Greetings to all!

Okay, I'm making a bad habit of this aren't I? Two weeks to get a chapter out and all I can do is beg for your forgiveness. I gotta stop doing this, less I end up taking to long to update. Anyway, no more stalling! Enjoy the latest chapter of A Certain World of Darkness!

Typically when someone thinks of having a good day, they imagine things such as scoring well or a recent test or being confessed to by the person whom they actually like. Those weren't the necessary methods to having a good day all together, as some people could classify a good day from something as trivial as being greeted by their peers or just having enough money to afford food form the canteen. To the majority of school life, those were the kinds of things that usually made the day all the better for them and that was all they required to muscle through the rest of the day. It didn't always happen, as everyone always had their good and bad days, but more often than not things usually could end on a far better note than how their day originally may have started.

Touma, however, was a part of the minority that hardly ever had a good day in his life. Typically, whatever the worse case scenario was, he was always the one who fell victim to that negative side of the spectrum. If the class had a poor homework turnout, he got punished for it. Should someone be carrying something and slip, said object or objects would always fall on him. Even when there was nothing to be wrong with a situation or event, he was almost always end up being present as things suddenly went south and was thus forced to deal with the aftermath of it. Sadly, this was a life Touma had grown accustomed to, so unflinching by the horrible stroke of bad luck that it hardly fazed him much anymore.

Given, things used to be far worse, but those days had long since passed and now all he could do was soak it up and deal with each unfortunate event as it came.

In a way, Touma could be viewed as someone who was just a victim of being in wrong place at the wrong time.

Touma simply called it his normal stroke of bad luck; nothing more and nothing less than that.

But, oddly enough, today was noticeably different than it usually was and it was something that quickly caught the boy's attention long before he even arrived at school today. He still had enough food to last him until he restocked, his alarm went off at the right time, and he even managed to get to school far before the warning bell went off. Adding to it, the homework turnout was good, he was actually able to somewhat follow the lesson properly, he wasn't even required to stay after today for supplementary lessons due to how smoothly things had turned out. By all accounts, today was one of those days were seemingly everything was going in the right direction; no troubles and no misfortune to speak of at the moment.

For those reasons, Kamijou Touma did not appear even remotely relieved in the slightest. If anything, he looked a quite stressed and it showed on his face as he sat in his seat as the seconds ticked by for school to end.

Calling this the calm before the storm would have been an insult and a challenge to whatever god felt the need to plague his life with misfortune. All his life he had been dealt the cruel hand, that was how it was to remain, and Touma was not ignorant of this. Being provided with good luck was not a miracle in any way; rather it was just fate taunting him before it dropped whatever bombshell it had in its arsenal straight down on his spiky head. Like dangling a piece of string in front a cat's face before pulling it away as the feline tried to catch it with their claws; that was how he viewed days like these in the off chance they do occur.

They didn't happen often, fact they rarely happened at all, but when days like these did appear it usually left Kamijou in a less than eased state of mind. He tried to remain calm about it, tried to relax, but whatever calm he may have had was tarnished by that sense of dread filling the pit of his stomach even at this very moment.

Something bad was going to happen today; he didn't know when but something was going to happen that would not bode well for him in the end.

When the bell rang signaling the end of classes for the day came, Touma showed brief signs of relief as he gathered his things and moved to exit the classroom. As troubled as he was by this gut feeling, he really couldn't do much in alleviating said feeling anytime soon. Rushing out the door and making a mad dash back to his dorm wouldn't achieve much either; for all he knew, doing that would only make the unfortunate event arrive sooner rather than later.

Taking his time would only served to prolong the inevitable, but between the two options he would much rather go for the latter rather than the former. Misfortune was bound to surface at some point, it was imminent and unavoidable; all that Touma could do now was wait and see what kind of shape or form it would take when it finally did appear.

"Kami-yan~" Just as suddenly as he was addressed, the familiar visage of his blonde sunglasses wearing friend slipped by his side; his usual carefree expression plastered on his face as he peered at him through his tented spectacles. "Where're you headin' off to? You're not planning to skip out on supplementary lessons without your good pal Tsuchimikado are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Retorted the boy, suddenly feeling more anxious than he was a moment ago after hearing his friends words. As far as he was aware, he didn't have to stay after today; unless of course his teacher had forgotten to inform him that he was supposed to. That, however, was not likely since Tsukuyomi Komoe usually informed the students prior to the bell ringing. "This Kamijou doesn't need to stay after today; so it's not skipping if I'm not actually a part of it."

"Nya?" Apparently, this statement actually instigated a look of confusion to surface on the boy's face; clearly not expecting the answer in which he received. "You don't need to stay after today?"

"Nope, I get to leave on time for once; which is exactly what I'm planning to do. I mean, it's not I have club activities since I'm always stuck staying after for supplementary lessons most of the time."

