"Fortunately, there's no worse impact..."
Saiki Kusuo finally let out a sigh of relief. After all, they were at sea, lacking other reference points. Except for the GPS, no one noticed they had just teleported thousands of miles in an instant. The other students on the island didn't realize it either.
He then used his restoration ability to fix all the damaged trees around them. However, these trees looked a few sizes smaller than before.
"Without the limiter, the restoration ability reverts things to their state from seven years ago. It's even less useful now."
Saiki sighed. For now, he'd only dealt with the immediate problem. The real issue remained unsolved.
"But where did the limiter go? How did it come off?"
If he didn't know about the limiter, he might accidentally wipe out everyone on the island.
Saiki's mind raced, considering all possibilities. Suddenly, he remembered something. He quickly used his clairvoyance to search the entire island for Sakura Airi.
She wasn't there!
"Oh no, did Sakura do this? Did I accidentally teleport her somewhere else?"
Saiki's forehead broke out in a rare sweat. Without the limiter, even in deep sleep, he might unintentionally release his powers—like sleepwalking, but with psychic abilities.
He used his clairvoyance again, quickly searching for Sakura. Sure enough, he found her in a forest thousands of miles away.
Sakura was leaning against a tree, breathing heavily.
"Thank goodness, I'm still alive..."
Saiki adjusted his clairvoyance's angle and saw a massive brown bear in front of her.
"This is terrible!"
Saiki's face paled with fear. He instantly teleported to Sakura's side and flung the bear away!
"Saiki... Saiki-kun... What's happening?"
Sakura's face was pale with shock. Everything that just happened was beyond her understanding.
'This can't be hidden now...'
Saiki hadn't expected things to turn out this way. For a moment, he felt at a loss.
[Why am I suddenly in an unfamiliar forest... And why is there a bear... This makes no sense...]
'...'
[Am I... dreaming?]
'Hmm?'
[Could I... be dreaming?]
[There's something called a lucid dream... where you're fully aware in the dream and can do whatever you want...]
After hearing Sakura's thoughts, Saiki had a new idea.
'Luckily, Sakura usually acts alone, so her absence hasn't been noticed. If she thinks she's dreaming, it's easier to handle. I just need to confirm it's a dream, and she'll believe it!'
As Saiki thought of a solution, Sakura suddenly stepped forward and hugged his arm.
"Saiki-kun, you're here!"
Sakura's face was bright and energetic, completely unlike her usual gloomy self.
[If this is a dream, I don't have to worry about social issues. Maybe I can be the person I want to be and interact with Saiki that way!]
Sakura, unlike her online idol persona, deeply wished to become her true self, Shizuku.
Even in photos, she looked energetic and cheerful.
But her shyness and fear of socializing prevented her from being that way in real life.
Now, thinking she was dreaming, Sakura had no social worries.
In dreams, people often do things they'd never dare to in reality. That was Sakura now.
"Kusuo-kun!"
'Whoa, even her persona changed. This is tricky.'
Saiki didn't resist. He sat down, following her lead.
'Normally, I'd knock her out and take her back to the island. But without the limiter, I can't. If I move, she'll fly like a soda bottle rocket. I'll have to wait until she falls asleep naturally... But it's daytime. I can only play a lullaby in her mind. I need to get back soon. The teachers might've heard the commotion. If they check on us, it'll be bad.'
Thinking this, Saiki used telepathy to send a lullaby into Sakura's mind, trying to make her feel tired.
"Weird, I hear a strange sound in my head."
Sakura pouted, looking adorable.
"Kusuo, let's take a photo! Where's my camera..."
'She's calling me differently now.'
Instantly, Sakura's digital camera appeared in her hand.
Due to the exam's rules, the camera had been confiscated before they arrived. But to maintain the dream's realism, Saiki used his powers to return it.
"Smile, Kusuo!"
'She's calling me differently again.'
Saiki had no choice but to cooperate, looking at the camera. But Sakura didn't take the photo.
"Ugh, this place is so gloomy... We should change the scene. And my outfit and hair..."
