NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: chapter 61
Let's detract for a moment, my story, from Touma falling asleep on the lap of tender Orsola, or Mugino Shizuri facing an unknown peril after enlightening heart-to-heart talk. The events that transpired are yet to be revealed... however, other story, simultaneous with the one already brought to the attention beforehand, was taking place in Academy City. Albeit with completely different atmosphere, those moments would also intertwine with later occurrences that were to befall Kamijou Touma's group in the future. So, let's go back a little bit and recount what two friends, left in the apartment, experienced in the day that marked the trip to the oversea convent.
(SOON AFTER TOUMA AND OTHERS LEFT TO MEET WITH ORSOLA)
Kankyougami Hasako was standing by the kitchen in Touma and sisters' apartment.
"And so they went... I hope Touma-san finds my bento boxes agreeable"
She smiled to herself, stirring the soup in the pot.
Touma and quite a sizeable group of people went on the trip to help Sukemi Rin. Meanwhile, Hasako was in the apartment belonging to three Gokusai sisters and Kamijou Touma. She could treat it as if it was her home.
As for the reason why she was in the apartment instead of accompanying Touma was simple...
"Aw, I can't take this anymore!" came a wail from Touma's bedroom.
Hasako sighed and poured the soup into the pot, before walking through the corridor
"Don't even think of trying to sneak out to go with them"
"I know, I know... but did I have to get sick exactly in the time of their departure?"
Slightly red and shivering Maidono Hoshimi was covered in blankets, and sported a pouting face similar to a kindergartner robbed of his favourite toy on the playground.
"Why did I have to get sick? I wanted to go so badly!"
"I guess that's what you get from randomly flying from the apartment in the evening hours with a rather skimpy clothing"
"Oh, come on, I parade with my arms bare on Christmas Eve, and not even a sniffle, and now I am out for 2 hours, and I am helpless in bed, unable to do anything?"
"You only have a slight cold, Hoshimi. You will be fine in a day or two. I think my intuition that you are overdramatic in sickness is proving correct"
"Overdramatic?! It's not a crime to have a bit of attention" pout intensified as the girl stuck her head out of the covers." Ugh, I have a good immunity, so you are right, by tomorrow I will probably be fine. Tch, but I still had to miss the trip..."
She looked at her friend, who was calmly sipping her tea by the bed.
"By the way, I know you wanted to go too"
"Of course I wanted to." Hasako replied calmly" I don't think I would ever feel otherwise"
"So why did you stay?"
"My my, and leave you like this? What kind of person would that make me? Touma-san understood. In fact, he trusted me enough to take care of you"
"He... cared that I was sick?"
"You know him by now, don't you?"
"Yeah... thank you, Hasacchi. For staying with me when it's something this stupid..."
"It's alright. Now, I have something for you to eat"
"A soup? But I wanted to eat something sweet"
"Come on, don't make a fuss. Touma-san left me precise instructions and even made this for you. I only added a bit of my own style to it. It's thick and without elements to eat with chopsticks, just the way you like it."
"T-Touma made the effort for me?... And you too... w-well, you two are the best cooks I know..."
"That's enough, you are clearly shivering. Come on, first blow your nose, then eat the soup"
"F-Fine... ugh..."
After loudly blowing her nose, Maidono gestured with her index finger and bowl of soup moved through the air towards her. She then floated part of the liquid itself into her mouth.
"Ah! It's hot!"
"That's good, it is meant to warm you up. Don't try to eat too much in one gulp, and blow on it first"
Hasako looked around as Maidono tried to cool the soup down, Hasako looked around the room and smiled.
"It's so kind for Touma to let us stay here and use is room too."
"Yeah, very sweet of him. My place is way smaller than here. To top it off..."
Maidono closed her eyes and then promptly fell forwards, first face into the covers.
Subtle eyebrow of Hasako rose up at the sight.
"What... on heavens' mercy are you doing, Hoshimi?"
"Well, I am a bit stuffy, but it's not like my smell is gone. And in all of the hurry, he didn't change the sheets... I am usually not all for that stuff, but..."
Maidono sniffed the covers, and sighed in delight.
'It smells like him. It reminds me of that time when we were close to each other in the hospital before he ventured out alone... that smell...'
"W-What are you doing? This is unbecoming..." Hasako blurted out before Maidono lurched forward, grabbing her arm, causing her friend to fall onto bed, also face down.
After a moment, ears and visible skin of the first esper became rosy red.
Wanting it or not, a familiar scent entered Hasako's nose.
'As much as I want to deny, it does smell like him... it's like I am being in his arms. Nothing compares to that sense of security... I wish I could stay like that for...
She snapped out of the trance after a small nudge to her side.
After a moment, Hasako looked up to notice a smug face of Maidono.
"Hmm, miss prim and proper? You spaced out a bit there..."
"I...I blacked out when I hit the bed"
"Suuuure... and that red face says something else. I mean, I don't really swing that way, but even I have to admit this face is cute."
"W-We've been over this! I-I am not supposed to be cute."
"Yet I bet for Touma you are~"
"S-Stop teasing me!"
"I am not, really! Touma thinks so. That thing you do with your feet and legs when you are emotional is sugar overdose, I see it in his eyes"
"W...What?!"
"Wait, you don't realize it? When you are excited, your move your feet in that slight shuffle motion, and when you are nervous, you lock your knees just a little bit"
Hasako's valiant effort to get rid of her blush was in vain, as she reddened again.
"W-Why?! How?! Huh?! Y-You mean..."
"Yup, everybody sees it and Touma definitely noticed"
Hasako fanned her face with her hand, trying to ignore Maidono's grin.
"E-Ekhm... a-anyway, it's a surprise to see you like this. This is your original hairstyle, isn't it?"
Maidono, sitting on the bed and resting against the wall, had a bob-cut in the colour of brown so dark that it was almost black, except for lighter hair ends, more akin to colour of desert sand. According to Maidono, that effect was completely natural. The generally dark hair, reaching middle of her neck, contrasted nicely with her light, amber-coloured eyes.
"Oh, that? Yeah, that's how I look naturally."
"But you still keep your wig around?"
"Well, it reminds me how myself and Touma met. And sometimes I put it on to imagine roleplay in be-"
Hasako spat out some tea, and waved her hands while coughing to stop Maidono's explanation.
"W-What do you say about watching some TV?"
Hasako's prism-like eyes lit up slightly in excitement.
"You sure love to watch it" remarked Maidono.
Hasako was a bit technophobic and found it hard to adjust to some of the modern technology, with Touma having to hold her hand when they rode Academy City's train for the first time. The girl was used to much lower speeds and even after some time getting used to it, she was still unsure in contact with some machines. She also had a severe fear when it came to in-flight turbulences.
But there were some things that Hasako did enjoy, for example a console (that she played with both Touma and Maidono, who painstakingly educated her on it) as well as the TV. Or not so much as television itself, but...
