NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: chapter 39
Kamijou Touma awoke as the rays of the morning sun permeated through the clouds.
He was waking up slowly. Not that he slept well after the intense invitation from Kaibi.
Speaking of Kaibi, Touma was facing certain problem. Measure Heart and Meltdowner both desired his presence at the same day and place. Touma did not yet find a solution to this problem. Each of the conversations was pretty emotional in its own right.
It was too difficult to just turn them away, even if Touma knew that it was probably a right call. He really wanted to meet both of them and just couldn't bring himself to do what should be done So for now, he could only pray for the girls not to set the meeting at the same time.
As if Kaibi and Mugino were not enough, a sudden third party posed another dilemma for the freshly awoken boy.
Rikuri was hugging to him tightly, practically enveloping him in the embrace.
"R-Rikuri-san..."
The fact that he got progressively used to girls sneaking into his bed made Touma immensely worried, guilty, but also (secretly) proud, in most primal of senses that usually didn't have an access to conscious mind.
The sleeping girl had no intention of waking up. Instead, she rested peacefully with her head between his neck and shoulder. To be honest, Touma felt like even after a while of leaving together, he still couldn't get over how beautiful she was, especially when she was calmly asleep. Not to mention that her body had just enough temperature to drift into sleep while snuggling-
No, wait, this was no time to be enchanted or spaced out. He needed to got up and start getting ready for the day!
"Rikuri-san! Wake up!"
"Mmmmmmmhm... no."
After that very elaborate comeback, Kamijou sighed and groaned, straining his muscles and managing to raise up. Because of the way in which Rikuri was hugging him, he actually managed to get up with the girl around his body.
Rikuri was a heavy sleeper, contrary to her younger sisters. Once she got comfortable, she would sleep to her heart's content and Touma was very aware of it right now.
Suddenly, he felt a smell from the kitchen's direction. It honestly surprised him. He and Rikuri were the ones that cooked in the household and they both were on their way to the kitchen. Besides, if either of them cooked, the smell would be different.
Nevertheless, the aroma was good and Touma was not the only one that felt it.
"Ummmmm... itdakimashuuuuuuuu..."
NOM!
Touma felt a shiver going through his body as Rikuri bit his ear.
"W-Whoah?!"
Was she thinking he was the food because of the smell in the air?
"Heheheh... so delishioush... tashtyyyyyyy..."
Touma wobbled on his feet, his face going red. There was a limit to what a healthy high-school boy could endure without losing a moral high ground, without being tightly hugged by a model class beauty, who was whispering things into his ear while nibbling on it.
Wait, nibbling? Now it felt more like...
Biting! No, it was actual chewing!
"Mhmmmm ahmmmm..."
"Ow, ow, ow! Rikuri-san! This is too hard! It's gonna be bit off! WAKE UP!"
(10 MINUTES LATER)
"I-It's okay, you don't have to bow..."
"No, no, it's all on me!" the embarrassed Potion Lady bowed her head at the boy" How is your ear?"
"B-Better now that it's cared for..."
"Well, that's no thanks to you, Gokusai..." Youen fumed, taking something from a medical kit and smearing it across the orifice of Touma's ear.
Ever since she and Kaai moved in, she tended to the wounds of any household member, as she was relatively proficient practitioner of natural medicine, in exchange for help in her experiments. Those endeavours were (relatively) safe, although Touma had the bad luck of being covered in maggots, sprayed with a skunk pheromones, and being bit by a very angry hamster. He nevertheless continued to appear by vermin specialist's side
"Ow!"
"If it stings, it means that it's working. So don't whine"
The mystery of nice smell was soon explained. Unexpected guests: Hasako, Maidono, and Hanatsuyu twins decided to drop by for early meal.
Hasako was the one cooking. Seeing her wear the apron, with her long hair tied up in a ponytail behind her back, made Touma's heart warmer and filled with tender feeling. It was not unlike the feeling he always got while watching Itsuwa.
As for Rikuri, she woke up when she bit a little bit too hard and tasted Touma's blood. She then got frightened and the two fell to the ground, and this was the state that the rest of the girls found them in.
"Touma! For all that time you were scolding me about the biting you, but you indulge in it behind my back!"
Naturally, Index and Othinus were there as well. The nun seemed bent on accusing Touma for hypocritical thinking.
"Firstly, Index-san, if anyone were to awaken any type of biting fetish in me, it would clearly be you, so you have no right to say anything here! Secondly, I obviously didn't enjoy having something almost bit off of me!"
Youen finished the bandaging and jumped back down before kicking Touma in the leg.
"Honestly, what are you doing behind my back? Isn't it high time for you and me to go on our planned da... I mean, outing"
"Why are you so mad, sister? Is it because you wanted to bite him too? I mean, I am here for the food and stuff, but you certainly wish for something more-"
"KAI! What the hell are you insinuating?!" poor Youen could only cry out when tables turn on her. "And don't you dare throw your ingredients. I prepared perfect seasoning from fluids left by my last experiment, so if step away, it would be...
Meanwhile, trying to fliter out those rather uneasy pattern of conversation, Touma turned his attention on Hasako.
He took a bite of the food and nodded in approval.
"As I thought, you are a great cook. It is a little bit mild in taste, and would use some seasoning, but other than that it's delicious."
Beginning Child smiled and bowed slightly with a smile, her delicate face lightening up.
"Your words greatly please my heart. Cooking for you is the least I can do to express my happiness for being here by your side. It took me a bit of time to gain necessary proficiency in this era's kitchen setting and I still have lot to learn"
"If you ever need any help or company in the kitchen, be sure to cook something side by side"
Hasako beamed at him with even warmer smile
"I would be delighted"
Touma could not help but cry the internal tears of joy while looking at the admittedly cute girl in an apron. He simply could not believe that it was the very same girl that he supposedly fought all that time ago, before even meeting Index.
'She is not only beautiful, but also hospitable, and even though she is still alien to many things in this modern world, she still tries her best. This! This is the true ojou-sama spirit! Many snobs with inflated egos could learn a lot from her'
"Hasacchi, when will we eat?"
Hasako frowned and walked in front of Maidono, who was sitting on the couch, covered in the blanket. She looked as cozy as she could get, lacking only drink and popcorn. That laziness got to the point that she used her telekinesis to push buttons on TV frame, changing the channels.
"Well, you didn't lift a finger, so I am not very eager to serve you, you know"
"Eeh? I did lift a finger. Quite a few times actually"
"You pulling the dishes with your power doesn't count. They all went to the wrong places because you do not care!"
"Touma, Hasacchi is bullying me!"
"Touma-sama, she is not cooperating with me here! Help me get her out of the sofa!"
"DAGA KOTOWARU! I will eat here, where it's cozy and warm! "
"C-Calm down you two... the food will get cold... woah!"
In the next moment, Touma was dragged under the covers, with Maidono wrapping both herself and Touma with a blanket like a human burrito, and snuggling closer to him.
"Hmm, that's perfect" she said, with cheeks pressed to stupified Touma.
