Shokuhou Misaki twiddled with her hair looking out the car window as she was listening to Junko's report. No matter what she heard, her face remained calm. Her mouth, however, would twist every now and then. Slightly at first, then growing more and more crooked as Junko spoke of the problem that had Touma so distraught. Of his strife to find something special for a certain brute of a girl.
Junko picked on those tiny changes but didn't dare to point them out.
"So, there was nothing suspicious going on," Misaki mused thoughtful after hearing her out.
"It would appear so. Senya-chan kept checking around us but didn't notice anything either. What about Kobayashi-san's group?"
"A few troublemakers, a couple of ruffians. Nothing they couldn't handle. But honestly, I expected more. Something big… Yet for once, Kamijou-san had it easy. That is almost impossible to believe." Misaki tapped on the car door pondering. "What about the blue-haired boy that joined you later? I've seen him before and he always seemed fishy to me."
Junko waved it off. "Oh, he is Kamijou-san's friend. Not without quirks, but completely ordinary."
Misaki only smiled. Sweet child, still thinking there was such thing as ordinary in Academy City.
"I guess it was just an outing after all. But what was the point then?" she muttered to herself.
When they arrived to the dorm, Misaki's phone rang. And even though the number was blocked she had an idea who it was. Gesturing for Junko to go on without her, Misaki answered the call.
"You must be pretty mad right now," said an amused voice that could have been either male or female.
"More like confused. I just don't see the point of your plan… if you even had one."
"Eh, kinda. But most of it was just me tossing things together to see what comes out of it."
Misaki scoffed. "Well, the beginning was certainly interesting. Asking me to somehow send Misaka-san away, then to make Shirai-san meet Kamijou-san."
"Which got you concerned."
"Only for the latter two. I couldn't care less if you laid some kind of trap for Misaka-san."
"And so you paired her with another strong esper even though that was not the plan?" the caller asked chuckling.
"With another problem. Kongo Mitsuko is too ambitious for my liking. For now she is content with only two underlings. But eventually she would want to build her own clique and I have enough annoyances with the current ones," Misaki explained in a leveled voice. "If she were to perish with Misaka-san on this little trip…"
"Oh, how cold. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else from the Queen of Tokiwadai," the mysterious person mused. Yet there was a tiny mocking note to their voice. "Of course, you by no means wanted to provide Misaka Mikoto with the safest travel means, as well as retainers from the Kongo family."
Misaki bit her tongue and collected herself, before managing a scoff, "Of course, not. Why would I?"
"Who knows, who knows… But you did send your second-in-command to the mall to keep an eye on the situation and posted your little bees around the place. You wouldn't deny that, would you?"
"So what if I did? It wasn't against our agreement."
"True, true. And I did keep all my cards to my chest. No matter how much I assured you that I didn't want to harm Kamijou Touma, you still believed you needed to protect him."
She frowned hearing the amused tone but then it hit her. "You played me."
"Don't make it sound so malicious. I just wanted extra security. You know that guy's luck. The place might've been hit by robbers or terrorists."
"You could have just asked."
"To be honest, I wasn't sure you wouldn't try to meddle with my plan if you knew why those two were meeting."
It took Misaki some effort not to growl. "You did it… to help Misaka-san?"
The voice laughed. "No.3 has plenty of cheerleaders as it is. But their little Valentine's scheme gave me an idea. Just like the tsundere heroine, our clueless protagonist too required a bit of a push to make progress."
"I knew I had all the right to be concerned about you. First, your knowledge of Kamijou-san's private affairs made you sound like a stalker. And now you openly root for my rival. That puts you at the top of my list of threats."
"Easy there, No.5, let's not get into a shipping war. I simply support what I like, and No.3's adorably feisty nature won me over."
"Your lack of taste is hopeless. If you prefer that brute without any elegance or charm ability whatsoever, then stalk her as much as you like. But leave Kamijou-san out of it."
"Stalk… you hurt me with such cruel word when I just follow the plot. There is myriad of stories in this city and I'd rather watch them play out than write my own. I am no stalker but a humble observer. On occasion giving the characters a necessary push."
"If only I knew all of this beforehand… I can't believe it! You used me to help my rival. The nerve! I demand moral compensation, Aihana Etsu!"
"Wh…t was… th…at?" Aihana asked, voice distorted by noises.
Which were obviously of human origin and not connection issues.
"Don't you dare," Misaki warned.
"I… zzz… ca… zzz…"
The line disconnected.
Misaki stared at her phone. Her eyelid twitched slightly. Alright, if that was how No.6 wanted to play… she would drag him out of whatever hole he was hiding in and punish him properly. Or her… whoever was behind that smug voice. Misaki would use all the resources of her clique to knock them down a peg… no, a dozen of pegs!
"I am back!" Mikoto announced entering her dorm room.
But before she could put down her luggage, Kuroko teleported across the room and glomped her. "Onee-sama! Welcome back!"
With one touch, she freed Mikoto of her bags, then sat her down on her bed.
"How was the demonstration? Were there any troubles? Tell me, tell me. You barely called."
"Sorry, sorry, this couple of days has been crazy," Mikoto said. "The schedule was packed, with all the showing and sightseeing."
"So, you did get to go on stage this time?"
Mikoto managed a smile. "Yeah… They put us in dresses and asked to go all out. Seriously, I even shot my railgun a couple of times."
"Onee-sama in a dress? I wish I saw that… Did anyone record it?""
"Of course that's the part you focus on… No, no recording. But Kongo-san made me take photos. I'll show you later when we meet up with the others."
Mikoto sighed and fell back on the bed. "I need to relax for a bit…"
"Sounds like it was an exhausting trip," Kuroko said.
"No, it's not that. Though we walked around a lot. But I was on my guard the whole time. Expecting something to happen…"
Kuroko chuckled. "Really, Onee-sama, after the previous demonstration and the Liberal Arts City, I wouldn't have been surprised."
"No, not that! It was that damn Shokuhou. She kept saying "I cannot wait to see what trouble you will get into this time" in that sickly sweet voice of hers. All week before the trip... "
Kuroko's smile froze. Her train of thought switched rails and accelerated rapidly.
If I'm correct, Shokuhou Misaki's room was… yes, yes. Getting past her clique shouldn't be much trouble. It's time to teach that self-proclaimed queen a lesson. To spoil Onee-sama's fun… Even though she is kind of a trouble magnet. But at least, I had the decency to quietly follow the news…"
"A trouble magnet?!"
Kuroko jumped up and returned to reality where sparks danced around angry Mikoto. Was she thinking out loud? How careless… Although... that glare, giving her tingles…
Smirking, Kuroko pushed further. "Would you deny that the mall needed to be reconstructed from scratch after the first demonstration? Or that our innocent trip to the Liberal Arts City ended with it being demolished? Those two are already rather telling but when you add "small" stuff, like the Poltergeist and Febri… The evidence just keeps piling up."
"It's not like I wanted any of that to happen!"
"No, of course not. But you have to agree, Onee-sama. Wherever you go, something happens. And then you plunge yourself into more troubles. Seriously, you and Kamijou-san, two birds of a feather…"
She hastily bit her tongue but it was too late.
"Don't lump me with that idiot!" Mikoto grumbled. "We aren't that similar… are we? Do you think we are?" she asked flustered – only to shake her head vigorously. "No, no, doesn't matter, I don't even care!"
There she goes again, Kuroko thought. Her smile withered. The tingles were gone, swallowed by a pit in her stomach.
"Why are you mentioning his name so casually anyway? Since when are you friends?" Mikoto asked eyeing her suspiciously.
"Me, friends with that ape? Impossible. Our friendship gauge is forever in the negatives!"
And after today it would probably break the gauge… if it all goes well for him… and you… Kuroko lamented.
The two sat in awkward silence for a moment, then Kuroko waved it all off. "Let's forget about pretentious divas and uninvolved gentlemen. The important thing is you went there, did your part and got back without troubles. Just in time for White Day."
At that, Mikoto froze. "Yes, White day…" she muttered kneading her fingers. "Today is White day. Already. God, where did the time go?"
Her face became distant, lips twisting bitterly. Like the evening before the trip.
"Gift matching my affection… There is no way…"
Kuroko remembered the words, the soft fleeting voice. Affectionate, yet resigned. Of course, that was about him. It was always about him. Without meaning to, she copied Mikoto's bitter smirk. Another confirmation, another nail in the coffin of her hope.
And the doubts were swarming her mind, stinging her heart.
I did the right thing… I did the right thing… Kuroko kept telling herself, but it didn't make her feel any better.
Mikoto blinked, whatever spell she was under broken. "Oh, right…"
She reached for her duffle bag and unzipped it. Inside was nothing but chocolate. Simple bars and tablets in white wrappings. Except for one fancy box.
"Our guide helped me pick these. They don't have White Day in Russia but there was still a lot of good chocolate. It took me like half a day to decide what would be best," Mikoto explained. She took out the fancy box. "Best chocolate for my best friend."
Kuroko stared at it, at the content behind the see-through plastic.
"For me?"
"Of course!"
"Thank you," she murmured accepting the gift.
Eyes fixed on the rows of white candy inside.
Mikoto shifted uneasily. "Is something wrong? You don't like it?"
Kuroko looked up and saw the worry on her face. She made herself smile. "Me? Not liking Onee-sama's present? Impossible!"
Her tone was light, the same as usual. But Mikoto didn't seem convinced.
"Well, if you are so worried…" Kuroko mused, summoning back her sly smile. "I'd love it infinitely more if you feed me these candies."
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Now you are your normal self…" She closed the bag and hanged it on her shoulder. "I need to go and give these to everyone else. I'll see you after the classes, ok?"
"Yes, Onee-sama."
Once Mikoto stormed out, Kuroko let out one quiet sigh. Her fingers tapped over the box. The stupid page from the manga that blue-haired idiot had showed them wouldn't leave her be. Candies… Of course, Mikoto couldn't have known… and yet… It was like a punch in the gut.
Especially with the words that accompanied this gift.
She called me her best friend. So easily. So casually. Not even a hint of embarrassment, like with that ape.
Kuroko felt something inevitable dawning on her.
I did the right thing… right?