After some time walking around, Mikoto and Touma found a park nearby and decided to sit down in front of a tree. Soon after they did so, the boy saw an orange cat nearby. Making eye contact with it, he used his fingers to beckon the cast to come closer. The cat obliged, making its way towards the boy. It sniffed his hand for a bit before starting to lick it. Touma then began petting the cat, causing it to emit some happy meows.

Mikoto looked a bit forlornly at the scene. The electromagnetic waves she involuntarily emitted always scared animals away, so she wasn't able to pet them without them running away. Nevertheless, she decided to give it a try, reaching out her own hand towards it. As usual, the cat backed away from her, and she withdrew her hand to avoid it running away entirely. The girl then looked down at her lap with a frown.

Touma watched her attempt fail before noting, "Oh yeah, your sister told me she had the same problem with cats. But her cat eventually got used to her, right?" He recalled how Misaka 10032 had vehemently insisted she couldn't interact with her cat, but she was able to catch it when he threw it to her, and she had no problems interacting with it ever since. Maybe it had gotten used to her EM waves over time?

The girl sighed, "Yeah, but I put out more powerful EM waves, which scare them even more than hers. I've even tried petting her cat a few times, since it's used to them, but it never worked. I would have to completely turn off my EM waves, but it's not really something I can do." As she was looking at Touma, she happened to glance at his right hand. Her eyes widened as she made a realization.

Mikoto became excited and exclaimed, "Oh yeah, you can turn off my ability!" Indeed, whenever that boy's right hand touched her, she completely lost the power to make even a tiny spark. When she had grabbed his right hand in one of their fights, she had been completely unable to shock him or do anything else with her ability. "If you touch me with your right hand, I won't emit any EM waves and I'll be able to pet the cat!"

Touma was a bit startled by the girl's sudden mood change. But it seemed she really wanted to pet the cat, and he didn't like seeing her sad like she was just a moment ago. Wanting to make sure, he repeated, "You want me to touch you with my right hand?"

The girl blushed furiously as she heard the boy repeat her request. "Come on, calm down, he's not going to see it as a big deal anyway. Just remember, this is something I have to do to finally pet a cat!" She stuttered, "Y-yeah."

"She became really quiet again." The boy raised his right hand and placed it on top of her head. Since she was sitting right next to him, this was actually the easiest place for him to reach.

The sudden and unexpected contact led to Mikoto's cheeks reddening even further, and she would definitely have started sparking if her ability wasn't being negated. The girl stammered, "W-what are you doing? Why'd you put it there?"

Touma suddenly realized what he'd done. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't really thinking." He started to remove his hand from her head, but he felt two hands grab it and pull it back down.

The girl was originally surprised, but when the boy was about to remove his hand, she wanted him to keep it there. It brought back memories of that fateful night on the bridge, when she was drowning in despair and he'd stroked her hair and comforted her. She smiled and softly replied, "No no, it's fine, I don't really mind."

The boy was somewhat confused about her behavior, but he decided not to question it. He rested his hand back in her hair and replied, "Okay, sure, Biri-Biri." He also remembered that night on the bridge, "Her hair is just as soft as before. At least she's smiling and not crying this time."

Mikoto subconsciously scooted closer to him. For some reason, she didn't feel irritated by that nickname this time. The girl held out her hands towards the orange cat. This time, it slowly walked towards them and allowed the girl to pick it up. Ecstatic that her idea had actually worked, she enthusiastically started petting it and nuzzling it against her face. "Aww, it's so cute!" This was the first time in years that she was able to pet a cat.

"Wow, I didn't know that Misaka could make those kinds of faces! She looks really happy!" In fact, the only other times he'd seen her this happy were when she was obsessing over Gekota merchandise. As Mikoto continued playing with the cat, her head kept moving in various directions, and Touma had to make sure his hand was moving with it. As he did so, his fingers ruffled the girl's hair. The boy was content to gaze at her smiling face and take in the heartwarming scene. "Huh, I never knew this girl could have this cute side to her."

After Mikoto's initial excitement mellowed out a bit, she placed the cat in her lap and continued petting it, keeping her head more stationary. She started becoming more aware of how Touma's hand was moving on her head, causing her to start blushing again, though not as much as before. "Why does that idiot's hand feel so warm and comforting? And why am I getting this urge to just lean into him?" To keep herself from losing control, the girl tried focusing back on the cat and diverting her attention from the boy's hand.

