I divide this 'Prelude of the Clash' into 2 parts, because I want to avoid any kind of lengthy chapter that maybe some or the readers don't like. I hope with this, I can repair my mistake.

Well, so here is the chapter. Please enjoy!

Chapter 7: Prelude of the Clash I

A singer once said that high school time was the heaven in the earth, the best and the most interesting time in human's life. It was the time when the grasp from the parents were loosened, resulting humans to be able to choose something that they really wanted freely. It was the time when they had a lot of fun with their friends whom they could confide, as though the future that lied on the road they were walking on would be a blissful one. It was the time when they would likely have someone that they really cared of, being the only one who would walk with them on the path that God had destined them to.

Nevertheless, for a certain idiocy that a spiky haired guy would always have, high school was hell, as the place for his brain to be tortured, and also, a place where he must accept the punishment from a certain pink haired teacher.

The endless falling rain with the rumbling sound of thunder and howling wind that became the characteristic of autumn in Academy City, together with the company of the noises from his classmates that signaled the first break at school failed to wake a certain spiky haired guy from his slumber, as he plastered his head on the table with closed eyes. Nevertheless, The occasional thunder that created a certain flash in the shady class kept occuring, showing its intention to wake Kamijou Touma. His body appeared to have no soul for studying, as he kept his sleeping state, without anyone who gave any glance to him, showing the habitual characteristic of sleeping Touma.

It was another hell for him. The chemistry class that Tsukuyomi Komoe taught discussed about a new material that a level four esper created by his reality. The name of the material was bradium, or at least it was a name that Kamijou Touma remembered from two hours preaching from the pink haired teacher. The only thing that Touma caught was the fact that bradium was a unique material that could change its structure regarding the pressure and temperature that external environment had, and for the other information, he knew nothing at all.

Two hours of chemistry lesson was the same as two hours of brain torture for him, as every word that floated to his right ear kept exiting his left ear, leaving a fraction of drowsiness that the words had. Chemistry was indeed the hardest lesson in school, and fortunately, the first break was placed after the chemistry class. At least he could have a good time of sleeping without any intervention from some 'kind intimidation' from Tsukuyomi Komoe (or a little tear from her occasionally), from Aogami Pierce, who must be flirting somewhere at the schoolyard, or Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who was absent this day. Before he slept, he saw Himegami Aisa left the class, so at least, peace would surround his slumber this time.

But still, he should know that the goddess of misfortune, the culprit of all his bad luck, would always surround him with the equivalence of nothing.

A 'light' smack (or at least it was in the point of view of a certain female who took the role of class representative in Touma's class) was the one that woke him up, as the pain that the smack invented made the spiky haired guy groaned in agony, pitying his back which must have a certain bruise that would last for more than a day. The surprising contact made Touma turned his head upwards, as his hazy sight began revealing the one that had given him a good time of back massaging later. It was his other female friend, who was staring at him with an annoyed face, as her stare appeared to stab a dagger on Touma's heart. She folded her arms in front of her big breast, which was covered by the usual black sailor uniform with a long black skirt. A white ribbon was placed in front of her neck, together with the company of her silky black hair which was disentangled to her back that completed the beauty of Fukiyose Seiri.

She indeed was a beauty... if only she stopped her ill stare at an individual called Kamijou Touma.

"Oy, Kamijou," Fukiyose started, with her stare that didn't leave Touma at all, as her firm tune penetrated Touma's ears. "Since you were present at school yesterday, your sleepy face never leaves your stupid face! Be more enthusiastic in studying, will you?" Fukiyose continued.

"I can't help it, Fukiyose!" Touma answered, as he dropped his head again on the table that had been plastered to his cheek since the beginning of the first break. "The lesson was so boring and I didn't understand the material that Komoe-sensei said at all. It is a destiny from my misfortune to have a certain idiocy like this!" Touma said in agony, without bothering to look at Fukiyose at all.

Fukiyose's annoyed face began raising its intensity of annoyance, as her eyebrow was curved upwards for a fraction of second, with the background of the flash from the thunder that penetrated the shady room from the window. Then, she took a bottle from her pocket swiftly and efficiently, and pushed it on the cheek of Kamijou Touma. The said spiky haired guy winced in pain for the second time, as the contact from the bottle resulted so. Whatever it was, she took the bottle from the flawless hand of Fukiyose Seiri, and read it with a frown on his face.

