Chapter 15 - Always something in the way

People achieve happiness through various means. Some pursue wealth, others seek fame, while some simply long for companionship to share moments with. However, finding that ideal person isn't always easy. So, this girl could consider herself fortunate to have discovered it so early in life.

Describing how elated she felt just being by his side was a challenge, but now... now, that was an entirely distinct kind of happiness.

"Whahahw-What?" That embarrassed voice resounded through the store.

Misaka Mikoto looked at the two of them with a pale face. It seemed that she couldn't believe what she had seen.

"That was an impressive kiss ability, Touma-chan," said Misaki, smiling like a fool. Her batteries had been recharged, she was in a teasing mood now. "And an interesting boldness ability too. Are you the type who likes an audience?"

"W-what does that mean, Shokuhoooou!"

Railgun's pale face was now bright red. She would soon fall ill if something wasn't done to stop it.

The lights in the room started flashing like a horror movie, a clear threat coming from that embarrassed girl, but Shokuhou Misaki just smiled and held Touma's arm as naturally as she could.

"It's not obvious Misaka-saaaan," she said, striking a cute pose and sticking out her tongue. "I won. Hehehehehe!"

That laugh quickly made things worse. Mikoto started tapping her foot and each time she did, sparks exploded through her body.

"Okay, let's stay calm here," said Touma. As a precaution, he raised his right hand, more to protect the girl next to him than himself. "There's no point in using your powers like this, we're in a store full of expensive things and something tells me I'm the one who's going to end up paying for everything you destroy at the end of the day."

"What?" Misaka asked with a strange frown on her face. "Is that what you're worried about, idiot?"

"What else would I be worried about, biri-biri?"

"Do you have a memory problem? Why the hell did you kiss her out of the blue?"

"Misaka-saaaaan," Misaki interrupted, giving her boyfriend a subtle pat on the back. "I know you don't have any experience in this matter, but a couple like us do it sometimes. Usually not in public, of course, but it seems that my boyfriend doesn't care about these outdated cultural issues, does he, Touma-chan?"

"B-boyfriend?!"

Some of the people in the store began discreetly exiting when the girl suddenly exploded. She kept mumbling that word over and over with her head down, and it lit up every time as she continued to blush, but it seemed to be more from anger than embarrassment.

"Hey, Touma," Misaki whispered so that only he could hear. "How about we take our cue and get out of here?"

"Are you sure? Isn't it better if we wait for her to calm down?"

"What are you two whispering about?" Mikoto stepped forward, still lit up like a Christmas tree. "I bet you're making some kind of strange suggestion."

"Suggestion?"

"Yes. It must be some kind of trick. You must have found a way to manipulate him without using your powers. It sounds absurd but-"

"Yes, that's exactly it," said Misaki, nodding her head several times as she smiled.

"Huh?!"

"Huh!?"

The other two looked at her in sync with confused faces.

"I mean, it makes sense ability." Misaki touched her lip with her index finger and looked into the void as if remembering something. "Look at me. It's not like I have anything to attract you, isn't it Touma-chan." She puffed out her chest proudly, which made a vein pop out on Mikoto's forehead. "Of course, I've used various psychological tricks to get here."

"Misaki, what are you talking about?" Touma even tilted his head in confusion.

The queen raised her index finger to garner attention and then allowed a peculiar smile to grace her lips.

"People can be complicated at times, but most tend to follow a predictable pattern," Misaki began, as if she were explaining something to a kindergarten child. "For instance, if you're kind to them, they usually reciprocate with kindness. A good way to begin is by being pleasant and addressing them by their name rather than resorting to insults."

Then, the attack came reflexively toward the two of them. However, Misaki continued to smile, confident in her boyfriend at her side.

"Misaki, are you okay?" asked Touma after extending his right hand, which attracted the attack like a lightning rod.

"Yes, Touma-chan, I couldn't be better right now," she replied with a smile, even nonchalantly fluffing her hair. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes! I was explaining the importance of manners. I believe the next topic should be the benefits of honesty. Not that you would know, of course, would you, Misaka-saaaan?"

