In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 78

As he watched Mikoto's figure disappear completely through the doorway, he turned his gaze back to Huang Quanchuan. The helpless gentleness vanished instantly, and his eyes became deep and calm.

Huang Quanchuan was grinning, in a good mood after the exhilarating physical combat match.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something more, Higashino Yu took a small step forward and stood right in front of her, his movements as natural as adjusting the hem of his clothes.

The distance between the two instantly closed, almost back to the close-quarters, face-to-face range of a fight.

Huang Quanchuan felt his breath catch for a moment.

Higashino's gaze became incredibly focused, and there seemed to be imperceptible ripples spreading deep within his pupils, like a silent undercurrent surging beneath a calm lake.

He made a very quick and subtle adjustment, tilting his head slightly to ensure that his gaze was precisely aligned with Huang Quanchuan's most relaxed and receptive state of mind.

This connection is not physical, but rather a match of invisible frequencies, like the barely audible "click" of inserting an invisible key into the deepest part of a lock.

All language and actions become anchors of pure intention: trust and obedience. Higashino's demands are the direction.

On the foundation of her most solid trust, Higashino gently applied a layer of transparent, viscous varnish. After this varnish was applied, the original trust remained, but its texture changed, becoming thicker and more directional, quietly revolving around him as the absolute center.

Aiho Yomi's gaze wavered for a fleeting moment, perhaps less than a fraction of a second. She wasn't even aware that anything was amiss; she simply felt more relaxed than before, as if she had just had an extremely soothing massage.

Looking at Dongye's face, which was covered with a little sweat from fatigue, she suddenly felt a sense of trust and closeness that was even stronger than before. This man was really good; he was strong, steady, and his words and actions were very agreeable.

Her instincts made her feel that what he said made sense, and that his request was natural, even for her own good.

She felt that if her friends invited her to social events in the past, and Higashino was going to go with them, she wouldn't necessarily consider going.

She noticed this last time they drank together; Dongye's alcohol tolerance must be quite high. After finishing off the alcohol she bought and Xiaomeng's stock, he showed no signs of being drunk at all.

If I have the chance, I'll invite him to Xiaomeng's house or my own house for a good drink. It's not easy to find a drinking buddy who I like and trust! Besides, it seems a bit difficult to beat him in physical combat, so beating him in a drinking contest is also a good idea.

Next time, bring your armor too!

This inexplicable feeling made her find Higashino more pleasing to the eye, and she gave him another affectionate pat on the back, which was a little too intimate.

"Haha, what's there to worry about? You have to go all out in a battle! Your little girlfriend is still too young!"

She didn't think there was anything wrong with touching certain parts of her body during her fight with Higashino; on the contrary, she felt that Mikoto was being overly sensitive.

"Let's fight again next time we have the chance. You should go after your 'little girlfriend'."

"Okay, see you next time."

That's a perfect modification. Next time, let's try a more intense, hand-to-hand combat style. We'll leave the outcome for next time.

Outside the training ground, separated by a heavy door, Misaka Mikoto leaned against a large tree, trying to calm her inexplicably rapid heartbeat and inexplicable restlessness. Little did she know that inside the door, someone had already taken advantage of this "gap" to quietly decide on their next battle with the security guard.

Chapter 103: The 'Date' Invitation to Mikoto

After calming herself down under the tree for a while, Mikoto was about to leave when she bumped into Higashino, who appeared out of nowhere.

"Uh!"

"Ugh!"

Mikoto felt her forehead slam into something solid. Instinctively, she tried to lean back to avoid falling, but in the chaos, one hand instinctively reached forward to brace itself...

The person who arrived was clearly startled by the sudden appearance of the person, but reacted extremely quickly, reaching out to help the person the instant the impact occurred.

In the chaos, Mikoto's left hand landed squarely on the other person's sweaty chest, where the muscle definition was clearly visible.

The scorching heat from her palm, the firm and elastic touch, and the powerful heartbeat made her fingertips freeze instantly, her mind going blank.

At the same time, her slender waist was firmly supported by a warm and strong hand, while the other hand instinctively protected the back of her head to prevent her from getting injured due to a collision or possible fall.

Mikoto looked up in surprise and met a pair of eyes that were filled with surprise and concern, which then quickly blossomed into a smile. It was Higashino Yu!