"It looks so bright and magical!" Hasako clapped her hands" All that colour on such a wide screen"
Hasako was put into forced hibernation almost twenty years before the introduction of colourful TV in Japan, which was at the beginning of 1960s. Thus, the colours on the screen were mesmerizing surprise to her when she first saw them.
Soon after, two friends were sitting on the couch in the living room. Because Hasako ventilated the apartment earlier on, now they were wrapped tightly in blankets to fight the effects of fresh yet still slightly cold air in the shared space. With Maidono's blanket being dark and Hasako's being light, they were looking like sushi roll and tortilla, respectively, with only faces and hands sticking outside.
However the calmness lasted only for a moment.
"I am just saying that maybe we can watch something other than biology documentary"
"Hoshimi, those creatures are beautiful! And seeing all those sceneries makes me really appreciative for the world around us."
"We watched this one three times already. We are watching a spy movie, it's on TV-Action channel!"
Both girls looked at the remote. Hasako reached forward, but the remote jumped away, straight onto Maidono's palm.
"Heh heh, there is no one like me when it comes to reaching for things from a distance"
"I know that. You play with moving cars around the street from the window when you are bored."
"Since I am a poor girl plagued by sickness..."
"A mild cold..."
"... I get the dibs on what we will watch"
"Fine" Hasako swished her long hair aside, crossing her arms" I am beyond such pettiness"
"Even though you can knock me out with ease?"
Now it was Hasako's turn to pout.
"I shall not use one of most potent esper powers in history for this!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of the doorbell.
Hasako untangled herself from the blanker and walked across the living room and the corridor. She looked through the vizier and then opened the door.
"Oh? Kumokawa-san, what a surprise"
"I came to visit. Is my dear kouhai here?"
"You mean Touma-san? No, I am afraid not"
"I see... so my network made no mistake in deducing that he left the city. The question of the matter remains... why?"
"Oh, when it comes to this... Touma-san anticipated that you might come... and I am to tell you something"
"Oh, did he now?" Kumokawa smiled, as they walked back into the living room" Seems that he accepted my vigilance"
"Vigilance?" the sick sushi roll that was Maidono Hoshimi looked at Kumokawa" You mean that you don't hang on him like an overprotective mother? You mental types have the tendency to assume that you know what is best for everyone"
The girl with bare navel waved her hand dismissively.
"It's not my fault that this endearing fool of a kouhai has catastrophic tendency to get dragged into one accident after another. Someone with brains and right head on the shoulders has to watch over him. So... what is that you want to tell me?"
"Well, Touma-san has been affected by certain condition that affects and dissociates his psyche." Hasako said, fiddling with her hands" I am uncertain if I am able to explain it as well as he did, but... both for me and for Touma-san, you are someone very important. Not to mention with your intelligence, it might be for the benefit of all of us if you know about the situation..."
"Waste no time. I am all ears..."
(SOME TIME LATER, AFTER EXPLANATION)
"So, what do you think?"
"This is... different. Yes, yes... and to think I had no knowledge... him being demanding and evil... mhm, mhm... I must investigate... interesting, interesting... yes..."
"Are you sure that you are not getting overly excited about this?" Maidono commented" You are grinning an awful lot"
That snapped Kumokawa out of her muttering
"I-I was not getting excited. If anything, I am just... vexed, about this strange turn of events. While I do not desire for my kouhai to remain as such, it might be crucial for me to confront this Kamijou No Touma... seems like I am matched for it"
"Well, whatever benefits Touma the most should be fine."
"Hasako, I am grateful you informed me of this"
"Of course, Kumokawa-san. I owe you a lot and it was obvious to me that Touma-san wouldn't want to leave you out"
"As a reward, I will teach you the..."
Kumokawa motioned for Hasako to come closer and whispered to her ear.
"whisper, whisper, whisper... apron... whisper, whisper... seduce... whisper, whisper, whisper... that will surely make him... whisper, whisper..."
"H-Hwah?! B-But... there is no way I could do such a thing!"
"I don't know, you are great type. Such a lovely charm you have"
"I... I... will trust you..."
"Just remember, I get the right to use that technique first"
The busty senpai to smile slightly.
"Well, and as for Touma wanting me to know, I can only be glad that he trusts me so. You got me something to think about, so-"
The door to the apartment was kicked open, and after a moment a girl wearing black and yellow maid attire stormed in, pointing accusatory gesture towards Kumokawa Seria.
"Ah-hah! I was right! I was right you will go straight here, onee-chan!"
Seria sighed and faced the newcomer, who was none other than her younger sister.
"Maria... I thought that I wanted you to go for a shopping."
"Yes, you did. And I saw through your cunning ruse. You know why? Because I checked the status of your supplies today and there were no need of any additions! Don't act like you actually control what do you have or not when it comes to shopping"
"E-Eh? Maria, don't say things like that!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Never underestimate the maid's memory when it comes to supplies. Also, you were far to excited to just go to your workplace. You are only getting excited and trying to hide it like this when you are going to see Kamijou-senpai"
"Eh... where went the times when I could fool you easily?"
"I am not a you, but I am your sister. You can't hog all of the intellect in the family. I do have the best grades in my school. So where is Kamijou Touma?"
"Not here, regretfully. According to... oh, you don't know each other. Maria, this is the girl in my care I told you about: Kankyougami Hasako. And that greenish-black roll of blanket on the couch is her friend, Maidono Hoshimi."
"Oi, what's up with that introduction?!"
"They are both exceptionally powerful espers and are..." Seria seemed to look for a word for a moment" close to Kamijou Touma as of recent times. Maidono-san, Hasako-san, this is my younger sister, Kumokawa Maria. She is a maid in training"
Maria bowed, lifting hem of her skirt with her hands.
"A pleasure. So, Kamijou is not here. A pity..."
'A pity, really! I only recently discovered how grateful I am for what he did after Kagun-sensei's passing, and how similar they were. If I sneaked here when my sister were charming him, I could observe them from secrecy. A strong sir, dominating lady, and maid bating her breath to not be discovered, yet also yearning to have what lady of the house has, especially since they are related. And then after she would leave, I would surprise him and then kiss him senselessly, tasting the forbidden love behind my sister's back...'
"Maria-san... are you okay? You spaced out a bit..."
"Oh, right, right... I am fine, fine, really fine. Anyway, look at you! You are beautiful! Your eyes... they are magnificent. And that hair is so extraordinary"
Hasako lowered her head in modesty
"It's nothing, really" she muttered shyly" Your hair looks great too. Those drills must take some time"
"Thank you for noticing. Well, yeah, they do, but it's a personal choice."
Maidono finally got up from the sofa, stripping herself of the blanket cocoon.
"And you are Maidono-san, right? It's rare for onee-chan to commend someone on their ability."
"I am the strongest in telekinesis though"
"Wow! Can I see you go all out?"
"Don't encourage her, Maria-san" Hasako sighed, grabbing the suddenly 'healed' Maidono, who puffed her chest out" If she does, this building and probably quite a few around us will be no more."
