And once more I enter this stage again!
For those that are wondering, this original project comes right after I read the second-to-final chapter of A Certain Everyday Index. For such a short series I definitely think it touched upon the daily life of those characters that we have gotten so used to over the years well and in a cute way. I would recommend it very much for a much needed relaxation for the usual chaos Raildex provides!
In a sense, I think that you could call this project a sort of 'answer' to that, however, I think you'd be a bit off the mark if you did; there are plenty of battle chapters and I go into WAY too much detail for a 4-koma like style. Somehow though I hope that when I reach the sort of light hearted parts that you end up looking at them and smiling.
Still, whatever the case, let's get this party started!
Here is the Q & A:
whwsms: Glad to see you liked it! And of course the #1 Level 5 would not be revealed; who knows what would happen if it was! I don't think that Misaki would have contacted the IT; what with Touma's memories of NT 9 in there, keeping her mind after seeing something of that scale would be even more terrifying than meeting the IT if you know what I mean. However, the 'damage' that was made was definitely such that it had a small effect on her heart.
Guest X: Bwahahaha; I can't imagine this happening at all but just thinking of it makes me laugh! I guess if we were thinking of them as 'girls', Mikoto places last given how she is more of a tomboy meaning that it is a race between Misaki and Mugino. But then again, each has their own charm in their own way so it's hard to decide when the wording is so vague, right?! I didn't think it was a "you shall not pass" moment until you noted it so kudos to pointing it out! I think Misaki having to take those steps to want to help Touma was the main point of the story where so many people have not seen the 'inner' side of him and have had him open up to them naturally, which he refused to do even within his mind. You will have to wait and see on those points…although it might take a while…! I'm not even sure Misaki would last if she saw NT 9's memories…
Bluejack222: Interesting choice! There is no 'wrong' answer with the question posed, just different ones and it was only a small look into such a stupid conversation than fanning the flames of war. I hope that I can top some of those chapters in the future though but I'm glad that you enjoyed them all the same!
Guest: I think that small moment where Misaki gets everything off her chest is refreshing but also tragic given that she knows she cannot help 'save' Touma given everything he goes through and everything she has seen. But the words she said were definitely true and much deserved, something Touma needs to hear for himself one of these days. Sorry for the misunderstanding with Mina; I can definitely see her using Accelerator as a way to reduce her boredom. If such a meeting occurred though, I can't think of any good coming from it, only something crazy!
ArmoredCoreNineBall: I meant that last question as a joke, but somehow it turned really serious!? I end up diving pretty deep into various rabbit holes with this fic but the only thing that I hope you end up doing with them in enjoying all the same. I don't think I want to mindbreak Misaki just yet, especially with a one-shot too! I'm glad that I managed to get a small statement in that made you feel as though it captured a lot of what needs to be said and who it needs to be said to!
naruhinasakufan1: Glad you liked it! As you can tell, I really try and focus on the emotions and the expressing of them so I'm happy that I managed to portray everything I wanted to across to you. And I'm in the same boat as you; I don't think she would have been able to see to the end everything Touma went through during NT 9 because of her feelings towards him and everything that happened to him too. I saved her form that pain but I do think that delving into that a bit too much would need more than just one chapter! And Misaki claims her spot as the #1! I hope that you can wait a little bit longer for your request; it has already been written and the only thing that needs to be done is to put it up!
wildarms13: Is it wrong for me to agree with Yuriko being the #1?! This chapter didn't go AS far as Silent Screams but it edged VERY close towards it and I wanted to avoid that at all costs, especially given how bad it would have gotten if Misaki had gone further inside Touma's mind. I really felt that Touma having to save others from himself was kind of a tragic irony given how he is always saving them even though he feels that his own mind is the most dangerous weapon of all. Othinus not being there I think really shows that Touma feels it is HIM who is the most dangerous rather than Othinus in terms of his memories and experiences so I wanted to give her a small break but also for the fact that I wanted what Misaki saw to resonate with her a bit more and hence only used Touma to that end. You thought it would short though?! Having her go through a 'Silent Screams' herself would unleash the sadist within me and I want to avoid that at all costs…or at least as much as possible. You have to remember that each one-shot is kind of separate so don't think too hard about the connection between the themes too much and what happens. Oh, as for Touma having his mind broken, the future of ACUL0 is going to be heaps fun, especially for reactions… As for who is next, let's see shall we?!
seiker: If only Misaki knew… A lot has happened in Index hasn't it!? I'll be having less spare time myself but I don't think I'll ever be starting the year with something as horrifying as Silent Screams. I wish you the best as well as well as hoping that I can get my schedule updating in a usual fashion. I definitely think that Misaki would have a mental breakdown if she say any of the hells Touma went through if only because she would not even remotely be able to handle what the hell happened to Touma. I do think that part of why Touma was 'fine' was due to the structure of a LN having a role so I think it's not supposed to have much thought put into it given that it is a battle series. I'm going to do more gory details, but not in one-shot form… But seeing how Touma rejected a potential world where Misaki could be remembered because he wanted to return to his original one would be super heart-breaking. B-but seiker, what happened to your answer?! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Guest (another one): Wait, is this referencing last chapter? And are you SURE you asked specifically for Touma x Aiho? Because I've been noting all requests and that one has not come up at all.
Agent Nine: I think the decision for Touma to protect anyone from his own memories is supposed to be on a strange line for the characters other than Touma. For them, they THINK they could handle what happened to him but in reality, we all know that they would just break from seeing death after death for basically eternity. Is what Touma did by preventing his memories from being shown and not releasing himself from him burden a good or bad thing? It's one of those 'grey' issues that we can take in any direction we like so I hope you enjoyed it all the same.
Prof. Pancakes: Hahahaha, we;; I get the feeling there is no 'wrong' answer here even if you might think there is a 'right' one!
pop2ww: Ah, An Overused Cliché…I've got more of those planned so keep an eye out for that! but I'm glad you liked the title, technically BTL has 3 titles: the one in the chapter bar and the two provided in the chapter so coming up with them is pretty hard. But I'm glad that you enjoyed what I did with them, especially with how this was nothing but a View…even if it was a tragic one at that. I felt that those small rules holding Misaki together make up a lot of her character so having to make the decision to break it apart is something that she knows she cannot do lightly. And because of that, I wanted to really challenge her but make the impetus for her breaking the rule AROUND Touma, Touma himself, as you noted. I swear with how observant you are with these chapters that you are the one writing them! Bwahahaha: the final boss of the series has always been Index! Nothing can change this! Oh no, the Delta Force vs. the Level 5 femme fatales. I'm not even sure who would win! I liked how you brought perspective to this too: Touma is deserved happiness but in a way, he already has it with the smiles that he has protected around him and everything else too. But even so, the level of his suffering is always 'more' than that and is always bubbling away underneath the surface. The depths that Touma has suffered for others are great and it is because of those depths he has gone to that I think we are all of the opinion that he really needs to be saved and have something he can call his own happiness when it comes to the end of the day. But the fact that it took something like last chapter for that to be said is somewhat tragi itself… Maybe that will change in another one-shot? Good grief, does that make Misaki the 'older' child out of the two!? His natural gigolo nature has become subconscious. Can nothing stop this man!? I hope that now with this 'potential' idea raised that you can really see how ACUL0 is developing things in a crazy direction with this idea. I have plans and I hope I can meet this potential fully…! Although that would require a lot of 'screams' in itself… Those puns…I'm dead.
Kami: Evil Touma, given the nature of the current Touma, really feels like a separate character entirely if you know what I mean. Interesting that you think White would be a good colour for 'Evil' but then again, given what I've seen in another series of Kamachi, I can sort of really imagine that in its own way. Red/orange seems a better fit for symbolic purposes though. As for whether Touma was a break-dancer, don't you need to question whether he has the co-ordination for it!? YURIKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! As for the future of Futures Kaleidoscope, I have another chapter in planning but nothing sorted as of just yet…the idea of 10 years into the future proved to be extremely popular… I don't really think that Unconventional Harem will be a getting a continuation. Tranquil Furious Touma seems to be a better match straight up given how he faced Berserker Accelerator once and won. Interesting idea for the next Shenanigans of Three Heroes actually…although the only thing that I would have to say for those nicknames is that they are a bit too Western for what is technically an Eastern series.
Formboy1: FF7 definitely would not exist in the world of Index, otherwise the idea of the hell that is placed there would not exist! Let's hope that Touma can find the light at the end of the tunnel after one of these days.
FreakFactor: Broken Misaki is scary Misaki. I'm keen to see Ninja Batman though, even though imagining a Joker Misaki would make even my blood go cold. AND WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE FOR YURIKO! NOT THAT I MIND, SHE IS THE TRUE #1!
Before we do that though, I would like to have the usual thanks.
