Chapter 6: The Three Gifted
And so, the four of them decided to go to Grand One. Grand One is a multi-entertainment complex with locations all over the country. It’s a playground packed with facilities like karaoke, bowling, and a game center. For the four students, it could even be called a utopia.
Having arrived at Grand One, the four of them immediately started discussing what to do for fun.
“Alright, what should we do?”
“How about something safe like karaoke?”
“What about the game center?”
“I’m fine with anything as long as I can hang out with everyone…”
Akatsuki took the lead, Taichi suggested karaoke, and Kousuke mentioned the game center as an option, while Kazuma said he was fine with anything as long as he could hang out with everyone. Hearing this, the other three looked at Kazuma all at once. Kazuma flinched, startled by the sudden attention from everyone. Worried he might have said something wrong, Kazuma looked around at the three of them.
“Hey, hey, Satsuki! This is also a get-together for you, you know? Don’t hold back!”
“Mhm, that’s right. Satsuki-kun is the star today, so you should choose whatever you like.”
“Hahahaha, that’s right! You should do what you want to do, Satsuki!”
“O-Oh…!”
Kazuma was moved by their kind words. He jokingly pretended to cry, making the three of them laugh, and since it was also a get-together for him, he decided on karaoke. With karaoke decided, the four of them immediately went to the reception and headed to their assigned room. Upon reaching the room, the four hung their jackets on the hangers provided in the room and then started karaoke.
Akatsuki was up first, passionately singing a popular song. Thanks to the upbeat, energetic song, the four of them got hyped up, and Taichi, who was next, also chose a cheerful song. Then, Kousuke put on a K-pop idol song, livening things up even more.
“Why K-pop? You a fan?”
After Kousuke finished singing the K-pop idol song, Kazuma, out of curiosity, asked him why he chose it.
“Well, I do like it, but it’s also because girls love it!”
“Bwahahahaha! What’s with that! It’s silly, but I like that kind of thing!”
“Oh! You get it?! Wanna do a duet next time?”
“A kindred spirit! Put on a song for a kindred spirit!”
“Leave it to me!”
“Hey, Satsuki, you’re next! Here!”
While Kazuma was having a fun chat with Kousuke, it became his turn, so Akatsuki handed him the microphone. Kazuma took the mic, and in a cheesy manner, stuck out his pinky finger and belted out a love song that was popular a while back. Of course, he was aiming for laughs. Kazuma wasn’t bad, nor was he overly good, which made the other three burst out laughing.
“Ahahahaha! What’s with the pinky finger!”
“Ahh, there are people like that! Ahahahaha!”
“Ha-hahahaha! Satsuki! If you did that in front of girls, they’d be totally put off!”
“It’s a joke! How was it? My beautiful voice?”
“Bwahahahaha!!! What beautiful voice! It was average!”
“Fufu, Satsuki-kun, you’re funny.”
“Hahahaha! You’re nowhere near my level!”
“What did you say! Alright, next time I’ll sing for real!”
The karaoke continued after that, getting very lively. Having sung for quite a while, the four of them took a short break, eating fries and fried chicken while sipping their drinks.
“Man, I didn’t know Satsuki was this funny~”
“Yeah. He’s different from the image I had. I thought he’d be quieter.”
“I like you, Satsuki, you’re fun.”
“Haha, thanks. It’s thanks to you three inviting me out that I was able to open up like this. Seriously, thank you so much.”
“Don’t worry about it. Right?”
“Yeah. Just like Akatsuki said. You don’t need to worry about something like this.”
“That’s right. No need for formalities, right?”
“Everyone…! Alright, I’ll sing a song of gratitude!”
“Yeah! We’ve been waiting!”
“I wonder what he’ll sing?”
“Alright! This time, it’s a duet for sure!”
Kazuma was grateful to the three of them from the bottom of his heart. Starting school three months late had been really awkward. His classmates hadn’t known how to interact with him, so things had been tense between them. Because of that, Kazuma had thought he was destined to be a loner for his entire first year. But now, Akatsuki, Taichi, and Kousuke had become his friends. That’s precisely why Kazuma decided he would truly cherish these three.
After that, they continued with karaoke, and just as they were getting tired, Akatsuki spoke to Kazuma.
“By the way, Satsuki, what kind of Gift do you have?”
It wasn’t exactly a forbidden question, so Kazuma answered nonchalantly.
“My Gift is Transposition.”
“What, Chikan (Molester)!?”
Kousuke, who had been singing, deliberately misheard Kazuma’s Gift. Indeed, while the words sounded the same, their meanings were completely different. Realizing Kousuke had probably done it on purpose, Kazuma retorted loudly.
