And here we are... right at chapter 2. I have full author's note duty so away I go!

Hopefully the wait has been kind! We both really like the reception the first chapter got, so thank you all who reviewed/followed/Favorited this story; it really means a lot. We will be holding off on review responses for awhile, as we want to keep these laser focused on content.

That said, I hope you all enjoy!

It had all been a dream.

Perhaps one of the most "Fuck you" type of endings there ever existed within the realm of fiction, anyone who read it was sure to throw the book they were reading it from or just outright smash the computer that held those words, those six words were ones that could illicit rage in even the most emotionless of beings.

But for Shokuhou Misaki, while she was sure those six words would have created enough rage in her that she might have killed whoever had written said story, there was also a part of her that realized that those words might be true.

Kamijou Touma had remembered her.

The means were unknown. Although Misaki had used cause and effect principles to think to herself that the reason behind Touma remembering her had to do with the alteration to his brainwaves, there was the chance, the ever so small chance that it was entirely unrelated. And because of that, there was the chance that Touma remembering her was an event that held no weight to it at all for anyone else: he would remember things about her and forget things about like anyone would a normal person.

But the idea that Touma could do that for Shokuhou Misaki was a luxury she had been denied for so very long.

Three days.

If indeed, the reason Touma could remember Misaki was because of the alteration of his brainwaves, then there were three days in which Touma could remember that girl with the honey blonde hair. It was on the third day that everything would be revealed: whether he would be able to remember Misaki past that third day would determine if the reason he could remember her now had to do with the alteration to his brainwaves.

What should she do with that spare time? What should she do with the time she now had?

Misaki had no idea, the fact that she even had this time in the first place making her feel as though she were drifting through the clouds with ecstasy. But if there was one thing she knew, it was that if she were to be told that this was a dream, then she would entirely believe it even though her reaction of rage might cause someone to be turned into a vegetable or two.

Angering a Level 5 was a terrifying thing after all.

But in this case, it was perhaps even worse.

Because taking away the happiness that was blossoming in the chest of that Level 5 was threatening to rip apart her very mind at its core.

Shokuhou Misaki was not currently within the School Garden or within Tokiwadai Middle School grounds either. No, the Japanese holiday which was shared with Academy City had meant that for the next few days, school was out and the festivities were abound within the entire City itself. Students who had been let off school for the sake of the festival walked around the streets with their friends although it was not going to be for another few days that the fireworks show that was accompanied with that festival was going to take place.

Tokiwadai Middle School was no exception although it was with some annoyance that Shokuhou was forced to wear her middle school uniform even out of the area where she did her learning. The rules served to hold her down and push her around but it was with nervousness that she stood amongst the ground in District 7 as the hubbub of the passing pedestrians surrounded her.

She was waiting.

Waiting for him.

It had been nothing more than a simple request. A desire for the two of them, now that Touma had regained his memories of her, to restart their meeting and begin once again, fresh with the time that they were to spend together. Misaki herself was unsure what exactly had happened in the incident involving that spiky haired boy which had sent him once more to hospital, but for the first time in her life, Misaki dared herself to have a rather dangerous thought.

Whatever that incident was, she was glad he had gotten hurt.

Because it had allowed him to remember her.

Naturally, the conflict between the cause and the effect was one that other at her heart, but the effect, despite the cause, was one which threatened to make her collapse right there on the streets, trembling with pure happiness at what she hoped was not a dream whatsoever.

And here she was, waiting. After having helped that boy with his groceries yesterday, the debt he had formed was one that his sincere side wanted to pay back as soon as he could. And to that end, Misaki had only asked for one thing: for the two of them to meet up here so that she could 'visit places she would have a hard time visiting herself'.

Yet, whether it was on purpose or merely the first thing that came to mind when she had answered Touma's question of where they were to meet up, the place where Misaki stood right now was by no means unimportant and insignificant.

It was where everything had started, at least, for Misaki.

This was the intersection and the place where she had first met Kamijou Touma in August, that summer long ago.

She had said that she wanted to 'start again' but the fact that she had taken it so literally and chosen this place for their first meet-up Misaki only belatedly realized was extremely fitting. Here she was, ready to meet up with Touma in the true 'first meeting' they were about to have, the one that arose in the period after he had lost his memories on July 28th. This place and their new beginning that would start here was nothing more than Misaki truly and wholly starting again, this time, in the hopes that Touma would remember her and their meetings for real now.

Even so though, the nervousness and the beating of her heart only threatened to cause her to collapse as she stood, waiting patiently for the boy who was going to come for her. The stares she attracted, whether it because she was in her Tokiwadai uniform, she was known to be the Level 5 or merely because of her natural beauty was stares she barely even registered. Even amongst the faces of the crowd as she stood at the intersection where she had first met him and where he was going to first meet her again, the faces that passed her by were ones she did not even register for a moment when she looked at them.

No, she knew there was only one face she was looking for. Everything else was unimportant, every other face not one she had to spend time looking at, even if that was a cruel thought. Misaki had been waiting for this one single moment for what seemed like an eternity and the next three days were only going to be that small commercial break for her in the play of life.

What would come of it?

Not even Misaki knew but the importance of it, the importance of them meeting once more at this place where Misaki had first met Touma was one she hoped would continue forever.

Still though…

There was one detail right now that she had to consider.

(…He's late.)

It was with that pout that Misaki made that mental note, turning around and spotting her reflection. She had gotten ready in a hurry, the excitement she was feeling to even be given the chance to experience what she was going to experience throwing her heart and her mind into chaos. The hurry she had gotten ready in had been mainly to avoid the rather clingy members of her clique and while she had nothing against them, today was not going to be her clique fighting over who they would go to the festival with Misaki.

No, it was just for her and someone else who had a special place in her heart.

…Even though, to be honest, the bets that Misaki had placed on who would win whatever competition usually fell on her right hand woman of Hokaze Junko.

Although she looked perfect to the outsider, the small imperfections which were obvious now that Misaki spotted them in her face and clothes only told of how hurriedly she had made her way to this meeting spot due to the anticipation she had for today.

It rather annoyed her in a way. After all, the fact that the Shokuhou Misaki had been so tamed that she would look forward to a single meeting with a single boy put her in a rather bad mood…but the meeting itself and who was going to be there was enough to lift her spirits, if even slightly.

A strand of hair Misaki saw was poking out at an odd angle in the reflection of the mirror. It was with a small pout that she raised her hands towards it and tried to lower it down, but even in the mirror, she could note the trembling of her hands.

…Was he really late?

Misaki felt something bitter rise within her as she slowly moved the strand of hair down.

Was he even coming in the first place?

Had Misaki, in her frustration and her pain only dreamt that the boy remembered her? The bitter feeling and the big "Fuck you" her mind was playing with her made her want to spit on the ground, yet the truth and the possibility in that it was nothing but a dream weighed heavily on her mind. It crushed her, tormented her and tortured her heart was than anything else and it was the momentary consideration that this was nothing but cruelty which made Misaki slowly lower her hands back down to her side.

Her gaze fell down…but was that because she didn't want to look at her face in the mirror in front of her?

The possibility that this was all a dream came to her more strongly now and it was with frustration that she clenched her fists by her side. Misaki trembled, something bitter within her rising to her throat…no, past that and towards her eyes. She closed them, forcing down the thoughts she had in her mind before realizing something extremely basic.

Their meeting time had been here, at this spot, at 7 in the morning. Not only was that plenty of time for Misaki to avoid her clique but also enough time for her to get her unathletic (but magnificent) body all the way to this spot and wait while also making sure she did not look unsightly while covered in sweat.

But it was now 8.30 in the morning.

90 minutes.

90 minutes of waiting and there was, in truth, only one conclusion that Misaki could draw from that.

It wasn't that he was late.

It had been nothing but cruelty. Cruelty, the world laughing at her and throwing forward her dream while laughing at how utterly unrealistic it was. It spat on her dreams, her wishes and more than anything, Misaki felt a raw anger surging through the very depths of the soul.

"What…was I even wishing for?"

Even now, she refused to look up and look at the face she was making.

"Stupid… I was just so…stupid."

Misaki took one deep breath, even now, not looking up. While she had planned her entire day around what was nothing but an illusion, it was now that she found herself empty inside. Nothing came to mind about to do and the bitter feeling rising in her eyes made her want to pause but it was with what inner strength she found that Misaki turned around and looked up.

The sun, not knowing her pain, her frustration and her anger beat down on her with happiness, a happiness that she could not reply to. The warmth that filled her only turned to ice and it was with frustration that she tossed her hair, taking a step forward with the bitterness that threatened to come from her eyes even now wanting to come loose.

"Just…stupid."

Misaki lowered her head, shaking it slightly and took another step forward –

Just as someone smashed into her from the side.

"Kyah!?"

"S-Sorry!"

Misaki tumbled to the ground, hitting it hard. Not in the mood for whatever idiot had not been catching the flow of people around her, she glared at the person who had smashed into her with unrestrained malice in her eyes.

Only for it to soften and turn into surprise.

"A-Ah!? Y-You're still here? I was hoping to tell you in advance, but I didn't have your number… Don't tell me you've been here since seven?! And here I thought Level 5s had something better to do with their time…"

Kamijou Touma, having unceremoniously smashed into her from the side spoke rapidly. Unlike Misaki, he was wearing casual clothes but even then, the rips and the fresh tears that were within the informed her that he had been made to get ready in a massive hurry for some reason or another. And was that…gunpowder she smelled from him?

