Ibuki Mio was confident in her attack, pouring all her strength into a single strike to take down Saiki Kusuo. However, she hadn't anticipated the massive gap in their abilities.
With a casual swipe, Saiki sent Mio flying like a fly.
*'Yare yare, if I let her go like this, she might crash into the wall. I'd better slow her down,'* he thought, immediately using his psychokinesis to control her speed and prevent serious damage.
Mio flew a few meters, rolled on the ground, and passed out.
*'Can't let her stay unconscious,'* Saiki decided, using his powers to revive her.
"What… happened…?" Mio sat up, unaware she'd blacked out. She knew Saiki had defeated her in one move.
"What did you use?" she demanded.
"Psychic powers," Saiki replied, knowing she wouldn't believe him.
"Stop joking! Was it aikido or something? How does a high schooler learn that?"
"Personal interest," Saiki improvised.
He knew Mio wouldn't suspect psychic powers, but he'd left an impression.
"Either way, the fight's over," Saiki said, turning to her.
Mio stood, brushing herself off. Despite her frustration, she nodded.
"I lost. I won't bother you again. Promise."
"Appreciate it," Saiki sighed in relief.
"But before I go… one last question."
"What?"
"Since you planted a virus in Ryūen's phone, you know his plan, right?"
*'Wait, I said that?'* Saiki recalled lying about a virus to explain his recording.
"Two million points to reach Class A—eight billion for the whole class. Do you think that's possible before graduation?" Mio asked.
She'd seen Ryūen's plan in his phone when he'd handed it to her earlier.
*'Eight billion? That's absurd…'* Saiki thought. *'I could do it, but for normal people? Maybe I'll give a vague answer.'*
"Maybe. Not sure," he replied, turning away.
"Nothing else? Others are waiting."
Saiki left the warehouse, leaving Mio stunned.
"Does he… really think it's possible?"
Minutes later, Saiki used his clairvoyance to find Mikoto and the others, rejoining them.
"How'd it go, Saiki?" Maya asked eagerly.
"Mikoto told us! About you and Mio!"
*'Yare yare, you've only known her for hours, and you're already close?'* Saiki thought, using telepathy to ask Mikoto what she'd said.
"Girls bond over gossip! I call her Maya-chan too!" Mikoto smiled.
*'Gossip?'* Saiki felt uneasy.
"Mio's been bothering you, right? You're so kind to handle it!" Maya said, concerned. Airi agreed.
*'Kind? I knocked her out!'* Saiki glared at Mikoto. *'What did you tell them?'*
"I said Mio's had a crush on you and wouldn't leave you alone. You didn't want to hurt her feelings, so you rejected her today."
*'What nonsense did you make up?'*
"I had to! You told me to stall them. This way, they wouldn't interrupt."
*'…'*
"Technically, it's not wrong. You did say she'd bother you," Mikoto added.
*'…'* Saiki gave up, turning to the others.
"Saiki's so responsible!"
"He's so kind…"
Unknowingly, Saiki's favor with Airi and Maya rose.
Karuizawa, however, knew the truth. She suspected Mikoto was covering for Saiki but didn't expose the lie. Instead, she wondered:
*'What's Saiki's relationship with Mikoto? Why is she helping him? Does she know about his powers? But she's just a shop owner… unless they knew each other before?'*
*'Yare yare, another problem,'* Saiki sighed.
Christmas wasn't over yet. What next?
As evening fell, their day ended. The girls gave Saiki gifts: Airi, gloves; Maya, a handmade scarf; Karuizawa, a necklace; and Mikoto, a strange amulet. Saiki gave them cakes in return—he hated owing favors.
After parting ways, Saiki returned to his room but saw a familiar figure at his door: Horikita Suzune.
"You're back, Saiki," she said sharply.
*'She suspects me and Ayanokōji. Ryūen's change must be linked to one of us,'* Saiki realized.
He'd shown his strength to Ryūen to solve the Class D issue, knowing Ryūen wouldn't talk. But he didn't want others to know.
"What's up?" Saiki asked flatly.
"Do you think someone in our class beat Ryūen? Any leads?"
"No idea. Isn't it Ishizaki?"
"What were you doing outside the dorm last month?" Suzune pressed.
*'Think fast,'* Saiki panicked.
"I was on a date with Saiki!" Karuizawa appeared, smiling.
"A date?" Suzune looked surprised.
*'This is worse!'* Saiki thought, knowing denying it would raise more questions.
"Want to know more?" Karuizawa teased.
"No, thanks. That's all," Suzune said, leaving.
*'Close call,'* Saiki sighed.
"Why are you here?" he asked Karuizawa.
"I had questions! Like, what's your relationship with Mikoto?"
*'Figured,'* Saiki thought. "She's an old classmate."
"Classmate? But the fortune-telling…"
"We were elementary school classmates. I didn't recognize her at first. Later, I remembered, and we reconnected."
Karuizawa imagined Saiki as a child.
*'You'd never guess I was levitating at one,'* he thought.
"Does she know your… abilities?"
"A bit. I just asked her to cover for me today."
"I see… So, about Mio…"
"She wanted a rematch from last time."
"You fought?"
"Not really. I convinced her to leave us alone."
"Couldn't you have called?" Karuizawa asked.
"Some things need to be said in person. Sorry for the trouble."
Suzune left, still suspicious of Ayanokōji.
*'She's persistent,'* Saiki thought, turning to Karuizawa.
"Why are you here?"
"I made you something!" She handed him a small box. "Ta-da! A cake I baked!"
Karuizawa had noticed Saiki's love for sweets and learned baking.
"Thanks."
"If you're grateful, return it tenfold—no, a hundredfold!"
"Sure."
Saiki almost smiled, unnoticed.
"Try it! How's the taste?"
"Not bad."