"I don't believe it!" Torahachi Toumi frowned and, breaking through Kobayashi's not-so-sturdy telekinetic barrier, pushed up close. She grabbed the wheelchair handles firmly and began shoving him toward the bathroom. "So, hurry up and take a shower!"
"Hey, I just showered last night…"
"Come on, just do it again to put my mind at ease. It's no big deal," Torahachi insisted, shoving the wheelchair into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him.
"Don't worry! I won't come in!" she called loudly from outside, and the sound of the door locking echoed shortly afterward.
"…Tch! What's the point of locking the door for a boy!" Torahachi rolled her eyes in frustration.
"My phone!" Kobayashi called from behind the bathroom door.
"Don't worry, I'll watch it for you!" she shouted back.
With that, she returned to the table, loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, then grabbed Kobayashi's phone and sat cross-legged by the bathroom door, staring intently at it. She was fully prepared, waiting for him to emerge.
Because of her rushed insistence, Kobayashi hadn't had a chance to prepare a change of clothes.
How will he look when he comes out? Torahachi wondered.
For Torahachi, forcing him to shower had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
In her experience, she had never seen Kobayashi show embarrassment or panic. He was always so serious, so composed, hardly the behavior of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy. Compared to boys her age at school, even the older middle schoolers, he seemed far more mature. More like a teacher than a student.
Torahachi sat cross-legged on the cold floor, fully aware of how scantily dressed she was, with just underwear below. Even if it was a lapse due to the morning's laziness, she felt that his complete lack of reaction was disrespectful.
"Exactly!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers as she realized why she was irritated.
No matter how she looked, masking her facial and limb scars, she was a beauty, the schoolgirl level of beauty, and yet Kobayashi seemed completely oblivious.
Looking down at the crisscrossed scars on her arms and legs, she fell silent. She had grown accustomed to them and tended to ignore them, but ignoring them didn't make them disappear.
Maybe, she thought, I'm not exactly "pretty" right now.
Torahachi briefly regretted showing Kobayashi her scars so candidly at the hospital. Had she made a mistake?
Yet recalling his gaze, she realized he had never looked at her with pity or judgment,t only mild surprise and a hint of concern. His attitude had remained consistent from start to finish.
And that, Torahachi realized, was precisely what annoyed her. She had always cared about her scars, and his unshaken, emotionless observation somehow made her feel uneasy.
So, she wanted a little "revenge."
Since he hadn't changed clothes, he would have to wrap himself in a towel when he came out just enough to make even the usually composed Kobayashi show some embarrassment.
I've already been honest with him, so he has no right to wrap himself up completely!
The thought of this little prank made her oddly pleased. She even mused darkly that maybe he had scars of his own, from injuries or experiments, ts then it would be fair, no one could ridicule the other. Perfectly equal.
By nine o'clock, Academy City had begun to stir. Students, still in their holiday routines, were heading out, and the frequency of events in the city began to spike.
As usual, Kobayashi's phone began to buzz right on schedule.
Sure enough, the device on the floor in front of her started vibrating, its familiar ringtone blaring.
Torahachi's eyes narrowed like a blade. She glared at the phone and sighed, but restrained herself from smashing it.
Prepared, she answered the call.
On the other end was a girl's voice. She paused in surprise, then quickly learned that Kobayashi was busy and couldn't answer.
So, the endless barrage of trivial requests, jokes, lost cats, and misplaced wallets went unheard.
In this way, Torahachi mercilessly filtered out countless bothersome calls for Kobayashi, her tone growing increasingly strict and impatient.
It wasn't just trivial matters; some callers were pranksters, others wanted to chat or confide in him. Torahachi, feeling overwhelmed, hung up every single one.
"Kobayashi!" she shouted toward the bathroom, hanging up yet another call. "How do you put up with so many annoying calls every day?!"
"…You get used to it," Kobayashi's muffled voice came from inside.
In truth, handing his phone to Torahachi was partly to let her deal with these trivial requests. If it were him, he probably wouldn't refuse any of the calls—even the boring ones.
Torahachi continued to urge him: "Hurry up and finish your shower, or I swear I'll smash this phone!"
"Calm, calm! This is Yomikawa-sensei's gift—take it easy! I'll be out soon!" he quickly reassured her.
Sensing her anger, the phone fell silent. No further calls came through for the time being.
Torahachi placed the phone down and muttered helplessly, "This troublesome game should probably end soon. How long is Nana-San planning to keep this up?"
Just then, the doorbell rang from the entryway.
(End of Chapter)