“Not a molester! Transposition!”
“Huh? A molester?”
This time, Taichi also joined in on the joke, deliberately mishearing him.
“Geez, how many times do I have to say it! It’s Transposition!”
Kazuma retorted, laughing as well. Afterwards, the four of them shared a laugh before telling each other about their respective Gifts.
“Well, setting the molester joke aside, my Gift is Levitation. Sadly, I can’t make myself float.”
Saying that, Akatsuki used his Levitation Gift on his bag. The bag then floated lightly as if released from gravity. Seeing that, Kazuma was genuinely impressed.
“Whoa! Takeshita, that’s awesome!”
“Haha, I appreciate you saying that, but I really wanted a combat-type Gift.”
“Eh…? Does that mean you wanted to join something like the National Defense Force, Takeshita?”
“Yeah, well. You’d admire it too, right?”
The National Defense Force is generally treated like heroes by the public. They possess combat-type Gifts and fight Ibinom to protect the safety of the citizens. That’s why the battles between the National Defense Force and Ibinom have become a kind of entertainment. You can watch countless videos of them fighting Ibinom on TV and the internet. Influenced by this, many people consider enlisting in the National Defense Force.
“I see…”
“What, Kazuma, do you dislike the National Defense Force?”
“No, it’s not like that. I just haven’t really thought about my future.”
“Ah, I see. Well, can’t be helped then.”
When the conversation ended there, Taichi then revealed his Gift.
“Alright, I’m next. I think everyone except Satsuki-kun already knows, but my Gift is Telepathy. Some also call it Nenwa.”
“Telepathy… Ah.”
“You don’t have to be considerate. In modern times, it’s considered an undesirable Gift. Apparently, it was quite valued before cell phones became widespread, but now, cell phones are all you need.”
“But, I’m pretty sure there are Ibinom individuals that can disrupt radio waves and disable electronic devices, so I don’t think it’s that undesirable.”
“Yeah. That’s true. But those are special cases. Having existing telepaths is enough. Unless something extraordinary happens, telepaths can’t really join the National Defense Force or anything. Well, I’m aiming to be a civil servant, so it’s fine for me.”
“Eh!? Then why are you at the Esper Academy?”
“Because it was close to my house.”
“Ugh! So people who say things like that actually exist…”
“Haha, well, as long as there’s a good environment for studying, that’s all that matters to me.”
“I see~”
Kazuma was genuinely impressed. Before going to the other world, Kazuma had been the type to think about getting a good job using his Transposition Gift. Transposition allows for the instantaneous movement of objects, so it’s often highly valued. That’s why Kazuma had been thrilled when his Transposition Gift awakened, thinking he’d hit the jackpot. Well, because he went to another world, Kazuma decided he wanted to live peacefully, so now he’s thinking of getting an ordinary job.
“Alright, I’m last!”
“Ah, that’s okay, we’re good.”
“Hey, listen to me!”
“Hahaha, just kidding. What kind of Gift is it?”
“Hehe, prepare to be amazed! My Gift is Detection!”
“Eh!? That’s actually an amazing one!”
Detection is a Gift just as the name suggests, but its most noteworthy aspect is the ability to find Ibinom. In fact, devices capable of detecting Ibinom still haven’t been developed. Therefore, the Detection Gift is highly valued in all sorts of fields.
“Well, yeah. But it depends on how much I can strengthen my Gift.”
“Ah, right. If the detection range is too small, it’s useless.”
“Yeah. Right now, I can search up to a ten-meter radius. But the National Defense Force’s recruitment standard is a hundred meters. I still have to work ten times harder.”
Gifts grow, so the individual’s effort and talent become necessary. Gifts will grow up to a certain point with effort, but it gets tough from there. That’s why talent is also necessary.
“Wow, that’s pretty strict.”
“Of course. Gifted with Detection are like humanity’s defense line. Sure, they use drones and satellites to search for Ibinom now, but the Detection Gift is still considered the most important.”
“I see… So, Ibuki, are you also aiming for the National Defense Force?”
“Yeah! After all, if you join the National Defense Force, you’ll be popular with the ladies!”
“Haha, well, the pay is insanely good. It’s amazing how they’re active on the front lines.”
“Right?! That’s why I’m working hard!”
“That’s amazing… Good luck.”
“Yeah!”
Thus, Kazuma learned about the Gifts of the three of them. He was also impressed by the three of them for already having their sights set on the future. He himself only had the vague dream of simply living peacefully. He wondered if that was really alright. But then, reasoning that since he was still just a first-year, there was probably no need to rush, Kazuma stopped dwelling on it and decided to enjoy the present.