The Judgment branch office was as busy as ever.
Before they could even wrap up the Febrie situation, Shirai-san and the others were already rushing off to a meeting at the Academic Research Assembly venue to discuss security arrangements for the event.
The Academic Research Assembly, scheduled in about five days, was a purely academic conference with no ability-related presentations. Security during this period would be handled by the Anti-Skill corps and Judgment.
Truth be told, Judgment's role mostly involved directing traffic and guiding attendees—the real heavy lifting was still done by Anti-Skill.
Though she was a Judgment member herself, Natsume Sonoko had no intention of attending such meetings. Instead, she kept trying to console a rather dejected Misaka-senpai.
Poor thing… Misaka-senpai was taking it really hard.
Febrie seemed to recognize almost everyone and could call each person by name—Ruiko, Kazari, Kuroko, Sonoko, and even Mii, who had dropped by the office midway—yet she completely skipped over Mikoto.
What's more, whenever Misaka-senpai got close, Febrie would switch to alert mode and hurriedly hide behind Saten-san's skirt.
"Natsume-san… do I really seem that dangerous?"
Misaka-senpai mumbled almost to herself, her gaze drifting vacantly around the cramped office.
"Not at all!"
Natsume Sonoko shook her head vigorously.
She wasn't great at comforting people, but seeing Misaka-senpai's downcast expression, she felt she had to step up.
"Febrie avoiding you definitely isn't because you seem dangerous, Misaka-senpai."
Natsume Sonoko studied Misaka-senpai closely, and the more she looked, the more utterly adorable she found her. Before she knew it, her mind began to wander.
"Natsume-san, are you okay?"
Noticing the shift in her expression, Misaka-senpai sounded puzzled.
"Ah, it's nothing!"
"I just thought—maybe it's because you're always emitting faint electromagnetic waves, Senpai. That might be why Febrie doesn't want to get close. She's just a child, so her senses might be more sensitive."
Natsume Sonoko snapped back to attention, speaking with a hint of uncertainty.
It was pure speculation, completely unsubstantiated, but it sounded plausible enough.
Even the stray cats near Tokiwadai Dormitory tended to steer clear of Misaka-senpai. Thinking about it, Misaka-senpai's life seemed a bit tough.
"So that's the reason…"
Misaka-senpai didn't seem comforted in the least. Her head drooped even lower, looking more disheartened than before as she rested her chin in her hand, lost in thought.
A look of dawning realization crossed her face. Her constitution naturally repelled small animals—she just never expected it to apply to people, too.
"Ah, it's only a guess, Misaka-senpai! Please don't take it to heart."
Realizing her attempt at comfort had backfired, Natsume Sonoko hurriedly tried to explain. Maybe it would've been better to say nothing at all.
As the meeting time drew nearer, Shirai-san and the others got ready to leave Branch 177.
With all the Judgment members gone, the office suddenly felt empty. Misaka-senpai decided to tag along with Shirai-san and the others to see the Assembly venue, and Febrie and Saten-san went with them.
Natsume-san, however, had no plans to attend the meeting.
She stuck to her original plan and headed for the family restaurant.
Arriving a bit early, Natsume Sonoko chose a seat by the window. The spot offered a nice view outside, making it quite cozy and pleasant.
Since they'd agreed to meet at half past four, she'd arrived right during the dinner rush.
The restaurant was bustling with customers coming and going, including several students who'd come straight with their school bags.
Many had ordered just a drink and were chatting away, planning to stay until evening—a common pastime for middle school girls.
Natsume Sonoko and her friends were no exception. They often gathered at family restaurants to chat about urban legends, gossip, and the like.
This time, however, Natsume Sonoko had ordered quite a bit: two steak plates, two orders of pasta, and two cups of black tea with extra sugar.
She wasn't sure if it would suit Yumiya-senpai's taste, but they could always order more if needed.
Thanks to a significant increase in her scholarship, Natsume-san's spending power had grown considerably. A meal like this was hardly a splurge anymore.
"Yumiya-senpai, over here!"
Natsume Sonoko waved at a girl in Shidarezakura Academy's uniform who had just entered the restaurant.
But the girl merely gave her a strange look before taking a seat nearby.
So it wasn't Yumiya-senpai after all.
Natsume Sonoko felt a pang of disappointment. Though the girl wore the same uniform and had a similar height and hairstyle, she wasn't the one.
