In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 137

After leaving school, Higashino did not go straight home, but went to a nearby shopping mall.

Higashino, carrying a shopping basket, aimlessly wandered through the food section, intending to buy something random for dinner.

Although he was a pretty good cook, he used to order takeout before he transmigrated, given his situation of living alone.

Himegami Akisa, Index, and Mikoto Meiya are currently riding in Xiaomeng's car on their way to the summer camp meeting point.

Just ten minutes ago, Higashino had spoken to them on the phone. It seemed he had just arrived at a roadside restaurant to have dinner and planned to rest nearby for the night before continuing his journey the next day.

The sudden solitude made him a little uncomfortable, as he had grown accustomed to a lively and bustling environment.

As he walked past the shelves overflowing with a dazzling array of goods, his gaze was drawn to a row of canned food.

It wasn't that he was particularly interested in the canned goods themselves, but rather that the blond figure standing on tiptoe, stretching out her arms to reach the last can on the top shelf, instantly caught his eye.

It was Frenda, whom I hadn't seen for several days.

She stretched her toes, her face showing a stubborn expression, as she tried to reach the seemingly unattainable can of mackerel.

The way it looked was just like a delicate doll in a shop window trying to complete an impossible task, cute yet with a touch of clumsy earnestness.

Higashino found Frenda's expression quite amusing.

Logically, the mall staff should have noticed her predicament, but it was rush hour, the store was packed with people, and the staff were all so busy that no one noticed Frenda's predicament.

Several boys nearby hesitated to step forward, but perhaps due to their youthful impetuosity or shyness, they ultimately did not take that step.

"Oh dear, students are just so immature."

Boys who are still in school are like this: when they see a cute girl in trouble, they want to help her, but some inexplicable psychological factors prevent them from making up their minds. As a result, they always miss that fleeting opportunity.

Let me, an adult, tell you: when you want to strike up a conversation, you can't hesitate; you have to act decisively.

Young girls need to take the initiative to approach and connect with others; it's unrealistic to expect others to throw themselves at them.

He silently walked behind Frenda, and taking advantage of his height, easily reached over her head, grabbed the lone can of food, and unceremoniously put it into his shopping basket.

This action stunned several male passersby who were secretly glancing at them.

Ignoring the stares of those people, Higashino glanced at the label on the can and, sure enough, it was Flanda's favorite mackerel can.

This was the gift that Higashino gave her when they first met.

"what!"

Frenda felt her fingertips go empty as her target vanished, and she instinctively let out a small gasp.

Thinking it was a kind person helping her, she immediately turned around with a bright smile, saying, "Thank you..."

The moment the word "thank you" left his mouth, his smile froze on his face.

What came into view was Higashino's familiar face with a playful smile, and the can of mackerel in his basket that would soon belong to her.

"Higashi... Higashino-kun?!"

Frenda widened her beautiful eyes, opened her small mouth slightly, and then puffed out her cheeks like an angry pufferfish.

"You! You didn't do this on purpose, did you?! I clearly saw that the other person tried to take it first!"

She pointed at the canned food, angrily accusing Higashino of his behavior.

Taking away something that someone has worked so hard to get without hesitation is such a despicable act.

Higashino raised an eyebrow and shook the shopping basket innocently: "How could that be, Frenda? I was just thinking about tonight's menu and suddenly thought... um, canned mackerel seems like a good choice."

He deliberately dragged out the melody, enjoying Frenda's exasperated yet helpless expression.

"hateful!"

Frenda stomped her foot, gritting her teeth and revealing her canine teeth.

She wasn't going to believe Higashino's nonsense. He wasn't a mackerel cannery enthusiast like her, so why would he specifically choose the last can she wanted?

This behavior is clearly an attempt to antagonize her and deliberately anger her.

She looked at the can of food that seemed so close yet so far away, then at Higashino's hateful smiling face, and her little schemes began to run wild.

For her, canned mackerel is just as essential as Mikoto's obsession with Gekota!