"You just need more nutrients," Fukiyose said. "Drink that, and be healthy. Remember, I don't like people who are just lamenting at something which is unexplainable and unimportant, just like destiny and misfortune," the health maniac repeated her phrase, as she pointed her forefinger at Touma's face.

"Mushashino milk?" Touma said, right after he had finished observing the bottle that kept its draft on Touma's right hand. "Don't you have anything which is stronger than this? I think something like mocha and cappuccino will be more make sense than milk," he said with a bored tune, as he gave his attention to Fukiyose, leaving the table that had been his bed.

"That is unhealthy," Fukiyose said. "You should know that cafein will be dangerous for your body. It just gives you a certain stimulation that is dangerous for your brain, without much nutrients that it can be proud of. Milk can give you more nutrients to growing people like us," Fukiyose explained, still with her arms which were folded in front of her breast.

"Whatever you say, sensei," the spiky haired guy said with a bored tune. He opened the cover of the bottle, and after he observed the thick white liquid that resided inside the bottle momentarily, he took a gulp of the said sweet drink. Even though it was still a fraction, he could feel that his strength was back to his body, as the drowsiness began leaving his brain. The sweetness that the milk had gave his tongue a certain joy for the delicacy of each drops that the milk had.

"Hey, this is not bad," Kamijou Touma finally and honestly said, as he wiped out his lip from any sweetness that the milk had. "Thanks for the milk, Fukiyose!" he thanked her as he placed the bottle on his table, planning to take another sip later.

"I told you so," Fukiyose said, as she began smiling, something which was rare to be seen on her face, even though she should know, that she was in an equivalence with a miss universe when she was wielding a gorgeous smile that could melt the heart of the population of a certain high school. Then, she began leaving Touma's desk, with some words that was flowing from her tongue. "Don't forget, you must help me to buy some things at the store for the preparation of Ichinarensai Festival!" she said.

Touma's ears twitched slightly from the words that Fukiyose Seiri said, together with the company of another flash of light from the thunder that gave a certain background for him, perfectly matching the shocked state that he was in. His bottle was forgotten as his brain processed the words that Fukiyose had said just now, even though it was only her back and her long silky swaying hair which could be seen now.

"Buy things... with you?"

A little whisper from the spiky haired guy was audible enough to reach Fukiyose's ears, as she turned to the direction of the desk of Kamijou Touma, looking at the sitting figure of him with another annoyed face, observing him as if she was determining something from the idiocy that indeed resided in Touma's brain. Then, she sighed, with some words that were flowing from her mouth.

"What's with your brain? Being so forgetful and so foolish about something like this. Don't you remember that you want to help me in buying some things for the preparation of Ichinarensai Festival? Also, you promised me to buy me some meals right? For the success of Daihaseisai Festival that I organized? You haven't bought me anything you know?" Fukiyose explained, as her rather loud voice was enough to make some of his female classmates to whisper at each other, maybe gossiping about what Fukiyose had said earlier, even though Fukiyose ignored it at all.

Another thunder created flash to Touma's mind, body, and soul as Fukiyose Seiri left him.

The endless falling rain, the howling wind and the whisper of some of his classmates could be in place, but for a fraction of seconds, Touma felt that they were just some shadows whose presences were only from the blackness on the whiteness of the wall. His mind had forgotten everything that he had said to Fukiyose just a week ago about buying things with her, as he busied himself with other things that were related to a certain hazel haired girl. Moreover, he had forgotten his promise to Fukiyose about treating her a meal just after the Daihaseisai Festival, and he had not bought her any meal until now.

Somehow, as if the misfortune told him so, he could know, that an individual called Fukiyose Seiri wouldn't be satisfied by meals like burger and hotdog, for junk food was something that she avoided since she was born to the world. What she wanted must be something healthy, and in Academy City, healthy food was oh so expensive, because it was hard to be made, as most of the food in the said city was synthesized by the scientist swiftly. He could feel a hole on his wallet, as he face palmed, with words that began flowing from his mouth.

"Such misfortune."

Indeed, the falling rain was still there, but the spiky haired guy could feel that the rain itself laughed at him for his misfortune, as each drops which befell on the ground created endless sound from the grey sky above, jeering at him for his lack of ability to gain blessing from God.

