Chapter 19 - Back to the Light

"I think we'd better get out of here. There's a big chance we'll get buried" Touma said, standing up and offering his hand for Shizuri to do the same.

With a little difficulty, the girl supported herself on both feet, but soon groaned in pain. Her right ankle was badly swollen, which meant that walking in that state would be slow and painful.

"I agree with you, that was kind of dumb" Shizuri spoke, smiling even though she was in pain over most of her body. "But the other option was worse"

"What's done is done. Now come here, before you get hurt even more."

"Huh? You're not thinking of carrying me, are you? Your injuries are almost as bad as mine, so you'd better -"

"Yeah, yeah. I don't give a shit"

Without giving the girl time to prepare, Touma held her in his arms, rehearsing his best 'princess carry'. Shizuri thought about complaining more, only to suddenly crack an even bigger smile on her face.

"Come to think of it, I like that" She said, settling into his arms "Frenda and Takitsubo hitched a ride clinging to you, but I'm being carried like a princess. I kept winning."

Touma just shook his head and rolled his eyes, walking with Shizuri in his arms. That dark, cold tunnel was to be used in the future as a supply route within Academy City. According to the construction plans, this place had no connection with the laboratory above, at least not yet.

"We're going to be walking for quite a while" he announced, looking around that dimly lit tunnel.

"Where we are was one of the old lines of those fully autonomous trains, right? So they weren't building from scratch but renovating. We're pretty deep here, how are we going to get up there?"

"We are more or less in the middle of the tunnel. At the end there is a decommissioned service elevator. I guess you know what we will do, don't you?"

"Yeah, something too dangerous for two injured people" She joked, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Let's hope this abandoned place doesn't have security, we're not exactly in fighting condition"

"Let them try their luck. I have a girlfriend now, I'm literally invincible," he said, grinning like an idiot.

"Touma, I appreciate that I am the person responsible for giving you so much confidence, but you will end up dying with this attitude" Even though she was trying to sound stern, she was also smiling like an idiot.

"Relax, I'm just kidding. Don't worry about me doing something reckless...more than I ever did before, I mean."

"I'm completely relaxed hearing that" The girl snuggled further into his shoulder, which was making her low voice sound like whispered words in his ear. "Seriously now. I'm perfectly OK with having a dumbass boyfriend who helps people without asking for anything in return, but you made me a promise so try to think of me before you throw yourself into unnecessary danger"

Shizuri stopped talking for a moment and waited for him to reply, but he remained silent, too long for her liking. Not understanding why, she raised her head and looked at him, noticing that he looked away for the moment.

"Is something wrong? You are too quiet and that is never a good sign" There was concern in her voice "Are you tired of walking while carrying me? If so -"

"No... don't worry about it, you are incredibly light, to tell you the truth. I just got a little distracted." He clearly wasn't saying everything.

"Distracted, is it? We started dating a few minutes ago and I'm not interesting for him anymore. This Shizuri-chan's life is still garbage by the looks of it" Obviously she didn't mean it.

"Don't complain, princess. What did you expect from a guy who decided to say he liked you in a dark, cold tunnel? And with both of us hurt and bleeding. I basically ruined your first kiss too.

"But the second one was great. I can't wait for the third" Shizuri rested her head on his shoulder again "And don't worry about it, I don't think a confession of love in a romantic place like one of those sappy movies suits either of us. Plus, I think it'll be interesting when I'm asked in the near future where my first kiss took place. You sure do like to make things interesting."

" I'm not sure if you're trying to see the glass as half full or it's just completely crazy"

"The former. Maybe a little of the latter actually. I would say I'm crazy just in the right measure."

"The best kind of crazy then" He scoffed, trying to focus on the road ahead. It would still be a while before they reached their destination "So, would you mind telling me everything that happened until we met in that tunnel?"

"I wanted to do something else actually" Shizuri whispered this in his ear and then let out a disappointed sigh "But that's okay, we'll have time for that"

Touma walked for over an hour carrying Shizuri in his arms, while she told him the events of the mission that he did not yet know. Luckily, that tunnel was not as big as it used to be, otherwise they would be here until dawn. Probably the intention was to keep remodeling it to the size it was before since there was notice of construction just ahead, but he didn't have to worry about that for now. One of the service elevators leading to the subway station responsible for this tunnel was just in sight, but as the blue-eyed boy had said, it was not functional, since Academy City wanted to limit the amount of people who would come here.

"That looks brand new. I assume it's not working because of some arbitrary rule imposed" The Level 0 gently placed his girlfriend on the floor, but stayed close so she could lean on him "I don't have any more bombs with me, can you aim your skill with all the pain you're feeling?

"Not very well, but we don't need precision here do we?"

Raising her right hand, the girl activated her ability and used it to melt the elevator door. They both entered it, and then she continued her work, tearing through the ceiling with an electron beam. Without even finishing, she approached the boy and grabbed him tighter than necessary. Using his item, Touma launched them through the hole in the ceiling. What the two of them were doing was very dangerous, but the spiky-haired boy knew that the calibration he made with his L.I.B. was perfect. He kept climbing for several meters, using the grappling hook to throw them, and before they started to fall, he would choose a new target and keep climbing.

"We're here. Can you do the honors?" The boy asked, pointing with his chin to the elevator door.

"I would, but you're canceling my powers" Complained Shizuri, after raising her right hand but failing to use her ability properly.

"Damn, it's true. I'm going to take my right hand away from you, so hold onto me even tighter."

"Not being able to deactivate your ability is a little inconvenient sometimes. That could be a problem if we have to fight together."

"We did really well today, so we'll be fine" He took her right hand away, but tried to keep using his arm to make sure she didn't fall.

"That's kind of complicated. But I know how to fix it."

Shizuri smiled and then used her legs to wrap around the boy's waist, who almost lost concentration at the sight of this daring technique. Now that she could aim, she used her ability to melt the door, taking care not to let her beams go through the metal, since there might be people on the other side. When she finished, the boy held her back again, but Shizuri smiled and continued to lasso the boy with her slender legs.

"Shizuri, this is a good time to get out of this awkward pose"

"You think so?" She brought her face closer to him and stopped just a few millimeters away from their lips touching.

"We're in an elevator shaft and seriously injured, is your sense of danger nil by any chance?" He complained, turning his face in another direction.

"I don't want to hear that from you sir 'I'm going to pick a fight with the second strongest guy in town'"

As she said this she pulled her face away and removed her legs from his waist. Touma then started swinging and threw them both through the melted elevator door, putting the girl on the floor when they landed. The place they were now looked like a large shed filled with building materials.

"Sometimes I don't really understand how they build things here in Academy City" Said the boy, looking at that subway station that looked more like a construction site. "Why the hell does it have a supply route so deep underground?"

"For several reasons. For example, it's a good way to hide something they don't want the general public to see. And then there is the fact that autonomous trains work better if they keep electromagnetic interference to a minimum." She replied tersely, almost like an experienced teacher explaining a complicated subject in a simple way.

"Hmm... considering how common Electromasters are, that makes perfect sense. By the way, since you're technically one too, it's possible for you to interfere with that sort of thing too isn't it?" He asked this and carried her off again like a princess.

"I use my powers in a more unique way, but yes it is possible. In fights against other Electromasters I can even interfere with their ability and prevent them from hitting me with lightning for examples."

"Interesting. I don't understand exactly how your ability works, but you are certainly different from all the other espers of the same type I've faced."

"I'm also different from all the other girls you've met" She leaned her head back against his shoulder, making the boy feel her warm breath on his skin.

"Shizuri, we are already together, you can stop flirting now" He said in a playful tone.

"I'm sorry, I have no experience in relationships, so I didn't know that flirtations end after two people start dating" As she answered the joke, she moved her head a little so she could look at him. "Hey Touma, I'm curious, when did you start liking me?"

"That's a complicated question. At first I only felt a slight attraction to you when we met in that mall. Nothing too much. This feeling started to grow when you started to show interest in my life. "

As he sighed and increased his pace, the two arrived at a large steel door. Kamijou put the girl down again before continuing to speak.

"From then on this feeling grew little by little. But the key point was when you told me how important I was to you. Most people I have met can't be sincere when they are around me. This makes me a little sad. And the problem is that the others hardly seem to care about me, or at least they don't show it."

Hearing the boy speak so highly of her, Shizuri hid the stupid smile forming and used her skill again to destroy that thick metal door that led to the street outside. Those two had broken an absurd amount of rules tonight.

"And of course, you understood perfectly what I needed. Someone who was willing to take care of me and comfort me when I needed it. That's the thing I find most attractive in someone. That's when I really started to like you."

The boy picked up his cell phone and dialed the emergency number. They both needed an ambulance, and Touma was already a little tired from carrying Shizuri, who could barely walk. The tea-colored girl was quiet during the whole explanation of what attracted him to her. She realized something important in the explanation, many things there were not even part of her nature, and she knew that Touma knew this. However, the boy trusted that she could get better and made a risky bet by letting himself fall in love with a girl who was technically the opposite of what he was looking for. But honestly, she was glad that was the case. It showed that as long as he was by her side, Shizuri was willing to try to be someone better. If she complained that the boy had fallen for an idealized version of her, it would mean that she wasn't willing to be saved. And she wanted to be saved, so she couldn't be happier.

"You know, I was wrong that time when we were talking about multiple universes" Claimed the girl, approaching Touma and holding his waist with her arm "If there is a timeline where you and I have never met, then my life there must be a living hell"

xxxx-xxxx

Kamijou Touma was not lucky. That phrase was not hyperbole. It was not a matter of bad luck, he really was not lucky. If something bad could happen to him, it would definitely happen. But that didn't mean that he couldn't fight it. That boy always had to take into consideration that the universe would not favor him, so he had to work harder than everyone else if he wanted to achieve something.

"You got lucky" Announced a certain frog-faced doctor, looking at his clipboard.

At that moment our spiky-haired 'Hero' was in his usual hospital room. This was a completely white room, from the sheets on the bed, to the curtains on the windows, to the paint used on the wall. Sometimes the boy felt uncomfortable in this place that was supposed to be a sanctuary.

"Could you repeat that doctor?" Touma didn't like the doctor's bold statement at all "This Kamijou-san is healthy enough to break some illusions if need be"

"The wound in your leg almost damaged an important artery. You lost a lot of blood anyway. If your wound had not been cauterized, your chances of survival would not be good at all."

"I'm sorry, but that doesn't qualify as luck" The boy replied and then sat down on the bed and crossed his arms smugly "As you can see, the fact that the rebar missed the 'important artery' can be called bad luck. My death would have been much quicker and much less painless if that had happened, but my absolute bad luck did not allow me such an easy fate."

"If you say. As a good doctor, I have to take into account the well-being of my patients, that includes mental health, but I'm afraid that when it comes to you, that's well beyond my capabilities."

"Very funny doctor. Don't you have anything else to do but mock this poor unlucky Kamijou-san? Go hit on some nurse or something, you fucking pervert" He almost shouted as he pointed an inquisitive finger at the doctor who always saved his life after his adventures.

"Glad to see you with so much energy. Get some more rest and I'll discharge you soon" Heaven Canceller turned towards the door but stopped halfway "Before I forget, there's a rather scary girl bullying nurses for no reason"

"I don't like where this is going" The boy cringed and covered himself with the sheets.

"The fact that she is a level 5 makes her threats very effective. She claims to be your girlfriend even, and is using all possible resources to prevent any girl from entering this room." The doctor decided to cancel his exit and looked again in the direction of the embarrassed boy, covering his face with the covers. "Of all the girls who had the courage to state something like this, she is certainly the most energetic. I had to sedate the girl to prevent her from invading your room, which was a lot of work. Where does she get all that strength from? With your luck, you never know if she is actually an assassin hired to kill you."

"OK, I have a slight impression that you know the whole story and are just saying this to torture me"

"I would never do that to a patient. But now I am curious, is this girl really your girlfriend?" For some reason, the doctor started flipping through several pages on his clipboard, as if to check something important.

"If the girl in question has soft tea-colored hair, brown eyes and is as arrogant as she is pretty, yes she is my girlfriend" Touma rolled his eyes quickly as he said that.

The doctor seemed to have come close to what he was looking for. His eyes strolled quickly through a list of names, but he couldn't find the name he had in mind, so he turned to another page, containing yet another list full of female names. He smiled suddenly and spoke aloud.

"Mugino Shizuri. So that was the one chosen? A rather exotic taste. I'm not talking about the looks of course. Looks like I failed as a doctor, I was betting on that mysterious black haired girl." He shook his head with a disappointed expression on his face "That friend of yours with the sunglasses took the whole prize by himself. His intuition is excellent despite his flashy and somewhat out of place appearance. Is he some kind of international spy in disguise?" The doctor scoffed, but he was a bit angry in his usual calm voice.

"Wait, you guys were placing bets on which girl I would date? What the hell?"

"Boredom is a powerful tool, but it can lead us down questionable paths. It's a shame the speculation is over, the debates were interesting. Now if you'll allow me, I'll have to be the bearer of bad news" The doctor sighed and this time he seemed determined to leave the room, but he still had something to say "She should wake up soon"

xxxx-xxxx

The room that Mugino Shizuri was in was different from Kamijou Touma's. The level 5 girl was sharing her room with other girls, many of them victims of the new Ability Body Crystal. Upon waking up, the first thing she saw was a blonde nurse in a pink outfit looking at her with a somewhat annoyed face.

"Ouch... my head" Shizuri felt as if she had been trampled by a herd of elephants "Why the fuck did you sedate me with something so strong?"

"It was necessary. Some gang members have already tried to kill Kamijou-Kun while he was resting in his room" The young blond-haired nurse said that in a cold voice "The safety of our patients is priority, so we have to try twice as hard when it comes to him."

"I don't want to kill him, you imbecile. Didn't you hear what I said before?" Shizuri forced herself to sit up, but a stabbing pain knocked her onto the bed again "Shit, were my injuries worse than I thought?"

"You are not to be trusted. There is a very good chance that the two of you were involved in an espers fight and you are trying to go to his room to finish the job."

"What bizarre theory is that?" Level 5 tried to argue against that, but her throbbing head wasn't helping.

"It wouldn't be the first time" The nurse really believed her own words.

"Look, random nurse whose name I can't remember..."

"I am literally wearing a name badge"

"My vision is a little blurry. Anyway, believe me, if I wanted to kill him I would have done it in his sleep. After all, we both live in the same apartment."

Shizuri gave this information just to see the nurse's reaction. The Level 5 almost licked her lips when she saw the blonde sharpen her gaze and frown. If she couldn't go to Touma's room, then she would have fun some other way.

"An obvious lie. You're not the first girl to say that either. You're not even the tenth" The nurse smiled this time.

"Wait a minute" Shizuri even forgot she was in pain and managed to stay seated after that revelation "It seems we have some interesting stories about Touma in this hospital. I need you to tell me everything."

"That's not gonna happen" She replied as dryly as possible.

"Really? I'm willing to negotiate. I mean, I have a lot of money and I don't even know what to spend it on."

"You are barely awake and already trying to bribe my employees" That aging male voice echoed in the room.

The doctor famous all over city for saving anyone who made it to that hospital alive had entered the room. He was more serious than usual. Shizuri looked away from the irritated nurse to the doctor who was examining his clipboard.

"Kamijou-Kun confirmed your story. Sorry for doubting it, but it's just that you're new to the list, so I had to be sure." He said, finally looking at the girl. The blonde nurse was uneasy hearing that "I should congratulate you or something. The sash and crown are already being made."

"Huh?" Meltdowner made the biggest confused face of her life "What the fuck?"

"We all expected it would take much longer than that for someone to finally hook that boy's heart, so forgive us for the lack of planning."

Not wanting to hear any more, the defeated nurse sighed in anger and started to leave the room. Shizuri was sure she heard someone crying in the hallway, but it was probably the painkillers messing with her head.

"Leaving that delicate matter aside" The doctor continued "Your injuries were somewhat severe. Two ribs and a broken ankle, internal bleeding caused by a hard blow to the area near the hip, and several lacerations and bruises all over the body."

"Is there going to be any scarring?" Shizuri asked somewhat worried "I have a boyfriend now, so I have to worry about that kind of thing"

"I'm sure Kamijou-Kun is not the kind of person who would mind that. But as your doctor I have to meet your demands. I assure you that our technology is more than sufficient to handle something so trivial. I can give you priority if you need any special treatment."

"Good. When a certain time comes, I need to make the best impression possible." The girl looked pleased and also relieved to hear that.

"These young people these days" The doctor commented, passing the sheet on his clipboard "Something tells me you also want to know how your boyfriend is doing"

"You read my mind" Shizuri was a little apprehensive. She wanted to see him as soon as possible.

"Well...as usual he is recovering very well. I think I will discharge him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?! Isn't that a little too soon? That wound on his leg looked pretty bad."

"That looks a lot worse than it really is." He shrugged, not looking very convincing "Besides, he'd probably leave anyway. Some of the nurses even asked me to let them bandage him tightly until he looks like a mummy. I wonder if that's enough to keep him from moving."

"This seems a bit over the top... which kind of suits Touma. I guess I have to convince him to let his wounds heal completely."

"I wouldn't worry about that. That boy has a body straight out of a fantasy world. I wouldn't be impressed if someone tore a limb off him and he grew it back." The doctor didn't even seem to be joking when he said that."

"Don't talk such nonsense in such a serious tone. Anyway, I appreciate what you're doing...although your team sedated me for no reason" Level 5 spoke the last part under her breath.

"Remember that you were threatening to melt the brain of any girl who tried to enter his room." But the doctor listened anyway.

"That wasn't serious" She waved her hand nonchalantly "I wouldn't hurt a fly"

"It also has the damage done to property. That equipment was pretty expensive."

"My family will make a generous donation to this hospital, satisfied?" Shizuri was starting to get annoyed "An even bigger one if you let me go to his room"

"Don't try to bribe me. Caring for my patients is my duty, so I will comply with your request. However, you'd better go see him later. You are in no condition to make that kind of visit."

"Who decided that?" Meltdowner asked, smiling unassumingly.

xxxx-xxxx

The next morning, Kamijou Touma woke up after a very relaxing and well deserved night's sleep. His eyes opened slowly, getting used to the room that was too bright for his liking. His wounds no longer hurt, perhaps because of the amount of painkillers he was forced to take, which also seemed to take away some of his sensitivity. Or so it seemed, since it took him a while to notice something important. As he tried to stretch out, he noticed an extra weight on his body. It was too soft to be just a pillow, plus that softness was a bit familiar. The boy's eyes slowly drifted to his left side, from where this feeling was originating. His heart raced as he realized the situation he was in.

"Hey Touma, did you sleep well tonight?"

That almost whispered voice came from very close to him. Usually upon waking, the spiky-haired boy took a while to get all his brain functions working at full capacity, but the current situation caused his awakening to be accelerated. Touma seemed to have received an upgrade in his operating system.

"Shizuri?!" His voice came out louder than necessary.

"Geez, don't scream like that first thing in the morning" She continued whispering, still with those two soft mounds massaging him. That aggressive girl was not concerned at the moment with the feelings of the poor surprised and agitated boy "And don't move around so much, I'm pretty bruised in case you don't remember. And you didn't answer my question either, a bit rude don't you think?"

" You... slept next to me? Is that an illusion?" Touma touched his own head with his right hand for reassurance "It doesn't look like one. So it's a dream? It's the only explanation for this clichéd scene straight from the manga I usually read."