The conversation abruptly ended when the lights suddenly went out. This affected not only the store but also at least half of the mall.

x-2-x

There are moments in life when you act without giving it a second thought. This is a tendency that frequently plagues individuals like Kamijou Touma, known for his occasional impulsiveness. It's not that he couldn't make rational decisions, but his girlfriend had pushed him to the limit on this particular day, and he simply wanted to teach her a lesson.

He just didn't expect that he would be stalked by a jealous girl for the rest of the day because of it.

"Shokuhooooooooooooooooou!"

"Damn, she is so angry. You've really outdone yourself this time," Touma said, cautiously glancing downward.

"Ara, Ara. Look at this pot calling the kettle black," Misaki retorted with an ironic grin.

For the past half-hour, the two of them had been desperately evading the relentless electric girl. Initially, Touma had been overly cautious, avoiding crowded areas at all costs. However, as the pursuing girl refrained from haphazardly shooting lightning bolts at him, he started to let his guard down and sought refuge in the crowd by taking the escalator.

"I think we've lost her," Touma said. He took a good look around downstairs, taking care to stay hidden among the people. A sigh later, he leaned against a wall and shook his head. "I made a big mistake."

"Could you take that back?"

"Why?"

"No girl would like to hear from her boyfriend that kissing her was a mistake."

Misaki crossed her arms and wore a serious expression. Even though they hadn't been dating for very long, Touma had known her long enough to recognize that she wasn't angry, her frown only enhanced her cuteness.

It wouldn't hurt to seek a little revenge now.

"You've misunderstood," said Touma, relaxing his shoulders and slipping his hands into his pockets. "Kissing you wasn't my mistake, my mistake was listening to you. These younger girls, so demanding. 'Act like a boyfriend' she said. 'Be confident to set an example' she said. And look where that got us."

He observed her from the corner of his eye as she puffed out her cheeks, like a child throwing a tantrum. It almost made him smile, he restrained himself only because he was thoroughly enjoying the situation and wanted more of it.

"Just so you know, I liked that," she said, looking away. "Being taken by surprise like that really made me happy."

And now he instantly began to feel bad. It was a bit unfair, he had prepared a whole speech to embarrass her but now she was being totally honest, sincerity leaking from her voice as she nervously fixed her hair.

"So unfair," he said, looking away too. "Don't start acting like that out of the blue. Would it hurt to give me a few minutes to enjoy my revenge?"

"That's quite a knack for mischief ability you've got there, Touma," and that teasing tone resurfaced. "So, you find pleasure in watching a cute girl like me feel bad? What kind of person am I dating? I suppose I'll have to take control of this relationship once and for all if I want any peace of mind."

The way she shifted gears so quickly sometimes made him sigh. A sigh with many meanings.

"Shokuhoooou!" That cry echoed in the distance. "You can't escape me! I'll chase you to the ends of the eeeeeeearth!"

"Now that's an overreaction," Misaki commented, looking in the direction of the scream.

"Expected of her."

Touma sounded very tired at that moment, recalling several events from the past that still shook him today.

"Misaka-san is a bit extreme at times, isn't he?" asked Misaki, running a hand over the boy's back gently.

"Yeah... but she's not a bad person."

"I know." That immediately came out of her mouth, which made the boy pay full attention to her. "Don't get me wrong, I don't get along with her, and I probably never will. Just looking at her face is enough to annoy me, but I'm mature enough to understand that she's a good person."

Misaki hadn't yet explained in detail why she didn't like Mikoto, but the tone in which she said it made it clear that this animosity also had some respect mixed in. As she said herself, the girl wasn't so immature as to judge someone solely by their bad features.

That kind of attitude she displayed sometimes always made him smile.

"We'd better get out of here."

Without warning, he grabbed the girl around the waist and threw himself over the railing of a staircase. She gave a cute little squeal as she slid down, clutching onto him, her eyes tightly shut with sudden fear.

This was also a part of his revenge.

