Heeey. I'm back with another chapter. I really don't know why I still put these opening notes. Maybe I should move everything to the end of chapter notes. Well, I have no 'smartass' comments about not owning an intellectual property, so I just wish you a good read.
Chapter 13 - An Obvious Answer
"Basically, she's been at it for hours" Frenda whispered to Kinuhata, who as usual could barely show any interest in what the blonde had to say.
Rolling her eyes, Kinuhata took her attention off her cell phone screen and looked in Mugino Shizuri's direction. At that moment, all the ITEM girls were gathered in the living room, including their blonde spy in a fancy dress, trying to kill time in their own way. Takitsubo was lying on one of the couches in her own world, Kaibi looked bored while reading a magazine, Frenda was with a slightly annoyed expression next to Kinuhata, who just wanted her to leave her alone.
"Since when does she super read manga?" The Offense Armor asked, looking at her boss who was lying on another couch with a stack of manga in a box beside her.
"Basically, she's been weird since that night at the amusement park" Frenda said, trying to keep her voice low "Do you think she and Kamijou are... you know...?"
"I don't know and I don't super care" Kinuhata turned her attention to the Smartphone "Why don't you ask her, or rather, him"
"Eh? Basically, how do I ask him something like that?"
"Will you stop with the annoying fucking whispering? I'm trying to read here" Meltdowner didn't even take her eyes off the pages, but she was quite annoyed "I want to finish this volume before he comes back"
"What are you super reading there?" Kinuhata suddenly became interested.
"A pretty interesting mystery story" Level 5 replied, turning the page still without looking at the girl "I started reading because I wanted to have more in common with Kamijou, but I ended up liking it. The beginning is confusing but intriguing, the main character seemed to be cliché, but he's much more complex than he seems, and I kind of relate with the main heroine" She sighed as she said this "She's intense, strong and knows what she wants, and she's also not afraid to get her hands dirty if she has to"
"Hmm... I watched a super movie that was ..."
"Shut up"
"Shut up"
The poor brown-haired girl couldn't even finish her sentence before those two interrupted her. She shrugged and stretched out on the couch, while Frenda put a hand on her own chin.
"Basically, where is Kamijou? When I woke up he was already gone"
"He went to school" Shizuri answered quickly.
"School? He goes to school on the weekends? Basically, that's weird"
"Kamijou told me that he skipped school for two months in a row, he'll probably have to spend his summer vacation studying if he doesn't want to repeat the year" An idea crossed Shizuri's mind at that instant "Maybe I should help him study? He said he can't quite grasp the concept of personal reality"
"Are you super serious?" The bob-cut girl this time had all her attention on her boss "I saw you comment that his ability can stop even your super Meltdowner, how does someone with such a great calculating ability, have trouble understanding such a basic concept"
"I can't say for sure. Maybe he really isn't an esper" She finally put her manga aside and looked at the time on her cell phone "There is a possibility that he is in a different category. I mean, he doesn't have an AIM field, even though he went through the power curriculum. That's the only reason he was classified as a level 0."
"Mugino, may I speak with you for a moment?" Takitsubo said, to the surprise of everyone present.
That caught Shizuri off guard. Takitsubo rarely initiated conversations, and only acted like a 'normal' person when they were on a mission, and it was still unusual. So the Meltdowner wasted no time, she nodded to the inexpressive girl, and the two of them went into the dining room, so they could talk in private.
"Be brief, I was in the middle of an important chapter" Level 5 said, still with her manga in hand, but paying attention to 'AIM Stalker'.
"Understood. I guess you must have anticipated by now that this conversation is about Kamijou" Takitsubo said that knowing full well the effect it would cause. Meltdowner put her manga aside and narrowed her eyes "Yesterday, I started to feel something strange coming from him"
"Something strange? An AIM field? But you said he doesn't have one"
"I don't know if it's an AIM field" The girl sounded distant as she said that "And that's what's strange. My ability, AIM Stalker, allows me to remember and track any AIM field. After I record one completely, under the right circumstances, I would be able to track it even if the esper left the solar system. But that's not all I can do"
Level 5 crossed her arms at that instant. She had heard once before that Takitsubo's ability had even greater potential than it seemed, but she didn't know the details. Once again Kamijou was bringing something new to the table, even if indirectly.
"I can also directly interfere with someone's personal reality, maybe even more than that, but I would need Ability Body Crystal help" The inexpressive girl paused, making Shizuri anxious "And that's what I did yesterday. I consumed some just before his arrival without anyone noticing. Everyone was focused on that Kaibi girl, so it was easy to hide it."
"So I guess it wasn't just me interested in his strange powers, huh? What did you find out?"
"The truth is... I don't know"
An awkward silence settled in when she said that. Shizuri knew that level 4 would never use that drug without being necessary. It had crossed Meltdowner's mind to use Takitsubo like that, but the many feelings she now had to deal with made her change her plans. It was surprising to discover that the inexpressive girl had done this on her own. It was as if the universe itself was working to make sure that boy wouldn't leave the Level 5's head for a single second.
"I feel something in it, but I can't explain what. It's like I'm looking at something that shouldn't exist. What I can say is that that boy is not normal"
"We all knew that already" Meltdowner rested her chin on her hand "Do you think you could go any deeper?"
"Maybe... but I don't know if I want to" Takitsubo's tone of voice was awkward, which made Shizuri squirm in her seat "The truth is... I'm scared"
Shizuri tilted her head in confusion when she heard her teammate's voice falter. At that moment she remembered yesterday's lunch. Why did the girl have such different reactions to tasting Kamijou's food? She had thought that Takitsubo had acquired a resistance or that she was just very good at pretending, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Her expression was neutral as always, but what if perhaps she was so uncomfortable being in the boy's presence that she barely paid attention to the taste of the food?
"Didn't he tell you something about that?" Takitsubo asked, pulling herself together
"No..." Level 5's mind was working intensely at that instant "But I am still puzzled, can you state, with certainty, that what you 'saw' is not a personal reality?"
"I don't know what I saw...maybe it's a personal reality so complex that I'm incapable of understanding, or it's something else entirely. I don't know..."
"Kamijou Touma..." The tea-colored haired girl gazed into the void for a moment "Isn't there a limit to how interesting you are?"
xxxx-xxxx
"Achoo!"
For some reason, Kamijou Touma began to feel a strong allergy. At that moment he was at the Anti-Skill training center. His teacher, Yomikawa, had called him in for another of her training sessions after his classes.
"Bless you" The woman waited for the boy to raise his guard again before attacking him with a punch to the face, which he easily dodged "Looks like someone is talking about you"
"Probably something bad" He sighed "This Kamijou-san does not have a peaceful day"
Yomikawa smiled when she heard this and then shook her head. She attacked him three more times, this time using her legs.
"You really are improving. Which is weird, considering you seem more distracted today than usual" She said it in a puzzled tone "I haven't managed to hit you once yet"
"Does this mean we will finally stop these training sessions?" Suddenly a smile appeared on his face
"Do you ever intend to take this seriously? I'm trying to save your life here" This time she finally managed to hit him when he let his guard down.
"If getting beaten up is going to help me stay alive, then I should go back to wandering the alleys at night" The boy decided to attack his teacher with a right cross, which she dodged with some difficulty "Maybe I'll get another lap pillow from an older girl, like Kumokawa-senpai"
The two began exchanging blows, with Yomikawa on the defensive, which was an unusual scene. She tried to trip the boy to force him away, but he intercepted the blow by kicking her leg with the sole of his foot, which seemed to be painful considering that the woman clenched her teeth at that instant.
