It's Deduction, Not Mind Reading

Mochizuki Xi can hear the thoughts of all living beings. This ability lets her save lost souls with pinpoint accuracy, but every time she pulls the trigger, she also hears the wails of the dead. She hesitates and suffers, but never regrets it.

Matsuda Jinpei (A Bond of Light)

A bomb disposal expert consumed by obsession lets down his guard when he meets her on a rainy night. She's used to the racket in her head, but when Matsuda focuses on defusing a bomb, the noise is drowned out by the powerful flow of his concentration.

"I've seen the light at the core of your soul. I'm more certain of its radiance than I could ever be from words alone," he says firmly.

Hagiwara Kenji (A Ghostly Pact)

Because she intervenes, he survives the explosion, but his body falls into a deep sleep and his soul becomes a ghostly guardian visible only to her.

He gently touches her half-deaf left ear. "Xi, you don't have to shine right away."

Furuya Rei (Cracks in the Mirror)

He despises her fake air of superiority, while she loathes his arrogant hypocrisy. They clash at every turn, but after working together through one life-or-death situation after another, they discover that deep down, they're actually alike.

In a moment of crisis, they switch identities on an exploding Ferris wheel: she puts on his blond disguise, while he wears her bloodstained white coat.

Gin (The Silent Forbidden Zone)

Once, they could talk about anything. Now, they are wary of each other.

He tears open her bloodstained shirt and roughly presses an alcohol swab into her gunshot wound. She trembles with pain, but he rests his forehead against hers, deliberately leaving a voice in her heart.

Morofushi Hiromitsu (Resonating with You)

He understands her contradictions, respects her ideals, and aches for the burdens she carries. "You have the right to be selfish." He shares his pounding pulse with her. "I'll wait with you for the storm to recede into a gentle rain."

Akai Shuichi (A Fatal Miscalculation)

The FBI's top agent approaches her for a mission. When he defects, a bullet shatters the tin of smoking-cessation candies against her chest, and the scent of mint bursts through the blood.

"Nipah virus and rye whiskey actually make a pretty good pairing."

She isn't a savior. All she has is a cowardly kindness and a sorrow that leaves her unable to make up her mind.

"When someone who hates lies the most starts lying, either they've fallen into hell, or... they're trying to push someone back into the world of the living."

And she plays both roles at once.

1. I'll keep the timeline as accurate as possible. Feel free to discuss and point out any errors.

2. I enjoy revising the writing and polishing the details, but the core setup won't change.

3. Some out-of-character moments are inevitable.

4. The pairings are set. Feel free to place your bets.

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Thanks for reading. Love you all.

Moral: There is no single right answer in the world. Embrace understanding instead of prejudice