled with the crisp sound of spatulas hitting the bottom of pots.

As the morning mist gradually dissipated, a sea of ​​clouds, like ocean waves, filled the sky, undulating with the high summer breeze.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, enveloping the lush treetops, and the sparse chirping of cicadas could be heard on the street at some unknown time.

While waiting for breakfast, Akira Kurusu simply mimicked Anwa Subaru's sentence structure to answer her.

[Just letting you know, it's sunny today. Sunny Day effects include increased damage from Fire-type moves, decreased damage from Water-type moves, increased recovery from Photosynthesis, no need to charge Solar Beam, and for Pokémon with the Solar Power ability, it increases Special Attack but reduces HP, while Pokémon with the Chlorophyll ability double Speed.]

The message was sent and marked as "read" within seconds.

The words "typing" popped up under An and Subaru's profile picture, but they couldn't come up with a single sentence for a long time.

Sakura Sojiro had already brought the prepared seafood risotto to the table. "Please enjoy."

Akira Kurishi clasped her hands together and said, "Thank you for the hospitality."

Then he placed his phone on the table, and just as he picked up his spoon, the phone vibrated and slid a short distance across the table.

Pleia: You said yes!

[Pleia: This round, the solar beam has hit its target!]

[The Thinker in the Attic: ?]

(Pleia is offline.)

Akira Kurusu stared blankly at his phone screen until the store door opened and Serina Iori, carrying a schoolbag, slowly sat down in the seat opposite him.

"Hurry up and finish eating, it's time for school," Jingqin Rencai whispered to Kurusu Akira across from her. "I still have several math problems I don't understand..."

The phantom thief scooped up a large spoonful of rice and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing as he asked her indistinctly, "Have you ever played Pokémon games?"

“N-no,” Jingqin Rencai paused for a moment, “I don’t have a game console at home…”

Have you ever watched the Pokémon anime?

The frustration and sadness on Jing Qinren's face were almost palpable. "Our family is quite strict. We can only watch TV during designated times on weekend evenings, but everyone in the family takes turns using the remote..."

"Alright, stop talking," Lai Xixiao tapped the edge of the plate with her spoon, making a crisp sound, which finally interrupted Jing Qinrencai's almost incessant complaining.

"Solar Beam" is a Grass-type move in the Pokémon series of games.

Pokémon that use Solar Beam charge up in the first turn and attack in the second turn.

There's a kind of arrogance in telling others "I'm coming to attack" first, and then waiting for the other party to be fully prepared before throwing a punch.

What's interesting is that "Solar Beam" performs an action check during its attack turn, and if it cannot act, the attack is canceled—this "inability to act" usually refers to the Pokémon dying.

Whatever it is, as long as it's described as "it will be completed unless I die," it will seem somewhat romantic and passionate.

Thinking about this, Lai Qixiao looked at the last two messages An and Mao sent, and combined them with her initial long-winded explanation... He suddenly realized that his reply just now seemed to have been biased.

If we assume that An and Subaru's statement "It rained yesterday" was some kind of very subtle invitation or promise.

Akira Kurusu's answer was essentially a subtle, yet secretive and romantic, way of accepting her promise from An and Subaru's perspective.

Because in "Sunny" weather, "Sunbeam" can be activated immediately in the current turn without waiting for a full turn to charge...

Lai Qixiao picked up her phone, typed a few words on the screen, deleted them, and finally put the phone down.

Let's just pretend we understand... We'll see how An and Subaru behave after we get back to school before deciding what to do.

I have a feeling that if we clarify things now, there will be a terrible outcome.

Akira Kurusu quickly scooped up the rice with a spoon.

Serina Izayoi was curled up in her seat, scrolling through funny videos on YouTube while holding her phone. After a while, she started laughing to herself, and her muffled laughter caught the attention of Sakura Sojiro, who was making coffee behind the counter.

He glanced at Qi Xiao, then at Jing Qinrencai, shook his head with a hint of disappointment, and continued with his work.

Akira carefully scooped the last grain of rice from her plate with a spoon and called to the girl sitting opposite her, Serenai, "Stop using your phone, go to school."

"oh oh!"

Jingqin Rencai slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and followed Laixi Xiao away from LeBron with light steps.

She didn't know when it started, but she began to look forward to her time at school.

......

Ebizuka Satoshi, wearing slippers, went to the door to pick up his takeout, thanked the deliveryman, and then closed the door.

She looked at An and Subaru, who were lying on the sofa covering their faces and grinning foolishly, with a hint of disdain. "Hurry up and go to school."

