About three years ago, Jhin had already fully integrated Hei's abilities and experience into himself. He could even use his powers without a card, and the phantom image behind him when he did use a card had changed to his own appearance. However, the useful bulletproof trench coat and daggers could only be materialized by using the card.
After that, Jhin began researching more ways to use his electrical discharge ability. He had always released the current outside his body to attack others, but what if he thought in reverse? What if he learned from a certain Ace of Tokiwadai and used a weak current to stimulate his muscles to achieve superhuman strength?
Through his years of continuous experimentation, he came to the conclusion that it was impossible. Jhin couldn't use electricity to stimulate and strengthen his muscles like Railgun. He felt the key factor was the complex calculation formulas.
Without them, no matter how Jhin used his ability, it only made his muscles feel a tingling numbness, with no strengthening effect whatsoever. He didn't dare to rashly increase the current's intensity, either; it would be a joke if he ended up paralyzing himself.
Thus, his dream of replicating a hand-fired Railgun was shattered.
The range of his electrical discharge was another factor limiting Jhin's ability to expand his powers. Without relying on the special daggers and wires materialized by the card, he could at most discharge electricity to a distance of no more than three or four centimeters from his body.
In the end, it was just Hei's ability on the surface, with too many limitations. If Jhin had acquired an ability like atom manipulation, he could just shout, 'Yin, send me the target's location,' and then teleport right behind them for a quick strike.
At the end of the day's classes, Komine Sachi seemed to have something she wanted to say to Jhin alone, but she was excitedly dragged away by Irisu Makina. Thinking she'd have another chance later, she could only put the thought aside for the time being.
Jhin chose to wander around the school building for a while longer. After all, he still had to greet Sakaki Yumiko, whom he hadn't met yet.
At dusk, the setting sun shone through the windows into the classroom. Just as others had said, Sakaki Yumiko arrived in the classroom at this time. She sat by the window, flipping through a book.
'Hello, Miss Sakaki Yumiko, the class-skipper.' Jhin leaned against the classroom doorframe, greeting the black-haired girl who exuded a prickly aura.
Sakaki Yumiko's hand, turning the page, paused for a moment before she continued reading as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring Jhin and treating him like thin air.
'Hey? Miss Yumiko?' Seeing no reaction, Jhin deliberately approached her while speaking loudly, 'Does she have a hearing impairment? Why didn't Chizuru tell me about this?'
A sharp utility knife, already hidden in her hand, was swung directly at the approaching Jhin. Judging by the look on Sakaki Yumiko's face, she wasn't joking in the slightest; she really intended to send Jhin to the hospital with one slash.
Smack. Easily catching her right hand, Jhin tapped her wrist with his fingertip, releasing a faint current that made her involuntarily loosen her grip on the utility knife.
'You really don't hold back, do you? If it were a normal guy, he'd probably be in the hospital by now.'
'So what?'
Looking at Sakaki Yumiko, who showed not the slightest hint of remorse and was even trying hard to maintain her icy demeanor to overwhelm him with her presence, Jhin began to wonder if Tachibana Chizuru had sent him here to attend school or to provide psychotherapy for these problem children.
'Never mind. I just wanted to say hello. My name is Jhin, and I'm 16.' Jhin picked up the utility knife that had fallen to the floor and handed it back to Sakaki Yumiko. 'Well, that's all the information I'll reveal to you for now. See you later, Miss Sakaki the class-skipper.'
Sakaki Yumiko watched Jhin's retreating back, repeatedly extending and retracting the utility knife's blade. She wouldn't accept this suspicious boy who had suddenly transferred into the school. No matter how much information she gathered, all she ever found was that he was an orphan who had been adopted.
It seemed she would have to spend some money to gather information through 'that' website. Having made up her mind, Sakaki Yumiko sat back down in her chair, her slender fingers continuing to turn the pages of the mystery novel she had yet to finish.
Jhin pushed open the door to his bedroom, and the beautiful sight within made him let out a soft whistle.
'Thank you, Miss Suou, for your thoughtful consideration of me, the new transfer student.'
'Whoa!' Suou Amane, who was changing clothes in Jhin's room, was startled, as if she hadn't expected him to return at this time.
Her bra, already unclasped, slipped from her shoulders. The red-eyed rabbits quivered, greeting Jhin in the orange glow of the setting sun.
