Rain tapped against the windowsill, and rivulets of water traced delicate, winding patterns across the glass.
Counting from the day of the reading club, this downpour had already lasted two full days—and tomorrow's forecast still promised more rain.
What's more, the rainfall had clearly surpassed normal levels. Even with the city's excellent drainage system, water levels in Academy City's lakes had risen several notches.
"Eh? Really? Ran-neechan Your place got flooded? That sounds serious!"
Someone had just taken a cold shower, washing away the sweat that clung to her skin, and was now pulling on a fresh set of school uniforms.
With one hand clutching her damp clothes and the other holding a phone to her ear, Natsume Sonoko walked down the hallway, her voice laced with surprise.
The girl with the signature bun had just returned from the Sakugawa Middle School Dormitory. Since Banri was transferring there, they'd needed to sort out her housing arrangements in advance.
But the relentless rain had thrown a wrench into everything, causing all sorts of delays—though, thankfully, it had all worked out in the end.
Though she hadn't gotten wet, Natsume-san was still drenched in hot sweat from the effort.
"Yeah," came the voice on the other end.
"The café downstairs had to shut down—water's already up to our calves. It's not just us in Beika either; the whole Tokyo area's been hit hard, especially the low-lying neighborhoods."
"I even heard some people's newly renovated homes got completely ruined by the flooding. There's this family my dad used to know—their brand-new house was wrecked. All those souvenirs and antiques they'd collected from around the world? Totally soaked. Conan-kun, Dad, and I were actually planning to visit them soon…"
Mori Ran sounded frustrated. The bad weather had forced her to cancel so many plans, and her mood had soured accordingly.
"Aww, that's such a shame," Sonoko murmured sympathetically.
"But don't worry, Nee-san! The weather report says the heavy rain should stop by tomorrow night."
She paused for a moment, then added earnestly—though she wasn't exactly the best at comforting people.
Outside conditions were rough, yet Academy City itself hadn't suffered too badly from the storm. The start of the new semester remained unchanged, much to the dismay of students who'd hoped for a delay.
In a quiet corner of the first floor of the Dormitory…
Natsume Sonoko stuffed her dirty clothes into the communal washing machine and poured in a capful of detergent.
The display on the machine lit up, counting down: three minutes until the cycle ended.
Just three minutes. Sonoko settled in to wait patiently—until a familiar voice suddenly caught her ear.
Following the sound into the common area, she spotted Juufuku-san speaking with the Dorm Supervisor. Her posture stiffened instinctively, and she fidgeted nervously, words stumbling out in hesitant fragments.
Apparently, no matter which school you attended, the Dorm Supervisor's presence carried the same intimidating weight.
Sonoko had been tempted to go over and chat with Juufuku-san—kill the three minutes and maybe ask why she'd come—but the moment she saw the Supervisor, a wave of instinctive dread washed over her. Better to wait until their conversation was over.
Just as Sonoko turned to slip away, however, the Supervisor's sharp eyes locked onto the girl with the bun.
Caught in that gaze, Sonoko's feet froze mid-step. She forced a sweet, obedient smile onto her face.
"Good evening, Supervisor."
"Natsume," the Supervisor called, beckoning her over. "This student is here to see you."
The two girls sat side by side beside the humming washing machine, watching Sonoko's school uniform tumble through its soapy, spinning purgatory.
"Juufuku-san," Sonoko finally asked, breaking the quiet, "what brings you here today? Do you need help with something?"
Juufuku had always been the type to obsess over the smallest things, prone to spiraling into overthinking. Though their schools were far apart and they didn't meet often, Sonoko still worried about her.
"Well…" Juufuku Miho took a deep breath and lifted her head slightly. Beneath her bangs, her thick eyebrows were just visible.
To Sonoko, at least, it was undeniably cute—regardless of what anyone else might think.
"Hmm?" Sonoko tilted her head, listening.
"I actually came to ask for your opinion, Natsume-san," Juufuku said in one determined rush.
"My opinion? If it's about studies or ability development, I might be able to help."
Sonoko blinked, puzzled but willing.
"It's neither of those," Juufuku replied, her voice gaining strength. "I'm planning to transfer to Tokiwadai Middle School. I'm about to submit my application."
Her expression turned serious, and the usual stiffness in her voice melted away.
"Eh?! Juufuku-san, you're transferring to Tokiwadai?!"
Sonoko's eyes widened in shock.
Competition between schools in Academy City was fierce, but transfers were allowed—as long as you met the receiving school's requirements.
Tokiwadai, one of the city's five elite institutions, saw students come and go every year; even Kongou-senpai had transferred in at the start of her second year.
Naturally, demand to get in was sky-high.
But mid-year transfers were rare—and Tokiwadai's standards during such periods were even stricter.
"I've actually wanted to do this for a while," Juufuku explained. "Especially after getting to know you, Natsume-san. But Tokiwadai requires Level 3 ability or higher…"
"I've already met that requirement now."
"I see… but they also have academic standards," Sonoko said hesitantly.
"I've been studying hard every day," Juufuku insisted, a rare stubbornness flashing in her eyes. "I know I can pass."
She really was the kind of person who never gave up—Sonoko couldn't help but admire her.
"I understand," Sonoko said firmly, meeting Juufuku's gaze. "If this is your decision, then of course I support you."
She still didn't quite get why Juufuku had come all this way just to ask for her opinion—but as someone who'd spent months at Tokiwadai, Sonoko figured her friend probably needed some guidance.
Honestly, she'd always hoped her friends could attend the same school. It'd make everything so much easier.
"Oh! I've got some practice problem sets you might find useful," Sonoko added suddenly, patting her head.
"Thank you so much, Natsume-san," Juufuku said softly, bowing her head slightly. "But I'm preparing for the second-year entrance exam."
"Eh?"
Sonoko's face flushed crimson.
She'd assumed they were in the same grade this whole time.
"I see…" she stammered, scrambling to recover. "Then I'll borrow some materials from Misaka-senpai for you!"
She puffed out her chest dramatically, as if to mask her embarrassment.
"Thank you," Juufuku murmured gratefully.
Night fell, the sky as gloomy as ever—no stars, no moon.
Having just left the Dorm cafeteria, Natsume-san finished her daily "Three Cleanings" task.
Tomorrow was the deadline, and the reward? Plus one point toward Tsuchimikado-san's favor.
Braving the torrential rain, Sonoko set off resolutely toward Misaka Apartments.
Misaka-senpai had already rushed over—something extremely, unbelievably major had apparently happened.
Well… okay, fine. The number of Misaka Sisters had just multiplied again. And this time, it wasn't just a few—it was exponential growth.
According to Dr. Heaven Canceller, most of the Sisters would be sent outside Academy City for cellular adjustment—a necessary step to grant them normal lifespans.
As for the ones remaining within the city, they'd recently been transferred to several of the doctor's research facilities.
Cellular adjustment took time, so they couldn't stay indefinitely in their cultivation tanks. One by one, the Sisters still in Academy City had been awakened.
Naturally, the city had prepared accommodations for them—all attached to research institutes.
But here was the problem: the Sisters apparently hated the labs. So they'd all fled to Misaka Apartments instead.
Now, the building was drowning—not in rain, but in a sea of identical girls.
--+--
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.