A/N: Annnnnnnddddd I'm back! Sorry it took a while, but life got in the way. This chapter was also hard for me to write.

Regardless, enjoy!

Academy City: the most advanced city in the world; a city built on the guiding principles – the very foundations – of science. As a result of years of countless research and experimentation, Academy City managed to produce one of their greatest achievements: espers – people who could wield psychic powers. As far as I knew, or remembered rather, a large portion of the population here were espers, where each of them had their initial strength factor classified by levels – from Level 0, basically the people without powers, to Level 5, the absolute strongest. The lower-leveled espers were more common, while the higher-leveled ones were fewer and farer in-between; especially the Level 5's. As a matter of fact, there were less than 10 Level 5's I believe, with the top 5 generally being the strongest that Academy City had to offer.

And to think that I, of all people – just a regular anime fan – would meet the 3rd ranked Level 5, Misaka Mikoto – the Railgun of Tokiwadai – herself. Not a cosplayer, not a girl who just happened to look like her by coincidence, but the genuine article, the real deal, in the very world of A Certain Magical Index. Yeah, if you told me that I would meet one of my favorite characters in this setting in the flesh, I would've laughed it off, but given my recent status as a dimensional traveler, it doesn't sound so far-fetched. Yeah, I know, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around that shit, and I should've come to grips with it by now, but still though, there were a lot of questions I wanted answers to, but that can wait til later. I'm getting off track here.

Anyway, I asked Misaka to help me find my way around the city after she saved me from those damn thugs. I also told her that I didn't have any money whatsoever; well, paper money, but you get the idea. When she tried to inquire further about why I didn't have any yen, I told her about the gold coins I had. Misaka was completely skeptical, but that all went away when I showed her the gold coins I had. I swear her jaw was about to fall to the fucking floor, but she quickly recomposed herself as she pulled me aside to a nearby alley so no one else would see the gold coins. Yeah, better to stay out of the public view for this. She had to take one of them from my hand and REALLY look over every detail to see that yes, it was a real gold coin. Yeah, I'll admit, I had a similar reaction when the Goblios gave me those coins. I mean, it's not common for people like me and her to see actual gold currency in person. As far as I knew, gold wasn't used as currency these days, though I could be wrong about that. We usually use paper money and coins made from lesser metals, like copper. Gold is usually kept in high-security places like Fort Knox, and the gold that you find in public is smelted down and turned into stuff like watches or necklaces and sold at a premium price, so Misaka's prior skepticism of me, followed by her subsequent amazement when being shown the real deal, were justified, so it came as no surprise to me. What did come as a surprise, however, was her almost immediate response to my suggestion of trading some of the coins in for cash.

"No." Misaka replied matter-of-factly. The hopeful smile in my mind deflated almost instantly.

"Why not?" I asked, indignant and confused. "I already told you before that I didn't have any yen whatsoever. If I traded some of these coins in, I could get enough to last me for a while."

"That's the problem though." Misaka replied. "Those gold coins you have don't look like anything I've ever seen before. They don't look like any collectible gold coins that you can find in a store or online, and they certainly don't look like any kind of currency you'd find in a foreign country either. Have you even checked the design on both sides of the coins?"

"N-No?" I stammered in reply as I shook my head. I was telling the truth. Even though Rimuru tried to teach me about the currency system his world used, we weren't able to cover much, so I only remembered bits and pieces of it. Also, I never even bothered to really take a look at my coins – that is, reviewing every minute detail - after receiving them. To be fair though, when you're suddenly shunted from one world to another with no warning, money troubles aren't among the first things to think about, not to mention, having to get clear from that terrorist attack AND those thugs didn't help either.

Misaka just looked at me in disbelief. "Seriously?" she asked. I just nervously shrugged in response. Misaka just sighed as she held up the coin to my face. "Take a look for yourself." I took the coin and brought it close to my eye to really look it over.

The front of the coin had the face of an old man with bushy eyebrows, a thick mustache, and he was wearing what appeared to be a bowler hat; almost like an English gentleman. Strange. I turned the coin over to look at the other side. The image of a large cathedral or castle was printed in the center, and surrounding it were runic letters that I obviously couldn't read.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh…. Things are already not looking good here.

"Well then," I said at last, putting the gold coin back into my pouch. "So that's a thing." I looked back at Misaka. "Sure, these coins I have are unique, but wouldn't that make them all the more valuable?"

"In some respects, that's true." Misaka replied. "But have you ever traded something valuable for money before?"

"If you're talking about trading something at a pawn shop, no, I haven't." I confessed. "I know gold is valuable, but I don't know the exact monetary value."

"Yet you were going to trade some of those coins anyway?" Misaka asked.

"N-N-N-N-No! No No!" I quickly stammered in reply while shaking my head. "I didn't even decide to- I mean…. um…. t-that is to say….. I've got to try some- uh... ummmmmmmmm-" Shit. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. I've got to-

"Stop." Misaka stated simply; holding up a hand to my face. And like that, I was silent. "It's clear to me that you don't have a clue about what you're getting yourself into, so I'll have to explain it myself."

I quietly nodded in reply.

"You see, when I looked at your coin and saw the designs on both sides, I immediately recognized that it had features that didn't match up with other types of gold coins that were used throughout history. Do you know what that means?" Misaka asked.

"N-No?" I simply replied.

