Hey! It's been a while since I've written an author's note here at the beginning. So, this is a Spoiler Alert. Some events from NT and GT will be mentioned in this chapter, but nothing that will ruin the experience for anyone who hasn't read it yet... I guess.

I will give warnings of major spoilers in the future. Enjoy your reading!

Chapter 33 – Change of Mind.

Cold sweat dripped down Mugino Shizuri's skin. Bringing her hand to the right side of her face, she realized that she could hardly feel her own touch. But she didn't have time to freak out. Another person had entered that dining room. Shizuri barely noticed because of the distraction she was having due to her arm that didn't seem to belong to her.

It was a boy, one she couldn't remember ever seeing. The strange thing was that neither of the two girls there seemed to react appropriately to seeing this blond boy, which implied that they knew him.

"You overslept again," Takitsubo complained when the blond boy sat down next to her. Too close in Shizuri's opinion.

"Sorry. But we're not late yet, so it's okay." The blond boy nonchalantly started eating breakfast. "Besides, who wakes up so early to shop?"

"It was Mugino's idea."

"Huh?" Shizuri didn't know how to react to all that. It was like someone starting to watch a TV series beginning with season 4.

"Ah... so that's why she was super standing in the hallway just now," Kinuhata said, nodding.

"Wait... what?" asked Shizuri. Confused, she pointed at the boy she was sure she had never seen before. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"Eh?"

Suddenly everyone looked at her as if she was from another world. An awkward silence hung in the air, until finally Kinuhata decided to break it.

"You really should super stop drinking."

"I'm not fucking drunk," Shizuri shouted, losing her patience. "What's going on here anyway? I wake up with a new decoration in my room, new clothes in my closet, a strange arm, and now a boy I've never seen in my life is acting all casual in front of me. What kind of elaborate prank is this? Is this Touma's plan? Is he trying to be funny again?"

"Touma?" the blond asked, still speaking casually. "As in Kamijou Touma?"

"Yeah, as in Kamijou Touma. From the looks of it you know him. Are you another one of his perverted friends?"

"More than that." The boy puffed out his chest. "The boss is someone I look up to. Someone who knows the ways a real man should go."

"Okaaay..." Shizuri shook her head positively and raised a thumb. A tear almost ran down her cheek. "That was really nice, it almost made me forget that I'm angry. It's always great to meet someone who looks up to him. You're not so bad, weird looking delinquent boy. My name is Mugino Shizuri, what's yours?"

Once again everyone looked at each other in silence, while the girl just offered a friendly handshake to that boy who really seemed like a real friend of her boyfriend. The other friends she met seemed to hate him more than admire him, which made her a little sad, so this feeling she felt was refreshing. If there was someone who admired him, then she would be friends with that person.

"I don't know if you've drunk so much that you've decided to start some weird roleplay, but a handshake is better than a kick." The boy shrugged and shook the girl's hand. "Hamazura Shiage."

"That was super weird," Kinuhata said.

"Completely weird," Takitsubo agreed. She looked for several seconds in Shizuri's direction with sharp eyes, but seemed to give up analyzing her. "If you two have finished...whatever that was, Hamazura hurry up, you've already wasted too much time."

"Why am I the one being criticized here?"

"Because you are stalling. Remember that you still have to take Fremea to that museum. Azumi should already be there."

"Who goes to a museum first thing in the morning?"

Shizuri keenly observed the interaction of those so close to each other. It was strange, but clearly there was chemistry there. It made the girl wonder what the hell had happened while she was unconscious. Was this a guy that the girl had met in the hospital and asked her out on a date? Honestly, it didn't matter so much at the moment since the girl's mind always went back to one person.

Trying to concentrate on what had happened last night, she started playing with a bowl full of rice. Come to think of it, a complete Japanese-style breakfast in the ITEM apartment was a bit unusual. The smell of grilled fish and lemon rose up her nostrils, making her mouth water. There were also omelets and even a huge bowl of bread on the table, which made Shizuri roll her eyes. She had always thought in the past that eating too much bread made her legs bloated, but in fact it was just lack of exercise.

Touma hadn't woken up yet, so who had cooked this for them? Had someone increased their cooking skills, or was it actually all bought? Who knows. And this dining room was not as she remembered it either.

"Touma is taking too long. Maybe I should go wake him up," Shizuri said sighingly.

"The boss seems to have won another one," Hamazura said in a playful tone. He paused for a long moment, as if expecting Shizuri to answer something, but she just continued playing with her food. "Do you have an appointment together?"

"Yes, school," she replied nonchalantly. "Summer vacation is around the corner, it looks like he's going to be taking extra classes."

"Summer vacation?" Takitsubo asked that and stopped eating. "But it's still winter."

"Like I said, super drunk." Kinuhata finished eating and got up from the table. "You don't even know what time of year it is."

"Will you guys stop this stupid joke?" complained Shizuri, punching the table.

Everyone there suddenly froze. Shizuri was tired of this. Her night had ended abruptly, but she was feeling pretty good when she had woken up, thinking about what might have happened between her and Touma. But now she felt strange, as if she didn't belong here. Why was everyone there acting so weird? And yet pretending that she was the weird one here.

She got up from the table without warning and walked quickly toward Touma's room once again. His hangover was irrelevant to her now. She wanted to spend some more time with her boyfriend, especially now that Takitsubo was out of the hospital and looking very well. He wasn't supposed to know the good news, so she would be the one to tell him, so he could stop feeling bad and continue the journey with a clear head.

"Touma?" She knocked hard on the door. "You're going to be late for school." The knocks on the door were getting louder.

Shizuri suddenly stopped knocking when she felt a sharp headache. With her hand on her forehead, the girl turned her back to the door and staggered down the hall. Her mind was suddenly foggy, confused. She saw something in the mist. Something like flying dolls, explosions, and someone with electricity flowing from her bangs.

'Are those memories? What's going on here?' The girl stared at her palm. The one that didn't seem to belong to her. 'A prosthetic arm. Memories I don't remember having. Even my personal reality seems slightly different.'

Her body suddenly looked tired. Her lips trembled slightly, her face twitched just on the left side. Whatever was happening, the girl had to be sure of one thing first.

Turning to look at that door, the girl took drastic action. Without a second thought, she melted the doorknob with her skill. She was careful not to damage anything else, and it was even much easier than she thought it would be. The work was so neat that she was impressed with herself. Her powers seemed to have evolved overnight.

