Chapter 106: Shuchiin's Plan, The Person Who Controls the Weather
Just as Hiratsuka Shizuka speculated.
At this moment, inside the Shuchiin Academy, the high-level school authorities were gathering together for a discussion.
And the subject of this meeting was Sobu High.
Or rather, Yoru of Class 1-A at Sobu High.
What level of high school was Shuchiin Academy?
Known as the cradle of future talents in Sakura Prefecture, its faculty, environment, and student source were indisputably number one in the entire prefecture.
The signboard of Advanced Nurturing High School (Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School from Classroom of the Elite) was that as long as you completed your studies, you could guarantee a 100% employment rate.
Whether your goal was a politician, financial company management, or artist.
As long as you could complete the assessment of Advanced Nurturing and graduate successfully, your dream could come true.
But Shuchiin Academy was different.
This school had only one signboard.
The best high school in Sakura Prefecture.
That was enough.
But reality gave them a resounding slap in the face.
Since the establishment of Shuchiin Academy, every first-place student in the Sakura Prefecture Joint Exam—note, every single one, without exception—chose to enroll in Shuchiin.
The best students choosing the best school was a matter of course.
However, this year's first-place student in the Joint Exam enrolled in the mediocre Sobu High, which was several tiers below Shuchiin and completely incomparable.
What was this?
This was a naked insult!
The best student of the same batch didn't choose you.
Do you, Shuchiin authorities, still have the nerve to say you are the best school in Sakura Prefecture in the future?
At least.
In the eyes of Yoru, the best student of this batch, you are not the best.
This was something absolutely intolerable for Shuchiin, which had always been conceited and had a long history.
"Tell me, what should we do next?"
The VIPs of Shuchiin gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
"Without a doubt."
A middle-aged man spoke in a deep voice.
"Only by defeating the student named Yoru head-on in exams can we prove that our Shuchiin is the best. Rather, this effect is better."
"The genius who originally ranked first in the Joint Exam chose to enroll in the mediocre Sobu High and became mediocre and incompetent himself."
"Only by contrast can we show how excellent our Shuchiin's teaching resources are."
"In the future, if anyone feels they can choose willfully based on talent, that guy named Yoru will be their lesson."
Hearing these ruthless words, treating it like an enemy on the battlefield, the Shuchiin authorities couldn't help but smile.
"This is a good idea."
"Although it is a bit beneath our Shuchiin's status to compete with mere Sobu High, the slumbering lion occasionally needs to hunt to let those ignorant prey know who the real master is."
"Crush Sobu High, shatter their illusions in the cruelest way."
...
Amidst a crowd of conceited and arrogant remarks, an untimely question suddenly sounded.
"But... what if we lose?"
"Lose?"
The middle-aged man who spoke first frowned and sneered.
"Don't forget, among our first-year students this time, there is that study genius from a commoner background, and the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya Group. How could we lose to mere Sobu High?"
"The excellence of these two is forever unreachable for short-sighted people who chose to enroll in Sobu High and degenerate themselves."
"Moreover, after a semester of cultivation by our Shuchiin, how could they lose to students of mere Sobu High?"
After speaking, the middle-aged man spoke in a deep voice, issuing the final decision.
"The time is set for a month and a half later, the final exam at the end of June. I will notify the Sobu High authorities."
....
A peaceful week passed quickly, and it was Friday.
"Futaba-san, look here, it's like this..."
Inside the Super-Quant Club room, a curtain was drawn.
Yoru sat outside the curtain, responsible for guarding the door.
Mai, Rio, Yui, and Miko were inside with Marin, learning chest binding techniques from her.
Logically speaking, although the first three had considerable sizes, they weren't at the point where binding was absolutely necessary.
Just in case.
If Mai and Yui awakened the ability of Soul Manifestation in the future and needed to disguise their appearances for operations, they might as well seize this time to learn.
Besides.
Regarding Marin's claim that using exquisite techniques and professional tools could make Rio's astonishing size look completely flat from the outside, they also wanted to see such a magical effect.
"Um... Kitagawa-san."
Hearing Rio's call, Marin, who was concentrating on binding Rio's chest, didn't even raise her head, just smiled and said.
"No need to be so polite; just call me Marin."
"Then... okay, Marin."
"What's wrong, Rio?"
Looking at Marin who was helping her dress up earnestly with very serious eyes, Rio asked softly.
"Why do you like dressing yourself up as another person?"
Marin didn't feel this question was offensive.
On the contrary, she felt very happy that someone asked her about Cosplay, and immediately answered with a smile.