After parting ways with Yomi Kawa, Higashino quickly located her using the cognitive anchor points on Mikoto.

This is also one of the uses of anchor points. If Higashino actively seeks out someone who has been anchored, he can not only determine the other person's location, but also perceive the surrounding space to a certain extent.

As for where the limit of the distance is, Higashino did not find it. Anyway, he could easily sense the anchor point he set up in the UK last time.

So when Higashino found Mikoto, he used his spatial teleportation to get next to her. As a result, he bumped into Mikoto right after he moved over, which was also unexpected.

When Mikoto bumped into Higashino's arms, she felt all the blood rush to her head, and her ears felt like they were burning hot.

She wanted to pull her hand away from his chest and break free from this awkward position, but her waist was still firmly held in place by that large hand, making it impossible for her to move away.

"Let...let go!"

Mikoto's voice was weak as she struggled and twisted her body, her face flushed.

"Be careful, Misaka..."

Higashino's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible amusement as he looked at Mikoto nestled in his arms.

I think that making mistakes like this occasionally isn't a bad thing.

"I almost fell over."

He loosened his grip slightly, but maintained a protective posture, making sure she was steady before letting go completely.

As soon as Mikoto was freed, she immediately sprang back a big step as if she had a spring installed, frantically straightening her disheveled tracksuit jacket, keeping her head down and not daring to look at him, her gaze shifting downwards to her feet through the flat ground.

"...Who, who would fall! It was your sudden appearance that caused it!"

She quickly retorted.

It was clearly his sudden appearance that caused me to bump into him and almost fall, but was that sudden appearance some kind of spatial teleportation?

He can even do this? That's cheating! What is it that he can't do?

And you were definitely holding back in that fight, you bastard!

"Uh, sorry, sorry, it was indeed my mistake."

Higashino smiled and raised his hands in surrender, admitting his mistake. It was indeed his fault, and he would do it again next time.

"I was in such a hurry to chase after the 'princess' who was running away that I didn't watch where I was going."

He emphasized the title in a teasing tone, knowing full well Misaka's resistance to it.

"I told you not to call me that!"

Mikoto immediately looked up at him angrily, as if her sore spot had been hit, but when she met his smiling eyes, she quickly looked away guiltily.

"And another one! Who, who ran away?! I just finished training... I was tired and wanted to go back to rest!"

"Yes, yes, you do look very tired; your face is so red."

Higashino nodded readily, his gaze sweeping over her rosy cheeks and slightly rapid breathing, his smile deepening.

He naturally took a small step closer to her and casually suggested:

"Since we're already out, and the timing is perfect, let's not rush back. We've been fighting for so long and must be hungry. How about we go get some dinner together? I know a few good new restaurants that have opened nearby."

The moment Mikoto heard the words "together" and "eat," her brain exploded!

Together?! Dinner?! Is he... is he asking me out?! A date?... Like in a manga?!

Countless pink bubbles exploded in her mind, accompanied by immense shock and embarrassment.

The awkwardness of the training ground, the panic of being bumped into someone's arms, and the sensation of his large hands on his waist and protecting his head were all instantly shattered by this information, leaving only one enormous thought.

He asked me out to dinner! A date invitation! It's definitely a date!

Her heart was racing, her face was redder than ever before, and steam was practically rising from her head.

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

What should I do? Should I say yes? Isn't this moving too fast? No! Who wants to go on a date with him?! He's Haru and Ruiko's boyfriend!

But... but he already invited them... I hope Haru and the others won't mind... And wouldn't it seem too heartless to just refuse like this...? No, no! Misaka Mikoto, wake up!

In the chaos, her voice became stuttering and weak, almost a whisper, as if she were talking to herself: "A...a date?!...Um...I..."

She felt like a burnt-out CPU, completely losing her ability to think and speak normally.

Higashino raised an eyebrow slightly, watching Mikoto's embarrassment escalate into a strange state where her whole body stiffened, her head seemed to be steaming, and her eyes darted around, along with the barely audible "date." He instantly realized what she had misunderstood.

He had only invited her to dinner, but I didn't expect Mikoto to imagine so many scenarios. But it's fine this way.

