LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 45: chapter 45
Rikuri turned to Amazora, whose lips formed a thin line.
"Amazora, sweetie, I..."
"I don't know what's going on, but mom can't take Riku nee-san! I won't... I won't let her! We are together, we will always be together! Nee-chan can't go!"
"Amazora..." Rikuri clenched her fists" I... I want to stay with you... I..."
"Rikuri~..." Yua whispered firmly, causing the oldest girl to shudder slightly" Spend the time on goodbyes and not on dragging off this melodrama"
"But mother, they have a..."
"Rikuri... you don't want them to be miserable, right? All you can do to help them is to agree..."
"You can't possibly be serious in listening to her." Kaibi once again screamed towards Rikuri.
"But... you know how influential she is. She can make your life worse in so many ways. I... I don't want this"
"Your sister is the oldest and most reasonable for a reason" Yua answered Kaibi" Unlike some girls, who ungratefully flee homes and take more promising siblings alongside them."
Kaibi's eyes glowed pink.
"I had a inkling of hope that you changed, but it's all the same. You are just like grandma"
For the first time, Yua's face reddened and her fist clenched as well
"Don't you dare compare me to her, Kaibi!"
"Or what? A lot changed since we saw each other. With my power, I..."
Suddenly, Measure Heart deactivated, as Touma, silent until now, put his hand on her shoulder.
"What? Let me do..."
"That won't solve anything. It will now, but it's only a temporary fix"
Touma then addressed Yua.
"Tell me, what kind of mother would manipulate their children like this?"
"Excuse me... who, for heaven's sake, are you supposed to be?"
"I am Kamijou Touma"
"Well, Kamijou Touma-kun, this is a private family business. You should le-"
"No" Kaibi firmly shot back" he is staying"
"Huh? Then I ask again, who are you supposed to be to my daughters?"
"I am... a friend. A flatmmate. And, although it is still fresh... a family"
"Family?" Yua smirked sarcastically" I certainly don't remember giving birth to you, boy"
Touma ignored the remark and continued
"But most importantly, I am someone who can't ignore someone in need of help. I am someone who saves people, everyone in need. And one of the people I cherish is right me, begging to be helped out"
Rikuri opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"What are you talking about?"
"This should never go on. I've seen people like you before. The tragedy that struck you caused you to try to cope so hard that you actually claimed your protective illusion for truth. There is nothing wrong with trying to protect yourself in order to heal. But if you don't embrace reality, you will end up hurting the ones you actually love. And it will destroy you."
Yua frowned at that.
"I am not hurting anyone. I truly have her best interest at heart"
"You may believe that, and it may even be true in a way. But look at Rikuri-san. It's obvious... painfully obvious, that she is scared of you. I will not pry into what happened between you all those years ago, but she is terrified. What did you say to Rikuri-san to make her act like you wanted to? And for what price?"
"That... that's not what it is! She is afraid because she doesn't understand. I repeat that I only wanted what's best for them"
"Mother... you've been overworking Rikuri nee-san, making her fret every mistake. How many times you scolded her? How many times you showed disdain for her failure?" Kaibi shook her head with displeased scowl" I was a middle child, so you ignored me and tried to separate me from the others. I am surprised you even remembered me at all. But I swallowed all of that loneliness, because I wanted Rikuri nee-san to be free from fear. For Amazora to have a normal childhood instead of growing up a spare. We escaped to be free of this imposed nightmare"
"And I was worried. I truly was!" Yua placed hand on her chest" You may blame me, but what you did was immature and put you in danger"
Amazora tightened her grasp on Touma.
"Onee-chans... always argued of what to think of mom. I... you are scary..."
That actually caused the woman to flinch slightly
"Now, that's a little-"
"If you were so worried..." Touma interrupted mother's reply" then why did you only now tried to return to their lives? You monitored them, didn't you? You knew they were safe enough, so you didn't pursue it further. I heard what happened back then. And I think you are more afraid than anyone here. You averted your eyes from the family and threw yourself into work, and before you knew it, your own daughters turned into instruments for you to cope with that loss. You avoid taking responsibility for your own actions and cover it with excuses so strong that they became your reality. But as things are now, you have no right to interfere in their lives here"
Yua stood up and walked in front of Touma
"You are daring, boy, but who the hell do you think you are to meddle with the affairs of Gokusai family?"
"From your point of view" Touma answered calmly, not breaking away from the blue eyes of imposing woman" probably no one. Yet, I can become anything or anyone needed to prevent those three from having their happiness stolen away."
