And here is Chapter 4... we are nearing the end, folks.
Enjoy!
Here it was.
The Final Day.
The Day where everything would be revealed and whether Kamijou Touma would be able to recall Shokuhou Misaki forevermore would be decided.
The girl in question, Misaki, though only had that in the back of her mind as she spun around in front of the boy in question, Touma, with a grin on her face. Touma on the other hand did not match in his expression, his eyes averted to the side and the faintest of blushes on his cheeks as he looked at the (questionable) middle schooler.
"Y-You never said anything about this…"
"Hmmm…it would have spoiled the surprise ability, don't you think? Oh? Did I get your heart racing with how perfect I look, Kamijou-kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun?"
"N-No! Not at all! This Kamijou-san only has room in his heart for dorm manager onee-san types, so no middle schooler is going to sway him!"
"Is that so? Well, then you should have no problem telling me how I look. Unless of course you are self-conscious about how I look and thus wavering in what lies within your heart."
"?! Wait. So are you telling me that if I feel anything and don't remark on how you look right now then the dream of a dorm manager is slowly disappearing within my mind!? I-I won't fall for your mind games, Mental Out. You want to know how you look? That's not the question you need to ask!"
Misaki stopped spinning around and frowned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.
"The question you need to ask is how can I possibly put how stunning you look into words? Using something as basic as the Japanese language to capture your beauty right now…I think that would be an insult to the figure in front of me."
If there was anything Misaki had expected, it was not that. Her face exploded red and her eyes went wide, the girl now turning her head with a massive blush on her face. She covered her mouth, but only to hide the massive smile that was growing on her face. She trembled lightly and tried to stop it by bringing her body closer together but the only thing that that accomplished was her realizing just how warm her entire body had gotten, something she could feel within the clothes she was wearing.
Today was the peak of the festival that had been happening within Academy City. Although the extended holiday that had been given to the students of Academy City had allowed them to move around and so as they like, it was today that was the day that the holiday actually celebrated. The only reason that an extended holiday had been given in the first place was to prepare for the festival, happening on the evening of this very day.
And because it was a special occasion, there had been a relaxing of the strict uniform rules for Tokiwadai students.
A relaxing of the rules that Shokuhou Misaki had used as an excuse to don the yukata she now wore.
The red silk yukata fit like a glove and the complex blossoms embroider on the fabric were sewed in using complex orange and yellow colours as well as special material that gave the illusion that the cherry blossoms were spinning when one looked at it from various angles. The overall impression that one would get from Misaki as a result as she walked past would be that the cherry blossoms on her yukata would be spinning, only adding to the presence she naturally had.
The obi tied around her waist was a lighter yellow as well, a colour that matched her hair perfectly but was lighter than the yellow cherry blossoms of her yukata meaning that the colours did not clash or overlap. The way that the obi was wrapped around her already slim body only gave her more of an impression, pushing up her already large breasts so give them a bit more presence than usual.
Gone were the gloves on her hands and stockings on her legs, only being the red yukata that covered her entire body. The long hair that she had usually kept down was now tied within a bun, kept in place using an accessory that looked very much like a chopstick but had the same pattern as her yukata: meaning that whenever she moved the blossoms put into the side of the chopstick holding her hair moved, giving the impression that her entire body was a piece of natural artwork, holding and allowing the blossoms to bloom.
Naturally, when she had worn it in front of her clique, many had passed out and demanded to know who she was meeting and, if she was free, whether they could join the festival with her. However, a simple click of the button and application of her power had given her all the freedom in the world and allowed her to meet Touma in the early hours of the morning.
Unlike Misaki who had dressed up for the evening festival, Touma had not even bothered to do that, wearing casual clothes that met the weather: a blue hoodie and beige pants. The difference between the boy and the girl was obvious but neither cared about the differences in how they looked, what they wore or how they attracted stares from those around them.
The only thing that they cared about was that they had each other.
"So, why are you dressed like that despite it being so early? You do realize that the festivities and the fireworks show that is happening is basically like the Daihaseisai's night parade? In that it only has meaning and only happens at night? It's what, 8:30 in the morning? Don't tell me that you're going to be wearing those geta and walking around in them all day?"
Touma looked down at the unique footwear Misaki was wearing: wooden sandals that were elevated off the ground a small bit. A substitute for high heels in a fashion, the rarity one wore them meant that more often than not, girls found it difficult to wear them for longer periods of time.
Misaki though had an answer for the concern Touma was giving her.
"I'm not going to be walking a lot in them so there's no need to worry."
"What do you mean?" Touma asked but it was Misaki who turned and walked away, smiling as Touma caught up to her and walked by her side. She playfully winked at him and grabbed his arm, the boy blushing but still maintaining his gaze at her as she talked.
