"Ufufufufufufufufu"
I laugh fidgeting to myself
After over a week carrying out missions and dealing with paperwork, I finally got permission to go to Kuoh town and see Tachan!
"Uh? Ayumu, you have been on a very good mood recently, any good news?"
My friend Shouko asks me and I turn to her
"After all this work, I'm finally going to see Tachan again, fufufu"
He was really serious and said he had something important to show me, but I can't help looking forward to see him again!
"I see, being away from your boyfriend sure must be tough, fufufu"
I feel my face getting hotter hearing it
"H-he's not my b-b-boyfriend! Tachan and I are childhood friends, t-that's all!"
"Then why are you blushing and lauhing on your own?"
"I wasn't blushing! Tachan is my greatest friend! So of course I want to see him again!"
"Really, huh? I wonder if Kageyama-kun is on the same line as you..."
She says looking at me from head to toe
"Uh? Same line?"
She gives an impish smile and shrugs
"Well, nevermind, right now we better focus at what we have at hand"
I tilt my head and sigh
"Ah... okay"
We are currently standing on the rooftop of an hotel
"According to the device, he should be right bellow us, get ready to go in at the count of three"
"Got i!"
I crouch down and stick out my hand with flames ready to burst
"What are you doing?!"
Shouko takes me by the arm before I can take any action
"W-well I was going to cut a hole in the roof so we could get in"
Listening to me, she rolls her eyes and points down
"Or I could shut off the energy and we could get in by the window, causing less panic and leaving less evidence behind"
She says pointing downwards and creating sparkles on her fingers
"O-oh... Y-yeah, that sounds better, hehehe"
I reply rubbing the back of my head
She hits one of the energy systems and a part of the building goes completely dark
"Lets go!"
She grabs onto me and I use my flames to glide in the air while carrying her
"W-wow... working with a high ranker sure is something else, I wish I could have this support more often"
She gives a small laugh and I nervously reply
"T-that really isn't much, also, I don't think I'm good for this sort of... human missions"
Shouko tilts her head
"Eh, don't worry, I'm actually glad I have a friend as my company."
I give an awkward smile, as much as it pains me to agree, this is a low level mission. I too was surprised when they said I would have to go along on this one.
But before I can think about it any further, I feel a pinch on my forearm
"Hey, Ayumu, have you been gaining muscle again?"
"T-that's not the time for it!"
The windows were all shut, but my fire melted the glass easily so we could sneak inside, since she had cut all energy here, I had to use my flames to light the place, revealing that we just entered the kitchen
Before Shouko could say something, we hear a voice coming in our direction
"What the fuck, there's light in the kitchen?"
A large bearded man using his cellphone as a flashlight walks in and upon seeing us, gives out an expression that seems to be more angered than confused
"What the hell?! Thiefs? How did you get ins-"
His eyes drift from our masks to the flames in my hand and his eyes go wide
"Y-you! These masks! The two of you are with those weird guys isn't it?"
Stuck on how to proceed, I turn my head to Shouko, who nods in my direction as if saying 'Leave this to me' and steps ahead
"Hello, as you guessed we are indeed from the Esper Association and we are sorry to interrupt so abruptly in the middle of the night, but you're gonna have to come with us"
The man's face twists even more with anger and confusion
"Go? I ain't going nowhere with you people, didn't I made myself clear the first time? I don't care if I'm an 'esper' or if you guys are some sort of secret society, I don't have time to play around with your shit! So beat it before I get mad!"
He points outside, clearly standing his ground, but Shouko merely shakes her head
"I'm sorry, I believe there was a misunderstanding, allow me to be clearer then..."
She pulls out a pair of handcuffs
"You are being arrested for using your powers to commit criminal activities in the human world. Please do not resist and come with us"
The man's eyes drift to the pair of shining metal rings and for a very brief moment a smile appeared on his face as if he thought it was a prank
"W-what the fuck..."
He said under his breath, indeed it must have seem like a prank. Two girls much younger than him wearing masks suddenly appear saying that he was under arrest. Someone who just recently discovered their powers could never take it seriously.
However, as Shouko approached him, the smile quickly faded and gave place to a look of contempt
"What the hell are you even talking about, brat? What crimes?"
The man says stepping back and Shouko gives out a sigh
"Really, you're gonna play stupid now? Ayumu, could you light up a little more?"
"Ah, okay"
I spread my flames across the room and intensified them as my friend reached for a file within her uniform
"I'm talking about robbery, theft, trespassing, illegal gambling and many other crimes, all which you've comitted ever since discovering your powers"
She opens it to his face and the man's eyes look as if they're gonna pop out as he scans through it in disbelive
"Take a better look for yourself"
Shouko drops the file on the floor and the man, despite angered at having to kneel to pick it up, does not resist his curiosity. Sweat gathers in his forehead as he reads through the pages of photos and reports from esper investigators with shaking hands
"H-h-how did you got this? Y-you motherfuckers were stalking me?!"