"I am trying to ensure that happiness. In the future, they will thank me for being forceful right now"
"Maybe, but again, at what cost? When they arrive at that point, they will not be themselves anymore. It's important to take from the past, and plan for the future... but ultimately, we are supposed to live in the present. What you are doing is escaping into the future to avoid the present... because those around you remind you too much of the happy past. You're running from your own family and from the grief you still feel"
"I...I WILL NOT BE LECTURED ABOUT AFFAIRS OF MY FAMILY BY SOME STRANGER! You have no idea what it means to be the head of Gokusai family. Whoever you are, you were clearly not experienced enough by life to-"
"I am going to stop you right there, before my own anger gets the better of me" a voice came from behind Touma, Kaibi, and Amazora.
Yua suddenly paled, and her legs almost gave out under her.
"Sis...ter?" she choked out, a voice octave higher than before.
"You?" Rikuri asked in surprise.
Oriana Thomson walked into the apartment, whistling a little.
"Wow, nice place. I waited and waited, but got a little bored. I decided to search for you, and found first family squabble from my new relatives."
"Aya... no, she is dead... and you have different hair..." Yua shook her head, before looking at Oriana again" But still... you look like a spitting image of my sister when we were younger... but since you look like this, you must be that child..."
"Thomson. Oriana Thomson. I suspect that you are mom's younger sister, which would make me your niece" the blond magician put a hand on her hip, while looking at the older woman" I would say that it's a pleasure, but you said something that really irks me up in a wrong way"
She pointed at Touma.
"I know I am freshly introduced to family framework, but as his former enemy who got taste of his motives and desires, I will not stand for staining his spirit. Those unenlightened by the nature of his right hand may throw comments like that on the wind, but he is anything but lucky. His time of life is shorter than yours, and I don't really know much of it, but I am positive that he experienced a lot more sorrow and strife than you. So, if you don't want to piss me off, don't speak like that"
"Also, mother..." Kaibi walked closer to Kamijou, seizing his hand" Touma is not a stranger. Surely, he can be reckless, foolish, or irrational. But without a doubt, he did a whole lot for this family. By which I mean the three of us. He offered each one of us support and care, even when we weren't in friendly relations, even when we opposed him. He believed in us, and he never tried to forcibly change us into something we are not. He is someone who was there for us time and time again, and...I...I needed time to appreciate just how much he changed me for the better. So I am going to stand by him, and not by you, in a heartbeat."
Amazora nodded, also grabbing Touma's hand
"I don't really know you, mom, but you can learn from onii-chan! He is always caring for me, whenever we have fun, when I am sick, when I have nightmares, when I need to talk about something, or just eat tasty oysters with him. I am the happiest in the world when I am with him. He saved my life, mom! It's only thanks to him that I can smile, laugh, shoot and do all those funny things I can do with my family. He could leave me and Riku nee-chan, but he didn't. He never thought about leaving me, so I am not leaving him, and Riku nee-chan too!"
Oriana sighed and stepped forward
"I am also rather vehement to side with my favourite guy here... oh my, both hands taken, just what should I grab..."
"Oriana-san..."
"Alright, alright, I'm trying to defuse a situation just a tiny bit..." she said, putting a hand on Touma's left arm.
Touma spoke to Rikuri, who was looking with wide eyes at the demonstration before her.
Touma looked at her, straight into her eyes, with her attention focusing solely on the oldest sister.
It could be strange, that this young woman, who in the past poisoned people without as much as an eye twitch, was so afraid that she couldn't even properly opposed her mother's wishes. But this was the thing common about the fear rooted in the past: its roots stretched deep and touched the most vulnerable parts of one's self. They enveloped whatever fragility they found and created vicious cycles so convoluted that one took them as face value. This was why Touma and other people precious to Rikuri had to give her this push.
"Rikuri... what I'm saying is that you are your own person. You and your sisters build something out of those tarnished bonds. Amazora is right, you are a team, and it's one of the qualities that allowed you to cultivate your love for one another despite the darkness of your traumas and experiences during all those long years. I will not stop you, and maybe this result will be beneficial. But will it really be you? That's all I ask for. Think of what Gokusai Rikuri truly wants, who she truly is"
"Rikuri..." Yua grasped the hand of her daughter with almost pleading eyes" Returning with me will finally make things right. Compared to your sisters, you wanted to have those happy times back the most, isn't that right? Help me bring them back, piece by piece, and I swear that we will reclaim everything that we lost"
Rikuri closed her eyes and breathed in.
As she watched Touma and the others, it hit her.
What the hell was she doing? She was so stressed by all of this, so terrified of perspective of confrontation with her mother that she didn't focus enough on what was right in front of her eyes.
She recalled all the times she and her sisters were together. All the battles, all the funny and dramatic moments.
She reminisced on the time when she met Touma and over a year later, reunited with him, got to know him, was impressed and charmed by him over and over again, to the point of actually falling in love.
She realized how much her life had changed, how many friends she gained, how many happy moments she spend with Touma, her younger sisters, their neighbours, and friends. Just how much her world brightened from such simple things.
As cliche as it could sound, it all flashed before her eyes in those mere seconds.
She took a deep breath, and firmly said.
"No"
"I am sorry, what?" her mother blinked, backing away a little.
"I said... no!" Rikuri stood up, finally lifting her head up to look her mother in the eyes." You are right mother, I do wish for things to return to normal"
"Then-"
"But not like this. If I go back, it will not change a thing. You keep imposing your way on me, on all of us. Because you tried to hard, we all escaped and now we have our own lives, that we can't risk to abandon. No, we do not wish to abandon them at all. I admit, running away was, in retrospect, rather selfish. We didn't try to talk it through with you or consider your feelings. For that, I apologize. But for us to make it work, you have to face reality, like Touma said. You have to make an effort from your side."
"But I'm-"
"And I am not talking about the company or your efforts to give us a good life. Our feelings, mother, is what you need to respect. I know that your own feelings scare you, but if you keep avoiding both your own emotions and our own ones, we will never move past father's death. He wouldn't want that. He wouldn't want our relationship eroding away like this..."
"Rikuri..." Yua closed her eyes and shook his head" You used to be such a nice girl... did this boy filled your head with all of this stuff? Maybe I should separate you two for whole another reason..."
But before she could move towards Touma, it was Rikuri who slid in between them.
"Mother, listen closely, because I am not going to repeat myself. And Touma... it's not going to go in a way I envisioned it, but I would hate it for not saying it now.
Mother... it's like my sweet little sisters said. Kamijou Touma did a lot of good for us. He accepted us, befriended us, he even saved mine and Amazora's lives. He's been nothing but a valorous and courageous gentleman ever since I met him. He is a great partner, companion, fellow student from this city, someone who cares for my sisters just as much as I do. But above all the roles I can ascribe to him, there is one reason above all others as to why I cannot abandon him. Why I would never forgive myself if I did."
"WHAT?! Just what is it?!" Yua screamed in irritation" What is the reason for you acting like this, what can possibly be the reason for you to deny my own extended hand, what can this guy be to-"
"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Rikuri screamed, and it was the loudest anyone in the room ever heard of her. It could be to overpower her mother's loud voice, but it had great effect, causing the entire room to freeze.
Rikuri smiled, with small tears in her eyes, and turned to Touma, putting one hand to his heart while putting the other on her own.
"I love him, mother. Yes... I love you, Touma. I love that you saved and protected my sisters. I love how you always care about what I think. I love to wake up in the morning and see you healthy and well. I love your sense of humour, I love when we talk. I love when we try to make food together. I love when you listened to my passions and acknowledged them. I love how beautiful you make me felt with just your opinions on me. I love how much my world brightened and broadened since you came along. I love that we can share our feelings for Amazora and Kaibi. I love that we can chat and laugh as if there is no tomorrow, despite bad moments we experienced. I love how you always confided in me and tried to encourage me to be myself, just like you did now, even when I felt like the hope was lost. Even if we disagree in something, I am motivated to find a solution because I wanted to be happy with you.
You cleared my heart of the only poison I couldn't resist, my own self-doubt and insecurity. There are many things I can't thank you enough. But I can say without a doubt that I know that you made me proud to be myself. A chemist, a mechanic, a woman, and the elder sister of Gokusai family."
"Rikuri... truly... you want to link your life with him?"
"With all the respect, I don't need your acceptance, mother. My feelings are laid bare, what happens now is for Touma to decide. But I declare this: after everything he did, and everything he made me feel, being his love or even bearing his child... it would be an honour!"
Although Rikuri was almost fully red on the cheeks when she finished that sentence, together with absolutely astonished Touma, she still looked into her mother's eyes, mustering her courage once again.
Two women looked at each other for a while, before Yua sighed.
"Even I would be a fool if I assumed that you come with me now. Fine, you can continue living here for a while longer. But this is not the last you see of me, I assure you of that"
And with that, she simply left, as quickly as she appeared.
After she was gone, Rikuri collapse to her knees
"Woah! Riku nee-chan did it! She is staying with us!" Amazora threw her fist into the air.
"Quite a performance there, cousin..." Oriana clapped her hands a few times" I am a bit envious, honestly"
"So..." Rikuri smiled tiredly" we are cousins after all? Just when I thought today couldn't get any more tedious..."
"So, nee-san, it appears we are on the same page now." Kaibi smiled at Rikuri" With you confessing and such"
"It appears so" Rikuri nodded" and speaking of pages, I think I will take one of your book and wait on until... I think until this affair with Mitsuari-san clears up"
"Hmm... not a bad idea, actually. We should tell... hold on, where is he?"
"Onii-chan? He was here just a moment ago..."
(MEANWHILE...)
"Gokusai-san... wait?"
Yua stopped as she was about to exit the apartment complex.
She turned around to face Kamijou Touma.
"What do you want, boy? You came to gloat that my own daughter chose you over me?"
"Wh...no! I mean, I still had to process the fact that she basically confessed to me, but... no, I just wanted to make some things clear."
"Oh?" one perfectly trimmed eyebrow rose slightly in curiosity.
"Gokusai-san, like I said, I am nothing truly important in the grand scheme of things. I am not on a level with girls from a good, rich family, like your daughters. I possibly can't fathom the range of influence you actually possess. But none of this matters. Even in face of all of this, I will destroy every illusion that can threaten the peace and happiness your daughters cherish" Touma clenched his right fist and brought it upwards" Even if it's their own mother"
"Did you come over here to threaten me?"
"No, far from it. I am just stating facts. The fact that I will do my utmost to protect them is one of them. But... when I said that I want to save everyone... that also includes you"
The beautiful woman tilted her head as if he spoke in a different language.
"What?!"
"I saw it in your eyes, in your body language, in everything" Touma spoke on strongly" and I am convinced. You are not a villain or a bad person, Yua-san. You were just changed, horribly changed by the emotions you weren't able to show. You are suffering so much, and you just can't tell the beginning from the end. Just like your daughters. Deep down, you know you are hurting them. Are you feeling guilty for that time? Do you want them to hate you?"
Something shifted in that mother's eyes.
"Yes... no... I... why do you assume those things?"
"Because I know your daughters for some time now. Kaibi-san is really similar to you, and she speaks in the same way when she is agitated. Not to mention, your lip trembles just like Amazora when she tries to hold back tears. I know it's supposed to be the other way around but... the point is..."
He walked right in front of the Gokusai matriarch and smiled warmly.
"Believe me, I know... I know so well... how far you have to come to go home again sometimes. How much you have to do to achieve something seemingly right in front of you. But Gokusai-san... a family should be together. You should belong together. Did you got so lost in your grief that you became the very person you despised? How could you forget?"
As Yua stared wordlessly, she saw another silhouette, overlapped with Touma's.
"Haruto?"
But in a blink of an eye, it was gone, and only young boy with a spiky hair stood in front of her.
"You sounded... you sounded like my late husband, just about now. Quite a peculiar guy you are... I can't decide if I should dislike or like you"
"Feeling is more or less mutual. Although, I suspect I will see more of good, likeable qualities in the future"
"Why... why are you so sure? So kind towards me? Amazora doesn't know me, Kaibi hates me, and Rikuri... I don't know anymore..."
"Because healing takes time and effort. If you were a heartless, egoistic monster... then what are these?"
Touma pointed at her cheeks and Yua gasped when she found the wetness of tears on them.
She was furious not so long ago, and then confused beyond belief. But this boy managed to touch something in her and actually let part of her feelings flow freely.
"As I said, Healing takes time and effort. Maybe you need to think about it. But I just want to say, if you ever open your heart enough to try, I will back you up with everything I have. I will help you truly mend the relationship with your daughters"
With that he turned away. The astonished woman managed to speak before he disappeared inside.
"W-Why? What can you gain from this? Why would you do this for me?"
Touma twisted his head and his smile became more nonchalant.
"I don't need a reason to help others. Besides, I know that you care for them too. You just got lost along the way because of your own sorrow and insecurity. But it's not impossible for you to begin again. All I did was shattering the illusion of hopelessness in your heart. The decision what you do with the newfound choice is only yours to take"
With that, he returned to his home.
Gokusai Yua stood there for a minute or two, before wiping up her tears and looking at the sky with a sigh
"What a strange young man..."
