Chapter 24 – Don't fade away so easily
The date of those two troubled teenagers continued with them trying every game they saw in front of them. They ranged from immersive and almost non-interactive experiences, to intense action games that demanded precision and skill.
"You're clearly cheating" Shizuri complained, almost losing that confrontation.
The game the two were playing now was an arcade fighting game on a retro arcade machine, although the graphics of the game were photo realistic. Shizuri had chosen a female character with red hair who, ironically enough, was classified as a "zoner", a specialist in projectiles and keeping the enemy away.
"Abusing a game mechanic doesn't count as cheating" Touma said, using one hand and with a puzzled look on his face.
Touma had chosen a melee character, but with tools that were excellent for fighting characters with multiple projectiles. That character required millimeter precision and extensive knowledge of the game mechanics.
"Why don't you die? Your life bar isn't even visible. Is there no chip damage in this game?" Shizuri was so frustrated that she started smashing the buttons like a child having a temper tantrum.
"I am parrying all your attacks, that's why" He replied nonchalantly.
The crowd was divided between the fighting game enthusiasts, who cheered wildly for the boy who had already parried 32 hits in a row without missing, and the rest who just wanted to see him lose because he was showing off, of course. This obviously had nothing to do with the fact that they were jealous of him or anything of the sort.
"That's cheating. I'm sure you're using your precognition to read all my attacks." She complained once more, beating the controls angrily.
"I have no way of reading your movements if even you don't know what you are doing"
"You see, he's cheating with his esper power!" Shouted one of Shizuri's supporters, with anger in his eyes.
"Shut the fuck up idiot, I'm a level 0" Touma shouted back, almost losing concentration on the game "Keep talking shit and I'll punch all of you negative IQ morons"
Unluckily for Touma (it was actually just carelessness), one of Shizuri's blows went through his perfect defense. The boy's life points was at an end, and the only thing that was keeping him alive was because he was parrying each of the girl's attacks, since he wanted the achievement of parrying 50 consecutive hits. His character fell to the ground defeated, which made the crowd go wild as if everyone there had won the lottery. Shizuri celebrated by throwing another punch at the machine, almost breaking it with the enthusiasm of that blow.
"Yeah! Take that Kamijou Touma" Shizuri said, laughing as she was cheered on by the supporters, whom she was completely ignoring "Your arrogance was your downfall"
"Who is being arrogant here? This is our tenth match and you've only won once" Touma crossed his arms, being backed up with a nod from the silent part of the audience that was saddened by his defeat. The vast majority of these were girls, but that's beside the point.
"If I won once, I can win ten too" She also crossed her arms under her broad chest in a smug manner. For some reason, that gesture made the audience of the boy's haters look at him with more anger than before.
"Yeah, yeah... in your dreams Mugino Shizuri." Touma looked at the time on his cell phone to calm down a bit after having his plans thwarted "It's getting late, we better leave" He turned to his supporting side "Thank you so much for those who supported me all the way and sorry for letting you down. As for those who were against me"
The villainous smile that appeared on the boy's face did not suit him at all. Having the attention of those who hated him for no reason, Touma without warning hugged the girl around the waist, making everyone there freeze. But Touma wasn't finished, he took the opportunity to lean his head towards the girl and put his lips lightly against her cheek, very close to the corner of her lips.
What happened next was pandemonium. Some people started to move towards the unlucky boy, but were intercepted by punches coming from his supporting side. The confusion became gigantic, forcing the organizers of the event to call security and ambulances for the injured boys who were still beating each other up.
"That's our cue" Shizuri said, pulling her boyfriend away from that hell "Be careful not to step on the damsels in love who have fainted because of the 'heat'"
"I think I overdid it a bit" He commented, running from there as fast as he could "I don't regret anything"
That last comment made his girlfriend put a stupid smile on her face.
xxxx-xxxx
"I really didn't expect that kissing you on the cheek would cause such a stir" Touma said, opening the car door for his girlfriend to get in.
"It was almost a peck, so you hit them with a considerable amount of envy. Although I'd rather you had kissed me on the lips to show the bitches who's boss" The last part was just a whisper, but loud enough for the boy to hear if she were to judge by the small smile forming on his face.
"That was amazing. I was never interested in coming to these events, but now I'm excited to come more often.
"Glad you liked it, those VIP tickets were not at all easy to get" She settled on the bench and straightened her short dress.
"I have a slight impression that you are implicitly begging for a reward" He scoffed, closing the car door and approaching her.
"'Begging' is too strong a word. A girl like me doesn't need to beg for anything. If I want something, I get it, it's that simple."
"Uh-huh, spoken like a real snobby rich girl" He rolled his eyes jokingly "By the way, you're surprisingly good at games"
"I used to play some video games when I was younger, usually action RPGs that don't require much grind. I don't like to waste my time killing 20,000 slimes to level up." Her tone did not make it clear if she was telling the truth.
"That's not exactly a surprise. But now I'm curious about what else you can do. Do you play the piano, speak 9 languages, or practice calligraphy? Maybe juggling?"
"I'm not very good at juggling" She replied with a cocky smile on her face "But I can play tennis pretty well and I'm a state Shogi champion, so that should make up for that little deficiency"
"Impressive, but I really wanted to see you do some juggling" Touma said, pretending to be disappointed. "Where are we going now? You said it was an expensive restaurant."
"Yes, in district 16. I don't want to spoil anything, so you'll have to wait."
"District 16..." Touma muttered that and was suddenly thoughtful.
'What is he thinking? Did I make a mistake or... no, that can't be it. Or at least I hope not. We've had a good time so far, so I hope he doesn't feel out of place because we're going somewhere fancy.'
"You know, I picked this dress as a joke, but you look stunning in it" He said, coming out of his thoughts displaying a mischievous grin. Shizuri almost licked her lips as the boy gave her a good look.
'I like that look. It makes me want to throw myself on top of him and kiss him until he can't think of anything else but me. But I have to hold back just a little. My goal is to give him every opportunity to move all the way towards me.'
"Thanks, but you seem to be more interested in my body than the dress" She crossed her arms to deliberately accentuate her breasts "That's kind of gross...making me wear something this indecent"
"Sure, because I literally made you put on that dress today." He said wryly, Closing the distance between the two of them and running his hand around her waist. "I'm the bad guy here, and you're just the princess in trouble."
"Hey, slow down there. Spare me that sarcastic tone. I'm talking about that moment in the store. You knew I couldn't refuse and..."
"Yeah, yeah... I get it. Let's pretend you don't have a pervert side" Touma tired of her teasing and pulled her to him, but not to kiss her "I love that perfume. That rose scent goes with that red dress, don't you think?"
"Are you trying to justify yourself with..." Shizuri was stopped from continuing speaking when she felt a gentle touch on her neck, which made her shiver from head to toe.
"What were you saying?"
Showing that game could be played by two, Touma gave the girl several little kisses on her neck, pushing her hair aside to have enough exposed skin.
'Wow, that's even better than I thought. But he's being too kind, I have to make him increase the pace.'
"I was about to say that I deserve a reward for my efforts" She said, closing her eyes and enjoying every second of it.
"Doesn't this count as a reward? From your reaction it looks like you are enjoying it."