Academy City could be considered as a city of technology, as a place where the science would always be the one that accompanied each townspeople, wiping out any sense of occult that existed. This was the city whose technology's development had a gap of thirty years with other city, resulting jealousy to every other country who were looking for the secret of great development in the said city. Specialized for education only, this city's majority of population was student, being the embodiment of paradise for education. Nevertheless, Academy City was also a city where people and also, students, were valued by their power. The greater the power, the more valuable a person in the city. Weak power could only mean discrimination and segregation, where those with weak power would be seen with one eye only. For additional information, students wihout power could only mean that their schools would force them to have abundant supplementary classes, even when the holiday was the one that written on the calendar.

Unfortunately, Ruiko Saten was one of the people with no power.

Walking side by side with a girl who was wearing a flower hairband, Ruiko Saten sighed in agony as she closed her eyes, pacing through the street of district 7 of Academy City lazily. Even though the shadow from the grey sky still took its presence, the noises of children were there, ignoring the probability of another falling rain later. Nevertheless, the cheerful crowd of running kids didn't seem to be able to gladden Ruiko Saten, as exhaustion was the one that overwhelmed her soul, mind, and body. Wearing her usual Sakugawa Middle School winter uniform, she created abundant splash of water endlessly by her continuous steps on the water puddle, as she began thinking about the supplementary class that she joined just now.

It was indeed another hell for her. Her teacher could maybe tell her about anything, with a particular trademark of teaching of using the word 'simple' at the beginning of her preach. Nevertheless, for an individual called Ruiko Saten, she didn't understand anything at all after the word 'simple' itself. What the teacher taught her was just too hard, and still, she didn't know anything about personal reality that had become an ordinary topic in the first year of middle school.

Perhaps the only good news was the good condition of Shirai Kuroko, the other judgement member and also, one of her best friends. When she and Uiharu visited her at the hospital around an hour ago, the doctor had said that there was no any critical impact regarding the electric attack from Misaka Mikoto some days ago. It was shocking, Saten must admit, because if she remembered correctly, the intensity of electric attack was not a weak one, with the proof of blinding blue flashy light that was created. Maybe it was because of the continuous electric attacks that Kuroko had received before that made her immune to any electricity. At least what to do was just to wait her for her awakening.

"What's wrong, Saten-san?" suddenly, the words from Uiharu Kazari penetrated her ears, as Saten began giving a slight attention towards the said Judgement member. "You don't seem to be okay today. Are you sick?" she asked.

"No, Uiharu," Saten replied, still walking with her, penetrating the crowd that had been formed since the dawn. "I'm just a little bit tired, that's all. The supplementary class was just exhausting," Saten replied honestly, with a low tune that showed her lack of enthusiasm in continuing the said topic.

Uiharu Kazari escaped a tiny laugh, seeing the condition of her first friend in Sakugawa Middle School that couldn't be considered as okay at all. The Ruiko Saten that she knew was a person who would always be a cheerful and social type, and watching her condition to be dropped because only of supplementary class was something that she didn't really want to see. It was irony, Uiharu must say. She was blessed by helpful and cheerful disposition, nonetheless, she was not blessed by any power at all, belittling herself for the lack of power as the result. She should know, that being so helpful and cheerful themselves were a power which were greater than any other power.

A little glimpse of Uiharu's eyesight caught the panorama of a food stall which was standing at one of the corners of the street. It was a crepes food stall, with pink color that had become its characteristic since the first time Uiharu visited the said food stall with her friends. The board which consisted of the name of the food stall was hung from the roof, together with the company of a colorful poster that was placed in front of the stall, as if it demanded the attention of the passerby who looked at it. A short queue was seen, with some people who were waiting for their respective turn to be served.

"Hey, Saten-san!" Uiharu said cheerfully, pointing to the direction of the said food stall with glee, hoping the increase of cheerfulness of Ruiko Saten. Her shout was able to get most of Saten's attention, as she faced Uiharu with a confused face. "Why don't we just hang out and get some crepes?" Uiharu said.

Saten followed Uiharu's direction, as her eyes also caught the sight of the pink food stall that adorned the landmark of district 7, with some children who were running around it, together with the company of their parents who were watching at them from a distance, enjoying the taste of the crepes as they did so. Without any more thinking and difficulty in deciding, Ruiko Saten's lip accidentally curved upwards, showing a somehow gorgeous smile that she usually wore.

