Greetings to all!
Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long.
In the (unlikely) event that the ambiguity of Chapter 10's conclusion was keeping you awake at night...prepared to miss out on more sleep.
"You've stepped out of line Aogami!"
"Say what you want Tsuchimikado but we both know it's true; just admit it!"
Oh the glories that came from an ordinary high-school life.
Lunch was in session and, as was common, most folk had split off to enjoy the free time with friends. Touma himself was no different, though in his case it was more like his friends had come to hover around him. Not that he paid the matter any further thought as this was part of the norm for them. As far as food was concerned, he was fortunate enough to not have to pay the canteen a visit. Having the opportunity to prepare his lunch last night did him wonders in conserving his funds for more important things. Aogami and Motoharu appeared to have also been blessed with that foresight since they wasted no time in coming over once the bell rang.
"There is no spin on this that ends with me agreeing with you nya! I'm honestly appalled that you could make such an outrageous insinuation!"
"It's your own biased opinion that's keeping you from accepting the truth! And don't start talking all proper to try and make yourself out to be some sort of saint!"
Why did their yelling have to be louder than the school bell?
Difficult as it was to ignore, Kamijou somehow managed. Call it experience from having to deal with, and participate in, their bouts of idiocy. One could go as far as calling it an acquired skill. Even when they were at his desk arguing very loudly about a subject he was only halfheartedly listening to. For this one time, Kamijou actually was not interested and was more focused on his lunch. It was not their discussion that served to be the biggest bother to him. Rather it was the multitude of stares they were getting from the other side of the classroom by other students; both male and female alike.
Despite having no apparent involvement in the discussion, he would still be guilty by association once things escalated; and it would.
These were the woes of being the only sensible member of the Delta Force.
Such was his luck.
"Nya, head-patting is not a biased opinion; it's a straight fact of life! Everyone knows that head-pats are the most innocent gesture one can provide!
"And I say you're full of crap!" Touma jumped slightly as his blue haired friend slammed his fist down onto the desk like a gavel. Okay, being passionate was fine and all, but could he do it on someone else's desk? "Hand-holding is far more innocent and impactful compared to tapping your dirty hands on a girl's head!"
"Nya, you degenerate scum!" Now it was Motoharu's turn hit the desk; though in his case he brought both palms down instead of his fist. "I'm amazed that you can bring yourself to say that with a straight face! Head-pats are much more impactful than forcing someone to hold one your sweaty palms!"
Give or take a few more minutes and insults would not be the only thing being thrown. Fists, kicks, desks, chairs, if he could name it then it would likely be thrown sometime soon. Which is why Touma was making a point to stay out of it. On that note, he was mildly surprised by how well things were turning out for him thus far. The violent treatment of his poor desk had not resulted in his lunch spilling over onto the floor. Then again, Kamijou had not ruled out the possibility of an unfavorable outcome just yet. Heck, he was half expecting the desk itself to collapse on itself somehow any second now. Cruel as it sounded to be left without a desk or lunch for the remainder of the day.
Again, such would be his luck.
"You can't 'savor' a head-pat as well as you could joining hands. The lingering warmth that stays on your palm afterwards. The soft textures of the girl's hand on yours with the gentle pressure of her fingers squeezing against your own. You can't experience the sort of harmony or connection that comes from the simple act of maintained physical contact."
With an immense amount of effort, Kamijou had managed to resist the urge to nod his head in agreement.
"But it's not about 'savoring', it's about 'giving' nya. Physical connection isn't as important compared to the message the act itself is meant to represent. The simple nature of it can convey many things; like appreciation, acceptance, and assurance. It might look simple, but there can be a whole lot more going on there than most people realize."
Staying neutral, the unlucky boy's resolve remained steadfast as his head refused to move an inch.
"On top of that, head-pats are just as satisfying to give. Especially when it's to a younger sibling; like a wonderful and lovely maid in training."
"So that's where your head was at all along you filthy bastard!"
Like clockwork, the situation escalated into violence as it so often did. Only this time Touma was not mixed up in the whole affair, having still been preoccupied with eating. Fortune continued to smile on him since the minor scuffle had ultimately veered away from his desk. This gave him some relative peace while the rest of the class simply watched events play out with mixed feelings. From what he could see, some were watching on amused while others opted to ignore it. Fukiyose was not here right now, having gone to the canteen, so this would likely continue until she got back.
It was here that he hoped the girl would leave him be since he clearly was not taking part in it. Then again, with how things were playing out so far, he doubted it. Call it a gut feeling, but somehow he would also be lumped in with those two. The faint vibrations coming from his pocket served to catch Kamijou's attention immediately. Pausing mid-bite, he fished out his phone while completely ignoring the brawl between two of the three idiots. One text message awaited him in his in-box, courtesy of Mugino Shizuri. Typically his girlfriend did not message him at school unless it was important by some margin or another.
Reading over the message, he came understand her reasons.
"Gonna be busy tomorrow, huh?" Muttered the boy, slouching a bit into his chair as his thumb tapped on the keys. "I wonder what came up?"
Evidently something had thrown a wrench into her plans to meet up with him tomorrow. No specifics were given what it was, just that something would be taking up her time on Saturday. This took away their original date night they had planned. Not that he was overly concerned since their plans were hardly sophisticated in nature. In summary, she was being informative as well as asking for his availability tonight. Since he did not have anything planned later on anyway, he saw no issue with it.
This did not stop him from wondering precisely what she would be doing tomorrow. If nothing else it was something worth asking her about later on tonight when they met up.
"Nya, Kami-yan's growing distant from us now that he's got himself a girlfriend, huh Aogami?"
"Eh?"
Confusion had settled into his heart the moment he felt Motoharu's forearm rest on his shoulder.
"Mhm, it sure looks that way. It's like he doesn't have time for us anymore now that Shizuri-chan has him on a leash."
That bewilderment was quick to change into irritation as Aogami took to leaning over his desk.
"...I feel like I'm caught up in the buildup of some cliché bullying scene." His muttered musings came with a sigh as his half-lidded eyes stared blankly out into space. "What's next? You two gonna harass me with questions to try and embarrass me?"
"Nya, you're texting Mugi-chan right now, right?" Asked the sunglasses wearing blonde abruptly, not caring a bit about personal space as he leaned closer. "You should ask her which she likes more. Who knows, it might be useful later on down the road."
"Like I need relationship advice from you of all people."
"Hmn, an unbiased opinion of girl would definitely settle this issue." Pensively added Aogami, one hand raising to tap at his chin before nodding to himself. "Yeah, go ahead and ask her if hand-holding is better than head-pats Kami-yan."
"Like hell I'm gonna ask her something like that out of the blue!"
For one thing, he already had an idea as to how she would respond to that sort of message. Negatively with a side of bafflement and concluding with indifference. Secondly, he did not feel too inclined to ask her purposely dumb questions like these. The shenanigans between him and the rest of the Delta Force were exclusive to them. Dragging other people into their escapades tended to go over as swimmingly as one could expect it to.
In other words not so well and it usually ended with someone dishing out punishment. Namely Fukiyose Seiri, who was usually the one putting a stop to their antics once they reached a certain point. Sometimes Komoe-sensei or some other teacher would take action instead; but most times it was Fukiyose.