"In school, I learned about how gold was used as currency throughout history, and I've seen what some of that currency looked like for each nation that used them, whether it was from books or articles on the internet. You've noticed the symbols on the back, right?" I nodded, and Misaka continued. "Those are runes, but they don't resemble any kind of runic alphabet that I've learned about. In fact, if you looked at those runes from a distance, you'd probably assume they'd look like something from the Anglo-Saxon or Medieval era, but if you actually looked at them up close, it's obvious that they look made-up, like they were from a video game or something. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I simply nodded in response.

"What you have there might as well be fake, yet at the same time, they aren't. If I had to guess, judging by the mass and volume, I'd say the gold coins you have are 24-karat. If you took those coins to a pawn shop, I have no doubt someone who's well-versed with currency will not only realize that those coins don't belong to any established mint, let alone any mint in general, but also realize that they don't have any historic value whatsoever. If you tried asking them what the gold value of your coins are, they'd assume that they would be worth a fortune as collectibles, and since they wouldn't have such a large sum of money on hand to trade for your coins, they'd only be able to pay you barely a fraction of their true value. At best, you'd probably be refused any kind of trade. At worst, they'd get suspicious and would have you arrested for potential fraud and counterfeiting. Pawnbrokers tend to pick up on a few things when they've been in business for a long time, if you know what I mean. And of course, trying to find a collector who'd be willing to buy any of your coins would be even harder to accomplish. Face it Slater, going through with this plan of yours would only do you more harm than good in the long run." And with that, Misaka finished her lengthy explanation detailing the fallacies in my plan.

After hearing all of that, I was stunned speechless. No really, I was.

But really though, should I have been so surprised? Well, actually….. I'm half-surprised, but half-not. Yeah sure, I already had these doubts concerning trading in the gold coins and thought about them to an extent, but with the way Misaka rationalized how everything could go wrong, especially with that last part, I realized then how truly risky my plan was. It only proved how I didn't think everything through; that's half of my fault, with the other half being the fault of those goddamn thugs showing up causing me to suddenly shift priorities. Misaka was right, as much as I hated to admit it; not out of pride or arrogantly believing that my plan would succeed without fail, or even having an "I am right and you are wrong" mentality, but out of frustration that the only plan that I could come up with - the only plan that I thought would be the most logical course of action - was completely derailed before I could get it off the ground.

Just how the hell am I going to solve my money troubles now? I'm stuck in a huge-ass city with no clue how to navigate, and I have no job and no place to live! Granted, I could get a job even if I was homeless; my dad is homeless and he was able to get a job, but I'd still be stuck on the streets with nothing but the clothes on my back. Plus, there were other thugs than those assholes I had to worry about; some of which have esper powers! If I were to run into one of those types, I'd likely wind up dead. I'd be forced to constantly be on the run, and as proven earlier, I wouldn't be able to get very far. There's no way I'd be able to adapt to that kind of lifestyle; I don't know how my dad's able to manage with being homeless, but I'm a different story. I could go to a shelter, but 1). I don't know any shelters that are close by, and 2). I don't know the process for being able to get into a shelter. I'm pretty sure it requires all kinds of paperwork and ID, a.k.a. stuff that I do not have, as stated earlier.

Fuck me!

"Yeah, I should've figured as much." I said at last, giving a defeated sigh. "My plan was doomed from the start, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a stupid plan that's not worth the risks involved." Misaka replied. "By the way, where did you say you got those coins again?"

"I got those in the last place I was in." I answered.

"And where would that be?" Misaka asked, furrowing her brow.

"It was-" I paused for a second. "It was from a European-styled town…. in Europe?" Misaka raised her eyebrow, but I just continued my explanation. "I don't know the name of the country though, unfortunately." Well, that last part was true. I never did ask Rimuru what the name of the country was where the events of Slime took place. I'm not talking about Tempest itself, mind you, I'm talking about the country where Tempest and the surrounding kingdoms were located. I'll have to remember to ask him when I see him again. Or wait. Am I ever gonna see Rimuru again? That's another question to think about for later.

I looked back at Misaka, who had the most dumbfounded look on her face that I've ever seen.

"You don't know the name of-" Misaka cut herself off to pinch the bridge of her nose, before continuing to speak once again. "Ok, and how exactly did you wind up in Academy City?"

"Well here's the thing though," I began. "I was in that town for over a week, but for some reason and with no warning, I fell unconscious and when I woke up, I wound up here. I don't know how to describe it. It was like one minute, I was in one place, and then in another minute, I wound up in another place that was hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away. Almost instantly."

"Instantly?" Misaka asked curiously. "Are you a Teleporter?"

"Uh-" I tried to reply, but with a question like that, my whole thought process came to a stop like a car slamming on its brakes. I took a moment to try and think of an answer, and I made to reply. "I don't know…Kind of? Sorta? Not really? I was sent here, but- I mean, I could be a Teleporter, but maybe not in the way you're implying, if that makes sense?" Misaka "hmm'd?" and tilted her head in response.

How the heck was I supposed to answer that? Obviously, I'm not the kind of Teleporter that you could easily find in Academy City. Hell, I wasn't even an esper! And I doubt those kinds of Teleporters could travel such long distances in an instant; never mind travelling between worlds. But on the other hand, I might as well be something similar to a Teleporter. I did go from the world of Slime to Index after all, even if I don't quite understand the mechanism behind that yet. Hoo boy, now there's even more to think about for later.

"Hold the phone!" I twitched as Misaka suddenly spoke up. "Something's not right here."

"W-What is it?" I stammered in question. This….. didn't sound like a good thing.

