Day 6 Week 1 - Saturday – Tokyo Mi

Tokyo, and the lab Mikoto came to at least once a month. It was a cool morning, and thankfully it was heated. She was standing naked, no clothes would survive what she was about to do, in a metal lined room the size of a small gymnasium. Walls of copper, then aluminium, and finally all supported on a steel framework. The earths for this lab could take a discharge of over two billion volts when built, and recently needed upgrading when she'd blown them out. The manager of the lab didn't know whether to cry or rejoice when she'd done that.

Today the lab was cleared for her. She passed the impulse voltage test set, and the AC withstand voltage test set on the way into the lab. State of the art equipment she left for dust in this room designed for her.

No cameras but this university high voltage electrical lab was instrumented to the hilt. Today in the corner was some Japanese Self-Defence Force electronics. Her job was to find the voltage that would destroy the supposedly indestructible. In return she had this room to play with for an hour where she could use her full power without restriction. Without this room her power would decline. With this room she was over twice as strong as ten years ago.

The first task was destroying the military computer. It lasted up to half a billion volts before it began smoking. No need to shatter it or burst it into flames, as that would impact her personal time in the room. A wave of her hand and a door opened in the side of the room, A flick of her hand and the computer was outside, and she slammed the door shut. Playtime for 55 minutes.

Mikoto closed her eyes as she charged herself up to full power. The whole of her skin was covered in an electric haze, and when she opened her eyes, they were the only part of her to pierce that white swirling cloud that had vortexes which were disturbed by each step she took into the centre of the room. By thirty she'd be able to reach the same 5.1 form as at the Daihasei, but all on her own. She was confident of that. This room was the key.

A discharge and the walls of the room were charged negative, but so was she, and she floated upward. A lightning discharge from her feet propelled her towards a wall but her opposing charge was slowing Mikoto down. Lightning out of her hands this time and she curled up, so she'd start spinning like an Olympic diver. It was an adrenaline rush. Straighten up, lightning erupted in opposite directions from her hips, with arms clasped around her chest she spun around the vertical axis of her body. This is what she came here for.

Arms outstretched and she started slowing down. Then she really built up the charge. This is what had taken out the old earths and she was going to test them. She'd been asked to. A computer generated voice came back 2.25 billion volts. That did not describe the sheer visceral pleasure of it. The skin was sensitised by the corona and the electric shockwave around the room surged past her, partly bouncing off her. Then it came back, and eventually it dissipated. Then she did it all again, but this time clocked a smidgen under 2.4 billion. Not a new record but she was trending upward, ever upward. To her this room was the most exquisite treat especially created for her. If making the kids smile was Kamijou Touma's new pleasure this was hers, and as the lightning routine came to an end she blended into a routine involving magnetism, springing around the walls going hand to feet hand to feet, but this monthly dose of heaven would soon be over.

Fifty five minutes later she was exhausted, dripping in perspiration, a buddha like smile on her face, as she walked into the shower at the lab. In ten minutes she was out into the spring sunshine. A very short glamourous pastel dress, strappy heels, a simple pearl necklace that had been her mothers, and a tote bag with the more practical clothes she'd arrived at the lab in. It was time for lunch, and she felt she was dressed to an eight and a half. The lunch would be at a rooftop restaurant with Kongou Mitsuko and she'd be dressed to the nines. Dodging through the crowds coming out she made her way into the metro station, and already her appetite was surging. It was a side effect of the sessions, and the rice ball she usually placed in her bag for these occasions was back in her fridge in Yokohama.

Twenty minutes later she was walking up steps from the Ginza Line on the Metro. Her eyes were scanning for food on the way to the restaurant, but there was nothing that looked remotely appetising. She'd have to wait until lunch was served, and her stomach growled at her, as if it had a mind of its own. It was telling her it wasn't happy.

The restaurant itself was close to public transport, only 170 metres to Asakusa station. She'd seen a western travel guide to Tokyo describe Asakusa as the centre of the Tokyo's old city with its traditional craft shops and street food stalls. She'd hardly call the buildings around her old, including the one she was walking toward. The Gate Hotel at Kaminarimon had a roof top terrace on the 13th floor and she strode through the dimly lit ground floor entry to the lift. Back against the wall of the lift and she could feel the gentle acceleration.

