Greetings to all!
I'd say something smart, witty, and funny here.
But I'm none of those things.
Shout-out to FrodoFighter for critiquing this chapter for me! Great dude, pointed out some factors I didn't consider before and I'm glad I asked for his help.
There is a saying somewhere that, in life, there is no such thing as coincidence.
Everything, from the most grand to the most miniscule things, happens for a reason. Nothing in this world simply 'happens' for no reason whatsoever. Large or small, every incident had an overarching purpose that we, as individuals, cannot fathom. Of course people will counter that belief in any way, shape, or form they can. Be it logical or illogical, people will refuse to believe in something just because they cannot see the overarching purpose. Nothing was wrong with that, it was a very human thing to doubt or shun something they do not fully understand. But all the same there was some comfort to be had from this belief.
Take Frenda for example.
This fluffy blonde girl held onto this particular belief. If she did not die on a job then she took it as a sign that it was not her time to do so. Killing others merely 'upped' the chances of her survival, meaning that her odds went up with every life she took. Factors like skill and experience did play a large part in her survival up to this point. And yes the foreign blonde girl could also (begrudgingly) admit to making mistakes from time to time on the job. Yet, in spite of those mishaps, she did not die, overcame the odds, and ultimately came out of those instances alive.
It was not a matter of chance, fate, or anything else of the sort.
She lived simply because it was not her time to die; plain and simple.
Such was her belief anyway.
Speaking of Frenda, for once we did not find her in the presence of the other members of ITEM's small circle. She was alone this time around, currently roaming through District 7 doing her own thing during her time off. The weather was humid, hot, with an absence of any wind to help cool things down. By this point it should be inexplicably clear that summer was in full swing. On top of that it was a Saturday, mid afternoon, roughly somewhere between 1:00 and 1:30pm. That meant that most schools were dismissing students around this time since today was a half-day.
Frenda was one of those people and thus was exposed to this blistering heat.
"Just a few more days left and basically summer vacation starts."
Who talks to themselves like this?
...rhetorical question: do not answer.
Perhaps this was just a means to put herself into a better mood and ignore the heat wave. Should that indeed be the case then, suffice to say, it was not working. She still appeared to be looking miserable as she trudged along down the road. Cumbersome was what it felt like, especially with her school bag hanging on her shoulder. Her goal was to simply get home and indulge in the cozy confines of an air conditioned room. From there she would just lounge around the apartment until the rest arrived. That remained to be the plan, albeit the process of getting there felt like it was taking forever to accomplish.
"Basically, I gotta get out of this heat..."
The Frenda does not do well in heated environments it seemed.
You would think she would considering the fact that she uses explosives.
Disregarding that for now, Frenda's motivation to proceed straight home was starting to become more and more difficult. Obviously considering how her eyes were scanning her surroundings in the hopes of finding comfort in the shade. Several places did catch her eye, mostly outdoor cafes selling products to stave off the dreaded heat. However, as she took in her environment, her sky blue orbs caught sight of someone who stuck out within the crowd. Well, he stuck out to her at least considering how often she had to look for him. If not for the circumstances surrounding him then she probably would not have noticed him.
Kamijou Touma, the one person who she had not seen for quite some time.
Roughly three weeks time if she were to try and be specific.
Now here he was, across the street from her, in his usual uniform and looking just as hot and miserable as everyone else. Also, not hot in the case of attractiveness; heavens no she did not find him attractive in the slightest. Frenda did not perk up from seeing him out here due to him being eye-catching, definitely not. In all truthfulness she had come to miss stal- observing him and Mugino over the past three weeks. As Kinuhata had suggested, she and the rest of the Stalking Trio had mutually agreed to leave the two alone. Mostly to give time for Mugino's guard to lower and thus avoid being caught.
In this instance, however, Kamijou was alone and seemed to be making a beeline for a specific destination. Despite her previous intentions, Frenda could not contain herself. She was inquisitive as to what the boy was up to; of that she could not deny. Plus, as she said once before, there was a great deal about the two that she and the others did not know. To that end, what was the harm in checking up on the boy that had somehow caught the eye of ITEM's tyrannical leader? So long as Mugino was not around, there should not have been too much of a problem to scoping out the boy when he was by his lonesome.
"Now, where are you heading off too lover-boy?"
In the unlikely event that she got the chance, she would be sure to thank him for having spiky hair. If it was not for this factor then she most certainly would have lost him in the flood of folk. Based on what she could see, from her place across the street anyway, he did not look to be in any hurry. Wherever he was going he was taking his sweet time in getting there. At least that was how it seemed anyway, for all she knew the heat may have enticed him to pick up the pace a little bit. Hard to tell when she was only able to see the back of his head.
She could only hope that he got there soon.
Seriously, this heat wave was killing her.
Fortunately for her, it did not take long for her salvation to show itself.
Said salvation came in the form of the moderately sized park; one which she was growing increasingly familiar with.
Actually...
"Hang on, I remember this place." Granted it took her a few moments but she did in fact recall seeing this place before. "...yeah this is basically where we found Mugino waiting for him the first time."
Thanks for the exposition, but please stop talking to yourself Frenda.