"It's everything you've told me so far." Misaka said with a stern look on her face. "Teleporting instantly from one country to the next? That doesn't make sense. In fact, it's impossible for a Teleporter to travel, let alone send someone, from one country to another instantly. It's outside the bounds of what a Teleporter is capable of."

"R-Really?" I asked.

"Yes." Misaka answered as she continued her explanation. "A Teleporter must make precise calculations to determine the travel distance to teleport from one area to the next. It requires absolute concentration to be able to pull off any kind of teleportation, so if a Teleporter had their concentration interrupted, then they wouldn't be able to teleport. Likewise, a Teleporter isn't able to teleport objects and people with ease. They can only teleport stuff that's within a certain weight limit, and even then, it affects the distance they're sent from the teleporter, so the heavier the object or person, the less distance they'll travel." Really? That's how teleportation works in Index? To be fair, it's been a while since I've seen any of the seasons, so my knowledge isn't completely up to snuff, but still though. I didn't think esper powers were so complex. "That's why I find your story hard to believe. Something similar to what you were suggesting, something of that magnitude, would require absurdly complicated and complex calculations, near-perfect concentration, as well as a lot of power to draw from, but the strain would likely kill the Teleporter either during or after the teleport. As for the one being teleported, it's likely they would suffer the same fate. It's practically a crackpot theory with no conceivable variables or factors to prove that it would work. A Teleporter like that shouldn't, or rather, couldn't exist. But then there's you Slater."

I was taken aback slightly when she mentioned my name, but otherwise, I continued to listen.

"You claimed that you were sent from that town, presumably in Europe, all the way to Japan, in Academy City of all places, almost instantly and without warning, and you don't know how it happened, right?"

"Yesssssssss?" I answered, dragging out my word as if to say 'Didn't you hear me the first time?'

"Like I said before-" Misaka continued. "-for a Teleporter to travel or send someone that great a distance is impossible, yet when I asked you if you were a Teleporter, you said that you weren't sure, yet at the same time you said that you might be one. Is that correct?" All I did was nod. "When you were being harassed by those idiots from earlier, you could've teleported away while you were running from them, or at the very least, while they were distracted in order to escape, yet you didn't. And why do you think that is?" I nervously shrugged in response.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but Academy City is the only place in the entire world with the ability to produce espers. No other country in the world has the technology, nor the scientific knowledge and assets to produce their own espers, so it's practically impossible for an outsider to receive esper powers, let alone have them. Going over what you told me so far, it's fairly obvious that you're not from Academy City, which means that you're also not an esper."

Was Misaka… trying to interrogate me?

"I'll admit, it was hasty of me to assume that you could've been an esper in the first place, given the impossibilities, and yet you still claim that you teleported, or rather were teleported, from one place to the next, and without powers no less? You're like a living contradiction. A paradox; an existence that shouldn't be. So tell me Slater, just what are you? What are you hiding from me?"

Oh my god! This is an interrogation! What the hell? How did it get to this point? I thought Misaka said she was going to help me, but this? This is just- Oh man! I felt a chill run down my spine as sweat was beading off my face. Misaka just continued to stare at me with a serious look on her face, expecting an immediate answer from me. Slowly, I started to make a response.

"B-But," I began with a stammer as I stepped back. "Y-You won't believe me if I told-"

"Hold it." Misaka held up a hand and cut me off before I could finish. "I'm going out on a limb here to try and help you. You're putting your trust in me, but how can I expect to trust you if you won't tell me everything? I think cooperating is the least that you can do, don't you think?" I opened my mouth before quickly closing it again. I just mulled on her statement for the next few minutes.

In spite of how scared and uncomfortable this situation was making me, I had to admit to myself that Misaka was right. After all, I did ask her for her help, so it wouldn't be fair if I made her have blind faith in me without explaining a damn thing about myself. I would never take advantage of someone's kindness like that. But here's my main issue: How on Earth would I answer her? How could I give her a satisfactory answer that wouldn't make me sound crazy, or rather, crazier than I already seemed to her?

I couldn't. That was the absolute truth. No matter how I worded my answer or tried to explain myself, there was no doubt that I was going to elicit even more questions. I mean, I already told Misaka the basics, hoping that she wouldn't try to pry further, and that went as well as I expected. Still, I mostly stuck to the basics because I didn't fully understand what was going on. And what was I going to do, lie? She's willing to put her trust in me, so lying would no doubt give her a reason to drop me like a bad habit, or worse, call the cops on me since I'm pretty much an illegal alien. Besides, how could you rationalize a situation involving an involuntary dimensional traveler going from one fictional world to the next?

Damn it! I've managed to dig myself into a hole without even realizing it!

But nonetheless, I've got no other choice. I'm going to have to try to explain myself as best I can.

"Well?" Misaka asked with a hint of impatience.

"Y-Yeah," I began. "You're right. I'm sorry." I took a deep breath and prepared to choose my words carefully. Well, here goes nothing.

"About a week or so ago, I was just an ordinary man living and working in New Jersey, but one night, everything changed. I woke up and found myself before some….. beings that I couldn't comprehend. They were like something out of H.P. Lovecraft. Before I knew it, they sent me away to some other world, not a country, but another world. Literally another reality. And the strangest part about it all was that I recognized which world I landed in. It was from an isekai series set in a fantasy world with monsters and magic. I met the leader of a country of monsters, who was a slime who just happened to reincarnate from some salaryman who died. And these coins I have here? I got those as payment for my first day working in a grocery store run by goblins. Also, I met a demon lord….. and well….. you can put the pieces together for everything that happened afterwards." I straight up admitted. Jeez! That was a mouthful! Part of me couldn't believe I told her all of that. Practically no detail was left untold.

