Chapter 280: Summer Vacation

“Senpai.”

Hearing the clear voice coming from behind, Lei Yin turned around and saw a kendo girl brimming with youthful energy running toward him. Not far behind her, Kazumi and Takeshima Shinobu were walking and chatting.

Looking at her bright smile, Lei Yin’s mood lightened. “Come sit down.”

“Okay.” The girl happily sat down in the chair next to him and greeted Takeda, who was grinning at her.

At this moment, Kazumi and Takeshima Shinobu had also arrived. After nodding in acknowledgment, they sat down in nearby seats. As soon as they sat, Takeshima Shinobu continued her conversation with Kazumi, asking, “Kazumi, which option did you choose for question 7 on the multiple choice?”

“I think I chose B.”

“That’s bad, I picked A. We’re doomed now; I got so many wrong. There’s no way I’m getting the scholarship now,” Takeshima Shinobu said, looking gloomy.

Kazumi tried to comfort her, “My answer isn’t necessarily correct. We’ll have to wait for the results to see.”

“But your grades are so good, there’s probably nothing wrong. I don’t care, if I don’t get the scholarship, you’re buying me dinner.”

“Hey, what does that have to do with me?”

“Well, if you didn’t always do so well on tests, maybe you’d understand my frustration as a good friend.”

Kazumi responded irritably, “You’re really getting more unreasonable by the day. Be careful, no one might want you in the future.”

“Tch, I wouldn’t care. Perverted creep, what are you staring at? Never seen a woman before?” Takeshima Shinobu immediately glared at Takeda as his gaze drifted toward her.

“What are you talking about? Look at yourself first,” Takeda quickly retorted.

“What did you say? You pervert, say it again.”

“I’ve told you so many times, don’t call me a pervert,” Takeda said, his patience wearing thin.

Takeshima Shinobu smirked, “You’re a pervert, not only that, you’re a damn perverted wolf. By the way, there’s been a theft around here, someone’s underwear got stolen. Fess up, was it you?”

“Dammit, stop making things up, or I’ll beat you up,” Takeda responded, struggling against Takeshima Shinobu, who had clearly been influenced by Kazumi.

“Kazumi, I’m scared! This pervert said he’s going to beat me up. What should I do?” Takeshima Shinobu said half-jokingly, leaning on Kazumi as if terrified.

Takeda was even more annoyed by this.

Kazumi, too tired to engage, looked up at the kendo girl who was happily talking to her older brother. A gentle smile appeared on her lips.

“Senpai, the hardest math exam is this afternoon. I’m really nervous.”

“Don’t worry, with your skills, passing is definitely no problem.”

“Just passing isn’t enough. I want to win the first-class scholarship this year,” the kendo girl said with determination.

“Then it’s up to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You should be encouraging me,” the kendo girl pouted, pulling on his hand.

Lei Yin couldn’t help but smile as she acted more playful lately. He reached out and pinched her cheek.

“Senpai, you’re so inappropriate,” the kendo girl blushed and stuck her tongue out at him.

Looking at her cute, healthy smile, Lei Yin felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. At this moment, he realized the innocent little girl from before was really back.

The kendo girl blushed even more as she noticed Lei Yin smiling at her. Her heart raced, feeling like it might leap out of her chest. There was a burning sensation on her face, but deep down, she wished this moment could last forever, hoping his gaze would always stay on her like this.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Let’s order something to eat,” Lei Yin gently flicked her forehead before handing her the menu.

“Okay.” The kendo girl unconsciously took the menu from him, still looking at him with a fond smile, enjoying the occasional affectionate gesture from him.

At this moment, Lei Yin heard a familiar complaining voice and turned to see Yoshikawa walking over while talking to Shiraishi Akira.

When the kendo girl noticed that Lei Yin’s gaze had shifted, a trace of disappointment crossed her face. She lowered her head and began looking at the menu.

“I’m so exhausted,” Yoshikawa groaned as he sat down, rubbing his back like an old man.

Takeda, seeing this, immediately took the opportunity to mock him. “I told you so, you should pace yourself with the nightlife. Keep this up, and you’ll die early.”

Yoshikawa rolled his eyes. “Shut your mouth. This is why I can’t stand indoor guys. They never get any release, so their thoughts are all messed up.”

Takeda snapped angrily, “I’ll have you know, I’m not an indoor guy anymore. Don’t think you can use that to make fun of me.”

“Oh? Who’s the lucky one? Do we know them? Or is this just your fantasy?”

Takeda instinctively glanced at Takeshima Shinobu across from him, but as he saw the murderous glare she was giving him, he quickly realized his mistake and turned his eyes away. Casually, he said, “None of your business.”

Yoshikawa smiled smugly, clearly pleased with his earlier guess. It seemed like something had indeed happened between these two.

To spare Takeshima Shinobu from embarrassment, he explained, “Look at you, your mind’s going wild. I was just passing by the sports field with Akira when we got called by the student council to move some equipment. We worked for half an hour, it was exhausting. The student council people sure know how to boss others around.”

