[What?]
Saiki snapped back.
Shikimori: "Nothing. You were just spacing out. Are you okay?"
[I'm fine.]
Shikimori [From the very first day of school, I could tell—Saiki is someone who likes being alone… no, someone who enjoys solitude but doesn't actually like being alone, and really craves friendship.]
(I'm not really that kind of person.)
Shikimori [I want to go play with Saiki, but I can't force him. I have to respect how he feels. After observing him so long, the people he gets along with best are basically Sakamoto-kun and Yoshii-kun and them!]
(What are you talking about? They're the most troublesome…)
In Shikimori's mind, Saiki was pictured wearing matching outfits with Yoshii and the others, partying on weekends with a banner saying "Best Bros," all happily playing together.
(Who is that? Don't lump me in with them.)
Shikimori: "If—if you really don't want to go, it's seriously fine, Saiki-kun. Don't force yourself."
Shikimori had noticed more and more girls around Saiki lately.
Shikimori [Whether it's Kubo-san, Hideyoshi-san, or that so-called disciple Doma-san—they're all getting way too close to Saiki. This can't keep going.
Every time I see Saiki with them, my heart feels so uncomfortable, so empty—especially lately when eating with Hideyoshi-san, they looked so close. No! I have to make the first move—starting with summer vacation plans.]
Shikimori was genuinely afraid that one day Saiki would get taken by Kubo, Umaru, or some other girl.
She didn't know Saiki had superpowers, or that in the past he'd already been tangled up with girls no less beautiful than the current ones and come out just fine.
Tricking Saiki away wasn't going to be easy. Forget one box of coffee jelly… that wouldn't cut it.
(Hideyoshi is a guy!)
Shikimori [Saiki will probably refuse. If he does, I'll invite him alone.
If it's just me and him, he won't be nervous, right? Mm… take it slow.]
(Going to the zoo alone with Shikimori-san? Just thinking about it is scary. She'd probably launch another attack there anyway, and with all the people's and animals' inner voices mixing together in the zoo—nah, pass.)
[No, not at all. Going out once in a while during break sounds pretty good.]
"Huh? R-Really? Oh, okay."
Shikimori's expected refusal failed. Her one-on-one plan fell through, leaving her a bit down—but thinking that at least she could still go out with Saiki, her mood lifted somewhat.
"Mm, then see you during summer vacation."
Shikimori waved goodbye: "Don't forget!"
Saiki watched the figure gradually disappear.
(Rather than the danger of going somewhere like the zoo alone with her, it's better to go with everyone. Going out once in a while won't tire me out too much.
And according to the world's rules, if I refuse, even if we skip the zoo, something even scarier will happen this summer.)
At that moment, right behind Saiki, a shadowy figure was sneaking up.
[Yare yare…]
Akazawa Itsuki suddenly jumped out and grabbed Saiki's shoulders: "Gotcha, Saiki! I signed up for a wilderness training camp over break—7 days, 7 nights, super fun. Wanna…"
[Get lost!]
...
Third day of summer vacation, underground.
[Life rarely gives you do-overs, but]
[Being able to keep restarting within the time you have—that's progress. I…]
"Hey hey, look at that guy—what's he doing?!"
"He's so weird, and his clothes are strange too."
"Mm, yeah—he's a total weirdo!"
Two clay dolls hid in a corner whispering.
[Seriously, interrupting my hard-earned train of thought again. And I'm not a weirdo.]
Saiki instantly appeared behind the two clay dolls.
"Ah!"
The two clay dolls hugged each other and backed away.
"Gh-Ghost…!"
[You're the ghosts! Talking clay dolls, huh?]
Saiki reached out, grabbed one, and tapped its head.
[This isn't scientific! How can a clay doll float in the air and talk?]
"Let me go, let me go! Karama, save me!"
"Quick, let go of Karama!"
The other doll that hadn't been caught released yellow lightning from its eyes, shooting toward Saiki.
Saiki teleported out of the way and grabbed the other floating doll.
[It can even shoot lightning. Wonder if it's one of those legendary immortal types—if I smash it, will it regenerate?]
Saiki said with a smile, getting ready to act.
"Nooo! We don't regenerate—don't do it!"
"Ah, I'm sorry—help! Sha ren la, sha ren la www."
[You're not even human, seriously.]
Saiki looked at the two struggling and crying clay dolls. He hadn't planned to actually hurt them anyway.
"Sir, could you please let them go?"
A figure emerged from behind a stone pillar—a big-breasted beautiful girl dressed in what looked like a shrine maiden outfit.
Kurano Kiriha: "If you kill them, it'll be a huge headache for me."
Kurano Kiriha's picture →
[Who are you?]
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet."
Kurano Kiriha placed her hand on her chest and bowed in introduction.
"I am Kurano Kiriha, a descendant of the People of the Earth, of the Kurano clan that governs oracles and curses."
[Mm… People of the Earth, divine protection, curses—are you a chuunibyou? No, chuunibyou wouldn't show up in a place like this.]
Kurano Kiriha pointed at the clay doll still gripped in Saiki's hand: "I'm an underground person. Could you please let them go?"
(Underground people, huh? Another underground people plot straight out of novels—and I run into it again.)
[Sure. I was going to ask them something anyway—have them guide me. But first, answer a few questions.]
"Of course, but sir, shouldn't you tell me your name first? I already introduced myself."
...
[Saiki Kusuo.]
"Alright, Kusuo. You're a surface dweller, right? How did you get down here?"
(She just called me by first name!)
[Yeah, I'm from the surface. Now you're the one answering my questions.]
"A surface dweller who can casually enter the underground world."
[Are you even listening?]
Kurano Kiriha's eyes narrowed: "You might be a very dangerous person."
[Right back at you.]
"Let me test you first—show me what you've got."
A bracer suddenly appeared on Kurano Kiriha's hand. She bound her right arm and charged at Saiki with extreme speed, punching toward his stomach.
[So we're jumping straight to violence.]
Saiki lightly jumped, quickly dodged, and landed behind her. Kurano Kiriha's fist smashed into the stone behind him.
The stone shattered instantly.
"You're pretty fast."
Saiki's eyes gradually turned menacing.
[Looks like I need to show you the gap in our strength.]
...