NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: chapter 57
One would say that repetitive awakenings throughout the tale are becoming a dull motif.
But when it came to Kamijou Touma, his misfortune was a guarantee that things will always be interesting.
He woke up in an unfamiliar bed. Given, it was hard for him to tell at first, because he got used to sleeping on the bed in the apartment that wasn't so much different from this one. The surface he was laying on right now was a good quality bedding.
He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. It looked well decorated, almost like a...
'I am in a hotel?'
Then, he heard quite sound of the fingers tapping on the keyboard. He looked to the right and noticed Ladylee, dressed in a white bathrobe, which was clearly too big for her. The immortal girl was sitting upright, her blond tails of hair undone and falling down into single long cascade, with legs under the covers and a computer on her thighs. She was typing with one hand, while the other one was grasping Touma's own, sticking from under the sheets.
"Huh? Lady...lee?
Aquamarine eyes shifted to look at him, accompanied by a small smirk of lips still covered by small layer of lip gloss.
"Morning, sleepyhead"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Touma tangled himself into the sheets, fell out of bed and crawled backwards so fast that he hit the wall with full force.
"Ladylee!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"WHAT IS IT?! Why did I wake up next to you in the hotel room?!"
"Oh, so you don't remember what you did last night? You were so adamant and persistent that I thought you were serious about all the things you said... and done..."
"I...W-WHAT?!"
"Oh, honestly, through all the centuries, I thought that men got at least somewhat better when it comes to promises like that... to take an unassuming, delicate flower like myself and trample all over it with your desire..."
'Am... Am I losing my mind? Did the stress and sleep deprivation made my preferences invert into Aogami? This is the end of me... yes, I will surely have Anti-Skill knocking on my door any second now'
Ladylee observed the ghostly white face of a boy for couple more seconds, before she broke into a fit of laughter.
"Your face... your face was amazing! I loved that look! So worth it!"
"That wasn't funny! I really thought that we... I don't know why I thought that, but you scared the hell out of me!"
"On contrary, I think it was hilarious. Also, I did a bit of homework on you after breaking out of research facility and before going to look for you. Your preference is for older women. Then trust me, you won't find many women as old and experienced in life as me"
"That's... that's not the point. It's true that I like maturity and you are very cute, but... the biological age your body was suspended in makes things rather-"
"Relax, relax, nothing happened" Ladylee pointed at black and red pyjama under the nightgown" And I understand what you mean. I won't deny that because of your experience of death and your borderline idiotic persistence in the face of adversity, you gain some irresistibility. But you are my ticket to death, so I won't go and straight on do things that will make you uncomfortable. Besides... when it comes to those kinds of activities, I..."
The girl's smile faded a little as if she remembered something unpleasant. That looked made Touma want to ask if she was alright, but Ladylee shook her head before he got a chance.
"Nevermind that. I bet you are interested why you woke up in this place"
"Yeah...also, why did you hold my hand?"
Tossing her hand aside, Ladylee stretched slightly before answering.
"This is how we will be doing it. I am going to regularly hold your hand in intervals, thus having the frequent and consequent exposure to Imagine Breaker should in time weaken my immortality"
"Wow... how long will that last?"
"Don't know yet, but I am willing to make calculations later on"
Touma processed that information for a moment, before moving on.
"Anyway, about waking up here... all I remember is us going to restaurant and celebrating the alliance and then... nothing"
"Well, to make things short... you were accidentally given an alcoholic drink instead of normal juice, and got drunk... which was extremely amusing to look at. Your misfortune never ceases, huh?"
"No way... but I feel rather good... shouldn't I have a hangover then?"
"You knocked yourself unconscious while attempting to climb... no, that's too funny to even keep a straight face while saying it. But don't worry, I have all of it recorded for future generations"
"Give me a break!"
"And when it comes to a hangover, you don't have it because I prepared you a herbal brew of my own method and forced you to drink it."
"You know a medication that counters hangover?"
"I was a herborist in XIV century. You would be surprised how many skills I have. Anyway, I dragged you here and paid for the room."
"You... paid for the room for two? All right, NOW my reputation is totally finished. I will be lined alongside Jime and banned from around all kindergartens"
"First of all, I don't look that young. And second of all, you didn't have enough money to cover the room for two people. I had to climb through the window after-"
" What the hell do you mean with 'you didn't have enough money'? Wait... you paid with my money? But that hotel... you used all that was inside, didn't you"
Ladylee gave him a side eye and stuck his tongue at him, gesturing with the raised finger.
"A gentleman should always pay for lady... huh?"
Her cheeks were suddenly pinched by the boy who was smiling darkly all of the sudden.
"W-What?"
"You may not know this, since I decided to punch Shutaura and not you during the battle on top of Endymion, but I am the last person against which you can play a 'lady's first' card. Back then, I just wanted to punch someone of greater height. But now, it's all up in the table."
"W-Wait! I am immortal, but I still can feel pain! Owowowow! My cheeks! You are going to rip them from my face!"
"Heh heh heh... that's nothing compared to the pain of a poor student having all of his monthly money spent in a single night... suffer, my partner in crime, and repent!"
"H-HAAAAAALT IIIIIIIT! AND STOP TWISTING THEEEEEEEEM!"
(20 MINUTES LATER)
Touma and Ladylee Tangleroad met in front of the hotel. The blond kicked Touma's shin, still grumpy at his punishment. Her cheeks got so stretched and red that they actually appeared as if something bit them prior to her bodily regeneration taking effect.
"Ladylee... from what I understand, you left me here after that accident in the restaurant. But what happened afterwards?"
"I went to the pharmacy and supermarket to get the things needed for making anti-hangover potion... and I sort of... got attacked while going back."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me before?! Are you alright?"
"Fool, are you forgetting who I am? I am Ladylee The Deathless, your resident immortal. There is nothing that can kill me. Now, come with me. We have quite a few things to discuss."
Although Ladylee said it in a nonchalant manner, in the corner of his eyes he saw that she bit the corner of her rosy lips.
Something was troubling her and it was clearly about her last night's encounter. Something bothersome enough for even that cocky immortal to give into weary rumination.
"Where are we going right now?"
"To meet your roommates"
"Right, to meet my... what?! Wait, you actually want to involve Kaibi and the others?"
"Yes, I do"
"Hold on, your own involvement may suffice! That's explicitly the reason I didn't want to involve them!"