Regardless, as much as he doubted Mugino would take it too badly, Kamijou preferred to keep her out of this. She did not need to the deal with the headache that came from dealing with his friends. Doubly so over something so pointless and ridiculous as this debate was concerned. Such a ridiculous question was not worth asking out of nowhere. On that note, he personally, he was inclined to say that neither of the two options presented were better than the other. Had he any interest in debating it, he would have argued that lap pillows were better than both options.
Of course he had already resolved to stay out of this discussion; giving him no reason to voice his opinion on the matter. In all likelihood his views would have been met with heavy opposition anyway. The predictable outcome that would surely follow was not worth dealing with right now. Therefore, Kamijou reasoned it was better to keep those beliefs to himself.
"Moh, come on Kami-yan, don't be so stingy!" Groaned Aogami dejectedly while somehow maintaining his chirpy demeanor. "You could just tell her it's for research or something. What's the worst that can happen from asking a simple question?"
The deadpan stare, Kamijou leveled at his friend following that query conveyed more than what words ever could. The blue haired teen must have realized it too as his body deflated a bit and his cheery expression dimmed. A lesson one could learn from this hapless Kamijou was to never ask what was the worst that could happen. Chances were high that whatever you can imagine would not come close to what may actually play out. He had a plethora of experience in this field as the resident misfortune magnet. Nobody would dare say that statement was an empty boast either.
Not that the repeated blows to this Kamijou's dignity were worth boasting about.
In all actuality, it only made him want to cry.
"Nya, guess that means we'll have to ask her ourselves."
"Try it and I'll knock you flat on your ass Tsuchimikado." His vision blurred before settling on Motoharu's cheshire grinning mug as the grip on his phone tightened. "Stop giving me that look, I mean it! I mean it when I say I'll knock the crap out of you!"
"You know, Kami-yan, it's against the rules to have your phone out during school hours."
"Don't try to pull the class representative card Aogami! That's abuse of power and you know it!"
"Nya, sorry Kami-yan, but rules are rules." A ray of light reflected off the boy's shades as this ominous statement was made. "Class representative, confiscate the phone!"
"Way ahead of you!"
"O-oi get away from me you bastards!"
In a matter of seconds, the duo had descended upon him like vultures on a carcass.
Their grabby hands picked at and tugged on his own in an attempt to pry the device from his grasp. Kamijou, in his efforts to keep it from them, held it close to his chest like it was a priceless jewel. Of course he was far from helpless, he fought back as best he could when he could. But considering it was two against one, he was already at a disadvantage. Which is why he chose to go with the alternative method of running away. Alas this changed nothing since the boys remained persistent in their efforts to steal his property.
They also made a point to block the path to the exit any time he moved towards it; trapping him here in the classroom.
This little game of cat and mouse persisted for the better part of five minutes or so. Other students were wise enough to stay out of their way, but did nothing in particular to help him. Majority had taken to watching as the events played out while the minority flat out ignored it. Such cruelty was almost permissible considering how often events usually ended in this Kamijou's expense. Almost being the key word as, in his heart, he was screaming at his lack of proper aid. Those internal screams intensified once Motoharu had successfully managed to tackle him at the waist; forcing him to the dirty floor.
To his greater misfortune, the tackle succeeded in loosening his grip on the phone, causing it to clatter to the ground just a few inches from where he fell. From there, all it took was for Aogami to swoop in and scoop the device up from right in front of him. Adrenaline acting as his fuel, his hand reached out and grabbed the blue haired teen's leg before he could scamper off. This resulted in all three of them now lying on the floor and the device to once go skidding along just out of the boy's reach.
It was all an uphill battle from there as Motoharu pulled at his waist while he was busy pulling at Aogami's pants leg to keep him from crawling forward.
"Quit being difficult and give us the damn phone nya!"
"In your dreams you damn sis-con!"
"Sorry Kami-yan, but we must know; just accept it already and stop resisting!"
"Screw you! Don't waste my girlfriend's time with you dumb ass questions!"
This was probably the most undignified bout of violence Kamijou had ever taken part of. Honestly, Aogami was the one being the most violent, having accidentally kicked him in the face once in an effort to loosen his grip. Something did become looser, but it was not the spiky-haired boy's grip. Sadly Tsuchimikado came to his friend's aid and literally climbed on top of his back, put his forearm at his neck, and pulled backwards. This forced Kamijou to let go, allowing Aogami to pull his pants back up and crawl forward unabated.
Oddly enough the pressure on his neck was gone before he himself could remove the blonde's arm himself. Kamijou realized why soon after when he was pinned to the floor. Courtesy of the foot planting itself on his back between his shoulder blades.
"Success! We've got it Tsuchimika-herk!"
All thoughts of victory died in Aogami's throat as his voice croaked and his body was harshly jerked around. In a matter of seconds, his elation switched to fear before his chin was met with the knuckles on a fist. The solid uppercut served its purpose in sending him to the floor like a thrown sack of potatoes.
"Would you idiots give it a rest already and let people eat their lunch in peace?!" This proclamation was provided by none other than the Iron Wall Girl herself. "Honestly, I leave for a few minutes and you three go right back to doing this stupid crap."
"Um, Fukiyose-san?" Someone off to the side, a girl it sounded like and a brave one at that, chose to interject here. "I think those two were trying to steal Kamijou-kun phone."
Thank you for the support.
He would have liked that sort of help earlier but he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. To that end, Kamijou was tempted to express his thanks to the speaker with a thumbs up. Seeing as how getting the girl off of his back took priority, however, he did not do so. The task itself was not easy since Fukiyose was still putting all of her weight down on him at the moment. thankfully he could still move his head without too much hassle despite his upper body being pinned. Although, at the moment, he was not looking to garner any more of the girl's attention.
As far as things stood right now, he had not been removed from her shit-list just yet.
"His phone?" Seiri sounded baffled, which was understandable since she did not have any idea what started all of this. "What did they want with his phone?"
"You know, you're standing on the guy who would gladly explain everything to you." Grunting from his place on the floor, he turned his head to try and look up at her. "Before I do that though, could you please get off of-bgfhhh!"
The sacred treasure was exposed!
And they were pale pink in color!
Unexpected!
"Don't look up you prick!"
At least she did not stomp down on his head like a grapefruit. Seiri had taken that into account before bringing her foot down on his face. It still hurt, it really hurt a lot, but he was not dead and at worst he would develop a bruise later. Regardless, even though he could see nothing but the sole of her shoe, that image did not leave his mind's eye. In fact he was certain that the sight he beheld was now burned into his retinas. Intentionally or not he still felt like a scumbag for that little peek beneath the veil. One thing he was certain about was that Mugino could never know about this.
Otherwise...well, he would rather not pursue that train of thought.
All in all, this had played out exactly like he thought it would.
Oh the glories that came from an ordinary high-school life.
Kamijou truly wished time had gone by quicker after that incident.
Tragically the more monotonous the task, the slower time seemed to go.