(THE NEXT DAY)
"Surprise!"
Touma, Amazora, Kaibi, Hasako, Maidono, Oriana Index, Othinus, Hanatsuyu twins, Aikawa Enka alongside his girlfriend, Hanamiya Kaira and Fukiyose Seiri cheered, as Rikuri put up hands over her mouth, witnessing the surprise birthday party.
It was all perfect. It started in a restaurant, and then went to their apartment. There were lots of activities themed with Rikuri's interest, including drone-piloting on open air, cooking with lots of fun chemical reactions, karaoke, movie, and many more.
Fukiyose and Maidono helped with reservations and activities, while Hasako and Touma handled cooking. Youen and Kaai, with the help of Itsuki, ordered a drone-shape cake, which almost caused the birthday girl to suffocate from hysterical laughter.
As time passed, Touma felt incredible warmth inside. Seeing Rikuri practically beaming with happiness throughout the evening was all he needed to deem this party a success. It was so brilliant it almost visibly brightened the room.
The guests also found it entertaining to party among themselves. Touma saw Index conversing with Hasako, Maidono showing off in front of Fukiyose, Enka listening to Kaai with a slightly concerned but nevertheless amused experession, and Oriana playing along with Amazora.
"Everybody" Kaibi said merrily, the cheerful atmosphere of a party being enough to influence even her stoic persona" As per tradition, we can share stories about the sister of honour. She had some embarrassing stories on me when it was my birthday, so it's her turn to suffer! Everyone, share some funny stories about Rikuri, come on! The more chaotic and embarrassing the better! Like that one time when she kept outgrowing all of her clothes and the dress ripped right over her butt!"
"That's... quite a tradition" Enka whispered to his girlfriend, as they watched evilly grinning siblings ready to dig up some dirt from the past.
"Well, it varies from family. I guess it's a terapeutic badmouthing to get distance to oneself?"
(MEANWHILE)
With so many people talking about her, Gokusai Rikuri sneezed thrice in rapid succession, as the she and Touma stood on the balcony together.
"Are you alright?" Touma asked, handing Rikuri the hoodie, which she gratefully covered her body with.
"Nothing to worry about, just a sudden chill."
"You partied rather hard, I wouldn't want you to be sick."
"Honestly, it's so adorable when someone who can casually slam a fist into the woman's face is so gentlemanly behaved. No, if I were to be superstitious, I would say Kaibi and Amazora are having a blast with bringing out some embarrassing memories. They always do, it's our birthday tradition to laugh at our flops"
They stared at the sky, before Rikuri smiled seductively at him.
"We both know what you want to talk about"
"Yes... I know acting on this confession is put on hold until we have more time, but I... want to thank you. From the bottom of my heart"
"There is nothing to thank for" the girl smiled, brushing against his shoulder, with her sweet smelling hair glowing in the sunlight" It was an honest truth. Still, I am glad you like it."
"Speaking of liking and disliking... I still have to give you my present."
Rikuri received a lot of presents. A treatment in most luxurious spa in Academy City from both Enka and Kaira. A limited edition lotion and gel from Fukiyose. The stash of very rare ingredients to use in her chemicals from Kaai and Youen. A new dress from Hasako. A most up to date drone from Maidono. A romance novel from Kaibi. A package of sweets and new family crayon painting from Amazora. A pair of stylish shoes from Oriana.
Touma opened his hand to reveal...
"Oh my... is that... an actual diamond?" Rikuri gasped, as she looked at the small crystal on the necklace.
"Yeah. I thought... you like elegant accessories..."
"You... didn't sell any of your organs, right?"
"What? No, no, it's actually... actually it's the cooperation of a few people. Youen gave me carbon of proper quality, and Maidono used her strongest telekinesis to compress it and rearrange atomic alignment into diamond. She succeeded, even though she looked like she was constipated as she performed it and it ended up with a nosebleed. Then I asked Itsuki-san to help me get the facets right. Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful. Can you put it on me?"
Touma nodded, as Rikuri closed her eyes and gathered her long hair to expose nape of her neck.
But as the silver chain got closed around her neck...
"Maybe a little shorter..."
Rikuri giggled, as too long chain caused the diamond to almost disappear between her big breasts and causing Touma to blush.
After readjustment, the small diamond shone on Rikuri's body in all of its glory.
"Well then... happy birthday, Rikuri" Touma smiled and was about to leave, when Rikur grabbed his arm.