Ladylee groaned in annoyance, turning around to face him, and subsequently walking backwards.
"Look, I see it like this. I have a lot of experience and it always go the same way: you try to hide something from significant others, it blows in your face in the least favourable moment and then there is an entire drama, and so on, and so on. I just think that they seem close enough to you to uncover that something is up eventually. And I would rather deal with it now than in the middle of the actual battle, which, let's not delude ourselves, will happen sooner rather than later."
Touma thought about it for a moment. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself that Ladylee made some valid points.
"I still want them to be safe though"
"That depends on you and on them"
(SOME TIME LATER, IN GOKUSAI + KAMIJOU APARTMENT)
Touma had no idea, who berated him longer for not returning home previous night, Index or Kaibi. It wasn't the most pleasant experience, but he took it with dignity, knowing that there was no other way around it.
Only after that could introduction (since the last time they met was erased via magical flashbomb) of Ladylee Tangleroad and explanation of the situation really commence.
Well, to be precise, there was one more thing to take care of...
Ever since Kaibi and Rikuri confessed their love to him, there was a slight shift of her behaviour around other girls. Touma thought about his mother's own behaviour when his father's gaze or attention strayed on another woman. There was something similar in his roommates behaviour, especially with Kaibi.
Their life didn't really change all that much. They still went to their own schools, ate breakfasts and dinners together, and spent free time with one another like before. Amazora, Touma, and Index often played video games together. He also spent plenty of moments with Rikuri, either posing for her as she endorsed painting, helped her get fit on their pool complex, assisted with her and Youen's research, and carried her off to bed when she fell asleep in the living room. And of course, there was Kaibi, with whom Touma went on some walks around the city, visited some of the restaurants, and did grocery shopping, whenever Yakumaru had other responsibility and couldn't make the rounds. Point was, they were still as close as before.
But... a new element entered their shared existence, especially in a situation like that. Kaibi and Rikuri agreed to steel their patience and wait for Touma to reflect on their confessions, since he was going through some challenges. But there was a price to pay for having that patience tested, specifically, through spending time with other girls.
Not that Touma actually complained about this sort of occasional possessiveness. He would betray his pride as the man interested in opposite sex if he didn't admit that Gokusai sisters were charming and attractive. Even Amazora, who he didn't perceive in romantic light in comparison to her older siblings, had an endearing aura of positivity around her.
But coming back to the 'price to pay', one more thing to mention was the fact that both sisters were phenomenal kissers. For someone who was so long inclined to denial, Kaibi pulled no punches, and could really alternate between various styles of kissing, soft or passionate, quick or deepened, with ease and finesse. Touma did not know if it was due to her experiences as a rental girlfriend, the fact that she was a child of a national class model, or maybe it could be attributed to the fact that she used Measure Heart with a setting to 'lovers' which boosted the feelings through the roof. Honestly, there was no need to truly know. All he knew was that, as restrained as he wanted to be, his enjoyment of the kiss could only be matched as Kaibi's own.
Rikuri, given who she was and just how much she resonated with Touma's type and how erotic body she possessed, was yet another tale for another time, who would certainly need at least few chapters of description. Let's just say that while she was one of the main reasons Touma found himself majorly dizzy from overheating after the sisters asserted their romantic standing.
"Alright, now it's the time to tell who is that midget!" Amazora pointed at Ladylee with fire in her eyes. She looked as if she was one step from hissing and clawing at petite immortal, like a very angry cat.
"Forgive my sister's rudeness, she is not fond of... girls of certain age getting close to her older brother." Kaibi said, ruffling Amazora's hair with an exasperated look
"Oh, is that it? Overprotective much, but don't fret" Ladylee waved her hand" I assure you, I am much older than I look"
"Everyone..." Touma said, his voice slightly higher than usual after he and the aforementioned girls returned to the room, staring at the sisters plus Index combo. He quickly shook off the romantic daze and resumed"... this is Ladylee Tangleroad. She is helping me deal with a personal problem."
"Problem?" Kaibi looked at Touma with much greater attention than before and he knew he had to go on, somehow.
"Well... All of you... I believe I have something to say to you. I've been..."
There was a moment of silence, before Rikuri gently rubbed his shoulder, tenderly encouraging him to go on.
"I've been hiding something from you. Not out of bad heart or lack of faith in you, just... I wanted to keep you safe. We started as total strangers, but we grew closer together and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. But Ladylee-san convinced me to let you know and... it's only fair to share it with you now. Please, gather around. That's will take a while."
And so, after they sat down, Touma began a lengthy explanation of his situation. He explained the Endymion incident, which tied him to Ladylee, and that for some time, he was battling his own dark self, which was fought to be suppressed before. He described the current dangers that were lurking around him and those close to him, pleading with the sisters to understand his earlier hesitation to bring them into the circle of the ones who knew...
He omitted the existence of magic, described Ladylee's immortality as mere high-tier, gemestone regeneration ability. He also did not reveal how exactly Kamijou No Touma came to be or the powers both of them fought to harness regarding Imagine Breaker. That would require much more complex and groundbreaking conversation, a like of which he wasn't ready for in that moment.
Amazora hugged him, her small face looking up to his eyes
"When we first met, I would probably liked evil onii-chan... but I don't want this onii-chan to go away."
"That sounds very worrisome" Rikuri added in concern" And also very surreal..."
"Do you... believe me?"
"My, my... Touma..." the oldest sister smiled warmly at him" we are, or at least we strive to be, your family. Even there is trouble in understanding something, we, the Gokusai sisters, are on your side. I personally love every day spent with you, not only because I love you, but also because when I am with you and my sisters, I feel like myself... in other words, truly alive. So of course, I believe you"
Index watched Touma with sad eyes. Although she knew majority of what was said, or even more, given her magic side legacy, it still pained her to actually be confronted with just how much strife and suffering did the return of Kamijou No Touma brought to the boy she cared about.
"For now, let's just accept this as it went" Kaibi finally said, nodding to the others" I presume we should formulate some plan of counteroffensive?"
"That's right" Ladylee nodded" But prior to taking on the big boss, we need to root out the support he gathered. If not, we will have to deal with endless divide and conquer that will drain us exponentially through every interaction with enemy forces. We must prepare ourselves and confront one of the allies he appeared to have gathered"
"Allies? Ladylee-san, did you encounter someone who appeared to be working with that man?" asked Index.