In this particular case, the pace in which time moved during school hours was practically at a crawl. Classes dragged on at a snails pace, the commute home felt like it took longer than ever, and then there was the homework. Seriously, he thought it would never end and yet time skipped merrily by as he was doing that. Did the laws of the universe dictate that the more unlikable the task, the faster time moves forward? Okay, maybe he was being a bit overdramatic or just plain anxious. Tonight was a (rescheduled) date night after all and he did not want to be late.
Honestly, time was an indecisive bastard who needed to set a pace and stick with it.
It was annoying and needlessly stressful!
Speaking of being late, he was under the impression that he was going to be considering what time it was when he finally finished his work. It was enough time to get moving and make it to their agreed meeting spot for this evening. Which, as of 4:30pm, was set to be at the JonaGarden Family Restaurant; not too far yet not too close by either. A quick shower and a change of clothes later, he set out to reach his destination.
Surprisingly enough, the trip there went very smoothly; for not a single unfortunate event had befallen him as he traversed. Paranoia of his own fowl luck made him leave home earlier than the projected time he assumed it would take. No misfortune meant no delays, leading to an earlier arrival time than he expected. Fifteen minutes earlier to be exact, which was all well and good all things considered. Looking at his phone, the time read 7:06 pm and there was no sign of Mugino anywhere.
Rather than going into the establishment, he posted himself up in plain sight next to the big display sign beside the steps.
The light posts evenly scattered about had long since flickered to life as the dark of night drew closer. Students remained in abundance, however most were garbed in casual clothes opposed to their summer uniforms. Not that there was anything unusual about that at this hour. Problem was, it made it less obvious who was a troublemaker and who was not. Rumors were abundant about delinquents who liked to often come here to meet up with each other. Those rumors alone were reason enough for this Kamijou to not be a huge fan of this area.
Like any other person, he would prefer to avoid a confrontation with any sort of dangerous folk around here. Assuming, of course, that the rumors were in fact true and this was a typical meeting spot. But how true those claims were was a matter he did not intend to validate tonight.
"When we 'gon eat?"
"Is food all you ever think about, you hick?"
What is it with teens wearing sunglasses at almost all hours of the day?
Was that a trend that he did not know about?
"Mmn, barbeque don' sound bad right 'bout now."
"...I hope you get run over by a fucking meat-truck sometime soon."
Clearly the other guy was joking; he must have been since his friend proceeded to laugh shortly thereafter. It persisted for quite a bit too, lasting roughly a few seconds after Kamijou stopped following them with his eyes. If anything further was added, he did not hear it. Which was fine, he was not looking to eavesdrop for the sake of eavesdropping. More or less it was a means for him to kill time as he waited. As far as the people around him went, everything seemed alright so far. No obvious troublemakers appeared to be lurking about like he was half expecting there to be when he got here.
"I swear, sometimes I wonder how you live with yourself."
"You know, if someone doesn't share your interests, it's better to not invite them in the first place."
...that guy is in a suit openly discussing his hobbies to what Touma could assume was his casually dressed friend...
What the hell was he looking at here?
"Well, someone's gotta open your eyes to the greatness of the 2-D world! Maybe then you'd be less dull!"
"I'd actually prefer to be considered dull than be labeled as an otaku, you know."
Okay, abnormal yes, but they otherwise seemed unthreatening. Disregarding the vast differences in attire between the two guys, it was well within the territory of being acceptable. It did not stop the terrifying thought of how this would have gone if Aogami were here to experience this. Bastard would have probably hugged the guy on the spot like he had found a long-lost sibling. Scary thought of there being two Aogamis in the same place at the same time. Just thinking about it made him feel as if his whole body had been dipped into a tank of ice-water.
"At least the people around here are a colorful batch." Alright, time to think about something else. "Hope I don't have to wait out here too long."
"You won't."
This sudden response near his ear combined with his own paranoia created an interesting response.
"Gaaaah!"
Okay, so it was not so interesting; sue him for being easily startled.
Poor Kamijou practically jumped out of his skin for a second there. Seriously, there is no reason for this Kamijou to nearly suffer from heart failure at his age!
Such a thought went in and out of his brain faster than the contents of last week's pop-quiz. It took less than a second for his body to jerk away and whip his head around. Even then, his heart was still beating like a drum in his chest. The look the speaker was giving him was both disheartening and annoying. A mixture between pure amusement and mild inquisitiveness was what he was met with; the former of which being more prominent than the latter. A single flawless eyebrow was raised, serving as a contrast to the mirthful glimmer in her eyes and the soft smile playing on her lips.
Once his heart-rate finally settled, he took note of the looks he was getting from the many passing bystanders.
From there, his shoulders sunk while his face contorted into evident irritation.
"Jeez, make a bigger scene why don't you."
Mugino's amusement-laced comment was not helping him out either.
"...shut up."
She was stifling a laugh, he could clearly see that, and so the annoyance on his face did not leave. Not for a good couple seconds anyway. But as his body relaxed, his eyes took in her appearance. The violet long-sleeved sundress she was wearing looked like it was about to burst open at the chest. The more his eyes traveled down, the more he realized how it hugged at her shapely figure from her waist all the way down to her legs. The black stockings were contrasted to the white heeled boots she was wearing.
The latter of which looked to be the most expensive part of her outfit. Beyond that, everything else about her looked...affordable yet was still visually appealing. Now if only that damn hint of cleavage would stop calling for his attention.
"Like it?"
Crap, he had been caught!
"Um!"
Before any sort of panic could settle in however, Shizuri waved it off with a dismissive gesture of her hand.
"It's fine, I wasn't sure this was good enough when I left. Good to see that I was wrong."
You bet your sweet curves you were wrong.
In fact he was not sure if he could look her in the face without his eyes diverting a couple centimeters down.
"Y-yeah, sorry, it does look good on you Shizuri." That sheepish compliment was not in any way to be considered smooth. If anything it made him sound more like an idiot, so he changed the subject. "Actually, I'm sorta surprised I didn't see you coming. Were you already waiting here or something?"
"Mmn, sort of, I only got here about five minutes ago." Retorted his girlfriend, as she casually twisted at a few locks of her hair with her finger. "I went inside to see if there was gonna be a long wait. Turns out it's pretty busy, but we should still be able to get a table within the next five-to-ten minutes or so."
"That's good, I don't like the rumors that are floating around this area." The tension in his shoulders lessened as he let out a sigh here. But seeing that glimmer in Shizuri's eyes made him feel uneasy. "What? Oh please don't tell me there are a bunch of scary-looking guys in there."
"No, nothing like that from what I saw." Those white heels clacked against the asphalt as she stepped into his physical bubble to wrap her arms around his right side. "Don't worry though, if some shithead tries anything, I'll be sure to protect you."
"That's not funny."
Shizuri's uninhibited laughter said otherwise.
Such a response acted in the same manner as a light switch. From the instant it started, this Kamijou's expression went from worried to deadpan. Mocking a male's masculinity was no laughing matter, yet here she was doing just that without a care in the world. His poor male pride had been shot right here, out in the open like a rabid dog. Worst of all was that he had no witty comeback to use here. Perhaps at later time, he would be able to easily brush this dirt off his shoulder.