"Are you okay?" Asked the boy, watching the woman walk away holding her leg "I did it out of pure reflex, I'm sorry"
"I'm fine" She had her guard down now, which meant she had no intention of fighting anymore "I think we'd better stop for today, there's something I want to show you"
The woman went to one of the corners of the training camp and picked up a dark box made of a synthetic material. She walked back to Kamijou, who made a confused expression when she opened the box.
"A bracelet?" Kamijou said, scratching his head "Do you want to monitor my heartbeat or something?"
"Don't ask stupid questions, have you forgotten what you asked me?" she paused for the boy to connect the dots himself "Put this on your left wrist"
Picking up the black 'bracelet', the boy realized that it was a bit too heavy. As he wrapped it around his wrist, a strange sensation invaded his body. It was as if needles had been placed in all the nerves of his arm at the same time, but this only lasted for half a second.
"What the hell is that?" Kamijou was nervous now
"It's called the 'Infinity Bracer'. Or IB if you prefer" She replied, crossing her arms and raising an index finger "It's still a prototype, so its applications are limited"
"IB?" For some reason, Kamijou narrowed his eyes "I don't know what this does, but can I change the name to LIB?"
"Huh? I don't understand why, but I really don't care. What is this 'L'?"
"Left" He said simply, using his limited knowledge of the English language.
"Ok" She shrugged, deciding to let it go "As I was saying, this thing is one of many prototypes that uses the new nanotechnology of the Academy city. Its main use is to serve as a portable 'grappling hook'. It should help you move around in 3d space, as you asked me"
"Really?" The spiky-haired boy looked excited now "How do I use this thing?"
"Just clench your fist and 'think'. I know it's something you don't usually do, but it's worth the try."
"Yomikawa-sensei, I know I'm an idiot, but that was kind of cruel"
Shaking his head negatively, the boy followed the simple instructions. It was strange, but it was as if he could 'feel' the thing on his wrist like a kind of second skin. He didn't even have to try too hard, the bracelet on his wrist expanded and now it covered his entire forearm, like a bracer.
"I know we're in Academy City, but this is kind of bizarre. Is this thing connected to my brain?" He examined the bracer, which seemed to adjust to his forearm as he moved his muscles.
"I don't know" She made an exaggerated gesture with her hands "I'm a physical education teacher, not a scientist. But don't worry, I wouldn't hand you something like that if it wasn't safe to use. Just don't lend it to anyone, I'm already taking too much risk by handing Anti-Skill equipment to a student"
"Thank you very much for what you are doing for me, Yomikawa-sensei" Kamijou said, opening a modest smile, which made the woman smile as well "Now, how do I use this so-called 'grappling hook?"
Without waiting for the woman to say anything, the boy pointed to a wall. He closed his fist and 'thought', which made the bracer expand even more, covering his hand and almost his whole arm. Some sort of black 'rope' shot out, hitting the wall hard. Before the boy could make any expression, he was pulled up by the grappling hook, which made his face meet the hard floor below him.
"Such Misfooooooortune" Shouted the boy, being dragged to the wall at high speed.
Shaking her head and trying to hold back her laughter, Yomikawa slaps herself in the face. She walked over to the boy, whose eyes were watering.
"Yomikawa-sensei... why do you hate me?" The boy sat on the floor and almost cried when he said that, which made the teacher lose control and start laughing "Don't I have enough misfortune already? That's no good for me. How do I get this thing off?"
"Don't be ridiculous, did you expect that everything would go smoothly on first use? You were better than you think. The last guy who tested this broke his neck and had urgent surgery" She said it in such a casual way, it didn't even sound like that story was a horrible thing.
"What? You said you were trying to save my life, 'I wouldn't give it to you if it wasn't safe' my ass. Why did you give me something so dangerous?"
"No one has died so far in the tests, so it's safe enough" She shrugged "Besides, I've seen you survive under horrible conditions, like that time with Deadlock. It's not a broken neck that will stop you"
"You know I'm just a normal high school boy, right?" The boy stood up and wiped the dust from his clothes "Besides, what happens if I aim this at someone unintentionally? I don't want to walk around with something like that."
"Don't make it sound like I handed you something designed to kill someone. You wanted something to get around better and that's what this thing is for. What did you expect, a jet pack?"
"That would be pretty cool actually" The boy's eyes seemed to sparkle in that instant "I know you mean well but..."
"Just take it, or I'm going to tell Komoe-sensei that your reason for skipping class, is because you're trying to assemble a harem of girls saved by you"
Kamijou Touma's mind tilted for a moment. At that instant, he cursed a certain pair of perverts for spreading strange rumors about him.
"You wouldn't dare" Kamijou said, at the edge of his sanity.
"You think so?" She smiled and raised her head, looking down on him.
"She would never believe such an obvious lie"
"Maybe you're right" She opened her smile even wider "I mean, I'd better tell her that a girl invited you to her apartment. And this girl is a level 5 on top of that, you have good taste, by the way. I even have a witness"
This woman had courage, that was a fact. Kamijou raised an eyebrow, looking at the smug expression of the busty teacher. For the first time, he felt like continuing his training. But he decided to break her illusions some other time.
"Ok, you win this time. I have an appointment in a little while, so I won't waste my time trying to explain the situation" He sighed and looked at the LIB, which had returned to its bracelet form.
"Great, I was running out of cards to play here" She relaxed her posture and pointed at the prototype "By the way, this 'LIB' has other functions, such as it also serves as a communicator, it's incredibly sturdy too, but I wouldn't use it for protection. The most you will achieve is to stop a blade. The idea is to add functions little by little until we get to the final phase, but that will take a while"
"I don't really care. The harpoon function is good enough for me, I just have to be careful not to hit someone's head with it... if I don't kill myself first of course."
"That was just the harpoon doing the calibration process. It must have adapted to you now, so it will flow better next time. I suggest you use it whenever you can, so the calibration will be even better."
"What kind of stupid calibration is that? Aren't there safer ways to do something like that?"
"What did you expect from a prototype?"
Shaking his head negatively, the dark blue-eyed boy shrugged and said goodbye to Yomikawa. He had told Shizuri that they were going on their shopping trip later today, so he needed to hurry. In his haste he left the training center, still looking at his bracelet of modern but minimalist design. It was strange to imagine that this was something straight out of science fiction. Kamijou barely managed to take a few steps into the street before he heard a female voice calling his name.
"Hello, Kamijou-san" That mature voice was unfamiliar to him
Turning around, the boy looked at the person now walking beside him. It was an older woman, probably a teacher, wearing a formal black suit and elegant shoes. She had long black hair and the most remarkable thing was the stars in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I don't remember meeting you, so could you tell me your name to help me remember?" The boy kept walking as he said that. He noticed an expression of sadness forming on that woman's face, but she soon returned to a casual expression.
"A friend of ours told me you wanted to talk to me" The woman said, keeping pace beside him.
"Hmm... I see, so you are the queen of Tokiwadai?" He thought for a moment "No, that's impossible. You are too old to study in Tokiwadai, so this person is just someone being mentally controlled, just like you did with Hokaze-chan that time. Is there a reason for not meeting me in person? It's not like I'm a dangerous person"
"That depends on the point of view, but that's not why I didn't come in person" Once again the expression on her face darkened.
"Well... you must have your reasons, I can't complain. Do you mind if we get to the point? I'm kind of busy right now"
"No problem, Kamijou-san" She smiled and struck a cute pose, which didn't really suit that mature woman "What do you need from me?"
"Being brief, I hear that you know the appearance of #6 of Academy City, Aihana Etsu. Is that true?"
The queen looked at him strangely for only a second. She looked away and continued walking by his side. They stopped in front of a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change color.
"I don't know who you heard that from but yes, it's true. Why the question?"
