In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 50

"Ugh..." With a groan of pain, Index covered her mouth and retreated with tears in her eyes.

Having anticipated this possibility, Higashino Yu silently activated his ability. At the instant his teeth were about to touch his skin, he precisely altered the arrangement density and structure of the molecules on the surface of his arm, instantly giving it a hardness far exceeding that of diamonds.

You can't spoil a kitten that bites too much. If it gets away with it, it might develop a habit, and that won't do.

Bad habits must be corrected!

"It hurts..." Index complained tearfully, licking her little tiger tooth, which was numb from the recoil, her face filled with grievance and disbelief. Why can't I bite anymore?! Is his arm made of steel?!

Higashino Yu looked amusedly at the little nun who was so aggrieved that she was about to explode, and then glanced at Kanzaki next to him, whose cheeks were still flushed and whose eyes were complicated.

"Alright, alright, time to board. Well then, Kanzaki, we'll be going now. See you next time, bye-bye!"

Higashino activated his ability to teleport. He grabbed Index's wrist, who was still rubbing her mouth and muttering "Higashino, you big idiot," and the space around them distorted and fluctuated slightly.

The next second, the two had already crossed the long security line and appeared directly at the other end of the security checkpoint.

As for security checks, Higashino assured that he was not a dangerous person, and that the security personnel and others had no objections, right?

Only Kanzaki Kaori remained standing, looking towards the security checkpoint. The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, and her earlobes were still burning. She subconsciously raised her hand and gently touched the spot where Higashino Yu had just kissed her.

The cool touch of her lips seemed to still be imprinted on her skin. In a corner unseen by anyone, the corner of her mouth curved upwards for a fleeting, extremely subtle, almost imperceptible moment.

She quickly regained her usual cold expression, turned around and blended into the crowd at the airport, as if she had never been there.

Twenty minutes later, the flight bound for Academy City smoothly ascended into the clouds.

Inside first class, Index was still sulking about what happened at the airport. She clutched her reindeer plush toy tightly, protected the roast duck takeout box on her lap, and deliberately turned her body to the side, only showing Higashino Yu a puffed-up silver back of his head.

Even when Higashino conjured up a limited-edition pudding that was only available in Academy City, she merely snorted twice and didn't even glance at it. However, tears still involuntarily welled up at the corners of her mouth.

"Really not going to eat?" Higashino Yu chuckled and scooped a spoonful of pudding in front of her nose. The enticing milky aroma wafted into her nostrils.

Index's body visibly stiffened, as if she were enduring something. Finally, her instinctive craving for sweets overcame her jealousy.

She turned her head sharply, snatched the pudding from the box, but still glared fiercely at Higashino before stuffing the entire pudding into her mouth with a big "whoosh," chewing vigorously with bulging cheeks, her eyes seemingly biting Higashino Yu's flesh.

Higashino Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and ruffled her silver hair: "Eat slowly, there's more if you're not full."

Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in an ordinary suit and wearing glasses, who looked like a businessman, slowly walked from the back of the aisle towards the first-class cabin, without being noticed by the flight attendants or other passengers.

His eyes appeared calm, but the magic power within him was not well concealed and fell into Higashino Yu's extraordinary perception.

As the man passed by Higashino Yu's seat, his left hand seemed to casually reach for the back of the chair, but a faint, subtle magical light quietly shone from his palm, carrying an energy fluctuation of "forceful binding," aimed at Higashino Yu's wrist holding the small spoon!

So they're after me? How interesting. I don't recall offending anyone from the magic faction. But it could also be some Roman Catholic guy protesting his adoption of Index.

Higashino Yu's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. This level of attack didn't even pique his interest in lifting a finger. The easiest way to deal with this nobody was...

"Vector Operations, Coordinate Transformation, Spatial Deflection, Absolute Silence"

Higashino Yu's gaze didn't even waver; he still watched Index, who was engrossed in her "struggle" with Pudding, with a smile. With a slight thought, his domain had already silently covered the entire plane. The binding magic energy acting on him was completely analyzed and manipulated in terms of its spatial coordinates and energy vectors a fraction of a second before it touched the physical level of his body.

The magician felt the magic power gathered in his palm vanish instantly, like a mud ox sinking into the sea. Immediately afterward, an indescribable, terrifying chill, as if freezing his soul, spread from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, almost freezing his blood!

