Chapter 1
Part 1
Academy City.
A landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consisted of a walled enclave within the Tokyo Metropolitan Employment Area. Being as large as a one-third of Tokyo, the city accommodated 2.3 million people, of which 80% were students. And if a city mainly composed of students wasn't unusual enough, the main purpose of Academy City's existence was using said students to develop superpowers.
The people in charge of the city were able to "create" humans who could use their brains to affect the reality. Experiments regarding the creation of said humans dated back to early 80s. Those humans were known as Espers.
Using all kinds of different drugs, hypnosis and brain reconstruction experiments, scientists created espers by putting the human brain in a special condition, a "maximal output".
That state of brain allowed the person to create their own reality, known as Personal Reality. The experiments were not only increasing the willpower of a subject, but also their perception of the world, their reality and morals. Personal Realities differed depending on the condition of the brain.
Personal Realities were like catalyst for external phenomena. Espers could bend the universal reality by modifying it into their own. To actually be able to do that, one would have to perfectly understand the world they are observing, knowing all the laws of physics, mathematics and chemistry. Causing supernatural phenomena could not be done just by willpower alone, as everything in the world is composed of numbers and laws. Being able to perform complex calculations in a matter of seconds was, of course, only possible thanks to the external interference into the brain a subject. Most of the basic knowledge, however, was taught the old-fashioned way - at schools.
Academy City consisted of hundreds of schools. They served as education centers, which also kept track of their students' development. Each school had their own principles and objectives. Depending on what the subjects' capabilities were, as well as their esper power, knowledge and financial situation, they could choose a school most fitting for them.
Not every school had the ambition to develop espers in a fast pace; some schools were focusing on more down-to-earth activities, some served as a shelter for the students who were not able to fulfil Academy City's wish - students who were classified as espers, as they had undergone all the necessary procedures, but were not displaying any special abilities.
All those experiments and trainings were what made up the Power Curriculum Program - something so miraculous and enticing that the whole world began flocking to Academy City. Everyone, not only Japanese citizens, desired to become a part of this project and undergo the curriculum in order to become an ability user.
Academy City's espers were ranked according to their ability's value, power and practicality.
Level 0 espers were students who, even after undergoing the Power Curriculum Program, did not develop an esper power visible to the naked eye. Most of them have developed their Personal Reality in one way or another, but their powers' influence was minimal.
Level 1 espers could affect the outside world to some extent, although most of the telekinetics at that level could bend a spoon at best.
Level 2 espers could show a glimpse of potential to even some of the most prestigious schools, as abilities at that level could create valuable data. Usually, if an esper was able to reach Level 2, their chances of levelling up in the future were higher. Essentially students at that level were viewed as espers with basic capabilities that are ready to develop.
From Level 3 and up, espers could attend high-class schools and mark themselves as successful products of the city of science. In fact, their capabilities were so great that they could become dangerous. Abilities at such high level could be used to bring harm and fight against each other, which was prohibited in Academy City.
Level 4 espers were considered powerful beings, their brains were unusually strong and efficient. They could perform complex calculations in a short amount of time, influence the outside world with ease and even create large-scale calamities.
At such a high social ladder, Level 4 espers were nothing to scoff at. They were almost the perfect product of Academy City's years of work and research.
But among the minority of Level 4 espers, there was an even smaller minority.
It was a special group of people, who were the pinnacle of Academy City's Power Curriculum Program. The Level 5s.
There were only 7 of them and the city used them to advertise the Power Curriculum Program and invite new potential students to undergo it.
This small group was the main attraction for future students and served as their motivation to come to the city. They were ranked among themselves as well, according to their abilities' value, complexity and rarity. Not every one of them was known to the general public. For civilians, usually only their ability names and position in the ranking were known.
Most of the Level 5 espers were just mysterious figures and their mystery gave birth to many urban legends and rumours.
Although, there was a one particularly well-known Level 5 esper. One can say she was treated as Academy City's mascot.
She was best known as the "Railgun". A third-ranked Level 5 esper who could manipulate and generate electricity. Her multiple reckless and destructive actions made her really well-known around the city. Unlike the other Level 5s, she wasn't hiding in the shadows, away from the public eye. She was used to being put on display.
And not only by the city itself. She was naturally also representing and advertising her school. It was an extremely prestigious, high-class all-girls' school and the Railgun was their pride.
Tokiwadai Middle School. Located in the most exclusive place in all Academy City, the School Garden, Tokiwadai was a world-renowned academy for young ladies who came from extremely wealthy and influential families from all over the world.
In order to even apply to Tokiwadai, students had to be at least Level 3 espers, which in and of itself was quite a rigor. Not only that, only real billionaires could afford the school's ridiculous tuition. Tokiwadai was also known for its strict rules and demanding hard work from their students.
In short, it was a tough, inhuman world of carefully selected, genius rich girls. Surviving in a place like that was naturally a challenge.
But in exchange, the students were provided with the life of luxury, which they could indulge in in their free time.
The School Garden was a secluded, all-girls district stylized to look like an old European town. In contrast to Academy City's extremely modern look, with its tall and shiny skyscrapers, School Garden had a traditional brick and mortar architecture. The contrast was quite shocking for any outsider entering School Garden for the first time.
This prestigious area contained 5 high-class, all-girls schools, countless high-end stores and boutiques, cafés and restaurants.
The most prominent pieces of architecture you could come across in the School Garden were big, fancy fountains and grand clock towers. The area was also filled with ornate lamps and cobblestone streets.
The town was tailor-made for the upper class' tastes. In fact, it was so comfortable to live in, that some of the School Garden residents did not leave the area at all. They treated it as their own private city where they did not have to worry about running into the lower class.
It was almost entirely locked for outsiders, with some small exceptions. Ordinary students could only gain permission to enter the area from a student who lived in the Garden. Additionally, males were not allowed in the district at all, making it a female-exclusive town.
It was home to many powerful espers, but not every school demanded high levels from their students.
Nonetheless, it was safe to say that Tokiwadai Middle School was the most successful in the esper power development. Besides the Railgun, Tokiwadai actually managed to develop another Level 5 esper, the 5th ranked, Mental Out.
Although, unlike the Railgun, Mental Out was not often put on display. Mainly thanks to her power, the manipulation of human minds, she was able to hide herself from the public and was one of the most mysterious Level 5s of the Academy City.
The two Tokiwadai Level 5s obtained titles referencing the playing cards. The Railgun was named "The Ace of Tokiwadai" while Mental Out beared the title of "The Queen of Tokiwadai".
The rest of the school (and even the whole School Garden) looked up to them and treated them with proper respect. Rumours about The Queen and The Ace circulated around the elite schools and the two's presence often left people starstruck.
No one could actually get close to the two Level 5s. In fact, they did not even know how to get to know them. When someone with such high celebrity status is around, how could anyone act like their equal? Especially the sheltered young girls of the Garden who were taking the social hierarchy very seriously.
Aside from the Level 5s, making friends in Tokiwadai Middle School was not a hard task. The main activity bringing the students together were cliques.
