In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 23

Higashino acted as a peacemaker; if Mugino lost her temper, this harmonious banquet would be ruined.

"Hurry up and finish eating, we have things to do later."

Her sharp gaze swept over the messy table and the crowd, finally giving Higashino a warning look.

"Yes, yes, hehe..."

Frenda seemed to be frightened by Mugino as well, and became a little more obedient.

Just then, Chu Chun gently put down her teacup, the ceramic base striking the wooden tabletop with a crisp sound.

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the window, landing perfectly on the glass between her fingers.

"Everyone, look!"

She gasped softly in surprise.

Suddenly, the glass in her hand refracted and shimmered with a dreamy, mesmerizing seven-colored halo!

At this moment, Higashino used his ability to make the cup appear magnificent, something it shouldn't have had.

Within the glass, it seemed as if newly awakened galactic spirits swirled and drifted, transforming the small container into a miniature universe filled with flowing stardust. This magnificent scene instantly illuminated the dimly lit restaurant.

"Wow--!"

Frenda was the first to exclaim in surprise.

"You'd definitely be a hit if you went to the party, senior."

Ruiko stared curiously at the cup, thinking that she must ask her senior to prepare something more romantic for their next date.

"Your use of abilities is really quite strange."

Having witnessed Higashino's ability to hypnotize for three seconds before, and having learned some details of the previous battle, Huang Quanchuan is now very curious about the extent to which this man's ability can be used in a different way.

Everyone knows that only Higashino could do something like that.

Twenty glasses of grape juice, shimmering with dazzling light and shadow, were raised in unison, captivated by the man-made dreamlike radiance.

Happy recovery!

The crowd shouted in unison, their laughter mingling together.

The crisp, pleasant sound of glass colliding echoed throughout the room.

Beneath this warm surface, more subtle undercurrents are surging.

Mikoto, who was to Higashino's right, accidentally touched Higashino's leg with her knee under the table, and her face under her brown bangs instantly turned red.

Sitting opposite Higashino, Ruiko appeared to be intently enjoying the food, but under the table, she stretched out her toes and hooked them around Higashino's calf.

"Hey, early spring~ How about another piece of tamagoyaki? I'll feed you!"

She deliberately drew out the sweet ending of her voice, and as Chu Chun blushed and obediently leaned forward slightly to open her mouth, Lei Zi's fingers holding the chopsticks "inadvertently" brushed against the other person's soft lips.

She chewed slowly in early spring, her cheeks flushed like a fiery sunset, so obedient and gentle that it broke your heart.

She realized that, hidden by the tablecloth, the instep of her right foot was being gently and firmly pressed against by the tip of Higashino Yu's shoe.

This intimate physical contact made her heart pound like a drum, and her hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, almost causing her to drop the food she had just picked up back into the plate.

Mugino, who had just bent down to pick something up, saw everything, and a dark line seemed to appear on her expressionless forehead.

Suddenly, a tiny, almost invisible, fine green light of atomic collapse quietly gathered at her fingertips, like a treacherous venomous snake, silently aiming at Higashino Yu's chair leg, intending to give this smug newcomer a little "lesson"!

However, upon realizing Mugino Shizuri's intentions, Higashino quickly used his ability to make the atoms in a small area inert, making them impossible to control easily.

The green light disappeared quietly. Kinuhata Saiai, who was next to her, was still chewing on her Pocky with a blank expression. She seemed to have noticed something, but she uttered two words almost inaudibly: "Today's Mugino Chao is... childish."

A hint of helplessness and disdain seemed to flash in the dead fish's eyes.

Meanwhile, Huang Quanchuan, who was drinking beer, frowned again. She suddenly looked up and said, "Wait...aren't the relationships between you guys a little too...?"

Her stern, probing gaze fell upon Higashino and the several girls around him who were behaving too intimately.

I always feel like something is wrong, but I can't put my finger on it.

"teacher--!"

Reiko reacted incredibly quickly, her clear voice instantly rising to drown out Huang Quanchuan's question! She raised her glass high, revealing the remaining grape juice that still shimmered with a dreamy glow, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face as she cleverly interrupted the interrogation: "The atmosphere is so nice, how about another glass of juice? It's super~ fitting!"

Her voice was bright and captivating, instantly drawing everyone's attention and perfectly masking the more complex and ambiguous physical interactions under the table.

Chuchun quickly raised her glass as well, and as if in response to Ruiko, she leaned forward slightly to clink glasses with her.

Mikoto also raised her glass at the opportune moment.

Kuroko then took the opportunity to press half of her body tightly against Mikoto's arm, almost sitting in her lap.

Just then, Higashino Yu felt a headache coming on.

Maintaining such a large-scale cognitive correction for ten people simultaneously, including two Level 5 individuals, consumed far more mental energy than he had anticipated!

He rubbed his forehead without making a sound, a slight dizziness came over him, but the strange feeling quickly dissipated with his persistence.

As his gaze swept over the long table—so lively, dotted with cream, dripping with juice, and even a little disheveled—

Frenda is struggling with the cream stuck to her skirt, Takitsubo is calmly sipping her porridge, Ruiko is playfully fighting with Haru, Mugino is wiping her hair with a dark expression, Kuroko is trying to get close to Mikoto, Moe and Yomikawa are drinking beer together, and Kinuhata is calmly eating...

