In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 20

A soft, yet distinctly surprised female voice broke the silence of the ward from the right, accompanied by the soft rustling of papers turning. Higashino slowly and laboriously opened his heavy eyelids, the first thing he saw being short, brown hair.

"Misaka...?"

Higashino's voice was unusually hoarse and dry, like a throat that hadn't drunk water for three days and three nights.

Misaka Mikoto abruptly slammed shut the magazine she was reading. The cover of the "Scientific Electromagnetism Monthly," which had fallen to the ground, displayed a complex electromagnetic field formula.

She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, her movements a little flustered, and with a "bang," her head hit the edge of the metal bedside table solidly.

"pain!"

"Be careful!"

The two spoke almost simultaneously, then burst into laughter at the unexpected turn of events. Mikoto rubbed her aching forehead, her cheeks slightly flushed, and faint dark circles from staying up late were visible beneath her fair skin. But her chestnut eyes shone brightly, clearly reflecting her joy.

"What time is it now?"

Higashino Yu tried to sit up by supporting himself with his arms, feeling soreness in all his muscles.

3:27 PM.

Mikoto glanced at her sports watch and then realized that the other person had been unconscious for a long time, so she quickly added.

"You've been unconscious for almost a whole day. The doctor examined you thoroughly and said it was a protective hibernation caused by overuse of your abilities. You'll recover after a day of rest, and there's nothing seriously wrong."

She held a glass of warm water with a straw to Higashino's lips.

Higashino Yu obediently lowered his head and sipped the sweet, warm water.

As they passed the cups, their fingertips briefly touched the cool sides of the cups.

"what!"

Mikoto recoiled as if struck by a real electric current, her hand quickly withdrawing. Her small earlobes blushed bright red at a visible speed, the color spreading even to the base of her neck.

"I...I'll go tell the others you're awake!"

She suddenly stood up from her chair, as nervous as if she had been engrossed in reading a pornographic book in class and then been called on by the teacher to read what she had just read, only to end up reciting the contents of the book.

This reaction...has the influence of my abilities deepened? It turns out that adding a little something extra yesterday when we were completely unprepared was indeed feasible.

Higashino Yu pondered to himself.

Of course, he didn't do it on purpose in those emergency moments; those were just habits he had subconsciously developed in the days since he transmigrated.

Almost as soon as Mikoto finished speaking, the ward door was violently slammed open from the outside by an irresistible force! Saten Ruiko rushed in anxiously, carrying a huge, bulging snack gift bag in her arms, so exaggerated in size that it almost completely submerged her petite figure.

"Senior—you're awake—!!!"

This energetic and joyful cheer instantly filled the entire ward.

Caught off guard, Hatsuharu Shiori, who was following closely behind, was almost knocked over by the loud noise. The gift box containing delicate pastries in her hands shook violently, and she barely managed to hold on.

Shirai Kuroko, who finally shuffled in with crutches, immediately frowned and let out a disgruntled snort through her small nose: "So noisy! Saten! Are you trying to make all the patients and medical staff on the entire hospital floor come and watch with that voice?! You have no manners whatsoever as a lady!"

Ignoring Kuroko's complaints, Ruizi slammed the huge snack bag onto the empty space beside the bed, then gave it a violent shake. Colorful puffed food packaging bags poured out like a waterfall, instantly taking up nearly half of the bed space and piling up like a small mountain.

"Look, senior! These are limited-edition potato chips from the Seventh School District, released just last weekend! They're incredibly popular! And this is a carbonated drink, limited to three bottles per vending machine per day! And this..."

"Tears!"

Chu Chun Shiri sighed helplessly and gently reminded him.

"The senior has just woken up and needs light, nutritious food to replenish his energy. These things..."

"Hey~ What does it have to do with anything!"

Tears playfully stuck out her tongue. She quickly rummaged through the mountain of snacks and, as if by magic, pulled out a small, exquisite double-layered lunchbox.

"Ta-da! Don't worry! This is the real treat! A specially made 'Energetic Bear Recovery Bento'! Please accept it, senior!"

With a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, Higashino opened the bento box.

What comes into view is an extremely cute lunch.

The snow-white rice was carefully shaped into a round, adorable little bear. It was surrounded by delicate side dishes such as bright green broccoli, golden tamagoyaki, and tender pink grilled fish.

However, the most eye-catching, or rather the most impactful, feature is the two striking red bean eyes on the bear's face. They are not only placed neatly, but also arranged in an extremely "careful" way into two crystal-clear heart shapes!

"This! Cough cough!"

When Ruiko saw those heart-shaped red bean eyes, her face instantly turned red. She immediately pointed to Chuchun, whose cheeks were also flushed, and blamed the other without hesitation.