If his reaction while reading wasn't enough, the nervousness in his reply was a dead giveaway of guilt even for someone totally unexperienced with interrogation like me, which made Shouko shrug
"You thought no one was watching you? You thought you could simply ditch out the Esper Association and no one would keep an eye out for what you would do with your powers? That no one would notice how you managed to move from that shithole of a house you had and now you're suddenly living in a apartment three time it's size?"
She snatches the file back and shakes her head, the man completely reactionless.
"Keeping yourself busy weren't you?"
As they stare at each other, the lights come back on.
"Oh, just in time! Now if you excuse me..."
She motions ahead to cuff him, but the man backs away and supports himself against one of the walls, as if he's weak at the legs
"Ha... Hahahahahaha!"
He starts laughing an out of control laughter, as if the unbelivable truth of what was about to happen had just hit him fully
"I really don't know what's happening anymore, one day I'm at the construction site, then a steel beam almost breaks me in half and the doctors say I miracously managed to survive. On the next one, weird things started happening, you guys show up saying I have powers, that I have to follow rules and ask me to join you..."
He curls his hands into fists and slams the wall he was using for support, blurting out at us
"Of course I rejected it! And of course I used my power to make money! These are my powers! No one was hurt, so why can't I use them for my own benefit, huh?!"
At this point, the man's face is red with anger and I can see veins standing out on his neck and face
Shouko gives out a sigh and answers with a disappointed voice
"Uhm? Have you not paid attention to anything? Or are you just dumb?"
She says taking out a batton
"When you commit crimes, you threaten to expose us espers and make us go out of our way to cover the shit you've caused. Also, what kind of message this sends to others? That we can steal and do whatever we want? No, there are rules everyone needs to follow, so, for the good of everyone in the Esper Community, I'm taking you in... whether you want it or not"
Seeing the small girl taking on him with such determination, the man's face lightens up and he grims
"W-well, I guess should count myself lucky then. They only sent two girls to take me down"
He starts walking towards us and I see this as my cue to intervene, but Shouko raises her arm
"No, leave this guy to me, I've read his file. I can take him down"
"Are you s-"
"Yes! I can do this!"
I'm taken by surprise at her insistence, however, the large man laughs even harder
"Hahahaha, you are an awfully confident kid, will I even need to use my powers to take you down?"
Shouko starts analyzing the man, her instance firm
"That's funny..."
And like a lightning, she rushes him
He promptly throws a punch at her, but Shouko uses the batton to shift the direction of his fist, grab his arm and, with his own strength, make him fall to the ground
"I was thinking the same thing" - She replies with a triumphant voice
The man tries to stand up to attack, but Shouko still has a hold on his arm and manages to make him trip again simply by twisting it
I give a worried sigh, so it's like I thought, she really is trying to take this guy in without using her powers. Honestly...
"You're not escaping so easily!"
The man grits his teeth as he struggles to get free
"What the fuck!? Do they feed you roids in freak town?"
Shouko placed one of the handcuffs on him (a little tighter than needed by the man's reaction), but soon left it there, dodging a large knife that came flying her way
She stepped back, using the batton to knock the knife away and leaving only one of the cuffs attached to the man's wrist, but her distraction allowed him to stand back up with another knife at his hand
"Telekinesis..."
Shouko said, not in a concerned voice, but in a mocking tone
"That's right, I can move anything with just a thought, how's that for you?"
The man said as if he had gained advantage over the battle, Shouko, however, merely laughs and points at the knife
"If you were as good as you think you are, I would already be dead, you can't even make complicated movements with the knife, only move it to and from you. That's why you're holding it instead of mentally shooting knifes at me, isn't it?"
Not being able to get a reaction out of Shouko even after showing his power, he got angrier and extended his hand, pulling back the knife that had fell to the floor and savagely charging at Shouko
"Don't look down on me! It's still enough to beat out snot-nosed brats like you two!"
His outburst also made the muscle mass on his body grow exponentially on his already large body. So he's also using his enhancing abilities
Shouko sensed the danger and moved her posture, she knows this is getting dangerous, how long will she play around?
The man fights like a beast, sticking knifes on the walls and punching the air while Shouko gracefully dodged with careful steps and almost managed to put him down two times, but he became much stronger than he was before and even her self-defense techniques were not working anymore.
At last, one of the knifes managed to get a cut on her arm, tearing a piece of her uniform and leaking blood onto the floor
"Shouko!"
I shouted and stepped in to intervene, she won't be able to take him down by herself!
"I can do this on my own!"
She yelled at me and jumped into the air
"Seems I won't be able to win without using my ability, that's too bad, but it can't be helped!"
In a swift move the batton connected against the man's neck, a jolt of eletricity left her fingers and spread all througout the weapon and the man's body, making him squirm and fall to the ground
"My power might not be too strong, but it can still take the likes of you down"
She says confidently, the man has not been knocked out cold, but doesn't give any signs of being able to move either, only looking at us angrily and cursing with little strength in his voice
"You... motherfuckers... let me go..."
