Volume 1 Chapter 6.1
Citrus Magic, Sequins, and the Glitter
of Counterfeit Coins Part 1
Translator : PolterGlast
Three days had passed
since an unexpected situation arose in <Chase Tag>.
Jin won eight points
by skillfully manipulating his opponent's mind. It seemed to be a rather modest
victory, and Jin, who was standing in front of the deserted fountain, did not
seem to be in a state of agitation as he talked about his next plans.
"The
<Practical Exam> is held every other week, and the content changes each
month. So, next time, we have to do the <Chase Tag> again, where there is
no room for trickery. Well, since you can pick your opponent, I guess you have
plenty of leeway."
"As I told you
earlier, Bennett has his eye fixed on you. How are you going to fight against
such a monster?"
"Oh, are you that
worried?"
"Gosh, it's
nothing like that! You're still as relaxed as ever......"
"But it sure is a
little embarrassing having a beautiful woman like you worried about me."
"H-Haa!? What are
you saying all of a sudden!?"
"Heh, you look so
cute even when you're mad. Have you changed your makeup recently?"
"Hey, stop it! I
don't have any tolerance for that kind of thing!
"......Well,
let's put the silly jokes aside and get back to the main topic."
"Haaaa!?"
She couldn't help but
feel so pathetic that she blushed.
Seeing Nina, who was
about to cry in anger, Jin muttered something to himself mixed with sighs.
"Don't worry, I
was planning to clash against Bennett at some point. It's just that my plan has
been accelerated a little bit. I had already devised a plan to trap him before
he even enrolled."
"Before he
enrolled? ...... You're bluffing again, aren't you?"
"Don't you dare
underestimate my preparations. It's essential to take measures for those who
are exempted from the entrance exam."
"......Eh, don't
tell me, are you planning to fight against the other four as well?"
"In the
worst-case scenario, yes. Well, I'd like to limit it to two or three."
"What's that, a
prophecy? It's kind of shady."
"I'm just making
a plan based on a number of predictions. You're making it sound like it's
someone else's problem, but Nina, you're part of the plan as well, you
know."
"Ugh, that's
true......."
In contrast to Nina,
who was almost trembling with fear, Jin was smiling fearlessly. As though there
is nothing in the world worth fearing.
What kind of life does
one have to lead to become such a crazed gambler?
How did Jin acquire
such advanced skills of deception?
Why did he choose to
end up in a place like this?
Anxious about the
struggle for survival and Bennett's offers... Nina is conflicted between
various issues, but she cannot advance unless she uncovers what Jin is hiding
from her.
"Well, tomorrow
is a holiday, so you can get some rest. Don't let your fatigue build up and
render your acting sloppy."
"Jin, I hope you
don't think of me like I'm one of your subordinates."
Nina clenched her
fists while her mouth was pouting.
This is an
opportunity. It's now or never to put that plan into action.
"Do you have any
plans for tomorrow, Jin?"
"Aa, nothing in
particular. What about you, Nina?"
"I'm thinking of
going into town to do some shopping. Disguise stuff, you know, that sort of
thing."
"Hmm. I don't
really familiar with that, so I'll leave it to you."
"............No,
that's not what I meant."
─Do I have to tell him myself?
As soon as she became
aware of this, she felt a heat rising in the depths of her body.
She hates to be
misunderstood, but this is also to uncover Jin's secret.
"You see,
umm...... let's go together."
"Huh?"
"L-Look! There
might be some heavy luggage! You're my accomplice, so you could at least help
me with that, right?"
"Eeh~ ...... what
a hassle."
"I-Isn't it fine
just for this once? You don't have anything to do anyway."
"Why do you want
me to come so badly? Well, I guess it can't be helped then."
"Y-You're being
too self-conscious, you know!?"
"Alright,
alright. You're at an age when you can't be honest."
"H-Haaaaaaaaa!?"
No more. The more I
talk, the more likely I will be exposed.
Nina shifted her mind
and decided to think only about how to interrogate him.
◇
Although it had been
more than two weeks since she had been here, Nina had never ventured outside
the school grounds. And due to family circumstances, she had never used public
transportation other than the steam train. Slightly nervous, she sat on a bench
at the bus stop and waited.
─What should I do if I'm misunderstood in a strange
way.......
Nina's head was filled
with embarrassment and anxiety.
She asked him out on
the spur of the moment, but would this qualify as a [date]? The truth is, this
is a plan to uncover Jin's secret, but there is no way of telling him that.
In any case, any
careless remark would be fatal to Jin, who has a twisted nature. If he thought
she had a crush on him, she would never know what he might do to her. That man
is a fiend.
As she waited,
clutching the strap of her bag, she finally saw Jin just as the bus was about
to depart.
"Gosh, you're
late. Even though it's not that early."
"Don't worry. The
local buses are never on time."