"Yeah!" Let's go Uiharu!" Saten said, as she ran towards the crepes food stall, with Uiharu Kazari who were chasing them, with an expression that showed their own gratefulness toward the youth that God had created for them.

Uiharu Kazari took another bite of the strawberry crepes that she had ordered cheerfully. Really, from the first time she visited the said food stall, the delicacy of the crepes was never reduced, as the consistency of the chef deserved a credit for his or her prowess in making such a delicious food. The sweetness of the crepes was perfect, with smooth characteristic that gave her more joy in eating the said crepes. Without her knowing when, as if she hadn't eaten for more than three days, the crepes had long gone in her palm, with some pink cream that was remained on her lip as the only proof of the previous existence of strawberry crepes.

"Wow, you sure can eat, Uiharu," Saten said, as a flash of white teeth was seen forming on her face. Her vanilla crepes was half finished, as she took her bite slowly, as if the crepes was the only thing left in the world to be eaten. "You're slow in running and sport, but your biting process is unimaginably fast," she said.

Uiharu Kazari escaped a tiny laugh in reply, as her laugh joined the voice of countless children who were running around them, with the expression that showed utmost happiness which eternally plastered on their faces.

"So, how is Judgement's work recently?" Saten said as she took another bite of her vanilla crepes, with another familiar sweetness that was spreading around her tongue for each bite that she took.

"Judgement is so busy recently, Saten-san," Uiharu said honestly, as she threw the plastic that wrapped the crepes previously to the trash bin besides her. "There are a lot of awkward incidents that took place recently, resulting so many paper works that I must finish in no time," she said. "Moreover, the Judgement's branch that I'm working in was destroyed, and I must work with other branches to finish the paper," she said.

"Oh, yeah... your branch was attacked by someone right?" Saten said, remembering the event that Uiharu had told her. "I was very worried back then. You were... dying, Uiharu," she said in sorrow, as somehow, a guilty tune was heard from her words, maybe lamenting her lack of strength in protecting her friends.

"Ah, but I'm really okay now, Saten-san! No need to worry right?" Uiharu said in glee, as she started to raise the cheerfulness that had been depleted from the gloomy atmosphere that Ruiko Saten had brought from the word 'dying' that was also a reality. "I was saved by a very nice man. It was very lucky for me, or else, I didn't want to know what would happen to me," Uiharu said, as she escaped another tiny laugh.

Ruiko Saten took another bite of the crepes again, as another familiar delicacy was spread around her tongue. "Well? You haven't told me anything about this 'man' Uiharu?" Saten said, as a little smirk was formed from her lip. "So what was this 'man' like? A cute, handsome guy with heavy muscles, and also, bright smile that always adorned his face?" Saten said as she touched her lip with her forefinger, as her black orb of eyes rolled upwards, imagining the 'hero' that had saved Uiharu earlier.

Uiharu Kazari escaped another tiny laugh again, touching her flower band as she did so. "Well, I don't like destroying your expectation about the one who saved me Saten-san," Uiharu said as another pair of children passed them again for the tenth time. "Rather than a muscular one, this guy was a little bit thin, and if you say bright smile... maybe I can't put it as bright, because somehow, I was a little bit scared by the way that man smiled. Well, I can't say anything about cuteness or handsomeness. Is it not a relative thing, Saten-san?" Uiharu said, as she remembered the figure of a certain man in white (albino) that saved her earlier.

Ruiko Saten stared at her with a blank look, completely forgetting the crepes that she took a bite before. After another silence of about thirty seconds was formed, the said level 0 esper sighed, as every fragment of her brain finally succeeded in forming the image of the man who saved Uiharu earlier, who was far different than her imagination that appeared to be the effect of watching soap opera too much.

"So to be actual," Saten said as she closed her eyes, taking the last bite of her crepes as if it demanded for its turn to be swallowed. "This 'hero' who saved you earlier was a skinny man with a sadistic grin, and also, in your opinion, this man was also ugly and rude, am I right?" Saten continued her summary as she folded the plastic that covered the crepes before and threw it to the trash bin beside Uiharu, with a certain dexterity that could defeat a sniper. "You are a little bit too kind in explaining, Uiharu."

At the other side of Academy City, or to be exact, in the apartment that was rented by a certain high school's teacher called Yomikawa Aiho, a certain white haired guy sneezed loudly, as his sneeze echoed through the room he was residing in. His sneeze caught the attention of a certain little clone of Misaka Mikoto who was sitting on the sofa besides him, watching him in concern as she did so. The said white haired guy rubbed his nose in exasperation, as some mumbles were flown from his tongue.

