Chapter 16 - Coupled Messages
It was nearly dusk in Academy City. In a city devoid of nightlife like this, it was customary for the illumination from the streets and dormitories to outshine that of the stores. Not that there weren't things to do, it was just a shame that Touma was here at home alone instead of enjoying one of those things.
With his cell phone grasped in one hand and a wooden ladle in the other, the boy with spiky hair divided his attention between the screen and the bubbling hot pot. He sampled a spoonful of the rich meat broth he was concocting, finding it a tad saltier than he preferred.
However, his cell phone's screen was offsetting the saltiness with a touch of sweetness.
'Not seeing you for so long makes me daydream.'
That was a message from Touma's girlfriend. They had already been texting for nearly an hour, which diverted his attention somewhat from the cooking marathon he had embarked upon. He wasn't cooking for anyone in particular today, it was just practice, something he certainly didn't do merely for the sake of it. That boy had a plan, one for the near future.
With a faint smile, he set down the ladle and began to type.
'I thought that was standard with you. Always so lost in thought.'
'You're not wrong, but it's a bit different now. By the way, what are you wearing now?
She sent a rather mischievous emoji right after her message.
'Casual clothes, nothing too fancy, and an apron too.'
Misaki was answering his messages at lightning speed, as if she couldn't bear to be without his interaction, but, this time she took so long to reply that he began to worry something had happened to her.
As he sat down on the bed, trying to calm his nerves, her message finally appeared.
'You're terrible at this.'
For some reason, he imagined the girl facepalming. And he almost did the same when he realized too late what the girl was getting at. And then he started typing a new message.
'What about you? I bet you're wearing something sexy.'
But he hesitated and ultimately deleted the message. Perhaps it was a psychological technique akin to writing a letter to someone and keeping it, or maybe it was simply a lack of courage.
'Are you still cooking?'
The new message arrived before he could decide whether to write the same thing or not.
'Yes. I'll start dessert soon.'
'Good. There must be some melted chocolate in there, right? Maybe some strawberries.'
'Not really.'
Once again, the girl took an uncomfortable amount of time to respond. This was the equivalent of a date in a restaurant where the other person stopped for a drink every ten seconds, making the atmosphere rather awkward.
'Seriously... you're terrible at this.'
At least this time that message made him smile, not a big smile, just a tiny one, the kind that escapes when you hear something silly and can't help but react.
'I can imagine you in something provocative while eating strawberries wrapped in chocolate.'
He didn't send the message, by the way. But he wrote several others that made his face feel hot for some reason, and then deleted them soon after too. Something in the back of his mind told him that Misaki would really like those messages, but he didn't send them anyway.
'That bathtub you sleep in, one day I'm going to fill it with chocolate.'
'That's quite a waste of food.'
Kamijou Touma was, without a doubt, terrible at this. At that moment, it felt as if a metaphorical sigh had resonated through the cell phone screen.
'You know what, I think I'll ignore my dorm manager's warnings and stop by quickly. I really need to talk to you in person. More than talk.'
'And what 'more than talk' should mean?'
'You know. Couple stuff.'
Couple stuff. Well, that was rather broad. Touma decided to set his cell phone aside momentarily to collect his thoughts and make the right decision. He also made a tweak to the dessert, taking a few bars of chocolate and melting them, which seemed to be fueling his imagination.
"It's just chocolate, Kamijou-san, don't let her tease you like that," he reminded himself, nodding in agreement. "Yes, at times like this, a guy like me should focus on her smile and the twinkle in her eyes, not on melted chocolate slowly cascading down her body like wax on a candle."
Someone needed to intervene before he started composing "poetry" or something; Aleister Crowley would be in tears the day that happened.
'Something tells me you don't like messaging me.'
She couldn't have been more wrong. Of course, he'd rather have her here beside him, inhaling the aroma of the food, maybe even helping him refine this new project. Although it would be best if he only revealed the end result to her. But that didn't change the fact that the more time he spent with her, the more he craved. It was never enough. Perhaps it never would be.
'I'm not in your way, am I?' was her message.
'I wouldn't call it getting in the way. Distracting, maybe, but I like it.'
'Distracting you? You're making it sound like there's more to this distraction. I bet I'm making you think of me in a lot of situations.'
'Maybe I am.'
He pondered for a brief two seconds, then mumbled a 'whatever' and sent the message. A twinge of nervousness crept through his body, lodging itself in his throat. To quell the unease, he bit into a piece of chocolate. In retrospect, it wasn't even that suggestive, he had nothing to worry about.
