And so the time has arrived again... another chapter, another day.
Not much else to say.
Enjoy!
It wasn't a dream.
That was the very real realization one Shokuhou Misaki came to after the events of the previous day.
A trip down memory lane, complete with swimsuit teasing, a lecture that ended with popcorn, a sudden appearance of a place she refused to return to, and finally, a revelation about the past between her and a certain boy.
That certain boy was Kamijou Touma.
At first, she thought it couldn't be true; that her mind was playing a devilish trick upon her…but they met and he remembered her not once, but twice.
That was enough to put her doubts at ease.
These thoughts are among many that ran in the honey blonde girl's head when she woke up the morning. She yawned tiredly as she seemed rather content in her comfortable bed…so she relaxed to her heart's content in the brief time she had.
"Day two huh…" Misaki spoke to herself. One day was complete, and she had two more to go through. Two more to make new memories with.
Two more to find out whether her fantasy would come to an end or not.
There were no more memories to travel down and update; from here and beyond, everything was new. A fresh start with everything on the table.
And Kamijou Touma himself had decided to plan it. That part alone made her heart flutter with joy; him trying his best to make her the happiest girl in the world.
Although, Misaki would argue that he had already done just that…but with him being so earnest, it was just so difficult to say no. She didn't simply want to smile around him, oh no.
She wanted to see Kamijou Touma smile. She wanted to be the reason Kamijou Touma smiled. From this point forward, there would be no regrets; she would make sure of it. Even if the three days went about their business and robbed Touma of his memories once again, they could never tear away hers.
Her phone vibrated on her night stand. Curious, set sat up to check it, and was pleasantly surprised.
It was a text from a certain someone.
"Hey! I think I have a good idea on some things we could do… You better be prepared; I intend to give you the full Kamijou-chan course! If anything it will at least be a new experience you can't get anywhere else! Call me when you get this, ok?"
She smiled as she read the message. She actually had to flag Touma down before they split from each other the previous day to remind him to exchange numbers with her, so say she was surprised was an understatement; she thought that she'd have to remind him of their plans, but it would appear that the unlucky Kamijou was on the ball today.
"An experience I can't get anywhere else…?" She mused with a smile. "…That sounds very lovely, my prince…"
She hit the dial key on her contacts not long after. There wasn't an answer at first, which she found odd, but not long after her first attempt ended, the spiky-haired teen called her back.
"H-hey! Sorry about that… Cooking breakfast." Touma stated.
"Oh? For me? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to impress me." Misaki teased.
"I mean… I can if you want…but this is more for my ravenous roommate… She is quite the monster when it comes to food…and it doesn't help that she can't cook for herself."
"Ah… I see." Misaki replied. "…That actually reminds me; how did you get away with having a girl roommate in a dorm? I assume that even a co-ed dorm would avoid pairing a boy with a girl in the same room at all costs…"
"I don't want to talk about it. My neighbor does the same thing and I had to rely on him to make it work… It's a long story…" Touma sighed. "It doesn't help that Index isn't really a student…"
"Oh? Does this mean that I gained a juicy piece of information? Did the opportunity to use my blackmail ability just appear?"
"Don't! Seriously… If it wasn't for the school providing me this dorm I wouldn't have a place to live! I'm surviving on the absolute bare minimum here!"
"Could always move in with cute little Shokuhou-chan~"
"And how would you shuffle me around to avoid the dorm managers of Tokiwadai!?"
"Oh I have my ways… Mental Out is quite the handy ability you know." Misaki answered. "Or, I could just stuff you away under my bed covers… Don't worry; it has more than enough room for two people."
"Ha-ha, nice try Shokuhou. Implying something lewd like that won't get the reaction you're looking for… I'm onto your games now…"
"Ho? But what if the serious reaction was the one I was wanting?" Misaki stated.
"Are you implying I had lost right from the start!?"
"Your perception ability is strong~" Misaki answered in a cute tone. She could hear a small 'thump' sound from the other side of the line that made her giggle. "So…after you've fed your roommate, what do you have in mind?"
"I was thinking we could meet up in District 15. There is a lot there to play around with over there… Oh! And remember a swimsuit; this unlucky Kamijou-chan has an idea." Touma replied.