"Rio, you are wrong. Cosplay isn't as simple as dressing up as another person."
"Not only pursuing similarities in appearance and clothing, but when cosplaying, the whole person's demeanor and behavior must match the character's personality—so-called staying in character."
"As for why I like it..."
Speaking of this, Marin paused for a few seconds before smiling sweetly.
"I feel that if a character has shining points that attract me very much, then if I become her when cosplaying, I can more or less get some things I pursue in those moments of becoming her."
After saying this, seeing the Super-Quant Club members looking thoughtful, Marin was moved but also felt a bit embarrassed.
"However, I haven't officially cosplayed either, just personal understanding, not necessarily right."
"I think what you said is very good, Marin."
Mai maintained that flawless smile and spoke gently.
"The feeling you described, actually I had it too when acting before. While playing a certain character, I could also gain a lot from this character."
"Eh, really?"
Hearing Mai agree with her statement, Marin looked excited.
"Then Mai-senpai, do you want to try Cosplay too?"
"Me?"
Mai shook her head with a dumbfounded smile.
"I'll pass. It would bring a lot of trouble to the scene."
Marin scratched her head, thinking that's true.
With Mai's popularity, no matter which comic convention she appeared at, even if she didn't cosplay herself, just standing there would cause a sensation.
If that happened, the convention would probably be ruined.
"However..."
After finishing binding Rio, Marin looked at the gloomy weather outside and sighed helplessly.
"I saw on the internet that due to frequent heavy rains in Sakura Prefecture recently, many comic conventions have been canceled. Perhaps this is the rainy season."
"Yeah."
Yui also looked worried.
"Raining every day, Sable (her dog) hasn't played outside to his heart's content for a long time. Really don't know when this ghost weather will end."
Rio said faintly.
"Mind your language, be civilized."
"Hehe."
Yui smiled憨憨ly (sillily). Her gaze shifted to Rio wearing a white shirt, and her pupils shrank suddenly in shock. She covered her lips with her hand and exclaimed.
"Little... Little Rio, your... that thing is gone!"
Mai and others followed Yui's gaze to look at Rio sitting there, all completely shocked by the scene before them.
"This, so flat!?"
Looking at Rio, who originally had an astonishing size, becoming completely average after chest binding and wearing a loose white shirt, the Super-Quant Club members were dumbfounded.
Holy crap, what is this?
Magic?
Those two huge things disappeared directly!?
This is simply sorcery!
Seeing everyone's surprised appearance, Marin smiled somewhat proudly.
"Hehe, how about it? I said it would be no problem."
Immediately after, Marin looked at Rio who stood up from the seat and was moving her body, asking curiously.
"But Rio, why do you want to bind your chest? Do you want to cosplay a male character?"
Rio was stumped by the question, opening her lips, not knowing how to answer.
She didn't like lying, nor was she good at it.
Key is, can the truth be told?
Because my breasts are too big, I couldn't participate in stealing Onimaru Kunitsuna last time, so I thought about binding to disguise my gender and participate in criminal activities next time?
Wouldn't this give Kitagawa Marin a little accomplice shock?
Looking at the silent Yui, Rio, and Miko, at the critical moment, it still depended on the veteran actress Sakurajima Mai.
She first held Marin's hand intimately and smiled gently.
"By the way, Marin, are you in a hurry to go home today? If not, I want to treat you to a meal as a return gift for troubling you to help."
"No need."
Marin waved her hand carelessly.
"Just a small matter. I also hope more friends will play Cosplay with me; after all, this is what I like most."
Seeing the topic successfully diverted by Mai, the Super-Quant Club members breathed a sigh of relief.
Yui smiled and said.
"Having said that, the meal still needs to be treated. After eating, we can go shopping together. Marin, didn't you say there are shops specializing in Cosplay props and costumes? I haven't been there yet, kinda curious."
Marin nodded excitedly.
"Sure, sure, then let's go shopping together after dinner. I haven't shopped for a long time either."
Outside the curtain, listening to the girls' chattering and laughter inside, Yoru couldn't help but sigh.
Friendship between girls is really nice.
After Rio untied the binding and changed back into her usual clothes, the girls opened the curtain.
Yui leaned close to Yoru and smiled.
"Yoru, we are going to eat, and then go shopping. Want to come together?"
"Forget it."
Yoru refused decisively.
Are you kidding?
Ahead lies the abyss full of trouble (Femme Fatales)!
He really couldn't understand.
When girls say shopping, do they really mean just walking around purely?
For him, that was simply an experience akin to torture.
Yoru would rather go shopping in the Otherworld than accompany the Super-Quant Club members shopping.