Misaka was staring at me with an expression that pretty much said "What the fuck?", but it wasn't long before she gave me a flat, unamused look.

"I thought you said you were going to tell me the truth." Misaka said, completely unamused.

"B-But it's the truth. I wasn't lying. All that really did happen to-"

"Oh come on!" Misaka cut me off before I could finish. She was sounding a bit more intense. "Do you really expect me to believe such a crazy story? Fantasy worlds? Magic? Slime creatures that run countries full of monsters? And getting paid in gold from a grocery store of all things? What kind of fool do you take me for?" I was getting progressively more and more nervous with each passing second. Oh shit! I think I might've dug myself deeper! I found myself breathing faster suddenly, as well as gripping my chest. Ohmanohmanohman! I think I made a terrible mistake! Why did I decide to tell her all that? Maybe I would've been better off lying instead? I focused on Misaka, who looked like she was done with what she saw as my bullshit.

"If you aren't going to tell me the truth, then I have no choice but to-"

"I said I wasn't lying goddamnit!" I suddenly yelled at the top of my lungs as I banged my hand against the wall, interrupting Misaka before she could finish. She flinched, but otherwise just looked at me in shocked silence, no doubt thrown off guard by my sudden yelling. I'm pretty sure that I caught the attention of the pedestrians that were walking past, and also I think I might've hurt my hand, but those parts didn't register in my mind right now.

"….W-W-Why would I lie to you?" I said as I heaved a sigh. My vision was going a little blurry too. Was I- I quickly wiped my eyes. Yep, definitely tears. Again. Damn it. "W-W-What were you expecting me to say… after telling you how I got here? That everything that happened to me so far was a crazy dream I had? Th-th-that-" I hiccupped and sniffled. "-I would m-mooch off a complete stranger for the hell of it? I m-mean sure, my story sounds c-crazy... And hell, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy and want n-n-nothing more….. to do with me. B-but I think you would've seen through any lie that I would try to tell you. And t-trust me, I can't lie to save my own hide!" I hiccupped and wiped my eyes again. "I-I'm scared. I-I don't know what's going on with me and why, but I'm s-scared as all hell. I d-don't know who t-to turn-" A hiccup cut me off. "-t-turn to for help. I-" I stopped for a moment to try and breath in, then made to continue. "I-I know it's hard of you to believe e-everything I've told you, b-but p-please under-uh-und-understand…. that what I… told you….. was nothing b-but….. the t-t-tru-" And just then was when my words finally failed me. It was like my mind chose to completely blank out at that exact moment. Not long after, I felt my legs give and I slumped down to my knees. I could do nothing but bring my hands to my face and cry.

Damn it… Just….. goddamn it.

Suddenly, I felt something touch my shoulder, causing me to flinch. I sniffled and quickly wiped my eyes. Looking up, Misaka was looking back at me with a soft expression on her face.

"Hey," Misaka said at last. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset. I still don't know what to think of your story, but if what you said was the truth, then it's the truth. Nothing more, and nothing less." I continued to look at Misaka in silence. "Try not to think about it so hard. You were already under a lot of stress back at that park, I don't want you to have a full-on breakdown, so try to relax, okay?" Misaka smiled at me as she said that. Looking at it, I couldn't help but give a small smile in return. It was a much-needed comfort after everything else that's happened.

"Y-You're not g-going to turn me into the p-police, are you?" I asked, stammering an answer.

"No, I'm not going to do that." Misaka reassured me. "Now come on, I'll help you up." She offered me a hand.

"O-Okay." I replied with a sniffle, before graciously taking her hand and helping me up. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, offering it to me. "Thank you." I said with gratitude. I took it and used it to blow my nose and dry my eyes. I probably looked like a mess. I pocketed the handkerchief before- wait, what was that noise? I looked behind me and- Shit! There was a small crowd of people looking right at us. Just how long were they standing there? I quickly looked away in embarrassment. Thankfully – or maybe not so thankfully - Misaka quickly realized the immediate situation, and she started looking similarly embarrassed. She walked past me to shoo the crowd away, who thankfully obliged and continued on their way. Thank god! I never thought that I'd embarrass myself in public like this. I recomposed myself and made to speak.

"Hey, Misaka." I said as Misaka looked back at me, 'hmm-ing' in response. "What about the coins? If I can't trade them without potentially getting into trouble, then what can I do?"

"Tell you what." Misaka replied. "You give me some of those coins, and I'll give you some money in exchange."

Huh?

"No, no, no!" I said in surprise, wildly gesturing my hands in front of me. "I-I couldn't ask you to do that. I mean, it hasn't even been a day, let alone an hour since we met and you're not obligated to go that far for a stranger and I don't want to take what little money you may-" Before my rambling could continue, Misaka put her hand in front of my face, silencing me almost instantly. Me and my goddamn motor mouth.

"It's okay," Misaka began as she leaned against the wall. "Money's not a major issue for me. Besides, I think it's a much better solution than trading them in at a pawn shop, wouldn't you think?"

I... I can't believe she would even suggest this. This doesn't even seem real! I've haven't known Misaka for very long and already she's willing to help me with my money troubles? There's no way that this kind of thing would happen so easily, especially back home! People just don't offer that kind of goodwill, except in rare cases. It's just, I don't know what to make of-

Wait…. Hold the….

