Index was used to finding Touma in ridiculous scenarios. Girls fell into his lap like no one's business, and half the time they weren't even fully clothed. The boy was a magnet for it. As a person who lived with a boy like that, she did have some tolerance, despite Touma's belief to the contrary. You couldn't control that level of absurdity.
It was because she was used to the absurd- because she expected it- that she was completely blindsided by the situation she walked into that day.
"Touma!" She called as she pushed open the door. "I'm home!"
"Hey Index." The boy smiled at her. "Welcome back."
Index froze.
Touma was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the side of the bed, papers strewn about the floor around him. A perfectly normal picture of a boy doing his schoolwork.
But to his right, on the bed, laid out horizontally on her back with her legs crossed casually and worksheets in her hands, was the electric esper Index had come to know as 'short-hair'.
"...Eh?"
It wasn't a suggestive scene, even though the girl was lying on Touma's bed– Index was the one who used it anyways. It was casual. Comfortable. The two looked completely at ease next to each other, as though being together in the apartment like this was the most natural thing in the world for them.
Which is why it made absolutely no sense– because, as far as Index knew, short-hair had never been inside this room before.
"W-w-w-what is short-hair doing here?!" Index squeaked.
The two glanced at each other, then back at her.
"Studying." They answered unanimously.
Studying?!
Since when did Touma study?! Much less with another person? And if he needed help studying, then how did short-hair end up being the person he went to?
The quiet sound of meowing echoed from the covers of the bed. Index glanced down, confused, at Sphinx who'd popped his head out from the folds of her outfit, then back at the bed, where a black kitten climbed onto short-hair's stomach and curled into a ball.
"A cat…?" Index stared. "Since when does short-hair have a cat?! No fair! She's encroaching on my identity! Touma, are you trying to replace me?!"
He rolled his eyes, and Mikoto glanced down at the cat, petting it briefly. "Ah… this isn't my cat. It's my sister's."
"Your sister?" The memory popped up immediately- a girl with a set of goggles on her head, carrying a number of canned drinks, almost identical to short-hair but with a completely different aura. Touma hadn't introduced Index to her at the time, but this must be who she was referring to.
Touma set his worksheets aside and started explaining.
"It's a bit of a long story…"
An hour earlier, Touma had been on his way to the meet-up spot he and Mikoto had agreed on– in front of a faulty vending machine that Mikoto took great pleasure in abusing. It was a good halfway point between their schools, and she would knock a drink or two out of the machine as a bonus, something he might've felt bad about if that same machine hadn't eaten his own 2000 yen bill.
He was nearly there when an odd sight caught his attention through the crowd of passersby.
"Miko-…?" He started, slowing to a stop as he recognized the girl from the back.
No, he realized immediately. This wasn't Mikoto.
"Hey, Misaka Imouto." He greeted her, walking up to the clone.
The girl turned. Sure enough, a set of military goggles hung from her wrist. A heart-shaped necklace around her neck further identified her as the clone Touma knew best- the one with the serial number 10032.
"Hello, Misaka says in greeting, surprised to run into you at this time."
"Ooh! It's that boy! Says Misaka as Misaka waves cheerfully!"
Touma looked down, surprised by the extra voice. He hadn't seen the half-sized Misaka as he'd approached. He smiled down at the younger clone. "Last Order. It's been a while. Looks like you're doing better."
The last time he'd seen her, the girl had been passed out in the Russian snow, suffering from some supernatural affliction. He'd canceled it out, but he hadn't been sure if the effect would last, and there hadn't been time for him to stick around to see.
"Misaka is completely healthy! Says Misaka as Misaka spins for emphasis."
"Glad to hear it." He said.
"M-Misaka would also like to offer her greetings, says Misaka, disappointed that the boy does not appear to have noticed her."
Startled, he turned around. "Three Misakas?!"
It was rare to run into multiple clones at once. From what he understood, they usually went out one at a time to avoid any potential problems it might cause Mikoto.
Misaka Imouto explained "We Misakas are in the middle of a serious dispute, Misaka informs the boy, holding up the delicate creature in her arms to emphasize the seriousness of the situation."
"Seriousness…?" Touma stepped closer, looking over the creature- the black kitten that had been questionably named 'On Hold'. "Is something wrong with the cat?"
"The cat is healthy." The third Misaka said. "The Misakas are trying to decide where the cat should live, Misaka 19090 elaborates."
His mind went blank for a second. "...Now?! Where have you been keeping him?!"
It'd been two and a half months since the cat had been essentially adopted by the clones. He'd always seen the cat with 10032, so he figured she must've set something up for him.
Misaka Imouto frowned slightly. "On Hold has been living out of this Misaka's hospital room, Misaka explains. Unfortunately, there was a recent incident where certain sensitive equipment was damaged, so the hospital staff requested that Misaka make other arrangements for him, Misaka grumbles, disappointed by the lack of tolerance exhibited by the hospital staff."
"Misaka believes that she's the best option! Misaka exclaims as Misaka lifts her hand, eager to seize this opportunity to acquire a pet!" Last Order bounced up and down eagerly, as though waiting for a teacher to pick her.
The third Misaka put her hands on Last Order's shoulders. "M-Misaka doesn't believe that would be wise, Misaka asserts. The control tower is often targeted by nefarious organizations; she does not believe it is a suitable environment for a kitten."
"Eeeeehhh?! But Misaka wants to play with the kitten! Says Misaka as Misaka turns to the boy, appealing to his soft nature with her childish charm!"
Touma took a step back. "Oi, wait, what am I supposed to do about it?!"
Misaka 19090 reached out, holding onto his sleeve. "Misaka would feel better if you would express your input, says Misaka. Further, this Misaka would like to let you know that she has her own apartment, and believes she would benefit from the presence of a pet."
"Misaka is not about to lose, says Misaka 10032 as she grabs onto the boy's arm. This Misaka has the closest relationship with the cat, and she is reluctant to hand him off to anyone else."
Touma began to sweat nervously as the three clones closed in on him, lamenting quietly "Just my luck."
"Oi! What do you think you're doing?!"
The voice was seething with annoyance, and yet he'd never felt more relieved to hear it. Still trapped between the two taller clones, he glanced back at the newcomer and said "Mikoto, can you help me out here?"
"You look pretty cozy to me." She sparked.
"In no way did Kamijou Touma seek out this scenario!" He defended himself.
Thankfully, the presence of their older sister was enough to get the clones to let go of him. The girls stepped back, turning to Mikoto. "Onee-sama," Misaka Imouto started. "Misaka is surprised to see you here. Are you breaking curfew again? Misaka guesses, sighing at the original's troublesome nature."
"Don't go condemning me so easily!" Mikoto complained with a shout, pointing at her younger sister. "I'll have you know that I have a curfew extension! And what are you lot doing clinging to Touma like girls in a harem?!"
Last Order answered "We Misakas are turning to this boy for his input on who should get the cat! Says Misaka as Misaka pouts, grumbling at the other Misakas use of feminine charm to sway his opinion."
"Misaka does not want to hear that from someone who so blatantly uses childish charms to get what she wants, scolds Misaka 10032." The little sister turned back to Mikoto. "Putting aside the matter of the cat for the moment, Misaka would like to know when onee-sama became comfortable enough to refer to this boy by his first name."
Mikoto's cheeks started going red. "It.. what does that matter?!"
"Misaka simply wonders if she needs to reassess onee-sama's ability to be honest about her feelings."
She flushed darker, and Touma inched back, nervous that she was gonna start zapping things.
"I-i-i-it's just for convenience!" She insisted, waving her hand in front of her. "It's got nothing to do with–!"
She froze, glancing slowly at him with steam practically coming out of her ears. Her face glowed brilliantly. It was impressive. He'd never seen someone cycle through so many shades of red that quickly. If she weren't so dangerous when she got like this, he'd readily admit that it was pretty cute.
"Stop standing there and help me explain!" She cried.
"Explain what?!" He said, still waiting for the lightning to start raining down on him. Clearly he'd missed a conversation between the two girls, because he wasn't sure what exactly Mikoto was denying. Being on a first-name basis wasn't that big a deal, was it?
"T-the study sessions!" Mikoto answered, "This is because of the study sessions!"
"Study sessions? Misaka inquires, tilting her head curiously in the boy's direction."
Judging that Mikoto was probably not going to hit him with any shocks, he turned to the sister and answered "Yeah, Mikoto's been tutoring me."
The sister's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see, so onee-sama has taken a more proactive approach. Misaka didn't anticipate this…"
"Are you listening to us?!" Mikoto complained. With a long defeated sigh, and a couple moments to let the red fade out of her cheeks completely, she stood up straight again and said. "Whatever. Let's go, Touma. No stalling."
"Yeah, yeah." He smiled at the sisters. "See you guys around."
"Wait a moment! Misaka says, grabbing hold of onee-sama's arm before she can leave."
Mikoto looked at her younger sister in confusion. "What is it?"
"Misaka wondered if onee-sama might be willing to decide this cat's fate, requests Misaka."
Mikoto's eyes went wide. "Eh?! Why me?!"
The third Misaka tugged lightly at Mikoto's sleeve. "Misaka agrees that onee-sama is best suited for this decision. Unlike the boy, she can't be swayed by childish charms and feminine wiles."
"Why do I feel like I just got insulted…?" Touma sighed.
"Misaka likes this idea! Says Misaka as Misaka offers her support in making this request unanimous!"
The three clones fixed her with hopeful, expectant eyes, waiting for her response.
Poor Mikoto didn't stand a chance.
"... Fine." She agreed. "Hand him over… I'll think about it overnight."
The clones' faces lit up, and 10032 handed over the cat. "Thank you, onee-sama."
19090 stepped away. "All the Misakas have a checkup at the hospital tomorrow, so onee-sama can find us there, says Misaka, hoping for a positive conclusion."
Last Order spun, walking backward away from them with a wave and saying "Misaka should head back now, says Misaka as Misaka graciously exits the scene! Misaka will make sure to meet everyone at the hospital tomorrow!"
"Take good care of the cat." Misaka Imouto said with a small bow. "We'll see you tomorrow, onee-sama."
"Mm. See you."
Touma and Mikoto watched the clones walk off as the black cat got settled in the girl's arms.
"Right," Touma started, turning back to his partner. "Should we get going?"
"Ah."
He tilted his head at her as the girl's eyes widened suddenly. She looked down at the cat, then back up at him.
"... my dorm doesn't allow cats." She informed him.
….
He sighed.
"Just my luck."
"-So Mikoto's gonna be staying here tonight." Touma finished explaining, gathering some of the scattered papers into a pile next to him.
Index crossed her arms and huffed "Why don't you sneak the cat into your dorm? Touma said the same thing when I brought home Sphinx, but no one has noticed yet."
"Oh, it's not that the dorms don't allow pets." Mikoto said. "There's this one girl that keeps a pet python… anyways, the reason cats aren't allowed is because one of the girls has a severe allergy. Bringing one into the building would put her at risk."
Index softened a little. "What a terrible condition…" She lamented. Clasping her hands together, she declared "I'll have to keep this girl in my prayers." Putting a glare back on, she pointed at the other girl and continued "But why are you staying here?!"
"It's fine, isn't it?" Mikoto said casually, keeping her eyes on the papers in her hands. "It's just one night."
Index pouted. It wasn't like other girls hadn't spent the night before… She lived here, and a couple others had stayed over on short notice… but something about it felt different.
Something about those two felt different.
"She'll be on the futon out here, so try to get along." Touma told her, pushing himself to his feet. "Don't step on her by accident if you get up for water."
"I won't!" Index huffed indignantly.
Mikoto raised her eyebrows at the boy. "Where do you plan on sleeping?"
He smirked dryly, gesturing to the bathroom. "My spot is in the bathtub." He told her.
She stared for a moment.
"... is that comfortable?"
"Surprisingly, not so bad."
"I see."
Touma started moving toward the kitchen, and immediately Index's trepidation went out the window. "Food time? What's for supper?!"
"Hmmm…" Touma frowned, considering the ingredients he had on hand. "I think there's probably enough for beef stew…"
"Do you have time for something like that?" Mikoto said, waving the sheets in her hand and giving him a pointed look. "Who is that has a test tomorrow, again?"
He grimaced. He was definitely clear of the passing mark on the subject in question, but Mikoto wasn't going to let him off with simply passing. But even so… "Studying with a hungry Index in the room isn't possible."
Mikoto rolled onto her stomach, then pushed herself off the bed. "In that case, I'll make it." She said as she got to her feet.
Touma and Index both fell silent, staring at the girl in shock.
"... you can cook?!"
The comment had been entirely impulsive, and he regretted it immediately when in the next second, a pencil case was launched directly at him, hitting him squarely on the forehead.
"Of course I can!" She yelled back at him. "What do you take me for?!"
"I just always imagined you'd be more of the clumsy type who would fumble around the kitchen and maybe burn a few ingredients– no wait wait wait! Mikoto! Mercy! You'll short out the appliances–!"
A few minutes later, once the sparking had calmed down, Mikoto had taken charge of the kitchen and kicked him out, sending him back to his studying.
Index settled in on the bed, Sphinx jumping out of the folds of her clothes and hesitantly sniffing at the black cat. The kitten's ears twitched, checking out the new friend. Index watched them assess each other and start to play, only looking away when she was sure that they were getting along.