"T-That's not fair. I am coming in too!" Hasako cried out
"Don't... idiot, this will not fit... kya! Cold air, bad cold air!"
"I am coming, Touma-sama!"
"I am getting crushed... here..."
"You will not move me away if I keep the covers from moving with my ability!"
"Then I will force you into submission!"
"Hwah?! No, don't tickle me! Hyahahahaha!"
"Girls... everything... is going... dark..."
'Wow, those three are quite something' Othinus thought, observing Maidono screaming while Hasako's legs were wiggling around from one side of the blanket burrito. It seemed like two girls were competing who can overheat their crush the fastest. Settling down with her small portion of food, Othinus contemplated further' Each of the parts of this triangle acts like an old marriage, in every possible combination. It's chaotic that it is honestly quite amusing'
Soon enough, everyone in the extensive group was by the table.
Yet, something was missing from the usual gathering.
"Amazora" Touma looked at the small girl happily munching on her portion of the food, sharing the blissful face that Index also demonstrated" Where is Kaibi?"
"Onee-chan? She left early, but that's her secret"
"Kaibi-chan was in a real rush to get ready for something?" Rikuri smiled, while stirring up her breakfast to get the ingredients to even proportions" I wonder why~"
Touma gulped. For some reason, he felt real pressure in regards to what was about to happen.
(MEANWHILE)
Gokusai Kaibi was standing in front of the mirror.
She was very skilled in looking fashionable. But there were levels to that beauty.
Today, she was going to present herself in the best possible light. She applied light lipstick, washed and brushed her hair, polished her nails, took extra care to have just right shine of the skin and to pick perfectly complementing accessories. With her elegant hair, captivating face and eyes, completed with elegant crimson dress, she could not be met with other description than simply beautiful.
Or at least she hoped so. Quite surprisingly, never in her life was she so expecting of something and never did she care so much about appearance as she did for today.
It seemed like all of those fake dates, for the years she served as rental girlfriend, were to culminate into the one today. The real deal.
The genuine date... for the genuine love she felt in her heart.
Kaibi could still not believe she was even capable of such a feeling. She examined it from every angle, but even as denial-prone as she was, she knew that she was really experiencing those feelings.
It made her excited and invigorated, something she rarely experienced. She hoped that the fact that lost some sleep last night because of that internal excitement wasn't showing too much.
Quite the irony. The quality that she initially considered the biggest eyesore in her relationship with Kamijou, namely his peculiar immunity to Measure Heart, now seemed like a blessing in disguise. If she could not affect him, then all that they could have was genuine and natural.
For Kaibi, someone who manipulated people her entire life, that was a terrifying, but also intriguing in a way. Or at least that's how she justified her heart beating faster and her cheeks warming up whenever she thought of the perspective of spending time with Touma.
Today, she would make sure that the eyes of a boy she loved would stay on her and her alone... or at least, that was what she would hope to happen.
On her own, she had very good confidence. As much as she was cautious with associating herself with the older generations of Gokusai family, her mother was a model, and her ancestors also had their fair share of good looks. She looked beautiful and that was the truth.
But given who was her date partner, she could expect all kinds of strange coincidences along the way. That was just the way of Kamijou Touma for you.
Her acknowledgement of that showed how much she grew since she challenged Touma's faith in bad luck. She still had her reservations, but she was now completely convinced that those random incidents plagued Kamijou Touma more often than most other people.
She was still mad at those interruptions, but... she understood that all she could do was enjoy the time she was offered and make even more of it. In that strange way, Kamijou's misfortune taught Kaibi a valuable lesson about not being able to control everything around oneself.
Snapping herself out of her musings, Kaibi turned around and walked across one of her favourite shops, that she persuaded to be opened despite rather early hour.
"I will take this, please"
"What a beautiful outfit. Some special occasion, Gokusai-sama?"
"Oh, definitely."
(MEANWHILE)
Hamazura Shiage looked through Mugino's slightly opened door.
'Wow... that's kind of freaky...'
Never in his life did he experience Mugino acting like this. In front of the rest of the ITEM, she would still act professional and manifest her explosive demeanor. But...
'She woke up early, she threw all of her wardrobe out, she washed herself with her most expensive soap and shampoo, and now she is... humming?'
Yes, Mugino Shizuri was in fact humming to herself. It wasn't that uncommon for her to do that, but as far as Hamazura remembered, it was always eerily creepy humming, the one heard in horror movies when the murderer wanted to taunt his prey. And this was exactly the purpose of it in ITEM's darker days. It was the same as Mugino's characteristic way of calling Hamazura out.
But now it was different. The tune wasn't all over the place, but it was definitely calm, with not a hint of malice. One could even say that it sounded... playful.
Mugino hummed, as she brushed and combed her tea-coloured hair. After a while, she nodded, apparently satisfied with the result. Thanks to the brushing and earlier shampoo, her hair became voluminous and filled with luster.
She sniffed a few samples of perfumes, before choosing one and spraying it on her neck. After finishing her eyelashes and starting to work on her nails, she spoke:
"What do you want Hamazura?"
"E-Ehm... how did you know I was here?"
"I am sitting in front of the mirror, dumbass"
"Yeah... I just thought that I could support you before your date"
Mugino straightened up and Hamazura immediately realized that she picked her words wrong
"You think I need support?!"
"W-What I meant is... you are probably nervous, so I hope to reduce the damage to my stuff to the minimum... and so you made you your favourite tea"
"Just leave it and stop making a deal out of this."
"I know, I know, but... isn't this kind of the big deal though? Two of my friends are going on a date! And it's you and the Boss at that!"
"Hamazura, you are hitting a new low. You're sounding like a gossiping mother."
"Well, excuse me that I care!"
"You are excused... for now"
Silence lasted for few moments before...
"If you are worried on how to act, you don't really have to do much. Just... don't kill him, please. You are totally his type, so..."
"Hamazura, do me a favour and check the state of our supplies in the fridge"
"Huh? But I checked it yester-"
"CHECK AGAIN. VERY CAREFULLY"
This was a final warning and Hamazura walked away. Mugino huffed in irritation, before walking to the display of clothes.
'Kinuhata and Takitsubo also wanted to support me. What a joke! I am not nervous and I don't need any help'
Sure, her stomach felt a little tight, but maybe it was something about the food. She was also hotter than usual, but it was surely because Hamazura needed to fix the AC. Discarding those thoughts, Mugino went back to choosing the attire to wear.
Being a fashion connoisseur/ clothing shopaholic, Mugino had an amazing array of clothes to choose from.
She dug through many different outfits and accessories, but she wasn't quite satisfied yet.
She looked at her yellow and beige outfit from the times of Battle Royale.
'Definitely not. This brings bad memories. Normally I wouldn't mind all that much and I am not all that superstitious but it is not good wear to wear it for such an occasion'
Digging on, she unraveled her violet dress, which she usually wore in summer and spring. It was warm enough for her to wear now too.
'He said that he liked that on me... good, good, I am going in a better direction. But that's still not it. It's good, but not... special enough. I need something fresh and inspiring... not as imposing as outfits from last year... huh?'