Similar to clubs, cliques served as research groups and some had pretty big influence on the outside world, having contacts with big facilities in the Academy City and fundings from the school's board of directors. They would present their projects in big national events and even appear in the news. Larger cliques had even bigger influences and were usually led by outstanding students and high-level espers.
The biggest, most popular and most influential clique in Tokiwadai was The Queen's clique. It consisted of more than fifty students and acted as Mental Out's representative team, sometimes even replacing her when she wasn't around. One of the many rumours surrounding The Queen was that she actually used her brainwashing powers on the members of her clique and used them to do the dirty work for her. The truth behind that rumour was unknown, but with an esper ability like that, nobody could actually find out.
Forming cliques was harder than just joining one, that's why there weren't that many. The girls of Tokiwadai were ambitious so quality was valued over quantity. Every clique leader had to have a clear goal and every clique needed to be successful. A successful clique resulted in becoming an influential and popular figure in the school. That was the base foundation of it.
Many felt pressured to join a clique, since being a member of one became a status symbol. Being associated with a popular name automatically made you somewhat popular, too, and in this (surprisingly small) social circle of rich girls, having high status was a must.
Of course, not everyone cared that much.
That was the case for a certain 2nd-year student. As a typical rich girl at that age, she was well aware of her elite status and saw no point in proving that to everyone around her, who also belonged to the upper class.
The competition was meaningless. Everyone here was exceptional. This was the school for the smartest and the wealthiest. None of the girls studying here have ever lived a day in a regular society, yet they still strived to be the best.
Being outstandingly talented compared to 99% of the population was enough for her.
"Hm…"
She was looking out the window while thinking about going out to a clothing store. She was leaning on her hand and playing with her long, blonde hair laying on the desk.
She was in one of the Tokiwadai Middle School classrooms. The room had wooden floors, and antique-looking desks. Right now, the teacher was occupying a small platform, and there was a big blackboard behind her, with a date wrote on it with white chalk: "July 12th".
While the blonde girl's thoughts were roaming around new bags, she was still listening to the teacher's lecture.
"I know this is a 1st-year material, but on our next lesson, we will be talking a bit more in-depth about AIM Diffusion Field's properties and differences depending on the esper's brainwaves' pattern." A middle-aged woman wearing a navy blue blazer spoke.
"I would like you to revise the basics of AIM and how to calculate its wave frequency. While we are at it, Minami-san, could you remind the class what exactly is AIM?"
A girl sitting in a desk next to the blonde girl stood up gently.
"Yes." she responded with a melodic, mature voice.
"AIM, An Involuntary Movement, refers to the phenomena where an esper emits an energy field unseen to the naked eye. Every human classified as an esper emits this Field, as it is a by-product of Personal Reality. Depending on how the esper views their own Personal Reality, their AIM Diffusion Field differs from others. In other words, it's an involuntarily emitted, unique energy. We know that such energy exist through the use of machines or specialized espers. Normally, it can't be seen or detected, but depending on one's Personal Reality, their AIM Diffusion Field can emit different type of energy. Also, the higher level the esper, the more poweful their AIM Diffusion Field."
"Thank you, Minami-san."
The girl bowed and sat down.
(A-ah, she didn't even stutter.)
(As expected from Minami-san.)
The blonde girl was staring at the gentle young lady sitting in a desk next to her.
She was a stellar student. A perfect example to follow. With her long wavy hair, doll-like eyes and pale complexion, she looked like a delicate, noble princess. Not only her looks, but her performance at school and perfect grades made her either admirable or extremely unlikable.
But despite being a part of the elite within the elite, she was surprisingly modest. Most Tokiwadai students liked to show off their wealth and status by wearing fancy accessories and expensive brand name bags (including the blonde-haired hair). But the only accessory that this young, elegant lady wore was a plain, black headband.
She was truly the perfect Tokiwadai lady.
The blonde girl's thoughts suddenly got interrupted. A loud sound of a grand bell resounded in the classroom. Tokiwadai had a liking for old, traditional features, even in this technologically advanced city, so instead of having a regular school chime, they used a real belfry which was situated near the entrance gate.
The teacher stopped her lecture when the bell's sound filled the room.
"This is going to be it for today. We will start the next lesson tomorrow with the basic brainwave pattern distinction and definitions regarding different AIM Diffusion Fields. As I said, please study up for that, everyone."
The class responded with a harmonious "yes, ma'am."
A quiet chatter and mumbling soon filled the room as the teacher had left. It was this class' last lesson for today.
The sun's orange aura lit the wooden, antique classroom, as the girls wearing prestigious school uniforms were packing books and pen-boxes to their school bags.
"Minami-san!"
The girl wearing a black headband turned around slowly.
She was done packing her school supplies to a black school bag. As she was closing it, she replied to the girl standing next to her.
"What is it, Ogura-san?"
"I've been thinking about this during our lesson... would you like to accompany me on my way to buy some things?"
The wavy-haired girl frowned and let out a sigh of helplessness.
"Ogura-san, you should sometimes pay attention in class. We are studying really important things."
"Oh, my. Minami-san, you should know that I can be both interested in fashion AND be a top student." The blonde-haired girl said pompously as she rose her hand near her mouth.
She let out a confident, slightly obnoxious laugh, but she was clearly faking it.
"Hm. I see."
The wavy-haired girl looked at her suspiciously and then picked up her school bag from the desk.
"Ehem. Anyhow, would you like to go shopping together?"
"Well, if it's not outside of the School Garden, then I am available."
"My, why would it be?"
The headband-wearing girl scowled once again.
"I've been hearing some unmannerly stories from the ladies in class 3-A. About you, Ogura-san, leaving the School Garden around curfew hours."
The blonde-haired girl's eyes went blank, nonetheless she insisted on keeping the gentle smile.
However, the grin was so incredibly forced, her expression looked more like she was suffering.
Minami made two steps forward, getting closer and closer to the girl she was talking to. Finally, she stopped around 10 centimeters away from Ogura.
She leaned slightly in front of her to make direct eye contact, as she was a bit taller.
She then nervously whispered something to the blonde-haired girl's ear.
"There's no gentleman involved in this, right?"
"My, my. Minami-san, just how naughty do you think I am? I would never do that…!"
She was almost at the verge of changing her tone completely, but she reminded herself that she was still inside the school building.
It would have been a serious tragedy if one of the Tokiwadai Middle School students got caught saying such unladylike words. The rumours would spread faster than a virus.
Minami tensed up.
"Doesn't matter. I can read your neural oscillations as we speak. Human bioelectricity never lies. You, on the other hand, are!"
Their little bickering suddenly got interrupted.
They heard a high-pitched voice as a short, blonde-haired girl entered the classroom.
"Ogura-san, Minami-san. Would you fancy going on a little shopping adven—" she suddenly stopped mid-sentence as she realized the scene she was seeing with her eyes.
To this pure, mannered lady seeing two people standing so, so close to each other, almost to the point of their noses touching, with those facial expressions was unsightly.
She was stunned witnessing something like this and her mind started going to dangerous places. The thoughts that were coming to her head made her whole face turn red in just a couple of seconds.
None of the three girls said anything for this short moment and were all staring at each other. The girl distracted by her naughty thoughts finally broke the silence. Her voice was shaky.