An and Subaru seemed to completely ignore Ebizuka Satoshi's words. They rolled around on the sofa a few times, then picked up their phones again and continued to grin foolishly at the screenshots of their Line chat history in the album.

"Subaru! Time for school!" Tomokazu Ebizuka walked up to her.

An and Subaru looked at the two white and slender thighs so close to their eyes, and only then did they belatedly look at the timestamp at the top of the screen.

"Oh no! It's almost eight o'clock!"

The girl who had just been covering her phone and giggling foolishly immediately scrambled away from the sofa, ran back to her room, grabbed her school uniform, and rushed into the bathroom to wash up.

Why is this guy suddenly so happy? I remember he looked sickly yesterday afternoon.

Watching An and Subaru's departing figures, Ebizuka Tomo thought with some doubt, "Could they have won the lottery? It doesn't seem like it..."

She thought to herself, surely An and Subaru can't be having affairs, can they?

Having found a boyfriend, will Subaru still continue rehearsing with the band? ...Ebizuka Tomo pondered to herself. Having fled her hometown and school at the age of 15, she had never been in a relationship and was now just 16 years old. She was unsure how to handle the potential crisis the band might face at any moment.

It's terrible that the band is missing a drummer before they've even officially taken the stage. We need to ask Rupa to go to her school and find out more.

Ebizuka Tomo opened the takeout order on the table and found three dozen sushi pieces.

Just as An and Subaru hurriedly pushed open the bathroom door, ready to start their last-minute rush, a lunchbox was already being handed to them.

"Here you go. It's mostly eel and beef sushi."

An and Subaru took the lunchbox, then rushed to the entrance without stopping, bursting out the door, their words "Thank you so much!" echoing in the hallway a few times.

Ebizuka watched her disappear into the stairwell, and the sound of her footsteps gradually faded away.

"Love..."

She kept repeating that word.

What kind of boyfriend would a beautiful and outstanding girl like An and Subaru have?

Sixteen-year-old Ebizuka Tomo couldn't help but fantasize.

But then she heard the sound of her neighbor's door opening and closing in the hallway. She quickly closed the door, only to be slapped back to reality by life.

Facing the empty apartment, Ebizuka Tomo took a deep breath, thinking of Rupa who was working outside.

She had to finish writing the new song quickly... She went back to her room, turned on her laptop, put on her headphones, picked up the half-finished sheet music next to her desk, and prepared to continue writing the band's new song.

But this focused attention only lasted for half an hour.

After dropping his headphones, Ebizuka Tomo collapsed weakly onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Oh no, I have absolutely no idea how to handle this sudden surge of emotion...

It would be great if a composer recognized the band's potential and was willing to provide us with new songs free of charge.

Ebizuka Tomo hugged his pillow and indulged in daydreams for a while, then got up again, put on his headphones, and continued studying the music.

A band formed by a group of young girls with no experience is unlikely to be valued by a powerful composer. Even if such a composer does send her an invitation, she has to be wary of whether the other party has ulterior motives.

There are also three high school students in the band who need to finish writing new songs before their next exam week, and then schedule even more intensive practice sessions.

Ebizuka Tomoyuki bit his thumb, looking at the sheet music in front of him with a worried expression; it was covered in alterations.

A little while later, the doorbell rang very clearly from the entrance hall again.

She took off the headphones that weren't even plugged in and walked towards the door with a frustrated expression.

"Hello, is this Ebizuka of Fujiki-i? The 'gecko food' and 'egg-eating snake food' you ordered online have been delivered."

A deliveryman was calling from outside the door.

"I am Ebizuka, please leave the package at the door."

"understand!"

Once the deliveryman was out of sight, Ebizuka Satoshi opened the door. The so-called "gecko feed" contained one hundred crickets, and she couldn't very well open the box in front of strangers.

She picked up the two delivery boxes and returned to the living room, squatting down next to the animal enclosure.

The two enclosures house a snake named "Young Master" that eats eggs and a gecko named "Chiyomaru," respectively.

Ebizuka Tomo opened the delivery box filled with inflatable cushions, then placed two quail eggs near the "young master's" nest with his fingers. He then took out tweezers from the tool bucket next to him, picked up a cricket, and fed it to "Chiyomaru".

She stared at the reptile feasting, a hint of grievance and annoyance welling up in her eyes.

Ebizuka Tomo gently stroked Chiyomaru's back with his index finger. "Do you think I'm becoming a little too reliant on Rupa?"

"But...life is really tough, and the city is so big, it seems like there are bad people everywhere."

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(This mountain of code... sigh, I'm too lazy to even complain. I only have one subject left for final exams. I'll catch up on the updates that the platform blocked yesterday after I finish my exams.)