Something caught her attention, as she put few clothing hangers aside and looked at yet another outfit, that was also very familiar.
'This... I didn't wear it for so long now.' she took the clothes in her hand 'This... this may be what I need. But after everything that happened... can I still wear it just like this?'
She looked at herself and for some reason a voice of encouragement came from within her mind. Voice that sounded just like Kamijou.
"Oh, shut up"
But she smirked slightly, as she selected her final choice.
(SOME TIME LATER)
Touma arrived in front of Dianoid. It was quite a bit of time since he actually was here.
He was wearing his best clothes and most elegant clothes, that he knew would still look pale in contrast to his companions.
Yes, he said companions.
In the end, he was unable to move any of the meetings he had. However, if there was any fortune in this misfortune, it was that Mugino was to arrive few hours after Kaibi so although he and Kaibi planned to spend almost entire day together, he had a little bit of time to think about something.
He turned his attention to the carbon-based building.
'It was kind of crazy what happened here with St. Germain and Kanou Shinka. Not to jinx anything, but I really hope today will be better'
Thinking about St. Germain actually made him a little sad, and because of that, he didn't notice Kaibi approaching until she was practically standing right in front of him.
"Hey there"
"WAH?!"
Touma jumped in surprise... before taking a look at Measure Heart.
"Oh... wow..."
"So... what do you think?"
Kaibi's hair was masterfully tied styled into slightly higher tied style than she usually wore. She wore crimson red dress that was not unlike exotic dresses Rikuri liked to wear. With all that glamour and style, it was easy to see that Kaibi would one day rival her older sibling in beauty... and maybe she did so already in her own way
"I think... that I am seriously underdressed. You look amazing"
"You are just enough for this. I proposed this, so you don't have to feel obliged or anything. I see that you made an effort and that's what actually counts. Now, shall we?"
She took Touma by the arm and led him to the entrance of the building.
One would think that doing something like this would be effortless for someone like Kaibi. After all, she accompanied numerous people in the past. However...
'Come on, play it cool... don't blush, don't blush, don't you dare... I can't look like a fool in front of him. '
No matter how cool Kaibi tried to look, she could not help the fact that they were now both slightly red. But contrary to what the girl imagined in her head, Touma did not think lesser of her because of it.
'Kaibi-san always been professional, stoic, and cool... seeing her slightly nervous actually makes her more... approachable, I would say'
Apparently, creating genuine bond meant both sides relinquishing a little bit of control. That too was new to Kaibi. Luckily, she didn't have to go through it all alone.
(LATER)
Gokusai Kaibi sat on the bench with her heart in state of flustered disarray.
Earlier, she took Touma to a cafe that she liked to frequent too. She also showed him many places that he didn't know about inside Dianoid, including a bookstore, a small cinema, and a big fountain, made out of synthetic carbon. The fountain was rather deep and was guarded solely by the metal railing. According to Kaibi, in sunny days, the rays of sunlight from the glass dome above the fountain made a beautiful visual effect while clashing with dark inner walls.
The pair relished the atmosphere of the mall, talked about various things, or just enjoyed each other's presence in silent, yet comfortable contemplation.
Touma was starting to feel slightly bad since the girl was clearly taking initiative on their outing, but Kaibi assured him to think nothing of it. First and foremost, it was her idea to begin with. Also...
It was not like Kaibi had all the pure intentions. Well, what she tried to do was arguably pure and romantic, but she did it for herself as well.
No matter how much she tried, the right moment for the confession just couldn't arrive. So in the meantime, while engaging in relaxing activities of mundane normalcy, she planned to make couple of hints for her date. The hints of her unspoken attraction that would hopefully cushion the path for her own courage to her genuine confession.
Except... just like the early days of their life toghether, Kamijou Touma's peculiar proneness to unfortunate coincidences made fun of Kaibi.
Kaibi was once a renowned girlfriend for rent. As such, she was a professional in subtle flirting acts (even though with Touma, for the first time in her life, it wasn't an act anymore). So it wasn't exactly the problem with her approaches not working. No, it was the fact that somehow, Kamijou used them to flip things on the head and gain the flirting advantage on her instead.
For example, while in the cafe, Kaibi tried to give Touma subtle foot signals. However, just as she was stretching her leg and foot to reach Touma's, he noticed that a carpet got caught underneath one of his chair and lifted it, still looking at the obstruction, before dropping it again after evening the carpet, trapping Kaibi's misfortunate foot under the chair in the process. The girl cringed and if not for her long practice in the dark side, she would scream in pain.
However, Touma still noticed the discomfort and discovered what he unintentionally caused. He apologized and Kaibi ended up being carried away bridal style, as she couldn't walk for the next 10 minutes or so. To her further embarrassment, still worried Touma offered to massage her foot and leg to ease the pain. He didn't really wait for her to answer though and started to work with his hands. Kaibi's newly awakened, genuine feelings practically roared in approval with how good the massage was despite the pain in her foot. She allowed for the massage go on even when it slightly subsided
She was so distracted (Rikuri really wasn't kidding when she praised Touma's massaging skills) that she didn't even notice when people started to watch with odd fascination the scene of spiky haired teen massaging the bare foot of the fashionably clothed blond girl. When reality did caught up to Kaibi, she and Touma quickly evacuated from the place.
There was also a moment when they sat in the bookstore and Kaibi decided to try placing her hand on Touma's, supposedly by accident, to get his attention and proceed with further, controlled flirting. It was something that worked wonders for her in the past, when she worked on gathering info and using Measure Heart was difficult due to specific circumstances stemming from the mind and ideology of the client.
There was a number of books between them, as they sat on a small bench inside the store, while reading or searching through the books. Kaibi gently, while still looking at her book, sent her hand to the place when Touma's own palm was resting.
I think most of you can guess that Touma got the same idea. Only his didn't have the secret agenda regarding grasping Kaibi's hand.
Their hands didn't only touched. They, rather miraculously, intertwined. And, on rather instinctive reaction, they grasped them together. Only then the pair realized what they actually grabbed.
Their heads turned to each other. They looked into each other's eyes, then onto their locked hands, back into the eyes, back onto hands...
Touma's mind went completely blank with this unexpected handholding. Although rational thoughts in his mind screamed to back away before Kaibi gets mad, some part of his brain also conducted an analysis
'Wow, her skin is super smooth. And slightly cold too... but it's more like a pleasant cold with a tinge of warmth... not overly strong, but tangible grip... it suits her a lot... w-wait, why am I thinking this?!...'
Gokusai Kaibi got to know Touma's skills a bit during their time together. While he still surprised her with his ingenuity, battle skills and emotional intelligence, she was fairly certain that she was better in academics.
But in that moment, they both spaced out, with the sensation of each other's touch flooding their haptic memory and going on repeat like a broken record.
'His grip is nice... and I thought his hands would be more rough, but they are really nice to hold... he is so warm that I wish to hold it and be like this forever... wait, this isn't how it was supposed to go?!'
Neither of them could let go out of shock, with both of their faces, especially Kaibi's, going progressively red, until someone behind them knocked book of the shelves. That third party interruption finally caused them to snap back to reality, with Touma waving his hands and trying to explain that he was only reaching for the book, and Kaibi sitting with the hand across her face, as she breathed out an exasperated sigh.
