Magic spellbooks and those magical formations involving phases sounded like absolute gibberish to the uninitiated.
Phase? Like, a physical quantity describing waveform change? A certain bun-girl tilted her head in confusion.
Natsume Sonoko's mind, thoroughly steeped in all things science, found the chasm separating her from the magic side far wider than she'd imagined.
She wasn't much different from any ordinary student who'd received a standard science education.
In fact, being an esper and having a much deeper understanding of Personal Reality than the average student, Sonoko's belief in science was even more deeply ingrained.
Alright, enough of that boring stuff.
Natsume-san didn't have much interest in studying things she couldn't understand, though she was still a little curious, mind you.
Like that 'Dimensional Exile' that magical girl Kanamin uses. I wonder if it'd be of any research value for Shirai-san?
Someone found herself inexplicably brainstorming strategies for Shirai-san's benefit.
Kamijou Touma's place only held Kanzaki Kaori's presence for a short while before she left, just as she'd said—she'd only come to say goodbye to Index.
Index was clearly a bit reluctant to see her go, pursing her lips as she watched Kanzaki depart. Ever since saying farewell to Kazakiri Hyouka last time, Index had genuinely become much stronger.
"Well then, we should be going too. It seems my onii-san won't be back today."
Tsuchimikado-san, who had been sitting primly and properly, maintaining a maid's impeccable composure, finally stood up and spoke.
"Yeah, yeah. Kamijou-senpai, we've been here quite a while too," Natsume Sonoko nodded in agreement.
"Is that so? Let me see you out."
Putting down the groceries he'd been holding, Kamijou Touma made a sound of acknowledgement and then offered.
--+--
"Natsume-san, do you know ARISA's songs?"
The sun was particularly fierce today. Hanazono Mei, wearing Tokiwadai's gym uniform, her face flushed and dotted with continuous beads of sweat, had already drunk nearly half of the energy drink beside her.
During the break in their physical education class, Hanazono-san looked with concern at Natsume Sonoko, who seemed rather listless beside her.
"Arisa? I know of her! Isn't she that singer who's really popular online right now?" Wannai-san leaned over, a look of dawning comprehension on her face.
"That's not quite accurate. It's not just online; her live street performances are incredibly popular too. She's a really amazing indie singer," Hanazono Mei wagged her finger, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Eh, so Hanazono-san is a fan of hers?" Wannai-san asked curiously.
"That's right! I've downloaded every single one of her songs," Hanazono-san replied, a hint of pride in her voice as she lifted her chin slightly, before turning her gaze back to Natsume Sonoko.
"I don't really listen to much music. I don't know much about this Arisa," said Sonoko, also in her gym uniform, who was lying limply on the grass bordering the school's synthetic track.
Her trembling arm was raised high, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun.
"Right now, I just wish this week would hurry up and end. Why did the school have to make such a terrible decision?"
Looking at the two beside her with vacant eyes, Sonoko struggled to sit up on the grass.
The constant presence of her Personal Reality's thermal layer did nothing to reduce the sweat soaking her body; her entire person was drenched.
"I think it's because Tokiwadai only got second place during last year's Daihaseisai," Wannai-san said with a sigh, a palpable sense of dread for the upcoming week-plus of Tokiwadai's hellish training regimen in her voice.
Since Tokiwadai Middle School had always taken first place in the Daihaseisai, the higher-ups on the school council must have hit the panic button the one time they only managed second.
They had been perfectly fine in class today, listening to the teacher explain things Sonoko had long since self-studied.
Once again, Sonoko had breezed through homework assignments meant for future chapters right there in class, feeling quite pleased and leisurely.
But then the sudden announcement came: until the Daihaseisai, all regular cultural and arts classes were canceled and replaced entirely with physical education.
PE class. A whole week of it, non-stop. Just the thought was enough to fill one with despair.
If Sonoko weren't just considering herself to have the physical stamina of an ordinary middle schooler, but actually did possess it, perhaps she wouldn't be suffering so much.
"Ah, as expected of Misaka-sama!"
A chorus of cheers sounded in the distance. Esper Misaka Mikoto was the undisputed star of Tokiwadai Middle School.
In the five-kilometer run that had just concluded, Misaka-senpai had taken first place, finishing nearly five whole minutes ahead of the second-place runner.
This stood in stark contrast to a certain bun-girl who, just half an hour earlier, had been lapped by the second-to-last place runner, finishing a full five minutes behind them.
They were both espers, so how could there be such a huge gap? Maybe people's physical constitutions just can't be lumped together like that.
Misaka-senpai was breathing slightly heavily, nodding in acknowledgment to the voices around her.
A crowd of students swarmed around Misaka-senpai, among whom a certain Teleportation user was particularly fervent.
"Onee-sama, you were amazing!"
Shirai Kuroko's ecstatic cries could faintly be heard even from a distance, the super-fan constantly making her presence known.
"Break's over. First-years, start preparing."
Before long, the PE teacher's whistle began summoning the first-year students.
The bun-girl hung her head, took a sip of her drink, and noticing that her classmates had already started moving to the track, reluctantly pushed herself to her feet and trudged back to the starting line.
"Do your best, Natsume-san!" Several voices overlapped
Encouraging voices reached her ears—some familiar, some not.
As Natsume Sonoko turned her head, she found the gaze of many upperclassmen once again focused squarely on her.
The second year had Misaka-senpai and Shokuhou-senpai, but among the first-years, she was the one in the spotlight. Sonoko had been prepared for this ever since becoming a Level 5.
Once Misaka-senpai and the others graduated, perhaps this bun-girl might even dominate Tokiwadai.
"You're really quite popular, aren't you?"
Shirai-san, also a first-year, had returned to her usual self after her burst of fan-girl excitement.
As a rare Teleportation esper, Shirai-san was fairly popular among the first-years, but her current level of acclaim was far below Natsume Sonoko's.
"Being popular is actually really exhausting, Shirai-san. It's something you wouldn't understand."
Natsume-san shook her head, a look of determination flashing across her face. This time, I absolutely cannot come in last place again. No matter what, I have to improve a little.
It seemed Natsume-san had also developed something of an 'idol complex,' albeit a very lightweight one.
But wishes and reality are often polar opposites. Miracles don't just happen simply because someone wants them to.
She managed to barely keep up for the first lap, fell significantly behind the pack by the second lap, and then never caught up again.
--+--
T/N: 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.