"Don't worry, I won't ask you for an address or a picture of Aihana face, I just want you to confirm something for me" Kamijou looked into that woman's eyes before speaking "I met a person who claimed to be 'Aihana Etsu'. She was a pretty girl, about my height, shocking pink hair and silver at the ends, she also had a scar on her right eye. Could you tell me if this person is really 'Aihana Etsu'?"
"I'm sure not" She replied almost immediately, which left Kamijou a little surprised.
"That's what I thought" He brought a hand to his chin and spoke to himself "So who is she? I need to find her again"
"I can help you with that too. I have a gigantic information network ability" she proudly stated.
"I appreciate it, but you have done enough" The sign had changed color, so Kamijou nodded to the woman and smiled "I have to go now. Thank you very much Queen, I owe you one"
Standing there, the woman watched as the boy turned away from her, once again. She clenched both fists and lowered her head. That expression of pain now refused to leave her face.
"You're welcome... my prince"
xxxx-xxxx
In the ITEM apartment, Shizuri did not seem satisfied with something. She rummaged through a cardboard box full of manga, until she gave up and lay down on the sofa.
"Looks like I finished the last volume" She sighed defeated "Damn, why did it have to end on a cliffhanger like that? He said some manga release chapters every week" Shizuri took her cell phone from her pocket and started typing something "Wait, it says here that volume 4 released 2 months ago, what the fuck is this? Why didn't Kamijou buy the last volume?"
With a manga in one hand and her cell phone in the other, the girl rolled over on the couch and lay face down. The expression on her face was of someone who had lost the will to live.
"I could buy the new volume online...but I think it's better to go to the store along with him"
"Basically, what happened at that amusement park?" Frenda stopped texting a certain someone and asked this question without any shame "How did Kamijou convince you to read something silly like that?"
"Say that again and I will cut you in half with my Meltdowner. Would you rather I send which half to your parents?" Shizuri even raised her hand to make her point clear, which made Frenda not only look away, but get up and head toward a seat away from that creepy Level 5.
"Maybe I should have a talk with Kamijou" Kaibi entered the conversation, without taking her eyes off her magazine "He'll appreciate how you treat your teammates when he's not around" The girl in the dress said that with a bored tone. Shizuri wasted no time and cast a murderous glance in the 'intruder's' direction
"You have courage blondie. He said we should treat you well, so I won't threaten you. But don't push your luck"
"Yeah, thank you very much for your mercy" The spy said wryly, without bothering to look in the direction of level 5 "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find something interesting to do before I die of boredom"
Putting the magazine aside, the girl in the dress left the living room, being watched by Shizuri and Kinuhata. The bob-cut girl waited a few seconds to make sure that the 'intruding' blonde would not hear what she had to say.
"I still can't super understand. Why are we letting an enemy live with us? For all we know, she could be a super double agent."
"Kamijou trusts her, so she must be trustworthy" Shizuri spoke that with certainty, as if her had asked what her favorite food was "That doesn't mean we should be friends with her, just tolerating should make him satisfied"
"So that's what this is all about? Why are you trying so hard to get that guy's attention? He has a super weird power and he cooks well, but that's it."
"I refuse to answer that question, I don't want to have another contestant" Shizuri sat up and began to rummage through the box again, looking for something that caught her eye "You're doing a good job too. Your resistance to the infection seems to be quite high"
"Huh? What are you super talking about?"
"Something I heard yesterday, but forget about it. The person who told me this looks like a complete idiot, but I know what he means. I need to get a handle on this disease that is spreading like wildfire in a forest. I think the most effective way is to try to concentrate it all on me"
"Looks like someone has completely lost what super sanity she had left"
Kinuhata gave up trying to understand what was going on and turned her attention back to her cell phone, while Shizuri continued to examine the manga collection. At that moment the doorbell rang.
"That must be him" Meltdowner got up from the couch in a jump.
Before opening the door, she looked at herself in the living room mirror, to make sure that nothing was out of place. The girl was wearing something less daring today: a gray blouse without any kind of pattern, but leaving the belly button visible, with a black open jacket and dark blue skinny pants.
"Hey, Kamijou" Shizuri answered the door and greeted him with a smile "How was class?"
"I can't tell, I fell asleep after 15 minutes. When I woke up, I made up an excuse to leave early" He shrugged and waved to the 3 girls on the couch, but only Frenda waved back enthusiastically "Hey, girls... wait, where's Kaibi-chan?"
"Basically, she is wandering around the apartment" Answered the foreign blonde
"I bet she's putting in some super taps" Kinuhata muttered, without looking at the boy.
"Looks like someone is still suspicious" Kamijou commented, taking a seat on the main couch, which was a bit far from the one Kinuhata was lying on "If we want this to work, I need you all to get along"
"Just because you super want to? It's not going to happen. And I don't like your attitude either"
"What's wrong with my attitude?" Kamijou looked genuinely confused.
"You know super well what I am talking about" Offense Armor looked directly at him this time "Don't act like you are the super leader of this group. Stop trying to order me around"
"Kinuhata" Shizuri entered the conversation, sitting down next to Kamijou "How about you go back to watching those meaningless movies and stop being so fucking annoying"
"Shizuri, no need to be so rude" Kamijou asked, placing his left hand on her shoulder "She's right, maybe I'm making too many demands"
"You didn't make any demands" Protested Level 5, looking at Kinuhata instead of the boy "We all agree on that"
"Basically, Mugino is right"
"Be quiet, you super airhead" Offense Armor cast a sharp glance in the direction of the blonde, who looked away by reflex "And stop calling those masterpieces 'meaningless'. I'm getting super annoyed"
"Wow, I'm feeling a killer aura" Shizuri joked, nonchalantly smoothing her hair "Go ahead, make my day"
A tension took over the atmosphere in that room. The two high-level espers exchanged potent glances, enough to break the resolve of anyone with a fragile mind. But a male voice decided to break the tension.
"I can't believe you guys are almost fighting over something so stupid" Kamijou said, giving a long audible sigh.
"Can you super repeat that?" Level 4 didn't look at all happy about what the boy had just said "Did you just call the movies I like super stupid?"
"Not really. I think I expressed myself badly" He looked into the eyes of the bob-cut girl, who was sending him an invisible wave of violence, without feeling an ounce of intimidation "What I meant is that you seem to have completely forgotten the previous subject, which was far more important than discussing someone's specific taste"
"Nothing is moreimportant to me than my super movies" She increased the intensity of that invisible wave, almost tangible now.
"Now you're being a little immature" Kamijou stated, crossing his arms and raising his index finger, ignoring the tension that worsened by the second "I can understand being so passionate about a hobby, but this is a little too much"
"I completely agree" Shizuri mimicked Kamijou's 'superiority pose'.
"Of course you super agree" Kinuhata rolled her eyes "Your opinion is super irrelevant to me. In fact, yours can't even be taken into consideration, Kamijou."
"Why not?" He lifted his chin, looking down at her "You're not going to tell me something silly like 'Because you're a level 0' are you?"
"Of course not. What I'm trying to say is that at least Mugino has watched some of my super favorite movies, unlike you."
"You are being unfair now. I can't read thoughts, so I have no way of knowing what your favorite movies are. And for your information, I have at least seen the movie you recommended." he revealed, leaving level 4 speechless for a moment.
"Hmm... so you bothered to watch my super recommendation" Judging by the tone of her voice, she calmed down a bit upon hearing that "I'll listen to your mediocre opinion of it, but be quick, I've already spent too much of my super precious time on someone as uninteresting as you"
"Kamijou, would you mind if I just killed her now?" Shizuri asked, with a deadly serious tone.