Her verbal musing, however, did raise quite a few curious flags. What was he doing here on a Saturday afternoon after school? What was the point in coming to a place like this? Surely it could not be the scenery as there were plenty of parks like this littered around the district. A rendezvous theory was not a far-fetched one considering who this person was. As there was no doubt that this place could be where he agreed to meet with Mugino. Yet that did not answer the question as to why this place in particular was chosen.
"It's a pretty weird location for basically a simple meet-up if you ask me." Nobody is asking you Frenda, so why are you still talking to yourself like a crazy person? "Besides, Mugino's school is nowhere near this place; so why meet him here instead of somewhere closer? I mean, this is pretty out of the way for her."
Discarding the fact that she was talking to herself, Frenda's voiced inquiries did have some merit to them. Which further spurred the blonde girl's belief that this place was chosen specifically.
So then why; what was it about this unassuming land that was so important to set it up as the meeting place? Was this another factor that was tied into the secret origins of their relationship? Or was she, perhaps, reading into this too much and making baseless assumptions? Surely that stood as a possibility all things considered and given how critically she was looking into every small detail. Over speculating sometimes gave rise to radical theories that ultimately turned out to be inconclusive.
Despite that awareness Frenda did not discard her initial assumptions for the time being. Nor did she stray too far behind Kamijou as he kept down the path leading deeper into the park. She continued to keep those thoughts and follow him in spite of the risk of running into the #4. Nothing could be gained through inaction in an investigation as grand (not really) as this. The Curious Case of Mugino Shizuri's Love-Life was a mystery she fully intended to solve.
Which, when put in that way...actually sounded like a title to a story.
Oi, Frenda, next time be sure to grab a note-pad!
This could be a gateway leading towards a cleaner career path for you!
Future occupation aside, Frenda silently thanked this District's planner for the park. Thanks to the abundance of trees most of the paths were in heavily shaded areas. With the lack of sunlight baring down on her she was able to actually feel some relief by comparison to the open streets like before. You would think that the many high-rise buildings would provide at least some shade. Sadly they did not, or at least not enough by comparison to this place. A likely reason was due to the flora and fauna constantly providing dimness thanks to its constant exposure to the sun. Either that or it just gave off a cooler atmosphere due to the water sources scattered about in the park.
Sprinklers, ponds, fountains; things of that nature that subtly implant the suggestion of a fresher, less humid, environment.
It would explain why people liked to visit parks like these so much. Everyone needed an escape the dull and sometimes cold confines of the concrete jungle. Exchanging that for the vibrant greenery of this or any park was a welcome and necessary change to some people. Sure there was the mountain plains in another district but that was too far out of the way for most. There was also the fact that there was fuck all to do except soak up the landscape.
And that got boring after five minutes or so.
"Ah-ha! There you are!"
Frenda, in her state of bliss, balked as a result of this sudden announcement.
"Shit!"
Panic set in as she practically slammed her back into the trunk of the nearest tree the instant the voice was heard. The harsh nature of this action erected a painful throb from the base of her neck to the small of her back. Such a thing, however, mattered little in the grand scheme of things. So long as she was not seen then the price of this pain was totally worth it. Based on where the voice had come from it was safe for her to assume that she was unlikely to be noticed. Said voice came from two o'clock, making its origin in front of both herself and Kamijou.
"...are we really doing this again?" His tone did not belie his exasperation as his question was followed with a loud sigh. "I thought we were past the point of you trying to ambush me at every turn biri-biri."
Ambush? What sort of person announces their presence in an ambush!? That was like screaming out 'Sneak Attack!' mid-charge after successfully avoiding detection!
Also, what was with that nickname?
"I told you to stop calling me biri-biri already!" Ah, looks like someone also did not approve of the little pet-name either. "I have a name, it's Misaka Mikoto, and it's not that hard to remember idiot!"
Misaka Mikoto.
"Why does that name sound so familiar?"
...Misaka Mikoto...
Nerves returning, Frenda took the moment to peek her head out from behind the wide truck of the tree. The first person she laid her eyes on was, of course, Kamijou's back. From there she simply had to follow the direction in which his spiky head was facing. Sadly the girl's full visage was not as clear as it otherwise would be thanks to some of the foliage obscuring her vision. She was, luckily enough, able to make out her facial appearance; notably the girl's short chestnut brown hair and the plain looking hairclip. More than that, however, Frenda was able to see something else as that helped jump-start her memory.
That being the sparks of electricity dancing along the fringes of her hair. Said sparks grew in intensity the longer her narrowed eyes gazed at the boy. Her agitation was quite clear and she did not appear to be showing any measure of restraint in terms of controlling herself. Which was never a good thing considering how a single careless action could result in an accidental catastrophe. Of course Frenda was not about to run up and tell the girl this; nope, no sir. Even if she wanted to, the blonde had a sneaking suspicion that the girl loved by electrons would not heed the warnings.
Because at this point the girl was able to match the name with the power currently being put on display. This girl, Misaka Mikoto, was most likely sporting a Tokiwadai uniform. Which meant that, if her assumption was correct, this was the presumed 'Ace' of Tokiwadai, The Railgun, and the #3 Level 5. And, by default, someone who Frenda would stand no chance against as this was a girl who stood in the same place as Mugino. That knowledge, that awareness, was enough to almost make the blonde back-peddle out of the immediate area; key word being almost.