"Ah? But you shot down my plan for one yesterday…"
"I already explained myself on that front! There's a difference between seeing a girl in a swimsuit and having her change into one close by, you know!" Touma shot back. "Anyway…there was something me and my friends tried awhile back that was kind of fun, and I figured it might be a good place… It's not our first stop; I'm just saying be prepared, ok?"
"Oh how I wonder what you have in mind… I am in your hands, Kamijou-san…"
"An…arcade?" Misaki blinked.
"Yeah; it's not one of the big ones but it's one I frequent when I have a little spare time." Touma answered. "It's not a bad choice, is it?"
"No… I suppose I'm surprised. I didn't think you had enough disposable income for something like this." Misaki answered honestly. "And…well; I've never actually been in one before… My clique often avoids these as they think it's a den for delinquent boys."
"Well… They're not entirely wrong… A high-class girl like yourself in a place like this will get you some attention… But I figured if I was around that it'd be alright, especially since I'm a regular." Touma answered. "My idea is that since you're an ojou-sama in the School Garden, you probably don't get to experience stuff like this all that often. I'm trying to find things you might have never tried before that I'm familiar with."
"I suppose a little adventure like this can be fun." Misaki nodded. The two pushed ahead to enter and explore freely. As expected, the natural beauty that was Mental Out got a lot of attention right away, but mostly everyone was familiar with Kamijou Touma so they stayed away.
They knew him quite well… Him and his Kami-Yan disease; any girl that stood next to him was already lost from the get-go, so no one tried to "put the moves" on her. This left them mostly undisturbed.
Well…until Touma slipped on a soda can and went flying head first into the side of an arcade cabinet.
"Oww… Such misfortune…" Touma lamented. "Can't a guy get a break for just one day…? Is that so much to ask?"
"My… bent over, rear up… Are you making use of your performance ability for me?" Misaki teased. "And you yelled at me for being forward… Shame on you."
"Funny…" Touma sarcastically replied as he pushed himself to his feet. "See anything you might want to play? They have older arcade games, shooters, fighting games, prize machines, some physical activity stuff like virtual baseball too… They have a laser tag course in the back, but I figured you wouldn't be interested in something like that."
Neither of them needed a reminder of Misaki's lack of athletic ability.
"I don't know … As I told you, I've never been in an arcade before…" Misaki glanced around. "What do you usually play?"
"I tend to drift towards the fighting games myself… But I stay as far away from the luck-based games as humanly possible…"
"But you could win me something! That would make this extra special, you know!" Misaki stated.
"The chance of me winning might as well be zero. And even if I did happen to win something, I can almost guarantee you that the machine would explode or something shortly afterward… You'd get a cute stuffed animal but I'd get another hospital bill."
"Then… Show me what you usually play. What's your favorite game?"
"You sure? It's a bit of an advanced one…" Touma rubbed his neck.
"Nonsense… I can pick up on the nuances of a silly arcade game…or are you underestimating a Level 5?" Misaki proudly proclaimed. Touma eyed the honey-blonde girl next to him for a moment, and ultimately shrugged.
"If you say so, Shokuhou-sama. Allow this humble Kamijou-chan to escort you to the depths of hell." Touma replied cheekily and then lead the way. The cabinet was on the second floor, but didn't take much time to track down.
"So this is it huh…? A joystick and…so many buttons…?" Misaki tilted her head.
"Yup. This is kind of your standard layout for an arcade fighter" Touma replied. "This is my jam; you sure you want this? You ready to catch these hands?"
"Ohohohoho… So you're using your slang on me… Very well! As Shokuhou Misaki, fifth ranked Level 5… I shall defeat you at your own game, Kamijou Touma! Prepare yourself, for this wise and beautiful high class lady will not show you any mercy!"
That is how it began, but not long after…
"B-but how did you do that!?" Misaki cried out with frustration. "Y-your air-dash swoops in and hurts me? B-but mine doesn't hurt you at all! What is this!?"
"Differences of the characters. They are all really different. Yours pulls out a bunch of guns to control the field. Plus, she can chuck grenades she pulls from her dress."
"B-but how do I throw them!? I pull them out but she just holds them and they explode!"
