Tokyo Psychic

Akira Kurusu took An and Subaru's hand, feeling the warmth flowing from the girl's palm, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

Her fingers had no calluses from intensive studying or musical instrument practice, nor any rough marks from helping with household chores. They were like fine silk, light and thin, falling into Akira Kurusu's grasp and conforming closely to the shape of his palm.

An and Subaru's fingers curled slightly with shyness and nervousness, as if they couldn't wait to grab Akira Kurusu's hand.

She bit her lip, seemingly ashamed of her reaction.

Akira asked An and Subaru, "When did you figure this out?"

“After yesterday’s dinner party…” Anwa Subaru blinked his wet eyes, his bright violet eyes reflecting Akira Kurusu’s face, “Wasn’t that sudden?”

"This is so sudden," Akira Kurusu said, bringing her face closer.

An and Subaru quickly closed their eyes, not flinching, but nervously and shyly anticipating what would happen next.

Looking at the unwavering trust on her face and noticing the sweat on her palms, Lai Xixiao was immediately shaken.

So he leaned close to her ear and reminded her, "This is a teaching building."

"Hmm..." Anhe Subaru responded somewhat dejectedly, then opened her eyes. With a flicker in her gaze, she suddenly took the initiative to hug Laixi Xiao's neck, quickly and lightly tiptoed, and then turned her flushed face away as if nothing had happened.

The phantom thief, feeling the moist, soft sensation spreading across his lips, was subtly lost in thought.

The warm breeze of early summer blew in from the corner of the corridor, gently ruffling the girl's cloud-like hair, which flowed as if floating, and her bright eyes sparkled like jewels.

Like an angel flapping its wings, bowing its head to kiss the boy's lips in the sunlight.

The boy and girl stood frozen on the stairs, as if time itself had stopped flowing for them.

-

The phantom thief was hit by the "Angel's Kiss"!

【Angel's Kiss】: A Fairy-type move in Pokémon, which kisses the opponent cutely like an angel, causing confusion.

The phantom thief is in a state of chaos!

The phantom thief's affection for An and Subaru has increased dramatically!

-

As they walked down the corridor behind them, footsteps suddenly approached, and the two people on the stairs resumed their movements and hurried down the stairs.

"Actually, you're a Fairy-type Pokémon, right?" Akira Kurusu looked at the clock on the porch and realized that he had been held captive by An and Subaru in the stairwell for almost three minutes.

Despite being very shy, An and Subaru raised their faces proudly, their eyes turning around several times, but only reflecting the presence of Akira Kurusu.

Akira Kurusu gripped An and Subaru's hands tightly as if she had made up her mind. "Let's go. Before the new principal takes office, we should cherish our last 'privileged time'."

An and Subaru glanced behind them, their hearts pounding rapidly and heavily, like the force of a drumbeat.

Yoshizawa Sumire clutched her chest, staring blankly at the two figures as they left, as if she had suddenly lost all her strength, only able to stand by leaning against the escalator beside her.

"Sister, what should we do now..." she murmured almost to herself.

Yoshizawa Sumire witnessed "Anwa" kissing Kurusu Akira's lips.

A multitude of thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

He shouted for them to stop, then ran over to ask for the pen that Akira Lai had borrowed from Kasumi Yoshizawa and himself.

Or immediately run back to the classroom and tell your older sister who is in class the news.

Or perhaps they would take photos of them with their phones and post them on the school forum as revenge for Akira Kuriki toying with their sister's feelings...

But in the end, she did nothing.

Perhaps it was out of trust in Akira Kurusu, perhaps it was out of protection for her sister's relationship, or perhaps... it was some kind of filthy and immoral thought in her heart that she herself could not distinguish. Her heart pounded, and she just stood there with her fists clenched.

Until Akira Kurusu, An, and Subaru completely disappeared from the school building.

Yoshizawa Sumire lowered her head and moved with difficulty toward the classroom.

The chaotic thoughts gradually evaporated.

Yoshizawa Sumire pushed open the classroom door. "Teacher, I'm back."

"Remember to use the restroom during break next time."

"Okay." The girl bowed politely to express her thanks and returned to her seat.

It was as if she had just experienced a hallucination.

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(The backend crashed and swallowed my draft again, forcing me to republish it an hour late. Hopefully, the tech department will be back in business on Monday and fix these insane bugs.)

(This is a book recommendation section with no responsibility.)

