Guys, here comes the new chapter! And thanks for being with me until now!
Chapter 5: The Shooting Star
As the world grew, the environment grew; the creatures developed, and humans, as one of the creatures that were blessed the most by God, also developed. Human's history was long, and it needed more than a hundred brains to comprehend the history of humans, the development, and the growth of humans. What we knew now was that humans were the greatest asset that the world had, for their ability to improve and to develop was the best. Science was one of the evidences of development that existed in the world, and from the science, technology was invented, as an application of what humans heard, what humans observed, what humans saw, what humans comprehended, and also, what humans needed. Technology was the creation of humans and humans would always walk alongside technology itself, forming a path of light where the two always took their presences, as one of the friends that humans would depend on. No matter how many times a group of people said that they hated technology, they would always be surrounded by technology, whether it was just a simple pulley to take water from a well or a vehicle that could take you to the corners of the world.
Nevertheless, humans were still, a human; an entity whose class and ability were much lower than the original one who created them. With the fact and reality that humans would always deny, somehow, it would result a thought which stated that in the current space and time, only two things that were infinite: the universe and human stupidity. Human stupidity would always exist, for their lack of ability to explain the world would always be in place. An old once said that the world could be differentiated into four: things that couldn't move, visible things that could move in the world, invisible things in the world, and things that could move in another world. We could take an example of things that couldn't move: a stone. There were a lot of stones in the world, how could a human explain them all? If an individual couldn't even explain all the stones in the world how could they comprehend the world? How could they deny their stupidity?
Even with the incapability to know and to comprehend the simplest things that couldn't move, but still, humans didn't give up to know something which was higher than the simplest things. That somehow created a thought that humans were really stupid, for their arrogance drove them to try learning something which was beyond their capability, as curiosity would always overwhelm them, and with that, their eagerness to know would always be the first priority. It was the invisible things in the world that couldn't be explained by any science and technology, for their movement could be considered to have equivalence with a maze, and their motion, their destination, would always differ from what human had thought. It created astonishment, yet also admiration in a human's mind, soul, and body, for its unexpected occurrence and goal that would always take place, as though it had known everything from the first time it took its presence in the world. It could be a gift, but also a curse, so much more than a simple message to your friends and comrades, so much more than a simple pride that you would have from your success.
It was destiny.
Humans always wondered about destiny, the meaning of destiny, the creativity of destiny, or just how the destiny worked. Nevertheless, until the end of time, destiny would always be unreachable for human to know, as the sky for its existence in the world, and with that, the imperfection would always there, as something that a human would always want to achieve, creating a certain purpose of life to know something. It was said that the destiny could be understood by knowing yourself, your simple self, and somehow, it created various thought about destiny, and because of that, the destiny would always be a mystery, so much more than a haunted house in the park, so much more than any Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels that had been read.
Destiny could turn the expected to be unexpected. It was the maze of the world, with convoluted corridors which were more complicated than your own brain. Destiny could lead someone to things that he or she really wanted, or maybe, he or she disliked. Destiny was hard to be changed, as its presence would always abide. It was the invisible things that would never be visible in human's sore eyes. It was the creation of human's thought for their life in the world. It was destiny, which would make two people in different gender to join their hands together in a bond of marriage even though they were separated by distance, tradition, and custom. It was destiny, which would make a lost son or daughter met their parents again after three years of waiting. It was destiny, which would make someone to know something that he or she shouldn't know, and with that, he or she would always help others with the knowledge that he or she shouldn't originally know.
It was also destiny, which made the leader of Skill-Out that attacked a certain hazel haired girl to be one of the GROUP's underlings. It was the destiny of all.
The Strange, a place within district 10, was originally the same with other districts in Academy City. Wind turbines and cleaning robots decorated the area, with some occasional students who made their way through the road, with their respective schools as their destination. Nevertheless, the lack of care towards the district had eventually degraded the area into further disrepair and trash. The remnants of cleaning robots and wind turbines could be seen around the corner, with high amount of dust and dirt that adorned the city, as the proof of lack of maintenance to the said district. With that, the number of crossing students were changed with several delinquents that could be seen around the peripheral sight, with their crude expression which appeared to be timeless on their faces, chatting with each other and laughing with each other. They appeared to enjoy themselves so much, ignoring the fact that the place they were in was improper.
Even though The Strange could be considered as an urban decay and home to no one, the place was still crowded by a bunch of level 0 espers who didn't manage to get any ability in Academy City. For them, that place was home, as the only place where they could have acquaintances who knew their pain grief, and also regret, for not being able to get any skill that they really wanted. It was a place where they could be accepted by each other, interacted freely with each other, as ability was not the measurement for them to communicate, and to have fun. It was their home, it was their palace, and it was their heaven in the earth, forming a renowned group called Skill-Out.
It was midnight already, but the population of level 0 espers and delinquents had not decreased. Under the enlightenment of the starry sky, they appeared to have their own fun so much. It was indeed true that the number of Skill-Out's members had decreased drastically after the Big Spider incident, and decreased again after Hamazura Shiage had left, but from a little glance of it, it didn't seem so. The lack of streetlights and lamps that should become the only source of light and vision for people didn't make them to give up from their intention to hang out around. They were there, chatting and laughing as usual, and the stars above appeared to help them gathering a comfortable atmosphere, as a sight that was rare to be found in autumn. The sky seemed so black, and the stars appeared so bright, creating a certain contrast that was beautiful to be seen.
Except for a certain square faced guy, of course…
Located far at one corner of The Strange, shadowed by an obsolete shack that appeared to be so dirty and strange, a certain leader of Skill-Out was sitting on one of the unused wheels that were piling up high. His expression didn't resemble any of his comrade's faces that were all so cheerful and happy, but rather, his expression showed a great amount of fear, concern, and hatred even though it was somehow masked by his crude face and muscular body. He was still wearing his usual clothes, as though they were a certain uniform and wearing them was compulsion; a light black jacket with black pants. Unbeknownst to his comrades and to the starry sky, his mind wandered everywhere, thinking about the incident that happened back then.
Everything was not according to his plan back then, with the proof of his other injured friends that were still stuck in the hospital until now, and also, his own escape from the place, which had become another event full of calamity back then, which had made him to be covered with shame. He was a leader, and he supposed to do everything that he wanted well. Indeed, his comrades didn't show any disrespect after the said incident, but still, the shameful feeling that he had still overwhelmed him until now and that was not the only thing that he regretted, because what he wanted was far more than that.
His vengeance couldn't be accomplished eventually. A revenge for his dearest friend that died due to an electric attack hadn't been finished yet. It was indeed true that he didn't know anything about the culprit that charred his friend and his comrades, and the culprit that caused massive black out in the city back then that blocked his friend's survival. Nevertheless, news about a certain scientific Railgun who was capable to do such things that he got a month ago consumed his brain with dark thought, overwhelming his brain with nothing but vengeance. Since then, his purpose even after Hamazura Shiage left the Skill-Out was only one, that was to give suffer to the Railgun herself, and with that, he would do anything even though he knew that he couldn't. At the end, he was chosen by the remnants of Skill-Out to be their leader, and with that, he gained more power to defeat the said Railgun.
Nevertheless, he still knew that becoming the leader of Skill-Out wasn't the same as defeating a certain scientific Railgun. Becoming the leader was just the same as reaching the ceiling in your room, while defeating the Railgun was the same as reaching the unreachable azure sky. Even a reckless person like him could know, that a confrontation with the Railgun would be the same as wasting soldiers to Goliath, and he wouldn't be able to do anything with his power, even though he took pride in his prowess in fighting.
