"That thing is the other world travel machine. I've thought about many possibilities for Kusuo's disappearance. With no body, I even asked Toritsume to check, but couldn't find your soul in any place closely linked to you from your old homes. So where did my dear brother go? A year later, I came up with this—it might be crossing over. If it was just crossing, you'd have used your powers to come back in a year. You wouldn't let Mom and Dad worry for nothing. What couldn't Kusuo's powers do? Cross time and space? Another world? That's where I started from."
The person who made this must count as a psychic too. Can this be used?
"You're asking if it can be used? —Oh, of course not! The project was tough. While preparing it, I figured someone like me, just a normal person, would need ten years to finish this machine. By then, you'd have come back on your own, right? Ah, and that's how it turned out."
Just ten years and that's normal? To be exact, it took me 19 years. If not for the time difference, you might have found me first.
"If the time flowed the same, sure, but brother and brother grow up together. With a time difference, by then I might even be an uncle. Ah, thinking of that, I casually invented a real youth-restoring machine and its matching training method!"
This guy casually did something many people dream of their whole lives.
Saiki Kusuo used his x-ray vision to look at the machine's structure. He wasn't the same Saiki Kusuo from before the cross who knew nothing about science. Zoldyck sent him the best teachers and materials, so he already had a solid foundation.
Though Kusuke's stuff was more tied to biology, he wasn't the old Saiki Kusuo who could only see the structure without knowing how it worked anymore.
Kusuke noticed Saiki Kusuo's thoughtful look, and suddenly felt uneasy but a bit excited.
Because Kusuke wore a mind-reading blocker on his head, Saiki Kusuo's words now couldn't be heard by Kusuke.
"Kusuo, could it be..."
"The circuit in the middle bottom seems too complicated. Optimizing it could boost performance by at least 10%." Saiki Kusuo said.
This casual comment revealed so much. Science inventions weren't just Kusuke's thing anymore. Saiki Kusuo's attitude toward science wasn't "not as good as powers" now. If he wanted to learn, with Kusuke's setup, he could quickly understand the machine's principles.
"Want to learn, Kusuo?" Kusuke asked, with a rare sparkle in his eyes. He wouldn't think his brother learning something new stole his trait. He'd just get excited, looking forward to beating Kusuo in this new field. The chance of failure? That's expected. After all, he'd failed 4256 times already.
Well, might as well learn a bit. Saiki Kusuo looked away, dodging Kusuke's excited gaze.
"I can't hear you. If you're teaching, thoughts aren't easy to guess. Why not just speak up?"
I'll make a machine to translate for me.
"How much do you hate talking! Actually, I made a Kusuo translator before. Though after so many years, it might need tweaks since you're a new person, it should be better than making a whole new one?"
How bored were you these 6 years?
Anyway, maybe to pass the time, or to shift his deep inner unease, Saiki Kusuo decided to study with Kusuke.
Kusuke looked thoughtfully at his brother, who was actually picking up the data to study the other world travel machine. He raised his arm and pressed a few buttons on his watch. A virtual screen appeared.
A hidden compartment in the nearby wall opened, and a mechanical arm extended, handing two boxes to Kusuke.
"My dear brother really changed a lot in that world. Do you still need a normal life now?"
[Of course I do.]
"So, come be a scientist?"
[Put your name on any research results. Don't involve me.]
"How could I? I'll definitely write assistant robot Omega Male next to it! We've been at this so long, everyone knows about Omega Male."
[You're still keeping that robot that copies me? Whatever.]
"Then, after you left for a year, I successfully made the power suppressor 2.0. Do you still need it?"
![Finally the main topic. I can't wait for 1.0.]
"Hahaha, 1.0 broke long ago. 2.0's effect is to make you lose your powers forever. If you want to be normal, you can use the new one."
[Forever? You really did it? The powers will vanish?]
"Yeah, isn't that Kusuo's dream all along? Something I've been planning forever. Even without you, I wanted to finish it for you. But you, Kusuo, why not agree right away? You were so set on it until you left." Kusuke held the two boxes behind his back in thought.
Saiki Kusuo looked at Kusuke. He believed his brother wasn't lying, but something that makes powers vanish forever...
More like, do I even want my powers gone now?
Before, he wouldn't hesitate, but... a bit...
Seeing Saiki Kusuo silent for so long, Kusuke sighed: "No need to be shy about this. It's okay if your old will changed from experiences. How about this: I'll keep 2.0 for now. Come get it anytime you need."
Kusuke switched the square box in his left hand and knelt on one knee to Saiki Kusuo: "Then how about taking this?"
This pose and box look like a proposal.
Saiki Kusuo x-rayed inside and saw it was indeed a ring.
"This is a germanium ring! Kusuo, you just left a comic world after over a decade. Want to kill time? Need things to hold your attention. It's been 6 years since you returned—tons of movies and books waiting for you."
Saiki Kusuo realized, oh yeah, that too. With the germanium ring, he couldn't hear thoughts, no one could spoil things for him. He could watch all the hot movies and books from recent years.
"I'll make you another power suppressor too. After 6 years, my dear brother has grown a lot. The old lollipop shape doesn't fit anymore, right?"
The shape doesn't matter, you should know that.
"If making a new one, make it the best. Lots of tests needed to improve it."
Oh man, things piled up fast. Even for a psychic, there'd be busy times ahead.
With a 3:1 time ratio, the busy days quietly passed...
Half a year.
As summer days ended, the other world travel machine, researched by Saiki Kusuo and Kusuke together, finally succeeded and hit the market, starting a new brain-interface travel era...
No way!
When Kusuke suggested releasing it publicly, Saiki Kusuo shot it down hard.