"Are you catching a cold? Misaka said as Misaka looked you in concern, trying to show some kind of affection towards you," the little clone of the Railgun, or Last Order, said, staring at the white haired guy, or Accelerator, as she did so, with her style of talking that had been particular to be heard when someone was around her.

"None of your business, brat. Maybe someone was just talking about me," Accelerator replied, without bothering to face at Last Order which was very particular of him. "I'll kick this person's ass if I know who the person is," he cursed.

Back to the district seventh of Academy City, under the shadow of the thick grey cloud that covered the perennial radiance of the sun, Ruiko Saten shivered a little bit as somehow, she could feel a certain awkward cold wind that was flown only in the circle which she was residing in. She gritted her teeth slightly, as she hugged her body by herself, as though she was trying to warm herself up. Her action caught the attention of the girl beside her, or Uiharu Kazari, who watched her in concern.

"Are you okay, Saten-san?" Uiharu said as she watched her in concern, trying to make an eye contact with her. "Are you catching a cold?" she asked in a worried tune, signaling her reluctance to know the awful condition of her other friends. "Perhaps you should take a rest or so?" she suggested.

"No, Uiharu," Saten replied hastily, as somehow, the chill that the awkward 'wind' had created had dissipated by the warm words from an individual called Uiharu Kazari, together with the company of cheerful noises from the children who were playing around them. "It's maybe just me, that's all!" she said cheerfully.

The circle street clock that watched the event behind them rang two times, signaling the present time at noon as it did so. Nevertheless, it appeared to ring with a melody that laughed at the individual in front of it, realizing the thread which actually existed and connected each people in the Academy City, which somehow, alerted their respective bodies each time they were jeering at each other.

"I have told you, Biri-biri. You should get some sleep! You don't need to watch that childish TV show right?"

"Just shut up, dummy. I know my health and I can take care care of myself. Stop calling me Biri-biri anyway!"

Room number 4032 was filled with two individuals in different gender, as the two of them started bickering at each other regarding the condition of a certain hazel haired girl. Misaka Mikoto was in front of the television, watching the TV show which had the name of 'I Love Gekota' that was aired every day at 13.30. Sitting on her cozy bed and wearing her respective pajamas, she was smiling all over when her eyes caught the sight of her idol, or the Gekota man, each time he appeared in the screen. Occasional cheer and laugh from the said Railgun could be heard from time to time, signaling her happiness in watching the idol that she loved the most.

The thick grey cloud that blocked the majority of sunshine from the sky above was the one that created a certain shady characteristic in the room, being very impoper to do anything that could burden the eyes in the said room. It could be solved by turning on the lamp, but the said bulb of lamp wasn't turned on, and the only source of light for the room was the seraph from the television, as somehow, it created a certain variety of color on Misaka Mikoto's face. Actually, it was not good for her to watch like that. She should turn on the lamp first or something.

Nevertheless, that was not the real issue. Since the said Misaka Mikoto went home from her school's first day yesterday, she was sick. She caught a little fever, showed by the red hue on her face's skin, and also, her problem in breathing normally. She appeared to be as sluggish as ever. Perhaps it was because of the continuous rain and strong wind that lowered the health of the said hazel haired girl. She even didn't attend the school again today, as her condition blocked her to do so.

But still, even disease couldn't block her from watching the Gekota show.

Sitting on the chair next to the television, the spiky haired boy watched her as he released a certain familiar sigh that joined the sound from the television. Really, she could be smarter than him in academic things and power, nevertheless, she was still a child who needed so much tutoring. Just what kind of person would forget his or her need to take a rest, only to watch his or her favorite TV show? Moreover, a childish one, not an educated one? From a little glance towards the said hazel haired girl, Touma could know, that she didn't feel okay at all. Even though her smile adorned her face as long as the show was on, enormous sweat drenched her body, as the red hue covered her face. Occasional cough and sneeze could be heard from her, showing the bad situation she was in. She really needed some amount of rest.

If only she was not this stubborn.

