Chapter 10 - Guiding Hints

"Wow!" said Kamijou Touma, the instant he set foot in that room. "I didn't expect something like this for an escape room game."

'Okay, best possible reaction ability. I already scored a point here, but stay calm Shokuhou Misaki... you have a plan.'

Soon after they entered the venue, the attendant took them straight to the place the game would start. Among several entrances, this particular one led directly to a hall resembling a movie set from a bygone era.

It was like stepping into a time capsule. The room's décor was reminiscent of the 19th or early 20th century, with elegant classical-style furniture full of carvings that seemed to tell a story in themselves. A delicate aroma of polished wood and velvet permeated the air, mingling with the soft scent of beeswax candles that illuminated the space with a welcoming glow.

"So, Touma," Misaki said, straightening her hair and stopping in front of him. "I asked them to skip the explanations since I was here a while ago, so I kind of know the rules, but I'll explain them to you."

"Wait, if you've been here before, that kind of gives you an advantage. Doesn't that make it boring?"

"The games change frequently, and not all those doors in the lobby lead to a room identical to this one. I've never seen this one, for example, the other time it was something like a cowboy movie. It was kind of boring."

"Don't you like cowboy movies?"

"Eh..."

She braked suddenly, as if the teacher had caught her attention while she was distracted by fiddling with her phone in class.

'Damn, what's the correct answer here? If he likes this stuff and I say no, things would get a bit weird. So would saying yes be the right answer? Even if he doesn't like it he'll respect my opinion.'

"I like it, and that's why I found it a bit boring, I sorted it out too quickly."

The truth was that she was completely indifferent to this subject. Although she had gained the habit of spinning the remote control in her hands like a cowboy from Western movies, it didn't mean she was an avid fan of anything like that. Yet, mere indifference and a casual shrug were inadequate responses for someone holding the title of a queen. She had an image to maintain. This proved challenging, especially when in the company of that boy.

'Am I thinking too much? Putting in so much effort ability is draining me mentally, but there are no more second chances, if I make a mistake, he won't forget anymore.'

"Why are you so lost in thought?" he asked, crossing his arms in an inquiring manner.

The girl held her breath when she heard the tone of his voice.

"Nothing!" She made a dissuasive gesture with her hand, hoping he wouldn't notice her nervousness. "It's just that... you and I... here alone."

"Huh? Is that it?" Touma shook his head in understanding, his face being partially illuminated by the soft, diffused light filtering through heavy velvet curtains. "We can go back and enter the room the girls entered too. That way you don't have to be nervous about being alone with a boy."

"I think we're a little out of sync here, Touma-chan." She put on a smile that did a better job of brightening the room. "Being alone with you was my idea... and I'm nervous for reasons that probably didn't cross your mind."

"So that's it?" Again he shook his head, but this time somewhat thoughtfully.

And he said nothing more, as if he had expressed himself in the most obvious way possible and needed no explanation.

'What do you mean "So that's it?". What is that supposed to say?'

The smile on the girl's face suddenly twisted, and when she opened her mouth to try to ask for an explanation, she was ignored by the boy who turned away and started walking around the room, lazily dragging his feet across the plush fur carpet.

"Hmm, how much did it cost to do all this?" he asked, more to himself than to the girl. "You never mentioned the price for us to play here."

"I know what you're worried about, and you really shouldn't think about something like that. I'll pay for everything, so your finances are saved."

"I can't accept it," he said, shrugging. "Things might be different if I was still a level 0, but I'm a level 5 now. My god, how weird is that." He looked down at his own bandaged hand. "Come to think of it, you must have suspected in those summer days that I was someone... 'special', didn't you? I bet you went a long time without buying that 'level 0' stuff. Misaka must not believe it to this day."

Instead of offering a response, the girl smiled once more, her hand instinctively finding its place over her heart. How many times had she done that since yesterday? It was inevitable. Each time he spoke of the cherished memories they shared, it was as if a surge of joy washed over her. She had to restrain herself from releasing passionate sighs at that very moment.

"Is there a problem, Misaki?"

'And him calling me by my first name all the time is amazing too. I must spontaneously combust soon if I don't deal with all this heat I'm feeling right now... hehehe...'