"This...this was entirely Chuchun's idea! Hongdou's meticulous design!"

Haruyuki Shiori blushed instantly, her ears turning bright red. She clenched her little fist and playfully punched Ruiko lightly, saying angrily, "Ruiko—!"

"Hahaha~"

Tears nimbly dodged, and she laughed heartily.

Kuroko, leaning on her crutches, limped but swiftly moved to the bedside. She glanced at the bento box with a slightly scrutinizing look, then at Higashino surrounded by snacks and desserts. She pursed her lips and said sourly, "Hmph! Someone's really being taken care of. What? Nobody thought to make a loving bear bento for the brave, wounded poor guy? This difference in treatment... it's really disheartening."

She deliberately dragged out her words, her tone tinged with obvious jealousy. After all, she hadn't received such treatment when she arrived at the hospital; although she hadn't fainted, her injuries were actually more severe than Higashino's.

"Shirai-kun! That's not how it is..."

Shiori's face turned even redder, like a ripe tomato. She was at a loss for words, wanting to explain but not knowing what to say.

Higashino tried to move his sore limbs and shoulders, and found that apart from some muscle fatigue from overuse, his joints were flexible and his strength was gradually recovering. He was indeed not troubled by the serious injury he had imagined: "How is it going with Kiyama-sensei? The children?"

"Thanks to the time that you and Misaka-senpai bought us through their hard work!"

Tears immediately switched back to the excited channel, took out her phone from her pocket, and skillfully swiped the screen a few times.

"After defeating that... what was it again?"

Sure enough, in the process of eliminating the fantastical beast, everyone also lost all knowledge of it, resulting in the same outcome as before.

However, it seems possible to remove the cognitive influence, allowing everyone to recall it, or to cancel the effect in the first place.

Otherwise, it would feel too strange if everyone lost their memories every time.

"Ah, what it is doesn't matter anymore. Anyway, in early spring, we used the treatment program provided by Dr. Kiyama, and those who were in a coma have been gradually waking up since this morning! And their conditions are all very stable!"

She told Higashino that the matter was over, and continued, "Ms. Kiyama is currently being held in a special medical facility in the 23rd school district to cooperate with the investigation. She will likely face a lot of trouble in the future, since what she did cannot be simply ignored."

Kuroko crossed his arms, his body swaying slightly as he leaned on his cane. He scoffed and added, "Hmph, it was only because the doctor risked his life to bring her back to her senses at the last moment that the worst outcome was avoided. Otherwise, things wouldn't have been so..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone present understood what that "then" meant. She then looked at Mikoto and muttered, "In the end, it's all because my older sister is too kind. She always puts others before her own safety, which is why she always gets caught up in these dangerous situations..."

Mikoto, who had been standing at the doorway, seemingly trying to calm her shyness from the teasing, suddenly spoke, her voice trembling slightly: "Higashino...you're being too reckless."

Her gaze was fixed intently on Higashino Yu.

"Clearly...clearly there was no need to go that far...it was too dangerous..."

There is actually a way to solve that problem; it just takes more time.

Kuroko immediately lit up, as if she had found a like-minded ally, and raised her voice in agreement: "That's right! Onee-sama is absolutely right! Some people always overestimate their abilities and act recklessly, completely unaware of what it means to act within one's capabilities! Such reckless behavior only increases the burden on kind Onee-sama! Onee-sama's safety is the most important thing! As for the others..."

Her sharp gaze swept over Higashino Yu.

"...Everyone, stand at the back!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and suddenly a meaningful smile appeared on her face. She leaned close to Higashino Yu's ear mysteriously and deliberately lowered her voice.

However, the volume was controlled just enough so that Mikoto next to her could faintly hear it.

"Senpai, senpai~ Did you know? Thanks to yesterday's great battle, a new, super popular urban legend is circulating throughout Academy City now—it's called 'The Guardian Angel of the Eye of the Storm'! It's said to be a mysterious holy light that appears amidst fierce storms and beams of destruction, protecting the girls at the eye of the storm! Doesn't that sound amazing..."

"Sakuten-kun!!!"

Mikoto's already flushed face instantly turned completely red, like a ripe apple, and several dazzling blue-white bolts of lightning crackled and popped from her bangs. She was so embarrassed and annoyed that she almost jumped up.

Just then, three clear, rhythmic knocks rang out at the door of the noisy ward. Everyone's eyes turned to the doorway.

After the wedding, Mitsuko slightly unfolded the folding fan in her hand, gracefully half-concealing her beautiful face, and stood tall and straight at the door.

She wore a polite smile, followed by several elegant girls, all dressed in Tokiwadai summer school uniforms, each carrying a beautifully wrapped gift box or bouquet.

"It seems I haven't disturbed you all?"

Photon spoke gracefully, his voice clear and pleasant.