After 2 or 3 tries, Kaibi decided to abide the old warning 'the more you take, the less you have' and just forget about all the rental girlfriend tactics. In fact, she never needed them to begin with. It was a real date, not a fake one, so she could be herself and don't rely on the tactics from the old days.
Yes... be herself. Whatever that meant. That was one of the reason for her falling in true love. She and Kamijou were travelling together on the road to discover her unmasked self, whatever it could be.
Right now, she was a mess. It was a common thing when it came to her and Kamijou Touma. Firstly, she felt messed with and angry. Then, messed with and confused. And when she realized that she fell in love, that mess in her heart only got greater.
She couldn't focus, she kept thinking about him, planning to get his attention, and was getting strong... desires. Cravings, that were rather normal to a healthy girl, but for someone like Kaibi, raised on deception, quite foreign and enchanting in a way that only something exotic can invoke.
Well for now, she was the one that was getting even more charmed and not Touma. In both mental and physical sense, she was falling deeper and deeper. Touma was probably all the more confused, and that made her both frustrated on herself and anxious about what he thought.
She truly changed when it came to emotions and love. Of course, she was still trying to be in control and assumed professional attitude. But her dark side associates probably couldn't believe their eyes. Gokusai Kaibi of the dark side would definitely not blush from a handholding. She would not go all that way for one man if she couldn't use him in some way. She would not space out, nor have peculiar dreams, or act like a girl from shojou manga, even if it was denied and buried deep within her heart.
Then again, Gokusai Kaibi of the dark side was never in love. Things changed.
And to the testimony of such change, Kaibi saw Touma heading towards her with two portions of sundae. With sheepish smile, he exclaimed
"You looked upset, so I thought... I can do something about it with a dessert you like. I didn't do much, and if I did, I was all those accidents, so... do you prefer the chocolate or vanilla one?"
The eyes of the girl in the dress lit up as she accepted the dessert. And it wasn't only because she enjoyed sweets more than she liked to admit out loud.
'If I was upset, it was only at myself. But you still thought you were in the wrong. I need to do something about that attitude... and how do you do it? You are so brilliantly observant and always willing to make someone smile...'
It was one of the qualities Kaibi came to appreciate about Kamijou Touma and she knew that her sisters appreciated it as well. For various reasons, three sisters never got that kind of attention since the death of their father. Amazora was treated like a spare and Kaibi sometimes ignored altogether. Although Rikuri had opposite problem, as she was overwhelmed with expectations, none of those held any concern for her. When they came to Academy City, things didn't really change for them. Any looks they recieved was the ones of judgement or expecation. Outside their small world of three, none of the other inhabitants of the city truly reached out their hand...
Until Kamijou Touma appeared in their lives. He and Kaibi didn't get along at the beginning, and she saw that he too was uncomfortable. But he always made an effort to take care of them, didn't really expecting much in return. Like right now, buying the desserts from his own money, despite being so... financially challenged.
She dug into the sundae and placed the spoon in her mouth, smiling blissfully.
'I love him'
So simple to say in mind, so hard to express in words.
"You know..." she heard Touma speaking, as they both looked at the hustle and bustle of the mall" I've been thinking about how much happened ever since we began living together"
"Hmm? I would lie if I said that I don't think about that too... to be honest, it's not like we've been actually living together for that long"
"Well, yeah, but so much happened since then! We've done so much together, so many people came into my life, that I feel I was always like this"
"Do you... feel happy?" Kaibi asked, licking her spoon clean of the whipped cream, before digging to another layer of the dessert.
Touma thought for a moment.
"Well, to be honest, I never thought that I will truly belong anywhere for that long with my luck. I have Index and Othinus, but they came into my life in the most unusual circumstances. Meanwhile, we just met up through administrational mistake. I really wasn't sure what are we going to do. But I am very glad it worked. Or I hope it did"
"Yup, pretty much. At the beginning, I couldn't think of any way this could work. But... even as hard to predict and insufferable your actions may sometimes be, I am honest enough to admit that you did change my life. I changed, quite a bit at that"
"For the better?"
"Depends on the day and on how much a certain moron manages to piss me off" she smirked while glancing at him" But it's true that I can see and feel more things that I ever felt before. For that alone, I am glad. So, a lot of things happened... it's kind of true when I think about it now..."
And so, they talked and reminisced about the memories of their life together so far. About Touma caring about them in sickness, visit to the pool, Amazora's race, Kyozetsu incident, boys and girls nights out, but also about various other things, memories between major events.
How Rikuri accidentally dissolved Touma's laundry. How Amazora brought home crayon made picture of both sisters and Touma, that now accompanied their photo in the living room. How they went to the bathhouses together. How they went to art exhibitions, how they played board games. They talked about Rikuri's cooking attempts, discussed Amazora's newfound friendships, and gossiped about various quirks of their neighbours and friends.
Kaibi didn't know how would she react earlier, but right now, discussing her life, her day to day existence, with Kamijou Touma seemed perfectly normal. Satisfying even.
By this point, the sisters had both serious and funny moments with Touma. The 4 of them, later joined by others, had their rituals proper only to them, and dynamics within the pseudo-family system that were unique to each party. Even Kaibi, usually serious and pragmatic, found warmth in her heart while reminding herself of those various moments. Rikuri's airheaded nature combined with her teasing allure, Amazora's energy and mischief, not to mention Kaibi's own bond with Touma. She did not forget what they shared in that moment in which he promised to discover her true self alongside her.
They all came a long way from the burning garage, where they confronted each other in regards to Mitsuari Ayu's fate.
"Do you remember when Hasako had nightmares and you comforted her?"
"It was actually rather embarrassing, but I am glad I managed to calm her down."
"You used your ability to be emotionally perceived as her mom! In all seriousness, it was kind of funny"
"Well, her mother is dead, and as a member of the club of mommy issues, I could lend a helping hand. I know you were listening to us, and I can't begin to imagine what a pervert like you imagined"
"H-Hey, it wasn't like that at all, even if her calling you mommy was a bit... peculiar. But you have to admit, your Measure Heart can get pretty funny some times. I mean, with the parts to play for you"
"Hmph, my power is a distinguished and sophisticated mental ability" Kaibi fumed, yet still chuckled as she added" But yes, I guess occasionally it gets pretty amusing."
"Maybe you should become an actor in adulthood? You would be wonderful, as you already have a lot of practice. Plus I am sure that audience will love you for your style"
Kaibi pondered on that suggestion. Could that expertise in fakeness be put to use in that way?
"Thank you" she finally said
"For what?"
"For compliment, but mostly... you believe in me, when I thought I will be stuck in the darkness. But you force me, through our random life together, to consider so many things... about the future, about my life, my emotions... about me and about us. I don't judge them if they are good or bad, but the mere thinking about it fills me with... hope, I think"
"Well, I am glad you feel that way"
The conversation lazily flowed forward, as the anecdotes continued.