Carrying her in his arms, he darted through the bustling crowd, at times leaping over obstacles just to sense her grip on him tighten. He knew he had to cease this soon before he started to enjoy abusing his powers for mundane things.

"Okay, I think that's enough." He put her down and looked at her, hoping to find a look of dread that would match her racing heart.

"Hehe, that was fun." Her heart was racing because of something else. She playfully traced a finger on his chest. "I think I'll use you now as the 'Queen's carrier'."

"What?"

"My friend, Hokaze-san, sometimes carries me like this, but it's much more enjoyable being carried by my boyfriend. I was right all along, your ability to serve your queen is impressive."

Touma found himself torn between feeling frustrated and awkwardly smiling. In the end, he did a bit of both.

x-3-x

After a tiring day, taking a shower was something Touma was looking forward to, but before he could enter the bathroom, someone else stepped in to take his place.

"I'm getting some ambiguous signals here," he said, listening attentively to the noise of the shower while sitting on the floor against a wall.

On the drive back to his apartment, Misaki couldn't stop talking about how much fun she'd had, so much so that she said she wanted to extend that fun a bit. Instead of going back to her dorm, she grabbed some clothes from the trunk of the car and said she would stay at his apartment for the rest of the day. It was almost noon, so it was uncertain whether she meant just until dark, or whether she planned to sleep there.

A few thoughts took shape in the boy's head. If he were to be honest, he wouldn't mind at all if she slept there, after all, he'd already woken up with her next to him twice now. So seeing her next to him just before going to sleep should be an interesting experience.

The shower had stopped a while ago, so the boy began to wonder if she was changing right now.

It wasn't a good idea.

"What kind of clothes is she going to wear? I'd like to see her as a nurse again." He shook his head as he closed his eyes, basically in a state of deep meditation. "Wait Kamijou-san, that was a special occasion, seeing her dressed like that in another situation... what the hell am I thinking?"

"Be more specific, what special occasion are we talking about?"

Touma jumped in place, banging his head hard against the wall because of that sudden voice so close. Closing your eyes and getting lost in thought was never a good idea in such situations.

"My God, you're a disaster," she said, stroking the top of his head like a worried mother. Her gentle touch only served to speed up his heart.

"Look who's talking."

"Don't put on that frown, I didn't mean to scare you. "

"I know but-"

His eyes focused on the scene before him, which made him swallow the saliva forming in his mouth. Only now did he realize that the girl hadn't actually changed her clothes, after all, wrapping a towel around your body and another around your head doesn't count.

"M-Misaki-chan," he said, not knowing where to look.

"Yes?" She smiled, making it clear that she knew very well what she was doing. "Is there a problem, Touma?"

"Eh... uh... no, it's just..." He forced himself away from her suddenly, that sweet smell and the lack of real clothes was too stimulating for that poor boy. "You kind of took me by surprise."

"That was the intention."

Once again, he gulped and turned his face away. Holding eye contact while she smiled proved to be perilous for his heart.

However, he suddenly realized that he was letting the girl tease him again, and that was unacceptable. An older boy should act in a more mature way, or so he told himself when he wanted to feel better.

Touma cleared his throat loudly and looked steadily in her direction.

"Oh, I see," he said, nodding and putting a hand to his chin as if to examine it. "I thought it was strange that Index and Othinus weren't at home. I bet you must have found a way to lure her with food."

"Clever of you, but I don't understand what you're getting at."

"Understand that you're in my territory now, Shokuhou Misaki-chan," he declared, crossing his arms as if he were proud of something. "The mere fact that you willingly came here suggests that deep down, you're secretly hoping that this Kamijou-san will fall for your little ploy, just so you can brag about successfully teasing me. But know that I've already dodged all your traps. That towel stimulating my imagination and that delicious sweet smell isn't enough to penetrate my defenses. Who do you think I am? Do you have any idea how many fan service scenes I've starred in? You're going to have to try a little harder than that, inexperienced little girl."

An evil laugh escaped his mouth, but the smile on the girl's face didn't falter for a single instant. She was a little away from him after he backed off, but the girl put her palms on the ground and began to slowly close the distance between them, moving on all fours like a predator.

