Persona: Devil Summoner

"Snapped!".

As he was speaking, he was about to bow to everyone, and then, without noticing, his head hit the microphone violently. It would have been fine on normal days, because the microphone was very sensitive, but he heard a sharp electric sound that echoed throughout the gymnasium. Jiang Tianwei seemed to be struck by this lightning-like sound, and all the hair on his body stood up!

(Maruki Takuto?! I didn’t expect to hear this name here!)

Jiang Tianwei quickly called Fang Zexia in a low voice and asked her to check if there was anything wrong with his sister.

The ghost beside him floated away, but Jiang Tianwei couldn't let go of his feeling for a long time: It's really a case of searching for something without any effort, but it came to him without any effort! He actually came to his door on his own! - Although Jiang Tianwei didn't search for it at first, and didn't have any iron shoes, but Maruxi really came to his door on his own!

(Maruki Takuto, Sumire Yoshizawa, Kasumi Yoshizawa, Shujin Academy... Is there any connection between these people? And, to be honest, it is not normal for Sumire Yoshizawa to directly think of herself as Kasumi Yoshizawa. Rather than saying this is [psychological counseling], it is more like [changing one's appearance]... Could it be that Maruki Takuto also has a persona and different world navigation?).

Jiang Tianwei had a lot of thoughts in his mind.

"Because of the previous events, I'm sure many of you are feeling uneasy deep down. Don't be polite at this time, just come and see me. I'll have snacks ready for you in the infirmary. Oh, by the way, the exam is tomorrow, right? It's okay if you want to come to me for psychological counseling before the exam!"

Maruki Takuto spoke in a relaxed tone, and there was no sign of any problem. In fact, if Jiang Tianwei didn't know the special situation of Fangze's family, he would probably think that this person was just a sloppy uncle that you can see everywhere.

This meaningless morning meeting soon ended, but everyone knew that even though this kind of morning meeting was over, the head teachers of each class would definitely emphasize it again in the class.

Although the psychological counseling is voluntary in name, there are still a group of students who are identified by the school as "needing psychological counseling". The school said that it is "strongly recommended" that students seek counseling on their own. In other words, you have to go whether you want to or not.

Naturally, people like Amamiya Ren who have a criminal record, Ryuji who looks like a gangster, Takamaki An who is very close to Kamoshida, Mishima Yuki and Reii Shiho (temporarily on leave from school) who have been directly persecuted by Kamoshida, and Jiang Tianwei who has been on leave from school for more than a year... are all on this highly recommended list.

(That's right, I also want to meet him... But, what should I do...)

Jiang Tianwei was thinking this and didn't pay much attention in class that morning.

Generally speaking, there are three options:

The first is recklessness, which is to run over and ask Maruki: Hey, do you know Fangze? What did you do to her?

The second is to be roundabout. You can ask Maruki indirectly: Teacher, actually I have a twin brother, but one of him died when he was born. It was me who died, so I am my brother.

The third option is of course to stay out of the way and just eavesdrop on how Maruki teaches others. Anyway, he has the strongest spy, Kasumi Yoshizawa's ghost, so he can easily spy on her.

The only pity is that Jiang Tianwei is not a wise man like Zhuge Kongming. Although he can list various methods and knows the pros and cons of various methods, he cannot decide which method he should choose...

This is probably what people often say: trouble over nothing.

Having not made up his mind the whole morning, Jiang Tianwei could only silently pick up his lunch box and prepare to eat lunch.

Before he opened it, he saw Fang Zexia's little hand blocking his lunch box. Jiang Tianwei looked at her in confusion. Fang Zexia didn't say anything, but pointed at the door with her mouth. He could also see Fang Zejin's ponytail disappearing in the corridor little by little. It was obvious that she wanted him to chase her.

"I know, I know. You are such a good sister who loves and cares for your sister!"

Jiang Tianwei complained quietly, Fang Zexia proudly put her hands on her hips and said, "Of course!"

"But I still don't understand why you are so keen on instigating me and Jin?

"That's because, of course, she's my sister! She's as cute as me, right~".

"That doesn't count as an answer, does it?"

"Yeah, of course it's because I admire you very much. With the approval of your elder sister, you can pursue her boldly without any worries!"

"That's not really an answer, is it?"

Jiang Tianwei complained, but he still picked up his lunch box and ran after Fang Zejin. Behind him, Fang Zexia finally showed a warm smile, floating cheerfully, and took a detour to the stairs through the wall that only ghosts could walk, and took a peek in advance.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 84 The Low Period

"Wow, Senior, your lunch is amazing! Is this Chinese food?"

Yoshizawa Sumire's voice, with its clear and melodious voice that is unique to a young girl, coupled with her genuine excitement, always makes people feel a fondness for her.

Master Liu had already returned to his apartment, and no matter what Jiang Tianwei said, the old man insisted on cooking for him. Jiang Tianwei couldn't refuse, so he naturally started to bring lunch again.

Frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, stewing, and stewing, the eight major cuisines have derived various cooking methods with different flavors. While ensuring the taste, it also pays attention to color matching and aroma. As a former top chef, Master Liu is naturally well versed in cooking. Although he only brought lunch boxes for lunch, he also plated them as if they were works of art.

Fang Ze Jin's eyes were glowing as she looked at Jiang Tianwei with those sparkling eyes. Jiang Tianwei smiled and picked up a piece of shredded pork with fish flavor and gave it to her with his chopsticks.

"Here, this is your return gift for the egg roll you gave me this time."

Yoshizawa Sumire didn't think much about it. She stretched her neck and ate it in one bite, just like a fish taking a hook.

"Delicious! This is completely different from what I eat in Chinese restaurants! I thought Chinese food was all heavy in flavor, oily and salty."

Jiang Tianwei thought about his experience in the so-called Chinese restaurant and could only smile bitterly: "It's the same reason why Japanese restaurants in China like to sell fresh food."

"Mmm, it's so delicious. It's not greasy at all as expected, and the ratio of vegetables to meat is perfect! The seasoning is really delicate and layered!"

Fang Ze Jin suddenly turned into a food judge in the animation, commenting enthusiastically on the deliciousness of the food. She seemed to have noticed Jiang Tianwei, her face turned red, and she coughed awkwardly: "Sorry, senior, I lost my composure."

"No, I just didn't expect you to be so keen on food."

Jiang Tianwei wanted to make a joke, but when he saw Fang Zejin's huge lunch box, he thought about it carefully. This was nothing surprising... Since the girl brought so much food, she must care about the quality of the food!

"Well, after all, food is very important for athletes!"

"Ah, I know that. It is said that even if you are too tired from training to eat anything, you have to grind them into juice and drink it down."

"It's not that exaggerated, but it's true. If you just exercise blindly without taking in proper nutrition, it won't work! Your body will collapse! You can only exercise well if you can eat and sleep~".

Yoshizawa Sumire said as she stretched out her slender arms and flexed her biceps. This was originally a move used by bodybuilders to show off their arm strength, but Yoshizawa obviously had not trained to the level of a Barbie doll, and the movement of flexing her arms looked as cute as a small animal showing off.

Jiang Tianwei smiled but said nothing. Seeing that he didn't believe her, Fang Zejin said, "Ah, senior, are you laughing at me in your heart? You think I have no muscles? Come on! Senior, come and pinch me and try!"

Fang Ze Jin half-forced Jiang Tianwei's hand and pressed it on her upper arm through her clothes... Sure enough, just as she said, although Fang Ze Jin's arms were slender, they didn't feel as soft as expected when pinched. She could clearly feel the elasticity of the muscles preventing her fingers from going deeper.

After all, rhythmic gymnastics is very physically demanding, and it is impossible for athletes to be without muscles.

"That's great. I envy you for being able to eat it every day..."

Fang Zejin's eyes suddenly became lonely as she spoke. Jiang Tianwei noticed her little movements and knew that he had reminded her of her sad past. He was about to remain silent and change the subject. Suddenly, Fang Zexia's ghost floated over, hugged her sister in the void, gestured to Jiang Tianwei, and poked herself with her index finger...

(Is this a signal for me to continue asking questions...)

Jiang Tianwei was a little hesitant at first, but seeing that Fang Zexia had hinted so obviously, he continued to ask regardless of the consequences: "Have you thought about your sister?"

"Well, in the past, my sister was the one who cooked. She is better at cooking than me."

"Uh... um."

"After all, as I said before, eating is very important for athletes. Sumire can always make nutritionally balanced and delicious meals. This is something I have never been able to achieve..."

"Obviously you are Sumire..."

Jiang Tianwei muttered something in a low voice, and Fang Zejin asked, "What did you say, senior?"

"It's nothing. I just mean that if you work hard, you can definitely cook delicious meals!"

"Well, that's definitely not possible for me."

Yoshizawa Sumire said this with a wry smile: "Well... since it has come to this, I won't hide it anymore. Senior, I'm actually in a bottleneck period recently."

Yoshizawa Sumire lowered her head, her burgundy hair covering her eyes.

"I can't live up to the coach's expectations, and my performance in the competition is not ideal. I am at a low point now..."

Jiang Tianwei looked up at the ghost of Fang Zexia who was sticking to Fang Zejin. The latter shook her head and spread her hands flat, looking like she didn't know either.

(Yeah, this guy said he has no memory...)

I originally wanted to get some clues from Fang Zexia, but it seems there is no way.

(Is this Sumire Yoshizawa’s low period…)

"Um, Yoshizawa-san, excuse me, does your sister also practice rhythmic gymnastics with you?"

"Um.".

"Well, please answer me without any subjective color. Is your sister's level much lower than yours?"

"Well, it's not that much lower!"