"Do you remember how Amazora freaked out when she learned that Kai and Youen added this bug powder protein to the muesli?"
Kaibi laughed at that, slightly covering her mouth with her hand.
"She never screamed so loudly! And Maidono bolted out so quickly that she almost left an afterimage."
"Speaking of Maidono, remember when we bought her 100 pair of chopsticks for her to destroy on her birthday? I remember how happy she was, when she was snapping and crushing them with maniacal laughter. Is it weird that it was strangely attractive sight?"
Kaibi's lips curled up even more.
"Did you dance with danger so many times that things like that are attractive to you? Well, she can be endearing in that silly hatred for chopsticks. That was such a stupid and nonsensical day. We all went to the restaurant but Hasako was late because of the traffic. Maidono absolutely didn't want to start without her, so she lost patience, went to the place in which she was stuck and lifted the bus with her ability."
"She had to hide for a few days because of that! And Hasako was mad at first, but she still keeps laughing when we mention it"
"Honestly, I can't get over the fact that those two are the same extremely powerful espers that wanted to take your life. Mine too, when we are talking about Beginning Child."
"Come on, they are great. Even if they can be a little..."
"Overprotective when it comes to you? I noticed. Hasako trapped some Kirigaoka girls in the swamp after they were making fun of you."
'Yes... I am really grateful that they are on our side. While monsters in their own rights, they are honestly kind of adorable dorks when I spend time with them. How can someone be deadly and cute at the same time, that's the true question' Touma thought.
(MEANWHILE)
The horror movie was reaching its climax. Maidono intently stared at the screen, while chewing popcorn. The monstrous alien made out of ooze and mud formed over the pair of terrified protagonists. It opened its mouth, ready to unleash blood curdling roar...
"Kchi!"
The cutesy sound that completely didn't go along with the movie resounded from Maidono's left side. It resembled a mouse squeaking.
Beginning Child shook her head in a cat-like fashion after her sneeze.
"Bless me... Maidono, why are you laughing?"
The telekinesis user was folding over, dangerously close to unleash the wave of roaring laughter.
"Hasacchi... you can't do this... you're killing me... you are this almighty and dangerous goddess of nature in one moment, and then you pull out something cute and I just... I can't, I need to start filming you..."
"D-Don't make fun of me, you are 6 decades younger and should fear me! I-I am an ancient and powerful esper with nature as my plaything-"
"You realize that holding your hands up like that and those pillowy punches of yours only make you look cuter? Those are Kamijou's words, not mine"
"Oh..."
*doki, doki, doki*
"He said that?" the girl flashed pure, almost blinding smile
"Ah! Call an ambulance, my friend is killing me through diabetes!"
"M-MAIDONO-SAN, STOP!"
(AND BACK...)
"Also, remember when Rikuri was so sleepy that she tried to put on your uniform? I found it hilarious"
"What?! My shirt stretched out so much in the chest area that I looked as if he had a bag tied to my ribcage! Heh, what about the time when Amazora tried to apply your makeup?"
"I seriously thought someone beat her up... with her attitude, anything is possible"
They talked on many different memories, and Kaibi found herself laughing quite a few times.
On one such occasion, as her laughter subsided, Kaibi noticed Touma staring at her.
"You've been looking at me a lot... while that's the point of making myself look good, I would be interested to know why"
"O-Oh?! Well..." Touma scratched his head" I was just thinking that this is one of the things that I like the most when we speak now... comparing to before"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"You laugh a lot more now. And it sounds sincere. You never laughed before, sometimes seeing you smile was a rare thing. So I am... happy, that you feel relaxed and comfortable. B-Besides... you have a rather cute laugh, it's nice to listen to. A lot warmer than I expected."
Kaibi felt something akin to pulse of heat spreading through her body. She could almost feel the endorphine surge in the bloodstream.
"What do you mean 'warmer than you expected'" she playfully punched him on the arm. Still smiling, she reached out to scrub the rest of the sundae. "It's sincere, so of course it is like that"
"Speaking of sincerity, did you find that genuine connection you looked for? Someone caught your eye?"
PHHFFT!
Kaibi almost choked on the remnants of her dessert.
Was he, in a way, asking if she was in love with anyone?
That was served on a silver platter. All she needed to do was answer truthfully.
She felt her heart speed up as she opened mouth...
The loud notification sound rang out. And it was just any notification.
Judging by the tone, it was a message from Shokuhou Misaki.
The charm vanished. Cursing every god of fate, Kaibi pulled her phone out.
"Excuse me"
But when she saw the notification her eyes widened.
'Is that a joke... truly, right here and right now?...'
Kakine Teitoku was in the Dianoid. Kaibi was kind of mad that the information network of Mental Out could not tell her that earlier but it didn't matter. It pained her to leave Touma now, but this was the chance she could not miss.
Meanwhile, Touma looked at his phone and frowned
'Wait... that hour can't be right, I am sure a lot more time has passed by now...'
He then looked at the big clock with display on the wall and paled.
'Did my phone froze again? I have far less time than I thought. Mugino is going to arrive somewhere around here very soon. I can't let Kaibi see her. Shit, I don't want to leave her, but I have to do this. Let's say... let's go with...'
"I am sorry, I have to go to the toilet!" both teens exclaimed at the same time.
Yup, that definitely wasn't going to make it awkward.
"My stomach suddenly started to hurt" Touma smiled awkwardly.
"R-Really? Well, what a coincidence, me too... guess they didn't try their best with the food this time..." Kaibi chuckled, before getting up" The time we are spending here is great, and I will come back as soon as I can..."
"Is everything good enough for you to be on your own? Maybe I will walk with you to-"
"I am sorry Touma" Kaibi stood up and began to walk away" Where I am going, I have to go alone"
Touma tilted his head, surprised by the sudden appearance of the line that sounded straight out of the action manga.
'We... We're still talking about a female toilet, right?'
And so, they separated.
Touma stood in place, watching Kaibi disappear beyond the corner.
That was convenient. Perfect even, considering Mugino was about to arrive at any moment.
But as he walked away, he still worried.
'Did she lie about enjoying time with me? She seemed to be in a hurry though. Either it really is the bad stomach ache or she also had some reason to go away. For some reason, it did not make him all that happy at all.'
Unknowingly for Touma, Kaibi felt exactly the same way.
'This is not how this was supposed to be. I feel kind of awful now and it doesn't go away. But... I really need to speak with Kakine'
She sped up, intent to find the Dark Matter as quickly as she could.
Meanwhile, Touma walked through the center for couple of minutes, before suddenly being stopped by someone familiar.
"It's peculiar seeing you here, says Misaka pondering on why saviour is in a rich environment he usually so detests"
It was a Misaka clone. Touma didn't interact with the sisters for quite a while and was surprised yet happy to see one here. It was still rather weird to see the sisters out in the open after their existence was revealed.
Speaking of being in the open...
"It's nice to see you, but don't you have a job or something along those lines, Misaka..."
"Misaka sighs in hopelessness, noticing that you can't distinguish her without aid of an accessory on her person. Misaka's serial number is 10039, says Misaka as she identifies herself"
Touma knew that she was one of the clones that were usually stationed in the city.
