This little chat of ours had somehow evolved into a proper tea party.
Shokuhou-senpai smiled as she picked up the teapot, refilling each of their cups once more.
Steaming hot tea sent tendrils of warmth into the air, its translucent surface shimmering before their eyes.
Having already eaten dinner back at the student dorm, Natsume Sonoko found herself just staring blankly at the cup for a while before finally taking a small, tentative sip, mimicking Shokuhou-senpai's elegant manner.
Right now, Sonoko's mind was completely occupied with everything Shokuhou-senpai had said.
Even if she couldn't personally verify the truth of it all, Sonoko wanted to believe her.
'Maybe there's some connection between Shokuhou-senpai and the Sisters that I don't know about.'
After all, wasn't she herself meddling in that project for the sake of those elusive soul memories?
"And regarding the matter of Misaka-san, which Natsume-san is most concerned about…"
Shokuhou-senpai reached up, tucking the long strands of hair that fell near her eyes behind her ear. The star-shaped patterns in her pupils seemed to twinkle faintly.
"Just as we discussed before, besides interfering with the judgment of the 'personnel' and the mastermind behind the scenes, there was also the intention to divert their attention onto Misaka-san."
"The reason we chose Misaka-san is simply because she was the most suitable candidate. Someone with her personality… it really draws people's attention easily, which is a great help to my plans."
Shokuhou-senpai blinked her large eyes, a semblance of sincerity flickering in their expression.
'It's probably also because you and Misaka-senpai don't get along very well, right?'
Sonoko silently remarked to herself. She'd heard rumors about the terrible relationship between the two, and even the parties involved didn't exactly deny it.
There were times Sonoko wished she could improve their relationship a little, but they both had such strong wills and opinions of their own; they weren't the type to change their views easily. It was a real headache.
But back to the topic at hand.
Given the current situation, it was only a matter of time before Misaka-senpai ran into some kind of trouble, sooner or later, to a greater or lesser degree. It was hard not to be worried.
Even though she probably ought to strongly condemn such underhanded methods, seeing the slightly earnest look on Shokuhou-senpai's face made it impossible to stay angry.
A conflicted expression surfaced on Natsume Sonoko's face, like a slice of ham stuck squarely in the middle of a sandwich.
Sure enough, whenever she had to deal with these troublesome senpais, Sonoko found herself at a loss.
'Is this what they call feminine warfare? The world of upperclassmen is so complicated.'
Even though Misaka-senpai was a Level 5 and incredibly powerful in a fight, espers only truly belong to that realm when they're actively using their abilities.
In daily life, the gap between them and ordinary people isn't all that vast.
If their brain gets injured or paralyzed, even an esper is powerless. Well, except for that one hot-blooded, gutsy guy who's counted among the espers but is really in a league of his own.
Thinking this, Sonoko couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern.
"And it's best if we don't tell Misaka-san about any of this until we've identified the mastermind."
Shokuhou-senpai made a cross with her two hands, her expression turning serious for a moment.
It was based on very simple logic: Shokuhou-senpai didn't trust Misaka Mikoto the way she trusted a certain bun-headed girl.
This lack of trust wasn't because she thought Misaka-senpai would do something like leak information. It was simply that she believed a certain Railgun would, through sheer recklessness, mess up her plans and alert the mastermind prematurely.
In Shokuhou-senpai's mind, Tokiwadai's Railgun was practically synonymous with a simple-minded fool. 'What a blunt assessment.'
Though both were Level 5s, Shokuhou-senpai couldn't read the Railgun's mind, whereas she could read a certain bun-head's.
Natsume-san seemed impressive, but she didn't have much resistance against mental-type espers. That is, of course, assuming the mental-type esper was on a similar level of processing power.
Then again, mental-type espers weren't much better off in front of Natsume-san either. Fights between them tended to be over in an instant; it all came down to who was faster.
"Eh, well, actually..."