She braved the threat of Mugino's wrath on several occasions in the past.
If she could brave that monster thenshe could tackle this one all the same.
"Sure sure, whatever you say biri-biri." Responded the boy as he rummaged his hand through his spiky hair. "Did you need something from me? I've got plans today so you'll have to excuse this Kamijou if he isn't in the mood to play."
Touma, it seemed, did not get the memo about who he was currently dealing with; that or he did and chose not give a damn. Hard to say, he did woo one Level 5 already, and that very well may have been the key to his success in that department. Granted that did not stop Frenda from openly gaping at the sheer audacity Kamijou had. Talking to a Level 5 in this manner, especially with said Level 5 showing signs of open hostility, was practically a death sentence! Did dating the Meltdowner inflate his ego or was he stupid enough to not know who that girl was!?
No, he had to have known who she was.
He had to know she was a Level 5, right?
"I've been taking this seriously since the start! Stop writing me off like some delusional child and fight me seriously already!"
"Fight you? Why would I ever seriously fight some rich middle school girl?"
His answer did not come in a verbal statement from the rich girl in question. Rather it came in the form of a mass of electricity collating to a single point near the base of the girl's forehead. As the overall output of electrical energy continued to climb the girl's visage grew increasingly less visible thanks to the light such energies were generating around her. Blinding was what it was, so much so that Frenda had to shield her eyes just to keep herself from seeing spots. Even then it did not help and as such she eventually had to duck back behind her cover to avoid directly looking at it.
Because of this she was left unable to witness the inevitable outcome that followed.
"Gaaaah~!"
Mhm, yup, that was the sound of barbeque boyfriend.
"Mugino's not gonna be hap—"
"Are you crazy! Can you at least do that somewhere that won't cause the surroundings to catch fire!?"
Spots may have littered Frenda's vision, but that did not stop her head from shooting out from behind the tree once more. Lo and behold she found Kamijou Touma still alive and well; completely unscathed from the #3's assault. How? How did he accomplish such a feat? She saw it, he was obviously attacked, and yet there was not even a blemish on him. Aside from his raised right hand he did not even appear to have moved an inch.
"D-don't be stupid, I made sure to keep the output low enough to avoid that from happening! B-besides, it's your fault for pissing me off with your stupid comments anyway!"
"Don't lie! You completely forgot and it's only dumb luck that nothing caught fire!" Frenda had to take Kamijou's side on this one; that was pure dumb luck. "Also how is it my fault that you get upset so easily!? Blaming your insecurities on other people is bad manners! Don't they teach you that in that fancy school of yours!?"
"S-shut up idiot! What's rude is you treating me like I'm some little kid! Now quite messing around and fight me seriously dammit!"
Bolts of electrical current shot out from her person as she put her foot down. Literally, the simple action of stomping in place caused this, although Kamijou was not close enough to suffer from the effects of the action. It did, however, cause the bulbs from some of the lamp posts near them to burst thanks to the overcharge. Still, Kamijou looked about ready to take action; knees bent and his grip tightening around the handle of his school-bag. He looked ready to fight, which was laughable in itself, but all the same something that perked Frenda's interest.
Sure, there was no doubt he would lose, but the subject of his Esper ability had been a nagging question in the back of her mind.
"Nope, too busy, gotta go-bye~!"
And then Kamijou proceeded to run away.
Surprised yet?
Did not think so.
"Oi, you get back here and fight me dammit!"
Mikoto, in her frustration, did not waste a second in pursuing the spiky haired boy as he went deeper into the park. Thanks to their individual positions, Touma was fortunate enough to have had a reasonable head-start. Skipping a few steps near the base of the stone stairs rectified that; making Mikoto not too far behind him. In the aftermath of their departure there was absolute stillness in the area. No movement to speak of whatsoever. One could truly feel the tranquility in the air as a soft breeze swept through it and rustled the leaves from the trees above.
Quite an experience, plus the breeze felt nice given the current outdoor temperature.
"GAAAAAAAAH!" Was the frustrated wailings of the solitary stalker who was currently engaged in tugging at her own hair. "Pansy! He's a huge, spineless, uninteresting pansy! Show some backbone, do something cool, be manly; I don't care what! But basically do something, anything, that makes sense of why Mugino's dating your cowardly-ass!"
Ouch.
Um...
Words hurt Frenda.
Given how loud she was being it was certainly a good thing she forestalled her outrage for as long as she did. Otherwise it would have definitely landed her some unwanted attention. She needed this though; needed to vent out her frustrations. There was really no telling what she would do if she did not let those bottled up exasperations out here and now. Shoot, if she had not done so, she may have ended up cheering the Railgun on in the background.
Did that imply she was going to stop pursuing them?
Hell no, if anything it made her want to watch the #3 turn the idiot into a taser victim.
To do that, however, meant that she had to catch up with them first.
Seemed as though Frenda was blessed with good fortune today. For it did not take long for the blonde girl to eventually catch up with the duo. It was due largely in part to the Electromaster's consistent usage of her powers as she gave chase to the unlucky Kamijou as he ran. Hard as it would be to miss the several bright flashes of light even through the vibrant foliage that made up the park itself. Although that did serve to aid Seivelun in locating the two parties, it did not alleviate her worries about treading too close.