"Down and punch to lob down, back and punch to overhead throw it." Touma instructed. Their match continued for a time before Misaki spoke again.
"Heh… Now your character is just standing there taking it…b-but it looks like he's enjoying it? And what's with that gauge and the corner?"
"Excitement gauge… It lets me do this." Touma replied, unleashing some kind of super attack where his character stabbed Misaki's over and over with nails attached to his fingers. It was more than enough to end the round after it was all said and done, but the full animation played out anyway.
"A-and your…health regenerated…" Misaki stated in-between rounds.
"Yeah…if I can keep him undamaged after his sadism taunt, he gets back the HP he lost. It's really tricky because if I get hit even once, I'll take it all and you'll basically have beaten me up for free." Touma replied.
"Figures that the character you pick would have such a high masochist ability." Misaki stated flatly.
"H-hey, what's that supposed to-" Touma turned to only see the honey blonde grin deviously.
"Sucker~" Misaki began the round, getting a cheap set of attacks in before the unlucky Kamijou realized she said that to distract him. Touma grit his teeth.
"If that's how you're going to play it…!" Touma then pressed all of the four major buttons at once.
The arena turned black as a red aura enveloped his character. Not long after, Touma unleashed what looked like an ordinary super.
But the moment it connected, a unique animation played that involved his character grabbing Misaki's, and then exploding, reducing Misaki's HP to zero instantly. As if to add insult to injury, the camera focused on a pile of dust, and a lone arm appeared out of it, hinting that the unlucky Kamijou's character survived the seemingly suicidal attack.
"W-what…was that?" Misaki blinked.
"Instant kill attack… Every character has one, and if it hits, you'll win the round instantly…but if you miss or if it gets blocked, you'll lose your super gauge for the entire round. Risk verses reward at its finest." Touma answered.
Misaki was quiet for a moment as the game returned to character select.
"This simple arcade game seems really deep." She stated. "Strategy seems as key as just knowing what your character does…"
"And you need to know what your opponent can do. See that big guy?" Touma moved Misaki's cursor to display the person he was referring to. "That guy is big and slow…but he has a lot of health and hits like a dump truck. Just one of his supers can cut an unsuspecting players HP in half, if not more. You have to learn how to play around your opponent just as much as you play your own."
Misaki glanced back at the screen in front of her, taking it all in; this was something Kamijou Touma did when he wanted to have fun or to relax.
And here she was right next to him. Touma had a smile on his face as he pointed out each character's strengths and weaknesses. She smiled dreamily.
Touma was happy to share a part of his life he treasures with someone else, and Misaki was happy she could experience it with him. It was fairly clear that the unlucky Kamijou loved this game, but it was also clear that he enjoyed introducing it to someone new.
Even if that someone was a high class lady who had never touched a video game in her life. She questioned internally whether Touma selected this place to genuinely give her a new experience or just to have a good time showing her something he treasures.
It didn't matter either way; it could have been a combination of both or neither for all she cared.
All that mattered that's he was there with him; making new memories with the most important person in her life.
"Kamijou-san, can we play again?" Misaki asked.
"I don't see why not." Touma agreed almost immediately. "I actually think I know a character you might enjoy a little bit more… I'll show you how to play her." Touma then moved behind the honey blond girl and began his temporary profession as "Kamijou-Sensei" as he helped one Shokuhou Misaki learn a game he loved to play so dearly.
"Heh… I knew I'd eventually beat you!" Misaki taunted with her head held high after they left the arcade.
"Told you that you'd like her." Touma stated. "Did you have any fun? I kind of had to ask pass the organizer of this particular event." Misaki turned toward him and smiled lightly.
"I was a little intimidated at first…but had fun in the end… Though I doubt I could get anyone from my clique to agree to come here… I may only be able to come with you at my side…" Misaki thought out loud as she turned to face the arcade once again.
"Speaking of which, how are you keeping them from trying to find you?"
"Oh, I had to use a little bit if my persuasion ability… Fufu~" Misaki replied. The two had started to leave from the arcade with Touma leading the way, although they still walked side by side.
"You used your ability on them, didn't you?" Touma asked flatly. Misaki choked a little bit upon having her tactics revealed.