"Nice to see you. How is the Network doing?"
"The Control Towers sends our... 'kisses and hugs', to quote her. Meanwhile, this Misaka boasts with the ability to meet the savour... number 19090 is crying, while number 10777 is sending the curses she learned in russian base. Many units consider deploying to this location right now, particularly 10032..."
Touma shivered. No, anything but that. He already had a problem with two girls, he could not risk involving a literal army of clones.
"Please tell everyone to calm down. I promise I spend some time with you, just... let it go for today. It's logistically hard day for me."
Another sigh.
"Agreed. I will talk to others, says Misaka as she once again feels at awe at saviour's popularity, enjoyed despite his obliviousness."
"Emm... so, is there any reason why you are here?"
"This Misaka undertakes a job in lost and found center. It may not be the most grandiose endeavour. Currently, engagement in freedom of break is in progress, Misaka says as she provides an explanation for her current activity."
"Oh... well, that's actually quite an important job"
"Yes" responded the sister in serious voice" Thanks to her military training, no lost cat will ever escape Misaka."
"Aren't... animals scared of your power? This seems a little bit counterproductive"
"Various units were asking number 10032 for tips regarding approach to felines and canines of various kinds. It is not always effective, but it's the risk Misakas are willing to make."
'Oh so they actually came out with a plan to counter...'
"Like walking around, wrapped in electricity insulating tape!"
'I knew it was something like that!'
"On that note, Misaka's frequent client came alongside her. There she is now, says Misaka indicates the girl in the same uniform"
And indeed, in front of Touma's eyes, in the distance but closing in, appeared the girl wearing Tokiwadai uniform, with red-to-burgundy hair adorned with traditional ornament, kanzashi, and with locks of hair covering right side of her face. She also sported black, pantyhose-like stockings and short skirt, with something that looked like a military flashlight attached to one side. There was also small pouch hanging near her other hip.
"It appears that when we noticed you, she got the interest to speak with you. She is Misaka's client, so Misaka will provide an opportunity for your conversation."
However, as she said that, she narrowed her eyes and Touma was almost sure that she clicked her tongue.
The Tokiwadai student arrived and stood in front of Touma. Her one visible eye was of the colour of yellow amber.
"H-Hello? My name is..."
"Kamijou Touma. By this point, almost entire Tokiwadai knows you, so there is really no need for introduction from your side. As for me, I am Yumiya Iruka. Terribly sorry for bothering you, but I would like to ask you a few questions"
Yumiya... Iruka. Touma thought that he heard the surname Yumiya before, but he could not put a finger on when that was.
Also...
'Yumiya Iruka means... Dolphin of bow and arrow... that's quite the idea from parents side'
Dispersing the comical vision of army of aquatic mammals swimming on their tails in archer uniforms, Touma answered the redheaded girl.
"It's no problem, Yumiya-san. How can I help you?"
"Have you seen this girl? I heard that you get involved in many things around the city, so perhaps you spotted her somewhere?..."
She showed him a photo on her cellphone, displaying a teenage girl with dark hair in a mixture of loose hair with side tails. She wore different uniform, but the eyes and chest size was similar to the girl standing in front of him right now.
Touma examined the photo closely and shook his head.
"No, I can't say I did. Who is she?"
"Her name is Yumiya Rakko and she is my older sister. You see, she disappeared a long time ago and didn't come back ever since. It wasn't uncommon for her to disappear like that before, but after 2 months and no information from her, I became worried. I tried reaching out for the authorities, but after some time, they declared her a lost cause. But I can't give up on her! A body was never found. She may be stuck somewhere... even though she is older, she was always quite fearful, and I needed to take care of various things... so I can't drop this case. From time to time, I search for her and I thought that you could have spotted her. A shame, truly..."
Now Touma remembered that Saten mentioned to him that she and her friend went against a really scary sniper. He could swear that the surname Yumiya was mentioned. But could it really be this shy looking girl from the photo?
It wasn't like he had any other clue, so he decided to tell it to Iruka
"My friend my know more about it. It's possible that she and your sister crossed paths in the past."
"Oh? That would be quite helpful! How can I contact her?"
Touma told Iruka Saten's LINE account identifier.
"Every step like this helps. Oh, and since we are already talking..."
Suddenly, the redhead grabbed him by the front of his shirt and closed his face to his
"Wha-Wha-What is happening?!"
"Our relationship in the future, being friend or foe, depends on a simple thing"
She was polite before, but now she seemed straight up scary. Her only visible eye was opened wide and unblinkingly staring at Kamijou, as Iruka closed in on him.
"What is your relationship with Hokaze Junko?"
"Huh?"
"WELL? What do you think of her, who do you see her as?"
Touma thought for a moment.
"H-Hokaze-san... I think it's safe to assume that we are friends, hopefully a good ones... even though she may be quite intense, her gentleness makes her a really relaxing and chill person to be around. She is reliable and honestly very amazing with her physical skills too"
Iruka frowned. She was so close that he could her breath on his cheeks,
"Friends, huh? Then I guess..."
Her face turned into a beaming smile.
"You pass!"
"What?!"
"You see, Hokaze-sama is one of the most wonderful people in my life. Her beauty, her power, her kindness, her overwhelming superiority that is tampered only by her modesty. She is a like role model to me ever since early days. You see, in recent times, she is holding you in a very high esteem, basically on par with her precious Queen and that musclehead #7. She is only speaking about you in superlatives and smiles while mentioning your name"
"Oh, really? Then I guess I am truly flate-"
"It was only natural that I'll verify it myself. Whatever Hokaze-sama likes, I also like..." she gently stroke her pouch, which, upon Touma's closer inspection, turned out to be Gekota themed." So from my own personal point of view, and as her fan, I am taking a liking to you as well. However, if you happen to overstep and pursue something more, I might just happen to fry you"
Her hand drifted to the flashlight. That indicated something Touma had yet no knowledge of.
'What? Scary! You can't go from nice to scary, back and forth, just like that. On that note, for someone so modest, Junko-san is quite popular. Good for her, I guess...'
"It's bad enough that she only hangs around Mental Out. But my watchfulness only had to increase when you and Sogiita Gunha came into the picture. I don't mind being on good terms with you, but I will protect Hokaze-sama's purity and show the world how amazing she is when she advances even more!"
'This seems vaguely familiar... oh, right...'
The face of a twintail teleporter appeared in his mind.
'Yumiya-san is a bit more... sophisticated? Something like that'
The important question was why the girl was practically all over him. Two big masses on her chest pressed on his ribcage and her face was practically centimeters away.
Touma was not the only one who noticed it, as Iruka's hand was grasped by Misaka 10039.
"Misaka's patience threshold is being severely breached, says Misaka as she prepares to take disciplinary action..."
"P-Please don't... Yumiya-san, could you..."
"Oh? I am sorry, I am sorry. Don't get all sparkly, clone-chan. I just have this tendency to get close to people I like. Rakko always sniffed others, she had a really great sense of smell... in Tokiwadai, we usually don't interact with males. I heard stories about your gender liking the skinship. Was I wrong?"
