In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 162

But today's early spring is actually blue...it's so cute.

"Idiot, what are you nodding about with such relish over there?!"

Mikoto reached out to poke Higashino's eye, but Higashino reacted quickly and dodged slightly to the side.

"Mikoto, this is beyond our control..."

At this moment, they were passing through a courtyard area that was relatively crowded.

Several girls wearing Tokiwadai school uniforms suddenly surrounded them, pushing Higashino and his two companions away.

The students' faces were filled with undisguised admiration and respect, as if they were asking Mikoto for advice.

Although Mikoto was a little unaccustomed to being surrounded by so many people, she glanced at Higashino and the others who had been pushed aside, and then answered them calmly and naturally.

Ruiko and Haru looked at Misaka Mikoto, who was surrounded by people and seemed to have her own halo, and then looked at themselves, who had just had their skirts lifted and were blushing as they tidied themselves up, and Ruiko, who was smiling happily next to them. The two looked at each other and sighed softly in unison.

Ruiko sighed softly, "Sigh, I knew it..."

Haru nodded in deep agreement, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness and genuine admiration: "This is the real, authentic Tokiwadai lady..."

Higashino nodded in agreement: "As expected of Tokiwadai's ace, he's really popular!"

Although he was pushed aside, Higashino could still hear some of the conversation. The children surrounding Mikoto were elementary school students and her junior classmates, who admired her a lot.

"Let's sit on those chairs over there and wait for a while. It looks like Mikoto won't be able to leave for a bit."

Faced with Higashino's suggestion, Haru and Ruiko had no objections and sat down on a nearby bench to wait.

About ten minutes later, Mikoto walked over with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting!"

"Wow, Misaka-senpai is so amazing! Those kids' eyes were shining when they talked to you!"

The eyes are actually shining in early spring.

"Haha, is that so..."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's continue shopping."

Looking at the shy Mikoto, Higashino dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes and stood up.

"Yes, yes, let's continue our summer festival adventure!"

Ruiko stood up excitedly and announced this.

Chapter 197 Inviting Tsuchimikado Natsumi?

After walking around for about an hour, the four of them were tired from walking and playing, so they found a small table under the shade of a tree to rest.

The small table was soon filled with snacks that Ruiko had spent a long time choosing in Tokiwadai Diner: exquisitely designed strawberry cream tarts, macaron tarts decorated with gold leaf, tiramisu sprinkled with pistachio crumbs, and the monthly limited-edition matcha mousse that Mikoto strongly recommended, which is said to be among the top three in Tokiwadai.

"Wow...this strawberry tart is so beautiful! It's like a work of art! I don't even want to cut it!"

Tears welled up as she looked at the strawberry tart decorated with cream frosting that resembled a blooming rose in front of her, holding her fork with a conflicted expression.

It was so beautiful that she almost couldn't bear to damage it.

Just as she was hesitating, a decisive hand reached out from the side.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

In early spring, she picked up the dessert knife on the table and deftly and cleanly cut the delicate strawberry tart into four pieces in a few strokes, ruining its perfect shape and revealing the distinct layers of cake and jam inside.

"Hatsuharu!"

Tears welled up as she looked at the artwork that had instantly "disintegrated" and cried out in anguish.

"Ok?"

Chu Chun blinked her big eyes, looking completely at herself, picked up her portion and stuffed it into her mouth, squinting her eyes happily.

"Delicious! Ruizi, eat it quickly! The cream will change texture if left out too long!"

She then pointed to the other desserts piled up like a small mountain on the table.

"There are still so many!"

Looking at the huge pile of snacks in front of Haruharu, Ruiko couldn't help but complain, "Hey, Haruharu, how can you eat all of this?"

Chu Chun swallowed the mousse in her mouth, puffed out her little chest, and her face radiated an almost divine glow: "Of course! Ruizi, have you forgotten? Sweets are stored in a separate stomach! So there's absolutely no need to worry!"

