Next morning, she is so preoccupied with ways to return the card to a certain delinquent that when she is back to Earth, she is already standing at the school's gate.

Unfortunately, the thought doesn't leave her alone in class, either. She can go to third-year section and ask for Misaka Mikoto, there's no one at school that doesn't know her. However, that girl has a reputation of skipping almost every class. She isn't sure if she'll be there, and she wants to return the card directly.

Honestly, why does she go to school in the first place….

Or, she can go to where Mikoto is usually at. She has caught Mikoto enough time to know her usual place.

On the roof. Lunch break. That's it.

"Shirai-kun?"

She is too busy celebrating her own small victory to notice her surroundings.

"Shirai-kun!"

"Y-Yes?"

She looks up to a very furious teacher.

"Answer the question, Shirai-kun."

She stands up and looks at her book blankly. Which one?

After watching her fiddling around with the book for 5 minutes or so, the teacher sighs.

"Pay attention next time."

She lowers her head in shame and the snickering of other students.

"U~i~ha~ru!"

As usual, next comes the legendary skirt flipping. However, this time the victim doesn't react. She doesn't blush or yell or hit Saten, much to the culprit's surprise. She just continues to walk and acts like nothing happened, ignoring all the stares from the boys.

This is unlike her at all.

Saten soon catches up with her and asks hesitantly.

"Uiharu, are you okay?"

It takes the other girl a while to answer.

"I'm fine, Saten-san."

It is against Saten's nature not to pry, but there's something in that sulky expression on Uiharu's face that prevents her.

I wonder what happened…

In class, Uiharu doesn't really pay attention; she seems to just write down whatever the teacher has written on the board. Which is also very unusual. Other classmates have noticed as well, for some of them ask her if she knows the reason behind Uiharu's odd behavior.

As her best friend, Saten has the duty to cheer her up. And she's determined to do just that, if not more.

Time flies. She devours the bento in record time and heads to her destination, the roof. She doesn't know if it's because of anxiety or not, but the way to the roof feels extremely long today. Sometimes she just wishes she had teleportation. Finally reaching the door to the roof, she swallows up her anxiety and opens the door.

The familiar back turns around at the sound of door opening and she is met with a cheeky grin.

"You need something, president?"

"Well, no, not exactly. I just want to return something…." Kuroko holds out the student card.

"So that's where it is! I've been looking for it since yesterday!" The older girl is flooded with relief.

"It fell out near the bench."

"Thanks a lot." Responds Mikoto with a genuine smile. All the previous playfulness has, much to Kuroko's surprise, disappeared completely.

"It's nothing. Um…I was wondering, do you want to go get a drink after school? It's on me, to thank for saving me yesterday." Kuroko offers, trying not to show her nervousness clearly (she doesn't understand why she's nervous, though).

Mikoto looks surprised, as if she has never expected Kuroko to do something like that.

"Sounds good to me. I'll meet you at the gate after school?"

"Okay."

The bell then soon cuts off the silence after that.

Soon comes lunch break. Saten sits across from Uiharu, her bento on the table, untouched. Instead, she asks.

"Okay, what's wrong?"

Uiharu's eyes widen a little, startled.

"What-What do you mean by that? Everything's fine." Her eyes avert to the side nervously.

"You do know that you are a very bad liar, right?" responds Saten. "Come on. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"Shirai-san got hurt on her patrol yesterday." The flower girl answers, her voice low.

"Is she okay? What happened?" Worry shows all over her face.

"She was attacked by some thugs. Her ribs are bruised, no more serious injuries, though."

Saten lets out a relieved sigh, all the tension leaving her body. She says a few encouraging things before opening her bento and eating.

Although she is relieved, she feels like there's more to that.

The bell rings, marking the end of school. The last drop of rain falls when the long-haired girl catches up with the short-haired one.

"Hey! Wanna do some chasing?" Saten beams.

"Chasing? Chasing what?" Uiharu turns to Saten, looking confused.

Saten points with her finger, making the other girl's eyes follow it. The target of her finger is a huge rainbow, particularly its end.

"They say you'll become happy if you reach the end of a rainbow. So let's go!"

Saten says as she pulls Uiharu arm.