As far as the here and now was concerned, his outward appearance showcased his mild case of indignation.
Internally, he was weeping.
"Oh cheer up already, it was a joke." Catching her breath, his heartless girlfriend gently nudged his side with her shoulder. "I mean it though, I'm not gonna stand by and let a group of circle-jerking thugs ruin my date night."
"...that still wasn't funny."
He averted his gaze as she was rolling her eyes at his behavior. It was petty, sure, but dammit his pride was wounded. The least she could do was let him mope about it for a few more minutes. Such a thing was not meant to be however, as he suddenly felt one of her warm hands firmly cup around his chin. Suddenly his head was being pulled downwards as Mugino was stuck staring at the side of his face.
What she was looking at became clear having remembered the events that took place earlier in the day. Specifically the bruise below his right eye socket where Fukiyose had dropped her foot down on his face. And just like that, that pale pink image came floating back into his mind.
Tragically, he could not remove the image from his head.
"Oh, that, it's nothing to worry about." He said this as he raised his free hand to ease her hand off his chin. Meeting her gaze, he saw that an expectant look took up residency in her eyes; so elaborated to a certain degree. "Me and my friends from school were being stupid again. Well, not me, it was mostly them to be honest. I was actually the victim of their stupidity for once. Anyway, long story short, I ended up getting hit in the face."
A healthy amount of skepticism evicted the previous tenants within her eyes.
"What sort of stupidity?"
Kamijou's retort began with a casual shrug.
It was not like this was the first time he had described him and his friend's antics to her
"They were arguing about which was better between two completely different gestures. I was eating lunch, so I wasn't part of the argument. They wanted unbiased opinion though and were trying to make me ask you when you texted me earlier today."
"What does that...oh, I get it now." Shizuri's head nodded in understanding once the realization kicked in. It spoke volumes of how often these stories tended to end in the most predictable of ways. "Since I didn't get any odd texts, I'll assume they didn't get it. Do I want to know what the hell where they trying to ask me?"
"Head-pats and hand-holding."
Silence.
Dead silence.
At least between the two of them.
Now it was Shizuri's turn to look at him with a deadpan expression.
"Fucking what?"
He probably would have mirrored that look if he was not suppressing the urge to laugh.
"Exactly what I said." The few snickers that escaped from his mouth as he answered were testament to his failed efforts. "Head-pats and hand-holding, that's what they were arguing about. I can't make this stuff up."
She blinked once, twice, thrice before finally letting out a sigh as her hand rose to the bridge of her nose. This was exactly the sort of reaction he would have gotten if he had failed earlier. Nevertheless, seeing her react this was amusing in its own right. Seeing her visibly cringe at the stupidity of his friends was a treat in itself. All the more reason why it became increasingly harder not to laugh at this reaction. It honestly looked like his answer had done physical harm to her.
Not her fault, she was still not as accustomed to Aogami and Motoharu's behavior; much less all three of them together. And this was just a retelling of today's endeavors. He could only imagine how she would handle it she were there to see it firsthand.
"Your friends are fucking idiots."
He responded without missing a beat.
"I know and I'm one of them."
Why did he say that as if he were proud of that?
"Why does that piss me off a little?"
He did not even get a chance to answer before the girl's body abruptly jerked. He watched as her hand went beneath the hem of her dress, showing off the black shorts beneath, and pull something out of her back pocket. The item was one of those flashing beepers restaurants use to inform customers that a table was ready for them. Good timing too, Shizuri was looking a little crabby after hearing what exactly had happened earlier in the day.
"Huh, that was quicker than I thought. Whatever, let's get in there before I have to hear anymore or this story." She said this as an exasperated sigh was let loose from her mouth. "I don't know if I should be glad they didn't ask me this shit or pissed off knowing that they intended to."
"Probably a little of column 1 and a little of column 2 if we're being honest."
"Smartass."
Both gave a light chuckle at that but otherwise proceeded towards the ramp leading up the restaurant. Her arm was still locked around his, but he suspected it was to keep him from running away. Reason being that he was not a particularly big fan of this place. It was purely due to the selfish reasons regarding the restaurant's price. It dipped into the territory of 'expensive'. Not that he had any say in the matter, since it was his girlfriend's turn to pick a place to eat for this date. Such was the mutual agreement they had come to early on in this relationship.
While her destinations of choice were more affordable these days, they had not always been that way.
Kamijou's heart went out to his poor wallet regardless.
"So, who's side were you on?"
"Eh?"
Shifting his attention to the girl who's arm ensnared his yielded nothing. She was looking straight ahead as if she had said nothing at all. For a moment there he thought he had imagined it. Had her eyes not briefly flickered towards him he probably would have continued believing that. Forward as Shizuri often was, moments like these were where the less mature side of her became more pronounced. These moments usually showed off the rather cute side of her that many are not fortunate enough to behold. Cases where she was embarrassed, for example, tended to be avoided when out in public or approached in an indirect manner.
Also, during these instances, she did not make a habit of repeating herself.
If he was not paying attention, then it was his loss.
And she would be mad at him because of that.
Kamijou did not want that now that he had all but confirmed she had asked him a question. She was waiting for an answer, but that gave rise to questions of his own. Was he supposed to say the one he thought was right even if it was not entirely true? Was he supposed to be dead honest and tell about the third option that he did not voice? Or, hell, was this one of those questions that had no right answer? He had already kept her waiting longer than he should have.
Pretending to not hear it would make her mad. Putting it off until later was going to make her mad. His actual answer could potentially make her mad.
The pattern was clear: all choices ended with a high possibility of making Shizuri mad.
If this was supposed to be some sort of boyfriend test, then it is rigged!
"I, uh...really wasn't interested in taking sides with either of them." His confession came out sounding sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. Although this 'confession' was only to make what he said next less of a lie. "But if I was leaning towards one of them, I guess I'd pick the hand-holding."
...did her arm loosen a bit just now?
Actually, a better question had surfaced: why was she looking him so critically?
He did not enjoy being on the receiving end of that look!
"Tch, that's such a boring answer." Please, Shizuri, do not use that judgmental tone on this Kamijou! "I'm almost not surprised to hear that coming from a puritan wuss like you."
That is not faaaaaair~!
That boyfriend test is riiiiiiiiiiigged~!
Shizuri's bored and disappointed gaze lingered on her face long after she looked away. And, once more, Kamijou felt as though his masculinity had just been tested. He apparently failed and that awareness wounded him dearly. So much so that he wished he could find a hole to bury himself into. If his right arm was free he would be cradling his head right about now. Sadly he could do neither of those things, or even openly weep at his girlfriend verbally stabbing him right in the pride. All he could do was sulk quietly beside her while his heart continued to sob quietly within his chest.
Shizuri had applied the killing blow to his pride and his wallet was soon to follow. On top of that, she was likely going to shoot them both again just for kicks. In times like these, two familiar words came to mind that expressed what he currently felt.
Kamijou Touma uttered those words under a single dejected breath.
"Such misfortune."
Disregarding the less than stellar treatment prior, the restaurant affair played out better than Kamijou thought.
