AUTHOR PREAMBLE: This may be considered a short and simple one-shot, set in the AU based upon "A Certain Search After Truth", and which can be considered as taking place before the events of that story. It was sort-of inspired by the picture posted alongside the story.
Except for any original characters and situations introduced within this story, all characters and situations depicted herein are © KAZUMA KAMACHI/ASCII MEDIA WORKS/PROJECT-INDEX.
The location is a certain room on the upper floor of A Certain High School, located within District 7 of Academy City. The door was, for the moment closed. Then, there was a knock on the door, followed by a voice saying: "Pardon the intrusion."
In the next moment, two young ladies, one blonde-haired, the other bearing chocolate-colored hair, each wearing the standard uniform of Tokiwadai Middle School entered the room, one by one. The chocolate-colored-haired girl, being the second one to enter, closed the door behind them.
Already within the room, were two persons. One was a young man wearing sunglasses, in addition to a jacket over a Hawaiian print shirt and the slacks which is part of the standard male uniform of A Certain High School. The other was a young lady, wearing the standard female uniform of said School, with the short skirt replaced by a longer one. Both of the high-schoolers, at that moment, were seated on opposite sides of an office desk; the girl had two chairs on either side of the one upon which she was sitting.
Roughly two to three seconds elapsed before the female high-schooler, otherwise known as Kumokawa Seria, spoke again in a rather cool tone: "Thank you for accepting my invitation to come today, Mitsuari-san, Shokuhou-san."
There was a brief pause as the two Tokiwadai female students exchanged puzzled glances with each other.
A moment later, the blonde girl known as Shokuhou Misaki replied: "Speaking for myself, I am here as per your request, Kumokawa-san, but I'd like to believe that you had something else in mind besides perhaps demonstrating some sort of high-schooler extra-curricular ability."
"Based on my own circumstances, I'm inclined to agree with Shokuhou-san on that point." remarked the chocolate-colored-haired girl known as Mitsuari Ayu.
One could almost feel the undercurrent present that, to put it simply, there was little if any friendship or camaraderie between the three ladies present. And, by virtue of his being (very literally) a spy with ties to numerous organizations both within and without Academy City, the young man known as Tsuchimikado Motoharu in some circles, and also as the Backstabbing Blade in others, did indeed recognize the two visitors from Tokiwadai, even if he himself had no formal or direct interaction with either of them until today.
To the responses of both Ayu and Misaki, Seria replied: "Oh, indeed there is something specific in mind that prompted me to invite you here as I did. Specifically, it also concerns this underclassman of mine, whom I will permit to introduce himself to you ... politely, of course." The tone of her words indicated that no hi-jinks or funny business of any kind would be tolerated at that moment.
Turning in his seat to face the pair of Tokiwadai students, the young man spoke for the first time since this scenario began to unfold: "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, even under these present circumstances, nya. You may refer to me as Tsuchimikado Motoharu."
Before he could say anything further, Seria cut in rather smoothly: "It's possible they may refer to you by another name, once they have been brought up to speed regarding your activities involving ... a mutual acquaintance of ours. And I might add I'm referring to what might be considered some less-than-pleasant activities."
Upon those words, the atmosphere in the room shifted in a most peculiar manner, as, up till this point, there was only one person in all of Academy City, if not the whole world, who could be considered a mutual acquaintance to Misaki, Ayu and Seria.
Almost simultaneously, if he had not been wearing sunglasses, one or more of the ladies present might have noticed a flash in Tsuchimikado's eyes at his upperclassman's reply.
Seria spoke again, this time directing her words to Ayu and Misaki: "You ladies may take a seat, after which I will fill you in on the particular details, as I have them."
Ayu spoke at that moment, even as she moved to sit in the chair on Seria's right: "I will admit, at this moment, you've captured my interest towards this matter, Kumokawa-san."
Misaki responded in similar manner as she took the seat on Seria's left: "Mine also."
Once her guests were seated, Seria went on: "Without wasting any more time, I shall now cut to the chase. First: in October of this year; when, unbeknownst to most, our mutual acquaintance was absent from both school and this City, it turned out that he was practically carried off to England. Apparently, someone tossed some sort of knock-out gas into his dorm, and had him carted away to the City's airport."
"My, my ... that sounds rather dangerous, doesn't it?" remarked Ayu.
Tsuchimikado spoke up somewhat quickly at that moment: "If I may say so, while I'm not at liberty to divulge certain things, it was a very urgent matter that needed immediate action. Plus, I can assure you Kami-yan has earned the gratitude of no less than the British Royal Family for his presence and assistance in that matter."
To that comment, it was Misaki who spoke next: "Oh, and if my memory ability serves me right, the British Royal Family consists of the Queen and three Princesses."
There was silence for a second or two, as if some were waiting for any implications of that statement to sink in.
Seria spoke again: "Second; in mid-November, just before a strange occurrence involving all the Level 5 Espers and others, our mutual acquaintance somehow ended up concealed in a box ... a box which on command from the outside, opened up, inside a occupied changing room within School Garden."
Misaki responded at that moment: "Ah, I do recall part of that incident. Fortunately for Kamijou-san I was able to lead him to safety, as a very angry Misaka-san was in hot pursuit, and intending to do serious damage, even if possibly she did not know the identity of the gentleman who was in that box."
Even as Misaki finished speaking, all three ladies trained their eyes directly upon Tsuchimikado. Suffice it to say that there was nothing pleasant or friendly in those stares.
Tsuchimikado quickly interjected: "Once more, it was strictly professional duties. I assure you all it was nothing personal against Kami-Yan."
Seria responded to that interjection: "So you say. And third; this is perhaps the most serious to date of your extra-curricular activities ..."
Roughly a second later, Ayu and Misaki received a message on their respective phones. On checking, each saw a photograph of a tall, black-haired, and rather physically endowed woman, wearing some sort of costume. Both turned slowly to look at Seria.
Seria resumed speaking: "It took a while to get certain details, but what you're looking at is someone wearing what is referred to in some circles as the Fallen Angel Ero-Maid Costume. Moreover, a certain person had arranged to have said woman wear that costume in Kamijou Touma's presence, for the purpose of ... I believe the appropriate term is ... 'ship-teasing'."
Ayu responded in a strangely low voice: "Oh, now this is indeed a serious issue ... attempting to ship-tease Touma-san with, on first glance, I presume the costume wearer to be a girl from outside the City."
Misaki also spoke at that moment in a similar low tone of voice: "And just as significant, if not moreso, ... the one demonstrating this cosplay ability is certainly not one of us."
Tsuchimikado spoke up at that moment: "Ahh, ... well perhaps if I'd known ..."
"The deed has already been done, Tsuchimikado-kun." Seria politely yet firmly cut him off with another interjection of her own.
Seria's next words were directed primarily to Ayu and Misaki: "Now then, with all that said, my investigations have confirmed that my underclassman here was the person behind these activities. While on the one hand, it is good that Kamijou made it back to this City, relatively safe and sound, it remains to be decided how this one shall answer for his actions in that regard."
Misaki and Ayu, each training a rather cold stare towards Tsuchimikado, replied almost immediately:
"Guilty. Impose Punishment."
Even though any expression in his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, it was at that moment that Tsuchimikado Motoharu thought or said to himself:
"Uh-Oh."
Now, having got that out of my system, so-to-speak, I will now return any readers following me to my current story, still in progress.
