Chapter 2 - Some new and old wounds
'And here we are again, can I fool him this time?'
In the corridors of a certain hospital known for having a doctor who could save anyone who came to him alive, a honey-blonde girl wearing a pink nurse's uniform walked carelessly while whistling a cheerful tune.
"Good morning Kamijou-san. Are you feeling better already?" Shokuhou opened the door with a smile on her face, drawing the attention of the patient lying on that bed covered in bandages.
It turns out that Kamijou Touma was known for doing 3 main things: Punching people in the face, giving motivational speeches, and always ending up in the hospital for some reason. This reason usually involved punching people in the face, so it was technically only two things, as the third was more of a consequence. Anyway, here he was once again in his usual room.
"Who are you? You're certainly not a nurse" He said looking at that busty blonde girl with appraising eyes.
"Damn, I've already been discovered. And I went to so much trouble to get an outfit that fit me perfectly this time. Your perceptive ability is excellent."
"Huh? Why are you disguised as a nurse? Are you one of those international assassins sent to kill me like in those movies?" The boy tried to sit up in bed or try to press the emergency button but those bandages sealed most of his movements.
"Stay calm, I am a friend" She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. Bringing her hand to her breasts, she took out a rolled up piece of paper and handed it to him "Here, read this"
Suspicious, the boy took the yellowish piece of paper and began to read the handwritten words in a very familiar handwriting.
"This is my handwriting" Kamijou was quite confused now. He stopped to organize his thoughts "I kind of remember writing this. Wait, you're that honey-scented girl who helped me with my homework."
A giant smile broke out on Shokuhou Misaki's face. Her heart warmed and soared as she realized that the boy remembered at least a little of their meeting yesterday.
'He really does remember. I know it's not much, but I can't think of anything else but smiling.
"I'm glad your memory ability are improving. I made you write that down yesterday in that alley. If you remember that, can you also remember my name?" She asked that and leaned toward him, full of expectation in those starry eyes.
"Let's see... I'm sure it was a very unusual name"
"You are not wrong, so we can call this progress. My name is Shokuhou Misaki. You can call me just Shokuhou, without any kind of honorific, or even Misaki if you like."
"Shokuhou then" He said, looking at that paper again "Trust the starry-eyed golden girl, she is a part of your past. Why didn't I write your name here?"
"I preferred it that way. I think it's better that I keep speaking my name out loud myself. Now with that out of the way, I'll show you some of my nursing skills."
With care and skill, the girl began to unroll the bandages all over the spiky-haired boy's body. She really didn't understand how he had hurt himself so badly, but considering his history it was irrelevant. After the girl finished, she took a good look at the half-healed wounds on the boy's bare chest and abdomen, putting a strange expression on her face.
'Look at that... look at that. Looks like someone's been working out since last time.'
"Eh? Shokuhou, if you're done could you stop looking at me like I'm a piece of meat?"
"Hehehehe... your musculature ability is not bad at all Kamijou-san" Shokuhou began to slide a gloved hand down the chest of the boy, who reacted with a surprised face.
"Hey, hey, hey. Wait a little bit there honey girl, this Kamijou-san won't tolerate that kind of harassment" He said, holding her wrist. "We barely know each other and we are in a hospital bed. That's clearly a flag from a very strange route"
"Understood, Kamijou-san. Then let's make it a fair exchange, how about that?" The girl stewed her voluminous breasts that pushed the pink nurse's uniform inside.
"A... fair exchange?" He swallowed his saliva as he looked at that region too generous for such a young girl "You mean..."
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean" She nodded her head several times "Go ahead. They say if a girl has her breasts massaged by someone she likes they grow a lot faster. Shall we test that theory?"
"You know that saying that is technically a confession of love, right? Shouldn't these things be done in more appropriate places? Like the terrace of a school or under a tree?"
"It wasn't the first time I said something like that to you, so my care ability has long since faded. We will have a somewhat different conversation in an appropriate place when you can remember me completely. Now the important question, do you want to touch them or not?" A mischievous smile was made as she suggestively crossed her arms to strike the boy with the maximum force those two mounds could produce.
"The question here is not if I want to, but if I should" Even as he said this, the boy raised both hands and began to open and close them as if assessing his options "No Kamijou-san, this is clearly a trap... there must be hidden cameras somewhere. I won't fall for it, golden girl. I will not let myself be led astray by my healthy high school boy desires and -"
He froze suddenly. His voice faltered before he completed the sentence for a reason unexpected by him. A soft sensation in the palm of his hand was the kick-off of the unexpected turn of events. It turned out that idiot boy made all that speech while keeping his hands raised close to those huge, bouncing breasts. He had no way of knowing that this crazy girl would end up closing the distance herself, throwing all her health into those innocent and indecisive hands.