Shortly after this statement was made, Motoharu's expression visibly changed into one of complete and utter seriousness; an expression that was rarely used unless things had truly made a turn for the worst. Though, if Touma was to be honest, the sunglasses were the key element here that made it difficult to discern if he was truly serious about something or just putting up a façade to mess with people. This usually played in Motoharu's favor since he was able to hide his true motives while continuously lying through his teeth to achieve his own personal agenda. Most of those said agendas were for the sake of pinning the blame on Touma or someone else whenever something happened that was a direct result of his own doings.

"You're planning to steal away Maika, aren't you."

It was either that, or whatever regarded the well-being of his dearly beloved little sister who shared his dorm next door to Kamijou's own.

"Only in your dreams you damn sis-con!"

"I wouldn't dream of that scenario even in my worst nightmares nya! My mind already knows that if that were to ever happen, reality or not, I would be forced to murder you in cold blood! But I see it in your eyes, the hungering beast that lingers behind that disinterested image you portray nya! I won't allow it; I will never allow my Maika-chan to fall under your damnable influence!"

"Tsuchimikado, I'll break that fucked up illusion of yours; I mean it!"

The sight of the two boys arguing in the hall would almost be comical if it wasn't such an odd topic to begin with. As things currently stood, no fists had been sent flying yet, as Motoharu already had the spiky haired teen in a head-lock while Touma was doing his best to keep the boy's fist from slamming into his face. Though Touma appeared on the defensive here, his leg was positioned in a manner that suggested he was trying to move for offense since he kept trying to sweep the blonde's feet out from under him; though having minimal success since the blonde was doing a good job at repositioning his feet without letting go of the spiky-haired youth from his grip.

It took a while, but after several minutes of constant struggle and reassurance, Kamijou was released from his friend's grasp and finally able to make his way off of school grounds. That wasn't to say he came out of it relatively unharmed, as there was a light bruise on his cheek from the lucky shot Motoharu got in after he had wrenched his fist out of Touma's hold. Touma, however, still considered that a victory at best, a minor accomplishment at worst since it very well could have ended on a far worse not than what he had received. He had been fortunate enough to know that Fukiyose Seiri had not been within the immediate area to 'intervene' with their little spat; less he end up leaving the school with more than just a bruise.

As fortunate as he was, however, Touma's mental state was still far from being at ease; in fact he felt worse now that he was out in the open where just about anything could happen to him. Trying to explain it was not something he was capable of doing at the present moment, though it wasn't stress that made an explanation difficult. It was on an instinctual level or the intuition of someone who had always suffered from misfortune to grow concerned when the natural order of things changes so dramatically. Given, that was an over-exaggeration of his current frets, but that was just how it felt to him during instances such as these. The fact of the matter at hand was that nothing good happened to him unless something bad was lingering in its shadow.

There was no stopping it, not persuading it, no appeasing it; all he could do was acknowledge that it would happen and accept that it will surface whenever it desires to do so.

"I wonder what's on sale at the conveyance store today." Mused the boy to himself, slinging his school bag over one of his currently shoulders as he tried to take his mind off the subject of misfortune. "If I get there quick enough, I might not be stuck waiting in line as long as I did last time…"

Maybe such a mindset could be viewed as dull for an adolescent youth such as himself. Perhaps it was just his way of actually being a responsible and mature young adult who hardly had the time to actually indulge in the pleasantries of his teenage years. In a way, it heavily depended on how his day went that usually determined how he chose to spend his time once classes were no longer in session. Some days he would visit an arcade with Motoharu and Aogami, other days he would wisely spend his time for things such as studying or ensuring his supplies don't run dry before he received more funding.

Today just happened to be one of those days where he felt it would be best to do what he was supposed to be doing rather than loafing around and accomplishing nothing until the last minute. Should either of his friends wish to do something after they were let out of class; he would possibly participate so long as his day didn't suddenly shift in the wrong direction.

The nagging feeling that impending doom was approaching him did not leave him however as he left the school grounds. It continued to fester in the pit of his stomach as he walked, compiling more and more stress to his already overactive mind with each walkway he went across and every street corner he passed. Perhaps paranoia was the form his misfortune had taken shape as; or maybe it just a result of his overactive mind. He himself wasn't sure what the case may have been, but it was doing a superb job at making him far too edgy for his liking and amassing more stress than he usually felt on a daily basis.

What was certain, however, was that this sensation was not going to dissipate by the time this day was through.

If there was one thing that anyone on the outside looking in could note about the four girl's that made up ITEM, it was that the Frenda was usually the most talkative individual of the group. It didn't take much time for her to engage in conversation with at least one of the other's present at that table with her. The subjects may vary from time to time, though the most common of topics she chose centered around rumors that were posted up on the internet regarding certain parts of the city. Admittedly, most of the subjects held no real significance and thus either tuned out or retorted with half-hearted responses. Rude as it may have seemed to others, the blonde was never discouraged by it and continued on anyways.

Though, it could be argued that she was ignorant of this little fact, but none of those she accompanied felt obligated to inform her of it.