"The festivities happening later today are, in fact, tonight. But the thing is, Kamijou-san, that the setting up has been going on for a long time. The only thing that needs to be done around this time is collecting the people for the food stalls, setting up the bonfire, preparing the equipment to be sold: all of that. Right now, if we were to head to the place where the District 7 festival is, we would find most food stalls empty and people around, ready for everyone to arrive later."
Touma seemed to understand what she was getting at, putting a hand underneath his chin and speaking to himself.
"Early bird gets the worm…"
"Indeed! Although, in this case, the only 'worm' that one would be getting would be access to some of the stalls. Haven't you always felt that the good prizes at these types of stalls are always gone whenever you arrive? The reason that is the case is because others had the foresight ability to arrive before the festival actually begun and got those prizes."
"And that's where we're going? I thought you said you wanted to visit some more places. I'm not really sure what you expect of me, but don't think that you're going to get any prize from this misfortunate Kamijou-san."
"Oh no, I'm not."
The admission to something Kamijou had been saying himself somewhat made him pause and grunt as if he had been struck by something internally. However, before he could complain about it, Misaki only smiled and pulled herself closer, resting her head on Kamijou's shoulder and smiling.
"The prize I have been given right now is the only thing I need."
Kamijou said nothing but she could feel his shoulder jump slightly as she leaned against it. It relaxed only a moment after but even then, the small question Misaki could feel within the posture of Touma was obvious.
After all, for a girl who did not get out a lot, she sure knew a lot about the festivals and how they worked. Naturally, this was not information she just 'happened' across; if that was the case or something she had learned second hand, she would have forgotten it almost immediately. No, this was information she had remembered and likely information she had collected herself.
Why she had gotten this information and why she remembered it were obvious questions, but likely out of guilt, Touma said nothing, keeping his gaze forward as he walked slowly to match the pace of the girl by his side.
He probably suspected what it was and a simple question from him would have made Misaki confirm or deny what he was thinking.
After all, the only reason she knew about this in the first place was because she had wanted to go to this festival last year with Touma, before he had lost his memories of her. Naturally, she had been unable to but it was here and now that she had been able to use that knowledge she had for the purposes of going with the current Touma next to her. Likely thinking it was the case, Touma probably felt some guilt with the issue of his memories about her but not wanting to darken the day as it was just beginning, he said nothing, only walking in silence with the girl by his arm.
Still, the silence and the brooding thoughts were broken by Touma beside her.
"…So, is there anything you want to look at? I imagine that a high class girl with a lot of friends like you probably has no idea what to do when you're just one on one with someone else."
"There's something to be said about your mocking ability. It's somewhat frustrating that that part of you has not changed whatsoever. But, as I would have you know, there are actually a number of things that I would like to do. All of which, as the gentlewoman I am, I shall pay for!"
"…Where exactly are you keeping your wallet? …Or your remotes, if you're not thinking of paying at all."
"Y-You saw right through me?!"
"I was hoping it wasn't the case but these people at these festivals run businesses you know! Think about the economy in times like these! You know what happens if these businesses lose their physical stores because of a lack of physical shopping? It all goes online and for someone like you who has no understanding of what machinery is! That's basically Armageddon!"
"W-Well, I never! I'll have you know that I have a proper understanding of what machines are and how they work, as well as a basic grasp of the dealings of the internet! I'm not Amish nor do I think that anyone with some lack of technological understanding ability should be able to live here in Academy City."
"Hehe….that's what you'd think wouldn't you…hehehe…"
"And you're the last person I want to hear talking to me about how I'm bad with technology. Oh no…remembering a previous experience with a high school old woman has gotten me in a bad mood. Hehe…oh, I want to see the look on her face if she sees this…hehehe…"
A rather dark aura came over the both of them as they laughed underneath their breath. It was Touma though who snapped out it soon enough, turning to Misaki and frowning all the same.
"Even so though, where exactly did you hide those remotes of yours? Or your wallet. Actually, don't tell me which one you chose to use; I get the feeling that I'll go from bystander to accomplice to perpetrator knowing my misfortune."
"Well, my remotes are – "
"Did you just completely ignore my wishes!?"
Misaki smiled at Touma's rather loud outburst. Her eyes sparkled, almost spinning like the illusion that were her eyes as she pressed herself even closer to Touma, pushing her breasts towards him so that his arm was in between them. He blushed, turning his head away rapidly but even then, the blush Misaki caught and grinned, her eyes sparkling even more.
"Feel thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat~?"
"S-Shokuhou-sama, I'm not sure whether you realize what you are doing but – "
"Oh, I know perfectly know what I'm doing."
"D-Do you think that the fragile heart of a high school boy is something you can play around with as you like and as you please?! If you think I the masochist, which I'm not, then are you the sadist with this play you're pulling off!? In fact…wait, what is this? It's…hard?" Touma turned towards Misaki and looked down at the breasts that were enveloping his arm, the blush deepening before it faded entirely.