Kamijou Touma had lied, his supposed defense wasn't that strong. His gaze instantly turned to a certain region. He was staring at two mountains now, dangerously close to jumping out of that white towel.

"Try a little harder, you say?" she asked, backing him into a corner of the room. She put her hand on the towel but stopped suddenly. "If I take away my 'defense', will yours go with it, Touma-chan?"

Okay, now things were dangerous. A little extra oxygen was needed to keep his mind going, but the girl seemed dedicated to not letting him take a deep breath as she pressed her body into his. Her warm breath caressed his face, but the boy mustered all his remaining willpower to keep talking.

"Go on," he said, and it was a miracle he didn't stutter. Such determination. "But something tells me you don't have the courage."

"You think?" She subtly moved the hand holding the towel.

"You're all talk and no walk, golden girl. But come on, prove me wrong."

"Oh... interesting."

Misaki leaned towards him, almost touching her lips to his ear. Her hand slid down his body, starting at his shoulder and stopping at his right hand. That hand was guided down her body, making him grasp the end of the towel firmly attached to her body.

"How about you show me some of your courage ability then, Touma." She let go of her boyfriend's hand and looped her arms around his neck, one of her legs positioned between his, making the soft skin of her thigh brush against him again and again. "Is that how you like it? Does it only work with you if I give you some control?"

"Don't tempt me."

"Or what?"

Time suddenly stopped for a moment at the giggle she gave him in his ear. Touma was enjoying this unexpected development, after all, that girl was really driving him crazy. Misaki was having too much fun at his expense, probably because she knew he wouldn't do what was suggested. It made him want to rip that smile off her face along with that towel. All it would take was a little tug... and a little courage.

However, a sharp sound interrupted him just as he gathered the courage he needed.

It came from his pocket, more precisely from his cell phone playing a cheerful tune. Could that be considered misfortune?

The boy slid his hand into his pocket but before he could take it out, Misaki's hand intercepted it.

"Ignore it," she said softly. The lick she gave her lips ignited something in him. "We're in the middle of something here, don't let your queen down."

The way she said it was so confident that his brain activated and went into 'Don't let the queen down' mode. Was that part of her esper power? He touched his head quickly to make sure.

No, it looks like it was just her. What a dangerous girl.

"Yeah, good idea," he said. Where was he planning to take that hand sliding down her body now? "If it's important they can always call again after all."

"Good boy. Now, where were we?"

The cell phone continued to ring until the call eventually diverted to voicemail. Seizing the moment, the girl moved her face closer to his, stopping only when her soft lips met his. She teased him even in this instant, kissing him tenderly and then swiftly pulling away, leaving him yearning for more. It was as if she desired him to take control and complete what she had initiated.

"Don't tease me like that," he said.

"Sorry, I'm not an obedient girl," she whispered, returning to caressing him with her warm hands.

The warmth of her touch was sending shivers of desire down his spine. He raised his hand to touch her face, and it responded as if it longed for his touch. Watching her break into a smile was akin to witnessing a flower unfurling at sunrise, just as beautiful, but not as fragile, at least not anymore. All the embarrassment that had lingered before was now giving way to something else, something too primal to be put into words.

"How about we go somewhere more comfortable?" she suggested, her fingers trailing down the boy's chest, each gentle touch making his breathing heavier.

The state he was in now only allowed him to shake his head and do exactly what she wanted.

Or at least that's what he would have done if the persistent ringing cell phone hadn't intruded once more.

"Okay, I'm done with this," she declared, dipping her hand into his pants pocket and retrieving his phone.

"Hey, hey, hey. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'll switch it off so we're not interrupted again."

"I'd rather not, it might be important." He attempted to retrieve the ringing cell phone from her grasp, but she playfully pushed it away.

"More important than me?"

"Don't be like that. Let me handle this quickly, and we can return to something interesting."

"I like the sound of that. But I want something interesting right now."

Misaki smiled and then put his cell phone away. Towels usually didn't have pockets, so she went for the braver option. She seemed to revel in it when Touma stared at his cell phone resting there in her cleavage.