'Do you want to know what I'm wearing? That should help you visualize better.'
It made him swallow dry, his mind trying to decide in a space of nanoseconds what he would answer. No, he didn't even think, he just let his instinct take over momentarily.
'That would be interesting.'
It appeared that his hesitation was gradually dissipating, sparking a flame inside him. Unfortunately, the intensity of the feeling diminished as the girl took too long to send a new message, minutes, in fact.
"Damn, looks like I was right."
A new message popped up just as he expressed this, and he sighed. His eyes stuck to the screen of his cell phone in the next instant, and remained there in contemplation for several seconds. Touma had entered a trance, much like a craftsman appreciating a well-finished piece of work.
By the way, it wasn't a text message, this time, Misaki had sent a photo. Kamijou Touma suddenly had to close his mouth to prevent himself from drooling.
In the photo, the girl was reclining on her bed, her golden hair cascading around her as she ran her fingers through it in a pose reminiscent of a fashion magazine. She was adorned in a white camisole with several strategic transparencies. The designer was a genius, allowing a glimpse of the clothes she wore underneath, but only as a subtle outline, leaving ample room for imagination.
To add an extra dash of delight, the photo came with a caption.
'I'm wearing what you chose for me underneath. It's a bit uncomfortable, so maybe I should take it off?'
Things were getting a bit too dangerous. Seriously, what would happen if he said yes?
"No, Kamijou-san," he said hastily, tossing his cell phone aside and gripping his wrist as if wrestling with himself. "You're not falling for such an obvious trap. Even if I manage to embarrass her, it's no fun if I can't see her blushing. But..." He swallowed and then shook his head. "Forget about it. Save it for the right moment. After my revenge is complete..."
A final glance was cast in the direction of the photo on the cell phone screen. He quickly saved the image, you never know when a more in-depth, meticulous analysis might be needed after all.
"My God, what a bombshell of a girl."
It was more like a nuclear warhead, to say the least.
'I'll leave you alone for now. Unless you want more material for your fertile mind to work with. Or maybe I should change and stop by for a few minutes.'
'Tempting, but I don't want you to get into trouble.'
'Maybe I like getting into trouble. Especially this kind of trouble. See you later, Touma-chan.'
Touma also said goodbye, and the girl fell silent after that. He was soon lost in thought again, while he continued cooking, but it all seemed like a background task when he glanced at his cell phone screen from time to time.
Things had become too different recently. There were moments when it felt surreal to acknowledge that he was in a relationship with the girl on that screen. Everything appeared too perfect to be real. Her smile, her mature demeanor, her sweet and outgoing manner. She even possessed that seductive allure.
The realization that this girl had harbored feelings for him for so long, and only now had they come together, squeezed his heart. He hadn't truly comprehended the depth of being in love until recently, and that feeling was swiftly reciprocated. But to fathom that this girl endured the lack of reciprocation for so long...
"It seems I wasn't the unlucky one in this story."
With these words, he flopped onto the bed, his body suddenly weary, as if absorbing the negative charge the girl had once felt. But that was in the past now.
A few seconds of closed eyes later, the doorbell rang.
His heart raced.
It seemed she wasn't content with just that provocative photo; she wanted to provide more "material" in person. Reflecting on this, he realized she was more devoted to him than he was to her, a dynamic he needed to rectify. In this relationship, they should stand as equals.
"You couldn't resist, could you?" he asked, smiling as he answered the door.
"Ara, Ara. It's always nice to be greeted with enthusiasm."
"Huh?"
But he was completely wrong.
It was indeed a girl there, no, more precisely a woman, but many people would mistake her age. She had long brown hair and donned an elegant dress paired with an expensive-looking cardigan, the kind a prosperous high-class woman might wear.
"Mom?"
There was no logical reason for his confusion, and yet, he found himself perplexed. Granted, she had mentioned a forthcoming visit, but the when remained unspecified, and the timing seemed a bit peculiar.
"It's wonderful to see you again." She stepped into the apartment, handing him her coat. He was still too stunned to grasp what to do. "I see you're cooking. It smells delicious. It's a shame I can't stay for dinner."
"Are you leaving already?"
"Not yet, but I have to check into my hotel. I should have done it earlier, but I was looking forward to seeing my son again. Here, let me have a good look at you."
Kamijou Shiina used both hands to cradle her son's face, turning him from side to side as if examining him for any signs of injury.
"You look a bit older since last time. But your eyes are much happier now. Someone is being treated very well."
