Chapter 5 - Running out of options
After a few minutes, the Queen of Tokiwadai was ready to return to the School Garden. Now it was her turn to wait for Kamijou while he changed his clothes.
'Maybe I should take a peek'
With a strange smile, the girl approached the bathroom door and leaned in a little, but she felt herself being hit by two stares so intense that they were almost causing physical discomfort.
"What are you up to, #5?" Othinus stood facing the door and opened her arms, yet her size prevented her from being imposing.
"Nothing. I'm not a pervert...but it would be interesting to see him shirtless again. Any of these days I'll call him to a pool and... I forgot that I don't swim very well."
"I'm ready, let's get it over with soon," Kamijou announced, opening the bathroom door. "Othinus, Index, I'll be back soon. There should be something edible in the fridge in case this takes too long."
The two teenagers left the dormitory and called the elevator. Misaki was somewhat apprehensive about all this. She wasn't sure if System Scan would help her get any closer to her miracle.
'If his power is that strange, then maybe it won't even make a difference. But there is hope ability here if that impostor was created with his powers. I heard that number 2 could even repair vital organs with his dark matter… if the power of those two are similar...'
"You're quite thoughtful, Misaki-chan," Kamijou commented, getting into the elevator. "Trying to process all that stuff about magic?"
"Actually I'm trying to focus more on the science side of things. Your friends seem like experts on this occult stuff, so I have to bring something new to the table."
"That makes sense. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Well... I don't really know how your powers work. Can you give me a summary of the strange things you are able to do?" Misaki was speaking in a very interested tone, however the boy turned his face confused.
"As for that... I don't really know what I'm capable of," he scratched his head and smiled forlornly. "The only powers I have a good handle on are my Imagine Breaker, which technically doesn't count as control since it's an automatic thing, and my Dragon Shell, which is possessing my body so I don't know if it counts either."
"Eh? That's pretty bad."
'That could be a problem. He's been categorized as level 0 all this time, which means that no scientist has had a chance to analyze his powers and help him make the best use of them.'
"There's also that" he continued in a somber voice. "You were there in England when it happened...when I was without my right hand. There is something inside me that can only be kept under control with my Imagine Breaker"
"I disagree," she said quickly, "I know what you are talking about. That strange power is indeed dangerous, even without actually seeing it in action I can say that with full certainty. But you were able to contain it without the power of your right hand. But let's leave that aside for now and focus on the powers you have at your full disposal now."
Leaving the building, the two walked down the sidewalk side by side. Misaki remained thoughtful while Kamijou looked at his right hand with a confused expression.
"Where is the car? It should have arrived by now." Misaki said, looking around.
"Did you call for a car? The school yard is not that far from here, we can walk." Suggested the boy, starting to walk quickly.
"No, wait." But the girl grabbed his arm "I haven't had breakfast, so I don't have enough energy ability for something like that." She laughed weakly.
"Hmm... correct me if I'm wrong but you're the girl who helped me with my homework that day aren't you? The one I had to carry in my arms for miles because she got exhausted after -"
"I'm not anti-athletic!" Interrupted the girl with a cute shout. She held up an index finger as she deflected that judgmental look being cast at her. "I usually exercise every day, even."
"Yeah... yeah. What kind of exercise are we talking about here, princess? They didn't help much considering you were panting after a few seconds of light jogging," he asked skeptically.
"Why does your memory ability work perfectly when it's to make fun of me?" Misaki gave a cute pout at the boy's teasing. "I'm doing sit-ups every day for your information. My record so far is... a good number."
Noticing that hesitation in the girl's voice, Kamijou put a small smile on his face. Misaki noticed this and crossed her arms smugly to hide her embarrassment.
"A good number, is it?" He asked, trying to look her in the eye. "How much would that be? 5? 10?"
"10?!" The girl lost her smug pose as she shouted that alarmed. "I mean, I'll get to 10 one day. I just have to keep pushing myself."
"Wait... you know it was a joke right? 10 sit-ups is kid stuff." He was genuinely confused and curious now. "How many can you currently do then?"
