'Sure enough, I can't hear any other voices. What kind of treasure have I gained?'
'But why does it feel so strange? Maybe because I'm used to hearing people's thoughts all the time? I should take it off.'
'No, no, what am I afraid of? If I don't have telepathy, there's one place I must go—the movie theater. That's right, with this, I won't have to worry about spoilers.'
Saiki kept a smile on his face.
'When I was younger, there was a movie I really wanted to watch. But two seconds after entering the theater, someone who'd already seen it spoiled it for me. Even if I picked the first screening, either the staff would spoil it or the thoughts of other viewers would annoy me... Now without telepathy, I can finally go to the movies!'
Thinking this, Saiki quickened his pace toward the theater. His usually calm mind finally felt a spark of excitement.
'Finally, some peace and quiet.'
'I shouldn't rely too much on my powers.'
'Alright, I'll—'
"Saiki!"
"?"
The sudden voice startled Saiki, nearly making his soul leave his body.
"Saiki... What's wrong? You look surprised to see me."
Saiki turned to the voice and saw Ichinose Honami.
'Yare yare, without telepathy, I didn't know Ichinose was here. I guess I rely too much on my powers.'
Normally, Saiki could use telepathy to know if acquaintances were nearby. Now, with his powers blocked, he was caught off guard.
Saiki quickly calmed himself and looked at Ichinose.
'If I had telepathy, I'd avoid this route. The worst thing is running into someone during my free time.'
'Why does Ichinose look so flustered? I can't read her mind... I should've taken off the ring.'
'No, I can't rely too much on my powers.'
Saiki adjusted his mood and replied, "Nothing, I was just passing by."
"Oh... um... Saiki, can you help me with something?"
Ichinose looked down, her gaze shifting nervously, her expression troubled.
'Ichinose needs my help? Rare. This is my precious undisturbed break.'
Saiki's instinct was to refuse, but he recalled recent events.
'Ichinose looks so troubled. It must be serious. If it's like Sakura's situation, I can't ignore it.'
'And though I don't want more trouble, Ichinose has helped our class and Sudō a lot. I can't just refuse.'
'But what does she want? I want to take off the ring—no, I can't give up here. I mustn't rely too much on my powers.'
Saiki realized he had no right to complain about Ayanokōji's noisy thoughts.
"Sure, what is it?"
Saiki agreed, hoping to solve the problem quickly so he could catch a movie before the school theater closed.
"I wanted to text you earlier, but I didn't know how to ask."
Ichinose's expression remained troubled.
"I... might... get confessed to here."
'Confessed to here?'
Saiki glanced around. No one was nearby. He'd taken a shortcut to avoid using his powers.
He hadn't expected to meet Ichinose here.
'This is behind the school building, and it's still hours before school ends. No students should be here—Ichinose clearly doesn't want to accept this confession. She looks so troubled.'
'Is it like Sakura's situation? This school has all kinds of weird people.'
'If so, I'll have to deal with them. What power should I use to teach them a lesson?'
"I don't know how to reject someone without hurting them... I searched online and found a reliable method."
Ichinose said seriously, holding a love letter.
'She just doesn't know how to reject them? Wait, I have a bad feeling.'
Saiki sensed something was off.
'Is this a cliché from a third-rate novel or anime?'
"I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend..."
"I refuse."
Saiki rejected her without hesitation.
Being Ichinose's boyfriend, even pretend, would be irresistible to many boys—but Saiki knew it would be a disaster for him.
'Yare yare, if I agree, the fallout would be terrible. I'd become the center of attention and a target for those with grudges.'
Saiki almost heard voices saying, 'Kill him.'
"Ichinose... who's he?"
Just then, a strange voice came from behind them.
It was Shiranami Chihiro.