Since she was considered the most talkative of the group, it was very difficult to disregard the matter currently at hand.

You see, when ITEM had decided to meet up at their usual diner of choice, Frenda had already been waiting for them and had been in charge of reserving a booth for them to sit at. This wasn't what made the situation odd; far from it really since she was still on a temporary leave of absence from school and thus able to move about as she pleased throughout the day. What made it strange, however, was that since everyone had arrived, Frenda had not spoken much to anyone aside from a simple greeting.

Given, this wasn't the first instance where Frenda had displayed the silent treatment; but at all the same it was still wasn't a very common sight to behold. For that reason, it's was of no surprise that this shift in behavior usually succeeded in gaining the attention of everyone present at the booth. Some of the girl's present showed their concerns more so than others, but there was denying that each one among them found this behavior to be both perplexing and unnerving to some degree or another. It has hard to blame them considering that this bout of silence had been persistent since yesterday; though it was admittedly something none of the three girl's noticed until that evening and upon seeing her today.

Of course, among the three of them, only Mugino would have been remotely close to understanding the reason behind the girl's silence. Said reason was due to one of the documents that were present in her room at the moment which the blonde had retrieved just the previous day.

Frenda had good reason to act the way she was honestly; given the fact that there were several factors about that boy's portfolio that still refused to add up. Since the moment she had reviewed the document, questions relentlessly flooded her mind without pause or delay. Many of the inquires that had been presented were still left largely unanswered; hell none of the questions that had formulated in her mind had been answered with the exception of a select few.

One of answers which were supplied being the sudden, unexplained, reason behind Mugino's interest in Kamijou Touma; and even then it was not fully explained to any greater detail. Sure, even if did now have her hands on his file, saw the same abnormalities and the obvious signs of falsified information, there were still things about him that didn't even remotely explain how she became aware of that boy's existence.

Something had instigated her to pursue him, something about him had caught her attention; the question here was what exactly that thing was.

From what the file stated, Kamijou was a Level 0, no ESPer ability surfaced whatsoever, and apparently gave off no AIM fields at all; something she didn't know was possible even for a Level 0. That wasn't the portion of the document that made her curious, though it did add to the rather large list of questions that she could not answer. No, rather than that it was the fact that, despite all the cliff-notes on his last SYSTEM Scan, no ability was named or even described on his file. There was nothing there, not a damn thing, and yet the term 'Gemstone' had been suggested to describe the boy.

Knowing full well what Gemstones were, Frenda could only compose a theory that Touma was a similar case to the #7 Level 5; at least from what little she actually knew regarding that particular individual.

There was the possibility that the boy's ability had to actually surface; but after spending several years in this city and participating in the Power Curriculum Program, one would think researchers would have at least made a breakthrough in awakening it over the years. All of these things only further disproved the legitimacy of the boy's file and showcased the fact that someone further up in the chain was covering for him. Perhaps a group of researchers who wanted to a private lab-rat to perform tests on or maybe even a member among the Board of Directors for some bigger reason than that? Given the number of shady individuals in both the above and below the surface of the city, neither of those options would surprise her.

If Frenda wasn't sure the girl would kill the blonde for snooping into her business, Mugino may have been proud at how perceptive she was in regards to this matter.

So far gone as she was in thought that she didn't realize all eyes at the table were briefly on her as a heavy sigh escaped from her lips shortly before her body slumped a bit into her seat. Having that boy in her thoughts over the course of almost two whole days had been more mentally exhausting than she realized. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and her awareness had already proven to have diminished to a certain extent. Mentally vacant was how she felt, which was proof enough to her that she needed to get her mind off this matter as quickly as possible; returning to it only after her brain stopped overheating.

That in mind, the blonde's blue eyes shifted over towards the television screen in the corner nearest their booth, though her interest had somewhat diminished when she found that it was currently on a news station. Apparently, some group had ended up mugging a truck driver as he was making a delivery at a local clinic; stealing several yen's worth of narcotics before fleeing the scene. The driver was fine, but the suspects were still out and about somewhere in the city; their descriptions flashing on the screen a second later.

"Basically, it looks like people are acting up again." Mused the blonde halfheartedly as she proceeded to drown out the rest of the news report. "Not even a full week and basically everyone starts making a racket."

"What do you expect?" Retorted Mugino, propping her head up as she learned slightly over the table whilst her half-lidded eyes stared at the television screen with obvious uninterested. "Roaches like them usual do scurry out of their hiding places once things seemed to have settled."

"I super hate roaches." Mumbled Saiai halfheartedly, having returned her attention back to the magazine that was currently in front of her person after sparing the news report a brief glance herself. It was hard to tell, however, if she was referring to literal insects or figurative terminology Mugino used to indentify those of Skill-Out or Level 0's in general. Even that, however, didn't last long since she immediately turned her attention over towards the previous speaker. "Is the manager still super pissed at us for that last job?"