He was still a sullen mess for half of it, but Shizuri had persistently kept the mood stable via conversation. He was able to recover based on her efforts there, though it was likely to keep herself entertained. A silent dinner was a boring one and he was not about to ruin it for her. She was making the most of her time with him so it was only fair that he did the same. Damaged male pride aside, he was able to lighten up from it all and things only turned out better from there. The food was good, they had a few laughs, and the overall experience was pleasant. Best of all, those rumors appeared to be false as he did not see any shady folk lingering inside.
All in all, it was a good experience.
Then the check came and he immediately went back to crying.
"You worry about money too much." He heard Shizuri say beside him, half-lidded eyes laced with disapproval. "I told you I could cover it on my own. It was your own fault for trying to act impressive and pay for it all yourself."
"This Kamijou could not take any more blows to his pride tonight Shizuri." Truly it could not. If he had accepted that outcome then he really would be forced to forfeit his man-card. "It's not like I'll go hungry and I still have food at the house. Nothing to worry about, now just let me mourn."
He did not miss the mumbled 'jackass' that followed this remark. In spite of his own words, he was able to crack a small smile. It must have been infectious since Shizuri had done the same when their eyes met. She had even leaned a bit into his arm as they continued to walk through the cool evening streets of District 7. There was no other destination set in mind and that was perfectly fine. It was usually how these evenings played out once their bellies were full. To anyone else that may sound like a boring and wasteful use of an evening.
Truth be told, however, the unexciting activity was probably their favorite thing to do since it was all so normal for them.
They did not need to go to any special place or do anything to enjoy themselves. Of course they had done such things in the past and had a great time doing them. Hell, for all he knew, they might have done something a bit different if things had gone according to their original plans. Making up new one plans on such short notice could have ended up being a bigger hassle than necessary. So sticking to what was familiar and comfortable for them both was the better option to take.
That was not just Kamijou's opinion on the matter either. This was a mutually shared belief between both parties and that was what remained to be important. If per se Shizuri had desired for something else to occupy their time then he would happily oblige her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would have otherwise voiced her disapproval by now if that was the case. But it was not, she was content with this, and so at face value this was the best choice of action.
Though, now that his mind was on the subject, there was something he wanted to ask her.
"Hey, Shizuri, what's going on with you tomorrow?" His casual inquisition was met with silence, both before and after his attention was drawn towards her. "You said something about being preoccupied with something tomorrow. Is it something personal or is it something else?"
Shizuri, in lull of meeting his gaze, sucked her teeth as her finger aggressively toyed with her hair.
"...Oi, Shizuri, what's-"
"It's fucking stupid but it's something that's to be expected." Whatever it was, it had the girl aggravated to a noticeable degree. "Academy City's System Scans will be coming up next month. I'm a Level 5 but my school is not properly equipped to calculate my Meltdowner accurately. In other words, I'll need to go to the research institution that was specifically designed to fit the needs of my ability. Which means that my test will have to happen after school."
Kamijou blinked a few times as the information started to take root in his brain.
"Okay." It took a few seconds, but when it finally processed, he proceeded to slowly nod. "So what does that have to do with tomorrow?"
"Basically, they need to do a pre-test to make sure the equipment is up to snuff." Responded the girl in a huff, having ceased her previous action to instead cross her arms under her breasts. "They have to calibrate it several times to make it as close to perfect as possible for the most accurate readings. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't take for-fucking-ever to do that. It's supposed to make the System Scan take less time to complete or so I've been told. Personally I think the whole facility is run by a bunch of ass-hats who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder."
That part right there made him understand her issue by much better degree.
Tragically he did not know what to say in regards to what he was told.
"...Oh."
"Then, after that, they have some other tests they want to do. Not sure what those are about. All I do know is that I'll be missing the latter half of my classes tomorrow."
Once more, Kamijou really did not have much to add to this.
Not that it mattered since, at this point, she was clearly rambling.
"Then there's that ugly-ass suit they make me wear every time I need to go there."
Oddly enough this was the part that perked his interest. What's more, this time he had a more intelligent response to give her.
"They make you wear a suit?"
Okay, not that intelligent, but it was better than the last one.
"It's more like a diving suit and it's constricting as all hell." Clarified the girl as she finally brought herself to look at him. "It's also bland as fuck, but I guess they were more concerned with functionality rather than fashion. It's got some pretty sophisticated hardware crammed inside that it uses to monitor my vitals. That's not all it's for though, there're also receptors that gather data based on a long list of stimuli. It was designed specifically for my Meltdowner, which is arguably one of the most destructive abilities in the city. The catch is that I physically can't use it to its absolute maximum. Reason being that the recoil alone would kill me, but that's beside the point."
He must have looked lost since, part-way through this explanation, she stopped and sighed heavily.
"In other words: the suit is like a speedometer; except it measures recoil. It's meant to determine how much power I'm drawing out by using the recoil caused from its usage. From there, the researchers have me gradually raise the output until I reach a certain benchmark. They already recorded where my body's physical limitations are at by using that suit. They know what's safe and what's not, but they periodically have me go higher. Apparently they're testing to see if my body has naturally adjusted to that pressure and see if I can maybe draw out more power."
"Okay, time out, they have you do what now!?" Shizuri actually looked startled at him there for a second. Understandable considering how he was looking at her in disbelief at this given moment. "Didn't you just say that the recoil by itself could end up killing you? If you already know that then that means they know that too, right? So why the hell are they still making you do something that might end up killing you?"
"Please, going slightly above my average output isn't gonna blow my arm off." Rebuked Shizuri as she rolled her eyes. "Most of the time, I just wake up the next day with some minor bone aches. And yeah, that's still not good, but it's better than the worst case scenario playing out."
"Do they give you something the day after these tests to deal with that? Any pain killers or anything?"
"Oh relax, it's nothing major, so quit worrying so much Kamijou."
It sure as shit sounded major to him!
Such thoughts were almost vocally expressed. Almost because, despite his concern, Mugino was smiling at him in such a casual way. It was the cocky assuring sort of smile she usually gave whenever he got too uppity about specific matters. For some reason it always reminded him of a certain senpai that he occasionally bumped into at school. A smile that was brimming with confidence, self-assurance, and maturity. What made it different in this case was how it was presented.
It was not being applied in a condescending fashion, not even a little bit. Mugino was looking at him as if he were an innocent child who was worrying about something insignificant.
That may have been a poor metaphor to use here yet, all the same, it felt appropriate.
"I appreciate the concern, but seriously it's just a small drawback that comes with my ability." Once more, her arm entangled around his own as her head rested on his shoulder. "Really, you don't need to get so worked up about it. It's not the first time I've done this and it won't be the last. I'll be fine, so don't go losing too much sleep over this."
As much as he wanted to be at ease with this assurance, he was not; not entirely anyway. For within the depths of his subconscious traces of that very real concern remained. They might have been tucked away inside a few scattered nooks and crannies, yet they were still there. Such a glaring fault was something worth being worried about no matter how much Muigno said otherwise. Alternatively, this was his girlfriend's ability and as such nobody understood it better than she did. She was not stuck in a strange place like he was.
Unlike his ability, her Meltdowner could be explained, understood, and controlled with its limitations capable of being measured. By comparison, her ability was more grounded than Imagine Breaker; which the Power Development Curriculum was unable to explain or understand.
That, however, was beside the point.
"...hey, about that recoil-meter-suit-thing you're forced to wear. Is it really as bad looking as you make it sound?"
What could he say, he was curious.
Although he did not appreciate the chuckle that was given after a brief period of silence.
"It's tight, way too tight, but its designed that way to get the most accurate readings possible." Why did she suddenly have such an impish grin on her lips? "Now that you mention it, I think the reason the researcher's make me wear it is because it's so constricting."
...
He did not like what he was hearing.
"Keeping my underwear on makes it too uncomfortable, so I'm completely bare underneath. Those poor fucks probably get off to seeing a young girl's ass and boobs perfectly outlined for them to see. I bet they use the excuse of 'research purposes' to justify their thorough examinations during the tests."
Okay, in one hand, he did like what he was hearing.
On the other hand, he did not like the where this was going!
"Shit, I wouldn't be surprised if some old guy was behind a monitor somewhere jacking it with all the camera's aimed at certain angles."
His mind was a amazing thing in that he pictured that very scenario in vivid detail.
And because of that, something somewhere in Kamijou's mind snapped.
"Gaaaaah I don't know if I should be angry or jealous! I don't wanna picture some creepy old man ogling my girlfriend's body from behind some monitor! But I reeeally wanna be in his shoes if that is actually true! Come on brain, give me a mental image of my skin-tight leather-clad girlfriend. I need this! I need this more than you could ever know!"
Fellow nearby pedestrians, as well as Mugino herself, may have found his abrupt outcries alarming.
Justified as they were, it would suffice to say that he was aware and he did not care.
"Why!? Why can't I picture Shizuri in a hot outfit like that at all!? Why does the creepy old man have to be more vivid than the thing I actually want to see right now!? Get out of there already, you aren't wanted!"
Kamijou was too overwhelmed with disgust and envy as his imagination kicked into high gear.
To his despair, his mind was putting its focus on the wrong thing.
"No! What are you doing!? Is my own imagination seriously betraying me!? What kind of crap is that!? Why can't I just picture what I want to see!? Wait, no, that old man is getting clearer! He's gonna haunt me in my dreams for an entire week at this rate! Get out! Get out of my head! You're gross, creepy, and above all you're pissing me off!"
Much to his growing despair, the vivid imagery persistently flashed in his mind's eye each time he blinked. Both hands clawed and pulled at his hair out of anguish and jealousy. From the viewpoint of others, he was acting as though his hair had suddenly caught fire or perhaps something far worse. Mugino, meanwhile, had opted to stand idly by and watch the spectacle of him thrashed about like a wild animal. He had already noted that she had removed herself from his side once he had started yelling. From there, all she had done was stand a few paces away whilst shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose.
No words came from her, for they were not necessary to convey her thoughts.
If he had to venture a guess, Kamijou would say roughly ten to fifteen minutes had passed since his little tantrum.
Both he and Shizuri had returned to being mobile, albeit the latter was mostly tugging him along like a oversized toddler. Honestly he could say it was fitting given how he acted. However, continuing this stroke of honesty, Kamijou would be lying if he said he was not amused. Perhaps he was alone in this regard, but he found the whole thing to be quite hilarious. Excluding the very real envy he felt, seeing Mugino's reaction was more or less worth it. Seeing her visibly flushed was a rare treat in itself to behold.
Sure it ultimately came at the expense of what little shred of dignity he had left. But Shizuri had already chipped away at his pride enough tonight.
One more nail in the coffin would not ruin him any more than he already was. Therefore making it safe to assume that there was very little humility left in him by that point. It was also not hard to assume that he felt no shame in openly expressing his thoughts at that time. While it may not have been his original intent, embarrassing her was the closest thing to payback that he could hope to ask for. Catching the fashionable aloof hotness that was his girlfriend turn into an uncomfortable blushing maiden just happened to be an added bonus.
A rather big bonus since it was an archetype that would not be linked to her otherwise.
"I'm just saying you should've thought that through when you decided to mess with me."
"How was I supposed to know you'd go full jackass on me? Really, who the hell makes a scene like that in public?"
Kamijou's said nothing, although not due to the lack of ability to provide any input.
Rather it was because he was busy pointing at himself with the most serious expression he could express.
"Tch, smartass," Shizuri, much to her credit, responded to this Kamijou's brutal honesty with a small smile and the rolling of her eyes. "Makes sense why you and those friends of yours get along so well. You're all a bunch of fucking idiots."
"Yup, we stick together like birds of a feather or however the saying goes." His quick retort was accompanied by a light shrug. "At any rate, nobody can say that we're a boring bunch to be around."
"You're not wrong, I'll give you that much."
Kamijou's chuckles mixed in with her own as the debate had finally been concluded. They had been on this topic for the better part of seven minutes. It was a tough verbal battle to get his girlfriend to see the humor in his act of idiocy. The fact that he had ultimately succeeded in that effort was something worthy of self-praise. She usually was not a fan of rampant stupidity no matter who it was or at whoever's expense. Typically he was not an exception to that ruling and yet sometimes he was able to get away with it. This instance just happened to be one of those times where she let him slide.
Having finally put the subject to rest, Kamijou took in his surroundings to realize where they were. Darkness had officially settled and the lamp posts lining the walkway were fully active. Based on the looks of things, they were under a long overpass with a train-yard to his immediate right. They had been traveling along chain-linked fence that separated them from the wall of shipping containers that were towering at most a couple stories high. For the most part, Kamijou had a general idea as to where they were.
Although the question of how they ended up here of all places was beyond him. All he knew for certain was that, excluding themselves, no one else was around.
"You know, we can swing by my dorm if you want to relax for an hour or so."
The proposition was a spontaneous one that came out of his mouth in a criminally thoughtless manner.
"Well would you look at that? Looks like someone's getting comfortable with me being in their home."
"...is it really that weird though?" Despite shooting himself in the foot less than a second ago, he played it off really well. "I mean, it's not really that big of a deal when you think about it. It's not like we're doing anything we shouldn't be."
"Are you trying to tell me something here Kamijou?"
Her insinuation took a second for it to click in his brain. When it did, she was met with a cough as his spiky head turned away from her. They had already been dating for two months now, with their third month literally a week away. Thus far things have been stable, their dates mostly innocent in nature with the occasional innuendo thrown in here and there. Beyond that, however, their intimacy had been restricted to passionate kissing sessions in private. Now, at first, that was fine, he was content with that. As time went on, however...well, he could admit that he wanted to do more in those moments.
Problem was, he did not want to come off as being too pushy on the matter itself. Breaching the subject alone was not easy for him. More importantly, he did not want to make himself seem desperate or his intentions one-dimensional in nature. Putting it simply, he did not want to ruin the good thing they had built up to this point. The longstanding issue that sort mentality had was that their relationship would stagnate if change did not occur eventually.
Truthfully he did not even know how to approach the subject matter naturally. There just was no appropriate time or place to discuss the subject. Even when there was, he often tip-toed around it due to his own concerns and embarrassment.
Now here he was with the optimal chance to do so.
The question at the forefront of his mind, however, was if he could get that message across successfully.
No pressure or anything.
"Uh...I mean, the walls in my dorm are pretty thin. Pretty sure everyone would hear us if we did start messing around."
"Fuck 'em, is that really your biggest issue?"
"No! Well, kinda, but not real-wait, shit!" His entire face felt like it was on fire, but he could not stop now. "Ugh, how am I supposed to say this without it sounding so baaaad!?"
"Easy, quit being a pussy and say it."
Shizuri did not miss a beat nor beat around the bush.
In turn, Kamijou threw all caution to the wind and said the first thing that came to mind.
"Fine! I want to do more than just make out with you Shizuri!" That line came out louder than he intended. He knew that because he heard his voice echo, which killed the seed of bravado before it could sprout roots. But it was now or never and he had been raised to finish what he started. "I want to...well...do other things. Y-you know, more hands-on stuff and then...eventually, work our way up to, uh, s-sex."
Amidst the pause of conversation that enveloped the two, all Kamijou could hear was his own heartbeat. Everything from his forehead down to his collar was burning from pure embarrassment. It was to such a degree that he did not dare look at her to gauge her reaction.
Obviously this was nothing like a typical shoujo manga. The clichés of that medium did not apply in this scenario by any stretch of the word. Both his and Mugino's motor functions were operating properly. Their stroll was not impeded at all. Throughout the conversation, neither party had faltered in their steps. Had someone been watching from a distance, they no doubt would have thought nothing of them or the topic of their discussion.
"...I didn't think you'd actually say it." Quietly admitted the girl once she had fully absorbed his little confession. "I can't say I'm surprised. You've done more reckless shit than this in the past. But you probably should have worded it better."
Kamijou genuinely thought that he was going to die any second now.
"...I uh...I won't keep you waiting for an answer. If that's what you want then...fuck it, I'm not against it."
"...eh?"
Kamijou heard his neck pop quietly as his head jerked back around. Opposed to the typical reaction one would expect, Mugino kept looking straight ahead. She was toying with her hair again, albeit this time in a much less aggressive fashion. Thanks to the light posts, he was able make out the slight dustings of red tinting her cheeks. Mugino Shizuri was no meek maiden, yet she was still a girl who was entitled to emotions like embarrassment or nervousness. She just made it a point to hide them whenever they showed up.
Factoring in the seriousness of this conversation and it was clear that her emotions had mirrored his own. He had always found her to be more appealing when she acted like this.
"You're not really gonna make me repeat myself again, are you?"
Coupled with her annoyance, it almost looked like she was pouting; which was an equally a cute sight.
"N-no, no, I heard you the first time." He quickly confirmed, his free hand rising up in a calming gesture before falling back to his side. "You more-or-less caught me off guard there for a second. But um...where did...are you...is that okay?"
"Yes, Kamijou, it would be fine by me."
"O-Oh, uh, then...crap I wasn't expecting that to be honest."
"Is it really that unexpected?" She almost sounded bored as she proposed that question. However, he immediately dismissed it upon catching the soft yet self-assured smile on her lips. "Personally, I don't know what else we can do to develop our relationship at this point. And I'll admit, I wouldn't mind getting a bit more physical with it. I can't imagine you disagreeing with me after you're little episode earlier."
Her last remark saw her sporting a more mischievous grin that he could not help but mirror.
"What guy would disagree?"
"A complete idiot, that's who."
"Good thing I'm not one of those."
Once more, Touma was blessed with the sound of Mugino's light chuckles as she leaned herself closer to his side. An action that he welcomed wholeheartedly as his arm wrapped itself around her waist. With the nervous tension now gone, the atmosphere around them gradually became calm, quiet, and still. Their footfalls were the only thing breaking the tranquil silence between them as they carried themselves forward.
Where they were going did not matter.
What they did was not important.
Quiet moments like these were by no means a bad thing. If anything, it allowed them to seize the moment and fully appreciate it for what it was worth. In a place where life could be too busy, it was refreshing to take in the small comforts that came from these tiny insignificant moments of serenity. Unfortunately, as with most things in life, these quiet moments were not meant to be long-lasting. It was a fundamental law engraved into the pillars that make up the foundation of modern society. Fate was not bias, or so it should not be in regards to tampering with people's lives.
Sadly this Kamijou was fate's favorite plaything.
A low hum born from vibrations tore through the silence like a hot knife. Any other time that ring could have been dismissible or otherwise gone unheard. The fact that it was heard made it draw more attention than it should have drawn. The source of that noise was obvious and her irritation showed as her hand reached for the back pocket of her shorts. Out of respect, Kamijou gave her some privacy and did not lean over to see precisely who was trying to contact his girlfriend. For some reason, Mugino's face grew increasingly angry upon seeing who the caller was.
Nevertheless, she answered and Kamijou could not help but pity whoever the poor sap was.
"I'm busy, what do you want?" Straight to the issue, Mugino made her point transparently clear to the person on the other end of the line. "Don't give me that bullshit, tell me what you want or I'm hanging up."
Yeesh, now he really felt bad for whoever the person was.
"Are you kidding me? Didn't you hear what I just said? I'm fucking busy right now, I don't have time to-"
Mugino did not get a chance to finish her train of thought. Something was said that actually succeeded in quieting her. Not only that, whatever she was being told had grabbed her full attention. Most of it anyway, her eyes did occasionally shoot over towards him. Clearly she was conflicted about something she was being told. Whatever was being said had kept her silent for an extended period of time. Eventually, her silence was broken as she released a tired, resigning sigh.
"Fine, whatever, I'll take care of it. But next time I say 'I'm busy' take a hint and fuck off!"
That did not mean she could not voice her disapproval. By the time she had snapped the phone shut, she looked about ready to throw it to the ground. Fact of the matter was that she fully intended to do so. Had he not grabbed her by the wrist, the mobile device would have been broken into tiny pieces on the pavement. Fiercely burning eyes filled with seething anger fizzled out the second she caught his gaze. Gently, Kamijou lowered her arm as the two come to a halt in their progress.
Shizuri's expression may have looked positively livid. Yet those feelings did not match the tale her eyes were telling him.
"Sorry...guess I'm not as 'free' as I thought I was tonight." The bitterness of her tone expressed both her external anger and her internal disappointment. "Looks like I'll have to end tonight's date much sooner than I wanted to."
Deep breathes flared from her nose as she put forth an effort calm herself down. Unfortunately, by the looks of it, her efforts were doing little to help regain her composure. Rather than smash the phone against the pavement, Shizuri looked as though she were trying to crush the device with her bare hand. With how hard her hand was clutching it, he would not be surprised if it crumpled like a soda can within the next minute or so. Having said that, Kamijou did not waste a second more and pulled the girl close to his chest in a gentle embrace.
Said action was not so abrupt that it startled her in any shape or form. Quite the opposite, she hardly reacted to it at all as she remained stiff as a board with her face just below his collar-bone. If he were to be honest, he believed this was the most open display of sulking he had seen from her in quite awhile. Due to this action, Touma had noted that the flaring of her nostrils gradually became less pronounced the more she took in his scent.
"It's not worth getting upset about." Softly as these words were spoken, he had maintained his typically relaxed and casual tone of voice. "These things happen and I don't blame you for it. I blame the bastard who called you. Don't worry about it so much Shizuri, okay? You should know by now that I'd understand."
Kamijou could feel her hands glide across his shirt; clasping together by his lower back once as her arms had looped around his midsection. Her breathing now steady and calm as she adjusted her head to press her ear against his chest. A quick peek down showed that her eyes were closed as she listened to the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat. All signs of her earlier temperament were now gone and replaced by peaceful tranquility.
It was true that he had no idea what any of this was about, he nevertheless understand. Not fully, not even remotely, but he still understood that things were expected of her. Anything that those things entailed remained unknown to him. As far he was concerned, however, he did not need to know unless she wanted him to. People could him gullible all they wanted, alas that would not stop him for trusting this girl he came to care for. Such a sentiment was likely appreciated more then he would ever know.
"It's still bullshit."
He responded to her somber complaint with a soft grunt of agreement. And so this was how the two had remained for the better part of a few minutes. Just the two of them, beneath the overpass, enjoying the comfort of being held the other's arms. Savoring this one moment for all it was worth was the intention here. For they knew it would not last much longer and in the next couple minutes they would be forced to answer life's call.
Such was how this date was forced to its abrupt and distasteful conclusion.
"What do you mean Kanna-tan lost her first place spot!?"
"Nya, don't get mad at me, I'm just the middle-man here. I thought you already knew."
Aogami was not listening to the blonde apparently. He was too busy jerking the blonde back and forth by the scruff of his shirt while he wailed.
"How could this have happened!? Kanna-tan has always been at the top of the polls! What happened!? Who took her spot!? How many votes does this new girl have over Kanna-tan!?"
"Not sure, I can't remember, but it was a big shocker to everyone nya. I was surprised too, Kanna-yan's always had the #1 spot after those popularity surveys ended."
Oh the glories that came from an ordinary high-school life.
Much of the proceedings mirrored the events that played out yesterday. It was lunch time, he was eating while Motoharu and Aogami carried on with their own discussion. What played as a key difference from yesterday was that, this time, they were not arguing with each other. In this instance, Aogami was raving about the poll results from a survey at a local maid café. Apparently some new girl had won the popularity poll and dethroned the previous title-holder of Best Maid. Furthermore the blue haired boy had only now came upon this knowledge and had since become distraught by the news.
Whoever this Kanna-tan was must have really been something to get Aogami this worked up.
...then again this was Aogami he was talking about...
At least they were not slamming their hands onto his desk today.
"Kami-yan! Do you know anything about this!?"
Why was he suddenly being dragged into the discussion?
"Nya, I doubt it. Kami-yan can't vote for any girl unless its Mugi-chan. Otherwise she'd get jealous."
Part of him wanted to refute against that. As he opened his mouth to do so, the phone in his pocket began to hum. Probably for the best that it did, otherwise he might have said something he would later regret. Fishing out his phone, he snapped it open only to stare at the screen with a raised eyebrow.
"What's this?"
It was, of course, a message sent to him by Mugino; only it was not a simple text message. It had a caption at the top that read 'An apology for last night' along with two attachments added to it. Thinking little of it, he opened them right then and there.
Then his jaw promptly fell into his lap.
"OOOOOOOOOOH!"
All eyes within the classroom were on him by this point. Yet he did not pay them any heed in the slightest. He could not afford to with the splendid sight he alone was now privy to. This action perked the interest of both his cohorts enough to peer over his shoulder to view the image themselves. On reflection, he truly wished he had been smart enough to close his phone immediately after viewing the image.
His friends were quick to mimic his reaction.
The images themselves were self-photographed. A beautiful girl, who's long soft-tea hair was tied up in a long braid as her front profile was being reflected in a mirror. She was smiling smugly at her reflection whilst striking a non-descriptive pose. What caught the three boys' attention was the outfit in which she was sporting. Shizuri had said that the suit was constricting on her figure. Yet Kamijou could not help but think that the word 'tight' was putting it rather mildly. The red and black suit looked more like a second layer of skin rather than an outfit to be worn.
Every inch of her body, each curve 'concealed' beneath the material, had been flawlessly charted.
It was to the point in which nothing that was visible was left to the imagination.
An example of this, if he squinted, would be the clear outline of the girl's bellybutton through the fabric of the suit. That was probably the most tame outline which the three boys had taken notice of. Sadly the lower half of her body was cut off from the waist up. Which was probably an intentional choice made by the girl in question. The second image was vertically the same thing as the former. One thing that distinguished it from the other was that she had her back to the mirror and was looking over her shoulder. The other major difference was plain for any person to see.
Unlike the previous image, she was showing off her entire back profile in the picture.
Honestly, the classroom was not a safe place to be viewing this.
A fact that Kamijou, once he snapped out of it, realized far too late.
"Class representative, we must-"
"You so much as try it and I'll feed you your own teeth you sonovabitch!
In the end, the sounds of physical violence erupted once again within the otherwise peaceful classroom. Unlike last time however, Kamijou Touma was not running away. Rather he was fighting as if his entire life depended on the safety of his phone's contents. In his defense, it truly was a matter of life or death. For if the embarrassment alone did not kill him, Shizuri surely would.
Such was his luck.
Welcome to the bottom!
Alright, let me set the record straight. Most people's issues with Chapter 9 had been with his poorly positioned comedy bits. They were way too forced and my snarky narration bits were being too obnoxious. It was disrupting the narrative and that took away from the seriousness of the situation. That being said, quite a few people felt that it was pretty annoying. I was inclined to agree with them, hence why I've been toning that sorta thing down by a good margin. It's not gone, it'll come back, but for the time being it's staying in the penalty box.
Ahem.
Now then, with that cleared up, I'll say that this chapter is a mixed bag for me. There are parts that I really enjoyed writing and parts that I was pretty 'meh' about. Probably because nothing really happened this time around. No plot-driven point or anything; just the two of them out and about enjoying the other's company. But as the title of the chapter states, this takes place before the 1st Appointment (Chapter 1). This will be the first of many chapters to come that explore the history of Touma and Mugino's relationship. Rather than go from where it all began, however, I've decided to go with the alternative approach.
That's right, I'm going full Memento in this mother-
Beyond that, I felt that instead of using the usual narration, I'd do it the same way I did in Chapter 10. More or less using it as part of my own little experiment. So far it's been fun writing in certain ways based on a character's personality and I actually enjoy doing it like this. Don't know if I'll keep this format or if I'll make it exclusive for moments where we don't have the Stalking Trio present in the story. Personally, I feel that shaking up the narrative like this will give these particular chapters a distinct feel to them.
Perhaps I can properly convey just how personal these episodic chapters are in nature. Something to make them contrast the other chapters which move the 'plot' forward. We'll have to see how it plays out here.
Oh, and don't worry, the adventures of the Stalking Trio will make their return. I hear you guys asking for that, but you might have to wait one more chapter before that happens. Lastly, shout out to FrodoFighter for taking the time to editing this chapter for me. He never fails on being a such a great guy.
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.