"Don’t think I don’t know… you crossdressing freak!"
How dare he make Kotori cry…
Rage surged through me. I threw a punch—but this wasn’t just any punch. It was infused with my wind power. A direct hit from this would send him flying.
"First of all—"
But—
He caught it. Effortlessly.
I barely had time to register my shock before he squeezed my hand.
It hurt.
I gritted my teeth, trying to pull away.
"Tch— You…!"
He continued, voice sharp.
"Secondly—"
A knee slammed into my stomach.
"How dare you—"
I choked on my words as pain shot through me.
He stepped back slightly, watching me stagger and clutch my stomach. A smirk played on her lips, her tone dripping with mockery.
"Now, are you back to reality, young man?"
I gasped for breath, eyes narrowing.
"How… why did my power have no effect on you?!"
What the hell just happened?
He scoffed. "Power, my ass. You don’t have any power at all."
I froze.
What… did he just say?
"Are you mocking me?! I have the power to control the wind! I am an A-rank Esper!!"
Before I could process it, my face snapped sideways—
He had slapped me.
And the next moment, he grabbed my collar, yanking me forward.
He leaned in, his breath brushing against my ear as he whispered…
"You don’t have power. You never had power. What A-rank Esper? You’re just some ordinary guy, blind to what’s real and what’s not. You need to wake up."
A sudden dizziness overtook me like something was being pulled out of my body. My mind reeled, and I struggled to grasp what was happening.
He then took my hand and placed it against his chest.
Soft.
Huh?
Why would a guy’s chest feel like this? …Maybe just a lump of fat?
Before I could spiral any further into confusion, his eyes locked onto mine, filled with irritation.
"It may be small, but I’m still growing."
He leaned in, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
"You feel that? I. AM. A. GIRL."
He—or rather, she—tossed me aside like I was nothing.
I hit the ground hard, coughing as I tried to process everything.
I was confused.
Did I… blindly misunderstand everything? Aria is really a girl? Not a boy?
As I sat there, my mind spinning, I suddenly felt a cold metal clamp around my wrists.
Handcuffs.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I snapped, looking up at the girl who had just cuffed me.
She leaned down, whispering into my ear, her voice laced with amusement.
"You really wanna ask me that? After you just revealed your power to a civilian?"
My breath caught.
Shit.
Meanwhile, Aria and her twin sister, Irana, were casually chatting about something, completely ignoring me.