"I'd call it mildly annoyed more than her being pissed off. She wanted to let the hype die down a bit before accepting any more assignments, I don't blame her honestly after all the ruckus that was made about it."

In most cases, things don't usually escalate to such a point that local law enforcement got involved with the jobs; at least not until ITEM itself had long since fled the scene so as not to draw unwanted attention on themselves. As luck would have it, however, Anti-Skill had shown up at least seven minutes after the events at that building had concluded. This was by no means a good thing, as almost everyone who was inside that facility was either dead or injured to some degree or another. Researchers had collected the bodies of the other two before law enforcements arrived, sure, but the fact remained that ITEM was still inside the building and not out of the situation before people began to ask them questions.

Fortunately, thanks to ITEM's backer, the press had not arrived on the scene with Anti-Skill to splash herself, along with Rikou and Frenda's faces, all over the news with their claims of being 'sole survivors' of that incident. Had that been the case, one could assume that it would ruin not just credibility but also jeopardize their reputations out in public. It didn't actually inflict harm on their credibility as individuals to the public, but it simply attracted too much unwanted attention opposed to simply being your average students among the mass. People tend to forget faces easier when they aren't showcased on a display screen in front of a building that was under siege; hence why that all did their best to portray the image in which the public views them each individually.

Publicity was not a friend of those in the underground world; this was especially true for groups such as ITEM and many others. Given, Mugino and the others may make a mess during the course of a job, but usually those assignments were relatively isolated cases and away from public view. That wasn't always the case of course, as certain targets took advantage of the thriving city's population and mass of witnesses as a means of protection, but that problem usually resolved itself with time and a bit of patience.

Unsurprisingly, upon the mere mention of the Seiren incident, Frenda's jaw clinched as she immediately turned her attention elsewhere, her folded arms and narrowed gaze indicating her apparent distaste regarding the subject.

"How are feeling, by the way, Frenda?" Addressed Rikou, having taken the method necessary to approach the subject of the blonde girl's current state of health. Though most of the injuries she sustained on that event had been treated, something was obviously still wrong with her given her silence up until recently. "You've been quiet lately."

The blonde in question, while appreciative of Takitsubo's concern, was not feeling so inclined to answer immediately. She may have indeed looked well enough, but mentally she was still a wreck. Even at this very moment, the many conundrums regarding Kamijou Touma still remained at the forefront of her mind. Bringing up the Seiren incident didn't make matters regarding that issue much better, since it only brought her right back into thinking about both him and that cap-wearing red-head that nearly killed her. Rikou wasn't at fault though, she was merely expressing her concerns as she truly viewed all of them as her friends. Even if she didn't realize how much it irked her, Frenda could still at least alleviate the quiet girl's concerns a bit to keep her from becoming too worried.

Sadly, someone else spoke up before Frenda could even formulate the correct words in her mind.

"I think she's super trying to decide how to thank that guy from that incident."

"Ehh!?"

"Hoo? That would explain why she's been so quiet lately."

"Basically, I not what I was-"

"Don't worry, Frenda, I'll support you."

"Not you too Takitsubo!"

And thus began the long list of jests directed at the blonde's person; which would no doubt persist for the next hour. With each taunt made, the blonde girl's irritation regarding a certain boy rose even higher and eventually settling the matter regarding the said boy should they ever cross paths again in the near future. She would improvise her words once that time arrived, but one could be assured that none of them would be, in any way, a means to express gratitude for his actions.

Several blocks away, a loud sneeze could be heard in one of the aisles in a local super market, thus erecting a certain state of awareness to surface in the originator of the sudden disturbance. Shifting his gaze around him while rubbing his nose, a certain spiky haired youth quickly decided to stop browsing and pay for his purchased items and hurry home. It was bad enough that he was paranoid about the abundance of good luck he was receiving today, so coupling that with the reaffirmed sense of dread and that unprompted reaction just now and you have an individual who was far too cautious for his own good. Given, he had every right to have such a mindset given his usual circumstances, but passing up a decent sale price at the market was not something even he would risk missing out on.

The fact that his efforts were not wasted and he actually received the on-sale items without much hassle further solidified the notion that this day was simply too good to be true.

"Someone's talking about me." Muttered the boy as he traversed through the store, heading for the checkout station. "I gotta get out of here."

Paranoid as he may have been, Touma had not reached the point of hysteria just yet; a commendable feat in itself given how rare these occurrences tended to be for him. Again, the term 'cautious' would be a more apt terminology to use to describe the young man's current state of mind. That subconscious awareness that he had, born from years upon years of misfortune, tended to make people believe him cynical for any bout of fortune that was presented to him. While it was indeed true that he was always suspicions of these rare occurances, it was also something he could not actually control like a light switch in a bathroom.

It was his mind's own method of protecting him from being too distraught if and when his luck ran out again.

Accepting that it would happen was one thing, but coping with the loss of something a person rarely possesses on a mental level was a different case entirely. Some would agree with that, other's may not; but that was how Touma felt and that's how he would remain.