Misaki stared in surprise as she watched Touma's eyes go dead, the boy looking into the distance and looking as if he had reached some enlightenment he had never wanted to in his life.
"H…Hahahahahaha. Go figure. I always felt that girls were soft, but they were always hard and cold. I guess that explains it…why you can have 'those' when you're only in middle school."
"H-Huh?" Misaki paled as she realized that the train of thought Touma was on was not one that she was on but finding that whatever it was, how her teasing had led to it frightened her terribly. "W-Wait a minute, Kamijou-san, whatever misunderstanding you're having about my breasts is one that – "
She was stopped as Touma put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head in some fraction of disappointment.
"You know, Shokuhou-kun, it's OK to have a flat chest."
"Wh-what are you talking about!? How is this flat!?"
"But just because you have an envy over it doesn't mean that it justifies mechanical implants, OK? Love your body as you love yourself."
"M-Mechanical…?!" Misaki went white in the face, shaking her head rapidly at the misunderstanding that had formed. "What in the world are you talking about? Mechanical implants?! How did you even reach that conclusion? Even though this is the City of Science, there are limits to the amount of ridiculousness that one can reach. Think about it, that would make no one happy. Not to mention the strain it would put on your shoulders!"
"They must be killing you… Poor girl…"
"Don't start wiping your eyes! The hard thing that you felt between my breasts wasn't a mechanical implant! It was my remote! Remote! I put one in between my breasts because there was nowhere else to put it. And my breasts are n-nice and s-soft so there's nothing hard about them!"
"Huh?" Touma, still walking, looked as though he had been struck in the face with a wet fish. "It was a…remote?"
"Yes!"
"Then why didn't you put it in your obi when you tied it!?"
"Do you know how hard it would be to get it out every time I need to use it!?"
"And the alterative you came up with was putting it inside your chest!?"
"It's ease of access given the slit for the yukata runs right over it! H-Here I'll show you how easy it is to access…" Misaki took a step back from Touma reaching into the slit of her yukata at her chest, parting it a little to reveal some of the skin. That was all the little men inside Touma could take as he turned his head to the side so fast that he thought he would get whiplash. He thrust his hands in front of him, shaking them and his head as well.
"I-I get it! I believe you! D-Don't go any further than this, Shokuhou-sama!"
"Are you even looking!? Look, it's my remote!"
"I'm sure it is! This is in public! Don't you Level 5s have a filter?! Or are you all idiots?!"
"Y-You still think it's a mechanical implant, don't you?! These are natural!"
"I'm not questioning the validity or the naturalness of your breasts anymore! And I can clearly see the remote in your hand, so this issue is dropped!"
Touma, having looked now, saw the remote in Misaki's hand, however, just from her expression, it was clear that she was not satisfied.
"Girls are nice and soft so don't think that we're all as cold and hard as that old woman! I'll show it to you! These are not fake; I'm quite proud of them for having grown to this size!"
"What do you mean you'll 'show' me?!"
Misaki though, with a blushing face as her own grabbed Touma's hand with one of her own. He could feel the trembling of her body through it and although she was trying to make a brave face, from the small tears in her eyes and the red of her cheeks, it was clawer her state of mind. Her heart beat rapidly within her own chest but as she grabbed Touma's hands with both hands now, it was with slow movements that she brought them closer to her and turned her head away with that same trembling nature.
Touma's eyes went wide at that prospect of what Misaki was doing and went just as red faced, steam coming from both their ears as he tried to pull away while Misaki tried to pull him towards her.
"Wh-What do you think you're doing!?"
"They're not mechanical! I'm telling you that these are entirely natural! T-T-T-T-T-T-Touch them and you'll see. I-I-I-I-I-I-I-It's not like I mind or anything!"
"I mind! I'm not going to touch someone's breasts just because they want to prove to me they're real!"
Of course, Kamijou Touma had never thought he would ever say those words nor did he think he would ever say them again. However, the determination of Misaki to show that she was indeed real and there and the remote between her breasts was the source of the hardness Touma had felt, there was simple no stopping her.
This was the determination that had allowed her to reach Level 5 against to the determination of the boy who had spent hundreds of billions of years simply to return to the world he was living in now, fighting over the chance to touch a pair of breasts.
And before you ask, yes.
The author never thought he would ever write those words not did he think he would ever write them again.
"…We're here."
"…Yes."
Kamijou Touma and Shokuhou Misaki stood in the barren festival grounds. Just as Misaki has said, the festival looked ready to go but given the early time it was now, it seemed that basically no one was here despite a number of stalls more than ready to serve customers, only a few people who came to get the good stuff circling around and viewing the different stalls.
Both boy and girl cleared their throats. The victor of the battle was one that they refused to disclose but the fact that they had ended up in a situation such as the one that they had seemed to be the point of the matter worth having feelings about.
Even so though, they were here for a reason and it was Touma who tried his best despite his blushing face, to get things on track.
"W-Well? You said you wanted to come here. So go ahead, tiger. Work your magic."
Misaki herself seemed only to be caught up in the past and what had happened between the two of them but the words of Touma seemed to have put her thoughts back on track.
"Y-Yes! Although, if I have to admit, this is my first time doing this."
"…Same here."
"So, we're both amateurs?"
"I think this is more an issue for me, the high schooler, than you."
They stared at each other for a single moment before once more turning to the stall they were standing in front of. Looking down at the enemy in front of them, the enemy stared up at them with blank gazes filled with mocking but the nervousness and fact that they had never done anything like this before made both boy and girl pause.
The stall owner stared at the two of them with indifference: it was too early for him to think about how the two of them were making a line. However, the time that they took standing in front of the stall worried him immensely given the expressions of both their faces.
"I-I'll take one please. All I have to do is scoop, right?"
"That's right miss. And since you are the first customer for today, I'll give you a few tries, free of charge."
"…Sir, I could be wrong, but are those stars in your eyes?"
"What are you talking about, kid?"
The stall owner (who may have had stars in his eyes) handed Misaki a small ring attached to a handle with a fine film over the surface of the ring. She took it with a smile and Touma looked at her before turning away with a blushing face, once more seeing that her hand was inside her yukata, gripping something there. Not wanting to think about it, he averted his gaze from the girl until she grunted and squatted in front of the pool in front of her.
It was only then that Touma took the time to speak his thoughts on where they were?
"This is a bit cliché, isn't it? For a festival visit, I mean."
"The reason clichés work is because they are the tried and true ability of any particular focus. Romance stories need misunderstandings to develop feelings. Battle stories need a heroine to save. And festival stories need the goldfish scoop!"
That was right.
The two of them were, right now, standing in front of the legendary goldfish scoop store. The inflatable pool in front of them was filled to the brim and swimming with small orange coloured fish, swinging back and forth without a care in the world. A few paused and stared up at the boy and girl, the way their gaze was held only holding mocking as if the fish were laughing at them for not being certain as to their ability to complete the task in front of them, despite how easy it seemed.
After all, all they had to do was get the small scoop Misaki now had in her hand, something Touma now held in his hand now as the man handed him one, and scoop up the goldfish. Naturally, as Touma looked closer at the film in the ring he was given, the springy feeling of it felt incredibly flimsy but given that these were disposable, that made sense.
He turned it in his hand and squatted down next to Misaki who had rolled up her sleeves, the girl having his tongue sticking up and curled on her upper lip in intense concentration.
"But what makes this stall so much better than the others? Sure, this can be competitive at times, but is that the only appeal it has?" Touma asked curiously as he stared at the orange forms swimming inside the pool. It was rather disappointing to him that the only thing he could think about as he looked at them was what side dishes would fit well with them when fried.
"Ha! For the untrained eye, that might be the case!" Misaki cried out in triumph and puffed out her chest with pride. "But, for an expert like me, you can instantly see what separates this stall from every other!"
"I thought you said this was your first time doing this."
"Your memory doesn't exactly have the best track record, so I don't want to hear that from you. You were clearly mistaken!" Misaki said with pride as she pointed at the goldfish pool in front of them. "Can you not see the special goldfish that are contained within this pool?"
Touma frowned, feeling the sting from Misaki's words ever so slightly but staring at the pool with her finger. The only thing he saw in it was a collection of orange swirling around…until something flashed in his sight that he did not see before.
The brown colour flashed for only an instant before being lost in the orange. Touma looked up in interest to Misaki who spoke with fever.
"Did you see it? Now that small fish was the highlight of this goldfish scoop. In no other place within Academy City and at no other time will you see such a rare sight as the one who just saw, Kamijou-san."
"What was it?"
"An extra rare fish, something that eludes capture no matter how many times you do this. In fact, the ring that the stall owner kindly gave us is not made to handle this fish in the first place so it has become the task of many who have visited this stall to try and catch this legendary fish in the hopes of completing the task that has eluded so many."
"…You're getting awfully excited for this." Touma said with a somewhat interested stare. Even though he did not really understand what it was about that small brown fish that was so interesting, the way Misaki spoke about it piqued his interest more than he was willing to admit. "So, what kind of fish is it that you can only grab here?"
"A member of the Tetraodontidae family."
"…I'm assuming that had some kind of meaning but for the useless Kamijou-san, can you please you proper Japanese!?"
"A pufferfish."
"…"
"…"
"I'm leaving."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!? A-Aren't you supposed to be all excite about this and try your best to catch the pufferfish? It's only a baby, but still, can't you feel the excitement ability rushing through your head as you hold this ring and challenge it?"
"Are you an idiot?!" Touma shot back, thrusting the ring in front of Misaki's face. "The moment that you even touch one of these things against the pufferfish, it's going to expand and rip a whole in this crappy thing! Is this a cash grab? Because let me tell you that this Kamijou-san's wallet has a danger sense for this type of thing. And it's blaring like there is no tomorrow!"