"A-am I interrupting something?"
The wavy-haired girl started to blush unexpectedly and quickly jumped away from the blonde girl she was talking to as if she was suddenly stung by a bee.
"O-of course not!"
Part 2
The summer evening's orange-y yellow aura rested upon the European-looking town known as School Garden. The sunset's sleepy and blissful light was reflected in the ornate windows. At this time of the day, after a hot and humid afternoon, the School Garden had an antique-like scent. Even when walking around the streets, you could notice a smell that resembled a museum or an old room coming from all over the place.
The cobble-stoned streets were occupied by high-class girls, with no exception. Contrasting to a sound of a bustling city, the Garden was a very quiet and calm town, even though its density was comparable to a country's capital. The reason for that were the residents themselves. Elegant and ladylike, they found loud noise exhausting.
Nobody here talked rudely or loudly.
Walking around the streets of School Garden was as peaceful of an experience, as this place's whole aesthetic.
In this little town, there was not a place that would not be worth a gasp of delight. Every building, every street, every square was a gorgeous decoration.
School Garden was not an authentic city and it was closed off for regular people, in addition to that all of its residents were polite and proper girls, which meant the town was pure from any filth. The streets were pristine, the buildings were kept in perfect condition and everything operated in harmony.
A place so pristine, elegant, noble and luxurious, being maintained in perfect condition, existing in the current day and age would sound impossible to anyone. A place like that could only exist away from the common folk, reserved strictly for the upper class.
But all this grandeur and splendor was nothing more than the standard for the rich, young ladies who were studying here. They were seeing this magnificent scenery everyday and their family homes were comparable to castles, palaces. A nice-looking town with expensive stores and restaurants was a bare minimum to maintain the lifestyle of a princess.
These girls, locked in a beautiful, golden cage with tall walls, had no idea of what the real world looked like. To them, the city outside of School Garden was simply not suitable to live in. If Academy City, the most modern and futuristic city in the world, wasn't enough for these girls, School Garden was the only place they had left.
Three young ladies wearing the same Tokiwadai Middle School uniform were walking down a cobblestone street decorated with a row of metal lamps. It was still too early for them to light up, but the deep orange color of the sky suggested that it was going to get dark soon.
The tallest girl in this small group, Minami Himeka, had long, dark brown, wavy hair which was swept back and showed off her forehead. Additionally, she had a black headband on to secure the hair. She had beautiful, naturally long eyelashes and doll-like eyes. Her complexion was pale and gentle and looked like porcelain. She was wearing Tokiwadai Middle School's light brown vest over a white, short-sleeved blouse and a short, grey skirt.
The other two girls both had blonde hair and were wearing the same uniform as Minami Himeka.
The first blonde girl had a red, silk ribbon tied into her hair as a decoration. She had a light brown designer bag with red accents and a gold chain, hanging on her shoulder. Besides the uniform, she was wearing black thigh-high socks and brown loafers. Her name was Ogura Iori, a 2nd-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School.
The last girl was noticeably shorter than the other two. She had very long, honey-colored hair, with two hair clips supporting strands of her bangs. Her face was very small and doll-like. She had shiny, blue eyes and tinted, pouty lips. She was from the same class as Minami and Ogura. Her name was Mizushima Sayuri.
The three of them were taking a little trip around the School Garden in order to buy some fashionable accessories. It was the middle of summer and new issues of high fashion magazines were flooded with new trends and collections. Ogura Iori had to have them all.
"So."
Minami Himeka said as if she was a teacher giving a lecture to her student.
"If you've really paid attention in class, Ogura-san, could you tell me about AIM Diffusion Fields? I'm asking for the very basics."
The girl with a red bow in her hair started to feel tense.
"Minami-san, we just left school. Let's enjoy our free time.."
"The things we learn in school are universal. They shouldn't stay in school just because they are taught there. With a mindset like that, you won't succeed anywhere."
Ogura Iori looked depressed and started to sob a little.
The conversation kept going as the three were passing by high-end stores and cafés.
"Don't worry, Ogura-san. Give it your best!" Said the girl with honey-colored hair.
Ogura started to press her two index fingers against each other.
Her lack of confidence was obvious.
"Hm?"
"W-well… AIM Diffusion Fields are masses of faint energy which is generated subconsciously by espers."
The three girls arrived at a big, cobbled square with a grand fountain in the middle. Around the square, there were multiple shops and stores with clothing items.
It was the place to find designer items. Just the smell of fine, rich perfumes alone could lead you here.
The girls kept walking around the square.
"It can be measured by machines or espers with AIM-detecting powers. And…"
"And?"
"U-um…?"
She hit the bottom of the barrel. There was no more knowledge in that head of hers.
The wavy-haired girl sighed.
"Well, it's not bad, but you should definitely study today if you want to understand anything during our lesson tomorrow."
Ogura started to mutter something in frustration as she was angrily clutching her fists on her bag's chain.
"My goodness. And to think that YOU are the Level 4 out of the three of us." Minami said in an exasperated tone and flipped heir dark brown hair with her hand. "At least study the core principles of esper abilities. They might become useful to you, given how much potential your power has."
"Y-yes, ma'am…" muttered depressed Ogura, as she was quietly sobbing.
Mizushima gave her a comforting smile to cheer her up.
Minami was sometimes really cruel to Ogura Iori, but if it wasn't for her, Ogura would not stay in Tokiwadai for long. She had a tendency to forget, overlook and belittle problems. That's when Minami was coming in to put her friend on her feet and force her to get the goals straight.
Minami was a top student, so it was actually better for Ogura to have a strict friend like her. She was just sometimes depressed after realizing that her mistakes were so cruelly pointed out.
But Minami would never laugh at her friend. She was lecturing Ogura because she was worried about her grades and wanted the best for her.
The wavy-haired girl with a black headband sighed for the last time, finally ending the subject of Ogura's incompetence.
"So, what did you want to buy?"
They were a couple of steps away from one of the clothing stores that were surrounding the square.
"You know the white Cucci bag with ostrich leather that came out recently?"
"Yeah."
"It's the hottest item in their new summer collection. It's so pretty! I need it!" the blonde girl put both of her hands on her cheeks and her eyes turned into stars immediately.
Mizushima also got excited and her blue eyes started to shine even more than normally.
"Isn't it? I've been seeing it on all of the French and Russian models from the newest summer magazine issues!"
"Mizushima-san, let's both buy the same bag! This will deepen our relationship, my twin!"
"My twin!" the girl with honey-colored hair played along with Ogura's strange excitement.
They started to jump in place as they were holding hands together and laughing in a bizarre, childish way. They weren't actually biological twins, but their similar appearance and behavior could fool someone.
Minami's eyes could not believe how someone could be so delusional and carefree. She was staring at her two classmates for a second and then cleared her throat unnaturally loudly to make these two blonde goofballs pay attention to her.
"Isn't Cucci around here somewhere?" she spoke as she was looking around the square.
"Oh, yeah. But first let's visit Rosiello, since we're right beside the doors" the bag wearing girl responded, still not letting go of Mizushima's hand.
She pointed at the boutique behind them with her head.