Not that the issue of closeness was something to be concerned about.
"Ha...ha...oh my god how can anyone be running around in this heeeeat!?" The Frenda, again, does not fare well in warm environments. "Bah...bah...basically, why couldn't they do this on a cooler day or something? Don't they know overexertion during high temperatures can lead to heat strokes?"
Bear in mind that the temperature was around 33 degrees Celsius; or roughly 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Meaning that it was indeed pretty hot out and Frenda's woes were justified to some degree (heh). That did not forgive her from her pathetic form when chasing after the two individuals. Nor did it forgive her for having allowed such a large gap to stand between her and the target's she was pursuing. Caution did not excuse this display of physical ineptitude by any margin.
Perhaps next time Frenda would do well in remembering to keep herself hydrated.
But let us digress from the wellness topic.
Even with such a degree of distance separating her from the others she could still see the bright flashes coming from her front. The hairs on her skin stood on edge due to the amount of electricity still lingering about in the air around this place. Scorch marks, a direct result of the Tokiwadai girl missing her target, were scattered about in various areas along the otherwise unblemished pathway. Frenda could even detect the lingering smell of nitric oxide caused by the Electromaster's use of her ability.
Yeesh, restraining yourself much biri-biri?
"Ha...ha...seriously though, how is he not dead yet?"
We will pointedly not question why the blonde was still talking to herself and instead focus on the question itself. How did Kamijou manage to make it this far and survive of so long? Especially taking into account that this was a Level 5 and the typical Electromaster behind it. One would be inclined to think that someone like him would not pose much of an issue to the girl; yet that proved to not be the case. Rather it was the opposite, Touma was proving to be a bigger hassle than what was to be expected of him. Nothing about that statement was normal; not even in the slightest.
So what was he doing that made him so elusive to even the likes of a Level 5?
Such were the stagnant thoughts of the fluffy blonde girl as she pathetically chased after the two. Although her resolve was still primarily tied to seeing him get turned into quivering mess at the hands of the Railgun. However, there was no denying that finding an answer to that nagging question was of equal importance.
Mostly equal anyway.
As in, like, just barely landing in second place sort of way.
Eventually, however, Frenda came to see that the distant back of the Railgun start to disappear. Not due to distance but rather because her form had seemed to descend downwards; indicating steps. This blocked perspective did not prevent her from seeing yet another bright flash of electricity beyond the horizon.
"—top running away and just fight me already!"
"Didn't I already tell you that I'm busy today!?"
That was the verbal combat that was taking place as Frenda came closer to the spot she saw Misaka descending from. What she stumbled upon was a small little resting area with a table, two chairs, and a vending machine. It also served as an intersection for three other paths with some leading into or out of the park itself. While the spot by the steps was not particularly great, the area below did have a few patches of shade that could provide some comfort to those who needed relief from the glaring sun above.
Most of those details were overall irrelevant at this particular moment in time. The only piece that did hold any relevance was the vending machine, as that was what Kamijou currently had his back pinned against. As for the Railgun, Misaka Mikoto, she was standing directly in front of him. It should also be mentioned that he was currently on his ass, meaning she was looking down on him; completely with her hands on her hips and everything. She must have tripped him up during that last lightning strike of hers, though it's hard to say for certain.
Certainly not the most ideal situation to find oneself in; back against the wall (vending machine) with no escape route in sight. Such a scenario would be bad in any situation regarding an Esper. It was made worse by the knowledge that this Esper was a Level 5.
"Yeah yeah, your busy; so you keep telling me every single time we meet." The monotony that stood apparent in the Railgun's huffy tone was the only thing that overshadowed her vexation of the topic itself. "What's got you busy this time then? Is it another sale at the supermarket or is it you trying to find some lost cat? Or is it some other excuse to avoid taking my challenge seriously?"
"It's nothing like that and it's not an excuse if it's the truth!" Hard to tell if his rebuke was in defense of the previous encounters, this one in particular, or both. We will just assume he means both and carry on. "Besides, even if I didn't already have plans, I wouldn't seriously fight some rich girl who's still in middle school! Honestly what do you think this is; some sorta Shounen battle manga?"
If that last part was reserved for only himself to hear then he failed. Because if Frenda, who was at a much greater distance, could hear it than so too could Mikoto; who was literally right in front of him. Sure enough, following those words, came a nice dusting of red tint across the girl's cheeks. Whether or not it was due to being flustered or the heat was anyone's guess.
"W-what's that supposed to mean!? The only reason I even waste my time on you is because I haven't been able to beat you yet!"
"Uh-huh, right; so when are you gonna stop 'challenging' me to these fights exactly?"
"After I beat you, obviously." Stated Misaka casually, her arms crossed and her chest puffed out in clear assurance of that particular outcome. That smug pose was discarded, however, upon hearing him sigh; which caused her to stomp in place and harshly jab her finger at him. "Would you knock it off with that reaction already! You're not some old man so quit trying to act like one! Besides, it's not like I enjoy this crap any more than you do!"
"Why do I find that last part so hard to believe?" It was Kamijou's turn to use the exasperation card with his tone while using the vending machine to help him return to a standing position. "This'll never end and this unfortunate Kamijou will continue to be ambushed. It's like those enemy encounters in an RPG; it keeps happening no matter how times I select the 'run away' option."