"Hah…this is why you are only Level 0, Kamijou-san." Misaki said with a haughty tone, placing a finger underneath her chin and wagging a finger in front of her. "You fail to think outside the box for this type of thing."
"You're the last person I want to hear that from you unathletic girl! Who wears a school swimsuit to a wave pool anyway?! Why didn't you visit a swimsuit shop beforehand?! "
"I-It was school custom so there's nothing I can do about it! And what do swimsuits have to do with thinking outside the box anyway?! And we did visit one two days ago before you rudely decided that it was inappropriate!"
"I…did!? How…How could I have been so stupid!? Without it, where's the variety? The choice?! There's something wrong when the world is only limited to school swimsuits! You need to increase the impact you have with a variety of other choices!"
"…It doesn't even matter anyway unless you see it, so what's the point?"
"!"
Touma went red in the face at the frank words of Misaki, the girl giving him a big smile as she looked at him seemingly deflate and sit back down quietly. His face was still red and he turned his head to the side, mumbling something underneath his breath which Misaki did not catch. She only grinned further now, leaning in close to Touma and pressing her finger against his cheek.
"Oh? Ohohohohohoho? Did I say something pretty good there? Don't tell me that got your heart racing." Misaki giggled and Touma refused to say anything, the girl only electing to put her head on the boy's shoulder and continue speaking.
"Well apart from your rather fantastic illusions – "
"I'm a normal high school boy so I can get away with this! Please don't discuss this issue anymore!"
" – Like I was saying," Misaki said as she poked Touma in the cheek some more with a grin on her face. "The whole point of the film on the ring in this case is for it to broken when you pick up the pufferfish."
"What's the point in that?!"
"The point is that what we want to do is get the pufferfish caught inside the ring when it when it expands. The inner circumference of this ring we have been given apparently is wide enough to capture it when it expands but the only way to do that is to make it expand and get stuck."
"But then it's just going to deflate and escape."
"And that is what makes it a challenge." Misaki grinned as she held the scoop over the pool. "Trying to get the pufferfish stuck and whisking it out before it can deflate. Once that happens, it's yours."
"…And then what? I can't take this home. I can just imagine one of my roommates eating it and dying a horrible death."
"You think too much."
"Not according to my teachers!"
"You've got to live in the moment Kamijou-san! Today isn't going to come…again!"
Misaki roared and sent the ring into the water but did so with too much force, the film over the top breaking as soon as she hit the water. With small 'plop' sounds, the film fell from the ring and hit the water, the girl staring at it with wide eyes and a shocked face. She blinked once, turning to Touma and her eyes sparkled all the same but the embarrassed blush on her face told much more.
"Th-That was a practice run."
"I'm more amazed that you can say that with a straight face." Touma said with exasperation before he sighed before his face broke into a great grin. He rolled up his sleeves, holding his ring in front of the water and waiting for the spot of brown to appear in front of him for him to scoop. There was a glint in his eyes as he stared at the water, speaking as he looked at Misaki in the corner of his eye.
"But if this is what I need to do to make you happy and make up to you what I owe you…then it's time for the this high school boy to show what he's made of!"
Touma's eyes sparked with energy as he caught the sight of something brown within the pool of orange, striking with the expert precision of a hunter.
And naturally, the film over the ring shattered as soon as he hit the water.
With the same pathetic 'plop' sounds, the pieces of the film hit the water, Touma looking at the ring in surprise. He turned to Misaki who was looking rather dead given her expectations but Touma only shattered them with his next words.
"…I think I need a better ring."
"That was the worst thing you could have said! Even I did better!"
"Is that so!? Well then, it's on! Prepare to lose, Shokuhou Misaki!"
"That's my line! You're going down, Kamijou Touma!"
"Oraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Oraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Both screamed as they snatched new rings from the stall owner (who strangely had been silent the entire time they had been speaking), plunging them into the water as it splashed everywhere and the entire point of the exercise had been forgotten.
But even so, the fact that they could do even that and be able to say and remember each other's name was what held great meaning. The mere fact that they were able to do things together was what allowed them both to smile no matter the past they had once had and lived through.
The only thing that mattered to the both of them now were their present smiles.
And the worth in that was evident in how neither Kamijou Touma or Shokuhou Misaki once thought of leaving the other's side as long as they smiled.
It was not surprising that both Misaki and Touma had failed to catch anything at the goldfish stall except for perhaps a cold in the future. With their hair dripping wet from where they had splashed carelessly and parts of their clothes also showing signs of dampness, the chaos that had been the attempt at goldfish scooping still sat fresh in their minds.
"…We're getting stares."
"…This yukata isn't see through is it? I'm not wearing any underwear beneath it as the custom so I'm a bit worried."
