"Wa, Touma. I seem to be hungry…"
"…You're saying this, but why do you smell of sauce and mayonnaise, Index?"
Kamijou brought Index to a small, neat coffee shop. Maybe it was the preference of the shop manager, since it was hard to tell which was which, from the menu to the opening/closing sign. Anyway, the atmosphere seemed to be that no one wanted to serve any customers.
However, this shop was full. The reason was simple—it was not 2 PM, so it was still rest time. However, the 2.3 million population of Academy City and the 'outside' tourists who exceeded this amount were gunning for the food and drink stores, so just like this, there were a lot of people gathered at this kind of shop.
Kamijou walked into this shop that didn't have any waiters, shocked by the chaotic state of the shop—
"Oi, Touma! Over here! Here!"
"Ara ara, you don't have to be so loud."
There were familiar faces at the four-seater table near the windows. They were Kamijou's parents, Touya and Shiina. Touya was wearing a shirt with its sleeves rolled up, and slacks, whereas Shiina was wearing a thin sweater and a Western skirt that extended to her ankles. Instead of calling them husband and wife, one could call them a Missy and a chauffeur.
Once Kamijou and Index got to them, Touya spoke up,
"Every year, I've been thinking, Daihaseisai is really amazing. It's already hard enough to get seats, it's like we're competing together with the children."
Daihaseisai was different from ordinary sporting events in that they couldn't just book a place. The arenas differed for each event, so the parents had to follow the children and book their places multiple times.
It was the same with lunch, as after the events were over, all the competitors and spectators would be out, so if they wanted to get lunch, they had to get their seats.
Kamijou absent-mindedly thought about this.
"Ah, that's it. It's like the entire city is raiding the stores."
"Un, as expected of Academy City. We can't sit down without squeezing in."
"Ara ara. Firing a 'Fried waist and meat sandwich' into the crowd is rather interesting as well. Let's try that tomorrow. Ara ara, ojou-chan, come sit here."
Touya and Shiina emptied their seats. Kamijou sat next to Touya, and Index sat next to Shiina. Shiina smiled at Index, who was so famished that she was lying on the table, as she placed the basket on her lap onto the table.
Though it was a breach of customs to bring bentos into a restaurant, Daihaseisai wasn't about ensuring what kind of food people eat, but about people finding a place to eat. Maybe they actually knew about this special condition, or maybe they were just not interested in working, but the store manager at the counter didn't say anything. Basically, when Index brought in the calico cat just now, he didn't seem to notice that someone brought an animal in.
(Strange, why would Dad and Mum accept Index without any awkwardness? Ah yes, they've met at the seaside resort.)
Kamijou tilted his neck; the other staff members didn't seem to mind as well. However, if it was this group of people, anybody would accept them.
"Ah look. Today's lunch is rice sandwich. Ara ara, the shape seems to be off, it's a bit crushed."
Shiina said as she opened the basket.
On hearing the food's name and smelling it, Index and the calico cat immediately gave a quick response, as they forcefully raised their heads.
Kamijou gave a look that said: I can't stand these two…
Suddenly, he felt that there was something amiss in his vision.
He looked around the store.
The store's interior had a slightly aged feeling, but it was not like any ordinary chain stores, as the positions of all the wallpaper and chairs were fixed. However, it was not like an old shop where the owner would add in his own personal tastes…so it was somewhat of a suffocating feeling. It felt like a 'café' that ordinary people would expect. Basically, it was just a counter that was manned by one person, and the table that Kamijou and the rest were sitting at. The path besides the table was rather narrow, and the guests who were sitting in the adjacent table beside Kamijou were a female college student who was wearing a light gray shirt and thin black pants, and opposite her, was a middle-school student who was wearing a jogging shirt and shorts that a track and field competitor would be wearing. The girl, who was raising her leg, was staring at him — a Level 5 esper, Misaka Mikoto.
Kamijou blinked his eyes, and said,
"Come to think of it though, Wha-what's with this menu! Would the coffee in this shop be that cheap!?"
"HOLD ON A MINUTE!! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS IGNORE ME? ALSO, DON'T THINK THAT IT AIN'T GOOD QUALITY JUST BECAUSE IT'S CHEAP, IDIOT!!"
Mikoto inadvertently stood up suddenly.
