Seeing the girl's body, Lin Wuming showed no expression of disgust or aversion, because surprise had overwhelmed all other emotions.
Torami Toumi's sudden and presumptuous action, followed by her heartbreaking personal story, the successive waves of shock, though of different kinds, left Lin Wuming unable to form any other reaction.
Now aware of Torami Toumi's tragic past, Lin Wuming understood the origin of her easily-provoked personality.
Due to the "protective coloring" of her ugly scars and her critical role as a "mine clearance expert," Torami Toumi was spared even more tragic experiences. However, the suffering of her other companions still left a deep trauma.
"I don't know if it's lucky or unlucky, but thanks to these ugly scars, I didn't end up as a toy like the others..." Torami Toumi said with a stiff face. "And if it weren't for this, I wouldn't dare take the risk of showing you this."
"No, no, even without the scars, I wouldn't feel lust for a little girl's body," Lin Wuming quickly shook his head.
Confirming that Lin Wuming wasn't lying, Torami Toumi instead felt vaguely more annoyed: "Hmph, perhaps your body hasn't developed enough to have a reaction yet!"
Swish! Before Lin Wuming could react, he glimpsed a flurry of white in the corner of his eye—the pillow he had been propping up his back with suddenly exploded, spraying feathers.
He turned his head and saw a single golden hair deeply embedded in the pillow.
Torami Toumi's superpower—Level 4 "Absolute Penetration."
Even a single strand of hair could become the sharpest sword in her hand!
"Hey, be reasonable! Don't resort to personal attacks!" Lin Wuming created a psychic barrier while forcing a wry smile.
He truly saw her as a little girl, having the patience of an adult, but as a man, he was still vulnerable to such simple provocation.
Not to mention, the girl's attacks could literally break his physical defenses!
"Cough!" Torami Toumi seemed to realize her words were excessive and off-topic. She picked up the T-shirt she had thrown onto the bed and put it back on. "I just wanted to tell you that Dr. Sakurai is truly important to me. If anything happened to her, I really would go crazy."
"I understand, I understand. Dr. Sakurai is truly a commendable person!" Lin Wuming nodded quickly. "Please put your clothes on quickly."
The girl shook her head, but then stopped her movement. "I'm just explaining the situation, not making excuses for myself. Lin Wuming, I am truly sorry for accidentally injuring you last time!"
Torami Toumi had come to apologize and make amends.
She didn't know where she learned it, but she bowed deeply, and then, as if that wasn't enough, she followed it with a dogeza (kneeling and bowing to the ground).
"Wuming-kun, I'm here to visit you!" Yomikawa Aiho's voice came from outside the door.
"Wait!" Lin Wuming sprang up from the bed, urging Torami Toumi, "Alright, my dear girl, I truly don't blame you. Get up and put your clothes on quickly..."
Yomikawa Aiho was also a bold and decisive woman. After announcing her arrival at the door, she pushed the door open without hesitation.
The first thing she saw was a blonde girl almost naked from the waist up, kneeling on the ground, while Lin Wuming stood on the bed as if a medical miracle had occurred...
"What... is going on?" Yomikawa Aiho froze, instinctively wanting to back out.
—Did I open the door the wrong way? Are kids these days really this open-minded? Shouldn't this be a matter for Judgment?
"I am apologizing!" Torami Toumi said calmly.
She then quickly stood up and put on her clothes. She didn't want anyone else to see the multitude of scars on her body.
After a lengthy explanation that finally clarified the situation, Lin Wuming breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down on the hospital bed.
His standing up just now was, of course, no medical miracle; it was simply him using his psychic power to lift himself.
If he couldn't explain it clearly, he was prepared to flee the scene.
Fortunately, Torami Toumi wasn't the type to play pranks or joke around. Although her actions were extreme, and her worldview and personality were somewhat unconventional, she was willing to explain herself properly.
Yomikawa Aiho had a similar temperament, so she was able to listen to Torami Toumi's words properly—the two oddly got along—and the misunderstanding was resolved.
Lin Wuming sighed again. It would have been difficult for him, as a man, to explain that situation clearly.
He had only transmigrated into this world less than a week ago, and he didn't want to suffer such a socially awkward predicament.
—Definitely, I should try to keep as far away from this girl, Torami Toumi, as possible.
Lying back down, Lin Wuming continued to use his psychic power to peel an apple, but before he could take a bite, it was split between the two women, the elder and the younger.
Luckily, Torami Toumi's gifts also included apples, and Lin Wuming's use of his psychic power for peeling apples was becoming more proficient, so he wouldn't starve.
"Wuming-kun, you're amazing!" Yomikawa Aiho clapped her hands after finishing her fruit. "Among the Psychic users I know, none can use their abilities as skillfully as you do."
Lin Wuming was unimpressed: "If they, too, had all their limbs broken and were confined to a bed, unable to move, they could achieve this level in no time."
Lin Wuming genuinely didn't think there was anything special about his superpower. Outside the Index/Railgun universe, Psychic ability could practically be a synonym for "superpower"; it was the most common and widespread type of ability, really nothing to make a fuss about.
Furthermore, he was only at Level 3, a state of being neither too high nor too low. While this level was classified as a "High-Level Esper" within Academy City's system, if he were to face a Level 4 Great-Level Esper or especially a Level 5 Top-Level Esper, the battle result would be without a shred of doubt.
The recent conflict with Torami Toumi was the best proof: he simply couldn't defeat this girl, who was two years younger than him!
If it were the original "Kobayashi Nana" or "007," they would probably feel satisfied and overjoyed to be a Level 3 Strong-Level Esper now. But for Lin Wuming, who was essentially a Transmigrator, a mere Level 3 was nowhere near enough.
Since he transmigrated, the ideal scenarios were either starting at Level 5 and aiming for Level 6 Absolute Ability, or being a Level 0 but possessing some even greater power outside the "superpower" system, like Kamijou Touma.
A Level 3 "Psychic", which was a common commodity, only barely reached the pass line. For Lin Wuming, its greatest value was the ability to claim Academy City's scholarship money.
Moreover, while Level 3 Psychic ability wasn't great for combat, it was extremely convenient for daily life. It was arguably the most suitable ability for his "lie flat" strategy.
Ultimately, it wasn't that Lin Wuming lacked ambition or didn't want to make a big impact in this new life; it was simply that his ability didn't allow for it.
If he possessed a Level 5, or even Level 6 Absolute Ability, or another power of equivalent strength, he wouldn't have decided so early to settle for "lying flat" and enjoying life.