"I haven't slept next to you, I've only been here a few minutes. By the way, I read these manga too, in case you don't remember, that's where I got the idea from even. And I'm your girlfriend, in case you don't remember too." The girl smiled at her boyfriend's idiocy and then put her index finger on his chest. "That's the kind of treatment I get for taking the trouble to come over here and ask if you slept well? You suck at being a boyfriend."

The girl wasn't kidding today, she used a secret weapon that she only used in circumstances that required her to give her all, a technique she learned at an early age: Shizuri pouted. And it was super effective.

"I-I slept very well, thank you. I'm sorry for being a heartless idiot who doesn't know how to act in these situations... my god, you're so cute" Kamijou uttered these words without taking a breath in the process, he didn't even realize he was leaning in her direction.

"That's better. And if I remember correctly, that's the first time you've ever said I'm cute" Shizuri undid her pout to bite her lip lightly "Then consider yourself forgiven. Now let's get on with the plan."

Moving away from him and turning around, the girl reached out and picked up a black box on top of the bedside table. She sat down on the bed with distinct difficulty and then opened the box, which was actually a Bento. The boy watched silently as she prepared the chopsticks and smiled at him.

"A balanced breakfast is important for recovery" She said, using her chopsticks to grab a piece of omelet from one of the compartments.

"That sounds very good...but where is mine?" He asked sitting up and looking to see if she didn't have another Bento hidden in the room.

"We are going to share this one obviously. I asked them to buy the biggest one they can find"

"Wouldn't it be better to ask them to buy two?"

"Touma, where is your romantic side? Have you never read a shoujo manga? Now say aaaaaah" Meltdowner brought the omelet closer to the boy's mouth, who somewhat reluctantly accepted it.

"That's good" He made a surprised face "Too good to tell you the truth. That taste is familiar to me."

"Don't start daydreaming in the middle of our romantic date" She complained, tasting the omelet as well.

"Romantic date? Sharing a Bento in a Hospital bed while we are injured. Our romance is a bit eccentric. Are you sure you saw that in a shoujo manga?" Touma thought about sneering some more, but the girl shut his mouth with another piece of omelet.

"Don't you ever get tired of being a smartass? Don't mock my efforts. This hospital has some pretty stupid rules. Do you have any idea how many people I had to threaten or bribe so that I could give you this surprise?" The tea-colored girl began to chew a little violently.

"I hope no one was hurt in the process" He snatched a rice ball that the girl prepared before she put it in her mouth.

"Hey, don't steal food. Can't you wait your turn?" Shizuri was not angry about any of this, in fact she even smiled.

"I'm sorry, it's just that being fed by a mature and beautiful girl while I recover even seems like a dream, so I'm trying to make the most of it"

"That's a bit selfish of you"

She prepared another rice ball and this time she moved away to try to eat, but the boy reached up and grabbed the sticks, deftly knocking them out of her hand. The girl was so surprised that she couldn't even react to the brazen theft of the spiky-haired thief. But before she could complain, Touma showed his true intentions.

"Say aaaaaah" He asked, offering the rice ball to the girl. Still a little confused, she opened her mouth and decided to forget what she had to say "There, now I can brag to my friends that I fed an older girl in a bed"

"I don't even know where to begin to explain how weird that sounded. Are you and your friends a bunch of perverts by any chance?"

The boy dodged the question and the coming embarrassment by shoveling more food into her mouth, which wasn't as effective, since she could just throw him a judgmental look that hurt more than any words she could utter.

"Not another word about my friends. Your mind is not yet prepared for what the Delta Force usually discusses in our spare time."

Without wasting any time, the boy stopped her from talking again with more food. Touma was not willing to talk about this subject so soon, so the boy fed her as fast as he could, leaving no room for her to argue. The boy's precision and rhythm was so good that Shizuri was sure he was reading her involuntary movements to help him stop her from saying anything.

"Tou... ma..." Level 5 nearly choked trying to speak his name. She shook her head in a sign of surrender, which made the boy stop his unbeatable attack and return the chopsticks to the girl. "Hmm... this fish is good. This food is almost as good as yours" She commented, her mouth still full of food.

"Shizuri, it's a little weird to see such an elegant girl talking with her mouth full...and strangely sexy too" He turned his face away as he whispered that odd opinion. "I'm a little doubtful if it reinforces your DereDere side or not. I think I already have a subject to bring up for the next debate"

"Seriously, I have to find a way to listen to one of these debates" Shizuri quickly pushed the chopsticks away to make sure she didn't get another food combo "I'll bring a notepad"

"Like I'm going to let you..." The boy got payback for trying to talk while the level 5 was ready to attack.

"You were saying?" Smiling, she was ready for combat. "I hope you're ready for a demonstration of how romance is a two-way street."

Unfortunately for Shizuri, her ammunition ran out fast. There wasn't even time to try to make him choke as he pleaded for her name. She looked at the Bento, now as empty as the expression on her face. The boy was right, she should have bought two.

While the tea-colored girl was trying to deal with her own shortcomings, a knock was heard at the bedroom door. The couple looked at each other for a moment. Touma made a 'hush' sign with his index finger, but Shizuri had other plans.

"Come in" Shizuri said loudly, curling her lip slightly and looking at the boy bringing his hand to his face.