"Could you teach me that trick? It would be very useful."
"Of course." She nodded and smiled gently. "But not now. We'd better wait until you give me a grandchild."
"Bff?!"
That boy thought he was immune to being embarrassed by his mother, but he was wrong. Perhaps if he hadn't recovered his memories, it would have had less effect. Or maybe it was the fact that he had a girlfriend?
"I'm going to stay here in town for two or three days," said the woman, ignoring her son's state of mind and continuing to smile in a gentle way. "I didn't intend to stay that long, but I need a bit more time if I want to be sure of something."
"What are you talking about?"
"Anyway," she quickly brushed off his question, reaching into her bag and pulling out a package. "I want to give you this before I go."
It looked like an out-of-season birthday present, wrapped in colorful material and adorned with a pretty red ribbon in a delicate knot. It felt a little wrong to undo the wrapping, so he undid it with unnecessary care, slowly pulling the ribbon away from the fancy material and finding a dark box there.
After opening the box, the boy looked at his mother, who was watching him intently with expectant eyes.
"That wasn't quite what I expected, I confess," he said, the first thing that came into his head.
"That was the intention."
The gift was a suit. It was a classic, deep and timeless black, easy to tell it was expensive, probably tailor-made. Although he didn't know much about suits, his intuition told him so. His mother had spoken to Komoe-sensei, so she must have acquired his measurements due to the uniform, which is why he decided not to ask any more questions about it.
"So, what did you think?" asked Shiina. Her voice sounded anxious but confident. "The material is top-notch, super 120s wool, and the inner lining is made of pure silk."
"It's something so fancy that it's not usually my style, but I liked it. Thank you very much." He took another good look at the suit, sliding his fingers down the black tie and imagining himself wearing it.
"I didn't want to have to fold it, I'm sorry. You'd better hang it up, you don't want it to be full of wrinkles when it's time to wear it."
"But what kind of occasion should I wear it for? I'm certainly not going to be invited to a fancy ball with the Queen of England again."
"Again?"
His mother's face suddenly colored with confusion.
"Oops, I let that one slip," he said, giving a half-hearted smile. He put the present back in the box and set it aside on a small table. "Anyway, some occasion must arise when I need a suit."
"A man doesn't have to wait for an occasion to arise. He can always 'make' one himself. And that suit doesn't need to be worn to impress an audience, it only needs to impress one person."
The smile she gave him was the equivalent of a wink, a subtle reminder tossed into the air like a playful hint. And a very good one, as Kamijou's mind began to work out scenarios in which he would use it to impress a certain mental esper.
"Look at the time," said Shiina, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I have to go now. We can talk some more tomorrow, maybe you'll tell me what it's like to be a celebrity."
"Honestly, I don't feel like one. Hardly anyone knows I'm a level 5 after all, and I'd rather keep it that way. Living a normal life... or as normal as possible is ideal."
"No man in the Kamijou family lives a 'normal' life, Touma. Your father has had his share of adventures, you know. Many of them involve random girls." A shadow suddenly appeared on her face, which made him flinch because of the strange aura it emanated. "Perhaps this tendency towards chaos is what makes them so popular with the girls."
"I'm not exactly 'popular' with the girls."
"Ara, Ara, Touma-san, are you trying to lie to your mother like that?"
For some reason, she started patting him on the shoulder while maintaining a somewhat somber expression. He could see a strange gleam in her eyes, as if life experiences were being reflected there.
Attempting to maintain a friendly demeanor and sidestep a potential lecture, Touma forced a smile. As Shiina leaned down to retrieve her coat from the hook, she waved at him and proceeded toward the door. However, the boy intercepted her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Mom, wait."
"Yes?"
When the woman turned around, the boy greeted her with a warm smile before enveloping her in a tight, heartfelt hug.
"I missed you," he said, feeling his mother return the gesture of affection.
Those words had a greater meaning for him, someone who had been lost for so long, someone who had his own body as a prison. It was as if he had finally come back now, to his life, to his parents… home. He could express such sentiments without feeling that strange sensation that something was wrong, that he wasn't the one who deserved to be there. Now, he truly belonged to that family.
"I always miss you," said the woman. As if she sensed what was going through his head, she squeezed him as if protecting a helpless child. "It would be nice if we spent more time together. You could ask permission to spend the summer vacation with us, or at least visit us during Christmas."
"I'll do it."