However, Shizuri didn't want to think about that for now. She walked into the room, and instantly rubbed her temple to get that bad feeling in her body away.

Confusion now adorned the Meltdowner's beautiful face. The reason was simple: Touma was not there. But if that was all it was, everything would be fine.

That room definitely did not look like it belonged to Kamijou Touma. Of course, the youthful decoration full of car posters could very well have been chosen by a teenage boy, but she knew that this boy was not Touma.

"Mugino, what are you doing?" Takitsubo's voice seemed to come from nowhere at that instant.

Shizuri didn't notice the girl entering. Her head was too confused to notice anything after all. Without bothering to answer her friend, she asked the question that seemed the right one to ask at that moment.

"Takitsubo, whose room is this?"

Takitsubo's response was delayed by a confused tilt of the head and a narrowing of the eyes.

"Mugino, are you feeling okay? I am having a bad omen."

That was a common thing when it came to Takitsubo. She seemed to have some sort of paranormal sixth sense. Of course, you didn't need this kind of phenomenon to notice that something was wrong here, but Takitsubo seemed pretty sure that something bad had happened. The scientists couldn't tell for sure if these "premonitions" was something tied to her AIM Stalker. In combat she could even predict people's movements, lines of fire, and imminent danger like falling debris. So hearing that didn't affect Meltdowner.

"That blond boy… that's his room isn't it?"

The level 4 went silent. Neither seemed to want to answer the other's questions. But Shizuri would not give up. She would ask one more question, one that would answer her doubts.

"Takitsubo, I know this is going to sound really weird, but I need to ask." She waited for her friend to pull herself together and then took a deep breath. "Do I have a boyfriend?"

That question was not the best one to ask in this situation, Shizuri knew that very well. She had already thought quickly about possibilities of what was going on, but this seemed the most important thing to her right now. Her mind was on the person who made the promise to be by her side, and that wouldn't change even if her mind was so confused right now.

"No," Takitsubo finally replied, with her usual expressionless face.

"Have I ever had a boyfriend?" That answer from her friend shook her, but she still needed to be sure.

"No," she said again, but this time hesitantly. "I mean… not that I know of. I've never seen you interested in anyone in particular."

Shizuri's hand went to the left side of her chest in a semi-conscious manner. This was no time for her to freak out upon hearing this, she needed to stay calm and organize her thoughts and focus on what might be causing this.

"Mugino, why these questions out of the blue?" Takitsubo had noticed how thoughtful Meltdowner was.

"I need to understand what is happening to me." She sighed and put her hand on her chin. "Takitsubo, you're my friend so I think I'd better tell you what's going on right away."

"Friend?" Takitsubo just muttered that. In that instant, her lip almost curved. "Okay, I'll help you in any way I can."

"It's always nice to know that I can count on you. First, we'd better go to my room so we can have a little privacy."

xxxx-xxxx

Although she could still call it her room, it certainly was not "her room". She had thought a few times about changing the decoration to something brighter, with more vibrant colors and furniture that didn't stand out so much, but she always went back.

Shizuri ran into another problem when she went to her bedside table and picked up the cell phone that was supposed to be hers on top of it. When she woke up, she was so stunned and wanting to know what had happened the night before, that she didn't even notice that this model was not the same one she had been using for several months.

"Damn, what do you mean the password is wrong?" cursed Shizuri, unable to think of any other option.

'At least I can see the date. That's... several months later. But I can't have traveled into the future… right?'

"There's no way that date could be wrong, is there?" Shizuri really wanted to be sure.

"No, certainly not. What's wrong with the date?"

"The problem is that from my point of view, it's wrong. Very wrong. I don't remember anything from the last few months."

Tired, the level 5 sat up in bed. At least that mattress was even softer than she remembered.

"Hmm... it makes sense that arm thing earlier then. Maybe some mental esper erased your memory?" suggested Takitsubo.

Shizuri doubted that. As a powerful electromaster, it was difficult to get past her mental defenses, yet there were several types of mental espers in Academy City. It was a plausible solution, however she felt that this was not the answer.

"Just erasing my memory wouldn't explain what's going on." Leaning back, she stared at the ceiling and twisted her lip. "You said yourself that I don't have a boyfriend and never have."

Even though Takitsubo had an inexpressive face, her eyes were full of doubt and surprise.

"So maybe this esper also implanted false memories," Takitsubo said, sitting down next to Shizuri on the bed.

"No." Level 5's fist closed at that moment, tugging a little at the bed sheets. "That's real. I'm sure."

Actually, there was no way she could be sure. Dealing with mental espers is always a pain. Many can not only do basic things like send telepathic messages, but also put feelings and in extreme cases, even change a person's personality. But still, Shizuri didn't want to believe that what she experienced was fake. His touches, caresses, sweet and kind words, that look of caring and concern. The desire to be with him at that moment was unceasing. Her body heated up when she imagined that smile of his, so radiant, yet so full of pain. Something this intense had no chance of being fake. She couldn't accept it.

"I'm sorry... but it's the most plausible explanation." However Takitsubo did not share her point of view.

"It's too early to draw conclusions." Shizuri had to insist. "I'm not ruling out that some mental esper messed with my head, but what I feel for him is real."

"Mugino...I...don't know what to say."

"You don't have to measure words. Just speak your mind."

To assure her that she wouldn't have to worry, her hand touched Takitsubo's shoulder gently. Shizuri knew that from her friend's point of view, she was just being stubborn, but she needed that point of view, even if it hurt her a little.

"Honestly... you look like someone else," Takitsubo said, looking at that hand on her shoulder.

"That's good to hear." She curved her lip slightly. "I'm working hard to be someone better. This all started because of him."

"And this mysterious benefactor is that friend of Hamazura's... Kamijou Touma, isn't it?"

"Yes." She shook her head positively with vigor. "He is the bravest person I have ever met. He who showed me that even people like me have a chance at redemption if they are willing to try. Not only that, but he promised that he would stay with me and walk this path no matter how long and tortuous it was. And it is for this and other reasons… that he is the person I love."

Mugino Shizuri couldn't stop that sigh from escaping her mouth. Speaking that out loud made her feel so good, even with all the strange things going on around her.

