Okay, maybe that was a bit of an overreaction.
If [Academic Ability A] had made Kuroba Akira feel like he'd overdosed on Oripathy and entered some hyper-logical trance, then losing that buff didn't exactly turn him into a vegetable—it just dropped him back to his original state.
But once you've tasted the clarity of a sharp mind, going back to mediocrity was like trying to take a dump while constipated—agonizingly frustrating.
Class rep… Class rep… I want you so badly right now…!
Your talent, that is!
Akira was genuinely craving the class rep's skill—not in a creepy way, but because it was more effective than coffee, cigarettes, or tea. It had a similar effect to "Will of the Undead" in games: forced calm. With that kind of focus, his chances of spacing out or having an emotional breakdown dropped dramatically.
Now that he'd lost the buff, the withdrawal symptoms were setting in.
It was like tasting the forbidden fruit for the first time, then needing a fix every single day. The memory of that sweetness clung to his brain like a bad habit, making him itch with longing.
You could say Akira's mind had already been spiritually corrupted by Anri Hitomi's right hand.
Meanwhile, Shiginomiya Shion stood there staring blankly at her hand, the one he'd so callously flung aside.
"..."
He'd tossed it aside like it was something dirty…
Seriously?
Come on, seriously?
Was there something wrong with my hand?
It wasn't even sweaty…
She'd worked up every ounce of courage she had to reach out and hold a boy's hand for the very first time in her life—and this was how it ended? The blow hit Shion hard.
She clutched her right wrist with her left hand and turned her face to the side, her eyes once again losing their light.
Heh… guess I really am nothing but a pretty face…
"You're holding it wrong. Here, do it again."
"Eh?"
She looked up just in time to see Akira stepping around to her right side. He faced her directly and seized her hand with his own right hand.
"Mm…"
And then he started doing something weird—gripping her hand, letting go, raising it to inspect, then gripping it again. Over and over.
It reminded her of what he did at the shrine when he'd asked to look at her hand. Maybe he was still testing something?
She didn't understand what he was doing, but at least he wasn't grossed out by her touch—that much gave her a flicker of hope.
"I wasn't trying to shake hands…"
"You weren't? Then what were you doing?"
"…"
I was trying to hold hands with you…
There was no way she could say that out loud!
They weren't even dating. If she admitted she'd tried to hold hands, wouldn't that be the same as confessing her feelings?
Shion didn't want to admit it was her idea, and she knew full well how impulsive she'd been just now.
Fortunately, she came up with an excuse in time and replied with a straight face.
"You were completely silent. I was afraid you were about to take a wrong turn, so I figured I'd guide you."
Akira responded with equal deadpan.
"Oh. Thanks for the help. In that case, to keep from getting separated, let's hold hands."
"..."
He's toying with me!
He knew she just wanted to hold hands and now he was using it against her—evil bastard!
Still, even though she was fuming inside, Shion didn't show it. In the end, she obediently let Akira take her left hand with his right.
And just like that, the anger melted away.
Feeling the warmth of his hand in hers, Shion was overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of peace.
The last time she held hands like this was probably before elementary school, when she'd gone to an amusement park with her family. Her first father had held her tiny hand tightly to keep her from getting lost.
Back then her hands were so small, and she was so short, that she practically had to lift her whole arm just to keep up with his long strides. It had been uncomfortable, and eventually her mother took over.
Holding hands with Mom…
So I did have times when we got along…
Mom was gentle with me once, too…
"…Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing?"
As much as she wanted to stay lost in her memories, Akira's bizarre behavior made it impossible to ignore him any longer.
They were holding hands just fine when suddenly he shifted positions and used his left hand to take her right hand.
Then, for some reason, he switched back to his right hand.
And then things got really weird—he started playing with her hand like it was a toy.
Grabbing one finger, then two, then all five. Rubbing between her fingers. Pressing her nails. Back-of-hand to back-of-hand. Pinky promises…
Even lacing all ten fingers together.
That's the way lovers hold hands!!
What the hell is this supposed to mean?! What are you trying to pull here?!
Just because I let you hold hands doesn't mean you get to mess with a girl's hand however you want!
Though her thoughts were in complete chaos, Shion managed to keep her expression composed.
But the truth was—Akira wasn't teasing her at all.
He was just running tests on his "cheat ability."
Since the class rep's talent had worn off, he figured he might as well move on to testing mechanics.
In Akira's eyes, Shion was the perfect lab rat. He wanted to gather as much intel as he could on how talent-copying worked.
After a series of trials, he reached several conclusions.
First: his power was definitely copying talents, not stealing them. The proof was that no matter what he did, the glowing text on Shion's right hand never changed.
Her abilities remained completely hers—untouched, unstealable.
Second: if the target had multiple talents, he could only copy one at a time.
Third: he had to erase the current copied talent before he could copy another.
To put it simply, when Akira held hands with someone—specifically using his right hand to grasp their left—the copied talent would be erased.
Reversing it—his left hand holding their right—did nothing.
Also, he couldn't remove a copied talent by clasping his own hands together. He'd already tested it—pressing his palms together like he was praying and then checking again—no change. The writing stayed exactly the same.
Just now, he'd also run a series of tests using Shion's right hand: different grips, different points of contact, trying to see if hand position mattered.
Because practice is the only real path to truth. As a STEM-minded guy, Akira was determined to fully understand his own cheat skill.
Back when he first noticed the glowing letters on both his hands, it had taken him a while to figure out that they reflected skill proficiency and talent.
If he'd had a system menu, it would've been easier. But no, even after transmigrating, he still didn't get a system… The lack of one had become a point of bitter resentment.
Anyway, the final takeaway: only "palm-to-palm" contact triggered talent copying. Nothing else worked.
Oh, and when copying someone with multiple talents—like Shion—he could actually choose which one to copy.
The first grasp would copy Talent #1. Grasp again, and it would switch to Talent #2. Another grasp, another switch.
Which meant the talent Akira now held was:
[Soulful Performance S]
And then he realized—faking a smile had never been easier.
So when Shion confronted him with her question, he responded with a radiant, princely grin.
"Actually, you were right—I was just looking for an excuse to touch a girl's hand."
And the performance continued.
"Your hands are so beautiful, Shion. Slender, graceful fingers… soft and smooth to the touch… and they smell amazing, too… Can I lick them? Just to taste?"
AAAAAHHHHHH!!
Shion screamed internally.
This time she was the one to yank her hand away.