To get to the restaurant she walked through reception, which was unusually on the 13th floor at the very top of the hotel. To the left of the main desk, through a wooden portal, was 'R' restaurant and bar. Mi had booked one of a handful of tables on the rooftop terrace, and as she walked out she could see why. Mi had her back to her and was admiring the view out toward the Tokyo tower as Mikoto walked out onto the terrace. However, it was not the view but Mi's dress she admired. It was red and had a patterned translucent silk layer over the top of the velvet dress underneath. The embossed boots to an inch above the ankle and matching bag completed the look. Mikoto measured Mi's outfits in terms of her paycheques. This equated to at least one.

"Hi Mi, I can see why you bought me here. The view is fantastic."

A welcoming hug, and she sat back in her chair. Kongou Mitsuko, the prodigy who headed project management at Kongou Aviation. The same sensitive core as ever, but in a completely different wrapping than Tokiwadai. Mikoto sat down opposite her at the little wooden top table next to the glass balustrade.

"Hi Mikoto, it's good to see I still get you out of your doctor's clothes."

Mikoto ignored her comment. It was an ongoing joke whenever they met.

"How did you find out about this place Mi?"

"My out of town staff kept telling me I should come here when we put them in this hotel. I've learnt over the past couple of years there are advantages to having over 300 people working under you. Tip offs are the best bit. "

The waiter arrived and placed a woven placemat and menus in front of each of them, and as she opened it there was a sense of relief. As long as she stuck to seafood and not steak she could afford this, unlike the last time. Last time was the most expensive meal of her life. This one was an amount that wouldn't have bothered her when she was 14, but now she needed to earn that money.

It was Mi who restarted the conversation. "I understand you've been at Kongou Industries High Voltage Lab at the University this morning. You know I miss you coming down from Hokkaido to stay with me when you visited it?"

"I see you at least once a month Mi, and I see you more often than I see Shirai, Saten and Uiharu"

"…but it's not the same Mikoto. You know that. It's not a sleepover where we eat Mochi and watch shougo anymore is it? … Also, one day we need to show each other what we get up to in the labs when the tests stop. You'd be amazed what I can do with a hypersonic wind tunnel. I think I'm borderline level five now, but I am just not sure. "

A wave of her hand and the waiter was back over. It now struck Mikoto Mi was a regular here. He'd been looking out for her.

"Do you mind if I order first Mikoto?"

Mikoto nodded as she'd not quite made up her mind. Mi ordered the steak as a main, but Mikoto decided to stick to a Spanish theme. "The octopus and mushroom ajillo to start, the paella as a main, and a crème brulee to finish." Crème brulee wasn't crema catalana but close enough. "Oh, and an iced tea please." That came to a bit over 4000 yen, less than a steak main. It was time to catch up.

"Mi. Have you told your father about that young aeronautical engineer. You two seemed to be getting on extremely well last time I saw you together."

A flick of a fan so only Mikoto could see her lips moving and the story began.

"I have, and he is beginning to approve. He's not of the right family and background, but he is the most talented young man we've managed to recruit out of university in his field for years."

"Which means?"

"My shy young man isn't going to be recruited by anybody else if I have anything to do with it…and he gives gifts beyond engineering by the way."

"Mi!" Her shock was a reaction to Mitsuko's suggestive tone. Then the hands were pulled off the table to reveal a little jewel box that Mi opened toward her. Inside was a platinum ring with a solitary diamond.

"After lunch I will get the size adjusted Mikoto. The craft workshops around here can do it while I wait. It's slightly too small, but he chose it without me."

"You're engaged Mi. Congratulations. Is this why you insisted not telling me over the phone about why we must have lunch today? When did it happen?"

"Just over a week ago and yes I'm really happy, but I haven't told my father yet. My mother is softening him up. She likes Shijiro too… but this was only half the reason I brought you here. Mikoto, I want you to fall in love one day, all your friends want you to, and it is taking far too long, but I have one piece of advice… make sure it is not Shirai Haru."