"I don't know what reaction you're talking about. You're terrible at this" Shizuri was struggling to say something coherent, but soon she couldn't.
'Come on Touma, I need you to be aggressive.' She moved her neck towards his lips as she thought that 'You must understand that, so give me what I want. Even if it's not your style, I need it... at least this time.'
"Look at that... why are you moving around so much Shizuri-chan?" The boy stopped kissing her neck and pulled away, leaning back in the seat.
'Nooo...this is no time to tease me. Come back here and kiss me harder, smartass'
Shizuri pouted when she saw the boy had really given up kissing her. He was too thoughtful for her liking. With the sigh of a damsel in love, she closed the distance between them once more and put a hand on his thigh.
"Hey Touma, we still have some more time before we get to the restaurant" Shizuri said in a soft voice "And I want to use that time productively, so stop thinking about your problems for a moment and -"
"I heard you talking in your sleep" Touma interrupted, without looking at her. The girl found it a bit strange that he brought up the subject in such a serious tone just now "You said something that made me worried"
'What is he talking about? Whatever it is I have to get off the subject. We're almost there and I still want some kisses.'
"I don't know what this is about, but you seem too tense" The last part she whispered in his ear and gave a light bite on his lobe "This Shizuri-chan doesn't like to see you like that"
"And I don't like to see you suffer in silence"
Their gazes met when Touma pulled away from her a little. The boy shook his head and put a worried expression on his face. Shizuri swallowed hard and bit her lip to try to push away what she was feeling.
'Now I know what he is talking about. But I still don't understand why he's so worried.'
"You don't have to worry. I'm fine...I'm not alone anymore."
"I know that" It was he who decided to approach her now, touching her face with his right hand, which always made her feel good "You can talk to me about it, whenever you want. Do you understand that? That was my promise to you, when you looked back -"
"You would be there to comfort me" Her interruption came with a gentle smile, which served to take some of the worry off the boy's face "And that is what you are doing every day. I know how horrible I am, Touma. You're doing so much for me... so much that I don't even know if I'm able to reward you enough, but that's not something I can change in the blink of an eye."
The smile on her face suddenly broke. Touma realized that Shizuri was hesitating to say something, so he lightly caressed her cheek and held her hand, which was still resting on his thigh.
"I killed people. So many that I would not be able to remember the faces of all of them even if I tried with all my might." The expression on her face now was something like disgust, such as someone who has just stuck her hand in the sink drain."The worst part of all this is that technically speaking, I have committed no crime. Is this some kind of joke? All of my operations are considered 'official' or whatever those bastards call it, which means that this city views the people I took their lives from as nothing more than villains, when in fact I'm the person who most deserved... to be called that." Clearly that wasn't quite what she meant, but Touma just shook that hand firmly and didn't interrupt her "That's what Academy City is like. All this 'darkness' thing is actually backed by the 'light' of this city. That's something that won't change anytime soon. Monsters like me will continue to be able to do whatever they want with almost no repercussions, since I'm sure the board chairman doesn't give a damn about any of it. You understand, don't you? I thought I was hopeless because even the supposed 'light' of this city saw me as a necessary evil. Nothing more than that. But you showed me that I can be something more. As I told you before, the path of someone like me to become someone better is too long and too hard to walk alone."
Shizuri at that moment smiled again, she tilted her head and rested her forehead against his. Her breathing was calm, as if being able to talk about it openly without being judged was making her lighter, calmer.
"Honestly, I would be satisfied by now if I had someone who would look at my mistakes and continue to stand by me even if I no longer wanted to move forward, as a kind of emotional crutch that I could prop myself up on when I made more mistakes" She began, widening that smile "If you were just something like that, the bad taste in my mouth would stay with me forever. But you are more than that. You want to see another side of me, a better version of me. I pride myself on being a tough and independent girl who knows what she wants, but I get emotional sometimes, so much so that it makes me want to cry, but I would never show this side of myself to anyone. We all have a side that we don't feel comfortable showing to someone, but I feel like I can show all my sides to you."
Still with that radiant smile, Shizuri entwined her fingers in his. She moved her head away just a little to look him in the eye. Touma had a straight face, but clearly he was fascinated by the natural smile of the girl he liked.
"So don't worry about me" Shizuri spoke again "Like I said before, I'm perfectly fine and the only reason I don't want to talk about it right now is that I really wanted you to keep kissing my damn neck. God, that feels so good" She closed her eyes suddenly so as not to see the perplexed reaction of the boy who had been quiet all this time.
"Really Shizuri?" Touma shook his head and sighed "You can't end an emotional speech with something like that. I was ready to say something that I thought would make you feel better and then you blow it and..." He sighed again, not wanting to continue speaking "You know what, come here, I'm the idiot in the end."
"At last, dammit" Smiling like a villain again, the girl leaned over and licked her lips.
'But he was right in the end. Opening up like that made me feel better. I don't want to be just a monster anymore...'
xxxx-xxxx
The night streets of district 16 were abnormally crowded. This district was known for its commerce, which included several restaurants of the highest quality. The one Shizuri had chosen was one that specialized in European food, which she thought would impress Touma, judging only by what she had learned of his cooking so far.
The two espers walked in a rather awkward silence, although Shizuri was in her favorite 'formation', holding Touma's left arm in a possessive manner. That restaurant only took reservations, which meant there wasn't really a line, but for a moment the girl wished there was one just so she could organize her thoughts.
'Will he like it?' thought Shizuri, looking at her boyfriend and then quickly looking away 'Probably yes. I didn't get to enjoy our drive here much, so it would be nice if I flirted a bit more, try to get him in the mood to extend this date a bit. The night is young, as they say. My God, what's gotten into me today? It's his fault. What he said to me in that balloon... it is hard to hold back when he keeps showing me time after time that he is the perfect person for someone like me. I really need a glass of water.'
"Welcome, Young couple" The restaurant receptionist spoke in a formal tone, causing Shizuri to clear her throat in a subtle manner. He was a man in his 30s in a suit and tie.
The place they were in now oozed elegance. The classic decoration had many paintings with bright colors that somehow seemed to fit very well amidst the mahogany-colored walls. There were aquariums everywhere, a huge one at the very back that you could see from the entrance. The people sitting at the tables were all dressed formally, which made the spiky-haired boy smile nervously.
"Table for two, correct Mugino-sama?" The man asked rhetorically, gesturing for them to follow him.
As usual, Shizuri did not mess around when it came to trying to impress Touma. She had never actually come to this place before, but she obviously used every possible resource to make everything flow as naturally as possible.
"Would you like to see the chef today?" Said the receptionist, guiding them through the restaurant.
"No, thank you" She replied in a disinterested manner, however she soon realized that she had made a small mistake "I mean, what do you say Touma?" Shizuri had momentarily forgotten that her boyfriend was interested in cooking.
"Eh? No... it's okay."
Shizuri realized how much nervousness there was in that voice, but she decided to let it go. It would be very easy for her to ask the boss to wait for them beforehand, but she hadn't thought about that while planning the date. She tried to breathe deeply to forget the small errors that had accumulated during the day, but something unexpected made her change her attention.
"Kamijou Touma? My god, what a coincidence" A female voice that Shizuri had never heard sounded from one of the tables.