It seemed as though these two had a bit of history; a lot of history in fact. But it was not as if the two were being all too illusive about that particular knowledge. Only the blind and deaf could miss what was already clear since the moment the Railgun initially made her introduction. Now what had to stand at the forefront of Seivelun's mind was—
"I wonder if that vending machine sells black soybean tea."
You are straight up ruining the narrative here Fren da!
If you're gonna talk to yourself then at least say something relevant!
Putting aside Frenda's (useless) commentary, it seemed that Kamijou's words sparked (heh) something in the Railgun's eye. Well, it would probably be more accurate to say that the spark originated from the fringes of her hair. Soon after sparks transitioned into narrow and wide arches of pure bright electricity dancing around her frame. Such a sight was enough to break both the blonde and the boy from their previous mindsets. Given the output it was made evident that the girl had no reservations about using her powers to a greater degree.
Even if it was on an otherwise normal high school boy.
"Hehehe, so you're saying I'm so weak that I'm not even worth the hassle of fighting." That laugh, that closed eyes smile, that sweet tone; none of those things fit with her clinched fist and tense jaw. "Is that what you're trying to say to me?"
"Wait, hold on, time out; I didn't say any of that!"
Too late, Misaka Mikoto had reached the point of not giving a damn about anything he had to say. Touma must have known that as well because he raised his right hand up as if to meet the girl's assault head on. What he hoped to accomplish was beyond Frenda's knowledge. She could not mentally stress enough that this was a Level 5 which he was dealing with. He knew that just as well as she did due to the obvious past encounters. So what did hope to do in this situation? She did not know, which was why she continued to observe despite what the bright light of electricity was doing to her eyes.
"How many times do I need to tell you to stop messing around with me!"
The Railgun's outcry came just as she had drawn a significant amount of her electrical output to a central point. Although, in all likelihood, this was probably not even a drop in the bucket compared to what she could really do. Nevertheless, that point of gathered energy then proceeded to rocket forward towards the person to whom her ire was directed at. By all accounts this was supposed to be the crowning moment of Frenda's day. It was supposed to be the moment where she would finally see that cowardly bastard get reduced to a spazzing, twitching, fizzling mass of flesh.
That outcome was what was supposed to happen at this particular moment in time.
But instead the electrical discharge curved away to the right and instead struck the waist high wall instead.
"W-wha?" Frenda's anticipation quickly morphed into shock and disbelief. "D-did he do that? Is that why she could never hit him even after all this time?"
No, Frenda, that was not the case.
The cause of this phenomenon was far less complicating to explain.
"Oi-oi-oi, what the hell's goin' on here?"
"...eh?"
The fluffy blonde stalker had an immediate reaction after hearing that particular voice. Her hand slapped over her mouth whilst simultaneously trying to make herself appear as small and concealed as possible. The others present had a different set of reactions upon hearing the girl's heels clapping against the asphalt. Touma, his right hand lowered, looked mildly relieved whereas Mikoto appeared to be visibly confused. For the beautiful and sexy visage of Mugino Shizuri came strolling towards the scene from the path opposite the Railgun's current position.
Her own hand was raised, indicating that she was the culprit behind the altered trajectory of the Railgun's attack. She was garbed in a standard sailor uniform, opposed to her usual high-spec form of dress, complete with her schoolbag still in her free hand. Her tone itself carried heated overtones that cleanly matched the current facial expression she now sported. But this vocal interruption was not meant to be just her introduction; it was also meant to be a deterrent.
Kamijou's relief suddenly contorted into concern.
"...who's the hag?"
Kamijou's concern contorted once again; this time turning into pure dread.
A reaction which was mimicked by Frenda, who nearly palmed herself at how careless the statement was.
Gathunk!
Even the Vending Machine had an appropriate reaction!
"Um, biri-biri, could you apologize...please...as in right now please!"
"Hmm...sorry, didn't catch that, you wanna say that again little brat?"
Oh crap.
Things are starting to get bad.
"W-wait a sec Shizuri, stay calm, she didn't—!"
"Oh? I'm sorry, did you lose your hearing aid or something, hag?"
Things are starting to get wooorse!
"Ignore that! Be the bigger girl and please ignore that! We don't wanna cause any unnecessary trouble here so please don't respooond!"
By this point the two girls were practically in each other's faces to the point of nearly bumping heads with one another. Poor Kamijou was the only thing keeping the two from physically making contact with one another; trying and failing to keep the two separated. It was like trying to keep two super magnets from coming together; try as he might they were still drawing closer to each other. And like that metaphor, if these two super magnets connected, no amount of male brute strength would be able to separate them.
To that end, we have but this to say.
Do not stop trying to mediate the damage Kamijou-san!
It's not working, not even a little, but persevere nonetheless!
"So, this is the biri-biri girl that you've been telling me about?"
"Wha—hey! Don't go calling me that around other people!"
"Yup, this is her."
"Don't you ignore me!"
For a situation that was rapidly spiraling downwards, things eventually reverted back to a certain degree of calm. It took a lot of back-and-forth banter and a few hits to his person but Kamijou succeeded in keeping things from escalating. By the end the two had settled on verbal insults and name calling; not a dignified choice of combat but it sufficed for the time being. Anything that kept unnecessary property damage and explosions to a minimum was an outcome worth praising. Especially when one takes into account precisely who these two young women were and what they were capable of doing.
