Hey guys, I've been working hard on this chapter since this is a moment where a relationship between Kotaru and Ruiko is getting deeper, I hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 13: Decision To Be Made.
On the next day, Kotaru and Touma walked together in the morning. Because of a certain power plant got overloaded, Touma is in bad mood that in the night he have to sleep in the darkness on his room, at least the fridge is empty at that time so Touma didn't need to worry about it.
"Dammit that biri-biri, why did that girl have to overload the power plant beside the Jona garden?" Touma muttered in frustation.
"Well it can't be helped," Kotaru sighed, "She might get excited when she met with the people who uses the level upper yesterday."
"But still can't she at least just use the minimum power?" Touma asked before he crack his knuckle, "When i meet her, i'm really going to-"
"You're going to do what?" A voice interrupted from behind the boys.
Touma frozen in fear, he slowly turned around and saw Misaka with Kuroko standing behind them. Kotaru did the same but he turned around normally, he slowly walk backwards knowing thst Touma might gonna be shocked by Misaka.
"Emmm... Hi Misaka-san, Shirai-san." Touma greeted the girls and not using the nickname he have for Misaka to make sure Misaka idn't get angrier.
Kuroko trying her best to not laugh, so she told the boys, "We have trouble at the hospital, it's about the graviton bombing culprit.
*Line break*
The group arrived at the hospital where Hatsuya Kaitabi was checked in because he randomly passed out when the anti-skill interviewed him.
"We're Shirai Kuroko, Kotaru Hikari, and Kamijou Touma with Judgement," Kuroko introduce herself with her partner, "We're here to check on the Kaitabi Hatsuya, how is he right now?"
"Emm," Misaka raised her hands and everyone looked at her, "I've punch his face with a full force a few days ago so I might be at fault."
"No, the patient didn't have any injuries on the brain." The doctor exclaimed, "there isn't any injuries in his body at all, he just fell unconscious."
"Is there a reason why it happened?" Kotaru asked for confirmation.
"Strangely, so many patient fell into the same situation as Kaitabi Hatsuya." The doctor said while revealed the list of the patient in his hand.
Everyone gasped except for Touma. Misaka, Kuroko, and Kotaru nodded at each other understanding of what happen while Touma tilt his head dumbfoundly felt like he got left something important.
"I hate to admit it, but this is beyond the staff and this facility capability," The doctor explained, "so we decide to called a psychologist brain specialist from outer department."
Suddenly, they heard a footstep coming from the right direction of the doctor.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting," a woman with long brown hair and baggy eyes said after she stopped from her track.
Touma and Misaka eyes widened know who's this person really is.
"I came here at a request from the Director Institute Medic Mizuho." The women explained, "My name is Harumi Kiyama."
"You're…" Misaka and Touma said in unison.
"Hot, hot, it's so hot in here," Kuroko complained as she faning herself with her hand.
Kuroko sit next to Misaka which is sleeping right now, across both of them was two spiky haired boys who known as Kamijou Touma and Kotaru Hikari, they have unbuttoned their shirt due to the heat inside the waiting room they were in right now, Touma wears an orange shirt under his uniform shirt and Kotaru wear a long sleeves blue shirt with red lines design in it.
"We have to thank Misaka for that, she overloaded the power plant last night." Touma Commented.
"That could be prevented if you boys were with us to make sure checking on her especially with your right hand Kamijou-san." Kuroko argued.
"It can't be helped, I have to take it easy because I came out from hospital yesterday so I have to make sure that I'm mentally ok especially after I accidentally stumbled on the ground." Kotaru defended.
"And I have to make sure my shirt is dried until Biri-Biri decide to overload that power plant." Touma defended as well.
Kuroko looked to the corridor and saw that Kiyama Harumi is approaching them. Seeing this, Kuroko tried to wake up Misaka from her sleep.
"Onee-sama, please wake up! Onee-sama!" Kuroko tried to wake up Misaka gently.
"How did she able to sleep with this hot temperature inside this room?" Kotaru asked dumbfoundly.
"I don't know, but she sure enjoyed her sleep." Touma responded.
"Onee-sama….?" Kuroko continued until suddenly she focused herself looking at Misaka's lips.
"Here we go again." Touma and Kotaru said in unison before both of them facepalmed and sighed at the same time.
"Then, let me wake you up with a kiss from me." Kuroko slowly approaching her face tried to kiss.
Before Kuroko landed the kiss, Misaka suddenly fluttered open. In an instant, she quickly got up from her seat and pound her fist on top of Kuroko's head.