The door opened and from there 3 girls emerged. ITEM was reunited again. Frenda was the first to enter the room, showing a not very happy face when she saw those two so close together in that hospital bed. The foreign blonde was still not sure what was going on between those two. When she tried to check with the boy yesterday, he only told her that they were good friends. She didn't think that he had any reason to hide if he was in a relationship with the level 5, which is why she tried to take an initiative yesterday.

"Hi Frenda, glad you were able to escape unharmed" Shizuri said, taking the opportunity to move a little closer to Touma in a somewhat possessive manner "Kinuhata, Takitsubo, good to see you too. How's the arm?"

"It's not that super bad" Offense Armor looked at her arm in the sling and shrugged.

Kinuhata was not in her usual playful tone. Even if it was Shizuri's own choice, she still felt guilty for abandoning her boss to die alone at #2's hands. The reason for this is that at that moment, the bob-cut girl noticed the doubt and fear in the level 5's eyes, in addition to those words she asked to be delivered to the boy next to her now.

"Basically, Kinuhata told me what happened in that tunnel. I'm sorry I didn't come to help" Frenda looked in Touma's direction as she said that "Good thing you got here in time"

"I didn't make any difference really" He scratched his head nonchalantly, which earned him a poke in the ribs from a slightly irritated Shizuri.

"What about you Takitsubo, are you feeling better?" Level 5 asked. The concern in her voice was sincere.

"Yes, don't worry, my recovery is faster now that I'm using the new crystal Kamijou gave me." Answered the girl inexpressibly. She did not seem to be suffering from side effects from overusing her powers.

"What exactly happened there anyway?" Touma asked no one in particular. "Shizuri told me a little bit while I was carrying her through the tunnel we were in, but I have a question. This guy, Kakine something, was he there from the beginning to be used as a trump card or did someone call him after we invaded?"

"That super bastard said something about being late" Kinuhata affirmed, taking a seat beside the bed "So I'd bet on the second option"

"That could be bad" Shizuri said, holding her chin with her slender fingers "There is a good chance that he has volunteered to protect any of these facilities in case they are invaded."

"Basically, if that's the case, then our job from now on is not going to be easy" Added the blonde, choosing to look through the window rather than see those two together.

Everyone was silent, analyzing the situation in their own way. ITEM had a big problem now in their mission. Touma didn't know how many facilities there were, but he was sure that at least one was still standing. Their mission could be called a success, but practically the entire team was in no condition to fight. This meant that even if they went to the next facility as soon as they recovered, if the number of facilities was too great the chance that they would start building new ones was big. The security of the site would also increase, and their trump card was the second most powerful esper. This was a battle that was practically lost.

"It looks like our mission has failed" Touma sighed as he said this. He looked down, almost as if he was ashamed to say that, "I dragged all of you into this, even though I knew how dangerous it would be."

"Don't start apologizing if that's what you're thinking" Shizuri said in a demanding tone. "Our mission was not a complete failure like you make it sound, so stop acting like that"

Even though the words sounded so harsh, the girl preferred to stroke the boy's hair, so that he understood she was trying to comfort him and not criticize him. He raised his head at this gesture and looked into the brown eyes of the beautiful girl beside him.

'Maybe it's me who doesn't deserve her' Touma thought at that instant.

Almost as if reading the thoughts of the spiky-haired boy, Shizuri put her right hand on top of his and held it firmly.

'What am I doing? I can no longer think like that from now on. This kind of thing just clouds my judgment.'

Touma shook his head slightly at the thought. He was beginning to understand that he couldn't get where he wanted to go if he stayed on the same path. Organizing his thoughts to focus on something useful, he looked at all the faces there, except for Frenda who was distracted by the world outside that room.

"Have any of you tried to talk to Kaibi?" Touma asked, receiving only negative gestures in response.

"We were more concerned about getting back to the city and recovering" Takitsubo said "Are you worried about her?"

"A little, but I know she knows how to handle herself; Actually I was thinking of something else. Shizuri, can you hand me my cell phone please?"

Receiving the Smartphone that Shizuri had grabbed from the bedside table, the boy dialed the number he had taken the trouble to memorize. He thought it was a bit dangerous to have his friend's number on his cell phone, since his luck could play tricks on him and make his enemies connect the dots from then on.

"Damn, it's off. That's weird, she only turns it off on special occasions. But she's in the ITEM apartment still...I hope"

"If you want I can confirm using my powers" Takitsubo offered, but the boy made a negative gesture with his free hand.

"We're a little far away. If you can make it without having to use that drug, feel free."

"Unfortunately I still can't do something like that in my normal state. But I feel that my skills will improve from now on."

"Don't worry about that for now. I just wanted to ask her some questions, but that can wait until when I get discharged today."

"As for that, I suggest you stay here a little longer" Shizuri said, putting a strict tone in her voice "Your recovery is more important than whatever it is you are thinking"

"I'm fine now. The doctor said..."

