The chips at the supermarket weren't half off today—just another ordinary weekday.
The obscure research institute once in charge of the Absolute Ability Development Project teetered on the brink of demolition, and its staff faced looming unemployment. Among them, researcher Yoshikawa Kikyou was already mulling over a career shift into her beloved field of education.
But none of this concerned Natsume Sonoko. Her thoughtful gaze radiated a wisdom far beyond her years, carrying an air of quiet composure and grace.
She still couldn't quite let go of the fact that she'd dozed off last night without even noticing. The memory nagged at her.
Her radar system shut down the moment she fell asleep—it hadn't yet evolved into a passive ability like her body's thermoregulation layer. Clearly, it needed more development.
What Sonoko truly wanted was a radar that would automatically alert her the instant someone approached while she slept.
That would be a proper radar.
Lost in thought, she quietly added this passive upgrade to her to-do list.
Her opinion of Accelerator had shifted slightly, too. At the very least, he hadn't taken advantage of her slumber to launch a sneak attack.
If anything, it was Sonoko's own jittery behavior that now seemed oddly out of place.
Beside her, Last Order bounced along with boundless energy—though she quickly grew winded, her stamina clearly lacking.
As for Accelerator, he stood off to the side, deep in discussion with Yoshikawa Kikyou, his lips occasionally curling into an impatient scowl.
In the midst of this mundane scene stood a girl with twin buns in her hair—completely out of place, though no one could see her.
"Gotcha! So this is where you've been hiding, Sonoko! Misaka Misaka declares triumphantly, puffing out her chest with pride."
Last Order, mid-hop, collided straight into the invisible Natsume and burst into a fit of exaggerated giggles, grabbing Sonoko's arm without hesitation.
"Slow down—you'll trip," Sonoko sighed, her expression tinged with fond exasperation as she reached out to ruffle Last Order's hair.
A single stubborn cowlick stood upright on Last Order's head, impossibly cute and impossible to ignore.
Sonoko didn't mind being called "Sonoko" by Last Order—after all, the Misaka Sisters had always addressed her in their own peculiar ways.
"Misaka-chan," Sonoko asked gently, "would you like to come live with me at Misaka Apartments? The other Sisters would be thrilled to see you."
Once Misaka-chan moved in, she could arrange for Reiko to share the apartment with her—making it easy to keep an eye on the girl at all times.
As Last Order held onto her arm, Sonoko's invisibility flickered and vanished. With that, her lingering worry that Accelerator might suddenly strike her disappeared as well.
Now visible, a disheveled Tokiwadai girl stood before the others—hair tousled, uniform wrinkled, face still bearing traces of sleep, and eyes edged with unmistakable tension. Without thinking, Sonoko had referred to Last Order as "Misaka-chan."
The moment Sonoko spoke, Accelerator's gaze instinctively turned toward them, and soon everyone's attention had shifted to Last Order.
"Of course! I'll visit Misaka Apartments often to see everyone," Misaka Misaka announced with solemn seriousness, nodding firmly.
"That's great," Sonoko smiled, the feeling akin to finally pushing through to the enemy's base after a long, grueling match.
So it was settled—Misaka-chan was willing to come with her after all. Everything had circled back to where it began.
…Though why had she said "visit" instead of "move in"?
"I'm leaving."
From a short distance away, Accelerator frowned, then strode toward the exit with his usual expressionless, intimidating air.
"Hey, where are you going? Misaka Misaka calls out, puzzled. You can't just leave without saying anything!"
She abruptly let go of Sonoko's hand and dashed after him, darting ahead to block his path with a confused look on her face.
Whether it was because her memories were backed up in the Misaka Network or because Yoshikawa Kikyou hadn't erased Accelerator from her mind, Last Order still clearly remembered him.
Accelerator ignored her antics and kept walking, his long strides only fueling her frustration.
"Huh. He's completely unresponsive—but in a weirdly refreshing way, Misaka Misaka muses, tilting her head. If he were ignoring me out of malice, his steps would feel forced. But they're so natural… Could this be the ultimate form of airheadedness? Remarks Misaka Misaka."
"Brat," Accelerator muttered, voice low and edged with irritation, "if you've already made your decision, stop trailing after other people."
"What decision? Misaka Misaka blinks. You're being so vague—it's really confusing!"
"Shut up, brat."
Last Order trailed behind him like a persistent shadow, waving her arms dramatically to assert her presence.
Clearly, she possessed a far richer emotional range than the average Misaka Sister.
Back at the institute, Natsume Sonoko stood quietly, watching the two figures grow smaller and smaller until they vanished from sight.
What just happened?
She turned to Yoshikawa Kikyou with a helpless look—only to receive an apologetic glance in return. No words were needed.
"This problem's too hard. I give up."
The thought popped into Sonoko's head like a loser's resigned sigh. She stared blankly at the sky.
But… didn't I just succeed?
Frowning, she couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.
Only a sliver of the sun peeked above the horizon, its violet-tinged dawn light sweeping across Academy City. It was five in the morning—the golden hour for strivers, the prime time for every ambitious soul in the city.
"Go freshen up a bit. There's a restroom just down the hall," Yoshikawa offered kindly. "Don't worry—Accelerator will take good care of her."
Yoshikawa had always treated Sonoko well, though Sonoko, blinded by first impressions, had never really noticed.
With a nod to Sonoko, Yoshikawa then hauled the still-groggy Amai Ao—who'd been slumped in a corner of the lab since Sonoko's rather… intense "therapy" session—into her car.
Amai Ao had remained unconscious until Yoshikawa dragged him upright, slowly regaining awareness.
"I've got things to handle. You're free to go," Yoshikawa said before driving off, leaving behind a very alone temperature-controller.
The once-bustling institute now lay silent. Sonoko glanced around, her expression drifting into quiet bewilderment.
--+--
Back at the dorm, she washed up, brushed her teeth, and headed straight to the cafeteria—where she devoured a double portion of breakfast. Even Tsuchimikado-san remarked that Natsume seemed unusually hungry today.
With her stomach full, another day of coasting through life officially began.
Except today, Sonoko's mind was weighed down with troubling thoughts.
During a break between classes, she received a call from the Pan-Ability Application Research Institute.
The message was simple: confirm the date and method of her upcoming ability assessment.
Meanwhile, inside that very institute, a dedicated evaluation team had already been assembled specifically for Natsume Sonoko—to oversee this test and all future physical checkups.
Since Sonoko had opted for the traditional ability development assessment, the scoring system would be used.
Each test component carried a different weight, and derived abilities were a major bonus factor. In short, there was a lot to evaluate—though the subsequent physical exams would be significantly streamlined.
By the time she returned to the dorm after class, Sonoko was already lugging a thick stack of paperwork.
These were the official off-campus permission forms she'd requested from the school—taking her over half an hour to sort out.
--+--
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.