"?!"
The carefree words of Misaki made Touma's heart leap out of his chest as he stared at the girl sitting next to him as the crowd thickened.
The shine of the sun on her hair made it sparkle like it was gold and the way she pressed her body tighter against herself emphasized particular parts of her that truly made one question whether she was in middle school. Not only that, but the way the fabric of her yukata sparkled and moved like a kaleidoscope only further gave the impression of beauty she seemed to natural give off, further emphasized by the water that was dripping down her bare neck nape as she was wearing her hair up.
Pausing only for a moment as he stared at the beauty who was so casually sitting next to him, Touma reacted frantically, taking off his jacket and throwing it around her. he turned his head away from Misaki for a moment, the girl looking surprised at the action as he struggled to hide the growing blush on his face, the momentary sparkle Misaki had given off only making him pause for the slightest of moments.
"H-Here. Wear this…just in case."
The warmth that was immediately given to her through the jacket made Misaki pause herself, watching Touma look away with the faintest of red on his face. Misaki grinned, preparing to say something but held back on her words, finding that the warmth being given by the jacket only seemed to wrap all around herself.
She held it close, bringing her hands to the sleeves and pushing them up to her nose. The material was slightly damp from the goldfish scoop but even then, the lingering scent that came through the slightly damp cloth was not uncomfortable at all for that single girl. She sat there for a single moment, taking in the sensations around her of sight, scent and touch and losing herself in what was around her and where they came from.
"…Thank you."
A small silence came over the two of them, Misaki wearing Touma's jacket over her yukata and Touma sitting with his face turned from Misaki, noting the people in the crowds in front of them. The growing number of people around lunchtime was not the usual group of people who were coming to get the early birds deals; from their clothing, it seemed that this it was really people who wanted to visit the festival for festival reasons.
The girls and boys in yukatas made Touma stand out even more as he sat down and looked at them, his face relaxing slightly.
"…To think that I would be coming here with you."
Touma's voice held a small bit of melancholy and reflection within it, Misaki going silent. She let go of the jacket over her and nodded, scooting over to the side and grabbing Touma's arm with both hands.
"The same thing came to my mind as well. I…I didn't think that this time would be given to me either. But it has. And for that, I am grateful." Misaki's words held a truth she never thought she would deny, the growing sound around them only giving them the impression that they were not alone anymore within this space.
"I guess you would also be grateful for something to eat. We spent way too much time at that goldfish scoop."
"…Preferably somewhere without meat. After yesterday, I don't think that I can look at meat again for a while."
"Yesterday?"
Misaki felt something within her heart jump, turning and facing Touma in the face. His face held genuine confusion and it was the worst within her mind that made her feel as though her heart sank and her breathing become faster.
No…
It couldn't be…
"Y-Yes. Yesterday." Misaki said, finding that her voice and tone was rather desperate of all things. "At the yakiniku? All the meat we ate?"
Touma stared at her for a while before going wide eyed. He nodded, doing so in a hurried way as if to reassure the girl next to him that what she was imagining was not the case at all.
"Ah, yeah. Yesterday. Sorry…last time I went with another girl, she wanted to eat yakiniku a few hours after. I'm not used to dealing with…normal appetites. It makes sense that you'd not want to look or even think of meat afterwards."
Misaki stared at Touma, finding something within her heart relax at the words of the boy, even if the smallest bit of doubt remained in her mind. She forced it out though, shaking her head and facing forward and tightening her grip on the boy's arm as if doing so would prevent him from getting away.
She wanted just a little bit more time before the truth of whether this Final Day was revealed; whether Touma would be able to remember her properly or not. Just a little bit more time to enjoy this small moment and this time that she was enjoying and loving with the boy by her side.
…Was that too much to ask?
"…I'm more surprised that you mentioned another girl when you're with me. That doesn't exactly add to the excitement ability of what we are doing, you know. Although, this is you we're talking about. So I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"…There were some harsh words there but might I ask what exactly you think you are preventing by restricting my movements and keeping my by your side?"
"It's called marking territory. You're mine for today and I'm going to challenge anyone who thinks otherwise. You still have a lot to give back to me after all."
Misaki said those words with a flash in her eyes as she stared forward, looking in front of her at the numerous girls who were passing by her and Touma. She had no idea if they knew him but if they did, then Misaki had something she had to protect and present forward and she was willing to fight anyone when it came down to it for the sake of protecting what she held next to her.
Touma though only had a sour face on as he figured there were implications Misaki was making in the words he did not fully understand. Even so though, he spoke, trying to shift his way away from Misaki given how tightly she was holding him, the girl only pressing him tighter towards her.
"W-Well, trying to give back to a Tokiwadai ojou-sama is certainly no easy task."
"You've been doing a fine job of it so far. And I hope that you can continue to do so for the remainder of today."