She paused, as if she had thought of something, then suddenly smiled and pointed to Higashino beside her.

"Besides, there's a senior here! The senior will help me out a bit, right?"

She cast a dependent look at Dongye.

"Of course, I'll take care of it."

Higashino smiled indulgently and picked up a piece of tart that had been cut in early spring.

However, the next second, the smile on his face suddenly became somewhat "weak," and the hand holding the fork "fell limply" to his side. His brows furrowed slightly, and he let out a soft "painful" groan: "Ugh... but... when we were shopping just now, I think someone gripped my wrist a little too tightly, and my wrist... is a little sore..."

The three women's eyes instantly focused on him, their expressions varying.

In early spring, there is simple worry; Ruiko is speechless at seeing through the routine; and Mikoto rolls her eyes at the thought, "Here we go again."

Apart from putting their arms around Higashino's arm when they first met, none of the three of them had been holding him while they were walking around.

Higashino slightly raised his "sore" hand, looking at them with an innocent yet expectant gaze: "I might need... being fed to relieve the pain..."

Even Chu Chun, who is usually the slowest to react, has now realized that her boyfriend isn't actually feeling unwell; he's just faking it.

The three of them exchanged a helpless glance and sighed in unison. Their mischievous boyfriends... they just couldn't do anything about them.

But looking at his pretentious manner, I felt a little amused and... inexplicably expectant?

Chu Chun was the first to pick up a fork, carefully forking a small strawberry garnished on the matcha mousse. Her face flushed, she slowly brought it to Higashino's lips: "Senpai, ah..."

Higashino ate it without hesitation and even made a face that said, "I feel better now."

"Mmm, that's really good..."

Although Ruiko muttered "really" under her breath, she still forked a piece of tiramisu and handed it over crisply: "Here! Eat yours!"

Mikoto snorted, seemingly casually forking the largest macaron, and gently but with a gesture that appeared disdainful: "...Open your mouth!"

Higashino Yu enjoyed the loving care from his three girlfriends, who were all very different yet equally adorable, with a smile, and ate to his heart's content.

When he reluctantly said, "Thanks to everyone's careful care, my hand seems to have regained some strength," he immediately picked up a fork and glanced at his three girlfriends.

"To express my gratitude to the three 'nurses' for their attentive care."

A charming smile curved his lips.

"Now, it's my turn to serve. Which piece would you like to eat first? Ah..."

All three of them blushed instantly. Being fed by their boyfriends in public at a busy summer festival... it was just too embarrassing!

But looking into Higashino's gentle and expectant eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse, and a little bit of anticipation began to emerge in her heart.

In early spring, she lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Matcha...matcha..."

Ruizi feigned composure: "The strawberry tart piece!"

Mikoto turned her face away, her voice soft: "...Macarons will do."

Thus, under the swaying shadows of the trees, Tokiwadai's ace, Academy City's guardian deity, and the energetic Level 2 air user—three charming girls, their cheeks flushed—were gently fed desserts by the same man, creating a sweet yet subtly delicate summer scene.

The only anomaly might be that this scene, which should have been so eye-catching, went largely unnoticed. Most people simply glanced at it and thought that this commonplace scene was nothing to worry about, and then reasonably ignored it.

Just as the four of them were enjoying this cozy afternoon tea time, and the desserts on the table were almost finished, a burst of children's noise came from afar.

Wow! It's Misaka Mikoto!

"Misaka-neechan is there!"

A group of children dressed in cute clothes ran over excitedly under the stern yet gentle gaze of the dormitory supervisor.

"Oh, it's you guys!"

Mikoto stood up in surprise.

"The dorm supervisor said she'd take us to Tokiwadai today! She also told us that Misaka Mikoto will be giving a special performance later! We're so excited!"

A little girl shouted excitedly.

"Performance?!"

Misaka Mikoto froze instantly, her face turning bright red. She stared wide-eyed at the calm dormitory supervisor not far away.