"Eek!? What did you... what did I..." The boy crashed like an old operating system as he tried to process everything that had happened. That soft feeling in his hands was better than anything he had felt so far.
'Look at him... I completely won him over using my top-notch breasts. I wonder if he will remember that. My goal here is to give him memorable experiences, so this will stimulate his memory ability and... who am I kidding? That damned Anna whatever her last name is, stole his first kiss, so all I need to do is get all his other first times for myself.'
"Okay Kamijou-san, you got your share of the exchange, now it's my turn... hehehe" Shokuhou took the white glove from her right hand holding it with her teeth after the boy moved away from her still stunned.
"I really don't understand what is going on here. What kind of friends are we anyway? I just touched your breasts...it was an amazing feeling, by the way...but shouldn't you react like a normal girl?" The boy started talking non-stop while waving his hands nervously.
"And how should a normal girl react to that?" She asked, already taking the opportunity to touch the boy's bare chest and lean toward him.
If the boy had frozen before, now he was even more so with that soft skin of her hand caressing him like that out of nowhere. He stuttered as he tried to look into those starry eyes but could only focus on that perfect smile on the golden girl's face.
"A normal girl would blush, or bite me, or throw lightning at me, or punch me, or... are you mounting me? Wait a minute, this Kamijou-san needs to prepare himself mentally for that kind of thing."
'His reactions are always the best. What expression would he make if I kissed him now? No, I need to wait a while, at least until he can remember my name after we part. That reminds me... his powers are responsible for that, isn't it?' The girl, who was mounted on Kamijou which in turn was breathing with difficulty, looked at the only bandage she didn't remove from his body 'Thinking calmly, these wounds are certainly recent but they are practically healed already'
"Kamijou-san, when and how did you get injured like that?" She asked, still sliding her hand down his body.
"I got involved in a nasty fight a few hours ago. Some dangerous people were causing trouble so I couldn't help but get involved" For some reason the boy managed to pull himself together and speak calmly even in the awkward situation the two of them were in.
"I see. A very 'Kamijou Touma' thing to do. Anyway, I need to bring you up to date on what we talked about yesterday since you must have forgotten. Are you hungry? Let's go to that restaurant we went to at Christmas. There is a good place to talk."
"Okay"
Shokuhou said this as she moved a little away from the boy, who kept looking at her for some reason, as if he was hypnotized by something. This something was very obvious
"Kamijou-san, your pervert ability is emanating at this instant"
"Are you really a middle school girl?" He asked, somewhat undecided about what he should feel.
"That question again? I am the most mature girl in my class, but I still have a lot of potential for growth" She made a peace sign with her hand and stuck out her tongue. "Now let's go. We have to find out what's wrong with your body"
xxxx-xxxx
After they left the hospital, the girl in the nurse cosplay and the boy with spiky hair went into the restaurant. Shokuhou preferred not to order anything since that restaurant didn't quite meet her quality standards.
'My mature maiden's body can't be spoiled by something like this' She thought, looking half crooked at the fried chicken the boy was eating 'Maybe I should ask one of my clique members to bring something. This sexy body of mine isn't going to mold itself.'
"So I met you before my memory loss?" Kamijou asked rhetorically, recapping what the girl had told him just to get her attention "Even before Index and Misaka if I remember correctly. What was our relationship like?"
"We were a couple" She replied, with a teasing smile.
"What?!" The boy almost knocked over his glass of lemon juice upon hearing that. Somehow he managed to pull himself together after a few seconds, getting thoughtful "I mean... you kind of fit my type... no, wait, I almost forgot, you're a middle school girl. You're lying, you treacherous little mermaid. Kamijou-san will not be fooled by such a simple trick."
"Your flattery ability are leaving something to be desired, but I'll settle for almost being your type. Maybe if I grow up a little more. Give me a month or two, I found a restaurant with the best quality natural products" She gave him a wink "Now back to the main subject. You told me your senses are weird, is this the first time this has happened?"
"Not exactly." Kamijou licked his fingers and thought for a moment "That time in England I felt the same thing, but the sensation is much more intense now. It's as if my perception of time itself has been altered. As if the 'flow' of the world doesn't feel right. I hope you understand what I am trying to say. I told this to a friend of mine who has a vast knowledge, but she couldn't come to a conclusion."