109. A Date with An and Subaru (Part 2)

It's hard to imagine that in 2022, internet cafes are still a popular dating venue for couples.

The ashtray was covered in sloppy marks, the mouse and keyboard had a faint sheen of oil, and the monitor and desktop were clean, except for the corner behind the screen and the gap in the sofa where dust had accumulated.

When Akira Kurusu was registering at the front desk, she felt An and Subaru nervously hugging her arms.

The huge space was filled with shouts of various game terms and commands in voice chatter; it was no exaggeration to say it was bustling with noise.

The air purifier runs at full speed, gradually stripping away the irritating smoke from the noise. The smoke and dust disperse and gather again, becoming a kind of noise that has settled.

"Business is really good today," Lai Qixiao remarked to the sales clerk at the front desk.

While working on her office computer, the sales clerk replied to Lai Qixiao, "It's probably because a competition was organized today."

"A Valorant match?" Akira Kurusu looked at the nearest seat, where a middle school boy was intently using a keyboard and mouse, controlling a character named "Viper" as he navigated the winding middle lane. Suddenly, a bullet flew from around a corner, and amidst the terrified tumbles, his screen turned black and white.

"Yes, the bonus is 80,000 yen. Everyone is very enthusiastic," the sales clerk handed the printed receipt to Akira Kurusu. "Your private room is in the corridor on the right side of the lobby."

The sales clerk glanced at An and Subaru beside Akira a few more times. It was hard to imagine that such an elegant and beautiful girl, who exuded a dignified and virtuous aura and was so cute that it was hard to look away, would come to an internet cafe with this boy in front of her...

Damn it, how could you bear to let her hands touch that greasy keyboard and mouse?

No matter how many times I looked at Lai Qixiao, this guy had messy hair, wore large-framed glasses, was disheveled, and had a slovenly appearance. He was still wearing his school uniform, looking every bit the nerdy guy who only knew how to study and didn't care about dressing up or fashion.

The sales clerk stared at the registration form on the computer, her heart filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred that felt like a sharp blade piercing her chest... Oh, it's the highest-class "business-class" private room, two thousand yen an hour, with all the peripherals meticulously cleaned every day. So that's it, a wealthy but unassuming young master.

Thinking about this, his mood suddenly calmed down a bit.

He didn't understand the little quirks of the wealthy, but he respected them—then he watched helplessly as the couple walked away. Akira handed the credit card she had just used to Subaru, who then took out his own wallet, opened it, and took the credit card back.

I must have amnesia.

The salesman's worldview seemed to collapse in an instant.

The sharp blade finally pierced the chest cavity, spurting out scalding blood that splashed onto the counter with a clattering sound similar to keyboard typing.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Akira's departing figure, wondering what good luck this man had to have such a girlfriend.

Then he reached into his pocket and found his empty wallet. His 27 years of being single immediately replayed in his mind, making his heart ache even more.

When will a beautiful girl from a wealthy family, with elegant temperament, lovely appearance, kind heart, and willingness to "share joy with the people" descend from the sky to save me?!

......

Passing through the lobby opposite the front desk, a whole row of guests sat smoking, fiddling with their mice, and tapping on their keyboards. But they weren't necessarily the main characters in the game, dominating or killing opponents. Away from their jobs or campus life, they were mostly supporting characters in the game.

The most appealing aspect of video games is probably this: at least they offer the opportunity to become the protagonist, even if it's just for a brief and fleeting few seconds or minutes, it still brings a sense of self-satisfaction that transcends reality.

Although Anhe Subaru is a die-hard gamer, she has never been to an internet cafe, a place that is usually associated with "chaos" and "badness" in the public eye.

After all, when she's at home, the computer configuration, internet speed, and overall comfort are far superior to those in internet cafes.

Similarly, a girl with an idol-like glamorous appearance who spends most of her time in an entertainment academy would seem out of place in the environment of an internet cafe.

The men sitting behind their computers would often notice An and Subaru passing by unintentionally, but the presence she exuded was so dazzling and intense that it seemed to burn their eyes, constantly pulling them back to reality... Having finally escaped from work and life, they lost the courage to look at her, let alone strike up a conversation or ask for her contact information. They would just glance at her briefly and then turn their attention back to the computer screen.

Occasionally, people would cast envious glances at Akira Kurusu beside her.

An and Subaru clung tightly to Akira Kurusu beside them in an extremely insecure posture, hiding in his arms.