"Umm... I can do..." She mumbled something but it wasn't loud enough for the boy to hear.
"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" He asked, watching the girl suddenly turn red.
"One...I can do one sit-up for now. Satisfied?"
Silence. The boy remained silent for several seconds. His expression was completely neutral. Misaki didn't expect this kind of reaction. He just stood there, as if contemplating an event so unexpected that her brain couldn't process the information properly.
"I'm sorry," Kamijou finally said. He shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder in a welcoming way, which made the girl's heart warm. "Not everyone was born with the ability to tell a good joke. You could have at least told two or three, it would have been funnier. Saying one is a bit of an exaggeration."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Now it was the girl who was confused "It wasn't a joke. And I have exemplary humor ability. The girls in my clique always -"
"Hehehe"
"Don't laugh!"
She started to punch the boy's chest a few times as her eyes moistened. A loud laugh was heard in District 7. Kamijou laughed so loud that some people around him thought he had gone crazy.
"You can only do one? One?" He patted her on the back a few times as he continued laughing. She just stood there with a pout "No way. It's kind of cute, actually. What are you anyway? An elementary school kid? Actually, even worst, hehe."
"It's not my fault." The girl protested, tapping her foot. "I have above-average proportions as you can see from my statuesque young maiden body. You must take into account things like relative density and air resistance. I'm playing this game on hard mode, don't compare me to others, it's unfair."
"Uh-huh. I'm not going to argue against that just because you gave me a good laugh. I feel really good now. Thank you Misaki-chan." He continued patting her on the back ."By the way, if you want I can at least try to help you with a little body training."
"Really?" The girl undid her pout and began to smile upon hearing that. "I don't know if it would help me, but I can think of some fun things... hehehe."
'That would be really nice. I can already think of several different flirtations while we're both sweating after a day of strenuous exercise... yeah... hehehe.'
"I train my body in a 'spontaneous' way considering the mess I have to deal with," Kamijou said, putting a hand in his pocket and sighing, "But lately things are quieter so it would be nice to work out in a traditional way. Having a workout partner would be nice."
"Great. I accept your offer, Kamijou-san." She smiled radiantly as she said that. "I can't wait to flirt... I mean, work out with you."
At that moment a car parked on the sidewalk next to them. It was time for them to continue their quest.
The Tokiwadai middle school was one of the most prestigious schools in all of Academy City. That school was famous for being the only one to have two level 5s attending classes, and there were even royalty interested in joining that educational institution. The maidens who studied there were trained to be polite and courteous, which meant that they were not shaken by anything.
"Is that a gentleman?" Asked a girl to her friend. "What is he doing with the queen?"
"Wait, I remember him," another girl said, examining that totally ordinary boy. "I wonder if he and the queen are..."
It turned out that Tokiwadai today had been transformed into a reasonably controlled chaos. The blame for this was obviously on Shokuhou Misaki and her 'escort', the one she was clutching with both hands on his right arm as the two of them walked through the crowded halls of the school.
"The Queen is so brave. A true high-class maiden." Another girl admired that scene from a distance with indiscreet whispers.
"Shokuhoooooooooooou!" That scream echoed throughout most of the school. It seems that one particular student was not happy about it at all. "Shokuhou, what are you planning to do with this idiot?"
The electric girl known as Railgun made her appearance with an extremely annoyed face. Misaka Mikoto looked breathless, as if she had run through the entire Schoolyard. Add this to the fact that her eyes were filled with hatred, and she looked like a rabid dog about to foam at the mouth.
"Ara, ara... Misaka-saaan, how is your day?" Misaki asked, taking the opportunity to move even closer to the boy she was holding so proudly. "Mine is excellent as you can see"
"Hey Misaka, how are you? You look angry." Kamijou said, sincerely concerned. "The classes here must be stressful"
"Don't talk to me so casually while holding her like that as if you were a cou - " Mikoto braked as he tried to speak that word. "Shokuhou, I demand an explanation of why this idiot is here in Tokiwadai."