"Wow." Takitsubo's eyes sparkled at that moment. "That was… beautiful."

The expression on the girl's face almost changed as she said this. But she soon became thoughtful again.

Looking into Shizuri's eyes, Takitsubo took a deep breath before deciding to speak.

"But that brings us back to the problem at hand." Takitsubo's tone was hesitant. "Mugino… I know you don't want to believe it, but we can't rule out that someone has put these false memories into you."

"That again? Didn't you hear what I said? Something like that can't be manufactured."

"Think carefully. Feelings, as strong as they are, are still just chemistry. A mental esper can manipulate that and -"

"Yes, I know." Shizuri raised her tone, which caused Takitsubo to back away from her just a little. "But why would anyone do something like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe just as a joke? Or maybe someone who knows you and hates you is doing it as revenge or a way to get you to let your guard down or something."

"That barely makes sense." She moved her hands in a deterrent gesture.

"Well... so what do you think? That some mad scientist messed with space-time and you ended up traveling to an alternate timeline?"

That seemed like an attempt at a joke, yet Shizuri's mind began to focus on those words. This was obviously less plausible than a mental esper, but a passionate girl like Shizuri had to hold on to anything that would take her away from the idea that what she felt was false. She was about to make an important decision.

"I need to see him," she announced, rising from the bed almost in a leap. "I don't know the answer to that, but I'll think better of it when he's on my side."

"You do know that there is a very good chance he doesn't even know who you are, don't you?" Takitsubo put her hand on her chin. "Come to think of it, you saw him that day at the Dianoid, did that make an impression?"

"I will cause one today, don't worry." The smile that appeared on her face was almost evil. "I must not have his number on my cell phone, and there is a good chance that what I have memorized has changed. What do I do? Do I go to his dorm?"

"Hamazura must have his number. You want me to -"

"Yes, ask that guy to call him and...damn what do I say?"

"If all you need is to talk to him, Hamazura can come up with something discreet to bring him here."

Shizuri couldn't think of anything better in the mental state she was in, so she nodded and decided to leave the rest to her friend and that blond looking delinquent.

"Thank you, Takitsubo." She looked tenderly into her friend's eyes. "It's nice to have someone to count on."

"You're welcome, but may I ask what your plan is?"

"The plan?"

'Of course, what the hell am I going to tell him? No matter which hypothesis is correct, technically I'm a stranger to him. I need to fix this first.'

"The plan is simple," said Shizuri, "I'm going to call him for a date."

"What?" One of her eyebrows went up just a little. "Mugino, I can understand where you're coming from, but remember that we don't know what's wrong with you. This could turn out to be a very strange situation."

"Don't worry, he likes girls who are straightforward."

"That's not the problem." Her tone stopped being calm. "Listen, the best thing to do is to be subtle, at least a little. Remember, you barely know him. Here's what we'll do: Hamazura invites him to join us on a shopping trip, then you can have your talk with him."

"Sounds like a good plan. As long as I talk to him it's good enough for me." With a passionate sigh, she stared into the void. "Now I just need to pick out some clothes."

xxxx-xxxx

After Takitsubo left Shizuri alone, she began to let her creativity flow. She needed an outfit that would make an impact, but it was winter so she couldn't show off that much skin without shivering.

'Is there anything I can do with my powers to keep me warm? No, I have to focus. I want to concentrate completely on the situation.' She thought, walking through her modern closet. 'He likes miniskirts, so that will be my base.'

Picking up a few miniskirt options, she spread them out on the bed and placed her hand on her chin. She would also need a coat to protect herself from the cold, preferably a long one since her legs would be exposed.

She changed her mind in an instant. In the end she preferred to wear a pantyhose as well. She would have less exposed skin, but Touma seemed to like that sort of thing, so that wouldn't be a problem. Add to that the thin gray camisole-style blouse, and the bluish-white coat that went all the way to mid-thigh, her sexy winter outfit was set up.

'This is kind of fun' She thought, looking at herself in the mirror. 'It's like I'm doing a speedrun of the Kamijou Touma route. I feel a little dirty for cheating, but… come to think of it, if he doesn't remember me, then he doesn't know what a monster I am.'

Shizuri bit her lip. A shadow was on her face now. The first impression the girl had made on Kamijou Touma was not the best. Nor was the second impression either. In fact, he must have only really started to like her when she began to show a side of her that she hardly knew she had. So the dilemma here was clear.

'This is not a second chance to fix things. There is nothing broken after all. But maybe I should show him this side of me from the start? I know he would be able to see through my darkness like the first time, but... things would be easier if I just got it out of the way, wouldn't they? I can always talk about my past later.'

A trace of doubt remained on her face. But she took a deep breath and made her decision. The strange things happening to her even seemed secondary at the moment considering how much effort she was putting into something so simple.

"Ah... can't forget the perfume." She smiled and began humming, choosing which perfume to wear amidst the many options in front of her, however she twisted her face into a grimace. "Don't I have that one? Damn, he loves that jasmine and rose fragrance. Hmmm... this lavender one smells good... it'll have to do."

Now all she needed to do was wait. In the living room, Kinuhata and Takitsubo were killing time with their cell phones, which reminded Shizuri that someone was missing there. Maybe Frenda had decided to show up at school, or was with one of her many friends. That wasn't important at the moment, so the level 5 just sat down on the couch to go back to thinking about her plan of action.

"Wow. A super miniskirt?" But Kinuhata, who was lying on one of the couches, decided to comment on her friend's choice of clothing. "Interesting choice of clothing for winter. It even looks like a special occasion."

"I'm just dressed to impress." Shizuri smiled mischievously.

"Huh? But I thought we were just going to do some super shopping. Am I missing something here?"

"Not exactly, although I would prefer it if we were to play something. Yes... that would be ideal." She rested her head on her palm and looked at a distant place.

"Trading shopping for games?" Kinuhata even put her cell phone aside and sat down. "Are you still super drunk?"

"We can do both. What do you say Takitsubo?"

"Fine by me." The inexpressive girl tilted her head slightly in a thoughtful manner. "Hamazura said he wanted to bowl, we can do that."

"Excellent. It's not such an intense game and we have plenty of time to talk while we entertain ourselves. Good thinking Takitsubo."