His calm and somewhat
optimistic attitude was typical of him. Although it hadn't been that long since
she met him, she began to understand Jin's personality a little better.
Jin mumbled, not
bothering to hide his yawn.
"But it's a
little surprising. I can't believe you asked me out on a date."
"I'm not! Don't
make things up!"
"But you
see..."
"Y-You were so
insistent on asking me out, so I just took you up on your offer!"
"Nina-san, I
think your defense is a little too desperate."
"I-I feel sorry
for you, so I'll go out with you. It's just for today, you hear me?"
"......Alright,
alright, that's enough."
As they climbed into
the bus, which arrived 10 minutes late, Jin smiled at her wryly.
"Besides, I know
you wanted me to come here for a reason. Am I right? I totally get it."
─If you say it like that in your usual work mode, that
would piss me off.
Nina followed suit,
shaking off the thought that suddenly popped into her head.
As soon as they
entered the bus, Jin did not hesitate to take a seat in the last row. Come to
think of it, he always sat in the back row even in the classroom.
When she asked why,
Jin looked out the window and muttered.
"Because I can
see everything better when I'm in the back."
"This is the first
time I've ever heard someone say that observing people is a hobby."
"Well, it's kind
of an occupational hazard, after all."
The conversation was
cut off there, but the words [occupational hazard] did not escape her ears.
Every time she asked
him about his past, she would be misled by some random topic, but it was
certainly hard to believe that he had led a normal life as an ordinary student.
Perhaps he really is──.
"Are you two
going on a date to the town down at the foothills?"
"......Eh~ah~!?"
Nina almost jumped
when the elderly woman sitting in front of her suddenly spoke to her.
"N-No, we don't
have that kind of a relationship."
"We are siblings
who have been separated by birth", Jin said, helping her out. "We
were reunited by chance at the Academy for Psychic......."
"Ara~, I didn't
know such a miracle existed."
"We're surprised
ourselves."
Nina had never seen
such a suspicious smile before in her life.
"We are on our
way to see our parents, arguing over who was born first."
Nina couldn't help but
be amazed at Jin, who lied as if he was breathing, but the woman who was being
deceived nodded her head in satisfaction. At this, Nina had no choice but to
smile and nod.
After getting off at a
bus stop in the center of town, she decided to point it out.
"Do you always
tell such meaningless lies? It's okay though, because it didn't harm
anyone."
"It was you who
improvised and added that perfect touch, though. You did a great job of
conveying the feeling of looking forward to seeing our parents again."
"Ah, that was a
reflex ......."
"Haha, we're both
severely screwed, aren't we?"
They couldn't help but
laugh in dismay at themselves as their lies were ingrained in the very core of
their bodies.
The main street of the
town of Akkas is lined with stalls displaying foodstuffs, clothing, and other
items.
There was one stall
that displayed vegetables two times larger than the others. Following the sign
with their eyes, it seemed that the products were procured from a person with a
psychic ability to accelerate the growth of plants. Across the street was a
repairman, advertising that he could make even the most broken pots and pans
look as good as new with the help of a psychic he knew.
This was a sight Nina
had never seen before.
"So Psychics are
even involved in these stalls, huh?"
"If you take a
look outside the Heiberg School, there are plenty of psychics who can be put to
good use in industry. Haven't you ever heard the saying, [If there is even one
psychic in the family, there is no way the family will go hungry]?
"Hee. It's a
great learning experience to see this kind of thing in person."
"It's all well
and good to be impressed, but don't we have to go shopping for disguise
stuff?"
"......Ah, that
reminds me..."
"See, I knew it,
you invited me was just an excuse."
"N-N-No, you're
wrong! It wasn't because I wanted to go on a date or anything of the
sort......"
"Nina, where did
your genius acting skills go?"
"Ugh......"
Her initial plan was
to make it a fun date to make Jin drop his guard and tell her his secret.
Yet, here she is.
Because she is not immune to this kind of thing, she feels embarrassed to play
her role. It was at this moment that she realized her fatal weakness.
She shouldn't have
done anything that didn't suit her.
She should just behave
as usual, as a mere accomplice.
"I-I've had
enough of those disguise things! Let's just stroll around the city."
"No matter how I
look at you, you seem to be nervous. I know you're up to something."
"Stop making
false accusations. Come on, let's go!"
Nina hastily ended the conversation and started walking towards the crowd.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
Aiden Elliott
Marvin Sanchez
Matthew Shuler
Swagaraga
[Gold]
Godman gaming
[Silver]
Adrian Betancourt
ArUnInAcTiOn
CoolmanMTD
Glasses Kun
Nazmun Saikat
Thiago Leite Denedai
Anton Lim
Creris
Ctdela
Curious Panda
Duncan Rodgers
Freyja Bjarnadóttir
Muzic Yasko
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