"Can't you at least wake me up normally?" Misaka reprimanded her roommate.
"It can't be helped because you didn't wake up when I do that." Kuroko reasoned.
"All of you still here?" Kiyama asked.
Kotaru and Touma turned around in order to look at her in the eyes.
"There is something we want to discussed with you." Touma and Kotaru answered.
"I could spare some time, but surely it's so hot in here." Kiyama noted, "Is there a rule say that the use of Air Conditioner is prohibited in the middle of the summer?"
"I guess so." Kuroko agreed.
"I'm very sorry, but we had a power outage last night," a passing nurse said, "And it's not fixed yet."
"I think we knew who's fault it is." Kotaru and Touma said before they looked at Misaka.
"Cut it out you two!" Misaka yelled at the boys with the boys whistling while looking upwards.
The boys whistling suddenly stopped when they looked at Misaka shocked expression, they looked where Misaka is currently looking at and they looked at Kiyama.
"I see," Kiyama conclude with herself tried to pulled off the tie, "The emergency power is for the patient that was in a critical condition."
"Eh?" Kuroko shocked.
"Ha? W-What are you..?" Kotaru asked before he realised what is Kiyama doing right now.
Everyone saw that Kiyama take off her shirt and reveals her bra. Misaka and Kuroko looked at her shocked while Kotaru and Touma immediately looked away from her.
"She doing it again." Misaka sputtered while she looked at Kiyama in shocked.
"Wh-WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY STRIPPING?" Kuroko shrieked.
"You know it's really hot in here." Kiyama reasoned.
"There's people everywhere! Even there is boys right beside us!" Kuroko argued.
"Is it not ok if I just leave my underwear on? Swimsuit do expose the same amount of flesh after all, and what about these two boys? They're unbuttoned their shirt after all."
"NO!" Kotaru and Kuroko howled with Kuroko buttoned Kiyama shirt.
"Me and Kamijou-senpai only do that because both of us wear another shirt under the first shirt!" Kotaru reasoned logically.
"And please don't do that again, I don't want to get accused for assaulting you like a few days ago!" Touma begged.
"I see." Kiyama concended.
"Kiyama-san," Misaka began to talk, "We would like to asked for your opinion as a specialist."
"Well, I could do that, but this place is surely hot." Kiyama said.
"Ok, let's find somewhere that is cold." Kotaru suggested.
After that, the group decide to go to the Joshep family. The five of them were all seated at a booth with a few cold drinks on their table.
"I'd like to continue where we left off last time, Why are swimsuit is acceptable in public while underwear isn't?"
".. That's not what we want to hear about." Four students said flatly in response.
A few minutes has passed with the students explains about the rumor level upper.
"Level Upper.." Kiyama said after she heard the students explanations, "What does the system looks like? What is the shape of it? How do you used it?"
"We still don't know about it." Kuroko answered
"And all of you suspect that it connects with the student that falls in coma recently." Kiyama concluded, "That's what all of you think, am I right?"
"Pretty much about it," Touma confirmed.
"But, why did all of you asked me about this problem?" Kiyama continued.
"I'm sure there is a chance that the ability disrupt the user brains function." Kuroko explained, "So, if we find the level upper, we would like a specialist to analyse it."
"This is something I'd be happy to help with. Such thing is of much interest since I'm a cerebal psychologist. But there is something that bugged me," Kiyama looked to the window on her left, "Who are those girls?"
The student looked at the window and surprised to saw Ruiko had her face plastered to the panel with Uiharu beside her.
"Yeah… we do." Kotaru said dully.
After Ruiko and Uiharu joined their friends, Kotaru and Kuroko explained everything they discussed so they caught up with the information. Touma sat beside Kuroko and Misaka and across them, Kotaru sat with Uiharu on his left side and Ruiko on his right side with Kiyama on Ruiko's right side. Everyone has their drinks on the table, but Ruiko and Kotaru is eating their food right now.
"So you're a brain specialist?" Uiharu asked for confirmation, she instantly snapped and with a smirk, she joked, "Are you here to check on Shirai-san's brain?"
Every students except Koraru grinned at Uiharu's implication, Kotaru suddenly chocked the food in his mouth because of the sudden joke, so Kotaru immediately drink his freeze orange Juice and let out a relieve sigh after he finished his drink.
"You're okay, Kotaru-kun?" Saten asked in concern.
"I'm okay, don't worry," Kotaru answered before he looked at Uiharu and continued, "Don't surprised me like that again." Kotaru begged while he's still breathing heavily.
