After Lin Mu finished speaking, he didn't wait for anyone to respond. He picked up his beat-up bag, which he hadn't even opened. It contained nothing but candy and entertainment stuff.
He turned and walked out of the classroom, gently closing the door behind him—a stark contrast to the thunderous slam of the door Ken Sudō had just left through.
Behind him, from inside the Class D classroom, he could faintly hear Hirata Yosuke trying to get the conversation back on track, along with the growing discussion among the other students about how to improve their grades.
But those voices were soon left behind at the far end of the school building's corridor.
He was going to enjoy his afternoon. Maybe he'd head back to the dorm and play some games, or perhaps stop by the dessert shop to see if they had any new items.
The next day, sunlight streamed through the Swimming Pool's enormous glass dome during swimming class, scattering shimmering reflections across the clear water.
The place was noisy, with splashing water and cheerful laughter, brimming with the energy and restlessness unique to youth.
Lin Mu hadn't changed out of his school uniform. With a green-apple-flavored lollipop in his mouth, he sat alone in the spectator seats high above the pool.
The spot offered a perfect view of the entire pool, yet was far from the commotion and humidity near the water.
(The Swimming Pool's about the same. Get too close and your clothes really will get wet.)
He half-closed his eyes, lazily watching the "crowd" below.
Most of the students from Class D were playing around in the water. The boys were racing to see who could swim the fastest.
The girls had gathered together to chat and splash each other. Kikyo Kushida was undoubtedly one of the centers of attention, and even from this far away, he could faintly hear her cheerful laughter.
Of course, a few others had chosen to "observe from shore," just like him. They sat scattered around the stands, each a good distance from the others.
There was a boy with glasses, head lowered; a girl who seemed shy, huddled in a corner; and another student who had remained silent the whole time, simply gazing at the water.
They left each other alone, each forming their own little island. It was a world entirely different from the lively pool below.
Lin Mu, too, was an inconspicuous member of this "lone wolf squad," quietly carrying out his duty as an observer.
At one point, Kikyo Kushida seemed to notice Lin Mu up above.
She stopped playing around with her classmates and looked up. A brilliant smile spread across her face as she waved at him enthusiastically. Her clear voice carried up through the humid air:
"Lin Mu! What are you doing up there? Come swim with us! The water's so refreshing!"
Seeing how full of energy she was, Lin Mu gently shook his head and raised his voice a little. His tone was lazy but sincere:
"No, thanks. I don't want to get my clothes wet. It's a hassle."
He paused, then added, "And swimming back and forth is tiring. I can't be bothered. Just have fun, Kushida."
His refusal was crisp and clear, and his reasons were so solid that no one could argue with them—he didn't want to get wet, didn't want to get tired, and didn't want the hassle. It was a textbook "Lin Mu-style" answer.
At his words, a hint of just-the-right-amount-of-disappointment crossed Kikyo Kushida's face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.
She knew what Lin Mu was like and understood there was no point trying to persuade him. She didn't push it, simply replying with a cheerful, "Okay~ You just take it easy, then!"
Then she turned and threw herself back into the water fight with the girls, sending up even bigger splashes.
Lin Mu leaned back against the hard plastic seat and continued sucking on his lollipop, his fingertips tapping a faint rhythm against the armrest without thinking.
Suddenly—
A sensation like a gaze sweeping over him brushed across the back of his neck, as light as a feather.
(Can being watched really give you that uncomfortable sixth-sense feeling?)
Thanks to the all-around enhancement his superpowers had given him, Lin Mu's senses—especially his instinct for when he was being watched—were far sharper than an ordinary person's.
This feeling of being watched wasn't coming from the curious or casual gazes of the students below.
It felt more like scrutiny and observation, and it was coming from somewhere higher up to the side... perhaps the offices beside the pool?
Lin Mu's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
He maintained his lazy posture and didn't even look toward where he sensed the gaze coming from. But with a slight shift of thought, his X-ray vision quietly activated.
His gaze was like an invisible ray, easily passing through the wall behind the spectator seats and sweeping toward the offices.
He stuck to his own principles and didn't use his vision to peer beneath his classmates' clothes—that would be boring. Instead, he precisely sought out the source of that scrutinizing gaze.
(No getting frisky! Everyone can be all sorts of people, but no one should be a pervert!)
(Because the author's the pervert, not you guys...(*′???`*) idiot)
His vision passed through the wall and swept down the corridor before stopping at an office.
The blinds had been pulled up just enough to leave a narrow gap.
Behind it stood two figures, quietly watching everything happening in the pool below through the slit.
One had silver hair and purple eyes, a slender figure, and an air of noble refinement. It was Sakayanagi Arisu, whom he had met briefly a long time ago.
The other stood tall, wore rimless glasses, and had a stern, serious expression. It was the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita, who had given a speech at the opening ceremony.
The corner of Lin Mu's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly, forming a playful curve.
The students' antics in the pool had suddenly become utterly boring to him.
And now, it seemed there was something much more interesting he could go check out.
It was free time, after all. Leaving the pool area wouldn't count as breaking the rules.
A mischievous idea suddenly came to him: Since someone liked secretly watching from the shadows, why not take the initiative and "pay a visit" to these two peepers?
He could just imagine how surprised and taken aback they'd be to see him, one of the people they were supposedly observing, suddenly show up at their door.
The way they tried to act calm afterward would be very, very entertaining.
Heh heh heh... (The little guy in his mind let out a wicked chuckle.)
With that in mind, he stood up without hesitation and brushed off his pants, which hadn't gotten dusty in the first place.
The lollipop stick bobbed gently in his mouth as he set off toward the office in the administrative area.
The corridor was much quieter. Only his soft footsteps and the distant, indistinct commotion from the pool broke the silence.
When Lin Mu reached the door with the sign on it, he stopped.
Voices came from inside. One was Manabu Horikita's steady, resonant voice. It was hard to make out through the door, but Lin Mu's extraordinary hearing picked out the key words.
"...Class A, first-years, Sakayanagi and Katsuragi, congratulations. Scoring 940 points this month is certainly something to be proud of..."
Lin Mu raised an eyebrow. Oh? It seemed the Student Council President was giving Class A's elite a summary and some words of encouragement.
(Event period: May 1 to May 5)
Before you continue