**Chapter 657: Although Evading Is Shameful, It’s Useful**
On the Shinkansen, sunlight streamed through the window and fell onto the adjacent seat. Kazumi lowered her head, unconsciously twisting her delicate fingers around her shirt, while the scenery outside flew by at an incredible pace, failing to capture her attention at all.
Unable to resist, she cast a glance at Satō Shin’ichi, who was sitting beside her. She found that the young boy had already reclined in his seat, scrolling through videos on his mobile phone. With the video content directed at her without any pretenses, it appeared to be a tutorial on some combat technique. His serious demeanor made it so that even her gaze went unnoticed.
…
Regaining her focus, Kazumi looked down at her toes, her mind racing with thoughts.
She had to admit that her caution had probably saved her life. Long ago, Satō Shin’ichi had mentioned that besides inviting her to meet his friends to play together, he also had a surprise prepared for her. At that time, Kazumi had tried to ask a few questions, but he had evaded them with the promise of a surprise. The young girl hadn’t thought much of it back then, assuming it was something trivial—perhaps a small gift or a chance to see a new sight—after all, he was just a boy, and she didn’t know him well enough. So she allowed him to be vague about it. But today, when she impulsively asked what it was, Satō Shin’ichi’s answer dealt her a shocking blow.
“Why is there even the ability for ordinary people to gain psychic powers?! And no matter how you think about it, such a thing is incredibly precious. Satō Shin’ichi, are you treating it like a picnic?!”
At this moment, Kazumi could truly understand why chasing after girls seemed simple for other people. Look at this clueless guy, who didn’t understand the value of even just a bit of change—he ended up treating something so significant like an easy gift and claimed it was a surprise for her. That was far too big.
Satō Shin’ichi was definitely not one to deceive her. So, in other words, this ability did exist and had a certain feasibility.
Moreover, in this world, the prospect of allowing ordinary people to master psychic abilities was equivalent to arranging for her boyfriend to secure a governmental position of provincial-level or a master’s degree from a double first-class university in her past life!
With such immense benevolence, not to mention anyone else, even Kazumi couldn’t help but want to reciprocate properly.
“I still haven’t risen; the debt of gratitude is far too large to repay at all.”
Wasn’t this the deterrent power of an inexperienced wealthy youth? In truth, from Kazumi’s viewpoint, ignoring her internal schemes of using Shin’ichi, the two had only been together for less than six months, and the extent of their close relationship could barely be summarized by a kiss on the cheek—an undeniable fact.
However, even with their level of intimacy, simply because she felt uneasy about their differing identities, Shin’ichi had genuinely found a way for her, Shimizu Kazumi, to transition from being an ordinary person to a psychic, even potentially becoming a hero.
She didn’t know whether to call him foolish or kind-hearted, but the sheer simplicity of this endeavor was enough to touch the icy recesses of her heart.
**This… this guy really…**
She couldn’t help but steal another glance at the boy beside her, and Kazumi couldn’t suppress a sigh from her heart.
Although the soul inside Kazumi’s body came from a male spirit from another world, she was also a normal teenager from a new era who had received a proper education and possessed a sound moral compass. Even though she prioritized her own interests in some aspects, it was impossible for her to accept such a grand favor with a clear conscience, as she had looked down upon girls in her past life who shamelessly accepted such gifts while treating others poorly. There was no way she could do that, especially considering how Shin’ichi had treated her, which was practically flawless.
**”At worst, at least I can treat him a little better in the future.”**
The dangerous thoughts floating in her mind shattered, and the girl’s cheeks began to heat up slightly as she forced herself to avoid dwelling on feelings. After all, the main challenges were yet to come.
What Shin’ichi had mentioned about the ability might be comprehensible if it belonged to someone like that other individual, but if they had to face him directly…
That was truly what Kazumi was concerned about.
Hongmaru, or rather his more illustrious title—Emperor Yan. This was someone who had once held the title of the number one hero in the Heroes Association, but after facing defeat in competition and due to his past conflicts with Hamano Tsukasa, he chose to withdraw from the association and return to Nagoya to live his life.
Putting everything else aside, just being able to compete with Hamano Tsukasa for the title of the number one hero spoke volumes about his strength. Furthermore, his extensive experience from years of service in the association was what truly worried Kazumi. Under the gaze of such a powerful individual who held no filters, she feared whether her identity would be exposed due to some mistakes, especially since there wouldn’t be any leeway for her physical consciousness to take over.
Moreover, and most importantly, was the ability!
Thinking of this, the furrow in Kazumi’s brow deepened, and her lips were pursed into a straight line. Finally, a solution to her predicament quietly surfaced in her mind.
**What if I pretend to be sick and say I want to go back this time?**