"My problems are in the past now, Touma-chan," she replied, putting the tip of her index finger to her lips in a cute pose. "And by the way, answering your question, yes, I've always thought you were someone special... although the meaning ability of that term has changed over time."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…" she uttered in a hushed, slightly pointed tone, drawing nearer to the boy before concluding her sentence, "You're someone special to me. It has nothing to do with your powers, really. Do you understand now what I'm trying to say?"

'Have I gone too far? No, it should be just enough to make him think. This is still in the margins of error of my strategy.'

"I see," Touma said, using a tone as soft as her own. "I mean, it makes sense. You're a special person to me too."

"Wauwaoihoua?" The girl almost used another language due to shock. "T-T-Touma-chan?"

The boy had already turned his back and started focusing on the decor of the place before the girl had her stuttering attack.

'What do you mean someone special to you? And how does he just say that and walk away like that? Are older boys so impossible to read like this or is that just his thing? Aaaaaaahh... he's the one who should be thinking these things because of my flirting and ambiguous signs, NOT ME'!'

"Hey, Misaki," he said suddenly, turning to her all relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

"Y-yes?" the girl was still a mess.

"You were going to tell me the rules."

"Rules?" She genuinely had to pause for a moment and strain to understand. Her thoughts were a mess at this level. "Oh, sure, the rules." She coughed nervously. "Yes, yes. So, we can't destroy anything that doesn't have a clear warning that it can be destroyed, we can't use our espers powers in a way that gives us some advantage ability, and we also can't use our cell phones or anything to find clues on the internet. The rules aren't something that really need to be followed, this isn't a competition after all, but it's more fun that way."

"I see. Where should we start then? All these things look very expensive, so this should come under the 'clear warning of destruction' rule."

"How about, we sit at the table?" she suggested, standing near an elegant wooden chair.

"Will that help at all?" He also approached a chair, on the other side of the table. "I must have missed some obvious hint."

"You're not the only one with that feeling."

"Really? That doesn't sound like good news."

When the boy pulled out the chair and sat down, Misaki looked at him with a serious expression and crossed her arms. She waited for a few seconds, tapping her foot on the waxed wooden floor, which creaked a little with that rhythmic tapping of the girl.

"Misaki?" asked the confused boy, as that noise spread through the room. "Aren't you going to sit down?"

"At such times you have to put your head together, Touma-chan. Why am I still standing?"

The answer was simple, she wanted the boy to be a gentleman and pull out the chair for her as if they were in a fancy restaurant.

It didn't take long and the boy stood up, his eyes attentive as if he understood why the girl hadn't sat down yet. Misaki wanted to savor having him by her side as much as possible, and she wanted him to treat her like the special person he said she was.

"You are very perceptive, Misaki-chan," he said, standing beside her.

"Of course I am."

She nodded and curled her lip, but soon she noticed something wrong.

'Wait, what is he talking about?'

Her foot's rhythmic tapping ceased abruptly, but a new tapping emerged from the ground as the boy began to tap his foot in different spots. He appeared wholly engrossed, examining something she couldn't grasp immediately.

"This must be it," Touma said quickly.

The boy knelt down and looked carefully at the floor. He began to examine every detail, every joint of the wooden planks. There was one plank slightly out of place, looking a little looser than the rest.

"You're very good at this, Misaki," he continued, pulling something from a compartment under the floor. "I would never have figured this out without your help."

"Eh... yes, of course. What would you be without my amazing perception ability?"

'What the hell? Why was there a clue right here where I was standing?' The girl struggled to maintain a composed expression, pretending she had known all along, but it wasn't coming easily. 'The universe must be conspiring against me once again, there's never a moment of peace. But at least I got a compliment, so I'll keep positive.'

In Touma's hands rested an aged wooden box, adorned with intricate carvings. He scrutinized the box from all angles, yet couldn't find a way to open it.

"We can't break it, I guess," he said scratching his head in confusion. "There must be a key around here. You must have already realized where it is, I imagine."

His eyes looked at her with such intensity and attention that the girl turned her face away and coughed to disguise her nervousness.

"Yes, I know exactly where the next clue is."

'No! Why am I lying without even thinking twice?' She instantly regretted it and even thought about being honest, but the boy looked at her even more intensely, his face full of admiration. 'Just a little light lie won't hurt anyone. It's his fault for looking at me with such expectant ability.'

Misaki cleared her throat loudly before speaking again.

