Hi! This chapter will be a little 'odd' and confusing at times. Without further ado, I wish you a good read.

Chapter 14 - ... To the Only Question That Matters

Meanwhile, in a manga store across the street, a Mugino Shizuri was feeling a bit lost. She had already found the last volume of her favorite manga, since it was the only one she had read, and now she was in the manga section of the 'mystery' genre, trying to find something she liked.

"I wish he was here" She said, flipping through one of the manga she grabbed off the shelf "There are too many options, how will I know which ones are worth my time? Maybe I should just buy them all and then ask Kamijou's opinion? Sounds like a good plan"

She put the manga she was browsing into her shopping basket and started picking up several others at random. Every now and then she glanced around, noticing a few strange looks coming her way.

'What's wrong with these guys? I know there aren't that many girls here, but can't they at least be more discreet?'

Making an annoyed face, she turned toward a group that had been staring at her for a while. That icy stare was really effective, as the boys practically ran away when they felt that murderous aura emanating from the tea-colored girl.

"Fucking idiots" She said that and went back to 'choosing' her next reading "The next one that looks at me I'm going to force him to pick a favorite limb, and then rip it off with my Meltdowner"

This was a common scene in Mugino Shizuri's life, but she had never been so bothered by someone looking at her like that. But nothing had changed, these were the same looks she usually attracted no matter where she was. After a while she had learned to ignore them, but something had changed in her.

Only a few minutes after starting her 'plan', the girl noticed that she would need another basket. If Kamijou didn't finish his conversation soon, she really would buy all the manga in the store. Walking among the shelves, something interesting caught her eye, but it was not a manga.

"Another girl" Shizuri brought her free hand to her chin.

'That uniform is from Tokiwadai. So, rich girls reading manga is not as unusual as I thought? Interesting. I wonder what she's reading?'

Without stopping to think twice, she walked over to the session that the girl from Tokiwadai was in and put her full basket on the floor. She started flipping through some manga of a totally different genre than the one she was interested in.

"You have a nice collection there" Said the girl from Tokiwadai next to Shizuri, referring to the basket full of manga.

Returning the manga to the shelf, Shizuri looked more closely at that girl who had a small smile on her face. It was probably an automatic smile, since the girl seemed to have found someone with similar tastes. She had shoulder-length chestnut hair and eyes of the same color, and she was clearly younger than Meltdowner.

'That face is familiar to me. But I can't care enough to remember'.

"Can I take a look?" The younger girl asked, a little too excited.

"I don't mind" Shizuri replied, shrugging.

The girl wasted no time in picking up a few manga from the basket on the floor, while Shizuri tried to find something that interested her. That session seemed to be more focused on action and adventure, which was something that also interested Meltdowner, but she couldn't choose among so many options.

"Hmm... they are all of the mystery genre" The Tokiwadai student spoke again "So you have pretty specific taste... considering you filled an entire basket"

"Not exactly" Shizuri commented, without looking at the girl "I came here to buy a specific manga, only I'm on the last volume so I decided to buy anything that was similar. However, I wouldn't mind reading something with more action, as long as it has a decent story that isn't just a backdrop for the fights to happen"

"Would you take a recommendation?" The short-haired girl asked, raising her index finger and closing one eye"

"If you have nothing better to do, go ahead"

"Ok, how about this one then" She grabbed a manga from the shelf and handed it to Shizuri.

Returning the other manga, Meltdowner looked at the cover of the one the other girl had handed her. In it, a boy with red hair stood side by side with a girl with brown hair, both wearing a similar uniform.

"Can you give me a synopsis?" Shizuri said, not sounding very interested.

"Sure. The girl on the cover is the protagonist of the story. I like manga with female protagonists. She was chosen to participate in a project, whose goal was to find the next person who could wear the mantle of destiny, thus gaining unlimited powers." The short-haired girl had now entered maximum excitement mode, while Shizuri was barely paying attention. "But this project was a big lie, designed to lure innocent people so that evil scientists could use them as lab rats"

"You kind of told me the twist in the story. But whatever, I'll take that one too" Meltdowner added, putting the manga in the basket, without even changing her tone of voice.

"What about you? Is your basket still empty, are you having trouble deciding?"

"Well... actually I don't intend to buy any"

"Huh?" for the first time in the conversation, Shizuri paid her full attention to the girl "I doubt you have a problem with money. Don't tell me you're embarrassed to be judged by your Tokiwadai friends? If so, grow up and gain some confidence."

"What? That's not the reason" The chestnut-eyed girl denied it with all her might.

"Ok, I really don't give a shit then" Shizuri picked up her basket and started walking towards the cashier, however the other girl followed her.

"I mean, it's not like I'm embarrassed or anything like that...it's just that it's more practical to read them here in the store" She argued, unconvincingly.

"Uh-huh"

"And they don't allow that kind of thing in Tokiwadai either" She began to get irritated at the older girl's indifferent attitude.

"I'm pretty sure that's bullshit. Just admit it and move on, it will be better for you."

"That's easier said than done" The short haired girl grew more irritated with each step.

"Yes, I know. It'll be hard at first, but over time you'll get good at the skill of 'not giving a damn'"

"I don't know if that's what I want. I have an image to uphold after all" She now looked more unsure than angry.