The girl who apparently seemed to know Touma, wore a Tokiwadai uniform and had black hair with twin tails and curls. She seemed very happy to see the Level 0, which made Shizuri grab her boyfriend's left arm even tighter.
'Another one of the losers maybe? Great, this should be interesting'.
"Yuri? It's been a while huh?" Said Touma, a little surprised to see that girl who got up from her table and walked over to him.
'Yuri, right? I don't remember if she's on that list' Shizuri thought, looking at the girl following them to the reserved table. 'Is that her last name or...'
"Shizuri, this is Sakibasu Yuri, one of Hokaze's clique mates. Yuri, this is Mugino Shizuri, my girlfriend."
That announcement made the Tokiwadai girl suddenly stop walking. The poor maiden clearly did not like that at all. Shizuri had to hold back from putting a debauched smile on her face.
'There's nothing like a look of surprise and defeat to improve my mood even more. I've already won the prize, but I'm still winning.'
"That was kind of unexpected" Said the younger girl with an almost failing voice, increasing the pace to keep following those two "It's a pleasure to meet youu, Mugino-san"
"No... it's my pleasure, believe me" Shizuri could not hold back her smile this time. To make sure the message got through clearly, she held Touma's arm with both hands.
"I know this is going to sound a little weird, but could I borrow your boyfriend for a few minutes?" Asked the girl brazenly, closing one eye and raising her index finger.
"What?" The Level 5 looked at the girl with the biggest disgusted face she could make "I don't know if you realize it, but we're in the middle of something here, so take the hint and..."
"How important is it?" Interrupted Touma, with a worried look on his face.
'Touma, what are you doing?' she thought, looking at him with an abnormal intensity as if to send her thoughts into his head. 'Just send this bitch away or give me a kiss in front of her or something. I can't take all these girls bothering me anymore.'
The trio of teenagers arrived at the table where the couple would sit. It was farther away from the others and very close to the giant aquarium. This was clearly an area reserved only for those who were willing to pay more to have an experience for two free from any noise.
"I have a message from the queen" Revealed the girl, becoming somewhat serious all of a sudden.
"Queen?" Shizuri turned toward the girl standing there and motioned for the receptionist who had been quiet until now to leave them "Number 5 I imagine. There's no way this is a coincidence. Excellent, I have a message for her too, but I'm sure she got it by now."
"Shizuri, could you wait just a little bit?" Touma asked with a gentle tone and a steady gaze.
It had been a good day so far. Shizuri couldn't deny that she had a lot of fun playing those games and felt amazing with her boyfriend's boldness, but she still expected more, she wanted this day to be perfect. So she had to remove this obstacle that stood in the way to another good dose of happiness.
"You have 2 minutes" She said to Touma, in a voice too soft for someone somewhat irritated.
But she decided that the best option was to ask him to go quickly instead of trying to stop him. Shizuri was not at all happy about having to wait while Touma talked to yet another random girl, but she knew very well that her boyfriend always had cards to play, and she didn't want to play that kind of game with him now.
"Thanks, I won't be long" He said turning away from her.
Letting go of his arm, Shizuri prepared to sit down at the two-person table, however she was taken aback when Touma pulled out one of the chairs and gestured for her to sit down. She had said that she had not fallen in love with a gentleman, but these simple gestures still stirred the heart of her inner maiden. But it didn't stop there. Before Shizuri could sit down, Touma took hold of the girl's chin and gave her lips a little kiss. That made the level 5 girl happy for more than one reason, as she saw the other girl look away while blushing.
'A peck in the lips to show who's boss. He's really caught the spirit of the thing.'
Touma turned away from his girlfriend, who sat up and smiled slightly at him. She watched him walk away from her, followed by the other girl, who cast a slightly intimidating look in Shizuri's direction and then gave her a wink, which made her notice something strange: that girl had something like a star in her eyes.
xxxx-xxxx
"So, I don't want to be rude, but I'm in the middle of a date" The spiky haired boy scratched his head nervously.
Touma and the girl from Tokiwadai decided to go out onto the restaurant's small balcony so as not to attract unwanted glances or ears. The boy had already noticed those stars in his friend's eyes, so he decided to go straight to the point.
"Why are you using Yuri this time? Are you trying to get me in trouble with my girlfriend?" Asked the boy with a suspicious tone "It's hard to notice these stars sometimes, but I bet you were controlling Hokaze-chan yesterday at the hospital too."
"Wow, you are very suspicious, Kamijou-saaan" Said the girl being controlled, putting a smile on that face "Is that the kind of view you have about me? Well, it's not like you're going to remember much about me anyway"
That beautiful face now had a pained smile on it, which made Touma tilt his head to the side in a confused manner. Now that the boy stopped to think, what was the queen's personality really like? He had spoken to her several times before, but he always felt that something was off every time he tried to remember the conversation. That was not important right now, so he decided to leave it aside and get to what was important.
"Let's be quick here, I don't want to keep my girlfriend waiting"
"Did you have to use that word?" The girl looked at him with a grim expression but soon dispelled it with a sigh "Dating someone like her. Really, what's gotten into you anyway? Is your choice-making ability deteriorating by the day, or was it a level 5 you were waiting for all this time? I must be the unluckiest girl in the world. Well, at least it's not Misaka-san."
"What are you trying to imply with all this? You're not going to tell me that you like me and now you're jealous?"
Those words, spoken so naturally, hit that girl hard. Her expression was completely blank for a while, but she soon took a deep breath and forced herself to continue speaking.
"It doesn't matter now. Regardless of how I feel, I have to keep helping no matter what." The pain was clear in that girl's voice being controlled. She shook her head, trying to dispel any doubt she had."Then let's get right to the point. To put it bluntly, Aihana Etsu is watching you. And no, I'm not talking about the pink haired girl who borrowed the name." The urgency in that message was clear, but Touma didn't understand the problem there.
"That sounded pretty bad but...why should I care?"
"Because that could be a problem for you in the future" The queen was stern in her statement. "That person has a certain obsession with getting justice, however that justice may have a different meaning than yours. At one time or another he will come to make you an offer. When that happens, please refuse."
The girl seemed to plead with those words. In that instant she cringed, like a messenger who knew that the message she carried was bad and was afraid of being executed, even if the etiquette said otherwise. Kamijou Touma looked at her seriously in the face of that strange request. He had no idea what kind of offer this would be, and frankly he was not interested in knowing at the moment.
"Listen... Queen. You have been very kind to me so I will trust you and do as you say. I thank you for trying to warn me that I have a new stalker, but I have too much on my mind right now to think clearly. I wish you a pleasant dinner, now if you'll excuse me."
"An excellent comprehension ability. That's good enough for me, Kamijou-san. Good luck with your lunatic girlfriend" she said smiling.
"Thanks, but I don't usually trust luck, especially when it comes to her"
Once again that girl watched him as he walked away from her, but this time the situation was worse than ever. With one hand on the left side of the chest, she tried to smile but found that she couldn't.
"He seems happy at least, so I should be happy for him but... in the end I'm a selfish girl too" She sighed and finally managed to smile, although there was no happiness there at all.
xxxx-xxxx
At a round table for two, an impatient Mugino Shizuri watched the small fishes swimming nonchalantly in the large aquarium next to her. This girl had made sure to make a reservation at the best place there, since she was supposed to be an unattainable girl used to luxury, but at that moment she looked like an idiot who had been dumped.