It was when he knew the existence of GROUP.
With that reality that always surrounded his brain, he finally decided to join himself with the GROUP, an underground organization that took part in several dirty jobs for Academy City. GROUP offered him a way and a path for his grudge, or at least it was what they said. Unbeknownst to his comrades, he kept giving GROUP endless informations about the development and growth of the remnants of Skill-Out, and in process, he also took part in avoiding another comeback of Skill-Out to the public. To be honest, he sold himself and his comrades, for the sake of his revenge. It was not like that GROUP was his favorite band or something that he loved the most, because actually, he didn't like to be bound with an underground organization, moreover, an organization that kept telling him of what to do, as though they were the boss around or something. He and the rest of Skill-Out's members were free people, so why must they be controlled by them? For him, for the leader of Skill-Out, it was easy, for the sake of vengeance.
Then, he received a tiny machine called 'Capacity Down' from GROUP.
When he first saw the machine that had a certain capability to block the espers from using their power with sound wave in one corner of The Strange, what he saw was only enlightenment, with a sadistic expression that adorned his face with the equivalence of an executioner. Nevertheless, the said machine was too big, and also, what was left was just the remnants of the machine, because the said machine had been destroyed in Big Spider incident, or at least it was what his comrades told to him. He didn't give up, with the thought of revenge that had become his own path. He took the remnants and gave it to the scientists from GROUP, saying that it was an intriguing machine for research. They glady helped him to repair it, and afterwards, the machine was as perfect as before, and the scientist even made the size became smaller and smaller, enough to be carried in his pocket. At last, his revenge could be done, because an esper without power was weaker than any gentle kitten. He began imagining himself, laughing in front of the said Railgun, jeering at her pathetic state of being nothing in this world but a trash. His vengeance was just another door that he should take a step on, and his brain couldn't be penetrated by other things other than resentment. It was as if a devil had finally possessed him, and with that he became the embodiment of devil itself.
But he should know, that even the devils could be defeated by angels.
Being a devil as if he was eager to be so, he took some of his men, the best fighter in the Skill-Out. Actually, he could take more than three guys, he was a leader after all. Nevertheless, the lack of members of Skill-Out blocked him from doing such things, because if he wanted to maintain the existence Skill-Out in Academy City, the members couldn't decrease anymore. Moreover, his underlings didn't know anything about his ulterior motive, to be said, to have a vengeance to a middle school girl. He didn't tell them without no reason. First, if he told the members about his vengeance, their respect towards him would likely be depleted, for his motive of doing anything would be only to satisfy himself, not the other members. Skill-Out, even though it couldn't be seen clearly from the outside, was composed of men and women whose bond was so strong, with only death that would separate them apart. Hamazura Shiage and his predecessor succeeded in gaining the trust of the members because the purpose that they had was for the best of the rest of Skill-Out. If he still wanted to be the leader, then, he must conceal his vengeance with his greatest ability, or else, nobody would respect him. Second, he just told that he was going to have fun around district 7, and he would just bring some men to increase the rate of 'fun'. Wouldn't it be silly if he took ten people for example? On the day, to a crowded, yet so full of security place like district 7?
And then, with the best courage that he had, he confronted Railgun.
It was very perfect back then; the Railgun appeared to have two friends: a girl and a boy. The girl appeared to have an ability, but the boy didn't, for he wasn't affected at all by 'Capacity Down'. He decided to kill the two before taking his vengeance to the Railgun, for the sorrow of losing two friends before dying was the best way to leave the world. Furthermore, at least she could know what he felt back then, or in other words, dragging her to the darkness before she died. Wasn't that good? He was just on his step of killing the boy, but what he saw after that was far more than what he could imagine.
The Railgun suddenly formed a great explosion, which was enough to throw himself and the boy, even though he was sure, that he was not a type of man that could be blown easily. Blue wings began forming themselves on her back, and what he saw in her expression could only be represented with one word: hatred. Nonetheless, the said boy didn't appear to be scared by the girl, as though what he saw was different from what the boy saw. He even threw himself to the beam of electricity that the Railgun had unleashed, protecting him from any harm. He didn't even need to be told twice to leave the place, as the hatred, resentment, and vengeance had been changed entirely by nothing but fear.
And now, he was the one who was nothing.
Indeed, his underlings still gave him the greatest respect that they could give. But for him, after the 'Capacity Down' had been broken, he didn't know anything else that could defeat Railgun. The 'Capacity Down' had been shattered into pieces because of the strong electricity that pierced it randomly, and moreover, his fear for having another confrontation with the hazel haired girl was something that gave shivers to his body, because with the power which appeared to be beyond the power of human, she could beat him without breaking a sweat.
The worst was that he had lost his purpose for vengeance.
With the last incident that had occured, he had eliminated every impossible way to defeat Railgun, and the remain was still, improbable, and even though it was improbable, it was the truth, the truth that couldn't be broken. It was the reality, it was his way of life, and it was the fact that wouldn't be bent by anything at all.
The fact that he eventually couldn't defeat Railgun.
The leader of the Skill-Out stomped the ground beneath him with the greatest force that he could release, befalling all the regrets and hatreds that he had to the ground as though the ground was the one that had done all the terrible things. The stomping sound echoed throughout the shack, penetrating the peaceful night that the moon had provided. He was very fed up to all the things that he couldn't do, even though it was what he wanted the most. As though all the bad things were not enough, there was still, a terrible thing that he must face secretly, because he had been bound with the said terrible things and he must deal with it nonetheless.
He was still, in the control of GROUP.
Sitting alone, in an obsolete shack that was oh so messy, on one of the piling wheels that were waiting for its turn to be destroyed, was not something that he liked. He would better go outside, enjoying the scenery of the moon and the stars, chatting and laughing with his comrades as though tomorrow would be a better day. Nevertheless, he couldn't; because right now, right on the point where he sat, he must meet someone, even though he was reluctant to.
He must meet a certain blond haired guy.
Out of the blue, a footstep could be heard, approaching from the outside of the shack. It was a kind of footstep that appeared to be created from someone who had seen the world twice, and with that, confidences could be heard from the light sound of footsteps, as though the person who created it could defeat all members of the Skill-Out with a single blow. For the leader of Skill-Out, it was a familiar one, for he had listened to the footsteps for more than a time. He couldn't clear his mind from being annoyed by that sound nonetheless.
A silhouette of a man could be seen in the darkness of the shack, standing at the front door, even though the said door was not present, with flashy teeth that was grinning at him with a somehow cheerful, yet mocking expression. Another steps were made as the man approached the piling wheels on which a certain square faced guy took a seat. He was a young man, with blond hair and sunglasses, which he wore even though the murky of the night could block his sight. He appeared to be wearing a school uniform; a beach shirt (he was sure that it was a free shirt) which was hidden beneath his black jacket with black pants, giving a certain similarity to other usual high school boy. Nonetheless, by a little glance to the expression that he was wearing, everybody could know, that this man was somehow... different.
The leader of Skill-Out saw him from the corner of his eyes, not wasting any energy to face him, with a facial that could only be seen from a woman who was seeing a man who raped her; a disgusted look with an expression of unknown, and somehow, a sense powerlessness and dislike could be seen vividly from his face. Rather than being a weak guy that he would hate, he chose to be a brave man in outer appearance, with the evidence of words that were flown from his mouth.
