[As expected... still no good.]
[I... really... am I just extra after all? I'm just an unwanted child. No one in this world needs me. What's the point of my existence?]
Saiki looked toward the girl sitting in the park getting drenched in the rain. It was none other than Shiina Mahiru.
After the results came out today, Shiina Mahiru had thought that since she got first place, maybe after all this time, even if her parents didn't treat her any better, at least they could treat her like a person, even just a little.
But in the end, it was all for nothing. Her parents were still as indifferent as ever. The phone call was just to tell her they'd sent money, nothing else. It was like they didn't see her as a person at all.
Today, when she received the call from her father and heard that cold tone, Shiina Mahiru didn't say a word. She just cried silently. She wanted to stand in the rain to calm down, but the rain didn't calm her at all. It only made her feel more and more unwilling.
Saiki watched for a while, then continued walking toward the apartment.
(Yare yare. Sure enough, it's this kind of development. You see the school's beautiful idol, the campus flower, standing in the rain in Yuzhong Park after exams. What do you do?)
(Choice 1: Go up and comfort her with concern.)
(She might politely reject you, but then people would think you're meddling. It gives off the vibe of "why are you coming over to talk to me?" After all, she's the one who chose to stand in the rain for no reason. If you don't know the facts and just rush in to care, it's not great.)
(Choice 2: Call your friends over to watch the show and take photos.)
(You and your friends might feel satisfied and have fun, but you'd earn the beautiful girl's disgust. Plus, others might tell their friends, and word spreads until the whole school knows. By the next day, people might be saying "that guy saw someone in the rain and went over to gawk and laugh." Then you'd get pointed at and talked about.)
Some people might see Choice 2 and think "yeah, yeah, pick that one, that's the good one."
Saiki just wanted to slap those people twice and tell them "good my ass." (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)
(Choice 3: Pretend you saw nothing and go home.)
(You get nothing, but you also lose nothing. It's the most correct option. It's her business if she wants to stand in the rain. It has nothing to do with you. Have some boundaries. As long as she doesn't ruin herself, it's fine.)
Saiki was the type to pick Choice 3.
Shiina Mahiru seemed to hear something and looked up. She caught a glimpse of the pink-haired figure holding an umbrella leaving from the corner, then lowered her head again and continued getting soaked.
Then 5 minutes...
10 minutes...
30 minutes...
An hour later...
Shiina Mahiru's delicate body in her school uniform finally couldn't stop trembling from the cold.
[Ugh~ No good. I can't stay here anymore, or my body will really break down.]
The wind was still blowing after the rain. The heavy downpour had turned into light rain, but that chilly, gloomy feeling still enveloped Shiina Mahiru. When she stood up, her head spun and she felt dizzy.
Even though it was already May, the weather was unpredictable. The temperature dropped several degrees when it rained.
Shiina Mahiru also felt her body's discomfort. After standing up and taking two steps, she suddenly felt faint and collapsed to the ground.
...
On the other side, Saiki was sitting on the sofa eating coffee jelly.
After finishing, he had just picked up a book to read when Shiina Mahiru's figure flashed through his mind. Saiki didn't pay much attention to it. After reading for a bit, he stood up.
[Yare yare. I've pretty much eaten all the coffee jelly. Might as well go buy some more. Yeah, that's it.]
Saiki grabbed his umbrella and went out. He was just going to the supermarket to buy coffee jelly. He definitely wasn't going to check on someone's condition.
Right after Saiki left the apartment and walked a short distance, a purple figure holding an umbrella came toward him and greeted cheerfully. "Saiki-kun, hi~ ❛‿˂̵✧"
Saiki sighed when he saw her. [Yare yare. Kubo-san, why are you here again? We just finished exams today, and it's raining. Shouldn't you hurry home instead of wandering around out here?]
Kubo Nagisa fidgeted and moved closer to Saiki, then raised her small hand to cover so her voice wouldn't leak out, as if afraid someone else would hear. "Didn't we agree before? After the exams, I'd come borrow a book from you. Isn't now the perfect time?"
(Oh, so that's it. Still, no need to rush so much.)
"But I didn't expect to run into you. Do you need me to come with you? I'm free right now!"
[Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'm just heading to buy some coffee jelly.]
Saiki paused for a moment, then asked. [On your way here, did you see anyone in the park?]
"Anyone?"
Kubo Nagisa twirled her finger against her head a few times, thinking.
"I wasn't really paying attention. I don't think I saw anyone."
[Didn't see anyone?]
(Whatever. I'll just do it myself. Clairvoyance.)
Saiki's pupils instantly crossed toward the center, forming a cross-eyed look as he located Shiina Mahiru's position.
After finding her, Saiki smiled.
(Found her? Sigh, still in the park. But why is she lying down? Is she sleeping? — Sleeping!!)
"Pfft, hahaha, Saiki-kun, what's with the cross-eyes? You look like a total creep when you laugh like that."
Kubo Nagisa poked Saiki's cheek from the side and asked.
But with his clairvoyance, Saiki slowly zoomed in on Shiina Mahiru. She wasn't lying down to rest. She had clearly collapsed and was lying unconscious in the rain.
(This isn't sleeping at all. She's fainted.)
Saiki started running toward the park. Kubo Nagisa looked confused but still followed.
When the two arrived at the park, sure enough, they saw Shiina Mahiru lying on the ground.
"Huh? Isn't this Shiina-san?"
Saiki held the umbrella forward, turned the collapsed Shiina Mahiru over, and patted her face.
[Hey, hey, you okay, Shiina-san?]
Saiki patted Shiina Mahiru's face, then felt her forehead.
[Good grief, this has to be around 40 degrees. But it's fine. She won't die.]
"This isn't good. Should we take her to the hospital? But it's kind of far."
[Let's take her to the apartment first. Kubo-san, you come along too.]
Saiki picked Shiina Mahiru up and ran toward the apartment.
He could have used teleportation to get her to the apartment or restoration to heal her fever instantly, but either way would expose his superpowers. Especially since Kubo-san was right there. A high fever that heals with one touch would be way too suspicious.
In her daze, Shiina Mahiru struggled to open her eyes and looked at the Saiki Kusuo holding her. "Saiki∽... is this a hallucination..." Then she closed them again.
They reached the apartment quickly. Saiki placed Shiina Mahiru on his bed, turned to Kubo Nagisa, and instructed. [Kubo-san, could you help Shiina-san change out of her wet clothes and dry her body? I'll go get some medicine.]