All that being said, upon exiting the automated doors of the market, Kamijou realized too late that he had made a grave error that would not bode well for him. See, due to this heightened state of awareness in addition to his lack of foresight, Touma had purchased many items within the store itself; which showed thanks to the bundle of plastic bags held tightly in his both hands. To be precise, there were too many to carry comfortably without the risk of dropping anything essential, specifically targeting the fragile products he had bought.

In simplistic terms; he had bought too much.

Since that sense of dread had yet to dissipate, it was of no surprise that his already overly active mind began to formulate every bad-scenario that could occur on his trek back to his dorm. Skill-Out thugs could come out to try and mug him. Someone could bump into him as he rounded a corner, he could misplace his footing on a step and fall. One of the bags could have a hole in it and tear as he walked, or maybe a certain someone would show up and give him one of her 'unique' forms of greeting. Upon hopping on that particular train of thought, alarms began to blare in his mind telling him to quickly retreat from that particular line of thinking less he accidently summon her.

She was the absolute last person he wanted to see today; especially when he was in such a vulnerable state such as this.

"Fukou-da…" Sighed the boy as he was forced to accept his fate and let it do to him as it please; knowing that it would not end-

"Bought too much, huh?"

"Huh?"

Turning his head in the direction of the voice that was undoubtedly addressing him, he found himself staring at a young girl with short hair standing about a foot or two away with flower ornaments decorating her head. Judging by her height and attire, Kamijou could only assume that the shorter individual was a middle-school student from one of the less prostegious schools within the district. By all accounts, the flowers aside, she didn't seem like a girl who belonged to one of the five schools that made up the School Garden; based on how her attire seemed relatively plain in comparison to the students of those particular facilities.

Basically, this was just an average middle-school girl; or as close to average a person could be in a place like Academy City.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I let myself go a bit." Confessed Touma sheepishly upon reflection of the girl's statement. "I guess since my dorm's not too far away, I thought it wouldn't be too much of a problem to stock up as much as I could afford."

"That makes sense, though that's still a lot of groceries to carry even if you do live close by."

"Mah, it's only two blocks away from here…distance is only part of the problem though." The latter portion of his words was largely spoken under his breath, unintentionally erecting a bit of confusion to surface on the middle-schooler's face at his dejected look and sagging shoulders. "But I brought this on myself, so I guess I'll see it through to the end and let whatever happens happen."

"Um, would you like some help?"

"Nah, I shouldn't trouble you over something like this."

"Its fine, its fine," Assured the girl calmly, having already began the process easing the bags out of the boy's grip; though admittedly being mindful of the heavier contents and was pointedly avoiding them. "Community service is part of a Judgment's duties after all."

"Hu-wait, you're a Judgment officer?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised." Rebuked Uiharu, albeit quietly, as her eyes shifting away whilst feeling a bit miffed at how the teen in front of her sounded once she made the initial remark.

By all accounts, it wasn't surprising for someone such as her to be a part of that organization considering there were children still in elementary school who were considered 'officers' of Judgment. Still, based on his abrupt change in tone, he made it seem like a much more startling realization than it actually was. Though, it seemed Kamijou himself was aware that his statement had been misinterpreted by the shorter girl; forcing to elaborate so as not to come off as a jerk. His appearance alone made him seem like a delinquent and the last thing he wanted was to give the wrong impression to a Judgment officer when they were simply trying to help him out.

"N-no, I was surprised, but that was because it seemed too convenient given my usual luck." Let it known that Touma was being entirely truthful when he said this and was not simply trying to cover his own ass. But, even though he was indeed being truthful, there was no doubt in his mind that she would again interpret it as him just trying to save face and nothing more. Still, doubts and all, he continued to speak none the less. "I'm sorry for how I made that sound um…."

"Uiharu Kazari, Judgment member of the 177th Branch Office." If his head wasn't secured, Touma was sure his head would have spun in place with how her whole demeanor changed. She even had a smile on her face, seemingly refueled with energy that wasn't present when they were speaking just moments ago. Seemed to him that she was quiet proud of her status, not pompous mind you; just pride mixed with dedication. That, sudden burst of energy, however, faded away shortly after her introduction was made; causing her cheeks become tainted red out of pure mortification. "S-sorry, I guess I kinda got little excited just now."

"It's okay, it happens even to the best of us." Assured the boy with a small, if somewhat sheepish, lopsided smile forming on his lips. "Seems to me like you're really proud at what you're doing."

"Why wouldn't I be proud considering all the good that Judgment does?" Neither party had realized it yet, but as they continued to speak back in forth to one another, the odd duo had already begun to walk in the direction of Kamijou's dorm. Touma was obviously leading the way and Uiharu was simply following his lead; even if it was subconsciously. This did, however, serve to remind her that she was speaking to an older gentleman due to the fact that she was forced to look up to view his face. "The organization, along with Anti-Skill too, puts forth a lot of effort in protecting the safety of all students in this city. We look out for one another, we aren't afraid to get hurt if it means ensuring another person's safety; at least that's how it is in my branch. B-but I can say no one, or at least no one I know of, joins Judgment for some selfish reason or another; all of us were inspired by someone else to do the right thing and help those who ask for it."