The certain bun-head girl seemed to want to defend Misaka-senpai a little.
Sure, Misaka-senpai was a bit rough around the edges, prone to shocking behavior, and even her taste in underwear was childish. She could be happy all day over a rare Gekota-themed finger puppet. But she was genuinely a trustworthy person.
"Telling Natsume-san about these plans so early is already an exception. Until we've investigated everything thoroughly, the fewer people who know, the better."
Shokuhou-senpai shook her head, taking a graceful sip of her tea.
"...I understand."
Finding herself completely unable to change Shokuhou-senpai's mind, Natsume Sonoko felt inexplicably dejected.
"If we do finally pinpoint the mastermind's whereabouts, we could bring Misaka-san in then. Although, acting together with that girl would still be rather... unsettling."
But then, Shokuhou Misaki-senpai began muttering something to herself, having unceremoniously placed a certain Railgun in the 'tool' category from the very start.
The tea party drew to a close amidst the discussion between the two girls, with the blonde foreigner merely acting as part of the background.
Natsume Sonoko had surprisingly discovered this sneaky foreigner, which led her to this place that served as Shokuhou-senpai's temporary base.
After Shokuhou-senpai laid out her entire plan, the bun-headed girl, at her own initiative, proudly became Shokuhou-senpai's new partner.
When it came to matters involving the Sisters, Natsume Sonoko's motivation was always high.
Although, her role as a partner didn't seem to require her to do much. She was even instructed by Shokuhou-senpai to just honestly participate in the Daihaseisai. In short, she should carry on as usual.
"Natsume-san is my secret weapon, you see. And if you're a secret weapon, you must be kept for a surprise. Acting completely normal is the best disguise."
A smile played on Shokuhou-senpai's lips as she reached out and ruffled the bun on top of Sonoko's head.
"Secret weapon?"
Natsume Sonoko nodded, only half-understanding.
Although Shokuhou-senpai had altered all the evidence, it wasn't foolproof.
Once you knew Academy City housed espers capable of altering memories, the credibility of many eyewitness accounts couldn't be considered one hundred percent. Even the ever-present surveillance cameras and satellite positioning were factors worth being wary of.
With all these unfavorable factors stacking up, there was no predicting how the other side would react.
Outside, the sky had long since darkened. Without realizing it, it had gotten very late.
Natsume Sonoko finished her cup of tea and hurriedly began making her way back to the student dorm.
Since she'd snuck out, she had to sneak back in. Natsume Sonoko had… considerable experience in this area.
"You seem rather different with this kouhai of yours. I thought all the Level 5s had poor relationships with each other."
The blonde foreigner, who had been sitting ramrod straight without touching her tea, suddenly spoke up.
"Do I?"
Her face having returned to its prim and proper demeanor, Shokuhou-senpai adjusted her white gloves, which had somehow gotten a few tea stains on them.
"Perhaps it's because we both have a sweet tooth?"
Shokuhou-senpai blinked, looking quite mischievous, the stars in her eyes shining brighter than ever.
--+--
Windows were a passage to the outside world, just like doors. Natsume Sonoko never played favorites.
One hand on the window frame, the other on the sill, Sonoko skillfully climbed back inside, deftly brushing off some non-existent dust.
Checking the time, she saw there was still over an hour until lights-out. Perfect timing.
Over at the Misaka apartment, Natsume Reiko had also returned earlier. While Sonoko's main self had been enjoying madeleines and tea, the Reiko side of things had been busy taste-testing Misaka 9982's cooking.
It hadn't quite reached the extreme level of being called 'dark cuisine'. The grilled pork loin wasn't actually charred, either. For a beginner, it was… passable.
"Now that I think about it, Misaka 9982 hasn't been watching any cooking shows lately," Natsume Sonoko mused slightly.
She figured the knowledge must have come from another Sister's contribution. The Misaka Network was truly incredibly convenient.
--+--
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.