"We all do. And don't talk like reading manga is going to ruin your fucking image, it's starting to piss me off. Look at me" Shizuri stopped suddenly, making the girl almost jump. "Do you think that because I read these things, people's opinion of me is going to change for the worse? As far as I know, the only thing that has changed is that I'm getting even nastier looks than I used to get." She looked around, making an exaggerated gesture to the people around her and walking back "A cute and proper girl, having afternoon tea with her friends while chatting about the stock market or how her violin lessons went. Don't tell me that's the kind of image you want to uphold? Don't make me laugh. The truth is that most people are fucking shallow and that is why they think that everyone has to be shallow like them so that they can feel better. So the question you should be asking here is: Am I as shallow as they are?"

The two were in the checkout line now, which meant that more prying eyes were flying in their direction, but Shizuri was not intimidated and kept talking.

"If the answer is yes, then fuck you, but if the answer is no, then fuck them. What's the point of maintaining an image if you're not being honest with yourself?" Meltdowner was saying that like she was doing an internal monologue instead of talking to someone else "I think I've said too much here, that must be his influence. Well, at least I can say I didn't hurt anyone physically. I call that progress"

Looking at that girl who seemed pleased with herself, the short-haired girl pondered deeply.

"Maybe you're right, but I can't..."

"I can't do this, I can't do that..." Shizuri rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue "Are you a fucking mass-made doll that can only follow programmed orders?"

"I'm not like that, in fact I have a friend who always complains that I don't follow the rules" She protested, crossing her arms "You don't know me, so don't go saying anything that comes into your head"

"Hmm... then the problem lies elsewhere. If so, then what is your point? Are you the kind of person who likes something but won't admit it because you don't want to be judged? Pathetic."

"What? Not quite" The short-haired girl snapped back, pointing an inquisitive finger in Meltdowner's direction "It's not the judgment that worries me..."

"I'll stop you right there. I'm not interested in your excuses. It's obvious to me that I'm dealing with a confused, insecure girl who has no idea what she wants"

"You are wrong, I am not insecure. I am just fine, thank you."

"Oh yeah, so prove it."

As she said this, Shizuri lifted her chin and pointed to one of the shelves. The Tokiwadai maiden looked away and took a deep breath. Calming down, she seemed to have made a decision, as she went to a nearby shelf and returned with a manga in her hand. Still with a bit of irritation in her voice, the younger girl spoke again to the not very nice person.

"You are, without a doubt, one of the rudest, unkindest, unfriendliest people I have ever met..."

"You can add 'one of the most beautiful and elegant too'" Meltdowner said smiling.

"And certainly the most arrogant" The younger girl shrugged, but the other girl continued to smile nonchalantly "But at least I'm sure you talked to me like you would to anyone else on the street, so I'll give you credit for that. Besides, you've convinced me that I should stop worrying about what people think of me. At least a little bit... just a little bit"

The Meltdowner had already used up all her desire for conversation, so she simply waited in that line while trying to ignore the looks coming her way, since she really wanted to blow something up right then and there. Her turn in line had come, but at that moment she heard distinct footsteps coming toward her, which made her turn immediately toward the person approaching in a nonchalant manner. And of course she smiled at the sight of him.

"Hey Shizuri, sorry for the delay" The only person she allowed to call her that way, stood next to her in line, offering his left arm as usual "We ended up lingering on a complicated subject"

"No problem. I just got a little carried away too" She looked at the basket in her hand, being imitated by the boy.

"Wow, that's a lot of manga. Your collection will end up bigger than mine next time you come here"

The blue-eyed boy used his right hand to scratch his spiky head. At that moment he noticed the other girl in line, who was looking at the two of them with a rather embarrassed expression, probably because they were so close to each other, not caring about the looks coming their way. For just a second his heart stopped beating. He had done his best not to let this event happen, but it seemed that he was worrying too much. Could Level 5s get along? Or did they not know what the other one was?

"Ah, Hello Misaka-san" He waved to the girl from Tokiwadai.

"H-hi, Kamijou-san" replied Misaka Mikoto, looking away.

"Hmm... Misaka, isn't it?" Shizuri narrowed her eyes, which made Kamijou realize that he may have been too quick in his judgment "So you are the famous 'Railgun'?"

At that moment, Kamijou's right hand moved automatically, grabbing the girl's right hand that held his left arm. Shizuri's eyes changed their target when she felt the boy's gentle touch. She sighed and then looked again at the Tokiwadai girl.

"Nice to meet you, Misaka Mikoto. I am Mugino Shizuri, a level 5 as well" She firmly shook that right hand "And at the moment, I am looking after my image, so don't get used to the niceness"

"Level 5?" The girl from Tokiwadai seemed not to believe it for a moment "That changes a bit the perspective of the conversation we just had" She became thoughtful in that instant.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Shizuri said, handing her credit card to the cashier "We had no idea who we were, so don't overthink it. We're just two girls who like to read manga, and happened to meet here and had a conversation"

"I hope this conversation wasn't a heated argument" The boy looked around, scanning his surroundings for damage.