Mikoto cheered again for a hundreth time, as the Gekota man appeared again in the screen. Her boisterous cheer was oh so enough to wake every neighbour up, so much similar to the cheer of a toddler when he or she was playing his or her respective toys. Nevertheless, this cheer was followed by another cough from the said Railgun, showing the reluctance of her body to continue doing the tiresome activity. The cough looked painful, something that forced her eyes to be shut, with every muscle on her face which formed a painful expression. Wearing his usual uniform, Kamijou Touma sighed, and approached the said Railgun slowly.

Swiftly, without waiting for the hazel haired girl to react at all, the spiky haired guy took the television's remote which took its site on the bed just besides Mikoto's sitting figure. Closing his eyes as though he had planned everything from the beginning, Touma pressed the 'off' button on the remote, successfully turning off the television, leaving nothing but black screen which demanded another attention. Mikoto widened her eyes in surprise. She faced Touma with an annoyed expression that adorned her face, starting her continuous bark on the face of Kamijou Touma.

"What do you think you are doing!" Misaka Mikoto said, as her face showed more crimson color which was caused by her pissed state. She pointed the television with her forefinger. "Don't you know that the Gekota man will shoot eight monsters with seven bullets? It will be thrilling!" Mikoto said in exasperation, completely disappointed by the end of her 'fun' in front of the television.

"How can that be possible? Besides, you said that you wanted to watch the Gekota man who will be riding on the chariot, then, the chariot will fall and be burned, with the Gekota man who survived when you persuaded me to watch the show!" Touma retorted, as his brain began making a theory of the impact of Gekota to children, which could create a rather violent girl like Misaka Mikoto.

"That part had ended!" Misaka retorted hastily. Then, she stretched her hands, trying to get the remote control that was located in Touma's palm. "Give me back that remote!" she said. "The show is still go..."

Her words ended there hastily.

Kamijou Touma placed his hand on Misaka's head, as her flawless hair brushed Touma's skin in glee, as if it had waited for its turn to be touched by an individual called Kamijou Touma. Touma looked at the eyes of Misaka Mikoto caringly, with sharp eyes whose charm could make every girl in Academy City fainted or remained speechless in glee. Touma's expression and facial didn't resemble any fathers who intimidated their children to go to sleep fast, but rather, his expression could even beat the expression of any mothers who tried to persuade their children to sleep with a concerned look which was plastered on their spheres of eyes. No, it was even greater and more glistening than that.

"Please take a rest," Touma said. "I want you to be healed perfectly from this fever."

It was not an absolute order, but rather, it was a suggestion, so much more than any persuasive words that the peace maker could create. His words were decorated perfectly by something that somehow made every fragment of Misaka Mikoto's brain to obey his words in obedience, as though it was her hidden intention from the first time to do what Touma had suggested. Moreover, his eyes; eyes which were full of care and concern, so honest, so genuine, and so true, that even Misaka had sworn that she would trust Touma, as long as those eyes were that sparkling, and it would be eternal for him. Sphere of eyes which were full of genuinity and truth, with a somehow, comfortable aura that he emanated. How could a girl like Misaka Mikoto resist that?

That was really poisonous for her heart.

"Y-y-y-yes," Misaka stuttered, as her brain was so hard to say something like that, but not because of the reluctance, but rather, the sudden loss of words that was created just in the time when Touma's hand touched her head. "I'll take a r-rest," she said, as the red hue on her cheek was formed like crazy, beating the color of crimson twilight that was invented by the nature itself. Her eyes appeared teary all of sudden, and her sight began blurry momentarily because of the proximity that had been created previously.

"Good," Kamijou Touma said, as he curved his lip upwards, forming a devil-may-care smirk that Misaka Mikoto and half population of female in Academy City found breath taking. Then, he released his touch on the smooth hair of Misaka Mikoto, pushing her slightly on the shoulder, successfully lying her on the bed which she obeyed. As her lying figure was in his sight, he pulled the cozy blanket from one side of the bed, gently wrapping it on Misaka Mikoto's body, as the sudden warmness was formed in the fragile body of the said Railgun.

"There, be nice here okay?" Touma said as he sat on the same bed with Mikoto, just next to her sick body. "I'll be going for a while. Just promise me to rest until I come later, okay? I'll buy some food when I come back" he continued.

A nod was received, a good reply from the individual called Misaka Mikoto. Really, Touma was afraid back then when he turned off the TV, signaling the end of her watch. He was afraid that blue line of electricity would be formed from her forehead, effectively zapping him from every side. That was the reason why he touched the head of Misaka Mikoto momentarily, effectively blocking every form of energy to be created from her head. Whatever it was, and surprisingly, Mikoto obeyed, proved by her resting figure on the cozy be that the room had provided, with the gentle breeze that penetrated the room from the window.

