Bab 103: As Expected, Stand Potential is Rare
"It feels like you're a completely different person today, Shin-chan."
As Shin entered the classroom and took his usual seat, Megumi Kato, who was sitting in front of him, turned around and smiled at him.
They had exchanged a few texts over the weekend, so although they hadn't seen each other for a couple of days, their conversation remained familiar, almost as if they'd been together the entire time.
"Really? How so? What's different?"
Shin chuckled lightly, feeling that he hadn't changed much—if anything, he thought his combat strength had improved. But theoretically, this increase in power shouldn't cause any noticeable change in his appearance.
After all, Shin's control over his "ki" was already quite refined, and with the techniques of the Turtle School, he avoided unintentionally releasing too much energy.
"Hmm… You seem more confident, maybe? Did something happen over the weekend?"
Megumi Kato gave him a once-over, seemingly unconcerned about any social propriety between genders—a stark contrast to how people might react if a male student were to look a female student up and down.
Shin didn't mind her curious gaze; after all, Megumi was quite cute.
"Did you get some effective training at the kendo dojo over the weekend?"
"Kendo dojo, huh..."
At her words, Shin recalled the kendo dojo he'd visited with Yukino Yukinoshita two days prior. Spending an afternoon training in swordsmanship there had given him some experience with weaponry, though it was quickly overshadowed by his Turtle School training.
He hadn't expected to master Turtle School techniques so quickly. He initially thought it would take a lot of time, either by using a spaceship to visit other planets in search of Shenron or going to Earth to study under the Turtle School directly.
However, he hadn't anticipated that Zuno had an Angel's cube spaceship, allowing him to fulfill his wish and acquire powerful Turtle School martial arts in a single day.
The Turtle School's techniques, based on a philosophy of splitting mountains and breaking stones, were skills that could remain useful even in later stages. Compared to that, real-world kendo was easily outclassed.
Nonetheless, the kendo dojo visit wasn't entirely fruitless—at least he met Saeko Busujima, realizing that this world had elements from unexpected series.
"Though it has little to do with the kendo dojo, I suppose my training did yield results."
Shin guessed that the "confidence" Megumi noticed was a result of his boosted combat strength. Previously, with a power level of 40, he had to worry about withstanding heavy firepower; now, he no longer had to, which made him appear naturally more self-assured.
"Boys really do love physical training, huh."
Megumi remarked, looking thoughtfully at Shin, who appeared no different outwardly. Since she lived in a mundane world, it was impossible for her to imagine that Shin's "results" referred to withstanding bullets and now, possibly, even nuclear bombs.
"A strong guy is probably more appealing, right?"
Shin pulled out his textbook and placed it on the desk, giving her a teasing smile.
"Does Megumi hope her future boyfriend will be the scrawny type?"
"If any other girl heard you, they'd think you were confessing—easy to misinterpret, Shin-chan."
Her voice was calm, betraying no obvious emotion, yet Shin could sense a hint of something else in her tone, though she wasn't annoyed.
"That said, a boyfriend like you would be reassuring, Shin-chan."
"Your words could also be easily misunderstood, Megumi."
Shin laughed, realizing that when it came to making ambiguous comments, Megumi was no slouch either. Or… perhaps there was no misunderstanding at all?
"Where did the pendant on your neck come from? Was it a gift?"
Megumi's cheeks turned slightly red as she awkwardly changed the topic, clearly not entirely prepared for where the conversation was heading. Though she often displayed boldness, she was still a young girl at heart. From her demeanor, Shin figured her shyness wouldn't last long.
He wasn't in a hurry; he wasn't the kind of guy who needed everything instantly. Watching a young girl's budding emotions was one way of savoring life's pleasures.
"This? It wasn't a gift. I bought it myself," Shin said, fingering the pendant on his neck with a smile.
(T/N: Ayo)
—It was from Enya, so technically, he wasn't lying.
The pendant hanging around his neck was a black-and-gold meteorite arrowhead that let him check for anyone with Stand potential. Unfortunately, from his house to school, the arrowhead hadn't reacted to anyone.
Only when he encountered Hitori Gotou did it respond, confirming again that she indeed had Stand potential. After confirming this yesterday, he'd wondered if all main characters in different series had Stand potential. But today, when he tested it on Megumi, the arrow showed no reaction, suggesting that Stand potential wasn't that simple to categorize.
…
The morning classes quickly passed.
"Shin, let's have lunch!"
As always, Akagi showed up with his lunch, ready to eat together.
"Ah, sorry, I already made plans with someone else."
Shin smiled at him—during class, he'd texted Megumi, who mentioned that she had brought an extra lunch. Shin usually ate convenience store bread for lunch, so he gladly accepted her offer.
A girl's kindness wasn't something he'd turn down, so today, he wasn't planning to eat with Akagi.
"Oh? I see. I was going to tell you about my progress from the weekend."
Hearing Shin's words, Akagi looked disappointed; it seemed he had wanted to brag about his weekend gains.
"Who wants to hear about a guy's achievements?"
Shin jokingly kicked Akagi on the back—using the same strength as usual, merely pushing him away from his seat.
"Shall we eat here?" Megumi, holding two lunchboxes, quietly appeared beside him. Akagi, though right there, hadn't even noticed her take out the lunches.
Megumi's ability to suppress her presence would make her a prime candidate for an Assassin in the Type-Moon universe, wouldn't it?
"Let's find somewhere private."
Shin thought it over and decided to find a more secluded spot. While Megumi typically kept a low profile, her constant presence around him would surely make the class notice her eventually. To avoid unnecessary gossip and attention, he decided to relocate with her for lunch.
To be continued…
Hoi Ningen, FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
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Status Power Mingguan
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