Though he hadn't directly seen her face, even before that light, feminine voice reached my ears, Saiki Kusuo already knew who she was.
Kushida Kikyō—Saiki Kusuo vaguely remembered the name. During the self-introductions in class earlier, he had taken some notice of her.
With her brown, short hair and a face as cute as a doll's, her voice was as light as a feather. She was the type who easily blended in with those around her—
However, Saiki Kusuo had already used his psychometry to understand what kind of person Kushida Kikyō truly was.
"I want to be friends with everyone. That way, I can maintain this image of being well-liked, and everyone's attention will be on me. Plus, this way, I can use my network to gather more information!"
"I didn't get a chance to talk to Saiki Kusuo earlier. He seems like the aloof type."
"Maybe I can use this opportunity to get closer to him."
Saiki Kusuo could hear Kushida Kikyō's thoughts. Her inner intentions were completely different from how she presented herself. Probably very few people could see through her true nature.
Their meeting in the cafeteria wasn't a coincidence—Kushida Kikyō had deliberately followed him.
'Ugh, I've been targeted by a troublesome person.'
'Kushida and I are the least compatible types. She's obsessed with socializing and being the center of attention, which I dislike.'
'But for now, ignoring her would cause more trouble. I'll just deal with her briefly.'
Saiki Kusuo made his decision, nodded slightly at Kushida Kikyō, and activated his ability.
The Affection Meter was a derivative of his psychometry, allowing him to detect and quantify how much others liked him or each other. Compared to regular psychometry, this ability was more controllable.
'Too high affection makes me too noticeable, too low might make me a target for bullying. Keeping it around 50 is best.'
Thinking this, Saiki Kusuo spoke slowly.
"What a coincidence, Kushida-san."
Though Saiki Kusuo could use psychometry to transmit his thoughts directly into others' minds, he wouldn't do so with ordinary people who didn't know about his powers. Normally, he was quiet and rarely spoke unless necessary.
[Affection Level: 42]
'Moderately low affection? But it's within an acceptable range.'
Saiki Kusuo turned his head slightly, shifting his gaze away from Kushida Kikyō.
He had X-ray vision, and the longer he focused on a target, the deeper he could see. In just minutes, Kushida Kikyō's image in his mind had transformed into something akin to a biology textbook's anatomical diagram.
"I didn't expect you to like sweets so much, Saiki-kun! I love them too!"
Kushida Kikyō smiled and sat beside him, acting as if they were close friends.
[Saiki Kusuo seems hard to approach. I'll use sweets as a topic to get closer to him.]
'Impressive. She's acting like we're close despite an affection level below 50.'
Saiki Kusuo's expression remained unchanged as he adjusted the Affection Meter to check Kushida Kikyō's feelings toward others.
Without exception, her affection levels for everyone around her hovered around 40.
'This class has more oddballs than I thought.'
"Looking forward to your guidance! Let's exchange contact info!"
"Sure."
For Saiki Kusuo, exchanging contact info was pointless since he could communicate telepathically. But refusing her request would be impolite and likely lower his affection level.
"Kushida-san!"
At that moment, another person approached.
She had long pink hair cascading down to her waist. Her slightly round face featured delicate features, especially her gem-like eyes, making her look adorable. Her slender legs were clad in black knee socks, and her pale thighs were visible beneath her skirt.
Ichinose Honami, a member of Class B. Saiki Kusuo used his psychometry to identify her.
"Ichinose-san!"
Kushida Kikyō greeted Ichinose Honami with a smile. During the opening ceremony, she had already approached Ichinose and become 'friends' with her.
"This is Saiki-kun, my classmate."
"Nice to meet you, Saiki-kun! Please take care of me!"
Ichinose Honami greeted Saiki Kusuo warmly.
"May I sit here?"
Though she asked, she had already pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
'Refusing would be awkward, but this is my precious dessert time. I need to find a way to leave soon.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
"Ichinose-san, how are you getting along with your classmates?"
"Pretty well..."
Kushida Kikyō feigned difficulty.
"But... there's one person who doesn't seem to want to talk to me."
"Who?"
"Horikita-san. Have you heard of her, Ichinose?"
Kushida Kikyō began complaining to Ichinose Honami. Though it seemed casual, Saiki Kusuo clearly understood her true intentions.
[Horikita Suzune and I went to the same middle school. She might know everything I've done. I can't let someone who knows my true self stay in this school! If possible, I need to make her drop out.]
'Looks like this school is stranger than I thought.'
Saiki Kusuo pretended not to hear, quickly finishing his dessert. He thought that once he was done, he could leave the table without suspicion.