"Wait... before you think about my feelings and we get involved in search for Ayu-san... since it's my birthday... I have one more selfish request... you see, while meditating on my feelings, I remembered something we did... and I say we have couple of minutes before someone will actually bother to fetch us.
She clicked the switch on the remote causing the blinds to cover the view from the inside to the balcony.
"So let us just enjoy this anew for this moment..."
Smoothly, as if it was the most natural route of movement, she linked her lips with his own, savouring, caressing, and embracing them.
Touma's surprise was only momentary, before he felt his own eyes closed, more on an instinct than anything else. There was no possible or actual world in which he would oppose something like that from a person like this, as he gladly indulged in Rikuri's selfish wish.
It felt like light, something that would be eternally bright.
But everyone knew and no one knew it better than Kamijou Touma, that there was no light without shadows.
(HOURS LATER)
Shirai Kuroko was going to her dorm from her Judgement office. She was absolutely exhausted.
"And Uiharu wasn't there today... I couldn't evade that damn paperwork..." the teleporter wailed.
She recalled in amusement the moment when ape introduced his silver haired nun friend to Uiharu and how said nun gave her friend an identity crisis as a hacker after memorizing almost entire personal data from their database.
Speaking of ape... he was one of the reasons Kuroko was tired. More precisely, it was the case of Mitsuari Ayu. Even with the help of Hokaze Junko, the case was rather tedious. Questioning the teachers was hard enough, and stories among students varied. It seemed Mitsuari was a recluse of sorts and someone that was on the borderline of taboo. Mental Out was especially awkward in discussing her for some reason.
Who is Mitsuari Ayu, really? And what connection does she have with the ape? I wonder...
And then, it happened. More so, it happened in an instance.
In one second, Kuroko was passing through the entrance to the dark alley.
In the next, she knew... just knew... that a hand emerged from that darkness.
She froze, as the feeling of dread descended upon her.
She didn't sense or see anyone before. More so, she suddenly got goosebumps all over her skin. Those reactions made her act too slowly. She was swiftly grabbed and dragged into the darkness. A hand was put on her mouth.
"Mmmm...mhmmmm!"
"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sssssssssssh..." shushed a quiet, yet vibrant voice next to her ear. "Believe me, screaming is the worst thing you can do... for you and the people that may come to help you, that is. I feel so good in a flesh that I might just do something that would stain my clothes..."
That voice... was smooth as silk, yet in a way terrified her more than most things she heard during her time as a Judgement member. This guy, whoever he was, radiated cold, focused power, not hazy brutality of some street thug.
Worst of all... she found herself gasping, as she realized for some reason she couldn't teleport away. What was going on? Some drug? Technology similar yet different to Capacity Down?
And when she looked up...
Her heart unwillingly accelerated.
She couldn't see entire silhouette, only one hand, wearing a glove, and the eyes. But those eyes, shining in the darkness, were unlike any other she saw in her life.
They were bright green and pink, like some exotic bugs, with irises shifting and gleaming in the darkness.
"Who... are you? What do you want..." she managed to whisper, as her attacker shifted his hand away" What did you do with my power?"
"Answering first would be too much of a bother..." the smooth yet chilling voice answered" and the answer to the third would rob away the fun. As for what I want... I am such a good guy that, I want to warn you, precious Kuroko-chan"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kuroko muttered before her cheeks were forcibly squished.
"DROP IT. Mitsuari Ayu's case... is not something goody, principled girl like you should get her nose into" as if to play with words, he booped tip of Kuroko's nose with a finger" I assume you are a smart one, so you should be able to backtrack from things beyond you"
"If you're trying to intimidate me... it's my duty as Judgement member to stop anything shady going with-"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, sweet Kuroko-chan. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Thinking about 'duties' and 'obligations' makes me yawn and barf. No, I need to hear it from you as a person. Do you honestly think tackling this will be enough for you not to break?"
CRACK!
Pain came moment after Kuroko registered what happened.
In an instant, her wrist became dislocated and sprained, as she stifled her cry of anguish.
The mysterious attacker clicked his tongue
"What are they feeding you in Tokiwadai? No wonder it breaks so easily if your arms look like twigs. "
"W...Why are you attacking me? What is so important about Mitsuari Ayu?" Kuroko spat out.
"Oh, you don't honestly think I would give an evil monologue, right? Let's just say that it's of my concern for that girl to be out of sight. I will see that this nauseating other me fails once and for all, so I can assume what's rightfully mine. As for hurting you... come on, what's with you all? How many times do I have to say this? I don't ever need a reason..."
