Tokyo Psychic

Kurusu Akatsuki, who has been blessed with a lucky break, began to think about how to make Miss Kawaharaki, who had dropped out of high school four years ago, understand and believe that he is a genius who can memorize all the knowledge in the textbook just by reading it once.

But before he could open his mouth, Kawahara Ki Momoka's voice came from the phone.

"Are you free to come to Shibuya? Let's talk about the part-time job when we meet. I'll wait for you at the Shibuya Central Street tram station."

Ah, what a nagging woman.

But faced with such sincere kindness and concern, even Jotaro Kujo in "JOJO" would only curse a few times, "Shut up!", and then go to the address given by the other party very seriously, right?

......

【August 2022, 4. 】

[Three days left until the Kawasaki trip begins.]

[The Kaito's current funds: 11050 yen.]

Looking out toward Shibuya, the car lights formed a multicolored river of light, flowing from street to street. A gentle cacophony of sounds hung over the city like a cloud.

The traffic light on the sidewalk flashed green.

Pedestrians with their heads down playing with their phones walked past the stagnant traffic like a flock of migrating ostriches.

Kurusu Akatsuki arrived at Central Street, and sure enough, he saw the girl who looked a little cold, leaning against the wall with a guitar case on her back, playing with her cell phone, at the entrance of the tram station.

The long silver-gray hair forms a sharp contrast with the black men's shirt. The sky is reflected in a pair of dark gray eyes, as if shrouded in a thick fog, filled with confusion about the future and the present.

Below the shirt are dark blue hot pants and black tights, outlining the shape of beautiful and slender legs, and below that are a pair of black leather boots with a few mud stains.

This rebellious dress shows a unique heroic spirit, and combined with the beautiful face, it has an inexplicable sexy temptation.

It's like a rap with a very fast tempo. After the ambiguous lyrics, it leaves behind a complex feeling of strength and tenderness, which is very impressive.

Several men passing by tried to chat with her, but she rejected them all with a very cold expression.

Then, noticing Kurusu Akatsuki, Kawahara Ki Momoka immediately walked over with her guitar case on her back and greeted him warmly, "Would you like to sit in the bakery over there?"

"Ms. Kawaharaki is unexpectedly popular."

"Why, you just realized it?" Kawahara Momoka deliberately lifted the hair by her ear, "But unfortunately, I'm not interested in high school students who are younger than me."

"Don't worry, Ms. Kawaharaki. I'm not interested in older women than me."

"Old...old woman? I'm only twenty years old!"

"It's okay. I'm seventeen."

If the law allowed, Kawahara Momoka really wanted to twist off the forehead of this middle school student, stubborn and show-off guy in front of her to see what kind of mess was inside.

Although he was a bit stubborn and a bit of a middle school student, Kurusu Akatsuki, who never tried to show off, followed Kawahara Ki Momoka and sat under the awning outside the bakery.

"One cheese toast and one mousse cake."

After ordering, Kawahara Ki Momoka placed her guitar case next to her chair, then looked at Kurusu Akatsuki who was sitting opposite her with some seriousness.

"Amamiya, have you been having trouble lately? You skipped school just after noon and even missed band practice yesterday."

Kurusu Akatsuki's eyelids twitched, "I'm short of money."

Then, as he was staring in astonishment, Kawahara Momoka took out a stack of banknotes from her pocket and placed it on the table.

"One hundred and ten thousand, is that enough?" Kawahara Ki Momoka stared at Kurusu Akatsuki's eyes with burning eyes.

Kurusu Akatsuki looked at the banknotes in front of her and suddenly felt a little dry in the mouth. Why do these women always like to pay directly when they meet... Do I look like someone who can be easily impressed by money?

He looked up and met Kawaharagi Momoka's eyes. "I just want to use my free time to do some part-time work."

"Free time? You're not even going to school! Are you going to quit the band next?!" Kawahara Momoka said with a serious expression, "Since I joined the band, I have to be responsible for it."

"Ms. Kawaharaki is obviously short of money too."

"I'm an adult. If I get up early every day and work a few odd jobs, I can earn a decent income." Kawahara Momoka crossed her arms, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "I was originally planning to use this money to rent a recording studio or to back up livehouse performances, but since the band is planning to debut through a roadshow, I'm just saving it."

Then she looked closely into Kurusu Akatsuki's eyes and said, "Giving your all on stage and performing without regrets—that's what rock 'n' roll should be."

Kurusu Akatsuki sensed an irresistible power in the other person's words. "If I accept this money, will it affect Ms. Kawaharaki's life?"

"I don't have any debts." Kawahara Kimoka's light words ended the topic neatly.

Kurusu Akatsuki was speechless for a moment.

Then he mentally estimated the time it would take for the club's funds to be distributed, "I'll return the money to you in two weeks."

Kawahara Momoka looked at Kurusu Akatsuki with some dissatisfaction, "It's okay to come a little bit every now and then, but remember to come to the band's training in the future."

"That part-time job..."

"Study hard!" Kawahara Momoka glared at him. "If you're not ready to dedicate your life to rock 'n' roll, then don't give up on your studies! You're just a minor, don't always take on all the pressure and responsibilities!"

But unlike Toyokawa Shoko that night, there was no sympathy or compassion in Kawahara Momoka's words and actions at this moment.

She just wouldn't allow the rock music she loved and believed in to be trampled upon for such a ridiculous reason.

Kurusu Akatsuki took the banknotes from the table and inexplicably felt that these light things were a bit heavy.

He looked at the bust of Fukuzawa Yukichi on the banknote and couldn't bring himself to refuse.

This was the first time he understood that, for some people, rock music could be more important than life.

*

*

(I encountered an emergency and was called back home at 11pm. I had originally planned to take Monday and Tuesday off. But after thinking about it, I'm afraid everyone will just think I've quit. So during this period, I'll try to find time to write on my phone and barely post two days of "two-in-one" chapters to replace the leave application.)

(I'll start adding more chapters after returning to school on Wednesday night.)

041. There is a cheat before, please witness it (two in one)

"Speaking of which, what exactly is that 'ultimate goal in life' you mentioned earlier?"

Momoka Kawahara used a spoon to split the mousse cake in front of her.

Kurusu Akatsuki opened Uma Musume again after half a month, and while tending to the horses, he answered the guitarist's question, "Maybe it's something for nothing."

"Isn't that just daydreaming?"

"I can earn money without working, and get high scores without going to school. Then I can date a sweet and quiet acting idol girl, and be envied by countless people."

"You talk too much in your sleep!" Kawahara Ki Momoka raised the spoon and pointed it at Kurusu Akatsuki from a distance.

But except for the last one, the rest were already reality. Kurusu Akatsuki thought about the extra 110,000 in his wallet and asked, "Isn't it almost time to go home for school?"

"After I finish this, we'll drive to STARRY. We need to start preparing songs for the roadshow today... After thinking about it, original works are definitely better," Kawahara Momoka mumbled, biting her spoon. "We should try to sing 'Hollow Box' as little as possible, since the copyright has been given to the previous band."

"That song is really nice. It's a shame to give it up like this."

"There's always a way to write a better song... And Xiang and Liang both have a talent for composing."

"Talent." Hearing this word for the first time in a long time, Kurusu Xiao felt a little emotional.

Then he looked down at his phone and saw Mi Yu, who had stayed up late for no apparent reason and whose condition had deteriorated. Thinking of the upcoming Emperor's Award, in which he had suffered a crushing defeat countless times, his blood pressure rose instantly.

At this point, is it possible that we can only bite the bullet and let the "never adjust" rice bath go on the runway?

Perhaps there is another option -

Kurusu Akatsuki exited to the homepage of her mobile phone, long-pressed on the "Uma Musume" app icon, and then clicked Delete.

He came to play the game, not to be played by the game.

Then I opened the browser and looked at the latest news.

I didn’t expect that the term “mind thief” would actually make it into the top 50 search volume list.

The third most searched news now is "Shinjuku Kamo Group was dismantled by a mysterious person."

The comment section of the news column is quite lively.

[Kiyono Yuna: Don’t you think it’s cool? A phantom thief who can steal the evil in people’s hearts...]

APK0: No one really believes that a superhero-like figure like the "Mind Thief" actually exists, right? So I'd rather believe that the champion of the youth math competition is actually a magical girl with a hidden identity.

[Thunder Bluff Chief: It's 2022 already. It takes a genius to still believe in such a mythical supernatural power.]

[Beliya, don't look back. I'm Zero. Be careful of hysteria if you read too much comics. Now, find a factory job for a few days and it will be cured.]

【...】

There are still very few people who are willing to believe in the existence of the "Mind Thief". Their voices were quickly drowned out by the wave of ridicule and sarcasm, and became today's Internet jokes.

It was during such a heated discussion that Kurusu Akatsuki finally couldn't help but step out to refute the argument himself.

In his previous life, when he had just debuted as a "Thief of the Mind" and was faced with a wave of doubts and criticisms on the Internet, he was typing noisily on the keyboard during sleepless nights. All the violence, extremism and sharpness flowing in his blood were released in the thunderous roar of the keyboard.

At this point, I have no choice but to show these netizens in the new world a glimpse of the Phantom Thief's combat capabilities -

Have you ever heard of the story of the "Forum Massacre" in District 11?

But just as his fingers touched the numeric keypad, before he could show his extraordinary dexterity and agility, Kawahara Ki Momoka, who was sitting opposite him, stood up and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

"We should go now, otherwise we'll be delayed a lot by the evening rush hour traffic."

Kurusu Akatsuki glared indignantly at the comments that were refreshing rapidly on his phone screen.