"Don't say things like that so casually" Kamijou warned, without taking his gaze off level 4 "About the movie you recommended I'll be honest, it sucks"
With those few words, Kamijou was now the center of the entire ITEM's attention. Even Takitsubo, who was probably sleeping with her eyes open, felt the pressure emanating, forcing her to look at the boy and tilt her head. Shizuri was on alert at that instant, she knew the boy was capable of defending himself, but what he had just said, could very well have caused a permanent change in that little girl's personal reality. Who knows what kind of 'awakening' Offense Armor would have if she channeled what she was feeling.
"What makes you have that opinion? "Kinuhata asked. Both the girl's expression and tone of voice were close to absolute zero.
"That's a dumb question" Kamijou replied, making everyone around him hold their breath "The script is garbage, the special effects are ridiculous, the acting is pitiful and clearly done by amateurs"
A growing uneasiness now hovered in that room. Kinuhata listened to all this without once changing her expression. When the boy finished, she rose from her seat and walked over to the main couch where Kamijou and Mugino were, sitting down next to the right of the spiky-haired boy. At that moment, Shizuri made a subtle sign to Frenda, which meant something like 'Stay alert'. Little did she know that the blonde was too shocked to notice.
"Why is the script super garbage?" Questioned the bob-cut girl, but that sounded more like an authority giving an order to a subordinate.
"Because it's too slow, confusing from start to finish, and full of pseudo-intellectual bullshit. What is the target audience for this thing anyway?"
"Irrelevant" replied the level 4, looking him right in the eye. Her intention was clear there "Why did you find the special effects super ridiculous?"
"The production lacked effort. Practically everything they needed, could be done with practical effects and determination, but they preferred to fill every scene with that CGI, which has the same quality as a game from 3 decades ago. When did the film industry get so lazy?"
"I have no idea"The girl this time preferred to move closer to the boy, who didn't flinch an inch at that threatening look, "Now tell me why you didn't like the acting. I can give you some time to formulate your super answer, since there's no turning back after I hear it"
"Kamijou" Shizuri held his hand, trying to discreetly pull him away from that threat to his life "I think you've made your opinion clear enough, how about the two of us..."
"Like I said, it was made by amateurs" The boy interrupted the level 5, ignoring her warning. "If that was all, I wouldn't be so bothered, but it still have the fact that the choices for the roles don't make the slightest bit of sense. The worst case is the actress who plays that arrogant goddess. Is that supposed to sound imposing? Honestly, now that I have said it out loud, this is actually the fault of the script and the director as well. I am not a screenwriter, but I am sure that if the entire second act was not in the story, it would not make a difference at the end. I have never seen anything so disappointing in my entire life"
With that conclusion, Shizuri and Frenda were on high alert. Takitsubo didn't need to express herself, so she just walked away from there and sat as far away from those two as possible. That speech had been brutal, even Meltdowner didn't criticize that movie that much, usually she just said it was all garbage and refused to elaborate, since remembering it gave her a headache. Level 5 had her finger on the trigger of her Meltdowner, if Kinuhata made a sudden move, she wouldn't hold back. ITEM was facing its biggest crisis right now. There would be a bloodbath. But Offense Armor was quicker in her move.
"I think... I super found my soulmate" Kinuhata said, with a blush on her cheek.
"WHAT?!"
"WHAT?"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
The three other ITEM members screamed at the top of their lungs, while Kamijou just made a strange face at the bob-cut girl's bold statement. Frenda was gritting her teeth in sync with Shizuri, while Takitsubo was a little dizzy, perhaps dazed after screaming for the first time after so long.
"Basically, what just happened?" Frenda still seemed to be in denial in the face of something so senseless.
"Some kind of weird fucking twist" Shizuri replied "Kamijou, I don't understand what you did, but could you please stop doing this kind of thing? It's hard enough dealing with my murderous impulses every time I look at Frenda, and now there's one more person I have to worry about?"
"Murderous impulses? Shizuri, you need to try to control your anger better" The boy shook his head, even more confused "Anyway, I would never fall into such an obvious trap"
"Trap? What the fuck are you talking about Kamijou Touma?"
"It's simple. Kinuhata recommended a bad movie to me on purpose, so she could test me" Kamijou shrugged casually as he said that "She's clearly a passionate movie buff, so she pretended to be 'playing it safe' and recommended a horrible movie to see how I would react. If I gave her empty compliments, she would immediately realize that I was only doing it to try to please her. Also, if I just said I didn't like the movie, without elaborating, she would be upset, but this wouldn't make her angry since she knows the movie is bad. So I thought of plausible criticism instead. It wasn't that difficult, since I read a lot of manga, so I'm used to all kinds of scripts, and I play a lot of games too, which helped me to judge the special effects. As for the performances... I couldn't find reviews that good, so I blamed the script again"
Now it was Shizuri and Frenda's turn to be thoughtful. Honestly, they had no way of knowing if Kinuhata really meant it, since for them, any movie she recommended would be crap, but what was the perspective of someone who didn't live with her? Kamijou had made a risky bet, but in the end what matters is the result. And this result made them both angry, especially because now this girl with strange tastes had slid her hand in the direction of the boy with the spiky hair.
"Hey, Kami-chan" Kinuhata called out to the boy in a sweet voice "Your film knowledge is excellent, but I have another super test for you"
"Eh? What did you call me?" The boy asked that while looking at the girl's hand, which he only now realized was on his thigh "And what would this test be? Another movie?"
"Yeah...I want you to watch another super movie with me" She brought her face uncomfortably closer to his, invading the boy's personal space "How about we go to my room now?"
Hearing that dangerous proposal, Shizuri wasted no time and pulled Kamijou towards her, grabbing his left arm and making him move away from the level 4 that seemed under the effect of 'something'.
"Easy there, little bitch" The possessive Level 5 was about to fire a full-power beam in Kinuhata's direction "Go find someone else to stand by you, he already made that promise to me"
"Promises can be super broken" Retorted the level 4, grabbing Kamijou's other arm.
There was one other person bothered by Kinuhata's attitude, and that person was about to explode, literally.
"Basically, you guys..."
"Shut the fuck up, Frenda"
"Shut your super mouth, Frenda"
The two high-level espers shouted with an abnormal level of anger. The blonde was in danger, so she decided to just look away and back off for now. Academy City was unfair when it came to low-level espers.
"I don't know why you two are so angry, but could you just back off a little bit?" asked the level 0 boy, not very comfortable being the filling in that sandwich.
"Kami-chan, I think I need to teach you to stop keeping a super girl waiting" Kinuhata did the exact opposite of what the boy asked, closing the rest of what little distance there was between the two.
"Stop calling him by that fucking nickname" Vociferated Meltdowner, pulling the boy along.
Shizuri ignored Kamijou's request and moved even closer, finishing preparing the day's special 'Kami-yan Sandwich'. But that girl's body was too powerful to be used so rudely. Kamijou Touma would be in trouble soon.
"Shizuri, how about you two stop this discussion? You and I have somewhere to go, have you forgotten?" The boy was trying to look anywhere other than those 'twin hills' attacking him with full power.
"See, little slut? He picked me, you lost. Fuck you" Meltdowner pulled Kamijou as hard as she could toward her.
"Not yet. I'll super leave him with you during the day, but at night he's mine" Offense Armor still didn't want to let go "Do we have a deal, Kami-chan?"
"If it will make tyou stop arguing, yes, I will watch a movie with you tonight"
Hearing this, the girl in the sweater dress was pleased, finally releasing the boy's right arm, who breathed a sigh of relief. But the heavy weapons were on the other side.
"No fucking shot" Shizuri didn't like that arrangement one bit "I know very well what kind of 'movie' you want to watch with him, you slippery bitch"
"Shizuri, I don't understand why you are so angry, but is there anything I can do to calm you down? You look like you're about to have a seizure"
"I am completely calm" Shizuri said calmly. She pointed at the bob cut girl and started to pull Kamijou out of the living room "Night will not come for you"
Practically dragging the confused level 0 away from her new enemy, the tea-colored haired girl still looked quite irritated. Taking a deep breath, she tried to forget everything that had happened and focus on what interested her.