"W-well…I had to! They were being really unreasonable!" The honey blond girl replied. "I told them I simply had plans with an old acquaintance, and they pressured me with questions! I made it clear that it was a private affair, but the only one who really understood that was Hokaze… Then one of them went way out of control with my choice of the affair term and everyone else got aggressive… Hopefully I don't need to go into too much more detail about what they were accusing me of…"
"I can understand that… On my way out here I got stopped by my neighbor Tsuchimikado." Touma sighed. "He somehow was able to guess that I was off to meet a girl but let me go way too easily… I can't help but feel like he is waiting in the shadows somewhere with Aogami to try and cause trouble…"
"Does that happen often?"
"More often than you could imagine… My only safe place from them is my dorm…and even then Tsuchimikado knows how to pick locks… Even the digitally secured ones too! I don't even know how he does it!"
"Sounds like you have some annoying but talented friends…" Misaki commented. "Well, don't worry one little bit! If they happen to appear simply point them out and I shall deal with them personally. They won't even remember finding you this morning… Fufu~"
"Under normal circumstances I'd reject that idea…but I really don't want them wandering along and ruining this, so I say go for it." Touma replied. "Just…don't stay in their minds too long. Dark stuff resides in the harrowed halls that is their brains."
"Oh? A bunch of perverts?"
"Tsuchimikado is a sis-con…and Aogami is…well…an everything-con."
"So a mega pervert?"
"Even that might be underselling it." Touma replied with a sigh. They kept walking as the strolled down the street and maneuvered through the crowd. "…All things considered, I'm glad you had fun at the arcade… To be honest I was kind of afraid you'd hate it. I've never really planned out something like this for a girl before so… I was just hoping that a few things I like might somehow translate over…" Touma rubbed the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed.
But that feeling vanished when Misaki grabbed ahold of his free arm.
"Believe me… Just the simple fact you are here next to me is all I need to enjoy everything this day has to offer." Misaki spoke honestly. Caught off guard, Touma's face flushed red and he looked away.
"Y-you sure? I-I mean… You're free to complain if you want! If it's honest, I'll accept it!" Touma sputtered as he tried to speak. Misaki simply giggled as she watched the unlucky Kamijou's flustered form.
"My…are you really that weak to my teasing ability?" She smiled.
"That's not fair…" Touma groaned as he came to his tenses. They kept up with their casual stroll, and while the unlucky Kamijou focused on directions to their next destination, Misaki simply held onto him and basked in the warmth that his body provided.
It was unique in comparison to the hot summer sun. This heat made her heart beat loud and fast with joy.
She had waited so long for this… She couldn't describe how long it truly felt in her heart.
But now she was free to express herself fully without restraint; even just a casual walk filled every ounce of her form with delight.
And when the feeling of heat had to end, she wished it could have lasted just a few seconds more.
"And here we are… I haven't been to this one in a while." Touma commented.
It appeared to be a kind of water park. While pools were somewhat common in the city, what wasn't common was an out-door facility; those had attendance issues directly related to the weather, and was completely inoperable in the winter, so such a thing was a tad unusual in a commercial powerhouse such as Academy City.
But perhaps the fact that it was one of so few was the reason it appeared to be popular? The odd one would always stand out in comparison. Maybe in retrospect the owners knew exactly what they were doing by breaking the mold and opening an outdoor park in a walled off city.
"Ah… So this is why you told me to bring a swimsuit." Misaki nodded. "…Wait, where are yours? You don't have any bags…"
"Wearing them." Touma replied.
"Underneath?"
"Yup."
"In the hot summer sun!?" Misaki exclaimed.
"If I brought a bag or something, it would either be stolen or destroyed, and its contents with it." Touma replied. "When one is misfortunate as me…one must take steps to prevent as many things from going wrong as possible! As if I am going to let something catastrophic happen and be forced to rent a used set of swimwear from the front desk! That's a waste of money!"
"If you had asked, I could have covered for you." Misaki stated.
"B-but this is my idea…my plan… What kind of guy would I be if I didn't pay for it!? I covered the arcade, didn't I?" Touma replied. Misaki sighed but smiled sweetly, putting one hand on the unlucky Kamijou's cheek.
"You are trying rather hard, aren't you?"