"Haaa, I guess it's good to know that someone's got your back and is working for the same cause." Mused Kamijou, having fixated his gaze skywards briefly. "But doesn't it kinda weigh you down knowing that you have so many people are relying on you all the time? I-I mean, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but it seems to me like Judgment doesn't get as much credit as it deserves considering everything you guys do."

Touma didn't have the heart to flat-out tell the girl right then that he was probably one of those people who frequently shouting where either of those organizations were whenever delinquents and other non-pleasant people were chasing him about. Sure, he had a few run-ins with both and they did their job at either scaring the guys off or apprehending them outright, but those cases were not as frequent as he would have liked. Kamijou also neglected to mention the Seiren Incident as well, though that was mainly as a result of blotted out what he had seen and done during that instance in time.

Hard to blame him considering the sight of a corpse was not something an ordinary high school student like him should ever see up close.

"It can be bit overwhelming, yes." Judging by the girl's tone, it seemed as if he had possibly struck a tender subject of some sort. By the time he had shifted his gaze, however, Uiharu seemed have broken out of whatever slump she had momentarily slipped into and was all smiles once again; slightly strained as it was. "But as much as we wished it could be, no system is perfect. We at Judgment know this, as does Anti-Skill, thus we do our best to always do whatever we can the moment we are made aware of it. It may seem like just a feeble excuse to some people, but it is not as if we are too busy or unwilling to help people; it's just that we can't always be there."

"At least both groups can admit they aren't perfect or flawless." Commented the spiky haired youth, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. "Some students would argue against that though, considering how large the groups are."

"Are you one of those people?"

"I suppose sometimes I am." At this point in the conversation, Touma was not against the idea of being foretelling about his views and his opinions to some degree or another. He was just being honest with the girl was all he was doing; though that was not to say hadn't been from the start. "To be honest though, most of the time I can take care of myself without Judgment or Anti-Skill's help. As much as I want it, I've come to think of it as a good thing since that means I'm not relying on someone else all the time to solve my problems when things look bad."

"T-that doesn't sound like a good thing at all!" Needless to say, the girl's outburst may have instigated a reaction out of the older individual had he not been reminded of a certain homeroom teacher of his. From the way Uiharu sounded, he couldn't help but see a slight resemblance regarding the two; though it may have just been the height difference that made Touma think of his sometimes overzealous teacher. "I understand that some people do desire independence to some degree or another, but neglecting to inform proper authorities in favor of resolving an issue yourself is completely unsafe!"

"I know, I know, I get that kind of thing a lot from my teacher; trust me." Despite the intensity in her tone, Touma simply shrugged it off as if he were being badgered; which was a rather good comparison since that was precisely how he felt about it at the moment. "But I just don't agree with the idea of sitting by and watching other people go through their troubles alone when there are so many people around that see it but don't do anything. It doesn't sit right with me, so I do what I can to help them; even if it means I get chased halfway across the city by delinquents or getting hurt in the process."

Upon his admittance of his personal views, Kamijou could not help but notice the look of contempt lingering the girl's eyes as she peered up at him. Of course, he didn't blame her considering they had two very different outlooks on things. Morally, they stood on the same ground, as both parties wished to only do what is right and help those who were in need. But the fact that made them different was that he took matters into his own hands rather than performing the legal actions that he should have taken instead. No matter what sort of action he performed out of good faith, ultimately the result remained the same in that he was dragged into the problem himself and forced to deal with the consequences.

Did that make it wrong? Did standing up for someone who couldn't be viewed as a bad thing? No, not by any means, it just meant that he was reckless and forced to deal with the repercussions of his actions. In a way, viewing it from the outside looking in, he could understand why he was viewed as a delinquent in the eyes of others. From another person's perspective, it did seem like he was just some punk who was looking for a fight. He didn't like being viewed in that light, not by any means, but at least he understood why people sometimes did.

The question in the back of his mind, however, was how this girl beside him would view him after admitting that tidbit of knowledge to her.

It would be a question that would remain unknown to him for the remainder of their trip towards his dorm, due mainly as a result of the flowerheaded girl's silence. You would think that there was an tense atmosphere around them as they walked, but oddly there wasn't any. That may have been a result of Kamijou's ignorance, but nothing on the girl's expression showed signs of agitation or any negative emotion of the sort. He could see that there was a thoughtful glint in her eye as she walked, but there didn't seem to be any animosity mixed in it. Whatever she was thinking about, nothing in her facial features expressed any ill signs that he may have suspected on a Judgment officer's face after hearing how casually he spoke of his not-so-noteworthy exploits.