Touma continued watching the girl pet that cat in her lap, focusing on her hand moving back and forth along its fur. As he did so, he began subconsciously mirroring that motion with his right hand, stroking Mikoto's hair.

Mikoto immediately noticed the change and became incredibly flustered. She turned towards the boy and sputtered, "W-what are you doing?"

He looked up at his hand on her head and suddenly realized what he was doing. His face also reddened and he stopped petting her head, and he replied, "Oh, sorry Misaka, I was watching you pet that cat and I started moving my hand without realizing it. Please forgive me!"

Despite his fears, the girl wasn't really mad at him, just a bit embarrassed. She gave him a nervous grin and asked, "So you saw me petting this cat and you just started petting me too?"

"Oh good, she doesn't seem to be too mad." Touma nervously rubbed his head with his free hand and answered, "Yeah, I guess so. I'm really sorry!"

Mikoto was actually somewhat disappointed that he stopped, and wondered if there was a way to get him to continue. "Being more honest has worked out so far, so maybe I can just ask? But that would be really embarrassing." Deciding it was worth the risk, she shyly replied, "It's okay, really. Actually, it felt pretty nice. A-and if you want to keep doing it, I don't really mind."

"Is she really saying what I think she's saying?" Wanting to confirm, Touma asked, "Wait, are you sure, Misaka?" Her words suggested that she wanted him to continue, but the boy didn't want to upset her and endanger himself by misunderstanding her.

The girl smiled and nodded, "Y-yeah, and besides, it's not like it's the first time you've done that to me, right?"

"It looks like she wants me to keep going. And I guess I wasn't the only one thinking about that night on the bridge." Touma smiled back at her and replied, "Okay, Biri-Biri, if that's what you want." He then started running his fingers through her hair.

Mikoto's blushing intensified even further, but not just because of him massaging her head. Usually, whenever the boy called her that nickname, it would be in a teasing or at best neutral tone. But this time, he called her Biri-Biri in such a tender tone. "Why is that stupid nickname suddenly making my heart feel so cozy?" In the end, she decided to simply enjoy being pampered by the boy, leaning into his hand and closing her eyes.

"She looks pretty cute when she's smiling and not trying to electrocute me." As he continued observing the content girl, he thought about this new side of her he'd just discovered. Touma felt her head getting a bit warmer, but didn't think much of it. He asked her, "Does this feel okay?" He was enjoying the feeling of her smooth hair between his fingers, but wanted to make sure she was comfortable with it.

Without opening her eyes, Mikoto nodded and replied, "Yeah, it feels great! You're actually pretty good at this!" Even though he was currently turning her powers off, the girl still felt safe and protected. By this point, she'd stopped petting the orange cat and simply held onto it in her lap.

Since the cat was no longer being petted, it didn't take long for it to jump off the girl's lap. Mikoto opened her eyes and watched it as it walked away. Once it was out of sight, she turned to the boy with a tender smile and said, "That was the first time since I became an Electromaster that I was able to pet a cat. Thank you!"

Her earnest words caused Touma to blush a little. He replied, "You're welcome, Misaka. I'm glad I could help you." The boy gave her a few more pats on her head and then continued stroking her hair for a bit. Afterwards, he threaded his fingers down the hair on one side of her head and played with the ends for a few seconds before finally letting go. He had enjoyed playing with the girl's hair, but his arm was getting tired, so he was a bit relieved to return it to a normal position.

Mikoto was disappointed when he let go of her hair, but she was glad she got to experience his comforting touch. She looked over at the boy in time to see him let out a yawn. Looking closer, she noticed his eyes looked a bit drowsy. She asked, "You feeling tired?"

Touma nodded, "Yeah, a little bit. I didn't really sleep well last night." He added to himself, "It's hard to get a good night's sleep in a bathtub." Spending time with Mikoto was actually much more relaxing than he thought it would be, but he still felt a bit tired. "Honestly, I sort of feel like lying down right now."