My first is to PokeRescue18, my beta reader. Without his work on this, I think that as you all know, it would be definitely less enjoyable. So thanks man.
And also to you, the reader. Without you, I think we would actually hit a point where there would be a plateau in terms of what can come out of this. For BTL, I think that it always has that 'Complete' status until someone sends in more ideas but as I come up with more and you provide me with more, I can only say that this is going to continue for a bit!
Still, whatever the case I hope you do what you always do when you end up reading these things.
Enjoy.
Mr Question Mark.
Somehow, There Is Something Wrong with This Picture. First_Days_Are_the_Hardest.
"Welcome sir! Would you like a window seat for you and your friend?"
"Welcome miss! How many are in your group today? Three? Very well, I think that you will find that this seat over here would be perfect for you and your company!"
Even though Kamijou Touma and Index both welcomed customers into the store, there was nothing in the world that the former had to be happy about when it came down to it. In its own way, this was the usual misfortune for him but once again, even though it was part of his normal life, Kamijou still felt that he didn't have to like it.
When he said it like that, he felt that there was nothing about his misfortune he really liked. Well although it allowed him to come face to face with people that had the world pressing around them from all angles to which he could liberate them from that pain if he had the ability to (which he was glad about), the small things his misfortune did that had nothing to do with saving people were nothing more than a pain in the ass for him.
Yet, persistently, consistently and without fail, Kamijou Touma knew that his misfortune would follow him all his life and thus he would never fail to come across something he would have preferred not to or experience something he wished he never had.
This was something that fit both of those categories; something Kamijou had come across without wanting to and experiencing while wishing he never had.
Because today, Kamijou Touma and his freeloader Index were part time workers.
Jobs.
The word itself had a heavy weight and for someone in high school, there was an air of authority and responsibility around it when one said they had one. The thought of maintaining one's own independence through earning their own money seemed like it was worth one of life trophies to Kamijou and part of him truly felt respect for people who could balance work and school life yet still manage to get good grades.
After all, he could barely manage school life while getting caught up in incidents on both the Magic and Science side yet somehow people managed to get by having a job on the side despite being in school.
Granted, it was a poor comparison because high school students didn't have the part time job of saving people or the world on a practically daily basis but Kamijou had punched people so many times in the face it did actually feel like labour to him. Given all the running around he did as well, it could definitely fit that category but alas, true to his misfortune, getting into fights with espers and magicians did not qualify as labour.
Thus, the idiot Kamijou was forced to look at people who had it way easier than him but still felt proper respect for them in the way they managed to balance their lives with their jobs when he could barely get by with what happened to him, his funds and his grades.
He could tell the struggles that came with getting a job and just hearing about it in classroom conversation made a nervous sweat come over him as he thought about the process involved.
Networking, writing résumés, preparing for interviews, making a good impression, saying the right things, researching the company one wanted to work for, following up; it was a heavy process and for those who managed to get past all of it and get selected for a job Kamijou had the highest respect for.
Personally, he didn't want to think about what would happen if he tried to go for a job. He could just imagine the world and his misfortune screwing him over with some world shattering incident that would make him late for his interview so in a rare move for him, Kamijou had concluded he would never get a job.
Much like his prospects for getting a girlfriend.
I-I mean if one looked at his life, the prospect of even getting a first date was impossible given his misfortune! Even if he did get one, there would always be something that would get in its way; misfortune, getting sick, misfortune, the world coming to an end, misfortune, being late, misfortune, etc.
Thus, Kamijou had added two things to his life he would probably never get as a direct result of how badly his life sucked: a job and a girlfriend. Consequently, he had nothing but respect for those who had either even though his body seethed with jealousy when someone had the latter and rubbed it in his face. Hamazura Shiage's face came to mind and it pissed Kamijou off that the boy rubbed his victory of getting a girlfriend in his face without meaning to.
I mean, he was happy for the guy but…but…but!
Irrespective of Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Aogami Pierce telling him he had a harem (which was impossible given his misfortune) getting it rubbed into his face stung more than it should have!
He shook his head though, staring at the work uniform he had been made to wear. The butler's uniform was a size too large so Kamijou had been made to use what sewing skills he had and had patched things up in the uniform to make it fit him which had come out with good results if he said so himself. It made him seem like a proper member of society, however, the respect and the joy of getting independence through having a job did not fill Kamijou in the slightest.
Instead, a dead look filled his eyes as he stared at those clothes.
After all, this job was not something he had earned through the pain staking effort of résumé writing, networking, getting an interview and all that jazz. He felt respect for people who managed to get jobs through the proper methods but the way Kamijou had managed to get his was nothing more than cheap, stepped on the efforts of others and was filled to the brim with misfortune given this was not how he imagined his first job. He felt somewhat sick and disappointed with himself given the method he had used to get this job.
He looked up and spotted a girl with a notepad in the distance wearing a maid uniform that was undeniably cute.
Usually in her nun's habit that was white and gold, the black and white frilly maid outfit Index was wearing now painted the girl in a light Kamijou had never really seen her in before and as a result of such, his cheeks were painted with a light blush as he fully realised just how cute the girl who had been freeloading with him all of this time really was.
Her silver hair ran down her back and past her face, the lights of the restaurant giving it a shine he had never seen before unless she had just come out of the bath but even then, the biting that usually followed after such meant he had never observed her hair in this way before and with such ease. The way she smiled was the same as always but there was something different about it, something Kamijou could not place. The clothes she wore fully showed her white skin and made it sparkle, giving the impression that this was truly a girl in her teens rather than a freeloader black hole.
The moment Index had shown Kamijou her uniform and asked how it fit her, the boy and the girl had entered a moment of awkward silence as Kamijou had been taken aback from how beautiful she really was while Index blushed from the agape expression Kamijou had sported. He had mumbled something in response about her 'looking good' but more often than not, in this restaurant when they were supposed to be working, Kamijou found him eyes drifting over to the girl more than he would have liked.
But whatever the case and however she looked, it was HER fault they were working here in this way that stepped all over the efforts of others who properly went for jobs.
And the worst bit?
They weren't even getting paid!
Kamijou Touma had to waste a perfectly good weekend of doing nothing and didn't have anything to show for it. It was textbook misfortune and he sighed, recalling that this technically wasn't a job but rather punishment.
The impossible had happened in this restaurant only four days ago.
His funds…had run out.
The dreaded day had arrived and Kamijou, after complaining time and time again to Index that his funds would run out had finally managed to suck his entire account dry. He had stared at the empty and useless card he had handed to the cashier on that day after he had taken Index out because he was feeling good about that day in particular.
He should have trusted that the world treated him as its punching bag but hopelessly optimistic, he had felt that everything would be fine. It was of course not the case (when was it ever) and Kamijou experienced his classic misfortune at the worst possible time. It wasn't much Murphy's Law anymore but rather Kamijou's Law and the boy had been on the verge of weeping on the spot when it had happened.
Naturally management had insisted (read threatened) he make it up to them. This had happened before in that Kamijou had been unable to pay because he had lost his wallet or lost his card but never had he been unable to pay because of a lack of funds. It was usually more he had lost his funds rather than they were gone entirely so this was a new low and completely new feeling of despair had come with his misfortune.
He wasn't happy about it! There was a limit to experiencing new things and feeling good about them, especially when it came to his misfortune!
The usual response Kamijou had gotten as punishment in this case was being made to wash the dishes of the food Index had eaten when he had lost his wallet or card. On the rare occasion when she had eaten too much that washing dishes would not cover it, which was usually the case, he was made to come in for a little while and cook for the restaurant he owed.
He had no idea why that was the case as he didn't feel his cooking was that good but apparently on the days he was made to do his cooking in the restaurant he owed, their advertising telling of an 'unlucky chef' meant their sales increased threefold with the usual customers being girls. He had no idea why this was the case, but it meant that Kamijou in such cases had to pound over a hot stove over and over again for hungry girls while sweating and with little breaks.
Had he not been used to doing so with Index he was sure he would have broken mentally but it was usually this that waived the fee he owed not covered by washing dishes. In fact, in some cases, he was given a small commission for his work but even then, he couldn't see it as a job because of how irregular it happened and without warning.
This time though, it had not been the case. As he had no money at all to pay, washing dishes and cooking to cover the rest would not cover it.
Hence management had decided on the harshest response possible.
Making Kamijou and Index work for their money and to work to pay off what they owed.
If only he hadn't been feeling good about that particular day and let Index go to town with her eating, this entire thing wouldn't have happened in the first place! What demon had possessed him then was unknown but there was only one thing Kamijou Touma had to say as he glared at the cause of it all, Index.
"Such misfortune."