"Miss would like something?" One of the smartly dressed waiters came up to her, displaying a courteous smile, however the girl rolled her eyes at seeing him standing there.
"Yes, I wish my boyfriend would stop saying 'yes' to any slut that comes along. But since you can't grant me that wish, here's a simpler one: Get out before I blow you up."
It didn't take long for the employee who was just doing his job to panic and rush out of there, completely forgetting his etiquette. Alone again, Shizuri sighed and then took a sip from one of the water glasses on the table.
'I wonder if that was a bit much. He sort of said it was okay to be rude to people who annoy me, but I can't help feeling a little guilty. Anyway, it's impossible for me to act cute 100% of the time, so I'll save my efforts for the moments that matter.'
With those unproductive thoughts, she heard distinctive footsteps coming toward her and automatically turned her head. The frown she had been displaying changed immediately to a happy face in that instant.
"Sorry for the delay, it was a delicate matter" Touma said with a soft tone, pulling the chair across from her.
"Don't worry about it, you know I am a patient person"
"I feel entitled to argue against it, however I agree that you are patient with me so it is technically the truth"
Smiling a little, the boy poured some water for him from one of the glass cups on the table and took it in a single gulp. Shizuri watched as he looked around him, who had finally realized something of crucial importance. A low whistle escaped the boy's lips before he spoke again.
"This place really looks expensive" He said with an impressed expression. He picked up the menu on the table and started reading it "How much is the cheapest meal here? 10000 yen? I don't think I can afford any of that"
"I'm sure you can, but that's irrelevant" Shizuri also picked up the menu on the table and began to examine it "I'm paying the bill today, so order whatever you think is best, not whatever you think is cheap"
"I already imagined you would say that, so know that my pride..."
"Pride doesn't pay the bills. I suggest you swallow it before you eat it so it doesn't spoil the taste." the girl joked, sending a provocative smile in the boy's direction.
"Shizuri, you know I can't let it be like this. Let me at least pay half."
The girl's menu was back on the table as she lowered it to look at Touma. This was not quite the romantic atmosphere she had hoped for. The two of them were in an area that was more dimly lit, plus being away from the other tables allowed them to talk without worry as long as they didn't raise their voices too much, but none of this would help if she didn't take care of the tension in the air.
"How about we do it this way" The girl looked at him as she spoke as softly as she could "I'll pay the bill this time and you pay the next time, what do you say?"
"Hmm... Sounds reasonable" He replied, without giving it much thought "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to make this offer. I'll order something quite expensive today then"
Shizuri shook her head and smiled at that. She knew her boyfriend didn't mean it, but that wasn't the only reason she was smiling.
'I feel that our connection is stronger. He listens to me a lot more now. And there's still that thing that happened in the car.'
It was impossible for that girl not to feel happy when she noticed these small changes in her boyfriend. She still felt guilty because she thought she was suffocating him, but every time she thought about it the other feelings made her guilt seem small in comparison.
'If he doesn't mind, then it's fine, I guess. I just have to make sure he feels rewarded for catering to my whims. The problem here is that he hardly asks me for anything, so I don't know exactly what signals I should follow'
"I think I've already chosen" Touma announced, only now noticing that the girl was not choosing anything.
Shizuri's gaze was on Touma at that instant, examining him intensely. The Level 5 was with one of her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her palm. Her pose there could not be called elegant, which added to the somewhat vulgar clothing, made a great contrast to the atmosphere of that place.
"Umm... Shizuri? Have you chosen too?" He asked with a bit of discomfort in his voice.
"Yes, I will eat the same as you" She said simply, not seeming at all interested in the food. With a subtle gesture of her hand, one of the waiters promptly came to their table.
"Are you ready to order yet?" Asked the man dressed better than the customers.
Touma cast one last look of confirmation at his girlfriend, who only nodded subtly for him to place the order for the two of them. At that moment she noticed a bit of hesitation on his face as he read the menu again.
"I'll pick a classic today" Touma spoke after a few thoughtful seconds "How about a Tournedos Rossini, Shizuri?"
"It sounds great. I'll have the same as him. Bring me the meat medium-rare" She asked with a demanding tone and gestured for the man to leave right away.
'So many interruptions. I should plan our dates better. Next time I have to find a place that gets everything irrelevant out of our way. Would he accept a cruise trip just the two of us? My father must have a yacht to spare, he shouldn't mind if I borrow it. Wait, that reminds me of something.'
"Hey Touma, when do you plan to introduce me to your parents?" She asked, pouring another glass of water.
That question seemed to have quite an effect on the boy. He made a rather unique expression, like someone who had already accepted that he would die in battle but was still looking for an escape route off the battlefield to try to live another day.
"I hadn't thought of that yet" He smiled nervously and also started pouring himself some water to try and calm down "We would have to leave the city or have them come here. I think it would be better if we waited until the Daihaseisai"
"You're kidding, right? Just to make something clear, I intend to introduce you to my parents as soon as possible. As we fully recover I will take you to their mansion and..."
"Wait, wait... Shizuri, isn't that a little too fast?" Touma was breaking into a cold sweat now. His voice came out lower than he had planned too.
'What is he talking about? Is he afraid of being judged or something? Damn, the worst thing is that he is right, my parents are not the most reasonable people in the world. I literally don't give a shit what they'll think of this relationship, but how will Touma feel when he gets hit with those fake smiles they taught me?'
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I am going a little too fast again" Shizuri held her glass cup in front of her face, an instinctive gesture to try to hide her frustrated expression.
"Actually, I think you're right to be so excited" It was clear that the boy was mustering all the courage he had to say that "I also want to introduce you to my parents, especially my mother, I imagine you two would get along very well"
'Great, we are reaching a middle ground. I should be able to make a good impression on his parents. Wait, that story he told me about why he came to this city might be quite useful. Just wait, Touma, I will act so cute in front of your parents that they will be absolutely sure they did the right thing in sending you to this city.'
"Shizuri, you're smiling in that creepy way again. What the hell is going on in that sadistic mind of yours?"
"Don't worry about it, I'm just genuinely happy. Seriously, it is literally impossible for you to think of anything to make me happier than I am right now." She now had both elbows on the table, holding her face with both hands.
"You know saying that is crushing me with expectations, aren't you? This Kamijou-san now feels tremendously insecure."
"Only you can feel insecure when you hear that you are making a girl happy. Or is this all just a plan to get compliments from me? I can do this all night long by whispering in your ear if you want." Shizuri didn't even notice her tone getting softer and softer as she said it. Her head even tilted slightly in his direction.
"Dangerous words like that is one of the reasons I like you so much"
The moment these nonchalant words were spoken, Shizuri felt that familiar sensation of static electricity flowing through her body. The girl opened her mouth in surprise and stayed that way for a few seconds. She looked like a fanatical supporter impressed after an amazing play by her favorite player.
'That means he likes my aggressiveness, doesn't it? Those words in the balloon were a bit ambiguous, but this confirms it. No, I need to calm down a bit... no I don't want to calm down, I want to hear it one more time'
"What do you mean by that?" She asked expectantly.