"It would be boring if I gave you all the hints, so I'll let you think for yourself," she said, disguising her nervous tone as much as she could. "You're an older boy, so your queen will let you show her what you're capable of for now. Be honored by this benevolence."

"Wow, I'm flattered," he replied with a shrug and the wryest tone in the world. "You still act similar to when we first met. Remember? You told me you were giving me the honor of walking next to you in that underground mall."

"Well... some things never change."

"But you've changed a bit," Touma cut in immediately. He even put the box aside to focus on her. "You're a lot more mature now, not just in appearance. Maybe it's just me, but you're a lot calmer now too. I like that."

A gentle smile appeared at the corner of his lip, which was almost enough to make the girl start melting on the spot. But she had to pull herself together, since she had expected this kind of comment to go with her strategy.

"Of course I act in a mature way," she said, coming a little closer to him with a brave step. "I have to set a good example for Dolly, I'm almost her big sister after all."

"What's the story with you two together? You don't seem to get along with Misaka, I can't stop thinking that the two things are related."

"Nice leap of logic." She really was impressed by the deduction. "You get 90 points for that, Touma-chan, but we'd better not focus on that for now."

"You're right, we better focus on the game."

"Actually, I wanted you to focus more on me." Misaki leaned towards him, getting close in an almost uncomfortable way. "What else do you think has changed about me? Did you like the changes?"

Probably out of embarrassment at having her so close, the boy looked away and turned his face in another direction quickly. Misaki liked it when she was able to make him react like that. If he got nervous like that with her so close, then that meant he was at least a little attracted to her. Or she wished that were the case, as it was sometimes hard to read that boy.

"I certainly liked some of the changes," he said, his tone a little too low as if he was embarrassed to say it out loud.

"What changes are we talking about here, Touma-chan?" She paused, but the boy seemed unwilling to answer. "Come on, be honest with your queen. I'm ready for any opinion ability you have."

"We'd better focus on something else." He tried to move away, but she stepped in the way.

"Ara, ara... you've changed too, Touma-chan." Misaki put her index finger on her lip with a teasing smile on her face. "You were a bolder person back in the day, you know that? Where did all that sincerity that bordered on petulance go? Why are you all nervous because of this younger girl here?"

Touma turned to her with a serious face. It looked like she had hit a nerve now, considering that the boy had suddenly gone rigid.

"Oh... so you don't mind if I'm somewhat sincere, Shokuhou Misaki-chan?" The tone of his voice made it clear that he didn't like being teased that much.

x-2-x

In another room next door, a group of girls from Tokiwadai were gathered, all staring intently at a tablet in Kobayashi's hands.

"Should we really be doing this?" she asked, looking uncomfortable.

"Quiet, Kobayashi-senpai, we're getting on a good bit," one of the girls around them replied.

It turned out that not only Mitori and Dolly had entered one of the game rooms, but a group of 5 girls had entered together with them as "escorts". This was a lie, as their purpose must have been something else.

"The queen will punish us severely if she finds out we're spying on her," Kobayashi said, but without taking her eyes off the tablet. "Are you sure your clairvoyance won't be detected by that guy? His power is pretty weird."

"Probably not," replied a brown-haired girl who had her eyes closed but seemed to know everything that was going on in the other room.

Several girls were working together to make the perfect espionage. One of them was using her clairvoyance to spy on the room, while a telepathic link was shared between them, thus making one of the red-haired girls turn the signals into something that could be watched on that tablet.

"Hold still, you two," Mitori said, leaning in to look at the screen. "We're about to see something interesting here, turn it up."

After the warning, everyone fell silent and watched the scene, their voices now echoing around the room.

"Do you really want to take a look at this Kamijou-san's honest opinion? It might be strange."

"It looks to me like you're trying to run away, Touma-chan," she retorted, trying to close the distance between them as much as possible. "Is something bothering you? This younger girl shouldn't be able to make you so nervous."

"Nervous?" He put on something that could be considered a villain's smile. "No, actually it's not really nervousness. It's just that it's hard to disguise what I feel." This time it was he who approached her. "You've really grown up in some parts, Misaki-chan, you know that?"

"Ah... ah..." For some reason, the queen began to pant and could not formulate a sentence.

"Look at all these sexy curves. Such an amazing body should belong to a dorm manager, not a middle school girl."

