Kobayashi's wheelchair shot forward at an incredible velocity. The ride was anything but stable; while he sat securely, his companion, Torahachi Toumi, was left with no choice but to "cling" to the back for dear life as the wind roared past them.
Initially, the thrill had been exhilarating, but after a few such trips, Toumi couldn't help but voice her complaints. Every time they pushed the speed limit, her hair ended up a bird's nest, and the ordeal became more of a nuisance than an adventure.
This time, however, Kobayashi deployed his psychic barrier to manifest a windshield—an invisible aerodynamic shell that shielded them both from the gusts.
Tōumi patted his shoulder in approval. "Alright, then! Speed up as much as you like!"
With a subtle flick of his psychic power, Kobayashi propelled the wheelchair forward. In the blink of an eye, they were a mere blur streaking down the street.
From the apartment complexes lining the road, several residents caught sight of the spectacle.
"Ah, isn't that Nana-kun from the Yomikawa household?"
"He's certainly in a hurry... I wonder what's happened this time?"
"That wheelchair... he's definitely over the speed limit! Though I suppose traffic laws are a bit fuzzy for him?"
The residents here were all members of Anti-Skill. Despite their differing divisions, their first instinct was to pull out their phones and dial Yomikawa Aiho.
At that moment, Yomikawa was out on patrol in her command vehicle, with her partner and friend, Tessou Tsuzuri, in the passenger seat.
Routine patrols were rarely demanding, leaving ample time for conversation. In a city where a rapid response was vital, chatting was essentially their only way to pass the time between calls.
They didn't just talk within the car; they kept up a steady stream of banter over the radio with other units. While the supervisors might scold them for it, breaking the habit was nearly impossible. Patrols were tedious, after all. Academy City was peaceful and technologically advanced actual traffic accidents were a rarity.
Their conversations mirrored those of any other office worker: daily life, office politics, and miscellaneous trivia.
Today, perhaps because Yomikawa was on the line, the chatter naturally gravitated toward the young man living under her roof, Kobayashi.
Since the formation of Anti-Skill, this was perhaps the first time the organization had gone to such lengths for a single boy. Between blocking information leaks, coordinating media coverage, and maintaining a watchful but cooperative eye on his activities...
The officers could hardly have imagined their typically rigid organization showing such flexibility. Or perhaps, it was simply that Kobayashi, by forcing Anti-Skill to bend its usual protocols, had already become a legend worth discussing.
As his legal guardian, Yomikawa found herself inundated with questions from her curious colleagues. In the absence of students, even adult teachers could be just as gossipy as teenagers.
Yomikawa could only offer a wry smile as she fielded the questions.
"Don't get the wrong idea," she said, defending Kobayashi's reputation. "He's very gentle and patient. He's an excellent learner and applies his abilities with incredible skill. Even in our daily lives, I find myself on the receiving end of his care more often than not."
"He sounds like a model student from one of the five elite schools," someone teased over the radio. "Yomikawa-sensei, you sound just like a proud mother bragging about her son."
"I am his guardian! At home, my role is essentially that of a mother—you have a problem with that?" Yomikawa shot back.
"Ah, I heard Yomikawa-sensei doesn't have to lift a finger with the chores at home. Apparently, Nana-kun handles everything!" Tsuzuri added with a mischievous grin.
"That's right! And those packed lunches she's been bringing lately, those are all his handiwork, aren't they?"
The teasing was relentless but good-natured, leaving Yomikawa momentarily flustered. Her "rice-cooker style" cooking,g or lack thereof, was infamous even within the ranks of Anti-Skill.
"Tessōu!" she glared at her partner, but eventually just sighed, letting the matter drop.
Overall, the team's impression of Kobayashi was favorable, which was exactly what Yomikawa had hoped to achieve.
"Alright, that's enough idle chatter!" a stern voice interrupted the frequency.
It was Captain Hayashiki, sounding as authoritative as ever.
"Good morning, Captain Hayashiki!" the officers responded in unison.
"Why are you all still gossiping?" he asked. "Isn't it time for the shift change?"
"Oh no! I have another task to get to!" someone panicked.
"Shizuka-sensei, what's the rush?" Tsuzuri-san asked.
"It's not an emergency, exactly," the teacher named Shizuka replied. "There's a local dōjinshi convention in District Nine. A large crowd is expected, so we've been tapped for extra patrol duty."
Reinforcements were being drawn from various divisions, including Shizuka-sensei's group.
"I see... a convention," Yomikawa-sensei mused. As a fan of video games, she was well-acquainted with such events and had attended many a Summer Comiket in her free time.
"Oh, Shizuka-sensei, if it's not too much trouble, could you keep an eye out for any limited-edition Gekota merchandise? I remember these conventions usually have exclusive items."
Noticing Tsuzuri-san's surprised glance, she quickly clarified: "It's for Kobayashi. He's been collecting Gekota items lately."
"Eh~?" the radio crackled with collective shock. "I didn't know Nana-kun was into that."
Gekota was a popular mascot brand in Academy City, beloved primarily by primary schoolers.
Yet Kobayashi, whether as the "Killing Devil" of the underground facilities or the "hero" he was becoming now seemed worlds apart from a cute, bug-eyed frog.
"The contrast... " It's actually kind of adorable, isn't it?" someone remarked.
Yomikawa decided not to discuss Kobayashi's actual motivation for the collection. A little mystery only served to soften his image; there was no need to tell them he was actually a rather eccentric investor.
(End of Chapter)