Chapter 160 - 158 Iroha's Little Trick_1

The soft morning light spilled over the exterior of the club building, having nothing to do with Ayatsuki Ayaka. Today, she wasn't standing outside waiting. Because the president of the Human Observation Society hadn't finished her observation task, Ayatsuki was allowed to be in the Kendo club early to watch Aozawa practice. To avoid a repeat of Friday's scene, she specifically chose to enter the Kendo club after the other boys had left. Ayatsuki Ayaka didn't go up to disturb him but instead squatted in a corner, holding a thermos filled with vegetable juice, watching Aozawa swing his bamboo sword in the center of the hall. There wasn't a single trace of impatience on her wheat-colored cheeks; she just watched quietly, feeling utterly content, as if she could watch him all day. Aozawa didn't notice Ayatsuki Ayaka beside him. The moment his bamboo sword struck down, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind—What kind of ability would I gain if I enlightened my bamboo sword? Would I continuously create bamboo swords, or would I possess powerful Sword Dao techniques? He was distracted for a moment, came to no conclusion, and continued practicing Sword Dao until it was about time to end the day's training. Aozawa went to the changing room to remove the kendo protective gear. When he pulled off his headband, his black hair was slightly damp, as if it hadn't been dried after washing, and shone with a subtle gloss. He casually ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it, then stepped out of the changing room. Ayatsuki Ayaka stood up from the corner, approached him, and said, "Good morning, Aozawa. Here's your vegetable juice for today." "Thanks." Aozawa took the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and took a sip of the sweet vegetable juice. Ayatsuki Ayaka smiled. "Aozawa, I've found a place that's said to be haunted. Are you interested in a supernatural adventure?" Curious about the new dating spot she had discovered, Aozawa asked, "When are we going?" "This Saturday." "Okay." Aozawa nodded. He was free on Saturday. "What time in the evening? If it's too late, I won't be able to join." "Not late, it starts at 7:30 PM. The place is a factory in Takezuka, Adachi District. They say a fire occurred there in the past, and more than a dozen people died," Ayatsuki Ayaka hurriedly explained. She wasn't sure how Saeko had found out about that place, but it was perfect as an adventure setting. As night fell, a terrifying atmosphere would naturally arise. Especially with some scary items she, Saeko, and the others had specially fabricated. Ayatsuki Ayaka was already somewhat anticipating the scene: Aozawa, frightened, would hide in her embrace, and then she would wrap an arm around his shoulders, comforting him not to be afraid. This was to increase Aozawa's reliance on her. This was the brilliant plan she had concocted with the help of Tama Chan and the others. "That's good then." Aozawa chatted idly with her as they walked downstairs. Leaving the club building, the two entered the school building. As it was close to class time, no students could be seen in the hallways or on the staircases. Ayatsuki Ayaka took the opportunity to execute Saeko's strategy. She deliberately ran ahead, getting several steps above Aozawa. "Don't run so fast, be careful not to fall," Aozawa instinctively called out when he saw Ayatsuki Ayaka running so quickly. "Hehe, I won't." Ayatsuki Ayaka deliberately glanced back to check Aozawa's position, then, steeling herself, pretended to slip and fell straight to the ground. The fall had to be precise: not on the stairs themselves, but ensuring her upper body landed on the second-floor landing. Only then could she guarantee her short skirt would fail to conceal anything. "Ouch!" The cry wasn't feigned—it really hurt. Ayatsuki Ayaka's knee hit the step directly, and her body pitched forward onto the second-floor landing, her rear end pointing up, her short skirt hiked high on her thighs, offering no concealment. Blue-and-white stripes met Aozawa's eyes—fabric stretched taut over enticingly round curves. Aozawa glanced once, then quickly looked away. He went up to her and said, "I told you to be careful. Does it hurt a lot?" "No, it's fine." Ayatsuki Ayaka's eyes welled up with tears, but she stubbornly responded. This doesn't look fine at all, Aozawa thought. He crouched down and saw that her knee had turned red and seemed to be scraped. "You should go to the infirmary and rest a bit." "It's nothing. I'm not that fragile." Ayatsuki Ayaka stood up, realizing the cost of her act was greater than she had expected. But seeing Aozawa showing such concern, she felt the sacrifice was worth it. "Don't worry about that. More importantly..." She paused, glanced at Aozawa, pressed down on her skirt with her hand, and said with a blush, "Aozawa, you didn't see anything, did you?" "Ah, well, I didn't see *that* much." Aozawa thought for a moment and decided not to lie. There was no way to lie about it; from that angle, how could such a short skirt have hidden anything? Ayatsuki Ayaka's face reddened even more, and a secret thrill coursed through her. Her efforts had indeed not been in vain. She muttered, "Aozawa, you lecher." With that, she continued running upstairs, thereby clearing herself of any suspicion of having done it on purpose. This move could only leave a lasting impression if it seemed unintentional. Aozawa felt quite innocent. It was perfectly normal to see from that angle; it wasn't like he was intentionally peeking. But he didn't