Misaki's instant reply and request made Touma smile a tiny bit as he stared forward, giving a small nod in response. He opened his mouth to say something but was overpowered by feedback coming from the speakers around them. He winced, Misaki and everyone else doing the same as well. Touma looked up and turned his head around to look at the nearest speaker, raising an eyebrow as he looked at it.
"So they're even doing things with the PA system? I guess this type of event has a lot of lost children around."
"Actually, I think Academy City is a bit unique in that. After all, 80% of the population are students and espers sent here by their families so the demographic for family relationships are pretty small. It's rare to have lost children and I've barely come across any myself."
"Really? Every second day, I tend to find one or another."
"…And that is exactly what I'm talking about and why I'm not letting you go."
"Why are you treating me like I'm some kind of criminal, from just my misfortune!?"
"(Looks like the rumours were true. Any girl, no matter how young or old…)"
"?"
Touma clearly had no idea what Misaki was getting at with her demonic whispering but before he could ask, the PA system overheard came to life, sending out the type of tune that one would definitely associate with the eastern Island Nation. The smoothing melodies of a folk dance came through, surprising both boy and girl as they sat there and watched the passing crowd.
"Huh." Misaki said as she looked up at the PA system. "I never thought they would broadcast the folk dance through the speakers. Maybe it has to do with the limited space around the bonfire and the number of people coming. Looks like there are going to be some people who are not going to be dancing near the fire this year."
There was something within her tone.
Touma was not sure what it was, why he felt what he did in the exact next moment and why he acted in the way he did.
The only thing that he knew was that he was moving and speaking before he even knew it.
He stood up, dragging the jacket from Misaki and putting it on himself. The movement attracted the attention of Misaki but surprising her as she looked down at the hand proffered in front of her. She stared at it without really understanding what it was doing there before Touma grinned and winked at her.
"I suppose something like this might be a bit foreign at an all-girls school. But even so, I'm sure that you've read enough shoujo manga to know what's coming next."
"?"
Touma grinned as Misaki tilted her head, not understanding still.
"May I have this dance, my lady?"
Misaki's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped. A tinge of pink went to her cheeks as she looked at the hand in front of her and in her soul, she knew that there was only one thing she could really do, had to do in order to make today and this moment last forever within her mind.
Despite the surprise, there was no hesitation.
"Of course…my Prince."
Shokuhou Misaki grabbed the hand given to her and was lifted up carefully. She was straightened and Touma grinned, grabbing her other hand in his own and extending them both out. The other hand though, Touma carefully extended towards Misaki's back, Misaki showing no restraint as she did the same. She rose an eyebrow, smiling all the while.
"You do realize that Japanese folk songs are not really that high in compatibility ability with ballroom dancing?"
"…Neither is Kamijou Touma." Touma said with a sheepish grin.
"Well then," Misaki only grinned herself and took the first step, using the knowledge of the techniques she had learned as a high class girl within Tokiwadai to guide her. "We better do something about that."
So they did.
Each movement was slow as the folk music, being tested over the PA system ran through the festival grounds. They attracted stares and looks of recognition from boys and girls alike but there was nothing else but the two of them in the world of Shokuhou Misaki and Kamijou Touma.
Each step Misaki guided Touma with and true to his word, it seemed as though he really was unacclimated to ballroom dancing. It didn't matter to Misaki though, each word she spoke being one Touma followed and each glance of their eyes at each other making their eyes hold each other before the next movement.
All the while, they held each other.
Their hand holding gave them warmth, their bodies close to each other gave them warmth and their smiles gave them warmth.
And as they danced, or at least, as Misaki taught Touma how to dance, she knew that there was no way Touma was going to make her the happiest girl in the world.
Not when she already was.
The silence of the hill the two of them sat on was only broken by the people beneath them and the summer cicadas around them. Looking down over the festival, the blue of the sky had turned black, the lights in front of them only being that of the festival lights and the bonfire. Over the PA system, the light sound of the festival music came through but the smile on Misaki's lips only held as she felt the memories of what she had done in the time since dancing come through her.
She had gone to every stall and had a look at everything. But what made it perfect for her was not the things she did but rather, who she did them with. Even though the events of what had happened came through her mind, it was more who she was spending them with which made all the difference to her.
Sitting down, panting because of the trek up the hill, Misaki smoothed out the yukata she wore and smiled, seeing that Touma was lying down next to her and staring up at the sky. The stars overhead shone down at them, as if giving them a blessing and Misaki joined him, their stomachs already having their fill throughout the rest of the day.
"We certainly did a lot, didn't we?" Misaki asked with a small voice, finding that it was oddly soft.
"Yeah. Yeah, we did."
Touma replied briefly, staring up into the sky above them and squinting as if trying to pick out the constellations. Misaki let out a small laugh, doing the same and using her high-class knowledge to pick out the necessary ones within her mind.