"Tsuchimikado Motoharu. What in the ninth hell are you doing here?" the leader of the Skill-Out said with mocking tune that showed so much disrespect, and with that, an aura full of tense could be sensed around the room, as the howling wind began to pick up, infiltrating the room as though it loved the existence of suspense.
The said man, or Tsuchimikado Motoharu to be precised, didn't waste his energy at first to reply, but rather, he approached the leader of the Skill-Out until he managed to form a proximity of two meters space. Then, he began speaking. "Cut the formalities. Tell me everything about your lovely group this week. This is the time for weekly report nyaaa," the guy said, demanding the weekly spoken report that had become a certain necessity for him as a GROUP's underling. The blond haired guy spoke with his usual style of talking that he found to be cute himself, even though the other who listened to it would only mock at his awkwardness. He appeared to be an adult, but still, he tried to be cute. What kind of personality that he had? Nevertheless, his tune didn't show any fear, let alone respect even though he should know that he was now facing a man that could order more than ten of his members to punch him, but still, his bravery remained unchanged, as though he had a might of ten thousand fallen soldiers.
The square faced guy snorted, spitting a portion of saliva to the ground just beside Tsuchimikado's shoes. "There is no anything important recently, brat," he said, giving total disrespect to the member of the GROUP. "Just get out of this place and never come again," he continued, without bothering to face Tsuchimikado at all. Even though he knew that his sentence couldn't be considered as a threat, but still, he really wanted to say it, for at least the blond haired guy knew that his arrival was not welcomed here.
"You should study how to lie nyaa," he said calmly, ignoring the spittle that took its place besides his shoes. Really, becoming a double agent for only God knew since when, he had studied the art of lying , and in process, knowing whether a respondent was lying or not. "I don't think that having three of your members to be taken to the hospital could be considered as an 'okay' for me. Moreover, the three of them were found in a place where the explosion incident occured around three days ago. You know something, don't you?" he said calmly, as his tune never changed from the start.
Drat, he knew.
The strong wind kept penetrating the isolated shack from the only opening that it could have, giving a certain chill as the temperature inside the shack began increasing gradually. The leader of Skill-Out could feel that his skin was now struggling to warm himself, as the light black jacket couldn't protect him from any further coldness. Moreover, the chill that existed in the space was not only because of the temperature; the atmosphere that the two had brought was also something that created a certain cold and solemn aura, adding the chill that the nature had provided. Whatever it was, the strong wind still came to and fro, or maybe it just circled around the space, unknowingly took its presence by every blow that it produced.
"I know nothing about that," the square faced guy said, not knowing what he should say. He didn't want to tell GROUP anymore again, for he didn't want any other intervention from an underground organization. Giving GROUP informations and leaking everything about Skill-Out for a month had been his own pain, and now that his objective of vengeance appeared to be impossible, he didn't have any interest again in helping GROUP.
"Don't say that nyaa," Motoharu replied calmly, with the equivalence of facing a toddler whom he met just two minutes ago. "You should know that as a member of GROUP, you should help the organization, by for example, giving us information?" he grinned this time, as his white teeth appeared to create a certain contrast around the darkness of the shack, as the only one who could be seen clearly that time.
The last sentence was the last thing that he wanted to hear from the blonde haired guy. He could feel that his brain began becoming hot fast, as though it could melt in any second. Because of that, his brain couldn't work properly anymore, as what he really wanted that time was only to kill the person who was talking to him, or maybe flaying his skin would be the best choice. It seemed that patience had long gone from his own brain, for he couldn't resist a necessity to calm himself down, being a good gentleman like others, but rather, becoming a hungry beast which was looking for its prey. Without any order from his brain, he took a dagger from his jacket's pocket, and with the speed of light itself, his hand moved swiftly towards Motoharu's neck, threatening him as he resisted an urge to kill whilst he began standing on the lifeless ground.
"I'm not a GROUP's member," he said, with every pressure that he could exert in each words, and somehow, the howling wind began increased its blowing rate, slightly fluttering his messy hair, as though it formed a blazing black flame. "I have no any intention to give you any information, so go now or die," he continued swiftly, without giving any moment for Motoharu to reply. For the leader of Skill-Out, the option 'no' was unforgiveable, resulting death to Motoharu's life, even though he knew, that the consequences would also come from GROUP itself. But what he wanted to do now, was just to evict the existence of the guy in front of him, whether by killing or by driving him out.
"Well, just say what you know or else, you will be hurt, that's all nyaa," Tsuchimikado Motoharu answered, as if the threat that was thrown to him before, together with the company of a sheath of dagger which was separated by one centimeter of space, was nothing but just a simple talk. His grinning expression was still there, as the white hue still took its existence. There was no any change of inner or outer facial that could be observed, let alone any sense of fear from him. It was as though the dagger was not there originally, or he was just stupid.
"How dare you..."
And that was the last word that could be heard from the leader's mouth.
With a certain blinding speed that only Tsuchimikado knew how to do, his right hand moved forward, plugging up the leader's mouth with so much force that was enough to make the leader winced in pain. Being an individual that had abundant experiences regarding streetfighting with the equivalence of a warrior, his instinct took his brain, and with that, Tsuchimikado Motoharu took his chance and threw a punch to the leader's abdomen, resulting another spittle to be released from the leader's mouth. Somehow, the leader lost his grip to the dagger, and because of that, Motoharu could snatch it swiftly and easily. The said blond haired guy moved swiftly to the leader's back, and with a dagger in hand, he drew the dagger to the leader's neck, threatening him with the said sharp weapon.
"Just speak. Or. Die" Motoharu said, fully ignoring his usual style of speaking, with a deadly stare that was concealed behind his sunglasses. The leader was now paralyzed, as Motoharu's words pierced his ears just like a thousand lightning spears of ice, knowing nothing about the prowess of fighting that an individual called Tsuchimikado Motoharu had. Somehow, he couldn't move, as fear began overwhelming his brain with the equivalence of nothing. He could feel that sweat began forming, and his heart was thumping so fast. His eyes were still implanted on the dagger that began making a contact to his skin, and with that, he really knew, that mistakes in talking couldn't be forgiven by the blond haired guy. He had only one option.
In an obsolete isolated shack under the majestic starry sky above, another information was leaked from the sinful mouth of a certain Skill-Out's leader, and with that, personally, he was more shameful than the lowest human in the world, with the strong wind as the bystander that would always remember.
Because human could forget, but actually, the wind was not human, and pity, the wind couldn't forget.
A clear night, yet so rare in autum, had a potential to be the greatest scenery for all. Around the blackness of the sky, the countless stars appeared to be so vibrant, as though they were a certain teenager who was enjoying youth. The lack of the existence of moon appeared to increase the rate of happiness, as if they could move freely without it, dominating the clear sky as they began covering the night with every glimmer that they could produce. Every glimpse of stars drew the sky with their own characteristics, and with that variety, the sky appeared to be so full of light and joy, as though each stars were communicating to each other, regarding every message that they could give to the humans below them about the secret of peace in the world.
Ignoring the beauty and majesty of the starry sky, Tsuchimikado Motoharu walked silently, leaving district 10 to his school's dormitory. His facial didn't resemble the expression of someone who had threatened a leader of Skill-Out with a dagger, but rather, his expression appeared to be full of seriousness, as his mind didn't pay any heed to the road that he was walking. It was not like that he was tired already after he had confronted the leader, for actually, he didn't have any intention to intimidate the leader by a dagger (of course, Tsuchimikado Motoharu was not that kind of man, or else, Tsuchimikado Maika wouldn't like him anymore). The leader was the one who started the ruckus, that was all.
