'Why did things turn out like this...'
'My glasses are meant to suppress one of my abilities, which turns any living being I directly look at into stone...'
'But who could have predicted something like this?!'
Saiki knelt on the ground, helplessly punching the floor in frustration. The bag containing his coffee pudding had been tossed aside.
In front of Saiki stood a stone statue.
This statue had the same build as Ryuen Kakeru, and even its face was an exact replica of Ryuen's. And...
'This #$% is Ryuen!'
Saiki sighed, his gaze fixed on the statue.
At least a few seconds ago, this statue had been the lively Ryuen Kakeru.
Any living being directly gazed upon by Saiki would turn to stone. Fortunately, this ability could be physically controlled—anything blocking his line of sight, even a simple transparent plastic sheet, would prevent it.
Earlier, Ryuen Kakeru had been about to teach Saiki a lesson, but the latter's attention was entirely on the pudding in his arms. He hadn't expected Ryuen to try to remove his glasses.
And then, things ended up like this.
If Ryuen had just been sent flying like a skipping stone, it would have been easier to handle. Saiki could have restored his body and erased his memory, and that would have been the end of it.
But turning him to stone? That was a whole different level of trouble.
Once petrified, the target couldn't be restored using Saiki's restoration ability. They would only return to normal after 24 hours, and their memories during that time would be interrupted.
If this had happened during a holiday, it might have been manageable. But this was school, and every student had to attend classes daily.
Class D would immediately notice Ryuen Kakeru's disappearance, and if things escalated, it would bring a mountain of trouble.
If it were someone with little presence in the class, it might have been fine. But Ryuen Kakeru was someone with a very strong presence. If he disappeared for a day, others would definitely notice.
Saiki not only had to figure out how to cover up Ryuen's disappearance but also ensure that Ryuen wouldn't notice anything was amiss.
When petrified, the target had no memory. Once they returned to normal, their memories would pick up from the moment before they were turned to stone.
If Ryuen woke up in a different location and saw an unfamiliar scene...
Saiki felt a headache coming on. He hadn't expected that after the sports festival, an even bigger problem would arise...
He quickly checked his surroundings, confirming that Ryuen's lackeys—Albert and the others—weren't nearby, and there were no other witnesses. He then teleported the Ryuen statue back to his dorm.
'Yare yare, what should I do? Is there anyone who can help...'
Saiki frowned, then suddenly an idea popped into his head. He immediately took out his phone and sent a message to someone.
Saiki: Come to my dorm. Just you. Try not to be seen by others. My dorm number is XXXX.
After sending the message, Saiki quickly received a reply.
Aiura Mikoto: OK! On my way!
To prepare for emergencies, Saiki had previously exchanged contact information with Aiura Mikoto. As the only person in the school who knew Saiki was a psychic, she was the only one who could help him right now.
Aiura Mikoto: I don't think I can get in. The student dorm requires a student ID to enter.
Saiki: I'll come get you.
Saiki then used his teleportation ability to bring Aiura Mikoto directly to his side.
"Wow, you teleported me here in an instant!"
Aiura Mikoto exclaimed in amazement.
But in the next moment, Aiura Mikoto rushed onto Saiki's bed, her hands moving to the hem of her shirt, ready to take it off.
"I'm ready, anytime..."
"What are you doing?"
Saiki's eyes showed a hint of disgust.
"Isn't this why you called me here? You said it's just the two of us, and not to let anyone else see..."
"Your imagination is a bit too active."
"This isn't why you called me?"
Aiura Mikoto stuck out her tongue in disappointment and quickly put her clothes back on.
"I called you here for something much more urgent."
"What is it? You didn't accidentally kill someone and need me to help dispose of the evidence, did you?"
"Look behind you."
Saiki pointed behind Aiura Mikoto.
"What?"
Aiura Mikoto turned around and was greeted by the sight of Ryuen Kakeru's stone statue. She froze for a few seconds—
Then let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Quiet!"
Saiki quickly covered Aiura Mikoto's mouth.
"This is a student dorm! If anyone hears you, we're in big trouble!"
Not only was there the issue of the Ryuen statue, but the fact that a non-student like Aiura Mikoto was here could also cause major problems.
Saiki then used telepathy to transmit the entire sequence of events between him and Ryuen Kakeru into Aiura Mikoto's mind.
"So... so that's what happened..."
Aiura Mikoto pursed her lips and looked at Saiki.
[As expected of my destined one, to have such an incredible ability...]
"Hey, hey, stop imagining things."
"Oops, forgot you can read minds."
Aiura Mikoto quickly shifted her gaze to Ryuen Kakeru.
"I remember this guy. I saw him during the sports festival. He didn't seem like the friendly type. I didn't expect him to be crazy enough to pick a fight with you."
"Technically, it wasn't me."
Saiki shook his head, thinking of Yamauchi Haruki. But he kind of deserved it.
"Even though he's a troublemaker at school, if he disappears for 24 hours, it'll cause even bigger problems. The school will check the surveillance footage and see that he came to see me."
Although Ryuen had been waiting for Saiki in a blind spot, he must have been caught on camera somewhere along the way.
If the school didn't get involved, it would be fine. But if they checked the footage, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I see. So what's your plan?"
Aiura Mikoto quickly asked.
