Chapter 17: Exchange Your Inner Voices

Now the sky was already rather late, and now in this vicinity there were also not many people, so Kushida also was not worried that there were other people around.

Only right now, her emotions exploding, she did not think that not far behind herself, Saiki was right behind a tree.

'Yare yare, looks like now the timing isn't too appropriate, then I'd better go back for today.'

Saiki really did not want to bring himself too much trouble, and immediately prepared to directly turn around and go back.

But right at this time, the phone in his hand suddenly rang, it was someone suddenly sending Kushida a message.

'This is bad, why would someone send Kushida a message at this time?'

Saiki looked down, and on the screen the name Ike Kanji was clearly displayed.

[Ike Kanji: Kushida-san, may I ask, are you free tomorrow?]

[Ike Kanji: I accidentally bought one extra movie ticket, tomorrow would you like to go watch together?]

"..."

In that very instant, Saiki even had the urge to make Ike Kanji disappear from the face of the earth.

"Who?!"

At the same time, Kushida already heard this movement, aggressively coming over toward Saiki's location.

'It's too late to activate invisibility now, it needs one minute of preparation time.'

'Directly teleporting away also isn't really doable, although this area seemingly does not have surveillance, on the road there are quite a lot of cameras, if by that time Kushida looks for an excuse to check the footage, it would still be somewhat troublesome.'

'But fortunately I still have a backup method.' Saiki thought this, and immediately walked out from behind the big tree.

"Saiki?"

At this moment, Kushida furrowed her brows, her gaze full of murderous intent, completely unlike her usual cute appearance.

[Why would Saiki appear in this place? Just now he must have heard, right? He definitely heard, right?]

"You just now, did you hear?"

Kushida's sharp gaze locked onto Saiki's face, as if wanting to capture a trace of a clue from his expression.

"No. What are you talking about?" And Saiki was expressionless, without hesitation giving this reply. If he could pretend ignorance and get through this, that would be best.

Hearing Saiki's answer, Kushida froze for a moment, not expecting the other party to so righteously give a denying response.

[This bastard, what is he pretending? At this distance he definitely heard!]

Kushida's brow twitched slightly, her body leaning forward, the tip of her nose nearly touching Saiki, her gaze still fixed on him.

Only, Kushida also did not expect that Saiki's face did not have the slightest change in expression.

"You really didn't hear anything?"

"No."

[How could that be possible? This guy definitely heard!]

'You don't believe me anyway, so why ask so much?' Saiki complained in his heart.

[I didn't expect this guy to still be pretending ignorance here. I absolutely cannot let this be over just like this. If he tells today's things to others, then it will be trouble. That way, it would destroy my image!]

[Absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen again. I must maintain an absolutely perfect image! Absolutely absolutely!]

[I must think of a way to make Saiki shut up. Then it will be like this, make his hand leave fingerprints on my chest, use accusing him of improper intentions as a threat! First temporarily make him shut up, then later, when there is an opportunity, think of a way to make him drop out!]

'Hey hey hey, you're just a high school student, and you actually want to do such a thing? Really absurd.'

And Saiki, from beginning to end, did not have any change of expression on his face. He already knew what Kushida wanted to do.

'Actually wanting to provoke a psychic. I can't sit by and watch.'

"Saiki, stop playing dumb. I know you heard everything. I am warning you, you absolutely cannot tell anyone!"

Kushida suddenly stepped forward, tightly grabbing Saiki's hand, preparing to press it onto her upper body, wanting to "leave a handprint."

But when she exerted force, she discovered that Saiki's arm did not move in the slightest.

"What?!" Kushida couldn't help letting out a cry of surprise. She didn't expect that Saiki, who looked somewhat thin and weak, would have such great strength.

[What's going on?! I clearly used a lot of strength. With that physique of his, it shouldn't be possible that there's no reaction at all. What is happening?!]

In front of Kushida, Saiki was just like a statue, without any movement.

'Yare yare, the mind-control ability can't be used casually. Then I can only use that ability.'

Saiki thought in his heart, first confirming there was no surveillance around, then using telepathy to judge there were no other people nearby. He then put his hand behind his back, and at the same time, an object like a banana floated into his hand.

"Look, Horikita is over there."

"What?"

Just as Kushida was a little distracted, that special tool in Saiki's hand already directly smashed onto her cute face. Kushida immediately lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground.

This was Saiki's memory-deletion ability. After being hit by that mascot-like object, Saiki could delete one minute of the other person's memory.

However, this ability was not simply pure deletion. The deleted content would be automatically filled in by the human brain. What memories would fill the gap, even Saiki couldn't be certain.

'In any case, I will first delete the memory of me and her meeting here by accident.' Saiki muttered to himself in his heart.

———

"Damn it damn it damn it! That damn b*tch!"

About a few seconds later, Kushida resumed her previous actions, kicking the railing while cursing Horikita Suzune, as if nothing had happened.

'Yare yare, looks like it's already been successfully resolved.'

And at this moment, Saiki had already returned behind that same tree.

'Although I have used this ability before, at most it was deleting a sentence in memory. I have never completely deleted a full minute. Usually, the target will automatically fill in the memory… I also don't know what memory she filled it with, but it looks like the missing time was filled by her continuing to vent her emotions.' Saiki muttered to himself.