Kamijou looked irritated as he turned his eyes away from the menu,
"Ah…it's not that, I just so happened not to see you."
"It…it's not that! Say…is there anything that'll happen around you naturally? Who's this girl, what kind of person is she, and where's she from?"
Eh? Index, who had been mentioned, looked up.
"You're asking who she is, she is—"
Kamijou carelessly blurted out, before stopping short. It was somewhat dangerous to reveal in front of his parents that he had a girl living in his dorm.
Just as the pure and innocent Kamijou Touma didn't know what to do and was racking his brain,
"That's right, Touma, who's this girl? She came along during the few days we went to the beach. However, at the seaside resort, you craftily escaped Dad's question."
"Eh!?"
Just as Kamijou was about to erupt, Mikoto interrupted,
"THE…THE SEASIDE! AND YOU STA…STASTASTASTASTAYED THERE FOR A FEW DAYS!?"
The piercing scream entered Kamijou's ears. Seeing Mikoto act like this, the college student opposite of Mikoto sighed.
"No…no I don't mean it like that, anyway, why must I explain it to you!?"
Just as Kamijou was about to say this—
"That short-hair, where's she staying? What kind of person is she? Is she Touma's girlfriend?"
The authentic Westerner Index looks dumbfounded as she said this. She should be referring to an ordinary friend, but the real Japanese Misaka Mikoto's shoulders started to tremble significantly.
"NO WAY…PEH, JUST SHUT UP!!"
Mikoto started to act violently. In contrast, Index just looked uninterested. She turned the calico cat around with both hands, and looked distracted as she stared at Shiina's bento that was on the table.
"Touma, Touma. I'm somewhat hungry. Did Touma make any bentos today?"
"Ara ara, today? Then what is it like normally, Touma?"
Seeing Shiina's slanted smiling face, cold sweat broke out from Kamijou's back.
"No, no, it's not that, mother! This girl just so happened to be living close to me, and she can't cook, so for various reasons, I'm cooking her meals—"
"Eh, that's not right, Touma. It's shouldn't be nearby…"
"Let me explain this, so shut up! As a girl, don't you feel embarrassed over not being able to cook?"
"But then, I can't do it means I can't do it."
"Damn it, you really intend on eating huh, Index!? Come to think of it, can Mikoto do housework!?"
"Eh? That…that…I'm still learning, so I can still do a bit. I know how to patch up a Persian carpet, and repair some gold plating, though I'm not really good at them."
"Mikoto…there's no Persian carpet or gold plating needed in an ordinary Japanese family. That's not housework, that's art and crafts, right?"
The female college student explained tactfully, and Mikoto exclaimed,
"Ugh!? That…that's because the Home Economics module of Tokiwadai Middle School is really…"
Seemed like in the land of the ojous, reviving an antique was like a simple assignment of patching up a shirt.
Anyway, at least he had skillfully changed the topic. Just as Kamijou was feeling relieved, his father Touya stared at the clock on the wall, and said,
"Okay, let's eat. Touma, say thanks to those two ladies. They haven't eaten because they were waiting for you."
Oh really? Kamijou turned around. Mikoto gave a 'ugh' sound as she shyly sunk her body into the back of the chair. The college student sitting opposite Mikoto who Kamijou had never met before smiled and said,
"Okay then, the people we're waiting for have arrived, so let's eat. Hm, your name is Kamijou Touma, right?"
"Eh? That's right. Then, you're Misaka's sister?"
"Nope. My name is Misaka Misuzu, Mikoto's mother. A pleasure to meet you."
..........................................Mother?
Everyone at Kamijou's table stopped what they were doing.
"Mother!?"
Everyone shouted out in unison, especially Touya, who was extremely embarrassed.
"But…but didn't you mention college just now?"
"That's right, because I thought of studying again recently. It's rather exciting when there's so many things that I don't know about even at this age."
Really unbelievable. Now that she mentioned it, it did make sense. Also, when both father and son turned around to look at the petite Missy Shiina—
"…Well, I guess it's not strange for this kind of thing to happen in this world? How about you, Touma?"
"Well, now that you mention is, our family's the same as well, so I guess there's no need to be surprised about it…right?"
"It's already strange! Touma is surrounded by adults like 'Komoe' and 'Shiina' who're so young it's too unnatural!! What's with this youthful sense in this world? Don't tell me it's a theme park where Peter Pan is the tour guide?"