She wouldn't have bothered if she hadn't seen it, but she hadn't been able to buy any for three days. Today, she finally found the last can left in the mall, and she was really unwilling to let it slip away like this.

Just then, Mugino Shizuri's declaration at the Item base about "everyone conquering Higashino" flashed through her mind.

Since we can't take it from him, why not just win him over?

Once you make him fall under your spell, then what's his will become yours.

Moreover, since Higashino will be one of her people, she will dare to say loudly to Mugino that she is not afraid of him and that she will be the new boss!

It's even possible that Mugino will call me "Big Sister Frenda!"

I'm such a little genius!

Take the initiative... We can't lose... I can do it!

Boys all like girls who are a little weak. As long as I act cute and act coquettish, there won't be any problems. Frenda, you're the cutest!

Frenda took a deep breath, trying to shift her expression from anger to a slightly aggrieved reproach: "Ugh... Higashino-kun is bullying me! That was clearly the last can!"

She lowered her head slightly, her voice softening a bit, with a hint of coquetry.

"I...I really want to eat it..."

Higashino understood as he watched her switch tactics in an instant.

He casually picked up the can of mackerel and waved it in front of Frenda: "Here you go... it's not impossible."

Frenda's eyes lit up, and she immediately looked up at him expectantly.

"but……"

Higashino then changed the subject.

"As for the conditions... you'll be in charge of my dinner tonight."

He looked at Frenda's momentarily bewildered expression and slowly added the crucial sentence.

"Hmm... As for the location, I think your place is nice."

Come to my house?!

Frenda's heart skipped a beat.

A lone man and a lone woman... having dinner together... While there's a possibility of some dangerous things happening, this is definitely a perfect opportunity for a romantic operation!

Although she suddenly felt nervous again, the thought of the "wonderful" future after successfully conquering the enemy—with the strongest ability user protecting them, she and her sister Freya could roam freely in Academy City…

Besides, she wasn't entirely without feelings for Higashino; otherwise, why would she have acquiesced when Mugino made the suggestion?

Unlike the others, who gradually developed a liking for Higashino because of his abilities, Flanda had a slight liking for him from the first time they met because Higashino gave her a can of mackerel.

Of course, it's only a tiny bit!

However, Higashino's use of his ability later affected the increase in his favorability rating, and then he became the strongest in Academy City. Frenda's desire to win Higashino's heart was stronger than anyone else's.

After all, having latched onto Higashino's coattails, she and her sister would have much greater security, even in a place like Academy City.

"Ah...eh?"

Two suspicious blushes appeared on Frenda's face.

She glanced quickly at Higashino, then lowered her head again, feigning a shy, hesitant look, like a young girl in love.

A few seconds later, she suddenly raised her head, as if she had made up her mind, and tried her best to put on a sweet smile that looked as natural as possible:

"Okay... alright! Since Higashino-kun wants to eat my cooking so much... ah, no! He really wants to eat canned mackerel!"

She was somewhat incoherent, but quickly reached out and snatched the hard-won can of mackerel from Higashino's hand, holding it tightly in her arms as if it were a precious treasure.

"Then...it's a deal! Dinner...dinner is at my house! No take-backs, okay?"

Clutching the can, like a kitten that had stolen a fish, she turned around excitedly and hurried toward the cashier.

As Higashino watched her fleeing figure, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He picked up the basket and followed at a leisurely pace.

As for where Frenda's home is, and what kind of "surprise" awaits him there?

Higashino expressed his high expectations for this.

Chapter 172 Frenda's Secret Base

Flanda led Higashino through the gleaming lobby of the massive commercial complex called "Diamond-like" in the 15th school district, and took the high-speed elevator directly to the upscale residential area on the upper floors.

This is a secret base that Frenda specially chose with a lot of her savings, and no one knows about it except for herself.

However, no one knew that this was just wishful thinking on her part; in reality, Mugino and the others already knew. Only Frenda herself was still smugly convinced that her secret base was well hidden and that no one had discovered it.