It had been quiet today but that meant nothing; it was hitting around lunch time and from what Kamijou had seen himself, this place was pretty popular at lunch on weekends. After all, the outfits for the girls themselves were pretty cute when it came down to it and while Kamijou had never really come for the outfits, there were others out there that certainly did. And from what he had heard from his 'temporary senpais' at this part time job he gotten because of his misfortune without wanting to and was not getting paid for, they were sometimes those that went a little bit too far when it came to their 'admiration' of the outfits and those wearing them.
Given he was working here for only a day and it had nothing to do with him meant nothing to Kamijou as he slowly looked at the people walking in now. He kept an eye on them and while he didn't feel as though it was right to be distrustful, part of him felt he had the responsibility to look out for the girls working here and to protect them from the unfavourable gazes of others.
These girls being stared at had worked hard to get these jobs and some schools even prohibited having them when one was a student. Yet they had managed to get it, getting money in addition to that which was provided by Academy City and had gained their own independence through such.
Making them feel as though they were nothing but eye candy when they were working hard was an insult to their effort and even if this was all he could do, Kamijou at the very least wanted to ensure the girls here felt safe as they worked and proud for what they were doing.
He had stated such to the girls before they had started work.
"Don't worry. I'll look out for you."
That one comment though had made many of the girls stare at Kamijou with sparkling eyes as they held their hands near their chests, but it was completely lost on Kamijou who was more preoccupied with ensuring this workplace became safe and comfortable for others to work in.
Not to mention there was the issue of Index.
Given that she was new at this sort of thing, the last thing Kamijou wanted was for her to experience some kind of traumatic event at the hands of some guy who felt he could have her way with her. As she had perfect recall and memory, such trauma would never fade and would always rise to her mind when things got bad and such a thing Kamijou would never wish on anyone.
Index right now was having a good time and Kamijou wanted nothing more than for her to continue doing so. Having some other guy step on her effort and her enjoyment of what she was feeling now, even if they weren't getting paid, was something Kamijou wanted to protect even in this setting. She laughed, smiled and had an aura about her that radiated enjoyment at being able to work as a maid (even though she was just a waitress) and that smile was enough of a reason for Kamijou to keep his guard up.
To protect that one smile, Kamijou wanted to make sure she had the best time possible here, doing something new and experiencing something she hadn't before. There was a worth here for Index and at the very least Kamijou wanted to protect that and her smile, a wish he had from the bottom of his heart.
Even now, no matter the setting, that one part of him never changed.
But still, when he looked at what he was doing and the hectic nature of it all, he had to admit one thing.
Jobs were hard.
He had felt that working in a restaurant was an easy thing to do when it came to the nature of part time jobs, but it was hardly such. Taking orders, remembering prices and the orders themselves, the tables, the people and the possible seating arrangements; it was all a mess and Kamijou felt newfound respect for the people who worked in such places. Even though whenever he came to these places he had food spilled on him, the respect he had for the people here was true when he looked at what they really had to do.
In that sense, Index perhaps was perfect for this sort of thing. Her perfect memory which had memorised 103,000 grimoires meant that remembering who had what order, where they were sitting and the price of the order itself made her the perfect waitress.
This was mainly how Kamijou and Index had divided things up; Index taking the orders and giving them to the chef before Kamijou would balance the dishes and use his stamina to reach the customers in one piece. His strength made it easier for him to lift many dishes and give them to the customers Index pointed out. The division of tasks made them both efficient and fast when it came to their work and many of the regulars looked at the efficiency they had and were impressed, shared by the workers they were working with.
However, with anything that happened with Kamijou, there were always complications.
"Touma! Table three wanted the tempura set." Index said as she handed the boy a tray with a number of dishes on it, the bustle of lunch time being more obvious now. Kamijou looked at the tray she handed him, his face turning now in despair and exasperation before he sighed.
"Index." His voice was calm as he sighed, the girl turning as she headed off to another table that had their hand up.
"What is it Touma? Can't you see we're busy?"
"No, I can see that. Just look at the tempura set you just handed me."
Index frowned, not entirely sure where this was going as she stared at the tray she had handed Kamijou and the bowls on it. She said nothing, turning her face up once more and tilting her head cutely as she looked completely oblivious to what the problem was.
"What about it?"
"WHAT ABOUT IT?! THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BOWLS!"
Kamijou erupted, yelling into the air at Index. Numerous people within the restaurant stopped their eating and stared at the duo, both of whom seemed to only be occupied with each other and had no sense of knowledge they were being stared at. Index frowned, turning and looking at the bowls as her eyes went wide.
"Ah, you're right."
"Why are you so surprised?!" Kamijou yelled as he pointed at the empty bowls on the tray he had been handed. "Not to mention, you're the one who ate the tempura set in the first place!"
Index now went wide eyed as she looked offended but at the same time averted her gaze, trying not to meet Kamijou's face. She feigned innocence as she felt a sweat come over her and gulped, forming words in a stutter.
"Wh-What are you taking about, Touma? As a pious nun, there is no way I would ever consider eating something someone else paid for, even if it does smell delicious, sparkle with the shine of recently cooked food, has the visual appeal of the Sistine Chapel's great artworks and overall represents the great creation of God that is cuisine! Japan has the concept of innocent until proven guilty does it not? Touma, where is your proof I am the culprit of the heinous crime of eating someone's food?"
"…Get rid of the rice of your cheek before you start saying all of that you airheaded nun. How did you even manage to eat it without anyone noticing in the first place!?"
"Ehhhhhhhhhhh?"
Index cried out as she touched her cheeks with her hands, noticing the damning evidence stuck to her cheek as she pulled it off and stared at it before throwing it onto her mouth. She turned her head once more and started to whistle, her entire body trembling as she sweated and looked away.
"What rice on my cheek, Touma? I-I see no evidence whatsoever of the sort…."
"You just ate it in front of me, Index! Remember what we talked about when it came to eating the customer's food? Repeat back to me exactly what you said." Kamijou said with an annoyed tone and expression. Index seemed to deflate in the presence of the boy, mumbling something underneath her breath.
"What's that? I can't hear you."
"(…never going to eat…not mine)."
"Still can't hear you!"
"Ah, fine! I said I was never going to eat something that was not mine! B-But Touma, you don't understand! I'm handed this wonderful bowl of food and I have to resist the temptation of eating it and instead have to part with it in the process and give it to someone else who is probably not going to finish it? That is too cruel! Think about the effort, the time and the heart felt emotions that go into the cooking of the food, yet others have to waste it away like it means nothing to them. Me eating it is giving the food the proper respect it deserves!"
"You eating it only adds to the bill we have to pay back, you idiot! Do you not realise the nature of what we are doing here and whose fault it is?! You have to treasure the food!"
"How is it my fault that everything in this place is basically five stars? That's treasuring it, right!?"
"It's your fault for not exercising proper self-control!"
Kamijou yelled into the air as he pointed at the empty bowl on the tray and shoved it into Index's face. She grimaced slightly as she turned her head away, Kamijou pointing at the empty bowl with an accusatory finger.
"You need to hand me the food and then I give it to the customers. You're not supposed to eat it! If everyone did that then there would be no such thing as restaurants and food would never reach the customers and their mouths!"
"No…such…thing!?"
Those words were the ones that stabbed into the heart of Index. She seemed to collapse, her entire presence losing its sparkle as she stared open mouthed at Kamijou who looked finally relieved she was getting the issue at the heart of the matter. Her face went white which added to the already light colour and she gulped, nervous sweat coming down her forehead which was from a different source now.
"Yes! I don't get why you are so surprised but yes! If, as workers, we ate the food we were meant to give our customers then would anyone receive food in the first place? Whenever we come here, are our bowls empty because the waitresses eat the food they are supposed to give us? Why am I even saying this to you; it should be obvious!"
Pure despair crossed her face as Index stared at the empty bowl in front of her now. She assessed the situation and she gulped, her mouth wavering as she stared up at Kamijou with that same look in her eyes. Yet there was something else there, the faint sight of resolve that coursed through her entire body.
It looked as though she was ready to take on the world and the expression she made was reflective of a desire to do what was needed in order to ensure everyone was happy.
"Does…Does that mean I have to give the food back? For the sake of continuing the fine creation of the working class and this restaurant is it my role to give back what I have taken from the world?! No, this is more than that! I need to repay the debt threefold! Like Peter who rejected Jesus three times, there is more I need to do to repent for my sins!"
"Wh-What are you sparkling like that for Index?! And what do you mean giving the food back; you already ate it and you can't cook so how in the world are you going to – D-Don't do that in a restaurant, you idiot! Even if you want to take back your sins, throwing up what you already ate is going to make us lose busineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssss!"
The shout came through the air and the frantic action of the boy trying to pull the fingers Index was trying to shove down her throat out of her mouth only made others stare in shock at the lengths the girl was willing to go to fix her mistakes. Even though the end result would probably put them off their meal, the dedication she had one had to feel remarkable at no matter what the situation was at the end of the day.