Index tried hard to retort, but her body could be considered rather small. In this context, the words of this cheerleader girl in front of him weren't really convincing.
However, this was nothing to the Misaka family, as Misuzu and Mikoto didn't mind at all. Mikoto reached out to grab the menu on the table corner,
"Let's see, it's a bit late now—Mom, what did you order?"
"Nothing. You see, I've prepared bentos as well. So, Mikoto, ain't I acting more like a mother now?"
"…It's not 'more like a mother,' it's if you don't play the role of a mother well, it'll be nerve-wrecking for me! What's inside that bag?"
"Hehehe, don't be surprised when you see it."
Misuzu rummaged through the bag, and pulled out a large piece of cheese that was as big as a Christmas Cake, some white wine, a silver brass circular pot, and a mini gas stove.
"Ta-da!! Today's menu is cheese fondue!!"
"You can't bring things like propane into Academy City!"
POW!! Mikoto smashed onto Misuzu's head. Luckily, she was not using electricity. In comparison, Misuzu was like a mature woman who could control her tears, as she purposely made her eyes watery.
"Wa, to be hit by my own daughter. However, if a girl's appetite is large enough to eat an entire pot full of food, it'll be better for your development. Though exercising is important, you won't grow much if you're only eating such a small bento. Also, your nutrition won't be enough to develop certain areas that you wish to develop. Really, why do you think that I prepared so many dairy products? Aren't they for my daughter?"
"What, wait…what grow, develop? Why are you talking about this all of a sudden!?"
"Did I? What are you talking about? I'm talking about developing healthy bones, so you need to take in enough calcium…don't tell me that Mikoto is thinking of growing a specific area? Why are you wishing for that part to grow?"
"Shu…shut up, stupid Mom! Oi, stop staring at me like that!!"
After shouting like that at Misuzu, Mikoto, who was flushed red now, glared at Kamijou for some reason, not turning away. Misuzu opened her mouth slightly, revealed a not so temperament smile, and said,
"No matter whether dairy products are important, it's common knowledge in biology that you grow more when you eat more. Whether you're growing vertically or horizontally is another matter. Some people get obese by eating because they're too lazy to manage their own bodies. By controlling the calorie intake and amount of exercise, one can grow places that they want to grow. Isn't the food culture of the Western world great? They can eat an entire vat of rice, and yet they're able to develop their physique better than Japanese. Life would be rather beneficial if your breasts are large."
Misuzu said this as she 'ungh' raised both hands and stretched herself lazily. She bent her back like a bow, purposely emphasizing her rather huge assets. Mikoto, whose breasts were still developing, cowardly retreated, and said,
"I…I don't care about it. Saying what eating a lot means that the body will grow bigger, it's just a superstition — Say, WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ANOTHER PERSON'S MOTHER!!?"
Kamijou, who was singled out by Mikoto, turned around at the speed of sound. But when he forcefully turned around, the cheerleader girl Index was in front of him, looking rather unhappy. Maybe it was because of her empty stomach or the issue on breasts.
"…What now, Touma? Why are you staring at other people?"
"No reason."
Kamijou bitterly smiled,
"Eating a lot can help a person grow, huh? It'll be good if that's true."
"!!"
Hearing Kamijou's words, Index instantly responded. She opened her mouth wide, ready to bite onto Kamijou's head, but stopped halfway through. Looked like she was mindful of touching others with her mouth. Her face was flushed red as she slowly returned to her seat, and shrunk up.
(Hm. This is rather awkward…)
Kamijou thought, though it hurt when he was bitten, he didn't feel comfortable when he was not bitten. What was with this feeling?
At this moment, from his surroundings,
"To…Touma. Don't tell me you did something to that girl? Just now, you talked about playing a penalty game and letting that girl obey your orders, and now this!?"
"Ara ara. A girl is angry now, and yet we're able to change the topic like this, this mum seems to have seen that somewhere before."
"…That's…that's right. There's something suspicious about you two. Humph, I was right."
"Wa! Our Mikoto is already so mindful about this, and yet she pretended to not be interested in this, so adorable. Truly an unfortunate girl who hasn't realized her own feelings."
"…Touma is…a big idiot."
(Ugh! SUCH MISFORTUNE!)
Hearing the ruckus around him, Kamijou inadvertently wrapped his hands around his head.