Shouko then turns to me with a smile and panting
"See *huff*, I told ya I could do it"
I give a small laugh, guess I underestimated her, though it's normal to be concerned for your friend, even if the opponent's weaker than them.
Shouko takes the opportunity to finally turn him around
"You were a worthy opponent, but now let's put an end to this"
At the moment she was placing the second handcuff, a wave of uneasiness takes me over and I barely hear out the man's reply
"Yes... let's end it..."
As he said this, a small metallic object flew across the room towards his hand, I pointed my flames towards it and they managed to hit the object, but it was too late to stop what came out of it
BANG
"AGHHHHHHHHH!"
The man screamed in pain as the object fell out of his burned hand and Shouko was tossed across the room. Even though I hadn't even seem the object before reacting, the blast that covered even his shouts of pain before passing out could only have come from one thing
"A gun?!"
The deformed fireweapon of steel laid on the floor half melted, even though my flames had nearly destroyed it, I could still tell that it was a revolver
I turn my head from the gun to Shouko, who is lying on the floor motionless
"Shouko! No!"
I run towards my knocked down friend and take her into my arms, lifting her shirt to see what damage the bullet had done and what I could do before calling a healer
"W-what?"
After stripping her and seeing the state of what was beneath, the shock passes and I notice what I had failed to see in my panic.
"N-no blood... !"
Shouko's body shakes and she lifts her head upwards
"O-ouch... you didn't thought about it, huh? I'm sure you wouldn't need one, but we weaklings need things like this when we go to battle" - She says in a faint voice
The bullet was stuck in a suit armor she was wearing beneath her uniform! That's why no blood splattered when she was shot!
"Thank goodness! Shouko!"
I hug her immediately, Shouko is fine! She'll be alright!
"Hey, hey! It still hurts, calm down!"
I back away while cleaning a few tears that had formed in my eyes
"Sorry, sorry. I'm so sorry"
"There's no need to apologize, I'm the one to blame, ugh... I should be the one thanking you for melting the gun before he could shoot a second round."
I help Shouko sit up and we remove the vest, the damage left by the bullet wasn't a lot, but I still suggested calling a healer
"No, there's no need..."
She says putting her shirt back on
"U-Uhm? W-why?"
Shouko shakes her head and sighs
"This was all my fault, I noticed there were no guns on him, but failed to predict he would pull a fireweapon hidden in the house and I stalled in using my power thinking I could take him down on my own. Guess I still got a long way to go..."
Her words make me even more confused, so I insist further
"B-but it wasn't your fault, why are you refusing to get medical help? I don't unders-"
"Because I'm ashamed for making a fool out of myself!"
She suddenly bursts out
"A... fool?"
She nods her head with a darkened expression
"When I was told you'd be accompanying me in this mission, I was happy because you're my friend, but also nervous. It's my second mission in the company of a high ranker, the first one was with an instructor, so that's why I was trying to play it cool in front of you... so I could show that I'm strong"
She says with an embarassed face
"Because low level espers have limited utility on the actual battlefield, I wanted to prove myself somehow... I'm sorry..."
I stay still listening to her, indeed, there's a great difference between the things that worry a high level and the ones that worry her.
But you're wrong Shouko, this wasn't your fault
"No Shouko, I'm the one who's sorry, if anything, this was a good test... a test for me"
My friend's eyes grow huge and she stutters her reply
"F-for you? What do you mean, Ayumu?"
I click my tongue and curse myself
"High level espers usually work alone, sometimes we rely on equipment or support teams, if we rely on something at all. The fact that they are sending me and Tachan for an undisclosed duo mission is a rare occasion for us both. Maybe this was a good lesson for me, to not underestimate my opponent..."
I say, angry at myself and tightening my fist
"W-wait, what are you talking about?"
I sigh and point to her wound
"There are a lot of bigger criminals and monsters they could send me after. But because this was a low level mission with an ordinary thug, I dropped my guard and let you do as you pleased. If I had acted the moment I felt danger, I could have ended all of this before it happened, hell, maybe if I had listened to my instincts I could even have stopped the bullet."
The Esper Association gives priority to inhumans over most criminals, so I don't have much experience fighting other humans for real. When I heard of criminal pursue, I got nervous thinking it would be tracking down one of the high profile espers who make Al Capone and El Chapo pale in comparison, but when the level was revealed, I didn't thought much of it... and this was my mistake.
"I'm sorry Shouko, this is also my fault"
After thinking for a while, Shouko answers
"Well, the Association doesn't prioritize criminals unless they threat to expose us, there's very few missions to take down other humans, but..."
She then gives a sharp smile and her usual demeanor comes back
"If you feel like this, then I feel much better!"
"HUH?!"
I lose track completely at her remark
"How can you feel better after hearing this?!"
Shouko shakes her head
"Well, even high level espers like you have things they want to improve on, so this gives me hope. Also, if this helped you to become better in battle too, then I feel honoured to be part of it!"
She says with a proud smile that tips me off balance
"S-seriously?"
"Of course! Hey, maybe this was even planned by the Association, thinking of what's best for us!"
