'Horikita, is it Horikita Suzune? The name sounds familiar; she's from our Class D, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to interact with people here anyway. As for Kushida, it seems another person now knows her true nature, but that's none of my concern.'
Lost in thought, Saiki Kusuo had already devoured the dessert in front of him and was ready to leave.
'I have to admit, these sweets are amazing. Even though they're all coffee pudding, the flavors and textures are completely different. Should I speed up digestion and eat a few more...?'
Just as Saiki Kusuo was about to leave, Kushida Kikyō turned her gaze toward him.
"Saiki-kun, could you do me a favor?"
'She wants me to help her interact with Horikita Suzune, doesn't she? I can read her thoughts through telepathy, but she's asking the wrong person. I'm not good at handling interpersonal relationships, especially since I'm not even acquainted with Horikita Suzune. We haven't exchanged a single word. If it were me, I'd definitely fail. Her real goal is just to get closer to me. Sorry, but I'm not interested.'
Saiki Kusuo was about to refuse when Kushida Kikyō added:
"If you succeed, I'll treat you to dessert!"
"Deal."
...
After leaving the cafeteria, Saiki Kusuo hurried to the school's supermarket.
Though they hadn't interacted before, Saiki Kusuo remembered her voice. The school had fewer students than other high schools, and with his telepathic abilities, he quickly located Horikita Suzune.
'Alright, for the sake of the coffee pudding, I'll play along.'
'It's the first day of school, so new students should be buying everyday essentials.'
'I can go home anytime, but if I don't buy anything, others might get suspicious. I'll use this as an excuse to approach Horikita.'
As Saiki Kusuo entered the supermarket, the thoughts of the students around him flooded his mind.
[No points again this month... Only free essentials...]
[Just free vegetables every day... It's not enough to fill me up...]
[I envy those in Class A, but we in Class D can't compare to those monsters...]
'Most of them are upperclassmen from Class D? There's no such thing as a free lunch. They must have lost all their points and can only survive on free supplies. What a unique school.'
Saiki Kusuo glanced at them briefly.
'Better not waste points carelessly. Things like game consoles, clothes, or laptops are unnecessary. I can go home anytime, so these are pointless. Even though it's a school, there's too much here unrelated to learning. Selling game consoles in school is absurd. If I bought these, even 100,000 points wouldn't be enough.'
'The school seems to equate points with a student's worth, using material rewards to push growth. But I'm not interested in these things. I can play games or use a laptop at home. Aside from sweets, these 100,000 points seem useless...'
'Wait, a jelly maker?!'
Saiki Kusuo's eyes were instantly drawn to a product in the supermarket.
...
In less than a minute, Saiki Kusuo had paid and was holding the jelly maker like a treasure.
'This school is something else. I found such a gem! It makes multiple flavors, comes with molds, and has long battery life after charging...'
'Compared to other items, this jelly maker is such a great deal—only 40,000 points!'
'I'll try making jelly when I get home tonight!'
Saiki Kusuo's lips curved into a smile, and his steps lightened.
"It's Saiki, huh."
A somewhat lazy voice sounded from beside him.
Saiki Kusuo turned to see a boy of average height with a decent face, though his eyes looked empty, and his demeanor was laid-back.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka—Saiki Kusuo remembered the name.
After all, his inner thoughts were too loud.
[Saiki Kusuo, judging by his clothes, he's from an ordinary family. His behavior is unremarkable, and he doesn't stand out in class. That's similar to me. Could he be hiding something too? I can't read more from him yet.]
'Are you a detective? Normal people don't think like that when meeting classmates.'
[Could he be a student from the White Room? No, if that man had the power to do that, he would've stopped me during enrollment. Clearly, his influence hasn't reached this school yet.]
'He's been muttering about the White Room all day. I'm a bit curious about that term.'
[For now, he's likely just an ordinary high schooler. How should I interact with someone like this? I'm still not great at socializing.]
'What a strange guy. And your inner monologue is excessive. If this were a novel, you'd take up a whole chapter.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
Using telepathy, Saiki Kusuo sensed that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka had a peculiar background. He wanted to hide his abilities and past and seemed unable to understand ordinary emotions—something Saiki Kusuo could relate to.
However, Saiki Kusuo wasn't interested in Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. No matter how special he was, he was still just an ordinary person.