"You said you left early, did you have any problems on the way?" Shizuri asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.
"Not many. I went to get some money, but my card got stuck in an ATM, so I had to wait until the technicians came. Then a dog came out of nowhere, bit my briefcase and ran off with it in his mouth. I almost got run over for the third time this month when I ran after him... Such Misfortune".
"Wait, you were run over twice this month?"
"Yes, but it was nothing serious. The first time was a van and the second time was a pickup. It could have been a truck, like last month, so I consider it a victory."
"Huh?" Shizuri grimaced upon hearing that "Kamijou, have you tried seeing a psychologist, or better yet, a psychiatrist? I guess considering being hit by a pickup truck a 'victory', is not something a mentally healthy person should say" She squeezed his left arm hard, as the two of them walked across the hall towards his room.
"Actually yes, but it's hard to keep talking about your life to a bunch of random people"
"Then do like a normal person and go to a single psychologist instead of several"
"It's not my fault" He sighed and stared at the floor "For some reason they have a weird relay of psychologists at my school"
"Relay?"
"Yes. I decided I would go to the psychologist once a week, but I gave up because they kept taking turns with each other. I mean, in the three weeks I went, I talked to three different people. It's strange to have to start from the beginning every time. But at least I admire all their dedication.
"What do you mean? Were they good at what they did?"
"I can't say for sure. But I'm talking about the decoration of the room" He decided to look at the girl as he said this "Every week they changed the decoration of the room. Nice isn't it? It can't be easy having to share the same room with several people. My school is not one of the best, so they probably can't have their own room. Having to bring and take away their things every time it's their turn must be a tiring job"
At that instant, the girl blinked three times and then held Kamijou's arm even tighter.
"I guess the first stage is denial" Shizuri said softly, sighing next "If that's the case, you can talk to me if you want to. I will always be here for you."
"Thank you, Shizuri" He used his free hand to mess up her hair a little. The girl felt happy to see him so comfortable with her around "But don't worry, I'm fine"
The two of them entered the room that now belonged to the spiky-haired boy. Obviously he hadn't had time to decorate the room yet, so it was just a white room with a bed and some dusty furniture. There was plenty of space there, but much of it was still crammed with boxes.
"By the way, I liked the bracelet" Shizuri said "Where did you get it?"
"Oh, that? My teacher gave it to me as a gift. It's actually a grappling hook made with nanotechnology that Yomikawa-sensei technically stole from Anti-Skill's arsenal. Don't tell anyone about it."
"Nanotechnology? Interesting" She looked at the bracelet and put her hand on the chin "Ok, it will be one of our little secrets" The girl suddenly became excited. It was good to know that she was gaining his trust as well.
"That's a lot of space for one room. I think it's going to take me a while to get used to something like this" He put his briefcase on a desk and sat down on his bed.
"I bet not" Shizuri said this as she sat down next to him "It's not hard to get used to good things happening"
"Maybe, but when you have luck like mine, a good thing just means twice as much misfortune in the future" The dark blue-eyed boy held his head with both hands, leaning forward and closing his eyes "Really, doesn't the universe follow the law of equivalent exchange? Or does it ignore it just to screw with me?"
Meltdowner watched the boy complaining once again about his rotten luck. She wasn't one to believe in something so illogical, but she knew what that boy had to go through when he was younger. Misfortune or not, the fact was that she wanted to do something about it, but at the moment she was thinking about giving him a reward for everything he is doing for her. Since yesterday, she promised herself that she wasn't going to get carried away by confused feelings, but she knew very well that it was easier said than done.
That night in the amusement park was both the most horrible and the most comforting experience she had ever had in her life. Several people had tried to approach her before, but she pushed them away because she knew what their intentions were. Even knowing this, deep down she wished that someone had insisted a little more, that at least one, anyone, would be able to hear what she had to say, and try to understand her instead of judging her. But nobody insisted, everybody gave up at the first attempt. So she gave up too. She wouldn't slow down to give someone else a chance to catch up, she would refuse to hold back, she would reach the top and still not be satisfied, even though she knew how much it hurt her. And that was one of the reasons she was so unhappy. They say that spers skills match someone's personality. This girl's skill was so strong that she would hurt herself if she didn't hold back. Kind of ironic, isn't it?
"Kamijou" Shizuri put a simple smile on her angelic face "You said that seeing me smile was enough as a reward right? But it's not enough for me. There must be something I can do for you."
"Shizuri, I already told you..." Kamijou turned to the girl, but could not finish the sentence as he felt something soft touch his lips.
"Just accept it and think of something" She said, touching his lips with her index finger "Nothing perverted, of course" She pulled away a little and crossed her arms.
"Eh? Shizuri..." The boy braked for an instant, actually much longer than an instant.
It was like someone asking someone else not to think of a pink elephant, forcing his mind to think of exactly that. Kamijou wondered if she said it automatically, or if it was on purpose. Whatever the case, the boy needed to think about her request. Maybe it would make her happy, which would make him happy too. It couldn't be something material, he didn't care about something like that, and he was sure the girl knew it, but what kind of 'reward' could he ask for? And then his mind traveled back to a little over an hour ago, in that conversation with his teacher. Suddenly, Kamijou's eyes decided to go a little lower, stopping at the level 5 girl's thighs. He quickly averted his eyes, but the girl noticed his not-so-secretive gaze. She was confused at that instant, pondering for a few seconds before speaking.
"Hmm... I think I get it" Meltdowner smiled and put her legs together, patting her lap twice "A lap pillow is it? Come here"
"Are you sure? I mean...that's kind of weird, isn't it?"
"Whether it's weird or not is irrelevant. Do you want a lap pillow or not? That's the right question to ask."
Looking at the smiling girl, Kamijou held his breath and put a finger on his temple. That was a little embarrassing, but she was right. He really wanted a lap pillow. Kamijou Touma was a simple man after all. He resumed the flow of oxygen and then tilted his body just a little, stopping halfway to make sure that the smiling girl was not just teasing him. But Shizuri seemed to lose patience and then simply put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him in, making him rest his head on those soft thighs.
"There" She said, messing up the boy's spiky hair "Is it really that hard to be a little honest with yourself?"
"I don't think that's the problem here" Kamijou replied, unable to relax.
"You make it sound like this is a big deal" The girl leaned forward a little, looking the boy in the eyes "Now relax a little and forget about this 'misfortune' of yours"
"Shouldn't we go to that mall, mist something?"
"Seventh Mist. But there's no need to rush. It would be better if you rest for a while, so it will be easier for me. I don't want to see you complaining because of accumulated stress"
"Shizuri" Kamijou's voice came out as a timid whisper.
"Yes?" The girl ran her hand through that black hair again.
"You are a good friend"
As he said this, the boy closed his eyes, finally relaxing. But now it was the girl's turn to tense up. For some reason she didn't like what she heard, which made her stop stroking that spiky head. That person resting on her lap was the one she had been waiting for all this time. He hadn't given up like all the others. That alone was enough to make her pay attention to him, but then there was the fact that she didn't even have to hold back for him to reach her. He ran straight to her, not caring about all the attempts to push him away, looked into the eyes of this unreachable girl, and told her that he would stand by her. He was everything she needed. He understood her, without her having to explain, he was mysterious, kind, and the most interesting person she had ever met. So why did she feel so bad when he called her 'friend'? That's not the question she should be asking herself.
"Kamijou..." She spoke, stroking that spiky hair again "I'll say it again. I will always be here for you."