It wasn't like Touma didn't enjoy the feeling Iruka's breasts (even if he was bothered by violation of personal space) but what really scared him was the look in the 10039's eyes.
In the same time, wave of pure wrath spread through the network, as almost 10 000 girls growled like an enormous pack of wolves.
(MEANWHILE)
Yoshikawa Kikyou looked at the older looking clone of Misaka Mikoto, lazing around on the couch. A second ago, Misaka Worst was just perching there, but now she was holding her stomach as if in pain.
"Emm... what is going on?..."
"Oh, this hate is so intense, getting through Misaka... it's too much, Misaka will pee herseeeeeelf!"
Sometimes. Yoshikawa didn't want to know what the clone with malicious appearance was experiencing in the moments like this one.
(AND BACK...)
"If this is all, Misaka will now escort you to the designated spot where you can put up fliers" 10039 rather forcibly grabbed Iruka by the arm, pulling her away from Touma.
"Oh? Alright, alright... see you later, Kamijou-san!"
As the clone and the redhead disappeared into the distance, Touma let out a sigh.
"That was something else."
"Oh, was it now?"
The venomous voice from behind made him shiver as the iron-clad hand grabbed by the head
"You have some nerve, I have to admit. That or you are just incredibly stupid to flirt with a girl just before meeting me..." Mugino grinned viciously, while pain split Touma's skull. That mechanic arm was seriously strong.
"Mugino-san, this is a misunderstanding. Iruka-san wanted to talk with me and I didn't really want..."
"I know that. I know that, but it doesn't make me less pissed" Mugino finally let go of his hand. Touma cringed, as the spots where her fingers were pulsed with pain."Listen, I am giving away my precious time to be here with you. So I expect your attention to be on me now. Is that clear?"
Touma nodded vigorously, and the girl nodded back.
"That's what I thought. So..."
She walked away and stood in better light. Touma stared at her, before the girl frowned at him
"Oh, for fuck sake! It's obvious that I want you to say something about my outfit"
"You want... my opinion?"
"As much as I am surprised too, since I am here with you, I might as well ask you this"
"I mean... for as far as I know you, you looked good in absolutely everything. Even when you were in my clothes with wet hair"
Mugino Shizuri, someone gifted with extraordinary beauty and power, did not blush like a shy girl at such compliment. However, she felt her inner self blaze and tremble with approval, like a tiger pleased with a really big hunt.
"That's a given, you know. But what about this specific outfit. It's a bit of a nostalgic one for me."
Mugino wore a dark skirt with vertical line of golden buttons on her slim waist, white sleeveless blouse that was pushed forward by her big chest, emerald chocker, half zipped violet hoodie, and white high heeled boots
"What do I think... well, it's good thing that legs are visible, and this blouse goes well with the boots. I think that exposed armpits are interesting direction to go to, and the overall colour pattern goes-"
"I didn't sign up for the god damn essay reading" Mugino stopped him, although she seemed amused by his eagerness to describe her" five words or less, go for it!"
Touma's nodded in seriousness before straightening himself and bowing slightly
"Mugino-san, you are seriously hot"
Mugino tossed her hair with a haughty look
"Such a simple way to put it, but nevertheless correct. If you understand your luck now, let's go through with this time"
'I did spend quite a lot of time with that suit and I even tailored it so it would show off my legs'
And she seized his hand, to Touma's immense surprise.
"Mu-Mugino-san?"
"What? Just because I never went through all the boys and girls shit, doesn't mean I am not going to take any initiative. You invited me here, but thinking about it from another side... for the time being, you are mine. That being said, go on for picking some activities, I don't really care all that much about the details"
(ELSEWHERE, AN HOUR LATER)
Kakine Teitoku was standing on the roof when he heard the doors closing behind him.
"So you are finally here. I take that you gained access to the surveillance cameras and tracked me here. "
"Yes, I did. Also, finally? You wanted me to get here?"
"I noticed you earlier on and I knew that you will find me"
"..."
Kakine turned around, his white body shimmering, to find downcast Gokusai Kaibi staring at him.
"It's been quite a long time, Gokusai." he said, to which the girl nodded.
"Yes, it was" the girl's voice was quiet, yet upon closer examination, one would hear the emotions welling up within the sound.
"I have no idea why were you so bent on pursuing me..." Kakine sighed, glancing through the glass dome" but things are different now. I am a changed man now, so I cannot really continue our shared job together. I am sorry for leaving you on ice like that, but SCHOOL is no more. Right now, you are free to do whatever you want."
Kaibi nodded before muttering
"After all that time... that's all?"
"What else can there be?" came the reply.
The girl's lip twitched.
In the next instant, a small, hairdreyer-looking grenade launcher discharged...
... and half of Kakine Teitoku's body was blown away.
(MEANWHILE)
Spending time with Mugino Shizuri was an interesting experience, for the lack of better words. There were quite a few things going on, so if Touma were to recap the events of the last hour it would be something like this
Mugino would get very emotional while playing video games. Apparently, this was something she didn't normally do and Touma soon understood why.
"Die! Die! DIE! Fucking weakling! Have a shot, and another! I will roast you alive!"
Soon, Touma had to evacuate high-class darksider from the arcade from the pure terror on normal customers once she started to throw curses left and right.
So, after some time, Touma got an idea.
"Dianoid has the space in which we can cook something for ourselves."
"Ah, those private kitchen. It's a lunch hour... will salmon be involved?"
"I mean, you don't really present much of a variance when you talk about your favourite food..."
"Oh, shut it!"
(SOME TIME LATER)
And so, salmon it was. Lots of it.
It was salmon rolls, salmon chips, salmon paste, salmon tortilla, and more.
When he and Mugino bought the ingredients, they went to the enclosed private kitchen to prepare the meals.
The salmon display was actually cooked by Touma, but as he saw the intent looks Mugino was giving it, he handed it over.
Watching Mugino eat was weirdly relaxing for Touma. And he didn't mean it in any perverted way. It was just that Mugino eating her favourite dish was... almost blissful looking.
"You're... so god damn good, you know " she muttered after swallowing" So, why won't you eat mine?"
Touma realized that she probably interpreting him not eating as an affront to her dish, so he took a bite.
'Ghhh... it's edible... but seasoning... this is too much'
"It's very nice, thank y-"
"Cut the crap"
"What?"
Mugino was looking at him with a salmon chip in her hand.
"Listen Kamijou. I am a straightforward girl. When I want something, I take it. When I decide on some action, it's precisely what I intend. Do not do lies with me, you hear? It will work better for both of us that way"
"But... I thought, well..."
"That I will get mad at you? Do I really look like someone that has that much of a short fuse?"
Touma put his hands forward palms up. Mugino growled under her breath.
"Oh, fine, point taken. You know... I don't know what Hamazura or Railgun told you, but I had a really messed up period in my life during previous year. Really messed up, even by my standards. But I... I regret the way I acted back then. It's not something I say often, but it's important for my point here. Which is... it's not like I can't any criticism right now. I am working on it. Of course, if I disagree with something, then it might end a little bit painful... but you still need to tell me things honestly. Otherwise, this will not work"
The girl already felt good with the fact that Touma was looking her straight into the eyes, which was...