Yoshizawa Sumire's answer was as if she had completely transformed into Yoshizawa Kasumi to defend her sister. But if you peel off the outer layer of her tone, you can see that Yoshizawa Sumire's achievements in rhythmic gymnastics are not as good as Yoshizawa Kasumi's.

That's easy to explain.

A person's perception can be tampered with, and people around her may gently protect her, but objective abilities cannot be changed. Even if you hypnotize Sumire Yoshizawa and tell her that she is the Flash, she cannot run at the speed of light and reverse time.

"That's it, that's it!"

Jiang Tianwei couldn't help but sigh, and Fang Zejin seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw. She grabbed Jiang Tianwei's left hand with both hands, as if she was being grabbed by a cat or a dog.

"Senior, do you have any solution for my low period?!"

I definitely can't tell her right here: "Hey girl, you are not actually you. You are the sister of the sister you thought you were, and this sister is the original you." I think Yoshizawa Sumire will be confused. I'd better give up.

In particular, we should not act rashly before we understand what role Maruki Takuto played and what he did in this rewriting of perceptions.

Well, the answer is obvious...

"Ah, although the approach is a little different, I do know a few ways to deal with low periods."

Jiang Tianwei stood up and punched the heavy air in the stairwell several times. The punches of his left and right hands were coordinated with the strength of his waist and legs. Even if he was punching the air, he showed an amazing sense of strength. Fang Zejin could see at a glance how powerful Jiang Tianwei's punches were.

"That's amazing, Senior. Were you a boxer before?"

"Well, I'm not an athlete, I just practiced for a while. I don't know if my experience can help you, but just think of it as a scam. Let's give it a try."

In his last sentence, Jiang Tianwei did not lie at all. He did not have such a low period or bottleneck period, so naturally he did not know how to deal with it. He just said this out of the blue.

For Sumire Yoshizawa, the most appropriate metaphor is a drowning person grasping at the last straw. She has no other choice now and can only try whatever method she can.

Jiang Tianwei thought it was time to stop talking and have a good meal. Fang Zejin suddenly stretched out her right hand, with a little finger sticking out of her clenched fist. There are some customs that are very similar between China and Japan.

For example, this check mark.

Jiang Tianwei could only stretch out his hand and hook his two little fingers together.

"Senior, the deal is done."

"Well, junior. I know what I mean. We make a pinky promise and won't change it for a hundred years."

"Senior, that's not the way we say it here - if you lie, you will have to swallow a thousand needles!"

"One thousand?! You Japanese are really cruel and ruthless?!... Junior, I regret it, okay?"

"Of course - no!".

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 85: Examination in Progress

And the cute school girl... Of course, strictly speaking, she and Jiang Tianwei are in the same grade, so they should be considered peers.

In short, he made an appointment with the lovely lady. Although he didn't want to admit it, Jiang Tianwei did feel elated.

After all, you see, in Japanese animation, there are two things that matter. One is the almighty Yasashi (gentleness), and the other is the childhood promise that will never be forgotten no matter how long it has been.

"Xia, do you think I'm gentle?"

"So gentle. So gentle - let's move on to the next question, don't stop writing."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm gentle or not, but you're definitely not gentle at all."

"Of course, this is all for you! A Wei! If it were for you! I, I would rather turn into a ghost!"

"You make it sound like you've done a lot for me! But in fact, it's totally unnecessary, right?!"

Jiang Tianwei roared like this.

Just by listening, one can roughly guess what the scene is. Yes, after school today, Jiang Tianwei wanted to go somewhere to hang out and kill time, but he accidentally met the three thieves. Long Si was crying and saying that he had failed the exam tomorrow. Xing also said that he could only pass English steadily. Although Amamiya Ren didn't say anything, she was too excited by the atmosphere and didn't dare to say anything.

Seeing the Phantom Thieves becoming a depressed group, Jiang Tianwei curled his lips and didn't take it to heart, but Fang Zexia became serious and forced him to go back to review.

Actually, if Jiang Tianwei was determined not to review and went out alone, ignoring the noisy Fang Zexia, the other party would be helpless against him, after all, they were separated by Yin and Yang. But Jiang Tianwei was not a heartless person, and in the end he could not persuade her and had to go back to review.

Then there was the scene above, where Jiang Tianwei was forced by Fang Zexia to sit in the exercise book and do the exercises. Jiang Tianwei's academic ability was not bad to begin with, and even if he didn't review, he wouldn't fail like Long Si, so he really couldn't understand why Fang Zexia forced him to study...

"Don't you understand yet? The meaning of learning!"

Fang Zexia found a pair of glasses from somewhere and put them on. She said to Jiang Tianwei seriously, "What are the benefits of studying?"

"Get into a good university?"

"It's too far, talk about something closer."

"Get a high score? Get a good ranking in the exam?".

"Right! If you suddenly get a very high score in the exam, everyone will definitely look at you with new eyes - especially Sumire's favorability rating, which will definitely increase rapidly!"