But he didn't think at all about the intimidation that he had done successfully, for his success was something that was expected by his brain. He was only thinking about the information that he had got. He would never guess back then, that the leader of Skill-Out himself was the one who was influenced in the event, and the leader appeared to be honest and true, for the story that he had told could only be known from a man who had seen the event himself. The explosion, the electricity, even the culprit of the explosion, or to be exact, the Railgun; everything was explained clearly by the leader of the Skill-Out, and he appeared to be true. From all the major things that the leader had said, there was only two words that were still plastered clearly in Tsuchimikado's brain.
Blue wings?
Really, he would never expect that the Railgun was capable of doing that. He had known that his comrades, or a certain white haired guy who became the strongest esper in Academy City, could do such feat. He was also told that the second strongest esper, or Kakine Teitoku, was able to produce wings, or in other means, having an angelic properties, the same as Accelerator. It was said that they were 'awakened', as though the angel inside them finally reacted, giving them enough power to distort the world. But still, to think that the third greatest esper could do such thing was somehow... wow.
The leader also said about the existence of a certain spiky haired guy that he confronted. If the the Railgun, or truly, Misaka Mikoto was there, then the only spiky haired guy that she should know was only...
Let's not thinking about that.
Out of the blue, he could hear a faint sound of his cell phone ringing, as its vibrate could be sensed by his skin. The sound of phone ringing was the only one that took its presence around the midst of the night, as most of the students had come back to their respective dormitory, and moreover, it had passed the city curfew time. The howling wind that kept blowing was the only one which accompanied the sound of phone ringing. Then, he took the cell phone from his pocket, moving it towards his ears as it started making a certain contact to his ears. He then began speaking.
"Yea, who is this?" Motoharu said.
Then, a certain familiar voice, whose characteristic could only be found from someone that he knew, could be heard faintly from the phone as the sound wave penetrated Motoharu's ear drums. It was a voice which resembled the voice of an adult with so much maturity, even though Tsuchimikado Motoharu knew, that the one he was speaking to was only a fourteen years old guy, with a cigarette which appeared to be eternal in his mouth. Aside of that, the mature tune showed a little amount of fear and concern, although it was somehow concealed by the way the man spoke. Nevertheless, being a spy for the entire of his life could make Motoharu knew everything he shouldn't know, including the hidden message of tune that someone used. For further information, he didn't regret it at all.
"Tsuchimikado? This is Styl Magnus."
Somehow, Tsuchimikado Motoharu could swear that the glimmers that the stars above provided before had decreased, with the company of icy wind that began reducing its temperature, giving chill to his skin, as if even the nature could know, that another bad news would ascend again from the hell, as the gloom took most of the beauty that the nature provided.
When you have arrived in Academy City, take an electric train. Even though it appeared that there were various district, you must go to the district 3 of the Academy City, a district which was specialized only for tourists and it was dedicated for their accomodation. When you have arrived at district 3, you would find that place to be full by soaring skycrapers and buildings, and most of them were hotels and plazas, with some occasional cafes and restaurants that could be seen around the peripheral sight. Then, you should find the tallest and the most fancy building in district 3, to be said, the most majestic and expensive hotel that existed in Academy City. After you had entered the lobby, moved yourself toward the lift, which took its presence at the left side of hotel's lobby. Wasting your time to determine which floor was not needed, you should just go to the highest floor of the building: the 40th floor. Then, find room number 4032, or to be precised, a VIP room which appeared to be the best room that was only provided for president. Enter the room, and you could find that the room was divided into three parts: the guest room which could be seen just after you had entered the room, the bedroom which could be seen on the left part of the guest room, and the bathroom, which was located on the right part of the room. The bedroom took the shape of a square with white hue as the one which colored the room, with the size of 7x7 meters. A chandelier could be found above your head, as the one which provided enlightenment in the room, with the presence of two large beds that could be seen at the left side of the room. At the opposite part of the bed, a table, which appeared to be dedicated for studying could be found, so much different from the dining table in the guest room. At the same part, a plasma TV, complete with playstation 3 and other games that was a little bit too modern could also be found, reedeming itself as the place and things for tourists to have so much entertainment. The furniture and painting that took their presence in the room appeared to be so expensive, carved and made by Leonardo Da Vinci himself, accompanied by technology which was created by the creativity which was beyond Thomas Alva Edison himself. The blend of technology and art was mixed in the room with the contrast that appeared to be saturated, and for everyone, it was majestic. Think about the most fancy room that you could imagine. This room was three times greater than that.
Room number 4032 was used by two teenagers this time: a boy and a girl. The hazel haired girl could be seen sleeping on one of the beds in the bedroom, enjoying the cozy feeling that was provided together with the company of large space and chill that was provided by the air conditioner. The other one was a spiky haired guy, Kamijou Touma, whose condition could show a total difference with the girl. He appeared to have smoke above his head as he didn't stop scribbling on the paper that he had read for more than twice, and from the expression that resembled a depressed kid, he was not okay at all. Sitting on the chair which appeared to have been heated by his buttocks, the spiky haired guy didn't stop scratching his hair in frustation whilst occasional 'such misfortune' words could be heard from time to time. With the light from the small desk lamp that gave brightness only to the circle which Kamijou Touma was in, as if it didn't want to disturb the slumber of the girl, Touma continued writing everything to help his brain to memorize.
Kamijou Touma looked at the circular wall clock that was plastered on the clock whose hands showed the time now. It was 00.30 am; not a particular time for students to study, except for those who were bookworm or something. Nevertheless, he couldn't sleep even though his eyes and brain began to give up gradually, for the materials that he had to memorize and know were so abundant that if he didn't start studying from now, he wouldn't be able to face a certain short teacher, or else, the said teacher would cry and gave him some good quality of time in detention room. No matter how idiot the individual Kamijou Touma was, he must be able to memorize everything in two days, even though it would consume his sleeping time.
But still, he didn't know why couldn't he have a brain just like the hazel haired girl who was sleeping in the same space. He even had moved from the dining table in the guest room to the study table in the bedroom, for his brain thought that a change of atmosphere could make him processing the materials better. Nevertheless, an idiot would always be an idiot, no matter how many times he tried, idiocy would never be wiped out by the change of atmosphere and place.
Indeed, the hazel haired girl had helped him explaining the materials with her best ability, nevertheless, Misaka Mikoto seemed to be so tired and she hadn't fully recovered from the last incident. Being a chivalrous guy just like he would always be, Touma just told her to take a rest, saying that he was able to do everything. With that, the Raligun left him, with a piling paper of materials that he must memorize.
And since then, no materials ever reached his brain.
Really, Misaka Mikoto was a great individual, and a great teacher to be precised. With her way of explaining, somehow, he could memorize everything much better than before. He could find out that his brain worked in a great rate, something that he never felt before. Perhaps it was because of her great prowess of teaching; perhaps it was because of her detailed explanation; perhaps it was because of her tune that she used that sounded to be so attractive and comfortable; perhaps it was because of the aura that she emanated which resembled the aura of a friend, not a teacher; perhaps it was because of the fact he enjoyed her company so much that without her, his brain stopped functioning and he became an idiot again, once and for all.
Heh, silly.