…

Just then, the lightbulb in my head clicked on.

That's right! Misaka goes to Tokiwadai! It's a private all-girl school for the wealthy and elite, so her family must be loaded! If I accept her offer, I'll have enough yen to last me for a while, at least until I figure out some living arrangements and all that jazz. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Still though, a part of me felt bad for even thinking about taking her money. This wasn't the same as borrowing money from a friend or family member who wanted to help you get back up on your feet during a tough time, nor was it like taking out a loan from the bank that you'd pay back later with interest; this was far and away from those types of situations. Still, what other option did I have? Obviously not accepting would be a very, very bad idea. I want to try and get my shit together; not make things worse! If I was going to live in a new world, then I needed to properly accommodate myself.

After pondering for a moment, I came to my decision.

"So how about it?" Misaka asked with a smile on her face.

With almost no hesitation, I looked Misaka in the eye, and made to speak. "Okay. I'll do it." I said at last. "N-Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as t-the saying goes." I stammered a bit on that last part, causing Misaka to giggle. That just made me rub the back of my head and laugh embarassingly.

"Alright, we have a deal then." Misaka said with confidence.

"I-I swear that I'll pay you back one day." I said almost immediately.

"You don't have to-" Misaka tried to tell me that I didn't need to pay her back, but I wouldn't have it.

"I s-said that I'll pay you back and I will!" I declared, interrupting Misaka and causing her to step back in surprise. Despite the initial awkwardness my declaration sounded, I was dead set on wanting to pay her back, and with interest too! As it already was, I was grateful to Misaka for saving my life and helping to show me around; there's no way in hell I'm going to let her kindness go to waste, even if she wanted me to think nothing of it! I don't know how long it'll take, but I swear that I'll keep my promise.

Like a wise man once said: You can't piss on hospitality! Generosity even less so.

Okay I made that last part up, but it still applies!

"Okay okay! Calm down!" Misaka said, trying to keep the situation under control. "Let's- Let's just figure this out, okay?"

"Okay." I replied.

And with that said, the two of us shook hands, and the deal was struck.

-x-

So, after we left the alley, we went to an outdoor café when I mentioned to Misaka how I hadn't eaten since yesterday; or was it today? The sudden time change between worlds still confused the hell out of me. Fuck it, who cares? I wanted food and I wanted it now damn it!

When we arrived at the cafe, I had to admit, it was a pretty nice place! And the weather was just about perfect for eating outside too! Misaka mentioned to me that she was a regular here, so she knew this place quite well. When we were handed our menus, I was having trouble trying to read which food item was which, so I took out my manga for visual aid. Misaka looked over at me and saw how much I was struggling with the menu, and when I told her why, she was utterly flabbergasted. With a sigh, she sat down next to me to help me pick out what I wanted to eat. Yeah, I didn't blame her for getting annoyed at that. I mean seriously! A foreigner who went to Japan just because, but barely had a grasp on the Japanese language and solely relied on a manga for help? Yeah, sounds stupid when you think about it, doesn't it?

Anyway, while we were waiting on our food, the two of us had a lengthy talk about my gold coins. I was worried about talking about it out in the open, but thankfully it was a slow day and there were very few people - and luckily they weren't sitting close to our table, so that was a plus. We finally reached an agreement on how many coins I would give to Misaka and how much she would give me in return. I would give her three of my gold coins, and she said that she'd give me 80,000 yen for them. I had to ask her how much that translated into USD, to which Misaka replied that it was close to 800 dollars. Hot damn! I figured that those three coins would cost A LOT more than that; hell, I'd bet that just one of my coins would cost 1000 dollars or more. I could only imagine how much all my coins would cost. However, there were various reasons why our trade turned out the way it did.

For starters, I didn't want to give away all of my gold coins. That would've been reckless. For me, there was no telling when I'd need to make another exchange, if such a situation were to occur. Taking the time to count my coins, I found that I had 8 gold coins – 5 of which, I realized, were given to me by Rimuru, while the other 3 was part of my pay from the Goblios – and I gave 3 of those to Misaka, so now I had 5 left, in addition to 5 silver coins, and about 20 bronze coins. For Misaka, buying only three coins from me wouldn't draw any suspicion. On the off chance her friends and family ask her about them, Misaka would have a suitable alibi. She could simply tell them that she won them from an online auction or something. Well, at least my money troubles were over for the time being.

Secondly, even if the gold coins were worth a lot more than what Misaka paid for them, it wouldn't make sense for her to pay me the full price for them. We may be acquainted, but we're still mostly strangers to each other, even if I did technically know her from the perspective of a viewer and- you know what, let's just stop right there shall we? Anyway, it wouldn't make sense for her to give someone she just met basically what amounted to a million or so dollars, or whatever the equivalent is in terms of yen. Damn exchange rates! I should really find the time to learn more about shit like that. Thankfully, when I brought this to Misaka's attention, she agreed with me since the very idea of giving a stranger that much money would not only not make any sense whatsoever, but it would also be suspicious, since we were in public in the middle of broad daylight, as well as highly illegal, since making a huge transaction like that in person would come off as a black market kind of deal. Misaka pointed out to me that there were hundreds of security cameras posted throughout the city, so the police, or Anti-Skill as she called them, would be quickly alerted to our presence, and quite frankly, I didn't want to get her into trouble. Dragging her down like that would not bode well for her or her reputation, as well as mine. After all, I didn't want to be known as a scamming con artist asshole around here.

