Chapter 159 - 157 Monday Again_1

This sentence almost froze Arakawa Reina's blood. Please, please don't recognize me! she inwardly begged. The usually non-religious girl prayed to any god who would listen, desperate for her classmates not to recognize her. Takahashi Saeko glanced her way, shook her head, and said, "I don't find her familiar." "Indeed. If we'd seen such a pretty girl before, we would have remembered her." Tama Chan echoed the sentiment, not noticing the class president's disguise. It was mainly because Arakawa Reina's classroom image was completely different from her current appearance. Unless someone observed her very closely on a regular basis, or was like Ayatsuki Ayaka who could recognize people by instinct, it would be difficult to spot the difference. I'm so relieved, Arakawa Reina thought. "Is that so? I always feel like I've seen her somewhere," Ayatsuki Ayaka muttered, not pressing the issue further. Arakawa Reina hastily said with a smile, "This way, please, Masters." Takahashi Saeko's eyes flashed with surprise. That voice... the class president?! The thought crossed her mind, but she didn't expose it, as Arakawa Reina clearly didn't want to be recognized by them. Arakawa Reina led them to the spot where Ayatsuki Ayaka sat last time, smiling and asking, "What would the Masters like to order?" Without Aozawa by her side, Ayatsuki Ayaka didn't hold back. She assertively picked up the menu, scanned it, and said, "I'll have an egg tart, blueberry cake, and a latte." Takahashi Saeko and the others ordered some desserts at random. "Very well, please wait a moment, Masters." Arakawa Reina bowed and turned to leave. Ayatsuki Ayaka put down the menu. She had invited the three out not for eating or shopping, but to discuss a very serious matter. "Didn't I tell you the day before yesterday that my friend went out with the boy she likes, only to find out he had plans with another girl?" She began by setting the scene and then said, "Today she sent another message, saying she wanted to ask the boy out again, only to discover he also had plans today." Hearing about "my friend version 2.0," Takahashi Saeko said with a smile, "That's really unfortunate. What time did your friend's beloved boy come home yesterday?" "Nine o'clock," Ayatsuki Ayaka said weakly. Tama Chan and Takahashi Saeko exchanged glances and shook their heads. "In that case, the boy is probably no longer a virgin," one of them said. "Maru, my friend's beloved is very upright; he wouldn't do such a thing." "Boys at that age are just beasts. Unlike men in their thirties or forties, who only turn to so-called romance when they're no longer capable." "You can't say that. Maybe something delayed him, like he went too far and needed more than an hour to return." Miyahara Kaoru offered a different opinion than Tama Chan. She didn't want to see Aozawa and Iroha's relationship fail. She was still looking forward to Aozawa breaking Iroha's heart. The two hadn't even gotten started, so how could Iroha become disillusioned with men yet? "Yeah." Ayatsuki Ayaka nodded and said, "Kaoru is right. Now she's asking me what to do. I have an idea, but I want to hear your opinions to see if you're thinking the same. This is my test for you!" Takahashi Saeko held back her laughter, thought for a moment, and said, "In this situation, I would reveal some personal secrets in a somewhat forward way to capture the boy's heart. For example, while going upstairs, I'd 'accidentally' show off my blue and white stripes." Tama Chan said with a smile, "I would increase the number of dates and set up the date for next week in advance. The place, naturally, would be a haunted house." "What if she has no money to go?" Ayatsuki Ayaka asked sincerely, seeking advice on how to get into a haunted house for free. Tama Chan was taken aback. She always had boys pay for dates in the past; she hadn't considered this problem. After a moment's thought, she said, "It doesn't have to be a haunted house. She could try a paranormal adventure, exploring abandoned places at night." "His home has a curfew." "No problem. As soon as night falls, any abandoned place becomes creepy. There's no need to wait until late at night." Ayatsuki Ayaka's eyes lit up, thinking this was a good idea. She nodded and said, "Great, I'll tell her right away! And by the way, we can help set up the place. Saeko, you're familiar with Tokyo. Do you have any recommended spots?" "Yes," Takahashi Saeko nodded. As a Street Cleaner, she was well aware of abandoned places. "Good! When it's Monday, I..." Ayatsuki Ayaka got so excited she almost slipped up, then quickly added, "I'll have that friend of mine talk to him face-to-face on Monday." "Okay. Once we've finished eating, we'll go set it up." Takahashi Saeko couldn't help but smile at Ayatsuki Ayaka's lively expression. So cute, she thought. 「May 29th, Monday.」 