Except Rio.
Rio buying anything, including clothes, focused on going straight to the point.
Find the shop, select the item, pay, and leave.
However, recently, Yui and Mai were both persuading Rio to change her usual dressing style.
How could a first-year high school beauty dress like a perverted scientist every day?
After their repeated persuasion, Rio seemed to have bought a few sets of clothes different from usual, more youthful and cute styles, but never wore them.
At school, she never took off her glasses or tied her hair into a high ponytail, still maintaining her original style.
"Then where are you going later?"
Hearing Mai's question, Yoru stood up and replied nonchalantly.
"First go eat McDonald's, then fight a Kengan match that decides winner and loser as well as life and death, then see the arrangement for the evening. Might spend intimate time with a beautiful mature big sister."
Mai shook her head with a light chuckle.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Then we'll go first."
Obviously, Mai thought Yoru was being crazy again.
Little did she know.
Yoru was telling the truth.
....
Half an hour later, McDonald's.
This McDonald's was the one Yoru visited with Yui and Miko after the Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten incident last time.
At the same time, it was also one of the few areas in Kyoto mentioned by Miko's father's ghost where evil spirits dared not set foot.
And the reason was...
"Sir, here is your order."
A girl with twin tails, looking very cute, wearing an employee uniform, placed the tray gently on the table, then took away the number plate Yoru placed on the table.
"Enjoy your meal."
Just as she was about to turn and leave, Yoru suddenly said casually as if inadvertently.
"It's raining again today."
Hearing this, the girl froze for a moment. Looking at the street in the rain outside through the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, she sighed faintly.
"Yes, such weather makes one's mood worse."
Yoru also looked very worried, muttering to himself.
"Right, I have things to do later. If it rains, it will be delayed."
The girl asked curiously: "Is it something very important?"
Yoru nodded slightly.
"This is a unique opportunity in my life; I must seize it. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating."
Hearing his tone unable to conceal disappointment, noticing the worry between the brows on that handsome face, the girl pursed her lips and lowered her head, obviously thinking about something.
A few seconds later.
The girl raised her head and comforted with a smile.
"Don't worry, I feel this rain should stop soon."
"Sigh, hope it's as you said."
After returning downstairs, the girl put down the meal number plate first.
Then she untied her apron and came outside the McDonald's door.
Looking at the street covered by drizzling rain with few pedestrians visible, and the gloomy sky, the girl closed her eyes slowly and clasped her hands together.
The girl began her prayer.
....
Meanwhile, Yoru sitting on the second floor saw a fluctuation of spiritual power appearing in the air.
It wasn't like the power fluctuation when spirit mediums used Soul Manifestation ability.
If really speaking...
When signing contracts with Hachishaku, Tamamo-no-Mae, and that Goat-Headed God, he had felt such spiritual power fluctuations.
Yoru's gaze turned to the window.
The light rain that was continuous just now had stopped unknown when.
"Found it."
Yoru stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking up into the sky.
Through the thick clouds, he seemed to see a huge whale composed entirely of rainwater swimming looming above the clouds.
"God in charge of the weather..."
Yoru muttered to himself, a little fanaticism and excitement appearing in his eyes.
"What will it taste like? Truly curious."
Ten minutes later, Yoru left this McDonald's.
When the girl went to the second floor to clean the table, she found a stack of bills pressed under the tray, and a note beside it, written on it:
"Thanks for your prayer; it helped me a lot."
"This..."
Looking at that stack of bills, the girl was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.
Her first reaction was to return it.
But that customer had already gone far, and didn't leave contact information.
The girl's younger brother happened to need to pay book fees recently.
This stack of bills in front of her happened to solve her dilemma.
The girl extended her hand several times wanting to take it, and froze in mid-air several times, unable to make up her mind.
At this time, a call came from downstairs.
"Hina, come down quickly, a customer wants to order."
"Oh oh okay, coming."
Amano Hina couldn't think too much, could only put the money away first.
If left here, it would definitely be lost.
She didn't intend to use other people's money.
Since that customer came to the shop to eat this time, maybe he would come again soon.
Just return the money next time she saw him.
....
On the other side, inside the newly built office building of the Yukinoshita Construction Company, at the entrance on the first floor.
"Why haven't they come yet?"
Looking at the executives of the Kyoto City Bank opposite, and more than a dozen weird people with black sclera and white pupils looking inexplicably creepy, Mrs. Yukinoshita was inevitably a bit anxious.
Just as Haruno wanted to answer, a familiar lazy voice sounded from behind her.
"Sigh, so troublesome. Finish fighting quickly, end it."