"Wait, don't be so hasty!"

After running for a while, the two girls get tired and resolve to walk. Saten hums. She doesn't exactly cheer Uiharu up, but she does manage to make Uiharu smile a little, even if the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I feel like Shirai-san getting hurt it's my fault." Uiharu suddenly speaks up. "She told me it's not my fault, but still, I keep thinking: If I'm more aware, I may have prevented it. Or a little more useful, instead of just sitting behind a computer."

Saten puts an arm around her best friend's shoulder.

"Hey, Shirai-san is right. It's not your fault, not at all. Nobody can expect that Shirai-san will be attacked by those thugs, and everybody has their own specialty. You're like a genius with those computer skills! Shirai-san wouldn't know what to do without you!"

Uiharu looks down, losing in her thought. After a while, she attempts a small smile.

"Yeah, you're right."

Saten laughs and takes Uiharu's hand.

"No more resting! Hurry up or the rainbow will disappear!"

"Woah, Saten-san, slow down!"

"When you told me you would buy me a drink, I honestly thought it would be better than this." Standing in front of a vending machine, Mikoto sighs.

Shirai Kuroko looks at her guiltily. Going to a café was the original plan, but she has somehow forgotten about her patrol that evening. She only has enough time for a quick drink at the vending machine. Of course, she can always put it off to tomorrow, but Mikoto has waited her for fifteen minutes under this ridiculous heat as she was held back to talk about her bad behavior this morning. If she doesn't buy her a drink today, all the guilt will probably kill her.

"Sorry, I'll make it up for you." She pulls out her money and is about to put it in the machine when a hand stops her mid-way.

"That is unnecessary for this one."

Before she can ask, Mikoto is jumping up and down then…

"CHASER!"

A loud "BANG" strikes Kuroko and she is casually handed a can.

"Is apple juice fine with you?" asks Mikoto as she opens her can and takes a sip.

Holding the can, Kuroko stares at the girl blankly, mouth-opened and dumbfounded.

"What the…Did you just…I can't even…Seriously?"

She shakes her head furiously and gains back her composure.

"I have wanted to ask this since yesterday…What's with the short?"

Mikoto chokes on her drink. Wiping the juice, she shouts.

"Where were you looking at!? You pervert!"

"It's not my fault it catches my eyes! Plus, where else can I look?" she retorts.

"Anywhere but that!"

The delinquent's face is as red as a tomato, her lips quivering slightly and her eyes shutting tight. Her nose is scrunched like a cat, and Shirai Kuroko can't help but find that cute.

Get you mind straight, Kuroko…

"I wouldn't have to look at that if you didn't kick it in the first place! Seriously, who wears short under their skirts? Making me look at something so vile…"

"It is not vile! It's comfortable and easy to move in!" Mikoto's face is getting redder and redder every passing second.

Kuroko rolls her eyes and opens the can on her hand.

"Unbelievable. And do you know your action is counted as vandalism? Pay for it; one or two drinks aren't that much, you know."

Mikoto has somehow regained her calmness, looking a little hateful at the vending machine.

"This stupid machine will just swallow your money. I still haven't got back my 10,000 yen from last year."

She looks at the older girl incredulously.

"How did you manage to lose 10,000 yen?"

"Th-That is none of your business." Mikoto's face reddens again, and she somehow finds herself enjoy the sight of it.

"Well, it's time for me to go." She takes a look at her wrist watch and tosses the can into a trash can.

"See you tomorrow, president." Says Mikoto without looking at her.

She stands still and stares at Mikoto. Debating, she finally opens her mouth.

"Shirai Kuroko."

"What?" Mikoto looks puzzled.

"I have a name, you know. It's Shirai Kuroko. Not 'president'."

Mikoto seems startled, and then smiles.

"Sure. See you tomorrow, Kuroko."

No honorifics?

She raises an eyebrow, then turns around and walks away.

"Yeah, you too." She pauses. "Mikoto."

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I really want to say that I'm busy, but honestly, I'm just lazy. However, I think this chapter is better written than the previous, or maybe I just think so because it's longer. You guys decide it. I also include a little Saten x Uiharu, because they are cute and they deserve more love.

Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are my motivation!