Tokyo Psychic

"Does that mean the final payment will never be made?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a photograph flew over.

Akira Kurusu took the photo.

The photo shows a very fashionable and beautiful girl with long pink hair.

"who is she?"

"Her name is Chihaya Aine, and she's a very cute and interesting child," Homura Akemi said. "During a disaster that destroyed Tokyo, we unexpectedly discovered that she had the potential to become a magical girl."

"There are so many people who could become magical girls."

“Yes, but Aine is different,” Homura Akemi’s gaze deepened. “This child truly ‘loves humans,’ and she has accomplished something remarkable with the wish she made. Of course, the most crucial point is that she and Madoka share many, many similarities.”

"Before Madoka becomes a magical girl, please try to win over Chihaya, who has just returned to Tokyo from England."

315. Side Story 4: An Encounter with Chihaya Aine

Also known as: *Love Internship*, *Encounter with Chihaya Aine - Chapter 1*, *A Story That Happened in an Countless Reincarnation*

When the topic of "love" comes up, Akira Kurusu's first thought is of course Shiomi-senpai, who seems to be omnipotent, at Gekkokan Academy.

His feelings for Shiomi Kotone might be admiration, longing, respect, and trust.

When I was young, I blindly followed her shadow until I witnessed her leave the tower and ascend to the moon.

It seems that all emotions become distant as the distance grows infinitely longer.

Her passion and brilliance burned away all barriers, her unique colors relentlessly permeating the memories of everyone she encountered...

But when she was out of reach, the ordinary daily life I remembered about her turned into the pale, hazy light of the moon in the night sky.

Like everyone else who was saved because of Shiomi Kotone, Akira Kurusu could only look up at her, but could no longer reach her.

The unique Shiomi Kotone that he once cherished seemed to have lost its distinctive charm.

Thus, the moon becomes ordinary and unremarkable, no longer bright and beautiful...

However, Akira Kurusu discovered that Shiomi Kotone's figure, along with her smile and voice, could not be truly erased from his mind no matter what.

Like a single bright moon shining in the vast night sky, no matter how faint or ordinary it may be, it is still the only light in the darkness.

At the time, Akira Kurusu thought that it was because Kotone Shiomi was an irreplaceable "savior" for every human being that he always kept the girl's existence imprinted in his heart.

......

I only realized the truth when I grew up...

Everyone has a moon in their heart, unique and radiant.

When the moon shines on us, it reflects the moonlight.

The moon in the sky must be the moon in one's heart.

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As autumn arrives, the cold wind gains weight, leaving a layer of frost on rooftops, telephone poles, and roads. The vibrant greens and reds of summer fade, shrouded in a somber gray. Pedestrians slow down, cars move at a slower pace—this unhurried rhythm is the essence of autumn. Partings in this season seem fitting, not abrupt at all.

Two weeks have passed since Akira Kurusu and Homura Akemi parted ways.

Over the past two weeks, he has followed Homura Akemi's guidance and found a way back to the Velvet Room.

Retrieve the Persona, then defeat Yardabay.

Everything seemed to fall into place naturally and logically.

One doesn't step into the same river twice, especially since he hadn't already stumbled in the "Yardabait" river.

Homura Akemi said, “There are already beings in this world who are more arrogant than Him, so you, who are already more arrogant than Him, should rightfully use Him as the first stepping stone to the end.”

After guiding Akira Kurusu through her transformation into a supernatural being, the magical girl explained her decision to return to Mitakihara City.

She has been staying in Tokyo for far too long.

It went on for so long that it made Cupid suspicious...

More importantly, Madoka Kaname was worried about her.

And my friends who are also magical girls.

Homura Akemi's phone is frequently filled with messages from them.

Akira Kurusu felt a rare sense of reluctance.

Homura Akemi, who has accompanied Akira Kurusu through countless reincarnations, seems to understand him far better than Akira himself...

"Let's do it one last time before I leave Tokyo?"

That's what the girl said.

Those jewel-like eyes were filled with a captivating love.

......

In short, from morning till dusk, the repeated actions restored his physical condition time and time again by magic, allowing Akira Kurusu to run like a tireless machine.

He almost forgot about pleasure.

All I remember is Homura Akemi's flowing black hair, her cherry-red lips, and every tiny detail of her body that seemed designed to tempt him into committing a crime—

Starting with sight, then smell, touch... everything about this girl seems to have been transformed to capture his mind and seduce his soul.

Akira Kurusu never truly succumbed to it in the end.

Before parting, they hugged each other tightly like a real couple.

Homura Akemi gave a charming smile that Akira Kurusu couldn't take her eyes off her.

She slowly took out a new cell phone from her sleeve and handed it to the boy in front of her.

Do you remember our last deal?

The magical girl said softly, "I can give your Persona the ability to manipulate memories, but you need to win over a girl who is a little bit similar to Madoka."

“Chihaya Aine.” Akira Kurusu remembered this name.

Homura Akemi nodded. "In a while, she'll be targeted by Kyubey... She's a girl who's better than Madoka was before, but also more vain. She'll easily attract the attention of the Abyss, be surrounded by a group of people with twisted desires, until she herself falls into despair."

"Does this mean she'll become our enemy in the future?"

“If it’s not stopped, it will become the ‘Vanity Witch,’” Homura Akemi replied calmly. “In many loops, it has caused the first loss for the Phantom Thieves.”