'You startled me. Oh, it's you.' Suou Amane was completely unfazed by her state of undress, generously giving Jhin an eyeful.
Jhin, of course, wouldn't get red-faced like a novice (which he actually was) at such a scene. He casually tossed his school bag onto the bed, opened the fridge, and grabbed a soda to chug down.
'Hey... did you really just walk right in?' Suou Amane hadn't expected Jhin to walk in so calmly and drink a cola.
'Since you don't mind, why shouldn't I come in? If you do mind, you can refrain from changing clothes in my room.'
'I've always changed in here since before you came. The fridge is big, and it's convenient since it's on the first floor.'
'Then please, make yourself at home. If there's nothing else, finish changing and hurry back to your own room.' Jhin lay down on his bed and started playing with his phone.
Suou Amane finished changing but didn't leave. Instead, she hopped onto Jhin's bed in a W-sit and said, 'It feels like you're very used to dealing with girls, Jhin. Do you have an older sister or someone?'
'I used to have a sister. She died in a car crash. Because of her and Asako, I'm pretty experienced in dealing with overly familiar people like you.'
'Ah, sorry... Um, can I ask your sister's name?'
Jhin sat up in bed, a playful smile on his face as he stared at the slightly nervous Suou Amane and said, word by word, 'Kazami Kazuki, a student at the private Takizono Academy.'
In a daze, Suou Amane seemed to return to that small, cramped space filled with desperate screams, flying glass shards and dust, and flowing blood. Her breathing stopped for a moment.
'By the way, Amane, do you have any spare kitchenware?' Jhin didn't give her time to think.
'Huh? Ah, I don't think so. Why, are you planning to cook for yourself?'
'Sort of. I assumed a kitchen would come with utensils, but after buying groceries, I realized there was nothing to cook with.' Jhin opened the fridge to show Suou Amane the ingredients inside.
'Then just leave it all to me! Big Sis will cook for you.' Without giving Jhin any chance to refuse, Suou Amane grabbed the ingredients from the fridge and dashed out like the wind. 'I'll bring it over when it's done.'
Not that Jhin would have refused her offer to cook for him anyway. He was just a little disappointed that he couldn't test the performance of the range hood in his room.
'I should go out and buy a full set of kitchenware next time,' Jhin thought as his phone rang. The caller ID showed the name 'Julia.'
'Hello?'
'Jhin, the Special Agency paid a visit to the police station in your area today. Do you know anything about it?'
'Oh, I just relayed what that fat-headed, big-eared guy said to them. I don't know what they went there to do specifically.'
'You must have gotten me into some kind of trouble again!' Julia said through gritted teeth. No wonder she suddenly had to submit another report on Jhin to her superiors.
'It's nothing, just a small matter. Don't worry about it. So, Julia, what did you call me for?'
'I told you to call me Harudera Yuria over here!'
'I think Julia sounds better.'
'F-fine, whatever! There's a mission for you this time. It's been almost half a year since your last one. Don't forget the requirement that you have to go on at least one mission every six months.' Julia, with her complete lack of immunity to men, was so easily coaxed by Jhin that she forgot about giving him a hard time.
'Oh, how's Asako's trip around the world going?'
Kusakabe Asako, whose identity as [9029] was taken over by Jhin, had retired from the military years ago. Now that Jhin was attending Mihama Academy, she was even more motivated to travel. On Jhin's suggestion, she chose China as the first stop on her tour.
'She's still in China.' Julia was full of exasperation whenever she mentioned her best friend who had retired early to enjoy life.
'Hmm? I thought she'd already been there for over a month.'
'She hasn't even left a single province in China yet. Says there's too much delicious food to get through.' Every day, Julia received photos of all kinds of gourmet food from Kusakabe Asako, which made her, still stuck at work, wish she could drag the enviable woman back to work alongside her.
'Alright... Send the mission briefing to my phone. I'll head out in a bit.'
'Okay.'
Jhin glanced over the mission summary. It turned out he needed to deal with a drug lord whose location had been confirmed. He could handle that quickly. So, Jhin left a note, telling Amane to just leave the cooked meal on the table.
Before leaving, Jhin glanced at the nameplates by the door. Besides himself, everyone else was in the dorms. They were probably in their rooms doing homework.
Contrary to what he imagined, only Komine Sachi was actually in the dorm. In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by a desk lamp, she was diligently and intently tinkering with a timer and an old cell phone. None of the others were in their bedrooms.
_____
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