"Exactly what you heard," he answered without much thought "You're honest and direct… a bit too direct sometimes. I told you once before that I like that kind of thing. And best of all, you're the kind that acts too. Those kinds of people are the best."
The girl's heart raced at that instant. She had to take a sip of her water to try to calm herself down. At that moment she cursed herself for bringing him to a place with so many people.
'My god... what is going on here? Doesn't he know when to stop? If it goes on like this I will drag him back to the car and finish what we started.'
"You know, I used to repeat to myself every day that a girl would never be able to fall in love with someone like me" Touma said. For some reason he stood up and dragged his chair close to her. "But you and all your aggressiveness made me see through this mist created by my misfortune. I feel like I'm a different person now, and it's all thanks to you."
His words captivated that girl so much that she didn't even notice that Touma put his hand in his pocket at that moment. He had pulled something out, but the girl continued to stare into the bluish darkness of his eyes, caught in the mesmerizing effect.
"For that reason I thought it would be nice to give you a gift, something that would symbolize how I feel about you."
Touma opened her hand and put the object he was holding on the table. It was only then that the girl managed to force herself to stop looking at him. There on the round table was a small black box, something commonly used to store jewelry. Shizuri's perception of everything around her seemed to change at that moment, as if a big blur was forming in her vision. That small box was opened, leaving two circular silver objects in view. The girl's hand went up to her mouth, trying uselessly to hide her surprise.
"It's something simple but I -" Touma wanted to continue but couldn't.
"Dating rings?!" The girl raised her voice more than necessary as she said that. Some people even looked at the two of them at that instant.
Not believing her eyes, the girl held the little box with both hands and almost cried as she looked at those two silver rings next to each other. Those jewels didn't look very expensive, but Shizuri couldn't care less about that fact.
'No, no, no... no... no, no. This is a dream... no, a telepathic esper is screwing with my head.'
"Touma, I don't know what to say...I don't know what to say. What the hell am I supposed to say here?" The girl's voice seemed to rise higher and higher, as if she believed that there were only the two of them in that restaurant "It's not possible. What was this day anyway? Am I trapped in a virtual reality that the only purpose is to make me cry with happiness?"
"I'm going to assume that you like it" Touma said, smiling awkwardly as he tried to ignore the stares he was getting from the other customers. "So, how about you try it? It's probably better than just watching."
"Yeah, put that thing on me, you smartass" The girl was so happy she could barely pay attention to what she was saying.
Touma just shook his head as he continued smiling and trying not to get nervous with people starting to murmur among themselves. He took one of the rings from the box using his left hand and lifted it for the girl to bring her hand close to it. Delicately he placed the silver jewel on the right ring finger of the girl, who would have fainted at any moment if he were to judge by the exaggerated reactions she was having.
'Look at that... he's done it again' Shethought, admiring the ring on her finger from every possible angle 'My body is going to explode any second with how hot I'm feeling right now. Just when I think he's put me over the edge he goes and surprises me again. How big does the reward have to be for this? What a stupid question, I just have to be direct and ask him what he wants.'
"Touma, I told you to hold back once in a while" She said it with a sweet tone and got too close to him considering that they were in public "You know how it works, now I have to reward you for making me so happy. I'll give you as much time as you need to think about it... keep in mind that I was already very happy before the ring, so don't be careful what you ask for, since I can't say no."
'I want him to ask me for something big this time. He'll try to be a gentleman and ask for something silly again. Seriously, a lap pillow doesn't even count as a reward, I have to teach him to think big. If he turns away, it means that I just need to boost his self-esteem even more.'
"Those words are very similar to what I said to you in the car" Touma said, trying to discreetly move away from the girl "I can't ask you for a reward for this, this is already your reward for winning that game, don't you remember?"
"Huh? What are you... oh... that thing of surprising me" She sighed as she remembered that detail.
'Shit... so that's why he reacted that way when I made the request, he thought I knew what he was planning, but my reaction must have made it clear that wasn't the case. Such misfortune. I was really excited this time. Sooner or later I'll get him to stop holding back on that kind of subject too.'
While Shizuri was trying to find a way to make that boy speed towards her, their orders finally came. Upon seeing this, Touma moved his chair back to its original position, which in Shizuri's vision seemed miles away considering what she was feeling. She almost pouted at that moment.
"Excuse me" Said the waiter, which Shizuri barely listened to due to her condition.
The waiter served the two dishes with unusual haste, but maintained his composure. Before he could go, Shizuri had an interesting idea. A somewhat mischievous smile appeared again on that perfect face.
"Bring something for us to drink too. A good wine would be great" She asked boldly.
"I'm sorry miss, but we cannot serve alcoholic beverages to minors"
'Damn, why do these useless people keep getting in the way? Worst of all, I can't even try to bribe him in front of Touma. If I wasn't so happy right now I'd make a point of making this asshole lose his job.'
"Better just stick to water then, isn't it, Shizuri?" Touma asked, smoothing the napkin on his lap.
"Yes, of course. It was just a joke" She waved her hand at Touma and smiled. Right in the aftermath she sent a murderous glance at the poor waiter who was just doing his job.
'That's my fault too. Next time I'll buy the restaurant instead of making a reservation.'
Shizuri waited for the inconvenience to go away before sighing and taking another good look at the ring on her finger. This was like getting an instant dose of dopamine. The smile returned to her face, one she never thought she would display just because of a gift that didn't seem to have anything special about it. It was just an average silver ring bought in some jewelry store, but this girl would kill anyone who thought to separate her from it.
"By the way, I was so stunned that I forgot your ring" She said, looking for the box on the table, but the boy had already put it away. She then realized that the other ring was already on his finger. "Touma! Why did you do that?"
"Huh?"
"I wanted to put the ring on your finger, dumbass boyfriend" Shizuri crossed her arms and this time she couldn't hold back the cute pout. "And now even if you remove it there's no point in me putting it on anymore. Damn, I bet if you were a girl, you'd be the type to put on a wedding dress before your wedding day even though you know it's bad luck."
"Never heard of it, but I would really do it in this hypothetical scenario, boy or girl my bad luck is immutable after all" He shrugged as he cut his filet.
"In my opinion, you need some lessons in romance. I am available for private tutoring if you are interested in a crash course" She joked, also already cutting the medium-rare filet.
"Don't say that kind of thing. I have a vivid imagination and now I won't be able to stop picturing you in a teacher's outfit"
"Ohoo...is that the kind of cosplay you were picturing me in earlier?" She elegantly took the first bite, savoring that prime filet.
"Who said I was imagining you in cosplay? Don't be smug, it's not like I imagine you sometimes in shameful outfits of a specific character, who happens to be a goddess with an amazing body, from a manga I like or something, idiot" Touma tasted his dish as well, making an impressed face as he felt that filet melting in his mouth.
"What the hell was that Tsundere speech? Looks like this Shizuri-chan is going to have to teach you to be more honest with your feelings" She also tasted the foie gras before continuing speaking in a joking tone. "You don't know anything about romance, you won't give me a decent kiss and now I find out you have Tsundere tendencies too. It's one disappointment after another."
"Good thing this Kamijou-san has you to teach him how to live right. If I dated a sadistic girl who also knows nothing about romance, this relationship wouldn't last past the first day." he scoffed, wiping his mouth with his napkin and taking a sip of water.
