He carried a backpack that looked nearly empty, but it was actually stuffed with all kinds of candy, a sketchbook, and a laptop.
Soon, the bus to the school arrived.
He picked a window seat by himself, put on his headphones, and watched the scenery rush past outside.
(I still prefer sitting alone on the bus.)
At that moment, Lin Mu looked out at the streets of Tokyo, which were almost unnaturally clean. Pedestrians hurried along, and everything was orderly.
"First, I'll get a feel for the school," he mused. "Then I'll find somewhere quiet to slack off, avoid any activities that might involve socializing, and keep my head down for three years..."
The bus stopped along the way, and an elderly woman with white hair got on.
Holding onto the handrail, she unsteadily surveyed the bus.
Her gaze fell on the two priority seats at the front—one of them was occupied by a boy wearing the same school uniform.
(Koenji's bag is taking up a seat.)
The old woman walked over and stopped beside him. He glanced up, then lowered his head again.
Just then, Lin Mu saw a girl who had been holding onto a handrail near the front step forward.
(A two-faced person? This could be interesting.)
She had short brown hair, a sweet face, and a gentle air about her.
She walked up to the boy and bowed slightly, her voice polite and clear. "Um, excuse me, classmate. Sorry to bother you.
"You're sitting in a priority seat for the elderly, disabled, and infirm, and this old woman looks really tired. Could you please give up your seat?"
The boy looked up, let his gaze linger on the girl's face for two seconds, then scoffed.
His tone was casual, with a hint of vanity. "Pretty girl, it's only called a 'priority' seat. It's not like the law says I have to give it up.
"Why should young people be the ones who have to stand? I'd be wasting my energy. Why bother doing something pointless?"
The girl's brow furrowed slightly, but her expression remained gentle. "Giving up your seat is a way to contribute to society.
"If it's inconvenient for you, I can help look for another empty seat."
"I'm not interested in this vague idea of 'giving back to society.'"
The boy shrugged. "If you want someone to give up their seat, ask someone else, or wait until someone gets off. Don't guilt-trip me."
The old woman looked a little embarrassed and said softly, "It's all right. I can stand for a while..."
Lin Mu watched quietly from the back of the bus.
He understood the situation perfectly: from the perspective of the law and individual rights, the boy wasn't in the wrong.
Priority seats weren't reserved seats. Giving one up was a moral expectation, not a legal obligation.
The girl meant well, but she'd been too direct, making it easy for the situation to turn awkward. Once the boy had clearly refused, continuing to pressure him would amount to forcing him through guilt.
Still...
He watched the old woman's hand tremble as she gripped the handrail. Her knees didn't seem to be doing too well, either.
Forget it.
Lin Mu stood up and walked down the aisle to the old woman. In a calm voice, he said, "Ma'am, you can have my seat. It's a little farther back, but it's better than standing."
The old woman froze for a moment, then thanked him repeatedly. "Oh, thank you, young man..."
"It's all right." Lin Mu helped her to his seat and waited until she was settled. Then he stood beside the handrail near the rear door.
The girl immediately came over, her face full of gratitude, her eyes sparkling.
"Thank you so much! My name is Kikyo Kushida. I'm a new student going to Advanced Nurturing High School. It's nice to meet you!"
Lin Mu nodded, his tone even. "Linmu Fujimiya.
"Hello, Kushida. It was kind of you to help, but your approach just now was too blunt."
"Huh?" Kushida blinked.
"The other person had already made it clear he didn't want to give up his seat. If you kept pushing, it would stop being a 'kind reminder' and turn into 'guilt-tripping.'"
Lin Mu took a Fujiya lollipop out of his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. "Besides, you put him on the spot in front of the whole bus. That made it even less likely he'd give in.
"Sometimes, instead of making the decision for someone else, it's better to offer another solution directly."
Kikyo Kushida nodded thoughtfully, then broke into a radiant smile. "You're right! I was too impatient.
"You seem a little aloof, Linmu, but I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."
"I just don't like trouble," Lin Mu said honestly.
The two of them stood by the handrail near the bus's rear door, swaying slightly as it moved.
Kushida was clearly outgoing. Once she got started, she just kept talking.
"Where are you from, Linmu?"
"Tokyo."
"What middle school did you go to?"
"An ordinary public middle school."
"Do you know much about Advanced Nurturing High School? I heard it's a very unusual school, with a fully residential system..."