"Well, I'll be going then, bye!" Touma said casually, as he left Mikoto's bed, much to the Railgun's disappointment. He walked slowly to the door, and with the last glance to the resting figure of Misaka Mikoto, he left the room, together with the sound of closing door which penetrated the silence that Mikoto had created.

And the blank screen of the television watched in despair, seeing the resting figure of Misaka Mikoto in defeat, being utterly unable to compete with the order, or maybe suggestion from a certain spiky haired guy, that could perfectly catch the attention of the said Railgun, not the Gekota show from the television. Because the greatest love and affection of the Railgun in the world could be Gekota, but her true love and affection in the world was Kamijou Touma, and it would never change, only until the tingling feeling called 'love' in the fragile heart of Misaka Mikoto was dissipated, and for the Railgun, it would never be happened.

District 7 in the Academy City was indeed one of the most crowded districts in the said city of education. It was the largest district and also, most dormitory for high school students and middle school students were located there, and as we know, the population of high school and middle school students took the majority of population in the said city. Some malls and shopping centers were also located there, providing another reason of the crowded characteristic of the said district. One of the most suitable mall for hanging out with friends and comrades in district 7 was The Underground Mall, which provided their guests and customers with various accomodations.

The Underground Mall took its pride as the biggest and the greatest provider of supplies and accomodations in Academy City. People coud say anything that was needed and wanted by them the most, and they could get it in The Underground Mall. Cafe, Game Center, Sport Center and Shop, Music Store, Shopping Center, Restaurant, even Jacuzzi and Sauna were located there, being the very best embodiment of the provider of everything that the townspeople in the Academy City needed. The atmosphere that the mall had created was oh so comfortable that it almost demanded everybody's attention to it.

Not only that. Perhaps it was because of the unique characteristic of the said mall that made it became oh so crowded. If people usually thought about mall, they would always think about a tall building with so many decorations, right? Nevertheless, this mall was located under ground, creating a certain bizzare mall that could attract the attention of guests and customers.

At one corner of the Underground Mall, a shop which provided enormous variety of sport staffs and goods was located. It was not so crowded in comparison to the other shop. Nevertheless, the goods and stuffs that were provided was the best in quality and appearance, as the shop owner never disappointed his customer who bought the sport goods there. There, in one corridor that were specialized only for balls, two silhouettes of teenagers could be seen, standing right in front of one of the shelves on which some boxes that contained of balls were located, as the light from the bulp of lamp illuminated them, providing sight for them.

"Now, first, grab this," Fukiyose ordered.

Wearing her usual high school uniform, Fukiyose threw a large sized box which consisted of fifty tennis balls inside. It landed on both of Kamijou Touma's arms, as he caught it with difficulty, nearly losing his equilibrium in process just in the time he caught the box. It was not like that the box was heavy or something but still, Fukiyose threw it without looking, and something like that might happen. Nonetheless, for a high school female students, it was very incredible for her to throw a large box with only one hand. Really, Fukiyose wasn't called 'Iron girl' without reason.

"And now, take this."

Fukiyose took another box from the store's shelf which consisted of seven soccer balls, placing it on the previous box on Touma's arms. The weight of both of the boxes made Touma accidentally dropped a little, a good proof of the coorperation of the boxes with gravity to fall to the ground. Nevertheless, Kamijou Touma's trained muscles effectively blocked both of the boxes from doing so, as he was back to his previous composure.

"Now, hold this."

"Oy, Fukiyose?"

Another box which consisted of eight volley balls was put by the flawless hand of Fukiyose Seiri on the previous boxes, which began forming a pile which was enough to cover the poor spiky haired guy's face from Fukiyose's eyesight, leaving only a fraction of his hands and his lower part of the body to be seen. The weight of the three boxes began shaking a little each time Touma did improper motion, a good proof of the limitation of the piling box.

"Okay, maybe it will be enough for a while, let's go to the counter," the iron girl began walking through the corridor, with the previous words which appeared to be a song for the poor spiky haired guy. Both of them walked silently through the corridor, even though Kamijou Touma couldn't walk in a straight way because of the weight of the boxes that blocked him from doing so.