An invisible fear gripped his heart. He wanted to scream, but found that his throat was as if it were welded shut and he could not make a sound, nor could he move his body at all!

This feeling lasted less than a second. As the fear subsided, he was horrified to find himself standing at the door of the rear lavatory in economy class!

How did he get through it? He doesn't remember at all! He can't even recall what happened in that instant; his mind is blank, filled only with a deep-seated fear and uncontrollable trembling.

That icy gaze…that being…is absolutely beyond human capability to contend with! Escape! He must escape this damned plane immediately! All mission details were cast aside. His face was deathly pale, and he stumbled back to his seat, trembling uncontrollably, too afraid to even respond to the flight attendants' concerned inquiries.

He had no idea that after getting off the plane, he would find a latrine and drown himself; this flight would be the last journey of his life.

The entire exchange was silent; no one knew what had just happened. Soft background music continued to play in the cabin as passengers relaxed, and flight attendants gently asked what drinks they would like, pushing out a food cart.

As for Index, who was sitting next to Higashino and fighting Pudding, she was completely unaware. Higashino was paying special attention to her, making sure she wouldn't notice anything amiss.

After all, if she found out, she would worry about his safety again, and Dongye didn't want her to worry about him all the time.

Index finally finished the little pudding, licked her lips contentedly, and then let out a small burp.

She glanced furtively at Higashino Yu beside her and found him staring out the window in a daze.

The initial jealousy, briefly diluted by the delicious food, seemed to be further softened by the feeling of fullness.

Index hesitated for a moment, as if trying to save face, and muttered softly, "Higashino... I want to... be like her... otherwise I won't forgive you..."

After saying that, Index was somewhat surprised that she had the courage to say such a thing, but she did not regret it.

There are already many outstanding girls around Higashino. If she doesn't take the initiative, she definitely won't get more attention from him.

"Um... well, since it's your request..." Higashino Yu turned his head, looked at the shy yet expectant little nun, and smiled in agreement.

"Na Yu... um..."

Higashino gently pressed his lips to hers, his kiss possessing a softness and warmth unique to a young girl. Perhaps because she had just eaten pudding, the kiss was exceptionally sweet.

Outside the window, the plane pierced the clouds, and London below gradually disappeared from view.

Index forgave Higashino after he kissed her first. After a moment of excitement, she slowly curled up in her seat like a pure white kitten and drifted off to sleep.

She kept muttering things like, "I beat Kanzaki," and "A kiss is better than a kiss on the cheek."

Higashino Yu picked up a thin blanket and gently covered her petite body, blocking the coolness of the air conditioner.

"Get a good night's sleep, Index."

The plane flew smoothly toward Academy City, the cabin peaceful and quiet, as if the minor commotion at the airport and the brief, silent confrontation in the air had never happened. For the rest of the journey, only the steady sound of the engines and the even, soft breathing of the little nun beside me could be heard.

Chapter 64 The return gift is, of course, a kiss!

The airport terminal in the 7th school district of Academy City.

As Higashino Yu led Index out of the passenger passage, they saw two familiar figures waving and running towards them happily.

"Higashino-senpai! Over here!" Saten Ruiko's voice was full of energy.

"Welcome back, Higashino-senpai, Index." Uiharu Kazari followed behind, her face slightly flushed from running.

When Index saw the two of them, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the doll and paused slightly in her tracks.

The jealousy and subtle anxiety about her "status" that had been soothed by the delicious food on the plane resurfaced. After all, she knew very well that the two of them were Yu's official girlfriends. And on the plane, she had taken the initiative to get Yu to kiss her, so seeing the real deal now made her feel nervous and embarrassed.

Higashino keenly sensed her hesitation. He gently squeezed her small hand, lowered his head and whispered in her ear with a smile, "Don't worry, Ruiko and Hatsuharu are both very easy to talk to, they won't mind."

Anyway, as long as it's not some kind of freakish behavior that makes them lose their temper on the spot, the two of them won't be too jealous. After all, given the influence of their perceptions, it's normal for Higashino Yu to have a few more girlfriends, isn't it?

Given enough time, the whole world will support me, and a legitimate and legal paradise is my ultimate goal!

