I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

Right now, she was extremely upset—the kind of upset that no amount of coaxing could fix.

Kurumi looked at Rikuto Mika helplessly. Her puffed-up cheeks and sulking expression made it clear she was very angry, but she kept sneaking glances over as if to say, Why aren't you comforting me?

Her expressions were so easy to read.

And yet, the girl with her tear-streaked face was still happily joining in the fun.

This was where Yumiya Rakko finally displayed the basic professionalism expected of a member of a dark organization.

She… was having fun too.

At least she remembered to reapply her makeup afterward.

Ah, humanity can never escape the Three Laws, Kurumi lamented inwardly.

She watched as Rikuto emerged from the last ride, looking positively giddy and still bouncing with excitement.

Kurumi leaned in devilishly close. "My, my, did you have fun? Not crying anymore, are you?"

Rikuto's eyes widened, and her cheeks puffed out immediately.

But just moments ago, she'd been having so much fun that now, even if she wanted to cry, she couldn't. In the end, she burst out laughing instead.

"Kurumi-senpai feels like a completely different person sometimes," Misaka Mikoto muttered, as if she had stumbled upon a profound truth.

...

The group stood in front of the plaza by the concert hall.

Everyone looked a little worn out, shoulders slumping from exhaustion.

Returning directly from the Sixth District to the Seventh was far quicker than detouring through the Eighteenth District. Considering Tokiwadai Middle School's curfew, they decided to part ways here.

Yumiya Rakko looked hesitant, opening her mouth as if to speak, but then closing it again.

I want to have friends.

But in the end, she was only here because of her mission. The next time they met, they could very well be enemies. She swallowed her words and gave up on the idea.

At that moment, a cheerful, delicate ringtone chimed from Yumiya's bag.

Awkwardly, she fished out her phone from her Froggy bag. Seeing the screen, a look of delight bloomed across her face.

"H-Hello?" Yumiya's voice was soft and nervous.

"Done playing? Hurry back. I'm waiting outside," came a lazy, impatient voice from the other end—it was Measure Heart, sounding as though she'd been waiting a long time.

"Eh!?" Yumiya looked astonished, her happiness growing even brighter.

She's… waiting for me?

She nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

"Alright, then," Measure Heart said with a lazy yawn, ready to hang up.

Suddenly, Yumiya thought of something and shouted into the phone, "Wait!"

"What now?"

"Why did you hang up on me earlier?" Yumiya Rakko complained indignantly.

"Hah!?" Measure Heart's voice rose. "Let me ask you this—if I told you to hang up, would you have done it?"

"No!" Yumiya Rakko replied with absolute confidence.

Beep... beep...

The dial tone came through; Measure Heart had clearly hung up again.

Just as Yumiya was about to stash her phone back into her Froggy bag, she suddenly felt her hands being grasped.

It was like someone had invaded her sensitive zones—her face instantly flushed bright red.

She looked up, only to see the Railgun, the Level 5 "Electromaster" from Tokiwadai Middle School, gripping her hands tightly.

Except, at this moment, Misaka Mikoto's demeanor was anything but elegant.

Her eyes sparkled with an almost blinding light as she clutched Rakko's hands with boundless admiration.

"This… this is the super-limited Froggy bag!"

Behind her, Shirai Kuroko—crushed by the sight of her beloved Onee-sama holding another woman's hands—covered her face with her hands, her disappointment palpable.

"Onee-sama, as always… you're utterly hopeless," Shirai muttered.

Mikoto fired off a barrage of words with machine-gun rapidity. "This is only awarded to champions of the National Archery Grand Prize! It's an absolute treasure that can't be bought, no matter how much money you have!"

She caressed the green Froggy bag in Rakko's hands as if it were a holy relic, her entire being practically floating.

"S-Sorry!" Rakko yanked the bag out of Mikoto's grasp, almost in tears. "This means a lot to me! It… it was a gift from my little sister."

Mikoto stared at the bag, her shoulders trembling slightly. "What a waste."

Kurumi stood behind the half-crouched Mikoto, her lips curling into an amused smile.

She had been waiting for this scene ever since she first saw Yumiya's bag. As expected, Mikoto had not disappointed her.

"Speaking of Yumiya Rakko… the Archery Grand Prize," Kuroko mused, stroking her chin as if something had just clicked. "Does Yumiya Iruka-senpai have anything to do with you?"

"Eh!?" Rakko squeaked. "That's my little sister."

"Oh my, such a strong-willed younger sister, yet you're so timid!" Kuroko exclaimed, as though discovering groundbreaking news.

"Huh?" Mikoto turned back, puzzled. How did Kuroko know all these things she didn't?

"Have you forgotten, Onee-sama?" Kuroko replied. "Yumiya Iruka-senpai, the captain of the Archery Club, from Tokiwadai's third year."

"Uh…" Mikoto's expression was one of utter cluelessness.

"Hokaze Junko, from the Queen's faction," Kuroko continued, trying to jog her memory.

"Oh… right, that sounds familiar," Mikoto muttered.

Kuroko sighed heavily. "The senior with the Froggy makeup bag."

"Oh! Now I remember!" Mikoto exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. "It's her!"

Kuroko wore a tragic expression, utterly despairing for her Onee-sama's mental state.

In the end, Misaka Mikoto did not manage to acquire the Froggy bag.

The girls bid each other farewell, and Yumiya Rakko walked away, clutching her bag close to her chest.

Leaving the plaza in front of the concert hall, Rakko soon spotted a graceful figure in the distance. The girl's delicate features glowed angelically in the light of the setting sun. Rakko quickly ran over in small, hurried steps.

Measure Heart looked her up and down, then stood up. "Let's go. We still need to report back to the boss."

Dialing a special number, a boy's voice came through the phone.

"How did it go?"

"Little Rakko is fine. It seems like they were just out playing around," Measure Heart replied.

"Did you see the new No. 1?"

"Yes, I saw her," Measure Heart confirmed.

"Come back and give me a full report. By the way, did you gather intel on the other one?"

"Uh…" Measure Heart froze.

"The profile?"

"Uh…"

"You didn't even use your ability?"

"No, I didn't," Measure Heart admitted.

"Idiot!" The boy shouted before hanging up.

The elegant girl turned to Yumiya Rakko. "Was… was he talking about me?"

As the sun set, the giant Ferris wheel turned slowly.

The cabin the girls had previously ridden in now sat at the highest point, empty.

The small window was slightly open, and a breeze gently drifted through, carrying with it a faint, mysterious fragrance.

She gazed out over the city.

And at the retreating figure of Rikuto Mika.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven