Chapter Four
"Misaka-san? Misaaaka-san!?" My eyes snapped to the speaker, a cold sweat draping over my body like a coat.
"H-huh, yeah?"
The girl gave me a concerned look, briefly glancing at the DDR machine. "Jeez, I thought it was bad the last time we were here. And why is your score under Ichigo-" Then eyes widened as a figurative lightbulb lit above her head. A grin crossed her face as she set her arms behind her back, giving me a sly side-eye. "I see… Don't worry, Misaka-san. Your secret's safe with me."
"Secret, what secret?" I continued to breathe heavily, trying my best to get my brain the oxygen it needed. This girl was talking too fast; I couldn't follow the conversation.
The original's friend snickered, plopping down on the bench next to me. "Don't be like that! You proclaimed to the entire arcade that you'd never set foot on a DDR machine after what happened with that brat. But I get it now, you're playing the long game and getting better in secret. Oooh, I can't wait for you to show him!"
My chest raised and lowered in a steady rhythm as I calmed my heart. The girl's blue eyes sparkled with juvenile mischief as she waited for my response.
"What…? No, I'm not doing that at all!" Cheerful sarcasm slipped off the tongue like butter as I chuckled, hoping my amateur voice-acting skills would pay off. "He'll never know what hits him, because I'm totally not practicing in secret."
The girl blinked, staring at me with an unreadable expression. I unconsciously tensed my fingers, a sense of dread creeping up.
Was that not how the original acts? Damn it! I don't have enough information! What if she already knows? The original wouldn't just hang out with normal school girls. Is she a powerful esper? I've heard rumors of a particularly horrifying lackey of the Railgun's- no, the uniform isn't particularly prestigious.
Alright, at least a level 3, even if she's not Tokiwadai. I'd expect nothing less of the third-ranked level 5. But if she's already caught me… Of course, the original would tell her confidants about her part in the experiment. It's not every day that you get to be involved in the creation of a level 6.
But if she does, will she report to the scientists? No, she'd obviously go to the original first. And if-
"Ah- sorry, Misaka-san." The girl glanced away, a guilty smile pulling at her lips. "I don't mean to be overbearing."
I froze in place, trying to figure out her angle. However, I only drew blanks.
"But!" The girl jumped to her feet, eliciting a startled kick from me. "We shouldn't waste this opportunity! I saw the gachapon machines were getting restocked outside, meaning that the Gekota pins are finally back! Isn't that exciting?"
I nearly fell off the bench from the whiplash of the conversation, unable to overlay my previous suspicions over the original's friend.
"Yeah… Gekota. We, uh, should do that fast." Failing to put the proper energy into my voice, I tried to put it into my actions, jumping from my seat and marching to the exit.
Feeling the girl's eyes on my back, my brows scrunched in confusion.
What was a Gekota?
…
We stood beside the machines filled to the brim with fist-sized plastic capsules. Inside each of them was a colorful pin with a variety of mascots.
Crouching down, I scrutinized the advertisement, but couldn't find the so-called Gekota.
I'm guessing the original likes this 'Gekota' character? Maybe it's some cutesy thing that's popular among middle school girls.
Wait, that's not important. This girl is either leading me on or she has mistaken me for the original.
Which one scared me more, I couldn't say.
Regardless, I'll have to keep up the charade for now. If I can get away, then there'll be no way to differentiate me from the other clones.
The coin went into the slot and I twisted the knob. There was a satisfying crunch as the springs wound. The trap door opened and out came a single ball.
"Hm." I grabbed the capsule and snapped it open, revealing a green pin with a panda on it.
Trying another coin, I repeated the process, only to get a blue pin with a cartoony octopus on it. Getting to my feet, I brushed the dust off my knees. "Well, I'm out of coins."
"You didn't get it?" She stepped up to the machine and crouched down. "Let me give it a try."
Crank. Crank. Crank. Pop!
"Woah, check it out!" Green overtook my vision as the girl thrust a pin into my face. My heart leaped to my throat at the action, but I stood firm and took the merchandise.
The pin had a yellow gradient, strongest on the outside and shifting to white at the center. Along the bottom of the pin was a blue curve with the word SKY, cutting it in two.
And in the middle was a simple green frog with black beady eyes.
This is a Gekota? It's kind of underwhelming, isn't it?
Without hesitation, I pinned the frog to my vest and showed it off to the original's friend. "How's it look?"
What I didn't expect was the look of absolute shock on the student's face. Her jaw dropped and she quickly moved her hand to try and hide the expression.
W-what?! I thought the original likes Gekota. Did I do something wrong?
As my heart rate increased, a small worry cropped in the back of my mind. The longer I stayed around this girl, the higher my chances of getting cardiac arrest were.
"No- uh, sorry! I just didn't think you'd put it on like that. I mean, I know you like it, but isn't it…" The girl trailed off, leaving me with nothing but my speculations as to what she was alluding to.
Isn't it…? Isn't it what?! Is this another sort of cultural taboo I've crossed?
How many of these are there? Am I really so blatant in my actions?
My hands shook as I reached to remove the pin, my vision growing blurry. As sweaty fingers grasped the metal, a pair of hands gripped my own.
"I didn't mean- ugh, I'm such an idiot." The girl muttered to herself as she brought my hands away from the pin. Taking a deep breath, the student readjusted the badge, straightening it out. "I think it looks just fine where it is, Misaka-san."
Gulping, I turned to face the other way, wiping my eyes. Shame hammered at my head as I went through a basic breathing exercise provided by Testament.
Four - seven - eight. Four - seven - eight.
Even as the mortification faded, it was only replaced with something far more volatile. Anger bubbled and boiled. It roiled with a desire to strike—to lash out and claim retribution.
Four - seven - eight.
But I was better than that. I hadn't survived this long just to bungle it along the way.
Glancing over my shoulder, I gave the girl a reassuring smile. "Yes, it does look great, doesn't it?"
V V V
I couldn't find an opening. The moment I was able to calm down and think rationally, the girl offered to treat me to a restaurant called "Joseph's".
We walked side by side. Golden rays of sun reflected off the towering glass buildings, cascading across the walkways. Pink clouds were sprinkled across the sky, stationary. Unmoving.
What am I doing? I should've found an excuse to leave as soon as possible! The longer I stay with her…
Running wasn't an option. I had no way of figuring out the girl's ability, so I wasn't willing to leave my back open to any means of attack. Did she have telekinesis? Hydrokinesis? Something far more esoteric?
At the very least, she probably wasn't an electromaster or a derivative of it. Otherwise, she would've noticed the stark difference in power expression.
If she wasn't pretending, that is.
"Man, it's been a while since it's just been the two of us, huh? Uiharu and Shirai-san have been so busy with Judgment work lately." The original's friend leisurely moved along, scooting to the side to let some upperclassmen pass by.
Uiharu and Shirai. Doesn't ring a bell, but probably more of the original's pals. And they're both in Judgment to boot. Talk about having connections
And here I thought Judgment was slightly less ethically bankrupt compared to the rest of the city. Shows what I know.
"That's true," I spoke idly, keeping my tone neutral. "Say, what is it that's keeping them again?"
"Oh yeah, you weren't at the office today. Uiharu is still trying to find a pattern for those money cards in the alleyways, and Shirai-san said she had to investigate these rumors floating around." The girl carefully avoided eye contact at the mention of rumors, which certainly didn't bode well.
Fortunately, that wasn't my problem.
"Oh, we're here!" Stretching out her arm, the girl pointed toward an innocuous family restaurant. "And- is that Uiharu?"
My sights immediately landed on a girl with the same uniform as my captor, an elaborate flower band making for a strong contrast.
I could only slump my shoulders as yet another one of the original's friends took notice of us, the girl beside me shouting with joy.
There was no spike in blood pressure, however. A cool resignation wrapped around me, any energy for a drastic reaction already expended.
"Misaka-san, Saten-san!" The aforementioned Judgment member made to run before glancing around and deciding to speed walk. She quickly reached us, innocently smiling with bright eyes. "We didn't know you were hanging out with Saten-san, Misaka-san! Why didn't you say so?"
This is Uiharu? The supposed Judgment member that the original has on standby? She's so… dainty.
Reading into my silence, the now-named 'Saten' stepped forward, gathering Uiharu's attention. "We happened to run into each other at the arcade. And isn't this the cutest!" Saten pointed at the badge affixed to my vest.
In the corner of my eye, I noticed a slight twitch in Saten's grin as she presented the Gekota badge. Whatever was causing it, it was enough for Uiharu to notice and pause. "It is, yes! A very pretty Gekota pin."
Does Saten think I'm upset about the pin situation? I mean… I was, but for a completely valid reason.
"Thanks." My fingers traced the metal badge, conflicting emotions lingering in the subconscious. "Wait a minute, you said 'we'?"
"That's right. Shirai-san and I were going to grab a meal before-" The flowery girl cut herself off as she turned around. There was no one there, just the restaurant. "That's weird. She was just there."
A chill ran up my back at the sentence plucked from a horror flick and I briskly glanced over my shoulder.
Nothing.
Okay, false alarm.
"Then I guess it's her loss. I'm starving, let's get something to eat!" Saten thrust a fist into the air and marched forward, pulling Uiharu along.
"Wait, Saten-san! I can walk there myself!"
These are the original's friends? They're a bit… normal.
So far.
I wouldn't let my guard down. Not for a second. Even if these two turned out to be completely average girls, they still affiliated themselves with the original.
No chances could be taken.
V V V
Colors exploded against the roof of my mouth as I took another spoonful of ice cream. It was so sweet, so comforting. A literal lifetime had passed since I last had the opportunity to eat such a treat.
My utensil swept through the creamy landscape, the sensation of vanilla enrapturing my being. The texture was silky smooth, but not overbearingly so. And-
I peeked over the silver spoon, noticing an eerie quiet. Both girls were watching me, faces twisted in some guise of exasperation. The ditsy one, Uiharu, let out a soft chuckle. "Eh, heh heh… Ah, Misaka-san? I didn't know you liked that kind of ice cream that much."
Quirking a brow, I dug the spoon back into the bowl of plain vanilla ice cream. There was nothing particularly extravagant about it. Not compared to Uiharu's elaborate parfait, anyhow.
"I was just craving something simple, y'know?" I wasn't a picky eater. When I left for university, the number of new foods I tried had jumped exponentially. And if there was one thing I learned from my parents, it was to try as many new things as possible.
But desserts were something I was a lot less willing to bend on. I didn't like pie; cooked fruits were too mushy and made me gag. I didn't care for most fruits anyhow, so I didn't like smoothies and other related dishes.
And I couldn't stand carbonated drinks.
So that meant I would order something I knew. Something boring, familiar, and cheap. Granted, if I had vanilla ice cream in the freezer, I'd eat two scoops a night. But that was beside the point.
"Yeah, not all of us can eat humongous desserts like you do, Uiharu! Say, where do you think all those carbs go?" Leaning over, Saten poked the Judgment girl in the stomach, eliciting an airy shriek.
"Saten-san!"
Ignoring the two, I dropped my spoon into the bowl, hearing a satisfying 'tink'. I stretched my arms above my head, shoulders popping. "Well, I need to head out now. Curfew and all that."
Internally smirking, I patted my own back at my ingenious ploy. The sun was just low enough in the sky for me to invoke the dreaded 'curfew'. Though the original was a level 5, she was still a Tokiwadai student.
"Oh, you're right!" Uiharu scrambled, trying to shove as much of the parfait into her mouth as she pulled out her phone.
Before the students could gather their bearings, I stood from the table. "Thanks for treating me… Saten-san."
It wasn't fun. Frankly, it was terrifying.
But those two were alright, for friends of the original.
V V V
Balancing the guitar in my lap, I was practically hugging the large instrument as my fingers rested on the fretboard. I grimaced as I tried to get into a comfortable position.
Why does this have to be so huge?
Scooting around on the cot, I finally got an optimal position. My right hand ran down each of the strings, each sounding relatively in tune. Or so I assumed. I had a habit of tuning instruments slightly flat, resulting in me overcorrecting in the end.
Strumming again, I trained my ears on the sound. It reverberated in the air, filling me with a familiar nostalgia. I started playing the guitar some 10 years ago. Not 10 years straight, since I picked up the ukulele a year after that and practiced it way more, but I was decent at the guitar.
Uhg. If only the shop had a reasonably priced ukulele. Then things would be so much easier.
But there was no room for 'what ifs'. I owned my very own guitar, which I bought with my own money. Not a gift, nor with gifted money. But through my very own, hard-earned, dubiously gotten cash.
Which was pretty cool, all things considered.
Failing to hold back a smile, I began orienting my left hand. My thumb sat on the back of the neck, directly behind where I intended to set my middle finger.
Then came the rest of my fingers. Soft, uncalloused tissue was gently pressed into the steel strings. Index on the second string, first fret. Middle finger on the fourth string, second fret. And ring finger on the fifth string, third fret.
My right hand ran through the strings once more, a buzzing C chord called out into the cold apartment. My fingers pressed harder, slowly removing the buzz.
I picked up my ring finger and suddenly felt lost. It was like my hand stopped listening to my brain. In my head, I knew exactly how to play and articulate the next chord. It was an even simpler one than C for crying out loud!
Steadily dragging my finger through molasses, I was able to get it into position. Another strum. A satisfying A minor.
It baffled me that I had such trouble with relearning the guitar. Sure, this body didn't have any muscle memory, but I didn't have these issues with the skills implanted by Testament. Sure, synesthesia or whatever. But what was the difference between Testament and-?
I stopped the thoughts before they could spiral. Nothing good came from that line of thought.
Okay, now go from A minor back to C major. It's not much!
And then I went back to a C chord. Then back to A minor. Then back to C again. And back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.
Alright! Now all I have to do is strum while changing chords. Easy as pie!
…
It was not, in fact, as easy as pie.
V V V
C major.
A minor.
C major.
A minor.
C major.
E minor.
B-flat-
My fingers slipped, messing up the B-flat chord. I didn't begrudge myself for that. It was a difficult chord for a beginner.
On the bright side, I was making decent progress. It helped that I had all the chords memorized. I didn't have any sheets of music lying around. It was the first song I ever taught myself on guitar—glad it was an easy one.
Sighing, I took the guitar off my lap and carefully set it back on the cot. Once I was sure it wouldn't fall off, I let go of the instrument and walked over to its case.
My fingers were numb from all the playing, telling me it was time to call it quits. They throbbed and tingled with every movement. Even the air was merciless to my digits.
I bet the original doesn't have to deal with stuff like this…
Who am I kidding? I don't think anyone has to deal with stuff like this! Aside from patients in physical therapy.
Remember the silver lining.
But I couldn't help but wonder what the original was up to. Did she think of her clone army? She must be very proud – no, the original didn't deserve the prequel reference.
Yeah, she probably doesn't give the clones much thought at all. Her friends didn't even suspect me of being a clone in disguise! Very ill-informed.
Whatever. The original is probably off gallivanting around, doing what Level 5s do.
The latches of the guitar case opened with a 'snap'.
X X X
Mikoto stalked the dimly lit halls of the dormitories, a cry of "Onee-sama" fading into the background.
She was busy. Constantly busy with work. She'd take a thousand remedial courses over what she was dealing with now.
But Kuroko's words remained with her. Sent shivers down her spine. "You weren't at home all day yesterday, but I'm glad you spent some time with Uiharu and Saten-san today, even if I just missed you."
It was wrong. Extremely so. And Mikoto would get to the bottom of it.