Two years had passed since then, marking Tsukishima Akihiro's seventh year in this new world. By now, he had fully adapted to everything, from his daily routines to the way he spoke and interacted with others. The changes within him were undeniable, shaping him into a far different person than he once was.
He had grown kinder, more socially aware, and more understanding of other people's feelings. Despite that, his mental age still remained at seventeen, leaving him with his own dislikes and personal opinions. However, he had become much more careful with his words, choosing to speak with consideration toward those around him.
Living with his family played a significant role in that change. His parents, his two older sisters, and even extended relatives like his grandparents, uncles, and cousins influenced how he saw the world. What once felt unfamiliar had now become something he deeply valued.
In his past life, he had viewed people with some distance due to his upbringing. Now, that perspective had shifted as he experienced genuine care and connection. His family became the foundation that reshaped how he valued others.
It reminded him of how the twelve female leads from Psychic Love had influenced him before. Their flawed yet sincere and dense personalities had taught him to appreciate people despite their imperfections. That same understanding now extended to those around him in real life.
At present, Akihiro was living what he could call a good life. He was now a second-grade student, quietly waiting for his parents to pick him up from school. The peaceful routine contrasted greatly with the chaos he remembered from the story.
Even so, he had not forgotten his main goal. Awakening his psychic powers remained at the center of his plans. Unfortunately, he still had no clear method to achieve it.
During the past two years, he focused on preparation instead. He carefully wrote down major plot points and story arcs from Psychic Love in a notebook. Although he was unsure whether events would unfold exactly the same way, he believed it was better to be prepared.
The notebook was hidden securely in his room, kept away from his mother or sisters. It served as his greatest advantage, containing knowledge no one else possessed. Losing it would mean losing a critical edge for the future.
Aside from that, he also trained his body as much as he could. He performed push-ups in his room, used playground bars for pull-ups, and jogged in his room until he felt dizzy. He even added curl-ups to improve his endurance and core strength.
Physical training, as he remembered, played an important role for psychics. The stronger the body, the longer one could sustain the use of their abilities. It was a simple but essential foundation he refused to neglect.
As he reflected on this, his thoughts shifted toward the twelve female leads. Based on what he remembered, eight of them were around his age. Three were older, while one was younger than him.
His mind then wandered toward the main character of the story. If his memory was correct, the protagonist should currently be living under the care of the Ryugasaki Family. One of the 21 great families across the world, and is also one of the three great families in Japan and held immense influence.
According to the story, the protagonist's parents had been powerful psychics. While they were not at the very top, their abilities were strong enough to earn recognition across the world. Their reputation alone was enough to command respect.
After their deaths, the Ryugasaki Family took in the young protagonist. This decision was both out of respect for his parents and interest in his potential. There was a strong possibility that he would inherit their powerful destructive abilities.
Since in this world, psychic powers were categorized and studied systematically. The International Bureau of Paranormal Classification & Standards was responsible for identifying and classifying these abilities. Their system defined how psychics were understood across the globe.
One of the most common types was augmentation, which enhanced physical strength and durability. Almost every psychic possessed this ability as a basic trait. It served as the foundation for more advanced powers.
Beyond that were higher-level abilities such as mind-based powers. These included telepathy, mind reading, and memory manipulation. Such abilities required greater control and understanding to use effectively.
There were also highly destructive abilities focused on combat. These were known as energy manipulation abilities and were among the most dangerous. Many powerful psychics specialized in these forms.
Examples included psychokinesis, which allowed the manipulation of objects. Pyrokinesis enabled the control or creation of fire, while cryokinesis dealt with ice and cold. Other variations included hydrokinesis for water, aerokinesis for air, geokinesis for earth, and electrokinesis for electricity.
And at said theory by the loser author, an average psychic could learn multiple abilities. However, they were limited by their talent, understanding, and the amount of psychic energy their body could handle. These limitations determined how far one could grow.