The silence lasted for a total of three minutes, and within that timeframe Kamijou's dorm complex was within visual range; a sight which he was grateful for.

"There's my dorm there. I can take the rest of it from here, Kazari-san."

"Huh?" Startled out of her stupor upon being addressed, her head shot up to take in her surroundings, before noticing Touma's head gesturing over at the building that made up his dorm. "Oh, um, if you're sure this is fine."

"Don't worry, even this unfortunate Kamijou is confident that he can make it to his home without any problems."

This little outburst was rewarded with a look of absolute confusion as she proceeded to pass over the bags she had been carrying on his behalf. Despite the look, however, she did not question the reason behind them and simply stood in wait, watching to make sure if he was actually okay to carry it all without the risk of him dropping anything vital. Once everything was in order and the bags were firmly secured, he shifted his attention over towards the girl, one last time before they were to part ways.

"Thanks for the help, Kazari-san."

"Not a problem, um…Kamijou-san was it?"

"Yup, Kamijou Touma, and it was nice talking with you."

With bags in each hand and a small smile, he turned away to and moved forward with only a slight sway as he walked; having underestimated the weight he was carrying. None the less, though, one could note that he seemed to be in a much better state of mind compared to how he was not even ten minutes ago. The paranoia that he had felt had long since faded during the course of his converstation with the girl in addition to the sense of dread he had felt as well. By all accounts, one could say that the idle chit-chat had done its job at relieving him the stress he had felt since he left for school earlier that morning. That wasn't to say those things would not return to him later on in the day, but at least for now he had some sense of relief that he had silently been yearning for.

What was a good, misfortune-free, day if one could not actually enjoy it without feeling paranoid?

"U-um, Kamijou-san!" But it seemed that there was one thought left in the girl's mind that she wished to address with him before they officially went on with their own lives. There was only a couple feet worth of distance between them, but none the less she had called out to him as if he were completely out of earshot. That being said, Touma easily heard her and shifted himself a bit to peer at her from the corner of his visible eye. ""If you really want to help people, why don't you join Judgment yourself? I mean, I may not be the best judge of character, but even I can tell that you really do mean well. However, as a member of Judgment, I cannot condone the actions of those who take matters into their own hands. Even if I do not agree with it or cannot disregard it, I can at least understand that you are only trying to do what's right. But if you were to join the ranks yourself, if you really want to help people as you say you do, then I'm sure you would be a great addition to the organization."

The reaction Uiharu was rewarded with was a look that was akin to what a dog looked like after hearing a high-pitched sound. For in the moments that followed the girl's words, Touma's mouth almost opened to immediate refuse the suggestion. The only reason he didn't was because, frankly speaking, he found it best to just humor her a little bit and actually provide it some thought. He wouldn't deny that he had pondered the thought of doing that at least once upon a time once he had established himself in this city. He had some of the necessary traits to do it, he certainly had the sense of justice and moral fiber to possibly make a good operative. There was the training exercise that they were forced to take part in, but after everything he had experienced in the past, it was safe to assume he could pass them if he really wanted to.

He didn't know the reason why that little thought died in the past, but there was a reason now as to why he couldn't do it. Said reasoning was what ultimately caused his shoulder's to sag as he let out a loud exhale before addressing the girl beside him once more.

"I would, but school comes first and I don't think I can balance Judgment with my actual school life without slacking in one of those areas." By his manner of speech, one could say he sounded discouraged upon making that statement; which was true. He was discouraged, but only because it only served to remind him of how he was struggling as it was now rather than being unable to do as the girl suggested. "Besides, I'd rather stay a normal, Level 0, high-school student rather than be a struggling Judgment officer."

"…I understand…" Retorted the girl quietly, so quiet that he almost didn't hear her say it. But, as she had done before, her expression seemed to have brightened up a bit shortly after, presenting the boy with a good-hearted smile as she added one further statement. "The offer still stands though, just in case you change your mind Kamijou-san."

He couldn't help but flash the girl a small smile in return before simply nodding his head before turning back to his dorm. Maybe, just maybe, somewhere down the line he would change his mind; or perhaps the thought would be swept away like it had before. He couldn't say which would occur, but nevertheless the thought had been refreshed into his mind and it was likely to stay there for a good while. Whatever choice he made, be it the former or the latter, he simply hoped that girl understood his reasons for doing it.

Touma didn't need to really worry though, as Uiharu already did understand his reasons. It was true, she did understand to some degree as to why he preferred the choice he had given her today.

Some people had the aptitude and traits to be outstanding members of the organization; but simply did not possess the desire to forfeit their freedoms that came with being just your average, everyday, student. Judgment could be very demanding at times, especially for serious cases that cropped up around the city. Their normal duties sometimes did sap away what little free time there could be had with friends and classmates; things that usually viewed as a critical loss in regards to a person enjoying their youth.