For now the three were situated in the shade at the lone table available in this area; with Mugino and Mikoto taking the seats. Kamijou, being the gentleman he was, chose to stand whilst sipping on the cold beverage produced from the machine. Did it count as stealing if the drink was dispensed on its own without him paying for it? Tough call there, but it did not stop him from taking it regardless; much to Frenda's dismay. She was, again, feeling pretty parched right about now.
"Tch, I dunno what's more annoying; the fact that it turned out to be true or the fact that I doubted you in the first place." Probably both, given how she kept casting frustrating glances at both parties involved. "You knew she was a Level 5 as well, didn't you?"
"Yup, she told me after...hm? Was it the second or third time we met?"
"Speaking of that, how did you end up running into this twerp in the first place?"
"Be nice, and it's kind of a long story—"
"Would you two stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Accompanying this outcry was the repeated slapping of her hand against the flat surface in front of her. Her flustered face and actions making her seem like a judge with a gavel trying to restore order in a courtroom. "And stop trying to make it out to be some long winded escapade! The idiot just stuck his nose into my business, got stuck in hot water, then started mouthing off."
"I was just telling those guys they were pretty cowardly to be picking on some middle school girl." Rebuked Touma quite calmly whilst taking another sip of the canned drink he had nabbed. "My 'pretend-to-be-a-friend and naturally-walk-you-away' plan would have worked if you'd have just played along."
What kind of plan is that supposed to be!
And what is with that terribly long-winded name!?
"Why in the hell would anyone play along with such a stupid idea?"
"You'd be surprised how often that stupid plan of his works." Two sets of eyes (omitting the stalker in the backdrop) turned towards Mugino after she said this. "I've seen him do it a few times and most people actually play along with it. It doesn't surprise me that you didn't; but it's not like you needed to anyway."
"What? That plan works!?"
"Better yet, when did you—"
"Not important, I got the answer to my question and it sounds like what I should come to expect from you." This time her words caused Kamijou to stand just a bit straighter; especially when she directed her gaze at him. "Warrior therapist, CHD, and now the Dulcinea Effect. Should I go ahead and add martyr without a cause next?"
Would you stop it with the tropes!
"Big damn heroes would fit if it wasn't averted."
Give it some time Mikoto.
Wait, you too!?
Sighing in resignation, Mikoto seemed to give the female opposite her a tired look. Perhaps it was due to their shared exposure with the idiocy that was Kamijou Touma and his acts of self-righteous heroism. A sentiment that was likely shared given how the Meltdowner did not immediately sneer at the girl in that particular moment. Likely because the two shared a mutual annoyance for said boy's white knight antics. Whether or not that was actually the case remained to be seen.
"So what's your story? Are you one of those 'I didn't ask for help but he came to help anyway' sorta cases?"
"You assume a lot and that hurts my feelings; stop it."
"Well would you look at who's trying to stick their nose into my business all-of-a-sudden." The tasteless rebuke incited a heated gaze from the Railgun; not that Mugino seemed to care. She kept her gaze locked with Mikoto whilst a minor degree of mirth began to surface on her lips. "It's not a big issue to me, but I still like my privacy as much as the next person. And I don't much care for people, or little brats like you especially, trying to pry into a matters that aren't any of their business."
A certain stalker did not like the sound of that particular statement. In fact it made the situation she currently found herself in that much more dangerous. If Mugino knew that she was here, listening in to this, then she was done for. Without a doubt the Meltdowner would turn her into a smear on the pavement if she or the others were to be caught either now or in the future. That awareness almost made her want to retreat from the scene and vow to never go snooping again from then on.
"Oi, Shizuri, stop antagonizing her please; we want to keep this from turning into a brawl."
Good on you Touma to be there and pull on the reigns when the time calls for it.
"Tsk, fun wrecker." Don't pout at him! Act like a proper senpai to the girl across from you! "Oh well, I suppose I can give you something to help you sleep at night. Our history is a bit, more or less, complicated than what you seem to have."
This, however, did not sit right with the girl in the slightest and it showed.
"You, explain to me what the deal is between you and this hag!"
Seemed Mikoto wanted to extract information from the other occupant in the area. Seeing as how she wasn't going to be getting anything else from Mugino.
"U-um, well, its kinda like what Shizuri just said; its complicated." Sadly Kamijou did not yield to the Railgun's demand of an explanation; shrugging off the question entirely. "Plus that's a topic that'll take way too long to explain; at least for right now. Not like it's that big of a deal anyway. Oh, by the way Shizuri, do you want the rest of this? I can't drink this stuff anymore."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."
The two made the exchange right before the young maiden's fiery eyes. That fiery expression, however, was quickly extinguished once she saw the girl take the canned beverage and drink from it without hesitation. Dull realization came to her brain when she remembered that Kamijou's lips had already made contact with that can. And once that sunk in Misaka Mikoto's face turned completely red. Abashed, the Tokiwadai maiden abruptly stood up, knocking over the chair, and thus gartering the attention of the two teens across from her.