His body was in a mess. Black soot was against his face and parts of his spiky hair glowed orange with what looked to be cinders. He was sweating profusely and the overall state he was in suggested that another major incident had happened to him without her knowing but it was simply the boy in front of her that made Misaki pause.

He had bumped into her but the fact that he had talked to her suggested that this was real. He was here for her and no one else; it was not a mistake, being in the wrong place at the wrong time or anything like that: simply him having been (extremely) late to a meeting with her.

Misaki could not even think, only sitting on the ground as the spiky haired idiot slowly stood up, frantically looking around at the things that had spilt out of Misaki's handbag upon impact.

"Uwawawawa, s-so sorry about this! I didn't expect you to move all of a sudden so…" Touma said those words without a care, moving around and picking up the numerous remotes Misaki had dropped before standing before her and holding out his hand.

"A-Are you OK? I mean, I realize that I'm both late and knocked you to the ground, but I'm here and that's what matters, right!? I-In my defense, there were numerous things that happened involving fireworks and a microwave but I hope in your heart, you can forgive this Kamijou-san for his tardiness!"

Touma seemed more panicked but Misaki never registered any of it, only staring in shock and surprise at the boy in front of her. He seemed to be trembling in what looked like fear of her reaction but given his past experiences with Level 5s that in itself was an understandable reaction. And what was that about fireworks and a microwave?

It didn't make sense to Misaki at all, however, in the face of the boy standing in front of her, the only thing that she did was feel something rising with her.

"Ha…"

"?!"

Touma stiffened in the face of that but there was nothing Misaki could do as she unleashed what was hidden within and was bursting to come out. While the sound that came out was laughter, the wet feeling on her cheeks that came from her eyes was nothing more than the bitterness she had once held being expelled from her.

No, were those tears of bitterness?

Or were they finally the tears of happiness now that she knew that this was real and not merely her dream?

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Yes, of course! Of course it has to be like this! Just like the first time, I won't accept anything else but this! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Touma went wide eyed, suddenly staring at the people suddenly staring at the bastard who had knocked a girl to the ground and made her cry, even if she was laughing. He shook his head frantically at the misunderstanding that was forming in the eyes of others as they stared at the scum who had made a maiden cry and the trembling within his body was such that he could not simply treat this as a normal threat to his life.

He gulped, smiling slightly as he reached down and slowly grabbed Misaki's hands.

"U-Um, Shokuhou-sama? Please stop crying; this Kamijou-san feels as though each tear is another set of eyes placing a target on my back…" Touma trembled as he said that but it was only slowly that Misaki managed to get back her peace of mind. Sitting on the ground, she rose a hand to her eye and slowly wiped the remains of the tears away. She looked up, feeling actual warmth from the sun above her now as she stared at Touma who was trembling as he stood in front of her.

She looked up, but not at him. Rather, her gaze was set upon the sun, upon the world, which had not forsaken her as she let out two words.

"Thank you."

"?! (O-Oh boy, this one's a masochist. W-Why in the world are all the Level 5s like this?!)" Touma mumbled something underneath his breath as he slowly turned away but it was not enough to hide the words from Misaki. With a frown on her face, she reached and pinched at the skin of Touma, the boy yelping as she grabbed and twisted it, although with a smile on her face.

Touma's face started to break out into a sweat but Misaki quickly pulled her hand away, keeping that same smile on her face as she held out her hand.

"You're late. …I hope you're prepared for what comes next."

Touma stiffened but the smile on Misaki's face made him relax somewhat. No, he had been prepared for that and it was with a tired expression on his face that he reached down and grabbed Misaki's hand and lifted her up. The warmth that came through with that simple touch was almost enough to overwhelm her and she felt her heart race through her chest at the contact, only making the smile on her face greater. Touma only stared at in wonder, but then again, that made sense.

He knew nothing of how this meeting they had just had was so reminiscent of the one Misaki had first had with that spiky haired boy. He knew nothing of how him simply being her had saved her. He knew nothing of the feelings within Misaki's chest and how she was so simply affected by his presence.

Touma lifted her up but as he turned to pull back his hand, she tightened her grip, smiling the entire time as she refused to let go of the hand which was gripping hers. Touma stared in surprise at that before tilting his head in confusion and frowned.

"Shokuhou…san?"

"I've…missed you."

How much weight was in those words? Touma could not possibly know but those simple words made it feel like every pain, every part of suffering and every torment that came with Misaki and Touma forgetting her feel all the worth it. Misaki tightened her grip on the boy's hand and smiled once more, her eyes sparkling as she moved, dragging Touma behind her the entire time.

"H-Hey, where are we going? Shokuhou-san!?"

"I've finally figured out where to go, so you'll be coming with me. After everything I bought for you yesterday with my superior finance ability, you owe me that at least don't you?"

Misaki's eyes sparkled with an intensity not even she knew as she dragged Touma along. The boy in question though only looked more confused than anything, the girl smiling a smile more pure and radiant than anything else in the world. No, it was more than that.

To Touma, looking on at that smile of that girl who had asked him to accompany her for some reason or another, it truly looked like the smile of a girl who had finally been reunited with someone who had truly been lost for eons. The tight grip she was holding his hand with felt as though she was terrified letting him go would make him lost forever and it was the complete lack of understanding in that that Touma said nothing.

No, it was more than that.

It was the desire to ensure that this girl kept that smile on her face that he said nothing to her as she dragged him along. That pure and radiant smile was something he himself did not want the girl to lose but even though that strong desire came through him, there was something else he found himself asking.

"W-Well, yes, I do. But where are we going?"

"For a trip."

"A trip?"

Touma tilted his head in confusion but Misaki did not reply, only holding the boy's hand and he struggled to keep along as he held the remotes which had spilled from Misaki's bag in his other hand. Misaki though did not focus on that whatsoever, keeping her gaze forward while smiling the smile that reflected everything she was feeling right in this moment.

The words and the destination she had finally decided on were ones that likely had no meaning to Kamijou Touma.

But for the girl known as Shokuhou Misaki, it was something else entirely.

(Yes…a trip. Down memory lane.)

She had already had her first 'meeting' occur in much the same way as the original one. It was clear to her, what exactly she was going to do today and in what way she was going to do it as well, just from that first meeting she had had.

Yes.

She only had three days.

And in her own way, Shokuhou Misaki knew that this was the best way she could think of to start the time she had now with Kamijou Touma.

"The underground mall? You wanted to come here? I thought you said that you wanted to go places where you would find it hard to go by yourself?"

"Well…I was planning on going somewhere else but the state of my own physical ability, I have my doubts above my ability to reach there in one piece."

"?"

Kamijou Touma only tilted his head in confusion at the words which were given to him by Shokuhou Misaki. The two of them, even now, stood at the entrance of the underground mall after Misaki had dragged the spiky haired boy there but the words Misaki let out were accompanied by a glance to the side.

Naturally, this was not the second place where she had met Kamijou Touma. That was located up in District 21, two Districts away and as Misaki had said, the process of going from here in District 7 to that District and back to here for her intention of going down memory lane was something she would not have been able to handle with her lack of athletic ability.

Even if, during the incident that had involved Mitsuari Ayu, she had run around District 7 and made her way to District 21, the aching that her body had been left with after that harrowing experience was not exactly one she wanted to remember. And hence, because of that, the thought of fully replicating the time she had once had with Kamijou Touma by following it to the letter was not a plan she was willing to follow.

So, she had skipped where they had had their second meeting and skipped right to where they had had their third.

Th-There was nothing wrong with that after all. The present was different in the past and this had nothing to do with her giving up on going ALL the way to District 21 and then back here to the underground mall to where she had had her third meeting with Touma, as to follow her trip down memory lane exactly.

Nope, nothing at all.

"There are some shops that I wanted to check out within the mall, Kamijou-san. There are some disadvantages with being the #5 Level 5 within Academy City after all." Misaki said those words with a rather arrogant tone behind them as she bounded down the steps, practically dancing down them one at a time. Touma though, unable to read minds and unable to look at how happily that single girl was moving through the stairs only sighed and followed after her, a relaxed expression on his face as he moved.

"Is that so? As a Level 0, I can tell you that whatever problems you Level 5s have seem unimaginable. Then again, what with you being a Tokiwadai student like Misaka, that does give me the sense that there is some humanity do you there and makes your problems a bit more relatable."

"Just what do you think of Level 5s?" Misaki pouted as she jumped from the last step, turning and smiling towards Touma who only smiled back lightly. "At any rate, the main problem ability with me personally relates to my clique."

Touma only frowned at that. He had heard Misaka Mikoto mention something off hand in some rage driven argument about the girl in front of him having the biggest group within Tokiwadai but the details and how exactly being one of the most popular girls in the school was a problem for Misaki. Unlike Mikoto who attracted unfavorable attention in the form of one Shirai Kuroko, it seemed that Misaki was not a person who would tolerate anything she disliked and could not handle.

Hence, the idea that she would put up with a problem with her clique instead of just destroying the problem at the source, simply because it was an annoyance and an eyesore, seemed to be a bit different than the Shokuhou Misaki Touma had heard snippets of here and there.

"Your…clique?" Touma asked that question, Misaki nodding as she moved, however not in front of Touma, but rather by his side. He stared at her as she did so but Misaki herself had frozen in place, in mid-sentence and staring ahead without even looking at anyone else or saying anything either.

Here she was.

Her, Shokuhou Misaki, walking and talking with Kamijou Touma as if it were entirely natural. As if they were friends, people who had met and had a long lasting friendship which bound them together more than anyone else in this mall. Touma was staring at Misaki with nothing more than interest: perhaps it was his personality to want to keep an eye out for the problems of others that made him so attentive to what was troubling Misaki now.

But for Shokuhou Misaki, how long had she waited for this moment? For how long had she dreamed of it and how long had she wished for what was happening right now to her? The emotions within her heart and the desire to just break down with tears of happiness now that she had her miracle was something she desperately wanted to do; even now, the fleetingness of this moment and how it impacted her went beyond words.

But here she was.

Here Shokuhou Misaki was, feeling something she had never felt for such a long time and feeling that the emotion running through her now was such that it would tear her apart from the inside.

Right now, more than anything, Shokuhou Misaki was truly happy. Happy just for the chance to experience what she was now and happy for the chance to feel the emotion coursing through her chest as they were now.

Touma treated this as something casual, not even bothering to make note of how Misaki was walking by his side.

By for how long had Misaki wished for this very scene that she was a part of?

He would never know of these feelings unlike Misaki told him but the realization, the raw truth of what she was doing and what she was a part of now made her pause, treasuring the emotion which was coursing through her chest right as of this moment.

" – ou? Shokuhou?"

Her thoughts were brought back to the present by the sound of Touma's voice, the spiky haired boy waving his hand in front of her face and grabbing her lightly by the shoulder and shaking her. She blinked once, staring up at him as he looked back at her with concern.

"Are you OK? You sort of spaced out."

"Fine," Misaki's response was immediate and she knew that there were no lies whatsoever in those words. "I…I was just thinking to myself, is all."

"About that problem with your clique?" Touma asked, this time, more concern into his voice as he stared at her. Misaki only chose to smile back in response, she knew exactly where this was going if she chose to let it lead in this way and it was for the sake of protecting this small moment of calm that she shook her head.

"Hahahaha, it's not what you think, Kamijou-san. The problem with my clique is something small, well, it might be for a male such as yourself. But with a female with as much class ability as me, that is a different matter entirely."

"…Why do I get the feeling that you just subtly insulted me?" Touma pulled a sour face as he stared at the girl, Misaki only rising a finger and wagging it back and forth.

"Not at all. If I wanted to insult you, Kamijou-san, I wouldn't bother being subtle."

"I have no idea whether this makes me feel better or not! I've suddenly realized this, but being honest gives its own pains!"

Misaki only giggled in response to the rather active retort but only coughed into her hand before speaking once more.

"You see, Kamijou-san, the main problem ability that arises with my clique is that they are always trying too hard to please me." Misaki spoke of something that she rarely told anyone, but at the same time, was a problem so obvious that it was shocking that no one had ever even made not of it before to her.

Simply put, Shokuhou Misaki was the core of the biggest clique within Tokiwadai. The moment that she left Tokiwadai, the bonds that had formed between clique members were sure to become frayed and fall apart, or at the very least, become less tight as they were right now. While that in itself only suggested something wrong with the relationships between Tokiwadai students, there was something even more problematic with such a set up where Misaki constantly acted as the center of attention.

"? How is that a bad thing? Unless, of course, this is the type of problem only experienced by those high class ladies that live within Tokiwadai. Y-You really do live in a world entirely separate from us commoners, don't you?" Touma said with a shocked voice, only leaving Misaki to stare at him with a shocked gaze of her own.

"…What in the world is your impression ability of Tokiwadai? Then again, me saying that when you are using Misaka-san as a reference point for 'high class' leaves something to be desired." Misaki only showed how when she insulted someone she was rather overt about it but only continued. "It is an extremely bad thing, Kamijou-san. Like I said, while this might not be something you might experience given you status as a male, for females, it's entirely different."

"But how is it a bad thing? Don't try and tell me you're the type of high class lady who complains when their maids and butlers work too hard for them but berate them for slacking off."

"It's a bad thing, Kamijou-san," Misaki said while waving a finger in the air. "Because it means that there are times when they are not being honest with me as to ensure that they do not break the status quo ability. Yes, while I could read their minds using Mental Out to determine whether they are lying or telling me the truth is an option, doing that in response to everything I ask of them or do is more of a pain than anything. Do you understand? In a way, while I might have everyone trying to please me, that also works in reverse. In that they will never say anything to displease me, especially if it is an inconvenient truth ability."

Touma blinked once, however, the problem that Misaki had suddenly seemed a lot clearer to him.

If, for instance, Misaki asked a question of her clique, she would receive an answer. However, due to the fact that her entire clique was out to please her and stay by her side, the fact that she could not trust them due to how they did not want to rock the boat meant that the answer she got that was made to please her was such that she did not know if it was true, or simply said to please her. Yes, she could use Mental Out to fix that problem but doing that every single day and for every single question would be nothing more than a strain of her ability.

Touma only stared at her, thinking only one thing in the back of his mind.

She had the largest group of people around her, yet she was incredibly alone. Maybe because of her ability or maybe because of everyone trying to please her that she could distinguish between lies and truth, Shokuhou Misaki was such a person who was constantly looking for an honest opinion but was distrustful of everyone who said they had given her one.

And yet, amidst it all, she was telling him of all people this exact problem. Someone who she had met only a few days ago and been caught up in an incident with. The girl who was so alone and had no one to confide in was confiding in him alone and it made Touma somewhat confused.

Why do that?

For what reason would she tell him this when she barely knew him?

Touma did not know but the expression she was making and the ease of the words that came from her; it felt as though the honest trust she was showing Touma in this one moment were true and not withheld. But why to him? Various things came through Touma but most of all, it was the small instinct within him to protect this small girl and her smile.

She was alone, distrustful of everyone and yet choosing to trust him, a stranger. He had no idea why it was the case but the desire to be honest, to be truthful and to not betray this girl in front of him was a desire that shot through Touma; the desire to ensure that this girl could have the chance to smile and know that she was not being lied to and that, even if she had to go back to her clique, had someone she could rely on at the end of the day.

He was hardly the best choice: Touma knew that. There were certain to be other people in Misaki's life that she could rely on.

And yet, she had chosen him.

So he had to take responsibility for that. He had to embrace it and make sure that he did not betray her trust, answered her fully and honestly and never once let go of the small hand which was so terribly alone despite being surrounded by pity. Pitying her was likely only going to illicit negative emotions within the girl so it was with a sigh that Touma scratched the back of his head.

Once again, he had gotten caught into something trouble: having to be honest to a girl who had found herself surprisingly alone despite the people around her.

But like all his troubles, as long as it protected the smile of the person in front of him…he had no problem with that trouble being thrust his way. Even if she knew that she was not alone and that she could rely on him, then that in itself was going to be enough for Touma to know that he had managed to protect this girl's smile, even in part.

"And that's why you brought me along? To give you an honest opinion that your clique would not give you?"

"My," Misaki said while clapping her hands together in front of her plentiful chest. "You do catch on quickly."

"I don't understand why you don't ask someone else for this," Touma spoke in an exasperated tone. "I have no idea what exactly you need an honest opinion on, but getting one from a girl is something that has more value than one from me, doesn't it?"

"On the contrary," Misaki said, the stars in her eyes sparkling as she stepped up to Touma and leaned in closer to his ear, whispering the words into the boy's ear from extremely close.

"It means nothing if it doesn't make your heart race."

Touma went wide eyed, stepping back as he went red faced, staring at the middle schooler. His mouth open and close rapidly, Misaki grinning all the same herself as she pressed a finger against the boy's chest and drew circles with it against the cloth. The stars in her eyes seemed to sparkle with more intensity as she winked slightly and stepped back.

"Wh-Wh-Wh–"

"You're going to have to prepare for a lot more than that, Kamijou-kuuuuuuuuuun!" Misaki stretched out he honorific she had not used before in a teasing way, laughing to herself slightly as she stepped forward and spun, Touma still standing there with the same racing heart and the red face. Misaki cared not for it though as she spoke once more. "For the first round of wanting an honest opinion, the first shop we're going to go to…is this!"

Touma, unable to even react stared at the shop Misaki was indicating to as nothing more than an escape from the words she had said but the shop in front of him only made him go even more wide eyed.

It was a swimsuit shop.

Let me repeat that.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, the shop Kamijou Touma was now standing in front of was a swimsuit shop.

"My clique, no matter what swimsuit I have, says the same thing over and over again. But that entirely lacks criticism ability! I need to hear more: whether parts of me stick out too much or too little, whether the style matches the parts of me or whether or not the swimsuit looks good on me. Even though Tokiwadai is pretty strict about this at times, you can never once disregard the desire for a girl to at least see how she looks wearing something more than a school racing swimsuit! So, come, Kamijou-kun! Because I am going to be using every single bit of the obligation ability you have to me to – "

Shokuhou Misaki stopped moving forward as she felt something grip the back of her collar. She was forced to stop, turning around slowly and, sin an act rare for that Level 5, went entirely pale as she saw the monster there.

Even if he was trembling and red faced from the things Misaki had said, the dark aura hovering over the spiky haired boy was such that made Misaki pause.

…Had she gone too far?

Yes, while she had wanted to go down memory lane, the third meeting she had with that spiky haired boy in this underground mall was when the entire thing had been filled with water during the hot summer. Wearing a swimsuit with her undeveloped figure, she had spent most of the day with that spiky haired boy in such a state and it was nothing more than her wish to relive that memory once more than she had even suggested going into the swimsuit shop once again.

S-Sure, the thing that she had said about trying to make his heart race was a lie, she was happy and content just with what she was doing now, but the shivering that came over her now as she was held by the collar by Kamijou truly made her tremble.

"U-Um…Kamijou-san?"

"…You wanted me to be honest, right?"

The words came out rather stiff and rather rigid, Misaki feeling her back go straight and a sweat come over her entire body.

"Y-Yes…"

"Then let's start. I know!"

Touma turned and walked around, dragging Misaki behind him while still giving off the same aura that a parent might when they discovered that their child had been forging their high school results for the past few years.

"Let's begin with a nice loooooooooooooooong lecture on how to appropriately act around people who you barely know and the appropriate things to start with when you first ask them for their honest opinions. This might not be the same level as the Tokiwadai lectures…but I hope you can follow what I mean to say, Shokuhou-kun."

"W-Wait a minute. I was joking! It was a joke, just meant to get you a bit more eager to get into things. Wh-What kind of high school boy has the self-control ability to ignore the swimsuit shop scene!?"

"The kind of high school boy that has lived with misfortune long enough to know that curtains can never be trusted and that the knots of the edges of the top and the bottom are never tied properly! And what kind of middle school girl such as yourself has the lack of self-control ability to suggest something to someone she barely knows!? Do I need to call you Shokuhou 'Lessar' Misaki whenever I talk to you?!"

"Y-You just introduced the name of some random girl in the middle of our conversation!? Just how much do you get around!? And I said it was a joke, just something playful to help you relax."

"I'll give your head a good work out after we're done with this lecture. And yes! This is going to be my honest opinion!"

"K-Kamijou-san!? H-Hang on, while I might have gone too far and ahead of myself by visiting the third destination instead of the second, I don't think that this is necessary! School is supposed to be off, so I haven't thought one bit of getting a lecture outside of school. You kept me waiting for 90 minutes so you'll be getting a lecture as well!"

"When I'm done with you, I hope you can properly reflect on your actions!"

"K-Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?"

If there was anything Shokuhou Misaki had never experienced in her life before, it had to be things moving at a pace where she could not take hold of the reins and change things in the direction she wanted at some point during the event.

In a way, her time with Kamijou Touma only showed her that she had to always expect the unexpected.

But in truth?

She loved it that way and would never accept anything less.

Party Member: Shokuhou Misaki.

Current status:

HP (Hit Points): 1

MP (Magic Power): 0

STR (Strength): 1

VIT (Vitality): 1

INT (Intelligence): 100

AGI (Agility): 0

DEX (Dexterity): 70

LUK: (Luck): 75

Current recommendations:

Attempt at all costs to avoid the special attack 'Lecture' by Party Member Kamijou Touma.

Shokuhou Misaki felt her soul leaving her as she sat at the table in the park. The lecture she had received at the hands of Touma had done more than just drain her; she felt so fragile that a simple touch would be enough to send her crumbling into pieces.

"Well? Don't tell me that the only reason you brought me along was so we could look at swimsuit shops under the pretense of me being honest with you. While I've got nothing against the honesty thing, I don't think we need to have another talk about the proper etiquette when it comes to inviting strangers to those types of shops."

Kamijou Touma sat at the same table, speaking and acting as if he were Misaki's guardian. While of a fashion that only showed that he truly cared for her wellbeing and wanted to make sure she did not get up to anything irresponsible, the lack of energy Misaki was feeling now entirely erased such thoughts of the consideration shown to her.

She only groaned, trying to nod her head but finding that nothing would make her move it.

Having moved from the underground mall given her lack of energy and the need for some fresher air, Touma had been the one to move her to this park. But even though the change of scenery was much appreciated, the students staring at the lifeless form of the #5 did not change. After all, seeing the Shokuhou Misaki in the flesh, let alone of the Level 5s was a rare occasion of itself.

Misaki noted none of it though as she propped up her head on the table, sweating rather lightly.

"O-Of course I had proper plans. As someone who commands an entire clique at Tokiwadai Middle School, the planning ability I have to manage each and every member and even new members means that I always think twelve steps ahead of any encounter and occasion I am involved in."

"Well then, O Great Shokuhou-sama, what exactly did you have planned for me? Because, as far as I can see it, if the only thing that you wanted from me was to visit swimsuit shops for honesty, then I'm leaving."

"…I can't believe you. What kind of high school boy voluntarily refuses to see a Level 5 in a swimsuit?"

"This high school boy! Not only are we basically strangers, but this Kamijou-san's misfortune only goes one direction! It's going to be 'Oh no, the curtain' or 'Can you tie this ribbon on my back' or 'Kyah, a man in a swimsuit shop'! One of those three! Maybe at the same time! This Kamijou-san has learned from prior experience, damn it. So, in the interests of trying to stop a trip to the hospital, there are going to be no events that are going to play with the heart of a fragile high school boy such as myself! Which means no swimsuit shops! I mean it!"

"You say that but the tears of blood that are leaking from your eyes reveal how disappointed you are. Did I make your heart skip a beat?" Misaki grinned but the only thing that Touma did was turn his head swat, the tears of blood that were leaking down his cheeks only showing his true feelings.

He had been this close.

THIS CLOSE!

Heaven was in front of him. Heaven and paradise that was the body of this girl who by all rights should not be in middle school showing off a swimsuit in front of him.

But he knew.

He knew exactly what was going to come from it and in the interests of preserving his own life, he was going to have none of it. If there was no danger whatsoever, he would have said 'yes' in a heartbeat. But with the words 'Level 5' and 'swimsuit' in the same sentence, unless it was in the negative sense, nothing good was going to come of it!

If it was Level 4 or below, then everything would have been fine.

But no.

Shokuhou Misaki was a Level 5.

So, seeing her in a swimsuit and thinking that he was going to come home alive?

He had a better chance of getting Index to eat her fill.

So, with much reluctance and using every single bit of self-control he had, Kamijou Touma acted as the rightful gentleman.

Yet the tears of blood only showed how he hated every single bit of it.

The redness of his face when he mentally imagined the scene he had just avoided was such that only made the redness from his eyes leak out every further, but he wiped the blood on his arm and coughed into his hand.

"R-Regardless!" Touma saying that and not answering the question of Misaki only made her smile a tiny bit. "Don't tell me the only thing you were planning was swimsuit shopping? Unless you want something to eat."

"Kamijou-san, I think you need some serious lecturing yourself if you think the only thing on the mind of a girl is her stomach."

Touma only tilted his head at the rather strict words of Misaki.

"Hmm? So, you're not hungry? If that's the case, then what did you want to do?"

"Now hold on, Kamijou-san. Who ever said I wasn't hungry? I was simply pointing out something that was fundamentally wrong with your line of thinking. Just because someone such as myself has had her plans for the day ruined does not mean that I do not need to eat."

"So basically, the entire plan was swimsuit shopping?! And if you were hungry anyway, why did you bother getting so strict with me!?"

"No reason. I just wanted to see your reaction ability."

"I don't know whether this is teasing or just who you normally are! Can't I get a straight answer!?"

Touma yelled that into the air in a statement that made him only further confused about the nature of girls. Were they hungry? Were they not hungry?! Please God, if Touma had wanted honesty from any single human being, it was from the girl in front of him simply so he could properly understand the female gender a bit more than he already did. N-No, in fact, if all girls had the ability to be honest with him, Touma felt that the problem level in his life would decrease by such a substantial amount.

But given how Misaki was refusing to be honest with him and expected him to be honest with her, the only thing that Touma was turned into was a boy who was on the verge of tearing out his hair from the confusing words of Misaki.

Misaki on the other hand only felt something rising in her chest, the laughter that came from her echoing in the air. She held her stomach, finding nothing particularly funny about the over the top and excited reaction from Touma…but the fact that he was making it in response to something Misaki had said was the only thing she needed.

How long had she waited for this scene? For how long had she waited and longed for the scene happening in front of her now? She did not know but now that it was in front of her, the laughter which came from her was so true and such a weight of her shoulders that it truly felt as though it was a laugh she had been holding back for so long, suddenly being released into the air with nowhere to go but forward.

Tears came to her eyes from the laughter but was the laughter only the real cause? Misaki did not know but she did not care, only finding herself losing herself in this one moment with herself here and Touma by her side.

The boy in question only felt more confused at the confusing nature of the girl in front of him. Swimsuit shopping, just satisfied and laughing her heart out from him reacting to things she said…there was something more there. Something else that she was seeing here compared to him and because he could not read minds unlike her, there was no way he could tell what it was.

But even then, the smile on Shokuhou Misaki's face seemed truer than anything right now.

But why she was making it in front of him was something Touma could not possibly comprehend.

"Ah, ahhhh, I needed that. Ah, I so needed that. I have no idea…how long it has been since I laughed like that."

Misaki wiped the tears from her eyes as she spoke, finding that the sides of her cheeks hurt from too much smiling. However, she knew that she could not stop; finding this small moment and the small connection she had with Touma in this one moment so powerful and significant that she would not even dare to lower that smile for anything.

Touma seemed more perplexed than anything but only chose to smile.

Whatever worth this moment had to Misaki was beyond him but she was truly happy. In the end, for that spiky haired boy was there anything else he really needed?

Yet, there was something. Something in that laughter.

To Kamijou Touma, that sound had truly sounded like the laughter of a child who had finally been giving everything she ever wanted and could no longer hold back the happiness she had inside of her.

And in the face of that, there was nothing he could do hold back his own small smile at that.

Touma slowly removed his hands where they were ripping out his spiky hair and paced them on the table. He sighed before looking at Misaki with one eye.

"Well? Are you done yet?"

"No, not yet." The answer was strangely, hurriedly given, as if Misaki were trying to hold onto him as much as she could. "I…I wouldn't mind something to fill my stomach. The waiting in the morning and the lecture you gave me certainly did a number of my energy."

"What, is your HP 0 or something? Well, it is around time for something to eat for morning tea," Touma turned his head around the park where the two of them were for some stall where the two of them could grab something to eat but it was with some disdain that he only found one stall that he could afford. "What do you want?"

"That popcorn stall over there."

"?!"

Touma was the one most surprised at that, to the extent that he rose his hands into a fighting gesture, stepped back and trembled slightly.

"A-A Tokiwadai ojou-sama wanting something as lowly as popcorn for the commoners?! Y-You aren't lowering yourself to the level of the typical masses to increase the heartrate of this Kamijou-san are you?!"

Misaki only pulled a sour face of her own as she stared at that single boy making that comment.

"Again, what exactly do you think of Tokiwadai students? You need to fix that impression ability of yours."

"So you don't stuff your face with high quality sweats and drink tea every occasion you can get?!"

Misaki wanted to make a comment but realizing that that description rather suited her only felt a cold sweat form over her entire body. She twitched but realized that that was the first mistake she had made: if she wanted to get away with this, she had to play it cool and collected. Yet, even though that was her aim, Touma had already noticed it, going wide eyed and backing away even further and trembling even more.

"A-A proper ojou-sama. Someone who has the quality of a proper high class lady has appeared in front of me and yet she wants to eat commoner popcorn!? Aren't you supposed to laugh at everyone who eats such lowly products and slap us in the face with the éclair that has golden flakes in it, sitting on top of the commoners who have been defeated while you do so!?"

"Wh-What is up with that impression ability!? A-Although I would not mind trying the éclair you so noted, there is a fundamental difference between me and that image you have in your head!"

"Oh!" Touma put a fist into his open palm with the look of someone who had finally uncovered a detail that had gone unnoticed until now. "That's right. Since Tokiwadai isn't co-ed, the ones you'd be sitting on top of would be all lower class ojou-samas."

"Do you insist on mocking me no matter what I say?"

"No. I just wanted to see your reaction."

"Why yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Misaki grabbed and tore at her own hair but stopped halfway through, seeing Touma looking at her with a smile on his face. He grinned fiercely, Misaki only realizing that he had pulled the exact same thing and the exact same trick she had on him. It was with a cute pout that she crossed her arms, turning her head and blew the lock of hair that had entered her field of vision with the dissatisfaction clear on her face.

Touma though, only grinned further, leaning forward with a sparkle in his own eye as she walked towards the pouting Misaki.

"Oh? What's this? This isn't very high class of you; the fact that the upper class can dish it out but can't take it in is rather amusing, wouldn't you agree?"

"…I'm not talking to you."

The wordplay and the turn of the situation back to Misaki that Touma had done truly made the girl's heart race. Not because she had experienced a back and forth she had had with the boy so many times before but merely because it was that small interaction that made her realize just how much she lowered her guard when it came to being around that spiky haired boy.

It was frustrating.

The way her heart raced and the way she was around Kamijou Touma…it had been so long since she had felt so refreshed and not even with Dolly did Misaki feel as though nothing else mattered but her and this boy. The relaxing of her guard, the fact that she could have these conversations once more; it only made her realize one thing.

How long had she been sitting on her feelings and had held onto them with everything she had? It was frustrating to know that she was still a child in that sense…but it was because of that childishness that she knew she would never seek to remove from herself as long as she lived because of how truly happy it made her on the inside.

Her reaction now was only more childishness but even then, had the small remnants of the trust and the connection she felt with Touma in front of her.

Touma only stared at her from various angles but Misaki constantly moved her head out of the way each and every time to avoid staring at his face. it was after a while that Touma stopped but the grin on his face only stayed on his face all the same before he shook his head.

"Well, I guess there's no helping it. Popcorn it is."

Touma said those words but followed them up with a single movement.

He placed his hand on the head of the middle school girl who was pouting so hard.

Immediately, the blush from the contact erupted in Misaki's heart but she refused to let it show on her face. Doing so would be the ultimate defeat in her eyes but the warmth she felt, the protection and the strength behind that single hand on her head made her want to collapse then and they, taking Touma with her and just lie with him on the ground grinning all the same. He ruffled her hair in a childish way and while Misaki would be caught dead with anyone else doing that to her, with this single boy, it was fine.

She had waited so long for something like this.

She had treasured and wanted this moment more than anything else in the world. It was more than she could ask for and it was with a hidden smile on her face that she received the ruffling of her hair, not even caring that it was messing up the hairstyle she had worked so hard to get right.

"Are you sure about your choice of condiments?"

"Condiment is not used interchangeably with the word food!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Touma grinned once more, tapping the head of Misaki as she realized that she had once more reacted to something Touma had clearly wanted her to react to. Once more realizing how much she let her guard down around him, it was with some grumbling underneath her breath that she nodded, but even then, could not ignore the racing that was going through her heart right now.

But it meant nothing in the face of the next few words that from that spiky haired boy.

"Wait for me. I'll be right back."

Shokuhou Misaki froze at those mere words.

She looked up and saw the spiky haired boy wave to her and walk up to the popcorn stall, a stall she and him had been to so many times before he had lost his memories of her. No, this park had special memories for her: it was where she had had many an adventure with that boy and also where she had acquired the silver whistle she still kept even now in her bag. This was a place where the two of them had spent so much time together and had so many memories that it had been a must in her journey down memory lane, even if it meant nothing to Touma.

But those words he had said…

There was something in them, something only Misaki could understand and only she could place value on. She felt herself look up and stare at the boy as he desperately tried to tell the person at the counter that his card wasn't out of cash, but the machine was not working but even those troubles were lost on that girl.

No, everything was lost on her. She did not take in the scenery, the location she was in or the fact that she was once more in a place where she had held so many memories of that boy. None of that mattered to her and it was only those simple words that remained.

Wait for me.

They were ironic, but they did not sting as badly as Misaki thought they would. She had waited for so long and a miracle had happened to her so the fact that he had to say those words when her waiting was over meant nothing, yet still managed to put a smile on her face. She placed an elbow on a table and leaned on it, smiling all the smile as she stared at the misfortune filled boy tearfully getting out his wallet for the sake of treating them both to some popcorn.

"Wait? You have no idea how long I've done that, my Prince."

Misaki spoke soft words and it was now that the boy was not looking that she dared to let the redness that was blaring through her chest onto her cheeks. A sensation blossomed through her chest now that it was released but even as Misaki stared and felt those things, it was the words she spoke that held the greatest meaning to her right now.

"But for this, for what I have now, I will always wait for you. and I'll always be waiting for you to come back."

Her waiting, for now, was over.

And it was merely because of that that the smile on Shokuhou Misaki's face felt greater than anything else she had ever felt she had smiled.

Memory lane was not necessarily a good place.

As Misaki spent the rest of the day wandering from place to place within District 7 for the sake of recalling the past she had once held with that spiky haired boy next to her who did not realize the worth in what she was doing, it was the alleyway Misaki was standing in front of that hammered in that reality into her mind.

Here.

Here was where everything had ended for her.

No, it was not really this alley, but rather the building that she could see in the distance and the rooftop that gave a somewhat limited view of Academy City's District 7 from there.

It had been there where everything had ended for Shokuhou Misaki.

It had been here that Kamijou Touma had placed his life on the line for her while facing the Queen Divers who had felt their lives were ruined due to the subtle effects of her AIM field.

It had been here where he had face the enemies that had sought to end the life of Misaki and fought for her sake and her sake alone.

It had been here where the feelings inside her had started to blossom.

And…

And…

And...

It had been here where Kamijou Touma had lost his memories of her.

Unable to withstand the wounds which he had sustained, he had gone into shock with no way of removing the shards of shrapnel that had made their way into his stomach.

So, Shokuhou Misaki had made the decision to save that boy's life.

She had cut off his sense of pain.

As a result, however, she had entirely cut off the section of his mind that related to her, leading to the issues of his memories of her, which (for now) had been resolved.

The time that she was spending with Touma right now was time that had been given to her through some form of miracle. It was time that she had been granted for at least three days and it was a time that she was willing milk with everything she had and take in every single small bit on the off chance that him remembering her was only a temporary experience.

Which meant that the alleyway and the building where the last moments of Shokuhou Misaki and Kamijou Touma had played out were not a place she could visit. Was that because she was reluctant to visit that place due to the memories that she had of there?

Or was it because, even if it was ridiculous to think of in this City of Science, that there was a bad omen in going there? That visiting that place would only give the world the chance to once more torment her by saying that the memories Touma had of her now were only temporary?

She did not know.

But that place was a place she could not touch.

No matter what.

She simply wanted to hold onto this moment for as long as it would last.

"? Shokuhou? Are you feeling OK?"

Touma next to her noticed that the girl had stopped, staring down into the alleyway in front of them. the boy only tilted his head and approached it, turning back to the girl who was standing rather stock still, yet with an unreadable expression on her face.

"You've been leading me around this entire time but now you want to go down an alleyway? Since when did Tokiwadai become a place where connoisseurs of alleyways and darkness gathered?"

"Don't liken the atmosphere of a high class girl's school with your personal experience ability, Kamijou-san." Misaki shot back playfully, leaving Touma trying to deny what she said but finding that it was rather impossible given how much he ran down said alleyways. He fell to his knees, having taken major damage but the action was not even noticed by Misaki who stared forward, biting her lip slightly as he stared in front of her.

"That is a place that I cannot tread."

"?"

"But never mind. …I've already taken up too much of your time today, Kamijou-san. It might be selfish, but there is just one more place that I would like to go. Naturally, if that is alright with you."

"Um…Sure." Touma responded naturally but even then, the melancholic gaze as Misaki looked at that alleyway only bothered him the more he thought about it. However, given that the only time that he had seen her happy was when they had been moving, the simple cause and effect of the events that had taken place only shone within his mind and made him say the words he needed to. "But where are we going? I'd like to know that at the very least if this is going to be our last destination."

Shokuhou Misaki only turned to Kamijou Touma but even then, the light in her eyes held the same melancholic light. Yet, there was something else in there; a faint trace of happiness and recollection that had seemed to be present throughout the entire time they had been together.

Before Touma could get a word in, Misaki had already spoken.

"A beginning."

"Uhhh…"

"Why in the world did you collapse already? Don't tell me you were pushing yourself this entire time!? I have no idea whether to categorize this as being an example of pure determination of complete being entirely unathletic. Weren't you the one that wanted to come here in the first place? What about curfew for you Tokiwadai ojou-samas?"

"I'm the Queen of Tokiwadai Middle School and Mental Out. If all else fails, I'll just erase the memory ability of breaking curfew from my dorm manager's mind or the members of my clique will manage to cover for me. Not to mention with the festival going on, the hours are extended for the students to enjoy themselves. Tokiwadai isn't entirely a prison you know… it's just a little bit of one."

"…Well, I guess that covers for you then."

"But getting to where we need to be and back before my curfew of 9 pm is going to be a hopeless task."

"Then why did you raise my hopes like that?! Also, 9 pm? I have a roommate whose anger increases exponentially by the second after 6:30 so can we please just leave this here and go back home?"

"Unbelievable. Look at the position you are in and think about how many people would kill to be where you are, boys and girls alike. And you want to go home?"

"Owowowowowowow! I-If you grind my temples like that with your fists when we're in this position, it seriously hurts! Stop it! Or I'll throw you like a hammer throw event and send you hurtling towards your dorm, damn it!"

Kamijou Touma yelled that into the air on the mountain path the two of them were on.

The scenery had changed entirely and it was the forests of District 21 that surrounded them now, the mountain trail that the two of them were walking along giving a nice calming contrast to the massive city of concrete that they usually lived in. No, actually, looking at the position the two of them were in, it was not the two of them walking.

It was one of them walking and the other one resting.

Shokuhou Misaki had not even lasted 10 minutes after walking up the mountain path's slope. Probably because of the constant walking she had done with Touma up until now, her unathletic nature had caught up to her and it had been spectacularly that she had collapsed to the ground in a heap of exhaustion. It was only through constant reminding that she was fine and that she wanted to keep going that Touma even agreed to helping her along the mountain path…and even more persuasion to get him to assume the position he was right now.

Trudging along, with each heavy step, Kamijou Touma currently had the #5 Level 5 of Academy City, Shokuhou Misaki, on his back.

With her thighs and butt in his hands and her breasts pressing up against his back, it was all the spiky haired boy could do to restrain himself and focus on the task at hand, but with his beating heart, the doubt that this girl was in middle school and a focus on the objective he had, it was all Touma could do prevent himself from focusing too much of the various sensations that surrounded him.

Still though, that did not stop him from almost passing out from the position he was in right now. In that sense, he really was a pure boy that had the best of intentions, but it was more often than not that his objections were not listened to.

"Where is everybody though?" Touma, trying anything to avoid focusing too much on the soft and warm feeling in his hands and on his back, focused on something else. With turns of his head as he walked up the mountain, the desolation and the isolation the two of them were experiencing as Touma walked was too unnatural for him to think it was natural. "There's a limit to how barren this place can be."

"Surprisingly, I've been up here a few times and it is always like this, although it might have to do with the fact that there is high automation ability for facilities like this."

"You've been up here before?" Touma caught on something Misaki said as she leaned against the boy's back. His heart was racing and it made her smile slightly to know that she was having this effect on him. she closed her eyes as she rested her head against his back and answered softly.

"A few times."

There was silence as Touma kept to himself and Misaki thanked him for that. She had no idea what in the world he was thinking about all this; she was a stranger to him despite him remembering her and given how fast Misaki had moved, it was all she could do to treasure this day with everything she had.

The day had almost passed and despite Misaki wanting to let it last forever, she knew that today would end and tomorrow would take its place.

But even so, she wanted to remember this.

She wanted to remember the sensation of the warmth of this boy's back and how strong it was as it lifted her along. She wanted to take in this strength, the power he radiated and lose herself in it for the simple purposes of that she wanted to always be beside it and always have it with her for the rest of her life. The simple feeling of security, the simple connection that was given to her as she rested her head against that back was beyond anything she could ever feel and she rose her hands to Touma's back, letting herself lightly grab onto his clothes and take in his scent.

She never wanted to let go.

That was a desire more than anything she had ever felt in her life and it was so strongly within her that Misaki was sure that letting herself let that go would crush her.

So she wanted to take in as much as she could.

The strength of his back.

The warmth he gave off.

The scent that came with him and only him.

The vibration of his voice.

And most importantly…

The memory of their time together.

And it was this destination that would bring that entirely to a head.

"Well…here we are. This Kamijou Express has reached its destination. All passengers are requested to let themselves off slowly."

Touma spoke mechanically and it was with reluctance that Misaki opened her eyes and let go of that boy's back as he lowered her to the ground. She smiled at him as she gently hopped off but did not manage to do it as gracefully as she would have liked: her lack of energy because of the walking she was doing had been too much of a burden and she stumbled slightly.

Falling right into the chest of Touma as he reached out to catch her.

She stood there, in his light embrace for a single moment, feeling herself almost frozen in time. Her heart was racing beyond anything that she had ever felt and the blush that was on her cheeks was such that she knew it would take a lot for it to die.

Her mouth trembled, unable to form words and it was without hesitation that Misaki closed her eyes, forcing herself to take in everything about this single moment and remembering it for all it was worth. The warmth, the strength and the sensation; she remembered all of it.

Oh how long she wanted to stay like that.

It was rather amusing.

Despite her personality of lightness and teasing, when it came to a big enough shock, that entirely left her. The shock of this day and the miracle that had been given to her now, it was all too much and even now, her mind was troubling to come to terms with it all. She made no cheeky remark or chose to tease Touma on how her breasts were pressing against him the only thing she wanted to do was lose herself in the here and now.

But, like everything, this had to end sometime.

Like waking up from a dream, strong hands gripped her shoulders and slightly pulled back. Misaki blinked, turning her head up and seeing that Touma was looking away as he pushed her away but the red of his cheeks was still unmistakable.

"Y-You better watch out. It's clear that you still haven't gotten your strength back, so you might want to take a seat instead of trying to move too much."

Misaki held out a hand and it lingered in the air, as if wanting to return to that chest which she had been thrust from. It hovered in the air for a single moment before it dropped and Misaki stepped back herself with a single nod.

"Yes. You're absolutely right." Misaki did not waste time with extra words, sitting herself down so she could get a look at exactly what she had been here to see. Touma, after a small while sat next to her and pointed with his hand at the object in the distance.

"You came here all the way to see that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I told you," Misaki said as she turned to Touma. "This…was a beginning for me. A very, very, very important…and treasured beginning."

Touma only tilted his head in confusion but turned once more, eyeing the object in the distance bur realizing that it was not going to have any worth unless Misaki told him what it meant to her. To him, while this location had a single memory associated with it, what it meant to Misaki was entirely unknown to him.

The only thing he knew that was that this location was the facility known as the Ground Geo experimental geothermal power station.

At the peak of one of the numerous mountains in District 21, the artificial lake in front of the two of them as they sat underneath the evening sky had concrete edges and in the middle of said lake, a metal tower stabbing into the water's surface. Although it looked more like a blasphemy of nature, the metal rod was instead a heat conducting rod and used for the purposes of geothermal power.

Only one thing came to mind to Kamijou Touma as he sat there and looked at the facility: the name of the esper known as Mitsuari Ayu.

The details were vague to him, even now, but this was where the incident with that esper had ended. That was the only thing that Touma had to say about this location, but for the girl sitting by his side, it was more than that.

So much more.

After all, this was where she had met Kamijou Touma for the 'first' time.

Although their real first meeting had been an accident at an intersection which had caused its own incident, it had been here, at a crossroads in her life that Misaki had truly met that spiky haired boy for the first time. It had been here where she had forged a bond with him that would last for an entire summer before cruelly being ripped away from her. It had been here where she had met someone who would affect her in the way he always affected her and it was here that something had occurred, something that Misaki had noted truly.

What had happened here was a beginning.

The beginning of the story between Shokuhou Misaki and Kamijou Touma.

This had also been an ending too.

An ending to the incident with Mitsuari Ayu and her revenge against Misaki but that was something else entirely.

It had been here that Misaki could say that everything had started for her.

Here, at this place.

And right now, she was once more at that crossroads.

Not with the boy Touma had previously been: he was dead along with his memories. No, she was here with the boy Touma had become, the boy who was sitting right next to her and had no idea exactly of the beginning she had once had with him.

She had felt that this was a trip down memory lane where Misaki had gone to the places that she had been with the old 'Touma' for the sake of reliving the memories she had once had with those locations, even if they were hers and hers alone to remember.

But now as Misaki recalled that final memory, or perhaps the first memory she had to recall, there was something else she now realized.

She hadn't gone to those locations with the new 'Touma' for the sake of going down memory lane.

But rather for the sake of making new memories with the person he had become at the places where she had once been with the 'Touma' who had once been and was now gone.

The time she had once spent with that spiky haired boy was a time she treasured more than anything else.

But it was also the present, here and now, that Misaki treasured as well.

She had the chance to redo their meetings. Redo everything and make new memories with that spiky haired boy at the locations she had once been at with the 'new' spiky haired boy. She had the chance to relive and make new memories that had made her heart swoon and her face blush at the places which had meant so much to her, places which now only held so much more of an impact because of the new memories she had once had there.

This was not only going down memory lane.

It was setting out and creating a new track of memories with that spiky haired boy once more. With the 'new' person he was and the 'new' chance of a first meeting, Misaki was going to make damn well sure that she filled the places where she had once held memories with the old 'Touma' with memories of the new 'Touma', the one who was here right now and not perished in the loss of his memories.

It was a journey of both melancholy and rebirth.

Recalling the old while simultaneously filling it with the new.

Both a goodbye to those old memories and a greeting to those new ones she now had with that spiky haired boy sitting by her side.

That was the reason behind Misaki's plan and desire to choose the locations she had for today. And, just as she had expected, that boy did not disappoint, only filling her with so much more emotions and memories now that she had revisited those special places in her heart.

Was that why she had avoided that alleyway?

For fear that where she had bid goodbye to the old 'Touma', the memory that would be made with the new 'Touma' would only prove to be more painful than the one that currently fit inside of her mind now?

Misaki did not know.

But this was her beginning.

And she was once more sharing it with that spiky haired boy, filling the place of old memories with new ones with that new spiky haired boy.

"Shokuhou?" He spoke, his voice addressing her only making Misaki wanting to leap for joy. She contained herself, only choosing to elegantly answer.

"Yes?"

"Are you OK?"

"Of course." Misaki frowned, turning to face Touma and finding that he was looking straight at her with a look of concern. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… For the entire day, it has felt like you've been looking at something beyond where we've been. Like there was something else inside that underground mall. Like there was something else there inside that park and that alleyway and everywhere else we went. I feel as though…you've not always been here if you know what I mean. Even at Ground Geo, it feels more like you've been looking at something beyond what I'm seeing. I can't say I know what it is that you're looking at but the smile that you make when you do look at it…it feels like there's a sadness there that you've been feeling but I can't touch and save you from. Like it's something that only you can deal with but is rushing you underneath its weight."

Misaki stared at Touma in part surprise. Had she been like that? Had she, when visiting those locations, looked at the places where she had once been with the old 'Touma' and felt a stab of melancholy as she looked at those places? She didn't feel it herself but maybe, in her mind, there was a form of sadness.

After all, by visiting the locations she had once spent with the old 'Touma' and filling them with memories of the new 'Touma', was she not discarding those old memories and replacing them, updating them even? Was she merely filling the memories on her mind with the newer model and had gotten bored with the older one?

It was a cruel thing to do, but looking at what she was doing now, it was one way to view and interpret her actions even if she hadn't realized it and it had not been her intention.

But was that where her sadness had come from? Had it come from a subconscious understanding that she was saying goodbye to her old memories and filling them with new ones?

She could not say but even then, she felt a smile come onto her face.

Even if that was the case and she was filling her mind with new memories, there were some things that never changed.

Even now, this boy next to her had the desire to save her.

Misaki sat there in silence for a single moment, considering what it was that Touma had said before taking a deep breath. The things she was looking at beyond the places she had been and even beyond Ground Geo in front of the two of them now were such that Touma had no idea of. Yet, he had the observation skills to understand and know that there was something wrong with Misaki as she looked at those locations.

He was confused and part of him knew that there was nothing he could do about it because what was eating at Misaki only she knew of and there was nothing he knew of what had happened to her.

Which only meant that there was one course action to resolve this issue.

Misaki sighed, falling back and spreading her arms out on the grass beneath her as she looked at the stars above. What was her expression now? As she stared above her, did she still have that look of someone looking beyond what she was looking at with a look of melancholy as she filled her mind with new memories?

There was a small silence, neither party wanting to say anything to disturb the other before it was finally broken by the sound of the voice of the girl with honey blonde hair.

"A long, long time ago, there was a single girl." Misaki started, not even bothering to look at Touma but hearing the shift in the grass was enough to tell her that he was all ears. She continued. "This girl had everything. Good looks, lots of friends, a killer body. In fact, she was so revered and respected that no one dare to look down on her and talk back to her. She was perfection ability personified and everywhere she went, there was not a single person who did not know her name and did not look at her with jealousy."

"O…kay…"

"Let's call this girl 'Misaki'."

"I was trying to avoid going in that direction, but couldn't you have just skipped that beginning bit?!"

Touma yelled that out into the air and Misaki let out a small laugh of her own in response to it.

"Whatever the case, this girl had everything. However, at some point, she started to think that it wasn't worth it. The problems that surrounded her, the things that happened to her, she got sick of it all. Sick of everything around her that, for a single moment, she felt as though it wasn't something she was willing to continue thinking about. Sick of memories, relationships, this girl was prepared to erase everything inside her head to merely be freed from those thoughts within her. She was, of a fashion, willing to give into her cowardice ability and truly do something irreversible."

There was silence from Touma as Misaki spoke, the girl only closing her eyes and silently thanking him for his discretion in that manner.

"Yet, she was stopped. Someone came up to her and stopped her in the most unorthodox of ways." A smile came upon her face. as she spoke, keeping her eyes closed the entire time. "And with that, the girl chose to not give into her emotions and remained as she was, remained as the person she chose to be. However, although she owed the person she was now to the person who had spoken to her, that was not to be their last meeting. No, not at all."

The wind blew and ruffled her hair a tiny bit, but it was the coolness of the breeze that made Misaki pause for the faintest of moments.

"They met many times after that. So many, many times. And each time was more fun that the last. I could give you a novel on the list of the things they did…but alas, as the world would have it, even that had to come to an end."

"An…end?" The words were said carefully and Misaki let out a slow nod as she lay on the ground and sighed.

"Yes. Something happened to that person. An accident. And, as a result, that person forgot all about this person called Misaki. Not a shred remained. Whenever that person saw Misaki and turned away, they would never remember her. They would simply forget and seeing her again would not restore that lost memory ability. For all intents and purposes, despite having everything, Misaki lost the time she had with that person and was never to regain to again. That person, lost and always forgetting her, knew nothing. And with that, Misaki was content. Happy that said person was alive but sad knowing that she could never stand by his side. She was not angry, frustrated sand bothered crying her eyes out. She was just…content. Satisfied that said person was alive and nothing else. She wanted nothing more than for said person to be able to remember her once more but even with her ability, that seemed impossible. And that…was the end of the story with Misaki and that person."

"I…see…"

Touma said nothing. No, what in the world could he say to that? There was nothing he could find in his mind to say to the words being said to him and it was with a somewhat shameful gaze that he looked out over the artificial lake over the cover of night.

Words like 'I'm sorry' and 'I understand' were meaningless. In the former case, there was nothing to be sorry for, it was simply what had happened. Misaki had said that she was satisfied and although the result was something she would have wanted to avoid, the person she was talking about was still alive. Hence, saying the words 'I'm sorry' rejected that result: rejected the fact that someone was alive despite the result. And in the latter case, he could he be so cold and say that? He understood? What part of this issue did he understand? Always being forgotten by someone you wanted to spend time with…it was something Touma knew would break him.

And yet, this girl had managed to endure this entire time.

A new perspective came into view when it came to the one girl sitting by him, a new respect, but even then, he frowned. There was something edging in the back of his mind, something strange and something he knew he could not ignore.

"At least, that was supposed to be the end."

"Huh?"

Touma frowned even deeper as Misaki opened her eyes, staring at the sky overhead.

"Something happened. I don't know what but something changed. Whatever miracle occurred and whatever fortune ability was granted to that girl called Misaki, the girl called Misaki did not know. But the only thing that she knew was that she was lost in happiness. Because the chance to once more stand by the person who had always forgotten her had once more been given to her after she had longed for it for so long."

