Tokyo Psychic

The doors between the kitchen and the living room were opened.

Lunch is ready.

This seemed like a signal, which made Muneo Igorine secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

He stood up and pulled out chairs for the group of young men and women who had traveled all the way from Tokyo.

268. Her parents agreed first.

After the pre-meal prayer, Akira Kurusu responded to a few mundane, everyday questions from Muneo Igeri.

During this time, he would occasionally eavesdrop on the conversations between Jing Qinren and her mother...

Akira Kurusu fully utilized her understanding of the social sphere—

Having discerned his future father-in-law and mother-in-law's personalities, he adopted the so-called table manners, slowly and deliberately handling the food in front of him. Every movement was precise and elegant, as if measured with a ruler, causing the girls beside him to twitch their eyebrows and exchange subtle glances.

That said, the food at Jingqin's house is indeed quite delicious.

Lai Xixiao looked down at the rice bowl in front of her.

The broth, made from bonito and kelp, is crystal clear. Rice forms the base, giving the broth a pure white base color. Cubed tofu, softly cooked kelp knots, and light pink shrimp meat together constitute the entire broth.

Simple yet sophisticated, this small bowl of rice porridge embodies twenty years of kitchen experience from a housewife.

But reality isn't an MMORPG; there are no experience books. So, while Jing Qinrencai, sitting across from her, enjoyed his meal, he didn't improve his cooking skills in any way.

When Igor Muneo saw that his daughter hadn't been home for six months and was suddenly wolfing down her food, he couldn't help but frown.

Noticing that Jingqinrencai's friends were sitting opposite him, he restrained the urge to lecture them and silently took a sip of soup.

Jing Qinrencai seemed completely oblivious to her father's gaze.

She simply followed her habit of living in Tokyo... or more precisely, the habit she developed living next to Akira Kurusu, and devoured her favorite dishes like a whirlwind.

My mom's cooking skills have improved again... While I was enjoying the delicious food at Jingqinrencai, it belatedly came to my realization that this was probably the first time I'd ever eaten so rudely at home...

Her movements froze instantly, and she cautiously used the corner of her eye to observe her father's expression.

Igor Muneo remained silent, seemingly completely unaware of Igor Jinna's subtle actions.

This made Jing Qinrencai feel a little flustered. She felt that the beef ribs she was chewing no longer tasted good, and the soup and rice in front of her also tasted bland.

The overly cold and serious image of Isori Muneo flickered in Isori Nina's mind, like a ceiling collapsing in front of her. Although it wouldn't actually hit her, just seeing the tragic state of the victims was enough to subconsciously instill fear and dread...

The victims might be themselves, who were still young and mischievous many years ago, or perhaps the classmates who were invited to their homes for tutoring; in any case, they are not pleasant memories.

Jing Qinrencai unconsciously slowed down her eating, and the sounds of chewing and swallowing became softer.

The tension in Izaya Muneo's brows seemed to relax instantly, and his posture became more upright because of the "pleasantness".

Akira Kurusu, who was also observing Serina Izana, suddenly changed his actions.

He began to wolf down his food, mimicking how Jing Qinrencai had done earlier.

Such a noticeable change naturally attracted the attention of everyone at the table—

Just a moment later, the boy, who had been labeled as an "idol star," "academic peak," and "someone else's child" in the eyes of the Jingqin couple, put down his empty bowl and chopsticks and shouted at Jingqin Rencai's mother:

"Auntie's cooking is amazing. I've never had such a special lunch in Tokyo."

Upon hearing this, the woman, whose hair was streaked with gray, practically grinned from ear to ear, forgetting to pick up any food with her chopsticks in hand.

......

Sitting opposite Akira Kurusu, Muneo Iseri noticed his wife's smiling expression and then looked at his daughter sitting next to him... It seemed like Nina Iseri was practically glued to Akira Kurusu's face... The mature and composed middle-aged teacher raised an eyebrow, then ignored her and picked up a piece of tempura with his chopsticks, dipped it in sauce, and put it in his mouth.

We must not underestimate the destructive power of an "abnormal" student like Lai Qixiao to an educator.

Any mentally sound teacher or guardian who heard about Lai Qixiao's experiences would firmly consider this student, who excels in all five dimensions of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor, as "a role model for their own child."

Muneo Igisawa claimed that he was incapable of lecturing Akira Kurusu.

