In the garden, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, softly sprinkling upon every green leaf, bathing the entire garden in a faint, golden halo.
The autumn flowers swayed gently in the breeze, emitting waves of intoxicating fragrance.
Kato Megumi stood quietly by the fountain, her black jewel-like eyes gazing at the undulating water at the top of the fountain, her thoughts unreadable.
Jhin arrived at the garden, glanced at her slender, straight, white legs clad in short socks, and then took the initiative to greet her:
"Kato-san, I'm here."
"So you can notice me even when I don't speak like this." Kato Megumi turned to look at the entrance, having been testing whether Jhin could notice her. "As expected, Jhin-san is different from the others."
"You're joking, Kato-san. I'm just an ordinary person."
How could an ordinary person take things out of thin air?
Kato Megumi originally didn't believe in the existence of supernatural phenomena in this world either, but that notion was easily shattered after she saw Jhin take items out of the air.
Since she wanted Jhin's help, Kato Megumi was prepared to be frank with him. Based on her observations during this period, Jhin wasn't the type of person to act recklessly just because he possessed special abilities. If not for her thin presence, she certainly wouldn't have discovered his identity as an esper.
Jhin had always interacted with them as an ordinary person. Although his relationships with some girls somewhat went against common social sense, the girls themselves didn't mind, so Kato Megumi wouldn't gossip. She was also a normal adolescent girl; having bumped into Jhin and them doing 'the deed' many times at Mihama Academy, she inevitably held a trace of curiosity in her heart.
Is that kind of thing really that comfortable?
Kato Megumi suppressed the trace of romantic fascination in her heart, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said to Jhin:
"I would like Jhin-san to solve the problem of my thin presence for me. Is that okay?"
"No problem." How could Jhin disagree? It was better to say this was originally one of his to-do list items. Now that Kato Megumi had brought it up herself, it suited his intentions perfectly. Jhin patted his chest confidently. "Leave it to me."
Kato Megumi clasped her hands in front of her and bowed to thank Jhin:
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. Our promise came first, so solving your problem is something I should do."
"Rest assured, Jhin-san, I won't tell anyone about you being an esper."
"Hmm?" Jhin blinked in confusion. "What esper?"
"I saw you retrieving items from thin air."
Jhin raised an eyebrow. So Kato Megumi had seen him when he was using his storage space; no wonder she mistook him for an esper.
Thinking of this, Jhin put on a sinister smile, stuck out his tongue to lick his lips, and let out a strange chuckle:
"Kato-san, aren't you afraid I'll silence you permanently for exposing my identity like this?"
"Does Jhin-san want to see a scared expression on my face?" Kato Megumi remained expressionless and said calmly, "Sorry, I don't think you have that kind of malicious personality, so I'm very relieved."
"Oh my, Kato-san, you make me look quite silly doing this." Jhin scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. It seemed that trying to tease Saint Megumi couldn't be done with such simple methods.
"Sorry, I'll play along next time."
"No need. Having you play along would give me no sense of accomplishment."
"Does Jhin-san like teasing girls?"
"It's not like I tease every girl..."
"Is it that you only tease the girls you like? Like Miss Irisu and Komine-san."
A trace of surprise flashed across Jhin's face, his mouth opening slightly as if he forgot to close it:
"Ka—Kato-san, how did you know..."
Being asked this question, Kato Megumi also couldn't maintain her calm expression. A trace of unnatural crimson flashed across her face, and she said softly with shifting eyes:
"I saw... you guys... that... just..."
Kato Megumi stammered for a long time without completing her sentence. Seeing her like this, Jhin understood that she most likely saw him engaging in 'gunfights' with the girls at school.
"I understand now." Even with Jhin's thick skin, he couldn't help but feel his face burning hot, and he hurriedly stopped her. "Kato-san, you don't need to say anymore."
After a moment of silence, Jhin asked proactively:
"Kato-san, you haven't told anyone else about this matter, right?"
"No. I talked to Kazami-san, and I also promised her that I wouldn't proactively reveal these things."
Jhin was surprised in his heart that Kazami Kazuki hadn't told him about this, but he still thanked Kato Megumi verbally. "Mn... Thank you for your understanding."
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Regarding the problem of my thin presence, Jhin-san, do you have any good solutions?"
"Kato-san heard the story I told today too, right?"
"Yes."
Jhin proposed to her, "How about tentatively trying the method the male protagonist used?"
"Huh?" Kato Megumi's unruffled expression finally couldn't hold up anymore. Her fair cheeks instantly turned incredibly red, and her small hands clasped tightly together behind her back.
To... to directly confess to me in front of the whole school? Isn't doing that a bit too radical?
Moreover... we aren't in that kind of relationship where we like each other. Or could it be that Jhin-san has actually had his eyes on me for a long time, and that's why he said that?
Do I look like the kind of girl who would casually agree to someone's confession?
Seeing Kato Megumi silent, Jhin knew she must have gotten the wrong idea and quickly explained, "It's not a confession. It's a method to make you more conspicuous yourself, making it impossible for others to ignore you."
"So that's how it is..." Only then did Kato Megumi heave a sigh of relief, the blush on her face fading considerably. "If it really were a confession, it would be very difficult for me. After all, I wouldn't agree to your confession, Jhin-san."
Jhin laughed. Naturally, he wouldn't fantasize about a situation where Kato Megumi agreed to a confession; if it were the scatterbrained Michiru Matsushima, there might be some possibility.
"Let's start with Kato-san's attire. How about dressing a bit more trendy and fashionable on your days off?"
"What counts as trendy?" Kato Megumi thought her clothes shouldn't be considered very tacky, right?
"Uh... something more eye-catching?"
"That's just a boy's perspective, right? Wouldn't it look very strange to wear clothes that expose the midriff and thighs in the dormitory?" Kato Megumi shook her head in resistance; she didn't want to dress like that on her days off.
Where is it strange? Doesn't Amane dress like that often?
Jhin retorted silently in his heart but could only switch to another method. He pointed at Kato Megumi's bob cut: "How about trying to grow your hair long? Although the process takes a lot of time."
"That sounds acceptable. Are there any other methods?"
"Hmm... how about I call you Megumi, and you call me Jhin?"
"Jhin-san, you really do have designs on me, don't you?"
"You can't put it that way. Our school has few people to begin with. If the two of us suddenly address each other intimately, you'll also receive attention from others, right?"
"Then let's try it for a while. If there's no effect, you have to make a dessert for me."
"No problem."
Before parting, Kato Megumi asked Jhin one more question: "Is long hair your personal preference?"
____
New Story: Starting from Their Seventeen Years Old
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan