Greetings to all and Merry Christmas!
Yeah, I've been gone awhile. Far too long for everyone's tastes.
Time to get myself back in the game.
There was a common factor that came with nearly every aspect of life. Broke or rich, infamous or famous, child or adult; it was a fact of all walks of life and something that every person must eventually come to accept. They did not need to like or enjoy it. Rather it was simply something that everyone needed to tolerate as part of the whimsical nature that is fate; should one believe in such things.
That thing being life, as we know it, is filled with disappointments.
"This month's batch of movies super sucked." And while Kinuhata Saiai was no stranger to such things, she was still susceptible to being frustrated by it. "I swear the producers of these movies are either getting lazy or they're more dimwitted than that slob Hamazura."
The poor underpaid ticket clerk was right to avoid the huffy girl as she was leaving the cinema. An annoyed and mildly pissed off Survivor of the Dark May Project did not make for pleasant conversation. This fowl mood did not dissipate after she had left the theater either. It perpetuated long after the building was out of her line of sight. Her huffy expression, built from frustration and irritation, had remained for an extended period of time as she walked. Well, it was more like her unintentionally stomping down the distinctly less-crowded sidewalk. It was summer, human traffic was lower than it usually was, and it was just a little passed one in the afternoon.
In Kinuhata's own defense, she had every reason in the world to be upset.
ITEM had a few jobs the night before and all of them had been completed without too many complications. The issue she had with that was how long it took to do them. By the time they had finished everything, it was fairly late at night. That part on its own was not something she had a problem with. She was used to sometimes being awake far longer than she should have to be; all of them were. What grated her nerves was that she had made plans for today and about half of them had been ruined. Courtesy of having accidentally overslept and thus missed out on a particular showing of a movie before it was pulled from the theater.
That by itself was enough to place her in an agitated state of mind. Then there was also the issue of the other films she had lined up to watch. Which, suffice to say, turned out to be less than satisfactory; leaving her in the state she was in now: grumpy, disappointed, and, above all else, bored. So caught in this particular state of mind, Saiai nearly opted to ignore the hum of her phone vibrating in her back pocket. By all accounts, she had every reason to do so. Today was officially and non-officially her day off. There were no jobs lined up for them at the present time. Given that her plans for the afternoon had been compromised, she let her curiosity get the better of her.
After she saw who exactly was calling her, finding that it wasn't ITEM's manager, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Kinuhata!" Cheery as she sounded, there was some lethargic undertones in the fluffy blonde's voice. "Basically, are you busy right now?"
In many ways, she wished she could say that she was.
"Nope, why? Did some super big job come up out of the blue again?"
"Nooo, nothing like that. Basically, I want to ask if you could do me a favor while you're out." The languidly in the girl's tone became increasingly apparent the more she spoke. Prompting Saiai to roll her eyes. "We're running low on things here at the apartment. Shampoo, conditioner, skin moisturizer; stuff like that. Can you pick us up some on your way back home later?"
"What's stopping you from doing it yourself?" Asked Saiai, exasperation filtering into her voice. "Better yet, can't you get Super Hamazura to pick up that crap instead? That sounds more like a Hamazura-ish job to me."
"Basically, I've tried. That gross idiot's phone goes straight to voicemail." Now there was mild irritation accompanying her lethargy. "I've already decided I'm gonna punish him for this later. But Mugino's gonna be pissed if we don't stock up before too long."
Hearing the Level 5's name did bring a particular question to mind.
"Is she still asleep?"
It was a valid question, since the Meltdowner had not yet awakened by the time she had left their shared abode. In all fairness, they did finish up their jobs fairly early in the morning. So it stood to reason that the girl would feel inclined to sleep in. Especially when there did not seem to be any obligations that needed to be fulfilled today.
"She is, but a groggy Mugino is an irritable and snappish one." All of the previous weariness left her and was replaced by dread and justified trepidation. "The last place I want to be is here when she blows her top. You know how she gets when her usual routine is disrupted by the smallest inconvenience."
Kinuhata could practically envision Frenda shuddering in place at that particular thought. Hell, she herself actually shuddered a bit at the mental image; one that she was, in fact, quite familiar with. That was really all it took for the girl to make up her mind. Plus it wasn't like she had anything else to do with nearly all her plans for the day being sunk.
"Fine," Drawled out the petite girl into the receiver, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I'll pick up the stuff on my way back. What all do I need to grab?"
"Um, basically, just those things I mentioned. Thanks again Kinuhata, you're a lifesaver."
"Don't mention it." Right as Kinuhata said this, a stray thought occurred to her; making her brow furrow a bit. "...you still haven't explained why you super couldn't-."
"Ah, sorry, getting a call from my sister. Gotta go, I'll see you later, bye~!"
...how conveniently timed...
Left momentarily at a loss of words once the call had ended, Saiai stared down at her phone; the 'Call Ended' message still on the screen. Eventually it faded, allowing her to see her own piqued face reflecting off the darkened screen. She stared down at her reflection for a solid ten seconds or so. She contemplated if it was scientifically possible for her seething irritation to somehow transmit through her phone to Frenda without being directly connected to her. Logic dictated that, sadly, it was not possible; or, at least, not with her ability. But in those ten seconds, she truly hoped her aggravation with the Seivelun would reach her.
Rather than make a fuss about it, however, Kinuhata huffed loudly, pocketed her phone, and set out towards the store. She already said she would do it and there was not much else for her to do at this point. She might even find a few things that she could stock up on herself while she's there. Besides, the chance that Mugino would tell her to do it anyway, after she woke up, was fairly high. Nevertheless, this did not mean she approved with the idea of being a gofer; that job title belonged to that gross idiot Hamazura. She also did not appreciate the idea of doing this because her roommate was too lazy to do it herself.
"What a super bitch."
Oh no, she would not be forgetting this.
Over the course of her travel to her desired destination, Kinuhata's bitter mood continued to fester.
Her previous agitation persisted and grew as she moved about the district. Any who she made eye contact with wisely chose to look away. Which was good, she was far passed the point of being polite or social with anyone at this given moment. All she wanted to do was get this disappointment of a day over and done with so she could perhaps find something else to occupy her time tomorrow. At this point, she would have welcomed a job for no other reason than to vent some of her frustrations out on some unfortunate soul. Hell, she would welcome the idea of bumping into Hamazura just so she could clobber him once or twice for bailing on his duties as ITEM's resident lackey.
Said notion would persevere well into the next day, given how irritable Kinuhata was right now.
...probably...
What did not persevere were her intentions once she had nearly arrived. The reason revolved around a particularly familiar head of spiky black hair that caught her eye. Given how many times she had been staring at the back of that head of hair, it made sense that it would leave a lasting impression on her. Same could be said about the boy who it belonged to. Which is why, after catching him at the edge of her peripheral, she became drawn to it. Lo and behold, she found none other than Kamijou as he stepped out onto the footpath from one of the many fast-food chains in District 7.
"...well, what do we have here?"
To clarify, it was not him specifically that enticed this particular remark; or, rather, not entirely. She had grown so accustomed to seeing him in Mugino's company rather than when he was on his own. So stumbling upon him out and about on his own was an unusual stroke of luck. Finding Mugino's secret boyfriend when he was not alone, or with the Meltdowner, was an even greater stroke of luck. And, as it turned out, she seemed to be super lucky today. Not only was there no Meltdowner in sight, but he was also in the company of someone else too. Two factors which, as far as she was aware, had only been observed from a distance once before.
Thankfully Kamijou's current company was not yet another Level 5. Instead it was a girl, a different girl, who exited the establishment alongside him. Long, straight, black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes from what she could tell from what she was able to briefly gather at a glance. Also based on what she saw, she looked sleepy and lacked any signs of liveliness; which, oddly enough, was eerily similar to Takitsubo's typical demeanor. If it wasn't for the shrine maiden outfit and a few other lacking features, Kinuhata would have thought it was Rikou wearing a wig. Still, the girl's attire did stand out a great deal and was gartering more than a few curious looks from those around them.
First a nun.
Now a shrine maiden.
"That Kamijou guy knows some super weird people..."
Pot calling the kettle black here, sure, but it was nevertheless a strange sight. Stranger still, was the fact that the miko was pulling along a moderately sized suitcase behind her while Kamijou, for his part, was busy carrying a to-go bag. Having piqued her interest, along with still being bitter and spiteful towards Frenda, Kinuhata opted to forgo her little errand for the time being. Choosing instead to keep a reasonable distance between the two as they started walking opposite the direction she was coming from. Peaking her interest more than this was the sling currently suspending Kamijou's right arm.
Saiai had no delusions of getting an explanation behind that injury.
She'd welcome those details if they came, but she was not holding her breath for it.
"-eed to worry about it. I'm fine."
"That's the typical response a boy makes when he's injured. It's okay if you say you're in pain, I won't judge."
"...I can't tell if you're patronizing me or being sincere...stop that."
Kinuhata was glad she was able to get close enough to start listening in on the conversation. No Mugino meant less skirting around to avoid being caught. She was still choosing to keep herself discreet though. She would be another face in the crowd of people for today and that would be fine. Seeing that same face in the crowd every other week? That was super not okay. He might pass it off once, maybe twice tops, as coincidental. After that, he'd definitely find it to be more and more suspicious. Having come to this conclusion, Kinuhata was keeping herself discreet, but not as extensively as she normally had to.
"...huh...I didn't notice that before."
Kinuhata watched as Kamijou's head shifted inquisitively over at the raven haired girl. Sadly Kinuhata could not see exactly what he was referring to. Fortunately she was not alone, as the miko languorously looked on at him with dull and impartial eyes. Slowly adjusting her head to follow his gaze down towards herself, then back over at him. All of this taking a good couple seconds, far longer than it should have to. Neither her head or her eyes moved away from him, their gazes meeting as a silence enveloped around the two. A silence that lasted for several paces before she raised her free hand, veiled by the loose and large sleeves, up to her chest.
"Pervert."
Kamijou the proceeded to choke on his own spit.
"That's not what I was talking about!" Kamijou's indignation was transparent to anyone bothering to pay him mind. "The cross, I'm talking about the cross!"
"...oh..."
"Don't respond with an 'oh' to me! Apologize! Apologize for the false accusation you made towards this unfortunate Kamijou right now!"
Rather than doing as instructed, the girl's attention shifted away as the loose sleeve close to her chest shuffled with movement. Even from her vantage point behind them, Kinuhata was able to make out the glimmering silver chain that was currently occupying itself around the girl's neck; albeit briefly. Any further details regarding the aforementioned jewelry, however, were not able to be seen. What was clear to the petite Esper was that the object in question was clearly important to this girl. Kamijou as well, though sporting faint dustings of red on his cheeks and ears, was also enthralled by it as well. That or he was merely taking in the sight out of mild curiosity.
"The man with the red hair gave it to me." Kinuhata had to strain her ears to make out what the soft-spoken girl was saying. But from what she could hear, she could swear there was a minor change in demeanor there. "He said this would prevent my power from being active."
"Stiyl said that? Wow, wish I had something like that. Maybe then I'd actually have some good luck for a change." Kamijou remarked irritably, turning his head away from the trinket the miko was wearing. "Instead I get a cast, another bill from the hospital, and a doctor accusing me performing self-harm to visit some nurses."
"...do you?"
"No!" It was somewhat comical at how quickly Kamijou's head whipped back around to the girl. "Why would you think so poorly of me? This Kamijou may be hapless, but I'm not some desperate degenerate!"
If the girl was bothered in any way at him yelling at her, she did not show it. This indifference she continued to demonstrate was actually kinda scary to the Dark May Survivor. It strongly reminded her of ITEM's resident tracker the more she watched and listened. Super eerie similarities aside, Kinuhata redirected her focus onto what Kamijou had previously said. A hospital visit, meaning he found himself into some kind of trouble; the end result being the sling she had already taken note of. Was this the doing of the faction that had brazenly attacked him before? If that was the case, how was this girl related to that event?
On a different note, what sort of super name is Stiyl?
"...oh, I'm sorry..."
"...I know I asked for an apology, but at least try and sound sincere about it." Kamijou's dejection was highlighted by both the sigh and the slumping of his shoulders. Though it was a short spell of gloominess that only lasted a couple seconds. "Anyways, it's good to know that Stiyl managed to get that to you as fast as he did. From what you told me, that Deep Blood ability of yours has been causing all kinds of trouble for you."
"...mmn...it has." What little of the silver chain that could be noted grew taunt; telling Kinuhata that the girl was firmly gripping the charm at this moment. "As long as I wear this, the effects of Deep Blood won't come into effect anymore. It is...nice...to have that assurance after living with it for so long."
"It probably doesn't compare much to what you've been through, Himegami." Ah, that's super, now Kinuhata had a name to tack on to the shrine maiden. "But, if nothing else, I can understand how having an ability can mess up your life in a big way. I can even relate to what you must have experienced; though I can't really say how much. I guess that's the sorta life you have when you're born with some sort of power. You inadvertently affect the world around you, you have no idea why it's happening, and you don't know how to make it stop."
The two females noticeably perked up a bit for completely separate set of reasons.
This was a first since she started eavesdropping on Kamijou and Mugino. Not once in any of their interactions had they heard either of them make mention of the sort of ability Kamijou possessed. Surely he had one, or so both she and Frenda had assumed. Otherwise there was no way the Meltdowner would give him the time of day. So he had some ability and this marked the first time it had even been remotely mentioned. Having said that, Kinuhata was paying extra attention to this conversation. This was gonna be a super big bombshell if it actually dropped. The sort of bombshell that would certainly explain a few nagging inquires that have remained unanswered.
Even without her heightened state of awareness, the petite girl could also see that Himegami's attention had grown more focused. Her head was fully facing his, her gaze just as hard-focused onto the boy as she was; probably more so. That spiky haired boy had her hanging on his every word. Kinuhata did not need to see Himegami's face to determine that. The shrine maiden was curious, very curious. Although, she was likely drawn to how his circumstances were similar to her own; rather than the ability itself. Frustratingly enough, however, Kamijou did not seem to notice. He had made that comment casually, head facing forward, and staring straight ahead.
There was some insight to be had here.
Both listeners were waiting for the unraveling.
And this idiot was treating it like he was talking about the weather.
"Kamijou needs to super learn how to read the mood!" Hissed out Kinuhata under her breath. Having this tantalizing detail dangled in front of her face was nerve-wracking. "And you! Shrine maiden, demand a super explanation! He brought it up! Make him take responsibility and elaborate on what he meant!"
"What do-"
"Ah, right! That reminds me." Infuriatingly, Kamijou chose this moment to interrupt the miko. Finally tearing his eyes away from the path ahead to look her dead in the eye. "You might want to keep me away from that thing. I'd hate to accidentally destroy it or remove its protective properties by touching it."
"Can that actually happen?"
A deep level of concern brimmed in her otherwise quiet voice. Himegami then widened the gap between them by a slim margin, perhaps instinctively. In doing so, she had completely foregone pursuing her previously interrupted inquiry; further fueling Kinuhata's quiet frustration.
"With my rotten luck? I'd say the chances are high that it might." Responded the boy with a nod. "For the time being it should be fine. I felt that it was right to warn you about it and, subsequently, how my misfortune might play into it. Me and Index went through a similar event when I first met her. Between you and her, you're much luckier it's a charm and not your entire..."
Kamijou suddenly went rigid, his voice trailing off mid sentence, and his entire body tensing up on the spot. Whatever had caused this was jarring enough to force him into a momentary state of immobility. As a result, both Himegami and Kinuhata were forced to stop. Less they leave him behind or bump into him respectively. Sadly Kinuhata still couldn't make out the sort of face he was making right now. The shrine maiden, however, could and was, in fact, taking note of it at this very moment.
"...you don't look well. Is everything fine?"
Whatever expression he was wearing was worrying enough for the miko to comment on it.
"Y-yeah, I, um, just remembering something I'd rather not talk about." Replied the boy, shaking his head, clearing his throat, then stepping back into his jaunt. "A-anyway, um, yeah; enough about the cross. Do you need to stop anywhere else? I think the grocery store might be having a nice sale on eggs today. If we hurry, we might be able to get a few cartons before they get sold out."
The abrupt change in subject could not have been more obvious. Especially when he was still carrying a bag filled with fast-food leftovers. The fact that he was walking at a much more brisk pace enforced the idea that he was desperately trying to avoid this topic. It was his own damn fault though. Super idiot shouldn't have opened his mouth. Himegami, who had not taken her eyes off him yet, persisted in leveling him with a skeptical glare. She nevertheless followed after him. The wheels on her suitcase making an audible ruckus for every crack in the asphalt the wheels rolled across. All that was left was Saiai, who had yet to move forward due to being in the process of-
"Annoying! This is super annoying! What is it with that stupid boy and all his super stupid secrets!? How come I always end up with more questions than answers!? Why does it always turn out this way!? Why did the conversation go from being super real to trivial all of a sudden!? Does he know that someone's watching him!? Is he purposely avoiding super critical details just to piss us off!?"
...recomposing herself.
To be frank, there was much more to her rant than this.
However, for the sake of brevity, we will exclude the full version of her tirade.
There was no approximate estimate on the total length Kinuhata's tantrum lasted for. Venting all of her festering feelings of irritation and discontent took a bit longer than intended. Some stomping on the pavement, a trash can being kicked over, the punching of a post, and a lot more verbal profanities. Once she was successfully unwound enough to rejoin society, Kamijou and Himegami had progressed a fair amount; having traveled a couple blocks. The only reason she was able to catch up with them again was thanks to the latter being dressed up as a super shrine maiden. All she had to do was ask around and people pointed her in the right direction.
It really paid to be a super cute girl when there were a bunch of guys walking around. Plus, she only had to break a few fingers on the more 'touchy-feely' guys she had asked. With all that being said, it felt good to not be constantly worried about being discovered. In fact, it felt more like a casual stroll and less like her usual observations. It was super refreshing if she had to be honest. She did get a text or two from Frenda over the passage of time. However, aside from checking to see who was buzzing her phone, Kinuhata did not look at the message itself. Having figured the blond was growing antsy waiting for her to get back before Mugino woke up.
"-managed on my own, Kamijou. You did not need to come with me."
Presently the subject of conversation involved living arrangements.
Or, In the case of this Himegami girl, a lack thereof.
"And I keep telling you that it isn't a problem." Rebuked the boy with a casual dismissal that Kinuhata had grown accustomed to hearing in his tone. "You were about to be kicked out of your dorm with nowhere to go. I couldn't sit comfortably at home with you roaming around the district by yourself."
"I can feel the subtle insult in that remark, Kamijou."
"How much did that train fair cost? Four-hundred yen?" Kamijou's head was slightly cocked to the side as he asked this; peering over towards the girl to his right. "Also, remind this Kamijou, who was it that spent three-hundred yen's worth of burgers? All because someone didn't plan ahead and decided to eat their emotions?"
There was a pause, a quiet spell of drawn out silence between the two. Kinuhata then saw the shrine maiden's head slowly turn a few inches away from the boy next to her. Unsurprisingly, the word 'stupid' rang out in her mind and resonated there for a couple seconds.
"...you really know how to hit where it hurts..."
"So you don't deny the fact that I have every reason to be concerned."
"You shouldn't be, there are places for girls like me around the city that I can go to."
"Don't care, still wouldn't have sat right with-...wait, hold on. What? Why do you know about these places?"
Before anything further was said, the ringing of a phone caught everyone's ears. The stock ringtone almost gave her the impression that it was her phone ringing for a second. Clarification came when Kamijou stopped and struggled to get into the confines of his left pocket. It took a bit longer due to the bag he had been holding needing to be put down. It was on the fourth ring when he managed to answer the mobile device. Apparently he didn't want to miss the call, so he did not bother to check to see who it was. He hadn't even finished saying 'hello' when the speaker's voice rang out through the receiver loud enough for Kinuhata to hear it.
"KAAAA-MIIII-JOOOOU!"
Yup, that was definitely Mugino.
And yup, she was definitely super mad.
With Kamijou now on damage control, Kinuhata took this intermission to check her own phone. Doing so showed that, indeed, Frenda's first message was in fact asking for an ETA. The message following it was one informing her that Shizuri had, in fact, woken up and was cranky. That part did not come as a surprise. Usually she was curt in the mornings; especially the morning after a long night of work. Saiai's face went utterly deadpan once she saw the third message Seivelun had sent. Not because of the message itself, but rather the format which was used to relay that message over to her. In this case, it consisted of various emoticons with some words sprinkled in-between.
The most prevalent information gathered from it was that Mugino was table-flipping pissed. She was also able to gather that Frenda was reasonably terrified, was stuck all alone with her, had been on the receiving end of her aggression already, and was pleading for aid. None of this, however, served as an explanation to why the Meltdowner was so super upset to begin with. Although, based on what she had just heard, it was safe to assume lover-boy was responsible in some way. Drawing back to a week or so ago, Kinuhata did remember the Level 5 professing her desire to help the boy. Perhaps her anger, at least in this scenario, was due in part to whatever caused Kamijou's arm to be in a sling.
All that did was raise the question of how she found out about it.
"Yes, yes, I'm aware of what-...n-no! No, that's not what happened." Speaking of lover boy, he was a few odd feet away in a vain attempt to have some privacy. "What happened was that...-I did try to call! Was your phone off or-n-no, I only called once. Because I was practically dragged into it and didn't have time to...Well, I figured you would've called me back as soon as you saw my voice message."
Evidently the process of calming down the Meltdowner was not going well. Neither was the effort to try to keep the matter private. If she could super hear it then it would be easy to imagine that Himegami could hear it too. As proven by the miko who had kept her gaze focused solely on the boy as he conversed over the phone. Kinuhata could not see her face, so she could only presume that her visage had remained unchanged throughout that time. Kamijou would occasionally glance her way between words. Offering up a sheepish and apologetic smile before going back into his robust discussion with Mugino. How Himegami responded to these gestures, however, remained unknown to the Dark-Side resident.
After five more minutes of reserved conversation, Kamijou finally snapped his phone shut. Having concluded his conversation, the boy's frame visibly deflated and she could see him mutter something under his breath. Sadly it was too quiet for her to hear from her vantage point. Himegami, having seen this as well, scooped up the to-go bag and casually closed the distance between them; prompting Kinuhata to advance with a bit of caution.
"Sorry about that," The still deflated boy's apology, though genuine, was mottled by the apprehensive undertones lingering in his voice. Not to say that it postponed the trek towards whatever their destination was. Once Himegami had passed the bag back to him, the two resumed their stroll without further delay. "I should've known she would not be happy with me once she found out what happened."
"...that little girl, Index, right?"
"N-no, no, it's someone else...and also someone who's much scarier than Index when she's mad." To Touma's credit, he did well at playing off Mugino's anger as mild-mannered as possible. Even so, Kinuhata could swear she heard the shrine maiden quietly and hotly mutter 'another girl' under her breath. Something that also caught Kamijou's attention, as he quickly followed his previous remark. "Sh-she worried, that's all. I get into trouble a lot and she really doesn't like it; especially when it ends with me in the hospital. She had quite a scare not long ago, I'll probably tell you more about it later, so she's been...um-"
"Clingy?"
"-she's a lot of things and clingy isn't one of them."
Kinuhata head nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with Kamijou on that one.
"Hmm..." The wise shrine maiden wannabe pondered for a moment, before a balled fist struck her palm in her sudden Eureka moment. "Oh, so she's a watered-down Yandere."
Whatever Kinuhata expected out of the girl, it definitely wasn't that.
"Blaghfh!"
She didn't know what type of spastic noise her mouth made, but Saiai knew it wasn't the super hysteric laughter she was suppressing.
"Don't put such a scary scenario in the air! The more I think about it the more I fear for my future!" Kamijou hastily denied the quiet girls words shortly after hearing them. With good reason too. She would have truly felt sorry for him had he such a dangerous Mugino to deal with.
"Then...what about a Tsundere?" The stone-faced girl tilted her head cutely to the side, throwing out another retort. "Although the probability of her getting past your dense main character syndrome, is highly unlikely..."
Once again, both Kinuhata and Kamijou caught wind of her mumbling under her breath. Between the two of them, however, only he was the one who didn't quite hear her clearly. Unless he did and had elected to ignore the jab made at his person. Personally, the Dark-May Survivor was not able or willing to suspend her disbelief here.
"W-Well, while she may have her cute Tsun moments, which I will treasure till the day I die, you can't just fit her into a single archetype like that. Especially one where the key character trait is being a shy stuttering mess! Denied!"
"You and this girl seem to be pretty close, Kamijou." The girl had maintained her inquisitive nature, however there was no way to misconstrue the icy overtones lacing her words. "Is this the 'Childhood Friend' archetype or one of those 'First Girl Wins' scenarios?"
"...wonderful, you're one too." Muttered Touma with a sigh, his dry and haggard words ironically mirroring Kinuhata's own thoughts. "Also, that's the second time someone's asked if she was my childhood friend. Seriously, why is that the first thing everyone thinks of? Then again, this Kamijou doesn't look like the type to have a girlfriend or anything. I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt here."
The latter half of this remark was, more or less, uttered to himself than to the girl accompanying him. Even so, he did not go to any extreme lengths to try and be discreet about it either. An offhand comment made in passing. Yet, despite how casual he made it seem, it had an unprecedented effect on the young woman traversing with him. Kamijou might not have noticed, but Kinuhata certainly did. The way Himegami's shoulders seemed to twitch and tense; like a cat raising its hackles once it's threatened. At which point, complied with the other clues she had noted thus far, the dark-side resident started putting two and two together.
"...oh, you can't be super serious..."
She could already feel her mood take a rapid decline.
"So she is your… girlfriend?"
Don't let your super disappointment be so obvious!
"You don't have to sound so surprised. What? Does this Kamijou look that hapless?"
And are you really that dense, Kamijou!?
"How? I was certain that a protagonist-type of person like you would remain single or indecisive." Himegami didn't bother to retort, busy as she was breaking into a deep contemplative murmurings. "I had already assumed you had raised several flags prior to this. But to take the committed relationship route-no. To have already taken that route in spite of your thickheaded mentality? That is unexpected and irritating."
"You're line of thinking is very harmful to this Kamijou. It's very unnecessary and unappreciated; please stop."
Despite his disapproval, Himegami continued to silently muse on this new development. Her muttering becoming distinctly quieter to the degree that even Kamijou might have had to strain his ears to hear her. Assuming he had the intent to do so, considering how unintentionally scathing her last few remarks had been. It remained this way for one, maybe two minutes tops, before she transitioned to silent contemplation. By the looks of it, it appeared that she had finally decided to let the matter drop for the-
"...DereDere?"
-nevermind, the miko girl had weakly piped up.
She was still making a vain attempt to connect a 'dere' that was somewhere close to the truth.
For his part, Kamijou's immediate response came as a simple, yet haggard sigh. It seemed he couldn't find the energy to keep shooting down every attempt the girl made at pinning an archetype to his...let's say, more than difficult to understand partner. Kinuhata herself could understand the frustration that came with that. She would have been hard-pressed to explain it herself if she was talking to someone who barely knew the Meltdowner. More so now, given the factors that she and the other Stalkers had been observing for the past few months. And that was not taking into account the many unknowns that led to this union forming in the first place.
"I don't even-...you know what? Let's find a place to sit down. I feel like this will take longer than a few minutes to properly explain."
For the first time today, Kinuhata's eyes almost looked like they were glowing with joy.
A super reveal was finally gonna happen!
Kinuhata's patience was tested as the two sought out a proper location.
It did not take an extraordinary amount of time to do this. Roughly ten minutes to find a place to settle within the district. They ended up situating themselves at one of the many parasol tables of an outdoor lounge area neighboring a coffee shop. Although it did not take them long to find it and settle there, it felt like it took much longer to the solo stalker. None should have been able to blame her considering how high her anticipation currently was. In fact, she was practically glued to their backs as they traversed all the way here. Due to how intent she was to gain for new information she nearly put her own exposure at risk when they arrived.
There was some measure of fortune to be had though. The place wasn't too vacant and thus it was not difficult for her to score a seat close to where the two were sitting. The issue was that she had to sit with her back to them so as not to be potentially recognized. The risk was still there, as it had been since the beginning, so long as they were attentive enough to take notice to her. Thus far things have been going swimmingly enough in her favor. However, Kinuhata herself was starting to realize that the threshold between boldness and carelessness was beginning to blur.
The temptation was so super tantalizing that she did not care.
"So, girlfriend."
Yet simply hearing it play out with no visuals was making her imagination run wild.
That shrine maiden sounded like CEO ready to grill the corporate slave Kamijou alive.
"Right, yes, this Kamijou has one." Unmoved by it, his casual indifference gave off the impression that he was bored. Which, in all likelihood, was not too far off from being the truth. "Her name's Shizuri, she doesn't fit into any of the 'dere' archetypes you've mentioned, and I'm pretty sure this whole conversation is pointless. Is there a reason why you're so hung-up on talking about it? Are you expecting there to be some big conspiracy around the two of us being in a relationship?"
Yeah, kinda, it has been a nagging question in the back of this Kinuhata's mind for months now with zero answers coming to light.
"Yes, based on what happened at the Misawa Cram School, I believe so." Well...okay, she certainly was not being super subtle about it. "Your stubborn personality makes you prone to sticking your nose into other people's business. Despite my efforts to dissuade you from interfering, you persisted and ultimately put an end to the events transpiring there."
Misawa Cram School...that name rings a bell, but Kinuhata could not place it.
Furthermore, did that miko just channel some of her thoughts for a second there?
"What's this have to do with me having a girlfriend?"
"It pertains to it a lot. I believe it's safe to assume that there's more to it than you let on. Before that though, this Mugino-san, would you say she is beautiful?"
"Strange question, but yeah, she definitely is. I'd go as far as to say that she's out of my league in looks alone."
That's an understatement, the Meltdowner could be a model with that super body she has. Simply thinking about actually pissed Kinuhata quite off a bit. This train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the sound of rapidly crumpling paper filling Kinuhata's ears. She did not know what it was when she first heard it. Listening closely, she determined that it wasn't crumpled paper but rather someone aggressively unwrapping something that was in a bundle. Then she remembered the to-go bag that Kamijou had been carrying all this time.
"Wha-what the hell is wrong with you! Stop trying to stuff your mouth with burgers, you'll choke!"
A quick peek over her shoulder made her privy to the sight of Kamijou wrestling with the girl's wrist as she tried to shove food into her maw. It would have been comedic if it wasn't so sad of a sight to witness, brief as it was. The commotion lasted no more than a few more minutes or so. Likely because he was using his non-dominant hand to try and pry the food from out of her grasp.
"Tch, I should've assumed your ability to be so dense and coldhearted to my emotions might break my kuudere heart."
"I'm going to use the 'skip dialog' option here and instead ask why my girlfriend's appearance was so important."
"It is important," Finally composing herself, the kuudere miko slipped back into the reserved state prior to its derailment. "Based on the previously mentioned events, as well as the presence of the nun Index, I've concluded that I am not the only damsel you have encountered. Index is cute, a foreign beauty, and someone of your character would feel obligated to lend aid to if circumstances required it."
"This is starting to sound like you saying I go out of my way to only help pretty girls."
"Am I wrong?"
Yes, is super she wrong Kamijou?
Because, so far, she sounds like she's on the right track.
"...it's not just girls."
"But more often than not, it is, correct?"
Kamijou's inability to respond to this spoke volumes of truth.
"If you can't refute it, then my point remains." Kinuhata could almost hear the Accusatory Spear running through the boy's body right this moment. "Taking that into consideration, then I can guess that you have done the same for this Mugino-san as well. Judging on how acquainted you are with her, this relationship has been an ongoing one. If that is the case, then what were the circumstances that lead the two of you becoming acquainted?"
"That was a very long and roundabout way of asking how long we've been dating." Deadpanned Kamijou, grunting quietly as he chair squeaked from him likely slouching in his seat. "If that's all you wanted to know, you could've just asked me that. You didn't need to pick-apart this Kamijou's reasoning for helping people-which isn't at all focused on just saving pretty girls by-the-way!"
"That isn't what I am asking for, Kamijou. I am asking what sort of events transpired between you two that resulted in you saving her."
Kamijou did not immediately answer this question; rather he instead just sighed with an audible 'thunk' swiftly accompanying it. Courtesy of his head hitting the table no doubt. Nevertheless, Kinuhata was eagerly awaiting an answer to this particular question. It was a subject that had yet to be broached throughout the time she and the others have been observing the two. By all accounts, there was a slim chance that it never would be brought up by the two considering they already knew of what transpired. There was no need to rehash an event that happened in the past unless something in particular during that period cropped up again.
Chances of that happening during any observations were slim to none. Fortune could have eventually smiled upon the Stalking Trio with time but, so far, it had not. So this was the most opportune moment to finally gain insight into the history that Kamijou and Mugino shared. Whether it be a sliver or greater did not matter; so long as it was something to write home about then she could call this incident a success.
"...it's complicated." Finally, Kamijou spoke up after a period of silence. "It'll take way too long to explain, but it isn't as cut and dry as you might think."
"I have time and burgers."
"Sadly, I don't have that sorta time; especially now that Mugino's upset with me."
"...are you that submissive to her?"
"No, but I'd rather not deal with an angry Level 5 girlfriend."
"Level 5?" Himegami repeated thoughtfully and growing quiet for a time. "...you must have really done something to impress her."
"Most people think that, but I really don't think so." Humble to the end, Kamijou continued to speak casually as ever. "All she really needed to do was get to know someone well enough. That's how I've come to see it anyway. Don't get me wrong, she's much better than she used to be, but she wasn't always the most...um, agreeable person."
"She didn't sound too agreeable on the phone either."
That sounded like spite.
That comment definitely stank of super spite and jealousy.
"I told you, she was just worried. If you thought she was bad then, she used to be much worse." Defended Kamijou, unperturbed by the remark. "Originally, was very easily annoyed whenever I was around or talked to her. Once or twice she tried to blast me to bits with her Meltdowner. And I can't recount all the insults she's thrown at me, though I can't say the last one has changed much. As you heard, you can tell that she's kept her temper and she gets pretty vocal when I make her upset or worried. Putting that aside, she has come a long way from back when I first stuck my nose into her business. Shizuri prefers to keep her personal business private."
"So there was an incident between you two?"
"Yeah, there were a few things that happened early this year; which is how we met."
"And you saved her?"
"...I guess," He suddenly got very quiet, either due to reflecting on this past event or maybe to better gather his thoughts. Whatever the case was, this pause in the explanation was short lived. "Personally, I don't really look at it as me 'saving' her. Back then, she was too proud to ask for help, so I imposed myself on her. She wasn't happy with me for awhile but, eventually, I suppose she calmed down. After that we, sorta, kept bumping into each other by chance. We talked a bit, I got to know her better, and eventually it went from accidental meet-ups to actual planned ones. Even after that, we didn't start officially dating until almost a month or two later."
"Are you certain she wasn't stalking you?"
"Yes, now stop trying to make her out to be a yandere; it's creepy."
If Kinuhata had a notepad, she'd be furiously scribbling away into it by now. Nothing about this discussion here was heavily detailed. However, it was definitely more than what she and the other stalkers had gathered up to this point. There was something in their past that happened that Mugino had never talked about. It happened early on in the year and it was not entirely tied to a singular event. Perhaps if she relayed this to Frenda, they could try to recall any specific events around that time frame together. Takitsubo was relatively new and was not around during that time, so she would not be much help in figuring out what happened around then.
"This event that led to you two meeting for the first time...what was it about?" This Himegami girl was getting bold and Saiai was silently appreciating every bit of it. "For the sake of privacy, I won't ask for specifics. What I'm asking is if it was on a similar scale to what happened at Misawa Cram School."
"There isn't much that can match what happened at that damn place." Rebuked Touma a bit hotly, apparently not too keen on the subject in question. "Compared to that Alchemist, I'd say what happened between me and Mugino was pretty tame. Not any less dangerous, but significantly less extraordinary by comparison."
"That is...a good point to make." For once the shrine maiden sounded as close to sheepish as her soft-spoken nature allowed. "Aureolus Izzard was formidable due to Ars Magna. The chances of your past endeavors comparing to something of that magnitude would be considerably low."
"With all the stuff he was able to do? Yeah, I'd say it's pretty hard to top that."
Alchemist, Aureolus Izzard, Ars Magna? What is it with Kamijou and all this occult stuff coming out of the woodworks? Since when did nuns, shrine maidens, magicians, and alchemists start to become commonplace terms? This is Academy City, a place of science and technology, not occult nonsense! This was the home of scientific and military equipment thirty years ahead of the rest of the world! So stop it with the super occult terminology, stop being so vague, and start saying things that make tangible sense!
"Anyway, if you're asking how bad it was, I can say it wasn't as bad." Continued Kamijou, seemingly willing to carry on with the conversation for the sake of getting it done with. "Again, it wasn't any less dangerous than what happened to you. It was a different sort of dangerous, the kind that I'm pretty bad at tackling."
"Is that so? How?"
"Well, for starters, Imagine Breaker doesn't-"
It had to be at that moment that the hum of a phone had to go off and interrupt him. Of all times it had to be at that moment, when this 'Imagine Breaker' was mentioned, that some external force interfered. She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from yelling 'Ignore it!' right then and there. As much as she wanted to, and she reeeaalllly wanted to, she did not. Instead she sat (im)patiently as whoever's phone was answered. She had to wait a few more rings until she heard Kamijou's voice once more.
"Hello?"
"Ka-Mi-Jou-kun-" Immediately, no exaggeration, immediately Kinuhata felt a chill run up and down her spine. "I~ found~ you~."
The reason behind this sense of impending dread was not from hearing it through Kamijou's phone. Oh no, she was hearing it from the vocal folds of the owner herself less than ten or so feet behind her. This sense of alarm practically paralyzed her in place and for good reason. This was the closest she had ever gotten to being in the same proximity as Kamijou and her together while out in the open. The only saving grace, the only thing keeping her safe, was the fact that she kept her back to them. Kamijou's table was diagonally behind hers and he was sitting in the seat furthest from her. Thus putting Saiai in Mugino's peripheral, rather than being in direct line of sight.
Nevertheless, it was super stressful and equal parts terrifying.
"I'm...uh...going to hang up now..." Lamely informed Kamijou, followed by the clap of his phone snapping shut. If she had to guess, he was probably sitting stock still. "...please, Shizuri, don't kill me until I finish explaining things first."
The second 'clap' of a mobile device snapping shut sounded more ominous than it should have. Same could be said about the clap of her shoes (or boots, she couldn't tell) clapping against the pavement as she stepped closer.
"You have twenty words, starting now."
"That isn't enough! That isn't enough words at all!"
"Eleven words left."
A new sound was hitting her ears now.
It was the sound Kamijou's muffled groans of growing dismay.
"...I see, so this is the final boss."
Don't super antagonize the Level 5 threat, shrine maiden; you'll live longer.
"Can I get a freebie and ask how you found me?" Kamijou was desperate for anything Mugino would give him at this stage and it was evident in his voice. "Please, Shizuri, at least let me ask that question."
A lengthy silence followed the boy's request. No more footfalls indicated that she had gotten close enough to them by now. Knowing Mugino as well as she did, Kinuhata could aptly surmise that the Meltdowner was playing the quiet card to raise the tension and psychologically mess with her lover. It was one of her sadistic little games she liked to play with individual prey begging for their lives. Pretend to think about it, ultimately deny their request, and then end them without a hint of remorse. Such is how it played out on a regular basis. But, as proven several times in the past, the Level 5 might do the opposite from what she expected.
This was her lover she was dealing with though and the rules change, quite drastically, whenever he's involved.
"Kamijou, you're walking around the district with a shrine maiden." Spoke up Mugino, though clearly in an 'Are you really asking me this?' sort of way. "You aren't hard to find when half of Academy City is talking about you on social media."
Curious, Kinuhata actually braved some movement and retrieved her phone. She wasn't a big on using social media as extensively, but she did take a peek at what was trending nonetheless. Her findings showed a distant photo of this exact venue. The focus was primarily on Himegami, albeit Kamijou was also distinguishable in the picture too. Not her though, she was not in the shot, which dropped her heart rate considerably.
"Only in Academy City can you find a Shrine Maiden at a coffee shop." Seemed Himegami had been curious as well and was reading the caption of the same picture. "The comments on this post are very entertaining. 'What's with that protag-hair?', 'Can you spot the protagonist, lol! ', 'Cute miko.', 'How come I can't get a date with a cute girl like that?' and more coming in...have I been immortalized?"
Once more, a loud 'thunk' managed to reach Kinuhata's ears; presumably from his head hitting the table again.
"...such misfortune."
"And that makes eleven~" That announcement was made in a chillingly sweet tone. The sort of tone Death itself used when whisking away the departed from the living world. It made Kinuhata's hair, and no doubt Kamijou's as well, stand on end "It's a shame you couldn't pick your last words more wisely, Ka-mi-jou."
Yandere's: they are super scary!
"Time out, time out! This Kamijou has a credible reason for all of this! And just in case you're thinking it, no, this was not a date!" With desperation and rightful panic in his voice, Kamijou seemed to shoot up from his seat; evidenced by the sound of his chair clattering to the asphalt. "Himegami is a recent acquaintance that needed some help finding a place to live. She was getting kicked out of her dorm and I was helping her-"
"What the fuck happened to your damn arm!?"
"Long story! Short version won't make sense without context. I'll explain that later."
"Bold of you to assume you'll get that chance, jackass!"
"I'd like to believe you'll give me the benefit of the doubt after I clear up this misunderstanding!"
Predictably, this was starting to get more intense. The fact that Kinuhata was directly in the line of fire was not lost to her. Which made the tantalizing urge to brave another peek that much more difficult to resist. She wanted to see what was happening, not listen and guess at the expressions and actions of those behind her. Doing that would get her found out and escalate things further. There were no delusions on her part that such a possibility existed. Yet she truly wished that she could afford to take that risk and watch as all of this played out. To her, it was like watching an empty building catch fire and burn to the ground.
The awe factor and general intrigue was what she was interested in.
If relevant information came out of this, she could walk away from it content.
"She is a Yandere..."
The soft spoken Kuudere miko was super not helping in dousing the flames either.
"You're fault! It's your fault for implanting that thought into my head! You'll be taking responsibility for this, you hear me!?"
"Who the hell is she anyway Kamijou?" Inquired Mugino, now that the girl had singled out. "Wait, actually, I'm going to take a wild damn guess. She 'just happened' to be in trouble and you 'just happened' to be around to White Knight your way into whatever shitty situation she was caught up in. Am I on the right track here, jackass?"
"...you really do know each other well..."
Himegami actually started clapping. No joke, literally applauding the Level 5 in that moment.
"There's a lot more to it than that Shizuri, trust me." Sympathy needed to be given to the boy here. He was being accused from one side and the other was doing nothing to contribute in defending his case. "In actuality, she was conveniently caught in the middle of the whole mess. Stiyl was the one who roped me into it this time, I swear!"
"Fire-crotch is to blame? That's your explanation for why your arm is that way and you took a visit to the hospital?"
"I feel like you're doubting me, but it's the truth. Far as I'm concerned, I really don't hold much love for that bastard."
"All the more reason why he sounds like the scapegoat in this explanation."
"Am I really the type of guy to do that if it wasn't true?"
Mugino clicked her tongue a few seconds later, yet said nothing else. Seemed whoever this Stiyl was, both she and Kamijou did not hold him in high regard. Amazing how a few key details could stave off an escalating argument. Details that, frustratingly enough, were not common knowledge to anyone except those two. Nevertheless, it seemed to be working in calming down her temperamental leader. How well it did so was unknown to the petite girl. Unwilling to yield what barely constituted as cover and run the risk of attracting unwanted attention to herself. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to get a drink before setting down; otherwise she would be looking pretty conspicuous right about now.
"Was it him who brought that fruit basket at the hospital?" Quipped in the miko, sounding unsure while recounting events unknown to two of the four presently listening. "Neither me or Index brought them and he was with you in Misawa Cram School."
"Is that right…?"
The air went still once again.
"Kamijou, why was I the last one to know about this?"
It was illogical and impossible, nonetheless Kinuhata could swear she could hear Kamijou silently screaming at the shrine maiden.
"Uh...I, um, be-cause I knew you would be angry?" At least he was honest with his answer; not that it would save him. "In my own defense, I did call you."
Super wrong answer.
"Come with me Kamijou," She wasn't asking, that was for sure. "We're gonna have a nice little chat."
"I have an alibi! Witnesses, I need some witnesses! Please!"
It would not have surprised her if, whoever was still here and not eavesdropping, did not turn a blind eye to the couple.
In the end, Kinuhata was able to slip away unnoticed.
Not too difficult a feat when the object of your observations is escorted away to receive a verbal thrashing. The full extent of their argument would have likely gleaned a great deal of information. However, with how close she had already been cutting it, she did not want to push her luck any further. Much like gambling, you have to know when to call it quits. Failure to do so is how one ends up so broke that they can't pay for the train fair home. Overall, she walked away from it learning more than she did when she started. Not too much more, sadly, yet it was enough to satiate her curiosity for the time being. It gave something to think about as she walked.
For instance, those weird terms he kept spouting on about.
As an inhabitant of the city of science, Saiai did not put much thought into all of the occult nonsense. Beliefs in charms, horoscopes, things of such superstitious nature were not of much interest to her. Things like the Tree Diagram, ruthless calculus, and logical thinking cut out that irrational garbage. The fact that some people continue to believe in it, despite the environment they were in, was beyond her understanding. Then things like nuns and shrine maidens along with terms, such as magician and alchemist, began to crop up from out of nowhere. Stranger than that was that it was not exclusive to the relatively unknown person of Kamijou Touma's stature.
Mugino was using them too and that, no matter how it was sliced, felt super strange, unbecoming...wrong.
Then there was the other topic on the table that was worth mulling over; Imagine Breaker.