Yet, when one looked at it from the perspective of Kamijou Touma who was trying to avoid creating a scene and Index that truly felt what she had done was in the wrong, they perhaps had forgotten they were there to create business rather than lose it.
"Touma, I already listened to you, so you don't have to keep an eye out on me the entire time!"
"You say that but what happened to the gyudon set for Table 5!?"
Kamijou Touma and Index bickered back and forth as they stood at the front of the restaurant, holding their trays to attention and waiting for anyone coming into the restaurant to direct them to their seats. Given what happened only moments ago and the prevention of Index forcibly throwing up what she had eaten (even Kamijou was scared what was going to come up if she ever decided to become bulimic) they had been reassigned to only taking orders and only Kamijou delivering them with the assistance of Index.
While many of the other workers were doing the same job, somehow when they looked at the duo trying their hardest and the mistakes they made, it seemed that their own novice mistakes paled in comparison. While they had that comparative thought though, there was one thing that could not be denied.
The both of them were trying their hardest to do what they could to make up for what they had committed as mistakes. While this had all started as them making up their tab, it was clear that both of them were taking this seriously even though Kamijou had started complaining when it had first begun. They had the air of people who knew this was something they had to do, and they owed it to the people they were working for and for that alone, they wanted to ensure they did the very best they could. They held themselves with forced professionalism and only acted as they had seen others move but the way they did it was nothing more than endearing and cute.
But even so, the effort they were putting into their work was true. For someone only doing this to pay back a tab they owed, the way they worked hard at it and at the best of their ability told the story they truly respected and valued what they were doing and who they were doing it for.
For that alone, for the amount of effort the two of them were putting in for the sake of those they owed, the others were working felt a surge of pride fill them and a newfound respect forming for the two hard workers. They saw them in a different light than the way they did before as 'the nun and her misfortune chauffeur'. If anything, looking at both Kamijou and Index provided the workspace with more of energy than the restaurant usually had and for that alone, the atmosphere in the restaurant was electric and filled with positivity.
Kamijou and Index though, oblivious to the positive effect they were having on morale and enthusiasm of the workers, only did what they felt they had to: put in the proper effort to ensure they paid back those they owed. There was a debt that had to be repaid and doing it half-heartedly was rude and dishonest to those who had suffered because of them.
For that alone, Kamijou and Index had the determination and the drive to do this properly and to properly pay back their debt. That was the mark of their determination and they were not going to let anyone else step on it for them and they were going to use it to drive their actions today to pay back what they owed.
No matter what the context was, those two always put their all into something they had to do, especially when it came to helping others because of something they themselves had done. It wasn't saving anyone, and it was their fault this had happened in the first place but as this was their fault, they had the responsibility to do a proper job for the sake of others.
It might have seemed stupid and pitiful and Index and Kamijou may ever do this again, but it was what drove them right here and now.
And they would continue to show that determination and hard work for the sake of repaying the debt for those they had troubled so.
The door to the restaurant opened and instantly, both Index and Kamijou stopped bickering and turned to face who had entered, putting on their biggest smiles as they held out their hands. The butler and maid smiled at the prospective customers, holding out their hands and filling themselves with the knowledge of what they had to do and the greetings they had to give.
While they were dressed pretty fancy, by no means was the restaurant they were in meant for the higher class. Instead, it was more that because they were dressed fancily, the people who entered the restaurant felt they themselves were eating at a fancy restaurant despite the reasonable prices that had a slight mark up for the experience the atmosphere gave. It was meant for the commoners who had never lived in the higher class environment and the restaurant played on the idea that they could lower that high class and bring it to the lower class in such a way that would give them business.
While that was the premise behind it, Kamijou knew that particular people (Aogami Pierce's face came to mind) only came for the maid uniforms despite them being rather modest when it came to the amount of skin they showed. Meant to be sharp, they covered perhaps the same amount of skin as the maid uniform of Tsuchimikado Maika and the same was said for the butler uniform. Overall, in accordance with the presence of the restaurant and feeling of superiority the atmosphere gave to the customers, the same was said for the workers.
In other words, by wearing those uniforms, it gave a heightened impression of those working and made them seem more capable than they actually were.
That though meant that for those who knew the people working there, seeing the 'impression' that filled their eyes and comparing it to the true 'figure' in their minds was sure to cause confusion as they compared to 'heightened presence' to what the people were 'really like'.
It was something like how both Index and Kamijou had treated each other when they saw each other in their new uniforms for the first time or seeing a girl in a swimsuit for the first time; the image that had been presented visually went at odds with how the person usually was and created a small moment of embarrassment and nervousness as they tried to fit the two together.
And that happened once more to the people in front of Kamijou Touma and Index.
"Welcome! Can I direct you to some seats?"
"Welcome! Can I direct you…to some seats?"
Index said those words perfectly and without a hitch even though one of her eyebrows rose at the sight of the customers who entered the restaurant. She did not let it show on her face, but it was Kamijou who paused momentarily as he stared at the people who had walked into the restaurant, feeling nervous and sweating bullets.
The reason?
He recognised one of them.
There were two girls that entered the restaurant. Given this was restaurant meant to appeal to the lower class by appearing to be the higher class, Kamijou had been fairly certain no one he knew would actually enter the restaurant. He had heard Misaka Mikoto state that she hated places that tried to impersonate something they only had heard about and used that basis for the creation of that place, so he was safe from her wrath and being seen by her today.
However, that had created a small mental blind spot he had failed to consider.
Namely that, even if he was protected from one high class girl, that was by no means an indicator he was free from all of them.
Even if Mikoto held one opinion, it was not necessarily shared by everyone in the same vein.
And Kamijou Touma had failed to note that one point and it had led to his downfall.
Kumokawa Seria, wearing casual clothes, stood in front of him.
And despite the calm face Kamijou was making, the small people inside of him were running rampant, banging their heads against the wall and truly, truly wanted to die.
THE girl of his high school was standing right in front of him wearing clothes that were basically criminal in how they accented her perfect body. Basically number one when it came to Aogami's Blue Book of Babes in the genre of 'senpai', the girl in front of him was the perfect example of a senpai and adult like woman in his book; a senpai in her third year in high school and someone who would never look out of place when put with a group of adults.
Of the impressions one got of her, it was said that Kumokawa had her own license, operated her own company, could drink legally despite being underage and could pass for an age in the double digits if she tried even though she was hardly such. She was an adult woman in both appearance and personality but the way she hid her own mischievous side underneath it all was something Kamijou had seen all too often from her.
It wasn't like he was special or anything, she always acted unguarded when it came to their school and its students but despite seeing that mischievous and playful side of her, he still could not get rid of the adult impression he had of her. It showed just how rooted it was in her and perhaps had something to do with the magnificent body she sported.
Currently wearing a long white skirt, the winter weather meant she had chosen to wear a long-sleeved red shirt over it. The fabric was scarily stretching around the chest area and perhaps out of her own personal style, her navel was present. She stared at Kamijou with a grin on her face as she regarded him before turning and looking at the girl beside her.
"I wanted to revel in this by myself…but at the same time I figured this would be enough to stop any tension between us. I'll assume from your expression that our truce is in effect until we leave the restaurant. I'll be asking for my payment at a later date."
Her eyes danced playfully as she said that. Kamijou turned his gaze to look at the other girl next to her, someone who had just a fine body as Kumokawa. Perhaps it was cheap to say that about a girl he had just met but he figured that anyone looking at the same girl would have had the same impression of her.
But even so, there was a very basic problem with the girl in front of him right now.
(This girl…is she even in middle school?)
The girl in front of him was wearing the winter uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School. He could not tell what year she was in but from the uniform alone, she was clearly in middle school but her physical appearance betrayed that image entirely.
Namely, the large chest she had that seemed almost rivalling that of Kumokawa Seria and Fukiyose Seiri.
Her hair was honey blonde, and, in her eyes, stars seemed to dance with a bright light. Her mouth was open as she stared at the boy in the butler's uniform as if assessing him for some reason and she held a handbag close to her. She was reaching inside of it for something Kamijou could not see but the girl herself seemed distracted as she stared at Kamijou, the boy lightly frowning internally.
(Does she know me? …I get the feeling I'm missing something despite never seeing her before.)
Kamijou said nothing on the matter though as he merely straightened, staring at the two girls looking at him either amused (for Kumokawa) or surprised (for the mystery girl). Unsure how to approach this situation, whether it be to greet Kumokawa or to act as if they barely knew each other since he was working, Kamijou gulped. Torn between the two options and overthinking the consequences of each of them, Index next to him took up the slack, smiling perfectly as she looked at both girls.
"Is it just the two of you today, miss?" Index asked perfectly despite having seen Kumokawa in the school grounds of A Certain High School. The girl turned to Index with a smile as she recognised the girl as well.