"Encountered? That crazy woman attacked me!"
"What?!"
"But before I tell you about that... I need you to tell me about your specialties. Kamijou mentioned something about gattling gun, psychological manipulation, and poison carrying drones, but it's best to hear about your capacity from you."
"What would you need that for?"
"My self-healing is impeccable, but I need it to be at its peak when I encounter that particular foe again... and I know I will... thus, just like with training muscles, I need to improve myself. And I would request that you will help me."
All three sisters looked at Touma, who nodded
"We are allies now. It's better for Ladylee to know our strengths"
"If you say so, we will follow your lead"
(AFTER EXPLANATIONS FROM EACH OF GOKUSAI SISTERS)
"Excellent. I can see now why Kamijou called you a perfectly balanced team" Ladylee clapped her hands. "When can we start with our strategy employment?"
"We will be off for few hours to buy few things for Amazora, but as soon as we are done with that, we are all yours" Kaibi said to Touma" Let's meet here a 4PM, 4 hours from now"
"It suits me. I have something to check anyway" Ladylee waved her hand.
"Touma, we are not through with this, we will still talk about it" Kaibi said firmly and Touma realized she also meant speaking in private" I am sorry we are going now, but I prefer to give you my undivided attention later and not scatter it if I can't be focused now"
"There is nothing to apologize for. If anything, I am to blame for dumping this on you without any preparation."
"We will be right back"
As the sisters left, Touma and Index looked at Ladylee.
"What is it?"
"Look we covered for you and didn't reveal that you were an immortal... not like they would believe it too... but now it's the chance to tell us what happened during the night."
Ladylee sighed and spread her arms in acceptance.
"Fine, I planned to do this anyway. It's true that I will have to give a somewhat abridged version to those sisters, but as we stand now, I can recount everything to you. It went like this..."
(FLASHBACK)
Ladylee was going back from the shopping for the medicine to mitigate Touma's accidental drunkenness. Passing by the entrance to one of the overpasses, she felt a presence lurking in the shadow nearby.
"Who's there?" she said, turning around. "You've been following me, didn't you?"
The person in the shadow seemed to be a girl, of rather petite build, similar to Ladylee's own body type. She had short hair and was dressed casually, at least as far as Ladylee could see, given that the bad lighting in the area. It also made the face of the girl quite hazy in her eyes.
Said girl smiled and replied casually.
"You were walking with him earlier... even took him to restaurant..."
"Hmm? You talk about Kamijou? Are you his friend?"
"Yes... and no. I was there before everyone... I was the true heroine before each of the fake actors invaded the stage. I have been longing, longing for such a long time to be with him... I admired him from afar from the very beginning... but you... all of you... every single one of you... you grew like weeds, blocking his view of the true leading part. And when the weeds spread too high and wide..."
Something glinted in the girl's hand, as Ladylee's eyes widened.
Even though there were couple meters between them, the girl covered it so fast that the immortal could barely move.
Now, it was clear that what the girl was holding was a knife.
"... you cut them down!"
Ladylee reacted, blocking the hand with a blade.
'She is understimating me. Through those centuries, I travelled the world and been in many dangers. I know many self defense techniques"
"Heh, listened here, I don't know what were you talking about or what is your problem. Bu trust me, you won't be able to actually-"
"Karambit!"
In one moment, Ladylee's leg was appearing as usual, in the next, it burst with redness in three large holes.
'W-What? How did she do that? That's contralateral to the hand in which she has a weapon. And those wounds doesn't seem to match the type of knife she uses '
But then, she noticed another blade coming from the attacker's sleeve.
Before she could react it was too late, as the attacking girl smiled.
"Kris!"
As the hand shot forward, sinusoidal gash appeared on Ladylee's arm. It caused the girl to let go of the knife user and she did not waste a moment.
Fighting with pain in her arm and leg, Ladylee witnessed something strange. The other girl formed her hand into a certain shape, hiding her thumb within the inside of the palm and keeping the remaining fingers as flat surface, as her arm shot forward
"Bayonet!"
'A-Another knife?'
Ladylee leaned backwards but that not help as the weapon reached its target, causing her to fall to one knee.
The attacker pulled her hand back, her small frame and wide smile contrasting with each other, as the red neon of the nearby shop seemed to make her dark irises glow crimson, pronouncing the sprayed liquid on her face.
"No matter how strong you are, third-rate hussies, you all bleed the same... no matter who it may be, I will cut you all down and then go for him unbothered by some idiots who don't know their place..."
"Seems you are really lusting for him, hard?"
The girl above Ladylee didn't seem to like that answer.
"It's more than lust, pretender. You and all of that flocking lot... I always watched him, I always adored him... but never could actually go and ask him out. Because he was too busy with you. You and that misfortune of his. After observing and analyzing it all, it became clear. You, every single one of you, drags that misfortune into him through your selfishness. Because he wants to save you, you bring all of those accidents on him, on top of stealing his attention. So it all became obvious... if there is no one to save, there is no risk for him. And then I will guard him... forever and ever... and he will learn to appreciate my care... one way or another..."
"That's the most obsessive bullshit I heard in a while..." Ladylee muttered, standing up. Her wounds almost healed and she thought how to tackle that strange, unpredictable enemy.
There was something off and strange in the way this girl attacked and moved. The cuts and stabs seemed to land from random directions, and the girl itself swayed slightly. But Ladylee knew that this was not due to the lack of equilibrium, but rather, to throw of her estimations of attack's trajectory.
"Oh? You still have strength to stand?"
"Told you. You messed with a bad woman. And you know what? It just so happens that I have an interest in that fool as well. I have certain ambition to fulfil through him and I don't think I will let some lunatic mess up my relationship with him that is a key to fulfilling my goal."
"Is that so..."
"For that matter, why do I even bother shielding myself? Hmm, do I actually want to go out by his hand that badly..."
Then, another swing of the knife was taken, this time followed by the foot pinning Ladylee's own limb to the ground.
"Machete Cleaver!"
For a moment, Ladylee thought nothing happened before something on the edge of her vision caught her attention. It was soaring through the air and only after a moment did Ladylee realized that it was her own right arm.
"You should know when to stop!"
"Oh yeah?" Ladylee grinned fiercely, before snatching the severed limb out of the air with her remaining arm and slamming it across the girl's face" I didn't stop for 8 centuries, why should I now?"