Shizuri said it softly, but she was sure the boy would hear. She waited for a while to hear what he had to say. But he hadn't heard her. Kamijou's breathing was steady, and his muscles were completely relaxed.
"Did he... fall asleep?" Shizuri asked herself. She contemplated that scene for a few moments, and then smiled. Level 5 was happy anyway " I don't understand you. Maybe I never will. It seems like an unreachable goal for someone unreachable… a gift, for the girl who thought she had everything "
Without a second thought, the girl leaned toward him, kissing his forehead. She took her time, perhaps hoping that the boy would wake up and see her lips touching his skin. But it didn't happen. She pulled those soft lips away, but still kept her face close to his.
"Come on...wake up now. It's not polite to keep a girl waiting. I told you to rest, but your 'friend' wants to pamper you a little and it's no fun if you're not paying attention" Shizuri whispered, not sure if she wanted him to wake up now or not.
About five minutes passed before Kamijou finally opened his eyes. As soon as he realized how close the girl was, his eyes widened, but he didn't try to push her away, he simply closed his eyes again before speaking.
"You were right. I can get used to something this good" He raised his left hand and messed up her hair a little.
The girl also closed her eyes at that instant. At a certain point in her past, she had started repeating to herself that she didn't deserve to be happy. She still believed this, but she would not lie to herself, she wanted to be happy. Was this a selfish way of thinking? That wasn't the right question either.
"We better hurry, you'll have a hard job today" Kamijou said, making the girl open her eyes "By the way, have you started reading that manga yet? No problem if the answer is no, take your time"
Shizuri smiled and then pulled her face away from his, giving him room to stand up.
"Actually, I've already read everything" She shrugged, which made the boy look at her with a serious face.
"Really?" Kamijou asked, receiving a nod in response "You don't seem to be lying. Gee, I didn't expect you to read so fast. I even forgot to tell you that I don't have the last volume"
"Thank you very much by the way, I must have rummaged through that box about 3 times"
"We could stop by a manga store before we go to the mall. Come to think of it, I also need to have an important talk with a friend of mine. The one at the mall, remember? You can use this time to find another story you like, since I don't have that many mystery manga"
"A friend of yours is it?" The girl said that with a slightly annoyed tone "How many female friends do you have anyway?"
"Eh? What kind of question is that?" Said Kamijou, getting up from the bed, as if to dodge the question "I don't have that many, if that's what you're thinking. I mean, women usually have more female friends, so make friends with one and everything becomes a domino effect."
"And how big is that domino?" Shizuri asked, causing the boy to start walking toward the door, but she followed him.
As he marched toward the living room, he noticed that Shizuri did not grab his left arm, instead she walked past him and crossed her arms. She sent him a sharp look, a very clear message that she would not give up. Seeing that there was no escape from that question, the boy sighed and put his hand on his chin.
"Well... you've already met 5 of them" He was thoughtful, or maybe he just didn't want to look her in the eye "I mean, Fukiyose is my classmate, but I consider her a good friend too, and Saten is Uiharu's friend so we were meant to be friends. Hokaze has been my friend for a while now, almost as long as Kaibi has been."
He started walking again, but this time the girl decided to grab his arm, a little harder than she usually did. Kamijou did not like to talk about this subject, and he did not know exactly why. It was probably all the fault of his two perverted friends, who insisted that he was setting up a harem.
"Are those all?" Level 5 asked, trying to stop him from quickening his pace.
"There's Kumokawa-senpai, who is probably my closest friend. The Gokusai sisters, although it's been a while since I've seen those two, and of course, a bunch of nurses" He put a crooked smile on his face but soon broke it off "I know several others, but I'm not sure if they consider me a friend"
"What makes you think that?" Shizuri was very curious about that subject. She would blame that blond guy in sunglasses for that.
"Most of the other girls I know act strange when I'm around. Some of them get shy, maybe because they are uncomfortable having a jerk like me around. Komoe-sensei once commented that the girls in my class get violent when they talk about me among themselves. Some of them even fought once. I think most of them hate me"
"I know I'm the one who insisted, but I'm also starting to get annoyed by all this" Shizuri said, clenching her fists "Have you ever stopped to think, that some of these girls might actually like you? More than friends I mean." She let her irritation wash over her as she said this, as she was cursing herself for saying it out loud.
"What?" Kamijou almost shouted. He even started stomping harder on the ground "Shizuri, I already have to deal with two idiots telling me something like that, but you're an intelligent person, so I didn't expect that from you. You heard Fukiyose that day, didn't you? Why would any girl be romantically interested in a guy like me?"
"I could retort, it wouldn't even be difficult, but I think I've delivered enough ammunition to the enemies. We will have this conversation again at some point in the future" She turned her face in another direction and whispered "When I have already won this war of course"
Arriving at the living room, Kamijou noticed that the girl who was living there temporarily was sitting on one of the sofas now, so he took the opportunity to ask her a question. She was distracted at this moment, reading a magazine while making a bored face.
"Kaibi-chan, how has your stay been so far?" Asked the boy in a cheerful tone, causing the girl to place the magazine in her lap and pay attention to him.
"I can't complain, although sleeping on a futon, in a room that was clearly meant to be a storage room, is not the most comfortable thing in the world. But at least I get to eat your food again, so technically I came out on top."
"If you want, you can sleep in my bed" Kamijou said, making everyone there turn toward him "I don't mind sleeping on a futon, so I have no problem switching places with you"
"For fuck's sake, Kamijou" Shizuri said, after a sigh of relief "Couldn't you have spoken the second sentence before the first? I almost accidentally threw a Meltdowner beam because of the shock"
The other girls went back to their own entertainment, but for some reason, the girl in the dress had a devilish grin on her face.
"We could share a bed too, it wouldn't be the first time" Kaibi said, without taking the grin off her face. No one could say that this girl had no courage.
This time, the other girls stood up from where they were standing and widened their eyes in a synchronized way. The one who seemed most shaken by it all was Frenda, as Takitsubo still remained lethargic, and Kinuhata was just curious. But Shizuri seemed quite calm about the whole thing.
"An obvious lie" Level 5 said, shrugging "But it was a good try, for a second I..."
"She told the truth" Kamijou revealed, causing Shizuri to grit her teeth and clench his arm so hard, she nearly fractured a bone.
"Basically, I can't believe this" Frenda looked at the girl in the dress as if she could let laser loose from her eyes "What's going on between you two anyway?" She alternated a look full of anger and confusion between the two responsible for those feelings.
"Don't assume strange things. We're just friends" The boy said, feeling the blood flow in his arm return to normal after those words "It was an emergency, so we had to sleep together so we wouldn't freeze to death. But that was it."
"It was a veeeeeery long night" Added the blonde in the flashy dress, looking right into the eyes of the level 5 who was still gritting her teeth "And he held me until dawn. His body is so warm"
"Ok, that's my limit" Shizuri said, letting go of Kamijou and raising an arm.
"Basically, leave a piece of it for me" The foreign blonde pulled a knife from the back of her skirt.
"Wait, wait" Kamijou threw himself in front of the girl who still kept a smile on her face, and opened his arms, trying to save her from the horrible fate she brought upon herself "Kaibi, how many times have I told you not to say strange things?"
"Hey, I'm just telling them a little bit of our history together" The girl in the dress pouted and crossed her legs "If you keep scolding me like that, I'm going to tell them about that time that scientist injected a strange serum into me and..."
"Quiet" The spiky haired boy made a serious face and turned to her, which made the blonde girl click her tongue and look away "I know that being stuck here is making you bored, but don't take your frustrations out on them. If you're bored, then go watch a movie, or play something on your cell phone, or anything else that doesn't involve teasing them. Can you do that for me?" He kept his tone of voice firm as he said that, which made the blonde cringe on the couch. He only relaxed when Kaibi positively shook her head "Good. Now Shizuri and I have to go. I don't want to hear any complaints when I get back."