"Eh…?" Touma blinked, not sure how to react.
"Not everything has to be perfect." She spoke up again. "Not everything has to be flawless to be enjoyable… There isn't some kind of set standard of "It has to go like this," or something…"
"But-"
"No buts." Misaki moved her hand to cover Touma's mouth with a finger. "You worry so much about money… I understand why… and you want to cover expenses because you feel responsible; I understand that too… But there's not much point if you wind up stressed out or overheated due to trying to avoid paying for unnecessary things, right?"
Touma was silent for a time, his points torn through by the girl in front of him.
"I…suppose I do get a little wound up about that stuff…" The spiky haired teen rubbed his neck. Misaki simply kept her smile going, satisfied that Touma understood.
"As you should! But now is not a time to try and use your frugal ability, is it?"
"I guess not…" Touma replied. Misaki pulled her hand back, opening her handbag and pulling out her own bankcard.
"We are here to enjoy ourselves… Even if your goal is to make me happy, it is infinitely more enjoyable to see you laughing and smiling right next to me, understand?"
"I mean… I think I get what you're saying…but are you sure?"
"Of course I am. You plan; I'll pay. That way, we both can enjoy this time together as much as we want." Misaki replied. "Now, I'll take care of the entrance fee, and then get changed. No peeking, understand?"
"As if I was going to peek!" Touma fired back, making Misaki giggle once again. She scampered off to the girl's changing room. The honey blonde girl looked back briefly and gave the spiky haired teen a wink before vanishing completely inside. Heat rushed to Touma's face but quickly faded after the girl was gone.
"Man…this girl…" Touma rubbed his neck. "What kind of life did the old me live to come into contact with a girl like this…?"
It sounded like he was complaining, but he was honestly just surprised. Many girls seemingly from his forgotten past have come forward, but almost all of them appeared to be violent in some way with very few exceptions.
But…not this one. Shokuhou Misaki was a natural tease and a little bit haughty, but she was anything but violent. She was being very accommodating and genuinely nice… More than a tad flirty than he was used to but she was definitely a genuinely kind person.
Cute too, but that was a topic for another day.
It made him wonder what exactly he had gone through with her. All of his memories were lost, but he couldn't help but be curious as to what Misaki and the old him went through together for her to be his ecstatic to have him back.
The thought of the 'old him' stuck in Touma's head a little longer than he wanted. His memory loss on July 28th didn't bother him that much these days, but the fact that it did happen seemed a little more important here.
Though he could remember the honey blond girl with him now, the old Kamijou Touma she was attached to was gone; blown away completely. He lost his ability to remember Misaki at one point, but now the entirety of who he used to be was erased from existence.
The person Misaki desperately wanted to see again was forever lost, and sooner or later, she would realize that.
But…
She seemed so happy that the idea of ruining that for her made his heart ache. The thought of being the one to tear away her happiness again cut at him deeply.
He eyed the girls changing room for a moment, nodded, and then made his way over to the guy's room.
He decided then; even if she learning of his old self's death was an inevitable, he would protect that smile just a little longer.
She would eventually learn some day…
But that day didn't have to be today.
"Alright~ Misaki-chan cute mode has arrived~" Misaki called out as she exited. Touma was already out, due to him just having to strip away his normal clothes to get into his normal blue swim trunks.
"Cute mode?" Touma blinked. Misaki herself was in her school's standard one-piece swimsuit, probably due to similar reasons for her to be stuck in Tokiwadai's standard student uniform most of the time. But….
"Yes! I tied my hair into a pony tail so it'll stay out of my eyes… But it has a completely different effect on my charm when my hair is worn like this, don't you think?"
"Well… I can't complain. It is a nice change of pace… I think it looks good." Touma nodded.
"Though honestly I wish I could get away with a two piece of some kind… School rules can be so annoying… Being part of one of the lower class schools must be nice." Misaki stated.
"Let's just say we have problems of our own and leave it at that…" Touma sighed. "You remembered to lock up your things in the locker they provided you, right?"
"Of course; there is nothing to worry about!" Misaki cheerfully answered. "So…what's the plan? Relaxing in a pool? Water slides?"
"I had the idea for something specific… There is something a little unique here I think can be fun…but if you'd rather do those things…" Touma trailed off, but was surprised when Misaki took Touma's arm once again.