"I can interpret that sentence as you accepting my services as your private teacher. I wonder how much I can shorten a skirt until it is no longer considered formal."
"Okay, you're going too far now"
"Actually I'm taking it easy. I didn't even use the card that dorm managers technically count as teachers."
Now she had used a big gun. Touma even stopped eating at that moment and completely focused his attention on her and that arrogant smile. The boy looked like a hermit about to transcend to another level of understanding.
"So that's what they call 'personal reality'?" He asked himself. That boy was getting close to the truth of the world "High level espers are really amazing. Please teach me everything you know, Shizuri-sensei"
"It will be a pleasure to have you as a disciple...in many ways. However my services may be a bit expensive" She suggestively licked her lips at that moment.
"It shouldn't be as expensive as what we are eating"
That was not a tease. The boy's comment finally made Shizuri realize that the boy had indeed chosen something insanely expensive for them to eat. Obviously she didn't mind any of this, since she usually spent as much or even more than that on her shopping trips. That day might have had some lows, but the highs made up for it so much that Shizuri would forget anything that hadn't been amazing about that date.
'Was he thinking of ordering something that expensive or did he change his mind when I said I would eat the same as him? I don't care about the money, but that means he was trying to impress me with the choice too. That was very romantic.'
"Shizuri, I have something to tell you" Touma announced, changing his tone of voice to a serious one "I thought a few times about telling you this when we got back to the hospital, but I better say it here before the date is over"
"Hmm... it's that thing you didn't tell me yesterday I assume. I don't understand why you seem so worried" She casually cut her steak again, a way of showing that she didn't want him to worry about anything "It must be something about our mission, isn't it?"
"Yes. It seems I was pretty obvious"
"I am in no condition to fight very well, but you must have formulated a crazy plan. Just tell me, I will support you no matter what."
"I prefer that you first hear what I have to say before you decide"
"There is no decision to be made here. The mere fact that you are going to tell me this instead of leaving me in the dark is reason enough to support you" Shizuri put her cutlery aside and tried to put her right hand on top of his right hand, but for some reason he pulled his hand away to prevent that from happening.
Not understanding why her boyfriend reacted that way, she blinked in confusion and settled back in her seat. Maybe she had made a mistake at some point, but she wouldn't think about that for now, because once again, she would forget about all the bad stuff and just remember what she considered an amazing moment. That date would be perfect, no matter what happened on it. Even if the boy was about to announce something stupid.
"On second thought...I'd better say that another time. Maybe on the drive back?" Touma asked, sounding nervous.
"Touma, just talk. Trust me, all right?"
The girl was confused to see him hesitate so much. An awkward, lingering silence remained between them, until Touma broke it with news that would change the mood completely.
"I have decided that I will fight Kakine Teitoku" Touma said in a firm tone, looking into his girlfriend's still confused eyes.
Shizuri said nothing. For a moment she thought it was all a typical bad joke from her boyfriend. But then she remembered who her boyfriend was.
"No" She shook her head vigorously "I honestly don't care what stupid fucking plan you've created in that head of yours, but it's not going to happen"
"Shizuri, at least listen -"
"I've heard enough" The girl slammed a hand down hard on the table startling some customers "What the fuck has gotten into you now? I got too sweet and now you're looking for another level 5 to provoke? If so I can shoot some beams at you if it will at least help you not to die at the hands of a monster."
"Shizu -"
"Don't 'Shizuri' me. I won't let you start with your load of nonsense. I'm glad you pulled that hand away from me before I let myself get carried away with those caresses and sweet words of yours."
A hand was waved at that instant, knocking one of the glass cups off the table and spilling water on the floor. Some people started to stand up and look at each other, not understanding what was happening.
"I guess it was better to have told you when we were in the car" Touma said, trying to keep his voice calm, but it wasn't being effective.
"No, this is the best moment actually. Your best fucking chance" She raised her right hand, making him look at that silver ring on her finger "That's why you gave it to me, isn't it? Trying to make me happy so I'll just shake my head and accept it while you go and kill yourself like an idiot."
The customers were scared now thanks to the screams of the level 5 who didn't care about anyone else but the person in front of her. Several murmurs echoed in that elegant hall, as well as hurried footsteps of people who no longer wanted to be in that environment.
"Was that thing about being so aggressive in the car your plan too? The thing in the balloon? Was the whole fucking date all one big plan leading up to this moment?" Shizuri stood up from the table and slammed both fists into it, which caused much of the food to be knocked over. Her index finger was now in the boy's face "That plan failed then, Kamijou Touma. You can argue that I'm not keeping my word, but I don't regret anything. I don't give a shit what I said… I don't give a shit what I said since the fucking day I was born. If going back on my word means that you will be on my side until the end, then I don't have to think twice before making this decision."
The commotion had become so great that some customers seemed to have complained to the manager, as a man in an expensive-looking suit came toward Shizuri, who was pausing to look disapprovingly at Touma's neutral expression.
"Excuse me Miss. I can ask you to keep your voice down a bit, the customers are disturbed" The middle-aged man said in a polite manner.
"Send them away then" Was her reply, without even turning to look at the man.
"That is unfortunately not possible. If the lady keeps shouting like that -"
The man stopped talking the instant he saw four spheres begin to hover around Meltdowner. The girl still looked at Touma, who didn't move even though he saw her about to do something that looked dangerous.
"You're the manager of this place aren't you?" She asked in a cold voice, receiving a nervous nod in response that she saw only with her peripheral vision "Good. In that case I should let you know that I am a level 5. Mugino Shizuri is my name, the #4 Meltdowner. Right now I'm trying to talk some sense into my boyfriend over there, so I'd appreciate it if you'd make all the people here go away before I do it myself after I turn them all to ashes. You don't want to be responsible for this tragedy, do you?"
The manager swallowed hard at those cold and intimidating words from one of the people at the top of the esper development. He cleared his throat nervously before deciding to do what the girl ordered him to do. Shizuri sat calmly at the table again, while several employees led everyone there to the exit of the place. As if trying to calm herself a little, she picked up the other glass that remained on the table and drank all the water out of it.
'I don't understand him.' She shook her head as she looked at the boy 'I can't support him in this but I don't want to let him down... I think it's only fair to at least hear him out.'
"Why?" was the only word she uttered, looking at her boyfriend with a disappointed face.
"It's the only way" Touma replied after a sigh.
"Touma...I want to hear a better justification than that" Her voice wasn't so angry anymore, she just sounded tired now.
"I can't give up Shizuri. I know I dragged you into this but..."
"You didn't drag me anywhere. I was the one who decided I needed to try to do something good...for once in this pathetic life of killing people for no reason at all" The life in the girl's voice seemed to fade little by little with each word spoken "But I don't want redemption if it means I'll lose you"
"You won't lose me."
"You can't tell me that right after you tell me what you intend. You heard what happened there. That guy is a monster. I don't even know if I can call what happened there a fight. Just get this stupid idea out of your head."
"I can't. That's the best plan of action" Touma argued, moving his chair closer to the girl as he had done before. "If we want to save those people, we have to stop the production of that drug, but there's no way we can do that with that guy in the way"
"So all we need to do is to be faster or quieter in our infiltration"
"That won't do. They must be much more alert now. I'm not sure if he's acting alone or not, but if it's the second case, last time they must have called him only after they discovered that the situation couldn't be resolved in conventional ways. But now they know what we are capable of, their trump card will be used right after we invade."
