In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 102

"Silly girl."

Looking at her completely bewildered and adorably cute expression, Higashino Yu couldn't help but chuckle softly, reaching out a finger to gently stroke the tip of her small, pert nose.

"Don't hold your breath, breathe."

"Woo..."

As if a spell had been broken, Chu Chun gasped sharply, then coughed softly, feeling so ashamed that she wanted to curl up into a ball and bury her burning cheeks deep in her knees.

"Senior...bad...bad person..."

She buried her face in her knees, uttering a soft, almost sobbing accusation, yet her voice was filled with an almost overflowing sweetness and happiness.

Looking at her adorable, almost meltingly shy expression, Dongye felt a surge of warmth in his heart and stopped teasing her.

He simply reached out and gently pulled her into his arms, letting her burning face press against his chest, feeling her rapid heartbeat through the thin T-shirt.

Early spring struggled symbolically for a moment, then, like a small boat that had found its harbor, it calmed down completely, nestled in his arms, feeling his steady and powerful heartbeat, as well as his warmth and breath.

The night was gentle, and only the two figures nestled together and the sound of even breathing remained in the villa.

After a while, Haru Shiori finally calmed down a little from the sweet dizziness. She reluctantly lifted her head from Higashino Yu's arms, her face still flushed, and said in a soft voice, "Senpai... it's getting late, I... I should go back too."

If she could, she would like to spend more time with her senior, but the school management in Academy City is actually quite strict, and the dormitory supervisor of Tokiwadai is just a microcosm of that.

Of course, it's not impossible to give a reasonable reason if you really don't want to go back, but what's missing is that reasonable reason.

However, these problems don't exist if you move out to live separately, but ordinary students usually don't have the opportunity, as the process is quite complicated.

"Tears are still waiting for me outside."

Knowing that Ruiko had said she was waiting for Haru outside when she left, Higashino Yu nodded and gently tidied her slightly messy hair and clothes, restoring them to their original state.

"Well, be careful on the road."

"Ok!"

Chu Chun nodded vigorously, her face beaming with happiness.

She stood up, whispered "Goodnight" to Dongye, and then tiptoed towards the entrance, turning back every few steps.

Higashino watched her leave. The faint sounds of Haru and Ruiko's hushed laughter and conversation drifted from outside, followed by their footsteps receding into the distance, and finally the gentle sound of the villa's door closing.

The living room became completely quiet.

Higashino Yu breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to return to his room to wait.

However, in this extreme tranquility, a sudden, urgent doorbell rang from the entrance hall!

Higashino frowned, somewhat puzzled as to who would return at this time. After all, this timing was different from when he had previously estimated the next person would arrive.

He thought it was early spring or that Tears had fallen on something, so he quickly went to open the door.

The door opened, and standing outside was none other than Misaka Mikoto, who had returned! Her short, brown hair was slightly disheveled, her breathing was a little rapid, and her fair cheeks were flushed from exercise. Her eyes held a mixture of frustration, nervousness, and a stubborn determination.

Higashino looked behind her, but Shirai Kuroko was not there.

"Mikoto?"

Higashino was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Mikoto would actually return, and that Kuroko, who had left with her, had also disappeared.

"Where's Kuroko?"

Logically speaking, even if the two who left together had to come back for something, Kuroko should never have separated from Mikoto.

"I...I shook her off!"

Mikoto was slightly out of breath, her tone carrying a hint of smugness, but mostly nervousness.

To get rid of Kuroko, she said she needed to go to the restroom, and while Kuroko waited outside, she took the opportunity to slip away.

She had just witnessed the entire intimate moment between Haru and Higashino in the living room from the shadows, and she even saw Higashino's hands moving quite roughly. A surge of emotion, a mixture of grievance, resentment, and some inexplicable possessiveness, welled up inside her!

Even though she was also his girlfriend, today Higashino's attention was mostly on Takitsubo and the other girls, and even after he left, Hatsuharu, who stayed behind, received special treatment.

Ruizi, who was waiting outside, also successfully launched a sneak attack. Only for her, today's intimate contact was only for punishment. The kind of thing done for punishment is not romantic at all, and it is not what she wants!

"Yu Higashino!"

She suddenly raised her head, looked directly at him, her voice trembling slightly, but more so with an undeniable firmness.

"I...I can't let them outdo me!!" She took a step forward, stepped directly into the entryway, and slammed the door shut behind her, isolating herself and Dongye in the small space of the entryway.

The lighting in the entryway was somewhat dim.

Mikoto stood before Higashino Yu, head held high, trying to maintain her composure, but her slightly trembling body and...

Chapter 130 The night is long and I can't sleep, so let's find someone to sleep with!

In Higashino's room, Higashino Yu sat at his desk, disappeared for a while, and then reappeared.

While physical fatigue can be eliminated using his abilities, mental exhaustion is inevitable, and in order to prepare for possible punishment, Higashino must conserve his energy.

He slept soundly during his phase, and to the outside world, only an hour had passed.

He has now recovered to his perfect condition, and the next battle can be completed perfectly.

Du, du du.

A soft knock sounded at just the right moment.

Higashino did not get up; he knew the person who came must be someone he had notified before leaving.

"Come in, the door is unlocked."

The door slid open silently. Standing outside was Fubuki Toshinobu, who had returned.

She was still wearing the same simple casual clothes she had worn that afternoon, with a light jacket casually draped over her shoulders, and her face showed a hint of undisguised fatigue.

After hurriedly taking Last Order and Misaka 9999 back to the hospital and settling them in, she had to rush back because of Higashino's request before she left.

She didn't come in; she just stood at the doorway, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at Higashino behind the desk.

"Higashino..."

Her voice was exceptionally clear in the silence, but there was no dissatisfaction in her tone. After all, for her, Higashino was the person she trusted most.

