Chapter 25: Chuunibyou is a Distinctive Japanese Trait, Not to Be Missed
"Stalker junior, are you also a masochist? What, did my insults excite you?"
Utaha looked at Shunsuke in disbelief, seeing how happy he seemed despite her verbal attacks. She started to wonder if she had unintentionally given him some sort of reward.
"I just thought of something that made me happy."
"And what's that?"
"You'll find out soon enough, Kasumigaoka-senpai."
"…Boring."
Without paying him any more attention, she refocused on her book.
Shunsuke shrugged and turned his gaze to the bunny girl across from him.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.
Mai Sakurajima blinked and pointed at herself. "You can actually see me?"
Before Shunsuke could respond, she seemed to realize the situation, closed her book, and turned to leave.
"Wait, hold on, Sakurajima-senpai, don't rush off."
"..."
Mai paused, then returned to her seat, staring straight at Shunsuke. "You know who I am?"
"Of course, you're one of Sobu High's famous third-year flowers. I don't think anyone doesn't know you, and besides, you're a celebrity."
"Oh, is that so."
With little interest, Mai propped her head on one hand, gazing out the window. Her posture leaned slightly forward, accentuating the cleavage at her chest.
Hmm, her outfit's slipping a bit—still lacking something in the 'material' department. It would suit that snarky one over there better, Shunsuke's "Star Platinum" evaluated as he leaned in, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
At the same time, he also noticed Mai's acting skills.
She was probably dying of embarrassment inside, but as expected of a star actress who had been famous since childhood, her acting perfectly covered it up in an instant.
Without a precision rating of at least B or above, it would've been impossible to detect.
"Your name."
"I'm Fujii Shunsuke, from Class 2-F."
Utaha, who was sitting nearby, turned her head and gave Shunsuke a look like he was insane, feeling a bit uneasy inside.
With the typical Japanese herbivore guys, she could freely mock them, knowing that in this peaceful society, nothing bad would happen to her.
But if the person turned out to be a stalker with mental issues...
Realizing this, she quickly started packing her books, ready to leave.
"Fujii Shunsuke-kun."
"Yes?"
"Here's a piece of advice for you."
"Advice?"
"Forget about all of this," Mai said with a straight face. "You've already seen it, right? Right now, you're being treated like a lunatic by one of the 'untouchable' beauties of the third year. If you tell anyone about this, the whole school will probably think you're crazy, and your life will become miserable."
"That does sound like advice."
"I'm not joking."
Mai, slightly annoyed, raised her voice but quickly returned to her usual disinterested expression. "So, never get involved with me again."
"But that's going to be difficult, forgetting about you, senpai," Shunsuke said, gesturing with his eyes. "This scene is perfect for a night's daydream."
"Hey, you! What's going on in that head of yours?!"
"At the moment? Maybe the name of our second child?"
Mai's gaze turned icy. "Could you stay away from me?"
"Before that, could you please move your foot? It really hurts to be stepped on by a high heel."
"You look like you're enjoying it."
"I'm not! It really hurts!"
"I'll let it slide this time."
"You're the one who came out dressed like this, and now you won't let me comment on it," Shunsuke said, delivering the classic male retort.
Shunsuke had braced himself for a harsh scolding or a "creep" label, but instead, he saw Mai blushing, her face flustered and shy.
She stared at him, seemingly holding back her embarrassment, with a cute, wide-eyed expression. "In this situation, even an idiot should be able to tell what's going on."
Shunsuke nodded. "From my perspective, senpai, you're currently surrounded by a massive anomaly. If this keeps up, it's only going to get worse."
Mai's pupils shook. "Chuunibyou? Fraud? A cult? Brainwashing?"
"Hey, hey, that's a bit much," Shunsuke replied, his face darkening. "I'm just trying to help you out."
"And why should I trust you?"
Shunsuke sighed. "People today are truly sad. The moment someone offers genuine help, the first thing they think is whether there's an ulterior motive."
——Although I am indeed craving your body.
Mai remained unfazed. "Give me a reason to believe you."
"Isn't it enough that I pointed out your issue, Sakurajima-senpai? No one else can see you right now."
"Not enough. Who's to say you didn't see me by accident and are just pretending to be all mysterious?"
"Wow, are people in the entertainment industry really that wary? Or are you just an exception, Sakurajima-senpai?"
—Mai Sakurajima's paranoia is off the charts. Did I come on too strong and scare her? Maybe I should wait until she's dressed normally before trying to talk to her.
Shunsuke noted this useless detail in his mind and continued to act mysterious. "This anomaly should make it so that Sakurajima-senpai cannot be seen by others, not in a physical sense, but in a way that even your existence is forgotten and ignored. However, this kind of ignorance can sometimes fade, usually within a specific area. Once you leave that area, you'll be seen again."
Mai fell silent, clearly struck by what Shunsuke said. Her heart began to waver.
After a long pause, she finally asked, "How do you know this?"
"I already told you at the start. I saw the massive anomaly surrounding you, and I'm here to help."
As for the truth, there's no way I can tell her I learned it from an anime.
"Are you saying you're an Onmyouji? Does this world have some dark side with superpowers? So, are you the overseer of our school's area?"
Mai began to spiral into her chuunibyou thoughts, looking a bit excited, typical of a Japanese resident.
"No, senpai, you're overthinking it." Shunsuke ruthlessly interrupted her fantasy. "This is a scientific, daily world."
"However, things similar to superpowers do exist, just not in the way you're suggesting with Onmyouji or overseers; those concepts don't apply here."
"A scientific, daily world? Like what I'm experiencing right now?"
Mai stood up, gesturing to herself, her tone echoing Shunsuke's disbelief in the system. "Is this really a daily world?"
"Well, superpowers that can be explained scientifically. Have you seen 'A Certain Magical Index'? Your current situation can actually be explained scientifically."
"No, but the powers in that series are still more like magic, aren't they?"
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