Kuroko's tawny irises widened as the thin crescent moon of a smile, barely visible, appeared under the eerie spheres of pink and green.
"... to hurt others, do I?"
Kuroko felt dread permeate every bone in her body, chilling even the stinging pain in her wrist.
She recalled what they were once told on the training for a new recruits
'One might think that criminals with most violent behaviour are the most dangerous, but it's often the opposite. Criminals with sociopathic tendencies are to be treated with extreme caution. They are not much different than normal people in behaviour, but their won't even flinch in face of things that would get other people emotional. They are cold, calculative, focused, incredibly hard to read. They don't lost focus that easily, and their anger is the one that hits painfully, without as much of a sped up heartbeat from their side or emotional restraint. If you ever encounter someone like this, immediately call for backup'
This guy... Kuroko felt that if he decided something on a whim, he would execute it and move on without much of a remorse.
"Now, as much as it was fun chatty flirt against the wall, I have other things to enjoy in his moment of weakness. See you, twintails"
He let her go and Kuroko coughed slightly, before reaching for the disappearing silhouette.
"Wait! Whatever you're trying to hide... I swear I will uncover the truth and make you pay for humiliating me! I will help Kamijou Touma with this case, if it's the last thing I do!"
The mysterious person chuckled
"I wouldn't phrase it like that. But, I did my part, it's your wish if you and your friends want to ignore such friendly warning. To have a teleporter against me... how innovative... at least I will be able to test how fast can you flee, to quench my boredom a little...
Despite mustered bravery, Kuroko felt her mouth go dry, as the tone of the mysterious attacker was equal to the one of the businessman ordering something in a lunch bar.
"Now then, unlike other irresponsible part of myself, I take my mission of protecting others seriously. Bye bye!"
And just as suddenly as he appeared, there was no trace in the alley.
With a quiet hiss of pain, Kuroko readjusted the forcibly dislocated wrist of her hand. Fortunately, it turned out that it wasn't damaged as badly as she thought.
Only now did she notice that she was covered in sweat. She slowly made her way back to the street and resumed march towards the dorm
What in the hell was that about? Who was that? Why was he threatening her?
Kuroko found herself at loss about many things. Especially...
Her power wasn't working when he was holding her, yet began to work properly once again when he let go. It was just like...
Kuroko shook her head. No, no, no, it couldn't be. Ape was sometimes an uncultured idiot, but he was also kind and heroic, Kuroko had to admit that. Whoever was in that shadowy alley couldn't possibly share a connection with Kamijou Touma, could he?
Maybe ape's ability wasn't unique, like he insisted? Maybe he wasn't the only one that could interfere with her teleportation like that?
Too many questions and clearly not enough answers.
Kuroko passed through the entrance of her dorm, put the identification card against the scanner, and soon she was in front of her dorm room.
When she entered the room, she was greeted with the sight of Misaka Mikoto wrapped in the towel, with her chestnut hair still wet and bare skin slightly steaming
"Oh, hi Kuroko. You're back quite late"
Kuroko nodded and teleported onto her bed, dropping on it like a lifeless doll. It took her a minute to realize Mikoto was still staring at her.
"Oh... onee-sama?"
"Kuroko... is everything alright? Ehm... I feel so stupid that I use this as an actual argument, but... you didn't jump on me after I exited shower? So... are you feeling okay?"
"Onee-sama, is your opinion on my self control that low?"
There was a long stare of brown eyes.
"A-All right, fair enough. But I am fine, absolutely fine. Just very tired from Judgement work"
Mikoto looked at her for a few more seconds, before nodding
"If you say so. Just remember, if you have any problem, you can talk to me, right?"
Kuroko smiled and nodded
"Thank you, onee-sama. I will take it into consideration"
Kuroko said all of this to not make Mikoto worried or upset.
However, she found herself awake even two hours later, when Mikoto already drifted into the embrace of slumber.
'I need to find the answers. I would lie if I said that I am not anxious, but... this case really needs even more attention than I originally anticipated. Even without request, I should check everything out properly'
She shifted in her covers, focusing on Mikoto's sleeping face.
'My power being blocked... it's a good thing that ape is good natured. When I think about it... what do I even know about him? It's been some time since we've met, and I didn't invest him any attention, besides the amount needed to try to keep him away form onee-sama. But maybe, just maybe... he saved my life and is of such high value here... maybe closer look at what makes him tick is not a bad ide-'
Her face suddenly exploded into outraged redness of embarrassment.