[If I can help Saiki, we'll definitely get closer!]
Aiura Mikoto's thoughts were clearly heard by Saiki. Although she was undoubtedly a troublesome person, Saiki had no choice but to rely on her now.
"You're going to pretend to be Ryuen."
Saiki immediately gave his answer.
"Huh?"
Aiura Mikoto was stunned.
"You heard me right. I have a hypnosis ability that can change how others perceive you, including your voice. Since you know about my psychic abilities and you're not a student just someone hanging around the school you're the perfect candidate."
Saiki could change how others perceived someone, but he couldn't use it on himself. That's why he needed Aiura Mikoto's help.
By having Aiura Mikoto pretend to be Ryuen Kakeru and go about a normal day, no one would notice Ryuen's disappearance.
"I'm not just 'hanging around'! I have a shop at the school! I was selling water earlier!"
Aiura Mikoto quickly defended herself.
Her fortune-telling shop had been a hit during the summer, but since it was a limited-time event and most people only went once, business had slowed down.
Aiura Mikoto wasn't short on money, though. Her reason for coming to this school was simply to find her destined one.
"So, will you help?"
"Of course!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Aiura Mikoto nodded.
"But on one condition."
"What?"
"You have to spend a day with me on a date."
"I refuse."
Despite Aiura Mikoto's stunning looks and impressive figure, Saiki didn't hesitate to reject her.
"What?! Why not? I'm making such a huge sacrifice for you!"
'Yare yare, I do need your help. I owe you one. If it's just going out together, I can reluctantly agree. But I have conditions: I decide the time and the itinerary.'
Saiki replied.
This was a critical moment, and he really did need Aiura Mikoto's help.
Plus, by controlling the time and itinerary, he could avoid a lot of trouble.
After all, spending time together in the library reading books or eating pudding all afternoon could technically count as a date. Such boring activities might even make Aiura Mikoto lose interest in him.
Everything was under control.
"Deal!"
Hearing Saiki's words, Aiura Mikoto's face lit up with a smile, and she nodded vigorously.
"It's a promise!"
Not only was it because of Saiki's promise, but Aiura Mikoto also thought this whole situation sounded like a lot of fun.
"Alright, let me check on their situation first."
Saiki then used his clairvoyance to observe Class D.
At that moment, outside the dorm, Ishizaki Daichi, Albert, and Ibuki Mio were standing near some bushes, chatting.
"Seriously, where's Ryuen? He should've gotten the info from that Saiki guy by now."
Ishizaki Daichi kicked a stone in boredom.
"Let's wait a bit longer. Maybe the guy's tight-lipped or really doesn't know anything."
Ibuki Mio shrugged.
"Let's wait."
Albert added calmly.
'Yare yare, Ryuen's got things to do now, huh?'
Saiki then used his teleportation ability to move Aiura Mikoto near the dorm and activated his hypnosis, making others perceive her as Ryuen Kakeru.
'I can communicate with you directly through telepathy. Just follow my instructions. If you have any questions, ask them in your mind.'
Saiki's voice echoed in Aiura Mikoto's mind.
[Got it.]
Aiura Mikoto nodded.
'Just act like Ryuen, a delinquent type.'
Hearing Saiki's instructions, Aiura Mikoto strutted over to the Class D students with a swagger.
"Ryuen, you're late!"
Seeing Aiura Mikoto approach, Ibuki Mio frowned.
[I don't know these people!]
'Don't panic. The girl is Ibuki Mio, the black guy is Albert, and the other guy is Ishizaki Daichi.'
Saiki quickly explained.
[Got it.]
Aiura Mikoto responded in her mind, then spoke up.
"Sorry about that, Ibuki-san!"
"???"
Hearing Ryuen Kakeru speak so politely, the others were completely stunned.
[What's going on with Ryuen? Did I hear wrong, or did he just call her 'san'?]
[Is he being sarcastic?]
[Is Ryuen angry or something...]
'Hey, hey, don't forget who you're supposed to be! You're the leader of Class D, a ruthless guy who acts like a gangster!'
Saiki quickly reminded her.
[Oh, oh, I'm just new to this whole acting thing!]
Aiura Mikoto said, her mind flooding with scenes from gangster movies she'd watched. Saiki was forced to relive them with her.
[I know what to do now!]
Aiura Mikoto's face broke into a confident smile as she straightened her posture, her eyes now exuding arrogance.
'Good job, keep it up.'
Saiki praised her inwardly.
But then, Aiura Mikoto turned to Ishizaki Daichi and said in a cold voice:
"Kneel."
'???'
Saiki was shocked.
'What are you doing?'
[Isn't this how gang bosses talk to their underlings in movies?]
Aiura Mikoto quickly explained in her mind.
'No one talks like that! Even Ryuen wouldn't...'
Just as Saiki was getting a headache, Ishizaki Daichi suddenly dropped to his knees.
'?'
Countless question marks filled Saiki's mind.
"I'm so sorry, Ryuen! I followed Yamauchi for hours... I really didn't find anything unusual. I'm really sorry..."
Ishizaki Daichi knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor.
'What the hell has Ryuen been doing to you?'
[Next, I'll say, 'You didn't even call me Godfather'...]
'Stop imitating movies! And why The Godfather?!'
Saiki screamed in Aiura Mikoto's mind.