The spiky haired guy looked at the figure of a girl who was sleeping on the opposite part of the room. She had removed her flower clip, and she was wearing a colorful pyjamas with polkadot pattern which showed her love to the childish thing (well, most of the teenage girl that Kamijou Touma knew would always wear sleeping dress), which Touma reluctantly admitted, seemed to be nice and fit to her, together with the most peaceful expression that Misaka Mikoto was having, as her lips always curved upwards, enjoying every single dream that she had to relieve the awful day, walking on the heaven side by side with the one that she trusted. Touma rarely saw Misaka in this state, for what he usually saw until now was her angry, shy, confused, sad, and serious expression, which were far different with what he was seeing now. Nevertheless, he must admit, that she appeared to be so cute and beautiful right now, so much different with the tomboyish aura that she usually emanated. It was said that the genuinity in expression in human could only be seen when she or he was sleeping, and by what Kamijou Touma was seeing, he must say that it was right.
Somehow, without him knowing why, a natural smile, a smile which was not forced at all; a smile without any influence of skeletal muscle, was formed on Kamijou Touma's face, as the peaceful scene was seen right in front of his eyes.
The smile was ruined when he faced the paper in front of him again.
Kamijou Touma was really in trouble now. His body and spirit for studying had been depleted drastically, for he couldn't memorize anything at all since the said Railgun slept. He was frustated, and the fresh air which was provided by the air conditioner didn't appear to be able to warm his hot head. Really, how could he know the mechanism of Aldosterone and parathyroxine, as the most important hormone which was present in human's body? How could he know anything about testoterone if he didn't even know the meaning of corpus callosum? How could he know the mechanism and effect of the hormone which was produced by adrenal medulla if he didn't know anything about opposite function that the hormones had? How could he know the mechanism of melanocyte if even the text book didn't provide so much source regarding the hormone?
Kamijou Touma released a low moan and dropped his head to the table, with the low thud that could be heard as his head made a contact to the table (fortunately, as if it was the first time he was blessed by fortune, Misaka didn't wake up). He closed his eyes momentarily, as though it was enough to gather energy that he really needed for now. Even though the room seemed comfortable, he was not comfortable at all, for his head blocked any comfort that the room provided, with only a little bit chill that he could feel.
He really needed to take some good amount of rest.
Nevertheless, he couldn't sleep now. He had vowed that he wouldn't sleep until he learned at least one more material. But also, he needed a little change without any materials that was forced into his head. He needed some good air. No, not the artificial air that the air conditioner provided, but else, a good air that was provided by mother nature itself, giving him the enjoyment that he really loved, a good change that he really needed.
Kamijou Touma stood up from the chair, as the chair appeared to thank him for not being heated again anymore. He stretched his arms, neck, and leg slowly, as the cracking sound of the stretched arms could be heard vaguely. He then took his black jacket from the table, wearing it for a good protection from chill for he knew that although he needed it, the outside air must be cold. The brightness of the lamp was gone as he turned it off, followed by tip-toes that he did to prevent a certain hazel haired girl from waking up, effectively continuing the silence that he had maintained from the first time he stepped on the room.
Then, he exited the room, closing the door behind, leaving Misaka Mikoto in her own slumber, as her snore was the only thing that could be heard from the peripheral area.
When a low-class person started living a fancy life for sometime, his or her eyes would be particular to the expensive, majestic, and fancy things that surrounded him or her, leaving his or her previous life which was full of common things, changed with the life of rich man, which was full of nothing but majesty and grace. As though his or her hidden eyes had fluttered open, he or she would consider a private plane to be a usual bus, a VIP room in the most expensive hotel to be a usual shack, and a private maid as a usual friend. It was hilarious to know that actually, he or she would forget his or her previous life as a commoner, enjoying the life as a prince or princess, even letting everyone in the world knew about his or her capability in buying things. It was the hidden behavior of a man.
Nevertheless, it appeared that Kamijou Touma's eyes hadn't fluttered open.
When he exited the room he was staying, he decided to check out the open-air swimming pool which was located on the 30th floor, considering that he didn't know what to do outside, and also, remembering that he could encounter some deliquents around this time. Moreover, his misfortune would always surround him, so, a chance of encountering some deliquents who wanted to beat him must be high. With those awful probability, he agreed to himself to go to the swimming pool, for at least he could get some fresh air. Well, a short walk wouldn't hurt, right?
What he imagined was that the swimming pool was just a usual pool. A usual square-shaped pool with some stairs to help the swimmer to get out of the pool, maybe with some occasional benches for the swimmers to take a rest and eat. Well, what would a pool have other than that?
Wrong. He should know that he was still a commoner.
The sign showed 'swimming pool', but it could't be considered as a usual pool. Maybe the words 'the miniature of watery landmark with natural beauty' would be a better choice to avoid misunderstandings from tourists. The whole floor itself was the pool. When Kamijou Touma first entered the area, his sight was greeted by a pool with natural shape, surrounded by perennial trees and bushes around with so much comfort. The pool was so big that it could resemble a pond, with the water which appeared to be so natural and clean, as if it was taken from the Baikal Lake in Russia itself. At the western side of the pool, he could see some children's playground related to water, and at the eastern side, he could see the waving water, or maybe a miniature of the sea, completed with a place to rent some surfing boards to play the said sport there. But the majesty could be seen at the center of the pool, with Touma's eyes kept plastering to it. It was a miniature of the river, which was flowing, but it was still proper for some swimmers to swim. It was a beautiful landmark, with trees and bushes surrounding the peripheral 'river', covering the area with life and coolness that was rare to be found in Academy City. The ground beneath was adorned by carved stone, adding the beauty that it had. There was a wooden bridge that made its way from the left side of the 'river' to the right side, and with the company of the showering light from the stars above, a beautiful landmark was created, something which appeared to catch every eye that took a glance at it.
Touma walked around the central part of the pool, enjoying the comfort that it had provided. Then, he stood at one side of the lake, facing the flowing water which created his own reflection, showing the purity that the water had. There was no one around, something that he really needed, as calmness and peace surrounded him with the equivalence of nothing, successfully causing the serenity that he wanted. The sound of flowing water was the only one that took its presence, signaling the existence of no one around except a certain spiky haired guy.
The gentle breeze could be sensed by him, caressing his skin which had some nostalgic feeling, as the memory of his mother's caress was flowing to Touma's brain. The landmark was too beautiful that it started making his eyes closed in peace, as if the landmark had a certain natural magic to draw him to all the dreams that he wanted. It was too hard for him to remember about the materials that he wanted to learn again anymore. What he wanted was just to be there, enjoying the scenery with ease and peace, with the one that he really loved.
And it couldn't be last forever.
Out of the blue, the sound of his cell phone destroyed the silence that had been created by the surrounding and environment, surprising Touma as he opened his eyes in a shocked expression. Then, he took the cell phone from his pocket, and moved it towards his ears. A voice that he knew could be heard, a familiar voice of his classmate with sunglasses that he must be wearing right now. As his familiar, yet awkward style reached his ears, he somehow could know that something would be wrong, because the said friend would only call him when something which was big happened.
As the conversation went, the gentle breeze continued its blow, currently unaffected by the conversation of two men via cell phone that would change everything later. The breeze was just there, accompanied Kamijou Touma with much comfort as he talked, giving him the best caress that it had to everyone in the world.
"Where am I?"