"Not really," Lin Mu answered briefly, though an alarm bell rang in his mind. A fully residential system? Those words stirred some hazy memories.
(My dead memories are attacking me.)
Kushida seemed to notice his perfunctory answers, but she didn't take offense. She continued with a cheerful smile.
"That's just what I've heard. Still, I'm really looking forward to spending three years studying with so many talented classmates!
"I hope I'll make lots of friends in high school—"
Lin Mu interrupted her with a movement.
He took another lollipop out of his pocket and held it out to her. "Want one?"
Kikyo Kushida paused, looking from the candy to Lin Mu's strikingly handsome face, which showed almost no expression.
His short white hair and sharp features gave him a cool, stern look. And yet he had a lollipop in his mouth, creating a strangely charming contrast.
(Not even one ten-thousandth as handsome as the readers present.)
"Thanks." She took it, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. The sweetness spread over her tongue, and, as expected, she talked less. Every now and then, though, she glanced sideways at the boy beside her.
Lin Mu stood quietly, watching the scenery pass outside.
Advanced Nurturing High School stood on an artificial island in Tokyo's outskirts. The bus was crossing the long bridge connecting the island to the mainland.
The deep blue sea shimmered in the sunlight, and the outline of the school buildings could be seen in the distance.
The sense of familiarity grew stronger.
But he still couldn't remember any specific details. He only had a vague feeling that the school wasn't as simple as it seemed.
"By the way, Linmu," Kushida suddenly said, her voice softer than before.
"When you gave up your seat just now... was it because you thought that boy was in the wrong, or because you simply wanted to help the old woman?"
Lin Mu turned to meet her curious gaze.
"The latter," he said. "The boy who refused to give up his seat wasn't wrong. He just made a different choice.
"I gave up my seat because I wanted to, not because I had to."
Kikyo Kushida's eyes widened slightly, then she smiled even more warmly. "You're interesting." (Things are getting interesting...)
Lin Mu didn't reply. He just took out another lollipop. This was his third one today.
Keeping his energy up was one reason, but mostly, he liked the sweet taste in his mouth.
It helped him stay calm, which in turn kept his ever-present telepathy in check.
(This explains why Linmu didn't casually read other people's minds or receive their thoughts.)
If he didn't control it, the thoughts of everyone on the bus would come pouring into his head.
That would be way too noisy.
Twenty minutes later, the bus pulled into the campus of Advanced Nurturing High School.
Lin Mu was the first to get off, his feet touching the clean stone path.
It was April, and the cherry blossoms had already started to fall. The trees were planted all over the campus, their pale pink petals dancing in the breeze.
(After checking, I found that the school year starts in early April.)
He took a deep breath—only to be interrupted by a cheerful voice behind him.
"Linmu, wait for me!"
Kikyo Kushida jogged to catch up, her chest bouncing as she ran.
She stopped beside him and looked up at the main school building, her eyes sparkling.
"Let's go register together! I'm not very familiar with the registration process yet, and I think it'll be harder to make a mistake if we go together."
Lin Mu looked at the girl he'd met less than an hour ago. The lollipop in his mouth seemed a little sweeter, but inwardly, he sighed.
This was bad.
His plan to slack off was already being interrupted on the first day of school.
"Whatever," he said, turning toward the main building.
Kikyo Kushida quickly followed, keeping just the right distance—not so close that they seemed overly familiar, but not so far that she might lose him.
She wore a smile, and every now and then, her gaze drifted toward Lin Mu's profile.
As for Linmu Fujimiya, the reincarnated person who had the full range of Saiki Kusuo's abilities, his only thought right now was:
I hope the dorm has air conditioning. (My middle school dorm didn't have air conditioning.)
And I hope the school convenience store sells lots of different kinds of candy.
As for life over the next three years?
He'd slack off whenever he could and dodge things whenever possible. Superpowers? He wouldn't use them unless he had no other choice.
All he wanted was to quietly draw some illustrations, make a few desserts to enjoy, and coast until graduation.
The ideal life.
But as he stepped into the magnificent school building and saw the words "Welcome, New Students" scrolling across the electronic screen in the lobby, a strange premonition crept into his mind.
These three years probably wouldn't be so easy to slack through.
Still, at least for now, he didn't care. He kept his lollipop in his mouth.
Sweetness could solve a lot of problems. And if it didn't, he could always have another one.
Before you continue