A Certain Two Sides

A Certain Sequence of Events

A Certain Sequence of Events

The posy of friends that was Mikoto, Kuroko, Kazari Uiharu, and Ruiko Saten were sat at their usual meet up location that was one of the Josephs family restaurants that populated Academy City.

Eventually the Railgun felt nature calling, so she left her friends to relieve herself. That was when the trouble began.

"So," began Ruiko once she was sure Mikoto was out of earshot, "have either of you noticed that Misaka seems a bit distracted?"

"How do you mean?" quipped Kazari.

"Well, y'know..." went on Ruiko, she waved her hands about the air as if trying to make the appropriate words come to her. "It's kinda like, she's here, but then her thoughts are drifting off to somewhere else, it's as if she has something big coming up that she's raring to come to her already."

Kuroko audibly scoffed in annoyance. Both Sakugawa students looked to their pigtailed friend. "Well?" asked Ruiko. "Come on Shirai, you know something. Spill it."

"Ugh..." she groaned. "As you know the Daihaseisai Festival was a few days ago, but ever since that week, Sissy's been talking in her sleep." She growled, and her fist clenched up. "She's been doing that day and night...in daylight she could suddenly start dreaming off whether she's in class, lying down, or any time where there isn't something distracting her she just gets this look in her eyes..." Her own eyes narrowed as she trailed off.

"What's it about?" asked Kazari, slightly worried if Mikoto was having emotional trouble.

"Something about a Penalty Game and how someone lost it," said Kuroko.

" 'Penalty Game'...?" asked the two black haired girls.

"It is where someone loses a bet, and they have to do whatever the winner says for an allotted time period — usually said game only lasts a day." Her mood turned darker. "Whoever it is has stolen Sissy's heart..."

"Wait..." said Ruiko, as mischievous thoughts entered her mind. "Someone who's stolen Misaka's heart...? Was it perhaps...a boy?" she asked slyly.

"Yeah," muttered the Teleporter absentmindedly, having not picked up on Ruiko's tone. "An ape of a man who'd jump in to save you for no particular reason other than that he feels like being a hero and because he can...he's without reason, easily incapacitated and a complete idiot." She rustled and straightened her back. "Aka that mysterious boy who can cancel out an Espers powers you were talking about."

"What, no way!?" squealed Ruiko, standing up. "He exists?"

"Isn't that what I said?" replied Kuroko as she slumped back down and idly drew circles on the table. "A dirt poor monkey with no powers, absurdly misfortunate, stubborn, hair that looks like he's a common manga protagonist, and he's stupidly sentimental and kind..." and with that, her hand that was circling curled up into a fist.

Ruiko and Kazari stared in shock when they noticed that Kuroko's cheeks had a slight hint of red. They exchanged a look, as though they were asking for reassurances from the other if what they had seen was a dream. Kazari was the first to ask, and quickly motioned with her eyes towards her Judgement partner, and with sweat beading down her head, Ruiko just nodded.

It was then that Mikoto returned. "Well then, what's all this?" she asked.

"Um...we were just talking," said Kazari as she stiffened.

"About...?"

"Nothing," said Kuroko bluntly. Mikoto was taken aback and turned to her. "Nothing for you to be concerned about, Sissy."