"We can fight him all together then. I know neither Kinuhata or I are in any condition to fight but give us a few days to recover. Takitsubo can screw with his personal reality and..."
"And collapse on the floor soon after due to stress. We can't force her to do something like that again" Touma didn't want to let her finish. His decision was clear, he wouldn't back down "Besides, it's not like we have time to spare. We don't know how close this whole business of him becoming a level 6 is to completion. I have to fight... even if it's alone."
"Let's just forget all about it then" The girl's voice changed to pleading. She tried to hold both of his hands, but he pulled his right hand away. "We don't owe this city anything. We can just leave here and go wherever we want. A tropical country, a desert island, anywhere. Just you and me, living our normal lives away from this darkness."
"Unfortunately I still owe a lot to the people of this city. Simply running away like that would be cowardly...and you didn't fall in love with a coward."
"No...don't say those things"
'I feel that I am losing him and there is nothing I can do about it. Maybe I should just trust him? Would his power work on that nonsense thing?'
"I will come back to you. That's not an empty promise" Touma leaned over and touched his forehead to hers "I'll come back to you because my place is by your side. Before, I fought only for myself. If I died in battle, some of my friends would be sad but I'm sure they would move on without much trouble. But I have you now... the perfect girl who looks at me as if I were her whole world."
"Don't do this...please" Shizuri couldn't hold back and tilted her face towards him, causing their lips to touch just for an instant "If you leave me...I feel like I'll never be able to love anyone again"
Shizuri almost smiled when she saw the boy's eyes widen at those words spoken without warning.
'I ended up saying I love him in the end. It's okay...none of that matters...I'll be honest like he likes...just say you love me too...please.'
"Hearing that only strengthened my resolve" He held her left hand tenderly and continued speaking softly "Until then the impression I had was that I didn't belong in this world. It was as if I just survived, holding on to a nearly broken string. But I found a place where I belong now, and that's what I'm going to live for from now on. Not for myself, but for you...the girl I like."
She just sighed. That was not what she wanted to hear, not just that. Mugino Shizuri didn't want to let him get away from her, she wouldn't give up something that she had taken so long to get. If that boy asked her to leave this city and go away with him, she wouldn't even think once to accept. She was tired of the darkness, so there was nothing holding her here but him. But the person she loved still had something here that he wanted to protect, and he wouldn't run away without looking back at the first opportunity. It was not in his nature to do something like this.
'If he wasn't like that, I wouldn't have fallen in love with him. Fighting against it is useless. I was going to give in sooner or later, I made a promise after all.'
"If I'm going to agree to this, then I expect a proper reward" Shizuri said, putting a simple smile on her lips "When all this is over, you'll have to try twice as hard to be a decent boyfriend. And I'll do whatever I want with you, and I don't want to hear any complaints."
"Does that mean you agree with this idiotic plan of mine?"
"I still prefer that you put that stupid idea out of your head" She replied dryly. "But, if you accept the conditions, yes I agree. Although I hope you really have a plan and won't just run straight to him and punch him in the face."
"Well... in the end that's how it ends, but I'm not that dumb to think I can win with just that" He started to smile too, finally holding her right hand with his "You know I was hoping it would be a little harder to convince you, sorry for doubting my cute and understanding girlfriend"
Touma's fingers now intertwined with hers, which made the girl smile a little wider. It was a shame that a day that had been so much fun for her had ended this way, but she had to smile anyway.
"I promise that I will do everything to make you always happy from now on" Touma said, raising his right hand held in hers.
'It's not that hard to make me happy, at least not you. This wasn't a perfect date, but I feel like I've made progress. One day I'll be able to make you say...'
"You're looking at me like that again" He spoke, now getting a little serious. "So lost in thought. I wonder how long it will take you to realize."
'Huh? What is he talking about?' thought the girl stopping smiling and putting on a confused expression. She took the opportunity to give a good look around the empty place 'There's no one looking at us. Does he want me to kiss him since we're alone?'
Shizuri thought that was the right answer, or maybe she just wanted to kiss him now. She leaned just a little toward the person responsible for making her feel so many emotions she had never felt before, but she stopped halfway. Her peripheral vision noticed something in that instant before their lips touched. The silver Ring on her finger was emitting a faint, almost imperceptible bluish glow, but that was not all. This glow was actually words engraved on it, a message that had been there all along but was only revealed now. Shizuri moved her face closer to make sure of what she had read, but there was no doubt.
"I love you" She whispered slowly, as if she still couldn't believe what she was reading. "You...you love me?"
That message engraved on that modest ring made a tear well up in the girl's eyes, but Touma was quicker and wiped that tear away before it finished its way down her face.
"You still had doubts?" The boy finished wiping away the tear and smiled back at her "By the way, you're doing it again. If you want to show me that you're happy, smile at me. I hate to see such a beautiful girl crying."
'He loves me. He really loves me. Not only that, but he was already planning to tell me from the beginning.'
"Shizuri?" Touma tried to snap the girl out of her thoughts, but she didn't seem ready to say anything.
'Everything I felt all this time, he felt the same way about me. We were on the same stage...next to each other.'
"At least tell me you're happy then, you can smile afterwards if you want to" Said the boy, a bit sheepishly seeing the girl with her head in the clouds.
Shizuri stopped thinking for a second to look again at that message that suddenly appeared there. This time she couldn't hold back. No words were necessary for her to make clear what she was feeling, that sincere and radiant smile was all she needed, but she wanted to speak anyway,
"Happy? Am I happy?" she said with a sweet tone, squeezing that right hand while keeping her giant smile "Can this still be considered 'happiness'? All day long I was fighting with myself, rooting and wishing with all my might that this date would be perfect and that I would finally confirm that you felt the same way I feel about you. But this" She looked at the ring quickly and squeezed his right hand even tighter "All this time you were ready to tell me, I had already won all this time and didn't know it. If you had told me 'I love you' after I said I loved you, I would be so happy I could die with no regrets. Even if it was just for pressure, just to not make me feel bad, but it wasn't like that... it wasn't like that at all. You love me... you really love me."
"That's a nice smile you have there" He commented casually.
"Touma, don't spoil the moment. I'm trying to put what I feel into words here and it's not being easy."
"That's why I'm focusing on what you're showing me and not saying" He lowered his right hand and started stroking the girl's face with his free left hand "I should take a picture of you like this. I'll put it up as wallpaper"
"You are hopeless"
The girl overflowing with happiness just shook her head dazedly and kept smiling to please her boyfriend a little more. Shizuri had always known that Touma was the kind of person who settled for little, but she wanted to try harder and harder to make him happy as long as possible. Only now she wasn't trying, not even a little bit, this was just her being happy too.
"Okay, keep smiling like that" Touma said, finally letting go of the girl's hand and reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. It was no joke, he was really going to take a picture of her "Strike a cute pose for me"
"Okay. Is this good?" Shizuri didn't even bother to comment on anything, she made a victory sign and tilted her head as she continued to smile.