"That doesn't fit very well with the awakening of a personal reality, but each person feels something different in the end" Shokuhou propped her chin on one hand and stared into the void as she thought "Quick question, do you still remember my name?"
"Yes, it's Shokuhou Misaki. You have already asked me this many times" He pointed out, going back to devouring his fried chicken.
"It is necessary for me to understand if there is any improvement."
'Those changes in his body have to be the reason he can remember me better. It's still not much, but if his powers are responsible...'
"Kamijou-san I would like you to show me your ability. I have to see for myself once more."
"Ability?" He looked down at his bandaged right arm "I don't see a problem showing you, but we'd better go somewhere else."
xxxx-xxxx
After Kamijou finished his meal, the two teenagers walked to a wide alley of a not very busy street. Shokuhou still kept her pink nurse's outfit on while the dark blue-eyed boy was in his green hospital pajamas, the same one he was wearing that Christmas when he saved Shokuhou and Mikoto from being killed by Anna Sprengel.
"This is going to be a little weird" Kamijou said, removing the band from his arm "Maybe a little scary too"
With a clenched fist, the boy raised his psychedelic arm. Something extended from that arm, something like artificial muscles. It was sky blue and lemon yellow, exotic colors not normally found in nature. Like a closing jaw, these eye-catching colors enveloped the boy. Kamijou Touma had now transformed into a winged, quadrupedal beast that was very reminiscent of the dragons of legend. Transformed' wasn't exactly the word, since this was more like external armor, something like a Dragon Shell.
'It's exactly like that time' Shokuhou thought, approaching the boy wrapped in that shell 'Actually the colors aren't exactly the same... this yellow has a different shade'
"You seem perfectly Ok with all of this" Kamijou's voice sounded through those crocodile jaws opening and closing.
"Abilities like this are rather rare, but I know some girls from Tokiwadai who can do something like that" She started to touch those artificial muscles, trying to understand what it was all about. "Besides, I already saw you like this that night at Windsor Castle. But I'm a little intrigued. My research into this kind of ability hasn't given me enough information to understand what's going on here. What is it made of anyway? It looks pretty sturdy considering I saw you get hit by a railgun at close range."
"Actually that hardness is not in all this armor. There are some very sensitive parts, by the way."
"So it's something like medieval plate armor? It would be thematic considering this is supposed to be a dragon. Did you shape it like that on purpose?"
"No. The first time it happened it wasn't exactly on my will. I wasn't with Imagine Breaker at the time, so maybe that triggered some kind of defense mechanism?"
'Imagine Breaker. It's what he uses to negate any ability. From what I understand he has more than one power, which is odd, but I've seen too much nonsense in the last year to be shaken by something like that.'
"That's really strange. This rare ability alone could easily be classified as level 3 or 4. But if I remember correctly, you never showed me something like this that summer. What were your results in the last System Scan?"
"Level 0, as always. Although I have no memories of going through a System Scan."
"Hmm... the next one won't be for a few months, but I'm sure my contacts can make an exception for you"
"You speak as if you expect a different result. I don't even possess an AIM diffusion field" He argued, touching what would be his chin with one of his front paws.
'That was kinda cute. Wait, I'm losing my concentration ability'
"I read reports from another esper that the equipment was not capable of measuring an AIM field. The girl's name was Shundan Kimi if I'm not mistaken. She was classified as level 0, just like you. Coincidentally, some people were saying that she possessed a dragon or something very similar."
"Really? Why have I never heard of something like this?"
"It's a delicate matter" Shokuhou shrugged and sighed "Anyway, this girl ended up being considered a level 5 candidate after some extra testing"
"Are you trying to imply that I have the same potential?" He sounded very suspicious. As long as he could remember, he was a powerless level 0, and he was sure that wouldn't change anytime soon.
"That depends, but from what I'm seeing here, I'm inclined to say yes. How much control ability do you have over that?" She continued, running her hand over those 'scales' as if she were petting a dog "Can you partially transform yourself for example?"
"I've never tried something like this...but I don't think so"
"That would be weird. It's like saying you can count from 1 to 10 but counting from 1 to 5 is impossible."
"Hmm... putting it that way" His voice sounded distant as he shook that reptilian head. He felt that the girl was stroking what would be his cheek at that instant "Hey, what are you doing now?"
"What do you mean?" She asked innocently, now stroking the top of his head.
"Stop it honey girl, this Kamijou-san is not a dog" He complained, although he was clearly tilting his head toward her hand.