Before Maria could inquire any more, Seria stood up and nodded at them.
"Everyone, I must be on my way. Thank you for the coffee and this important conversation. I will be sure to use this information immediately and gather even more in case opportunity to take action arises. I will be off. Maria, I would like you to run several tests on Hasako-san."
"Huh? Tests?"
"You don't have anything much planned for tonight, is that right? What I am talking about is a routine checkup that can be performed even outside of the lab. I will send you the necessary equipment to this address."
"But-"
"I will see you around!"
And then, she was gone.
"Mmmmm! Onee-chan always bosses everyone around, so rude! Well, it's too bad that Kamijou is not here, but..." Maria looked at two other girls with a glint in her eye" Idea of an girl-only talk on a sleepover doesn't sound half-bad"
"Girl only-talk? What's that?" formerly friendless lady from another time period asked innocently.
Maria and Maidono looked at each other and nodded.
"That poor, poor girl... she needs proper education..."
"I am a bit under the weather though..."
"Duly noted. I will watch myself then when I come back"
"Come back?"
"I want to go to few places before stopping for the night. Bye!"
After couple of moments, Maidono and Hasako went back on the couch, with telekinetic closing the door with the motion of her finger.
Putting the TV on again, they were met with the news channel.
"Look. They are displaying some inter-school statistics"
Hasako took an elegant sip of tea, looking at the graphs in front of them.
"I honestly don't know how to feel about this whole 'level system' ordeal"
"You don't know how to... oh, right. That's another thing you missed out in your criostasis, right?"
"In my time, the city wasn't nearly as vast or populous. We didn't have as many espers either, not to mention as powerful as what you call level 5. I once had a talk about level system with both Touma and Hamazura-san. I learned that level divisions brought a lot of pain to my successors, through injustice, prejudice, and unequal treatment."
"Academy City without levels..." Maidono mused" To imagine it is so surreal and strange."
"When I became the first artificial esper, I wanted to live in a society where people could cherish those gifts and each individual could be treated with hope for the potential hidden within him."
"I am... sorry. It sucks that your ideal wasn't realized"
"Aleister had other plans... and other people, who were more easy to manipulate. I was deemed dangerous and rejected again"
"Again?"
Hasako did not elaborate, so Maidono probed on.
"Do not let yourself down like that! You have many good qualities. You are beautiful, powerful, and smart as hell"
Beginning Child smiled a little at that.
"Thank you. It is true that I was deemed most intelligent child for Aleister's purpose. For good and for bad."
"Bet no one could compare to you"
"For a time being, yes. But they were many people who wanted to get Aleister's favouritism for one reason or another. Probably most talented, just before my hibernation, was my kouhai, user of Synthesize Grid. He was much younger than me, but held a talent that could not be ignored."
"Synthesize Grid? Sounds kind of funky"
"One of the greediest and definitely most voracious ability, capable to consuming and absorbing not only spacetime, but even esper abilities themselves. He wasn't a bad person per se, but we had different value sets. And something about that power, that enclosed and weaponized Shadow Metal, that consumed instead of giving... always repelled me"
"Huh, sounds like you had your fair share of interactions back then as well... Also, what do you meant by 'for good and bad'? Isn't being smart a good thing?"
"Let's put it like this... my father was a principal of one of the most acclaimed school in Showa Japan, who was one the greatest when it came to spreading the europeization during Meiji era, while my mother was a noble lady of one of the oldest and most traditional families in Kyoto. In other words, greatness in both etiquette and above all, education, was expected of me from the youngest age, and was painstakingly put into me... with or without my interest. Surely, it allowed me to be chosen by Aleister... but..."
Hasako got silent. Sensing that her friend was facing some difficult memory, Maidono changed the subject.
"Look. Tokiwadai and Nagatenjouki are at the top."
"Nagatenjouki, huh? Brings back memories."
"Yeah, that was strange... but I can't lie that it was a fun. A lots of it."
(FLASHBACK)
The incident concerning Nagatenjouki Academy happened with a meeting a familiar face.
Maidono and Hasako were on the walk with Amazora after treating the girl to ice-cream. Formally, Maidono was still Amazora's telekinesis instructor and as such spent some time with the girl. But even besides that, Maidono grew fond of the chirpy and free spirited girl. And Hasako, still occasionally sleeping over at Touma's and sisters' place, was more than well-bonded with the youngest Gokusai.
It was a fairly normal walk, with Maidono piggybacking her smaller student, when Hasako pointed at something to the right
"Hoshimi... isn't that?"
Maidono looked to the side and gasped.
"Where does she think she's going?!"
There was a construction site on the side of the road, by the improvised fence. Maidono's sight focused on the girl who was just climbing over it and jumped down on the other side.
"What is this girl doing? It's dangerous!"
The girl ran nearer the constructed building, visibly trying to reach for something that was slipping from her grasp.
Maidono's feet left the ground as she flew over the fence.
"I have a bad feeling that... oh crap! I knew it!"
As the girl, who was Amazora's age, caught the paper, there was a noise above. In the next moment, a colossal piece of stone resembling a gigantic domino fell down straight onto the girl who tripped and closed her eyes just when Maidono extended her arm.
Moments later, the girl opened her eye, and gasped, noticing that the block, which was a crane counterweigh, was suspended above her and floated in the air without a care. It weighed over 20 tons, but levitated in the air as if it was weighing as little as a feather.
"Oi, be more careful" Maidono shouted. Her index finger moved and the counterweight was sent back up from where it fell" You almost flattened that girl. She is not supposed to be here, but be sure to secure those things."
"Sorry, missy" came a voice from above" I was so shocked that someone was below that I did a shitty job with tying it up. Now, get out of here, both of you"
"You don't have to tell me"
The smaller girl rose up.
"Thank you, you save-...ow?!"
Maidono pulled her by the ear and didn't let go as they left the construction site.
"And you! What is so important that... wait... I know you..."
The girl had wavy black hair and crystal blue eyes. An extraordinary combination for sure and even though the girl was young, she was giving a prospect of great future beauty. It was that characteristic combination of features that caused Maidono to recognize her. And Amazora did the final step by calling out.
"Yumecchi!"
"Gokusai-san?!"
"Why did you get onto that construction site for?"
"Well, I lost something very important to me... and..."
"Hoshimi" Hasako looked at Maidono, motioning slightly to the girl" Who do we have here? Also, Yumecchi? Like student like teacher..."
"That's Amazora's friend. Well, she was teaming up with her bullies once, but Touma made her reflect and change... her name is Asashima Yume. She has a lightbending ability"
"Oh, I think we briefly saw each other at Amazora-san's race. My name is Kankyougami Hasako. It's a pleasure, young lady" Hasako smiled at Yume" If you don't mind, what's the reason for which you risk your safety? It's that piece of paper, right?"
Yume lowered her head, her cheeks turning pink.
"It's a letter... I-I just wanted to make a present for Kamijou-san... b-because I really appreciate how much he did for me back then. It didn't seem much, but I really wanted to write a letter to him... s-so..."