The girl winced and stumbled, but didn't lose hold on her.
"You know, I actually wanted to watch you bleed out for a bit, but if you are so stubborn, I will make it quick. "
The girl extended one of her hands forward, pointing at still immobilized Ladylee, and thrusting the arm forward. Once the finger connected with the blond's chest, it made a circular motion.
"Scalpel!"
There was a tingling sensation... and then, in few quick movements, something was gracefully pulled out. It soared into the air... and landed on the attacker's hand.
Ladylee blinked and slowly reached to her chest. Only then, the terrible pain exploded within her, causing her to cough up blood.
She fell on one knee again, but she still traced her hand to the spot where she was attacked... and found nothing there.
There was a hole. A hole in her very chest, opened so quickly and precisely that her body barely registered what happened.
"A fate becoming of a heartstealer" the girl's voice spoke above her" Don't you think, you hussy? Now all you can blame for your death is yourself, because you foolishly thought you can have my man. The one I was waiting for so long!"
The object in the girl's hand pulsed and seemed to move in a steady rhythm.
Ladylee's vision began to dim out in the accompaniment of something resembling a dull static, but she realized what happened.
"You... you... took... you removed my heart" she whispered before fully collapsing.
The knife wielder looked at the object in her hand in Hamlet-esque display of theatrical drama, before slowly turning around and walking away.
"Heart for heart. I will trample you as you trampled my chance for so long. Now, sleep tight... for eternity..."
(END FLASHBACK)
Ladylee sighed.
"I am immortal, but my stamina is not limitless, and sufficient injuries can knock me out. I woke up roughly two hours later, with my body fully healed. Then I went back to the hotel and joined you"
"Ladylee..."
"I have holes in my favourite ensemble! Plus, that girl made fool of me. But I swear, the next time I meet her..."
"LADYLEE! Do you realize how dangerous that sounds?!" Touma screamed in agitation" To think that someone so perilous is somewhere in the city..."
"Relax, relax, I am fine. I am aware that should it not be me then, well... it wouldn't be pretty. But that why I will be that girl's enemy. Although there are many things about her that I don't understand. Who was she? Did she have many knives after all? Or maybe it was some kind of power? If so, did she use magic or esper ability? But I will know everything once I face her again."
"Ladylee-san, what do you intend to do now? You... you don't think that Touma should fight that maniac, do you?" Index asked in worry.
"No, like I said, I seem best suited to fight someone like that. But... that girl seems to target other females that are close to you. Those people might need help. Do you know who she might target next?"
"Girls who like Touma... let's see..." Index muttered flatly, with a sarcasm tingeing the sentence." That narrows it down to only half of this city's population"
"I-Index, that's not true at all!"
"Right... but this girl is working with your dark self. It probably emerges when you lose your own consciousness, so during sleep and such... and contacts her. So we need to think where their desires coincide... is there a girl that would be a hindrance to Kamijou No Touma, through which something that he would dislike is executed or she might be problematic for him if left alive?"
Touma thought for a moment, before recalling something that Nephthys once told him.
'Mitsuari Ayu will serve as the foundation of Future Phase. She is the key for all the versions of you to be reunited within your mind'
"Ayu..."
"I see that you might have an idea. Here is the deal, we need two people: a guard and a spy. The first to intercept the attacker should she attack the vulnerable targets, the second to learn more about the girl who attacked me in an inconspicuous manner. Can you find someone like that?"
"I could think of few spy candidates, but when it comes to someone who would really know vast variety of students here... I think I am going to make few calls..."
And so, Touma went to the balcony and called none other than Saten Ruiko. She picked after only one signal.
"Touma! It's so nice to hear you!" the girl's cheerful voice sounded from the speaker" How is it going? Is there some cool stuff you are involved with right now?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it cool, but... I need your advice, Saten-san"
"You? You need my advice? Wow... I mean, of course, I don't know how much of a help I will be, but go on!"
"You have tendency to get involved in many situations and with many different people in this city, just like me. Tell me, do you know anyone who is discrete and stealthy?"
"Huh? Why would you..."
"I am telling you this because I trust you. If you can do it without reason why, please, do it for me"
"A-Alright then. Stealthy... I think I have someone! Is it alright if I go to your place later on and introduce that person? I will see if she is available"
"Thank you Saten-san, you are the awesome!"
"Not as much as you! See you in a few hours!"
After few more phones, Touma returned to Index and Ladylee.
"Right, we are getting somewhere! Now it's just-"
There was a knocking on the door. As Touma went and opened them...
"Hello Touma" he was greeted by the Yakumaru Itsuki, hair down and wearing pleasant perfume, who was slightly fidgeting on the doorstep. "I came to ask if you-"
"Touma, so who is it?" came Index's question.
"It's Itsuki-san." Touma turned around to answer, so he didn't see the suddenly devastated face of a girl, who quickly hid something she was holding in her hand to her pocket.
"O-Of course you wouldn't be alone..."
"What was that?"
"Huh? Oh, n-nothing... I will go to the lab, I came to help Rikuri-senpai with something"
"Oh, Rikuri is out, should be back in a-"
Yakumaru zoomed past him, going through the living room, to the corridor with the storage/makeshift lab, and entering without much of a word.
"W-What was that about?"
Kamijou Touma still had lot to learn about hearts of women.
Not much after that, Gokusai sisters returned and Ladylee could finally explain her encounter with the enemy, omitting the details that would make her stand out as an immortal a little too much (like the fact that her heart was taken during the battle)
"That sounds dreadful. Such unstable and crazy girl!" Rikuri nodded in contemplation" She is like Kaibi-chan when that time of month is close"
"Yes, just like... OI! I am not like that at all!"
"I am getting excited! That sounds like a fun opponent!" Amazora threw her fist into the air.
Ladylee coughed into her hand.
"Actually, I envisioned for you to be my support."
"Eeeh? Why is the midget getting all bossy?"
"This midget can survive things that you can't dream of, so keep your mouth shut and listen to your elders!"
"Onii-chan! She is mean to me!"
"Hah... everyone, Ladylee-san can heal from many things. Amazora, you can fight in a long range, which is good, but we still don't know many things about that girl or her powers. When it comes to you three, I am not taking unnecessary risks."
"But I want to kick that girl's butt for onii-chan!"
"Do you wish me death so much, brat?!"
"Onii-chan, this midget is still being awfully mean! Can I put some holes in her?"
