Chapter 565
If her biggest wish was to be recognized by her mother and go to Vienna with her two years ago, then recently—she suddenly felt that it wasn't so important anymore.
At least, her only two friends won't be there.
Although she still habitually bickered with him, she wasn't as opposed as before. If an outsider had made the suggestion, she might have directly cursed at them.
What do you take music and performance for?!
But she was also very clear about his capabilities. Since he dared to make such a boast, she wouldn't lose anything by listening to him for the time being.
Yes, even if it has no effect at all, as long as this warmth can continue for a while, it's still...
"Who cares about you? Just follow my lead and learn, Das Freche MaDchen."
"Das... what?"
Kogisora Yukina tilted her head in embarrassment.
So it seems that Talent-kun is not just good at academics...
Chapter 508 What to do when you get proposed to by an extraordinary psychopath?
"Das Freche MaDchen, meaning 'Delinquent Girl' in German."
"Talent-kun also speaks German..."
She slumped onto the table, letting out a weak groan, "What kind of education does one need from childhood to cultivate someone as talented as Talent-kun?"
"Even if everyone receives the same education as me, not everyone can become me. Rather, there's only one reason for this."
"What reason?"
She curiously rested her chin on the back of her hand, blinking her gentle phoenix eyes.
"I am a peerless genius."
"..."
She sat up and turned to look at Touma Kazusa beside her. "Kazusa, how about we go to karaoke tonight? In the recording studio downstairs!"
"Great idea! You can have the microphone, and I'll take care of eating the fruit and snacks he brought! Besides, we can actually sing karaoke in the living room too."
"Let's do it this way!"
"Hey, you guys..."
Sakurakoji Talent reached out to the two who ignored him, then lowered his hand as if giving up. "Alright, it's almost time. I'm going to cook. You two continue studying, and don't slack off!"
He pulled out a stool and walked towards the kitchen, which was connected to the spacious living room on the first floor.
Halfway there, he stopped and turned back to remind her, "Oh, by the way, Yukina, you should buy a copy of the textbook I gave to Kazusa too."
"Hey? I want one too?!"
Kogisora Yukina pointed at herself, looking both surprised and adorable.
"Of course, everything else is fine, but you'd better learn English and German."
He leaned against the corner of the kitchen entrance wall, arms crossed playfully, "Or is it that if Kazusa really goes to Vienna in the future, you want to leave her behind and stay here alone?"
Ah~ the feelings between girls~ your name is fragility~
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Kogisora Yukina didn't understand what he meant.
"I didn't ask you before, but I'll ask you now, Yukina, what's your path forward?"
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I should be moving on to higher education. If I can maintain my previous grades, I'll probably go to Minejo University."
The full name of the high school they attend is: Minejo University Affiliated High School.
The tuition is very expensive, and the admission requirements are not easy, so many of the students come from wealthy families.
The root cause of this phenomenon is that it has a very large number of guaranteed admission spots for students from Houjou University, accounting for more than half of the student population in each graduating class.
Houjou University is also a prestigious university, so attending it is considered a shortcut to getting in.
Therefore, as long as her average grades over the three years are slightly above average and not at the very bottom, she can secure a guaranteed admission spot. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she should be able to get it.
"And after that, what major do you plan to study, and what kind of job do you plan to pursue?"
"That one..."
She looked troubled.
Even when discussing these topics with a high school student who hasn't graduated yet, few can give a clear answer because they have no concept of what universities and college majors are like; they don't even have a vague outline of what they're talking about.
"However, if the album goes well and I get similar work in the future, I'd like to try debuting as a singer!"
She clasped her Hands together, looking forward to it.
For her, a karaoke enthusiast, this was the ideal situation.
"Well, you're right..."
Rather, he would do his best to help her become a singer, "But no matter what job you do, knowing one or two more languages is never a bad thing."
"And what if things don't go as planned? What if things don't go so smoothly later? You agree, right?"
"So?"
"So,"
He raised his chin and looked at her and Touma Kazusa, "You'll be learning German with Kazusa. That way, if you ever lose your job, you can be her personal assistant, helping this good-for-nothing manage the studio and handle contract negotiations."
Given Touma Kazusa's true nature, once she becomes dependent on someone, she will absolutely be a loyal dog who wants to be with them 24/7.
Before things became irreparable, he felt it necessary to find her a "playmate" she couldn't refuse, yet who was also her natural enemy.
"..."
The two women looked at each other, their eyes filled with a mixture of innocence and bewilderment, indicating that they had never considered this approach.
"Of course, I was just giving an example, but learning another language can't hurt. I'll assist you and teach you the techniques."
He raised his right dark eyebrow wickedly.
"When it comes to studying, isn't it better to do it with someone else than to study alone in a boring way? Now, it's time to test your friendship."
"Okay, I'm going to cook. You guys continue."
After saying that, he turned and went into the kitchen, leaving the two young people feeling lost about their Mirai and life choices.
