"What? How is this happening?! The voice is directly in my head? This person didn't even speak!"
'I'm using telepathy to transmit my words directly into your mind.'
Saiki Kusuo used his telepathic ability to send his thoughts directly into Mikoto Ai's mind.
'You don't need to give me a real reading; just pretend and go through the motions.'
Mikoto Ai was shocked. After a moment of stunned silence, she realized that Saiki Kusuo was also a psychic and was communicating with her telepathically.
[Is this person also a psychic? Wait... His hair is pink. Could it be...?]
'I'm hiding my abilities, so please don't expose me.'
Saiki Kusuo looked at Mikoto Ai with utmost seriousness.
Due to Mikoto Ai's unique ability, Saiki Kusuo's identity as a psychic would inevitably be exposed. In the narrow confines of the fortune-telling booth, he had no room to evade.
If there hadn't been so many people around, Saiki Kusuo could have used telepathy to detect Mikoto Ai's identity earlier and prepared a response. But with so many guests, he couldn't use his abilities to gather information beforehand.
However, for now, Mikoto Ai didn't seem particularly strange, so Saiki Kusuo decided to communicate directly with her.
He had also heard that these fortune-telling booths usually only operate during summer vacation and close once school officially starts. That would reduce some of the trouble.
'If there's anything else, we'll talk privately later.'
[Okay, okay...]
Mikoto Ai responded in her mind and then vaguely said,
"Things will go smoothly for you, and your relationships with others will improve. But as for luck..."
"Alright, thank you very much."
Saiki Kusuo stood up and left his seat.
"Huh, Saiki's session ended so quickly?"
Karuizawa Kei was surprised. Mikoto Ai had said quite a lot to the others, but only gave Saiki Kusuo a few lukewarm words.
"Yeah, let's go."
Saiki Kusuo said to the others and prepared to leave the booth.
Mikoto Ai watched Saiki Kusuo's back intently.
[Two-toned hair, surname Saiki, right? Could his nickname really be... And his special talent—could it be his psychic abilities?]
[Could this Saiki boy... be my destined partner? He's not bad-looking!]
[Wait, does he have telepathy? Did he just hear my thoughts!?]
...
'Hmm, there's another psychic?'
Saiki Kusuo narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious. Today's events had exceeded his expectations.
'To prevent any accidents, I'll talk to her later tonight.'
Meanwhile, the other three were chatting nearby.
"That fortune-teller was so accurate! What about your readings?"
"Yeah... pretty accurate..."
"I didn't believe in fortune-telling at first, but she was surprisingly on point."
Though they were discussing it, their thoughts were aligned.
[Could Saiki really be the fortune-teller's destined partner?]
...
What was supposed to be a 'date' between Saiki Kusuo and Karuizawa Kei turned into a group outing due to various coincidences. After the fortune-telling, the four of them had dinner together before returning to their dorms. For each of them, today's events were unexpected.
As night fell, Saiki Kusuo used teleportation to appear outside his dorm building, where Mikoto Ai had been waiting for a while.
"He just appeared out of thin air..."
Mikoto Ai looked at Saiki Kusuo in surprise. His abilities clearly went beyond just telepathy.
"Who... who are you?"
Mikoto Ai asked curiously. Since meeting Saiki Kusuo, she had been fixated on him.
'Just an ordinary high school student with psychic abilities.'
Saiki Kusuo didn't speak but transmitted his words directly into Mikoto Ai's mind.
"Teleportation, telepathy... What other abilities do you have?"
Before Mikoto Ai could finish, Saiki Kusuo took a metal spoon from his pocket—
The spoon began to writhe like a snake, even tying itself into a knot.
"The spoon tied itself into a knot! But it's so twisted and gross!"
Mikoto Ai exclaimed in astonishment.
'This must never be revealed.'
In that instant, Saiki Kusuo teleported right in front of Mikoto Ai, his expression stern. His voice in her mind was equally serious.
"I... I understand."
Mikoto Ai nodded quickly.
'I just want to live a normal life, so I don't want these things exposed.'
Saiki Kusuo stepped back, looking at Mikoto Ai.
'You're only here for the summer, right? Anyway, for the remaining days of summer vacation, don't cause any trouble.'
"Got it, got it!"
Mikoto Ai smiled obediently, nodding repeatedly at Saiki Kusuo.