"I trust you. Lead the way, Kamijou-kun~" The honorific Misaki added with a flirty tone attached turned Touma's face a shade of red as they walked. They passed a few pools of varying sizes, a set of tall slides, a refreshment stand, but came to a stop as a particular body of water with several inflatable innertubes large enough to ride available for anyone to use.
It started shallow and gradually got deeper the further in you got, but rather high walls were all around except for the shallow entrance. It was smaller than the other pools, but it seemed to have a lot more people in it.
Curious, Misaki glanced around, until her eyes focused on a few signs with descriptions and a few warnings.
"A wave pool?" Misaki tilted her head.
"Yeah; it generates waves in the water for people to ride on. It's not designed to surf or anything, but you can ride on a innertube… It can get exciting when it really gets going." Touma replied. "Looks like we got here at a good time… They must be in-between sessions… Interested?"
"W-well… My swimming ability is rather lacking…but with an innertube this could be fun… Oh look! They have one designed for two people!" Misaki pointed toward the handout innertubes.
"I've never ridden on one meant for two before…"
"Then it looks like we both get to enjoy something new… Though I bet you'll just fall off and have to show me your own swimming ability~"
"Oh is that so? The double-tube it is then!" Touma, his pride as a man challenged did the natural thing and grabbed it, completely oblivious that he had been manipulated by the Mental Out rather effectively.
They wasted no time finding their own place in the water and set themselves up. The innertube was designed so that the two people would be sitting across from each other, so the two's legs touched rather often. Touma seemed a tad nervous at first due to the casual contact, but gradually eased up over time.
And then, slowly but surely, the waves began. It started off slow at first but gradually the vibration in the water grew, and the waves grew with it.
"Heehee… This is kind of fun… It's like a water based roller coaster!" Misaki cheerfully stated.
"Speaking of which, we could always visit the amusement park in District Six. It'd be a bus ride away but it's an idea."
"Water roller coaster to an actual roller coaster? Trade risk of drowning for risk of falling?" Misaki cheekily replied.
"I mean… I may have bad luck, but it hasn't gotten me killed so far… So I'd be willing to chance it if you are." Touma smiled. They sat there for a time holding onto the innertube as the waves grew more frequent and more intense.
But…
"That's odd… The waves should have reached their highest point by now… But they keep getting bigger…" Touma commented.
"And...are they coming just a little bit faster and harder?" Misaki added. They both exchanged glances.
The waves kept getting larger and more powerful without limit.
"There must have been a malfunction with the wave generator, causing it to ramp up out of control.
"A-ah…I believe this is a front-row seat to your misfortune ability, isn't it?"
"D-don't say that so casually! This is really, really bad!" Touma cried out.
They reached the bottom of the next wave when a shadow came over them; they noticed that the water level seemed to have dropped but could only look up in horror.
As a massive wave crashed down onto them both, sending them down to the watery abyss.
Or it would have if it wasn't for the concrete floor of the pool. Which Touma hit with his back. Twice. The first time was natural due to the wave's force but the second time it was because Misaki crashed into him.
Moments passed as other people pulled themselves out of the water as the wave generator seemed to shut down. A more natural wave spat the two out towards the shallow end of the pool.
Touma was on his back and Misaki was sitting on his stomach, both of them with looks of dismay and confusion.
"K-Kamijou-san…?"
"Yeah?"
"L-lets skip the r-roller coaster for today…" Misaki spoke, clearly still shaken. Touma's response was to simply raise his hand to give a flimsy thumbs up. The honey blonde girl then collapsed onto the unlucky Kamijou's chest as they both reveled in the fact that they were back on solid ground once again.
"W-well… Aside from the wave pool…this was a fun little trip." Misaki spoke cheerfully. They both had just exited the water park in their normal clothing.
Touma had a few bandages from the accident but Misaki herself was unharmed… Just a little shaken.
"I suppose. I don't think I'll be going back for a while…" Touma replied. "Even something as simple as a normal water slide seems dangerous after that…"
"...I agree entirely." Misaki nodded in agreement. "I'll be sticking to normal pools for a while…"
The two walked for a time as they let the breeze hit their still wet hair. After a moment they both sat down on a bench just to rest a little after what had happened.