'What am I even thinking? AND IN BED OF ALL PLACES?! The fact that my opinion on the ape changed over time does not mean that he is allowed my dreams. I was thinking about serious business, so why is this face of his in my head?'
After some time, and focused breathing, she finally got to sleep.
Kuroko was standing in front of the cheering crowd, as she brought the mysterious sociopath to justice.
"Curse you, you devious and attractive officer. I would have my evil ways if it wasn't for you"
Kuroko smiled as the cameras continued to flash.
"Please, not everyone at once"
"Shirai-sama" Konori bowed to her" I will promote you at once!"
"Shirai-sama!" Uiharu embraced her with tears in her eyes" You were so cool. I will always do your paperwork for the rest of my life!"
"Shirai-sama!" Saten waved towards a big crowd of people nearby" Your fanclub is ready for you!"
But just when Kuroko was about to go down the stage, she accidentally tripped.
"Oh, be careful!" said a familiar voice of Kamijou Touma, as Kuroko landed in his arms. "Just how many times you landed here?"
"I lost count" Kuroko gracefully stood up before realizing both Mikoto and Touma were now in front of her.
"Shirai, what you did...was super heroic" Touma said with enthusiasm, causing her to blush slightly
"T-That's a given, I just did what anyone would do. Can you say it... one more time."
"You are amazingly heroic"
"One... more... time..."
"You are the truest hero, Shirai-san"
"Kuroko... it's obvious that I was mistaken. Even though I love this idiot" Mikoto overdramatically put a hand to her brow" it's obvious that I can't survive without your love. Your awesomeness makes me lose control! Just take me, take me whole!"
"What will it be Shirai?" Touma, suddenly in an apron, said" would you like a bath? A dinner? Or maybe?
The apron exploded, leaving only musculature on full display
"Me?" Touma finished, winking.
Kuroko's breath sped up, as she pounced forward...
... waking up, with her hands outstretched towards the ceiling and slightly flushed cheeks.
'WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEEEEEE?! I was assaulted, where is the causal chain between that and me dreaming about this primate along with onee-sama?!'
She took a pillow and burried her tawny head into it. For some time, she didn't go even a moment of sleep.
(IN THE MORNING)
Touma woke up in the middle of the corridor. That in itself was strange.
The other thing was that he didn't feel rested at all. No, it was more as if he was running a marathon after going to sleep. But he went to sleep, so...
After he stopped... fulfilling Rikuri's additional request, they returned inside and enjoyed the rest of the party. Eventually, the guests went to their homes. As everyone else went to sleep, he wanted to clean everything up... and that's when his memories ended.
He looked around. It looked like there was still an hour before dawn. Four o'clock, he would say. As he groaned, getting up, the door's on his right creaked open and out stepped Amazora, rubbing her eyes.
"Onii-chan, it's you!"
Touma smiled at her.
"Did something happen, Amazora?"
"W-Well..." the girl looked around unsurely, before motioning for him to come closer" I had a weird nightmare... and I couldn't stop thinking about it..."
"Well, I am here now, so you don't have to worry a bit." Touma stroke her hair gently" What was this nightmare about?"
"Emm... I know it's weird and all... but I thought that someone was walking around our apartment. He didn't do anything, just walked slowly into every room, and observed everything while moving alongside the walls... I saw him, but I couldn't move..."
Touma frowned at that
"Sounds like mighty creepy nightmare. But well, that's luck for you. It was just a stupid dream, so-"
"Oh, and that guy also had strange eyes... a bit of... pink and green... o-onii-chan?!"
Touma's eyes widened as he suddenly got up.
"I am sorry Amazora, I will be back in a moment. I'll just go to the toilet."
As Touma found himself in the toilet, he lifted his hands up and touched his face.
'He... controlled me? Is that what happened? How did he find a way to do that? That is... insane! I need to try harder... much harder... or he will ruin my life, or worse, ruin girls' lives too!'
As he looked into the mirror, he noticed something black inside his hand.
When he examined it, it turned to be a writing with a marker, slightly blurred, but still clearly visible.
THE TIME IS COMING
Touma slowly looked up into the mirror and demonstratively cleaned his hand under water
"I do not care whatever you are plotting. I will be here to stop you, for sure"
He started to get ready for the day, after briefly returning to convince Amazora to go back to bed. Today, he had a meeting with Kumokawa Maria for their joint cooking. And speaking of Kumokawas, Touma hoped that he could have a word or two with senpai before the start of the action.
Because quite frankly, there were words that needed to be said.