"You know me Kamijou, I am kindness in person" She stated, with all the sarcasm she could calculate with her level 5 brain.

"Yeah, and I'm a dragon" He joked, shrugging and picking up all the manga Shizuri had bought, now stored in bags "I guess we better put that in the car. Anyway, it was nice to see you again Misaka-san"

Waving to the girl, who waved back shyly, he guided his 'friend' back to the car, which was supposed to be used for missions. He opened the door and waited for the girl to get in. Sitting next to her, he saw her take her cell phone and send a message, probably to the driver, containing the coordinates of their next destination, which was supposed to be the only one today.

"How was your first experience in a manga store?" The boy asked, approaching the window and looking out into the street. The car began to move at that moment.

"You talk like it was a big event that was going to change my life. But just so you know, it was horrible. I really had no idea what to buy, and literally all the guys looked at me like I was the last drop of water in an oasis"

"Which must be a common occurrence in your life" He added, giving a chuckle.

"Indeed, but for some reason I was more annoyed than usual. I don't even know how I managed to control myself. I suggest you don't leave me alone next time, otherwise I won't leave a single brick standing in that place."

"Really? You did well today, so I think you're just saying that because you want me around."

"It's obvious I want you around, smartass" To make the point clear, she held his hand. "Controlling my anger is much easier with you by my side, but that's not all. We should do the things we like together. But then you dump me to talk to another girl "

"Gee, if I didn't know you, I'd say you were jealous" He looked at her as he said that, since he didn't want to miss that reaction.

Instead of answering immediately, she smoothed her hair and looked away. The girl hadn't expected something like this, even though the boy often said things in automatic mode. Besides, he didn't use a playful tone as usual when he said it, which only served to make the girl a little nervous.

"Maybe I really am jealous" Shizuri replied, preferring to play with a lock of hair instead of looking at the boy "I don't want to share your attention with another girl"

Kamijou also looked away at that instant. He wanted to examine her a little, to see her expression, to try to understand the way she was acting, but it was as if something was stopping him from looking at her. The girl was a little nervous, he noticed this before he looked away, and she said something that made him think.

'What am I doing? What is this strange feeling?' Kamijou finally looked at the girl as he thought this, who continued to play with her perfectly combed tea-colored hair.

Once again, that invisible force forced him to look at anything other than that girl. About five minutes passed without the two of them exchanging a word. Every now and then he noticed the restlessness of Shizuri, who seemed unable to decide whether to continue quietly or to make one more of her 'teasing'. This made Kamijou think again.

'What if they are not just teasing? What if in fact Uiharu is right... no, that's impossible, if that were the case I would have noticed by now. Wait, noticed what?' He shook that confused head, forcing those thoughts away, just like all the countless other times.

"Kamijou, we have arrived" Announced the girl, finally looking at him.

Opening the car door quietly, the boy stood up and started walking towards the entrance of the mall, not waiting for the girl. His body was moving on its own, and as hard as he was trying, he couldn't stop trying to get away from that girl.

"Hey, why the rush?" Shizuri said this and claimed her favorite spot, forcing him to slow down "You're acting weird, is it something I did?"

'She treats me differently, doesn't she? And what she said to me in the car... Damn it Kamijou, just forget about it.

"Kamijou?" The girl continued trying to get his attention "Kamijou, look at me. Heeeeeeeey, Kamijou Touma, a little attention here."

But her requests were being ignored, and this was not on purpose. Kamijou at this moment was having a silent battle, one that only he was allowed to participate in, one that he had refused to have all this time.

'That was Uiharu's intention...she wasn't trying to convince me of anything. That's why she decided to talk about Ayu out of the blue, she knew it would force me to think... about that. I don't know what to do... if it goes on like this, it will all happen exactly...'

Kamijou's thoughts were interrupted by an external stimulus that he couldn't remember feeling before. It was a little painful, but for some reason he liked it, especially that softness he felt just after the sharp pain.

"Ouch" He brought his hand up to his left ear, more precisely the lobe, and then finally looked at Shizuri "You... bit me?"

"Yes, I did" she replied, as if she was proud of that "You were ignoring me, so I thought of something to get your attention. And if you stop to think about it, this is perfect, since it serves as both a punishment and a reward"

"You call that a reward?" He let go of his earlobe, which was still a little sore, and sighed "Makes sense, you're not exactly what I would call a normal girl."

"I'll take that as a compliment" Shizuri shrugged and then rested her head on his shoulder "Now, tell me why you are so tense"

"Shizuri, don't you think we're drawing too much attention?" He looked around the crowded mall, noticing glances being aimed at him, which were mostly from boys "Holding my arm in public is already a little weird, but this is crossing the line."

"If you think it's 'weird' then why do you offer it to me every time?"

"We both know you're going to grab me anyway. You remember this was just meant to be a joke, right? I never intended to walk around with you like that"

"But I bet you like having a girl like me this close" Shizuri said it in a soft tone, as if savoring those dangerous words "I think I'm giving you a huge confidence boost here"

"I don't know if I like what you are implying here"

The instant she heard those words, she smiled mischievously. Shizuri settled onto the shoulder she found so comfortable, and to do so she had to get even closer to the boy, an almost impossible task. What she would say next would be fun for her.