I scratch my cheek not knowing how to reply, there really are some people with a lot of faith in the organization
"Though..."
Shouko scratches her head and turns to me with her tongue out
"What you said only makes me more inclined to not let them know about our screw up"
The only reason I didn't hit her head was because she's wounded.
Part 2
After taking the man in custody, we made our way to the dropping point where we would meet with the esper who will truly take him to prison. However, nobody was waiting for us at the assigned area.
"We were supposed to meet him here, right?"
I ask, looking around the empty streets in an abandoned alley behind a restaurant and checking my device to see if we got the correct place
"Yeah, maybe something happened? Gosh, they can't expect us to walk around with this knocked out guy all the way to the base"
Shouko answers a with an angered expression when we hear someone's footsteps approaching
"I am sorry for my delay, things got a bit... tied up back in the base, kukukuku"
The soothing yet disconcerting voice came from a young man claded in brown militaristic clothing, wearing a mask that only covered his lower face and a hat piece.
Looking at him, my friend immediately gave an expression of surprise and disgust
"H-him? Shit, I would rather have to walk around town with this knocked out fuck than to deal with him"
The young man was not very far from us, so she probably said that knowing he could hear. To be honest, I really don't find his presence to be nice at all, but I only give an awkward smile and greet him trying to make the encounter as brief as possible
"H-hi Retsuji-san, we brought this man for you to take to the central"
He doesn't say anything, yet his eyes analyze carefully the three of us. Me, Shouko and the passed out man. His gaze on our body is only worsened by the fact his eyes are the most visible part of his face with the mask on.
"I see, Yatsushiro-chan, Shouko-chan, you did a fine job here, but I believe a healer would be necessary to heal these wounds, is it not?"
He says pointing towards the wounds that I had failed to realize Shouko was trying to hide from him
Her face goes red and she blurts
"I-I'm fine, that was just a minor setback, the mission was completed anyway, so just take this dirtbag out of here"
She says kicking the man on the floor, so all the convincing she had to do in order for me not to call a healer was futile after all. Well, can't say I'm not thankful for Retsuji's help.
"You should treat your targets and yourself with more care Shouko-chan, after all, every life is precious in this world, kuhuhuhuhu"
Even beneath his mask I could sense that he was smiling, yet there was no hint of malice at all, it didn't felt as if he was toying or lying to us. If anything, he was telling exactly what he thought, after all, this guy is...
"Speaking of which, have you ladies decided on who you will be voting in the next election?"
He hands both of us flyers with symbols and the faces of candidates followed by their slogans, pretty much like any political flyer you'd see during an election campaign
I hesitantly take one from his hands, but Shouko doesn't
"That'll have to wait"
He tips his hat as if disappointed with the reply and turns to me
"What about you, Yatsushiro, you are old enough to vote already. Have you decided on who?"
I tremble slightly at his question, I really wasn't prepared for this
"I-I'm not a very political person and I'm a bit of a brawl head, s-so I think I might not vote even if I can"
For a moment I feel his gaze turn serious and a shiver runs down my spine, he then closes his eyes with a sigh
"Worrying about the future and the politics of our organization should be a concern of all, everyone is working to make a better tomorrow. So I ask you to consider us in the next election, for any doubts, our members will be right there for you."
He says in a polite manner while giving a slight bow, the atmosphere having suddenly become much more calmer
"Now, if you don't have anything to say to me, I should probably do my work, kukukukuku"
"Finally..."
Shouko says under her breath as he bows down and picks the criminal up
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot it!"
He slaps his free hand on the forehead
"What is it?" - I ask, concerned with what might come out of him next
Retsuji reaches for the device in his free hand and speaks to it
"Central, please send a healer to these coordinates, there is a wounded esper here who is too stubborn to admit she's been hurt, but please do tend to her"
The last part was said looking directly at Shouko
"See ya~" - He says his goodbye in a playful voice before disappearing immediately, taking the man with him
I turn my head to look at Shouko, who is pouting with her face boiling in anger
"That fucking creepy idiot!"
After managing to calm her down and accept the healer's treatment, me and Shouko went to the restaurant close to the alley, with normal clothes and our masks off, of course.
I ordered hamburger steak and she was eating through a serving of omurice when I asked her
"Hey, Shouko, why did you seemed so creeped out by Retsuji-san? I know he's a weird guy and all, but don't you think that was a little too much?"
She shakes her head fiercely
"Too much? He keeps trying to make political propaganda for that party of his everytime, even though everyone knows they're not gonna win. Have you seem what they stand for? Just take a look at that damn leaflet"
I don't take the flyer back from my pocket because I already know what Retsuji-san's party stands for.
"Balance with the supernatural, cooperation with the other world and peace with-"
"With the fucking inhumans!"
Shouko shouts, interrupting what I was saying and making the people around stare at us with weird looks
"P-please calm down, like you said, it's not like they're gonna win anyway..."