Takeshima Shinobu asked, “How did you do on the test?”

Yoshikawa shrugged. “The questions were easy.”

Shiraishi Akira smiled. “I think passing won’t be a problem.”

Yoshikawa continued, “Don’t listen to him. His grades are better than mine. Last year, he got the first-class scholarship, so he’s probably fine this year too. We’ll just make him buy us dinner later.”

Takeshima Shinobu sighed enviously. “Why are you all so good at studying? Kazumi too, it’s so unfair. Give me some of your brain cells.” She suddenly reached over and shouted at Kazumi.

Kazumi tapped her on the head. “Who told you to spend all your time watching those dramas instead of studying? You deserve it.”

“I’ve been following them! It’d be such a waste not to finish watching,” Takeshima Shinobu whined.

Kazumi sighed. “I can’t deal with you.”

“Heartless jerk.”

Yoshikawa laughed. “Looks like she’s gone crazy. Masashi, any plans for this summer?”

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Lei Yin replied. “Rumi, what about you? Got any plans for the summer?”

“I…I don’t know,” the kendo girl mumbled, blushing slightly.

Lei Yin smiled and then turned to ask Yoshikawa, “What about you? Got anything planned?”

Yoshikawa answered, “Akira has already promised to come with his sister to visit my house this summer. You guys should come too. The more the merrier.”

Lei Yin raised an eyebrow. “Akira has a sister? I never knew you had one.”

Shiraishi Akira added, “She’s three years younger than me. She’s in high school back in our hometown, but she’s planning to come to Tokyo for college.”

Takeda was curious about what his sister looked like but held back from asking, knowing it might be too obvious. Anyway, once they all visited Yoshikawa’s house, he would get a chance to see her and everything would be clear.

But Yoshikawa, who knew Takeda well, caught the expression on his face. Leaning in closer, he whispered in Takeda’s ear, “I’ve seen Akira’s sister’s photo. She’s actually a very beautiful girl. Not only is she good at kendo, but she’s also a second-degree black belt in judo. So, don’t get any funny ideas.”

Takeda glared at him, but deep down, he felt frustrated. Why was it that all the pretty girls he knew were so talented?

While they were talking, Lei Yin found himself thinking. Summer was almost here, and he wondered if that little rascal would come this year.

※※※

“May I help you?” Hiromi, standing at the door, asked after opening it and seeing an unfamiliar man.

“Is Aikura Ai living here? My name is Gennai, and I’m a friend of hers.”

“It turns out you’re Ai’s friend. Please come in, I’m her roommate, Tsukishita Hiromi. Nice to meet you. Ai is in her room, please wait a moment while I call her down.”

“Thank you.”

Before long, Aikura Ai, dressed in casual home clothes, came downstairs with Tsukishita Hiromi.

“Hello, Gennai-san,” Aikura Ai said, visibly happy to see this man she hadn’t seen in a while.

Lei Yin smiled as he looked at her. “You seem to be in great spirits.”

“Thank you.”

“The weather is nice today. Would you like to go out for a walk with me?”

“Sure, wait a moment, I’ll go change into something else.”

“Alright.”

Tsukishita Hiromi took two bottles of soda from the fridge and said, “Gennai-san, would you like some soda? Sorry, we only have diet soda besides that.”

“It’s fine, soda will do.”

After sitting down, Tsukishita Hiromi looked at this unfamiliar man with interest and, after a while, asked, “Gennai-san, are you working already?”

“I’m still a sophomore.”

“Ah, I see. Are you Ai’s boyfriend?”

“Please don’t misunderstand, we’re just ordinary friends.”

“Really?”

Seeing this overly curious girl, Lei Yin had no choice but to nod again to confirm.

Tsukishita Hiromi looked a bit disappointed. “I thought you were Ai’s boyfriend. It’s rare to see a guy come over to visit her.”

“With Aikura-san’s condition, I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“Ai’s looks are definitely good, but her personality is too introverted, and she doesn’t really know how to interact with strangers. With her personality, she’ll be at a disadvantage in the future. Her high school classmates introduced a few guys to her, but they all ended in nothing. Most other girls already have boyfriends, and she’s the only one who doesn’t.”

“There’s no good or bad in personality, and who knows what the future holds? As for relationships, they develop naturally. If someone really doesn’t like someone, forcing a relationship isn’t helpful. She just hasn’t met the right person yet.”

Tsukishita Hiromi shook her head. “That kind of thinking is too passive. You might not like someone at first, but if you date them, maybe you’ll end up liking them. How can you know without trying?”

Lei Yin smiled. “That makes sense. It’s like a person who looks like a murderer might just be covered in ketchup that looks like blood. If you don’t go over and smell it first and just call the police, you’re wasting taxpayers’ money. Is that the idea?”

Tsukishita Hiromi nodded continuously, smiling. “Yes, that’s it. That analogy is great.”