Mikoto was about to respond. Then Mi stopped her with a raised hand and continued.

"Mikoto. Shirai Haru has a reputation, but not in the social circles we mix in. He concentrates on secretaries, shop assistants, nurses, and other professions that will not mix with friends and acquaintances of his family. I found out because he seduced a young accounts clerk who works for me."

"Go on Mi." She was interested, probably she should have been hurt, but she was actually more relieved. For some reason they hadn't clicked, her guard had been up, and probably because her Dad had warned her against men who were too smooth. The guy who never had a girlfriend had always had the right words. That magician disguised as Unabara many years ago had been similar. Now, yet again, she was glad of her Dad's advice. Mi sensed that too.

"I'm glad you reacted like that Mikoto. Poor Mitoshi has seen how he operates. He finds a new victim while he is still dating the old, and she knew he was dating someone else when he started pursuing her. She found it flattering at the time. You were a change in gear for him to a higher class girl, but he wouldn't be faithful for long. His type never is Mikoto. I went out with a man like that, and it was the worst mistake I ever made."

That text a few days ago was now explained. Miko would have been more obvious for her. Mito made absolute sense for Mitoshi. She had evidence that corroborated what she was being told.

The ajillo arrived in front of her. It was quick, but the distraction gave her a moment to consider her options, and the big problem would be telling Kuroko. The third party would be the most hurt by this. She'd be disappointed when she told her she would no longer see her brother. Did she tell her the true nature of her brother? That she didn't have an answer for.

It was not time to get lost in her own thoughts.

"I heard you had lunch this week with Uiharu this week Mi. How did that go?" Mikoto had recommended Kazari to Mi, she was curious how it had gone.

"She has turned into quite the young entrepreneur hasn't she. That office of hers and the coding room are impressive."

" From you Mi, she'd take that as a compliment." Mikoto knew that was true, both were the most successful Tokiwadai alumni she personally knew in the business world.

"She's putting a proposal together for Kongou Aviation. I'd be her first Tokyo client. She drove the Tokyo and Academy City IT firms largely out of Chiba and now she is facing them on their home turf. For them it will be interesting times."

That was what Mikoto wanted to hear, but she couldn't push any harder than that. She was too close to both of them. She had promised to visit Kazari's headquarters in Chiba but was struggling to get anywhere near there. All her work was the southern side of Tokyo.

Then a text. A ding, she'd forgotten to switch off her phone's volume. It was her patient sending a picture of his toe. She pressed the image and it moved slowly in front of her.

"Who was that Mikoto?"

That question bought her back. It sucked her away from that moment in the Oiso world and she was faced with Mi looking at her intently.

"Remember the boy I brought to Tokiwadai during the Elements. He's been my patient for the past week. He lost his legs ten years ago in the Insurrection and is still in a wheelchair. He has found work as a manga artist. I didn't know he was alive until last Monday Mi, and I've been helping him get his cybernetic legs working properly all week. His toe finally moved after six months of his legs malfunctioning. I'm really pleased to hear it. His mother will be ecstatic, and she needs some good news."

The ajillo was calling her, and there was an advantage if she had food in her mouth. Not only was she hungry, but Mi would also need to do the talking, and Mikoto didn't want to go into more detail about Touma. The fork was hardly in her mouth when Mi started talking.

"You do look a lot like Abe Mikasa Mikoto. Now I know why."

She lifted her eyes to her friend with a knowing smile opposite her.

"My younger brother, Akio, met an artist called Amano Doi whose manga he started only a few months ago. His friends in high school urged him to try reading it. After a month he went to a convention and met the artist, who had artificial legs and moved around in a wheelchair. Does that sound like the same person to you Mikoto?"

She didn't even nod in response, and kept looking straight at her friend whilst slowly consuming her starter.

"The artist had finished signing pictures and wanted to have lunch, but my brother had only just arrived. Amano spent the lunchtime talking to Akio about manga, how he got started, and my brother told him how he wanted to write a story using his characters. Akio insisted on buying him lunch. Amano insisted that when my brother published his story online he'd send an illustration to go with it, and to everyone else's surprise (except my brother's) he did. He sounds a much nicer young man that Shirai Haru Mikoto."

