In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 164

Chapter 199 A kiss is still the best way to relieve stress!

Inside the preparation room, the air seemed to freeze.

Misaka Mikoto stood with her back to the door, looking nervous as if she was about to face some kind of torture.

The sound of my heartbeat was unusually clear in the silent space, each beat tugging at my taut nerves.

The stage was right outside the door, and the audience seats were full of people, including the figure she cared about most, Higashino Yu.

She longed to give him a perfect performance so that he would see her at her most radiant, but this expectation turned into heavy pressure, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

What if I make a mistake? What if I disappoint everyone? Especially... him...

"call……"

She let out a long breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but to little avail.

Just then, a warm hand gently patted her back.

"Wow!"

Mikoto was so startled she almost jumped up and turned around abruptly.

Higashino stood behind her, a familiar smile playing on his lips.

"What? Even my electric princess gets scared?"

He deliberately dragged out his words.

Upon recognizing him, Mikoto's tense nerves instantly relaxed, replaced by a hint of embarrassment and annoyance at being teased.

"Yu! You're always so unpredictable!"

She complained, blushing.

This guy was sitting in the audience when she was peeking outside not long ago, but now he suddenly appears behind her.

Without even thinking, Mikoto was certain that he was deliberately trying to scare her, wanting to see her embarrassed.

"Injustice!"

Higashino shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"I called you several times at the door, 'Mikoto? Mikoto?' Maybe you were too engrossed in your thoughts inside and didn't hear me at all?"

He pointed to his ears.

Higashino had been standing at the door for at least three minutes. He had only intended to come and check on Mikoto's condition, but after calling her for a while without getting a response, he simply used teleportation to enter the room.

Mikoto was startled, then her cheeks flushed even more. She had indeed been completely absorbed in her own world of tension and hadn't noticed the sounds around her at all.

"Uh...sorry."

She lowered her head awkwardly, her voice barely audible.

"It's ok."

Higashino smiled, his gaze sweeping over her still-on maid outfit.

"Is it almost time for your performance?"

"Um……"

Mikoto nodded, that heavy feeling seemed to return, and her heart tightened once again.

"Have you chosen your dress?"

Higashino glanced at the white evening gown hanging beside him; its simple and elegant design perfectly suited Mikoto's temperament.

"Ah."

Mikoto responded with a sound of agreement, then lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing Mikoto's nervous and shy expression, Higashino's lips unconsciously curved upwards. He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said with a teasing, seductive tone, "Need a professional changing assistant? I'm experienced, provide excellent service, and I guarantee it..."

"I! Don't! Need!"

As if she had just thought of something, Mikoto reached out and pushed Higashino aside, grabbed her dress and rushed into the dressing room next door, slamming the door shut.

Higashino shrugged, leisurely crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall outside the locker room, waiting.

He knew, of course, that unless he used his abilities, Mikoto would find it difficult to agree to the request given her personality.

But he still said it, otherwise, given Mikoto's almost overflowing nervousness, Higashino doubted whether she would get stage fright when she went on stage.

But judging from how loudly she shouted just now, her tension must have dissipated a bit.

Soon, the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against each other came from the cubicle, unconsciously reminding Dongye of his earlier suggestion.

Although he only said that to distract Mikoto, if she actually agreed, Higashino wouldn't mind actually helping her. After all, he's really good at undressing...

However, the silence didn't last long. A frantic tugging sound came from inside, followed by Mikoto's frustrated yet pleading voice through the door: "...Um...Yu...could...you do me a favor?"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Higashino raised an eyebrow.

"The zipper... seems to be stuck... I can't reach it myself..."

Her voice was filled with embarrassment. Dongye could imagine the awkwardness on her face as she tried to reach behind her but couldn't touch the zipper.

A hint of surprise flashed in Dongye's eyes; he hadn't expected such a low-probability event to actually happen.

This time he didn't use his abilities to cause trouble; it was all a coincidence.

"Hey, I'm coming in now."

He pushed open the door and went in. He saw Mikoto with her back to him, her hands stretched out behind her back, the zipper of her dress stuck in the middle, revealing a section of fair and smooth skin, making him feel an irresistible urge to reach out and taste it.

Her cheeks were flushed with anxiety, and there seemed to be fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

"do not move."

Higashino walked behind her, gently pinched the stuck zipper teeth with his fingers, and stabilized both sides with his other hand, gently and skillfully lifting and pulling.

"Shoot."

With a soft click, the zipper slid smoothly to the top.

"All right."