What was that? It did not sound like the other occult crap she had heard prior to its mention. Was it his ability? By the way it was being presented, it sounded like that was the case. If so, what was he about to say that it couldn't do? In fact, there was a better question to ask: what could it do? Mugino had to already know and yet he had claimed to be a Level 0. It had to be lie, anything less and he would have been a smear on the floor somewhere by now. Altruistic people like him do not last very long unless they were crafty, smart, extremely lucky, or all three. That was without factoring in the mystery incident Kamijou had helped Mugino get out of.
So yes, she had a strong belief that Imagine Breaker was an ability; Kamijou Touma's ability.
Everything pertaining to what it did, it's strengths, it's limits; all of it remained unknown.
However, if nothing else, she finally had a name which she could use to associate it.
For the time being though, Kinuhata decided to put those thoughts to rest. Better to disclose them to Frenda when she got home. Speaking of home, she did have that errand to run before she went back. Oddly enough, doing this little chore did not annoy her as much as it did earlier. It was mid-afternoon, the sun was beginning its descent, and she had managed to evade a critical situation unscathed. Upon reflection, Saiai felt pretty satisfied for the small bit of unraveling she had done today. Accomplished was the word of the moment and she certainly felt much better compared to earlier.
"Can't believe how super close that got at the end." Yawned out the girl, stretching her arms as she walked. "Can't say I'm disappointed with the results though. And here I was thinking that I wouldn't be productive at all toda-"
Her line of thought was broken when someone abruptly stepped out in front of her. Offense Armor had kicked in and kept the physical contact from being made. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise and it did end up startling her enough to make her stumble to the ground. Between the two colliding parties, the other person likely felt it more than she did. It was essentially like walking into a chest-high wall.
"Ah! Hey, you alrig-o-oh...oh crap."
That voice...
...she recognized that voice!
Looking up, she was stuck looking at the stupid face of Hamazura Shiage. Same boy was on his butt looking owlishly at her, who was also on the ground on her butt. Difference being that Kinuhata looked far less alarmed and far more annoyed. Especially now that she heard the beginnings of his remark to her. Come to think of it, this asshole had up and ditched ITEM despite being their lackey. He didn't get days off, he didn't get to turn off his phone and leave whenever he liked. He was on call, always, and he knew that.
"...super Hamazura!"
Lips were ready to move, but nothing came out of his dumb mouth by the time someone else spoke up.
"...ah, hi Kinuhata..."
Her head swiveled over towards the tracksuit wearing girl standing off to the side. As usual, she had the look of someone who could not care less about her surroundings. Her weary expression was ruined by the cup she was holding and the straw a few inches away from her mouth. The only movement she made was with her eyes, calmly shifting between the two downed parties. Other pedestrians did the same, yet none bothered to pay it any more mind than necessary.
"Takitsubo?" Getting herself up, Kinuhata kept her curious gaze on the quiet girl. "What are you doing here with this idiot?"
Said idiot grumbled something under his breath, but otherwise followed her example and stood up.
"Lunch."
Simply and plainly, same as it usually was with Takitsubo's responses.
"She said she wanted to get some exercise afterwards." Elaborated the blonde, his own disinterest showing as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Asked me to come along with her. Figured it couldn't hurt to walk around and browse for a bit."
"Long time to spend browsing with your phone off, Hamazura. Frenda had a job for you, but you bailed. Now she's probably gonna super kick your ass for it."
Her pointed remark was met with the boy's shoulders twitching and the subtle aversion of his gaze. She might have snickered if it wasn't so damn pathetic. Takitsubo, meanwhile, continued to sip her drink through the straw and shift her gaze from Saiai, the boy, to no one. Obviously Hamazura had no rebuttal, probably racking his brain trying to think of something. As far as she was concerned, it was a wasted effort for whatever brain cells he had in that empty head of his. There was another reason why it really did not matter all that much to her; beyond just Hamazura's stupidity.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter now." Continued the girl with a shrug and a sigh. "I got the list of the stuff we need back home. Oh, by the way, is there anything you need to get Takitsubo?"
"...probably..."
"Well, you might as well tag along then just in case. If we give the list to this super idiot, he'd probably mess up and get the wrong things anyway. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm super glad we don't have to rely on him to pick it up now."
"...I can't win, no matter what I do, I just can't win."
"Oh shut up, I'm the one buying it, all you have to do is carry the stuff." Hamazura's moping comments ceased soon after and his dim-witted face scrunched up in confusion as he looked on at her. "What? You wanna super pay for it and carry the stuff home? We can still do it that way since you look so-"
"Ah-uh-no! No, that's fine, it's fine, I'll carry them."
"Then move super Hamazura, I want to get home sometime today."
Shiage remained dumbstruck for a solid few seconds after she passed him. It took him a solid two seconds to scramble himself together and catch up to her. Takitsubo had already started walking along with her as well, putting just him behind them. From the corner of her eye, Kinuhata had noticed that there was a glimmer of something else in the AIM Stalker's gaze. Puzzlement, that was she could make out from what little she could determine. Made sense, she was not ignorant about how her actions differed from the norm. But so what? She was in a better, more forgiving mood than she had been earlier today.
Kinuhata didn't have to be nice to Hamazura, none of them did by any means.
They could, however, cut him a little bit of slack every once in a while.
Welcome to the bottom!
So, good news and bad news. Bad news is that my personal issues persisted and put me in a slump. It was the sorta personal issues that take too much out of you and leave you feeling like you're home is a prison. I'd rather not go into the details about it, but that's essentially how it was for 6+ months. It hasn't been pretty, it's been stressful, and it killed any vibe I had to write. The good news is that I've moved. I finally put that behind me and moved on passed it. No bullshit, soon as I started living at my new place, I sat down and immediately picked up where I originally started many months ago. It's been that bad and the relief I feel now is quite surreal.
Figured some explanation was needed to those who actually read these ANs.
Anyways, not much Mugino in this chapter; which makes me sad too. Lots of Himegami and if you're reading this and skipped to the Mugino segments; I hate you. Himegami is not very easy for me to write. I struggled so much in the beginning of this because I did not know how to write her effectively. It's only as I got deeper into the chapter that I got a good feel for it. So I urge you, if nothing else, please at least appreciate the effort that I put into this. It was a very rough start. Other than that, everything else came along pretty smoothly. Figured I'd show Kinuhata getting her own solo outing like I had for Frenda back in Chapter 6 (without being caught at the end).
Don't worry, you'll get plenty of Mugino next chapter; I promise. It's actually a segment I really look forward to writing. That and the Sister's Arc in general, which is also gonna be its own little fun ride. Lastly, shout-out to my friend UrsaMJR for betaing this chapter for me. A great guy and the reason I was able to get through the rough patches in this chapter was thanks in large part to him.
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 and happy holidays~!