"W-wh-what the heck are you doing!?" Shouted the girl, pointing accusingly at the Meltdowner who merely blinked at her in mild shock. "A-are you really drinking after that idiot already put his lips on it!?"
"...yeah?"
"Th-that's just about the same as k-k-"
"Kissing? An in an indirectly kissing him?" Finished the older woman, clearly missing the issue at hand. "Yeah, I'd say it is, so what?"
"What the hell do you mean 'so what', huh!?"
"Why are you getting all excited about this biri-biri?" Now it Touma's turn to interject; also missing the point that Mikoto was trying to convey. "How else are you supposed to share a drink? You could use straws but it's not like I go out of my way to carry some around for the sake of convenience."
"Why are you two so casual about this!?"
Because they had done more lewd things than just share a drink Mikoto.
That's why.
Frenda was once again reminded that, by all accounts, Mikoto was still in middle school. Granted it was a middle school for the most elite girls that resided in the School Garden. The same School Garden where daughters of company executives, CEO's, and other members of high society sent their daughters to be raised as proper ladies. It was also the place where minimal male contact is made, as male students were forbidden to enter that particular area of District 7. With all of this being said, to the maidens who reside there, such an interaction between the two sexes would be considered as indecent.
Never mind the fact that regular people, those who did not reside in the School Garden, also behaved in a similar manner. Those people were just being childish, stupid even, as far as Seivelun was concerned. Then again she had seen worse, things that would be considered indecent when performed in public. So she probably had the advantage over most others in this particular moment. Otherwise she probably would have had a similar reaction to Misaka right around this point.
"W-wait, you two don't have some cliché relationship like being childhood friends or something do you?" Poor girl was still trying her best to rationalize the current situation at hand. Oddly enough that assumption led to extreme levels over-thinking. "No way, that can't be the case...can it? From what I understand those sort of relationships tend to be pretty close. It would explain why neither of you are bothered about this whole thing. I mean, don't people like that tend to sleep together in the same bed or share a bath together as kids?"
"What are you talking about? We aren't childhood friends so it's nothing like that." Lightly berated Touma, who was truly at a loss as to where the girl was getting all of these assumptions from. Not at all noticing the glint that suddenly twinkled in a certain Meltdowner's eye. "You seriously need to chill out on the manga biri-biri. Half of what you read doesn't apply to real life anyway. Even if it did what does that sorta relationship have to do with sharing a drink?"
"Not much if you ask me." Retorted Shizuri, seizing the initiative and taking this moment to stand as well. "But I think you've wasted enough of our time for one day. So, unless you forgot, we've some things to get done before we can go out on our date."
Mikoto's body suddenly and completely locked up.
"Oh yeah, you're right, dammit what time is it?"
Speechless, Misaka Mikoto could do naught but stand there upon hearing this shocking (heh) revelation.
"Quit worrying, we've got time; it's not like this little setback hasn't put us too far behind."
The #3 Level 5's body went through motions as if she functioned off of steam and old cogwheels. Her movements were slow, robotic even, as her mouth opened and closed while her finger pointed back and forth between the male and female teens. Her mouth would open and close, but no noise came out aside from the occasional babble that was inaudible to those not keenly listening. Which the two were not doing since they had already began to move towards the path leading them out of the park.
"Don't we need to stop by your place so you can change? You did say you didn't want to go out in your uniform."
"I left some spare clothes at your place, so we should be fine."
She did?
"You did?"
"Of course, I go there often enough so why wouldn't I?"
That was the last straw.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The very straw that broke the spell of silence that kept the Railgun from speaking out.
"Y-you two are d-d-dating!?"
The overall volume of her voice was probably louder than what she had intended it to be. Birds flew off into the sky and if one strained their ears you could almost swear to hear an echo in the distance. So it went without saying that those two would have heard her even if they were twenty-five or so feet away. Those two were half that distance away when they had stopped and turned to address the Electromaster. Said Electromaster was standing on the threshold between the path they were on and the rest area.
Not fully committing to following them but well within their line of sight to see her flushed and perplexed visage.
As far as the couple was concerned, they too reacted to this in their own way. The two spared the person beside them a brief glance before turning back to the girl. Kamijou simply shrugged his shoulders while Mugino raised their conjoined hands up for the girl to see.
"Kinda dead giveaway, don't cha think?"
"W-when—how did—but why would—!?"
"I think biri-biri just blew a fuse." Aye, good work with the pun placement there Touma. Don't sigh and look discouraged, chin up, that was good. "Reaally wish she didn't make such a big deal about me having a girlfriend. I knew I was unlucky but I didn't think I looked that hopeless to everyone around me."
...you really are a dingus.
A delusional, oblivious, dingus.
"Nah, it's just that most women have shit taste in men." Did you essentially rip that line straight out of SNAFU, Mugino-san!? "Anyway, let's get going; there's only so much time we can afford to spend loitering around."
"Right, right, but don't you think for a second I didn't catch that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Lies.
All lies!
With Mikoto no longer having any follow-up prepared, the couple turned their backs to the girl once again. Their destination set in their mind and their hands still conjoined at their side. Not realizing or not caring how the heat was liable to make their hands clammy and sweaty in the long run. Despite having dismissed the child loved by electrons, one of the two did spare a girl one last parting glance over their shoulder. That person had been Mugino and it was here that the Railgun saw it. The thin smile that, in spite of how small it seemed, was filled overwhelmingly amount of smug satisfaction.