"Try it, it's not like it will make any difference-"
"Okay, no one is making holes in anyone. Stop antagonizing each other! Ladylee, you wanted them to help you train?"
He knew he had his own training and already understood what he should do from earlier experiences, but he had no idea in the case of Ladylee.
"Yes, the three of you will boost my healing, stamina, and psychological resilience. In exchange, I will allow you to fight by my side"
"Gracious offer my ass" Kaibi snarled at that" we are helping you for Touma, not for your own sake. So, what do you want us to do?"
(5 MINUTES LATER, ON THE BALCONY )
"You... you want me to shoot you?" Amazora blinked in confusion. Ladylee nodded.
"Fire away"
"A-Are you sure about that?" Rikuri asked apprehensively.
"Yeah. Trust me, mere bullets won't kill me. But this will serve as great training to get my body to heal faster."
"So I can shoot at her as many times as I want and she will be keep coming back?" Amazora seemed a little bit too excited at the prospect.
"Now for you, miss Kaibi... I want you to use your esper power on me. We will train to make me undeterred in the face of adversity"
"I suppose I can adjust our distance to work on that..."
"Excellent. But first... miss Rikuri, you said you were a chemist, right?"
"Y-Yes... T-Touma, why is she looking at me with that gleam in her eyes?"
(10 MINUTES LATER, IN MAKESHIFT LAB)
It soon became painfully apparent why Ladylee got excited with Rikuri's involvement in training.
"That maniac loves to try and search for death, huh..." Touma muttered to himself.
Ladylee stormed into Rikuri's workspace, starling calmly working Yakumaru, and demanded the access to the chemicals. After snatching few vials, she then locked herself in a cabin that Rikuri used for experiments with dangerous substances and which she constructed herself. It resembled a shower cabin, but had a thick chimney like tube that was connected to the outdoor ventilation. It was a construction ment to contain and vent out excessive toxic chemicals, with expansive filtering system installed in said tube.
Currently, two out of the three chemists in Touma's closest circle were in panic.
"What did she take?" Rikuri asked the frazzled Yakumaru.
"Emm... well... Methylmercury and hydrogen chloride."
"T-This is bad, both are incredibly toxic... is the cabin really deadlocked?"
"Yes..."
"That's good for us, but as for Ladylee-san... ah, is she actually juggling them?!"
Ladylee was throwing two vials from one hand to the other.
"Eeny, meeny, miny..."
She then smashed one of the vials to the ground, and unsealed the other.
"Both! Now, cheers!"
"Is she out of her mind?!" yelled both Rikuri and Yakumaru" She smashed the hydrogen chloride and she..."
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
"She drank... the methylmercury..."
"Is... is that a big deal?"
"Big deal?! BIG DEAL?!" Rikuri screamed, ruffling her long blond hair" Even one drop of methylmercury is bad news. And hydrogen chloride can never, ever be inhaled! If it mixes with moisture inside the lungs, it will react and change into hydrochloric acid. You know, the substance that fills our stomachs! It melts from the inside out. It-"
"I am taking the orders for dinner, I will start preparing it in advance. Ladylee, be sure to purify the air in the cabin when you will need to get out."
"Got it... for now... *blargh*... I will focus on staying conscious..."
"Touma... she is dying!"
"No, she is not"
"No matter how good in self-regeneration she is, there is no way she will-"
"She will"
"But she can't-"
"She can"
And so, three absolutely stunned sisters, one only slightly confused nun, and Sphynx (who came back from the outside with Othinus in his mouth, solving the mystery of where the little fairy were all that time) went to the kitchen.
"This is just unbelievable..." Rikuri shook her head for n-th time in a row.
"We see crazy things in this city like all the time, but... that midget is kind of cool" Amazora admitted hesitantly.
"Alright, so I settled for the thai food this time. We have few fresh ingredients, so this will be perfect. Itsuki-san, can you hel-"
"I-I think I am a little bit under the weather today. Rikuri-senpai likes to help you up, right?"
"Huh? W-Well, yeah, I guess..."
'Is it just me, or is something bothering Itsuki-san? She never passed a chance to cook with me before. Maybe it's just my imagination...'
After two minutes or so, there was a doorbell. But before anyone from the kitchen could get it, something stepped out of the corridor.
"I filtered the air, don't... *cough, cough*... worry..."
Everybody's eyes widened as the figure walked slowly to the anteroom corridor and then to the door.
Back on the other side, Saten Ruiko looked at the guest she brought along.
"I am a bit nervous. I have bad experiences with boys. Is he really that nice as you say he is?"
"He is, he's one of the most amazing people ever! I guarantee it. He is a level 0 and has that nice sense of down-to-earth hospitality-"
The doors opened, causing Saten and the person she scouted to look on what appeared in them.
Ladylee Tangleroad, with red dripping in small streams from every possible place on her face, and equally red sclera of the eyes, looked as if she was to dissolve away in any second, as she extended her hand.
"Zo..."
"Greetings!" she said with a voice of someone who quite literally possessed melted vocal chords.
"Zo..zozozozo...ZOMBIE!" the guest alongside Saten screamed in terror.
"That's just... rude..."
Ladylee coughed and something landed on her hand.
"Oh, sorry for my manners. That's just bit of the lung. I assure you the acid disinfected everything"
Saten Ruiko froze in place, completely white, and the person next to her tumbled to the floor with a loud, bellowing sound.
(15 MINUTES LATER)
"This is incredible... you look exactly like you did before..."
Everyone were sitting around the table. The comment was directed at the fact that Ladylee made a full recovery and was proudly flaunting her small body to the amazement of everybody.
"Hmm, I am kind of amazing. I guess I didn't perish...god damn it"
"Did you just say 'god damn it'?"
"Ladylee, you terrified our guests half to death"
"W-Well, we were scared, but it's okay now" Saten assured Touma, before looking at the brown haired girl, with an odango hairstyle and bangs covering her brow" right, Miho-san?"
"M-Mhm..." the resuscitated girl smiled shyly" Kamijou-san, my name is Juufuku Miho. It's nice to meet you"
"N-No, it's my pleasure too... being praised by Saten-san is clearly something to raise eyebrow to"
Miho stiffened suddenly, and he saw Saten rapidly shaking her head from behind the odango girl.
