After seeing Yomikawa Aiho back to her bedroom, Kobayashi took his time tidying up the kitchen and living room. Once he'd finished washing up, he returned leisurely to his own room—and still had enough energy to scroll through the phone that had arrived earlier that day.
Because he'd stayed up too late the night before, Kobayashi woke up later than usual.
"Nana-kun… it's only six thirty," Yomikawa Aiho murmured sleepily as she got up to use the bathroom. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the time, then at Kobayashi, busy in the kitchen, and couldn't help but exclaim sincerely, "Do you even need sleep?"
"I'm used to waking up around this time," Kobayashi said with a smile. "Good morning, Yomikawa-sensei. What would you like for breakfast?"
"Call me big sister~" Still stuck in her groggy, low-morning-energy state, Yomikawa Aiho yawned and replied hazily. "And… I don't want breakfast. I'm going back to sleep for a bit. I'll just wake up and eat lunch instead…"
"Alright, then I'll just make my own portion," Kobayashi nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, we're running low on ingredients in the fridge."
Since Yomikawa Aiho usually handled grocery shopping, and she'd been too busy to go to the market these past few days, the refrigerator was nearly empty.
"Eh~~" The sleepy woman hesitated, torn between drowsiness and food.
Unfortunately, in her current state, drowsiness won by a landslide.
"Then… instant noodles are fine… I remember there's still a whole bunch in the cupboard…"
"I don't dislike instant noodles," Kobayashi said helplessly, "but what I meant is that I'm planning to head out myself later. If there's anything you need, I can buy it while I'm out."
"Oh… I see…" Yomikawa Aiho stood there for a moment, her sleepiness growing heavier by the second. "Nothing in particular… Nana-kun, just be careful out there…"
With that, she wobbled back into her bedroom and plunged straight back into dreamland.
"Well, at least I've reported to my guardian," Kobayashi nodded to himself. "She won't forget once she wakes up… right?"
After several days of careful preparation, Kobayashi finally decided to step out of the apartment building and venture into Academy City on his own.
Letting Yomikawa Aiho know wasn't just basic courtesy—it was also a safety measure. If he got lost, at least he'd have someone to call for help.
After eating breakfast and washing the dishes, Kobayashi changed into his outdoor clothes. He double-checked his wallet, phone, and student ID, then reviewed the route to the nearby supermarket one last time.
Fully prepared, he left the apartment with confidence.
Eight days after moving in, Kobayashi finally stepped out of the building. It was also the first time since his reincarnation that he'd entered the world of Academy City alone.
Tilting his head up to look at the sky, Kobayashi felt a rush of emotions.
"New world… here I come," he murmured, psyching himself up as he guided his wheelchair forward.
At the same time, inside a black sedan parked by the roadside, the person in the passenger seat suddenly slapped their partner awake.
"Hey, wake up! The target's out!"
"Huh… what? Finally?" The man in the driver's seat instantly perked up. "Yeah, that's him—definitely the target! Damn, I thought he was going to stay cooped up inside forever!"
After lying in wait nearby for a full eight days, the two of them were practically moved to tears.
They were professionals, but faced with the security forces' home turf, even Dark Side operatives didn't dare to act rashly. All they could do was wait patiently outside.
They'd had to frequently change surveillance positions and vehicles, too—otherwise, the security officers occupying the entire building would've spotted something off almost immediately.
It had been a grueling, high-difficulty assignment.
And now, at last, their patience was paying off.
"The target's in a wheelchair. Normally, he doesn't go out much," the partner said.
"Don't let your guard down," the driver replied coolly. "He's a Level 3 Esper. Even with disabled limbs, he still has combat capability. Don't be fooled by appearances. We stay put—let the lackeys continue tailing him. And notify the boss. Prepare to capture the prey."
"Understood." The partner flashed an OK sign and pulled out his phone to make contact.
The black car remained perfectly still, like any ordinary vehicle parked by the roadside.
So when Kobayashi passed by, he noticed nothing amiss.
A bit farther away, however, several delinquent-looking youths could be vaguely seen lurking near the mouth of an alley.
They didn't arouse Kobayashi's suspicion either. He thought it was bold of them to hang around an area packed with security.
Not long after, the leader of the Dark Side organization known as "Hunters" received the report from his subordinates.
"The target has appeared. Move immediately. Prepare for capture!"
Grabbing a large travel bag, the leader stepped out of a standby cargo van and headed straight for a preselected vantage point.
At his command, over a dozen members of "Hunters" sprang into action, weaving an invisible yet incredibly resilient net around their target—Kobayashi Nana.
The Dark Side group, known as the "Hunters," was true to its name, specializing in hunting humans. Experimental subjects who had escaped from research facilities, like Kobayashi Nana, were their primary targets. In fact, when illegal experiments ran short on test subjects, these people could even be hired to capture more "lab rats."
Even among Academy City's Dark Side organizations, they were considered the lowest of the low—simply because their work was so utterly vile.
Most Dark Side groups were, in essence, semi-official organizations whose unacknowledged existence served to keep the city functioning. Occasionally, they might be ordered from above to capture runaway test subjects, but those were direct, unavoidable commands from higher-ups.
Hunters were different.
This was their main line of work. They even advertised their services publicly, specializing in the capture of experimental subjects, which was exactly why the "Dark May" project team had chosen to hire them.
Completely unaware of the danger closing in around him, Kobayashi continued on his way. Hunters didn't have many members, but they were seasoned professionals, masters of concealment in urban environments. Even operatives from other Dark Side groups might fail to detect them—let alone Kobayashi, who appeared to be an ordinary boy.
Following his planned route, Kobayashi arrived smoothly at the largest supermarket in the area. According to his plan, he could buy everything on his list here without needing to visit a second store.
Yomikawa Aiho even had a shopping card and membership for this supermarket, making it especially cost-effective.
Even for something as simple as grocery shopping, Kobayashi had done his homework. With a clear goal in mind, he went straight to the point—fast in, fast out.
Including the time wasted getting used to the unfamiliar environment, he completed the entire shopping trip in under an hour.
Then he paid—and headed home.
(End of Chapter)