Fortunately, awakening provided an initial advantage. Although random and unpredictable, every psychics naturally gained two or three advanced abilities upon awakening that they will be naturally profecient with. Basic traits like augmentation and energy shields were already considered standard and did not count among these.
The protagonist's parents were perfect examples of this. His father possessed psychokinesis and pyrokinesis, making him both versatile and destructive. His mother, on the other hand, wielded geokinesis and electrokinesis, granting her overwhelming control in battle.
With such a powerful lineage, it was only natural for the Ryugasaki Family to take interest in the main character. They would never allow the opportunity to nurture a potential powerhouse to slip away.
As Akihiro thought about this, his mind then also drifted to the beginning of the story. Speaking of the main character, the main character was supposed to attend a normal school alongside one of the female leads rather than a specialized psychic institution at the first chapters. This was because he had not yet awakened his dormant psychic powers at that point in time.
He also recalled that the female lead, was Ryugasaki Kiri. Considering they now lived under the same house for years, it's only obvious that she was the female lead that was together with the main character at his ordinary school arc. If Akihiro remembered she stayed close to the main character during those early days. Her personality had always been calm and neutral, yet she still had her own preferences and boundaries. There had been a reason for her following the main character even though she had already awakened her psychic powers, but remembering it clearly proved difficult.
Akihiro tried to dig deeper into his memories, but the details refused to come together. He had only remembered the major arcs, leaving smaller moments forgotten. The more he forced himself to remember, the more his head began to ache.
As a sharp pain built up as his thoughts became disorganized. He clicked his tongue in frustration, rubbing his forehead lightly. "Damn that author… all those useless fillers," he muttered under his breath.
Before he could continue, a familiar voice called out from nearby. "Akihiro, I'm here to pick you up." The sound instantly pulled him out of his thoughts.
He turned toward the voice and saw his mother waiting for him. She shared similar features with him, with black hair and dark eyes, though her hair was longer and her presence more mature. She wore a simple blue hoodie paired with a long skirt, giving off a gentle and calm impression.
Akihiro smiled as he ran toward her with his small backpack bouncing lightly behind him. "I'm coming," he said, keeping his tone soft. As he neared his mother crouched down and gently held his hand as soon as he reached her.
They began walking toward the school gate together as the afternoon sunlight bathed the city of Tokyo in a warm glow. "Did you wait too long?" she asked, glancing down at him.
"Not really," Akihiro replied quietly.
"That's good," she said with a small smile. "I made your favorite food today."
Akihiro's expression brightened for a moment before he tried to suppress it. "Thank you," he said, unable to completely hide his happiness.
As they walked home after a while, the mother and son talked about their day. They passed by quiet streets and closed shops, with only a few people around at that hour. Akihiro shared small moments from school while his mother listened attentively.
Their peaceful conversation suddenly came to a halt.
His mother froze mid-step, her grip tightening slightly around his hand. The color drained from her face as her gaze locked onto something nearby. Her body stiffened, as if she had seen something she could not process.
Akihiro noticed the change immediately and looked up at her. "Mom?" he asked, confused by her sudden reaction. She didn't respond.
Following her line of sight, Akihiro slowly turned toward the direction she was staring at. His eyes moved toward a nearby alleyway, curiosity mixing with unease. Then he took a small step back and peeked inside.
The moment he saw it, his expression mirrored hers.
Inside the alleyway was something beyond ordinary fear. It was a grotesque abomination, lacking any proper shape or structure. Its body was an uneven mass, with limbs protruding in unnatural directions as if they had no sense of placement.
Its surface looked unstable, with hands and feet emerging randomly across its form. A long, distorted mouth stretched across its body like a scar, while dozens of eyes blinked at irregular intervals. Some moved independently, creating an unsettling and chaotic sight.
A faint glow surrounded the creature, radiating an eerie energy that filled the narrow space. The air itself felt heavier, as if reacting to its presence. There was no mistaking what stood before them. It was an evil spirit.