'Ah! What have I done! Of all the phrases to use... Saten-san briefly mentioned that Miho-san is extremely sensitive about her eyebrows. My rotten luck and slip of the tongue!'
"You... saw them, didn't you?"
"W-What are you talk-"
"My eyebrows! You stole a glance!"
It seemed that for Juufuku Miho, eyebrows were as much of a trigger that chopsticks were for Maidono Hoshimi.
Before Touma could protest more, Miho brushed her bangs away, showing two prominent eyebrows.
"Well? What do you think? Quite repulsive, aren't they? Not fitting a girl at all, right?"
"Miho-san..."Saten tried to speak, but Miho did not listen. She was waiting for Touma's reaction.
Juufuku Miho was once rejected because of her eyebrows in favour of Tokiwadai student. This prompted her to terrorize ojou-samas until Saten and her friends convinced her to stop.
'Ever since that time, Saten-san was always there for me. She is my guiding light. And don't think I didn't saw the way she is looking at him. This adoring and warm look that I can only dream of... now, give me a reason to truly hate you!'
And then the answer came.
"Juufuku-san... I can't deny that they are rather visible...but... this doesn't mean that it makes your overall looks less appealing!"
"See, you too think that... wait, what did you just say?" said stunned Miho.
"W-What I meant was that... eyebrows like that make you look more decisive and determined. That can be treated as a major appealing factor. And secondly, overall, your face is cute, so having something to draw attention to it may not be such a... Juufuku-san? Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?"
Indeed, tears were glistening in the eyes of Juufuku Miho's eyes, and she didn't even try to hide them.
'It's a first... it's a first time when a guy said something nice about how my eyebrows look. Saten-san is one thing, but I would never expect a guy to be honest about them while still seeing some good in them.'
"Juufuku-san?"
"Huh? Oh, it's fine. I take no offense. In fact, I... t-t-thank you for actually complimenting me. I am not... really used to it. And please, Miho-san will be fine."
'Please tell me he didn't...' Kaibi gave her sisters deadpan look, as they communicated soundlessly through glances.
'Onii-chan did it again...' Amazora grinned while looking at Miho.
'He makes it look so effortless. Hmph...' Rikuri sighed in disbelief.
Meanwhile, as for Juufuku Miho...
'No, no, no, Miho, calm down. You love Saten-san! Y-You heard about love from first sight, but there is no way...'
"Miho-san? Are you okay?"
'And he is looking at me again! Saten-san was right, he really is similar to her. He has the same kind of caring eyes and aura of kindness around him. Just like her... only a man. My heart can't slow down. I-I want to ignore it but I can't. I can't... stop feeling warm and comfortable. All the guys I ever talked with were jerks, they either secretly laughed at how I looked or tried to lie to me. But he is different...'
In that moment, Kamijou Touma single-handedly made Juufuku Miho re-evaluate her preferences. Instead of one crush, she hopelessly developed two in parallel.
"Moshi-Moshi? Miho-san?!"
'I-I can't let go of Saten-san. I appreciate and care for her too much. But it's plain to see but if she were to choose between me and him, she would pick Kamijou-san. Ugh... I don't want to lose that love. But I want to grow closer to Kamijou-san, I can't deny that. I didn't believe in love at first sight... but I just can't help it! Oh, I just want to disappear...'
'Touma... that seems to be a new record' Index thought.
'Is that girl hoplessly romantic or just very easily impressed?' Yakumaru contemplated.
"Miho-san!"
"O-Oh, I am sorry, I spaced out a little. S-Saten-san said that you need my help"
"Yes. You have the ability to make yourself unnoticeable, right? In that case, I would like you to watch someone closely for a time being"
Miho decided to preserve some dignity and answer with grace.
"If Saten-san asks of that too, and for someone who has some tact, I suppose I can accept. Who will be the target?"
"Me. I would like you to watch me"
"HWAH?!"
And... that dignity was thrown out of the window.
'H-He wants me to watch him?! W-Why?! Did he see through my emotions already?! Is that some form of indirect flirting?!'
"To be precise, I want you to watch my surroundings. Me and my friends suspect that a dangerous enemy threatening ones that are close to me is present in my daily life. So please, could you monitor my surroundings and check if there is anything suspicious going on?"
"Y-You mean... follow you to school... and in the school... and after sch-"
"We will take care of that last part, thank you very much" Kaibi cut Miho off.
"Miho-san, Touma said to trust him." Saten explained to her friend" I also don't know exact details, but this seems very important. Can you do it for me and him?"
"Yes!" the exclamation came out more similar to a squeak than normal approval, before Miho coughed into her hand and resumed" I mean... I will help you. I am now a level 3 Dummy Check user. Doubt I will get higher than that but..."
"Thank you! I will make sure to make it up to you"
"T-That's alright... you don't have to, really..."
(AN HOUR LATER, NEIGHBOURING APARTMENT OF SCAVENGERS)
Yakumaru Itsuki threw herself on the couch, groaning.
"I couldn't woo him again... another failure~"
She returned to the apartment nearly half an hour ago, but she couldn't stop wallowing in self pity even after leaving the extremely bizarre company gathered in Touma's apartment. She felt as if she could just lay there and do absolutely nothing for all she cared.
And this was exactly the state Naru found her in.
"Wow, Yakkun, is everything okay?"
"Mhmmm..."
"Cause you don't look fine to me"
"I am fine Naru, just a bit tired. Leave me alone"
On another day, Naru could have done that, but her natural curiosity caused her to scan my surroundings, until she found a flyer that fell onto the floor.
"Ho? And what is this?"
She grabbed it from the floor. Itsuki opened her eyes and realized what her friend took into her hand.
"Naru, that's-"
"Yakkun... 'Romantic Rendezvous for couples in District 7 park, with picnic and firework show'... care to explain what is this?" Naru waved her hand in an exaggerated manner.
"W-Well, I thought that I can use this chance to see my charm..." Itsuki began to speak, but the look on Naru's usually playful face got her to stop.
"Yakkun... you think I am stupid, don't you?" the purple haired girl said while crossing her arms" Well, I know what is going for a long time. I choose to be child-like. I am not childish. That's why I know that this is all just for appearances. You are actually head over hills and you don't want to just manipulate him, right?!"
"Why would you think that?!"
"The amount of effort you put into your beauty and doing things around Kamijou is not your typical effort when trying to get something from a guy. You are genuinely giving from yourself, Yakkun!"