"I heard Dr. Higashino has woken up safely? That's wonderful. I brought some small gifts to visit you, hoping for your speedy recovery."

Her gaze swept around the hospital room, which was filled with the warmth of everyday life (mountains of snacks), and finally landed precisely on Misaka Mikoto, who was hiding by the door with her face still flushed.

Mitsuko's lips instantly curved into a slightly mischievous and "I see" smile, and the folding fan in her hand snapped shut with a "snap," pointing at Mikoto.

"Oh my, Misaka-san is here too? That's quite a surprise. She's been so concerned, staying by the doctor's side so immediately..."

Although Mitsuko's tone sounded no different from usual, Higashino could still sense that she seemed slightly displeased.

"Looks like I've arrived just in time!"

She deliberately elongated the last syllables of the words "concern" and "guard".

Mitsuko felt that Mikoto must have the same feelings for Dr. Higashino, but it wasn't a big problem; the young lady was never afraid of having many rivals.

She definitely deserves the top spot; Ms. Mitsuko is just that confident and composed after marriage!

Mikoto's face instantly transformed from a ripe apple to a burning ember, with wisps of white smoke even rising from her head: "A...a classmate from a post-marriage family?! What are you doing here?!"

Her voice was almost distorted with extreme embarrassment.

Guangzi gracefully walked to the bedside and placed a delicate little box on the bedside table piled with various gifts: "These are top-quality macarons that my father just air-freighted back from France yesterday. They're said to be extremely limited editions, and each one is a work of art in itself."

Her eyes flickered, and she glanced meaningfully at the flustered Mikoto again, adding slowly, "Of course, if Misaka-san, who's currently so nervous she needs a sugar boost, doesn't mind... she can have a taste first~ (laughs)"

"Who, who would eat something like that?! You're overthinking it, Mitsuko after marriage!!!"

Mikoto's voice rose sharply, and it felt like steam was about to burst from her ears as she blushed.

A burst of barely suppressed laughter erupted in the ward. Ruiko laughed so hard she almost fell over, slapping her thighs vigorously; Haru also couldn't help but cover her mouth with her small hand, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably; even Kuroko, who always cared about her older sister but was now leaning on her cane with a contorted expression, couldn't help but grin and let out a snicker. The Tokiwadai girls that Mitsuko had brought were immediately infected by the joyful atmosphere and began to cheer.

"Oh my, it's a once-in-a-lifetime sight to see Misaka blush!"

"Quick, quick! Take a picture! This is precious footage!"

"Yes, yes! I've already thought of a title! It'll be called 'The Electric Princess of Tokiwadai and Her Mysterious Guardian Angel'! It'll definitely cause a sensation on the school forum!"

"Or perhaps it could be called 'The Shame of the Disciplinary Committee Member and the Man Who Accidentally Stumbled into the Storm'? Ah! That hurts!"

The jeers were instantly drowned out by even louder laughter.

Mikoto's bangs snapped open like warning lights on a high-voltage circuit, crackling and flashing with intense light. Enraged, she yelled at the jeering crowd, "You—many—you—!!!!!"

The ward was instantly filled with even more cheerful and loud laughter. Higashino Yu leaned against the soft pillows, gazing at the group of noisy, energetic girls before her, and a genuine smile crept onto her lips.

Chapter 26 The Props Quartet's Visit

The afternoon sun shone warmly into the hospital ward.

After Mitsuko left after the wedding, the room became quiet for a while.

Higashino Yu leaned against the pillows, while the girls sat around the hospital bed.

"call……"

Higashino breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was still a little weak, he felt better than when he was hospitalized last time.

Just then, the ward door was pushed open with a loud "click," quite forcefully.

Four girls with distinct styles appeared at the door, all exuding an aura of unapproachability.

The four unfamiliar girls at the entrance had distinct styles, yet all exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay. The July heat had them all dressed in light summer clothes.

The girl in the lead had long, light brown hair, wore a white off-the-shoulder chiffon top and denim shorts, and simple black sandals on her long legs. She carried a fruit basket and her sharp eyes swept over everyone in the ward.

"Excuse me, who are you...?"

Mikoto was the first to react, standing up in confusion. She didn't recognize these girls who had suddenly appeared at all.

A blonde girl skipped in playfully, her white sundress swaying gently with her movements, and her sandals adorned with cute bows.

"Higashino! We've come to see you!"

She was holding a huge bag of snacks in her arms, the colorful packaging standing out brightly in the sunlight.

Following behind was a brown-haired girl wearing a loose basketball jersey and athletic shorts. She put her hands in her pockets and nodded expressionlessly.

The last one was a girl who looked sickly, wearing a light blue dress with a thin cardigan over it, and holding a thermos in her hand.