Out of the blue, a little part of Fukiyose Seiri's eyes caught a sight of another box which was located at one of the shelves. The lack of her footsteps that could be heard by Touma's ears made him stopping his slow pace, as he stood still, trying to regain his composure. Fukiyose Seiri's mind began wandering for a little while, determining whether she needed it later for the Ichinarensai Festival or not. After some amount of thinking, she took the box from the shelf and placed it on the previous boxes on Touma's arms.

"Take this," she said nonchalantly, closing her eyes as if she didn't care anything about her temporal shopping partner who had a task to bring everything that she had bought. "It's a little bit heavy, so brace yourself," she said, as she began walking again, leaving the poor Kamijou Touma behind.

"Ugh."

As if that low growl from an individual called Kamijou Touma was some amount of prelude to another storm, the weight from the box that Fukiyose had taken earlier gave a certain unimaginable pain to Touma's arms and knees, as each muscles that were plastered on his bones began giving up supporting the weight that the boxes had provided. Nevertheless, Touma's brain still forced his muscles to support the said weight, as he began swaying around, with each muscles that existed began trembling hard, with a painful expression that adorned his face, trying to regain his composure. Eventually, his muscles began reaching their limit, as he started falling to the ground with a loud thud, together with the company of falling boxes around him that created more noises around the narrow space that the corridor had provided.

"Damn it, Fukiyose!" Touma cursed, sprawling on the ground which had been familiar with his fall to it. He squeezed his eyes, massaging his head, as if it was the best treatment that he could get for a little while. Then, he stared at the iron girl who had watched the whole scene with a flat expression. "What's the thing in that box? Brick? Iron?" he inquired. His rather loud shout began taking the attention of passerby who looked at them with an amused smile, jeering the condition of the spiky haired boy.

"Well, quiet wrong. They are bowling balls," Fukiyose said as she began kneeling, gathering the boxes that had been sprawled on the ground as though they wanted to accompany Touma who had done it earlier. "Wew, look at this mess," she sighed. "Why don't you be careful for a little bit, Kamijou?" she said, filling her hands with two boxes in ease.

"That's not my fault!" the spiky haired boy retorted, as he started imitating Fukiyose's action, taking two other boxes from the lifeless ground beneath. His muscles were a little bit happy for the loss of pain and weight, he must admit. "Besides, why do we need bowling balls anyway? I don't know that Ichinarensai will include that sport," he said, standing up as he did so.

"Well, we don't know what may happen later," Fukiyose said nonchalantly, as she stood up in ease, even though one of the boxes that she was bringing was the box that consisted of the bowling balls. "What's wrong with you anyway?" Fukiyose said, as she stared directly at the spiky haired boy beside her. "This box is just around thirty to forty kilograms. You shouldn't have any difficulty to lift this," she said.

"Please don't say that," Kamijou Touma said, as he released a certain comical cry, lamenting the lack of strength and the lack of victory of him towards a girl like Fukiyose Seiri. Although he knew the reason why Fukiyose was called as the Iron Girl, but still, knowing that a man like him to lose to a girl was not something that he wanted to tell to his friends. He could imagine their joke at him for that, and to be honest, it started giving shiver to his skin.

"Well, whatever it is, let's go to the counter," Fukiyose said, leaving the said spiky haired guy as the familiar sound of her rigid footsteps was heard around the peripheral area. "It's lucky for you, you know? What I wanted to buy was just some additional items, not the main items. But still, you must help me bringing this four boxes to school okay?" Fukiyose said, without giving a glance to the spiky haired boy.

"Yes, maam," Touma said flatly, following the walking figure of Fukiyose Seiri as he started creating footsteps that joined the footsteps of others, forming a certain colony that created an ordinary harmony from the sound that had been created.

"And don't forget that you must treat me something, Kamijou!" Fukiyose said suddenly, facing the said spiky haired guy as her long hair was fluttered by the wind that the sudden motion that she had created. "Remember to pick the healthy one!" she continued.

With the last words that an individual called Fukiyose Seiri had said, she began walking again, as her paces continuously created more and more proximity to the counter that had been her destination from the first time. The spiky haired guy followed slowly, not because of the boxes that blocked his agility, but rather, because of his negative thought that would likely happen, regarding the fate that his wallet would face. If his wallet could speak, it would scold the spiky haired guy for making such a promise that ignored his monetary condition.