"Hello to you too. How are you doing? I have no idea how you managed to get in this situation but if you were spending time with my cute kouhai over here, then I have an inkling of an idea of how it happened. Even so, I imagine it would be an amusing tale if told." Kumokawa said perfectly, leaving Index to pout in response.
"A lot of things happened… But are you eating here today?" Index asked without diverting the topic leaving Kumokawa standing there with a smile on her face and nodding.
"Table for two please."
"Right this way!" Index once again smiled and held her hand out, Kamijou making silent praises in his heart for the fact that Index was here and did not get caught up in the pace of Kumokawa. Silently, he made a vow to give Index a magnificent feast that fit in his budget as a reward for dinner and as thanks for helping him out here. For now, he gave silent thumbs up at the girl who replied with it with two blinks, a gesture of recognition of the action.
They were close enough after all to note those small signals between them and identify the meaning behind them instantly. It was perhaps the bond that existed between them that was rarely found elsewhere that separated them from other people and how they interacted. It was something to be treasured and the both of them placed immense value on it themselves and would never give it up for the world.
Yet despite that silent response, voices filled the air, whispers Kamijou picked up.
"(H-Hey isn't that…?)"
"(It is! W-What in the world is the #5 doing here?!)"
"(Did we enter some kind of actual high class restaurant?)"
(…The #5!? A-As in Mental Out?!)
Kamijou had that mental thought as he stared at the other mystery girl using process of elimination. She was still staring at him in an odd way that put Kamijou on edge and he gulped, feeling his entire body break out into a sweat. Nothing ever good happened to him in the presence of the Level 5s and while it was unfair to assume the same of this girl, repeated experiences carved into his body gave Kamijou a strange nervousness.
Kamijou himself was sure he had heard the name of the girl somewhere, but nothing actually came to mind. Thinking about it hard, a slight headache came to form as he tried to remember it but that small pain immediately made him drop the issue. Thinking about it too hard would drop his efficiency in his work and that in itself would be disastrous given what he was here for.
Kumokawa and the #5 (how did those two know each other?!) stared to walk away, leaving Kamijou at the front with a sigh as Index directed them to their seats. Perfectly she gave them a menu and said they only had to call her when they needed their orders taken, bowing deeply and walking back to the front, looking around the area for anyone missed that the other workers had not addressed.
Seeing there was no one, she rightly retook her favourite place; by the side of Kamijou Touma. Seeing Kamijou was stiff, she tilted her head and stared at him.
"(Is something wrong Touma?)"
"(Not so much wrong… I just didn't expect Kumokawa-senpai to be here of all places.)"
"(Well, we come here often so it's not that surprising we'd see someone else we know, right?)"
"(I suppose so… It's more like since I was only going to be doing this one day I didn't really want anyone I knew seeing me here. Such misfortune. …At least I can be thankful for the fact it's not Tsuchimikado or Aogami.)" Kamijou sighed under his breath, leaving Index looking worried for the boy.
"(It can't be that bad right? At your school, she's fairly nice to me.)" whispered Index in a diplomatic tone.
"(It's not so much she's a bad person but rather…)"
"Excuse me!"
A shout came over the top of the whispering in the restaurant. Everyone (even the customers) turned their heads over to where it had come from; the table that had everyone's attention. Kumokawa Seria had her hand up and the #5 (was it really the #5? Suddenly Kamijou found himself unsure of that point) was staring over at where Index was with a smile, as if calling her specifically over here. Kamijou stiffened slightly and Index stared at him.
In an act of wanting to not place unneeded pressure on the boy, Index took action. Her kindness took hold as she smiled, rising to the occasion and walking over to the table where Kumokawa and the #5 were, both of who seemed rather annoyed at such. Still the both of them kept their cool as Kumokawa pointed at the menu and in an effort that was probably to dislodge the thought processes of Index, she asked the girl what exactly was in each dish.
What she didn't expect was Index's perfect memory.
Expertly and in a professional manner, Index started listing off what was inside each of the dishes, even to the exact amount involved when Kumokawa asked for it. Something only the chef could know, her obsession with food had meant she had watched the chef cooking the meals in her spare time and her inability to filter anything out of her mind when she saw it meant she perfectly remembered what was inside each of the dishes Kumokawa pointed at.
Kumokawa and the honey blonde girl seemed surprised at how she perfectly remembered each and every detail, Kamijou silently impressed at how she was holding herself and making a small note to praise the girl for handling the situation perfectly. Everyone was silent inside the restaurant as they stared impressed, even the chef in the kitchen who was making the meals staring in awe.
Still, for whatever reason, Kumokawa was not done as she opened her mouth once more to speak.
"H-How about the advances made in District 4? Are any of the ingredients you listed in any way related to the ingredients sourced from District 4? Such as genetically advanced crops and hormone injected meats?"
"E-Excuse me?"
Kumokawa spoke expertly of something only found on the Science side to the Magic side expert that was Index and the girl only blinked once, the façade she had put up around herself cracking. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of something to say but the fact she had paused when she previously had not was her downfall.
And it was all that needed for the two demons sitting at the table to take hold and commence their attack.
"Oh yes, absolutely. The considerations of whether the ingredients have been sourced from District 4 is something that has to be known. We might say that food has natural flavours but there have been many experiments done on the nature of fibre related food in order to make you feel fuller for longer. For instance, how do we know this restaurant has not saturated their menu with low fibre ingredients to make us feel less full and thus takes less time to digest?"
Kumokawa Seria said expertly as she listed off science terminology like it was nobody's business. Index went wide eyed and pale as she tilted her head, trying to focus on what was being said.
"F-Fibre?"
"There is something else that has to be noted as well, am I not right?" Kumokawa asked the girl across from her. The girl in her Tokiwadai Middle School uniform nodded and smiled pleasantly.
She opened her mouth and…
"There is also the issue of the concept of the psychology of the menu. If we take everything here by chance, how can we truly say anything here is truly high class? After all, looking at the proper layout and taking into account the Theory of Needs proposed regarding the overall state of the human body and the food pyramid which marginalises and separates the necessity food groups based on how they affect the human body and what constitutes them, how can we say what is on this menu actually comes to represent the truth of what is inside them? You've given us a comprehensive list of the ingredients but the food pyramid separates things based on nutrition ability and the typical servings but that also depends on what is inside the food themselves. If they have been altered in any way because of things such as freeze drying or altering the carbohydrates can we really say the list of ingredients you gave correctly represents what is inside the food?"
"Toumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"I should have guessed that would have been your reaction, but you hardly even lasted five minutes!"
Kamijou yelled into the air as Index turned and fled the terminology being thrown at her she did not understand. Tears were in her eyes and Kamijou sighed, passing by her as he patted her lightly on the head before reaching the table with the demons on it while Index sniffled. She was comforted by one of the other workers who looked at her with pity as the two of them looked over at Kamijou who was being made to deal with the two girls.
He gulped, trying to swat away the sweat forming on his body as he held his body straight, smiling as best he could as he looked at the two girls. Both Kumokawa Seria and the mystery girl smiled at him, however, Kamijou noted she had taken a napkin and placed it on her rather sizable chest, writing a name there in a pen probably in her handbag.
'Shokuhou Misaki'.
Kamijou had no idea why she would write her name down, but it served as a proper reference point for dealing with the two trouble makers.
"So? How may I help you?" Kamijou asked in a monotone. Kumokawa stared back at the boy, eyeing him up and down. 'Shokuhou' was doing the same as both of the girls' eyes sparkled with interest and pleasure. Kamijou wanted to escape right then and there but stood straight, asking his question.
"Oh? Is that how you treat customers in this day and age? This is going on your performance evaluation sheet." Kumokawa said with a grin as Kamijou sighed.
"It's more meeting the nature of the customer and conforming to how they are acting, Kumokawa-senpai. Well, what do you want?" Kamijou asked as he stared at the girl.
Kumokawa looked offended as she placed a hand to her chest.
"Why, what possibly could you mean? I'm just here to enjoy a meal with a comrade in arms and to enjoy the overall atmosphere of this fine dining facility. I am just inquiring to one of the staff here what would be the best thing to eat in this establishment."
"Comrade…in arms?"
Kamijou turned to the honey blonde girl across from Kumokawa; Shokuhou Misaki. She placed her hands on the table and smiled purely, the fascination and interest in her eyes having never faded. Kamijou gulped, wondering what kind of connection she had with Kumokawa, however, only scratched the back of his head.
"Well as long as you don't cause any trouble, it's fine. Have you thought of anything to order? I might suggest having the tempura set…assuming it's not eaten beforehand."
"Eaten?" asked Shokuhou, speaking up for the first time and tilting her head. Kamijou waved a hand with an expression that said, 'It's a long story' and she left it at that.
