Chapter 334: Chapter 35 – Ron: Wanna Know My Secret?
Inside the Blizzard family’s villa.
Fubuki stared blankly at the silver-haired boy standing before her, completely stunned.
"Y-You’re Ron? No way... You’re joking, right?"
"Don’t look like him?"
Ron pointed at his silver hair and heterochromatic eyes. "Aside from my hair and eye color, I don’t think I’ve changed that much."
"You’ve changed a lot! You’re practically a different person!!"
Fubuki couldn’t help but scream internally.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm..."
Tatsumaki stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching Fubuki’s dumbfounded expression with immense satisfaction. "Didn’t I tell you?"
Snapped out of her daze by her sister’s words, Fubuki took a step back, a faint trace of wariness creeping into her eyes as she stared at the silver-haired pretty boy.
"No... You do look like Ron in some ways, but I still can’t believe you’re really him. For all I know, you and Sis could be in on this together to prank me..."
Tatsumaki’s smug face froze.
"Huh?! Why would I go out of my way to prank you? That’s completely pointless!"
"Well..."
Fubuki fumbled, unable to come up with a good retort.
She glanced at the silver-haired boy who was now about the same height as her. Try as she might, she just couldn’t associate him with the tall, black-clad young man who used to tower over her—even with heels on.
Sure, the facial features were similar... but everything else—his age, his build, even his aura—was completely different.
"I see how it is."
Both Tatsumaki and Fubuki turned to Ron.
Ron leaned back comfortably on the couch, swirling a cup of tea in hand, looking entirely at ease.
"So if you don’t believe I’m the real Ron, then I guess that twenty-three thousand I owe you... I don’t have to pay it back, huh?"
Fubuki blinked, then widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Wait—you really are..."
Ron raised his eyes and glanced over at Tatsumaki.
"You called me over just for this?"
"Obviously. She didn’t believe a word I said, so I had to call you here to clear things up face-to-face."
Tatsumaki spoke like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I see. Well, what a shame."
Ron stood up and walked over to her.
"I thought you had something else in mind when you called me over."
Tatsumaki looked puzzled. "Something else? Like what?"
Leaning in close, Ron smiled and gazed into her eyes. "Like, say... discussing the origin of life... or something along those lines."
Tatsumaki froze.
Fubuki, still standing nearby, was utterly lost in the whirlwind of their conversation.
Wait, wait—what?!
The origin of life?!
Did Sis already cross into that realm of adulthood?! Is this really happening right now?!
"Origin... of life..." Tatsumaki muttered, staring at Ron’s close-up face and those strangely enchanting eyes.
In an instant, she realized what he meant. An image popped into her head.
Her flawless little face went bright red.
"Y-Y-You idiot! What are you suddenly talking about?!"
Ron inched even closer, smiling. "Your face is red and you’re still talking like that. You’re totally tsundere, aren’t you?"
Tatsumaki, face flushed red, exploded in fury.
"Go to hell!!"
Her green hair floated upwards, her black cloak billowing dramatically—though there was no wind. Her psychic power surged, releasing an intense repulsive force straight toward Ron to shove him away.
Just as that force was about to reach him, Ron’s lips curved up ever so slightly and he whispered:
"Stop."
As the word left his mouth, a brilliant golden gleam flashed in his left eye’s vertical pupil.
The next second—
The surge of psychic energy came to a sudden halt in front of him, dissipating like a soft breeze brushing past.
As though his words alone carried absolute authority.
"!!"
Tatsumaki’s eyes flew open wide in shock.
Fubuki, watching everything unfold, was equally stunned.
That power again—controlling others with words!
Just like before!
There was no doubt about it... This guy is Ron!
"...Enough messing around."
Ron took a step back, leaving Tatsumaki’s personal space and casually returned to his seat. He picked up his tea once more and resumed sipping like nothing had happened.
Fubuki stared at him, her mind full of confusion.
The black-haired Ron from before had always felt mysterious and powerful—calm, composed, like a shadow wrapped in fog. He was someone you instinctively respected and feared... yet couldn’t help but be drawn to.
But now, this silver-haired Ron gave off an entirely different impression—bizarre, unpredictable, with a sinister edge and a faint, dangerous charm...
What could have happened to make a person change so drastically overnight?
Fubuki’s pupils contracted sharply.
Don’t tell me... Sis was telling the truth.
He really died once?!
"What was that power you just used?"
Tatsumaki’s voice broke through Fubuki’s spiraling thoughts.
She looked up.
Tatsumaki was now standing before Ron.
Though petite in stature, standing up brought her to nearly eye level with Ron, who remained lounging on the sofa.
Under her intense gaze, Ron took a leisurely sip of his tea and replied:
"A secret."
There it was again—that word!
Tatsumaki’s teeth ground together.
She was the number two ranked S-Class hero in the Hero Association—the world’s strongest esper, Terrible Tornado! Who the hell dared to talk to her like that?!
Tatsumaki was furious. Completely, undeniably furious.
But what could she do?
If she fought him now, this whole villa would be the first casualty. Fubuki could get hurt too.
More importantly...
Tatsumaki wasn’t even sure she could win against this guy.
"...But I might be willing to tell you."
Ron’s sudden shift in tone caught both Tatsumaki and Fubuki off guard.
The two women looked at him.
Lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed, tea in hand, Ron spoke with a lazy smile:
"The place I’m staying at right now is seriously boring. Let me move in here—and I’ll tell you."
"My secret."