"It's not negotiable" The girl crossed her arms. "I heard about your situation, and he implied that he's only releasing you because you'd run away from the hospital anyway."

"He told you the truth then" The boy shrugged in the most nonchalant manner possible.

"Touma, are you trying to kill yourself?"

The other girls started to look at each other at that moment, even Frenda who stopped looking out of the room. The blonde didn't like seeing her boss call the Level 0 by his first name, the expression on her face made that clear. Takitsubo narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, while Kinuhata flashed a small mischievous smile.

"So you now also super call him by his given name? Were you jealous of the nickname I put on him?" Joked the bob-cut girl, widening her smile a bit.

Unfortunately for Kinuhata, Shizuri was prepared for this moment. The level 5 counterattack came with a smile so radiant it could easily melt glaciers.

"Why wouldn't I call him by his first name? He is my boyfriend after all."

She obviously took the opportunity to throw salt in the wound, grabbing the boy's arm and making a peace gesture with her index and middle finger just to tease her.

The three girls' eyes widened at hearing those words followed by what they clearly saw as a sign of "Victory" and not of peace. They were used to seeing their boss so attached to that boy, but it seemed that now it was official.

"B-b-b-basically... b-boy..." Frenda couldn't get her mouth in sync with her brain, so she was left in a state that sounded more like something in the middle between having a seizure or freezing to death.

"That's... not so super bad" Kinuhata tilted her head in a rather cute way "The sooner they start, the sooner they finish. That's what they say"

"What did you say, little slut?" Shizuri almost activated her ability out of pure reflex. "So that's why you seemed to support that in the alley? Say that one more time. I won't show the same mercy as #2. I'll put you in a wheelchair for the rest of your damn li -"

"Shizuri, she's just teasing you. Calm down a bit, okay?" Said Touma hugging the girl gently, taking care of her injuries. This made the girl take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about that. I swear I'm trying to get better" Her voice was suddenly soft as she snuggled into his arms.

"It's okay. As a reward for your hard work controlling your anger, I will listen to you and stay here in the hospital for at least one more day. Is that enough?"

"It doesn't even come close. But as your cute and understanding girlfriend, I'll take it for now… for now" She repeated this by murmuring

"Great. I love it when you're reasonable."

Kamijou inclined his head toward her and then kissed her on the forehead. This simple gesture of affection made Meltdowner smile silly, although she would have preferred it if he had been a little bolder. The other girls were no longer sure whether they wanted to stay in that room or not, especially Frenda who would probably bite her tongue soon if she kept babbling and stuttering like that.

"Can I ask one of you to check why Kaibi isn't answering her phone?" Kamijou asked, looking at Takitsubo and then at Frenda. "There is a chance that she is in danger."

"What makes you think that?" Aim Stalker questioned.

"As I said, it's very strange that she would hang up the phone like that. That would only serve to attract attention."

"Basically, I'm the only one who got out of the mission unscathed, so you can leave it to me Kami-Kun" Frenda was still stunned, but she managed to pull herself together briefly as she formulated that sentence.

"Another one?" Grumbled Shizuri when she heard that nickname. Grabbing the boy like a teddy bear, she whispered in his ear "Touma, I need more rewards if I have to endure so many trials."

"Is it enough if you are the only girl I allow to call me by my first name from now on?" He asked softly, receiving a smile and tilt of her head as a cute response. Touma stroked her head before looking back at Frenda "Thank you so much for volunteering. It would be nice if you would stay with her until the entire ITEM comes back to the apartment, just as a guarantee."

"That's fine by me. Basically, I'm going now. Ha det bra"

The blonde girl nodded and left the room, leaving a confused Kamijou to hear the last part. He simply assumed it was some kind of foreign greeting, or she was cursing Shizuri in her native tongue.

"Well, I have to get back to my super room. Come on Takitsubo, we don't want to disturb the two lovebirds." Kinuhata nodded, pointing in the direction of the door.

"See you two later"

The two remaining ITEM members were left alone after two lazy nods. As soon as the girls closed the door, Touma let go of Shizuri and collapsed onto the bed with both hands holding his head. The tea-colored girl didn't understand the reason for the boy's apprehension. Unlike him, her body was badly bruised, so she was careful as she lay beside him on that narrow bed.

"Talk to me" She said, merely turning her head towards him. She hated being so hurt that she could barely move her body without feeling pain.

"Shizuri, I'll be honest with you" The boy had a determined look on his face when he said that "I don't want to give up"

Those words, spoken in such a firm manner, were unexpected. The girl even forced herself to turn her body a little toward him to get a better look at his serious and doubt-free face.

"I don't know how far girls are willing to go, but would you support me all the way?" Touma asked that looking her right in the eye, with all the intensity the girl loved to be targeted.

"Don't ask stupid questions" She had a right to be angry, but still she smiled "How many times do I have to say it? I'll always be here for you" With more painful effort, she stood sideways on the bed and rested her forehead on his "You're the person who saved me from myself and dragged me back into the light. My place is by your side no matter where you are, so don't act like I'm going to drop you at the first obstacle that comes along."