"I'm sorry Misaka-san, but we are on a tight deadline." Misaki smiled smugly, pulling her companion away from there. "We still have a long day ahead of us, don't we Kamijou-san?"
"I don't know why but something tells me that you two don't get along, Misaki-chan."
Those words came so casually out of that boy's mouth that he hadn't even realized the bomb that had been dropped. Some of the girls started muttering to each other while blushing for some reason, while Mikoto literally 'lit up'.
"You...you called her by her first name?" The Railgun began to display blue sparks coming out of her bangs. "No... this is your fault Shokuhou. You must have forced him using your disgusting brainwashing powers. But I will fix it... yes... I will fix it..."
There was no time for anyone to blink there. The instant she uttered those words a lance of lightning was hurled towards the two of them. Somewhat lazily, Kamijou raised her right hand, which caused the lightning to bend and be attracted like a lightning rod. A sharp sound echoed, erasing that powerful attack in the same instant. And of course this caused even louder and louder murmurs among the girls. Most of them looked confused, while the rest had a surprised expression.
"What are you doing? I'm trying to save you here." Complained Mikoto, about to throw another lightning spear.
"Eh? How does trying to send me to the afterlife count as 'saving'?" Kamijou asked angrily, looking at the slightly damaged bandage on his hand.
"Misaka-san is always so rude," said Misaki, smiling nonchalantly. "It must be because of the bunch of muscles she has in her brain."
"What did you say, fat heap?" The electric girl was getting more and more irritated, yet her rival just kept smiling.
"Or maybe she's trying the 'hard to get' strategy. You know that doesn't work if the person in question isn't trying to 'get' in the first place, right? Misaka-saaaaaaaan"
"I'm losing patience here. Let him go Shokuhou."
"What makes you think he's not here of his own free will? You certainly haven't forgotten his power, considering he just demonstrated it."
"This is my last warning, Shokuhou."
"What's going on here?" That aging female voice sounded just as Mikoto was about to fire another bolt of lightning
The noise stopped when a formally dressed elderly woman appeared on the commotion. She had her hair tied up in a bun and wore an oval pair of glasses, clearly one of the teachers there.
"Watanabe-sensei?" Mikoto spoke that with a surprised tone. "Good of you to show up. As you can see, Shokuhou is abusing her powers. She brought a boy here just to annoy me."
"I'm afraid that's not the case, Misaka-san." The elderly woman said, straightening her glasses "Shokuhou-san warned us beforehand that he would bring the gentleman to Tokiwadai to undergo a System Scan. So this is all just a misunderstanding."
"System Scan?" It wasn't just Mikoto who wondered that, but several other girls as well.
"Yes. Shokuhou-san made us a request and we readily accepted it as a courtesy. Now if you will excuse us." The woman gestured for everyone there to disperse and then turned to those two so close to each other "Follow me please, we are late."
The three of them started walking down that hallway as the students dispersed, but before turning a corner, Misaki looked at her rival and, with a smile on her face, winked one eye and then stuck out her tongue. The blonde also made a victory sign with her fingers when she saw Railgun's annoyed face.
Touma had been brought to an outdoor facility where he had plenty of room for a demonstration of his abilities. The battery of tests they subjected Kamijou Touma to was extensive, which included several volunteer espers 'testing' his powers. The school full of monster girls of level 3 and above had what it took to test the limits of this mysterious power. Or so the scientists thought.
"Are you having fun, Kamijou-san?"
A female scientist approached the boy. She fixed her glasses to look at him just after he had punched a fireball thrown at him by an esper volunteer, who still didn't understand what the boy had done to protect himself so easily from her attack.
"Misaki-chan, what's going on?" Touma looked confused in the direction of the supposed scientist.
"Oh... I guess I changed too fast, hehe."
The supposed scientist was actually the sexy looking girl who was too mature to be in middle school. She now wore a formal outfit consisting of a white button-down blouse and a black skirt, stockings, and a lab coat. And of course, glasses with clear lenses to complete the look. Depending on the person, she could pass herself off as a doctor or a young scientist.