"Ugh… I think it's safe to say that it's not just the roller coaster that's out of the question."
"Yes; the amusement park in District Six seems so far away… I don't even want to try and reach it...even on a bus." Misaki agreed again. "Sorry if that ruins the next stop…"
"That's fine… We won't do anything you don't want to do." Touma replied. "Besides; the amusement park was more of a last minute idea… The next stop I had in mind was actually for something to eat."
"I can agree to that. Now that my mind is settled down, I can say that I am rather hungry… What did you have in mind?" Misaki asked. Touma thought for a minute, weighing his options.
"Do you cook at all?" He asked finally.
"E-eh? Y-you're question my cooking ability…!? A-are you actually wanting me to cook your food or something? That's the role of a wife, isn't it!?" Misaki shouted, blushing red as she caught off guard by the question.
"J-just answer the question…" Touma replied. After a moment the honey blonde girl calmed down after a few deep breaths.
"I…have to admit… I'm not so good with cooking…" Misaki admitted. Touma pushed himself to his feet.
"Then I know a place to give you a unique experience… Follow me, ok?" Touma said, holding out his hand to the girl next to him.
Misaki simply smiled and took his hand as she stood up.
"Of course. If it is a place you find appealing I am sure it will be good." She stated with a smile. Kamijou smiled back, and the two were off, side by side as they had been for most of the day.
Their walk this time was much shorter, as Touma pointed out a rather small looking restaurant; it probably belonged to a local family rather than a large chain.
They walked in casually and were met with the smell of cooking meat. There were eight tables but only about three of them were occupied; it must have been a slow time of day.
However, each table appeared to have a grill installed in the middle.
"Oh my… This is a…!"
"That's right! A yakiniku!" Touma stated. "You order the food raw and cook them yourself. I told you this would be a new experience."
"So this is what you meant!" Misaki smiled.
"It'll be simple…but I can teach you a little bit about cooking here. Plus, we get to eat the results of our work." Touma nodded. "Be sure to work hard, ok?"
"Will do, Kamijou-sensei~"
"D-don't say that in such a mocking tone!" Touma replied. The two were quick to find a table in the corner away from the few people who did come inside. The ordered and received their food right away. They ordered a variety of meats and vegetables to cook, which came to them on a platter.
"Alright… So we make sure the grill is nice and hot…then we can begin." Touma fiddled a little with the settings installed on the table. "And then…" He picked up a slice of beef with a set of tongs and laid it on the grill itself.
"This is rather exciting! How long does it take?"
"Depends on the cut size… But usually about 15 to 25 seconds… If that's hard to remember, just wait for it to start to sizzle." Touma used the tongs to flip the slice of beef over. "You only need to flip it once…and…a slice is done." Touma pulled the beef strip off the grill and set it on a plate.
"So it's good to go then?"
"Not quite…we have a few sauces to choose from. Let's go with…this one." The spiky haired teen poured a provided container of an unknown sauce into a small bowl, then reached for a set of chopsticks. "Then you just dunk the beef into the sauce and…bottoms up!" He ate the strip of beef in a single bite.
"Is it really that simple…?" Misaki asked.
"Yeah; normally you'd cook the veggies first, but I thought this might be a good way to teach you. Now you try." Touma nodded. The honey-blonde girl delicately reached for the set of tongs and began to work.
"Alright…listen for the sizzle…flip…sizzle…" Misaki caked out the actions as she did them. "Then it's done…sauce…and…!" She took a bite of the beef carefully.
"Well, what do you think?"
"It's wonderful!" Misaki cried. "This is just so much fun! I'll cook another!" She then went to work while Touma leaned back and watched his companion cook. After she was finished this time however, she held out the beef strip to the unlucky Kamijou across from her.
"Here… I want you to try my cooking!" Misaki cheekily stated. Touma flushed red for a moment.
"I mean… Eh, why not?" Touma did as he was told and ate the beef strip. "It's good… Shokuhou-chan is a natural."
"Heehee… I feel like I leveled up my cooking ability! I even got a someone to try it!" Misaki cheerfully replied.