She looked back up toward the kitchen, taking in the odd sight of short-hair cooking in their dorm room.
"...Eh?" She said, an odd feeling coming over her. "What's this sudden sense of inadequacy? And why is it familiar?!"
"Who is it that eats like a glutton and yet never lends a hand in doing any of the work around the place?!" Touma shot back.
Index suddenly realized why this felt so familiar– the same thing had happened when Itsuwa had stayed over. "The last time you asked me to clean, you just got mad!" She said.
"That's because you caused an explosion!" He cried.
"There should have been clearer instructions on the bottle!" She huffed, crossing her arms.
"You just didn't read them! If you're that bad with it, then at least get Maika to show you how it's done."
Mikoto paused in her work. Cutting into the argument, she asked "Maika?"
Touma answered "Tsuchimikado Maika. She's a maid from Ryouran, her brother lives next door."
"She cooks for us sometimes!" Index added cheerfully.
Mikoto smiled a little, then resumed what she was doing. "I know her." She said. "She's often working in my dorm. Pretty free-spirited for a maid."
"Free-spirited is one way to put it." Touma said. That girl might not be related to Tsuchimikado by blood, but they definitely had the same eccentric energy. He didn't have to worry about Maika gassing him and shipping him off to England, but he did have to worry about her bursting through the wall on her cleaning robot if something caught her attention.
"Hey, silver sister," Mikoto called. Index looked up at the other girl. "If you want to help with something, then pick up those sheets to your left and start asking Touma the questions that are highlighted."
"You're recruiting Index?!" Touma cried.
"No slacking." She reminded him with a smirk.
He sighed, giving himself a moment to lament having a drill sergeant of a tutor before collecting himself and clenching his fist. "All right! Bring it on, Index! Kamijou Touma is devoting all his brain power!"
"Mm, okay." Index agreed, picking up the papers short-hair had pointed out, a little taken aback by the amount of drive Touma was showing.
Index didn't really understand the material being covered- it was mostly scientific stuff- but short-hair was paying enough attention that she was able to tell Touma what he got right and what he got wrong. It was a good thing, too, because the further she got down the list, the more the smell of cooking wafted through the dorm room, and Index was paying less and less attention to Touma as the food got closer to being ready.
Eventually, the smell came to be too much for her stomach to resist, and in a daze, the girl started making her way toward the kitchen.
Unfortunately, the esper caught her before she could sneak a taste.
"Oi!" Mikoto scolded her, catching her hand inches before reaching its destination. "At least wait until it's done!"
"I can hear what you're saying, but it smells so good–!"
Mikoto continued to block her, but a smug grin took over her face. "If you're that eager, then set the table." She told her. "It'll be ready soon."
From the living room, Touma asked "Am I in the clear?"
"Yeah, you can put that stuff away."
Touma breathed a sigh of relief, and carefully started putting his notes aside. These things were already on their fifth incarnation and he was not up for rewriting them again that night– he wasn't letting them get anywhere near the food.
Setting the table, at least, was something that Index could do. She had enough experience with where everything was at this point, and with Touma's chronic misfortune, it was usually safer for Index to be the one to set things up.
About five minutes later, the small table was set for the three of them, and Mikoto had put the food out. She grinned triumphantly as the others' eyes sparkled from the sight. She was by no means a master, but she was confident in her ability to handle simple dishes.
"Itadakimasu~!"
Naturally, Index was the first to dig in, and the first to declare it to be delicious.
"So? Still think rich girls can't cook?" Mikoto shot at Touma pointedly.
Touma clapped his hands together and bowed. "Kamijou admits the errors of his ways!"
She tilted her chin up proudly. "As long as we're clear on that."
Index paused for a second as she watched them. Short-air was smiling, a smile that was every bit as proud as Index would expect from her… but there was also a genuine, earnest joy, and her cheeks were dusted with the slightest hint of pink.
Like a girl whose chocolate had just been accepted by the boy she likes.
Index frowned a little.
It's not like she didn't know. As much as short-hair denied any attachment to Touma, it was clear that she had feelings for him. Like Itsuwa. Like Aisa. Like most girls that Touma had saved.
But…
Index shifted her gaze to Touma.
His eyes were on short-hair.
Index had noticed it while Mikoto had been in the kitchen. Touma's eyes usually drifted when his attention was elsewhere, but with the esper around, it seemed his eyes were frequently drifting to her. Index was pretty sure short-hair hadn't noticed, but to her, it stood out, because Touma had never acted like that with any girl before.