"Sorry Hikari-san." Uiharu apologized.
"We were consulting her about the level upper," Kuroko explained with a not amused face.
"Ah, if that's the case-," Ruiko began excitedly as she bring out her phone inside her pocket, but she got interrupted by Misaka.
"Kuroko says that everyone who has found in possession of the level upper will be taken into custody." Misaka said.
Saten suddenly stopped from her track on bringing out her music player. Kotaru looked at Ruiko and he saw that she's stopped because of what Misaka just said with an surprised expression on her face.
"Why's that?" Uiharu asked.
"It's still on our investigation, so there wasn't any explanation about it," Kuroko explained, "There might be a side effect for every user."
Saten tightened her grip on her music player, Touma and Kotaru noticed her action.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure that they used it for something bad." Kuroko continued.
"Ruiko-chan, is there something that bothered you?" Kotaru asked in concern, he saw her expression is a bit scared.
"Emm, No," Ruiko denied as she put the music player on her pocket again, "It's nothing at all." Ruiko accidentally spilled the drink on top of Kiyama's skirt.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Ruiko apologized instantly after she realized what she just did.
"Oh no!" Kotaru snapped know where this is going.
"Don't worry about it, it's only on the stocking so once I take them off.." Kiyama explained while she got out from her seat and took off her skirt and roll down her stocking.
The girls except for Kuroko is surprised with a blush on their face by her, Touma and Kotaru immediately looked away from her try not to see anything.
"LIKE I SAID, DON'T TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES IN PUBLIC!" Kuroko yelled at Kiyama.
"But, there is no men would sexually excited by seeing my unsexy body." Kiyama reason.
"There's people with different interest and desires!" Kuroko screeched, "And it's not only mens! There are also girls who have perverse sexual interest!"
"And I know for sure with Kamijou-senpai's luck, something worse is going to happened." Kotaru pointed out.
"Especially this is the third time happens to me, which means Third time's the charm!" Touma added.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" A voice interrupted.
Everyone looked at the direction where the voice was coming from, the group saw that Fukiyose along with Yomikawa-sensei and Komoe-sensei standing not too far away, Fukiyose looked at the group with a surprised face along with Komoe-sensei flustered and Yomikawa with 'oh my' look.
"Fukiyose, Komoe-sensei, and Yomikawa-sensei what are you doing here?" Touma asked in terror.
"We were just dropping here for a lunch and we find you with your new friends and this lady that just stripped here!" Fukiyose explained, "Did you do something that made her stripped in public like this?"
"Oh, is the student in my school has finally become a degenerate?" Yomikawa asked while smirking.
"Kamijou-chan, I'm sorry that I didn't educate you good enough so you have become a degenerate like Tsuchimikado-chan and Aogami-chan." Komoe-sensei said with a water slowly coming out from her eyes.
*Line break*
Somewhere Tsuchimikado and Aogami sneezed at the same time, they somehow felt that Touma is going to make Komoe-sensei cried.
"Kami-yan, you tried to make our cute sensei cried huh?" Tsuchimikado said with a bit of anger.
"I'm gonna get Kami-yan pay for this." Aogami said as he cracking his knuckle, but tomorrow he might forget about it.
*Line break*
Kotaru and Touma paled by seeing Komoe-sensei watery eyes, her crying even made everyone feel bad for her. Seeing this, Kotaru immediately took action to make sure she's not going to cry by explaining to them saying, "This is Kamijou-senpai's fault, Ruiko-chan accidentally spilled the drink to Kiyama-san's stocking and her Kiyama-san answer is going to took off her stocking."
"This isn't litteraly your fault Kamijou?" Fukiyose asked Touma for confirmation.
"Not at all Fukiyose, we're just only trying to get information regarding the level upper." Touma answered while tell the reason why they were here.
Komoe-sensei gave them a relieve sigh, she finally relaxed and replied, "Thank goodness Kamijou-chan, I thought my student has a bad behaviour because I haven't educate you really well."
"If that really happen, I must gave Kamijou a punishment when he's in Physical Education class." Yomikawa noted.
Touma gulped, then he replied, "I understand sensei."
Fukiyose looked at Touma for a while, she saw that there isn't Touma lied about, so Fukiyose declared, "All right then, I believe you Kamijou, but if you lie, prepare for my punishment." She crack her knuckle glared at Touma with a scary light on her eyes.