"Nice try," he said, shrugging.

Touma didn't even hesitate. His hand went straight to the cell phone that had been so carefully placed there, only to be taken out without any shame. The boy didn't even bother to use just his fingertips, no, he made sure that his whole hand was shoved in there, which resulted in the girl suddenly blushing and looking away when the towel almost popped out of her body.

Now he felt better. Revenge was sweet, so much so that he wanted some more.

"On second thought, maybe I should let it go," he said, approaching the girl who had suddenly turned into a blushing mess. "This is starting to get fun."

"Eh?" She suddenly pulled her flushed face away and waved her hands. "No, I can wait. I have to change after all!"

He didn't know whether to be happy that he had embarrassed her so much that she had suddenly run to the bathroom, or a little disappointed that she had walked away like that. It made him wonder how he should act from now on. Did Misaki like it when he made advances or not? It was complicated judging by the way she acted. Although she had made it clear that she liked it when he kissed her out of the blue earlier, and she was certainly being sincere.

"Maybe it's time to change things up a bit, Kamijou-san."

The cell phone had already stopped ringing, but soon started again. This finally brought him out of his doubt-filled thoughts.

Still thinking, he answered his cell phone without checking who it was.

"Hello," said Touma in a cheerful voice. He threw himself on the bed to relax. Or perhaps to send a sign to a certain someone over there when she returned. "I hope it's very important."

"Hello, Touma. Did I interrupt something?"

It was a female voice, one he hadn't heard much, or rather, that version of him hadn't. But since Touma had his memories of the past now, he smiled happily when he heard it again.

"Mom?" He even sat up and straightened his posture as a sign of instinctive respect. "I was actually in the middle of something... interesting, but okay."

"Ara, ara, Touma-san." A muffled giggle sounded. He could imagine her covering her mouth. "That tone you used... don't tell me this 'interesting' thing involves a girl?"

"Eek!?"

If his mother hadn't been an adult, he would have started to think that she had an esper power.

It took him a few seconds to pull himself together after this accurate guess, his heart was weak for this kind of surprise attack.

"A-anyway," stuttered Touma, glancing toward the bathroom and clearing his throat. He needed to change the subject urgently. "Why did you call me? Is there an issue?"

"Trying to shift the conversation, huh? Then I've hit the nail on the head."

"Don't talk with that proud tone, you're embarrassing me. And how on earth did you guess so quickly? Is that the renowned female intuition I've heard about?"

"Women don't reveal their secrets, Touma, not even to their sons... perhaps to their daughters, but that's a different story."

Touma sighed as he heard his mother let out a giggle worthy of a high-class lady. He shook his head in disappointment, feeling frustrated that he seemed to be such an open book.

"And as for why I called," she continued, "I just wanted to congratulate you on leveling up. We received the news recently from your teacher, and she sounded quite proud."

Sometimes he even forgot that he was a Level 5 now. His life had undergone recent changes, but it was more due to Misaki's constant presence than anything else. Undoubtedly, that was something far more valuable than being a Level 5.

"Your father and I are also very proud of you. Deep down, we both always knew that you had great potential."

"I think that's standard for all parents."

"No, that's different. We looked at you and wondered if there was something there that no one else could see. It seems that it was something that only the city you're in was able to understand. To think that we sometimes wondered if it had been a bad choice to send you there..."

She suddenly stopped talking and fell into silence, and Touma knew all too well why. The vivid memories of his parents' expressions during those days came rushing back to him. It wasn't that he was oblivious to his past, but hearing it from someone and genuinely living through those memories, feeling them as if etched into his very skin, was an altogether different experience.

Touma sensed that his countenance had turned somber, so he sought a way to dispel the emotions responsible for it.

"It was certainly a good choice," said Touma, glancing towards the bathroom door. "Not because I'm supposed to be someone 'special', but because if I didn't live here, I would never have met so many amazing people."

"Are you trying to hide the fact that you're talking about a specific person, Touma?"