Index looked up at Higashino Yu, then at the two girls who had run up to her happily. The little knot in her heart seemed to be soothed a bit by those words, but she still pursed her lips and gave a soft "hmm" in response.

Just then, Saten Ruiko pounced on her like a gust of wind.

"Senior Higashino! I missed you so much!" She didn't care about the people around her and gave Higashino Yu a big, energetic hug, rubbing her face against his shoulder.

"Ah, Ruiko!" Uiharu Shiori walked up to Higashino Yu, much more reserved than Ruiko, but her blush was even deeper.

She mustered her courage, opened her arms, and gave Higashino Yu a light and gentle hug.

Index watched this scene with a hint of envy.

Ruiko had already let go of Higashino Yu and immediately shifted her attention to Index: "Wow! Index, this little deer is so cute! Did Yu-senpai buy it for you as a gift?" She bent down and looked at Index with a smile.

Index hesitated for a moment, then nodded, even raising her chin with a hint of pride: "Yes! It's a gift Yu bought!"

"That's great!" Ruiko gave a thumbs up, then magically produced a small paper bag. "We also brought you a gift! A limited edition strawberry cream puff from Academy City! It's super delicious!"

Upon seeing the paper bag exuding an enticing sweet fragrance, Index's eyes instantly lit up dramatically, almost forgetting the complex emotions she had just felt.

For Index, food is second only to Yu, so she can just put that feeling of envy aside.

"Puff... Puff!" she cheered, almost lunging forward, but remembered to say first, "Thank you, Ruiko! Thank you, Haru!"

Chu Chun smiled gently and nodded beside them. The atmosphere among the four of them instantly became warm and harmonious because of a small cream puff.

A battleground? That doesn't exist!

After leaving the airport, the group quickly returned to the entrance of Higashino Yu's dormitory apartment building, which had no other residents.

"Phew...finally home!" Saten Ruiko was the first to rush into the house, kicking off her shoes and stepping barefoot onto the wooden floor. Haru and Index followed her in, preparing to change their shoes.

Just then, Ruiko seemed to suddenly remember something, revealing a sly and somewhat ambiguous smile, and turned her gaze to Hatsuharu Kazari, who was taking off her shoes at the door and still bent over.

"Hey, Haru, I almost forgot the special ceremony to welcome Yu-senpai home!" Ruiko walked quickly to Haru's side with a grin, and before Haru could react, she lifted Haru's skirt with lightning speed!

"Waaaaah!! Ruiko! What are you doing?!" Haru Shiori froze instantly, then let out a scream of extreme embarrassment! Her face turned bright red, almost dripping blood, and she frantically pressed down on her skirt, curling up into a ball on the ground, tears welling up in her eyes.

In that fleeting glimpse, it was a cute white design.

Higashino had just changed his shoes and walked in when he was caught off guard by this scene. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, his eyes filled with admiration, and he nodded subconsciously, muttering to himself, "Hmm... early spring... she looks very cute today."

The words weren't spoken loudly, but they were exceptionally clear in the quiet room. Chuchun suddenly looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, staring at Higashino and the culprit, Ruiko, her lips trembling as she couldn't utter a word.

This scene was witnessed by Index, who looked bewildered and curious.

Tears lifted up her early spring skirt, and then that big idiot Yu actually nodded and said it looked good! A feeling mixed with jealousy and a strange protective instinct welled up in her heart.

"Yu! You big idiot! Don't look!" Index's clear voice rang out anxiously. She took off running towards Higashino Yu. Her goal was clear: to cover Higashino Yu's "unruly" eyes!

This scene is too terrifying; Yuta can't handle it!

However, just as she rushed to Higashino Yu's side, before she could even jump up and cover her eyes, a warm, large hand gently pressed down on her head.

"Ugh!" Index felt as if she had crashed into an invisible wall, her momentum coming to an abrupt halt.

She waved her little hands, but couldn't reach Higashino Yu's face no matter what she did. She could only glare at Higashino Yu with her head held high in anger: "Let go of me, Yu! Don't stare at Haru!"

Higashino Yu looked down at Index, who was acting like a flustered kitten, and gently pressed down on her head to stop her from struggling forward. "Alright, alright, Index, calm down," he said soothingly. "It's okay, you see, nobody minds." As he spoke, he gestured to Ruiko and Hatsuharu beside him.