The party currently leading the Esper Council in Japan with the majority of seats includes many high-ranking, old time espers who made their life's mission to put the inhuman world in a leash and destroy what couldn't be controlled or contained, Tatsumaki-san seems to be with them.
However, there are other less agressive parties, the moderates and even those that advocate for balance. These parties and movements are probably the main reason we were able to maintain peace with magicians and other humans that have friendly ties with the supernatural and also why we have some rules about preserving their world.
"Yeah, but it's still weird... and even among the ones that want to make peace with the inhumans, his party is just too extreme about it, that's why no one likes them"
"I-Isn't a bit too harsh to say no one likes them? I mean, they did got some votes..."
In truth, Retsuji's party is one of the most extreme when it comes to it, many don't see them in a good light because of it and that's why their party doesn't have many supportes overall
"They are very extreme... yeah... almost as if..."
When I look at Shouko, she's mumbling to herself and turning her head all around to see if no one's listening to us
"Uhm... Shouko?"
I ask and she gets closer to me and whispers
"In fact, I have heard that Retsuji himself and some espers in their party are Devilants tha-"
Before Shouko can finish her phrase I shove my hands on her mouth and reply
"Don't you even say that! Do you know how much trouble you can put someone just by implying that?!"
This time it's me who shouts it
I embarassingly remove my hands from her mouth after noticing I was the one that caused a scene this time
"But don't you think it fits them? C'mon, forbbiden love is always awesome and if it's a Devilan-"
"Not like this!"
I shut her mouth again
Devilant is a slur used to refer to humans in general who have... intimacy with inhumans
Just being a friend of one can be bad depending on the situation, but if it's found out that you are fooling around or even dating one of them... Let's just say the couple will not have a happy ending
There are exceptions, like Dimple and Kageyama-san or even Kusuke-san, who is not an esper, therefore not bound by our rules, but you should not push boundaries in that territory, it's seriously no good
"You could destroy his reputation with this rumour, or even worse!"
There are some extremist groups who believe that just associating yourself with inhumans makes you tainted, though they are few, they are ferocious and there were times when fights broke out between espers because of rumours like this.
"Okay, okay, no more from me on this, but... have you heard about who just started dating?"
I fidget a little before giving in to my curiosity
"N-no..."
After we finished eating, we go on as usual talking about the love life of our friends (which stands for Shouko was talking and I was just listening, trying as hard as I could not to let my face go completely red) untill we reach the site where our campsite is at, we greet the guards and the other espers while moving towards our base
Once there's no one around, Shouko glares at me with an impish expression
"Hey, Ayumu, since we are talking about love life and all... what about you and Kageyama-kun? I mean, has he never tried to do something to you? Like... at all?"
I wide my eyes at this question
"O-of course not! Tachan would never do that!"
Don't talk things like that about him! People already think he's a deliquent as it is!
She makes a click with her tongue and answers
"Oh, what a waste... with a body like yours..."
"H-hey! What are you doing!"
She suddenly jumps at me and starts gropping my body!
"Ahhh!" - A moan leaves my mouth as she starts rubbing me
"I bet you would have boys at your feet if you'd put a little more charm! Such a lewd figure!"
"I-I don't AAAAHHH!"
I let out a moan as the gropping gets fiercer on my breasts
"Damnit, what do you eat to have them grow like this?"
"S-stop, not there- ahhh!"
"And you let out such erotic moans too, I bet 'Tachan' would be all over you if he saw this crazy ero side of yours"
"N-nooo!"
There's no way I can let Tachan see this!
As my voice starts to become faint in shame, a sharp voice full of authority pulls me out of my embarrassment
"What are you two doing?"
"IIIIHH! Sensei?!"
My friend immediately lets go off me and turns around to the woman who just called us out
"S-sensei?!"
I stand up stiff and recompose myself, we both bow to her and my friend replies
"W-we're just having a little chat before going back to our dorms, that's all, hahaha!"
She gives a nervous laugh trying to excuse ourselves
The woman wearing a long white skirt with a matching jacket that leaves her stomach and the underside of her breasts exposed, looks at us
"Don't atempt to lie to me, what were you two doing touching each other at this time of the night?"
I look away embarassed while my friend rubs the back of her head looking for an excuse
"Hehehe, you know, Ayumu is going out on a trip soon so we were just playing a little before she leaves, a little girl talk, you know? Hehehe"
Sensei's aqua-green eyes beneath her thick golden eyelashes look at us sternly, no matter how pretty they are, she can still send shivers down anyone's spine with them
"This type of behaviour is not accepted here"
She grabs my friend by the ear
"Ouch, ouch, I'm sorry, sensei!"
Shouko asks for forgiveness and the pair of scolding eyes turns to me
"And you, Yatsushiro-chan, by trip I assume that she's talking about your departure to Kuoh town in order to visit Kageyama-dono?"
Sensei says in an interrogatory tone
This woman is a commander and the one responsible for me and some of the young espers around this camp, her olive skin, the messy, short, golden yellow hair with three braided locks and her glamorous body are impossible to mistake for any other woman, I give her a salute.