The poor girl was getting more and more red. Maidono sighed before smiling and gently patting the brunette's head.
"Good thing it didn't get lost there. I take it that wind blew it away from your hand or something like that? Just be more careful with it"
"T-Thank you. I had something else to go with it, a cake... but it..." Yume shook her head, and smiled" No, it's nothing. Thank you, everyone. I will see you later, Gokusai-san."
With that, she quickly ran away, leaving others bewildered.
"My my, what a cute and endearing girl. Well, considered what she wants to convey, it's not really all that surprising..."
"Con.. vey? What are you talking about it, oba-chans?"
"Amazora, I told you before that you referring to us as 'aunties' makes me feel really old" Maidono chopped the head of the small blond" And secondly, that was a love letter"
"WHA?! Mumumumu! "
"Don't get so visibly jealous. It doesn't take a genius to guess that we are all interested in him"
"I know... but I still want to win"
"That's the attitude!"
"By the way, Hoshimi, I am surprised to see you so caring, about all of the romantic stuff. You didn't strike me like the type"
Maidono smiled nostalgically, looking at the sky.
"That girl is probably experiencing her first love now, just like Amazora here. That's no laughing matter. I personally tried to write love letters and couldn't bare to send them. Not to mention that other girls laughed at me for even trying..."
"Oh" Amazora hit her open hand with a fist" But Yumecchi can be in trouble."
"What do you mean?"
"You remember those girls that wanted to get a piece of me? Because Atsuki knows I have you to back me up, she is now targeting Yume because she thinks she betrayed her... and without my gattling gun I am not strong enough..."
"It's very noble to think of a friend even if you both like Touma. I take that you have a plan?"
A grin twisted Amazora's features into ones that were not really befitting a supposedly innocent girl her age.
"I do... but you have to help me. I think about... whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper..."
Maidono laughed out loud.
"I like it! That will teach them good. If there is one thing I dislike as much as chopsticks, it's bullying"
"H-Huh? Really? Truly I have to...?" Hasako mumbled, hiding her face behind her fingers.
"Why not? You have excellent looks for it. Like a japanese deity!"
"I-If that helps Amazora's friend... then I guess so..."
(LATER THAT DAY)
"Look what we have here. Oops, my hands slipped!"
A bouquet of flowers was thrown to the ground.
"Atsuki-san, please stop! This is for someone very important!"
Yume's plea was stopped as her classmate slammed her hand on the part of the wall next to her head.
"You think I care! Because of you, Gokusai can stroll free and is slowly getting more friends than me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have to bear seeing that stupidly grinning face of hers every day!"
She noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the pocket in the Yume's uniform, near the heart.
"And what do we have here..."
"No, please! You can take my money, my lunch, anything, just don't... I worked so hard on this..."
Yume, although knowing that revealing a value of something to the bully was not the best idea, could not contain the cry of despair.
Atsuki unfolded the letter and scanned it with her eyes, before looking back at Yume with a smirk.
"You... fell in love? With that heroic sworn-brother of Gokusai? That's a riot! He is almost 4 years older than you! I bet you will be just one leaf in the forest. He is annoying, but lots of idiots like you are drawn to him. He won't even notice you"
Yume bit her lips and clenched her fist, looking at her oppressor with teary yet determined eyes.
"Even so... I can't ignore my own feelings. I have to tell him, because then I wouldn't stay true to myself."
"I see... a pity for you then..."
Atsuki looked at the letter and then grabbed it from both sides.
"No, please..."
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
"Huh?!"
Atsuki turned around to see Amazora, standing tall as she pointed her finger at the bully.
"Tch, looked who came here to look like a big damn hero! Gokusai, leave me the hell alone. This is not your business!"
"Hah hah! If you think you can get away with messing with my friend... then I will shoot down that illusion!"
'How is that, onii-chan?! I modified your cool catchphrase! It's cool, isn't it? Amazora wants praise... no, onii-chan always says that true heroes never seek praise. Boo...'
"Gokusai, really? You can't beat me in close-combat!"
"Oh, I won't fight you. I am going... to put a curse on youuuu~"
Atsuki stared at Amazora, before chuckling and shaking her head.
"A curse? We are in middle school, not in kindergarten. And this is Academy City! No one sane here believes in..."
"Ayayayayayayaya! If you hear me, come! Oh, the great spirit! By offering you my lunch, I summon thee! Come and heed my call!"
Amazora's dramatic explanation was met with flat look from Atsuki.
"Yep, she lost it. So, Yume..."
"Come to me!"
Suddenly, nearby trashcan rose and smashed to the wall. Containers vibrated and opened and the street sign started to bend, as if it was dancing some strange modern groove.
"If you try to scare me, that's not going to work. There are many people who can do cheap tricks like thi-"
"Come to me, great spirit of ice and snow!"
More and more objects rose into the air. Atsuki frowned slightly.
"Great spirit of ice and snow!"
Snowflakes slowly started to fall, and for the first time, Atsuki began to look slightly concerned.
"Snow? But... it's not the season yet..."
" Great spirit of ice and snow!"
"She said it three times!" Yume whispered.
More and more snow fell down. Taking advantage of Atsuki's distracted state, Amazora motioned to Yume and threw something folded to her.
It was a winter coat.
"T-That's impressive, but fake snow can also be made with..." Atsuki suddenly shivered, the mist accompanying her breath" Wait... it's colder! I-It's actually colder!"
The arctic wind grew in magnitude and whirlwind of snow covered the alley.
And then... a slumping, wobbling silhouette appeared. She slowly made way to Atsuki.
"H-Hey, you there! Something weird happened with the weather! You..."
"Curse..."
"W-What?"
The girl finally walked to now pale Atsuki. She wore an old fashioned kimono, and her long hair, reaching almost behind her waist, covered her.
Then slowly, very slowly, she raised her hand and took the strands of hand aside.
Atsuki took a step backwards, breaking into sweat colder than arctic air.
The girl's skin was blueish-white, her lips red and bloody, as she extended her hand forward.
"It's... Y...Yu..."
"Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuurseeeeeeeeee on yoooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
"YUUUUUUUKI ONNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Atsuki ran away so fast that she turned into blur.
After a moment, weather calmed down and Hasako shook her head.
Maidono floated down, already laughing her lungs off.
"Amazora, you little genius! I can't believe how good that was. Hoshimi, that makeup and cosmetics really make you look like a ghost"
"I doubt this is the best compliment." Hasako sighed. However, she was not able to fully suppress a smile" Though I admit, it was a bit satisfying"
"You... You created that blizzard?" Yume asked, looking at Hasako with awe. "Thank you so much for saving me, I will make sure to make it up to you... I just how it won't make trouble for you?"
"What trouble?" Amazora said cockily" Maidono sensei and Auntie Hasako are super strong. What can possibly be troublesome for them?"
"Emm... the thing about Atsuki is..."