"Okay, this precognition of yours is getting scary. Tell me it's something genetic and that it's going to show up in me at some point, it would be nice to be able to read people that well, it would help me in my current relationship."

"Ara, Ara, you talking like that makes me anxious to meet this 'amazing person'. Don't tell me you two are already dating. Oh... I feel like I'm neglecting my job as a mother."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Touma sensed that something bad was about to happen.

"Your father is on a business trip right now, but I have a few days off before I go skydiving again. Considering that I've received such good news, don't you think this is a good time to pay a visit, Touma?"

"What?!"

Even though he had anticipated what would happen, it was still a surprise. Touma was breaking out in a cold sweat now, and he didn't even know why. If his mother wanted to pay him a visit, then that meant that a certain person, the one who was using his bathroom right now and probably still blushing, had a great chance of interacting with her.

Why did that sound so bad in his head? Wait, actually... was that really a bad thing?

"It's settled," sounded the voice on the other end of the line, sounding so distant now to that boy trying to snap out of his petrified state. "Could you recommend a hotel for me? Something that's suitable, but not too expensive. Your father has been complaining about the finances recently."

"You don't have to worry about that." The boy pulled himself together when he heard his mother worrying about money like that, something not so common. "I got a raise in what I earn for being a level 5 now then-"

"I know what you're trying to do, Touma-san, but the recommendation is sufficient." Her tone was serious, yet there was no hint of aggression in her voice.

"I see." Even so, the boy smiled a little at that. "I'll take care of it."

"Good. I'll see you soon then, my son. And I'm looking forward to meeting that special person for you. She's around, isn't she? Can I talk to her?"

"Better not." He shook his head even though his mother couldn't see him on the phone. "I think it's more fun that way."

"Fun?"

"Yeah."

He didn't utter another word. It was perhaps a fortunate circumstance that his mother couldn't see the smile on his face. After all, even he couldn't quite categorize the type of smile it was without looking in the mirror.

"Let's see how you fare against the final boss so soon, Misaki-chan... hehehe."

That boy was completely focused on seeking his revenge right now.

Welcome to the end-of-chapter notes. This chapter took longer than I wanted to write, and that's only because of the first scene. I wasn't sure what kind of tone I wanted to be predominant, so I cut a few things as well and this is the result. By the way, it didn't end here in this chapter, this situation will be brought back later. But for now, Misaki has another problem.

Let's answer the reviews:

SuddenBetrayal: I'm glad you enjoyed these silly moments. And here it is. Things didn't work out very well, but one day they will.

Mrui2002: Misaki wastes no time, doesn't she? Othinus doesn't seem to like her much in the canon, so things wouldn't be any better here. Touma is listening to what Misaki has to say about their relationship, and he's also focused on embarrassing Misaki as revenge. I didn't have any plans for a scene involving Kuroko, but I should write something down soon. Many thanks as always.

Markoz89: Thank you. I think Misaki will have to improve her endurance for this kind of situation in the future hehe. No comment on KnT today, but he's still around.

INFINITYKAPP97: I love that Kamachi likes to draw this parallel of misfortune between the two of them. If I'm not mistaken, Anna comments on it in their fight. I wanted to refer to that kind of thing here too.

Cainabel201X: Thank you. The girls from the clique will show up, but it will take a little longer.

5queso: I'm kind of guilty when it comes to compulsive buying, so I admire how much willpower Touma has. That scene of Touma being embarrassed in the store may or may not have been based on real events LOL Thanks for the support.

FinFangFoom100: Indeed. I try not to push too hard, so I hope I haven't gone over the top. I'm glad you liked it so much. Mikoto will return in the future, but the mood of the scene may be a little different from this chapter.

Lancearthurbuca: A brave move on his part, don't you think? Poor Mikoto, she wasn't expecting that critical attack.

Jose Blas: He made it out alive today, who knows next time LOL.

Things started out salty, and ended up quite spicy. A final boss like this, I think, would be suitable as an obstacle for the last quest of our beloved Mental Out. Nothing more to see up high. Time for the moon to say goodbye.