The pinnacle of all the educational theories he believed in was embodied in Akira Kurusu—

After all, this is a seventeen-year-old high school student who lost his parents, left his hometown for Tokyo, climbed to the top of his class in just one semester, and achieved perfect development in sports, social skills, and other comprehensive abilities. He even managed to take care of his personal career and made considerable achievements...

All of the assumptions and hypotheses that Muneo Iserio wrote in his books were shattered by this monstrous young man through his own experiences.

He treated Akira Kurusu very well.

Especially after learning from his old friend, Sakura Sojiro, that Izare Nina's academic performance had steadily improved under Kurusu Akira's guidance, Izare Muneo was very grateful to this young man.

It was only after they actually met that Igor Muneo realized that Akira Kurusu's progress was too fast, so fast that he didn't know how to face him.

Originally, Akira Kurashi could have been described as "excellent".

But as Akira Kurusu made an increasingly prominent name for himself in Tokyo, it seemed that the word "excellent" was no longer enough to describe his presence...

So after seeing the "interaction" between Akira Kurusu and his daughter, Muneo Iseriya even felt a little... secretly delighted?

He could easily see the unspoken affection between Akira Kurusu and Nina Iori.

He always encouraged his children to learn from classmates who had excellent grades and were good at communication.

With someone as outstanding as Qi Xiao, it doesn't seem like it's so hard to accept that his daughter is dating him.

So after Izayoi Muneo finished serving lunch to the group of boys and girls at his home, he neither tried to keep them nor asked Izayoi Jin to leave the menu behind...

Can I take my friends outside for a walk?

Faced with Izana's somewhat cold and reserved questioning, Izana Muneo simply gave a nonchalant reply and let her leave.

It wasn't until she was leaning against the wall to change her shoes in the entryway that Jing Qinrencai belatedly realized that her father seemed to have become subtly different from before.

She tilted her head and looked at Akira Kurusu. "Akira, do you have any plans for tonight?" The reason she asked this was because Igarashi Rina wanted to use this as a reason to leave home as much as possible.

Akira Kurusu answered as expected, "I looked up some travel guides for Kumamoto and booked seats at 'Suganoya' for tonight, as well as a hot spring inn next to 'Kumamoto Castle'. We'll rest at the inn after dinner. As for now... we're planning to take a bus to 'Yūyūza' at 3 pm."

The whole day was thus arranged.

Jing Qinrencai happily opened the door, took Lai Qixiao's wrist, and walked out.

Sunlight illuminated her fair and lovely face, and the shadows of trees and eaves were reflected in her clear, azure eyes. She smiled happily and turned to look at the reliable and handsome boy behind her. "I know a coffee shop near the school that makes really good lattes! And they also sell a lot of Kumamon merchandise... Let's go check it out since it's still early!"

She seemed to have no concept of "dating" or "romance" at all; she just wanted to share all the things she liked with Akira Kurusu.

And I only wanted to share it with Akira Kurusu.

The warm summer breeze blew open the girl's hair, which she had forgotten to tie up, like a loose willow catkin. At close range, Akira could smell the fragrance of shampoo in her hair.

......

An and Subaru watched the boy and girl run far away and couldn't help but cover their foreheads and sigh, "If this continues, it's bound to turn into a bad ending!"

"A bad ending?" Kotone Shiomi was very surprised. Could it be that An and Subaru used their time-reversal abilities to see the tragedy of Akira Kurusu being "forced apart" by Serina Ii's parents?

Anwa Subaru, however, explained to the curious Toyokawa Shoko beside him, "The 'BE' I'm talking about isn't 'Bad End,' it's 'Bed End'!"

Bed End is also "BE".

269. "Above the Moon" (1/3)

The cherry blossom season has long passed, and the famous cherry blossom path in Yongyongza is devoid of its vibrant red and pink blossoms.

But as a famous tourist attraction, it remains bustling.

After leaving the Kumamon train, Akira Kurusu stepped into the blazing sun outside with an iced latte in hand.

An and Subaru took out their phones, adjusted the camera software, and started snapping photos of the scenery along the way.

Toyokawa Shoko bought a mango-flavored ice cream and handed it to Wakaba Mutsu.

Shiomi Kotone wore headphones, listening to one unfamiliar yet incredibly fresh song after another from this era.

The streets were a dull gray, almost iron-like, shaded by swaying trees, with few pedestrians.

Since it wasn't peak tourist season, most of the people I saw were student couples traveling together.

