382. When in Doubt, Blame Quantum Mechanics

"Call."

Mai suppressed a laugh.

The three fell silent for a moment, Mai spoke:

"Well... I'm actually very happy that you could come today. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, we're not that close."

What kind of relationship do you have?

"A bond for stomach medicine!"

"Ugh—don't mention that. Please, I can't stand it."

Mai's face contorted as she clutched her stomach.

Are you alright?

After Yukino finished speaking, Shuya heard a movement on the large bed next to him, and the sound of the bed rubbing against clothes.

Let me rub it for you.

"Thank you. Hmm... Yukino, your hands are so warm, and your technique is very skillful."

"I know a little about it."

"Ah! So comfortable, mmm... here, yes, this feels so good."

Is the force appropriate?

"Oops, that was a bit too much."

"I'll go lightly first, you'll get used to it."

"Um..."

Shuya: "..."

He slowly rose, his gaze lingering on the two people leaning against each other on the bed in an extremely ambiguous posture.

"Can I join you? My technique is pretty good too."

Yukino slightly raised her head, revealing half her face, her eyes devoid of emotion. "Lie down."

"..."

Shuya slowly lay back down.

He pulled the blanket over his head and simply fell asleep.

Their voices soon faded away, and they fell into a deep sleep, embracing each other.

Mai slept very soundly, but Shuya very restlessly.

He woke up very early in the morning.

They were still asleep when he got up and pulled back the covers.

The two were no longer embracing, but they were still holding hands, their vibrant black hair intertwined, making their skin appear even whiter.

Shuya calmly took out his phone, and when he pointed the camera at the two of them, he saw Yukino's beautiful eyes open on the screen.

It seems the camera lens triggered her emotions.

But what does it matter whether she wakes up or not, or Shuya takes pictures or not?

After taking a picture, he nimbly dodged about ten icicles and slipped out of the room.

After Shuya finished washing up, Yukino waited outside. She glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

Other girls would definitely hate being photographed when they wake up, but Yukino is different.

Naturally beautiful, that's how confident I am.

After Yukino finished washing up, Mai also started yawning.

"Good morning."

She paused for a moment when she saw the two people in her house, and it took her a few seconds to react.

After greeting each other and washing up, they started cooking.

Make the bento boxes first, then cook the main meal.

Shuya took the opportunity to open the door. There were two paper bags outside, containing school uniforms from Hachihara High School that he had previously instructed his subordinates to deliver.

To blend in today, I need to be prepared.

Mai and Yukino prepared bento boxes and breakfast. After the three of them finished eating, Shuya and Yukino changed into their new school uniforms.

"Hey, not bad."

Mai gave a word of praise.

That's obvious.

When it was Mai's usual time to go to school, they set off.

There are extremely many people on the way to school.

Shuya and Yukino had already used their Strange Arts beforehand.

When Mai's classmates see them, they subconsciously ignore them, at most thinking, "This person is really handsome/beautiful, what class are they in?"

... Of course, their thoughts didn't matter to Shuya; it was just to reduce trouble.

On their way to school, Shuya and Yukino were both paying attention to the atmosphere around them.

Everyone was deliberately ignoring Mai, as if it were an unspoken rule.

Mai, amidst the crowd and the atmosphere, wisely remained silent.

---It's as if she doesn't exist.

Shuya and Yukino frowned, sensing the atmosphere.

Inside the Enoshima Electric Railway car, Shuya loosened his collar, finding the oppressive atmosphere unbearable.

He began to think.

Some issues can only be seen through comparison.

Why didn't I receive the same treatment as Mai?

Shizuka Hiratsuka deserves a lot of credit.

Her targeting of Shuya, and Shuya's silly daily routine of counterattacking, greatly diminished the aura of his extraordinary identity.

In contrast, Mai's situation is truly miserable.

After thinking it over, Shuya continued to observe.

He looked around, then suddenly paused, not far to his side, a boy was looking at him with a strange expression.

The boy's gaze lingered on Shuya's face and his school uniform, a strange expression clearly on his face.

He can see me.

Shuya is not a question, but an affirmation.

He thought for a moment; this boy wasn't on his list of Half-Monster or Monster he knew.

However, sometimes there are people with Power of Will who can see through Strange Arts, even though these are not particularly powerful spells.

Shuya, adhering to the principle of not overlooking any clue, used his Power of Will to probe the area.

"Um?"

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the boy's Power of Will was quite ordinary, and he had no trace of Monster blood within him.

So... how did he recognize me?

Shuya silently marked this interesting boy.

He looked away and soon arrived at Shichirigahama Station.

Get off.

The three remained silent and followed the crowd uphill.

In the crowd, Mai stood out with a subtle gap around her.

Shuya and Yukino exchanged a thoughtful glance.

Yukino shook her head somewhat awkwardly; she had never encountered such treatment before.

Perhaps worse than someone stirring up trouble is complete ignoring it.

But right now, solving the problem is more important than dwelling on it.

The two remained silent, continuing to observe Mai's surroundings.

As Mai walked into the school, Mai went straight to the teaching building, without accompanying Shuya.

A young man was already waiting at the school gate.

When the man saw Shuya, he instinctively wanted to bend down and walk over, but he stopped in his tracks, considering the students around him.

Shuya led Yukino to his face, and the man said in a low voice, "Please come with me."

"Thanks for your hard work."

"No, it's not hard work at all! It's my honor."

Shuya nodded but didn't reply.

Section 411, page 382: Indecisiveness in Quantum Mechanics

Yukino wasn't surprised; Shuya had so many subordinates that he couldn't even count them all, let alone her.

However, Shuya did recognize the man.

This is a Half-Monster who works as an ordinary physical education teacher at this school.

Shuya coming to school, so I asked him to show me the way beforehand.

Although he had been there many times, he wasn't familiar with the entire school.

The man then led Shuya around the school, introducing the facilities and locations.

He was indeed curious about Shuya's arrival, but he wouldn't pry.

Under his guidance, the two toured various places.

The conclusion is that there are no abnormalities.

Not many students in the classroom noticed Shuya and Yukino.

Only some Half-Monster and Monster from the Alliance, the boy I saw this morning, and a few people with Strange Arts or Power of Will discovered it.

Shuya was not surprised by the existence of these people.

Mai attends school here, and Xiu has had his Shuya check everyone's information. If any bad people are found, they are generally not allowed to remain in this school.

As for how to make him disappear, of course, you report him to the Supernatural Bureau.

They're a legitimate organization; they won't deal with people privately.

After completing their task of guiding the way, the teacher returned to the staff room.

Shuya and Yukino decided to split up and conduct their own research.

There's no danger here, there's no need to stay together, it would only be a waste of time.

Shuya walked around the campus with his hands in his pockets.

The school isn't large, but a thorough inspection still takes quite a bit of time.

During lunch break, Shuya and Yukino ate in the empty classroom that Mai had arranged beforehand.

They also exchanged some information.

Yukino stayed in the school library looking through the school history to see if there were any historical issues that caused Mai's condition.