If you contact her so late, there must be something important that requires her to come back.

"What's the matter so late?"

Higashino leaned back slightly in his comfortable chair, watching her with a leisurely smile.

He was really looking forward to seeing what interesting expression Fubuki Toshinobu would make when he learned about his request tonight.

"Oh? Is that so? Then why did you come back, Fubuki?"

Fubuki Toshin's expression visibly froze, his brows furrowing as he wondered why Higashino was saying this: "Didn't you use your ability to 'transmit a voice' directly into my mind when I left, telling me to come back alone after seeing Last Order and the others off? That voice rang directly in my consciousness, how could I be mistaken?"

"what--"

Higashino Yu drew out his words, as if suddenly realizing something, and gently patted his forehead, his smile deepening, tinged with a mischievousness.

"Hehe, it seems so. Look at my memory, I just rested for a while and was a little drowsy, so I forgot for a moment."

Fushiki Toshinobu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he looked at his obviously feigned expression.

She felt that Higashino might just be making fun of her, teasing her for not participating in the competition because she was taking care of the two Misakas.

She took a deep breath, her tone finally carrying a hint of emotion: "So, Higashino-kun, can you tell me now? What important matter requires you to call me back so late at night? If there's nothing else, I'll leave now; I have a lot of things to take care of here."

She had to handle the follow-up and arrangements for her sisters, as well as all sorts of miscellaneous matters, while Higashino, who had been appointed as the guardian of more than 10,000 sisters by the higher-ups of Academy City, was completely a hands-off manager.

However, Fubuki Toshinobu didn't see anything wrong with this. After all, Higashino had already resolved the most important matter, so it was only right to leave the final cleanup to her.

She made a move to turn around.

"Wait, I called you here because I have something to tell you."

Higashino's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to freeze Nobuyuki Toshinobu's foot in place the moment he lifted it.

She slowly turned around, looking directly at Dongye, waiting for him to continue.

Higashino's nonchalant expression softened somewhat, replaced by a deep, scrutinizing gaze.

"You don't actually think..."

Higashino spoke slowly, each word striking clearly in the silent air.

"Is this the end of the Misaka Sisters' affairs?"

Fubuki Toshinobu narrowed her eyes, pondering the meaning of Higashino's words. She didn't speak, but simply looked at him quietly.

"The virus has been cleared, the experiment has stopped, Last Order and Number 9999 are recuperating in the hospital, and arrangements have been made for the other sisters..."

Higashino Yu stood up, walked around the desk, and approached Fubuki Toshinobu step by step.

"It certainly seems to be over. But, Fubuki Toshinobu..."

He stopped a step away from Fubuki Toshinobu, and lowered his head slightly to gaze at her.

"You are also one of the culprits behind their nightmare."

These words, like a summer evening breeze, instantly shattered the calm facade built by Bu Shudi's indifference.

Her pupils contracted sharply, and her fingers unconsciously curled at her sides, but her expression remained rigidly calm.

She couldn't refute it. Indeed, she was one of the key figures in this experiment, and although she tried to stop it from the shadows, it didn't change that fact.

"Although it cannot be denied..."

Higashino's tone softened a bit. He hadn't originally intended to hold Fubuki responsible; he just wanted to use this as an excuse to severely punish the girl.

After all, it is only right to be punished for doing something wrong.

The girl must have already made that decision.

"You deserve credit for what happened the other day, but..."

He closed the distance again, so close that Fubuki Toshinobu could clearly feel the indescribable pressure emanating from him.

"The price to be paid and the 'punishment' to be received will not be erased because of this."

Higashino's voice, like the whisper of a demon, echoed in Toshinobu Fubuki's ears.

Fubuki Toshinobu's heart skipped a beat. She abruptly looked up, staring directly into Higashino's eyes, which were inches away.

There was no anger, no accusation in those eyes, only a truth that seemed to see right through her pretense and struggles. She saw her reflection in his pupils, appearing so small and… fragile.

She remained silent for a few seconds, as if undergoing some kind of difficult mental preparation. Finally, she lowered her eyes, avoiding that unsettling gaze, her voice carrying a weary, settled calm:

"……I see."

She paused for a moment, as if resigning herself to her fate, or as if stating a fact she had long anticipated.

"I accept the punishment."

I don't know what Higashino's punishment was, but comparing it to the punishment the girls received during the day, it would probably be something similar.

"The punishment is—"

As he spoke, Higashino reached out and put one arm around her slender but stiff waist, while lifting her chin with the other.

Under the expectant gaze of Fubuki Toshinobu, Higashino launched an attack, announcing the start of this war.

"Well……!"

Although he had expected it, when they actually came into contact, Fushiki Toshinobu's body stiffened suddenly, and his mind went blank for a moment.

The sensory impact swept over us like a tsunami.

Higashino pulled her into his arms tightly, and her body crashed into his firm, warm chest as if she were weightless. Even through the thin fabric, they could both feel each other's strong presence more clearly.

Due to certain limitations, Higashino couldn't fully utilize his various skills, but it was enough to leave a deep and memorable first impression on the girl in front of him.

Soon after, Higashino slowly stepped back and released her lips, but the arms that were holding her captive did not loosen at all.

Fushiki Tsushin was forced to remain tightly pressed against him, her cheeks flushed, and her lips, swollen slightly, were a striking crimson from the intense battle.

Her eyes were unfocused. This was her first kiss in her life. She had observed so many people during the day and thought it was nothing special, that their reactions were too exaggerated. But now she realized how naive she had been.

She was completely unable to think calmly just now, and didn't even respond. The feeling of her mind going blank was something she had never experienced before.

The reactions she experienced in certain areas also made her feel extremely ashamed; these were reactions she had only learned about in physiology class.