Misaka Mikoto was in the verge of ending her 'date' which she loved the most. She remembered that she was having fun with a certain spiky haired guy whose name she didn't want to say (all thanks to her tsundere nature), playing around the Academy City with joy and happiness, as if the bystanders who were watching them as they walked were not there, as they were protected by a barrier which could only fit for two people. The nature also supported their walk, as the sky appeared to be so bright and vibrant, with occasional gentle breeze that brought the odor from the mother nature itself. Wearing their respecetive uniforms, they were chatting happily, playing around, eating in the fast food restaurant, and holding hands, without any blush that could be seen from Mikoto's cheeks, as though what they were doing was the simplest thing in the world and it had been done habitually. They were together, from the morning to the evening, until eventually, time separated them apart, with the signal from the spiky haired boy who finally went home, just after he took Mikoto to her dormitory.
She could remember that most of the time, her smile could always be seen, adorning her face as the smile beautified every fragment of beauty that existed on Mikoto's face. It was as if that the presence of a certain spiky haired boy warmed her heart, as the aura that he emanated could embrace her with the equivalence of the embrace from God Himself. She really enjoyed her time with the spiky haired boy, as if the time was stopped and the space provided a place only for the two of them to have their fun. It was enjoyable and great, as thoroughly, she couldn't find the best word to describe her feeling, which was beyond happiness.
And in two seconds, everything had changed, just when she wanted to enter her dormitory.
Out of the blue, she could feel a great pressure which appeared to have an objection to crush her body, as if someone who hated her had arrived in Academy City, spreading hatred to everyone inside the city. Her eyes widened in surprise, as sweat began forming on her skin. She could feel that the enjoyable atmosphere was not present anymore, changed with a much hotter one, as though the blazing sun was trying to hit the earth with a scorching fire ball or something. She gulped slightly, and with that, her head turned, looking at the back part of hers, wanting to know the person who had created the said pressure.
And what she saw was worse than ever.
What she saw was no longer Academy City, but rather, a barren land where people were suffering and dying, causing tears and grief to everyone who lived there. It was as if a massive amount of dynamites had been planted in Academy City, and the explosion had occured, creating a land in which children never smiled and the star never sparkled. High above the ground, a red sky, which resembled the color of the blood could be seen, as thick grey cloud created the scenery of the hell, together with the sun which appeared to be ready to burn anyone under it. The color of the ground was red, showing its barren characteristic, which also resembled the reflection of the scary sun above. Imagine a certain hell in the world. This place was much worse than that.
The remnants of withered plants could be seen everywhere, with the black hue of stems and roots that could be seen around the peripheral sight, showing the drastic lack of care that they needed the most, scorched by the heat which was emanated from the sun. Dust and smoke could be seen everywhere, adorning the red environment as if they loved to be there, ignoring the ugliness that they had caused. Nevertheless, what Mikoto feared was much more than the environment or the plants, for what she thought was more than that.
She couldn't sense any life in the place.
It was not as if having a power which could control electricity would make her capable to sense the life by her ability. But rather, the lack of noises and sound, with the company of choking air which appeared to be lack of oxygen could explain everything. Just by taking a little glance around, everybody could know, that this was not a place for humans to live. Nevertheless, Misaka Mikoto was there, and just by thinking about that, with the sight that she really hated to see, she was scared.
Misaka Mikoto began walking around the area, shouting some words of greeting to make sure that she was no alone, even though somehow, it appeared that she was just reassuring herself, as the echo of her own voice reached her ears back. The air choked her, as the amount of oxygen was really insufficient, making one step to be similar with twenty steps. She really didn't know what happened to the Academy City, and somehow, she didn't want to know. Ruin of buildings could be seen everywhere, and the shards of glass and trash were the only things which she could see. Occasionally, she could see some blue line hue of electricity around, with the crackling sound that was too annoying to be heard. Something that accompanied an individual called Misaka Mikoto until now was the sound of her own footsteps, and no more.
Nonetheless, she kept walking and walking, hoping to find a trace of life that she needed. After some amount of tiresome walks, she finally could see a silhoutte of a person sitting on one corner of the street, resting on a broken electric pole as if it was his or her own home. Mikoto, finally acknowledging that at least she was not alone in the place, approached the person, as her expression began cheering up a little.
And the cheerful expression faded instantly.
The person was a girl; a petite girl who was blessed by old hazel color that stained her hair, with pigtails that showed her love towards the said hair style. Nevertheless, her condition was far worse than ever. Her eyes widened in fear, as though something which was shocking had hit her just like a thousand lightning, stealing the source of life that was dependent with her soul. She was wearing Tokiwadai Middle School's uniform, which was torn and bruised everywhere, with a part of leg and arm which were bent into a painful angle. Surrounding her was her own blood, bathing her as if it was her intention to be like that, as if each capillaries that were present in her body had exploded. She didn't breath, and she didn't move, not showing any sign of life as she remained lifeless, and with that, a name flew to Mikoto's brain, a name of her friend that had become her roommate.
"Kuroko?"
Mikoto's eyes widened in fear, seeing the condition of her first friend in Tokiwadai Middle School who was worse than any other corpse that she had ever seen. She knelt besides her, calling her name to the lifeless body who kept staring at her in a shocked expression; a deadly stare of a corpse which was far colder than the snow. Nevertheless, Mikoto's shout of her name was only replied by the echo that the emptiness of the city had, and because of that, without her knowing why, she began sobbing hard, as she finally lost her ability to speak again anymore.
This couldn't be happening.
A little part of her teary eyesight caught a sight of something behind Kuroko's lifeless body. She swiftly turned around, looking at the things that had caught her attention, and thus, she regretted for turning her head around. What she saw was far more awful and painful for a teenage girl like her, and she couldn't bear any urge to cry hard, shouting her grief of the city that she loved.
Around her peripheral sight was a pool of dead men that was all lying on the lifeless ground, and moreover, they even formed a certain pile of dead people that was too horrifying to be seen even by the strongest man in the world. The lake of blood was there, coloring the ground with its red hue, resembling the color of the sky above. All of their expression could be considered to be the same with Kuroko's, as if they had seen something which was extremely terrible, or as if the cause of their death was electric shock, and much to Mikoto's horror, she was alive.
Far from a distance, blocked by the thick dust that surrounded the area, Mikoto could see a silhoutte of a girl, and surrounding her, was a blue line of electricity which sparkled slightly and deadly. As Mikoto tried to stand up , she could see, that in front of the silhoutte of the girl, Mikoto could see a silhoutte of a man, who appeared to have spiky hair. The said man was seen to be sitting on the pavement, reaching for his shoulder, cornered by the silhoutte of a woman as the blue line hue suddenly solidified, taking a form of a blade. Then, she began lifting the said 'blade', and...
... she slashed it to the man.
Mikoto's eyes widened in fear, seeing the terrifying scene that blocked her ability to scream for help or else. The man's blood was spluttered everywhere, and the man's scream gave another pain to her ears, echoing throughout the area as she began trembling heavily. As if the curtain had been lifted, the dust began fading out, and with that, Mikoto could see everything clearly.
She really wanted to die because of that.
The silhouette of the man could be seen, revealing his lifeless body that was lying on the cold pavement. Among all the corpses that Misaka had ever seen, the man was the worst. Blood was spluttered everywhere, with the shocked expression that couldn't be equated by anything. His skin appeared to be flayed on some parts, revealing his flesh and blood which bathed his body. He was bruised all over, and his usual uniform had been torn everywhere, and from a little glance of him, Mikoto could know, that his body was almost split up by sharp things, but still, the struggle of the body to keep uniting themselves was too harrowing to be seen. Mikoto Misaka almost couldn't differentiate which one were the arms and legs; he was too terrible to be seen.