argue. After all, he genuinely thought it was quite something. ... Aside from the little episode on the stairs, Aozawa smoothly made it through the four morning classes. It was now lunchtime. He said goodbye to Phoenix Academy Maggie and headed to the club building. The noon sun was scorching, and only the shade cast by the cinnamon trees on the ground offered students brief relief from the heat. Aozawa walked through the courtyard to the side of the club building. The window was open. The beautiful sound of the guzheng drifted out from inside. He stood by the window and called inside, "Shouko, I've come to get my bento." The guzheng music stopped. Hojo Shouko got up and hurried forward with the bento. Her bosom heaved tumultuously, as if the buttons on her shirt were weapons ready to launch an attack. "Aozawa-senpai, I know Brother has already submitted his manuscript to Shueisha! It's all thanks to your efforts. Today, I prepared your favorite bento: fried pork cutlet, meatballs, and octopus sausages, with a few vegetables." Aozawa took the bento and smiled. "It really is quite a feast." He glanced inside and saw Natsuka Yanagimachi still with her back to him. He couldn't help but tease, "There's really no need to be so formal. Just act as you usually do. Pretending to play the guzheng every time is a bit too fake." Hojo Shouko nodded. "Right? In private, she hardly ever plays the guzheng. She joined the Guzheng Club simply because she thought, 'Oh wow, playing the guzheng really gives off a classical beauty vibe!'" Having her cover blown, Natsuka Yanagimachi's face turned red. She almost spun around and roared, which would have completely shattered her image as a classical beauty. Although she had indeed broken character during their last operation, she still wanted to salvage what she could. Aozawa asked with some curiosity, "Shouko, how come you joined the Guzheng Club?" Hojo Shouko immediately replied, "I'm one of the few members who genuinely likes the guzheng. When I play, I feel like the melody cleanses my soul." "I see. Well, I can't chat any longer, I'm off to the rooftop." Aozawa ended the conversation. Hojo Shouko, afraid he might forget, added, "Aozawa-senpai, remember to treat me to lunch this weekend. I've already made plans, so don't you go backing out at the last minute." "Don't worry, I can afford one meal." Aozawa waved his hand. "Then I'm off." "Goodbye." Hojo Shouko waved back at him, already thinking about what she wanted to eat. ... After lunch on the rooftop, Aozawa commented on Hojo Tetsuji's manga and then made an excuse about wanting to take a nap and left alone. His normal schedule was over. Next, it was time for him to test his superpower, the Power of Enlightening. Aozawa went to a secluded part of the school, placed his hand on the lawn, and used his Catalyst Sensing ability. Every spot with grass within a one-kilometer radius flooded into his mind. He observed the students and listened to their conversations to confirm they wouldn't come to this area to play. Without getting up, Aozawa directly enlightened a blade of grass on the ground, not restricting its size but imagining it as a normal person. The verdant blade of grass rapidly grew upwards. Then its swollen body began to lose its green color, turning snow-white. It grew limbs and a head, along with evolving physiological organs. A figure made of grass, resembling Nami from *Pirate King*, stood before him. Aozawa's face showed a trace of interest. He circled around it, then crouched down for a closer look. It's incredibly realistic. It even had body heat and a heartbeat; it didn't resemble a mannequin at all. "Kamisama, do you have any tasks for me?" the grass-formed Nami spoke. Aozawa retracted his curious gaze and asked, "Do you know what ten plus ten equals?" Grass Nami thought for a moment, looked down at its fingers, and began to count them one by one. After a while, it forgot again. A thoughtful expression crossed its face, and it had to shake its head. "I'm very sorry, Kamisama, but I am unable to answer your question." Aozawa mused. There was indeed an intelligence gap between enlightened objects and humans, much like the very rudimentary level of commercially available smart AI. That was why it couldn't even answer what ten plus ten equaled. Contemplating this, he took another look and said, "Show me your ability." "As you command, Kamisama." Grass Nami raised its hand, and green grass spread from its fingertips. The long strands of grass should have drooped downwards but, defying gravity, floated in mid-air instead. It could extend the grass to about half a meter. Aozawa reached out and touched the grass floating in the air. Then, using Telekinesis, he broke off a small twig from a nearby bush and handed it to Grass Nami. "Try to break this." "Yes." Grass Nami wrapped its grass around the small twig and gritted its teeth, straining with all its might, but it still couldn't break the twig. So weak, Aozawa thought. Does this mean enlightened grass can't exert strength beyond that of ordinary grass? He held out his index finger. "Wrap your grass around my finger and try." The tender grass instantly wrapped around his index finger, straining to snap it. But to Aozawa, the force felt no different from a massage. Aozawa couldn't help but glance down at his lower body. On second thought, grass isn't entirely useless. But now was not the time to consider the versatility of grass. Aozawa waved his hand, canceling his Power of Enlightening ability, and switched to using Schrödinger's Cat. He was preparing to try enlightening a villain.