"Y-yes, Mirabel-sensei!"
A powerful foreign esper who is familiar with some of the most influential groups of the esper community. I admire her, a lot, but that doesn't make me any less scared of her.
"Then I believe you should be getting ready to depart instead of wasting time fooling around like this, I know you have been working hard on the last few weeks, but you should not let yourself go right now."
I nod and lower my head
"Understood, I'm sorry Mirabel-sensei"
"Remember that you are a member of our unit, just because you are a friend of Kageyama-dono it doesn't mean you can embarass yourself and the whole unit in front of him"
"Kageyama-dono', that's how she reffers to Tachan, apparently Tatsumaki-san was her senpai and so she thinks very highly of her family too, she's always very polite and protective towards him. Tachan already told me how uncomfortable her formal treatment makes him feel.
"Yes, I'll do my best to not embarass our group, sensei"
I was assigned to her unit since we both have elemental based psychic abilities, maybe my proximity with Tachan was a factor that made her be more whatchful of me. Not that I'm mad about it! As I said, I greatly admire Mirabel-sensei! I really wanna be like her someday!
"Good"
She then let's go off my friends ear and walks to me
"E-eh?"
I close my eyes preparing to receive an ear pushing just like my friend, but instead a soft feeling reaches my hair
"You have improved a lot, keep going on this path and I know you can become one of the best"
I open my eyes and see Mirabel sensei passing her hand through my hair
"Eeeeh?"
Petting me? Mirabel-sensei is petting me!
I feel my cheeks going red at her words
"T-thank you!"
Did I just got praised?!
Mirabel-sensei walks past me and waves
"Goodbye, don't stay up late and refrain from doing... whatever you two were doing"
She waves and starts walking away as quietly as she arrived
"Hehehehehe~"
I'm left smilling like an idiot, not only I finally received permission to see Tachan, Mirabel sensei has also just praised me! What a note to go out on!
"Mou, why does she have to be such a stick in the mud? Specially towards you, does it have to do with fire and water rivalry?"
My friend pulls me out of my delusion, rubbing her pinched ear
"I don't think sensei does this out of evilness or anything..."
I reply to her
"Eh? Really? You seriously admire that woman, don't you?"
I nod
"Mirabel-sensei was the first sensei I had in the community, even if she's strict and a bit cold sometimes, I think she cares about us"
She throws me a curious glance, looks at the direction where sensei was and shrugs
"Whatever, I'm still convinced that there's something wrong with her. There's just something about this woman that she's not telling us"
I wide my eyes at her statement
"W-what do you mean? Something wrong with Mirabel-sensei?"
She nods and lifts a finger with an expression of someone that's about to say something important
"Of course! How can a woman as sexy as her not be married or with a boyfriend yet? That's obviously suspicious!"
I feel a rock falling on top of my head, that's not serious at all!
"Why is that suspicious?! Mirabel-sensei is dedicated to her job, t-that's all! S-she just chose to focus on being an esper!"
"Eh? She told you this?"
"N-no, but that's what I choose to believe, no, that's gotta be the truth!"
I blurt out, of course that's gotta be the reason, r-right?
"Tsk, tsk, my naive friend, are you defending her so fiercely because you are a beauty with no boyfriend or experience, just like her?"
"S-shut up! Y-you don't know about sensei and I will have a b-boyfriend... s-some day!"
She simply shakes head in disappointment
"Oh yeah? And who would it be? Tachan? You and sensei might be a lot more similar than you think then..."
She says with an impish smile
"L-leave Tachan out of this! And what does sensei have to do with him?"
"Hehehehe"
She starts laughing with her eyes shinning
"Don't you think there's something wrong with the way she treats Kageyama-kun and his parents?"
She says that in a suspicious tone, I don't like where this is going...
"Tatsumaki-san was her senpai, so there's nothing wrong with that"
She shakes her head with a disappointed expression
"Oh, you are being naive again, isn't it obvious? This woman either is into your beloved 'Tachan' or..."
"H-hey, what do you mean she's into Tachan?"
Without listening to my words, she points forward towards nothing and shouts
"Or she's having an affair with Kageyama-san!"
...
...
WHAT?!
I grab my friend by the neck of her shirt and shake her
"Are you crazy? Don't even joke about that! Kageyama-san would never cheat on Tatsumaki-san!"
Besides, if Tatsumaki-san even suspected this disastrous scenario to be true, this country, no, this whole world wouldn't be safe!
"First saying that Reiji-san is a Devilant and now talking like this about Mirabel-sensei and Kageyama-san! Do you have no sense of decency?!"
"But that explains a lot, right? Ah, just imagine the forbbiden love!"
She puts her hands together with a dreamy expression
[Ah! Kageyama-san, we can't, if Tatsumaki-san finds out...]
She started to imitate their voices!
[But Mirabel-san, I can't take you out of my head! Ever since we first met I've been raptured by your beauty!]
"Kageyama-san doesn't talk like that!"
She merely shrugs
"All people are different in their intimacy! Just admit, isn't it an amazing scenario?"