The girl opened her mouth to answer, but an electronic click of the front door opening made her stop. Or rather, Shizuri made Takitsubo stop with an overreaction, standing up with a radiant smile on her face and straightening her clothes.

The first to appear was the blond boy from before, and right behind, was him. The girl's smile widened at the sight of that spiky hair. He looked exactly as usual. The relaxed pose, one hand in his pocket, the calm and composed expression. Shizuri almost let out a passionate smile as she heard her heart suddenly become louder.

"Here we are boss," Hamazura said, coming close to the couches. "Time for introductions -"

"My name is Shizuri," the level 5 interrupted and extended a hand in Touma's direction, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

The situation suddenly became strange. The way the girl had spoken to him shocked everyone. First, she used only her given name to introduce herself. Second, the tone of voice she used had enough sugar in it to guarantee survival on a snowy mountain for a week.

Everyone there looked at each other uncomfortably and with surprised expressions, except Hamazura who for some reason was grinning from ear to ear.

"Kamijou Touma..." He reached out his right hand and shook hers, which widened her smile as soon as their hands touched. "So we have met before? Nice to see you again."

At that instant, the boy made a move that hit Shizuri hard.

He smiled.

That was all it took for the girl to feel her heart puzzling over why she needed so much extra oxygen.

'Holy shit… holy shit… I'm in love.' She sighed. There was no holding back. 'Does this count as love at first sight? Damn... damn I need to calm down. He must be loving this too, isn't he? I know he loves my smile.'

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard someone clear their throat loudly. It was only then she realized that she had gone a little overboard with the handshake, which made her move away a little, but without wiping the smile off her face.

"So... good to see you again too Kamijou-san," Takitsubo greeted him with a simple nod of her head. "Last time was in England, wasn't it?"

"Hmm... yes..." He stared at Takitsubo a little confused.

"Really? You forgot my girlfriend's name, boss?" Hamazura complained, crossing his arms. "Helping you fight an army commanded by the Queen of England herself should etch her name forever in your brain."

"What?" Shizuri blinked twice as she resisted the temptation to grimace.

"Wait, didn't we tell you that?" asked Hamazura, putting a hand on his chin.

"It doesn't matter." Takitsubo decided to change the subject. "Anyway, my name is Takitsubo Rikou."

"Okay," Touma said, scratching his head absently, "I promise not to forget again, Takitsubo-san."

"My turn." The little girl in the sweater dress jumped in front of Touma and held out a hand. "My name is Kinuhata Saiai. You may remember me from that time we fought together. I saw when you stopped that giant scorpion with one super punch." She approached the boy somewhat awkwardly. "That was super cool."

Shizuri began to grit her teeth. Even if only for a moment, she had forgotten what her boyfriend was capable of. And of course, it wasn't that "super punch" that was his greatest power, but rather his "super disease".

'Damn.Has he already infected her? I'm eating dust here. What the hell have I been doing these past few months? Oh no, I won't be left behind on this one. Okay, time for the performance. Going into full DereDere mode.'

"So, Touma..." Shizuri stepped forward and tilted her head in a cute way, "Oh... sorry. You don't mind if I call you by your first name do you? I mean, you seem like a pretty nice and friendly person."

All eyes were now on Shizuri. They were confused, perplexed and surprised looks. Nobody wanted to speak a single word, or maybe it was impossible for them. Apparently no one there was prepared for a dose of "cute Shizuri" first thing in the morning.

"Fine by me," Touma said simply. He looked slightly uncomfortable, perhaps because of the sudden closeness of the two girls.

"Great. You can just call me Shizuri, without any kind of honorific. Unless you want to call me Shizuri-chan. That would be really cute."

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

That was three members of the new ITEM wondering what alternate universe they had just entered. They really were not prepared for so much sugar.

But the girl didn't want to stop.

"Now how about we go?" Shizuri said that to everyone, but her vision still remained on Touma, who was still somewhat uncomfortable. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better." A very feminine giggle escaped her lips.

"What?!"

"What?!"

"What?!"

That cute, aggressive girl was going to end up killing those three today if she kept it up.

xxxx-xxxx

"Okay, there are our cabs," Hamazura announced, pointing across the street.

As the five of them walked to the cab, Shizuri gave Takitsubo a little tap on the shoulder to get her attention and then pointed with her chin at Kinuhata and then at one of the cabs. Her friend easily understood what she was trying to say.

"Kinuhata, can you come with me and Hamazura?" asked Takitsubo, which made Shizuri curve her lip slightly.

"Eh? But you guys always want to be super alone." Offense Armor put on a suspicious expression.

"We're going to need help to...carry those sporting goods." She looked in Shizuri's direction. "Mugino, we'll meet at the bowling when you buy those clothes you told me about."

"Hey, hey, hey..." Kinuhata alternated her vision between the two. "I super wanted to buy clothes too."

This comment, which was super spoiling Shizuri's plans, almost made her regret "saving" Kinuhata in that mission that put an end to the Dark May project.

Two icy glances were cast in the direction of the little girl in the sweater dress. She quickly understood that those two were together, so the best thing to do was to shrug and let it go.

"If you need help I can -" Touma started to speak politely, but was rudely interrupted.

"I appreciate the help, Kamijou-san, but I would prefer that Kinuhata accompany us."

He just shrugged his shoulders with that serious Takitsubo tone, while Shizuri nodded subtly to her friend who was doing an exemplary job as a wingwoman.

'Thank you Takitsubo, I was about to be incredibly direct here.' With that silent thank you, she looked at the confused Touma 'Another road trip together. In this case, the first one if Takitsubo is right. I really want her to be wrong but... it won't matter if I win him over again.'

Touma gently opened the car door for her, who with a cute smile on her face, nodded to him and got into the car. She took the time as he went around the back of the car and through the other door to adjust her clothes a little and look through the portable mirror to make sure that her appearance was perfect.

When the boy got into the car and closed the door, she immediately re positioned herself on the seat and leaned slightly toward him.

'I don't want to make him uncomfortable, but I have to start sending signals here. But first, a little trickery to get him in the mood.'

"So, Touma," she began, fixing her hair in an eye-catching manner, "would you mind if we stopped by a cookware store? I promise not to take too long."

"No, no problem." He kept his eyes fixed outside as the car began to accelerate. "I promised Hamazura that I would help him with whatever he needed, so that includes you."

"Very kind of you."