"You're too nice a guy Kamijou, so much so that you're willing to side with a bad girl like me, just to make sure she has some chance of getting better. But even good people are not exempt from feeling things like envy, anger, and greed."

"I'm not hearing any news here"

"Hmm..." The girl looked at him with a surprised expression "I didn't expect you to admit it that quickly. Anyway, since that night in the park, I've noticed how you enjoy the envious glances of the other boys"

"Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of sadist. I don't feel good getting those looks. I've been in their shoes, technically I'm still in their shoes. It's not like we're on a date"

"Actually, that kind of counts as a date" The girl made no fuss when she said that. It was as if she expected him to say something like that at some point and was already mentally prepared to answer "So enjoy the feeling of being so far away from this bunch of idiots. You deserve it."

"You are a horrible person, you know that don't you? Maybe that's one way the universe keeps the balance, considering… everything else" He rolled his eyes as he said this.

"Was that a clever way of telling me how stunningly beautiful I am?" Shizuri even lifted her head from his shoulder to hear the answer.

"It wasn't meant as a compliment" The boy said this giving her another one of his intense looks "But yes, I meant you are beautiful, on the outside at least"

He looked away immediately, which would be enough for him not to notice the girl biting her lip and putting a giant smile on her face right away.

'She really seems to like it when I compliment her' But the boy ended up noticing it anyway. Noticing involuntary movements like this was his specialty after all.

The truth was that Kamijou didn't mind the girl's closeness, at least not anymore. He was extremely nervous at first, but now he felt comfortable having her by his side, so much so that he didn't care that he was attracting so much attention. So he deliberately said this, just to hear the girl's opinion about the whole thing. Knowing how arrogant she was, he hoped she would make a rude remark, which would provide the perfect opportunity for him to compliment her in a subtle way, that was the plan. He hadn't intended to compliment her in such a direct way, but he didn't always act on his plans. But why had he done all this?

'Seriously, I have to stop this, it's not going to get me anywhere. Don't let yourself be carried away by this illusion. So what if she treats me differently, or smiles so beautifully when I compliment her? She knows what I am, doesn't she? I told her myself. Cursed once, cursed forever, remember that.

The two walked to an escalator. Kamijou tried to go first, but the girl refused to let go, so they shared the same step. He noticed that the longer they went without seeing each other, the more the girl became attached to him, as if she wanted to make the most of their time together.

'But I have to be sure of one thing. If the chance exists, even if it is almost nil, I have to know if it is true. If the answer to that question is yes, I can't run away... then I hope the answer is no. I don't want to hurt her, not when she has finally decided to take the first step out of the darkness. If I try a little harder, I should be able to get an answer today"

"You're too quiet" Shizuri said, lifting her head so she could guide him to a decent clothing store "And pretty thoughtful too. Is something bothering you?"

"There's always something bothering me, don't worry about it" He shook his head negatively.

"Don't 'don't worry about it.' me. You can talk to me about anything. Now tell me, what's bothering you?"

'What bothers me is that I'm an idiot, and it's better that it stays that way. I'm sorry Shizuri... I know I'll hate myself for it... but it's just another drop of salt water in this dead sea that I am.'

"Maybe another time" Kamijou said this and then forced a smile "If you are willing to give me another lap pillow"

"Wow, how bold of you" she joked, finally choosing the clothing store and walking towards the entrance "I'm not going to give in that easily. If I give you any control, you'll soon start asking to hold my hand or something even more lewd."

"I would never go that far. But from my point of view you are being unfair. Have you forgotten what you told me in the car?" The boy tilted his head in her direction "By the way, you smell great today. Is that Jasmine? A touch of roses too"

His first move was being made. He needed the answer to that question, so he would work hard to get it. All he needed to do was to act in a bolder manner, but taking care that the girl didn't notice the performance. In this instant, all he needed was for the girl to move away from him, which would bring him closer to the answer he wanted. But that wasn't what she did.

"You like it don't you?" Shizuri simply smiled and tilted her head, making room for him to smell the scent on her neck "It is an expensive perfume, even for me. So I only wear it on special occasions."

Kamijou expression darkened slightly at that instant. This was completely out of his prediction. He expected her to at least hesitate, but the girl took a route that led away from the answer he wanted.

'That proves nothing...nothing...I can't accept it. She must have seen through my act and is just teasing me. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. But... I can't go on with this, if it goes on like this... I can't back out now, I just have to try to push her away. We'll see how she handles this'

"So this is a special occasion?" Kamijou put another unnatural smile on his face "If I remember correctly, you said you would help me with anything I needed. I thought of one or two interesting things."

He cast an obtrusive glance at her body. It was easy to fake something like that to prove a point when the girl in front of him was so beautiful. He intended to keep looking her in the eyes, but he knew that she would notice his doubtful face. He was backing away, even if unconsciously.

'That's as much as I can force myself to do. But no matter. She must show me her worst disgusted face now, maybe she'll even slap me. The bigger the reaction the better. I hope she doesn't hold back, I need to be sure.

"Finally" The girl put a hand on her waist and continued smiling, which left Kamijou with an indecipherable expression on his face "I'm a woman of my word, so I won't back down. Would you rather tell me what you want from me now, or will you wait until we get back to the car?"

Kamijou was once again surprised, which made him twist his face in a strange way due to the discomfort he felt at that instant. It was as if someone was scratching his fingernails on a chalkboard. This discomfort possessed him, which made his breathing heavy.

' Did she realize it was a bluff? No ... no ... no ... that smile ... no Kamijou, don't do that ... put all those thoughts away. That's it... Maybe I should just let it go. I can't read her'

"I am a failure" His voice came out weak, trembling, but without any emotion. He hadn't initially intended to say it out loud, but he didn't care anymore anyway. For half a second only, a pained expression appeared on his face.

"Huh? Sorry, I don't think I heard what you said." The girl was now guiding him to the men's clothing section "Anyway, we'd better concentrate on changing your look for now. We can stop for lunch in a little while, then you can tell me about these two things, if they are still only two by then"

Shizuri kept smiling as he said this, which made Kamijou sigh with frustration. Worst of all, he had lied to himself. He could read her very well, so he knew that the girl was really happy. There was not a flicker of pretense in that perfectly natural smile.

' I don't understand. This is not the way it should be. This is wrong in so many ways that I wouldn't even know where to begin to explain. I can't... I can't... I can't. Maybe... just maybe... she... '

"I like that" Level 5 spoke, pointing at something "I think it will suit you"

She pointed to a mannequin wearing an outfit that was not recommended for summer. It was an expensive-looking hooded sweatshirt with a gray polo shirt underneath. The boy was in no position to formulate an opinion, so he just stated the obvious.

"I don't think so, look at the price of this thing" The boy would freak out if he were in a better position "Do you have any idea how many eggs you can buy with that?"

"Not really. I barely know how much a Bento of salmon costs, and I eat it almost every day. And why on earth did you choose eggs as a comparison?"

"Never mind" He replied, putting a hand in his pocket and sighing softly "The point is I can't afford something like this"

"Don't start that crap" Somewhat irritated, she made a subtle sign to one of the store attendants.

"Yes, Mugino-sama, what do you want?" Said the girl in the fancy uniform, smiling at the Level 5.

"Bring me what's on display on that mannequin, but change the color of the pants to something more neutral," replied Meltdowner in an authoritative manner.

"As you wish" The girl with short black hair nodded and turned away from the two.

Kamijou looked a bit confused at this scene, but he soon returned to his usual relaxed state.

"Do you come here that much or is the store yours?" He asked nonchalantly.

"The former. I thought about buying a designer clothing store, but I gave up. It would be too much work, the tedious kind"

"Really? You should have kept going. Doing what you like most is a good way to relax"

"You're right about that. But I have changed the thing I like the most recently"

"And this new 'thing' is in that dream you had?"

In response he received only a mysterious smile, which made him blink in confusion. A few seconds later the attendant returned with the clothes that Shizuri had chosen. Still afraid, he took them and went towards one of the fitting rooms.

"This is the first time I've seen you with a boy, Mugino-sama" Commented the attendant, taking a seat next to Shizuri, who was waiting patiently.

"And it probably won't be the last" The Meltdowner said, playing with a lock of her hair. She seemed to remember something, so she looked at the girl with short black hair "By the way, you are not allowed to talk to him. If he starts a conversation, just nod and pretend you're not interested, am I clear?"

"C-clear, Mugino-sama" She tried to smile, but her face was frozen in that instant.

"Let the other girls know too. If I'm going to come back here with him, then I'd better take precautions to minimize the damage he causes. He has finally decided to respond to my advances, so I don't want anyone standing in my way. I'm entering phase 3 now."

"Phase 3?" The poor girl was now scared and confused.

"Yes, phase 3 of 4. By the way, I have another order for you, prevent other people from approaching us. Close the store if you have to, I will pay for all the losses. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am" Said the attendant, getting carried away by what she was feeling.

"Great. I'll give you a nice bonus for your hard work. Now be quiet, he's coming."

Coming out of the fitting room, the boy did not look satisfied with what he was wearing. Shizuri knew that would be the case, so she just put her hand on her chin and examined him from top to bottom.

"Wow..." She got up from where she was sitting and began to circle around him, with a satisfied expression on her face "I'm beginning to regret bringing you here"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Complained the boy, having no idea what the girl meant "And how do you intend this poor Kamijou-san to pay for it?"

"With your hard earned money, of course" Shizuri replied, grabbing his left arm again

"Wait... you mean 'that'? I don't really know much about your line of work, but there's no way that's enough to pay for that"

" What are you talking about? It's not like... Oh, that's right, sometimes I forget that you're not exactly from the same world as me." She said, taking her cell phone from her pocket "Allow this Mugino-san to demonstrate something interesting to you "

"What the fuck did you just say? You've crossed the line now Shizuri, only a member of the Kamijou family can use that speech pattern" The boy clenched his right fist so hard, that all illusions within a radius of 10 kilometers were shattered in that instant.

"Yeah, yeah... you can punish this bad girl for her transgressions later, now take a look at this"

Shizuri handed the smartphone to the boy, who was still annoyed, but as he looked at the screen, his expression soon changed to doubt, surprise and confusion. Not necessarily in that order.

"Shizuri, I can't quite understand it" He said, pointing at the cell phone screen in his hand "That's your bank account, isn't it? There are a lot of zeroes in there, but I expected a lot more."

"Actually, that's the unified account of ITEM. When we do a mission, all members' pay is deposited into that account, and then we distribute the money among all of us."

"Oh, I get it" He still hadn't really understood "So that's the payment for the last mission? Geez, all that for a mission we completed in such a short time?"

"Kamijou, that's not the mission payment, that's only one-fifth of it. All the members, including me, already have their share in their personal account."

"Hmm..." The boy shivered a little as he understood those words coming out of those beautiful lips, those that were forming a smile now "Shizuri, feel free to correct me, but are you saying that all these zeros I am contemplating belong to this unlucky Kamijou-san?"

"Yes, all of them" She shook her head positively. A redundant gesture, for a redundant question.

"I see" The boy also made the same gesture with his head "Shizuri, could you move away from me just for a second?"

Without fully understanding the request of the boy, who for some reason seemed dead inside, level 5 took a few steps away from him. He needed to get something off his chest.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" That scream would need to echo to the ends of the universe to do justice to what that boy was feeling. But unfortunately, he lacked the lung capacity to do so "Mugino Shizuri, don't play games with me. Tell me this is a bad joke"

"I don't understand why the overreaction, but this money is all yours. Well deserved, by the way." The girl with the tea-colored hair crossed her arms. She looked very proud of something. "We even got compliments from that bitch, who is almost never satisfied. I knew you would be a good addition to our group, but even with such high expectations, I was surprised."

She returned to his side, who was still stunned after discovering that his days of bargaining in the supermarket were (probably) over.

"But let's forget about that for now" Shizuri continued "I will send this money to your personal account soon. Choose one with a high level of security, which shouldn't be a problem for you. Now back to business" She looked in the direction of the attendant who was even more stunned than Kamijou "Hey, you, bring me those..."

"I'm screwed" Interrupted the boy, causing Shizuri to become confused once again "Seriously, how much misfortune is equivalent to that? Is being tortured to death multiple times enough?"

"You do know that you can only die once don't you? Or are you going to tell me that this weird power of yours prevents you from dying or something?"

"Don't mock, the universe will find a way" Somehow he was sure of those words.

Hearing the boy speak in such a somber manner, Shizuri began to think of a way to make him forget his 'misfortune'. The girl looked around and decided she would play a little game with him.

"Kamijou, I have an idea" Announced the level 5, practically dragging him out of there, who wasn't too keen on fighting back either "How about you pick out some clothes for me too?"

"That is probably the worst idea I will hear today" Answered the lethargic boy.

"Relax, this is just a little game between us, feel free to pick something stupid if you want"

"I thought you said you wanted to focus on getting to know each other better, instead of playing games"

"Stop using my words against me. I'm making an exception" She said rolling her eyes "Besides, we can do both. Here's the plan, pick an outfit and I'll say the first thing about me that comes to mind when I'm wearing it, sounds fair?"

"I really feel like picking something stupid right now"

Arriving at the women's clothing section, Shizuri let go of his arm and let him wander around the shelves. At this point, Kamijou decided it was a good time to resume his plan.

'What should I do next? Choose a revealing outfit or something? I don't want to go that far, so I'll pick anything that catches my eye. I should be able to read her if she's embarrassed. Now... I think this is perfect.'

Kamijou didn't even notice the crooked smile he put on his face as he chose what Shizuri would wear. He held back a little at least. The outfit chosen was a red dress that could be mistaken for a princess dress, if it were not so short and made of a transparent material in the region of the abdomen.

"Hey, Shizuri come here" He called out, pointing to the dress "How about that?"

With a hand on her chin, the girl didn't seem too impressed with his choice. She picked up the dress to examine it more closely.

"Do you like that kind of dress or did you just pick the first thing that caught your eye?" She was too serious to say that, but the boy just shrugged in response "Ok, let's put this thing on"

Without asking any more questions, Level 5 headed toward one of the fitting rooms, leaving a thoughtful Kamijou Touma with an extremely serious expression waiting.

'Was she irritated by my choice? I guess I understand why, but that was not my intention. I will really feel terrible at the end of the day, but I need to get rid of this doubt before tomorrow, otherwise I won't be able to concentrate on the mission. I will ask some questions when she comes back... that's not enough, I have to think of something better.

Even though his head was cloudy, the boy noticed when the girl started to leave the fitting room. He lifted his head to look at how she would look in that dress, and obviously the stunned expression on his face made clear his opinion of how the girl looked.

"I don't really like this thing, so I hope you're having fun" The girl said, straightening her dress that barely went to mid-thigh "What's that? A slutty princess style?"

"I have no idea, but you look beautiful in it" He returned to his serious expression.

"Really?" the girl asked. That smile was back.

'I don't know if I want to go through with this. Why am I pushing so hard to get such an obvious answer? Just accept... NO...'.