Higashino couldn't help but laugh. A certain feeling was uncontrollably welling up from the bottom of his heart, diluting the fatigue and dizziness.

My body and mind are protesting... but it's all worth it!

The twilight outside the window had deepened, and night had replaced the last rays of the setting sun. However, inside this small apartment, the sounds of conversations in various languages, laughter as food was snatched away, occasional grumbles of dissatisfaction, and the clatter of cutlery... all blended together into an increasingly boisterous symphony.

I wish this kind of daily routine could continue forever!

Chapter 32 Black and blue-and-white bowls are both signs of good civilization!

The banquet had already come to an end without anyone noticing.

Higashino Yu stood in front of the sink, something he, the "injured one," could rarely do to help. After all, the girls had already done most of the other things.

"Senior Higashino, I've sorted all the trash."

Shiori's voice came from behind.

Higashino turned his head and saw the girl kneeling in the middle of the living room, sorting the trash.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Higashino dried the water droplets on his hands and squatted down next to Chuchun.

"Let me help too."

"Oh dear! This is the time to leave it to a professional housekeeping expert!"

Suddenly, Leizi jumped out of the kitchen, waving a dishcloth that almost hit Chuchun's face.

She winked playfully, revealing a mischievous grin: "But as payment..."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly rushed to Chu Chun's side and precisely hooked her finger around her friend's skirt.

"Wait, wait! Could it be that you, Ruiko...!"

As if sensing something, Chu Chun involuntarily shrank back, her hands instinctively protecting the hem of her skirt.

"Don't come over here!"

But it was too late.

"Hey!"

Leizi's clear voice rang out, filled with the excitement of "success".

Ruiko unleashed her skirt-lifting maniac skill, and the effect was outstanding.

With a soft "whoosh," the hem of her skirt was lifted up completely in early spring.

Under the indoor lights, early spring's personal hobbies are on full display.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment; Chu Chun remained bent over, frozen in place.

"Ugh... Ahhhhhh!!!"

A scream shattered the stillness of the night. Chu Chun frantically held down her skirt, her ears burning red, and tears of shame welled up in her eyes.

She glanced at Higashino in a panic and found that he also looked surprised. Clearly, Ruiko's sudden act of giving out benefits was beyond her expectations.

This subtle observation made her wish she could evaporate on the spot immediately.

She grabbed her schoolbag abruptly, unable to even manage a "goodbye," and rushed headlong toward the entrance.

"Hey~ Haruharu! Just kidding, don't be angry, you're not an outsider!"

Seeing this, Leizi's face showed guilt and anxiety after causing trouble, and she quickly chased after him with a grin.

With a "click," the door was opened first.

"Then we'll take our leave now, goodbye senior!"

She turned around and hurriedly left a sentence.

At this moment, Higashino's voice rang out, tinged with a hint of mockery, yet also mixed with curiosity aroused by the previous farce:

"and many more."

Tears subconsciously stopped in her tracks, turned around to look at him, and showed a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

"Anything else, Senior?"

With a meaningful smile playing on his lips, Higashino pondered for a moment before saying, "Speaking of which... I don't think I've ever seen Ruiko's 'style' before? I'm a little curious."

His tone was half-serious, half-joking, with a clear hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Eh?!"

Ruiko's eyes widened suddenly as she stared at Higashino in disbelief.

For the first time, a blush uncontrollably and genuinely crept up her cheeks and earlobes, and her usually carefree aura seemed to have been punctured, "whoosh," and half of it dissipated.

"Senior, really... are you planning to 'avenge' Hatsuharu?"

Her voice rose half an octave, her eyes darting around in a panic for a moment before being ignited by that childlike "unwillingness to admit defeat."

She took a deep breath, tried to lift her slightly flushed cheeks higher, puffed out her chest, and glared back with a look that was both defiant and bluffing:

"Hmph! If you want to see, don't blink, you cowardly senior!"

The moment she finished speaking, almost as if she had given up on herself, with lightning speed and a hint of "going all out," she swept her skirt up with her left hand!

Swish-!

A flash of indigo. The hem of her skirt was pulled down even faster.

"Are you satisfied now, you idiot senior!"

After that instant, the feigned boldness on Ruiko's face completely vanished, replaced by genuine embarrassment and blush.

She glared at Higashino Yu, her eyes conveying both anger and reproach.

Before Higashino Yu could react, she turned around abruptly as if she had been burned, opened the door, and rushed out with a speed even more hurried than that of Hatsuharu, even with a hint of fleeing in panic.

With a "bang", the door was slammed shut.

Higashino leaned against the wall in the entryway, recalling the scene he had just witnessed. He clicked his tongue softly and chuckled softly.

"Black lace and blue and white bowls? I didn't expect Chu Chun to be even bolder than Ruiko in terms of clothing."

Higashino Yu unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth. He turned around and looked around the living room, where the mess left after the banquet had been cleaned up completely.

"They're all great girls; it would be difficult for the average person to choose."

"But I don't have that problem. No one will question my rationale if I take them all!"

Looking at the closed door, Higashino let out a long sigh of relief, but the smile on his lips deepened.

Clang!

A clear sound, like a heavy earthenware pot being knocked over, suddenly came from the direction of the balcony!

Huh? What's going on...?

Higashino frowned and walked over quietly.