He deliberately didn't correct her immediately, but pretended not to hear her mutterings, and just watched her flustered appearance with amusement.

"Hmm? What's wrong? It's just a normal meal. I know you're hungry, right? You did a lot of exercise just now. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to treat me."

Ordinary?! Eating...a meal?! Not a date? ...

Mikoto's chaotic mind caught the two keywords "ordinary" and "treating guests," and her wildly beating heart calmed down a little. However, the huge sense of disappointment and the little drama that had just played out in her mind made her wish she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

Her face flushed red and then turned pale. She felt extremely embarrassed for "overthinking" just now, but also a little disappointed. She tried to straighten her face and regain some of her usual composure.

"Who, who would ask you to treat them to a meal? It's not like I can't afford it! ...It's just...it feels really weird to suddenly bring up eating out!"

She tried to find a lame excuse for her panic.

"That's good."

Higashino seemed completely oblivious to her embarrassment and naturally changed the subject.

If he continued teasing her, Mikoto might actually get angry and run away, and he didn't want things to develop that way.

"I know a place that has really good reviews for its tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) rice bowl. It's not far from there on foot. Shall we go check it out?"

"...Whatever."

Mikoto turned her face away, not daring to look at Higashino at all.

And so, the two of them went to the shop that Higashino had mentioned, in a 'pleasant' manner.

Higashino was no different from usual, while the girl blushed slightly, occasionally glaring angrily at the person next to her, and walked side by side with slightly hurried steps.

They weaved through the increasingly bustling crowds on the shopping street.

"...Wow, this is the new Gekota merchandise!"

As Mikoto passed by the window of a toy store, her eyes were instantly drawn to it, and she gasped softly. Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly pursed her lips and put on a serious expression that said, "I was just looking around."

Higashino pretended not to see the gleam in her eyes, but after walking a few steps, he slowed down to let her take one last, reluctant look at the limited edition frog doll dressed in a lab coat.

"Try this? It's fresh out of the oven."

Standing in front of a snack stall, Dongye looked at the meatballs he had bought on his way home from get off work last time; they tasted pretty good.

I bought two skewers of salt-baked dumplings and handed one to Mikoto.

"The salt-baked meatballs at this shop are pretty good, let's try them."

Mikoto hesitated for a moment, but still took it. She took a small bite of the soft and chewy dumpling, and the sweet and salty sauce melted on her tongue, temporarily relieving her tension.

Higashino turned his head to watch her carefully eat the dumplings, his determination to win over Mikoto growing even stronger. If he hesitated at this point, he might as well give up his abilities and go back to being the ordinary person he was before he transmigrated.

Well, that's assuming Aleister doesn't cause any trouble. Otherwise, even if he does nothing, trouble will still come knocking on his door.

The atmosphere gradually eased during their casual stroll. He would occasionally discuss with Mikoto the new games being sold at the bookstore they had just passed, or comment on which restaurant's aroma smelled most enticing.

This atmosphere gradually relaxed Mikoto's tense nerves, and she was even able to occasionally look up and respond to him, no longer as shy as she had been at the beginning.

Finally, Higashino Yu stopped in front of a small but charming family restaurant with a warm, inviting aroma of food.

"This is it."

He pushed open the door, and the wind chimes on the lintel rang with a clear, tinkling sound.

"This restaurant's set meals are quite unique and the portions are generous, which should be perfect for replenishing energy after exercise. Want to give it a try?"

He turned around and looked at Mikoto behind him. The lights in the store outlined the contours of her face, which was filled with curiosity and anticipation. The embarrassment and panic from before seemed to have been blown away by the evening breeze, leaving only a faint ripple of girlish thoughts.

As Mikoto looked at the cozy scene inside and the tempting aroma of the food, her stomach rumbled softly at just the right moment, and she immediately covered her stomach in embarrassment.

"Well... let's give it a try."

With a "Welcome!" from the staff, the two entered the cozy little restaurant filled with the aroma of delicious food.

Chapter 104 Confession to Misaka Mikoto

The restaurant served food very quickly, and soon the food was on Higashino and his friends' table.

In front of Mikoto was a crispy, golden-brown tonkatsu rice bowl drizzled with rich sauce, while Higashino ordered a steaming hot sukiyaki set meal.