"Darn, he'll probably want to go home to rest. I wanted to stay with him a bit longer." She thought about it for a few seconds before coming up with an idea that caused her to blush. "Well, I might as well give it a shot." Mikoto patted her own lap and nervously offered, "I-if you want, you can lie down here for a bit."

The boy had indeed been thinking about whether he wanted to go home. He didn't really want to, since it would take some time to get back and he still needed to do some errands later that day. But Touma was pretty surprised when the girl offered him a lap pillow, and replied, "Wait, really?"

Mikoto answered, "Yeah, you helped me pet that cat, so now I can help you get some rest. And besides, this isn't the first time I've done this for you."

Touma remembered the lap pillow she'd given him on the bridge that night. Her legs had been pretty soft, and it had been a nice comfort after being electrocuted by her. He decided to accept her offer, "Okay, sure."

Since her legs were stretched out in front of her, the boy lay down on her lap from the side. Getting comfortable, Touma closed his eyes and soon felt Mikoto running her fingers through his hair, giving him tingles and causing his face to redden a bit. After silently enjoying her pampering, he said, "Wow Biri-Biri, so you do have a sweet and caring side after all!"

Mikoto was embarrassed by his comment and tried to retort, "D-don't get used to this, all right? I'm only doing this to thank you for helping me with the cat!" Nevertheless, she was internally pleased, "Well, I wanted to try being nicer to this idiot anyway. Seems like he actually noticed, so I guess it's working."

The boy chuckled a bit, "Yes, of course." Touma was used to her saying things like this to him, though he couldn't quite figure out why.

Mikoto continued playing with the boy's spiky hair, and said, "Hey, can I ask you something? Why do you still keep calling me Biri-Biri?" He had been using it a bit less often than just after they first met. But she noticed that the boy used that nickname a few more times than usual today, and she wanted to know why.

Touma opened his eyes and looked up at Mikoto, wondering why she was suddenly asking this. "Hmm, I don't know, I guess it's just a cute nickname. Why?"

The girl paused for a moment before replying, "At first, it seemed like you were making fun of me whenever you called me that. But now you just call me that normally, and you've even done it multiple times today."

The boy thought a bit about Mikoto's point. "Now that she mentions it, I've actually been calling her Biri-Biri a lot today, and she didn't seem to mind." Touma then replied, "Well, I guess I started calling you that because you go biri-biri whenever you're mad at me. But yeah, I've gotten used to using that nickname, even when you're not trying to shock me."

Mikoto sighed, "Yeah, I do lose my temper a lot around you. But you do have a talent of getting on my nerves sometimes."

Touma chuckled, "Yeah, honestly, I sometimes find it fun to bicker with you and push your buttons a little. It's actually one of the more relaxing parts of my life." With all the stress he dealt with trying to be a normal high schooler while constantly fighting to save people, shooting the breeze with Mikoto was relatively fun in comparison.

The girl found herself agreeing with him. She grinned and replied, "I can definitely believe that. You get involved in a lot of crazy situations."

The boy added, "Yeah, hanging out with you is always interesting, even when we're bickering." He then then smiled up at her and continued, "But it's also really nice when we get along, like right now."

Mikoto blushed and thought about what he'd just revealed, "He likes being around me, even if we're arguing? I thought he hated having to put up with me." She replied, "Yeah, I like this too. My life is definitely not as stressful as yours, but it is great to just relax like this."

After a pause, Mikoto revealed, "You know, now that I think about it more, you calling me Biri-Biri hasn't bothered me that much lately. Before, I thought you were using it to mock me and my ability. But now I guess I can tell you're not doing that."

Touma frowned at that last part, "She thought I was making fun of her ability? I guess I can see why." He replied, "I'm sorry, Misaka. I really didn't mean to mock your ability. You know, I actually think your ability is one of the coolest ones I've seen."

Mikoto was a bit surprised, "Wait, really?" She knew that the boy had witnessed and fought against a wide variety of esper abilities, including those of multiple Level 5's. Did he really think her common, even if advanced, Electromaster ability was cooler than those?

The boy answered, "Are you kidding? You control one of the four fundamental forces of nature! You can shoot lightning, you can manipulate anything made of metal, you can make weapons out of iron sand, you can hack into anything electronic, and you can shoot railguns! And I'm sure there's a lot more things you can do that I could never even think of. Your ability is one of the most highly adaptable that I've seen! Honestly, if I had to have someone else's ability for a day, I'd definitely choose yours."

