Chapter 205: Nozomi: I have some experience in time management

[In the end, Vill-V did not take the 'stone' back... After all, it was agreed that this was her 'gift' to you, so there was no reason to take it back.]

　　[You and Vill-V each found a way to preserve your own 'stones.']

　　[And you all have a common idea - you want to study this 'stone.']

　　[After all, judging from the touch, the material of this 'stone' is very subtle, at least it is beyond your comprehension... maybe you have discovered something new?]

　　[Of course, your thoughts are naturally unknown to outsiders. In other words... in the eyes of others, the two of you found a somewhat strange and beautiful 'stone', and each of you kept a piece as a souvenir.]

　　[Especially Vill-V's parents. After they learned the origins of the two 'stones' from you, they suddenly became much happier.]

　　[After hearing from you that the two 'stones' were supposed to be one, they became even happier.]

　　[Now that we have the 'token,' shouldn't we take a step further?]

　　[They touched Vill-V's head with relief and helped her straighten her hair, their eyes full of love.]

　　[They hold your hand, open their mouths several times, and after hesitating for a while, they just babble about some family matters.]

　　[If nothing unexpected happens, they can probably start preparing for something, right? It would be best if you could complete the most critical step by the time you graduate!]

　　[And then... and then...]

　　[Then you applied to the school for a major change and delayed graduation, and went straight to the biology department.]

　　[Vill-V even applied for early graduation, and then happily left her research institute, dragging her parents along to embark on the great tour of 'The World's No. 1 Magician' (in fact, the main reason was that she didn't want to be caught by you to train in school anymore).]

　　[Although you know what Vill-V is thinking, after all, in private, she hardly hides anything from you... But Vill-V's excuse is also very reasonable - she wants to realize her 'wish' and become a great magician!]

　　[So you didn't stop her, but just reminded Vill-V to exercise every day, otherwise it would be funny if she couldn't even perform magic well.]

　　[In addition, you also taught her some simple cooking skills. Although her parents are accompanying her, you probably don't have to worry about her daily life, but you still let her learn a few tricks to prevent her from accidentally burning the pot when she gets excited.]

　　[Then, Vill-V told you about the 'stone' again... No matter what, this is her 'gift,' she hopes you can keep it well.]

　　[You naturally agreed to this... it seems that she cares about that 'stone' very much.]

　　[Afterwards, you send your blessing to Vill-V for her future and look forward to seeing her perform magic on a stage with tens of thousands of people one day. Vill-V proudly raises her head and says that she will definitely do it.]

　　[And then, you parted ways like this...parted ways...following your own choices, you embarked on your own paths.]

　　[Vill-V's parents: ...?]

　　[It's gone just like that? Huh?]

　　[Our good daughter... what on earth are you doing?! I finally saw you guys finally get the hang of it and start moving forward, but why did you just turn around and leave without any regrets?!]

　　[So for several days after you separated, Vill-V was subjected to the subtle yet slightly reproachful looks from her parents, which made Vill-V feel very confused.]

　　[But when she asked her parents, they just sighed and shook their heads, saying that nothing happened... then they looked at Vill-V with a more subtle, even somewhat sympathetic look.]

　　[Vill-V's parents: …Forget it, you can do whatever you want. I just hope my daughter won't regret it in the future.]

　　[As for you... after Vill-V left, your campus life returned to the way it was before, and you arranged it so full that, apart from the necessary rest, you were busy almost all day long.]

　　[And after getting the 'stone,' you need to take some time to study it... You feel that you will definitely get something from it, and it is something very useful.]

　　————————

　　['Ore Disease' Treatment (blue), has taken effect.]

　　[You have received a certain amount of inspiration correction.]

　　————————

　　[Somewhat unexpectedly, your research progressed smoothly, so smoothly that it was amazing... You quickly figured out that this 'stone' was a strange thing made up of two things.]

　　[And you also discovered that this 'stone' seems to contain some unique message, but unfortunately, you can't interpret it now.]

　　[You told this discovery to Vill-V, and surprisingly, Vill-V also discovered this, but she also couldn't interpret the message contained in it. It seems... there is something key missing.]

　　[In this case, let's first analyze the composition of the 'stone' itself.]

　　[You used your connections a little bit, and even Vill-V, who was performing outside, came back to help you advance the research progress.]