At that moment the poor girl blushed so much that people watching thought the tablet had malfunctioned and displayed the wrong colors. She would soon be blowing smoke out of her ears if she kept this up.

"Hey, Misaki-chan," he continued, looking at her as if sizing her up. He appeared somewhat indecisive now. "Heeey... are you okay? Isn't this when you slap me or hit me with your purse or something? Misaki?"

The poor agitated girl didn't know what to do with her hands, so she pushed them in front of her body, making the boy move away slightly, but her breathing was still panting like someone who had just finished a marathon.

Seeing that scene with an excited face, Mitori giggled.

"So she's that kind of person, huh?" she said, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" The one who asked this was the lavender-haired girl, Hokaze Junko, who had watched the whole scene in silence.

"Simple," Mitori replied, crossing her arms and with a know-it-all tone. "Misaki-chan is the kind of girl who is very comfortable on offense, but her defense is practically nil. Look how comfortable she is with her flirtations worthy of a middle school girl who barely knows what romance is, but gets all coy when she gets a direct hit."

"Oh... got it!" Junko exclaimed, paying double attention to the screen now. She punched her own palm a little too excitedly. "The queen is focusing her efforts on offense, since clearly the best defense is a superior offense. As expected of the queen, she has a perfect strategy."

"Huh?" Mitori tilted her head in confusion.

"Wow, of course!" The red-haired girl started nodding as she put a smile on her face. "Our queen is basically a goddess at anything she tries. How can anyone be so perfect?"

"Yes, she is," agreed the clairvoyant with her eyes closed. "She's so smart and brave."

Except for Kobayashi, all the girls seemed tuned into her ravings. Mitori pondered for a moment before choosing to speak.

"You guys are joking, right?" asked Mitori, her tone of voice almost gentle. But no girl said anything. "You guys are joking, RIGHT?"

No one there seemed to be joking, so Mitori could only facepalm with embarrassment to try and keep her sanity in the midst of so many airheads. Then she felt someone tugging at the sleeve of her suit to get her attention. It was Dolly, a rather serious expression on her young face.

"So," she began, looking into Mitori's eyes. "That means Misaki-chan is doing well, right?"

"Eh?" Mitori put both hands on her head and squeezed firmly. "Please, someone kill me."

x-3-x

"So... I guess we'd better get back to looking for some clues," said Kamijou Touma, somewhat clumsily.

"Y-yes, let's keep going. Looking for clues, looking for clues."

The girl wore a crooked smile, unsettling the boy further. He pursued her across the room, catching glimpses of her nervous glances over her shoulder. Her cheeks flushed a reddish hue.

'Wasn't she angry?' he wondered, still examining her as she remained silent. The strange thing was that she didn't seem to be concentrating. 'Come to think of it, she's actually a lot calmer than most of the girls I know... and...' He swallowed as he looked at a generous 'chunk' being outlined by her tight blouse. 'What's wrong with this younger girl? Why the hell is she so sexy? When I met her she was a plank, what kind of unfair world is this? If I'd known she was going to look like this I'd... Okay, Kamijou-san, you need to calm down a bit.'

"You're lucky she would never look in your head for no reason."

'Didn't I already tell you to be quiet?'

That voice in his head was behaving itself quite well, but he still felt uncomfortable with its sporadic comments. He hadn't felt this way before when he was practicing his powers earlier, which meant his discomfort came from another source.

"Hey, Misaki," he called, making the girl almost jump in place. "Sorry if I made you mad. That was just a joke."

Touma smiled nervously. He really regretted teasing her like that, especially since the girl didn't react the way he expected.

"Just a joke ability?" she asked, her expression tinged with confusion. "So you mean..." She averted her gaze and blushed once more. "You mean... you don't think that of me?"

"No-" He abruptly halted his words.

'Wait, why does she look disappointed now?'

"Why is that, Kamijou Touma?" the voice in his head questioned with a hint of irony. "Hmm…I wonder why?"

"Can you be quiet?" complained Touma loudly.

"Huh? Touma-chan?"

"Oh... no, no, no... sorry, is that..." Again he smiled in a nervous manner. The situation was getting more and more awkward between those two. "We'd better leave all that behind and get on with the game."

This time it was he who started pretending to concentrate on the luxurious scenery around him while casting sneaky glances in the girl's direction. She still had that disappointed face.