A few scattered parasols open up, and they become like wildflowers blooming sporadically among the grass in midsummer.

Everyone tacitly made way for Akira Kurusu and Nina Izayoi, who were at the front of the group. Even the most ordinary flower can appear vibrant when it is in full bloom.

Jingqin Rencai followed closely behind Kurusu Akira.

It wasn't until Akira Kurusu threw the empty plastic cup into the trash can and bought two "sea urchin crepes" at a crepe shop that it was open.

Jingqin Rencai then realized that only Kurusu Akira was left around.

So she looked around, then asked the Phantom Thief in front of her, puzzled, "Where did Akatsuki... Subaru and the others go?"

“Good question,” the phantom thief said, gazing at the innocent, kitten-like girl with an almost loving look. “Eat this crepe first.”

He handed the steaming hot sea urchin crepe to Jing Qinrencai.

The white wrapping paper is printed with a Kumamon image.

As Ishigami took the crepe, she happened to see the Kumamon statue next to her by following the edge of the wrapper.

That cheeky yet adorably harmless expression subconsciously reminded her of her former best friend...

Jing Qinren shook her head repeatedly, quickly shaking the phantom out of her mind.

You can feel the heat of the crepe even through the wrapper.

She looked around warily, then picked up the crepe and took a big bite.

...It's so hot!

Jing Qinren made a face, but she still resisted spitting out the crepe in her mouth and chewed it slowly.

Akira Kurusu backed away and stood beside her. "You wouldn't really have a cat's tongue, would you?"

As he spoke, he picked up the crepe in his hand and took a bite.

Beneath the crispy crepe lies a flavorful blend of sea urchin, corn, and potato starch, truly capturing the deliciousness of a crepe... If Amagi Brilliant Park had been able to mass-produce the princess's crepe recipe while ensuring the most accurate flavor reproduction, perhaps they could have met the wizard's quota without needing a savior.

But anime is anime after all; in reality, there are no crepes that can rival magic.

Jingqin Rencai swallowed the crepe in her mouth with great difficulty, glaring angrily at Laixi Xiao, "I've said it so many times... I'm not a cat!"

Akira snatched the crepe from her hand and, taking advantage of her height, held it above her head.

Jing Qinrencai got angry. If it were anyone else, she would have chased after them and fought over it. If the other person was an offensive stranger, she might even lose her temper and resort to punching and kicking.

Unfortunately, Akira Kurusu's "authority" in her heart is too high, to the point that she would obey without hesitation if asked to jump into the deep pit of the Impression Space... This is all the result of repeated "dangerous countermeasure training".

So, Iori Rina just looked at the Phantom Thief in front of her with annoyance and grievance.

When Akira returned the half-eaten crepe to Serena, she had completely forgotten her earlier troubles and frustrations. While munching on the crepe, she was agonizing over how to vent her anger on Akira.

But when I'm about to lose my temper, I worry that I'll be disliked.

Finally, with a tense little face, she decided to ignore Akira until she finished eating the crepe.

The phantom thief glanced sideways at the Kumamon statue.

From the moment he arrived in the city, this mascot, which had become a symbol of the region, was constantly in his sight.

It wasn't that I found it annoying, but I suddenly thought, "What would Kumamoto be like if 'Kumamon' were erased from our memory space...?"

And replacing this thought with the "Shadow Patrolmen" and the "Kirijo Group," which had already lost their existence once... all of this seems to be foreshadowing, so that the evil gods could successfully kill Ren Amamiya of this world after the first time restart.

As Akira Kurusu walked down the street, holding Serina Izayoi's hand, she suddenly recalled the last words of the "wrathful" evil god in the impression space of Suiori Town:

Ren Amamiya died in all worlds, just like in Rick and Morty.

The theory of "parallel universes" is mentioned many times in Rick and Morty.

Depending on the perspective and reference point, there can be countless "protagonists," but there can also be only one "Rick."

Similarly, when Akira Kurusu begins to have such thoughts, a new parallel world should be created, and then a new "Akira Kurusu" should appear...

This seems to form a logical closed loop.

Because as long as there is still one Akira Kurusu, or "Ren Amamiya," active in the timeline, countless versions of herself in parallel universes will be created.

unless......

Unless someone destroys all universes except the one Akira Kurusu is currently in.

Just like his initial time travel.

Akira looked up at the azure sky, which seemed boundless and vast, but he knew that he was now an isolated island.