“Hiss!” Misaka Mikoto, who had returned to the dormitory, suddenly shivered.
She hugged her arms and looked around vigilantly.
“What’s wrong, Onee-sama?” Shirai Kuroko poked her head out of the bathroom. “Did you catch a cold on the way? Do you want me to let you use the bathroom first?”
“No, no need.” Misaka Mikoto waved her hand. “I just suddenly felt a creepy sensation, as if I had forgotten something important.”
After much hesitation, Shirai Kuroko finally spoke: “Onee-sama… are you regretting it?”
“Regretting? Why do you ask that?” Misaka Mikoto asked, puzzled. “Ah, are you talking about what happened just now? It was a bit embarrassing and flustered at the time, but… but I don’t regret it at all. My feelings are serious!”
“…” Shirai Kuroko retreated into the bathroom, her voice muffled through the door. “Onee-sama, you’ve got the wrong person and the wrong timing. Now, it’s completely meaningless to say these things to me, isn’t it?”
“Uh… you’re right.” Misaka Mikoto buried her head in the arms of a teddy bear.
In the bathroom, Shirai Kuroko also submerged herself in the water, looking at the bathroom ceiling through the water’s surface and exhaling a string of bubbles.
…
Just as Hu Feng Toumi had speculated, Lin Wuming returned to Family Side a little earlier than them, and the three met at the elevator.
Upon returning home, the three of them tacitly avoided mentioning today’s “date” and the series of events that followed.
After a simple dinner, they each washed up and returned to their rooms to rest.
Huangquanchuan Aisui watched, utterly confused, wanting to inquire about the date, but sensing the atmosphere, she felt she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
—Could it be that they messed up? But Shokuhou Misaki’s expression didn’t seem like it. And Hu Feng didn’t seem particularly happy either.
Despite her curiosity, Huangquanchuan Aisui knew that with the way the three of them were now, even if she pressed them, she probably wouldn’t get any answers.
So, she could only temporarily suppress her curiosity and wait until they were well-rested and recovered tomorrow before asking.
The next day, the three of them, Lin Wuming, Shokuhou Misaki, and Hu Feng Toumi, were fully rejuvenated.
It was as if they had forgotten all sorts of things that happened yesterday after a good night’s sleep, and everything returned to normal.
Lin Wuming woke up early as usual, preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
Shokuhou Misaki also came downstairs, yawning and sleepwalking, waiting to be fed breakfast.
Hu Feng Toumi, as always, was doing her routine morning exercises in the living room.
Huangquanchuan Aisui sat at the head of the dining table, waiting for breakfast while opening the newspaper beside her.
“Hmm…” As her gaze quickly scanned the headlines of the news reports, Huangquanchuan Aisui felt something was off, as if she had forgotten something.
Because such a morning was so natural, it had almost become a routine.
No extra thought was needed; her body would automatically take action.
It took Huangquanchuan Aisui a while to remember to ask about yesterday’s “date.”
But now that Hu Feng Toumi and Shokuhou Misaki were both at the dining table, Huangquanchuan Aisui didn’t know how to start the conversation.
So, she turned and asked, “Misaka Student doesn’t seem to be here today.”
Since the summer vacation, Misaka Mikoto had been showing up very frequently. So, her absence had become a rare occurrence.
“Misaka Student…” Shokuhou Misaki said, “She’s probably still resting, right? She’ll probably be back here like usual in two or three days at most.”
—Something really did happen yesterday, didn’t it?
Huangquanchuan Aisui thought to herself, looking at Lin Wuming: “Wuming, can you spare some time later, and we can talk?”
“Eh? Me?”
“Yes.” Huangquanchuan Aisui nodded.
The question needed to focus on the key point. No matter who she asked among the girls, or how she asked, it seemed a bit inappropriate. So, it was better to ask the boy; it was simple, clear, and she didn’t have to worry too much.
“No problem, but it’s best to keep it brief,” Lin Wuming also took precautions in advance, “I still have some things to do; I need to go out this morning.”
“Judgment activities?”
“No,” Lin Wuming shook his head, a subtle expression on his face, “I just signed up for a cram school and need to attend classes.”
Poof!
Shokuhou Misaki suddenly choked on her milk, coughing hard beside him.
—Senior Wuming, you actually agreed to Aleister’s magic cram school?
—Yes, I couldn’t find a reason to refuse. And given the situation at the time, I had no choice.
Starting today, Lin Wuming was to receive private lessons from the magician Aleister Crowley, specifically to learn magic-related knowledge.
After the initial surprise, and reviewing Lin Wuming’s memory playback from yesterday, Shokuhou Misaki quickly accepted the reality.
At least, the biggest secret, “Lin Wuming is an esper,” was kept safe.
Long before, Lin Wuming and Shokuhou Misaki had discussed matters related to “secrecy.”
The final conclusion was that the “Bullet Time” golden finger could be exposed—or rather, its exposure was inevitable.
Unless Lin Wuming stopped using this ability… but that was clearly impossible.
Firstly, “Bullet Time” was an important life-saving skill. Without it, Lin Wuming would have died countless times already!
Compared to “secrecy,” “saving one’s life” was naturally more important.
Secondly, “Bullet Time” was a passive skill.
Lin Wuming could actively activate it by attempting “suicide,” but he couldn’t actively turn it off.
As long as a “fatal crisis” was encountered, “Bullet Time” would inevitably appear. This was not controlled by Lin Wuming himself.
However, it was precisely because of this characteristic that it could become a true “life-saving skill.”
Therefore, in summary, there was only one way to completely keep the “Bullet Time” secret—to adhere to Lin Wuming’s original goal from the very beginning of his transmigration.
Do not interfere with any original plot, do not engage in combat with others, and do not put oneself in danger.
Completely lie flat, be an ordinary student, and enjoy a new life…
Unfortunately, this wish was shattered the moment Lin Wuming went on a killing spree in the Black Moon Technology basement.
Given that, the exposure of “Bullet Time” was only a matter of time.
Due to the existence of “Stagnant Air Circuit,” Lin Wuming never expected this secret to be hidden from Aleister from the start.
To have kept it hidden until now, frankly, Lin Wuming was already very satisfied.
At worst, he would just be considered an “Original Stone” ability user. Anyway, with Sogiita Gunha, that unscientific guy, as a precedent, he wasn’t afraid of his own performance being too outrageous.
For Lin Wuming, there was only one thing that truly needed to be strictly confidential—his essence as an “esper.”
Or rather, the original plot he possessed as an “esper.”