"The tempura set seems rather plain." Shokuhou said, now taking the opportunity to look at the menu in front of her. "After all, it only comes with side dishes of miso soup and rice? Are you guys even making profit ability?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm not getting paid."
"Is that so?" Shokuhou's eyes sparkled as she did the unthinkable; moving over to make room next to her as she patted where she previously sat with her hand. "Then I'm sure you can take the time to entertain us fine ladies."
"…What?"
"Oh yes! What a novel idea! As expected of my comrade. In. Arms." There was a banging underneath the table as Shokuhou winced and Kamijou was certain Kumokawa had kicked her but for fear of what would happen if he said that out loud, he kept silent. Instead, he stared at the spot where Shokuhou had put her hand on, once more feeling that heavy sweat coming down him as they both stared at each other.
"A-Actually I think this isn't such a good idea. I'm happy helping you and Kumokawa-senpai order but sitting down to do it is just a bit much."
"Is there something wrong with me?" Shokuhou asked innocently, her eyes fluttering a bit as she did her best to look completely harmless. This in itself only resulted in numerous thoughts of "Yes!" shooting through Kamijou's head given what he knew of the Level 5s and how they treated him, however, unwilling to face the wrath of another one if he said that out loud, he averted his gaze.
"W-Well no…."
"Perfect! Now if you could help me choose my order, I'm having a bit of trouble choosing between the five tempura sets you suggested." Shokuhou said that innocently, however, the action she did next was far from it.
She merely approached Kamijou and grabbed his arm.
Instantly, a chill filled the air and Kamijou froze on the spot, feeling as though the entire restaurant had suddenly dropped a few degrees from that one action. With fear in his eyes and a trembling filling his body, he slowly edged his eyes behind him.
And he saw it.
Hell itself had opened up.
Index's eyes were shining with a beast like glare and he could have sworn her teeth shone with a dangerous light, the light making the restaurant sparkle and illuminating her sharp teeth. Even though she was cute in a maid uniform, no matter where in the world she was, her biting attack was fearsome no matter what she wore and for this alone, Kamijou trembled. The co-worker that had previously been comforting her suddenly looked as though she wanted to flee far away given how Index was acting but like a small animal that froze up in the face of danger, she was stuck to the spot, unsure of what to do.
And that was only one of the demons filling hell.
Numerous eyes from the males inside the restaurant glared at Kamijou in such a way he felt deep fear. He could identify the feeling and emotion behind it; jealousy and he understood why it was the case. After all, regardless of who Shokuhou Misaki was, she was, to put it bluntly, beautiful. Her figure, her face and her overall appearance was similar to an angel and that angel had just grabbed another boy, who had just been doing his job, by the arm.
Naturally on a normal occasion, that would have had nothing to it, however, where she had grabbed him meant that it was only natural that her plentiful breasts pressed against Kamijou's arm. And they did so, eliciting a fierce blush to come to Kamijou's face as he felt the pressure of the breasts on his arm.
If she had been a little bit flat chested, he was sure there would have been no problem and he would have felt nothing but given the body of the girl next to him (which definitely did not belong in middle school) he had a hard time disassociating her with someone in his strike zone; an older woman.
There was a light in Shokuhou's eyes as she grabbed Kamijou but for some reason, it seemed distant as if she were looking at Kamijou in a way that suggested familiarity but also parting. The look she was giving him was something someone might give their childhood friend who did not remember them at all after being apart for so long but why she was giving him that look was beyond Kamijou.
Apart from that, as Shokuhou diverted her gaze to Kumokawa, the cheeky glare in her eyes made the 'Beauty-senpai' twitch. She smiled, however, it was clearly strained as she folded her arms in displeasure, thus pushing up her large breasts.
Kamijou felt his entire mind going between the options and noting the cold atmosphere in the restaurant, unable to do anything except go along with the flow of things as Shokuhou placed him down next to her. A fierce sweat had broken out over him as a result of the strained environment and despite the work uniform he was wearing being loose, he suddenly felt it to be too tight for words.
"So? Kamijou-san, which of these five tempura sets is the best one in your opinion?"
(Kamijou-san? Did I ever tell this girl my name? I'm not wearing a name tag either…)
Kamijou had that lone thought, however, the pressure of the girl holding him in place seemed awfully strong. He gulped, unable to react and only wishing in his heart he could sort things out smoothly with both Kumokawa and Shokuhou and get them to leave him and the restaurant in peace and satisfied with their meal.
Yes!
And this had nothing to do with ensuring his survival from the rapid beast wearing the maid uniform over near the entrance! It had nothing to do with her who had just looked at one of the new customers and scared them away! Nothing at all!
"Wh-Which one? Well it would depend on what you're looking for when it comes to lunch." Kamijou stuttered at first but as he realised this was technically to pay off a debt, he straightened up and focused on doing his job despite the girl sitting awfully close to him and no longer holding his arm.
"At their core though, they are all tempura sets, am I correct?" asked Kumokawa as she leaned forward, grabbing her collar and moving it up and down to air out her chest. The cheeky smile on her face told the story that she knew exactly how Kamijou would react to such and that she was merely playing with him so the expected reaction of him clearing his throat and averting his gaze only made the grin on her face increase.
There was an impact under the table that made Kumokawa visibly wince and she glared at Shokuhou who was tilting her head cutely. This was followed by another impact as Shokuhou winced in turn, the girl maintaining her smile as the two girls stared at each other with sparks flying through the air.
(This is bad. I have no idea why the two of them are fighting but this is extremely very not good!)
Kamijou had that thought as he stared at the two girls who were sending icy glares to each other as he, as the gentleman he was, attempted to intervene and focus the conversation back to where it had once been.
"Well yes, they are tempura sets at their core Senpai. But the sets also come with their own particular side dishes. Look at Set A; it has miso soup, making it the standard. Set B though comes with a small pack of gyoza. Set C with edamame, Set D with caviar and finally the most expensive Set E with deep fried fish that serve as an accompaniment for the tempura." Kamijou explained. [1]
"Wait, the caviar is less expensive as a side dish than the deep fried fish?" asked Shokuhou curiously.
"From what I heard, the fish is pretty expensive compared to the caviar, but I have no idea where they source them from. Maybe the caviar is sourced inside Academy City and the fish from outside the City? Who knows?" Kamijou shrugged as he made his honest assessment.
"Beverages?"
"We serve complementary water Senpai but there is also a drink bar you can order from which comes free. There usually no line but as it's lunch…" Kamijou trailed off as he turned his head to look at said drink bar, noting there were several people in line, all of them looking at the girls who had entered the restaurant and the boy at the table and thus not getting drinks.
His nervousness increased as he suddenly felt like he was a small animal that had been thrown into an animal enclosure with two ferocious beasts fighting for their prey and the customers being the spectators to see who would eat him first.
Still, he turned his gaze forward and maintained a business-like smile that said nothing of his anxiety and the feeling he was getting that nothing would end up going well for him.
"Hmm… Well then, I'll have Set A." Kumokawa said that plainly and without a care as she leaned her shoulder on the table and held her cheek in her hand as she leaned against it.
"Huh?"
"Set A, Kouhai-chan. I'm ordering Set A."
"Ah! R-Right, Set A…" Kamijou reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small notepad with a pen attached, noting down the order Kumokawa wanted. "Did you want the standard size or the large?"
"Standard."
"Any drinks?"
"If you could please get me water, it would be much appreciated."
"Flavourings for the miso?"
"None. I didn't realise you did different flavourings though, so it might be interesting to try them out when I come here again. Oh, I'm not too hungry today so giving me two pieces of tempura instead of the three would be fine."
"Got it. Standard Set A with standard miso soup with standard water and only two pieces of tempura. Standard is good. Standard is good." Kamijou said those words in a slight mantra as he nodded, while penning down the order Kumokawa wanted. Shokuhou next to him looked at Kumokawa with a suspicious gaze whom she returned with a mischievous look in her eyes. Shokuhou frowned in response.
However, it seemed Kumokawa had yet to finish her order as she spoke up once more, that light still in her eyes.
"Oh, and order two more."
"Three Set As. Wait, three?" Kamijou looked up as he was writing down what Kumokawa had ordered, the girl nodding as she pointed to herself.
"One," She changed her finger and pointed at Shokuhou, "Two," She changed the direction of her finger and now pointed at Kamijou who went wide eyed. "Three."
"W-Wait a minute, Kumokawa-senpai. You're ordering for yourself and your friend, not for me. I've got my own lunch break at a later stage."
"Manager! Is it alright if this lovely waiter has an early lunch break to share with us?"
Shokuhou was the one who spoke out loud in the restaurant and from the kitchen, a head poked out, and the manager revealing his face for everyone to see. He seemed different somehow, his posture more straight and his eyes sparkling with what looked to be stars…just like the girl sitting next to Kamijou although he was sure it was his imagination.