"It's already 4:40…"
Natsume Sonoko picked up her phone and began idly scrolling through various forums and manga sites, occasionally checking if any new series she liked had been uploaded.
Compared to games or music, Natsume Sonoko preferred manga. Collecting rare manga publications was one of her few hobbies.
Even while absorbed in her phone, she kept an eye on the time.
Natsume-san was particularly sensitive to the passage of time. During her repeated chases with the Dorm Supervisor, she'd even honed a kind of human stopwatch ability.
By noting subtle changes in the Dorm Supervisor's walking speed, she could continuously recalibrate the time it took for her to get from point A to point B.
Without her realizing, it was already past the time she'd agreed to meet with Yumiya Rakko-senpai.
"Is Yumiya-senpai not coming? It's 4:40 already… I hope nothing's happened."
Setting her phone down, Natsume Sonoko rested her chin in her hands and gazed out the window. The food she'd ordered was getting cold—maybe she should use her ability to keep it warm a little longer.
But she had no intention of starting without her guest. That would be rude. Maybe she should call and check.
The thought of calling immediately deflated her.
It hit her—she didn't actually have Yumiya Rakko-senpai's phone number. She should've asked for it earlier.
Another ten-plus minutes passed, and still no sign of Yumiya-senpai.
Then, spotting something through the window, Natsume Sonoko suddenly stood and headed for the restaurant entrance.
Yumiya Rakko, a member of the dark-side organization [School], moved hurriedly through the crowd, a clear look of anxiety on her face.
Though she served as a sniper within the group, most of her assignments involved tracking and investigation. Tasks like dealing with traitors or capturing targets were rare.
"It's already 4:50…"
Gritting her teeth, Yumiya Rakko hurried into an upscale club and handed some freshly gathered intel to Gokusai Kaibi.
"Rakko, you're unusually quick today."
Gokusai Kaibi remarked as she accepted the documents.
Dressed in an elegant gown, her makeup impeccably precise, she looked nothing like a girl the same age as Misaka-senpai.
Beside her sat a middle-aged man, incessantly pouring out his troubles, completely ignoring Yumiya Rakko's presence.
For a dark-side operative, occasionally moonlighting as a counselor was just part of the job—or so Gokusai Kaibi told herself.
"My part's done. I'm leaving."
Handing over the documents, Yumiya Rakko took a deep breath, hoping she could still make it.
"Our Rakko seems particularly rushed today."
Gokusai Kaibi turned back to the middle-aged man, a faint smile gracing her lips.
Yumiya Rakko strode straight out of the club's main entrance and, as usual, instantly blended into the crowd.
By around five o'clock, she finally reached the family restaurant on Queen's Avenue.
Her face was flushed, her temples damp with sweat, and her Shidarezakura uniform was dust-streaked, as if she'd rushed a long way.
"Has she already left?"
Scanning the area, Yumiya Rakko's face fell with disappointment.
"Excuse me, have you seen a Tokiwadai student around this tall, with a bun on her head?"
She gestured roughly at Natsume-san's height as she asked the waitress.
"Ah, that Tokiwadai girl? I remember her—she was just here, at that table."
The waitress led Yumiya Rakko to the window seat, where two servings of steak and pasta still sat on the table.
"So she's already gone… She didn't even touch these. I wonder if she's coming back."
The waitress hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Yumiya Rakko.
Even though there were table markers for [In Use] or [Meal Finished], none were being used, leaving the waitress in a bit of a dilemma.
"I'm very late. She must have left already."
Yumiya Rakko shook her head.
Her first-ever dinner invitation had ended like this—quietly, without fanfare.
But just as she stepped out of the restaurant, her expression shifted.
There, hurrying toward her, was the girl with the bun hairstyle, panting slightly and holding two large ice cream cones.
Earlier, spotting an ice cream truck through the glass, Natsume Sonoko had rushed out. With the weather turning cooler, such vendors were becoming rare lately.
She'd joined a long queue and ended up waiting several minutes.
"Yumiya-senpai, you're here!" Natsume Sonoko said, her face brightening. Even though she was late, Yumiya-senpai hadn't stood her up.
"Let's head back to our table—I've been away so long, the waitress might have cleared our things."
A sudden worry crossed Natsume Sonoko's mind.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.