He only pulled away when the woman slowly relaxed her grip, but he still stayed close. That moment, on the phone, when she wondered if it had been the right choice to send him here, those moments made him doubt if this was what he really wanted. Sure, he had a lot here. People who liked him, a relatively normal life... no, his mother was right. Maybe he didn't have a normal life and never would.
His thoughts were taking a different turn, but as if on cue, a noise disrupted that moment. And it came with an energetic sound to go with it.
"Surprise, Touma-chan!"
The door swung open abruptly, and a blonde girl stepped into view, her radiant smile almost comical as she surveyed the scene. Her expression abruptly froze, and her face contorted in a peculiar manner. Soon after, her mouth formed a small triangle before opening in a mix of surprise and confusion.
She then spoke, in a slightly irritated tone.
"Who the hell is this girl?"
It seemed that someone had failed to understand the situation. Not that she was to blame, many people would have reacted that way to seeing their boyfriend so close to an unknown woman. But a misunderstanding was still a misunderstanding, and that was never a good thing, especially given that boy's history.
"Okay... okay..." Touma said, turning away from his mother, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, and presenting them to his girlfriend. "First of all, let's calm down-"
"I'm perfectly calm," said Misaki, casting a suspicious glance in Shiina's direction.
"Oh! Are you who I think you are?"
"I'll talk to you later," Misaki used a very dry tone as he pointed a petulant finger in the woman's direction. "Honestly, Kamijou Touma. What does that mean anyway? Is that why you were cooking? A very good smell over there. Looks like I arrived before dessert."
"No, no, no. Wait a minute." Touma waved his arms and stood between his mother and his girlfriend. His heart raced when he saw Misaki fiddling with her bag for some reason. "I swear it's not what you think. Let me explain everything, please."
Misaki was breathing loudly, practically exhaling smoke, her fingers touching her crossed arms in an accelerated rhythm, and a murderous look in her eyes. When she finally spoke, it was in a dry voice.
"Okay." She nodded and smoothed her hair. The deep breath she took was a little long. "Explain it to me then."
"Please give me a chance to— wait, what?" Touma even relaxed his posture and tilted his head.
"I told you to explain."
"Yes, I heard that."
"So why am I not hearing any explanations yet?"
Because his confusion temporarily stopped him. The brain programming imposed by life on that boy was not 'fail-safe' like this.
"Wait, are you really going to let me explain?" He gestured with his arms as if something was wrong with the universe. "Like... without punishing me first?"
"Do you want me to give you a punishment ability? I have nothing against it."
"Don't speak in that calm tone. That's not how it should be." He held his head with both hands as if in the middle of a crisis. "The rules say that you should get angry, refuse to listen to me, throw something at me, or hit me, and just leave. After that, we spend a few days or even longer being at odds for no reason other than cheap drama because that's how the 'third-act breakup' trope works. That's weird. What's wrong with the universe?"
"Are you going to explain to me or not?"
"No! I refuse."
"What?!"
"My teenage romantic comedy is more wrong than I expected. I have to act in unconventional ways so that maybe things will go back to normal."
The boy crossed his arms and wore a satisfied expression as he observed Misaki's face transform into a frown. The idiot was reveling in and even proud of his own idiocy. Just another day in the life of the Great Demon King Kamijou Touma.
But things didn't turn out exactly as expected.
"Got it. You asked for it then." Misaki opened her bag and took out a remote control, pointing it without hesitation in the direction of the head of the woman who remained calm about the whole thing. "No hard feelings."
"No, no, no, no." The spiky-haired idiot waved his index finger in denial and continued in a desperate voice. "Misaki, don't do that. That's actually my mother!"
At least those desperate shouts stopped the girl before she did whatever she was planning, her finger retreating from the control button, but her hand remained rigid as she pointed that 'gun' in the helpless woman's direction.
"Touma," said Misaki, casting him a disdainful look. A loud sigh escaped her lips. "I had confidence in you, I really did. Up until now, I thought you understood that, that I had made it clear."
"Wait, what are you saying?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She made a quick gesture with her head in the direction of the woman standing there. "How do you expect me to believe that this girl is your mother? She looks like she's in college at most."
"Oh!" exclaimed Shiina, partially covering her face with the back of her hand. "It's always nice to hear something like that, even after so long. You're kind, honey-scented mystery girl. "
"Listen here, you little—"
It seems that those words only served to make Misaki angry, and considering that it wasn't even insulting, she had probably been on edge for a long time. Touma had to act fast and grab her around the waist before she flew into his mother's throat, which probably wouldn't be that effective because of the girl's non-existent athletic skills, but anger is a powerful catalyst, so who knows? Just in case.