Index shook her head. Maybe she was imagining it. Short-hair had been tutoring him… maybe he had just been paying attention to her corrections.
The meal wrapped up after Index had helped herself to fourths, and Touma offered to tidy up. Noticing the time, Mikoto went out on the balcony to call her roommate to let her know that she would be staying out for the night. Index could hear the person on the other end freaking out from inside.
"O-o-o-o-onee-sama, staying out for the entire night on a whim–! I-if there are needs you need fulfilled, I, Kuroko, would be more than happy to–!"
"It isn't like that!" Mikoto shot the person down loudly. "Sheesh, calm down, Kuroko! I'll explain tomorrow, so just cover for me, okay?"
The person on the other end grumbled, and Index stepped away from the balcony as short-hair wrapped up her call and came back inside.
"I'm gonna make a quick run to the store." She told them, putting her phone away. "I don't want to risk Kuroko finding out where I am… it's safer if I just buy the things I need."
"Do you know where to go?" Touma asked her from the kitchen.
"Yeah I should be fine." She assured him, walking to the door, slipping her shoes back on. "Is there anything you want me to pick up while I'm out?"
"Not that I can think of..."
"All right. I'll be back soon." She gestured toward the black cat. "Look after him."
"Mm. Be safe."
They sound like a married couple.
Index wondered if they'd noticed it too, because both of them were red in the face as short-hair headed out.
Making her way back to the bed, Index flopped onto it and curled into a ball.
Touma watched her with a growing feeling of apprehension. He'd seen this odd, subdued Index before, when Itsuwa had stayed over. And it had been just as nerve-wracking then as it was now.
Of course, last time, Index had eased up the longer Itsuwa had been around. This time, however, she seemed to get more disgruntled the longer Mikoto was there.
He decided to bite the bullet and ask "...Index-san? Is everything okay?"
She curled up a little tighter.
Touma began to sweat the longer it took the girl to answer. But eventually, she did.
"... Touma, when did you and short-hair get that close?"
He paused in what he was doing, setting down the dish in his hands. "What do you mean?"
"She was there last week too." Index continued. "With the magicians. I thought she wasn't involved in the magic side."
Touma pressed his lips together, wondering how much he could say. A lot of things had led to Mikoto becoming more involved… including his amnesia. And though Index knew about that now, it was still a bit of a sensitive topic.
He decided to start with something a little later.
"Mikoto was there, you know… in Russia, at the end of the war." He lowered his gaze as Index sat up. "She tried to pull me out of the Star of Bethlehem before it crashed. I didn't let her."
"Mm." The details on that time were foggy for Index, but that part was clear enough. "I remember."
"I don't know how long she looked for me." Touma said. "But I know she did… and I know she thought I was dead." He frowned. "I put her through a lot. So when she asked about magic, I figured I owed it to her to answer. I'd still rather she didn't get involved when she doesn't have to… but…" He smiled a little. "I doubt I could stop her anyways."
Index blinked a few times, then curled back up into her ball. "I see."
There was definitely something different.
Even the way he talked about her… something had changed. There was a subtle, tender note of affection that hadn't been there before. Index couldn't be sure when that had started, but there was no mistaking it now.
Touma had never shown any real romantic interest in a girl before. As long as she'd known him, he'd never had a crush. She'd always been somewhat reassured by that… the comfort that no one was going to steal him away.
He was all she had. Her only constant. The idea of becoming an afterthought to him… she didn't like that at all.
Deciding that she didn't want to hear him talk about short-hair anymore, Index reached for the tv remote and flicked it on, switching her attention to the anime reruns.
Twenty minutes later, short-hair got back to the apartment.
"I'm back." She announced, slipping her shoes off and setting her shopping bag down.
"You got a pillow?" He asked, noticing the item that hadn't fit in her bag.
She gestured to the bed. "You only have two, and there's three of us. I needed a new one anyways."
He smiled in relief. It was true that there weren't any spares in the dorm, and the last time he'd gone without, he hadn't been able to sleep at all, but the thought had completely slipped his mind.
Sitting down on the bed next to Index, Mikoto asked "So? How are baths going to work?"
Index twitched. Touma went quiet.
It was a good question.
Practically speaking, Index should be the one to go first, since her long hair required the most attention and the most amount of time to dry (the hairdryer had been involved in an accident a couple weeks back, so they would have to make due with towels). But by that logic, Touma would end up going last. In the same bath that two girls had just used.