(THE NEXT DAY)
"Well, maybe not troublesome, but certainly annoying" Maidono sighed, as she faced a group of girls in uniforms of a single school.
She was sitting on the table with Hasako and Gokusai Kaibi, when a group of girls came to their table. Up until then, it was a rather fine afternoon.
Touma suggested to Kaibi that spending time with Maidono and Hasako. The proposition that turned into a shopping trip. And Kaibi's initial scepticism soon turned into enjoyment. It turned out that the three of them were very compatible as the shopping pals.
Kaibi was glamorous and stylish, having great experience in colthes-hunting from her days as rental girlfriend. She always wore dresses of high quality and prided herself with choosing only the most elegant of jewellery.
Maidono was great experts on casual clothing. She did own multiple outfits that allowed her to blend in with the crowds, as one of her techniques during work on the side involved using non-conspicuous outfits to get close to the targets. Additionally, she never had to worry about her shopping being to heavy to carry.
Hasako was great when it came to traditional clothing, and would have a model-like quality to herself if not for her shyness, but modern fashion confused her a lot. After random tries that looked like an explosion of mismatched colour and style two girls took it upon themselves to educate their time displaced friend of trends and fashion.
To celebrate their successful hunt, they went to the bar, while wearing sunglasses, and got themselves shakes. It was there that they met Hamazura Shiage in company of his girlfriend, Takitsubo Rikou.
"Sup? It's been a while"
"It's nice to see that you are holding on too, ITEM boy"
"Aside from Gokusai-san, I don't believe you had much time to get to know my girlfriend, Takitsubo?"
"Hi there, Takitsubo-san"
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Takitsubo-san"
Takitsubo looked at Hasako and for a moment, her eyes lit in uncommon interest and confusion.
"Your AIM field..."
"Huh? What about it..."
"It's..."
However, in that moment, Hamazura looked at the entrance
"We have company"
"It appears so. And I bet it will be quite a difficult one at that" Kaibi added
Their casual, happy small-talk was interrupted by five girls in the uniforms that Kaibi recognized as Nagatenjouki's.
One of them, a voluptuous blond with green eyes, stepped forward and gazed at them with anger in her eyes.
"Which one of you is Maidono Hoshimi?"
The girls looked at one another.
"That would be me. What-"
"Damn you! You will pay for hurting my sister!"
'Gh! I knew it. Like Yume-chan said, Katsuma Atsuki's older sister, Katsuma Raiha, is a Student Council President in Nagatenjouki. Damn it...'
"Don't play dumb! I knew that you messed with my sister in the past. You are probably behind this thing too! You... tch, take off those sunglasses. Why do you even wear them indoors?"
"Because they are cool. So, what do you want?"
"By hurting and making a fool of my sister, you made fun of me. And by extension, students of Nagatenjouki."
"This is a really, really convoluted extension"
"Nagatenjouki... ah, there was a small institute by that name..." Hasako mused to herself.
"Your sister taunted mine first" Kaibi protest with her arms crossed.
"Hah, she probably had it coming."
"Excuse me?"
"We want to challenge you. I heard about you. You are supposedly the strongest telekinesis user. On my name as Katsuma Raiha, I will respond by putting against you all the greatest might of Nagatenjouki."
"Wow, you are really getting worked up about this. But a guy I fell in love with says to stop with stunts like that, so if you challenge me-"
"Don't blame Maidono-san! I was the one who actually scared your sister" Hasako spoke up, standing straight and putting a hand to her chest" So you should certainly blame me. Challenge me instead!"
Kaibi and Hamazura looked at Hasako in surprise. Maidono clenched her fist with a smile.
'Damn you Hasacchi, and this old-fashioned honourable behaviour of yours. Now I can't have you being the only one this cool!'
But before Maidono could rectify her desires, one of the girls behind Kaibi spoke, looking at Hasako
"I know you! You were speaking with Tokiwadai's level 5s the other day"
"You were? You are spending time with Railgun and Mental Out?" Kaibi asked Hasako.
"W-Well, I am curious about what current era's ladies do. Besides, I feel somewhat connected to them, as they are in highest echelon of power. Meetings like that, and not only with them, are highly educational"
"If you say so..." Kaibi shrugged" I wouldn't pick Railgun for the ojou-sama role model though. If she is a model lady, then I am a king of France"
(MEANWHILE)
A certain chestnut-haired head perked up.
"Achoo!"
Misaka Mikoto's sneeze echoed throughout the room, causing Kuroko to peak out of the bathroom.
"Onee-sama? Is everything alright?"
"Oh? Yeah, Kuroko, everything is okay." Mikoto waved with a light smile" I just sneezed. Something probably tickled my nose, that's all"
Kuroko's eyes lit up.
'A chance!'
"You say that, but as always, you are working hard, onee-sama! That sneeze just now can be an announcer of a nasty cold..."
She jumped into the air, with her arms wide opened.
"... so let your loving Kuroko warm you up with her body to prevent iiiiiiiiiiigh?!"
Last word was distorted through electricity-infused punch that connected with a twintailed girl and sent her spinning straight into the wall.
"Like hell I believe you that you will only stop at that!" Mikoto yelled, scattering sparks around.
Kuroko slowly peeled from the wall and tumbled onto the ground
'Hah... onee-sama is as vehemently in denial as ever... oh, being a warrior of love is no easy task. When it comes to onee-sama, I shall never give up, but still... I wonder... if Kamijou was cold and I offered to warm him up... w-what would he do?'
Kuroko was left to ponder at that thought, that used to be almost blasphemous to her.
(BACK TO CONFRONTATION WITH NAGATENJOUKI GIRLS)
"That's not good, not good at all. If anything, that's all of the more reason to confront... what's your name?"
"Kankyougami Hasako. Written as 'Environment Goddess' and 'Child of Origin'. A pleasure to make your acquaintance"
"Katsuma Raiha. Written as 'Fiery wife' and 'Lightning blade'. Kankyougami-san, why are you associating with Tokiwadai?"
"Oh? Why wouldn't I? Is there a reason why I shouldn't?"
"Tokiwadai is our rival" other girls vigorously nodded at Raiha's words" It's full of pompous, know it all snobs, who are bunch of elitarist primadonnas. They act superior in every domain, even though we are the best and accept people from every level. Why is that? Because it's from our school that hails the greatest, the most powerful, the most extraordinary of espers..."
"ACCELERATOR-SAMA!" all the Nagatenjouki girls squealed with delight.
'... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... huuuuuuuuh ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...'
Hamazura, Maidono and Kaibi looked blankly at suddenly emotional... and seemingly aroused crowd of girls, while Hasako blinked, innocently clueless what was going on.
"You girls... like... Accelerator?" Hamazura asked.
"What's not to admire? He was our school's pride before he went his own way. He was determined, fierce, relentless... he's an inspiration, a pinnacle of esper greatness, and the most efficient and non-nonsense male ever... so hoooooot..."
The wave of sighs followed.
"Even though he committed major crimes?" Kaibi raised a point, that was quickly dismissed by Raiha.