After having dinner at the Touma family's villa and managing a half-hour study session, the two gave up on studying and went straight to turn on the TV in the living room, starting their family karaoke session.
He was also forced to listen to Kogisora Yukina's improvisations.
As she had said before, Touma Kazusa quietly played the role of creating a festive atmosphere while everyone was snacking.
He had originally wanted to do that too, and also play on his phone—but the two of them clearly wouldn't allow him to, so he could only sing a few songs with her when he was bored.
Don't ask why it wasn't a solo performance; the answer is simply that Ms. Ogiso didn't want to put down the microphone.
During the performance, Touma Kazusa, caught up in the excitement of the singing, was dragged off the sofa and awkwardly hummed along with her for a couple of songs.
After stepping off the stage, her pretty face and glistening earlobes burned, she returned to her seat without a word and kicked him a few times without any politeness—as revenge for his loud laughter that had made him roll around on the sofa earlier.
"..."
"..."
Time passed, and more than two hours went by. To prevent complaints from nearby residents about disturbing the peace, as the clock was about to strike ten o'clock, they chose to change locations and head to the underground recording studio... That was how it was supposed to be.
But under his strong suggestion, and his threats to skip the study session the next morning and complain to Kogiso's parents, they finally gave up.
While complaining about his seriousness being a downer, she obediently went to the bathroom to wash up.
"Don't look!"
Before heading out into the corridor, Touma Kazusa gave her a warning look.
"Is this considered an invitation?"
Humans must always be responsible for their actions, sometimes even their lives.
After uttering philosophical remarks that were quite unlike her usual style, she left with a carefree air.
"..."
Watching her figure disappear from sight along with Kogisora Yukina, he composed himself and let out a long sigh, "Who says otherwise?"
I took out my phone, thinking I should leave a message for the two phones in the living room.
But then I thought, women, especially two women, would take an absurdly long time to shower, so I simply gave up.
He tossed his phone onto the sofa, stepped out into the hallway leading to the courtyard, and called out towards the bathroom, "Take your time~ No rush! I'm going back to my room for a bit!"
Okay~
"Go away!"
The two responses, so different in every way, took two turns and traveled along the corridor, their words carried quietly and peacefully to his ears, witnessed by the dark night outside.
He returned to the entrance hall where he had come from, changed his shoes, and walked out of the building.
The moment he stepped onto the stone pavement outside, Sakurakoji Talent's eyes darkened, filled with an unfathomable gloom. His usual emotions vanished completely in that instant, making him like a stone statue devoid of any discernible emotion.
"Is it almost done? Let me see..."
He looked up at the moon and stretched out his palms, which were glowing like jade in the moonlight.
The next instant, a thick Great Book with black covers on three sides and a cross surrounded by flowers and plants in the center of the front appeared out of thin air above his palm.
He glanced through it briefly, muttering to himself, "Still here? Aren't you bored? Well, for people from ancient times, everything here must be quite novel, right?"
"It doesn't really matter... Let me see, his inevitable route is..."
Three seconds later, his figure disappeared, as if swallowed by the darkness of the mansion's courtyard in the Kita Ward.
Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City.
At 10 p. m., even in this fairly well-known city, there are not many people wandering the streets anymore, especially in some of the more secluded, dark streets without even surveillance cameras.
From within the purplish-black vortex, Sakurakoji Talent's figure emerged.
Hands a flick of his wrists, the two props he held vanished without a trace.
In the silent street, his footsteps were perfectly clear, but not enough to echo, so the impact was limited.
It wasn't too late yet, but apart from the dim streetlights, there were hardly any lights on the buildings in this neighborhood—in fact, very few.
The surrounding area is unremarkable, with outdated buildings and facilities and a sparse population.
The only distinctive feature here is the river that borders the city. From here, you can see a large bridge in the distance, its entire body glowing with artificial light and its skin a deep crimson.
He emerged from the shadows and stood under the shimmering glow of the incandescent streetlights, trying to make himself stand out. The pale light gave his already fair skin an eerie glow.
This was a location he had specifically chosen; now, all he had to do was wait.
"..."
"..."
While waiting for the boring moment, he couldn't help but think, "If only I hadn't left my phone on the sofa..."
About a few minutes later.
A different kind of footstep, unusually heavy, came from afar, growing ever closer...
The sound of metal clashing grew clearer and clearer, becoming all the more eerie in this place and at this time.
Finally, the other person stopped about ten meters away from him.
For the first five seconds, he didn't move or look at him, but he knew that the other person must have looked him up and down.
He wasn't afraid of being ambushed; he probably wouldn't do it even if the other party killed him.
In the sixth second, he turned his body to face the somewhat... no, rather insane figure.
Otherwise, what kind of decent person would wander around the city in full armor in the middle of the night?
He was tall and well-built, over 1.8 meters tall, and his hair was a rare pure gold color that contrasted sharply with his appearance... well, in the exact opposite direction.
Inside the two holes on his face was a blood-red color that was far more ruthless, confident, and arrogant than his own. On his earlobes were two heavy-looking gold earrings.