The targets of this repentance are just a bunch of small-time thugs. It's understandable that they don't recognize the great achievements of the Mind Thief. I'll forgive you for now—

If you do it again, I will make sure you know what the "Eleventh District Keyboard Saint" is!

*

After getting in the car, Momoka Kawahara turned the car key.

The white van was bumping along the Chiyoda Highway.

We climbed onto the overpass and headed west. There was indeed a traffic jam. As the evening rush hour progressed, the traffic became increasingly congested.

Kurusu Akatsuki rolled down the window and turned to look at a pure black luxury sedan parked nearby. Within the triangular frame on the hood, two "M"s overlapped to form a mountain. A relief of the black dragon Nighold gnawing at the World Tree graced the sleek body. This was the "Meineke Kassel," limited to just 62 units worldwide. Originally a "Maybach ," the undisputed king of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, it was once the pinnacle of premium cars in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. After undergoing a factory renovation, it was auctioned off behind the scenes at a concert by the world-renowned band "Imagine Dragon."

More than ten years have passed, and the passage of time has not diminished its value, but has added a unique collection significance.

This is several times more expensive than the C-class car that Kurusu Akatsuki saw outside the school gate of Shujin on the day of reporting.

He looked at the Maybach with some envy, then turned around and asked Momoka Kawahara who was driving the car.

"Ms. Kawaharaki, did you buy this van?"

"I borrowed it." Kawaharaki drove very slowly to avoid hitting the car in front. "I've been working part-time as a courier lately. This is something the company lent me. The deposit is not cheap... If I need to deliver some large furniture, I'll have to use the larger trucks the company arranges."

"Part-time work for adults is so hard." Kurusu Akatsuki, who has been a freelancer for many years, sighed with empathy.

"Yeah, back when I was in school, I thought I could just focus on playing in a band, so I decided to drop out with my friends. But after leaving school and starting a life in Tokyo where I had to work part-time to earn money while developing my band, it became hard and cumbersome."

There was no regret or unwillingness on Kawahara Ki Momoka's face, only a sense of relief and emotion after having experienced many things.

"The biggest obstacle preventing a band from reaching a higher level isn't the rules of the industry or things like 'talent'...it's 'life'."

She blinked her misty, dark-gray eyes. "When most rock bands are first formed, everyone dreams of 'playing rock together forever.' But, 'lifetime' is too broad, too far-fetched. Reality is cruel and indifferent. It gradually shatters those innocent, beautiful, and lovely dreams, until they're scattered all over the place... From then on, everyone in the band is busy, running around to make a living, pouring their hearts and souls out for a work permit."

"My fingers, which used to be able to play a three-minute guitar solo in one breath, have gradually become so stiff that they can only lift glasses on the wine table. My wrists, which used to swing drumsticks so cool and handsome, are finally so sore that they can only hold the mouse on the office computer. The lead singer's voice has forever lost its clarity and brightness, and has been destroyed by cigarettes and beer to the point that he can only sing a short, hoarse and heavy version of "Happy Birthday" on his child's birthday."

"Of course, these were also told to me by seniors in the industry."

Momoka Kawahara gripped the steering wheel, looking out the window at the slowly moving cars with a somewhat empty look in her eyes. "Living alone in a big city can be very lonely."

"Ms. Kawaharaki, do you live alone now?"

"About the same. I rented a small apartment near my part-time job at 9am. The price is pretty affordable."

"Can I room with Ms. Kawaharaki?"

"You're such a smart kid." Kawahara Momoka reached out and ruffled Kurusu Akatsuki's hair, examining his face hidden beneath his glasses and hair. "Nijiga, Ryo, Xiaoxiang, and Nina are all very cute girls. You should be saying these things to them... Humph, you're really handsome. Take off your glasses, style yourself, spread some roses on the floor, pick up your guitar and sing love songs. Those girls won't be able to handle your confession."

Kurusu Akatsuki slapped Kawaragi Momoka's hand away and said, "I'm serious. I'm completely living under someone else's roof right now. I don't even have a place that can be called a 'home'."

Kawahara Momoka looked at his overly handsome face and said gloomily, "I still need to find a boyfriend in the future, so I can't take you in."

"Ms. Kawaharaki really has no experience in love."

"You talk as if you have it, you little brat!" Kawahara Ki Momoka became irritated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"How do you know if I have any dating experience?" Kurusu Akatsuki was also angry. He had a soul mate who had a lifelong contract with him!

"That's why I'm saying that it's best for you to graduate from your chuunibyou quickly."

Looking at his angry expression, Kawahara Momoka suddenly laughed out loud.

"A guy who likes playing games, has a late stage of chuunibyou, doesn't care about his appearance, is self-righteous, and likes to hide his true feelings, even if he's very handsome, it's hard to meet a girl he likes... Unless you can meet another girl who also likes playing games, is considerate, good at understanding and respecting other people's ideas, and falls in love with you at first sight. Hmm, seems to be more difficult than winning the 10 billion yen jackpot in the lottery?"