Higashino smoothed out the wrinkles on her shoulders, and looking at the girl in the mirror, dressed in a pure white dress and as elegant as a swan, he sincerely exclaimed, "Yes, as expected of my Mikoto, you are very beautiful."

Mikoto looked in the mirror, and the tension seemed to have been lessened by this little incident, but when she thought about going on stage, that invisible pressure quietly returned.

Just then, without warning, Dongye bent down, put one hand under her knees and the other hand around her back, easily lifting her up in his arms!

"ah!"

Caught off guard, Mikoto gasped in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing! Put me down right now! Someone will see us!"

She looked towards the dressing room door in a panic, terrified that someone would barge in and see her being carried like a princess—that would be incredibly embarrassing!

Higashino didn't say anything, but simply held her and walked straight out of the dressing room, heading towards the corridor leading to the lobby.

"Higashino Yu! Put me down! Do you hear me?!"

Mikoto struggled futilely in his arms, her cheeks burning as if they were about to smoke. She could almost imagine how people outside would point and whisper if they saw this.

She was being held like a child... How embarrassing!

Mikoto buried her face deep in Higashino's chest, ostrich-like, avoiding his imagined gaze, her heart pounding wildly.

However, the expected gasps and whispers did not materialize. People came and went in the corridor—their classmates, visitors from other schools, busy staff… Everyone seemed to ignore them, preoccupied with their own affairs, not even casting a curious glance their way.

Mikoto carefully raised her head and was surprised to find a subtle and mysterious silver light flowing deep in Higashino's eyes.

She understood instantly! Higashino must have used his ability to make everyone ignore the two of them!

Higashino carried her, as if taking a leisurely stroll, through the noisy hall.

They swaggered past Kuroko, who was excitedly describing to Haru, Ruiko, and Kofun how amazing her upcoming performance would be.

Inside the preparation room, the air seemed to freeze.

Misaka Mikoto stood with her back to the door, looking nervous as if she was about to face some kind of torture.

The sound of my heartbeat was unusually clear in the silent space, each beat tugging at my taut nerves.

The stage was right outside the door, and the audience seats were full of people, including the figure she cared about most, Higashino Yu.

She longed to give him a perfect performance so that he would see her at her most radiant, but this expectation turned into heavy pressure, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

What if I make a mistake? What if I disappoint everyone? Especially... him...

"call……"

She let out a long breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, but to little avail.

Just then, a warm hand gently patted her back.

"Wow!"

Mikoto was so startled she almost jumped up and turned around abruptly.

Higashino stood behind her, a familiar smile playing on his lips.

"What? Even my electric princess gets scared?"

He deliberately dragged out his words.

Upon recognizing him, Mikoto's tense nerves instantly relaxed, replaced by a hint of embarrassment and annoyance at being teased.

"Yu! You're always so unpredictable!"

She complained, blushing.

This guy was sitting in the audience when she was peeking outside not long ago, but now he suddenly appears behind her.

Without even thinking, Mikoto was certain that he was deliberately trying to scare her, wanting to see her embarrassed.

"Injustice!"

Higashino shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"I called you several times at the door, 'Mikoto? Mikoto?' Maybe you were too engrossed in your thoughts inside and didn't hear me at all?"

He pointed to his ears.

Higashino had been standing at the door for at least three minutes. He had only intended to come and check on Mikoto's condition, but after calling her for a while without getting a response, he simply used teleportation to enter the room.

Mikoto was startled, then her cheeks flushed even more. She had indeed been completely absorbed in her own world of tension and hadn't noticed the sounds around her at all.

"Uh...sorry."

She lowered her head awkwardly, her voice barely audible.

"It's ok."

Higashino smiled, his gaze sweeping over her still-on maid outfit.

"Is it almost time for your performance?"

"Um……"

Mikoto nodded, that heavy feeling seemed to return, and her heart tightened once again.

"Have you chosen your dress?"

Higashino glanced at the white evening gown hanging beside him; its simple and elegant design perfectly suited Mikoto's temperament.

"Ah."

Mikoto responded with a sound of agreement, then lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.

Seeing Mikoto's nervous and shy expression, Higashino's lips unconsciously curved upwards. He took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said with a teasing, seductive tone, "Need a professional changing assistant? I'm experienced, provide excellent service, and I guarantee it..."

"I! Don't! Need!"

As if she had just thought of something, Mikoto reached out and pushed Higashino aside, grabbed her dress and rushed into the dressing room next door, slamming the door shut.

Higashino shrugged, leisurely crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall outside the locker room, waiting.