And finally, and this also borrows heavily from the second reason, I would've felt guilty by asking her for more money. Misaka's already doing so much for me; I couldn't possibly ask her for more than what she's already providing. Again, I'm not the kind of guy to take advantage of someone's kindness, so I didn't want it to turn into something similar to the typical guy-wins-lottery scenario. You know, where Person A wins the million-dollar jackpot, then Person B – a "friend" who you barely talked to in high school who just now decided to get back in touch – asks Person A for a loan to help with their "money troubles," when in reality, Person B just wanted to take the money and run? Yeah, if Misaka could draw the line at how much money she should give me, then I should draw the line with how much help I can ask for.

Anyway, Misaka told me that after lunch, she'd get that money for me and show me around. One of our stops would be at a shopping center so I could buy some essential stuff, like some clothes. It was not only nice to have someone who knew their way around show me how to navigate this city, but there was another reason that I felt relieved. Since she was one of the strongest espers in Index, Misaka would make a good bodyguard for me in case something else happens to me. I may not actually have asked her to be my bodyguard, but given the nature of the setting, there was danger potentially around every corner; and I wasn't talking about all the street gangs roaming around.

Even though Academy City was a mecca of science and technology, that didn't mean it was a total paradise; not by a long shot! Every city had its own dirty laundry, and naturally, most of its people were blissfully unaware of it outside of the common crimes and thievery. It took me a while to remember specifics, but there were all kinds of factions in this city; collectively known as the Dark Side of Academy City. Each faction consisted of either espers, Level 0's, or both, with each of them having their own objectives, and more often than not, they would clash with one another; either on purpose or by accident.

From petty thugs, to terrorists, to spies, to guns-for-hire, to morally bankrupt scientists and higher-ups; the whole Dark Side situation was fucked up! All these factions have committed a shit ton of crimes, from bombings, to kidnappings, to subterfuge, to killing; it was practically every crime under the sun! And the worst part? Attacks from the Dark Side happened so often that they were considered to be a regular occurrence! Just thinking about the very possibility of crossing paths with anyone from the Dark Side made me shiver! Like hell I'd want to wind up caught in the middle of that hot mess! So yeah, Misaka was pretty much the best bodyguard I could ask for, not that I asked for it mind you, given how bad I felt for practically clinging to her like a lost puppy, but again, I didn't have any other choice. I couldn't fight my way out of a tough situation, let alone talk my way out of it, as proven earlier from that park.

Anyway, our food finally arrived. Man, it looked great! Smelled great too! While Misaka got plain and ordinary curry and rice, I settled with a burger and fries. The burger itself was pretty big, looking slightly bigger than a Whopper. And the fries were plentiful as well as cooked to a fine golden brown; just the way I like them! I was practically salivating as I continued to stare at my plate. I couldn't wait any longer, I wanted to eat NOW damn it! So Misaka and I clapped our hands together and prepared to say the words you're supposed to say before you could chow down in Japan. I've always wanted to do this! In unison, we opened our mouths to speak.

"Itadaki-"

"ONEE-SAMA!" A sudden voice cut us off before we could finish as a girl dropped in out of nowhere – and I mean literally dropped in out of nowhere – and hugged Misaka from behind. I almost fell out of my seat when she appeared, but my initial shock went away almost immediately when I recognized who this girl was. Shorter than Misaka? Check. Reddish-brown hair tied into two pigtails? Double check. Wearing the same green armband as Uiharu? Check, check, and check! Ladies and gentlemen: Kuroko Shirai - Teleporter, member of Judgement, and Misaka's roommate, has appeared.

"Oh, Kuroko!" Misaka said as she turned her head around to face the pigtailed brunette hanging onto her like a monkey. "What brings you here? Are you on duty?" Kuroko began to laugh – not in the "ha ha ha" sort of way, the haughty "hmm, hmm hmm!" way, if that makes sense – as she let go of Misaka and touched down on the ground.

"Just what I'd expect from you, Onee-sama!" Kuroko replied, as if she just deduced a riddle like in a mystery novel. "You are correct! I was out here on patrol, but to think, that we would happen upon each other at this humble café!" She paused for a second, taking on a rather flamboyant-looking pose. What? "Could it be fate that allowed us to cross paths like this? Could it be that you're finally admitting your true feelings for me? Oh, Onee-sam-GAH!" Kuroko jumped into Misaka's arms in a lover's embrace, or at least that was her plan. Before she could come into contact, however, Misaka stopped her by shoving her hand in her face. And I don't mean just simply stopping her before she came into contact, I mean her hand made contact with Kuroko's face and completely halted her entire forward momentum, briefly suspending her in the air.

Just what the hell would you call that? I know Misaka is pretty strong, as it comes with the territory of being the 3rd-strongest esper, but I don't think she'd be strong enough to freakin' defy the laws of physics! I've seen shit like this before in anime – usually for comedic purposes - but to actually see it happen in real-time? I just couldn't do anything but stare in surprise and disbelief. Issac Newton would probably be rolling around in his grave right about now.

"Jeez! Can't you greet me more normally?" Misaka asked in annoyance. She withdrew her hand and Kuroko landed back on the ground.

From there, I just continued to stare, watching the two of them as they started going back forth with each other, with Misaka chiding Kuroko for her antics and Kuroko trying to downplay them as her "expressing her love and admiration." At some point, I sort-of started to zone out.