"That's the second time you've changed clothes today." Pointed the boy, examining that outfit. "Is this some kind of experiment to test my memory?"
"Something like that, but it doesn't matter now." Misaki looked at the clipboard that looked like a giant cell phone she was carrying and signaled to the volunteer girl to leave. "Thanks for the help." She waited for the other girl to leave before continuing. "I received the initial results. The cameras and meters around were supposed to give us an estimate of the level of your powers, but we couldn't come to a consensus."
"What does it mean? My level is still 0?"
"The most accurate would be 'unknown'." She fixed her glasses and smiled at him. "But don't worry, you demonstrated impressive abilities today. Your speed ability was amazing. You seem to be able to break the speed of sound without much effort, although not for very long, and your dragon armor has incredibly resilient parts. In addition your negating ability seems to work on any esper power."
"Misaki, why does it seem to me that you are preparing to give me bad news?"
"It's not bad news." She tilted her head and then handed the clipboard to Kamijou. "Take a look at this. These graphs show your performance compared to the female students here. Even though you are not emitting an AIM field, your ability is pretty much at the top of its type. So it can be said that you are an unofficial high level esper."
"Unofficial? Which means I'm still -"
"Don't be impatient, Kamijou-chan." She took the clipboard from his hands and smiled for him to wipe the grimace off his face. "Scientists are confused about your powers. Some are theorizing that you are a holistic esper, so it may be a while before the results become official."
"A holistic esper?" Kamijou returned the smile, but it didn't seem to be for the reason the girl was thinking. "That would be rather ironic after that mess in Baggage City."
"It's still just a theory. Anyway, it looks like we're done here." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to check the time. "It's almost lunchtime already. How about if we have lunch together, Kamijou-chan?"
"I don't see why not."
"Good. I will think of a good place." She grabbed his right arm and began to pull him along.
In the end, the golden girl decided to take her beloved for a walk. Some girls gave them a basket with food stored in plastic bags and a folded cloth, these two items that Touma was obviously in charge of carrying.
Shokuhou waited for the clique girls to leave them alone with those curious looks of hers to put a cute smile on her face.
"So, Kamijou-san... what do you want to do?"
Leaning forward and fixing her fake glasses, she gave the boy a wink. Touma mumbled something, looking around the oddly too empty park. This made the girl slightly nervous.
Clearing her throat to get his attention once again, she had an idea.
"We can play something." She suggested, looking at a nearby table. "There should be a chessboard around here."
"Eh? Of all the things is this what you want to do? I don't even know the rules of that game."
"Don't start making things up Kamijou-san..." She stopped talking when she saw the boy's serious face. "Wait... you really don't know the rules?"
A laugh was muffled by the hand that Shokuhou placed elegantly in front of her mouth. Touma gave a long sigh and put one hand in his pocket.
"You're going to start teasing me now are you?" He was slightly irritated.
"Sorry, but it's just that even children these days know at least the basics of chess. But don't worry, everyone has their strong point after all." She started patting him on the back as she smiled. "I don't like you for your intellect ability, so don't worry, it's okay... it's okay."
Taking her time to mock the poor boy, who now had a vein protruding from his forehead, the golden girl began to think of options for spending her free time with him. This of course was just her way of trying to distract herself, to take her mind off the fact that today had not been the most productive day. Hearing that explanation about the "famous" magic had not helped her understand the boy's powers, and the analysis done in Tokiwadai had raised even more questions.
The steps Shokuhou Misaki had to follow now were unclear. She sat down gently on the artificial grass of the park, with Touma beside her. As she chewed on that sandwich made only from high quality natural products, she was lost in thought.
'System Scan was practically useless. Maybe I should focus on that magic then? No, those two seem to understand all about it so I'd better stick to my area of expertise.'
"You are very quiet." Touma suddenly commented.