Without waiting for the girl to say anything, he offered his left arm to Shizuri, who promptly grabbed it. The two of them walked in silence to the elevator. For some reason, the Meltdowner couldn't think of anything to start a conversation. She just stood beside him, watching the boy fiddling with his cell phone, probably sending a message to the friend he had mentioned earlier.
"There is a manga store near that mall" Kamijou said. His tone was friendly, but he still kept a straight face "My friend is waiting for me in a cafeteria near there.
"Dumping me alone to talk to another girl" She sighed, using both hands to grab his arm.
"It's only for a few minutes. Try not to hurt anyone and don't threaten them either."
"I promise nothing"
"Shizuri...shall I remind you which path you have chosen to take?"
Hearing this, she was silent for a while. The two of them got out of the elevator and headed out of the building, getting into a black car, which, of course, had a different driver than the other time.
"It's easier said than done Kamijou" The girl finally replied, settling into the car seat "It's not like I'm not capable of being civil, I just don't give a damn"
"Then it shouldn't be that hard. When someone pisses you off, what do you usually do?" He turned his body toward her, who leaned toward him as soon as the car started moving.
"That's a question with a pretty large amount of right answers" She tried to smile at that joke, but realized she couldn't for some reason "It depends on the person who is annoying me. If it's some smartass, I usually send him to the hospital with a new hole in his body"
"That's a bit... extreme" He grimaced and looked away "Do you have trouble controlling your anger, or do you just like hurting people?"
"A little of both" Shizuri replied, without thinking too much about it "Sometimes, I kind of want someone to piss me off just so I have an excuse to hurt them. But this kind of feeling has become more and more uncommon"
"So you are making progress, that's good. But you need to find a way to deal with your anger. When someone makes you angry, try to think of something that calms you down. Something you enjoy, like... salmon and expensive clothes."
Meltdowner managed to smile this time. That boy used to say the stupidest things in the most natural way possible. That used to annoy her at first, but she was starting to like that side of him too.
"I think I can do that. I have something perfect to think about in those moments" Shizuri moved a little closer to the boy, who sat very close to the window, but there was still room for him to retreat.
"Really? That's great then. Try to think about that thing more often, it will help you improve your mood."
"You don't have to worry about that. That 'thing' hardly ever gets out of my head. I'd have to make an effort to stop thinking about it, not the other way around." The girl closed the remaining distance between them. She thought the boy would back off, but he didn't. "I even dreamed about it last night. How I wish that dream could come true. But it's okay, something tells me it's only a matter of time."
"Great. Focus on that dream when you start to get irritated."
"This is going to be a little awkward, but I think it's worth the try" Shizuri said this in a whispered voice, opening an even bigger smile on her face "You're really going out of your way to help me. Kamijou, you're amazing you know that?"
An expression of surprise was drawn on Level 0's face. Hearing that voice so close to him, he thought about looking away to the street outside, but the boy forced himself to keep looking at that girl so beautiful and so close to him.
"I don't hear that very often" Kamijou said, a little embarrassed.
"So all the people around you have problems" Level 5 took the opportunity to slide her hand toward him "But this is good too. After all, I am a selfish girl. I must be the only one to pamper you."
She raised her hand and began to mess up that spiky hair again. The girl was sure he liked it when she did this, but she was not satisfied with something so simple.
"Kamijou, I don't think it's fair that you do so much for me, while I'm doing almost nothing for you" She brought her face closer to his, but not dangerously close "From now on, I want you to let me help you with anything you need"
"You're doing a lot for me actually" He stated, without trying to pull away from her "I mean, you always seem willing to listen to what I have to say, you try to help me instead of judging me, and you're even interested in my hobbies. That's already much more than I can ask for."
"It's not enough" She said simply, not realizing that she was getting closer and closer to him "You try so hard, not only for me, but for everyone else as well. What I'm doing doesn't even come close to being enough. Now, do like when we were in your room, think of something… anything."
As if to make a point, she withdrew the hand that was messing up that black hair, and let it slide gently down to the back of his neck. Not satisfied, she lifted her other hand, bringing it to the back of the dark blue-eyed boy's neck too. The girl's body was completely turned in his direction. Shizuri was so focused that she didn't even notice that the car had stopped for a few seconds.
"I'll think of something" Kamijou said, looking her intensely in the eyes. It was that same look she liked so much. If he came a little closer, he would notice the girl's heart racing "Until then, just keep being a good friend"
And he had to use that word again. The girl used all the strength she could muster not to scream in frustration. Sighing, she turned away from him and opened the car door. The only reason she turned away from him so abruptly was that she didn't want the boy to see the annoyed expression on her face.
"There she is" Warned the boy, waving to someone.
Turning her face, she saw the person Kamijou had mentioned. Her hair was black and short, and she was wearing a Sakugawa Middle School uniform. The most remarkable thing about the short girl was the flower headband she wore. Shizuri was sure she had seen this girl before.
"By the way, you already know each other but I haven't formally introduced you yet. This is a good opportunity" He said this while offering his left arm to her, and as irritated as she still was, she couldn't refuse.
"If you say so" Shizuri didn't seem the least bit interested.
"Hey, she's a close friend of mine, it would be nice if you guys got along. Try to be nice."
Rolling her eyes, the girl let herself be guided to the other side of the street. She knew she had to try a little harder, but at the same time, she didn't want to do any of it. That boy had convinced her to try to change, but for now, all she could do was pretend. And then there was the fact that the person she had to be nice to was a 'close friend' of his, which from the level 5 point of view made her an enemy. And she wouldn't lose.
"Hi Uiharu, nice of you to come, I hope I didn't get in the way of something important" Kamijou greeted her smiling.
"Hi Kamijou" The short haired girl smiled and then looked at the level 5, who was clinging to her friend in a somewhat possessive manner "Mugino-san, right? We didn't introduce ourselves properly last time. I am Uiharu Kazari, nice to meet you" The Sakugawa girl bowed slightly as a greeting, but level 5 remained silent.
"Shizuri, what did I say?" Kamijou sounded disappointed, which made the girl so close to him shake her head negatively.
"Mugino Shizuri, nice to meet you, Uiharu-san" Level 5's voice sounded a bit robotic, but that was as much kindness as she could dish out at once.
"That's my girl" Whispered Kamijou, which made the tea-colored haired girl smile and momentarily forget why she was angry "Now, me and Uiharu need to talk, try not to blow up the manga store"
Meltdowner cast one last powerful glance in Uiharu's direction, who to her surprise, didn't even blink. It seemed that Kamijou Touma's close friends had as much courage as he did. Somewhat reluctantly, she let go of the boy's arm and crossed the street, leaving the two of them alone.
"Kamijou-Kun, do you have a thing for older girls of dubious character?" Uiharu asked, without even bothering to warn him that she would throw a metaphorical grenade in his direction.
"Huh? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh?" The boy almost fell backwards in the face of such offensive power.
Uiharu didn't bother to hear his answer either, she just started walking into the cafeteria, being followed by the boy who had his mind somewhere in orbit between Earth and Jupiter.
"First Kumokawa-san, and now this creepy level 5. You even call her by her first name" She said, taking a seat at a table in the back, away from the window.
"Wh-What?" Kamijou was slowly pulling himself together after receiving such a clean hit "Why is that out of the blue?" He sat down facing her.
"Besides she seems too attached to you" Uiharu continued, checking the menu "When you told me you wanted to save her, I didn't imagine that's what you were talking about"
"Wait Uiharu, you're getting it all wrong"
"No, I think I'm right on the money" Uiharu wasn't interested in hearing his excuses, so she continued, looking him in the eye this time "Are you going to tell me she's not your type?"