[It'd cause a world war like the time machine.]
"Huh, then what did we invent it for? Does Kusuo want to take brother on a trip?"
Saiki Kusuo: ...
At first, it was just to challenge himself with something super hard.
Under Kusuke's gaze that could almost read thoughts, Saiki Kusuo sighed.
[Oh man.]
...
"What! Kusuo's going back to that world!!" Dad shouted in the room.
[Don't worry, this time I can come back anytime.]
"How? Make another travel machine there? It took Kusuo and Kusuke half a year together..."
Saiki Kusuo heard their thoughts and knew Mom and Dad's worries.
[No problem. Just take an item from here when leaving. To return, use restore to 7 years ago, then hold the item tight.]
"But it's crossing to another world! Can you really come back like that!"
[I can cross worlds anyway, just needed coordinates. Restore sets the position.]
While Saiki Kusuo talked with the elders, Kusuke thought nearby.
[The key is what item to take—over 7 years old, easy to carry, hard to break.]
"It should have meaning too. Kusuo's going back to see family there, right? Dad, got anything good at home?" Mom, knowing Saiki Kusuo could return himself, chose to support.
No, meaning doesn't matter. If needed, pick a rock from the Dark Continent.
Dad sighed deeply: "Sigh! Such a worrying kid. Let me think— no! Everything here in the country is from the last 6 years! Go to the old house and knock off a table leg that's 10 years old."
[Taking a table leg—how would I live there?]
"What about a glass shard? Sora said the house glass was custom-made years ago..."
Kusuke cut in: "Yeah, exactly 15 years into their lifespan—very durable glass, can handle two restores."
Mom: "After restore, the expensive glass won't break."
[Taking glass shards and protecting them— I'd get hurt.]
"Sigh, Kusuo's such a picky guy. We took care of him 19 years— he should go repay that." Kuniharu Saiki said.
[Hey, is the item decided? Really taking glass shards?]
Kuniharu sighed long: "So picky, Kusuo! Fine, rare chance— let them meet us. About 8 years ago, Mom started sending me a life-size doll of myself as a birthday gift each year. Kusuo, take one."
[Not saying it's gross, but the item has to work with restore to pull me back—so only half can go. Which part— your head?]
"Well, I have another option. How about Warp?" Kusuke said.
Warp? That robot cat?
"Yeah, this robot's been around forever. Actually, until 2 years ago, it was linked to my cat tank. It was made 9 years ago, so if you use restore, you'll just go back connected."
[If there's something easier, great. Taking a robot cat like this would be too much trouble.]
"No, Kusuo. You didn't get my point. You can only stay there two years max, or you can't use easy powers to return. Two years there is just over half a year here. You vanished for 6 years and caused everyone a lot of worry and hassle. This trip's max half a year—you must return. That's my rule for you. If you don't come back in half a year, I'll use the travel machine to find you."
Saiki Kusuo looked odd.
[Whatever. I'm just going to look around briefly. But what's a cat tank? Sounds like a war weapon with a cute twist.]
Warp jumped from Dad's lap straight to Saiki Kusuo's side.
"Warp's body uses lots of advanced precise materials—normally can't be harmed. Way better than table or chair parts, and it auto-follows you."
Warp climbed onto Saiki Kusuo.
"Meow!"
"Knock knock knock, your item's here." A robot voice from the door with a pickup notice.
"Come in." Kusuke ordered.
The robot set down a thick book.
"This is a guide book. Kusuo, read and use it?"
[What thickness— I could just tear a part and take it. It's from the same time as the robot, right?]
"Hey, don't want to? Fine, the robot won't help much with powers anyway. I'll turn on auto-follow mode— just protect it, Kusuo.]
[Okay.]
During the talk, Warp climbed to Saiki Kusuo's shoulder. Auto-follow was really clingy mode. The little cat perched on his shoulder, swaying its head, making very fake meow sounds.
[Alright, time to start the machine.]
This was kept from Grandpa and Grandma with heart issues—only Mom and Dad knew. The family of three came to the other world travel machine. Saiki Kusuo got in easily, like before.
Kusuke activated it step by step, just like countless rehearsals and tests. The machine started, monitors showed changing values, and it roared.
The roar grew louder, then suddenly went quiet at some point. Values started calming.
"Sigh, gone like that. Fun time was only half a year— maybe start the human selection plan so next time he can't leave after returning."
[Are you the villain or something?] Saiki Kusuo said.
"Huh?!" x3.
"Kusuo, why are you back already?!"
[Don't ask— I have questions too, but I basically know why.]
"Of course, couldn't leave Mom and Dad, huh? Kusuo, you're so grown but still a baby inside, never lived away from home."
[The 19 years I just left don't count?]
Kusuke asked: "Okay, what happened?"
[...There's another me there, already taken as Saiki Kusuo. Same world can't have two same people at once.]
"Huh?"
[It's my clone. For some reason, I left the clone there.]
"How? Won't that lead to a clone stealing identity big fight? Did Kusuo plan for such a cliche plot?"
[No.]
"Then how will Kusuo go?"
[Disguise, then use this neck item to restore back. It's from a stone there.] Saiki Kusuo reached out. [Power suppressor item is gone— for ease, use yours. Isn't it done? Give it.]
"Oh, can't fool you. I wanted to make it prettier."
[Appearance doesn't matter.]
Kusuke went back inside, then came out with a gift box.
Box opened, an collar was placed in Saiki Kusuo's palm.
The collar was a wide black leather strap, with fine mechanical bits on the strap. Around the circle, 5 big pink hearts as decor. At the back neck spot inside, three long needles and matching switches.
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