'That's all. I'm leaving now.'
Saiki Kusuo said and teleported away.
After he left, Mikoto Ai's smile became meaningful.
"My destined partner is indeed this Saiki boy! The fortune-telling booth only opens during summer, but if it sells merchandise, the store can stay permanently!"
Mikoto Ai laughed, pulling out a contract from her bag. Thanks to her viral birthday, her fortune-telling merchandise store would officially remain on campus after summer vacation.
"I'll have more time to observe Saiki! Earlier, I couldn't see anyone's aura, but after he left, I could. Could his aura have been overshadowing everyone else's?"
...
Summer vacation slipped away, and soon it was time for school to start.
On the last day of summer, Class B's members planned to go to the pool, but it was all part of the Idiot Trio and the Doctor's scheme to film the girls changing.
Though Saiki Kusuo wasn't one to meddle, he couldn't ignore this.
So, he used his abilities to break the miniature cameras they bought and made them trip and fall ten times on their way as punishment.
Of course, they had no idea it was Saiki Kusuo's doing.
On the first day of school, everyone gathered in the classroom. The Idiot Trio had bandages on their faces.
"In the end, the plan failed..."
"The fortune-teller was right... My luck has been terrible lately."
"I can't believe I kept tripping... My luck is just awful."
The three clung together like conjoined triplets, venting their frustration.
'This isn't about luck.'
Saiki Kusuo looked at them expressionlessly.
Despite a few hiccups, Saiki Kusuo's vacation had been relatively calm—just as he preferred.
Soon, the first class began, but Chabashira Sae didn't start teaching right away. Instead, she announced,
"Classes resume today, but from September to early October, we'll have additional physical education classes to prepare for the Sports Festival. I'll distribute the new schedule, so keep it safe. The Sports Festival details will also be included. Please pass them back."
At the mention of the Sports Festival, most students groaned. While some looked forward to it, many dreaded the physically demanding activities.
One of the few excited students was Sudō Ken.
"Yes!"
He even stood up, cheering.
Saiki Kusuo, however, showed no smile.
The Sports Festival was a nightmare for him.
Even with his limiter, he struggled to control his strength perfectly.
One wrong move could break world records, causing unnecessary trouble or even accidents.
'Darn it, I don't have to participate in the Sports Festival, right? I'll just find an excuse to skip it.'
"The school website also has the details. Check it if needed."
Chabashira Sae continued slowly.
"Teacher, is this another special exam?"
Flat Yōsuke, the class representative, raised his hand to ask.
"It's up to you how you interpret it, but it will significantly impact the class."
Chabashira Sae replied,
"Some of you have already noticed from the details: this Sports Festival divides all grades into two teams. Class B is in the Red Team, and Class A will also be in the Red Team—so during the Sports Festival, Class A will be your allies."
'Two teams? That makes slacking off easier, but I'll still have to interact with other grades.'
Saiki Kusuo thought, carefully reviewing the rules.
The rules were complex, and unlike previous exams, they didn't guarantee class points—they could even deduct them.
However, if someone placed third in an event, they could choose between personal points or extra credit on the next written exam.
Last place, on the other hand, received the opposite penalty.
"Here's the participation form. You'll decide the order of events and participants, then submit it to me. No replacements are allowed after the deadline—this is a crucial rule. The submission period is from one week before the Sports Festival until the day before at 5 PM. If you miss it, participants will be assigned randomly. Everyone must participate, as self-management is essential for adulthood. Even if you're sick on an important day, you can't just skip it—you should know that."
'Damn it!'
Saiki Kusuo almost shouted in his mind. This rule eliminated any chance of skipping the Sports Festival due to illness.
Even if he genuinely couldn't participate, his absence would penalize the team, and he'd likely be blamed by his classmates.
'Damn this school... Always causing trouble!'
Saiki Kusuo quickly shifted his thinking, planning how to survive the Sports Festival.
If he couldn't avoid it, he'd have to find a way to slack off.
'Since the class decides participants, I'll join a group event where slacking off is less noticeable. Or I'll pretend to be weak to avoid important individual events.'
Saiki Kusuo's mind raced, devising a feasible plan.
"Next class, we'll head to the gym to meet students from other grades."
Chabashira Sae continued,
"For the remaining 20 minutes, self-study."
'This Sports Festival is my real challenge.'
Saiki Kusuo raised an eyebrow.