At exactly six o'clock in the morning, the alarm clock on the bedside table went off on time. The ringing sound woke Aozawa, who was fast asleep. He didn't open his eyes right away. Instead, like a young girl smitten in spring waiting for a date with her beloved, he slowly opened them with a sense of excitement. Superpower: Power of Enlightening, he noted as the words appeared before him. He blinked, and they dissolved into the air. Aozawa didn't get up but used Schrödinger's Cat to gradually turn his body semi-transparent. Before testing his new power, he wanted to see to what extent Schrödinger's Cat had been weakened. With a thought, he appeared atop the Tokyo Tower. Fierce winds howled all around, the rumbling sound like thunder. He looked out over Tokyo in the early morning, trying to imagine going to Hokkaido. The scenery didn't change. He imagined Osaka next, still no change, then he thought of Kyoto. Still no change. Aozawa had to narrow the range again. After several tests, he roughly understood that Schrödinger's Cat had drastically reduced its range. It went from being able to go anywhere in the country to within a radius of eighty kilometers. He felt a bit regretful but didn't dwell on it. What's done is done, he thought. Compared to the past, I should now focus on applying my new power. With a single thought, Aozawa returned to his bedroom. From the name, Power of Enlightening, it should affect objects, Aozawa mused. As for people, I'm not so sure. I'll test that later. Aozawa decided to try it on an item at hand. His body turned from translucent to solid. He walked over to the desk, picked up a black pencil, and tried to use the Power of Enlightening. In that moment, his right hand felt warm, as if something was flowing into the pencil. Then, as if by instinct, his grip loosened. The pencil that fell onto the desk quickly swelled and shed its black outer layer, transforming into nearly transparent, pale skin. Golden hair draped over its ears. Its body was tall and robust, muscles immediately evident, and it nearly covered the entire desk surface as it stood there. The transformed pencil was completely undressed. Aozawa looked at the man before him, a hint of surprise on his face. The pencil actually transformed into the likeness of Dio? "Kamisama," a seductive voice emitted from the former pencil. From its eyes and expression, it seems to possess a certain level of intelligence, Aozawa observed. It bowed its head submissively. A new image formed in Aozawa's mind: the floor under the desk. He found he could share the viewpoint of the transformed pencil. He next tried to control the pencil-person, making it raise its hand. The pencil-figure complied naturally, speaking with a devout tone, "My body and spirit, all belong to Kamisama." Aozawa wore a contemplative expression. I wanted to continue exploring, but now isn't the time for testing, he thought. He canceled the Power of Enlightening, and the likeness of Dio before him swiftly disappeared, reverting to a pencil on the desk. Aozawa stroked his chin. The Power of Enlightening allows me to share the perspective of the transformed object and control its actions mentally. The specific appearance, it seems, is also based on my thoughts; otherwise, the pencil wouldn't have changed into Dio. The key questions now are: what kind of ability does the transformed object have? And is it possible to transform several things at once? He decided not to hurry to tackle these questions just yet. Outside the door, Morimoto Chiyoda was waiting. If he delayed any longer in the room, she might come in to wake him up. Aozawa changed into his school uniform and opened the door, saying, "Good morning, Chitose. You're just as beautiful as ever today!" "Mhm," Morimoto Chiyoda replied with a sultry nasal hum, continuing with her yoga. He walked toward the washroom, chuckling. He didn't bother brushing his teeth, just rinsing his mouth with water. Then, he used his Catalyst Sensing Ability to monitor Morimoto Chiyoda outside, to prevent her from barging in. Aozawa used the Power of Enlightening to transform the toothbrush, toothpaste, and cup, controlling their size and shape in his mind. Just as I imagined, he thought. The objects, like the toothpaste, turned into tiny figures, like little figurines standing there. They remained silent, but respectfully knelt. Their view of the world was presented as a series of images in his mind. Aozawa needed only a thought to control their actions. In this state, he could make these figures perform various tasks, as though a single person were having their left and right hands box each other. It must be a kind of mental enhancement brought by the Power of Enlightening, Aozawa deduced. Aozawa tried to bestow his own abilities onto the transformed objects but failed to share his powers with them. He frowned slightly and attempted to make the toothpaste, now in Tsunade's form, use his own powers. She took a horse stance, and white toothpaste squeezed out. Aozawa understood: the transformed objects would only retain their original capabilities. For example, the toothpaste transformed into the shape of Tsunade could only squeeze out toothpaste. He wasn't sure if the volume matched the original amount of toothpaste. Aozawa instructed Tsunade to use both hands, adding two more outlets for squeezing the toothpaste. The toothpaste flowed continuously, obviously exceeding the original amount. This meant that the transformed objects would maintain their inherent capabilities. Infinite toothpaste? Aozawa mused. It sounds useless, but if it were a firearm, that would mean unlimited bullets. What kind of ability might a transformed building have? What about a computer? And, of course, can people be transformed? I'll need to find some unsavory characters to test this on. Aozawa canceled the Power of Enlightening, but the squeezed-out toothpaste did not disappear. He washed it all away with water. I'll find a place to do some proper experimenting this afternoon, he decided.