Those words snapped the golden girl out of her trance. She blinked twice when she saw that the boy was looking at her with a worried expression. Curling her lip slightly, she partially wrapped the sandwich and placed it beside her. Her heart warmed at seeing him so close.
'That's almost a romantic picnic. It's a shame he'll forget about it soon enough.'
"That's your fault Kamijou-san." She pointed a finger full of mustard in his direction.
"Eh?"
"We're in the middle of something that feels very much like a date, there's a cute girl right in front of you, and you're not thinking of anything interesting to entertain her with."
When she said this, she put the tip of her mustard-filled finger in her mouth. Maintaining eye contact, Shokuhou began to run her finger over her lips as if she were putting on lipstick, and then licked her lips very slowly. Her smile widened as she saw the boy blush slightly at this.
"What is it Kamijou-san? Can't you think of anything?"
'This is my revenge for telling me you weren't interested in me back then. Just look at him turning all red... wait that look is a little strange...'
"So you want to do something interesting?" Touma also put a smile on his face, but this one was a little too crooked to be an honest one. "I'm sorry if this poor peasant, Kamijou Touma, can't live up to your entertainment standards, queen. What should I do to make it up to you?"
Touma leaned sharply in her direction. It was the girl's turn to suddenly blush at that closeness. Shokuhou could even feel his warm breath colliding on her face. Her brain stopped working for half a second, until she could formulate words.
"W-well, y-you... y-you could..." She stammered.
'Damn why did I suddenly get nervous? He should at least give a little warning before changing gears. So close... so close...'
"I could... what?" he asked the moment the girl began to slowly bring her face closer to him.
"You could... ki... kis..."
'Ahhh... he'll forget... he'll forget... I need to control myself... come on Shokuhou Misaki, make the right choices.'
With her cheeks as red as a rose, the girl pulled her face away from his with a sharp turn of her head. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the boy shook his head and changed his smile into a teasing one.
"That's not fair." Shokuhou crossed her arms over her broad chest and pouted. "I'm the one to do the teasing here. You disappoint your queen. Stick to being minimally interesting or useful."
"It was just a joke." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Does the queen really have a cold heart? How long before you start showing your sweet side to that poor peasant Kamijou-san?"
"Wait... do you still remember that from earlier?" Her eyes widened, but soon she sighed. "I really don't understand what's going on. Before it was complicated enough to understand how your amnesia worked, but at least I knew you would forget everything eventually, now I feel torn about what I should do."
As if her energy was finished, the girl let her body collapse, lying on her back in that soft grass. Shokuhou was in doubt not only about what she should do, but also about what she should feel. Should she be happy that the boy seemed to retain some memories? That would only make her feel worse if it was only something temporary. But still, she wanted to cling to this little miracle, to enjoy it at least a little before eventually going back to square one.
'Why are things so difficult?' She closed her eyes as she thought about it 'I can't think of anything to progress in this mission of mine. But I can't just give up now.'
"You're getting all your hair dirty like that." Touma said. His tone was serious.
At that very instant, Shokuhou felt a gentle touch on the top of her head. Opening her eyes, she saw the boy looking at her with a concerned face. His hand slipped through the golden strands of her hair, while the girl just watched that thoughtful gaze upon her.
"Look at that, you must not have combed your hair properly this morning." He remained serious, yet his hand in her hair was almost a caress, gentle and delicate. "I'm causing you so much trouble, aren't I?"
"A little... but it's worth it." She tried to smile, but couldn't. "Although right now I seem to be at a dead end."
"You are being somewhat pessimistic. Things may be complicated right now, but let's focus on the simple things first. Do you have a hairbrush in that fancy bag?"
"Huh? Yeah... but I'm not in the mood to fix my hair right now. Being honest, I don't have the energy to do anything."
Shokuhou didn't even bother to complain when the boy reached into her purse and pulled out a hairbrush. She was really running out of energy, which was strange since her morning had been better than the previous ones. She imagined that spending more time next to the person she loved so much would help her smile more, have more fun, and although it worked at first, she couldn't function properly realizing that this joy wouldn't last forever. It would never last...every other time it was like that.