Itsuki was quiet for a moment, before she spoke again, her voice slightly changed by anger slowly brewing within her.
"Naru... why are you interested in my love life all of the sudden?!"
"All of the sudden?! I am your best friend! We used to spend time together, we had our rituals and fun! Now you are so focused on him that... is there even a place for me anymore? I care for you, Yakkun. Remember when we laughed from all those attempts of the guys to woo you? You said you had all you wanted by your side."
In burst of bitter display, the cute face of Itsuki soured in a grimace
"Really?! If you are going to play that card, then I have something to say to you as well. Not agreeing with my choices is one thing, actively sabotaging them is another. You say you care for me, but then how do you explain the fact that you actively thwarted my efforts?"
"H-Huh... what are you talking about?"
"Naru, there quite a few occasions in which I wanted to spend time alone with him. And I know that in more than half of those times, you interfered and made him spend time with you instead. Whenever I wanted to something with him, something accidentally went awry. And let's not forget that I actually got"
"You... knew?"
"You used to be our front attacker and 'discrete' is the last word that can be used in your description. I got 2 and 2 together."
"I-If you are not into him, why are you so agitated all of the sudden?"
"W-Well... that guy saved us from prison and you know it! Is it that weird to want to repay the debt?!"
"Oh, that's how you are excusing it? We know that there is something more to it. Fine, I admit that I kept you away. I wanted to make you jealous, dump him and resume our relationship as if nothing happened"
Itsuki looked at her blankly, before laughing out loud.
Naru pouted at that.
"W-What's so funny?"
"Oh, lots of it. Firstly, how could I blame Touma if I knew that it was your doing?!"
"I-I tried to be discreet, what-"
"And secondly..." any mirth left Itsuki's voice, replaced by dead seriousness" to me, it looks like you actually had fun with him on all those occasions when you stole him away."
"What are you implying?"
"You already know. That it wasn't him you were jealous of. It was me. You got attracted to him, didn't you?"
"What? This is stup-"
Naru's retort died in her throat.
Come to think of it... at some point, she stopped minding Kamijou's company... At some point, she actually start to get along with him. She...
'Oh... and I guess that at some point, the times I laughed with him far exceeded the times I was mad at him... crap, in that pursuit to get Yakkun back... did I actually... start to like him. No.. it just can't be!'
"Y-You are wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! My intentions weren't such"
"Your intentions weren't, but something else was?! Sounds pretty defensive to me. You hypocrite!"
"Look who is talking, liar!"
"What is going on here?!" Seike peaked out of his room" Can you keep it down? Thor-san is going to call me in a moment and- wow, why do you look like you are one step from beating each other up?"
"Because my best friend was deceiving me!"
"I wasn't... I didn't... at the very least I am honest about my intentions once I realize them! You care so much about your pride of a woman who can make every boy eat from the palm of her hand that you put it over our friendship! You still think you are not in love with him?!"
"I... we... Naru, I don't want to hear another word from a hypocrite like you!"
"Good, because it is not like I wanted to be in one room with liar either!"
"Hey, let's-"
"SEIKE, STAY OUT OF THIS!"
WHAM! WHAM!
Two girls disappeared in their rooms.
Seike sighed, shaking his head.
"Why are they so bent on antagonizing each other when both are right in their own way? Girls, I swear..."
Inside of her room, Naru looked at the photo of all Scavengers she had at the display on her desk and then at the maid uniform she worked in while in the apartment.
"Crap... it's actually true... I do like spending time with him... no, for how long that was going on?! For how long I was deceitfully acting as if I was helping my friend, when all I wanted was to please myself?!"
Truth be told, Naru was hesitant about Touma at first, hostile even. Mostly because he seemed so distant from her own excitement she got from fighting and also because he seemed to effortlessly gain Yakumaru's attention.
She was bent on hating him. She was bent on making him let go of her Yakkun.
So why those efforts, that time of wanting to exploit the boy's bad sides and keep Yakumaru away, actually caused her own heart to feel happier and beat faster whenever she saw Touma?
"I didn't know... I really didn't know... but who will believe me... certainly not Yakkun..."
Sakuragi Naruha was a free spirit who had her friends suffice her for her social life. She wasn't in love before. For that child-like behaving front fighter, it was completely unexplored territory. That was because of various twists and turns of her history, and characteristics of her past. The closest person she cared about would probably be Yakumaru, a person in which she confided, and Scavengers as a whole. But it still wasn't the feeling she felt now.
In fact, feeling of love was strange to Naru to such a degree that until confrontation with Yakumaru, she considered her funnily behaving heart as a sign of anger or annoyance, when the reality was completely opposite.
"How is this possible? He took Yakkun! He is goodie two-shoes! He put me in a role of a maid! I should by all means hate him. But..."
Fragments of paper from the room swirled around her hand and formed a small heart.
"... when I think about it, despite being so plain, he is damn funny. There was no day in which I didn't laugh because of him. Amusing all over, even if he doesn't want to be! He praises me and appreciates my abilities. He called me useful on plenty of occasions. He even complimented my uniform. And his food... oh, yum, I could die for that cooking. Ugh..."
The paper heart burst in front of Naru's blushing face. The purple haired girl tossed herself onto her bed.
"I am actually all lovey-dovey? How did this happen?! How could this happen?!"
At which point her self-appointed hate turned into anticipation of seeing more of that guy?
Yakumaru (almost all the time) and Naru herself (less often, but also rather frequently) were asked out by many guys in the past. Back then, they took great pleasure in reinforcing their friendship by rejecting and laughing at those attempts together, being unconquered as both best friends, independent females, and fighters for Scavengers. It seemed that nothing could change that.
Naru was inclined to occasionally believe in horoscopes, but never believed in karma.
But now...
The fact that both herself and her best friend fell for one man, after rejecting so many, seemed like a bad joke.
And Naru did not like bad jokes one bit.
At what moment did all of it become complicated?
She pouted in frustration, put a pillow on her face and screamed into it, rolling on her bed, unaware that two rooms away, Yakumaru Itsuki did the very same thing with almost identical feelings in her heart.
(TWO HOURS LATER, ON THE POOL COMPLEX NEIGHBOURING THE APARTMENTS)
There was something eerie and mysterious about sneaking to the pool at night. The undisturbed surface of the water and moonlight illuminating the ceramic flooring created the very unique atmosphere.