　　[After some troublesome research and experimentation, you have successfully created a 'new stone'... Of course, it is still in the experimental stage.]

　　[There is no other way, because you discovered that this stone is actually a nano-metal-level entity. You don't have the ability or funds to complete this step yet.]

　　[However, even as a test piece, it is already outrageous. This new metal has good ductility and certain properties of memory metal. It is highly plastic and very hard most of the time. It only becomes brittle in very rare cases.]

　　[More importantly, for some unknown reason, this metal would actually show a weak energy reaction after being left for a period of time, as if some free weak energy in the air was attracted...]

　　[Although this reaction is extremely mild, it is particularly exciting.]

　　[Vill-V once said that if you continue to research, you might be able to develop a new type of energy! Then you can become a millionaire and be successful!]

　　[You can do whatever you want then, and you can also make any magic props for Vill-V!]

　　[Then you don't know why your research was stopped, and you don't know where the order came from.]

　　[Even the instructor who is helping you has seriously warned you not to research this thing for the time being... This thing is very dangerous, and the so-called 'energy' it brings is even more dangerous.]

　　[Honestly, you and Vill-V are quite weird. It's obvious that if you continue the research, something shocking to the world will come out. You and Vill-V both have this premonition... but it was stopped for no apparent reason.]

　　[However, you and Vill-V can also feel the teachers' concern for you, and you also know that they should be protecting you in some way... so you still obeyed and stopped for the time being.]

　　[Of course, the main reason why you, or Vill-V, are so obedient is that when you were doing the research, you did not put out the two original 'stones' you found, but simply tried to copy the two 'stones' by yourself.]

　　[This means that the two 'stones' you found at the beginning are still in your hands... In this case, it doesn't matter. You can find an opportunity to study them secretly later~]

　　[Anyway, neither you nor Vill-V will give up... Vill-V has always cared about that 'stone' for no reason as if it was just an 'intuition' from her heart.]

　　[And you are almost the same. You always feel that this research is what you have been preparing for... At least most of the knowledge you learned in engineering and materials science was used, and you and Vill-V successfully made the test product.]

　　['So what am I preparing for, medicine later, and biology now?' You can't help but start thinking.]

　　[You believe in your 'intuition' and are willing to follow your own thoughts, especially after you find that the preparations you made before have a corresponding place and corresponding rewards at this moment, you will feel more and more that you should be preparing for something.]

　　[And you are already very close to that thing.]

　　[But before that... an unexpected person came up to me.]

　　————————

　　"Rook to Bishop, Rook to Four, Checkmate, Sorry, Klein."

　　Nozomi moved his chess piece, smiled, and said to the girl sitting opposite him.

　　"Ah...I lost again as expected."

　　Klein sighed nonchalantly and took a sip of the milk tea beside her. Her half-closed eyelids and heavy dark circles made her look listless.

　　"I don't know what's the point of you coming to play chess with me, senpai... I don't know how to play it. Instead of playing it, I might as well record a few more sets of data."

　　"You still have to rest when you need to, Klein… Look at what you've become now? I'm so worried that you'll die suddenly…"

　　Nozomi said this somewhat helplessly.

"As for why I'm looking for you... My former mentor mentioned you to me, so he wanted me to communicate with you more... And you're actually older than me, so you don't have to call me senpai."

"But you came earlier than me, senpai. Is there any problem with calling you that?" Klein asked curiously.

"And even if it's communication... wouldn't it be better to do it in the lab? We can also do a few more sets of controls, and it's convenient to record data."

"...Well, it seems that what the instructor said was too conservative...Your situation is worse than I expected," Nozomi said somewhat helplessly.

"Your health is too poor, Klein. If you don't take good care of your health and push yourself like this... the consequences will be terrible."

"Will it? I think it's okay. If I really can't do it, I can just order a cup of milk tea... The sugar can cheer me up. Besides, my senpai is obviously no different from me, running around all day long."

"A good body is the foundation of everything... Don't you see that I have time to exercise every day..." Nozomi pressed her brows and explained with some headache.

"If there's a reason, I will have to train you like I trained Vill-V. At least I have to get your physical condition back to normal and adjust your work and rest schedule... Otherwise, it will be bad if your body suddenly collapses one day in the future."