To add insult to injury, she adjusted the manner in which she chose to carry her schoolbag by slinging it over her shoulder. From there Misaka could clearly see the raised, or more accurately upside down, middle finger that the older Level 5 was throwing her way.
Clearly this was meant to provoke the younger female. There was literally no other way to interpret that antagonizing action. And by god did it fulfill its intended purpose. Because that parting gift was what gave Mikoto the jump-start she needed to get her motor functions working again. Her face burning with unyielding rage, Mikoto set out to alleviate that in the safest, ethical, and innocent way possible. And all it took for her to accomplish that was whirl around and march herself right over to the hapless vending machine.
"CHASER!"
The beautiful kick was ruined by the modesty shorts she wore beneath her skirt.
Vending Machine-kun would forever be displeased by this one critical detail.
Gathunk!
Apparently not enough to stop it from giving the girl what she wanted though.
Did that make it Mikoto's sugar daddy?
...best not think too deeply on that subject.
"Stupid hag! Stupid spiky-headed idiot! You both most feel sooo mature compared to me just cause two you are a couple!" Misaka-san, please stop stomping your heel down on Vending Machine-kun's dispenser tray. Even the most degenerate masochist can only endure but so much. "And what's with that satisfied look on your stupid face, huh!? What's there to be smug about being some dumb-ass's girlfriend!? It doesn't make you better than me! Even with those sag-bags of fat you call boobs! If anything I should be laughing and looking smug you hag! Cause if that idiot is the best guy you can get then you're either pathetic or desperate! Still! It! Pisses! Me! Offff!?"
This repeated abuse on Vending Machine-kun persisted for the next few minutes. Long enough to eventually quell her intense ire and thus leave her a panting mess as she huffed in front of the ill-treated mass of metal. Combined with the humidity of the air and it was safe to say that the girl had worked up a bit of sweat; despite the minimal amount of exertion applied. Yet she did not make a move to retrieve the can until after she had completely calmed herself down. And it was after she did that her gaze shifted over towards the steps leading to the higher ground.
"Oi, how long do you plan on trying to hide from me up there?"
"Geh!"
She noootiiiiiced!
"You've been skulking around here for a good while; long enough to see and hear just about everything." This manner of speaking was a stark contrast to how she was just moments ago. It was direct yet casually so with a calculating edge jarring enough that it would have caught any person off guard. "If I were to guess, I'd say you showed up pretty early on. Which leads me to think one of two things. Either you are just an eavesdropper who got caught in the moment or you were actively trying to spy on us."
One look in the Railgun's eyes would have been enough of a tell for anyone to see. Under these circumstances actually, no—as a direct result of said circumstances, the #3 Level 5 was in no mood for games. If she did not like what she heard next then it would end with someone being turned into a taser victim. There was no guarantee that such an outcome would not occur even if the Electromaster did like whatever response the Seivelun gave. Such was the gamble one made when dealing with the likes of any Level 5.
"Well? You gonna come out or do I have to come up there and make you?"
Under such dire circumstances one must be willing to make scarifies. Sometimes those sacrifices can be of the selfness sort and other times they can be selfish. It all comes down to the cause, the core beliefs of a person, and their own integrity. A man who does not fully give his life to a cause will not be die for it if given the chance to have his life spared. But if a man believes in that cause, wholeheartedly and truly believes it to be a just one, then he shall gladly give his life for that cause; even under the threat of death.
Frenda was not one of those people.
"Ha-haha, b-ba-basically you caught me~!" Hands raised, the fluffy girl popped up out of the foliage by the steps like a jack-in-the-box. She had even gone as far as cheekily bopping herself on the noggin for good measure. "Teehee~!"
Misaka Mikoto was not amused.
"Talk."
"B-basically, whatever you wanna know; but, um, first can I get that drink you've got there? I'm really thirsty."
Welcome to the bottom!
First, lets get this out of the way; I apologize for the long delay with this chapter. UPS was not kind to me in the last three or so months of last year. Lots of physical and mental drain from long hours working killed my want to write. Even after the busy months were over I was still in a bit of a slump. I got out of it thanks to a few (ahem) kind words from some friends of mine. Can't say I'm not grateful, I am, but they could stand to be just a bit nicer to me from time-to-time.
But enough of all that.
You all knew this was bound to happen at some point. Ever since Kumokawa showed up you should have known that other members of Touma's harem were gonna make an appearance here at some point. That list is massive so I have plenty of folk to choose from. Although I think its safe to assume that most of the people you'll see are from the Science-Side. Might see a couple Magic-Side characters make an appearance here and there. But you'll have to wait and see which ones those are.
On that note, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my Mikoto writing isn't too shabby. At least that's as far as I've been told. Hopefully you guys feel the same about it. I like to believe I characterize everyone as closely to the source material as I possibly can. With that being said, I once again want to thank FrodoFighter for giving me some much needed critique on this chapter. The points he addressed really helped me out so it necessitates a double shout-out.
As usual, if there are any inquiries, thoughts, or concerns that arise in your mind, feel free to address them to me and I'll do what I can to answer them. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed my little piece of work.
Goodbye for now.