No sooner said than done. Kanzaki Saku immediately decided to head out to the convenience store and bookstore to see if they were selling that marvelous book, Metronome in Love.
Before leaving, he asked Sagiri if she needed him to bring anything back. After receiving an answer of snacks and fruit juice, Kanzaki Saku grabbed his wallet and keys and set off.
The streets of the Japanese residential area were basically deserted at night, fitting the stereotypical image found in horror movies perfectly. However, having a superpower by his side, Kanzaki Saku was not afraid.
He first went to the convenience store to buy the snacks and drinks Sagiri wanted. Incidentally, he quickly scanned the bookshelf. As expected, it wasn't there; the shelves were stocked only with photobooks and manga.
This kind of flopped work would probably only be found in the corner of a proper bookstore.
He turned and walked to a fairly large bookstore a few blocks away. Sure enough, in the most inconspicuous bottom corner of the light novel section, he found the first volume of Metronome in Love. There was even a bit of dust on the book cover.
It was in sharp contrast to the reprints of popular works or award-winning masterpieces by newcomers next to it.
"A flop with poor sales looks just like this," Kanzaki Saku muttered softly, pulling out a copy. The cover featured a common school romance style; the art was reasonably exquisite, but it felt like it lacked some impact.
He flipped to the back cover to check the author bio: Kashiwagi Eri, a new writer who loves painting and reading, followed by a string of official polite remarks.
He opened the book and read the beginning. Since this is a [Reversal] world, the genders were swapped, so Kanzaki Saku found it constantly novel to read. Coupled with the delicate writing style and accurate emotional descriptions, it was actually unexpectedly interesting.
"Although I don't know how the original Kasumigaoka wrote it," Kanzaki Saku closed the book, "the one written by Eriri is quite interesting."
Paying for this masterpiece of the ages, Kanzaki Saku carried the convenience store bag and the bookstore's paper bag, stepping onto the road home.
After walking for about five minutes, a feeling of being watched faintly emerged, similar to what he felt when he was kidnapped by Kushida Kikyou last time.
Kanzaki Saku remained calm, his pace and rhythm unchanged, but he had already quietly used his [Reversal] superpower to let himself see behind his back.
He took a look; it wasn't an illusion. There was indeed a little shadowy figure following behind. The distance was poorly maintained, and the stalking technique was unskilled—one could tell at a glance it was a first-timer.
Regarding being stalked, Kanzaki Saku felt no waves in his heart; he even wanted to laugh a little. As a male with outstanding looks, going out alone at night and being targeted by certain people with ulterior motives could be considered a standard development.
He wasn't afraid of being robbed of his virtue. It was the same old saying: you might make a bloody profit, but Brother Saku will never take a loss.
Of course, that was on the premise that the person robbing him looked consistent with his aesthetic standards. If they looked sorry to the eyes, then he also knew a thing or two about how to use superpowers.
To confirm, and also to make it easier to deal with, Kanzaki Saku began to consciously choose his route. He quickly observed his surroundings and turned into a relatively secluded, dimly lit alley.
During this process, his attention was mainly focused on the tail behind him and the environment of the alley ahead, so he didn't pay much attention to the slight commotion on the roadside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to glimpse a petite figure stumble on the side of the road. The shopping bag in her hand fell to the ground, and a few items scattered out.
But the sky was already dark, and the other party happened to be standing at the junction of light and shadow, so Kanzaki Saku didn't see her specific appearance clearly. Plus, since the matter of being stalked took priority at the moment, he subconsciously quickened his pace, almost sweeping past that person quickly, with absolutely no intention of stopping to help.
For Kanzaki Saku, this was just a small interlude on the road. Therefore, he was completely unaware of how abnormal that small accident just now was for the person involved.
The one who had taken a tumble was none other than Megumi Kato.
She had come out tonight to buy some necessities, but her mind couldn't help but be distracted, thinking about the events of the day.
She had asked Kushida to invite Kanzaki Saku, but in the end, Kanzaki Saku didn't come. Even Kushida had vanished from the face of the earth, not replying to messages or answering calls.
Absent-minded, she accidentally stepped on an uneven part of the road surface, stumbled a step, and lost her grip on the shopping bag.
According to her past experience, when she fell in public, due to her overly high presence, it would always trigger a reaction from bystanders.
Kind-hearted people would come forward to help, and rude ones might laugh, but regardless, she would always gain some attention, even if it was just onlookers watching from the side.
However, today, that man who walked briskly past her didn't even look at her. It wasn't a deliberate ignore, but that kind of natural disregard where she simply didn't trigger his attention.
It should be noted that even the little shadowy figure stalking Kanzaki Saku was 'hard-controlled'—frozen in place watching for a while because of Megumi Kato's fall—before reacting and continuing to stalk, almost losing the trail.
This was, of course, because of Kanzaki Saku's [Reversal]. Kanzaki Saku had his [Reversal] reflection field active year-round, so he wasn't affected by Megumi Kato's effect.
On the contrary, in Megumi Kato's eyes, Kanzaki Saku's presence was abnormally high.
Megumi Kato crouched on the ground, her movement of picking things up pausing. She slightly widened her eyes, which always seemed somewhat unusually calm, watching that tall back figure rapidly turn into the adjacent alley.
Surprise.
This was the clearest feeling Megumi Kato had at this moment. There was actually someone who could completely ignore her? Seeing her fall and spill her things, yet turning a blind eye? This was a first in her life experience.
It really was... so exhilarating! This feeling of being ignored!
"This person is very special," Megumi Kato muttered softly to herself, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curving up into an extremely shallow arc. She quickly gathered her things and bagged them again, her movements efficient.
Then, she noticed with hindsight that after the man who ignored her turned into the alley, a figure behind him—wearing a hoodie with the brim pulled low and acting somewhat sneakily—also hurriedly followed him in.
However, because the figure had looked at her side a few extra times, they stumbled at the alley entrance, almost failing to keep up.
Stalking?!
Megumi Kato's plain expression instantly became somewhat serious. The hurried look of that person just now was obviously harboring malicious intent. Were they stalking the man who ignored her? This was going to be a robbery of lust!
Almost without any hesitation, Megumi Kato lifted her shopping bag and also walked toward the alley.
She had to go see; this was no small matter. Moreover, this might be an opportunity—a reasonable and legitimate opportunity to get to know that special man who could completely ignore her just now.
It is time for the hero to make an entrance! As long as she revealed her identity as the King of a Hundred Beasts, surely the stalker would be scared off!
Wait, no. With my reputation, the stalker might not be scared away; instead, she might invite me to join in robbing him of his lust.
On the other hand, that boy would probably be so scared by her title that he wouldn't dare to resist.
Due to her high presence, her face was even overly recognizable in this area.
She probably couldn't even show her face.
_____
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