"Ara, ara... something tells me someone is enjoying this. You need to work on your honesty ability Kamijou-san" The girl took a hand to her purse and pulled out one of her remote controls from there "Here, let's play a little. I'll throw the remote and if you bring it back to me using your mouth without destroying it or drooling on it, I'll give you a nice reward."
"I told you I'm not a damn dog!"
Even though she was shouted at by a scary dragon, the girl smiled and prepared the remote control, turning away from the boy.
"You only have one chance. Now, go get Kamijou-san... huh?"
The golden girl made a bow with one arm and tried to throw the control away, but today didn't seem to be Shokuhou's lucky day, as the control ended up slipping from her hand and flew in a totally wrong direction, being thrown directly above her. A thudding sound was heard and immediately afterwards Shokuhou fell dizzy to the alley floor after being hit right on the head by her own 'attack'. Remote controls can be deadly weapons in the right hands, and a headache when handled carelessly by anti-athletic people.
"That was totally purposeful" Shokuhou said with a weak voice and blurred vision.
"Of course it was" Retorted the boy sarcastically, coming out of its transformation and helping her sit with her back to a wall "Are you okay?"
"My God... there are two Kamijou-san... hehehe... two Kamijou-san just for me... hehehe... this should be my last delirium ability before I leave for the afterlife" The girl brought her hand to her forehead in a dramatic manner "Please, tell Hokaze that I haven't been totally honest with her. Tell her she can eat a lot more since everything is going to those huge breasts of hers. She will be my successor in every way. Tell Dolly she doesn't have to be insecure just because she will be flat as a board like Misaka-san, she has other qualities too."
"Why are you using your supposed last words to talk about breasts? Is that some past trauma by any chance?"
"Goodbye Kamijou-san... I'm sorry I couldn't collect your V-card in time... in another life… who knows..."
And with those "last words", the girl closed her eyes and rested in peace. Kamijou looked at her with a confused face and began to rock her gently.
"Hey Shokuhou, enough with the drama. Shokuhou? Shokuhou… nooooooooooooooooooooo"
xxxx-xxxx
"Could you tell me again what happened Kamijou-Kun?" A certain frog-faced doctor asked, looking at the blonde girl passed out on a hospital bed.
"You've heard the story, she hit herself with a remote control. She's a level 5 so as far as I know, that remote can be as strong as a railgun" He said, clearly with a joking tone.
"Well, there's nothing I can do then. There is no known cure for this kind of thing." The doctor shrugged and started to leave the room.
"Wait... wait. Is she going to be okay?" The worried boy asked.
"Kamijou-kun, who do you think I am?" The doctor said this and then put a hand on his chin "No, forget it, literally any doctor could say the same thing in this situation. Knowing Shokuhou-san's background, she needs a personal trainer, not a doctor." He patted the boy twice on the shoulder "Maybe a psychologist."
This time he really walked away, leaving the spiky-haired boy looking at the golden girl who was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face and clutching a pillow. Obviously she had no injuries that required medical attention, she was perfectly fine.
"Seriously, who is this girl anyway?" He asked himself, looking at the message written by himself yesterday "If she's from Tokiwadai she must be friends with Misaka, but I've never heard of her. Shokuhou Misaki... the #5... Othinus, you can leave now"
"At last, Human" That female voice full of arrogance came out muffled.
Out of Kamijou's clothes, a 15 cm fairy that used to be an omnipotent goddess climbed up the boy's green hospital pajamas and sat on his right shoulder. Othinus crossed her legs and arms and looked at the other blond girl lying on the bed.
"I assume you want to ask me what I know about her" Affirmed the Goddess, with a slightly irritated tone. "Honestly, I don't know if it's worth the effort to tell you anything. She must be on a mission for you to remember her, so if she succeeds in the end, anything I say will be irrelevant"
"I know. But can I ask you a quick question?" Kamijou lifted the right arm that was bandaged again "You once told me that I had the power to heal anything, didn't you? That must apply to myself"
A tired sigh was heard coming from the fairy on the boy's shoulder. A long shake of her head later, the little goddess was ready to give her answer.
"Do you also remember what I said afterwards? I am a Goddess but what I said was nothing but a theory. Whether or not your power can be used like this is not the right question. First we have to know how we can actually access them."
"That pink and emerald bastard told me that my ability was more than a colorful shell. If my power can create something like him and even clothes, then repairing a damaged part of my brain must be possible" There was conviction in his voice "I've heard enough of what you guys on the magic side have to say about me, so it's time to seek a different opinion"
"As your understander, I'm not liking what this might imply" Othinus continued looking in #5's direction, narrowing that single eye "But maybe you're right. Saving people doesn't just mean saying sweet words to them or proving them wrong after a duel for their life. Giving someone hope is a way to save them too."