"It's hard to believe that these stars are the same ones that have always looked over us." Touma said suddenly, Misaki turning to him and finding that his gaze was serious, oddly so. She frowned, unsure of what to think about him and what he was saying but only nodding, peering up into the sky once more as she spoke.
"And they will continue to be the stars that will look over us. Even when we are long gone, the stars above us will remain. Much like tradition, people, legends and stories. Even when we are gone, those will remain."
"Have you ever thought about it?"
"About what?"
"Leaving a story behind. …Although that might not mean much to a Level 5 who already is remembered."
Misaki did not answer immediately but finding herself thinking and wondering what she had been asked. Even this time she had with the boy next to her was precious and was more than she could ask for. The simple ability for the two of them to converse with each other in this way was more than she could ever think she would be given and the opportunity to spend her days like this only felt like a warm dream that she never wanted to wake up from.
"…Level 5s are remembered for different things, Kamijou-san. But personally, if you're asking, I've never thought about leaving a story behind. I've always been satisfied with what I have now, but I think it's not that type of story that is worth leaving behind."
"Oh? How so?"
Touma now turned to face her and sat up, Misaki still lying on the ground.
"Stories can be changed. But overtime, they lose impact. They become legends and myths and points of discussion and heated debates about whether they are true or not. Even if the world has become digitalized and a record of a life can be remembered, the impact that that life had will only be remembered in the time it was lived in. Being a Level 5 today means nothing tomorrow if the story has been changed. Living a life where we are forgotten, I think that is what stories become."
"Forgotten…"
"That is what a story is. At least for me. So…what it comes down to is not the story that is left behind. To be honest, even if I have a story, I won't be around to remember it. No, what matters to me would have to be what I take away from things. What I can have for myself in an experience and what I can hold to myself and claim as my own."
"…"
Touma's silence spoke volumes of his lack of understanding. No, was he silent because he knew what she was talking about and was thinking the same thing? The things Misaki did not know even now about the boy across from her filled her mind but she spoke again, looking to the stars.
She took a deep breath, trying to find the words to say and managing to do so.
"A long, long time ago, there was a single girl."
She had said those words a few days ago, in this exact same position. But for her, right now, they had a different sort of weight.
"This girl had a story. A story that would surely be told by others who respected her and of the impact ability she had on the world. For that alone, for anyone in the world, she would not be forgotten, but rather, respected and loved. For this and in the eyes of everyone else, she would have been happy. And looking at what she had, this girl knew she should have been happy. She had a story. She had weight. She had respect. She was loved. She should have been happy. But…it was not the case."
Misaki closed her eyes and spoke more, feeling the things she had to say rolling off her chest.
"Because what she wanted was not those small things. It was something else she was seeking, something less big and large. The only thing that she wanted was the restoration of a small connection, a connection that would not have mattered to that story. It would do nothing to the weight she had on the world, the respect she had or the amount she would have been loved. The only thing that she wanted only had weight to her and nothing else. But to her, having that one thing held more to her than that story. It meant more to her than any mark she might have had on the world. Because what she was looking for was not to be remembered by the world. But rather…just by one person. And that was the only story she wanted: not of her and how brilliant she was. But a story that involved the both of them. The story of Shokuhou Misaki…and Kamijou Touma."
She rose, seeing that Touma was looking into the distance.
"And for giving me that story…I truly want to thank you."
And yet, although those were the words she said…
Kamijou Touma turned his head down.
Shokuhou Misaki's breath caught in her throat at that simple action.
When she thought about it, as much as she didn't want to, today had been filled with hints. Hints of something that should not have been happening but had happened before to her so long ago.
It had happened when they had been talking about swimsuits. His reaction to when Misaki had mentioned her plan to drag him into a swimsuit shop two days ago had been as if he never remembered it.
It had happened when she had told Touma how she did not want to see meat again after their yakiniku. Although he had changed his answer, the way he had said it the first time was as if he never remembered it.
And his reaction just now.
When she was talking about the story between the two of them why did he keep his head down as if he were ashamed of it?
Something was happening. But that was to be expected.
Today was the Third and Final Day.
The day where the truth of Kamijou Touma's memories would be revealed.
She didn't want to ask. She knew that with everything she had. She wanted today to go on forever and she wanted to lose herself in this moment and this time with this boy for more time to come. She didn't want to send it all crashing down herself but despite the trembling of her body, she knew that slowly pulling of this bandage would only crush her.
She had to know.
"Kamijou-san?"
She asked in a quiet voice as she sat up, finding that her throat was dry, her mind was blank and her heart was thumping in her chest at a thousand miles an hour.
She did not want to do this.
But she knew she had to.
Because sometimes it was the greatest mental power user who needed to strongest mind of all.
"Do you…still remember me?"
I think I won't be saying much here and leave it at that. How many chapters are left? You'll see...
I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; we still enjoy enjoy feedback.
Have a good day!
Sincerely,
ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.