Clearly, this strict dormitory supervisor "inadvertently" revealed a "surprise" to the children.

Mikoto's expression changed instantly.

Oh my god! Dormitory supervisor! How could you even say that out loud! She instantly felt incredibly frustrated and embarrassed.

She had kept this a secret even from Higashino, too embarrassed to tell anyone. Now that the children had mentioned it, everyone understood what had happened.

Ruiko and Hatsuharu exchanged a glance, their eyes sparkling with sudden realization and interest.

"Oh~ I see!"

Ruiko chuckled and nudged Mikoto with her shoulder.

"Mikoto-senpai, so you were performing today? You kept it a secret, you were planning to give us a huge surprise! You're so cunning!"

"That's it!"

Chu Chun nodded vigorously, her face full of admiration.

"Misaka-senpai's performance is sure to be amazing! We're all really looking forward to it!"

Higashino also cast a hopeful and smiling glance his way: "Yes, Mikoto, I'm looking forward to it too."

He knew, of course, that Mikoto had a performance today, but she hadn't mentioned it, so Higashino didn't ask her. He figured he'd see it when the time came.

Moreover, being suddenly exposed like this, and seeing Mikoto's embarrassed yet adorable appearance, is worth it.

Mikoto felt even more embarrassed by their stares, her face turned even redder, and she stammered, unable to speak, only able to scratch her hair in frustration.

Just then, Tsuchimikado Maika, dressed in a maid outfit, hurriedly pushed a food cart past. Upon seeing Mikoto, she quickly stopped and asked, "Misaka-san, have you seen Shirai-san? There are a few high-end ingredients in the kitchen that need her confirmation and signature, but we haven't been able to find her."

Mikoto shook her head: "No, Kuroko hasn't come back since you called her away."

She was also a little puzzled, since Kuroko shouldn't have messed up the logistics.

Wuxia sighed, "Ugh, Shirai-kun, who knows where he's gone again at this crucial moment..."

Just as she was about to leave, Higashino called her back.

"Tsuchimikado-kun, please wait a moment."

Higashino gave a polite smile.

"I happen to have something I'd like to ask you. I recently moved to a new house, a fairly large villa, and routine maintenance and deep cleaning are proving to be a problem. You must be a student at Liaoluan Home Economics School, right? I've heard your school has excellent professional capabilities. Would it be convenient for us to exchange contact information? I might need the help of a professional like you in the future."

Actually, Higashino had considered hiring a professional maid to clean the house when he moved. However, Himegami Akisa and the others were still at home at that time, so it wasn't urgent and he put the matter of hiring a maid aside.

However, everyone has been out playing with Xiaomeng these past few days, and even if they come back, it will be almost time for school to start, so Higashino has put the matter of hiring a maid back into consideration.

He had even checked out a dedicated app on his phone when he had some free time. As expected of Academy City, the app could hire students in all sorts of related professions.

It's rare to encounter a familiar character from the original work today, and Higashino thinks it's better than hiring an unfamiliar extra, right?

Wu Xia paused for a moment, then flashed a professional, sweet smile: "Of course, sir. This is my work contact information."

She readily took out her phone and exchanged contact information with Higashino.

"Deep cleaning and routine maintenance of villas is one of our specialties. Feel free to contact us anytime."

Although Tsuchimikado Maika is not very old, she is a top student at school and usually takes on some housekeeping services through the app. She was a little surprised by Higashino's invitation, but she didn't find it strange.

Many students in her major take on jobs off-campus.

"Thank you very much. I will contact you if I need anything."

Higashino put away his phone and smiled as he watched Mai Kazuha push the food cart away. Before leaving, Mai Kazuha didn't forget to say to Mikoto, "Misaka-san, good luck with your performance later! I'm really looking forward to it!"

He left in a hurry after saying that.

As soon as Wu Xia left, three pairs of eyes with complex meanings fell on Dongye You.