"No, it's not! Do you want to destroy this planet?"
She puts her fist up
"If it's for romance, then does the safety of this planet really matters?"
"Yes! It matters a lot!"
After saying this, a chill runs down my spine
I look at my friend and she's also shaking
"H-hey, Ayumu, is it me or it suddenly got colder?"
"Y-yes, it suddenly got chiller in here, I wonder..."
I then look up and see the reason
"W-woah!"
We jump as several blocks of ice fall from the sky, dodging them by a hair's thread
"This attack!"
"M-Mirabel-sensei?"
I ask astounished as the white-clad figure walks towards us with her sword in hand
"You... just what were you two talking about?"
She asks and tentacles of water come out of the ice blocks and entangle us!
"Ahh!"
I yell as it traps me and blocks my movements
"You two... talking about Kageyama-san and Lady Tatsumaki like this..."
She says that with clear anger in her voice, she was listening to us?!
H-hold on, is she blushing?
"I-I'm sorry Mirabel-sensei, I was trying to stop her!"
"No excuses!"
She lifts a sword towards us, making the earth all around freeze
"Good! Because I'm not going to excuse myself!"
"W-what?"
I look at Shouko who's still resisting the water grip around us
"Untill I find the reason why you don't date anyone, I will never wield!"
"Shut up!"
I yell it out, you are just making the situation worse!
A tick mark appears on sensei's forehead
"My personal life does not concern any of you!"
My friend pouts and blurts out
"Oh, is that so? Sensei you vir- KYAAAH!"
Just as she's about to shout again, the water tentacles tighten their grip
"Frankly, it seems like I haven't disciplined you enough. As your sensei, I can't possibly accept this!"
"Kyaaah!"
They are also going under my tracksuit!
"M-me too?"
Sensei nods and points the sword at me
"The fact that you were fooling around spouting nonsense when you have a compromisse with Kageyama-dono is proof of your lack of discipline!"
The cold water starts sliding around my body and I leave faint moan
"Consider this your last lesson before your depart to Kuoh town!"
""KYAAAAHHH!"'
Me and my friend shout to the sky as sensei's punishment lesson begins, I just wanted to see Tachan!
Part 3
Today I depart to Kuoh town
Standing in the station I see goodbye to my friends before the train arrives
"Goodbye, Ayumu-chan!"
"Have a safe trip!"
"I'll be sure to pass my training as quickly as possible so I can become an active esper and help you!"
There sure are lots of girls here, I wonder how I got so popular...
"T-thanks everyone, but please don't rush your training because of me, I'm sure me and Tachan will be fine there"
One of them rushes over and grabs my arm
"I don't wanna!"
It takes me by surprise and the people at the station start looking at us
"H-hey!"
The girl with pigtails starts sobbing like a child
"Ayumu-nee is going to another town to fool around with that scary guy! I'm not going to hand her over to him!"
I feel my cheeks flush
"I-I'm not going there to fool around! W-we h-h-have a serious mission to answer to!"
Some of the girls get suspicious eyes at my answer
"Yeah, but what kind of mission?"
"You said you didn't even knew about it..."
I scratch my cheek
"W-well, he didn't told me, but the council authorized, since he's a high level"
The girl with pigtails, still grabbing on my arm, shakes her head
"No no no! Why do we have to be at the higher-levels back and call? Now that senpaku eyed gangster will take Ayumu-nee from me!"
Aren't you being a little too mean on Tachan?!
I awkwardly pet the girl's head
"You shouldn't talk bad about the higher ranked, our teachers and commanders are part of them after all"
The girl answers while still sobbing a little
"B-but still..."
My other friends join in
"Well, it's kinda scary that she'll be alone with that guy"
"I don't think Tornado's son would put Ayumu in danger... and the mission was approved by the council after all"
"But you don't seem scared at all Ayumu, could it be that you really trust on him this much?"
The girl clinging to my arm shouts again
"Yeah, he's totally a wolf! When you two are alone, I bet he'll try to take advantage of you!"
I give a troubled smile
"Tachan is a good guy, I know he looks scary, but inside he's really kind and legimately wants to make the world a better place. We've been together for years so I've seen many sides of him"
(I'll make sure everyone treats you nicely, stay with us and I promisse you'll find happiness here)
A smile naturally appears on my face as I remember what he said when we met
"Don't worry about me, if it's Tachan, I'm sure it'll all work out in the end"
"..."
All my friends look at me with astonished expressions
"Eh? What happened? Did I said something wrong?"
One of them puts a hand on her forehead
"Eloping"
W-what was that?
"They'll definitely elop after this mission"
One of them says adjusting her glasses
"I'm sure he must have asked Ayumu to go just so they could elop"
"It'll be lonely without you here, Ayumu."
Even you, Shouko!?
"Being the daughter in law of Tornado won't be easy, but I wish you happiness in your new life"
One of them says with a sad smile wipping away a tear while another one puts a hand up
"I wanna be your bridesmaid!"