So, yes, she could understand the reasoning why he chose that option. She still stood by her words though; she did not agree with how he claimed to handle things; preferring to handle matters in his own way rather than the official way. All she could do from this point on was hope he stayed out of trouble and avoid being reckless in the days to come; less he himself find himself arrested.

Regardless of her disagreements regarding the lad walking away, there was something about that boy that made her ponder.

His name, where had she heard it before and why did it seem so familiar to her?

"There's the target."

"You sure that's the person we're lookin' for?"

Several feet away at a corner on the street opposite the block, two young teens conversed amongst each other as they observed the two individuals as they parted ways. Their tones weren't hushed, nor were they overly loud with their conversation. To the casual observer, they simply appeared as two boys who were immersed their own little conversation.

"The descriptions' on your phone idiot, read it again if you aren't sure."

"Reading it and seein' 'em right there doesn't make me believe it. You'd think they'd, I dunno, stand out more."

Based on the manner in which the two parties spoke, it could be assumed that the former was the more sensible person than the latter. That assessment was more biased than anything if one were to be truly honest; as it was clear that the slang used was coated with an accent that didn't seem to fit the environment he was currently in.

"Don't let their looks give you the wrong impression; especially in this city."

"What're you, mah mom now?"

Evidently, these two particular individuals had a tendency to get on the other's nerves if exposed to each other long enough. This was made evident by the signs of irritation forming on the boy who's voice lacked the accent.

"No, idiot, I'm only stating the obvious facts here."

"Whatever, so are we gonna nab 'em or what? I'd like ta think we didn't just trail behind 'em for nothin'. "

The accent baring lad suddenly let out a hiss as his partner jabbed his elbow into the his ribs. The boy who performed this action didn't even bother to spare the boy a glance, knowing already that he was being glared at but caring very little about it. As far as he was concerned, their objective took priority over some petty squabbling; that and felt justified since they were out in the open like this and was not willing to risk a thing going wrong just because the other boy felt the need to blurt out things that could get them caught.

"We were told to get information and nothing else; so that's what we're doing. The boss wants us to get some leverage over the target, get them to be cooperative and not cause a commotion."

"Great, so we did all this shit for nothin' after all."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the lad being spoken to was torn between jabbing his partner a second time or turning around completely and shoving his fist in his mouth. It was so bothersome to deal with the Yankee as he made it very hard at times to simply ignore him. Perhaps that was why he was always stuck with him, as nobody else could really stand the guy for prolonged periods of time except him. That wasn't saying he had a lot of patience, it meant he had more than most others before eventually tossing it aside to deliever a thorough ass-kicking to him.

"Fuck this, we'll pick up on this tomorrow and see what we can gather then. At this rate, I'm going to end up hitting you before we can actually get anything worth mentioning."

"Sounds good ta me, I was gettin' hungry anyways."

With that last remark, the boy with the accent turned away from his partner and began his trek towards the nearest food establishment within the vicinity; leaving the more reserved one to his own devises. Said lad in question waited several minutes after the other teen left before retrieving his phone, struck a number on the key-pad, and waited. He was about to hang up after four consecutive rings, someone on the opposite end of the line picked up; filling his ear with a familiar voice.

"It's me….we may need a few more days before things can continue." Shortly after he spoke these words, the teen's expression displayed the signs of stress as the voice on the other end of the line gave their own two-cents. "Yeah, we have some leads, but….Yes, we're following those leads, we're just trying to see if there's anything else we can used to our advantage."

The pause that followed was not as a result of the person speaking; rather the other end of the line was devoid of any sound aside from background noise. This made the teen more anxious for some reason or another, hence the reason why he proceeded to walk down the sidewalk for the sake of keeping himself active. When the voice did finally speak again a minute later, the teen's stature noticeably perked up for unknown reasons, though the frown present on his features made it clear that he was not pleased with what was being said to him.

"Understood, Queen." Was all that was said before the line went dead and he snapped his phone shut. Spitting on the curb, he tucked his hands into his pockets before deciding to head back home for the time being; at least until he was told to do otherwise. "Damn, the next few days are going to suck…"

And finally at the bottom.

Again, I know, it's another filler chapter; but at least its leading up to something this time. To be honest, I got stuck on ITEM's scene for at least the first week since i wasn't sure how to approach this chapter. Mainly, this is the prep-work for the arc. to come, so settling into it is gonna seem pretty rough since I have a bit of ground-work to do. It took awhile, I admit, but at least I gave you something.

I think what I'm trying to show with this chapter is Touma's current view on things from a 'Light-Side' perspective. As the ORDER arc. showed us, Touma has just dipped his toes into the Darkness, so I guess this acts as a reference point, if you will, between how he views things currently and how these views change over the course of the story. That's what I'm hoping to get across here anyway, so I hope you can all understand what I'm doing here aside from just gradually progressing the plot.

As usual, if there are any inquiries, thoughts, or concerns that arise in your mind, feel free to address them to me and I'll do what I can to answer them. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed my little piece of work.

Goodbye for now.