Touma didn't like letting someone down, and especially didn't like him being the reason someone cried. He kept a lie for so long because of this 'flaw' of his, however, something was different here. It wasn't just the fact that he was the one letting this girl down that was making a bad feeling slide through his body. It felt like he didn't want to let this particular girl down.

Like it or not, a part of his past was now by his side, and that was both a blessing and a curse. Touma was sure that if he hadn't recovered his memories this unique sensation he was feeling wouldn't be there. Something else would be in place.

'But do I already have the right to feel this way?' The boy brought his hand to his chest when he noticed the girl wasn't looking.

He continued to stare at the girl, for several seconds, just watching her posture, the way she so casually smoothed her hair with her hands every now and then, taking advantage of this movement to cast glances at him. She seemed a little more comfortable now, even smiling slightly at him when their gazes met.

"Is there a problem, Touma-chan?" She asked this in her normal, calm tone.

The air of maturity she exuded at times was surprising, especially considering her youth. It was as if she carried with her wisdom beyond her years, a reassuring presence that conveyed confidence and serenity.

And he couldn't stop thinking about it

That girl was so different.

And the memories of him that had seemed so distant now began to circulate in his head, which made him pay even more attention to the girl. At this point, he hardly knew what he was doing.

'She asked me a strange question... that day at the hospital... was it just a hypothetical question?' As he thought about it, he concentrated and spoke to himself, or rather to the voice in his head. 'You said something to me once, that day at Windsor Castle.' He took a deep breath, still not taking his eyes off the girl who was practically hypnotizing him. 'No matter what anyone says or does, you act like it never even happened. If you never cared about any of it more than that, you don't deserve to have any of it. Maybe… I finally understood what you meant.'

"I wasn't just referring to that, it was something more in general. But yes, it does apply to this situation."

Upon hearing this, Kamijou Touma smiled. It seemed that a peculiar shift in his mindset was taking place. Blame it on the memories flooding back, assaulting his mind with situations he couldn't recall and others he couldn't fathom ever being in.

Yet, what truly mattered was that he was starting to grasp something about the distinct feelings he harbored for that girl.

'Yes... she is indeed a special person.' He almost sighed at the thought of it. 'And I think... maybe... just maybe I am –'

"Hey Touma-chan," Misaki said suddenly, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "Are you practicing your daydreaming ability or something?"

"Something like that." Touma shrugged. He was a little more confident now. "Actually, I just picked up a few hints that I had overlooked."

"Ah... that's good." She nodded and put on one of those pure smiles he liked. "You know the next step then?"

"I'm still a bit in doubt. How about you guide me for now?"

"As you wish. And I already know where we can start."

The girl clapped her hands twice excitedly and turned around, walking to one of the corners of the room. Touma didn't follow her instantly, he was still somewhat occupied with his new "problem".

That unique sensation he experienced was actually a positive development, it just took him a while to comprehend it fully.

Hey! The "first date" began in earnest. As you have noticed, I am trying to show Touma's point of view more and more. And it seems that new feelings are emerging inside him.

Let's take a look at these reviews:

Markoz89: Glad you are enjoying it. Misaka probably doesn't even know what's going on, but you can't be too careful. KnT is just trying to help.

Aj2362: Thank you very much. For now, Misaki will be enjoying the miracle. I'm not planning a sudden change or anything like that.

Mrui2002: Thanks! I chose something "unusual" but it seems to have been well received. Good to know.

Guest: Nice!

5queso: Misaki will have to give a good improvement in this ability considering her stamina LOL. Please elaborate, if it's a story with a funny/happy ending send me in PM I want to know what happened, for science. Thank you for your support.

FinFangFoom100: I'll try to keep it nice and fluffy since that's how I imagine their relationship would be. And a bit of "awkwardness" too. Glad you are excited about the story, this inspires me a lot.

Jose Blas: Kawaii desu ne?

Cainabel201X: Thank you very much! We will have some more interactions between the two, hope you enjoy it. I already knew about the powers of the dragons, here I wanted to focus more on the Dragon Shell, but maybe Touma will use something from the "other dragons". I'm happy you liked the characterization.

Vtorx: Many thanks, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

The chapters are having a different structure now, less "episodic". I'm trying to keep them more or less the same length anyway. I hope you are not finding them too short. That's it for now. Moon leaving.