"Don't get too cocky… Next comes the vegetables… And those work just a bit differently… Size matters a lot." Touma stated. The two began to cook their food as the spiky haired teen instructed, with Mental Out followed his orders.
She smiled gleefully the entire time; she was cooking, something she had never done before, was right across from someone very important to her.
Her most important person. The person she treasured more than anyone else.
And he was there complimenting her all the whole. It made her heart flutter. His words weren't just blind statements meant to please her; they were genuine. If she messed up, he called her out on it. But if she got it right, she was genuinely praised. She wanted more, so she kept at it as Touma taught her.
Though it was just a yakiniku, it felt incredibly special. It was a moment only they would have at this moment in time.
It wasn't long before they ran out of food to cook though.
"Aww… are we done?" Misaki frowned as she spoke.
"Only if you want to be; it'll cost more but we can order another platter if you want. Touma shrugged.
"Then let's order another! Money is no object here!" Misaki cried out. "I feel like you have trouble getting enough food, so we'll keep at it until your stuffed! Be prepared, because Shokuhou-sama isn't taking no for an answer!"
Touma was shocked by her declaration, but he eased into a smile, accepting Misaki's terms without a single complaint.
If it made her happy, he was more than happy to oblige.
"Mmm… That was lovely…" Misaki stated as they left.
"It's a good thing you offered to cover… I think I lost my bank card back at the pool…" Touma sighed.
"Don't remind me of bad memories when I'm on a full stomach." Misaki pouted. The spiky-haired teen however patted her head and she practically melted, smiling once again. "We spent while in there… It's hard to believe it's getting close to sunset…"
"Yeah…it takes a bit more time because you have to cook the food." Touma replied. They walked for a time before coming upon a bus stop. They were quite a distance from their respective dorms and on their satisfied and full stomachs, it felt like the best option.
"So it seems like that was our last stop after all." Touma commented. "Did you have fun?"
"More than you could imagine…" Misaki replied. A bus was approaching but Misaki seemed to fidget a little. "Um… Listen…I have a wee bit of a selfish request…"
"What is it?" Touma blinked. Misaki fidgeted a little while longer before turning to face the unlucky Kamijou.
"Could you…walk me home?" She asked. Touma's face flushed at the notion.
The bus would take them to a station but not into the School Garden itself with normal civilians on board.
"It's a bit out of the way… Eh, sure. I don't mind." Touma agreed. The girl smiled as the bus arrived, and the two were quick to get on and find a seat next to each other.
As the bus began to move, Misaki gently rested her head on Touma's shoulder, much to his surprise.
"S-Shokuhou…?"
"Today was lovely… Absolutely lovely… Thank you." She replied. Touma seemed tense but after her words reached his ears, he eased up quite a bit.
They rode in silence for a while longer, simply enjoying each other's presence. The bus turned and passed through a gate signaling a change in districts. A short time after that, she spoke up again.
"Kamijou-san?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we…meet again tomorrow?" She asked innocently. Touma looked puzzled but realized what she meant.
She had mentioned that this was a three-day window. Tomorrow was that third day.
Tomorrow it would be found out if Kamijou Touma would be able to remember Shokuhou Misaki, or if he was doomed to lose memory of her yet again.
If there was any evidence that he was going to forget, it would appear then.
"Sure, what do you want to do?" Touma replied.
"I have a few ideas… You accompanied me on the places I wished to visit yesterday, and made this a wonderful adventure… Allow me to give back, just a little bit…" Misaki replied, turning her head up to smile at him.
Touma simply stared back for a moment before he smiled as well.
"Sounds like a plan to me. I'm in your hands, Shokuhou." He replied.
They rode back in silence until the bus stopped just outside the School Garden. It was there that they parted ways for the night, both a tad bit tired.
One day was left, and only after that, would the reality be known.
And so day two comes to a close... we have one more day left!
Hopefully the game of figuring out who wrote what get's just a tad harder... People figured it out rather easily last time, but hopefully it get just a little bit more difficult to figure it out!
Also; Bonus time: Anyone who can guess what game Touma and Misaki were playing at the arcade get 10,000 success points. It tickles me when people figure out where these Easter eggs come from! Fufu~
We hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; we both enjoy feedback.
Have a good day!
Sincerely,
ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.