The more she spoke, the more worked up she got, like a mad scientist who'd stumbled upon a world-shaking secret.
"So, after rigorous, scientific, and logical deduction, I've arrived at one and only one conclusion!"
She stopped, slapped both hands down on Kazehara Tetsu's desk, and leaned forward, staring at him intently.
"You, Kazehara Tetsu, must have mastered some kind of cutting-edge technology in your dreams that lets you download knowledge straight into your brain! Right?!"
"You can learn while you sleep, saving time and ensuring efficiency! That's the ultimate form of human evolution! So, Kazehara Tetsu..."
"...You have to teach me how! Please!"
With that, she abruptly bent forward and gave Kazehara Tetsu a perfect ninety-degree bow.
The entire classroom fell silent.
The few students still there stared, dumbfounded, at Morishita Ai as if she were an idiot, watching this farce unfold.
Kazehara Tetsu looked at the back of her head, with its dark blue hair, as she bowed deeply. For the first time, he felt a tiny hitch in his brain's processing.
He had never expected things to take such an outrageous turn.
What on earth was this woman's brain made of?
He was silent for a long while.
Morishita Ai was persistent, too. She held her bow without moving, as if she wouldn't straighten up unless Kazehara Tetsu agreed.
At last, Kazehara Tetsu spoke.
"Morishita Ai."
"Yes!" At the sound of her name, Morishita Ai snapped upright and stood at attention like an elementary school student waiting for a teacher to lecture her.
Kazehara Tetsu picked up the textbook from his desk and stood.
"If you want to know my 'method,' it's simple."
He walked up to her and looked down at the eyes filled with anticipation.
"First, go home and copy this book from the first word to the last, without missing a single character. Do that ten times."
"Huh? C-copy the book?" Morishita Ai froze.
"That's the first step. If you don't even have the perseverance for that, there's no point discussing the steps that follow."
Kazehara Tetsu spouted nonsense without batting an eye, looking so serious you'd think he was imparting some unparalleled secret technique.
"W-wait a second! Ten times?!"
The book was so thick that copying it once would be enough to ruin her wrist.
"Too much?"
Kazehara Tetsu raised an eyebrow. "It seems your desire to evolve into a 'New Human' is only skin-deep. If that's the case, forget it. I only teach my method to those who are worthy and truly committed."
With that, he ignored Morishita Ai, who had gone rigid with shock, and walked past her toward the classroom door.
"Ah... W-wait! Kazehara Tetsu! I'll do it! I'll copy it, okay?!"
Behind him came Morishita Ai's anguished cry.
Kazehara Tetsu left the classroom, filtering out the wail behind him.
"Kazehara Tetsu! Wait for me..."
Just as he was about to reach the stairwell, that lively figure came rushing up behind him again.
After a flurry of hurried footsteps, Morishita Ai appeared beside him and fell into step.
"Hey, Kazehara Tetsu, about that ritual of copying the book ten times—are there any shortcuts?"
She leaned toward him. "Like projecting the contents of the book straight into my subconscious? Or using the book as a pillow and sleeping on it, so I can transfer the knowledge through osmosis?"
Kazehara Tetsu didn't slow down or even turn his head. He merely glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"You could try writing with your blood. I hear fluids containing your genetic information make a better medium and resonate more strongly with knowledge. Maybe you'd have to copy it fewer times."
"Write with my blood?!"
Morishita Ai's expression turned complicated. She glanced down at her slender fingers. "Th-then how much blood would that take? I'd get anemic, wouldn't I? Would the school's Medical Room reimburse medical expenses caused by performing a 'Mysterious Ritual'?"
This woman's thoughts could always cross the boundaries of ordinary logic with ease and reach a truly inconceivable realm.
"That's for you to figure out." Kazehara Tetsu's voice held not the slightest hint of a joke.
"Okay, okay. The risk assessment for writing with blood is too high. I'll put that down as a backup plan for now."
She quickly abandoned the impractical idea, then changed the subject again. "But seriously, Kazehara Tetsu, just give me a tiny hint about the theoretical framework. I promise I won't tell anyone!"
She leaned even closer, lowering her voice as if they were engaged in some secret underground deal.
At last, Kazehara Tetsu stopped.
They had reached the school gates. Beyond them lay the intersection leading to the Cafeteria and Shopping Mall.
He turned to face Morishita Ai.
"Morishita Ai."
"Here!" She immediately stood at attention, eyes full of anticipation.
Kazehara Tetsu looked at her and asked, "Do you know what it takes for a theory to go from being proposed to being proven?"
"Um... Lots of experimental data? Rigorous theoretical calculations? Peer review?" Morishita Ai answered uncertainly.
"No." Kazehara Tetsu shook his head. "It takes one 'fool' willing to believe in it and put it into practice."
He reached out and gently patted the top of Morishita Ai's head.
"Whether it's the Scripture Copying Ritual or the method of writing with blood, they're both just doorways to 'possibility.' If you stand here asking about the theory with nothing but words, you'll never get your answer."
With that, he withdrew his hand, leaving her no chance to ask more.
"I have somewhere to be. Excuse me."
He left her with a simple farewell, then turned and merged into the stream of people heading for the school gates.
Morishita Ai stood alone in the middle of the bustling Lobby, staring blankly in the direction Kazehara Tetsu had disappeared.
She raised a hand and touched the top of her head where he'd patted her. It seemed a faint warmth still lingered there.
The commotion around her seemed to fade away.
At some point, her signature lively smile had completely disappeared.
But the curiosity still glittering in her wide eyes remained.
"The first 'fool,' huh..." she murmured, savoring the words so softly only she could hear.
Hmm... The probing had been completely useless.
Whether she tried to rile him up with pranks or test his reactions with exaggerated words and actions,
this man named Kazehara Tetsu was like a bottomless black hole. He absorbed every trick she tried, then reflected it back unchanged—or even more forcefully.
He hadn't treated her like a classmate her own age, someone he could talk to as an equal.
He'd been playing a game with a "little kid."
How infuriating...
This roundabout probing, disguised as the antics of an innocent girl, had no effect on him at all.
She slowly clenched her fist.
Maybe next time, she should try a different approach.
Like... putting her intentions out in the open, as bluntly as possible.