"Come here." He asked, with the hairbrush in his hand. "You should at least have the strength to sit still while this Kamijou-san helps you look more presentable."
"Hmmm... so you fully intend to fulfill your job as your queen's humble servant, huh."
Carefully, the boy began combing her soft golden hair. The gentleness he was using reminded her of those summer days when things were complicated in a different way.
"I don't like it when you get sad all of a sudden." Touma said, stroking the top of her head with his warm palm. "Is there anything I can do to improve your mood?"
"You are already doing..."
A simple, gentle smile was drawn on her face. In the end, all she could do was enjoy those simple moments. Those moments where all of his attention belonged to her, those small moments that she could enjoy and let herself be vulnerable. She could close her eyes and let herself be carried away by that wave of gentleness and affection...until her eyes moistened.
"You always do." She held back tears as her smile slowly widened.
"There. You're more presentable now."
"Talking like that you make it sound like I looked awful before." Shokuhou pulled out a portable mirror and began to examine her newly styled hair. "Hmm... I think that's a proper job. I give it 60 points. With a little more practice, I can accept you as my private servant."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that."
"Don't talk in that sulky way. Now, come here, your queen will give you a modest reward for your efforts."
Leaning toward him, the girl kissed him on the cheek, very close to his lips. The boy didn't even have time to react to it all. Only after she pulled away with a smile, he brought his hand to where her lips had touched. Shokuhou tilted her head in a cute way to see the boy stunned and almost blushing.
"Was it an adequate reward?" She asked, touching her own lips with her index finger. "Or would you prefer something more?"
"Something more?" He looked away to avoid blushing even more. "Kamijou-san will not fall for your charms, golden girl. I have a high resistance to teasing."
'So just wait Kamijou-san... when my miracle happens, I will make it very clear that this is far more than teasing. I feel that we will succeed... I just need to stand firm... keep smiling.'
And that's what she did. She kept smiling in the company of the person she loved so much. She didn't have to force it, not when that boy was also smiling back at her... and only at her.
A/N: Hey! It's been a while, right? Hopefully not long enough to forget this fic exists.
I kept this chapter similar in length to the others, as I think this more "episodic" style of storytelling is better with chapters of this length, but perhaps I will write larger chapters in the future. As I said before, I will quickly respond to the reviews I received on the previous chapter:
Savior555: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.
Guest: It took a while, but it's here.
Jose Blas: Glad you like it!
Kai Payne: I appreciate the compliment.
Lancearthurbuca: That miracle will come eventually.
Markoz89: I prefer short chapters, I think it works better in this fic. Othinus is a bit jealous isn't she? Commenting a bit on your reviews of the older chapters: I try to keep the melancholy mood to a minimum, and I see that you liked this a lot, thank you.
Francis charron: You hit the nail on the head, LOL.
I love it!: Thank you!
Aiman031122: I'm glad it wasn't boring for you. About your other reviews, Touma's DS here is more for the "cool factor" since this fic will probably have almost no action (if any) Thanks a lot!
Aminadab Brulle: I think it is possible, but Index doing chores is always a problem LMAO.
Onilink500: I don't even know how to answer that xD
FinFangFoom100: I am really glad that you are enjoying it so much. I am happy that I am being able to show this "bold" side of our queen.
INFINITYKAPP97: This is a "light-hearted" story, although it does have some somewhat melancholy moments, so don't worry.
Alpha rn: Thank you. I am really looking forward to the upcoming GT novel.
Majin Othinus: And there it is.
BoBThEBuildeR: It is me who thanks you. I also love the "gang from before the memory loss." I'm glad you liked my other fic too.
Kai: Romance drama is always a delight for me. I hope I am managing to keep it enjoyable.
That's it. I tried to be very brief, my fault for letting so many pile up I guess.
Well, that's it for now. I'll try not to take so long to write the next chapter... and also to stop making fun of our poor golden girl's lack of athleticism so much. Nio leaving.