"Accelerator-sama is a complex individual and it can take a liftetime to truly grasp his greatness. Good, evil, it's all trifle when it comes to this complexity. Even thinking about it is beyond our mere minds. Especially for those idiots in Tokiwadai, who fell for some bland simpleton. I heard that he is someone who charges forward like an idiot with no sophistication. It's like some sort of disease, but me and the girls will remain faithful and loyal to Accelerator-sama."
"Oi, this guy you are talking about is..."Hamazura raised his voice, but stopped, sensing the tension around him.
The fancy metal cup in front of Maidono twisted and bent, like a tube of used paste. Utensils on the table began to shake and the ominous straining sound came from the very construction of the building they were in.
At the same time, Hasako got up and walked away. Her arms were slightly trembling.
"H-Hey!"
Everybody followed her outside, confused by the girl's reaction
"After what you said, you are going to chicken out? You are shaking, but you can just admit that you don't want to fight, you know"
Hasako stopped and went silent for a couple of seconds.
"Katsuma-san, was it... allow me to clarify something... What you see isn't fear. My body..."
The world suddenly changed. The temperature shot up as the ground crackled with veins of molten foliage, just barely contained within the soil.
Hasako slowly turned around, the light from the small-sized volcanic environment casting a shadow on her face and pronouncing intense and furious gaze in her multicolour eyes.
"... is trembling with anger. And I took it outside to not cause harm to establishment"
"M-Magma? But my info said you were a freezing- EEP?!"
Something shot forward and stopped centimeters before Raiha's face.
The chopstick hovered in place for a second before returning to Maidono's extended hand.
"I can't use chopsticks. This honestly sucks. But thanks to this ridiculously boosted power, they have other uses." she said, strolling to Hasako's side, not minding the heat around her" Conviniently, I am no ojou-sama. So I can for example use it to send it to the place where sun doesn't reach when I hear some girls badmouthing a real man, who gave me purpose and happiness away from darkness"
"Earlier, it was only about us." Hasako agreed, speaking coldly" But if you put shame on the name of man I love, there is no forgiveness."
"I would advise against confronting us. After all... you are weak" equally irritated Maidono spoke with a smirk on her face.
Hamazura's jaw dropped, as the faces of Nagatenjouki girls get pale from anger.
'They badmouthed boss and it already escalated like crazy!'
"My my, that's quite rude, Hoshimi-san" Hasako laughed at that. However, there was no warmth in her chuckle" It's more proper to say that we are simply stronger. Then that's no direct offense to them."
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE ALREADY WON! YOU ARROGANT-"
As Raiha was almost exploding in anger, Hamazura looked at Kaibi
"You are not stopping them?"
Kaibi looked at him with a hint of danger in her eyes.
"Measure Heart is not suited for fighting multiple people at once. I will have to wait for them to be more divided. And I can't injure them since I promised him to better myself. If not for that, I would tore those fools apart by now. So I am not stopping them"
Hamazura sighed and turned to Takitsubo.
'Damn, does this mean that Tokwiadai and Nagatenjouki, the most rival and elite schools, are basically the harem's of the boss and Accelerator. Tch, I know I have Takitsubo... but the knowledge that some institution took my up as an icon wouldn't be so bad. Maybe a maid school. Or a bunny girl club...'
"Well, Takitsubo, I guess things will get quite ug... Takitsubo?"
His girlfriend was staring intently at Hasako.
"I see now... it's beautiful..."
"What is?"
"Before I thought that I couldn't see her AIM field. But now I understand... I was simply too close to see its full potential..."
In the eyes of Takitsubo, there was a vast and wondrous curtain of light, covering great space around Hasako, fluctuating and shifting, beaming with power and might.
"This AIM field... is out of this world. I thought Mugino's was powerful... but I never saw the one so big and majestic. I can't... tell if it seems safe or dangerous. It looks warm... but also perilous. Like a sleeping force of nature, too strong to be contained, sent from the heaven"
Hamazura whistled at the uncommonly enthusiastic comment from the girl.
"So one thing for sure. This will not be boring"
(HOURS LATER)
Accelerator sighed, massaging his head, before glaring at people gathered with his crimson eyes.
Raiha, Maidono, Hasako, Touma, and Kaibi all winced when she spoke.
"So... who the fuck thought any of that mess was good idea?"
"She challenged us" Maidono pointed at Raiha." And said we could go all out"
"And you thought of doing that? Do you even have brains?" Accelerator switched documents on the tablet he had in his hand" So let me recap: They challenged you to sneak into Nagatenjouki and take the school's official flag, while you had to defend your own item in the park 10 kilometers away and prevent it from being taken. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is"
"Maidono Hoshimi, you ventured out and used your ability to incapacitate the students guarding the rear entrance..."
'A street sign on the outside of the tall wall split itself an in two and wrapped around unsuspecting girl, just as the ground caved in under the boy accompanying her. With a giddy grin, Maidono Hoshimi sprinted past them, lifting a boom barrier with a swing of her arm...'
"Meanwhile you, Kankyougami Hasako, was tasked with defense. She was attacked in the afforementioned park by the group of over 50 students...'
'Hasako looked from her cup of tea as the grup of over 4 dozen students, mainly female, started to advance to get the improvised flag, next to her.'
"As one can deduce, Nagatenjouki split up to offensive and defensive team as well. A part of it suddenly decided they didn't want to fight..." Accelerator glanced at Kaibi, who innocently became very interested in her accessories" The offensive team got knocked out in an instant without even getting close to Kankyougami Hasako. The reading of atmospheric pressure detected as a change of weather similar to extremely high altitude. One that is usually encountered in bloody Himalayas"
Hasako calmly nodded.
"Curiously, the defensive team also passed out. And pissed themselves from frar I wonder why..."
Maidono nervously licked her lips and chuckled awkwardly.
"Y-Yeah..."
"Maybe because someone lifted the entire main campus building of Nagatenjouki into the air and moved it kilometers away with a help..." Accelerator looked at Hamazura, who started whistling and focusing on the fragment of the glass barrier"... of someone who could drive"
'Maidono raised her index finger into the air. The ground cracked and with a roar, the big building of Nagatenjouki Academy rose high into the air. The girl then angled her finger slightly lower, and the structure moved downward, obeying her command.'
"Well, to be quite clear, it was said that I had to get the flag inside the zone. They never mentioned that I had to take the flag out of the building. Besides I took extra care to levitate it back without damaging it"
"You will still need to help with reconnecting all the installations"
"But-"
"No. Discussion!"
"Y-Yes, sir"
"Accelerator, I will make sure to talk to them afterwards" Touma assured.
Accelerator looked at him, before shaking his head, and giving a curt nod, before focusing on Raiha.
"AND YOU! What the hell? You are the student of damn Nagatenjouki of all places. Why the hell are you still doing this stupid shit even though I left years ago?"