Touma gulped and nodded at Fukiyose, didn't want to face her insane wrath since he already face it multiple times because of Tsuchimikado and Aogami.
It's already late now, the sun was settling that made the sky has turned the beautiful blue sky into a romantic orange sky in a way, it's time for Kiyama parted ways with the students.
"Thank you for your cooperation while you're still busy." Kuroko said to Kiyama.
"No, I was the one who should thank you," Kiyama insisted, "This has reminded me of the time when I was still a teacher."
"I never know you were a teacher before." Kuroko admitted.
"I was once a teacher," Kiyama said before she walking off. "Goodbye."
"How do I say this, she's kinda… different in some kind of way." Kuroko mused as she watch the researcher walked away.
"Way more different than you Shirai-san?" Uiharu teased.
"Hmm," Kuroko let out an annoyed tone, but she continued, "Whatever, we have to get back to the branch first."
"It's not that much, but we have to collect the data and sent them to Kiyama-sensei." Uiharu agreed.
Without Uiharu and Kuroko noticed, Junto, the seelie that Kotaru have, got out from the seelie gadget, the seelie told Kotaru to look behind him, he saw that Ruiko was running away from them without telling. Kotaru start running to catch up with Ruiko, Touma and Misaka noticed Kotaru running, so they followed them Kotaru from behind.
"Yes, you're right. Okay everyone, let's go back to the branch now." Kuroko said looking back, but she found out that everyone is already gone. "Onee-sama?"
"Where did everyone go?" Uiharu asked.
*Line break*
Ruiko is running through the street aimlessly, she got no destination to go but she keeps running. 'I Don't want to give this up,' Ruike Thought to herself while she's running, 'I haven't use this thing yet, so I don't have to tell anyone about it.'
She stopped under the beach to catch her breath, she's gripping the level upper on her left hand tightly.
"After all the effort I did, I can't just throw this thing away from me." Ruiko said
"Can't throw what away, Ruiko-chan?" Kotaru asked bluntly as he stepped into her view with Junto is sitting on his right shoulder.
"Kotaru-kun!" Ruiko startled, she didn't expect that Kotaru followed her, she's hiding the level upper behind her back nervously, "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same about you," Kotaru shot back as he put his right arm on his right side, "You really looked terrible, you think I didn't notice your unsual behavior? You never awfully that quiet during the discussion and you slipped yourself away from us, if it isn't for Junto, I might won't notice you slipped away from me and the others."
"So this is your instinct as the Elemental burst huh?" Ruiko said aloud, almost kinda mocking.
"It's not," Kotaru denied, "It's me and my concern to the one I was closest with. Did something bother you in this whole time?"
"It's nothing," Ruiko said, "Nothing at all. I'm not even involved myself directly in this. After all, I'm not with judgement, I'm not an esper with special power like everyone has including Misaka-san, Shirai-san, Uiharu, Kamijou-san, and especially you, Kotaru-kun. I'm just a powerless level 0."
Kotaru flinched by her voice, he realised something bothers her, "Why you say you don't involved in this at all? You're our friend even though you don't possess any power at a-"
"But I want a power!" Ruiko shouted at him cutting his words, "I want to be someone that has something special as well! Why I can't have it? Even both of our friend, Uiharu is a level 1 esper, Kamijou-san has the power to negate esper abilities even though he is the weakest level 0, and even You!" Ruiko used her right hand point her finger at Kotaru, "You're even a level 0 just like me, but you have the power to control three natural elements in the world with that so called vision in your right glove, but I got nothing, NOTHING TO BE PROUD AT ALL! Why do you guys have something that was special while I don't?" After she say all of that, Ruiko started to form a tears running from her eyes.
"I understand why you really come here, I know this is stupid to ask about it now, but you find the level upper didn't you?" Ruiko eyes widened in shocked, she stepped back because of what Kotaru just said, she didn't expected that he already find out about it.
Kotaru saw by her reaction, it already gave a proof that she has it, so he asked her for confirmation "So you really did huh?"
"Yes I did have the level upper, what are you gonna do about it?" Ruiko admitted.
"Listen Ruiko-chan, that thing is really dangerous," Kotaru said sharply as he hold Ruiko's shoulders, "Since I'm with judgement, hand it over to me please!"
"No, I won't do it no matter how many times you said it to me!" Ruiko try to resist.
"Ruiko-chan! You must understand what you've stepped yourself in!"
"NO, You're the one that should understand!" Ruiko shouted back at Kotaru, "All my life, I've wanted to be somebody, someone who has something to be proud of. I left everyone including my friends, my family, and my home for it, Do you know how it feels when they told me: You seriously have no potential at all, as a level 0?"