"Something tells me she has enough hope already. I'm going to have to try harder than that."
"It seems that your decision has already been made, human. I have no advice to give you today. As you said, perhaps it is time for you to hear what science has to say about your powers."
"Thanks for the support anyway. Now, could you let Index know that I won't be back today?"
"Fine by me. Just put me in the window, I have a tame bird outside."
Kamijou Touma did as she said, opening the bedroom window and placing the little goddess there. A large bird of prey landed near her at that instant.
"By the way, I want a thank you for holding back and not kicking her this time" Othinus said, mounting her tame bird."
"Huh?" Even confused, he nodded "Thank you?"
xxxx-xxxx
'The world is spinning around me ... spinning ... spinning. Is that Kamijou-san? I see, so I really died and went to heaven. My miracle is here... Kamijou-saaaaaaaaan'
"Kamijou-saaan. I have a surprise for you Kamijou-san. I am a big girl now, so we can already do this kind of thing."
"Really, is that the first thing you say as soon as you wake up?" Kamijou asked, sitting on one of the visitor chairs next to the bed.
"Eh? I'm alive?" The girl sat up in bed and began to use her own hands to touch her own body "Of course I'm alive. My powers as #5 must have saved me. You haven't won this one yet Misaka-san."
"I feel good to see you with so much energy after receiving such a devastating attack" Mocked the boy, with a totally serious face.
"Hey, don't mock me Kamijou-san, remote controls are dangerous. I once saw a person defeated in a single blow after being hit by one."
"Yeah, I saw something like that today too. I think I'm going to start carrying a remote control as a self-defense weapon" This time he smiled after seeing the girl pout.
"You're displaying a wicked ability right now, but the strange thing is that I'm feeling good for some reason anyway" She also began to smile mischievously "Kamijou-san, do you still remember my name?"
"Shokuhou Misaki. How many times are you going to ask me that today?"
'He still remembers. Could it be because we haven't been apart since I told him? No, I'm sure there are improvements here. I guess it's okay for me to feel a little bit happy about it. Just a little bit.' She was certainly happier than a little bit.
"By the way, you took the bandages off" She said, noticing the sky blue arm "Were you testing something?"
"Almost that. I was measuring to see if it had grown more."
"That could be a worry ability in the future. Can't you do something to set that back just like that weird armor?"
"Maybe, but I have no idea how." He opened and closed his hand, as if to feel those artificial muscles contracting "My Imagine Breaker can easily take care of my Dragon Shell. When I use it I feel like he is constantly negating it, yet the regeneration rate is higher than the negation rate. I think that's how that other guy was able to use both at the same time. All I need to do is to stop 'struggling' to get back to normal."
"Dragon Shell is what you call it then. Your two abilities are not compatible with each other? That's kind of counterproductive." She sat on the edge of the bed and held his right hand "So you can't stop 'struggling' for your other ability to cancel that too? This is all so confusing."
"Yeah... and now I have a bizarre hand that is probably permanent. This way I'll never get a girlfriend."
"That's a pretty pessimistic ability you're exhibiting now, Kamijou-san" Delicately, the girl guided his sky-blue right hand to her face, causing the boy to caress her cheek "Hmm... it's not so bad to the touch. I can get used to it."
"What do you mean get used to it?" Kamijou tried to pull his hand back, but the girl used her other hand to stop him "It's not like we're going to do this more often"
"That's where you're wrong. We will do this many, many times when you really start to remember me."
'I guess I should ask him something now... or would that be weird considering I'll have to do it again in the future? Aaahh... I can't help myself'
"Kamijou-san, I know you have a preference for older girls, but if in the near future I said I was in love with you, would I have any chance of being your girlfriend?"
"Huh?" The boy looked away embarrassed at the sudden question. However, he was clearly leering at her "Well... I... I think you're mature enough, so... yes. But that's just a hypothetical question, isn't it?"
'I have an excellent answer to that question Kamijou-san. Here goes'.
Still with her face being caressed, her lips moved to give the answer: Shokuhou Misaki just smiled.
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And here we are at the end of chapter notes. Here I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments, I really enjoy reading them. By the way, it seems there are some people who came from my other fic. A reminder is that while the other fanfic is more serious with (kinda) rare light moments, this one is all about 'fluffy' slice of life with rare moments of seriousness. Misaki suffers enough in canon, so I don't want to make her suffer even more here.
That's it. Nio leaving...