Upon hearing Higashino Yu's words, Saten Ruiko immediately nodded vigorously in agreement, as if she wanted to stir up trouble: "Yes, yes, yes! Higashino-senpai is right! I don't mind if senpai sees this, besides, it's a welcome bonus for senpai. Hatsuharu doesn't mind at all, right?" As she spoke, she glanced at Hatsuharu Kazari, who was still squatting on the ground, trying to calm her embarrassment, her eyes full of mockery.

When Haruharu Shiori was called out by Ruiko, she subconsciously raised her head, her big, teary eyes still filled with shame and indignation.

She wanted to refute Ruiko's words, but when she saw Higashino Yuu's gentle gaze and Index's angry little face, she was speechless for a moment. She opened her mouth but did not make a sound, and her face turned even redder.

Indeed, she wouldn't mind being seen by Higashino-senpai at all, but she would definitely still be shy, however...

In early spring, she looked up at Kaixin's tears and a thought that she had never considered before popped into her head.

Chu Chun, who was squatting, moved a little bit closer to Lei Zi.

Taking advantage of the fact that Ruiko's attention was completely focused on Index and Higashino, Haru, who was already prepared, began to act.

Those eyes, which had been glistening with tears of grievance, suddenly hardened! The shame and indignation of having her skirt lifted by Ruiko and being "commented" on by Higashino-senpai, and seeing Ruiko's smug expression now...

Revenge! Revenge is imperative!

In a flash, almost instinctively, Chu Chun reached out her still slightly trembling hand with a speed that she would never normally possess!

"Whoosh—!"

"Huh?!" Saten Ruiko's smug smile froze on her face. She felt a chill on her lower body, then looked down in disbelief and saw her light yellow bear-patterned panties exposed to the air once again. She whirled around to look at the attacker—it was Hatsuharu, who was crouching on the ground!

"Hatsu...Hatsuchun?! You...!" Ruiko was so shocked she could barely speak, a blush quickly spreading from her face to her ears, even her neck turning pink. She frantically tried to cover her skirt, never imagining that she, the "skirt-lifting maniac," would one day be "counter-attacked" by her closest partner!

"Pfft—! Cough cough cough!" This time, Higashino Yu really couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, then choked on his own saliva and coughed repeatedly.

His hand, which was pressing down on Index's head, loosened its grip slightly because of his smile. This scene was completely unexpected! The "strongest queen" of the skirt-lifting world, Saten Ruiko, had actually been defeated by the "wild monster" Uiharu Kazari, whom she often bullied, by lifting her skirt! This dramatic turn of events surprised even him.

Ruiko was completely stunned. After the initial shock and shame, looking at Hatsuharu, who was still squatting on the ground with a flushed face but whose eyes seemed to be filled with a sense of "revenge," and feeling Higashino Yu's undisguised laughter next to her, she felt a bit... like she had given up? Or rather, in this extremely socially awkward situation, her bold and wicked sense of humor was forced out.

She didn't shyly squat down like she did in early spring. She took a deep breath, suppressed the burning sensation on her face, straightened her back, and even deliberately flicked her skirt with her hand to let it fall naturally.

Then, with a defiant air, she looked intently at Higashino Yu again, her voice louder than when she had asked Hina Haru earlier, filled with obvious defiance and provocation: "Higashino-senpai! Did you see that clearly?! So let's give our evaluation! Mine and Hina Haru's! Whose is better looking?! Let's settle this once and for all!"

She even pointed to Chu Chun, who was still in a dazed state after being "darkened."

"..."

The air seemed to freeze.

Chu Chun was completely dumbfounded, her mind went blank, and the courage she had just had to take revenge vanished in an instant, leaving only boundless shame and the despair of being "publicly challenged to a duel".

Ruiko's actions were completely unexpected; who would use panties for a duel?

Index also temporarily forgot to cover Yu's eyes, her big eyes scanning back and forth between Ruiko, Haru, and Higashino Yu, her little brain seemingly unable to process this complex amount of information.

What does "a decisive battle" mean? Why did it unfold like this? This duel is completely different from what she understood!

Higashino Yuzuru is caught in an unprecedented "battlefield dilemma," which is practically the ultimate form of a death trap!

Choosing either Ruiko or Hatsuharu is wrong.