“Then what if the person really is a murderer? If you just go over recklessly, you’ll end up being another victim. In that case, it’s better to call the police, right?” Lei Yin said, half-smiling.

Tsukishita Hiromi was momentarily speechless, but quickly retorted, “Hey, we were just talking about Ai, why are you suddenly bringing up murderers? Don’t change the subject randomly.”

“But I remember you saying my analogy was great.”

“Did I? I’ve already forgotten what I said,” Tsukishita Hiromi said, playfully pretending to be forgetful.

Lei Yin couldn’t help but laugh. When Tsukishita Hiromi saw him laughing, she joined in with a loud laugh as well.

At that moment, Aikura Ai, wearing a light blue dress and a yellow scarf hat, walked downstairs and asked, “What’s so funny?”

Lei Yin smiled. “Little Ai, your roommate is really interesting.”

“Likewise. You’re Gennai, right? Feel free to come over and visit more often,” Tsukishita Hiromi said, familiarly patting his shoulder.

“We’ll see when I have time.”

“Tch, you’re so unenthusiastic.”

After leaving the apartment, Lei Yin opened the car door for Aikura Ai, let her in, and then started the car.

“The weather is so hot. How about we go somewhere and get a drink?” Lei Yin asked.

“Alright,” Aikura Ai nodded.

While driving, Aikura Ai asked, “Gennai-san, have you finished your exams?”

“Just finished. I thought I’d come see you while I had the time. How have you been recently?”

Aikura Ai gently sighed and said, “Everything feels like a dream. It seems like I’ve changed in a way I don’t quite understand. The things I once valued the most, like grades and credits, now seem so unimportant.”

“Those things were never that important. You just put too much emphasis on them before. Youth is the time to enjoy life. Otherwise, as you get older and bear more responsibilities, you’ll regret not enjoying your youth while you had the chance.”

Aikura Ai smiled. “You sound like you’ve had a lot of thoughts about this. If I’m not mistaken, you’re supposed to be in the same grade as me.”

“My sister often says my biggest flaw is that I like to lecture people.”

Aikura Ai couldn’t help but laugh.

Lei Yin drove the car to an outdoor café. After getting out of the car, the two of them chose a quiet and cool spot to sit down.

They each ordered a cold drink, and Lei Yin asked, “Do you have to retake any exams?”

Aikura Ai nodded. “I have no choice. I’ve taken too much time off. This summer, I probably won’t be able to go anywhere. I’ll have to stay in the apartment to study for the retakes.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll always find time for things like watching a movie or window-shopping. By the way, how’s your practice going?”

Aikura Ai smiled, then took off her hat and suddenly became completely focused on a young couple sitting about seven or eight meters away.

After a while, she put her hat back on and said, “The guy actually made an appointment with another girl. He’s trying to find an excuse to leave. The girl doesn’t know, though. She still thinks he’s upset about something and is trying to convince him to stay.”

Lei Yin took a sip of water and said, “Looks like you’re ready to start your own detective agency.”

Aikura Ai chuckled. “I thought it would be difficult at first, but it turned out to be much easier than I imagined. Now, I can sense brainwaves within a thirty-meter radius at any time. But it’s still hard to turn off this ability, so I have to wear this hat 24/7.”

The professor had once said that brainwave sensing abilities are centered in the frontal lobe of the brain, so he recommended covering most of the forehead and back of the head with lead to block out the brainwave interference.

So, Lei Yin had a thin layer of lead inserted into the silk scarf hat Aikura Ai was wearing, and asked her to try it when she felt unwell. Sure enough, when she wore the hat, although it didn’t block brainwaves completely like the previous helmet, it limited the brainwave sensing ability to just two meters.

Although it wasn’t perfect, wearing the hat was much more natural and pleasant than wearing the old helmet indoors, so Aikura Ai rarely wore the helmet now.

Lei Yin asked, “How do you feel after sensing so many people’s brainwaves?”

Aikura Ai was silent for a moment before slowly replying, “I realized that sometimes people’s minds are really… ugly.”

Lei Yin calmly said, “Humans are inherently contradictory. There are no purely good or purely bad people. When the average person sees a beggar covered in sores, their first reaction is to think the person is dirty and scary, and no one dares to approach them. But as time goes on, people start to get used to the beggar. Eventually, someone might cover their nose and throw money at him. However, the next day, that person may not do the same thing. They may again think the beggar is dirty and scary.

This is human nature—like the weather, unpredictable. Whether someone is good or bad might just be a matter of perspective. I hope you can understand the mindset of ordinary people, and it’s best to practice turning off this ability. Being an ordinary person is actually a fortunate thing.”

After thinking for a while, Aikura Ai nodded and said, “Thank you, Gennai-san. After talking with you, I feel much better.”

“The more you know about the darker side of things, the heavier the psychological burden. If you’re not afraid of hearing me lecture, feel free to talk to me anytime.”

“Gennai-san, can I call you by your name from now on?”

“You know I don’t mind small things like that.”

“Thank you, Masashi.” Aikura Ai smiled at him.