Touma could not sleep and apparently, Kaibi couldn't either, so they both took off to this place. It was normally locked during the night, but the girl used Measure Heart to gain access on one occasion and so it became a place for calm contemplation.
Kaibi and Touma were laying side by side on two comfy sunbeds, looking at the calm water, before the boy directed his gaze at his companion.
"Kaibi... are you mad that I didn't tell you about my dark side?"
There was a moment of silence, and then the reply came
"It's not that I am mad. I know you quite a bit already, and I know your motivations. I can't stay mad for wanting to protect our family. But I am a bit disappointed. I don't think you realize the extent of the meaning of 'I love you' when it comes from me. When I say it, it carries weight. As if in 'I can go with my gun and end anyone who threatens the guy I love' kind of way."
"Kaibi..."
"I know that you wouldn't approve of that, but you get my point. I am determined enough to be with you. I want to hear your answer when this whole mess ends, this is not what this is about. But I want you to acknowledge this determination I found in my heart."
"So... like Rikuri said, you believe in my story?"
"It sounds quite absurd and strange... but it involves you so it automatically makes it more plausible."
"Really... so it does..."
"Besides that... that alter-ego of yours pisses me off. He is trying to replace you? I will not have it! One that I spent time with, one who put effort into hearing me out and opening my heart, one that appreciates and cherishes my company, the one that I fell in love with... it's you. Not him, or anyone else in the world. So I think he should better think twice before messing with you!"
"I don't think that he is the type who will care about this, but nevertheless, that seems encouraging from your side."
Kaibi shifted to the side, so they were laying face to face, separated only by space between the sunbeds.
"Hey... want to have Measure Heart session?"
"We should get to rest, Kaibi"
"Your mind is saying that, not your heart and body"
"It's just that this seems addicting"
"Isn't it? Well, I am sure that I am much better than cigarettes or sake"
"I am not a drinker or smoker, but... you are right"
"Be sure to keep that right hand away"
"Right"
Measure Heart session was Kaibi using her ability to close their emotional distance, to allow themselves to relax better. There was something truly mesmerizing about this emotional regulation, unlike anything that could be felt outside of it. As if someone was almost fading into you.
"Just... don't go quite as far into the 'lovers' as last time?"
"Why? The fact that we couldn't restrain ourselves and started kissing one another? I see it as an absolute victory!"
"Kaibi, I need to be able to sleep later on."
"I know you like it"
"I never said I didn't, it's just the matter of principle!"
But even with Measure Heart session, Kamijou Touma could not fully banish worry that was put into his heart by Ladylee Tangelroad's decription of the mysterious female enemy.
'I can't put my finger on it quite yet... but those characteristics sound somewhat... familiar...'
(NEXT DAY, AT CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL)
That weary mood persisted, as Touma sat in the class.
'I think that I am missing something obvious... but what can it be...'
"Kami-yan, what got you so down? You are looking at the playing field with such a melancholy, nya" asked Tsuchimikado.
"Is the fate of the most popular not enough for you anymore, you ungreatful bastard?" Aogami chimed in, crossing his hands.
"No, it's nothing guys. I am just deep in thought"
"Come on, you'll make Komoe-sensei said if you are going to be distracted like that... right, Fukiyose?"
The busty girl's head perked up as she looked at them.
"Sure, as long as you don't get him roped into anything stupid, it would be nice to cheer him up"
"Well, then Kami-yan is the right hands. I will figure something truly glorious, a true successor to the Operation Seifuku"
Touma frowned at that and clenched his fist.
"Don't remind me of that catastrophe! Because of you, I had to be hospitalized!"
"Oh, well... but we had so much fun before that~"
"I am going to hit you so hard that your face will go through to the back of your head!"
Operation Seifuku, as called by Aogami, or Sailor Uniform Disaster, as Touma liked to call it, was Aogami's idea to benefit from one of Certain High School's recent services. Namely, the school scheduled days during which students could bring their uniforms to have them washed and cleaned at school's cost, twice a month. As the service became popular with the girls, it didn't take long for the school's resident master of perversion to come up with a plan to steal the abundant quantity of used girl uniforms. Touma and Tsuchimikado contributed to the plan out of, well, being friends, and maybe a little bit of pervy intent as well, but the former would quickly regret that decision.
As the washing machine room was quite high, the plan was such: Aogami would steal the dozens of girls-worth quantity of uniforms and go to the roof. Then, using pulley that Tsuchimikado provided and put into place, the sizeable crate filled with uniforms would be pulled down to the ground, where Touma would secure them. All of that would happen in time when everyone went to cafeteria, quickly and efficiently.
In theory, it wasn't bad. In practice, it turned out to be a masterpiece of Touma's bad luck.
First of all, the stealing process itself took longer than expected so people already started filling their class, through the windows of which the rope could be seen. Secondly, Aogami was actually spotted, so after securing great number of uniforms, he had to flee and get the disastrous idea to jump into the uniform-filled crate himself to avoid pursuit, while Touma held the rope.
Now, the word on physics. The kilogram of feathers is still just as heavy as kilogram of bricks. Touma was by no means weak and was confident in his ability to get the uniforms down. But when Aogami jumped into already heavy crate, without a warning at that, the unsuspecting Touma was shot upwards, just like a mechanism in a lift.
He went up rather fast, on the building's wall, zooming past the window of the class, managing to cross gaze with absolutely shocked Fukiyose, before colliding with a crate for the first time. That got him a dizziness and cracked his collarbone. He nevertheless continued his journey until small part of his right hand got painfully stuck in the pulley mechanism.
At the same time, the crate with Aogami and uniforms hit the ground, causing the boy and part of the clothes to spread across the grass.
Without the major part of its content, the crate was no longer heavier than Touma, which caused the misfortunate boy to drop down, once again going past the window, this time observed by Fukiyose and Himegami, both wide eyed, and once again colliding with a crate. This cracked his arm and tore part of the skin from his leg. Finally, he hit the ground, or rather the small pile of spread uniforms. It tremendously softened the impact, but still broke two of his ribs.
The impact caused Touma to accidentally release the rope from his grasp. And as he laid down, too pained to move for a moment, he could only watch as crate, weighing more than rope itself, fell down... straight onto his face.
Back at the current conversation, Touma shivered slightly and got up.
"Never again. No, seriously, I am fine, I will just go get some fresh air"
But just as he went outside of the classroom, he collided with someone.