The girls soon entered the store as two women wearing fancy, black suits opened the glass doors for them. Every customer in School Garden's stores and restaurants was treated like a princess. Because, frankly, their customers were primarily princesses.
The first thing that hit them after they've stepped their shoes inside the boutique wasn't even the interior, but the strong smell of perfumes this place had. It was a rich, adult and refined scent of roses, musk, an old museum, jasmine and vanilla. It was like entering a room that would magically make all your senses feel pleasure and bliss.
This beautiful fragrance was so hypnotizing it could cause someone to space out suddenly. But the store itself was as luxurious and high-class as its smell. The brand Rosiello was famous for incorporating roses and flower accents into their products, but their boutique having garden-themed interiors was also to be expected.
The walls were no mere wood or paint. They were covered in fine, expensive-looking, pastel pink, tufted velvet with rose-themed embroidery. It looked like a material that would be used on some queen's bedroom's panel screen.
The store itself wasn't big, thus felt a bit cramped with all the expensive clothing occupying many wooden shelves. They were situated on the walls, on the ground, near the counter. Clothes, clothes, clothes wherever you looked. The interior's design was balancing between tacky, gold-dripping style and refined, elegant fashion.
The three girls were standing under a big, golden chandelier lighting up the store, figuring out where to start looking. Soon, Ogura's loafers' clicking and clacking on the shiny marble could be heard. Without a word, she headed towards a golden, embellished elevator and an other suit-wearing lady standing beside it.
"This floor is just dresses, belts and skirts" the blonde girl wearing a red bow informed her two other classmates as she was getting inside the elevator. "The second floor, please."
The lady wearing a black suit nodded in understanding and let Minami and Mizushima inside the elevator before entering it herself. She clicked a button with her gloved finger and a golden sliding doors closed.
The girls along with the lady working at Rosiello boutique travelled two levels up. The short moment of standing in an elevator made Minami realize that inside the entire store, there was classical music playing from the speakers. To be precise, baroque classics. She suddenly remembered sweet, sweet times when she just enrolled into Tokiwadai and performed Vivaldi's Symphony in C Major, that was currently playing inside the elevator, as a part of her entrance exam.
Her sense of smell and hearing could not feel more delighted.
Suddenly, the moving elevator stopped and beautiful, golden doors opened. The lady wearing a black suit showed a gesture which said "go ahead." and the three girls wearing Tokiwadai Middle School uniforms entered the second floor.
It was vastly different from the ground floor, which had an elegant, garden-inspired atmosphere. This floor was lit up like a museum and its display units were beautiful, luxurious bags. Every one of them was placed on a marble pedestal lit from below with a small, golden plate built to it, which contained basic informations such as the name of a specific model, materials the bag had been made from and on what occasion was it the most suitable for.
High-fashion stores like Rosiello did not have a price tag attached to any of their items simply because they were expecting their clients to be rich enough to buy anything that would catch their eye. So naturally taking a lot of space on the golden plate for a useless thing such as price would seem unreasonable to the boutique's designer. However, more important thing was the material, as some bags were made out of real fur or leather and it could be against somebody's morals to buy such product. Grouping bags into different categories such as "banquet bags" and "casual bags" was supposed to flesh out their practicality as well as make someone's decision to buy a bag faster.
Comparing the room Ogura and others were inside to a lit up throne hall of an Egyptian pharaoh would be the most accurate. The golden ceiling was so golden it was almost dripping at the golden floor and the golden walls decorated with diamonds were reflecting their golden shine.
There were a few other ladies on the second floor besides Ogura, Minami and Mizushima. They were all looking through the displayed bags as if they were at the museum, watching the most magnificent, indescribable display of Egyptian treasures.
"Let's look around, shall we?"
Ogura Iori said as she pointed in the direction she was going to go.
Minami and Mizushima nodded silently and soon started to look through the expensive, luxurious items displayed on marble pedestals.
Every girl went in a different direction and into a different row of displays. The wavy-haired girl passed by a couple of bags without even stopping for a moment to appreciate the exhibit. She was just very quickly judging every item she went by.
"Hmm, they're not exactly modest, but… I guess that's just their brand."
"Ah, I know what you mean." Mizushima Sayuri smiled bitterly.
Suddenly, Ogura Iori appeared before the headband-wearing girl as if she got summoned by someone.
"Non, non, Minami-san. This is the 'Queen Type' section." the blonde girl pointed at a golden panel hanging from the wall with something written on it. "Those are the ones that are supposed to compliment a simple dress and make up for half of your jewelry, as they have enough gold and accessories to fill the need for them. Well, if you wore a full set of golden jewelry along with such bag, you would look like you just want to display your wealth without any taste or fashion sense."
"I see."
"The ones that would perfectly fit Minami-san… hmm… let's see…" the girl with a red bow tied into her hair put an index finger on her mouth while she was intensively thinking.
Her eyes then suddenly lit up like stars and she jumped happily, finally coming up with an idea. She unexpectedly grabbed Minami's hand and led her into an other part of the boutique's second level.
They stopped at a small section, which had only twelve marble pedestals displaying the bags.
"This is the 'Business Casual Type' category. They're either mini bags, baguette bags or satchel bags. Sometimes, there can also be plain kelly bags or duffels."
Ogura Iori looked like a museum guide showing her guest around and talking about ancient, Egyptian treasures. Minami was visibly interested and even a bit shocked. Not only did Ogura know so much about fashion, but she also must have known Minami's style well enough to give a perfect recommendation.
"These bags are so lovely!" the wavy-haired girl blushed a little as she was looking at the displays. The bags in the "Business Casual Type" section were primarily black and petite, with little to no decorative items, all made from leather.
"Ogura-san, you really know a lot about fashion." Mizushima chuckled as she saw Minami's delighted reaction.
The "museum guide" suddenly got flustered. She started to laugh nervously as she was playing with her long, blonde hair.
"W-well, since I was a little girl I remember studying fashion magazines and picking items I would want from them. I guess I got so used to seeing so many beautiful outfits put together, that picking stuff for others became natural. Tee-hee!"
"Aah! Then could you give me a recommendation, too?" Mizushima clapped her hands in excitement.
"Sure." Ogura nodded while smiling nervously. She was looking around trying to find a certain section. "For you, Mizushima-san, I guess we should either go for whites or pastel, bright colors. Hmm… yes, black is not an option. Maybe pink or baby blue…" she started to mutter to herself.
She then lead the girl with honey-colored hair into a section, which contained very girly, shiny bags with many accessories and accents such as little roses (since it was this brand's logo), bees and stars. The section was big enough to call it classroom-sized.
"Oh, my! So many beautiful, adorable items!"
"'Casual Young Type' is mainly targeted towards the ones with a more girly style. Here, you can find mini bags, chain bags and baguettes."
Every bag was rather small or medium-sized, but all of them had pastel colors. Baby blue, pastel pink, mint, peach, rose, bubblegum. The marble pedestals were all decorated with soft, gentle colors.
"Thank you so much, Ogura-san!"
"At your service!"
Part 3
It was almost dark out.
The sky's orange collided with dark blue, which started to take over half of the visible sky. The sun almost completely hid itself beyond the horizon and only its last little sunbeams were lighting up the hot, summer evening in School Garden.
Beautiful, European-looking lamps slowly started lighting up as a certain boutique's glass doors opened and three girls wearing Tokiwadai Middle School uniforms left the store.
All of them were carrying big shopping bags in a pastel pink color with a brand name engraved on them. The one holding the most was Ogura Iori, a fashion fanatic and a very rich young lady. She looked overwhelmed by the amount and weight of the bags. They were all stuffed with expensive, branded items which prices, even though not shown for the customers, were high enough to buy someone a house.
The three girls soon entered another boutique. The store which facade had a big, gold inscription saying "Cucci" was a fairly large building. It was four stories tall and covered in glass completely, so its lit up, flashy interiors could be seen from across the street.
The beige marble floor of the store was almost entirely covered by many Persian-looking carpets. Similar to Rosiello, Cucci also had its walls covered in a tufted velvet, but in a deep red color this time. Mannequins placed around the boutique were also covered in velvet, which looked like a difficult task to do. Many chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were lighting up the interior with a golden light, giving it a warm and almost homey atmosphere.
This time, the girls did not have to use the elevator. Bags could already be found on the ground floor and, besides, Cucci had a special service that allowed any customer to send an employee to get a specific item for them, even if it was put in a section on fourth level. Thanks to that, young ladies from School Garden did not have to bother with going up and down themselves. They could sit down on a comfy, velvet couch and chat with friends while waiting for an employee to bring them a desired item in a desired size and desired color.
Ogura Iori was a regular customer at these expensive, high-fashion boutiques, so she obviously knew about the special service.
She came to the store in order to get the hottest, most popular item from the brand's new summer collection. The white ostrich leather bag.
"Are you and Mizushima-san really going to buy the exact same bag?" The wavy-haired girl sighed with disbelief.
"Why not? People already think we are twins."
"But walking around wearing exactly the same would be weird. Like you both are trying to pretend or something."
Ogura Iori pouted her lips like a spoiled little girl who got refused to buy her a new dress.
"It's fine, as long as we both want it.."
The girl with a black headband rolled her eyes and rested her hand on her hip. She was looking around the store trying to find the staff working here.
"Then go and ask the personnel to get you these bags. I'll wait here."
Ogura and Mizushima both nodded to the wavy-haired girl and headed towards a lady in a black suit standing beside the store's cash registers.
The girl with a red bow tied into her hair spoke to the employee as her brown loafers were clacking on the marble.
"Excuse me, could we get two bags from the Zumy NewVintage line in white?"
"I'm sorry, madame, but the last bag from this line has been given to this young lady over there, just now."
The Cucci employee pointed with her gloved hand at a girl standing in front of one of the cash registers.
"The bag she purchased is now being packed for her."
The girl in question had long, black hair tied into two twin tails which were curled at the ends. She was wearing a light brown sweater vest over a white, short-sleeved blouse, short skirt and black thigh-high socks. She was a Tokiwadai student.
Ogura Iori immediately recognized the person standing 5 meters away from her.
"We are really sorry for the inconvenience." The suit-wearing lady bowed in apology before the two blonde girls.
(Oh, no. This is actually very convenient.)
The fashion-obsessed girl chuckled as she was looking at the girl with two long twin tails like she was her prey.
"(Ogura-san, what are we going to do?)" Mizushima whispered into her classmate's ear.
Before answering that question, Ogura Iori turned her shorter friend around and slightly pushed her back with both hands to make her start walking away.
"Aww, that's too bad. Thank you for your service!" She said to the personnel lady while walking away and pushing Mizushima Sayuri's back.
The two finally stopped at a place where Minami was waiting for them.
Ogura Iori whispered something to the girl with honey-colored hair.
"(I might pull something off.)"
"(Eh? What do you mean?)"
The wavy-haired girl approached them with a confused look on her face.
"And? They don't have it?"
The shortest girl placed both of her hands on her hips as she was talking.
"Apparently some other girl from our school has already bought the last one."
Ogura smirked confidently.
"She didn't buy it YET."
Minami and Mizushima looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?"
The blonde girl flipped her hair and grinned.
"I know this girl. We attend the same club. She's a 1st-year, Sakibasu Yuri. We talked a little, and she's a fragile one." She looked the two girls straight in the eyes. She was as serious and confident as a general discussing a war plan. "Long story short, I'm taking this bag."
Her two classmates let out a loud, harmonious "HUH?!".
Those words were soaked in evil energy, but she seemed so calm and confident about it that she might have already done it multiple times in the past.
Minami Himeka and Mizushima Sayuri were both looking at her with shocked expressions on their faces and paralyzed bodies.
"I-isn't she in Shokuhou Misaki-sama's clique?" The headband-wearing girl trembled a little. "I don't think we should mess with her."
"That's not a big deal. She got accepted into her clique like a week ago. I'm pretty sure The Queen didn't even see her herself."
The short girl with honey-colored hair was shaking in response to Ogura's words. She was certain that the blonde girl would be the type to fight in a clothing store with someone over a shoe or a bag, but this was the first time she was witnessing a real-life confrontation herself.
"E-Either way, we shouldn't do that! It's not fair!"
The bow-wearing girl suddenly placed her hands on Mizushima's shoulders. She was looking her in the eyes with a serious, almost psychotic look. As she was talking, she was raising her voice.
"Mizushima-san. This incredible, special bag is from a highly sought-after limited edition. If it sells out, it's no longer going to be available. This bag is the last one in this store. And this very store we are in right now is not only the last Cucci store in School Garden, but in the entire Academy City! This bag that she's about to buy is THE LAST ZUMY NEWVINTAGE WITHIN A 50 MILE RADIUS!"
She looked like she was at the verge of crying. Her shaking hands placed on Mizushima Sayuri's shoulders started to squeeze her light brown vest.
Minami had no clue why this specific bag could be so important to someone who had a whole closet packed with purses, but she was not the one to talk.
Mizushima and Ogura both clenched their teeth.
"Understood."
The girl with two hair clips responded in a low, serious voice. She didn't look like she wanted to, but she ultimately agreed to this act.
"H-hey! Are you two serious—?"
Minami Himeka yelled, but she hesitated to continue her lecture as she saw their serious, dedicated expressions. Even someone like her gave up on trying to interfere. She looked at Mizushima and Ogura helplessly. There was nothing she could do.
Ogura nodded to Mizushima. Mizushima nodded in understanding to Ogura. Ogura nodded to Minami. She nodded reluctantly back.
The three of them understood the situation by to the nods alone. The blonde-haired girl removed her hands from Mizushima's shoulders covered by a wrinkly, light brown vest.
"I'll be back soon." She said to her comrades as she turned around and started walking towards the cash registers. "With my new bag."
At this point, she was a huntress. Her prey was the white ostrich leather bag. And her biggest obstacle was Sakibasu Yuri.
She needed to eliminate her. But not by force or violence. All she needed to do was to discourage her from buying the item. Time was not on her side. She needed to act quickly.
"Ara~ Sakibasu-san? "
"Oh my, Ogura-sama. Good evening."