Before Sakura finished, the surroundings changed instantly. They were now in an amusement park. Sakura's clothes transformed into the stylish skirt she wore as a model, and her loose hair became Shizuku's twin tails, making her look even cuter.
'Whoa, using powers to style a girl's hair is harder than I thought.'
Saiki felt slightly exhausted. While using his powers, he had to blink frequently to avoid seeing Sakura as a skeleton.
"Come on, Kusuo! Let's take some photos!"
Fully in Shizuku mode, Sakura pulled Saiki close, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel his warmth, marveling at the dream's realism.
Click, click—Sakura took a series of photos with Saiki, traveling to various places worldwide, her outfits changing constantly.
Finally, after the last photo, Sakura released her grip on Saiki, staring at the camera's photos.
Photography was her only hobby.
Browsing the pictures, Sakura smiled happily.
"Kusuo, which photo do you like best?"
Saiki glanced at Sakura's profile for a second, then raised his hand. He'd finally found his limiter.
'Sorry, Sakura. Time to wake up.'
Saiki put on the limiter, instantly appearing behind Sakura. He used his powers to put her to sleep.
...
"Saiki! Sakura!"
By the island's river, Chabashira Sae called out loudly, searching for them. She finally found Saiki and Sakura by the river.
"Is everything okay, Chabashira-sensei?"
Saiki sat by the river, holding a fishing rod, while Sakura leaned against a tree, asleep.
"Nothing, just checking on you two for the school."
After confirming their safety, Chabashira left.
Earlier, Sakura's watch had briefly malfunctioned, so the school asked Chabashira, their homeroom teacher, to check on them.
"Huh... Did I fall asleep?"
Just then, Sakura slowly opened her eyes, yawning. Half-eaten food and water were beside her.
"Yeah, you said you'd rest, so I didn't disturb you."
Saiki turned to Sakura.
"Oh!... Sorry, I meant to help you but overslept..."
Sakura looked embarrassed, her cheeks slightly red.
[So, it was a dream?]
[It felt so real...]
[I wish I could've stayed asleep longer...]
Sakura felt a twinge of longing. She reached for her backpack but found no camera inside.
She felt a bit disappointed.
[I wish I could dream like that again...]
[But... would I think of Saiki in my dreams?]
[Maybe...]
At this thought, Sakura's cheeks flushed deeper, her breathing quickening slightly.
"Um... Saiki-kun..."
"What is it?"
"Can I... call you..."
Sakura hesitated, her words trailing off. She looked at the ground, gathering her courage.
Saiki knew what she wanted to say and didn't rush her.
After a few seconds, Sakura looked up, her expression serious.
"Can I call you... Kusuo-kun?"
After asking, Sakura shrank slightly, her nervousness evident.
Using someone's given name was normal for close friends, but for Sakura, it was a huge challenge.
"Yeah."
Saiki nodded.
Hearing his reply, Sakura's eyes sparkled.
'Consider it compensation for accidentally sending you to the wilderness.'
Saiki thought.
...
That evening, Sakura sat beside Saiki during dinner, talking slightly more than usual.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka noticed their interaction.
[Sakura seems closer to Saiki. Did Saiki do something? Is he using her for his goals? What methods did he use?]
Meanwhile, Ibuki Mio planned to steal someone else's underwear that night. But the moment she thought it, her plan was doomed to fail.
By midnight, everyone returned to their tents to sleep. Saiki, as usual, used instant movement to return home.
He didn't sleep immediately but sat at his desk.
In his hands was Sakura's digital camera.
Though he'd made Sakura believe it was a dream, the photos were real. Saiki couldn't let others discover them.
As he prepared to delete the photos, he paused.
'Maybe I'll keep them. They might be useful later.'
Saiki backed up the photos on his computer, then deleted them from the camera.
...
The next morning, everyone prepared for their activities.
Saiki found Ayanokōji first.
"Ayanokōji, I can help you score high on this exam, but in return, you'll need to do me a favor."
"What?"
"Transfer all the credit to someone else."