Chapter 193: Sato Shinichi’s Ultimate Big Move
“I…”
Her small, tender hand clutched her own forearm, the firm grip a testament to the young girl’s resolve.
In reality, the faint power being transmitted was something Sato Shinichi could easily break free from with a little effort, but the young boy ultimately didn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he stopped, following the pull of his girlfriend’s hand, and turned to look at the worried girl in front of him.
“Shinomiyai seems to be in trouble. I need to go help her…”
After organizing his thoughts slightly, Sato Shinichi awkwardly scratched the back of his head and spoke to Kazumi apologetically.
“What can you even do to help her!”
Looking at her boyfriend’s helpful nature, which seemed ingrained in his genes, Kazumi, who was already in a bad mood from what had happened earlier, retorted sarcastically.
She directly took hold of her boyfriend’s hand, checking his right hand, which seemed to have gotten something on it from the recent attack.
This guy is such a troublesome, worry-inducing individual. Shinomiyai Mai had already displayed such a troublesome, even dangerous, demeanor, yet he was still foolishly rushing to get involved, like he was going to help.
What’s going on? Is the sky falling? Is he going to save the damsel in distress?
We haven’t even settled the score for how he was acting all lovey-dovey in front of me before!
“I… the old man told me to keep an eye on her…”
Feeling his palm being gently held by that cold little hand, a warm surge of heat flowed into his heart, but it was immediately followed by a deep sense of guilt swirling in his heart.
Kazumi cared about him so much, yet he continued to deceive her like this…
“Looking out for someone also requires prioritizing. Shinomiyai-san is a psychic, yet she attends a regular class. She must have a special purpose. The trouble she’s encountered is surely related to psychics. You, a civilian without any powers, shouldn’t go joining the fun!”
He couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to Sato Shinichi’s strange expression. After all, when he was with her, this guy just acted like a love-struck fool, and Kazumi didn’t want to bother trying to figure out his thoughts, which were so transparent.
He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the purple mucus from the boy’s hand. This sticky liquid flowed with a strange energy, and when smelled, it had a familiar, pleasant scent.
“But… I can help her. I can deal with that thing! Kazumi, you saw it before!”
Forcing down the emotion welling up in his heart, Sato Shinichi looked somewhat troubled at the girl helping him wipe his palm. After all, how could Kazumi, who lived in the world of civilians, know that what Shinomiyai Mai was currently facing was the most terrifying underground organization in all of Neon, with its shadowy influence spread throughout the school?
However, Sato Shinichi couldn’t possibly tell Kazumi the truth. Bringing an ordinary person into a world that didn’t belong to her was inherently dangerous. Moreover, the boy harbored a hidden worry: if he admitted his secret, how would the girl view him, who had been deceiving her all along?
He mulled over these questions with some hesitation, organizing his words, and finally managed to stammer out a plausible reason.
“Then there’s even less to worry about. If even you, a civilian, can easily shatter that thing, then there’s nothing for Shinomiyai to worry about. Besides, she only asked you to contact the principal, specifically because you’re a civilian!”
Kazumi quite agreed with her boyfriend’s statement. Although Sato Shinichi had a grandfather who was a professional hero and he himself strived to be a hero, being an amateur was still being an amateur. Never challenge someone’s profession with your hobby.
As a student of Shikoku Gakuin, Kazumi clearly knew that even with Sato Shinichi’s overwhelming advantages and conditions, setting aside whether he could reach the level of a [Sergeant], becoming even an ordinary, second or third-rate hero would require at least ten years of diligent training.
And now, something that could be easily shattered by a civilian, even one with minimal systematic training, Kazumi felt couldn’t be that formidable. After all, Sato Shinichi’s hand wasn’t even broken, just smeared with that strange mucus.
[This is probably why psychics don’t reveal themselves to the world. In terms of actual combat ability, they are no match for psychics.]
Silently assessing Shinomiyai Mai’s combat ability based on this incident, Kazumi thought that if even the half-baked Sato Shinichi could easily eliminate the python that Shinomiyai Mai had been struggling with, it could also indicate they were not good at close-quarters combat, or rather, they were unable to withstand strong physical impacts.
“Ah…”
Sato Shinichi was now truly despairing. He couldn’t possibly transform and reveal the entire truth to Kazumi, right? Putting aside whether the girl could handle such a shock, all the planning and protection that Hamano Tsukasa had provided him for so long would be in vain.
But the problem was that what Kazumi was saying made perfect sense. He, who was not good with words, couldn’t even find a point to refute her. He could only look awkwardly as the girl cleaned the stains from his hand.
“Shinomiyai Mai is troublesome, and you’re not even half-baked. If you get involved in something like this, Grandpa Sato won’t be able to protect you. It’s okay to help within your capabilities, remember what I told you before…”
Looking at the stunned boy with disappointment, as if he were disappointing her, Kazumi put the handkerchief back in her pocket and reluctantly began her usual motherly lectures.
The development in this area was also quite strange. Although it started as a small teaching class to compensate him, this increasingly foolish and embarrassing behavior truly forced the girl to expand the scope of her lessons to all aspects, so that at least when she left, he could become a decent adult.
Rushing to help someone without even considering his own safety? Come on, recognizing your own capabilities is one of the required courses for adults.
“Kazumi…”
Looking at the girl beside him who was once again talking about various ways of handling things, a hint of tenderness flashed in the boy’s eyes. These somewhat lengthy and dry theories did not annoy Sato Shinichi; quite the opposite, they were very pleasant to hear.
The girl didn’t like to talk much in the first place, but for his sake, she was willing to make changes she originally wouldn’t. How could this not move him?
Sato Shinichi found many of Kazumi’s words to be very reasonable and was willing to learn. As for some overly selfish arguments, he didn’t quite agree with them, but he also knew that all of this was the protection offered by this petite girl. Perhaps for her, it was only by doing so that she could live on with a pained heart.
The girl beside him had a stern expression, but her thin lips moved up and down, uttering boring yet caring advice.
[But, some things must be done!]
A hint of determination flashed in Sato Shinichi’s eyes, and he clenched his right fist tightly. At this moment, all that remained in his mind was the “ultimate big move” to appease his girlfriend that Sobakada Asada had taught him!
[If I leave, Kazumi will definitely be angry. So, it should be okay to do this for now, right?!]
His heart pounded uncontrollably, and even his usually steady steps felt unsteady. But Sato Shinichi knew that compared to the unknown danger, or even the possibility of death, that Shinomiyai faced, the consequence of arguing with his girlfriend was nothing.
“Kazumi!”
“Hmm?”
The decisive cry from his side, like a warrior heading to his death, made Kazumi find it a bit amusing. She turned her head, wanting to see what strange move her boyfriend was about to pull again.
But a gust of wind with a familiar aura suddenly swept past her. The thick male presence overwhelmingly rushed towards her, and before Kazumi could react, the next moment, a soft, gentle touch slowly appeared on her cheek.