And the man answered, sending the guillotine down on the boy who truly wanted to have a peaceful time working to pay off a debt that wasn't even his.
"Sure thing. Go to town and enjoy your lunch break."
"M-Manager-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!?"
Kamijou cried out loud as he heard the chuckling Kumokawa and the grin clearly on Shokuhou's face filling the air. And was that grinding of teeth in the background as well!? It was his imagination, right?!
Kamijou turned his head to look at Kumokawa, seeing she had a perfect smile on her face that suggested she was nothing more than an innocent party to all of this but the time he had spent knowing her told Kamijou it was when she played innocent she was the most suspicious. He had no idea how she had done it, but this Beauty-senpai had managed to get the Manager in the palm of her hand with surprising ease.
Once more, the fearsome ability of the girl to pull things along with her own pace was frightening and Kamijou once more found himself being pulled along without consent. If anything, the way the girl did as she liked and managed to get away with it Kamijou didn't mind but with his penchant for misfortune, whenever she involved him, there was just a nervousness he could never get rid of.
That was the reason why he found it hard to deal with her in her own way despite him knowing she was a good person. He realised it was nothing but a selfish ideal and felt disgusted with himself because of it but it was true thoughts when it came to being pulled along by the girl.
Realising there was nothing he could do about this in any way given the Manager had signed his death certificate, the boy frantically tried to turn this in a direction where he could at least follow what was going on.
"I-If that's the case then I would pass on the tempura Set A." Kamijou said, following slowly his own thoughts and getting them back on track.
"Oh? Then what will you order, Kamijou-san?" Shokuhou said that and Kamijou felt the same 'air' around her that was around Kumokawa, only adding to desperation to get things in order in his mind and back on track.
"The tonkatsu Set B." [2]
"Make that three."
"Y-You want to eat a tonkatsu Set B as well as a tempura Set A?!"
Kamijou shouted out in surprise upon seeing Shokuhou say that easily as if she didn't even think about it too hard. Was she another Index or Meigo Arisa with their monstrous appetites?!
"Ah, no. Perhaps I was lacking comprehension ability. I meant to say, I will have what you are having. Thus, I won't be having the Set A. I imagine 'she' will also be doing the same?" Shokuhou asked Kumokawa to which she nodded, Kamijou blinking confused for a moment.
"W-Well if that's what you want. But if that's the case, I may as well change my order to…the ramen Set C?"
"Make that three."
"Are you guys even here to eat the food?! Choose your own!"
Kamijou yelled into the air while looking at the two girls, both grinning like children. The innocence of their smiles was true as they both looked at the boy, no malice inside of them and only enjoyment of Kamijou and how he was reacting to the events being placed in front of him.
Shokuhou Misaki giggled, a symphony of bell like sounds coming from her mouth that told how much fun she was having sitting next to the boy and merely talking. Why she was having so much fun when this was nothing but a single restaurant and he was nothing but a conscripted waiter was beyond Kamijou but the way she laughed told him she was truly having fun despite it all.
And Kumokawa Seria across from him merely looked at him with kind eyes, the gaze she was directing at him telling him she was also truly enjoying this but not in the way she usually did when she messed with people. It was a more basic enjoyment, one she had when she was truly having fun and right now, that fun was merely being in the same situation as Kamijou and seeing how he was reacting and responding to what she said.
Seeing the both of them acting like they were, acting as if they were truly happy spending time with him and making no attempts to hide it despite it being through messing with him made him feel complicated. It wasn't exactly a kindness with the way they were messing with him, but the end result and their happiness was something Kamijou was more than happy to see. He didn't want to see it end for either of them but at the same time given that they were finding enjoyment as a result of him gave him conflicting feelings on the matter.
In the end, the only thing he did was sighing and put his head on the table, angling it so that he looked at the two girls.
"So? What are you ordering then?"
"We'll leave it up to you."
"We'll leave it up to you."
"So in the end you really weren't here to order food were you!? If you were, you would have already decided instead of leaving it up to me!"
"Ehhh? But Kamijou-san, there's so much variety ability."
"It's called expansion of choice, you golden girl!"
"Besides, I trust your judgment as your senpai."
"Fine. A tempura Set A."
"Make that three."
"Make that three."
"In the end, you're just after what I want!?"
"Stop that damn flirting already!"
The restaurant erupted with that shout. All the customers and the staff yelled at the top of their lungs. Kamijou jumped while both Shokuhou and Kumokawa sighed, looking at all the angry and jealous faces of those in the restaurant and made to watch what Kamijou was being made a part with displeased eyes.
It seemed the guys in the restaurant had been unable to withhold their jealousy any longer as they had erupted and while it was clear that both of the girls had something they wanted to say and do (evident in the way Kumokawa grinned sadistically and how Shokuhou reached for her bag), the flustered Kamijou restricted their actions.
Knowing him, if he sensed something was wrong, he would take action almost immediately so to prevent that, staying and lying low was perhaps the best thing to do for them now.
Kamijou had question marks all over his head as he clearly was confused about which part of what he was doing had been flirting before a shout from the kitchen attracted his attention.
"Three tempura Set As!"
"A-Already? That was quick!" Kamijou said surprised as he focused his attention on what needed it.
"Also three tonkatsu Set Bs and three ramen Set Cs!"
"Who's paying for that? I'm not doing it!" Kamijou yelled into the air as Kumokawa stared at him with an expectation in her eyes.
"Aren't you the gentleman? And since technically we're feeding you as well, isn't it your role to pay for us and yourself?"
"This is the worrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrst!"
Kamijou yelled into the air and fell to his knees, struggling to hold back the tears beginning to rise in his eyes. Given he had actually run out of funds and thus had no money on him whatsoever, him working here was a way to pay off the debt he had accumulated. But, if he was being made to pay for all these different sets which in turn would add to the bill he could not pay then…?!
"I-I have to come back and keep on paying the debt!?"
Kamijou realised the core of the issue, turning back and seeing both Kumokawa and Shokuhou were staring at him with cute gazes that suggested they had done nothing wrong. But if he remembered what Kumokawa had said when she entered the restaurant, she had said that she wanted to 'revel in this'.
Meaning she had no desire to eat the food in the first place! In fact, the only thing she had actually paid any attention to was him. Taking that and putting it together with what she had said, that meant that the only reason she was here was – !
To watch him in a butler uniform and work for a restaurant as debt!?
And if she were to extend that in any way she could, that meant she would have the chance to experience Kamijou working as an unpaid part time worker for as long as his debt was extended.
Or, if one looked at it another way….
Kumokawa Seria would have able to experience personal service from someone she had an interest in, namely one Kamijou Touma.
Kamijou was too focused on his misfortune to ever think that far into the issue, however, the only thing he saw right now was the victorious smile of Kumokawa Seria as she stared at him on the ground and truly looked at him with an expression both a mixture of pity and amusement although Kamijou felt it was more of the latter.
He had no way out of this.
No comprehensible way out of this that would end well for him.
Desperate for an answer, he turned to Index who was still grinding her teeth and yelled out to her.
"Index, you were watching that medical documentary the other day! How much did they say kidneys sell for nowadays? I have two, so I can get by without one, right?!"
Both Kumokawa and Shokuhou stared at the boy that made an outrageous suggestion, noting there was one thing he was saying that made their hearts flutter a small bit.
There was one way out of this that was obvious from the start.
And that was Kamijou Touma did not have to pay anything for the food they had ordered themselves.
However, here he was, making an outrageous suggestion on the assumption he was going to pay for their food anyway. Whether it be misfortune or whatever else that led him to making that assumption, Kamijou Touma truly felt it was his responsibility to pay for the girls also ordering food with his own that technically should have been free for his lunch break.
While Shokuhou had caught on to Kumokawa's plan about extending Kamijou's debt so that she could continue to get personal service from him as a waiter, the fact that this was a situation he could get out of easily yet never thought to made her smile as she watched the boy in a panic.
Even now, he was ever the gentleman.
Always giving and never taking.
Always helping and never stopping.
Always complaining but going through with it in the end.
He was by no means perfect in any way. He complained endlessly about the things he got up to and he feared everything that happened to him but even through that, he was the one who endured everything he was put into and did his best to save everyone in the end after everything he feared and complained about.
Even now, even after everything, he was still the same.
Even now, he was still Kamijou Touma.
And the fact that he was still such made Shokuhou Misaki and Kumokawa Seria smile as they watched the boy in front of them conclude that donating his kidney to pay off his debt would not work twice. The reasoning behind such though was a bit strange but it only made them think he was truly, truly the same person he was before.
He was still the person they had first met.
And that person was the one they –
Kamijou grumbled as he grabbed the trays located near the kitchen and carried them towards the table and to the girls who had their own light flushes of red on their cheeks entirely unnoticed by the boy who had taken it upon himself as a gentleman to pay for the ladies' meals.