'Damn, he didn't take the bait. Should I insist? Maybe I should reveal that I read manga or is it too soon? Calm down Shizuri, use your weapons accurately.'

"You are such a thoughtful person," she said, moving just a little closer to him, "I promise to give you a good reward for helping me. How about some home-cooked food?"

"That would be great." For the first time he looked at her in that conversation. "I can help you cook, I know a thing or two about cooking."

"More than that for sure."

"Huh?"

'Shit. That was weird. I need to fix it.'

"Your friend, Hamazura. He told me that you cook well."

That was a bet. Shizuri cursed internally for not having prepared herself a bit before simply asking her friend to arrange this "date", but you could tell she was still stunned by the drunken adventures she had with Touma the night before. That whole moment between the two of them and his aggressiveness was still fresh in her memory, so it was being hard for her to even control herself being so close to that boy. She was in "idiot mode", but it was what she could do best at the moment.

"It's strange that you say 'your friend'. Don't you mean our friend?" he asked, touching his own cheek with his index finger.

"Eh? Yeah... sure. My bad." With that automatic response, she gave a dull laugh and settled back in her seat.

'Really Shizuri? What kind of message did he get here? How many first impressions will I spoil? I need to think more carefully now. I want to send some clear signs of interest. I got it.'

"Hey, Touma, what do you think of my Outfit?"She made a flashy gesture with her hands, indicating for him to take a good look. A somewhat mischievous smile adorned her lips.

"Hmm... I don't understand why the question but... I liked it." His eyes examined her intently.

'That's it, keep looking at me.' She puffed out her chest and crossed her legs. 'My acting is perfect. First showing my sweet and thoughtful personality, then revealing that I have culinary talents, and now making him pay attention to this top-notch body. He must be thinking I'm the perfect girl at this point. But I'm not finished yet.'

"Thank you," she said, tossing her hair to the side in an elegant gesture. "I was inspired by a girl in a manga I read."

"You read manga?" His eyes seemed to sparkle at that moment. "Wow, we have a lot in common."

'I am on the right track. The problem is that the urge to simply kiss him is so hard to control.'

"You look surprised," she said, crossing her arms and putting her index finger on her own lip.

"Well...that was a little unexpected. I thought you were the kind of girl who liked classic literature."

"So you got it right, but one thing doesn't exclude the other. Did you think that just because I come from a rich, upper-class family I have to follow all the standards?"

"Oh... so you're an upper-class girl?" Touma put on a mocking smile that she knew all too well. "Excuse this poor ignorant commoner, my lady. My knowledge of princesses are limited."

The slight lowering of her head and the exaggerated arm gesture made it clear that he was teasing her. And she obviously loved it. So much so that she couldn't hold back a muffled giggle from escaping. The girl was trying to hold back just a little, but it was getting harder and harder.

"Don't worry, you have me to teach you everything you need to know." She took the opportunity to move a little closer to him, lightly touching her leg to his. "But don't expect that kindness will come for free."

"Really? You gave the impression of generosity. Unfortunately I have to say that I don't have much to offer in return."

"I'm sure you can think of something."

With one hand resting on her thigh, the girl waited for him to lower that hand of his so that she could begin to slide hers toward him. Simply holding his hand would be awkward, so she stopped the movement midway.

"How about you tell me a little about yourself?" she asked gently, beginning to play with her own hair. The boy's eyes were intent on hers, as if to read her intentions.

"You seem genuinely interested in knowing about me."

"Why wouldn't I be? You seem like a pretty interesting person." Her tone became slightly sharper, and that hand slid back toward his.

"I'm sorry to say but, I'm just an average high school boy. There's nothing out of the ordinary or interesting about me."

He turned away from her a little after a disinterested shrug. Not understanding why, Shizuri ran a hand through her hair to disguise her sudden nervousness. Of course the girl would not let the conversation cool down, but she needed to probe him a little before making any further advances.

"I wouldn't say that," she began, "the last time we saw each other you gave me an excellent impression. I sense that you feel something similar too."

"I don't know about the first impression, but you're making a pretty good one right now," Touma stated, moving just a little in her direction.

"Ohooo... and what is causing this?" She even bit her lip in anticipation, however the boy hesitated for too long, which left an awkward silence.

'Come on Touma, no need to think about what to say, I'm already yours.' Shizuri without even realizing was bringing her face closer to his. 'We just need to work on making you mine again too.'

"You... well..." He almost stammered.

"Yes?" but she nodded her head to assure him that everything was fine.

"You're a little too close."

"Huh?"

The girl only realized now that she was practically kissing him. She even had her head tilted to the right side. She reluctantly pulled away, clicking her tongue in frustration. At least from her point of view, he even seemed reasonably comfortable with that sudden approach. If he hadn't commented, Shizuri would have kissed him while on autopilot.

"I'm sorry about that." She nervously played with her hair again. "I was quite interested in what you had to say and ended up invading your personal space unintentionally."

"It's okay." Touma looked through the car window, but soon his eyes locked on hers. "We're here. We'd better hurry if we don't want to keep the others waiting."

When the two of them got out of the car, Shizuri made sure to stay on his left side. She didn't grab his arm like she usually did, but internally she was begging him to do that joke that got them going like that, but she took a deep breath and tried to be content for now.

"By the way," Touma said, "what I was trying to say is that you're a pretty honest girl and I admire that about you. I think we'll get along well."

Something seemed to tingle in her body at that moment. That sensation was intense, like electricity flowing through the girl's body. She stopped suddenly, bringing her hand to her loud chest that refused to calm down.

'That was amazing...' The passionate sigh was quite audible. 'But I'm still falling behind here. I have to make him fall in love with me today.'

xxxx-xxxx

"Are you really going to do this?" asked Takitsubo in an irritated voice.

"I can't miss the opportunity to see the boss in action," Hamazura replied with a smile, as he pulled the girl behind a shelf.

"That's not what I had in mind when you said you admired him. What are you trying to accomplish here, Hamazura?"

"You guys are making too much noise, be super quiet," Kinuhata warned, covering her face with a magazine.

It turns out that these three, instead of going about their own business, decided it would be interesting to take a look at the love life of a certain Meltdowner.