With those confused thoughts, the boy walked over to Shizuri, taking advantage of her distraction while she was adjusting her dress. Without worrying about her reaction, he simply wrapped his left arm around her waist and led her closer to a mirror. He used the help of his reflection in the mirrored surface to make sure his face was neutral. He had to use what little strength he had left to ward off the grim expression that insisted on wanting to form on his face.

'She doesn't even care at all when I hug her and drag her out of nowhere like that.'

"Yes, it's serious" Kamijou said, looking at her through the mirror in front of him "I can hardly take my eyes off you"

'Stay away from me... like everyone else... please...'

"Kamijou, keep complimenting me like that and maybe I'll give you another lap pillow" She joked, trying to rest her head on his shoulder, but he pulled away suddenly.

"That's it? You'll have to make a better offer" He stood behind the girl and this time he used both arms to wrap around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder while still looking at her face reflected in the mirror. "I woke up a little ambitious today. You'll have to work harder to keep me satisfied."

"I haven't heard those two interesting things yet. Would that be enough?" Shizuri continued smiling as she said that.

'How far do I need to go? Just stop smiling ... you don't understand ...'

"Actually, I thought of other more interesting things" The boy said this in a whisper.

'Doesn't she understand how horrible I am?'

"Make a list. But don't expect me not to ask for something in return, I am a selfish girl after all."

'No, Shizuri. I'm the selfish one here. And that's why I can't...'

"We should go somewhere else. A more private place." Shizuri said, interrupting the boy's thoughts "I'm not sure what you have to say to me, but something tells me that..."

"Shizuri, you're amazing too, you know that?" It was his turn to interrupt her, but he did it on purpose.

Hearing that, the girl bit her lip hard. Noticing such an obvious gesture, the boy inhaled and exhaled in a subtle, inaudible manner. Kamijou slightly changed his tone of voice and the expression on his face, he had something important to say to her...

"You are beautiful, elegant, intelligent. You are also interested in my hobbies, you pamper me, and on top of that you are always willing to listen to what I have to say..."

' And this and other things is why I like you so much '

...And he wanted so much to say it out loud. But unfortunately, Kamijou Touma was the most contradictory person in the world, so all he could do was keep running away from himself. But this was obvious from the start, he already knew how he felt, in fact he could barely hide it. Uiharu made the worst move anyone could make, just so he could come to an obvious conclusion on his own. But that conclusion had nothing to do with how Kamijou Touma felt.

"Kamijou, that was foul play" Shizuri subtly moistened her lips at that instant, a gesture that Kamijou noticed without needing to make an effort "You gave me exactly what I wanted, now how will I be able to negotiate when I hear your requests?"

She abruptly pulled away a little, which made the boy let go of her waist. The girl turned around, facing him. Stepping forward, she took hold of both his hands and made him grab her waist again.

"My hands are tied now, I hope you are satisfied" Shizuri spoke, going back to playing with a lock of hair.

"So, I guess I won" He said simply.

'I guess I lost' He thought, pulling the girl closer.

"That's not the kind of game I had in mind" She put her arms around his neck as if they were in a slow dance "Which reminds me of one thing. I should say something about myself when I put this on shouldn't I? The truth is that I was a little angry when I looked at this strange princess dress."

"He reminded you of the books you read as a child" Kamijou didn't wait for her story.

"Yes..." The girl put an expression that clearly said 'How do you know?" on her face, but she soon blurted it out and smiled again "I hated them"

"Because you couldn't relate with any of the princesses in them"

"How do you ..." She shook her head negatively and then tried to continue "Yes, but there was something else too..."

"Being a princess is not as easy as it seems" The boy hugged her now, wrapping that thin waist "You have to follow a strict routine, which makes life boring. Yet they don't show that in most children's books"

"Kamijou, I know I'm an open book to you, but you have to learn to hold back a little" She wasn't angry, just trying to make a slight tease.

"I'm holding back...I'm always holding back"

"Okay, so I need you to completely stop trying and let me hold up my end of the bargain. As I was saying..."

' I think she is right, I have to hold back even more... but the truth is I'm getting tired of it. Yesterday was such a awkward day. I didn't expect her to react like this. It's all my fault, so I can't complain. But what should I do now? Embrace the madness or pretend I'm still sane? '

"...And in the end, the prince always shows up to save the helpless princess. I thought that was so boring..." The girl kept trying to tell him a bit about her life, but he was barely listening to what she was saying.

Kamijou inclined his head towards her, breathing in deeply that fragrance of Jasmine and Roses, which made the girl lean her body towards him, a gesture that served as a silent permission for him to smell her.

'A special occasion,' is what she said. She wasn't wearing such good perfume yesterday. It would be a bit counterproductive, since she wanted me to pay attention to the clothes she was wearing. If she could read my thoughts at that time, she would be happy then. If Kaibi wasn't in that trunk, I would probably accept her proposal...'

"... But at least this dress is not exactly a princess dress, so it suits me. I consider myself a daring girl..."

The boy stepped back a little, so that he could look at that well drawn face, which kept showing off that perfect smile.

'...And in that moment in the kitchen, if I had touched her face as she wanted, I would have gotten the definitive answer. But I made the right decision. She was too confused, unlike now. So I can touch her face without worrying.'