"R-Really!?"

Touma had that reaction more than anything else, something within his heart rising as he stared down at the starry eyed girl. He felt his heart race but even then, confusion filled it and a partial aspect of anger did as well.

"W-Well, then what are you spending time with me for, you idiot?" Touma roared that into the air, standing up and Misaki looked at him. Simply that but the fact that she was only doing that and not spending time with the person who had forgotten her who now had the chance to remember her was something Touma could not simply ignore. "You wasted an entire day with me!? Are you insane? Wasting the chance that was given–"

Touma stopped in mid-sentence, finding that his words had stopped without him wanting them to. No, there was something else there, something else that he was forgetting and something else that was strange despite it all.

Something…something…something…

Yesterday.

He had spotted someone on the street and had a conversation with them. Someone he did not know and someone had only met recently. And yet…

"But… it sounds like you were expecting me to forget you… that's the strange part."

He had said those words. Said those words to someone who had acted as though he should have forgotten whoever he was saying them to.

And the person who he had said those words to…

"No."

"So that girl, Misaki as we called her," The words only came out smoothly as Misaki stared at Touma but more than anything, he felt the weight of those words weigh down on him more and more. "Decided to make the most of the opportunity ability given to her."

"You can't mean…"

"And so, now that that person remembered her, the one thing the girl called Misaki did was ask that person for the chance to restart their first meeting. A chance to start again. A chance…to once more 'begin' the story of that person and Misaki."

"B-But – "

"Apparently, there is the chance that this period of said person remembering Misaki is temporary. A three day limit has been placed and so, Misaki, with that in mind, decided to make new memory ability with the person she so longed to spend time with. We never did name that person who had forgotten Misaki, did we?"

Misaki asked that simple question silently as she stared at Touma who had gone pale as a sheet and was trembling so hard it looked as though simply pushing him would cause him to fall over and be lost in the wind of District 21. He gulped and he felt his breathing escalate but as he did that, Misaki only spoke once more, her voice so soft that it could have been lost on the wind.

Yet, Kamijou Touma heard it.

"Do you want to have a guess what it was?"

He trembled, finding his throat dry as he stepped back, tripping on nothing and landing on his butt in the grass. Sweat came down from his face as he opened his mouth but finding that nothing came out. No, he dare not even speak and it was the trembling throughout him that prevented him from uttering even a word.

"You can't…be serious."

"Why not?" Misaki sat up now, turning and facing Touma as he sat on the ground, shaking his head and backing away slightly.

"I…I would remember that. I would remember you!"

"And yet, you did not. The accident you were in so long ago caused irreparable damage to your brain centered around me. At least, it was supposed to be irreparable. But with the incident that happened a few days ago, it seemed to have provided the trigger ability to allowing yourself to remember me."

"W-Wait! E-Even if I believe you and even if that is the case…" Touma opened his mouth but found that nothing would come out. There were numerous questions in the back of his mind, numerous things that he had to say as he questioned the validity of the words Misaki was giving him.

But even then, even if there was nothing suggesting that what Misaki was saying was true (given that he could remember it), there was nothing saying that she was lying either. After all, for what possible reason could she have for lying to him about this issue? An issue which was clearly one that had affected her deeply so the idea that, in the event of whoever this person who had forgotten her was remembering her, she would choose to spend the day with someone else was ridiculous.

No, it was more than that.

It was downright impossible.

Shokuhou Misaki had no reason to lie. Not about something as important and dear to her as this.

Meaning that there was only one thing Kamijou Touma could deduce.

That she was not lying.

And that he, through some accident, had forgotten her entirely, only able to remember her, again, through some accident.

"Holy…"

Touma breathed that out, Misaki approaching slowly and taking his hands into hers. There was fright in his eyes, guilt and almost fear as she took his hands. Of course, all those emotions Misaki had expected: fright from the fact that he had had no idea about the loss of memories Misaki was telling him about, guilt in that he had forgotten her in the first place and fear in that Misaki held information about him even before he had lost his memories which she was clearly going to share.

But even then, Misaki only spoke softly, stroking the boy's hands and reaching out with her own hand to touch the boy's cheek.

"It's OK. It's OK. You must have a lot of questions. And I've been waiting for the longest time to answer them."

Shokuhou Misaki only smiled but even then, in the moonlight, the light reflecting off the single tear as she smiled gave off the impression of a girl who had finally, finally, managed to get everything she had ever wanted.

"I've been waiting for you, Kamijou Touma. So…let's make this yet another beginning of the story between you and me."

The night, even though it was late, felt young to the girl who walked with the boy by her side, clinging to his arm. Even though on a normal occasion, he would have reacted to that, it was with some tiredness and guilt in his eyes that he let the girl stay exactly as she was without saying a word.

He had learned a lot.

And in the process, he had learned of the heartbreak he had given a single girl without ever once realizing it. Touma himself could not even remotely think about the mental strength that would have come with the things Misaki had endured and lived through and yet, here she was, by his side even after the pain he had given her.

It seemed beyond him. That was his true assessment. It was beyond him to have someone so caring and willing to wait for him as Misaki had been and it was beyond words the devotion and the willingness to wait for him that Misaki had. But that in itself only made him feel worse than he had ever felt before for having betrayed and forgotten someone who truly deserve every single chance she had at being happy.

But no matter what he felt, there was only a single thought in his mind as he walked with the girl by his side.

"Shokuhou…"

"What is it?" Misaki asked that question, turning her head up to Touma with a look of concern on her own face. she had had numerous scenarios inside her head for how Touma was going to receive the news of what his memory condition surrounding her was but the only thing that he had done for the past few minutes since she had told him the truth was walk as if his body had been on autopilot the entire time: still processing what had been told to him.

Ever since she had told him the truth, this was the first time he had spoken. Nothing she did had gotten a reaction out of him and seeing him speak now only made her heat tremble with anticipation of what he was going to say.

But even then, what did come out of his mouth was something she had never expected.

"Have I…done enough?"

Misaki stared at the boy who seemed to avoid looking her in the face, only staring into the distance with a vacant expression on his face.

"Today. What we did. I realize that nothing I do can make up for what I failed to do to, but…is what I did today enough? Is what we did today, are the small things that accumulated really enough to satisfy you for what I did to you?"

The voice that came from the boy was solemn, dark and held deep emotions Misaki could not entirely understand. But what she did understand from what the boy was saying, she only shook her head.

"None of what happened was your fault. You losing your memory ability of me was my fault. No one else's. So that is not on you."

"But – "

"No buts." Misaki said as she lightly chopped the head of Touma. She held his face in her hands and turned it towards her. "And besides. Those small things? They were more than enough. Today has been beyond anything I could have imagined and for that alone, it I can't thank you enough. I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me today. This time we have now is what is important to me. And if you deny me that, then that will stab further than you having lost your memories."

Those words in themselves prevented Touma from saying anything else on the matter. Any denial he would make on the matter would only serve to stab into Misaki and spit on the waiting she had done, mocking her for waiting for the recovery of Touma's memories when it was unknown if it would happen in the first place.

He was silent for a single moment but even then, the guilt in his eyes had yet to entirely disappear.

"I forgot you though. I forgot you and I can never take that back. So, I can't think that today was enough. Not when there is the chance, we have this three-day time limit. I can't look at what we did today and think that it even remotely makes up for the pain I caused you!"

Gritted teeth and a clenched fist filled Misaki's vision. The despair that Touma was showing seemed more directed at himself than at the world for the pain directed at Misaki but even then, she rose a hand and pressed it against his lips. She shook her head once more, smiling all the same as she stared at the spiky haired boy.

"Then make it up to me."

"…What?"

"Make it up to me. We don't have much time left. I wish that this will continue…but I do not know. So if you think that you have not done enough for me, I expect you to have enough gentlemanly ability to make it up to me. That is your task, Kamijou-san. Make me feel something in these next few days…that will have made this waiting worth it."

Touma stared at Misaki, clearly unsure of what to say. The emotions in his eyes went back and forth and to and fro but even then, they eventually changed into exactly what Misaki had wanted to see from them.

The determination and the drive that he always showed when it came to making sure that someone had their smile left.

"…Is that going to be enough?"

"It already has been."

Both stopped as Misaki stood in front of the entrance to School Garden, staring at the boy in front of her as her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"I've been waiting for this you know. I…have been waiting a long time."

Misaki stepped back, Touma watching her go and reaching out a hand as if to grab her fading form but holding himself back. He lowered his hand, looking down for a single moment before rising his head once again, staring right at her and nodding.

"Then as the one who you have been waiting for, I have the responsibility to make this right. Shokuhou Misaki, I will make you happy. For the things I have done for you, you have my word on that. I'm…going to make you the happiest girl in the world. Mark my words."

"I expect nothing else!"

Shokuhou Misaki and Kamijou Touma.

The truth has been revealed and the time between the two once more is going to continue.

What will be held for those two now that both of them realize the worth of the time they have together and try to make the most of it?

Only time will tell.

The first day is over.

Only two days remain to determine if Kamijou Touma's regaining of the memories of Shokuhou Misaki is temporary or permanent.

And so the first day has come to a close. Was it what you expected?

Want a fun game to play? Try to figure out who wrote which chapters of this story... for those familiar with MrQuestionMark, it should be easy, but a game is a game after all!

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