"Like Vill-V? Uh... forget it, I don't want it." Klein remembered the post about Nozomi and Vill-V on the school forum. Thinking of Vill-V being trained, her body trembled slightly.

"And it's okay. I plan my diet, and I get physical examinations occasionally. The doctors say there's nothing wrong with me... As for rest, I'll make up for it after this study is finished."

"And then? The next research will continue all night, right?"

"Well..."

Hearing Nozomi's somewhat harsh tone, Klein subconsciously shrank her neck... She finally understood why Vill-V had behaved so obediently in front of Nozomi. Nozomi was somewhat intimidating at this moment.

"Ah... Never mind. I can't control you... I know you don't want to play chess. If that's the case, then take a rest first. We can talk about other things after you finish your milk tea."

"Actually, I want to take it back to the lab to drink..."

"Um?"

"No…it's nothing…"

"That's just right. I'll give you a head massage so you don't have to be so tense all the time."

Nozomi said this and was about to stand up.

"Don't want!"

Klein jumped up instantly.

"senpai, I will fall asleep after this. I still have experiments to do later. I... I will..."

"Okay, be good and listen to me."

Nozomi pinched Klein's shoulders with a smile, pushed her back to her seat, helped her hold up her cup of milk tea with both hands and then patted her increasingly stiff shoulders.

"I'll help you later, so now, take a rest, okay? And only after a good rest, you will be more energetic to deal with other things, right?"

"Well... that... Senpai, you should have other things to do, right? Helping me like this... isn't... not a good idea, right?"

"It doesn't matter. I manage my time very well. I can now be called a master in time management."

Nozomi smiled and straightened Klein's head.

"And I'll call you when the time comes. Now, have a good rest."

"um..."

"Uh-huh?"

"Okay... okay... I understand, Senpai..."

Klein nodded stiffly... She always felt that Nozomi was a little scary now, so it would be better for her to be obedient.

At the same time, in order to calm her increasingly panicked heart, Klein took another sip of milk tea, relying on the sweetness to soothe herself... 'Really, if I had known earlier, I shouldn't have agreed to my senpai's invitation to play for the sake of milk tea!'

'However... Senpai's technique is still as good as ever...'

'A little...sleepy...Zzz...'

After a while, Klein's steady breathing could be heard softly, and her hands holding the milk tea became weak, almost spilling her favorite milk tea on the ground.

But fortunately, Nozomi helped her catch it.

"Really... one by one, they are all so worrying."

Nozomi put her milk tea away and helped her adjust her posture to prevent her from getting sick from sleeping while sitting.

"I hope there won't be such people in my future research institute... otherwise I'm afraid I'll go crazy."

After putting away the chessboard and chess pieces, Nozomi thought for a moment, then took out the terminal, dialed the number, and asked in a low voice.

"Hello, teacher. It's me, Nozomi... um, yes, I want to ask about Klein's experiment... Do you mind if I can help?"

"Um... um... okay, thank you... I'll be right there."

Nozomi's already faint voice gradually faded away, leaving only Klein's steady breathing.

…

......

After an unknown amount of time, Klein woke up to the sound of Nozomi singing softly... She knew that Nozomi was practicing his voice.

'...Hmm?! Wait a minute?!'

'Since Senpai is already practicing singing, then isn't it?!'

"senpai, why didn't you wake me up?!"

Klein opened her eyes in an instant and shouted at the same time.

"Hmm? Awake?"

Nozomi stopped singing and shifted his gaze from the document in his hand to Klein, a smile on his face.

"I told you that we can talk about other things after you finish your milk tea...but unfortunately, you haven't finished it yet."

"Brother, you plotted against me!"

"Hmm~ What a shame, you got fooled~"

Nozomi shrugged indifferently and placed the documents in his hand in front of Klein.

"Okay, I've measured the data you wanted to measure, and I've also checked it for you once. If you're not sure, you can go back and do it again... And I've sorted your data for you once, too. I've marked the categories with sticky notes. It's divided according to your habits, so don't worry about you not being able to find it."

"...senpai, you...did you run from here to the lab and then bring the documents back? And...also, how do you know my classification habits?"