"I really do about it," Kotaru said, he knows how that really feels, "But-"
"No, you don't really at all!" Ruiko shot back harshly with her eyes let out more water than before, "You have power too! You can fight every espers, that's including a level 5! While what can I do when I decide to fight them huh?" She snorted mockingly, "All I could do was to throw stone at them because I'm powerless!" Ruiko waved her hands in frustration and something small dropped to the ground, Junto initatively fly towards the small object and bring it to Kotaru.
Kotaru took the small object from Junto with his left hand, when he looked at the object, he realized that thing was an lucky charm, "You have a lucky charm huh?" he giving the charm back to Ruiko.
"Yeah," Ruiko said blinking back her tears as she took the charm back, "It's from my mother, there isn't any scientific basis about it, but she still gave it to me. I know my mom didn't really expect much from me, but she just really wanted me to be happy."
"She really does," Kotaru agreed, "She want to be by your side, so she gave you this lucky charm to protect you in a way to tell you that she'll be right beside you, isn't that right?" Kotaru took a deep breath before he continued, "Listen Ruiko-chan, I really know how painful it was to be powerless, do you remember when I told you about how I unlocked my power on our date?" Ruiko only nodded in response, seeing Ruiko remembered, Kotaru continued again, "Before I obtained that power, I was powerless at that time, I've got tied in a rope by those group, my best friend Hondou try to safe me, but they threatened him if he didn't follow what they says, I will get stabbed with a knife by them. My best friend got no choice at all, but to follow what those group says. He got punched, kicked all over his body while I was still get tied. There is one moment that made me snapped, he got stabbed in the stomach, when I saw that, I immediately snapped, My anger took over me and burst myself into a rage and let out a massive fire combined with electricity and wind too. And the vision I have immediately show up with a glove on my right hand, and you know the rest of it."
Ruiko eyes widened in shock with her mouth wide agape, she know that Kotaru obtained his power because his best friend got hurt, but she didn't expected to be in the worst possible event.
"There is one thing that I hated with the power I wield now," Kotaru added, "What I hate was the nightmare I had sometimes. Sometimes when I think about my vision, I always got reminded of the suffering that my friend went through to save me especially the part that he got stabbed." Kotaru looked down sadly while he still holding on Ruiko's shoulder, "It still haunts me sometimes when I remembered myself about it, I don't want you felt the horror of it."
After Ruiko heard his story, Ruiko felt really bad about him. Sure she want a power that made her has something she proud of, but she don't want a power that sometimes gave her a PTSD. Suddenly she wrapped her hands behind his back and pulled him into a hug while pushing herself into Kotaru's front body. "I'm sorry for everything that I said to you Kotaru-kun, I never know how painful it was to witness your best friend's painful moment." Ruiko now felt really guilty after everything she said that was harsh to him.
Kotaru returned the embrace by hugging her back, she wrapped one hand on her waist and one on her head, he replied, "No worries Ruiko-chan, it can't be helped that you're really sad desperately want a power."
"Yeah, thank you for worrying me." A part of her tell that she's happy that he worried about her so much. They keep silent for a few minutes while keep hugging, they also close their eyes try to comfort each other.
While they still hugging, without they know, Touma and Misaka were eavesdropping them hiding behind the pillar, they heard everything about it especially the part Ruiko has the level upper.
"Misaka, perhaps it's a good time for us to leave them alone now." Touma whispered to Misaka.
"I agree, we already heard enough." Misaka said before both of them walked away leaving both Kotaru and Ruiko alone.
After Kotaru and Ruiko already separated, Kotaru looked at her again and noted, "Okay, I won't force you to hand me the level upper and I'm not telling everyone as well, this is our secret. I'll leave that up to you, I'll let you choose what to do with the level upper because this time it's your decision and not mine. Remember Ruiko-chan, it's your choice not mine." Kotaru turned around to walk away from Ruiko.
"Kotaru-kun?" Ruiko called him.
"Yeah?" Kotaru looked at her.
"Thank you."
Kotaru gave her a smile and replied, "You're welcome." Kotaru and Ruiko walked away to go to their dorm room after their talk against each other.
*End of chapter 13*
*Line
Thank you guys for reading this chapter, I've been working hard on this one especially for Kotaru and Ruiko debates since this is one of the moment where they have their bonds deepened. See you in the next chapter guys, anyway please review, that would help me on making a better chapter.