"Misaki, please calm down."
"I'm calm!" She struggled in his arms. "Don't ask me to stay calm after all this. I gave you a damn chance and you mocked me, which is something I actually appreciate at times, by the way. So, let go of me and accept the punishment you asked for! After I've finished with her, of course."
"I told you, she's my mother, Kamijou Shiina. She was with me during the Daihaiseisai, you probably even saw her at some point with my father. If you don't believe me, look at my face."
Touma released her and stood side by side with his mother. His father used to mention that he resembled his mother when deep in thought, so he narrowed his eyes, adopted a serious expression, and donned his best 'thoughtful face.'
For some reason, Misaki tilted her head in the most adorable manner he had ever seen, looking at him with a mischievous smile.
"Damn," she said, swallowing and clutching the left side of her chest. "Goddamn, you look so hot like that. Let me take a picture; I'll set it as my screensaver."
The girl had suddenly shifted gears and gone into "thirsty mode". However, before she reached for her cell phone in her bag, something seemed to click in her mind. She froze, completely immobile. Her shoulders and neck stiffened so much that she looked like a robot. Her eyes kept darting from her boyfriend to the "girl" over there, or rather, from the son to the mother.
"I-Is she your mother?!" She hid her mouth in surprise with her hand and became a stuttering mess, unable to form a single word after that.
"That's what I said."
Tired of just watching, Shiina stepped forward and bowed formally in front of the girl, who was still mumbling something unintelligible. The young woman had a pleasant and inviting face, but that wasn't enough to snap Misaki out of her almost catatonic state. Touma imagined that in her vision there must be a skull with an exclamation mark above his mother's head. Poor girl.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Shiina in a sweet tone. "I suppose you're the 'special person'. May I ask your name?"
"Um... Um..." Misaki gulped, sweating profusely. "S-Shoku... S-Shoku..."
"Shoku? What a lovely name."
"N-no, it's..." She waved her hands and turned as red as a cherry. "Shokuhou Misaki!" The loud tone, almost a shout, served to at least calm her down a little. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kamijou Shiina. Or should I call you future mother-in-law?"
Okay, now she was going back on the attack, classic Shokuhou. Such composure.
It's a shame that all that confidence, built up so quickly, disappeared just as quickly. All it took was a smile.
"Ara, Ara." The woman looked at her with that grim smile on her face, causing the girl to recoil in her place. "It appears we have an audacious young lady here. But what else have you got to show me?"
Shiina's gaze was so intense that one could discern Misaki had pulled off another miracle, as she stood there not just alive but upright. It's likely that any woman within a two-kilometer radius would have felt a chill run down her spine, so the golden girl did well to endure this point-blank attack. Not unscathed, of course.
And standing close by, the boy with spiky hair took satisfaction in witnessing his girlfriend squirm as if in physical pain. He was satisfied... for now.
Hello! Our protagonists can't stay away from each other for long, not without starting to think about each other in 'various situations'. And finally, Queen Bee meets the Dragon King's mother. She'll be fine. Don't forget that Kamijou is practicing cooking. What does he have in mind?
Let's answer the reviews:
Mrui2002: Thank you for reading. This dynamic will appear here a little more. That's a good suggestion, I'm considering it. I had an idea of Touma going to Tokiwadai once again to meet Misaki, maybe I'll do something similar, but what I write down or plan doesn't always end up in the story.
Average stuufy: LOL, I like making references, they're there in almost every chapter and I always smile when someone comments on them. Thank you very much.
INFINITYKAPP97: We have a similar opinion on this. Let's see how she does against this boss in the next few chapters. I appreciate the compliments.
Markoz89: We had some emotions, but not so strong xD. Misaka is reflecting on this massive L she received as a gift. Othinus has kind of accepted everything by now... or almost.
5queso: I'm glad you liked it. It wouldn't be a romance story of mine without those moments LOL. Touma's parents are very supportive of him, so they must be happy to see this progress. Part of the scene was certainly inspired by real events. Thanks as always.
Jose Blas: I appreciate it.
SuddenBetrayal: Thank you for your support.
See you next time!
By the way, the messages exchanged would have a somewhat different format. I used a lot of abbreviations at the beginning and put some 'faces' to make it look like people actually texting each other. I even made Misaki write a lot of LOL, LMAO, and other things, a little reference to her character in VO (she likes to spam LOL messages there). But I thought it looked strange in the edit and took it out. Would you prefer the original version? I have nothing else, no silly rhymes either. NioMoon leaving.