Mikoto and Index exchanged a look.
"Well," Touma started. "You two can go ahead of me–"
SMACK
Both girls simultaneously launched the nearest thing at hand at his head- the tv remote and a hairbrush, respectively.
"Pervert." Index growled.
"What did I do–?!"
"Rock-paper-scissors for it?" Mikoto suggested, ignoring Touma's shout.
Index grumbled a little, but agreed to play for it.
A few rounds later, they had the order decided on: Index would go first, followed by Mikoto, then Touma.
A part of him thought it was a lucky break– for about two seconds, until he caught sight of the glares the girls were giving him.
"You didn't cheat, did you, Touma?" Index asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"How would I cheat?!" He cried, stepping away from the two girls who were exuding a dangerous aura, wondering frantically what was setting them off.
Thankfully Mikoto, at least, didn't maintain the threatening energy for long. She sighed. "Well, it can't be helped."
"I suppose." Index agreed reluctantly, pushing herself off the bed and moving toward the bathroom.
"Don't take an hour." Touma warned her, picking up the remote and hairbrush off the floor.
Index shot back a pout. "I won't!" Pointing an accusatory finger at him, she added "Don't think about doing anything inappropriate while I'm not watching!"
Touma decided not to dignify that with an answer. He had a feeling that anything he said would work against him.
A minute later, Index disappeared into the bathroom, essentially leaving Touma and Mikoto alone in the dorm.
For a moment, their eyes met… and they both immediately looked away.
Touma's heart was fluttering. What was going on? They'd been alone in this room earlier, before Index had gotten home, and nothing about that had made him nervous. If anything, it'd felt perfectly natural. But now that it had gotten dark and the study materials had been put away, there was a tension in the air that he couldn't quite name.
Trying to shake off the atmosphere he didn't know what to do with, he tossed Mikoto the tv remote, saying "Here."
She caught the remote, fumbling with it a little. "Tv, huh…?" She smiled a little, settling down on the floor. "Honestly, I haven't had the chance to watch tv in ages."
"You don't have a tv in your dorm?" He asked, lying down on the ground behind her and resting his head on his arm. Seeing an opportunity, the black kitten hopped onto his chest, stretching once before curling into a ball and settling in.
"No," She answered him, browsing through the channels, absent-mindedly leaning against his leg, which was propped up and conveniently placed to work as a backrest. "The rules don't allow for it. We have our computers, but the school restricts access to streaming sites. Tokiwadai is pretty strict in limiting 'distractions'." She rolled her eyes.
He started petting the black kitten, and the little guy purred in contentment. "Yeah, I remember the place looked pretty bare."
She glanced at him. "Oh yeah… I forgot that you've been in my dorm room. I still can't believe Kuroko let you in."
"Knowing Shirai now, it is pretty surprising." Touma agreed, then added quietly "She must've been worried about you."
Mikoto grimaced. "Mm… she put up with a lot back then."
Touma frowned. Hoping to steer away from the suddenly dark atmosphere, he changed the subject. "So what do you girls do to pass the time in the dorms?"
Mikoto tilted her head, thinking about it. "Hmm… mostly we avoid being there when we don't have to be." She said, "When we can't avoid it, I usually just listen to music."
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "What kind of music does the Level 5 Railgun like?"
"You're expecting me to say EDM, aren't you?"
"Maybe." He admitted.
She rolled her eyes at him. "I like most types of music. I'll listen to just about anything as long as it isn't too loud. The stuff I listen to on my own though..." She ducked her head a little with a slight blush. "It's not exactly popular."
"Your playlist can't be that weird."
"Want to hear?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Sure." He said, dropping the hand that was petting the cat and using it to better prop up his head.
She pulled out her phone, and a few moments later, music started coming from the speakers.
Touma listened quietly for a few seconds.
"Classical?"
"Mm." She admitted. "Instrumental soundtracks. Especially strings."
"Why strings?"
She shrugged. "It's relaxing, I guess. I can play the violin myself, so I know how much effort goes into playing those pieces."
He paused, taken aback. "You play the violin?"
She raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Surprised?"
"Misaka Mikoto, the trigger-happy middle-school girl who wears shorts under her skirt, playing something fancy like the violin? What's not to be surprised about?"
Mikoto started sparking immediately, and Touma raised his right hand automatically in defense. "What does wearing shorts have to do with anything?!" She shouted. "Seriously, you need to do something about that messed-up bias of yours!"
He grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself despite the risk of electric shock. Mikoto was probably the only girl in his life that he ever actively chose to tease. Setting her off wasn't always intentional, but he couldn't help pushing her buttons every now and then to see her react.
(It was cute, after all.)
"My bad, my bad." He yielded, raising his hands in surrender as the sparks died off.
She let out a long sigh. "Seriously, what do you take me for?" She grumbled. "You assume I can't cook, you assume I wouldn't play the violin… what is it you think I can do?"
"I think you can do anything you put your mind to." He told her honestly.
"Then why act so surprised?"
He pressed his lips together, and answered a little thoughtlessly "I just like the idea of a clumsy Mikoto. It's cute."
One beat. Then two.
Realizing what had just come out of his mouth, he tensed, slowly looking at her, feeling his face burn. Her face was glowing a dark pink to match. She shifted, turning away from him impulsively in an attempt to hide it.
"W-what, you think a girl f-fumbling around is c-cute? Do guys have a thing for that?" She tried joking.
"Ah, y-yeah, I guess." He played along.
They still weren't meeting each other's eyes.
She knew, right? She must've known that he hadn't been generalizing. The words had slipped past him, and they hadn't been subtle. But they could pretend he had been… and so long as they did, they wouldn't have to talk about the growing something hanging in the air between them.
The cat jumped off his chest, dissatisfied by the lack of petting, and climbed up onto Mikoto's lap, pawing at her for attention.
Mikoto's expression immediately softened into a smile as she scratched the kitten's head.
Sensing an opening to change the subject, Touma asked "So, do you have any ideas on what to do with him?"
"Mm." She answered. "I have an idea that should work out for all those girls."
"Really?" Touma hadn't come up with any good ideas himself. He couldn't imagine a scenario that would make every one of those girls happy with the outcome.
"I hope they'll be okay with it…" She drifted a little, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "I don't know why they left it up to me in the first place, but since they're trusting me with it, I really don't want to let them down."
"You won't." He assured her. "I'm not surprised they asked you. They're your little sisters, after all. They know you have their best interests at heart."
She looked toward him out of the corner of her eye, angling her head ever-so-slightly and smiling tenderly.
He stopped breathing.
He was gonna die one of these days. It wasn't her shocks that would kill him. No, he was going to meet his end through heart failure caused by these rare looks she gave him.
Thankfully, he was saved an embarrassing death-by-heart-failure by Index, who came out of the bathroom at that moment.
Mikoto set the kitten down on the bed, where he found Sphinx and started pawing at him excitedly, and grabbed her shopping bag as she went for the bathroom.
"I'll make sure he doesn't peek!" Index assured her.
"Appreciated. Keep a close eye on him."
"Hey!" Touma protested. "Don't go painting me as a deviant when I haven't done anything!"
The girls ignored him, and Touma let out a long, bemoaning sigh.
Once Mikoto had closed the door, Index fixed him with a suspicious glare.
He started to sweat. "... um, Index-san? Is something the matter?"
Index continued to glare.
The two of them had been sitting awfully close when she'd come out of the bathroom- short-hair with her back resting against Touma's leg, both on the floor despite the bed being an option either of them could've taken. And the two of them had both been noticeably red in the face.
"... I told you not to do anything inappropriate."
"We were just talking!"
Index huffed, curling up with the cats on the bed.
Touma decided to leave her. So long as she wasn't biting him, he was in the clear, and he didn't want to push his luck.
Mikoto didn't spend a lot of time in the bathroom, coming out almost ten minutes faster than Index. It was unfortunate, because it did not give Touma enough time to get used to the idea of her taking a bath in his dorm room, so when she came out in a set of cozy-looking pjs with her hair still wet and cheeks still slightly flushed from the heat, the look on his face had been enough to make Index bite into his head immediately.
Mikoto bit her lip, fighting to control her reaction as she took a seat next to the other girl on the bed, who'd let go of the boy so he could escape into the bathroom for his own turn.
Silence fell between them.
It wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. Index lay flat on her stomach with the TV remote in hand, fiddling with the channels, while Mikoto scooted back to lean against the wall, resting her chin on her knees.
What was she supposed to say, anyways?
Mikoto knew the basics when it came to this sister, but almost everything she knew about her had been told to her by Touma. They'd only ever had a handful of conversations, and more than half of those had been brief exchanges in the middle of a crisis. The only thing she knew they had in common was Touma himself, and their shared affection wasn't exactly an easy topic to breach.