It appeared that Kamijou Touma didn't have any human's body again anymore.
She couldn't say anything at all, for seeing the one she loved to die in such a way would be something that she really hated. Humans had lived for more than two thousand years, but yet, Mikoto couldn't find any words which could describe her grief right now, as it was far more than everyone could imagine. It was as if death was better than everything for at least she didn't need to see anything like this.
Nevertheless, what scared her most was the woman or maybe the girl who had killed the said Kamijou Touma before. She was a girl with her age, with void expression with somehow, a slight smile which enjoyed everything that she had done. The wicked wind fluttered her short hazel hair, wearing the Tokiwadai Middle School which was flooded by blood, and from the first glance, she could know that it was not her blood. Even though she was gazing at Mikoto, it appeared that what she saw was faraway behind her, seeing something as if she was hoping of something to be there, even though it was improbable.
The girl was Misaka Mikoto herself.
Without any warning, the electricity began forming on the girl's hand, forming a blue blade of seraph whose appearance Mikoto had seen before, with the crackling sound of electricity as something which could be heard around. Then, she dashed to Mikoto, unsheathing her new-formed sword, trying to stab her. Nonetheless, Mikoto didn't retaliate or avoid her attack, for she was too surprised by everything that had happened in this place, being too idiot to acknowledge everything which she had seen in front of her eyes. With the tears that kept forming on her eyes, she kept maintaining her state, and with the glance to the face of the void girl in front of her, what the Railgun saw was darkness.
An old once said that a dream would always be a dream, and a dream would never be a reality. Nevertheless, actually, the border between dream and reality were far nearer than everyone could expect. The dream was the greatest imagination and expectation that the reality had, and with that, the reality could be the same as a dream, even though the probability won't hit 100 %. The dream could be a certain embodiment of the reality, and because of that, what the reality provided would be the hidden meaning of a dream, not the dream itself.
Misaka Mikoto couldn't feel the cozy bed anymore as she jerked upwards, leaving the bed beneath with two arms that supported her weight. With dilating pupils and sweat all over her body, she shot daggers at the ceiling above, as if it was something that had scared her until now. Acknowledging that the ceiling was normal, she looked to and fro, terribly scared by the existence and presence of a pool of blood around previously, and to be honest, she was trembling in fear. Afterwards, she relaxed a bit, face palming herself, trying to reassure himself as she closed her eyes deliberately.
It had been the third times she had seen dreams which were similar to this. At first, at the hospital, what the dream provided was the sound of the leader of Skill-Out who kept echoing in her ears, and now, the scene that showed herself as a bloody murderer. She vaguely remembered that in this dream, she had a nice dream before everything eventually changed, wondering her of the sudden change in dream that had occured before. Indeed, she never showed that to anyone, perfectly masked by the tomboyish and cheerful facial that she usually had, but inside, she was scared, not because of the dream actually, but because of the reality.
The reality of her status as a murderer.
Ever since the first time the leader of Skill-Out told her about everything, the awful reality that she knew only from him, she couldn't wipe out any guilty feeling from killing a person that she didn't even know accidentally. It was as though that having an ability could be a blessing or a curse, a blessing for being able to protect herself and other people, being a curse as even the esper ability like she had could kill someone. To be honest, she didn't know how to behave again, for she would see herself in a differet way now.
The presence of a certain spiky haired guy couldn't be seen. It appeared that he hadn't slept already, showed perfectly by the neat bed besides hers. It seemed that his study blocked him from any kind of rest and sleep, for the materials he must learn were so many that even Misaka Mikoto couldn't memorize all of them swiftly. Then, Mikoto rested her body again on the cozy bed beneath, trying to get a certain enjoyment as the fresh air from the air conditioner cooled her body down.
Misaka Mikoto found herself in the swimming pool.
Oh, no, it was not a dream again anymore. It was a reality and the fact; she was really in the swimming pool now, wearing a blue coat as her only protection from chill. It was not as if she was afraid of facing her dream again or she was having a sudden insomnia or something. It was just that the sensation that she got before from her previous dream had given her so much disturbance. Thus, she decided to take some fresh air or maybe enjoyed some stars gazing above her head, trying to cool everything down in her mind. And with that, the opened air swimming pool was the best place, for she knew from her previous stay in the hotel that the swimming pool could provide the atmosphere of nature itself.
The swimming pool was still the same: the miniature of the lake, sea, and the river with so many perennial trees and bushes around the peripheral sight, perfectly matched everything, causing the scenery of the natural river, sea, and lake. The gentle breeze could be sensed blowing around, exiting their previous concealment in the bushes, giving the odor of comfort and joy, as Misaka Mikoto enjoyed their company. The stars were all so bright, coloring the black sky with their hue as they started dancing happily around as their brightness vaguely colored the land of the earth.
Nevertheless, the corner of her eyes caught something. It was a figure of a man, who was standing at one side of the river, facing the river beneath as the water reflected his shadow. The spiky haired boy, Kamijou Touma to be precised, was seen to have a conversation via cell phone with only him knew who, with his usual winter uniform that appeared to be eternal for him. The stars vividly illuminated him as the white hue colored the circle in which he was in. He didn't appear knowing it nonetheless.
Mikoto sighed. It was as if no matter where she was going, the first man that she would meet was only Kamijou Touma. In her dreams, outside her school, in the convenient store, and even in the underground mall, Kamijou Touma would always be around. Indeed, some of the 'meeting' was also done by her deed to meet him, but for the others, they were always be an accident to meet, but still, she was happy for that.
The majesty of the stars above illuminated the two of them, forming a road of light which separated the two embodiments of youth and strength, as if the stars drew the two of them to be closer and closer. Misaka Mikoto involuntarily smiled and closed her eyes, as though the creation of nature had given her the best comfort that she needed.
She silently approached the spiky haired guy.
As she walked to the said spiky haired guy, Kamijou Touma didn't seem to notice the appearance of the hazel haired girl as he kept plastering his cell phone to his ears, with somehow, a serious expression that she rarely saw. It was as if what he was talking about was a serious matter that would change the fate of destiny he was walking on. His eyes appeared to be as sharp as they could be, and his stare was far more intense than his usual stare, informing the present Kamijou Touma who was different than ever. It was the same expression that he was wearing when he confronted her at the bridge, just before the sister's experiment. It was the same expression that she saw when he met her to help her saving her junior. It was the same expression that he was wearing when she confronted him in the middle on night, with injuries that covered his body. Somehow, she could know that something essential for him was wrong, and afterwards, he would usually put his neck slightly from the line of the death, and she hated it so much.
Just six steps before she finally reached the spiky haired guy, he hanged up his conversation, put his cell phone back to his pocket, and began staring deeply to the miniature river whose water was flowing beneath. He appeared to be deep in his thought, with the company of gentle breeze which caressed his skin only. Even though the conversation had ended, it appeared that the previous conversation had left something for him to think.
"Yo!"
Mikoto greeted her suddenly, with a somehow cheerful expression that was so contrast with her nightmare before. The said spiky haired boy appeared to be tensed a little bit, and with a little glance of him, everybody could know that he was in the verge of falling down to the water beneath. Nevertheless, he succeeded to maintain the equilibrium of his body, then, he faced Mikoto with a surprised expression implanted on his face.