Finishing what she had to say, she moved her forehead away from his and then nestled her head against his chest. Touma didn't need to respond verbally, so he just ruffled her hair gently and settled down on the bed, moving closer to her so that she didn't have to try harder than necessary.

As the two enjoyed each other's silent company, Touma thought about what he had to do next. As he said himself, he would not give up. So it was time to formulate another plan, but he needed more information to ensure that everything went in a better way than the previous mission.

"Don't think about anything complicated for now. Just relax," Shizuri ordered, practically reading her boyfriend's thoughts once more, "You need to recover first. I'll stay here and pamper you until you're at 100%, then we can think of something together. What do you say?"

"A beautiful older girl taking care of me until I recover? I couldn't ask for more."

Kamijou Touma was beginning to get used to these good things happening to him. He knew that getting carried away by these feelings could make him too relaxed, but for a boy who had only known misfortune for as long as he could remember, receiving a gift like this was irresistible. In the end, he knew that the universe would take its toll, being in this hospital proved that, but the girl lying next to him was right, he needed to relax a little.

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Hey fellows. I took a while to post this one because my life is a mess sometimes (but it's a good mess, so don't worry LOL).

This chapter, as I said in my notes, is more calm, focused only on the couple dynamic of these two and on silly moments. The next chapter won't have much of the plot moving either, but the end of it will have a small revelation(Yes I have already written it).

Some of you seemed excited in the reviews to see how aggressive Shizuri will be now that she is dating this spiky-haired 'Hero', and in this chapter I have already shown some of the 'offensive potential' of this level 5, but she will only start making the biggest moves when they are both out of the hospital.

By the way, I was taking a look at the length of my chapters and noticed that many of them exceed the 10k mark, is that too long for you? I'm trying to aim for chapters ranging from 5k to 9k words because that's the chapter length I like to read.

Now on to the reviews:

Jaya2002: Now I'm imagining Touma taking a leap of faith like he did in NT12, falling 30 stories to drop Kick a Mecha LOL.

5queso: Thanks. I tried to make the confession as emotional as possible because that's how I imagine their relationship to be. Touma will get hurt a lot more in the future, but for now he needs to recover.

Guest: I'm glad you liked it. Shizuri deserves to be happy in spite of everything

Kai: Gracias!

Guest 2.0: Thanks for the compliment. I hope someday these two will have at least one real interaction in the novels

xellos540: I see, there aren't many fics with these pairs (are there any Touma X Takitsubo fics? I prefer the OTP so I never looked for it). I reread the epilogue of NT11 and there is no indication that he forgot anything but Misaki until the events of OT1, maybe that will change, but for now that's it. Now that I stopped to think 'Boast' is not really the word, it's just a big statement xD I'll change it in the notes, it makes it sound like he's being arrogant to someone. I have a slight impression that you are underestimating NT22R Touma, himself states he is starting to 'see the world differently' Here a quote straight from the novel : After all, no doctor could explain what was happening to him here. This went beyond simple athletic abilities. He felt like there was something subtly wrong with the world he was seeing and hearing and even the flow of time. This is just after he manages to anticipate a surprise attack from a saint moving above the speed of sound, a non-magical physical attack. Shizuri is built different. Rensa at that moment: Wait a minute, is that attack from number 1? Oh, the irony. Takitsubo's words struck deep within her. This is just Kakine being Kakine, he did the same thing in the novels, letting Hamazura take Takitsubo away. Shizuri's Meltdowner has a different coloring in the novels, I like to use both colors here, but now that I stop to think about it, this joke suits Mugino here. "Tis but a scratch". Just one more of my references. Well... more or less.

Creampuff16: Shizuri always wins. Good to know that you are enjoying the rhythm. Shizuri will continue to be aggressive, and it only gets 'worse'.

Majin Othinus: Hmm… Dunno what you are talking about... hmm... is it... hmm…

emiyasatou: It is as Kakine says "Matter that does not exist operating on rules that do not exist" I really like Kakine's power. Kinuhata is a badass. Thanks for the compliments. NT Kakine can beat Sogita because he is literally immortal, but I don't know if it would be so easy with OT Kakine, the power of number 7 is unexplainable so we don't know its full potential.

KHVSFF: Thanks man! These two have a long way to go. My goal is for them to support each other always, since they have both sworn that they will stand by each other until the end. Touma and his entrances. I'm glad you liked the sense of progression. It will have many Shizuri X Touma moments from here on out, with Shizuri taking almost every opportunity to be aggressive like her nature. This buff will take a while to appear here because Kamachi didn't explain exactly what is going on, so I will be careful and try to make it progress little by little. What do you think of this new chapter? Shizuri is being cute, but the aggressiveness will come soon.

Marksman2: Looks like I was worried for nothing then, thanks a lot for letting me know you are enjoying the pace.

Aiman031122: I appreciate the compliments. I don't like very long fights, but the most important ones will be. See you later

One more thing, I am thinking of patterning my chapters to one release per week every Friday (or maybe Saturday) unless something unforeseen happens. Time for farewells. Nio Leaving.