The girl was extremely flattered by his praise. Although she had chosen her epithet based on her railgun, Mikoto had always prided herself of having a very flexible ability. Her railgun was one of her strongest moves, but she often found it more useful to use other aspects of her ability. Hearing the boy recognize this made her really happy. She smiled at him and replied, "It's nice to hear you say that, even if it's from someone who can cancel them all out. I didn't know you studied my abilities so closely!"

Touma chuckled, "Well, I've known you long enough to pick some things up. You know, we even learned a bit about you in school. About how you started out as a Level 1 and worked hard to become a Level 5."

Mikoto was not too surprised, "Yeah, Academy City uses me as a poster girl to attract students, since I'm supposedly the sanest and friendliest Level 5. But it's really hard sometimes to keep up with my image."

The boy smirked, "Yeah, you're supposed to be this really refined and mature young lady, but you're actually hot-headed and a little childish." He couldn't help but tease her a bit, but quickly added, "But you're also smart, persistent, and always willing to help someone who needs it."

Mikoto's fingers tensed in his hair at first, but relaxed as he hurriedly praised her again. She grinned, "Nice save! But you're right, I'm not really the same as how I'm portrayed. Most of the girls at Tokiwadai treat me like this unapproachable celebrity, so I'm glad to have people I can be myself around."

Touma raised his right arm and patted the girl's hair, replying, "Well, I'm really glad that I'm one of the lucky people who gets to know the real Biri-Biri!"

The girl blushed heavily at his sweet words. As he continued stroking her hair, she smiled warmly at him, "You really like calling me that, huh? I guess it's not that bad of a pet name, and you're not making fun of me with it anymore." She added to herself, "And it's definitely better than Short-Hair or Musclehead."

Touma then asked, "So does that mean I have your approval to use that nickname?" He was a bit surprised that Mikoto was kind of admitting to liking it.

Mikoto shrugged, "Sure, why not? But it's not like that stopped you before." She figured there was no point in continuing to deny it. In fact, thinking about it, it actually felt pretty nice that Touma had a unique pet name just for her.

The boy lowered his hand back down and closed his eyes, wanting to rest them for a few minutes. Mikoto resumed playing with his hair, enjoying the peaceful silence.

Some time later, Touma opened his eyes and said, "Well, I need to get going now." The boy sat up from her lap and pushed himself to a standing position. He then reached out his hand to Mikoto. The girl grabbed it and he helped her stand up as well. She enjoyed the warm feeling of holding his hand for a moment, but she released it quickly after standing up.

Although a bit disappointed that their time together was ending for now, Mikoto was glad that they had become closer. Wanting to see him again, she said, "Hey, so I was planning to visit some of my sisters at the hospital tomorrow morning. Do you want to come with me?" Every time she went to see her sisters, they would ask her about the boy and whether he would ever come visit them, so she figured she might as well ask.

Touma replied, "Sure, I'm free tomorrow, and it'll be nice to see them again. I think I've only seen that one sister since the experiment ended."

Mikoto grinned, "Yeah, the other ones are a bit jealous that they haven't gotten to see you yet. I'll meet you at the hospital then?"

The boy nodded, "Yeah, sounds good. See you then, Misaka."

As he was turning around to leave, Mikoto shouted, "Wait!" Touma paused, wondering why she stopped him. The girl was blushing, but she was sure of what she wanted to do. She walked up to the boy and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. Mikoto softly said, "Thank you for hanging out with me today."

Touma was a bit confused by the unexpected hug, but he returned her embrace nonetheless. "She must've been feeling a little lonely or something." He raised his hand and started stroking the back of her hair, "You're welcome, Biri-Biri. I had a lot of fun today! And I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Mikoto nodded into his shoulder and replied, "Yeah." They hugged for a few more moments and then separated.

They then said goodbye to each other, and Touma left to get started on his errands. Mikoto remained in the park, thinking back on all that happened the past few hours. "Wow, that went even better than I dreamed! And I get to see him again tomorrow!" Before, the girl had been depressed that the penalty game had gone so badly. But now, she was ecstatic at finally making progress in getting closer to that boy.