After the cabs stopped near the Mall, Hamazura insisted that he needed to see the free "class" being offered before his eyes. Kinuhata readily accepted, but Takitsubo was not interested in joining the duo of stalkers, but her boyfriend had a flame in his eyes today.

"So what do you recommend?" Shizuri asked, holding a frying pan in each hand.

"Honestly, I can't really give that much of an opinion considering that either of those two are much better than either one I've had." Touma shrugged and pointed to the girl's right hand. "Let's take that one, the handle has a rougher texture."

"Great choice." The girl put the pan in the shopping cart with a beaming smile.

The "Stalker duo+1" had incredibly overreactions when they saw the girl deliberately touching Touma's arm playfully while continuing to smile.

"Honestly, I don't know who is super trying to seduce whom," Kinuhata commented, looking discreetly across the hall. "What's gotten into Mugino? I've never seen her smile so much."

"It's the boss's special power." Hamazura still kept the odd grin on his face. "I saw him once surrounded by over ten girls, he even looked like a harem protagonist."

"You guys have had enough fun, we better get back," Takitsubo insisted, still not interested in spying her friend on her 'date'. There was also the fact that she was about to beat Hamazura to the ground.

A loud laugh drew much more attention than the girl's pleas. The trio quickly repositioned themselves to watch the scene. It looked as if the boy had stepped on something and fallen to the ground, and Shizuri was helping him up.

"Such Misfortune!" he complained, holding the hand of the girl who thoughtfully pulled him up and began to wipe the dust off his clothes. "Thanks for the help. Where did this soda can come from? It doesn't even have a vending machine here."

"Your luck really is the worst." She continued helping him as she smiled. "The universe must hate you."

"Probably." He scratched his head and looked her in the eye. "You're so kind, you know that? Most people would ask me to pay more attention."

"That would be unfair of me, considering that I also have no idea where that can came from. Do the people in your life usually blame you for things you barely have control over?"

"Not all of them. But let's not talk about that, it's a subject that usually goes on too long."

"I wouldn't mind if the subject extended." She suddenly held his arm in a very possessive manner. "You are a very interesting person after all. It would be nice if after we're done here we went somewhere more... private. One where we can talk better without your misfortune getting in the way. I want to learn more about you."

"Why do you want to know more about me so badly?"

"Huh?" The girl tilted her head and put on another cute smile. "Why wouldn't a girl try to learn more about the guy she's interested in?"

Those words hit the trio of spies like a hurricane. They even widened their eyes at the aggression that did not stop for a single second. Glancing at each other, the three of them let the two lovebirds walk away to another section of the store, leaving a strange atmosphere for them to deal with.

"She... basically..." Hamazura barely knew what to say "That was almost a confession wasn't it? Boss, you're a god."

"I don't know what you are proud of, super Hamazura, it is Mugino who is doing all the work here."

"Yeah," agreed Takitsubo, slightly interested now as she carefully made her way toward where those two had gone. "She's sending signals without holding back."

"So is the boss doing well or not?"

The two gave him a blank look and then sighed together.

"Mugino is clearly in love," Kinuhata replied. "There are enough signs there for all the roads in Japan, but that could be a super problem."

"Huh? Why?" he remained confused.

"Because she's clearly investing a lot more in him than he is in her," Takitsubo replied, while trying to locate the pursued. "That's basically a one-way road."

"I don't know why that would be bad."

"What would be bad?"

The last question did not come out of the mouths of any of the Stalker trio.

Standing there with arms folded under her generous chest, Mugino Shizuri displayed a grimace of pure disgust. The three of them didn't really understand what had happened, but they should have known that it wasn't easy to keep chasing a dark-side agent in broad daylight in a low-traffic store.

"M-Mugino-san... I..." Hamazura froze momentarily as she moved only his eyes in the direction of the other girls, searching for help.

"It was all his super idea." But Kinuhata was more interested in saving her own skin.

"What?" That betrayal brought Hamazura back to his senses. "You didn't even complain when I suggested it, so that makes you a conniving accomplice."

"Takitsubo, anything to say?" Shizuri asked, tapping her foot.

"I'm sorry," she said, grabbing her boyfriend's arm. "Hamazura is not entirely to blame this time. I should have stopped him."

"Don't do that Takitsubo." Hamazura swallowed dryly. "Spare her, I'll take all the punishment myself."

Shizuri narrowed her eyes and uncrossed her arms. She took a step forward toward the two and then, surprisingly, nodded positively.

"You two are so cute." She continued nodding her head. "Protecting each other like that. So romantic."

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

Those three would really die if that level 5 kept acting this way and impressing them every time. She really looked like an alternate version of a parallel universe where there was no pain and suffering or anything like that.

Until her expression suddenly became frightening.

"However, stalking someone like that is still fucking weird," Shizuri continued, her voice slightly stern. "Don't do it again. You are distracting me and what I am doing is very important so I will need all my concentration. Don't make me take drastic measures."

The three nodded as they looked at her like puppies. That violent girl was emanating such an intense aura now that the three of them could only obey her orders.

xxxx-xxxx

"Sorry for the delay," Shizuri said, smiling at Touma.

The boy smiled back at her as he dragged the shopping cart toward the cashier. Without wasting any time, the girl touched him lightly on the forearm. She made it look like an accident because they were so close, but, in fact, she was testing how comfortable he was around her.

"Next stop clothing store, isn't it?" he asked, removing the few items from the cart and placing them on the counter.

"Yes, unless you want to go straight to bowling."

"We'd better stick to the plan."

"I thought you might like to improvise." She pulled her credit card from her purse and handed it to the girl at the checkout counter. "If you want, we can even forget all this and go see a movie or something."

"Are you asking me out?" That mischievous smile made it clear that the question was rhetorical. It was just a tease.

"Yes, that's right."

Shizuri had to resist the temptation to lick her lips as she saw the boy's eyes widen just a little.

'Don't be surprised, Touma. You haven't seen anything yet. I'm not interested in slow burning. I'll give you a nice kiss while I tousle that spiky head later today.'

"The password is wrong." The girl's voice at the cashier snapped her out of her plans.

"Huh?" Shizuri typed the password one more time into the machine and frowned. "What do you mean wrong password?"

The look of confusion was erased when she recalled the important detail that she could not remember anything from the last few months. The next few seconds were spent by Shizuri trying futilely to guess what this version of her would use as a password. But Touma saved her from embarrassment and offered his own card.