The blonde-haired girl quickly inspected the situation. The bag was already wrapped in white paper and the cashier was currently putting it inside an embellished box with the brand's name engraved on it.
The next step was to just wrap a black ribbon around the box, so Ogura didn't have much time.
"Good evening. Fancy meeting you here. Are you doing a little shopping alone?"
"Well, yes. I'm actually done."
"What did you decide to buy?"
"Um, a bag and some perfu—"
"What bag did you buy?"
This pushy behavior was visible even for someone like Sakibasu Yuri, but she was too timid and unaware of the whole situation to say something back. Especially since Ogura Iori was an upperclassman. Instead of standing her ground, she responded faintly.
"Um, I don't know exactly, but it was apparently in the new summer collection… I'm pretty sure it was the white one with ostrich leather."
Words such as "I don't know exactly" and "apparently" confirmed that Sakibasu did not know anything about the history of the bag. She was clearly not the rightful owner.
Ogura was irritated, but she had to mask it.
"Oh, dear! Could it be this bag I've been hearing about all over social media?" The blonge girl gasped casually as she closed her eyes and put her hand on her cheek.
"Wh-what do you mean? Ogura-sama, you look worried."
"Well, I'm pretty sure it's nothing… at least I hope so…" She responded while frowning. "Sakibasu-san, do you know how these ostrich leather bags are made?"
The girl with black twin tails gulped loudly.
"U-um, they are made from ostriches…"
A melancholic sigh followed after.
"Yes. Ostriches." She rubbed her finger against her eye pretending to wipe off a tear. "Those poor, poor animals. Were you aware, Sakibasu-san, that ostriches are the most emotional and family-oriented animals on Earth? Some people think they are even more human than we are. Ah, my heart aches just by thinking about one of them being skinned alive… For a bag? Is an animal's life really worth sacrificing... for a bag? We really need to ask ourselves that question."
The girl with a red bow in her hair started "sobbing" and the other one covered her mouth with her hands from the shock.
"N-no… that's… horrible."
(Perfect. She ate that lie up like it was cake! If she's so easy to manipulate, I can keep going.)
"Well, yes. But what's worse, to make these bags, they don't even use adult ostriches' skin at all!"
"Wh-what?! So…"
"Yes. The ones who have to pay with their lives are the children. Tiny, little, innocent ostrich chicks. Imagine, Sakibasu-san, being a parent and seeing your own child being skinned alive right in front of your eyes! I wouldn't be able to take that…"
"That's so cruel!"
The store clerk, who was overhearing the conversation, scowled at Sakibasu's reaction. With her hands covering her mouth, glistening eyes and shaking legs, she looked like she was about to burst out crying any second now.
"Well, you know what they say. Young skin is smoother and more attractive. After all, we are in an expensive, high-class boutique right now. They care about quality, not morals."
Sakibasu tried to control her pounding heart and constant sobbing.
Ogura Iori wiped off non-existing tears from her own eyes and put her hand on the black-haired girl's shoulder.
"But I'm sure this bag was worth this little chick's life. At least there's some use for its dead body, right?" She said those cruel words in the most calming, gentle tone possible, with a bitter smile on her face.
The cashier, who finished packing the items Sakibasu was about to purchase, looked puzzled and unsure what to do. She finally cleared her throat and said.
"U-um, ma'am, will the payment be in cash or credit?"
Sakibasu Yuri, while still covering her mouth with her hands, simply shook her head in response.
"Hm? What's wrong, Sakibasu-san?" Ogura Iori asked with fake concern, meanwhile the devil in her was rejoicing at this very moment.
"No…" the girl with curled ends of her hair muttered and then raised her shaky voice. "I would like to return this bag. I have changed my mind."
She wiped off the tears from her eyes and sniffed.
"Oh, my, Sakibasu-san. Is that because of what I said? Oh, goodness! I am so sorry for ruining your shopping day. I did not know it would shake you up so badly. I thought that you knew about all this since you decided to buy it… Here, take my handkerchief."
Sakibasu Yuri was blowing her nose.
The cashier looked at her confused.
"So, it is just going to be these perfumes, ma'am?"
"Yes." She responded in a shaky, cracking voice.
"Understood. It's going to be ¥53,800. Would you prefer paying with cash or a credit card?"
"Credit card, please."
Sakibasu Yuri let out the last sniff and pulled out a card from a purse she was carrying on her shoulder.
Part 4
"Well, then. See you tomorrow, Sakibasu-san." Ogura Iori waved to the black-haired girl who was heading towards the exit.
"Have a good day, Ogura-sama." She waved back and left the Cucci store.
The blonde girl was only waiting for that moment. She managed to eliminate her obstacle.
She quickly ran back to the cash register and whispered something to the cashier that was checking out Sakibasu a minute ago.
"Good evening. Could I maybe purchase this bag instead? My friend decided to return it, but I am interested in buying."
The boutique employee looked at her suspiciously and hesitantly answered.
"Y-yes, sure…"
(This girl is a demon!)
Part 5
It was dark out.
The ornamental metal lamps, which were placed around School Garden, were lighting up the streets, parks and squares. The curfew was going to be announced shortly, so the ladies attending elite schools were all heading towards their dorms.
That included Ogura, Minami and Mizushima. The three of them were walking down one of the main streets along with other Tokiwadai students accompanying them. Everyone around them was at least a level 3 esper, wearing the same light brown vest school uniform, heading towards one place — the Tokiwadai Middle School's dorm.
Every single one of the five schools provided a main street leading to the dorm for their students. Thus, when the curfew was about to be announced, every main road was occupied by a group of girls wearing a different uniform. Tokiwadai's street from the fashion square leading to the dorm was relatively short and not very cramped because the school had the least students among all of the five.
After all, it was so rigorous and demanding, only the best students could be accepted and, naturally, there was not a lot of them.
Ogura Iori, walking down the wide and spacious road among 180 other students, started to stretch her arms by putting them up above her head. She moaned loudly while she was doing that, showing her satisfaction and happiness.
"I would call it a successful day!"
Minami sighed helplessly and flipped her hair.
"Well, you did basically steal that poor girl's bag right in front of her."
The blonde girl pouted her lips.
"I just acted in my favor, that's all. And it's not like I STOLE it. I paid for it like a normal person. It was also really expensive, you know."
"Ogura-san, was that the first time you have done something like this in a boutique?" The girl with long, honey-colored hair asked.
"Of course not. If you have ever been to any of those stores during limited edition collections, you know how it looks like. It's like Battle Royale. Well, not like in the movies where you physically fight your way to get the item. At least I would never do something so unmannerly, but I know there are some girls who practice that on a daily basis, unfortunately." Ogura sighed. "Ah, and I'm so sorry, Mizushima-san that you did not get the same bag as mine. If they only had an other spare one… And I know how much you wanted it, too."
"A-ah, don't even worry about it. I will try to find it on internet auctions. That is usually what I do when the limited edition items get sold out in stores."
"Eeh? But it's not gonna be brand new anymore."
Mizushima giggled quietly.
"That's fine."
"Eh? You're fine with that?" Ogura started to giggle too.
"Yes. After all, I like to buy items with history."