Ah yes, how can I forget the usual antics of one Kuroko Shirai? She didn't just admire Misaka, she loves her, and I mean really, really, REALLY loves her! Every chance she gets, Kuroko tries to get intimate with or perform other kinds of lewd acts upon Misaka, to which she obviously doesn't reciprocate in the very least. Nine times out of ten, Kuroko winds up as the victim of Misaka's electric wrath, but hey, she brings it upon herself, though whether you can consider it a fitting punishment for her, or something she doesn't mind receiving….. yeah. I probably wouldn't put it past her if she does enjoy it.

Also, side note, it's good to hear Kuroko refer to Misaka as "Onee-sama" and not….. whatever the hell she called her in the English dub. What was that word again?

...

… OH YEAH! It was "Sissy!" Jeez, even when I watched the dub, that little change always bugged the hell out of me. Sissy sounds like something a really little kid would call their big sister. Also, isn't sissy another word for a wimp or something? I couldn't even begin to imagine what Funimation was thinking when they came up with that! I could understand that they had to pick a word that would match up with the mouth flaps when the characters were speaking but come on! Couldn't they come up with something different, like Big Sis? At least that had the same amount of syllables as Sissy. And come to think of it, Index wasn't the only anime to use that word for their dub either, wasn't it?

Man, English dubs can be so weird sometimes I swear.

"Oi!"

I all but jumped as Kuroko got up in my face suddenly, giving me a suspicious look. She was practically climbing over the table, though thankfully she didn't knock over my food. Well, to be fair, I was just sitting here looking at them for a long time without saying anything, making Kuroko's reaction justified, but still though. She was too close to my face!

"And just who may you be?" Kuroko asked as she continued to stare at me. How long is she gonna be up close and personal? I'm nervous enough as it is, do I really need to feel uncomfortable too?. I hate it when people get too close to me like that.

"Kuroko, knock it off!" Misaka protested, causing Kuroko to look at her. I used the chance to back away in my seat slowly. "He's a friend of mine!"

"A friend, huh?" Kuroko asked skeptically, before getting off the table. She turned to face me again; eyeing me up and down to take in every detail of my being. "Good day to you, my name is Kuroko Shirai." She greeted me, followed by giving a curtsey. I never had anyone greet me so formally before, so that came off as a surprise, though that paled in comparison to the surprise I got almost immediately afterwards. Before I knew it, she got up in my face again. Goddamnit! Stop violating my personal space! "So tell me, just why are you here with Onee-sama? As her herald and lifelong partner, it is my sworn duty to know the true extent of your relationship with her!"

"Kuroko!" Misaka once again protested. Her face was starting to turn a little red.

"Hey, I'm not saying that I don't believe you Onee-sama-" Kuroko looked back at Misaka again, and I tried to back away again. "-I just want to hear it from him personally." Annnnnndddddd she's back in my face. Again. Fuck me!

Kuroko just continued to glare at me, like she was staring into my soul or something. Just what does she want from me? Whatever it is, it better not be what I think it is. Better nip this in the bud real quick!

"Uh, um, uh-" I stuttered. Kuroko just raised an eyebrow. Come on man! Speak up! "M-Misaka's correct M-Miss… Kuroko, right?" God this is nerve-wracking! Calm down! Calm down! You can do this! "T-The two of us are f-friends, and s-she's helping m-me- showing me around, I m-mean to say….. I-I, um-"

"Stop!" Kuroko suddenly cut me off as she put a hand to my face. "There's no need to say anything more. I think it's clear what's really going on here!"

What is she- Wait….. No…. No! Don't tell me she's-

"You are trying to engage in a lover's tryst with Onee-sama!" Kuroko declared as she made to point at me. In that instant, every nerve in my body went rigid as my mind completely blanked out. She did- She really- She really did just- I…..

"K-Kuroko!" My feeble attempts at constructing a coherent train of thought were put to an end as Misaka called out to Kuroko in indignation, as I felt something slam down into the table. I looked over and saw Misaka was standing up now. Her face was beet red. "I-It's not like that! Like I said before, we're just-"

"There's no need to deny it Onee-sama." Kuroko interrupted Misaka. "It's bad enough that that troglodyte has seduced you, but now an older man is trying to trick you with this secret lovers' rendezvous; just so he can take advantage of a fair maiden such as yourself." Am not! I didn't plan such a thing! Just how the hell did she come to that conclusion?

"I-I…. I-" I tried to say something, but my throat suddenly got so dry and scratchy that my voice sounded muted. Nobody heard a word I said, or tried to say; almost as if I wasn't even here.

"That's a lie!" Misaka yelled incredulously. "And what does that idiot have to do with any of this, huh?!"

From there, I watched as the two of them were bickering with each other, but for the life of me, I couldn't keep up with what they were saying. It slowly went from sounding coherent to sounding like a bunch of "blah's" being said in rapid succession. I should really be stepping in right now to have my say in this and defend myself, but what my mind wanted me to do and what my body was currently doing at the moment forced me into a deadlock.

I was practically frozen and stiff; like a statue. My mouth was just gaping, and I meant that by every stretch of the definition! If my jaw could reach all the way to the ground, it would've not only done that, but then proceeded to bore its way to the center of the earth. That's how heavy this situation felt. I still couldn't believe this was happening. Kuroko not only accused me of going on a date with Misaka, but she insinuated that I was going to perform- no, force her into doing inappropriate things with me. Why- Just- No! No no no!