"No, no, no," Shizuri declined the offer, keeping her voice in a sympathetic tone. "I must have some money here as an emergency." She quickly rummaged through her purse. "Here... damn, there's not enough."

"Shizuri, I can cover the rest. You can pay me later if you want." Without waiting for the girl's response, he put his own card into the machine and typed in the password. "There, all taken care of."

Even though he nodded positively to her, the girl could only reply with a crooked smile.

'Damn, this is so embarrassing. Why is this Shizuri walking around with so little money? Has the dark side decreased payments these past few months or something? What is your problem my other self? I'm still a level 5, dammit. Why are you embarrassing me in front of the future love of your life?'

xxxx-xxxx

After recovering from her little identity crisis, Shizuri left the store with a few bags in her arms. Touma kept insisting that she let him carry the weight, but she refused for two reasons: first, she was in love with him and trying to impress, and second, that left arm of hers was much stronger than she remembered.

'This thing is useful.' She examined her own arm which looked totally normal 'I have to ask Takitsubo why the hell I have a prosthetic arm. What kind of dangerous missions from the dark side are we accepting?'

At first, the girl was freaking out when she heard those mechanical clicks. Having something non-inorganic inhabiting her body from one minute to the next should be something someone would take a while to get used to, but there was a bigger problem there: The girl's whole body was experiencing the same sensation. She didn't know why, but it felt like her whole body was slightly different. Maybe she was a little taller, considering the passage of time, and she was pretty sure her bust was bigger. Not that she was going to complain.

An unexpected scene made Shizuri suddenly stop walking. A girl whose face she was beginning to hate was standing across the street. She was wearing a Tokiwadai winter uniform with a thick coat over it. The chestnut haired girl was inexpressive as she was followed by a child who looked lost.

'Railgun? Why is she carrying an assault rifle?'

To make matters stranger, Shizuri noticed another identical girl across the street with a garbage collector. Was she doing public service?

'What the fuck is going on here? Either my eyes are playing tricks on me, or those rumors about the military clones were true.'

"You're a little distracted," Touma touched her shoulder to get her attention. "Shouldn't we hurry?"

"I think our trip to the clothing store is going to have to be canceled," Shizuri said. "I need to solve this problem with my card. How about we stop for a bite to eat?"

"Sure. Let me pay."

"No, no." She waved her hand nervously. "I still have some money, you can leave it to me."

The restaurant was chosen completely at random. Shizuri made a point of double-checking that they weren't being followed, and just to be sure, chose a place in the back, away from the window.

The place was practically empty, and their table was far away from any people, so they could have a nice conversation without interruptions.

"So, tell me more about yourself." Shizuri wasted no time. Her tone remained sweet, and she was leaning only slightly toward him.

"Hmm... I don't have much to say. Actually, I was hoping you would tell a little more about your life, that conversation in the car was pretty interesting."

"You liked what you heard, eh? Well, I have no problem talking about my life. I read books, manga, enjoy cooking, and have a passion for fashion. So much so that I'm thinking of opening a designer clothing store in the future, maybe even owning a new brand."

"Damn." The boy looked at her impressed. "That can't be easy. You dream pretty big."

"You think so?" Pausing, she took a sip from the cold glass of water on the table and curved the corner of her lip. "That was something that had been on my mind for some time now. My passion for fashion is something that defines me, and I think I have a talent for management. A person once told me that doing what I like would help me with my problems, so this is a way to do something for me and for him at the same time."

"Him?" Touma raised an eyebrow. "This guy sounds like a pretty important person to you. Are you two -"

"Yes, he is important, very important." Her interruption came with a nervous tone, she even looked away for a moment. "But it is not what it sounds like. I'm single."

'God, how weird that was. I shouldn't have started talking about it... damn, damn, damn...'

"Okay, touchy subject?" Touma asked, also taking a sip of his water.

"No, no… nothing like that." She tried to smile, but it was not natural at all.

"Really? For a moment I thought this 'guy' was your boyfriend, but since you say you're single, is he a great friend then?"

"No...I mean...sort of."

'Shit, what do I answer? Yes he is my boyfriend, he is you... I can't say he is a friend, I don't want to say that... ah, I'm a fucking idiot...'

"Ex-boyfriend then?" the boy insisted, however he seemed to regret it as he settled into his seat not at all at ease. "Sorry, I guess I'm being a bit intrusive."

"Don't apologize, I'm the one who started talking about me so much." She took a breath to calm herself, a thought suddenly arising. "But what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah... do you have a girlfriend?"

Luckily, the boy wasn't drinking water, otherwise he probably would have spit it all out.

'That was very abrupt. I couldn't resist again. Calm down, you did well, I need to know if he is single. This is almost a year later, what are the chances some girl has confessed?'

"Yes, I do," he said casually.

Shizuri almost collapsed. In fact, she collapsed internally. Her mouth felt suddenly dry, but she was sure that glass of water would not calm this feeling. Her eyes lost focus, and for an instant, the world seemed to be completely silent.

'Of course... how silly I am.' She sighed loudly, not caring about the boy watching her. 'What do I do now? I know how petty it is to think this, but depending on the girl, I still have a chance don't I? What the hell am I thinking, he's Touma, he would never just abandon a girl because a prettier one appeared out of nowhere in his life.'

"She's an amazing person," Touma continued, with Shizuri barely paying attention. "Cute, smart, always cares about me, always willing to help me with my problems. I think I've changed a lot thanks to her."

"Good for you." Shizuri sighed loudly once again. "And what is the name of this amazing girl?"

'It must be one of those I know. Maybe it's that senpai. She fits his type pretty well...come to think of it, Hokaze doesn't either? Though she's too young and pure, and I want to believe he prefers someone more like me. He seems hesitant to answer, how strange.'

"Her name is Index," he finally replied.

"Huh?" she twisted her face into a grimace.

'Who the fuck is Index? Does this name even exist? Is someone tricking him with a fake name or some shit like that? I swear to god, I'm going to kill this girl... Shizuri calm down... calm down.'

"Shizuri, is there a problem? You've suddenly turned pale."

"No problem at all… I was just taken a little by surprise." She couldn't look him in the eye. "So this girl, Index, she… how long ago… no, never mind."