The calico cat jumped back onto the bed, approaching Mikoto hesitantly. She reached for the cat slowly, offering to let it sniff her hand, but the cat's hair stood on end the moment the electromaster got too close and he jumped over to the other side of the sister.
"That's odd." Index noted, watching the exchange over her shoulder. "Sphinx is usually really good with new people."
Mikoto grimaced. "It's not his fault. My body constantly emits a weak EM field, so animals find it hard to deal with me."
"That black cat is fine." Index pointed out as the cat in question jumped onto the bed and rubbed up against Mikoto's hand.
She smiled. "Yeah. Since he spends so much time with my sisters, I guess he got desensitized to it."
"I see."
It went quiet again.
Index pulled Sphinx into her arms, cuddling the cat for a minute.
"Hey, short-hair…" Index started, keeping her voice low.
"Yeah?"
Index pressed her lips together, holding onto the cat a little tighter. She rolled onto her other side so she could look at the other girl, and said "You… love Touma, right?"
"Wha–?!" Mikoto tensed in shock, burning from the unexpected question. She nearly shouted, but she caught herself at the last second, remembering that the boy in question was within ear-shot if they spoke loud enough. Keeping her voice at a hiss, she stuttered "W-w-what are you talking about?"
"I love Touma." The girl admitted readily.
Mikoto felt her heart drop into her stomach. It wasn't something she was surprised to hear… but it didn't mean she wanted to hear it.
But Index continued before Mikoto could come up with something to say. "I don't love him the way you do, though."
"... Huh?"
"Touma… he's everything I have. And I know there are other people who care about him… people who love him in different ways. And it shouldn't bother me. I know that. But…" She frowned, curling into herself a little. "I don't want Touma to leave me behind."
Mikoto blinked at the sister a few times. She sighed. "Why are you telling me this?"
Index pouted. "Because Touma looks at you differently." She stated simply. "I didn't have to worry before. Touma is Touma. No matter how many girls come after him, nothing changes. But with you, something did change. So now I'm thinking about it."
Mikoto's heart thumped in her chest.
It was one thing for her to feel like there was something going on between her and Touma. She could keep those feelings close to her heart, and as long as nothing was said, then she didn't have to stress over whether she was imagining things or not. But to have a third party confirm it, to say that there is something going on, and that they could see it…
She hid her face in her arms.
"... You're thinking too hard." Mikoto told her.
Index glared a little. "I'm not!"
"You are." She insisted, lifting her head again to look at the other girl. "Even if Touma and I…" She gulped, feeling incredibly warm. She tried again. "No matter what goes on between us, it won't change how much you mean to him."
Index blinked a few times, surprised. Slowly, she uncurled herself, sitting up with the cat still in her arms. "You think so?"
"Mm." She said with a small smile. "He cares about you. How he feels about m-me… has nothing to do with that."
Index stared at the other girl for a few moments.
"... Mikoto?"
She twitched at the unfamiliar sound of her name coming from this girl's mouth. "What?"
The silver-haired sister smiled. Earnestly and cheerfully. "Your beef stew was really good."
Slowly, the electromaster relaxed, and smiled back.
"Thanks."
Touma was wholly taken aback when he came back into the room and found the two girls sitting together, giggling and playing with the cats, but he didn't dare poke at the friendly atmosphere by pointing it out.
Mikoto left early the next morning so she could drop the cat off at the hospital before school started. Index waved her off cheerfully.
"Come over for supper again sometime, short-hair!" She called.
"Sure." She answered indulgently. To Touma, she said "Let me know how you do on the test!"
"Yeah, I will." He told her. "See you."
Incidentally, Mikoto's solution for the cat was to leave him in the care of the hospital's on-site animal therapy program. The people there were happy to take him in, and the clones collectively decided to volunteer for the program. They would all get an even opportunity to take care of the cat.
Indeed, the clones collectively agreed, their big sister really had been the best person to entrust the task to.
[Author Notes]
A few fun tidbits!
1- Mikoto really didn't need to stay at Touma's dorm. They just collectively decided to ignore the alternative options and pretended that it couldn't be helped.
2- Touma got an 82 on his test. Komoe nearly fainted. Mikoto took him and Index out to the buffet they went to at the end of the last chapter to celebrate. Index nearly got them banned.
3- Touma should've known that Mikoto can play the violin, because he was at the Tokiwadai dorm when she did her performance, and it was post-amnesia. But he hasn't clued in that the pretty girl in a dress who'd threatened to hit him with a chair that one time was Mikoto.
tentative title for the next chapter: A Day at the Amusement Park.
I'll see you guys then!