I am NOT a scumbag! I would never do those kinds of things to Misaka, let alone a woman in general! I thought Kuroko only ragged on Touma since he was the person Misaka was interested in, so why was I being accused of being a threat to her? Was it because I was a young man and not middle-aged or some shit? For fuck's sake, I'm like 10+ years older than Touma, so wouldn't Kuroko have paid me no mind due to me being an adult?

Why is this-

Wait. Wait just a minute.

…..

Oh! OH HELL NO! Was this-

"FUCK!" I mentally swore as the lightbulb in my head shattered into pieces as the revelation dawned on me.

This was Japan. This was another country, so there were significant cultural differences being thrust in my direction. You see, I learned a long time ago that the age of consent here was between 13-14 years old. Not to mention, A LOT of shoujo romance manga/anime have a forbidden love angle going on that depict the female lead at a young age - usually a teenager - while her love interest is like 10 or so years older than her. Was that what Kuroko thought was going on between us? She thought we were in that kind of relationship? Just because I was a young man who just so happened to be with a teenage girl in public; just the two of us? And that little coincidence gave Kuroko ammo for accusing me - without evidence nor giving us a chance to explain ourselves, mind you - for no reason other than petty jealousy? All that, and it was for something as absurd and cringy as that?

Fuck to the hell no!

We may be acquainted with each other, but I am not, nor will I ever be, sexually attracted to Misaka! I was born and raised in the United States, you know, where the age of consent is eight-fucking-teen?! I practically have that hardwired to my brain - both on a lawful and moral level - and I have perfectly normal sexual interests. I'm 26 years old, and Misaka is like what, 13? 14 years old? She's young enough to be my kid sister for Christ's sake! Sure, seeing her up close, Misaka was a very cute girl, and sure, I'll bet that a lot of boys her age have hit on her more times than she would care to remember, but that's not the point! I'm an adult who likes women around my age, and it'll stay that way til the day I die! End of discussion!

…..Still though, it hurts. It hurts so much. I was so hung up on this that at some point I was blocking everything else out. I couldn't even hear the banter between Misaka and Kuroko anymore, but at that point, I just didn't care.

I know what kind of person I am; I know I'd never do anything to hurt anyone, but to have Kuroko – let alone someone – make me out to be someone who's less than human – to reject the very foundation for which my being was nurtured and raised – for such a petty reason, and not even giving me an opportunity to explain myself nor refute these baseless accusations?

I just wanted to crawl into bed somewhere and cry. And cry. And cry until I fell asleep.

"GAHHHHHH!"

A sudden scream caused me to jolt up from my lying position. Wait, why was my vision blurry? I wiped my eyes and- yep, those were tears. Damn it, not again! I quickly wiped my eyes and saw- HOLY SHIT! Misaka's covered in sparks! When did that-

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kuroko sprawled out on the ground, twitching, smoking, and covered in dirt. I quickly put 2 and 2 together and realized just what happened. Of course it was only a matter of time before Misaka would lose her capacity to deal with Kuroko's bullshit. And the result? Being on the receiving end of a little "shock therapy." Man, did I really just not hear that discharge going off? Did I really mentally block out all semblance of background noise? And shouldn't I have felt just a little shock? Maybe. Maybe it happened to me and I just didn't notice? I didn't know, but I think I should try saying something now. Slowly, I made to speak.

"M-Misaka?" I stammered, sniffling as I did so. Misaka looked back at me with a neutral expression.

"Oh, don't worry about Kuroko Slater." Misaka said as she nonchalantly sat back in her chair. "She can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I know how to deal with her when she gets like that."

"Damn it!" I could've sworn I heard her say something under her breath before she went back to sipping her drink, almost as if Kuroko weren't there to begin with. Man, you'd have to be a really special person to just punish someone and then casually go about your business soon afterwards. Yeah, Kuroko really did hit a soft spot didn't she? Best to tread lightly in this situation so Misaka can calm down from that, or else I might end up like Kuroko.

Slowly, I looked all around the surrounding area. With everything that just went down, there was no way that-

Oh god, there were people staring at us! I quickly looked away; my face was completely flushed again. Why was I so surprised? Of course they'd be staring at us! A freak electrical mishap would be impossible not to see, especially if it came from the Railgun of Tokiwadai. I'm surprised that they haven't kicked us out, or worse, called the cops on us! I may not have done anything to warrant that kind of reaction, but they're not gonna care one bit!

I shifted around nervously. Damn it! I need to something to calm myself down, but what?

*GROWL*

Oh right, my food! Quickly, I made to grab my burger, which was a little colder now thanks to Kuroko and her antics. Regardless, I took a bite and- Wow! This was great! This is probably one of the best burgers I've ever had. I wonder how the fries tasted. Almost immediately, I grabbed a small handful and shoved them in my mouth and- Oh my god these fries taste really good! Everything might be a little colder, but that doesn't make the taste less prevalent.

After everything that just happened, I really needed this. I guess comfort food was useful no matter what problems you're troubled with. Although if you're like me and were jettisoned a couple worlds away from home, then stuff like comfort food would kind of be moot, wouldn't it? Oh well, can't do everything all at once.

Still though, I wonder what else awaits me in Academy City. First there was that terrorist attack, then there were those thugs, then I met Misaka, who promptly interrogated me before deciding to help me, and finally I met Kuroko, who tried to interrogate me for completely different reasons. It's hard to believe that all that shit went down in one day, and the day itself wasn't even over yet. Was this what it felt like to live a day in the life of Misaka Mikoto, and to a greater extent, Touma Kamijou? To be honest, the very thought gave me goosebumps.

God, I hope the rest of the day is uneventful.