"He finished taking the picture and took a good look at it. "Boy, look at that. Why didn't I have this idea before? My sadistic girlfriend has no right to be so cute."
"Is that why you asked if I had ever modeled before? Are you thinking of convincing me to wear 'fancy' clothes, photograph me in cute poses, and brag to your pervert friends afterwards?" She teased, still smiling and taking another look at her ring.
"Following your logic, I just did that apart from the bragging to my friends part" He put the cell phone away and looked at her again, who now had a confused face "Is there a problem Shizuri-chan? You better have a good explanation why you stopped smiling, I wanted a little more of that dose of cuteness"
"The message is gone" Shizuri said, raising her right hand for him to look at.
"Why are you sounding so disappointed? Come here" Touma kept smiling as he entwined the fingers of his right hand in hers again.
About two seconds passed before the message and the writing with that pale blue light returned. The girl's smile returned as did the message, as if something in her brain activated when she read those words.
"What is that trick? Probably a proximity sensor in the rings. Is that why you put yours on?" Asked the girl, letting go of his hand to test the theory.
"If it was something so simple, the message would be activated still in the box" He quickly removed his own ring and held her hand again, making the ring glow once more "This is actually AIM manipulation. This ring has a machine that makes it sense the slightest trace of AIM around it, even the lingering effects. Did you not notice that I held it with my left hand when I went to put it on your finger?"
"I was so happy that if you put it on using your tongue I wouldn't notice"
"First, I don't even know if this is possible, and second, this is kind of gross so don't comment again"
"I bet this is activating your 'vivid imagination'" The smile on her face turned mischievous in that instant, even more so when the boy looked away a little embarrassed "So you went to the trouble of putting such a sensor on something so small? These things are precision equipment, getting one this compact must have been difficult and a bit expensive too."
"You hit the nail on the head on the last one" Touma grimaced as he said that.
Shizuri narrowed her eyes as she saw the boy's expression. Her mind traveled to the moment he was being so careful amidst so much expensive equipment. She knew that the money he had in his account could cover the costs if he broke something, especially since she had given him a nice bonus even though she didn't say so, but that ring on her finger could be the cause of the boy's concern. In the end, that modest looking ring could very well be one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry she owned.
"That's amazing" She said looking at him tenderly "You're amazing"
The distance between the two slowly closed with the smooth movement of the girl bringing her face closer to his. This time she had no intention of stopping when she was as close as possible, she would kiss him with all her might, like never before.
"I imagine that counts as 'Big surprise'" Touma was also bringing his face closer to hers bit by bit.
"This is not what I had in mind when I placed the order, so it was indeed a big surprise"
Their faces were just inches apart now, all it took was one last smooth movement and they would end this chaotic encounter with an even more chaotic kiss. Unfortunately the chaos caused came back to haunt them.
"Hold it right there you two" A shout from outside the restaurant interrupted that last moment. Someone was using a megaphone "This is Anti-Skill. You are surrounded, so put your hands up and don't resist."
Outside, widespread confusion had broken out. The manager should have triggered a warning to the authorities when he got tired of that Level 5 using the establishment as if it were her property. Several men in uniforms armed with assault rifles and riot shields stormed in and found those two with confused faces.
"I had a feeling you were behind this, Kamijou-chan" The owner of that female voice that Touma knew very well, stepped out from the middle of the group and looked at the two troubled teenagers.
"Yomikawa-sensei?" The boy didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous that his Amazon teacher was there.
"Sup" The teacher just looked at Shizuri now "So that's the famous level 5 you are...whatever"
"We're dating" Shizuri replied, tossing her hair to the side in a smug gesture "Now if you don't mind, you're in the way"
"That one has guts. I like her" Yomikawa said smiling "I don't know if having a girlfriend like that classifies as bad luck. Your standards are incredibly high, Kamijou."
"Umm... What's going on here Yomikawa-senpai?" Another woman with glasses and dark green hair caught in a ponytail entered the conversation.
"No big deal, Tessou. Just two troublesome children" The woman turned her back to the couple and made a gesture circling two fingers "No one was hurt here, so we'd better leave the two lovebirds alone. Enjoy the rest of the evening, Kamijou-chan"
"I'll owe you that one Yomikawa-sensei" Touma said waving to the teacher.
"You will still have to pay the loss, so don't think you will get off so easy"
The Anti-Skill squad left the restaurant with many confused faces and heads shaking in a negative way, except for Yomikawa who was smiling. If one were to look back at that moment, they would see two happy teenagers showing some of their love for each other.
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Hey, good reader! Here I am once again. This was the second part of this date, so the title of the chapter fits in with the other. What did you think?
This whole chapter follows what we heard from Shizuri's dreams, with her asking if Touma loves her and him saying yes, but she obviously doesn't remember that, and also her talking a little bit about how she feels about her past. Now it was time to talk more about it in the waking world.
A small conflict was sparked here, and it won't be the last, considering that it's Touma and Shizuri we're talking about here. But these two are deeply in love with each other so everything has been resolved.
Many of you may have noticed that I use references to Shizuri's lines in the new testament a lot, like NT6 for example, like her saying "We still have a long way to go. The path ahead is especially long for those of us who have killed." That was in her conversation with Accel. She says that he shouldn't feel so bad since at least he was killing for a reason, however stupid, and he should go on living and 'paying' for those sins.
This chapter originally had almost 15k words, but I managed to reduce it a bit by being more succinct, since sometimes I write very redundant paragraphs (by now you have realized that I like to make metaphors and analogies that barely make sense. Sorry, LOL). Adding this chapter to the previous one (was originally only one), this chapter was supposed to be huge, but I decided that my chapters will only be that big in rare occasions.
Time for a look at the reviews:
Toumafukoda: Thank you very much for your support.
emiyasatou: *chapter 22: It is indeed a mess. *chapter 23: Shizuri is a 'perfectionist' person, so she is really taking this girlfriend thing seriously, lucky for our luckless boy LMAO. When I am writing I feel this way just a little bit xD. I could post two chapters a week, but I will keep it to one a week until the end of this arc, it is better this way.
xellos540: I have only read the beginning of ACIP, I didn't know that Frenda appeared there, as for ACUL0 I am reading it at the moment but it is really long, one day I'll catch up. It's somewhat of a reference to the WR arc, and that speech by Touma was pretty much a Control-C and Control-V straight out of the novels. Considering that Mikoto continues to progress in her Tsundere skill tree, this is true. I am starting to get obvious with these little 'twists' of mine. Othinus must have heard this there in Sargasso (or wherever she is at this point in time) xD . Touma will comment on this again later, but will not have many details, this will only be relevant when he comes into confrontation with a certain person.
5queso: Frenda is completely safe, and she will have more good times in the future. What I can say about the darkest moments in a vague manner, is that some 'things' will come back to haunt Touma. I'm glad you liked the length and pace of the chapter, this one is a little longer but I hope I didn't go too far wrong. Thanks a lot as always. Giving a little spoiler, chapter 26 will be a bit... violent. I am also a bit of a sadist sometimes, but I hold back a lot when I am writing xD.
aiman031122: Shizuri is beginning to get tired of holding back. I think it's a little early for that. Thanks.
We will have the last fight of the arc soon. One last big reveal as well. That's it for today. Nio leaving.