"Accelerator-sama, your strength and glory is forever in memory of the girls. Our souls and... bodies, are ready for your commands"
"Then how about 'fuck off'?! Keep doing senseless crap like stirring up fights, in my name nonethless, and I will use my ability on you to teach you how to fly! Are we fucking clear?"
"Y-You scolded me. A-Accelerator-sama scolded me! And he even considered me worthy of being subjected to his glorious power!" Raiha muttered, cupping her red cheeks with a smile on her face.
Accelerator's eye twitched, as Touma chuckled behind his back.
"You never told me you were popular with the girls"
"I was not. I want to burry those idiots in the deepest, darkest corner of my memory. Those brats don't know what they are talking about, nor do they understand single actual thing about me. So don't you fucking dare compare me to yourself, hero! Alright, you are lucky that Nagatenjouki needs renovation anyway and they take partial responsibility for all of this. That's all, you can go for now."
When everyone left, Touma looked at three girls in front of him.
"You really did that because they were slandering me? I wouldn't mind, let people talk what they want"
"You see the problem is... that we care. No one is speaking about you with us present" Kaibi stated firmly.
"She said it. If someone says stuff like that about you, I am kicking his ass" Maidono affirmed.
"I will not allow anyone to spread such things without even knowing how wonderful you are" Hasako nodded with unprecedented fervour.
"It would be best if you didn't go engaging in challenges like this one" Touma spoke, before his face softened" But... it's nice to know that there are people who are willing to fight for me. For the most of my life, I didn't have that. So even though Accelerator would probably be pissed that I told you that... thank you."
(BACK TO THE PRESENT)
Two girls sighed and looked at each other.
"We probably got a little bit carried away there... but that's being in love for you"
"Mhm. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, as dully as this might sound."
"So... what will we do next?"
"How about we go sunbathing? It will be great for your health. I can alter the climate if you want"
"That sounds cool, but I think I would eat something first"
Just when they took off to the kitchen, there was another doorbell sound.
"Huh? Someone else is coming?"
A girl in the door had violet hair and similarly tinged eyes. Both Maidono and Hasako recognized her.
"Mitori-san? What are you doing here?"
"I-I can ask the same? Where is Kamijou? I was told he lives here and I didn't have the opportunity to come earlier..."
"Not here. He's on the trip and let us stay here for a moment"
"I see... w-well, I have something to give to him, b-but..."
"That's a card to his school library. But... why would you have it?"
"E-Ehm... well, I sort of... bumped into him... and then I found this..."
So Mitori said. But the actual story was a bit more descriptive than that.
(A WEEK EARLIER)
While waiting for the bus, Kamijou Touma heard a familiar voice
"Hi, Kamijou-san"
"Oh? Kouzaku-san, how are you?"
"You can call me Mitori-san now. I am fine, and right now, I am going to be on my way to pick up some of the Dolly's medical exam results. You?"
"Additional course with my teacher. I really like her... but because it's due to my absences... such misfortune..."
Mitori chuckled at that.
"What? Does this Kamijou really strike you as the type to leave the school often?"
"To be honest, you do. But..." Mitori's lips curled into a smile" that is not necessarily a bad thing"
A moment of silence, before...
"Mitori-san... about last time when we..."
"O-Oh, that? Don't worry about it, I don't mind... I mean, it's alright... let's just... carry our relationship on not minding that mistake. Look, the bus is here..."
So they said.
So why... just why...
Five minutes later, two pairs of eyes looked at each other, blinking.
Kamijou Touma would never predicted that on the next stop there would be a literal wave of people swarming the bus. He would never predict that he and Mitori would be squished to the window, and have their lips smashed against each other... again. Only this time, it was Touma who was pressed against a surface and the violet haired girl was against a much heavier and older student, who not only couldn't move (because there was little to none space left) but also could barely register that the girl tried to pull back.
Seriously? He could barely believed in that alignement of events
Talk about an absurd deja vu...
And thus, they once again got stuck with the tongues inside the other's mouths, with each movement making them painfully aware of that. Thankfully they could breathe through their noses or else they would get as purple as Mitori's hair.
They only managed to shift themselves, so they were squished partially to the window.
And in retrospect, that was probably not such a smart move.
Upon a stop on the traffic lights, Touma saw something on the edge of his vision.
Shokuhou Misaki and Misaka Mikoto stared at them open-mouthed from the other side of the street. The bus went on the move again and started to disappear around the corner before Mikoto screamed something loudly.
The next events were a blur. A small explosion occurring, bus stopping, and people exiting in panic, with Touma grabbing Mitori's hand and trying to find the way to the exit before tripping and falling under the multitude of legs and bodies.
Touma woke up in the alley near the road. Sitting next to him was Hokaze Junko, discussing something with very vocal Misaki and Mikoto. Sitting by the wall was very red and meek-looking Mitori.
"Hokaze-san, why on earth did we find you... k-kissing that idiot?!" Mikoto spoke. She didn't call Touma 'an idiot' nearly as frequently as she used to, so reverting to it only showed how agitated she was.
"I was walking to meet with my Queen" surprised Junko went on with explanation, looking at Misaki" when I saw that bus going around the street corner with smoke going from the back"
"Oh, that's from that lovely lightning spear you sent after it, Misaka-san"
"T-That's only because I was so mad... I said I was sorry..."
"I went on to check if I could help and then, when people were exiting quickly, I noticed Kamijou-san, on the ground, and Mitori-san next to him. He was accidentally trampled. I took them to safety. But Kamijou-san wasn't breathing so after doing a heart massage and facilitated his breathing... and thankfully, his respiration resumed"
Touma was reminded that he felt someone filling his lungs with air. It turned out that the kiss was an innocent action performed to help him.
"Facilitated his breathing, you say..." Misaki groaned" I am so jealou... I mean, it's good that he is alright... as for you, Mitori-san..."
"Mizagi-zan, iz nod wad u wink..."
"D-D-Did you kiss him for so long that your tongue and mouth got numbed?!" Mikoto reddened and sparked while saying that.
"Huh? What does tongue have to do with kissing?"
When Misaki turned to her ever-pure right hand, her starry eyes widened.
"He... he is gone..."
Sensing immidiate danger, Kamijou Touma disappeared as quickly as he could after his awakening, leaving the group of girls alone with themselves.
(BACK TO THE PRESENT)
"It... It's nothing, really. I-I just found it after the incident and wanted to get it back to..."
"Oh? Kongou-san, it appears we are not the only ones who thought about paying a visit"
A familiar trio of girls appeared in the long corridor of the ninth floor of apartment complex.
"Kongou-san? Wannai-san? Awatsuki-san? What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Spreading her fan, Kongou struck a pose" Why of course, I am here to visit my beloved darling. And gift him with food"
"It might be sudden..." Wannai added with a small blush on her part" But in truth, we all agree that we miss Kamijou-san's company a bit. The time without him is a lot harder to pass since we all got involved with him. I for once can't wait to spend more time with him and make great memories."
"Oh, it's Mitori-san! Did you come for a visit too?"