"Yeah, jogging isn't that difficult for me... Oh, by the way, the original data files are still in the lab. What I have in my hand is a copy, so you can take them away directly. I've also asked my instructor to send a copy of the relevant data and test process to your account, so remember to check it using the terminal."

Nozomi answered casually.

"As for your classification habits... Hey, I just have a good memory. I just paid a little attention to it before and remembered it. It's not difficult."

"Oh, by the way, I also brought you a meal. You haven't eaten much all day and only drank a cup of milk tea in the afternoon. You must be starving now... Here, there is some new milk tea. Take it back to the lab and drink it yourself."

"...senpai? Did I sleep for a whole day?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Then how do you manage to do so many things?!"

Klein scratched her head... She didn't understand?!

"I told you, I am now a master in time management, okay?"

Nozomi smiled.

"And a strong body is the foundation that supports me in doing so much... So you should also adjust yourself."

"Okay, take a look at the data first, and eat your meal. You'll have to check it when you get back, so go and deal with it early. I'll be leaving now~"

Nozomi said this casually and rubbed Klein's head out of habit, and then realized that the person in front of him didn't seem to be Vill-V...

"Thank you, senpai..."

Klein's voice was unexpectedly softer... It seems like she doesn't mind? Yeah, that's good~

Next, Nozomi also has his own things to deal with~

"...Um?"

However, when Nozomi was walking towards the dormitory, he met two people on the road... Nozomi had an impression of one of them, Blanca, whom he had met several times and who had even helped him a lot. In a sense, Blanca was his senior sister.

The woman standing half a step in front of Blanca, with long green hair and a subtle aura that exudes a dangerous yet seductive aura... if he remembered correctly, it should be Dr. Mobius.

At this moment, she was playing with a small piece of strange metal in her hand, her eyes full of interest in research... Nozomi recognized that it was the experimental product that Nozomi and Vill-V had researched together.

All of these things should have been taken away... but they were all taken away by an organization whose name is unknown but has considerable power.

"But you really kept me waiting, little one."

At this time, the two also noticed Nozomi's arrival, and Mobius took the initiative to speak and shouted to Nozomi.

"…Dr. Mobius, Senior Blanca, what can I do for you?"

"Well~ it's great that you know us. It saves us a lot of unnecessary introductions and etiquette."

Mobius stepped forward and stood in front of Nozomi.

She raised the piece of metal in her hand in front of Nozomi.

"You should remember this, little one."

"um."

"You figured it out?"

"To be precise, my companions and I worked together to come up with this idea."

"Yeah, very good, very honest~"

Mobius nodded with satisfaction, then narrowed her eyes and asked with an inexplicable meaning.

"So... what do you think of this thing?"

"…It's still a test product. If we keep trying, we can do better."

Nozomi thought about it and answered truthfully.

"only..."

"It's just that your research has been banned, right? Because this metal attracts some strange energy and is therefore considered a dangerous item."

"...Um."

"hehe..."

Mobius laughed.

"Little guy, if you were allowed to continue researching, how long do you think it would take you to perfect it to a level that satisfies you?"

"I don't know. After all, according to the information I received, it is the energy that is dangerous. Therefore, before I perfect this metal, I have to understand what this energy is and why it is dangerous... If I can figure this out, my companions and I should be able to perfect it within a few years, and even develop more application methods."

"Oh? You seem very confident..."

Mobius narrowed his eyes.

"So..."

"Want to come into my lab for a cup of tea, little one?"

"I can help you answer these questions. I can even let you be my assistant."

"…So what's the price?"

Nozomi asked expressionlessly.

"Price? There is no price required, little guy, don't believe the gossip outside~"

Mobius' fingertips gently stroked the corner of her mouth.

"I just love talents and I happened to see a design that I was interested in. All you have to do is to continue to improve your ideas and bring out the finished product you think it is."

"I believe that it must be something that can change the world... You think so too, right?"

"…Indeed."

"So... what's your answer?"

"...Can I bring my companion with me? She is also a genius. Her research in this area is no worse than mine. She is even better than me."

"Of course, but she can't stay in my lab, okay?"

Moebius reached out and gently tapped Nozomi's chest.

"After all, you are the only one I care about right now, little one."

"If she wants to stay, she has to show some more."

"...Okay, I'll go."

"Very good~"

Mobius's smile grew even wider.