Chapter 179 Where is Kazuumi not gentle! (Hands on hips)
“Grandpa Hamano, I understand. I’m sorry, Mai disturbed you this time.”
Looking at the resolute face of the white-haired old man and the image of lightning radiating behind him, which only she could see, Mai Shinomiyai nodded. Old men might lie, but the spiritual pressure behind him wouldn’t.
Coupled with Tsukasa Hamano’s guarantee and the spiritual pressure behind Shinichi Sato, which clearly lacked the aura of the deceased, Mai Shinomiyai sincerely believed that this incident was likely a misunderstanding caused by her unique spiritual sense.
“It’s nothing. Regarding the reappearance of the [Underworld] this time, I am the liaison for the Heroes Association with your Psychic organization, so our goals are the same.”
“And you’re right, Mai. There is indeed a problem at Shikoku Gakuin. Shinichi and Hetuan are currently investigating the people from the [Dark] Organization inside. So, if you need any help at school, just tell Shinichi. If there’s anything you can’t resolve, you can directly go to the principal.”
The girl’s politeness was very pleasing to Tsukasa Hamano. He nodded with narrowed eyes and waved his hand, casually handing Mai Shinomiyai over to Shinichi Sato. Let these youngsters have their fun. If anything happened, Hetuan would cover it at school, and he could arrive in a short time.
After all, Tsukasa Hamano’s old bones were truly exhausted by the recent series of incidents…..
“Okay, thank you, Grandpa Hamano.”
The old man’s words surprised Mai Shinomiyai a little, but she quickly resigned herself to it. Perhaps her out-of-touch thinking was the reason. Now that she thought about it, seeking official help was always the most convenient and efficient way to do things.
She respectfully thanked the old man in front of her. Her standard, elegant etiquette left no room for criticism, and Tsukasa Hamano, having resolved this matter, raised his eyebrows. Seeing the truck delivering new wooden doors to the yard entrance, he turned to the boy beside him and said.
“Shinichi, see your classmate off. I have a meeting at the Association later, so I’ll leave first. Remember not to slack off on your training today.”
Powerful electromagnetic force emanated from his hand, and the door to another room opened as if pushed by someone. A short cane flew out into Tsukasa Hamano’s hand. The scrawny old man, leaning on his cane, limped and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
……..
“Sato… classmate?”
Mai Shinomiyai stood still at the entrance. Her pure white thigh-high socks enhanced her slender legs, and her uniform perfectly showcased her development far beyond her age. Her emerald eyes looked curiously at Shinichi Sato, who was swiftly carrying heavy wooden doors.
“Mai Shinomiyai, sorry to keep you waiting. I saw that the movers seemed to be having some trouble, so I lent a hand. Let’s go.”
As if hearing Mai Shinomiyai’s call, Shinichi Sato gently placed the last wooden door in the yard and ran quickly towards the entrance. Not even a drop of sweat appeared on his forehead, as if he hadn’t been carrying the wooden doors just now.
“It’s okay, thank you, classmate Sato.”
Hearing Shinichi Sato’s words, Mai Shinomiyai quickly waved her hand. The day’s events were caused by her unwarranted suspicion, and she might have accidentally touched upon some of Tsukasa Hamano’s hidden secrets. Therefore, she couldn’t hold a grudge against them for such a thing.
“However, I didn’t expect you to be an Onmyoji, Mai Shinomiyai. It sounds very powerful.”
Except when he was with Kazuumi, the boy was always quite emotionally intelligent. He clearly understood the girl’s identity as a Psychic, her background, and the old man’s intention to have him see her off. Shinichi Sato politely complimented the girl next to him without being too distant.
“It’s just a family inheritance. It’s far less than being a Heteromorphic.”
Mai Shinomiyai nodded. The boy’s conversation was exactly what she wanted. After all, she also had many things she wanted to learn from this boy, who was suspected to be Tsukasa Hamano’s successor.
“Are you a Heteromorphic, classmate Sato? You don’t have to tell me anything you can’t say. I’m just curious about your relationship with Grandpa Hamano.”
After a slight hesitation, Mai Shinomiyai asked the boy next to her, fearing he might misunderstand. The girl quickly added.
“Yes, since you’ve already figured it out, there’s nothing to hide. It’s because of some things that happened when my grandfather was on duty before, so I couldn’t attend the Hero Department.”
Shinichi Sato waved his hand, answering with a half-truth based on his already set identity.
Mai Shinomiyai nodded with understanding. Although she was from the Psychic world, coming to Shikoku Gakuin was not just to investigate the matters of the [Underworld]. So, the girl had done her homework on worldly affairs.
Her age, the surname Sato, and being an old friend of Tsukasa Hamano quickly led the girl to identify Shinichi Sato’s grandfather as the hero known as [Warhammer].
“Then, is classmate Shimizu also a Heteromorphic?”
Mai Shinomiyai’s eyes darted around, and she looked at the blond boy, asking somewhat abruptly.
“Ah, Kazuumi isn’t. She’s just a normal person without any abilities. Mai Shinomiyai, why do you ask? Did you see something strange?”
The topic of his girlfriend perked up Shinichi Sato, and he even straightened his posture as he walked, asking in confusion.
“No, I just feel that classmate Shimizu is quite… well, cold.”
Mai Shinomiyai paused and replaced “strange” with “cold” in her words.
“Uh… Kazuumi is like that. Mai Shinomiyai, please don’t mind it too much. I apologize on her behalf for what happened before. By the way, if possible, could I ask you to be friends with Kazuumi?”
Nodding in affirmation, Shinichi Sato first apologized again to Mai Shinomiyai for his girlfriend’s cold behavior, then, as if finding a lifesaver, his eyes lit up as he requested of the girl in front of him.
“I’ll do my best, but it still depends on you, classmate Sato. I see that classmate Shimizu doesn’t want to get close to anyone other than you.”
Mai Shinomiyai scratched her head with some difficulty. Although she wanted to befriend this classmate who might need her help in the future, the request made by the boy seemed a bit difficult.
“Yes, yes, yes. As long as you don’t mind her attitude, Kazuumi is actually a very gentle person, she’s just not good at talking to strangers.”
“Gentle…”
Mai Shinomiyai repeated the boy’s words with some awkwardness, recalling the almost tangible negative emotions of the short girl. She realized that the lover’s filter in classmate Sato’s eyes seemed a bit thick?
“Yes, yes, thank you, classmate Sato. If there’s anything else you need help with, we can discuss it tomorrow in class. I’ll be going back now.”
Nodding helplessly in response to Shinichi Sato’s gaze filled with hope, the two walked from the villa to the entrance of the residential area. Relying on the access card in Shinichi Sato’s hand, the girl exited the residential area and waved goodbye to the boy behind her.
But before Shinichi Sato could respond, the girl’s emerald green eyes suddenly widened, and her usually well-behaved and elegant demeanor instantly became extremely vigilant as she looked at the sky.
And in the sight that only Psychics could perceive, the sky of the distant city was being stained a pale gray by a strange black mist.