"That again?" His voice came out louder than necessary "And what does it matter? You know very well that I would save anyone regardless of..."
"Yes, I know" The girl interrupted him, with a somewhat indignant tone "That's not the point here"
"So which is it? Because you made it sound like I'm doing this just because I think Shizuri is pretty"
"Ah, so you admit you think she's pretty?"
"It's obvious, I'm not blind after all. But that's not why..."
"I already said that's not the point" She interrupted him once again, as if she knew that if she let him continue, he would find a way to convince her to stop talking "You're doing it again, only this time it's even worse"
"I don't know what you are talking about" The boy looked away quickly, opening the menu as if that was going to serve as a shield for what was coming.
Taking a deep breath, the short-haired girl put an irritated expression on her face. If Kamijou were looking at her now, he would recognize that expression. Uiharu was about to bring up something that she knew would hurt him, but she would do it anyway, not because she wanted to hurt him, but because she was a good friend.
"You will run away again" That was it. Uiharu had decided that it was time for that boy to face his past.
"I don't know what you are getting at. There are no comparisons to be made here."
"It was the same thing with Mitsuari-san"
"Enough"
Saying this with an irritated tone, he slammed the menu down hard on the table. That was more than enough for most people to look away and change the subject. But this girl was not most people.
"No" She said simply "Kumokawa-san refused to have this conversation with you, but I won't make the same mistake"
"That's not what I called you here for" Kamijou looked her right in the eye, forcing her to look into that bluish darkness.
"I know" But she didn't mind facing that abyss "But I am making a change in plans"
"We are wasting time here. The more time we waste, the more people get hurt."
"You told me you don't plan to start the mission until tomorrow, so we have plenty of time until then"
Kamijou sighed and settled into his uncomfortable seat. One of the waitresses came to the table at that moment. Uiharu ordered a strawberry parfait, while Kamijou decided not to order anything. He waited until they were alone again. He had no intention of giving this girl what she wanted, but at the same time, he felt he owed it to her
"Why do you want to talk about 'her' right now? It's in the past, and I prefer it that way" He was a little calmer "Besides, what does this have to do with Shizuri? They are two completely different cases"
"Which will end in the same result" She barely let him finish his sentence "Unless you decide not to run away this time"
"You know the promise I made, and I don't intend to break it"
"Good, then answer me one thing" Uiharu leaned toward the table "What do you think Mugino-san feels for you?"
That question made Kamijou lean in the opposite direction from the girl. He put an elbow on the table and then rested his head on his hand, while rubbing his temple.
"She is my friend" His answer made in an almost bored tone was not at all convincing.
"I see Kumokawa-san has trained you well" She joked, leaning back in her seat "All those months and this is the progress you've had? Sherlock Holmes is nothing compared to you"
"Are you done with the sarcasm?" He asked that with a rather annoyed tone.
"If you are so bothered, then you know that what you just said is bullshit."
"Don't be ridiculous, are you trying to imply that someone like her has feelings for me?"
"I'm not implying anything. I mean, aren't you supposed to be an expert on what people feel? So that this way you can connect with them and break their illusions?"
"Uiharu, I think you've done your show" He placed both hands on the table, fingers spread wide. That was a gesture that could mean several things, but the girl knew what he was about to do "Are you sure you want to continue? Because it seems to me that you are running out of pieces to sacrifice, and I haven't even made a single good move yet"
It was always like that when it came to that boy. She knew that arguing with him was an effort that would only bear fruit if he decided to water the tree. It didn't matter if he was right or wrong, when he decided that it was worth fighting, no matter how cornered he was, it was the enemy who should be afraid.
"I'll sacrifice my king then" She said, also feeling the seat a little uncomfortable "Admit it, you like her"
Silence. For several seconds. That was his response. Sacrificing one's king was a move considered illegal, but Uiharu never intended to win here. What she was doing couldn't even be considered playing to win. Her intention was to make a Kamikaze attack, but against an opponent she knew would stand his ground, even though he received the attack at close range.
"Is that all?" Asked the boy, unfazed "You've come so far and backed out at the last second, what is your intention here anyway?"
"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to, it makes you look like an idiot. Although that's always been your strategy hasn't it?"
She would not win, but she did not need to. Her goal was far beyond a simple cheap victory. If she faced him directly, she would have no chance, so she would use a dirty trick. The girl would force him to face someone who had the best chance of beating him, his arch enemy…
"If I were you, I would pay more attention to Mugino-san" She said, also placing both hands on the table, but with the palms facing up, like a magician making an exaggerated gesture, so the audience won't see through her trick "If it's not you, then it's no one else"
... She would make him fight himself. That last sentence was what would guarantee that would happen. Kamijou Touma had made a promise, he would not run away, not as long as someone needed his help. His greatest strength, was also his greatest weakness, but an enemy would never be able to use that against him, so it had to be Uiharu, one of his closest friends, to make him face his past and move on.
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Welcome to the bottom. In this chapter a question was asked, and the obvious answer will be revealed in the next chapter (Which I have already written, BTW). I've been writing a lot lately, so the chapters are almost twice as long as they used to be. I think I need to try to understand the meaning of the word 'slow'. By the way, that thing about Takitsubo being able to 'feel something' is not something completely made up by me, but I won't talk more about it because I don't want to give spoilers about the Coronzon Arc and about a cryptic phrase from a certain 'priestess' with a reddish-blonde hair .
We'd better get to the reviews:
aiman031122: I'm glad you liked it. DereDere Shizuri is the best Shizuri. By the way, I think I know the fic you referred to, but that story doesn't belong to me.
KHVSFF: Thank you very much. The next chapter will have a similar narrative to the previous one, as many seemed to like that. I plan to incorporate more 'internal monologues' into my narrative, as they are relatively common in the novels. Shiina had trouble winning Touya over, it is said in the novels that she had to be REALLY aggressive, which is a common trait in Yanderes.
Marksman2: I plan to write another chapter from Shizuri's perspective, however it will be after the next ITEM 'mission'. Glad you liked it.
Elementalgaming30: Yanderes are easy game for the men of the Kamijou family. Thank you very much for the compliments.
Emiyasatou: This story is basically 95% romance and interactions between the characters, which I think is not very common in Toaru fanfics. Sometimes I think about including more action, but that's not the genre I'm aiming for. I appreciate that you are still enjoying it. And yes, it is a 'reference' to RWBY xD.
Zatchbell511: Thanks again. Shizuri will have more monologues soon.
Surya25addanki: *Thumbs up*
5queso: The infection is not yet in full form, we have a long way to go. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.
Xellos540: That's not even the final form of 'Kami-yan disease' xD If you were confused, then I feel like I did a good job, considering I wanted to give the impression that Shizuri has no idea what she's doing and feeling, and Touma is acting as usual, soon that will become clearer. What Kaibi feels for Touma is... complicated. This compliment has made me so happy that I am trying to convince myself that it is all sarcasm, so I can wipe the smile off my face. Kamijou said 'Gokusai Kaibi' out loud. Behold the Yanderedere. Drunk Touma has to continue in the slice-of-life moments, otherwise the world is screwed. The girls are being careful because of that. I don't know if 'darker' is the right word, almost all that speech Kaibi gave was taken from the original material and this is Kamijou before he lost his memories, but yes, he is 'changed' because of his adventures in the dark. That's another reference to NT22R(obviously). Shizuri is the queen, Touma is the prime minister xD.
Aleister Crowley once said something interesting about Kamijou "But the one thing I never want to do is get into a verbal argument with you." I'm done here. Nio leaving.
