The screen was only palm-sized, its casing a pleasant pastel yellow.
The Magical Powered Kanamin doll charm that Index had given her earlier was now dangling from the small reserved hole on the new phone, swaying adorably in her hand whenever she held it.
Natsume Sonoko seemed quite satisfied with her new phone. Forget its features for a moment; the color alone had thoroughly captured a certain someone's girlish heart.
She couldn't really discern the specific pros and cons, and understanding all the various specs seemed like a hassle. As long as it fit the budget and looked good, that was enough. Natsume-san's phone selection process was just that straightforward.
"Eh, the number's already been transferred over."
Taking out her phone with a hint of concern, Natsume-san just noticed her number was now active.
Her original phone, including the SIM card inside, had been destroyed. The new SIM card required official confirmation from Academy City to activate, though this was usually handled right at the phone shop. Natsume-san had actually spent more time on that part.
"So many missed calls."
Her steps faltered for a moment, and Natsume-san's eyes widened involuntarily. The two girls walking beside her noticed her sudden pause.
Calls from her mom, to Hokaze-senpai, from Shirai-san to Saten-san... who would have thought so many calls could pile up in such a short time?
Fortunately, Natsume-san knew she didn't need to return every single one, otherwise the next ten minutes would be spent entirely on the phone.
What concerned her most was that among them, there seemed to be a call from a certain little maid.
"I completely forgot about the thing with Tsuchimikado-san."
Natsume-san let out a small, surprised murmur, finally recalling a seemingly minor matter.
She remembered that the little maid had kindly reminded her yesterday to place any onigiri orders before evening. She was quite confident in her culinary skills.
It seemed like a normal buyer-seller relationship, just a small order for three or four onigiri worth a few hundred yen. But for a certain Tsuchimikado-san, who was very serious about food and deeply concerned about her odango hairstyle, it was still something worth keeping in mind.
And judging by the number of calls, it might have started as just an inquiry about the onigiri, but gradually turned into concern for the odango-head who wasn't answering her phone.
"I can only apologize."
"To think Tsuchimikado-san called so many times..."
The thought crossed Natsume-san's mind. She was very mindful of her friends' concern for her.
She was never one to reject others' kindness.
Her responses to such kindness might not be overly effusive due to her personality, but she always treated them seriously.
On a busy flowing street, three Tokiwadai girls walked side-by-side, planning to find a family restaurant for lunch.
Her arm wrapped densely in bandages, the Magical Powered Kanamin charm dangling from her pale yellow phone, this thoroughly chuuni-style girl was busy making calls, attracting curious glances every now and then.
If it weren't for those annoying bandages, Natsume-san might not have received so many odd looks.
"Natsume Sonoko here."
Her ringtone had already been changed to Meigo-senpai's song, so the waiting time didn't feel boring. Natsume Sonoko connected the call shortly.
"Natsume-san, you finally answered!"
"If I hadn't asked Shirai and found out you were okay, I was ready to go to Tokiwadai to find you."
Before long, the little maid's leisurely voice came from the other end of the phone, though it carried a hint of irritation.
"Sorry, I ran into some trouble yesterday and broke my phone."
That was the somewhat apologetic voice of a certain odango-head, who once again gave an abridged version of her misadventures.
"It's fine, I was just saying. Actually, I haven't been able to get back to the dorm recently."
"Eh?"
"Your dorm supervisor recently revoked the access permissions for maids on leave. They won't be restored until the leave period is over. Even though I've been doing my practical training at Tokiwadai Dorm all along, what safety issues could there be? They've been excessively strict these past few days."
As she spoke, the maid became increasingly displeased.
"There's something like that?" Natsume-san asked, surprised.
"Yes, I heard the number of security robots in the dorm is more than double the usual amount now. No other school is this extreme."
On the other end, Tsuchimikado-san nodded emphatically, as if to emphasize her point.
"By the way. Even though you didn't place an order yesterday, Natsume-san, I prepared some extra onigiri. But I won't be giving you a discount on the price."
As they chatted, Tsuchimikado Maika remembered something.
"Really? I'll head over right away."
--+--
Tsuchimikado-san's onigiri were quite substantial. The three of them abandoned their plan to go to the family restaurant.
However, Natsume Sonoko had already eaten so much on the way over that she was full before she could have much.
Their afternoon schedules ended up conflicting, so Natsume-san had to part ways with Juufuku-san and the others.
According to Natsume-san's plans, she still needed to receive the holographic projection equipment she'd purchased and sign a bill that would make men weep and women despair. Moreover, that lady was almost finished with her negotiations, and Natsume-san was eager to get back.
It was so leisurely this morning, but the afternoon instantly became hectic.
Checking the delivery schedule on the hologram company's website, Natsume-san realized she was practically their only recent customer, which made the home delivery speed exceptionally fast.
Then again, what average student buys such large items? Only a certain generous and wealthy big spender would buy two units at once.
The delivery was handled by a company called White Horse Freight.
Under the curious gazes of the Sisters, staff members wearing horse-head T-shirt uniforms neatly unloaded the purchased equipment at the entrance.
The first unit delivered was placed at the Misaka Apartments, while the other was destined for that safe house building.
They planned to dedicate an entire floor of the safe house building to install this holographic projector. At the Misaka Apartments, it would be placed in a sheltered corner of the yard, since the device could adjust the projection location anyway.
"Does this count as letting the Sisters participate in the Daihaseisai?"
Gazing at the now calibrated equipment, Natsume-san muttered to herself.
The yard, originally cluttered with various items, had been cleared out, making space about the size of a basketball court. However, compared to a proper holographic projection area, it was far too crude and cramped.
As the surroundings shifted, the light and shadows around her began to change dramatically. Only a certain odango-head, skilled in manipulating light and shadow, could precisely perceive the nature of the changes occurring around her.
The area became bustling, surrounded by large crowds and cameras. Hoops with scoreboards stood on both sides, along with numerous beanbags for throwing.
It was difficult for the naked eye to distinguish it from the real world, but Natsume-san was certain it was all a hologram generated by the equipment.
"It's the beanbag toss competition."
Natsume-san curiously reached for a beanbag on the ground, but it offered almost no tactile sensation.
Since she had only purchased the standard civilian model, it couldn't simulate a realistic sense of touch.
--+--
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.