Chapter 21: Curiosity
"Not interested."
Mikoto answered without a hint of hesitation.
Peter's expression collapsed like a balloon losing air.
"But… but Gwen said every girl likes this. She's the hottest singer right now…"
"Not every girl," Mikoto interrupted him, stating a fact in a calm tone.
"I'm not into listening to people sing."
"Don't be like that, Mikoto." Aunt May stepped in, her voice warm as always.
"Peter means well. You've been in New York for a while now, and aside from school you barely go out. You should try having some fun. You're young, after all."
Uncle Ben switched off the television and looked her way, gentle as ever.
"May's right. We're glad you treat this place as your home, but that doesn't mean you need to spend all your time inside."
"Go with Peter and the others. See what kids your age are into these days, experience it a little. Consider it… social practice?"
He even winked at Peter at the end, giving him a silent nudge.
The atmosphere at the dinner table shifted. Peter watched her with hopeful eyes, while May and Ben's gaze held nothing but concern. They weren't forcing her. They were genuinely looking out for her.
Mikoto fell quiet. Staring at the three people before her, she felt something hard inside her soften just a little under the warmth surrounding her.
When she first arrived in this world, her only goals were survival and getting home. For that, she could play whatever role was needed, even the part of a "family member".
But the time she had spent with them had blurred the line between pretending and something more honest.
She could tell they truly cared about her, seeing her as a sixteen-year-old who deserved a normal youth, not just a girl who could zap someone with a million volts on a whim.
She couldn't bring herself to refuse. It felt like pushing away a pure, unadulterated kindness that was being offered to her.
She glanced at Peter. Her goofy "big brother" was staring at her with the pitiful eyes of a kicked puppy. If she refused again he looked ready to burst into tears right there.
Troublesome… seriously.
"Alright." She picked up the concert ticket, her fingertip brushing the smooth surface. "I'll go."
"Really? Great!" Peter's face lit up instantly.
"That's wonderful, dear." May beamed at her. "I'll prepare some sandwiches for you two that day. You'll be hungry after the concert."
Ben nodded in satisfaction. "Peter, make sure you take good care of your sister."
"Got it, Uncle Ben!" Peter thumped his chest in reassurance.
Watching how happy they all were, Mikoto lowered her head and pretended to focus on the food on her plate. She didn't notice the small curve lifting the corner of her lips.
Maybe being a "normal high school girl" once in a while wasn't such a bad thing.
···
After dinner, Mikoto returned to her room.
She closed the door, shutting out the warm atmosphere of the Parker household. The only light came from the desk lamp casting a soft orange glow across the room. She placed the concert ticket on the desk, her fingertip gently tapping the image of the singer named "Uta."
She knew nothing about this world's pop culture and didn't care much for it. But since she agreed to go, she should at least figure out what sort of event she had signed up for.
Taking out the secondhand laptop Peter had given her, she powered it on, connected to the internet, and typed "Uta" into the search bar.
The moment she hit Enter, an overwhelming flood of information filled the screen.
News articles, fan forums, MV links, screenshots of music charts with her name at the top… the results took over nearly the entire page. Mikoto clicked on the most-viewed video, titled "New Genesis – Official MV."
A powerful, uplifting intro burst through the speakers. On the screen, a girl with striking red and white hair sang her heart out on a magnificent virtual stage.
Her voice had a strange magic, piercing through the headphones and striking directly at the heart, making one involuntarily want to sway to the rhythm. The screen showed countless fans cheering and going wild for her.
Mikoto frowned.
The girl's voice was strong and impressive, sure. But… that was it. She couldn't understand the near-religious fervor in the video's comment section. To her, this was nothing more than a carefully engineered entertainment product.
She closed the video and continued scrolling. Suddenly, a less flashy headline caught her attention.
[In-Depth Analysis: Uta's Meteoric Rise — A Musical Miracle or Something Beyond?]
She clicked on it.
It was an analytical piece from an independent outlet, tracing Uta's explosive popularity from her debut. The author laid out her career trajectory, each step more unbelievable than the last.
According to the article, Uta's singing seemed to go beyond ordinary music. Many fans who had heard her live described the experience as "soul-cleansing," claiming all their worries vanished the moment she began to sing.
In the latter half, the author went even further, proposing a bold theory:
Uta's singing might not be just music, but a "superpower" capable of influencing human minds and emotions.
Superpower?
Mikoto straightened slightly. The concept wasn't strange in this world. With the Avengers around, people were more than used to the existence of superhuman powers.
But affecting minds through singing? That sounded... a bit like someone she knew who liked to manipulate people's hearts.
She thought of Shokuhou Misaki, the golden-haired queen who was also a Level 5, with the ability of "Mental Out." However, Misaki needed to use a remote control as a medium, while this Uta seemed to only need her voice.
Was it coincidence, or…
A thought crawled up her spine. Maybe this concert wasn't as simple as it appeared.
She glanced at the ticket on her desk. The girl wearing headphones smiled sweetly in the printed image, her eyes seemingly gleaming with a strange light under the lamp.
"Interesting."
Mikoto shut the laptop and leaned back against her chair.
What was supposed to be a boring obligation, something she agreed to only out of courtesy, now had a hint of intrigue.
She lifted her hand and swiped through the air. A blue interface visible only to her flickered into view.
[Guardian Faction Player: Misaka Mikoto]
[Current Total Reputation: 17,000 Points]
That number had climbed only 3,000 in the past two weeks.
Following a regular routine of school and home didn't generate much reputation. Those 3,000 points came from showing a bit of athletic talent during PE class, drawing impressed reactions from her classmates.
She'd been short on opportunities recently. Now, it looked like one might have landed right in her lap.
If this singer Uta really was an ability user, and her power carried unpredictable effects… Mikoto couldn't be sure whether the girl was a native of this world or another "player" like herself.
A confident smirk crept onto Mikoto's lips, the pre-hunt smile of the Railgun of Tokiwadai.
"Guess I'll check it out myself."
She tucked the ticket into her drawer, treating it less like a pass to a music event and more like a challenge delivered straight to her hands.
Besides, she was also a little curious about what kind of singing could captivate a smart girl like Gwen so much.