Chapter 14:
"Did you sleep well, Ryuuzaki-san?" Yomi handed a plate of eggs and bacon to the sleepy-eyed Rei. Rei rubbed her eyes and nodded at her.
"Thank you." She yawned. "Ah, yeah. I did. I'm still a bit groggy, though."
Yoshi yawned back. "You know, they say that the majority of people yawn back when someone else yawns or they see the word 'yawn'."
Rei yawned again. "I've heard of that."
"Are you two going to have a yawn-off?" Accelerator mumbled to them, seating himself across from Rei this time. Rei, in her state of sleepiness, just sat in her normal seat, not caring if that was the only seat she bothered to sit in. It barely passed her mind that Last Order was sitting next to her, too.
"Eh, you'll wake up soon enough, jan." Yomi patted Rei's back. "You have to get home soon."
"Yeah, I do." Rei took a measly bite of her poached egg.
"Don't worry," now it was Yomi's turn to yawn, "I'll send the only people in this family that haven't yawned yet to escort you. Make sure you don't trip into the train's path and all that."
"And-" Yoshi pointed accusingly at Accelerator. He had his mouth slightly open at Yomi, as if he was about to speak up. "You will not complain."
Last Order yawned.
"You're still going." Yoshi and Yomi both looked at her pointedly.
As breakfast was finished and Rei and Last Order were putting on their coats and shoes, Accelerator put his plate in the sink. Yomi and Yoshi were standing right in front of the hallway. Yomi put her hand to Yoshi's ear and whispered, "He's walking her home!" The two giggled, too soft for Rei and Last Order to hear, but enough for Accelerator to stare at them somewhat quizzically.
と あ る 臨 時 の 人
"So, where are we headed exactly?" Accelerator asked as the three came out under the apartment's main awning.
"Just follow me. Your main objective is to make sure I don't sleep-walk myself into a lamp post or something." She held out her hand to Last Order. "Now it's your turn to follow someone else." She smiled. Last Order reached out for her hand and took hold of it.
Rei took a right and began walking. Accelerator duly followed behind them.
"Are we headed toward Nakamura train station? Misaka Misaka inquires."
"Un, we are. My home is probably half an hour from here. 45 minutes if there's a lot of traffic. And- let's face it- on Friday evening there is a lot of traffic."
When the trio finally arrived to the train station, Rei told the other two to get a one-way pass. "Even though you'll have to pay coming back, it's actually cheaper." She looked at Accelerator as he and Last Order were in the ticket purchasing line.
Accelerator looked down at her. After all, she only reached just barely above his shoulder bones. "Are you sure that's not because you're a student?"
"…"
"Two two-way passes." Accelerator told the lady behind the glass barrier that separated the two. The lady printed out two tickets and stamped them, finally passing them through the small opening in the glass wall.
と あ る 臨 時 の 人
"That was an interesting ride, wasn't it? Have you ever been in an underground train before, Mi-chan?" Rei said as the three climbed the stairs to get to the surface.
"I think you mean subway." Accelerator corrected.
"Same thing," Rei waved the comment away. "Have you ever been on one before?" She looked to Last Order.
"Misaka Misaka probably has been on an underground train, but Misaka Misaka fails to recall the time…"
"Well, no matter. It'll take us a couple more blocks, and then we'll take a right. I'll go on by myself. Uncertified people aren't allowed, and it'll take more effort than it's worth to get guest passes for you two." She told Accelerator.
He simply shrugged. "Fine by me."
As the group walked on, there were more and more student pedestrians. The more students there were on the path, the more stares Accelerator and Last Order got. Rei seemed ordinary to them; people only stared at her after looking at Accelerator.
"Is he-?" Some girls whispered.
"Ryuuzaki's boyfriend?" Others sounded appalled.
"Ryuuzaki has a boyfriend?" Some guys and girls seemed shocked.
"He seems older, though." A couple of girls behind him said. Accelerator continued looking straight. He never got anything from meddling with useless children, anyway.
"And who is that little girl, exactly?" Others sounded suggestive. "Her family? Or…"
"Don't be stupid! That's not possible!" A female voice hissed.
"Yeah…"
"Ah, we're here." Rei stopped at an intersection. Last Order and Accelerator looked to the right. There were still a couple more blocks left to go, but they could see a large, mauve-bricked building in the distance. "That's the main building where all the staff lounges and works. It's where guests go to get the temporary pass, too."
Rei waved to them and walked on, turning back to wave once more. When Last Order waved back, Rei turned back around to weave through the throng of students spending their weekend outside.
"It's funny, Misaka Misaka begins," Last Order stopped waving and looked at Accelerator. Accelerator kept his focus on Rei, narrowing his eyes. Her figure became smaller and smaller until it vanished in the crowds. "Misaka Misaka expected more people to make fun of Accelerator-san."
Accelerator just snickered.