"Ah, it's like buying an antique just for the fact that it had many owners before? My father does that all the time and I can't understand it."
Minami looked at them intrigued.
"I have got to say, I admire you, Ogura-san."
The blonde girl jumped suddenly as if a bucket full of cold water was poured on her. The wavy-haired girl said it so suddenly and, not to mention, she rarely was praising Ogura for absolutely no reason, so that was something really shocking.
"H-huh?!"
The headband-wearing girl closed her eyes and smiled gently.
"I mean, it must be hard for you, so interested and passionate about fashion, to attend school like Tokiwadai. It's difficult for a lot of students to never be able to express themselves through fashion, but for you especially, I assume."
Yes, every Tokiwadai student was supposed to be fully devoted to the school. That's why the only piece of clothing they could wear was the school's uniform. If any student would get caught wearing an outfit different than that, their punishment would be horrific.
Even Ogura Iori, being a troublesome girl herself, made sure to obey this rigor, even though she was sometimes pushing its limits a bit too far, by wearing way too many accessories for a middle school-aged lady.
That is the reason why the three girls had skipped all the sections with actual clothing this day. You could not find a Tokiwadai student buying items such as dresses, blouses or skirts. And even if you could, there would be no possibility of them wearing those in the public.
She took a moment to think and then answered with a serious tone of her voice.
"Hmm… well, while it is really hard and sometimes depressing to get stripped of your biggest hobby, I have kind of learned to live with this. When I first enrolled to Tokiwadai, I was scared. I was such a little crybaby, I expected to not be able to survive even a week not being able to wear my pretty dresses and frilly accessories. The thought of wearing the same clothes every single day kind of depressed me."
Minami Himeka was staring at her with respect, then she chuckled.
"Then how about leaving Tokiwadai? It would be better both for your grades AND mental health, it looks like."
She was teasing Ogura and she knew about it. She did not react hysterically or aggressively. Instead, she smiled back and said with confidence.
"I would never give up on Tokiwadai. It's challenging, but I would never replace it for anything in the world. It's the best place on Earth where I've met the best people."
Mizushima blushed hearing this, but Minami just smirked in response.
"Talk about corny."
"I-it's my real emotions!"
The wavy-haired girl let out an elegant laugh.
"I'm glad." Her smile was really genuine and heart-warming. When she wasn't her strict, cold self, Minami had an "loving older sister" side to her. "Now, then. If you're really that dedicated to take on our school's challenges, how about you study for tomorrow's lesson?"
Suddenly, Ogura's expression changed into a depressed one and sweat drops started to appear on her entire face.
"M-Minami-san… You just had to…" she said as she was sobbing.
"Isn't that normal? Someone has to keep an eye on you or else you would not study at all. Isn't that true, O-gu-ra—san?"
"You're too cruel, Minami-saaaan~!"
"How am I cruel? It's your fault for belittling problems and then failing tests!"
"Ueeeee!"
"O-Ogura-san! Don't worry! Just try harder next time!"
And the same scene from that day's early evening started again, as if it was a loophole and was occurring every single day whenever these three girls were together.
The big herd consisting of 180 Tokiwadai students walking down the wide road, finally arrived at the Garden's dorm.
Smaller groups of girls started to separate and say goodbye to each other. The dorm only had single rooms and sometimes double rooms, so everyone had to go their own way. The building's headquarters were filled with hubbub and a lot of "See you tomorrow", "Well then, goodbye" phrases being said at the same time by different girls.
Ogura Iori was walking up the wooden, antique-looking stairs.
(I'm so tired. I'm going to fall asleep so fast.)
Then she remembered that she needs to study for tomorrow, or else both Minami Himeka and her teacher, Mrs. Watanabe, will eat her alive.
She groaned in disappointment and fatigue.
When she finally reached the first level of Tokiwadai's dorm building, she started to walk down the long, long hallway painted creme white with nothing but doors on the sides.
She passed many girls when she was trying to get to her room's door, until she finally saw it.
An other Tokiwadai student was standing beside the doors trying to open them by pulling the handle.
"Ah, Ayako."
"What were you doing for so long? I've been standing and waiting here for a good hour. I tried to open the door, but I forgot that I've lost my key like a week ago."
The girl had brown hair tied in two, average-length pigtails. Her forehead was flanked by two fringes and she had green, (now) angry eyes.
"Oh, my lord. You are so useless." Ogura sighed.
"Well, I tried texting and calling you, but there was no response. I thought you got kidnapped for a second."
"Yes, yes. Thank you for your best wishes." She mumbled as she was pressing the key inside the door's keyhole.
She soon opened it and let her roommate inside.
The interior was very simple, but even though, just by looking at it, you could tell that this room belonged to a prestigious school's dormitory. Its walls had wooden panels and there were two antique-looking desks standing by the wall vis-a-vis to the door.
There were also two beds facing each other and two doors to each girl's walk-in closet. Obviously, the room also had en suite bathroom.
"I'll take a shower first, okay?" The brown-haired girl said as she was entering the bathroom like she was a traveler walking around the Sahara desert for too long without a drop of water who finally noticed an oasis on the horizon.
Ogura Iori, with a deep sigh of fatigue, dropped all of her shopping bags filled with luxurious purses and accessories, on the carpeted floor as she jumped on her bed, which was covered in white, classy sheets.
She was laying on her stomach and facing down the pillow. She was so exhausted and stressed about tomorrow's class just a second ago, but now she felt bliss and calm. Her brain, feet and her back felt like they were hugged.
Her eyelids slowly started to give up and close.
(N-No! I have to study! I have to study! Minami-san will… Minami-san will… nhh)
She fell asleep instantly.
Part 6
The next day's morning was a beautiful, sunny day. The chirping of birds and sounds of summer cicadas could be heard in the whole School Garden. The sun was shining bright and its light was peeking through the big, tall windows of Tokiwadai Middle School's classrooms.
It was incredibly hot inside the building, as the school's traditional European aesthetic did not allow it to have air conditioning. Students waiting for the teacher to come were all tired and weary, laying on their desks and listening to the loud cicadas' well-known, repetitive song. It was so loud, it could be heard through closed windows.
Soon, the grand bell on Tokiwadai's belfry started to chime. It was time to start the first lesson this morning. Ogura Iori was, once again, looking out the window, thinking about going out to a clothing store today, as well. She only visited Rosiello and Cucci yesterday but today she was ready for a longer shopping adventure.
Suddenly, Minami Himeka, the wavy-haired beauty with pale, noble complexion entered the class through wooden doors.
She got greeted by a bunch of girls before she concentrated her vision on Ogura Iori sitting in the corner of the room, beside the tall window with black, embellished frame. The wavy-haired was observing her body language to see if she actually did what she was supposed to.
She soon got the answer. The blonde girl, as soon as she saw Minami walking inside the classroom, started to avoid eye contact with her. She was desperately looking through the window at the school's courtyard and her shaking hands laying on the desk could be seen by Minami, as well.
The headband-wearing girl walked up to the blonde girl as soon as possible with an annoyed expression on her face.
She stopped beside her desk, staring at Ogura with the eyes of a murderer.