This makes the girl clinging to my arm cry even louder
"UWAAAH! Ayumu-nee will elop with Tornado's son!"
What the hell are they talking about?!
"We're not eloping!"
I shout so loud that a lot of eyes in the station turn to us and I feel my face get hot
"D-damn it... why do you all have to be like that?"
[Train leaving for Kuoh town will be departing in 5 minutes]
The last call from the train forces me to swallow my embarassment, pick up my luggage and wave goodbye one last time
"Bye, everyone! See you later!"
They all wave back
"Byeeee, Ayumu-nee!"
"Good luck on your eloping!"
"Send us the pictures of your wedding!"
I slap my hand against my face in embarassment, why do you all have to be like this?
After I find my seat, the train takes off and I watch the scenery pass faster and faster.
I let my body relax and my imagination starts to wander...
[Tatseyo Kageyama has requested your presence in Kuoh town]
The day I was called to receive the mission briefing, I remember it like it was today
[O-oh, he called me about that some time ago, I got in contact with the Council, but they said I had things to do before I could leave]
[Exactly, now he got authorization for it, however, since the mission has no due time to begin nor end and we still need you at the Community's service, you will be expected to follow with your normal missions untill you are authorized to leave. Here's the briefing they told me to give you]
She held the file in her hand and I reached for it quickly, giving away my rush to see what was inside
Tachan had not given me any information besides what he told me the first time and I honestly have been dying to know more about it.
[E-eeeh?]
However, all I could do was exclamate when I opened the file
There was only info that I already knew!
[W-why is there so little here? There's no details at all!]
The lady on the other side of the table nods and grabs the file, showing a distinct red stamp on it
[This one was branded "Highly-classified" by the guy at the top himself, apparently Kageyama had a conversation with him and details about the mission can only be given personally to those involved to avoid any leakings]
My eyes go wide and I feel my hands trembling
[T-t-the g-guy at the top?]
The stoic woman finally shows a nervous expression
[Yeah, you got mixed up in some pretty messed up things, huh?]
I gulp down acknowledging her words
[B-but if it's this secretive, then I should go right away, right?]
She shrugs
[Hell if I know, this is probably one of the most weird briefings I've received, despite the classified information they sure don't seem to be in a hurry for you to go.]
I scratch my head trying to make sense of what she's telling me
[When will I be able to leave then?]
She taps her fingers in the table and responds looking at a screen
[Like I said, no idea, you are supposed to follow with your actions as an esper for the community untill you are authorized to leave, there is also no time scheduled for you to return...]
After saying this, a sly expression appears on her face
[Which means you and that boy will probably be spending a lot of time together, fufufu]
[We are not like that!]
I replied with my face feeling hot
[Hahahaha, I didn't said you were! Anyway, you should head back base for now, your commander will provide you with more information, but I believe that preparations should be ready by next week]
I noded and left the room with the useless mission file in hand and more questions in my head than I had before
*Sigh*
I lay my head against the train's window as I return to the present time
A classified mission but with no urgency status and no time to end, how in the world Tachan managed to convince him to let us do such a thing?
"Tachan..."
Saying it under my breath, his face comes to mind
I want to see him again, I badly do
When I heard he was leaving to Kuoh town I got sad because I thought it would take months before I could see him again, so I couldn't have been happier when he said he had a mission and wanted me by his side to solve it. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest when he said I was the only one he could trust!
But just everything about this mission is making me nervous! I mean, can I even do it?
Tachan trusts me, but I'm just good at fighting and following orders, if not for my power, I wouldn't be good at anything
And even with this power, I...
I am...
The memory of Shouko flying across the room as the bullet hit her crosses my head
I still have ways to go...
It's not long untill other memories fill my head, bad memories, terrible ones
The smell of fire and burned flesh fills my nose, but there is no fire on this train...
"Damnit! That's not the time for this!"
I say it under my breath to avoid letting the others passengers hear me, I lift myself from the seat and hurry to the bathroom, locking the door behind me
While washing my face to mask the tears that were about to fall, I try to have better thoughts, anything to pull me from this miserable state
And in my mind a hand comes out to me...
Tachan's hand
My first true friend, my best friend, no matter how much time passes by we can always count on each other
Yes... I know that Tachan would never do something bad or put us in danger
Even if I'm not good at anything else, if Tachan trusts me, then I think I can trust myself too...
I smile and look at the mirror, feeling confident again
After returning to my seat, I rest my head and try to get some sleep before arriving at Kuoh town
It'll work out, yes, whatever it is we'll solve it... together
Afterword: Hey everyone! Yeah, I know, I spent months without posting anything and it costed me some of my followers, sorry :(. I had a lot going on while working on this chapter, good thing I already have a sketch for the next one, so please look forward to it.
Some of the things I did in the meantime was diving into the To Aru series and doing draw classes. The first one will probably affect this story, seeing it's a good show that also deals with the paranormal, while the second will affect another, this time original, story that I'm planning to write. Thanks and trust me, I will keep up with this story as best as I can.