"Mi-Misaka," he stuttered, facing a certain scientific Railgun. He seemed to hide something, just from the way he talked and moreover, his gesture could tell Mikoto everything about it. "Umm... good..." he started, becoming nervous all of the sudden, as the arrival of Misaka Mikoto in the swimming pool was unexpected for him. He rolled his eyes upwards, trying to find any good words from the stars above, which showered the two of them with nothing but glee. "...evening?"
Mikoto sighed. "What's with being nervous, all of the sudden?" she said, as she rested on a tree. The warmth of the tree gave her a certain enjoyment to her back, as if the hidden heart of hers cheered in glee for the contact of the mother nature that she had permitted. Without her knowing why, she sat on the said tree, touching the soft ground beneath with her tender hands that could make even a miss universe jealous of the tenderness that she had. She closed her eyes momentarily, giving more comfort to her body, and after that, she opened her eyes and began speaking again. "What are you talking about before anyway?"
Kamijou Touma gulped, as some volume of saliva came back to his body again. He started to have a certain difficulty in speaking, much to Mikoto's surprise, for Kamijou Touma was not certainly the kind of nervous man who spoke with so much doubt and shyness. He began scratching his head and avoided any kind of eye contacts to the Railgun, and with that, as if he eventually gained a fraction of courage that he needed to speak, a word began flowing from his mouth.
"Nothing..."
The hazel haired girl sighed. The answer 'nothing' would never satisfy any fragment of her brain for a hot-headed girl like Misaka Mikoto. Nevertheless, she just didn't want to press the issue any further, for she was too tired to argue with anyone again, moreover, to an individual called Kamijou Touma, whose stubborn ideal could even beat anyone in the said world. Let alone, the serenity that the nature gave was so contrast with anything like arguing or scolding, so, she would press the issue further tomorrow maybe, for she thought it would be better.
The tranquil silence surrounded them, followed by a gentle breeze around the small wood, caressing their skin for the happiness that they had for being their company, even just for a little time they provided. The stars above illuminated them with nothing but joy, with brightness of the sparkles that was beyond any imagination that a human had. The smooth wind gave another caress to the water, creating some ripples as their sound became the only one who penetrated their ears. For every artist in the world, the kind of scenery would be something that they really wanted to see, and with a little glance of it, they would started coloring their canvas with the color of life, being the embodiment of every feeling that Mikoto and Touma had.
"Oy,"
The stars began sparkling again, as its light appeared to glisten just like the pure gold, carved by the professional himself. Their sparkles seemed to encourage Misaka Mikoto to cast loose a feeling that she had; a guilty feeling for something that she did before, causing her to began gathering the said topic for only she knew why. Nevertheless, the stars were just there, giving more bravery to the said Railgun as its light shone to her.
"Yea?" Kamijou Touma's eyesbrow was raised by the sudden call from a certain scientific Railgun that was directed to him. For some reasons that only Mikoto knew why, she appeared to be so calm right now, far different than her usual habit of being loud and a 'little' bit violent towards him only.
"Am I a murderer? Do you hate me"
The brightness of the stars dimmed slightly, being honestly sad to the words that Mikoto spoke before about her guilty feeling, and somehow, it drained the power of the stars to shine above. Nevertheless, the stars kept shining, trying to give her warmth that she could only have from the affection of the stars, being the only friends for her as she walked towards another path of destiny.
Kamijou Touma closed his eyes as his lip turned upwards, forming a devil-may-care smile that Misaka Mikoto and half population of the Academy City found heart-stopping, as the gentle voice of Mikoto's, something that Touma never imagined to happen, reached his ears. Then, he began approaching the said Railgun slowly, and started speaking gently, together with gentle breeze that slightly fluttered his hair.
"It seemed that his words still left something to you, huh?" he said, approaching the hazel haired girl and began sitting beside her. There was no any blush or crimson color that could be seen on her cheeks regarding the proximity that Kamijou Touma provided, for she just tried to enjoy the warmth that the spiky haired boy had emanated, being something that heated up her cold heart which was full of nothing but guilt and regret.
"You know, an old once said that when a person killed someone with a purpose, with sadistic grin adorned his or her face, his or her soul will be gone, and his or her genuine smile would be gone from his or her face," Kamijou Touma started. "But you, Misaka, you were still smiling, a certain smile whose genuinity couldn't be doubted right? Just like what you had to your mother, and also, when you were sleeping," he continued.
"When I was sleeping?" Misaka asked, as the stars appeared to be brightened again, shimmering with a certain luster that couldn't be beaten by anything that the human had created. As if the stars were happy for everything, the stars were always there, giving any blessing with the light that it had, circling the two of them with their seraph of heaven.
"When I saw you sleeping, you kept smiling, as though you have no regret of living, and thus, your soul was still with you, and you were still a vibrant girl with a high spirit of life. You didn't do it with purpose" he replied, facing the stars above, being fascinated by the light that illuminated the two of them. "I didn't say that you didn't commit any sin, but you know what? I hated sin, not the sinners, so, I won't hate you."
Those words left Misaka in bewilderment, for she remembered that she was having a nightmare previously. Indeed, Mikoto was having a good dream before, and if she smiled when she was sleeping, it made sense. Nevertheless, it could also mean that Touma had left before she was having a nightmare, as though his presence around Mikoto would give her comfort, even in the other reality, or in other word; dream. She was really happy for that. Moreover, he didn't hate her at all.
"But, I was..."
"Look, a shooting star!"
Kamijou Touma's arm shot upwards, pointing a star who fell from the sky, forming a brush of light which gave another color of seraph to the black sky. The scenery of the sky was so beautiful and so endless, something which could make someone deliberately hold his or her breath. "Come on, make a wish!" He said to her, shouting some sensible words regarding the view of the shooting star.
Mikoto Misaka swiflty closed her eyes, making a praying figure, with a somehow, tender expression in her face that could relieve any burden from yesterday. Kamijou Touma, even though he was the one who told Mikoto to make a wish, didn't pray to the stars or else. He was just enjoying the breath taking scenery that took place in the sky above, with the company of the nature that surrounded the two. The sky with the shooting star was so beautiful that it seemed to be painted by the tender hands of God Himself.
Out of the blue, Kamijou Touma could feel a certain soft thing which was dropped gently to his shoulder. He turned his head, looking at something that made a certain contact to his shoulder, and with that, he formed another peaceful smile that relaxed his heart. It was Misaka's head, who made Touma's shoulder as a pillow. She closed her eyes, sleeping, as if the softness and warmth of his shoulder could defeat the cozy bed in the hotel. Nevertheless, something that caught most of his attention was the facial that Misaka head; it was a gentle expression with a genuine smile which beautified any fragment of majesty and beauty in her face. A genuine smile which showed the existence of pure soul inside her body. As if what Mikoto had done was the simplest thing in the world, she kept sleeping, with the greatest expression that Touma really loved.
Touma maintained his smile as he looked upwards, still, with a figure of a certain hazel haired girl on his shoulder.
The stars appeared to be dancing happily, looking at the sight of two teenagers under them who created a certain view which could melt the heart of everyone in the world. The stars showered them with nothing but bliss, with more intense brightness to the space that circled the two, with the company of calm breeze that created an enjoyable and delightful atmosphere. Whatever it was, the stars were always there, illuminating them, somehow created some orbs of light around them.
Perhaps they were not the stars, but rather, an opening in heaven where the smile of our loved ones shone to us, to let us know, that they were happy.