Upon hearing the word "reduction," Akira Kurishi's mood sank slightly.

Homura Akemi raised her small hands and cupped his face. "So, let's do this so that we can conquer Madoka faster and more perfectly, and also to test new possibilities... My favorite phantom thief, please let Chihaya Aine, who hasn't yet become a witch because of despair, fall in love faster than she has fallen into despair."

"Rest assured, to facilitate your actions, I will give you that Persona mask in advance, and I've also created a very, very detailed story around your identity. You can find out the specific details simply by opening this phone..."

"Xiao, I sincerely believe... love is a more reliable and powerful magic than despair."

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Haneda International Airport sits on the southeastern side of Ota Ward. Countless steel beams form a framework supporting this stark white, glass-covered giant, which lies prostrate in the damp mountains, breathing heavily as scorching winds send passenger planes soaring into the distant night sky. Dawn is approaching, and the sky is faintly lit by slivers of light in the twilight. The stars are dim, and thin gray clouds drift lazily by.

The first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the prism-like glass building and fell on the dark, iron-like running track.

The weary steel giant bird is resting.

Then the cabin door opened, and passengers who had traveled thousands of miles with the help of wind and fuel stepped off the escalator.

A slender figure in the middle of the group was particularly eye-catching.

She was a girl with pink hair and dark gray eyes.

She perfectly fits the concept of a "beautiful girl" in every way.

With a slender figure and a delicate, cute face that still retains a touch of childishness, her small, adorable canine teeth add to her youthful appearance when she smiles at the flight attendants.

His clothes suggested he was from a university in the UK, and he was carrying a suitcase with considerable difficulty...

Chihaya Aine walked toward the airport while reading a message from her mother on her phone.

Chihaya Aine, who is about to transfer to Haneoka Girls' Academy, will be staying temporarily at a relative's house for various reasons.

That relative seemed to have a powerful background, as they happened to own a property near Haneoka to facilitate their son's work, which was what the mother called "Aine's brother".

Before boarding the plane, Chihaya Aine had heard on the phone that her cousin, whom she had never met, was an extremely talented person. He left high school at the age of seventeen and became a shining star in the Tokyo music scene as an independent composer, writing very popular and famous songs.

It's almost winter.

Cold winds swept across the airport's spacious runway in waves.

Chihaya Aine shivered as the cold air hit her, her stiff little hands gripping her suitcase tightly, and she instinctively quickened her pace...

We finally entered the airport.

The building shielded her from the cold air, which made her feel comfortable.

Also disembarking from that plane were several stylishly dressed foreign tourists.

Chihaya Aine wanted to try to greet them, but her eyes fell on the vending machine next to her, and she wanted to buy a hot coffee drink.

But when she thought of her brother waiting for his flight downstairs, she silently dismissed those thoughts.

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Welcome Chihaya Aine back to Japan!

As soon as she entered the waiting hall, a flamboyant sign was held high in the crowd, making Chihaya Aine instinctively shrink back.

She felt ashamed and wanted to run away, but noticing the strange and amazed looks around her, she immediately followed the gaze of the people around her and saw the devastatingly handsome boy under the sign.

Wow... this guy could totally be the male lead in an idol drama...

Is this the kind of person my brother?

Chihaya Aine felt a sense of unreality.

But she quickly drew closer to him from the heart, and the girl, secretly pleased and proud, basked in the ardent and envious gazes of the women around her as she discreetly observed the boy in front of her.

After a moment of hesitation, Chihaya Aine said softly, "Good morning...thank you for picking me up from the airport."

Akira Kurusu, whose style of dress perfectly matches the public's perception of a "genius composer," put aside his trademark and extended his hand to the girl in front of him, saying, "Akira Kurusu, it's nice to meet you."

Chihaya Aine cautiously reached out her hand.

She placed her small hand into Akira Kurusu's large palm. "I am Chihaya Aine, and I am also very happy to meet... brother." Seemingly playing a little trick, she emphasized the way she addressed Akira Kurusu at the end with an increasingly soft tone.

(I'm posting the first half first, and I'll write the second half after I wake up.)

316. Side Story ④-2: On the Destructive Power of a Demonic Appearance on a Band Girl

Also known as: *Love Internship*, *Miss Tsurumaki Kokoro Takes Me in*, *Encounter with Chihaya Aine - Part 2*, *A Story That Happened in an Countless Reincarnation*

Perhaps because she received so much magical nourishment from Homura Akemi, under the subtle influence of that magic, Akatsuki Kurusu's originally weak physique recovered to its peak state from her previous life at an extremely fast pace.

Her already outstanding appearance was thus imbued with a bewitching allure similar to that of Homura Akemi.

Akira Kurusu has already experienced this firsthand in her daily life.

This is a kind of "magic" that cannot be concealed even by attempts at disguise.

This allows him to easily gain favor with others in any social situation.

Homura Akemi didn't seem worried at all... or rather, she didn't care that Akira Kurusu would be liked by many girls because of this.

Maybe it's just a habit, or maybe I really don't care.

Homura Akemi even encouraged Akira Kurusu to take the initiative and helped him create a series of backgrounds and experiences to make it easier for him to befriend the most outstanding girls in Tokyo.

But Akira Kurusu quickly guessed it...