"Yeah, but apparently, Kamijou is not here. Those two are watching his apartment for him"
"Oh, I see." Kongou did not hide disappointment in her voice" Well, then at very least, can you try my cooking? This way I will be able to surprise him next time and have some valuable information on the taste."
"I think I am with Kongou-san on this" added Awatsuki" We all know each other from the rescue action of Mitsuari-san. But it would be very nice to acquaint ourselves with one another a little better."
"Wow... it's one person after the other" Maidono muttered, before Hasako shot her a glare and welcomed the group of girls into the apartment, including still embarrassed Mitori.
"Let's see... let's see..."
Maidono looked at dish that Kongou prepared.
"Wow, this is... one of the most exquisite omurice I ever seen. Is this... caviar?"
"Oh, is it too little? I thought it would be a nice addition on the side?"
The notably richest of the girls in the room seemed to be adorably unaware of sheer scope of exquisite ingredients she used.
But as for the dish itself...
"It's edible... and that's mostly it. It's too salty for one thing, if I am going to be constructively critical" Maidono said sagely.
"B-But I simply cannot fail when it comes to this! Kongou Mitsuko must not allow herself to be inferior in culinary skills. What kind of wife to my darling would that make me?"
"Firstly, Kongou-san, I think you are getting a little bit ahead of things" Awatsuki smiled at one of her best friends" Besides, I think we all have different talents and can give Kamijou-san something that we feel comfortable with"
Wannai shook her head.
"While I understand what you mean, Awatsuki-san, I think it's sweet for Kongou-san to try her hardest. Don't worry, Kongou-san. We will stick together and support you in your endeavour. Even if it's not what you want now, there is always a room for improvement"
"I couldn't agree with you more, Wannai-san." Hasako looked at Kongou with encouragement" If you want to, I can cook alongside you and help you prepare great surprise dish for Touma."
"Truly?" Kongou grasped Hasako's hands with her own, with a small blush of happiness on her face" That's wonderful. I shall bestow upon you Kongou family recipes... i-if you help me make them edible"
"It will be my pleasure"
"In the meantime, who wants to have something to drink?"
The doors shut themselves behind the guests. Maidono opened the cupboards with a motion of a finger, and sent cups in front of girls sitting by the table.
As Maidono made tea, Kongou and Hasako also dressed up for the cooking.
"Oh my gods!" cooed Wannai, looking at apron-wearing Kongou, with her hair tied up." You look so amazing in this apron!"
"Kankyougami-san doesn't fall behind either. Such a motherly aura!"
"T-Thank you. I am not sure if I am worthy of such praise"
"Nonsense. If Kamijou-san saw you two now, he would ascend to high heavens from beholding your beauty"
"Speaking of Kamijou... in the meantime, who wants to tell some takes on him?" asked Maidono.
"Takes?"
"Oh, you know. Some stories?"
"Well, Awatsuki-san definitely has something to tell. You see, two weeks ago..."
"W-Wannai-san... that's not really..." Awatsuki weakly tried to protest, but her friend was already too excited to stop.
"Back then, Awatsuki-san's father visited the city. He happened to saw them together and took Kamijou-san on a tour of one of his factories. But Kamijou-san would rather spend time with Awatsuki-san, so her father got upset and impatient, which caused Kamijou-san to punch-"
"Wait, Wannai-san" Awatsuki sighed and spoke up" Let's clear things up. Myself and Kamijou-san indeed met as I returned to Tokiwadai on my evening off. Since he enjoys my buoyancy manipulation, I wanted to run on the river for his enjoyment. However, on the way there, we met my father and one of my younger brothers. And in that moment... I didn't know he was in town and my relationship with him is a bit complicated. He is a director of big heavy machinery industry and Academy City uses some of his technology for construction processes. He visits the factories from time to time to ensure that everything goes smoothly. He is always really invested in it and considered it his greatest achievement. But... he never believed that I could carry on after him. He never wanted a daughter, so he didn't quite know how to interact with me. Upon meeting Kamijou and hearing he was acquainted with me, father gladly switched his attention from me to him and using the fact that I supposedly met a gentleman, he wanted to talk him into getting involved with me so he would get a successor through law. I admit, that made me feel uncomfortable. But Kamijou-san said he wanted to rather go to the river with me. My father did not quite like the rejection of his offer, so Kamijou-san said that he would go if I was invited since it was de facto my business to inherit. My father probably did not have explicit intention of doing so, but he laughed off the idea that a girl could do anything on her own in our family industry. Kamijou-san said nothing for a moment, before clenching his fist... and smashing it on the wall next to him. Apparently, he killed a fly. But my father was so startled that he allowed us to be on our way..."
Awatsuki got quiet and smiled longingly, before chuckle from Maidono Mitori, who managed to calm her emotions after her own flashback, smirked at the ojou-sama.
"If that's the face you made while looking at him in that moment, then... oh boy"
"W-W-Whatever do you mean?! I-I just admired how courageous he was and how valiant... he... has the gift to make me feel special with both my strength and femininity. I love this feeling."
"I totally get what you mean. And I wouldn't be surprised if he actually wanted to fight in that moment. He is totally for equality, not scared to hit anyone."
The conversation went on about whacky situations revolving around Touma, before Kongou and Hasako emerged victorious from their battle to make a great lunch.
"Curry and vegetables for everyone!"
Just then, there was a loud knocking on the door.
"It's me! I managed to come back earlier!"
Maidono peaked outside and then twisted her wrist while pointing at the door lock.
It clicked and a girl with ebony ringlet curls, Kumokawa Maria, marched happily inside.
"Ya-hoo! Oh, wow... suddenly, there is a whole lot more of us!"
She then sniffed the air and gasped.
"Don't tell me that you cooked something without me. No, I can't let this stand. I shall prepare something as well."
"B-But you don't have to-"
"Hah! It's a shame for a maid to not prepare something in the gathering like this. I won't take no for an answer"
(LATER...)
"I don't know what to choose..." Mitori mused over the leftovers of the tasty dishes they all ate" Curry was delicious, but those crepes Kumokawa-san made... I felt as if I was tasting..."
"Kamijou-san's dishes?" Wannai finished the question" Yes, I got this sensation as well"
"Well, that's because we are culinary rivals and competitors. I like to think I have a bit of him inside me thanks to that"
The phrasing caused the rest of the girls, especially the rather sheltered Tokiwadai students, to look at carefree maid in training as if she grew a second head.
"You mean his... you have a bit of his experience, right? What exactly is your relationship with him, Maria-san?"
"Well, my sister is all over him, even though she acts all mature. And over time, I found him interesting too, because he helped me got on my feet... and ever since, I was just popping in and out, cooking with him..."
"Oh, so you are friend-"
"... he is also rather hot, so..."
Wannai's statement died down in her throat. Hasako chuckled gently.
"I think we shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking someone here isn't interesting in Touma-san in some manner. However, I think we should talk about it in a better environment. A one I can happily provide"