After entering the reserved private room and closing the door, An and Subaru finally relaxed in the private space, and then buried their faces in Akira Kurusu's chest as if they were even more attached to each other.

Akira Kurusu pressed her cheek and gently kneaded it. "Actually, you don't have to deliberately act so timid and dependent."

"Huh, you actually figured it out?"

An and Subaru then loosened their distance a bit, then winked playfully at him and said with a smile, "But now, do you feel like your vanity and desire to show off have been completely satisfied?"

Akira Kurusu was shaken like never before. "Then... of course I'm satisfied."

Being the center of attention for the entire journey by men with almost manic jealousy, the exhilaration derived from showing off was unparalleled.

There are four computers in the private room. Two computers share a sofa, and the back of the sofa can be opened to make a bed.

On the table was a business card with several phone numbers written on it. The background of the card was a picture of legs in black and white stockings crisscrossing, and a small umbrella was slyly placed between the legs—it truly lived up to its "business grade" label, being quite business-like.

Having received a satisfactory answer from Akira Kurusu, An and Subaru smiled even more broadly.

She walked to the sofa with her hands behind her back and sat down, then urged Akira Kurusu, "Hurry up, it's time to play games!"

As he said this, An and Subaru casually picked up the business card next to the keyboard and tossed it into the trash can.

Lai Xixiao sat down next to her and turned on her computer.

"Is it still possible to register for that competition?" He asked An and Subaru beside him, looking at the Windows startup animation that popped up on the computer screen.

An and Subaru turned their heads and bumped his shoulder. "It's only 80,000 yen, I'll give it to you. Don't think about the competition or anything like that."

"Weren't you almost out of money?" Akira Kurusu found the icon for Valorant on the computer.

“Hmm… When it comes to pocket money, you can always ask your family and they will give you some,” Anwa Subaru said, his eyes involuntarily glued to Akira Kurusu’s profile as he watched him operate the mouse.

"They'll definitely ask me what it's for."

“Of course.” An and Subaru took a deep breath, then sat up straight, their ankles, encased in black pantyhose, stomping on the floor with their small leather shoes, making a clattering sound.

"How are you going to answer them?" Akira asked, looking at her slightly flushed face with some curiosity. "Of course, I'm just asking out of curiosity. If it's inconvenient to say, then it's fine."

“Inconvenient…” Anwa Subaru muttered the word, then looked up at him angrily, “You’re so cunning!”

Then she muttered to herself, "Of course, I should just tell them, 'I found a boyfriend, I'm short on money, send me some quickly'... Is that all?"

After saying that, An and Subaru threw themselves into Akira Kurusu's arms, poking his lips with their index fingers. "Aren't you touched? Please be nicer to me from now on!"

At that moment, even Akira Kurusu couldn't tell whether she was acting or just being herself... It's hard to imagine that the words "unconventional" and "elegant and dignified" could be so perfectly combined in her.

Damn, how come this woman is so skilled?

Akira Kurusu leaned back on the sofa, feeling somewhat weak, while An and Subaru boldly knelt on his lap. Her ears, hidden by her hair, were bright red, but she still looked intently into Akira Kurusu's eyes, waiting for his reply.

After a while, An and Subaru felt the binding sensation around their waists and the warmth of Akira Kurusu's body pressed against them, and a shy yet smug smile immediately appeared on their faces.

"Finally, you've been completely captivated by Ms. Anwa's charm, haven't you, Phantom Thief?"

"Let's play games, it's charged by the hour here."

"Hehe! Are you shy?!" Even though she was the shyest one.

"Shut up."

For the first time, Akira Kurusu's voice carried a hint of struggling helplessness.

......

The moment she stepped out of the examination room, Jingqin Rencai couldn't help but stretch.

I felt a sense of relief.

She found her schoolbag next to the podium and followed the flow of people in the corridor back to the classroom of Class 2-D.

This time I should be able to get a good score.

Ishigami Rina couldn't help but imagine how the phantom thief would praise her after seeing her report card, and her mood immediately brightened.

I sat in the classroom for a while, but I still didn't see Akira Lai in the seat next to me.

When the school bell rang, Kawakami Sadahiro, the teacher in charge, walked into the classroom carrying her briefcase.

She glanced at the students below, making sure everyone except Akira Kurusu was present, before she began to speak, "Today's exams are over. You are free to do as you please now, but there are a few things I want to remind you of before school ends."