“You’re bought off by just a small gift…”
Shirai Kuroko had originally intended to retort to Yotsuya Miko, who was looking at Mr. Su Rui with a grateful expression, but she hesitated and only whispered the sentence, not making a fuss.
She even looked around a bit guiltily, only sighing in relief after confirming that neither Mr. Su Rui, Yotsuya Miko, nor Shizuka Hiratsuka had noticed her grumbling.
'How embarrassing. I shouldn't have said that just now. This kind of amulet must be very precious, right? I shouldn't be so thoughtless just to bicker. Next time, I should think carefully before speaking.'
Shirai Kuroko reflected on herself in her mind, and her gaze towards Mr. Su Rui also carried a hint of apology.
Mr. Su Rui had actually heard it, but he also noticed Shirai Kuroko’s voice getting softer and her barely concealed apology as she spoke.
So, Mr. Su Rui didn't mind these small things. After responding to Yotsuya Miko’s thanks, he looked at Shirai Kuroko, who was standing beside him:
“Now, look at her, Shirai Kuroko, the self-proclaimed esper from Academy City. I want to see if you can perceive the energy fluctuations that appear on her when she uses her ability.”
“How is that possible? Even espers can’t detect energy fluctuations when someone else uses their ability. Much less you non-espers.”
Shirai Kuroko put her hands on her hips and scoffed at Mr. Su Rui’s judgment, clearly thinking that such an experiment was meaningless.
But Yotsuya Miko didn't listen to her, and Mr. Su Rui didn't care about her little tantrum at all.
“Hey, you two… Alright, then I’ll give it a try. You better watch closely!”
Seeing Yotsuya Miko staring at her with golden eyes, as Mr. Su Rui requested, Shirai Kuroko still decided to agree to the request. So, with her hands on her hips, she reminded them before using her teleportation ability.
“How was it? Could you see it? It’s normal if you couldn’t, after all, even espers themselves don’t notice energy fluctuations when using energy.”
Shirai Kuroko’s voice came from behind Yotsuya Miko. Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at the girl who appeared behind Memo and Yotsuya Miko and couldn't help but exclaim:
“Is this an ability? That Academy City, which can help students develop superpowers, must be a technologically advanced place, right?”
“Of course, Academy City is decades ahead of the rest of the world.”
Upon hearing Shizuka Hiratsuka’s praise, Shirai Kuroko proudly put her hands on her hips, puffed out her not-so-ample chest, looking very pleased with herself, and cast her gaze towards Yotsuya Miko, who was staring intently at her:
“How was it? Couldn’t see the energy fluctuations, right? It’s a normal thing, no need to feel discouraged. Mr. Su Rui himself might not even be able to see energy fluctuations.”
“I can see them.”
Yotsuya Miko’s words immediately stunned the triumphant Shirai Kuroko: “Huh? You’re not lying, are you? It’s better to be honest about this kind of thing~”
“I’m not lying. Although I can’t predict Ms. Shirai Kuroko’s appearance location, when you used your ability, I indeed saw fluctuations around you that were different from malevolent spirits.”
Yotsuya Miko shook her head, indicating that she wasn't lying. To prove it, she further emphasized:
“This time, Ms. Kuroko can use her ability without a hint, and I will speak out directly when I detect the energy fluctuations.”
“Alright, then let’s see if you can really notice it!”
Shirai Kuroko also got a bit carried away. After hearing Yotsuya Miko’s suggestion, she nodded and then seized the opportunity to use her teleportation ability.
Just as Shirai Kuroko was using her ability to teleport, she heard Yotsuya Miko’s voice: “Energy fluctuations appeared!”
‘No way? She can really see the precursor to me using my ability?!’
Shirai Kuroko’s eyes widened in surprise. Even after the teleportation ended, she stared blankly at Yotsuya Miko, her moist lips slightly parting and closing as she murmured: “How is that possible?”
“So, I can indeed see the energy fluctuations when your ability is used. Does this mean I can also help Mr. Su Rui?”
Yotsuya Miko immediately looked at Mr. Su Rui with some happiness, then noticed that Mr. Su Rui’s gaze was actually focused on Shirai Kuroko, and only turned to look at her after hearing her voice.
Yotsuya Miko felt a little disappointed inside, but Mr. Su Rui had already looked at her, so the girl didn't mind those details.
“You still lack some practical combat energy. If you can only see the signs, you still won’t have the ability to resist against some super-tier enemies.”
Mr. Su Rui looked Yotsuya Miko up and down. She was just an ordinary girl with a bit of exercise and a well-proportioned figure. Besides being able to see malevolent spirits and energy fluctuations, Shirai Kuroko had nothing special about her.
In other words, her ability didn't bring any combat power.
“I will find a way to teach you some techniques for using spiritual power later. Since you can see malevolent spirits, it means you have talent in this area. At the same time, you also need to exercise more; physical fitness is also a very important part.”
Mr. Su Rui looked at Yotsuya Miko in front of him and made plans for her future life.
Yotsuya Miko had no objection to this, but the girl was a bit troubled:
“But, Mr. Su Rui, I don’t have much space at home for me to exercise, and my family might find out…”
“Indeed, I can help her train in combat skills and the like, but these all require sufficient space. If there isn’t a dedicated training ground here, it won’t be possible to fully utilize it.”
Shirai Kuroko also spoke up, looking at Mr. Su Rui: “In this world, espers should be very rare, right?”
“That’s right. Besides you and Yotsuya Miko, the only other special individual I know of is one.”
Mr. Su Rui nodded: “However, I can solve the issue of the venue. It’s also a good opportunity to take you to meet that special individual. You don’t need to be nervous; she is very friendly.”
“I want to go too, Su Rui. I’m also very interested in this matter. Can you take me with you?”
Shizuka Hiratsuka watched Mr. Su Rui communicate with the two girls with special abilities from the side. She couldn't interject and suddenly felt a bit lonely. Seeing that Mr. Su Rui seemed about to leave, Shizuka Hiratsuka quickly came to Mr. Su Rui’s side and grabbed his wrist.
“…Alright, as long as you don’t blab it out.”
Mr. Su Rui nodded. In fact, not just Yotsuya Miko, he planned to teach all the women close to him some techniques for using spiritual power; it was just uncertain whether he could do it now.