He managed to place the trays expertly on the table, sighing to himself as he did so, both girls putting their hands up and asking for the same thing: water.
Kamijou felt like a slave as he did as was asked, getting the two glasses of water and walking back to table with them in hand.
And then it happened.
The newly polished floor that shone like the sun and reflected the lights in the restaurant made Kamijou lose his footing only slightly. He tried to correct himself, surprised that of all people he managed to slip on the floor given how many times this had happened to him, so he knew exactly what was going to happen if he did not manage to catch himself.
Slip, spilling what he was holding, landing on both Kumokawa and Shokuhou, cute shouts of kyah followed by a beating!
He knew this sort of event was going to happen so Kamijou's entire core rotated to keep himself balanced as he slipped on the floor.
Yet even then, his misfortune seemed to never end.
The movement Kamijou made meant that he essentially had to throw himself forward, chucking the water inside the glasses forward as the liquid flew through the air. Both Kumokawa and Shokuhou went wide eyed as they saw the water fly through the air towards them while Kamijou himself did not notice, focusing entirely on keeping his balance.
He spun but even then, everyone watched as the water flew and hit its targets perfectly. Both Kumokawa and Shokuhou let out cries of surprise as the water soaked through not just their faces and hair but also their clothes and everything underneath.
They sat in silence as Kamijou spun around, standing on the floor in a perfect stance as he managed to catch himself from falling, eyes sparkling as he realised he had managed to prevent the worst from happening even though he was facing the wrong way. Cheering at the small victory within himself as he did not fall, he proudly straightened himself out, grinning and nodding to himself and turned around –
Only to go white in the face.
He opened his mouth wide as he saw both girls soaked to the bone. It wasn't that the glasses were full of water but the water that had struck their face now flowed down their bodies and further soaked their garments. Even for the fashion they were wearing, the water caused the clothes to stick to their skin and accentuate the underwear contained within, causing Kamijou to add red to the white of his face.
The food he had brought was soaked as well and essentially ruined, the entire restaurant falling into silence.
Shokuhou Misaki was the one who reacted first, grabbing at her soaked top and pulling it away from her. The vague spider web pattern (did that even cover the important bits!?) disappeared as she pulled the cloth away from her, but it was clear in her red face she was more than embarrassed and looked about ready to die.
She reached for something within her handbag next to her and Kamijou flinched, however, it was Kumokawa Seria who reacted differently.
She merely looked down at her body, noting how wet it was before grinning. No embarrassment was shown on her face as she seductively wiped some of the water trailing down her thigh and placed it in her mouth, licking her lips as she tasted it.
Immediately, red faces erupted throughout the restaurant at the actions of Lewd-senpai, however, the only thing she did was open her mouth once more and speak.
"Oh. You made me wet."
Kumokawa grinned and Shokuhou froze, the implications of what Kumokawa had said although in a different context hitting her hard and making her face even redder. Many people in the restaurant did the same thing, the silence almost killing Kamijou where he stood on the spot.
Panic set into his mind as a possible interpretation of what Kumokawa had said to him hitting him full force and making his entire face red. However, he was too stunned to even react as he stood there with a blank gaze on his face, his mouth moving but nothing coming out.
No one said anything as they were all too embarrassed given what Kumokawa had said, their focus turning away from her wet body and more turning to what she had said. It was perfect for her given it meant that no one was ogling her anymore as they focused on what she said instead of her body but it came at the expense of the person who had caused her state in the first place.
Kamijou Touma said nothing, only blankly looking into space as he tried to register what Kumokawa had said and finding he could not deny what she had said at all given that he had literally made her wet. The possible interpretation of what she said filled his mind and made him gulp as he heard a footstep right next to him.
"Touma."
He should have expected this.
Still caught in Kumokawa's trap, the boy slowly turned his head and gulped.
"N-Now Index. I-If we look at what happened, we can clearly see that this wasn't entirely my fault right? And I'm sure that while I did made Kumokawa-senpai wet, I didn't make her wet…i-if you know what I mean."
There was a slump as if someone had collapsed to the ground after fainting but Kamijou did not pay any mind to it. Instead, he only focused on the maid in front of him and her dangerous teeth that sparkled.
"You told me to treasure food. …And that's all you have to say after what you did?"
"Huh?"
Kamijou blinked in utter confusion before realising what she meant. He turned his gaze to the table and to the food on it; the food utterly soaked and thus had been ruined in its entirety. Sure, there was the chance one would be able to eat it anyway despite the state it was in but given what Kamijou had said about 'treasuring food' what he had done to it now was utterly sacrilege.
But why was the food focused on?!
Oh wait, he forgot.
This was Index.
"H-Hang on there, Index! It was an accident! An unfortunate accident!"
"He also made me wet."
"Senpai, sorry for my disrespect but shut the hell up! Let me defuse this situation calmly and efficiently so that the number of casualties can be zero!"
"Touma. You even ordered 9 sets. And you're not going to finish them all are you? Yet you think you can berate me for having just one which I finished as well?!" Index said with a glow in her eyes that reminded Kamijou of the demon lord. He gulped and backed away.
"I wasn't the one who ordered them in the first place!"
"And now you're even trying to avoid responsibility when I offered to throw up for my sins?! Toumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"I'm glad you're not angry about the wet thing but I think this is actually nothing but an over re – Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?! Such misfortuneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
The sound of teeth chomping something hard filled the air and the boy and the girl collapsed onto the ground, Kamijou Touma rolling around in his butler uniform as Index in her maid uniform was thrown side to side but never let go. The observers that were Shokuhou Misaki and Kumokawa Seria as well as the rest of the restaurant stared in wonder and confusion at the flow of events, unable to chain them together properly in their minds.
Even if there was something wrong with the picture of both Kamijou Touma and Index working though, the scene playing out now definitely was reminiscent of something they did and seemed 'normal' to them as a result.
But even if that was the case and even if despite the change of scenery nothing changed, there was one thing that was clear.
Kamijou Touma doubted he would ever yell at someone for tripping and spilling food on him at a restaurant after what happened at his part time job.
[1] Gyoza is pretty standard here: mainly dumplings. There is a slight difference but for simplicity's sake just think of them as dumplings. Edamame though are beans that can be flavoured in a number of different ways and are usually served plain.
[2] Tonkatsu is something similar to tempura in that it is deep fried, however, while tempura is mainly fish and vegetables, tonkatsu is more like deep fried pork and actual meat. Think of like a pork fillet that is crumbed and that is tonkatsu.
So? What did you think?
This started fairly simple but then I decided I should have delved it into levels. For Touma and Index, the first 'level' that started was that of serving food where Index ate it before it was actually delivered. That was actually the initial idea and I was just going to stop it there but then my head sort of went "What if I introduced some more characters and showed some more 'levels' that can be worked on?" It was sort of a question over length vs. enjoyment so I sort of killed the length and went for the enjoyment.
I hope that you enjoyed it then!
As you can tell, and I already noted, the first 'level' was that of Index and Touma delivering the food to the customers or rather the fact that it would never be delivered. Given who Index is and her love for food, the only thing I could imagine her doing was eating it before it was ever delivered and having to listen to Touma's lectures. The throwing up scene that followed (well it almost happened) then was her way of repentance but the thought of it is sort of off putting right?
The second 'level' though was taking orders. And who better to introduce than the expert psychologists that are Seria and Misaki!? They were entirely trolls for this chapter and I hope that despite it you guys liked how the entire thing went. How they just want to see Touma and appreciate what he is doing while also having a good time at his expense was the heart of that small bit there and as both of those girls smiled, I hope you did as well. It was something I just felt that I had to do with Touma and a feel good mood with two girls that just want to spend time with him.
Did you feel that the entire scene with them taking the orders was nothing but flirting though? I hope that I got that feeling across.
In addition to that scene, I hope that you laughed when it was Seria and Misaki that appeared. Then I hope that you smiled and thought to yourself "I have a feeling where this is going." In this respect I hope that you found yourself pleased with how it all went at the end.
And the final 'level' was that of actually taking the order rather than delivering it. We've seen that Touma always manages to get food thrown at him when he is ordering at restaurants so I wanted him to experience that feeling of tripping for himself. And while he managed a 'save' in the end, I knew that I had to take it somewhere and give Touma some misfortune. Were you surprised with how Seria diverted the attention away from her body and to her words? Misaki did something similar in NT 11 at the swimming pool so it felt putting in that scene with her here.
Still I hope that you enjoyed it for all it was worth. As you can clearly see, the words 'Touma and Index' and 'part time job' should send off numerous warning bells in your mind so I hope that all of those were met and that you came out of this feeling good, somewhat happy and just glad to see those two idiots messing around.
And as always,
Review if you please.
And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.
To think. The poor guy has to do another day of this because of those two psychologists.
