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The setting was a student dormitory located deep within the School Garden.
It was one of the luxurious residences for students of Tokiwadai Middle School.
Tokiwadai actually had two dormitories, one outside the School Garden and one inside.
Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko lived in the one outside.
However, since Tokiwadai Middle School itself was located inside the School Garden, students had to enter the area for their classes.
The dormitory inside the School Garden was generally reserved for the most sheltered young ladies, the true ojou-sama of high society.
And inside one of these opulent, pristine rooms, a scene that would make any girl scream was frozen in place.
"..."
"..."
On the bed, a man was sprawled out, essentially pinning a woman beneath him. They stared intensely into each other's eyes, neither uttering a word.
Yet, their reactions were worlds apart.
"…Sigh."
Fang Li let out a faint, resigned sigh.
"Aiya…"
The girl, looking simultaneously shy and teasing, spoke with a honeyed smile.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other, but to think we'd end up like this, how very you. You never fail to surprise me, do you~~☆"
The girl's voice was like warm honey mixed into her words, so sweet it could melt a listener's heart.
Perhaps, outside of Sylvie, this was the most beautiful voice Fang Li had ever heard.
But Fang Li's expression showed no warmth as he gazed down at the girl beneath him.
She had long, straight, honey-colored hair and wore the prestigious Tokiwadai Middle School uniform. Though technically a middle schooler, her figure was notably well-developed, resembling that of a graceful high school girl.
She had a slender waist, long legs, and a magnificent figure, especially her chest, which drew the eye almost immediately.
Her features were perfectly sculpted, a work of art framed by a playful smile and golden eyes that were locked directly onto Fang Li's. Within the gold irises were faint, mysterious star-shaped markings.
In short, she was an exceptional beauty.
And her name was known across all of Academy City.
"Shokuhou Misaki…"
Yes, Shokuhou Misaki.
A second-year student at Tokiwadai Middle School, and one of the seven Level 5 espers in Academy City, ranked Fifth.
Her ability was called "Mental Out."
It encompassed every form of mental or psychic manipulation: memory editing, mind reading, long-distance telepathy, thought erasure, will amplification, mental replay, and emotional transfer, all under her complete command.
Thus, Shokuhou Misaki was recognized as Academy City's strongest mind/psychic-type esper, standing alongside the strongest electromaster, Misaka Mikoto. Having two Level 5s in its student body ensured Tokiwadai's prestige far surpassed that of any other school.
Moreover, unlike Misaka Mikoto, Shokuhou Misaki had even founded and led her own powerful faction within Tokiwadai.
Tokiwadai Middle School's philosophy was "to cultivate internationally elite talent during compulsory education." This meant many students made remarkable names for themselves in various research fields even while still enrolled.
Students with common goals often formed groups on campus, borrowing school facilities, applying for funding, and shining brightly in national-level events.
These groups were known as factions, essentially the equivalent of clubs at ordinary schools, but with far greater scope.
The larger a faction, the more impressive its connections, funding, and accumulated internal knowledge. This is why the vast majority of students active in advanced fields had a faction to rely on.
In other words, a powerful faction held enormous influence, which could even extend beyond the school, greatly benefiting a student's personal credentials and future prospects.
As for the founder of such a faction, the fame and power they gained were unimaginable.
This was no exaggeration.
Consider this: nearly every student at Tokiwadai Middle School came from wealth or nobility. If these individuals banded together and built networks among themselves, the advantages they'd gain in the future, in social circles, finance, entertainment, or major corporations, would be tremendous.
And if all of those people were to follow the lead of one single person, that individual's future standing in society would be nothing short of extraordinary.
Shokuhou Misaki was precisely such a person, the leader of Tokiwadai's largest faction. She had established connections even outside the school, treating both Tokiwadai and the entire School Garden as her private territory. She even used her ability to plant spies across all five elite schools in the area.
Frankly speaking, for someone who could freely manipulate the minds and emotions of others, it wasn't hard to imagine just how much power Shokuhou Misaki held in her hands.
Naturally, if she wanted someone to do something for her, it was the simplest thing in the world.
For example, the two Anti-Skill officers at the School Garden's front gate who had suddenly gone mentally unstable.
Or Shirai Kuroko, who was supposed to teleport Fang Li into the underground sewer system, but somehow, without realizing it, had sent him right here instead.
"Those… were all your doing, weren't they?"
Fang Li's questioning tone earned him only a dramatic, feigned look of innocence from Shokuhou Misaki.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, slightly pouting in mock irritation. "But since someone never bothers to come visit me, I just had to pull a few strings and snatch up the little rabbit that wandered to my doorstep, right~~☆?"
"That's not what I'd call 'pulling strings,'" Fang Li said bluntly. "That's just the result of your ability. Also, stop adding that weird '☆Sparkle☆' quirk to your sentences. Didn't I tell you to drop it?"
"No way!" Shokuhou Misaki immediately rejected, puffing up her cheeks. "It's a bonus technique that boosts my girl power and personal charm! A cold, unromantic guy like you would never understand!"
As she said this, she unconsciously lifted her upper body slightly.
Puyo…
A soft, squishy sound accompanied the movement as an exceedingly supple part of her body pressed against Fang Li's.
"..."
Fang Li once again fell silent. Then, without a word, he quietly got up and moved away from her.
Shokuhou Misaki let out a small sigh of relief, though her expression also showed a hint of disappointment. She, too, rose from the bed, stood before Fang Li, spread her arms wide, and after spinning in a light circle, formed a sideways V-sign near her eye, closing one eye in a playful wink.
"Well then," she said cheerfully, "it really has been a long time, hasn't it~~☆?"
And then, with a mischievous smile, she added:
"This time, you're not getting away, are you?"
Hearing that, Fang Li could only sigh softly as he looked at the dramatically posing girl in front of him.
In his mind, fragments of memory began to resurface, memories of when he first met this girl, Shokuhou Misaki.
That had been exactly one year ago, shortly after Fang Li had first arrived in this world.
Thinking back carefully, this girl, Shokuhou Misaki, might very well have been the very first person Fang Li had truly met in Academy City.
(End Of This Chapter)