And that's what he did, he took his right hand from the girl's waist and stroked her cheek. Shizuri reacted to that by just leaning her head into his hand, as if what he had done was something completely natural between the two of them.

"Why do I have a slight impression that you were not listening to my story?" Asked Meltdowner as she closed her eyes, she was more concerned with enjoying the caress on her cheek than listening to the boy's answer.

"I had other things on my mind" He said this while removing his hand from her face, which clearly disappointed her.

'She really likes that doesn't she? Maybe I should spoil her a little more from now on. No games between us, no pretending, just sincere gestures'

"And what were those things?" She asked, opening her eyes and guiding his hand back to her waist "It must be something pretty important to leave a beautiful girl like me in the background"

"I was asking myself an important question, but with a pretty obvious answer"

"And may I know what that question is? Or is it another one of your secret plans that you only intend to tell me about at the 'right time'?"

"You're almost right. But don't worry, I'm not sure I need to follow this plan. I'd better just wait for now. Maybe I'll think of something interesting in that time, but I can't promise anything."

"Being vague again?" She sighed "You really know how to be mysterious"

'And that's one of the reasons you like me so much, isn't it?'

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And here we are at the bottom. This chapter is a turning point for this story, so I hope I did a good job of showing how messed up Kamijou's head is. This was the main reason I chose to write about Touma before his memory loss. I don't have many friends who are fans of the 'Toaru' franchise, and even those who are, have only seen the adaptations, so it is always awkward when I am in a conversation and start talking about how the amnesiac 'Kamijou' is different from his past self, although its 'core' remains the same. Touma before his 'death', was extremely cynical, sarcastic, and gave a damn about almost nothing. In my opinion, this is his way of trying to keep people away from him because he sees himself as a 'plague'(which is quite interesting). The Kamijou after the memory loss is someone who is trying to imitate how the Kamijou from before acted, so there are similarities, but the idealized view of himself 'gets in the way' of this. This is explored very well in the last book of the new testament. I really like the character of Kamijou because of this complexity (He is my fav btw)

A curiosity that many may know but I still have to say, is that this Kamijou's skipping school in my fanfic is not something 'made up', the 'Touma of the present' has a better school attendance than the 'Touma of the past', even though the chaos in his life has gotten much worse since he met Index(no, I'm not making this up). In the novels, it is said that he skipped school for FOUR months for no reason before he lost his memory, and that he used to get into street fights not because of his luck, but because he was 'bored'. The vast majority of fanfics are either with the current Kamijou we know so well, or are the 'same character', but now with memories of the past. I could talk more about this, but I would have to give spoilers for a certain character in Genesis Testament who is obsessed with the 'True Kamijou Touma', to the point of wanting to have him as her 'master'.

In this story of mine, I am trying to explore this 'side' that so few people know about Kamijou. The novels make it clear that Kamijou is always trying to avoid 'raising flags', but at the same time he dreams of finding a nice girl who will pamper him (he is contradictory to that extent). That's why in this chapter our 'Hero' is arguing with himself in his head, trying to convince himself that Shizuri doesn't like him, even though he knew the obvious answer. I will delve further into this 'duality' of this person that is Kamijou Touma, which is something that will be important in his future interactions with Shizuri. Let me know if this is something you find interesting or not.

Enough of this, time for reviews:

aiman031122: Thank you very much. Uiharu is a character who would get along very well with Touma, and she would be quite useful to him even though she is not a fighter. It's a shame they didn't meet before he lost his memories, she is the perfect support for him.

Elementalgaming30: Tense scenes are my favorite, especially when they come out of nowhere.

5queso:I appreciate that you liked it. Super got it(lol)

TheOneAndOnly: That's a good thing, right?

KHVSFF: Many thanks! This arc is only a little past its midpoint, we still have a long way to go until Kamijou meets Index, so by then a lot will have happened between these two.

Xellos540: Hello. Something tells me that you will really like it when I reveal more about how Kaibi feels about Touma. This is important for Kamijou to continue moving forward. Kamijou knows that he fought Deadlock because he was told, since his memories about this event are blurred. It is implied in NT7 that Misaki knows the identity of Aihana Etsu(I'm giving spoilers again... *sigh. Sorry.) Frenda was sending messages to her sister obviously ;) . About the reactions, it is Shizuri's fault for being too obvious and being so scary too. The more 'exaggerated' reactions will come when a certain event happens. I think I got you with the good old double twist. Poor Frenda. By the way, I have a one shot fanfic that I never posted about Frenda and Kamijou meeting in a bar the day before she died, It is written in my main language since I just shared it with some friends on discord, maybe one day I will translate it to English (if anyone is interested). Don't worry about the psychologists thing, it's an inside joke in my group of friends that I included just for the fun of it xD. Yes it is a reference, and here I thought no one would catch it. Touma ignored all the advances that Kumokawa made, so yes you are right about this being very 'Toaru'. More details about that serum soon(and yes, it was something lewd xD). In this house, TouMAN is the one who decides. Thanks again for the compliment. These doubts will be revealed in time, some soon, some not.

It looks like Shizuri has raised the flag for the Kamijou route. Suspension points… a lot of them. Till next time. Nio Leaving.