Delving into this subject was irrelevant. Something was aching inside her, and it was as if the world was suddenly losing its colors. She thought she could just move on, or rather, start over. But the universe decided to get in her way once again.

'What do I do? He already has someone by his side, and he clearly loves her. What the hell was that anyway? One day I'm the happiest girl in the world, and now it seems that same world is laughing at me.'

She faced the table, where her completely normal right hand rested. Looking at him was not an option now. Even speaking was difficult.

'A mental esper... time travel... any other shit... none of it matters. In the end, it seems that people like me don't deserve to be happy.'

"I have to go now," she said, getting up still unable to face him.

"Kind of sudden. Won't you wait for your food?" His voice sounded distant, but she could still sense his typical kindness.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I lost my appetite."

"I see. It seems that my company is not very good."

"No, it's not that. You are certainly the most interesting person I have ever met." Shizuri felt something warm form in her eyes. "And that's why I have to go. It's been really nice spending all this time with you, Kamijou Touma, but it's better if we part now."

With her back to him, she took a deep breath before taking the first step forward, away from him. Maybe they would never meet again, or at least, it seemed for the best. Of course, just because he had someone else, that didn't mean he couldn't be around her anymore, but what she felt right now kept her from thinking about a future where they were anything more than friends.

'Goodbye, my Touma. Our love story lasted just long enough for a girl like me to understand that there is more than one way to go. It's a shame that I have to follow it alone now… because having you by my side now would only hurt me.'

"It really is a shame," Touma said. His voice sounded distant once again. Shizuri couldn't look back. "I thought you were pretty interesting too, bad girl."

She stopped walking immediately. The tone of voice he used she knew very well. A bold, nonchalant tone, almost like a slight tease. And that nickname. That damn nickname.

"What?" Shizuri returned to the table and looked him in the eye as he flashed a small smile. "Why did you call me that?"

"I thought it suited you, Shizuri-chan." He continued to smile. That look on his face she knew very well.

"No... impossible... you... are you..." Shizuri couldn't formulate a sentence. She had to sit down to try to calm her heart. "Touma?"

"That's my name," he joked, leaning just a little in her direction. "Your memory seems to be working just fine, bad girl."

"Smartass." That came out automatically. And so did the smile forming at the corner of her lip. "Is that really you? My Touma? No... no... answer me... tell me something only he would know."

"I've kind of done that already, but let's see. We met in a mansion during a mission, and you tried to kill me… more than once."

Her hands covered her own mouth. Her brain almost shut down with the sudden flush of emotions, but the boy wasn't finished yet.

"However, that was only one side of you," he continued, "and you told me that I was the person you wanted to show all the others."

"Your promise," she said, almost sobbing, "what you promised me that day... in that tunnel."

"That I would stand by you until the end. And that's what I'm doing."

She almost couldn't stand it. The tears that she had kept with all her strength from forming were begging to be released. But she didn't want to cry next to him anymore, not that she cared. Shizuri preferred only to smile, her eyes still warm and wet. Feeling alone was the worst thing anyone could feel, but that was erased in an instant.

"Dumbass boyfriend." Mugino Shizuri continued to smile, which caused the boy in front of her to reach out and touch her face. "You… goddamn… fucking smartass. You knew all along?"

"Not really. But I figured it out pretty quickly."

"Then why did you do it?" She clutched his hand. "Do you have any idea how sad I was?"

"Sorry, I just thought it was amusing that you were being so obvious. And you seemed to be having fun too."

"Maybe. But did you even need to invent an imaginary girlfriend? What the hell kind of name is 'Index'? At least make up a real name."

"Well... actually..."

Shizuri's face was adorned with surprise when she realized what the boy meant.

"Wait... does this girl exist?" Sadness almost returned to her voice, even though she knew it made no sense.

"Yes. But we're not dating, in fact, I can't even tell for sure what our relationship is, but apparently it's not romantic."

"Speaking a random girl's name when asked if you are dating. Touma, what's your problem?" Shizuri let a giggle escape. She felt so much more at ease now.

"It would be strange if I answered 'Mugino Shizuri'. You were being obvious, but there was still a chance that you were not my Shizuri."

"So all that stuff you said about your girlfriend..."

"Of course it was you, silly. I almost freaked out when you asked for a name, so I said the first one that came to mind."

That was enough. The situation they were in seemed irrelevant to her now. The person she loved was on her side, as he had promised he would be. Then the girl couldn't hold on for another second. She leaned toward him, bringing her face as close to his as possible, but before she could complete the movement, something quite unexpected happened.

"I guess I can leave now then." A muffled voice came from below. It was female, with a very perceptible trace of arrogance.

Shizuri looked away, in the direction of the voice. The source, amazingly enough, came from the pocket of the boy's sweatshirt. What was it? A doll perhaps?

"You could have been more direct, human," spoke the doll, climbing over Touma's body and sitting on his shoulder.

The expression on Meltdowner's face changed from joy to surprise, and then to confusion. It wasn't every day that a talking doll wearing fancy clothes that looked like a modified bikini, a cape, a hat and an eye patch stared at her like that.

"Touma... what the fuck?" Shizuri even moved away from him and made an exaggerated gesture turning her palms toward the doll.

Touma alternated his gaze between the doll and his girlfriend and then sighed. A long sigh that one would normally give after a defeat or when faced with a giant problem.

"So... I hope you're ready." Touma was looking Shizuri right in the eye now. "That's going to be a long story."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Welcome to the end-of-chapter notes. First of all, I have a warning to give: I'm going to take a short hiatus.

I don't want to talk about my life, so I'll just say that I have practically no time to write at the moment. Since I've been updating this fic with a good frequency, I decided to let you know instead of just quietly going on hiatus, since that might give the impression that I'm abandoning this story, which won't happen.

As I said in the notes to the other chapter, this story will be entering the "final stretch" in a few chapters, so this is both the worst and the best time to go on hiatus. Sorry.

About this chapter, the only thing to comment on is that we don't know the exact layout of the ITEM apartment, so for sure there will be discrepancies, however, I assume we will have more details in the new Spin-off, so I can "fix" the inconsistencies. BTW, there are a lot of "road trip" scenes in this fic. The one in this chapter was probably the last.

I think that's it. As I said, I'm running out of time so I'm trying to be as brief as possible. Thanks everyone! Until next time... Nio leaving... hopefully not permanently.