The elevator doors opened, and Frenda led Higashino to a door, quickly entering her fingers into an inconspicuous keypad on the side of the door. The door lock clicked softly and opened.

Inside the door, unlike the rooms where ordinary girls stay, this is a space completely submerged by countless cardboard boxes.

Higashino stood at the door, looking around Frenda's secret base with great interest.

There is almost no furniture in the traditional sense here, and it doesn't even look like the residence of a beautiful young girl.

Sofas, coffee tables, and dining tables were squeezed into corners or simply replaced by stacks of cardboard boxes. The entire room was filled with all sorts of cardboard boxes, a chaotic mess.

Most of the boxes were half-open or loosely sealed with tape, revealing not everyday items, but various carefully wrapped gifts.

Adorable dolls, sparkling crystal ornaments, brand-new electronic devices, beautifully packaged books...

It's like a small shopping mall, with a wide variety of products and a dazzling array of goods.

A huge calendar hangs on the wall in the entryway, with almost every day marked with a different colored highlighter. Next to it are names written in neat handwriting—the birthdays of every acquaintance in Flanda's vast social network.

This is her own safe haven, a place completely different from her usual glamorous appearance and her identity as a "prop" member of the secret service.

Here, she doesn't have to be the mature and composed older sister in front of Fremia, nor does she have to be the bomb expert with deadly firepower hidden under her skirt during the mission.

She was just a lonely girl who carefully cherished her "connections," a place where she could safely reveal her true self.

“Look, this is it…this is the place.” Frenda’s voice was a few decibels lower than usual.

Actually, she initially planned to take Higashino to her usual place of residence, but somehow she ended up bringing him here, to this place she had secretly bought as a secret base.

Unbeknownst to her, this was actually the result of Higashino secretly using his abilities to influence her choices.

When Higashino read the original novel, he knew that Frenda had such a secret base, and he was very interested in this special place.

It's normal for boys to be interested in a place like a girl's secret garden, right?

Moreover, coming here allows him to better understand this complex girl and directly confront her most authentic self.

Information gleaned from novels can never compare to the reality gained through firsthand experience.

Since he had decided to win her over, coming here was definitely a good choice. Taking his time and slowly opening her heart wasn't his style.

She stepped aside to let Higashino in, then closed the door behind her, nervously observing his reaction.

She didn't know how Higashino would view her if he saw what was happening in the room, but since she was already there, it was too late to back out.

Higashino's gaze swept over the "graveyard" made of gifts, finally landing on the calendar filled with names and birthdays.

His eyes showed no surprise; after all, he had known from the beginning. He didn't comment on the strange environment, but simply placed the shopping bags he was carrying on a small patch of ground near the entrance, just big enough for him to stand on.

"It's a very quiet place." Higashino's voice broke the silence. He walked towards the boxes, casually picked up a plush bear from a half-open cardboard box, and gently patted the dust off it.

This was probably a gift from one of Frenda's friends, but because Frenda doesn't come here often, the poor little bear is covered in dust.

"It just lacks a bit of 'human' feel." Although it's Flanda's secret base, she doesn't actually come here often. She only comes when she wants to relax and vent alone.

"Ugh... this was a gift from someone else!" Frenda instinctively tried to explain, but then realized she had revealed something and lowered her voice, "... I just haven't decided where to put it yet."

He put down the doll, turned to Frenda, and wore a knowing smile.

"However, since I'm here and brought food... I can't let the host treat me to a meal and then go hungry, can I?"

Frenda was taken aback: "Huh? But... but didn't you just say..."

“Well, I’ve changed my mind.” Dongye interrupted her, naturally starting to roll up his shirt sleeves. “Seeing you like this, and all these ‘wishes’ in the room.” He pointed to the calendar on the wall and the pile of gifts all over the room, “I suddenly feel that it’s better if I do it myself.”

Frenda, her thoughts exposed, felt somewhat embarrassed and tried to cover the calendar, but knew this would only make things worse, so she could only clench her hands in vain. "W-what wish..."