Perhaps because Kushida had too deep an obsession with Horikita Suzune, that blank memory was filled with related things.

And just now, when modifying her memory, Saiki also conveniently put the phone back into her pocket. Consider it as having resolved this matter.

Saiki then left Kushida's vicinity. He really didn't want to get entangled with her any more.

'This school doesn't have many normal students. If things go on like this until graduation, the consequences would be unimaginable. Never mind, I won't think too much about it. Since I'm out so late anyway, I might as well buy a few snacks and drinks on the way back.'

Although it was already very late, and the school's shops were basically closed, there were vending machines all over campus. This was very convenient for students.

Saiki quickly arrived at a vending machine, spending a few points to buy a can of coffee, and at this time, he again picked up a very familiar voice.

"Suzune, you actually followed me here."

"I am no longer that useless person you used to know, brother. I came here to catch up to you!"

'It's Horikita… and her brother, right.'

Saiki's eyebrow twitched slightly. He had only met Horikita Suzune's brother, Horikita Manabu, twice. The first time was at the entrance ceremony, and the second time was when Saiki used X-ray vision during swimming class. He and the other party didn't have any actual contact.

'Feels like the relationship between these two isn't very good, but it has nothing to do with me.' Saiki thought in his heart. At the same time, he pulled open the can tab, took a sip of coffee, and prepared to leave.

"To catch up to me? Choosing this school was my failure."

"I will soon be promoted to Class A. If so…"

"You can't do it."

'Yare yare, the atmosphere feels a bit off. Although probably nothing will happen at school, I'll pay a bit of attention. It's not because I want to watch the drama.'

Saiki, while drinking coffee, shifted his gaze toward the direction of the voices, his vision passing through several walls, falling on Horikita Suzune and Horikita Manabu not far away.

"I… I can do it…" Horikita Suzune lowered her head and said, her voice weakening a bit.

At this moment, she looked completely different from usual. Normally in class, Horikita Suzune always had an air of "do not approach," her behavior and speech full of pride, openly showing contempt for others.

But now Horikita Suzune looked somewhat humble.

'I remember on the first day of enrollment, I heard Horikita Suzune's inner voice. She seemed to enroll in this school because of Horikita Manabu… a brother complex?' Saiki thought to himself.

"I will definitely succeed…" Horikita Suzune said so, but her voice and her body were both trembling slightly, seemingly lacking confidence.

[I must get promoted to Class A. Only like that will my brother acknowledge me… I came to this school to prove myself in front of my brother… No matter what, I have to advance to Class A!]

'So that's how it is. No wonder she's so obsessed with advancing to Class A.'

"What a sister who doesn't listen to advice."

Horikita Manabu's face hadn't changed expression from start to finish, but hearing Horikita Suzune's words, his tone seemed to carry a trace of anger. He directly grabbed Horikita Suzune's hand and pinned her against the wall.

"The one assigned to Class D, is my sister. Even if you advance to Class C, it's no different. In the end, the one disgraced is me. Immediately leave this school. You don't have the ability or the qualifications to climb up!"

From his tone, Horikita Manabu felt extreme disdain toward his sister Horikita Suzune. But Saiki could clearly hear his inner thoughts.

[Really… clearly, Suzune, you have talent that could surpass me. Why do you always imitate me? Originally, I deliberately distanced myself to make her grow, but in the end she also followed me into this school… truly disappointing. She should have been able to walk her own path. Before, I deliberately lied to her that I liked long hair, and she also deliberately grew her hair long… Sigh…]

'Yare yare, so the brother is actually a person who worries about his sister. Looks cold and proud on the surface, but actually cares a lot…'

Saiki drank coffee while watching the situation between the siblings.

'But this kind of thing, wouldn't it be better to just say it to her face? Since the brother doesn't want the sister to imitate him, just say it directly. Deliberately not saying anything and widening the distance only makes it more complicated.'

Saiki really couldn't understand their way of thinking. But after all, this was someone else's business. He wasn't planning to interfere, and prepared to go back to the dorm to rest.

[No, I must make Suzune realize what her problem is. I must let her understand how absurdly wrong she is!]

While thinking this, Horikita Manabu already raised his fist, ready to smash it onto Horikita Suzune.

"I just want to prove myself in front of my brother… It must be because I haven't done well enough, that's why brother has distanced himself…"

"Suzune, why must you keep imitating me? You obviously could have walked your own path. The more you imitate me, the less you can shine with your own light. You completely misunderstood the true meaning of solitude and aloofness. That's why you were assigned to Class D… Wait, what did you just say?"

"Brother… just now, what did you say?"

'Yare yare, although they are siblings, if something happens here at school, that would not be good.' Saiki muttered in his heart.

When this pair of siblings were in a standoff, Saiki lightly used his superpower, directly transmitting their inner thoughts into each other's hearts.

"So that's how it is… Brother, I'm sorry… I always thought only by doing that, you would acknowledge me…" Horikita Suzune, hearing Horikita Manabu's words, hurriedly spoke to her brother.

[So brother has always hated me being like this?]

"Since you already understand, then I won't say more."

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/XenosX

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