Mikoto was slightly dazed, "Amano Doi isn't his real name, and I can't go out with him. He's a patient."

"… but what you do in a few weeks, if you want to do anything, is a different world Mikoto."

It was Mi who ended that line of conversation. She guessed, correctly, that continuing it would not end well. She gestured and the waiter came over.

"Another Chardonnay please…"

Mikoto quickly texted a thumbs up to Touma while she did it. Along with, "Now I want to see you do the other toe." The last mouthful of the ajillo, and she was still starving due to the session that morning. The paella couldn't come fast enough.

The waiter came back with the Chardonnay and took their starters and a couple of minutes later came out with their mains. When the paella arrived Mikoto inhaled. It smelt good and she was tasting it before Mi had even cut a piece of steak.

Over the mains the conversation shifted back to Shijiro. He'd move in with her as soon as her father was told about the engagement. Mi had made sure weeks ago he didn't report to her at work so nobody would use him against her. The girl who hid behind the fan was now the heir apparent to the family empire, and she wasn't about to trip up now.

The discussion turned to Wannai and Awatsuki. Still in Canberra, Australia, and working at the Institute of Sport coaching swimming. She quickly learnt Mi had visited them, and once in Canberra was enough for her. "The most boring capital city in the world"

Mikoto told Mi about Kuroko but left out the pregnancy. She did show her the photos of young Mieko on his first day at preschool.

The paella had disappeared, the plate had been taken away, and the rumbling in her stomach had subsided. Mikoto was no longer so hungry but the crème brulee, when it arrived, was excellent. She enjoyed cracking the top with a teaspoon before devouring it. Mi had a chocolate cake opposite her. It was the ideal ending to the meal.

"Mikoto. We should do this more regularly," said Mi. "I'm free in two weeks for lunch at the same time. How about we work our way around more roof top restaurants of Tokyo. First off, how does Mexican food sound?"

"I like Mexican Mi but …"

"Hacienda del Cielo is actually more reasonable than here. I understand they have Cajun Martini's full of chilli… I want to try one."

"OK. You're on then Mi. I think I'd like to try that Martini too, and I haven't got anything on."

It had been a treat and five minutes later, after an extended goodbye, she was descending in the lift back to ground level into the thrumming shopping streets of Tokyo. As she walked toward the station with the Tokyo Tower looming over it Mikoto reflected. Mi had been thoughtful as ever, Asakusa had a direct service to Yokohama, in a little over 50 minutes she'd be walking through the streets of her new home city. She'd also learnt her patient, Touma, wasn't trying to impress her when he carried on about pleasing his fans. It was very much the truth. The fact he was nicer that he used to be wasn't just wishful thinking on her part.

A short wait and Mikoto was on a train heading south, and soon it emerged from underground back into the spring sunlight. It was time to learn a couple of new band tunes. Out came the Gekota phone, and her old noise cancelling Bang and Olufsen wired buds. Bluetooth and Mikoto were not friends due to her EM field so she needed a wired connection with a jack. She'd been fortunate to find this set of buds; she'd been even more fortunate to find a modern chassis with a headphone jack that could fit in this old case. She laid back in the train, pressed play, and closed her eyes. It was time to learn the tunes her friends had laid down.

Three tunes in another message, and the song paused playing automatically. Mikoto opened the phone. It was from Touma. Had he managed to move the other toe? Surely not that quickly.

She swiped and looked at the image. It was him holding up the camera for a selfie. The vinyl behind him told her it was the same location as where he'd taken the toe video. That was not what bothered her, and if you'd asked her only a few minutes before she'd have denied it would.

There he was, sitting behind a desk with a sign proclaiming he was Amano Doi, but in the shot was someone else. The face looking at her own was almost a reflection of her own and wore a heart shaped silver necklace that Mikoto hadn't seen for 11 years.

There was a click as the phone snapped shut and single word came from under her breath, "Imouto".