The bow-wearing girl (today she was wearing a pink, silk one) was aware of Minami Himeka standing right in front of her desk, but was still pretending to not see anything and kept looking out the window.
The more time had passed, the more sweat drops started appearing on the blonde girl's face.
"Ogura-san." Minami finally spoke with fake concern in her voice. It sounded really scary, like a voice of a possessed doll from some horror movie. "Did you sleep well tonight?"
Ogura Iori's pounding heart could be heard from miles away.
"Y-yes."
"Oh, that's so nice to hear."
She smiled towards the blonde-haired girl and was just about to walk away. She stopped and said something over her shoulder with a concerning grin.
"Oh, yes. One last thing. I've heard Watanabe-sensei saying something about making a pop quiz for us today."
Ogura groaned quietly.
"But we should be fine. It's the basics of AIM Diffusion Fields, after all. I'm sure you, A LEVEL 4 ESPER, should not be worried about anything like that." She said as she was sitting down on her desk's chair.
The blonde girl could not handle it any longer.
She quickly stood up from her seat and kneeled down before Minami. She hid her face in her long, blonde hair and held Minami's hands with her own.
"I'm incredibly sorry, Minami-sensei!"
The wavy-haired girl was not feeling merciful in that moment. She was looking at the girl who was demeaning herself like a dreadful emperor staring at a dirty peasant having to be executed, but still begging him for mercy. Simply put, her expression showed disgust.
She was expecting an apology the moment she entered the class and noticed Ogura's body language, but still this bare minimum did not satisfy her.
The classroom's doors opened once again. Ogura Iori did not seem to care, though. She continued her dramatic apology.
"I shouldn't have bought so many things yesterday evening! Because of the heavy shopping bags, my back and feet felt so exhausted and sore, I could not get up from my bed. Yes! The first thing I did was jumping onto my bed! I'm so sorry for that! If I did not do that, I swear I would have started studying! I swear!"
There was no response after that. The classroom turned into a silent, noiseless space. Even the cicadas seemed to stop singing their well-known, repetitive song just for this moment.
Ogura Iori was clenching her teeth waiting and waiting and waiting for Minami's lecture, but it did not happen.
She started to slowly open her eyes and uncover her face, which was hidden in her long, blonde hair this whole time.
She looked up to check Minami's facial expression. Was she angry? Was she very angry? Ogura had to know that.
But she got surprised. The wavy-haired girl's face was not infuriated, angry or even mildly annoyed. In fact, she wasn't even looking at the blonde girl at all.
Instead, her eyes were facing the blackboard. Was someone standing there? On the wooden pedestal?
Ogura looked at the other girls in the classroom. They were either focused on the same thing as Minami or looking at the blonde-haired girl with hands covering their mouths from shock.
The bow-wearing girl turned her head in 90 degrees to see what everyone has been looking at.
Shiver went through her body. Her eyes widened. There was more sweat on her face than ever before.
She knew she was in trouble.
She saw a woman in her 50s wearing a navy blue blazer and a skirt in the same color. She had glasses and grey hair pinned up in a bun.
It was Mrs. Watanabe. Her Esper Science teacher.
"Ogura-san, please pick up your school bag and stand in the hallway outside of the classroom."
After that, a long and loud scream of sadness and embarrassment could be heard in the entire Tokiwadai Middle School's building.
She got one of the worst punishments imaginable. Standing in the hallway. She could not do anything. Not even move an inch.
Ogura Iori was lamenting her misery while she was leaning against a wall in the school's hall.
(I bet Minami-san had satisfaction witnessing me getting a punishment for not listening to her. She must be over the moon right now.)
From time to time, there were passing by and staring at her, sometimes giggling and whispering to each other. This was the worst part. The embarrassment.
These 45 minutes, that she spent with no one else but her negative thoughts, felt like eternity.
But finally the chiming coming from the belfry soothed that frustration and misery. She could finally sit down and have a talk with the headband-wearing girl.
As soon as she heard the bell's resonant melody, she opened the class' doors and went inside. She walked up to her desk and placed the black school bag on it.
She looked at the girl sitting next to her and spoke to her hesitantly.
"U-um, Minami-san. I'm so sorry for not listening to you. And for causing all this. I really am irresponsible, huh?"
The wavy-haired girl looked at her with a straight face.
"And, u-um, I will try to listen to you more often. I'm going to do better! I promise!"
Minami Himeka sighed with helplessness.
"Watanabe-sensei said that I should directly help you with studying from now on. I mean, I agreed, considering how bad you are doing."
She flipped her hair and frowned while looking at the blonde-haired girl, which looked so happy and relieved, she could start hugging and kissing Minami any second now.
"M-Minami-saaaan! Ueeee!"
Her child-like crying started to gain attention from other students in the classroom.
"H-hey! Don't just start crying like that! Pull yourself together!"
"O…okay." She said as she sniffed loudly and wiped tears from her eyes. "I feel like I owe you too much, though. Ah, I have an idea!"
The wavy-haired girl raised her eyebrow.
"Why won't we go shopping again today? It's my treat this time! Pick anything you want! You deserve that!"
Minami Himeka chuckled. But the blonde-haired girl did not feel any good energy from it. This was just one of the headband-wearing girl's ominous smiles.
"I do appreciate the offer." She said in a deep, scary voice. "But I'm afraid we won't have time for that any time soon."
Ogura Iori gulped loudly. She suddenly felt a strong tension paralyzing her body, but she still tried to keep a gentle smile on her face.
"We start our tutoring sessions today."
The blonde-haired girl's whole body was shaking like a fragile little leaf trying to hold onto the flower's stalk during a hurricane.
"Today. After school. 5 PM in the library."
"H-ha…Haha… F-for how long?"
"Until we are going to start seeing changes for the better."
Ogura clenched her fist on her chest. She could not get away from this situation. She could not escape by pulling the "I can't today. I'm busy" card, since she already exposed herself by proposing Minami shopping together.
She sat down on her desk's chair and started to nervously play with her blonde hair. It did not look natural or instinctive because her hands were all shaking and trembling. She could barely grab anything with them.
She looked up and her eyes witnessed the scariest face of Minami Himeka she had ever seen.
"I'm going to make sure that you study from our textbooks with as much pleasure, as from your fashion magazines."
"N-no…"
"I am looking forward to working with you from now on, everyday after school, O-gu-ra—san."
"NOOOOOO!"
This time, the scream that resounded in the school's building was of fear, despair and suffering.
And thus, Ogura Iori's carefree lifestyle changed. Things like hard work and hardships were soon to be learned by her and what it really means to be Tokiwadai Middle School's Perfect Lady.
...
FIRST CHAPTER DONE
Sidenote: The characters I'm using as my Original Characters are not actually MY designs. Every "new" character you're gonna see in this fanfic is just some background person shown once in the anime or manga.
The three main girls are actually background characters from a certain manga panel and I really liked their design so I decided to use the already "existing" Tokiwadai students.
Some people may not know Sakibasu Yuri but she is a Light Novel character from Railgun SS3!
And, yes, Misaka and Shokuhou WILL appear eventually. Same as Hokaze and Shirai. Every Tokiwadai student will be in here.