'...surprisingly hot...'
... something she was not accustomed to, and made her feel weird in her stomach.
"Okay. Then I guess, you overdid it with a seasoning"
"Really? Let me see that..." Mugino took a bite of her own creation and chew on it for a moment.
"What are you... talking about... you're clearly... exaggerating?"
"Yeah, you are cringing like hell, so I am not convinced."
Later on, they took smoothies from the booth and sat on the bench near the artificial square with diamond-looking trees.
The longer Touma thought about it, the more he began to understand some things.
Spending time with Mugino Shizuri was like playing the fast paced girl on the console. In the right time, and in the precise moment, you had to input the correct combination to avoid the danger and advance. If you lost, there was no telling if there was a save or not.
Mugino was currently experiencing many different emotions and was in the rare state of not being able to fully control herself because of those alien feelings. Unfamiliarity brought fear and discomfort, and in case of Mugino Shizuri, her natural reaction was to lash out and obliterate her enemy.
Except... she didn't seem all that driven when she got mad in recent times. She was still impulsive and choleric, but many of her outbursts was more of reflexive reaction than anything.
Touma saw Mugino's unexpressed struggle and it was for this reason that he watched her closely.
The way she looked when she was proud of something. The way she wrinkled her nose when she was disgusted. The way she smirked when she was secretly feeling happy. He took notice of that.
But it wasn't enough. And that was why...
"I think..." Touma broke the silence" I think we should talk"
"Talk?" Mugino looked at him" We did already, didn't we?"
"No, I mean... talk talk. In the sewers... I think we were really heading in the good direction"
"Huh? What do you mean? I would rather do something more exciting than this"
"I know that you can. You are a woman of action. But... what you want may not be exactly what you need. And also... I am here because of this"
Mugino's expression became ever so slightly surprised.
"Wait, hold on. You're telling me that you didn't come here because you felt guilty?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"But then... you wanted to spend time with me..."
"Mugino-san, I didn't want to spend time with you because of my motives. I wanted to spend time with you to get to know more about you"
There was silence.
"Why?" the girl finally asked.
"I can't really put it into words..." Touma took a sip of his drink "You are like a peacock. Those look beautiful even without doing anything, but when they spread their tails, they are even more... Mugino-san?"
The girl was laughing, but it wasn't deranged cackle from the arcade. It was a normal, muffled chuckling.
"The colorful peacocks are males, dumbass. You just compared me to a guy"
Kamijou blinked and coughed loudly to hide his embarrassment.
"W-Well, the point is, that you seem to hide many beautiful things on the inside. Even if you don't realize them yourself"
"That can't be. Me and beautiful things inside?"
"I believe that. And I promised to help you, so-"
"Kamijou... do you even realize how ridiculous you are sounding right now?"
"I know, and I don't mind. I care and that's all that counts"
"But WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU FRICKING CARE?! Do you... do you not realize how I actually am? I am Meltdowner!"
"Status doesn't matter to me"
"Do you even know who my family is?!"
"Someone rich...maybe?"
"Are you serious? Not just rich... the Mugino family is one of the richest in the world. We are major player in international grain market... and before you make a fucking joke, yes, it's Mugino like mugi, the straw... but that's only the façade, We operate casinos, black markets, and so much of a shadow deals in the world... I am basically a heiress of the mafia! One that you really don't want to mess with!"
"Besides slight twinge of envy for better financial situation, it doesn't really change much."
"Grrr... so what about the cherry on top? I am a murderer, a cold blooded psychopathic bitch. Can you honestly look me straight into the eyes and say that there is a chance for me?"
"Yes, without a doubt. No matter how many external factors you present, I will still be convinced to help you."
"That doesn't make sense. After everything I said, why would you still care for someone as vile as me?!"
"Why wouldn't I care about someone as important as you?"
Mugino went silent after that, listening in a disbelief to her companion.
"It's undeniable that the things you did were monstrous and awful. But you are trying to change and as long as you are atoning for your mistakes, then I will be there to back you up"
"You don't understand... I wasn't just pulled into the darkness, I was born in it. Told from the very beginning that this was my great destiny. There is no way... light was never even an option for me!"
"That's all the more reason. In the world when you could walk only as they told you, smile only when needed, and witnessing crime and death over and over again, there is no wonder that you got imprinted with violence. But you are only responsible for certain things, so there is no reason for you to be abandoned in entirety. When you decided to kill, that was your call and your blame. But it was the flawed system that gave you the personality of a killer. I don't know if it was your family or Academy City's dark side, and it doesn't really matter all that much. As long as you regret and work through things you were responsible for, I will be there to help you battling the part of yourself that was shaped into darkness by others."
Mugino stared into space before whispering.
"What makes you so sure that I am willing to discard this part of myself?"
"What about your dreams?"
"I don't need dreams! Who needs them when you can take everything! It's all I ever known... all I ever lived by... even my ability, beside few technical applications, can only destroy. This is me, destroying and taking for myself"
"That maybe so... but what there would be nothing else to destroy?"
"There is always something-"
"But in the end you just get tired, don't you? Tired of being alone. Even if you kill everyone and take everything from the world, this will not quench this loneliness. Are you... afraid of having true desires, Mugino-san?"
"I... don't know what you are talking about. And even if I did... I am strong enough to endure this. I will just get stronger than I am now"
"But the raw strength can only get you so far. You were happy to belong somewhere, right? Hamazura told me about how he and you reconciled. You were happy to be brought back into your group again, right?"
Mugino bit her lip, before shaking her head.
"Even if in some hypothetical scenario there was a part of me not rotten to the core... I can't obtain light like you do."
Touma looked at her and, in gesture of reassurance and after steeling herself, put his hand of top of Mugino's. The girl stiffened, but did not shook it off, only relaxing after few seconds.
"I think one of the most common mistakes is that you don't need to embrace all the light, you don't have to need to have all the answers and regain all the purity. Just a little light to call your own is more than enough. The choice to follow this light is yours to make, and if you can find it yourself, I can try to be that small spark for you. I saw my fair share of darkness too, so I don't know if-"
"You are insane."
"Well, guess we have something in common. Sometimes I think everybody is insane a little bit, it depends what kind of insanity is accepted. Insanity is often just uniqueness that becomes dangerous"
"There is no guarantee that I will not go straight to hell on my way forward. Would you be ready to share this insanity with me?"
"Emm... as tempting as this amazing offer is... no. I would rather stop you before you get to far."
Mugino looked him into the eyes. He didn't turn away.
Then, she rotated her hand and suddenly grasp Touma's. Yet this time it wasn't like before. It was more gentle, as if the girl relished the warm presence not disappearing from her hold.
"It better be the truth then... so, what do you want to hear?"
"Everything you want or need to tell me?"
Mugino Shizuri didn't think she would talk at all.
But she was mistaken, as the conversation unfolded, ranging from trivialities to serious matters, between the unlikely pair.