"That's Saten and Uiharu... What are they doing?"
Unlike Selene, Misaka Mikoto didn't know the two British princesses. Her eyes were darting around in search of a certain black-haired, spiky-haired boy when she also spotted Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari peeking around at the edge of the balcony.
"Sneaking around like that... Uiharu really has no manners."
Her mouth was merciless, but Shirai Kuroko was quite concerned about them in action. She nodded to Selene, and in the next instant, her figure vanished.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Seriously, what are you two doing?"
The two little peeping figures were immediately caught by Shirai Kuroko.
We've been discovered!
For Uiharu Kazari, who had still been tugging back and forth with Saten Ruiko just moments before, the scenery before her eyes suddenly changed. Hearing the dissatisfied voice beside her, she instinctively startled without even recognizing who had arrived, and only one thought filled her mind—We've been discovered!
"Ah! We've been caught! They'll definitely treat us as assassins and chop our heads off!"
Then her eyes rolled back, and Uiharu Kazari dramatically pretended to expire.
"Ah, Senpai, Shirai... Uh, hey, hey, hey. It's already the twenty-first century. What goes on inside that head of yours? Have you been reading too many medieval princess stories? Beheading? I seriously don't even know what to say to you anymore."
Saten Ruiko was much sharper than Uiharu Kazari. Noticing the strange looks coming from around them, she gave an embarrassed laugh and quickly caught the collapsing Uiharu Kazari.
She really couldn't believe it. Even if Uiharu admired the young ladies of Tokiwadai Middle School, there was no need to react this dramatically after meeting actual princesses.
"What happened to your manners as ladies? Seriously, Saten, that posture just now, sticking your backside out while peeking around, absolutely has to change! And Uiharu, why are you joining in the nonsense? Everyone here is an honored guest..."
Straightening her slightly messy bangs, Shirai Kuroko crossed her arms and stared reproachfully at the two girls before her.
"Beheading? Who's getting beheaded?"
Misaka Mikoto keenly caught the odd point in Saten Ruiko's words.
"Ah, well, that..."
Before Saten Ruiko could finish speaking, Uiharu Kazari abruptly raised her hand.
"I know!"
She turned seriously toward Selene.
Selene couldn't help laughing. Somehow, within Uiharu's normally timid gaze, she actually saw fighting spirit burning like a flame.
"So... Uiharu, what do you want to ask?"
"Are those two princesses classmates from when you studied outside Academy City, Senpai? Did they specifically come during the Daihasei Festival to cheer you on? As expected of Senpai, even princesses of an entire country are your friends, and there's even this courtyard attached to School Garden... Ahhh! I've decided! Senpai, please allow me to serve as your personal reporter during the Daihasei Festival!"
"..."
Saten Ruiko stared at Uiharu Kazari with her mouth hanging open. She knew it. Here it came again...
She tugged at Uiharu's collar and whispered, "Hey, Uiharu, then what am I supposed to do?"
Uiharu Kazari didn't notice Saten Ruiko's movements at all and continued declaring loudly with a face full of passion.
"I've removed my limiter!"
Then she clasped her hands together, raised her head toward the sky, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with brilliant stars.
"Ah, getting to know Selene-senpai... I'm so glad. I'm already satisfied. Everything I see and hear, any single thing I could show off, is something our school could never accomplish..."
Watching Uiharu Kazari transition from blazing enthusiasm into an expression so holy she looked ready to ascend into heaven, the corner of Selene's eye twitched several times. Beside her, Misaka Mikoto and the others' faces twitched at exactly the same frequency.
"Well, whatever... How do you wake her up when she gets like this again?"
Oh! An updraft!
Whoosh—!
"Waaahhh—! What are you doing, Selene-senpai?!"
Uiharu Kazari hurriedly pressed down her skirt and instantly returned to normal, her face burning red.
"Ahem. Doesn't Saten always wake you up like this?"
"Senpai, how can you learn Saten's terrible habits?! This is all your fault, Saten!"
"Huh? How is this my fault again?"
Selene coughed a few times. Although she'd always known that Uiharu Kazari deeply admired the lifestyle associated with refined young ladies and was especially interested in such things, she hadn't paid much attention to it before. This was the first time she'd seen Uiharu this fired up.
Is this the charm of real princesses?
Selene raised her head.
The commotion here had also attracted the attention of Carissa and Villian on the balcony. Villian lifted the hem of her skirt and gave Selene a flawless curtsy.
By comparison, Carissa was far more straightforward. She raised the saucer and teacup together to the height of the left side of her chest, pointed them toward Selene, then lifted the teacup with her right hand and took a sip.
"Sel, come here."
Just as Selene raised a hand in greeting, she saw Mother Katy emerge from the hall and beckon to her.
"Excuse me. Have fun... and may your wishes come true."
When she reached the second half of the sentence, Selene especially patted Misaka Mikoto on the shoulder and whispered beside her ear, "He's in that direction. Be brave. Tsunderes and all that have already fallen out of the meta, you know."
"Uuu—"
Then Selene burst into laughter and strode away amid Misaka Mikoto's adorable cry.
"See you in a bit."
"What does she mean by 'may your wishes come true'?"
Shirai Kuroko stared suspiciously at Misaka Mikoto, whose face had suddenly turned bright red.
"Ah, nothing! Nothing! Kuroko, Saten, let's hurry and..."
"Oh, right, Misaka-senpai..."
After calming Uiharu Kazari down, Saten Ruiko saw Misaka Mikoto rushing to go inside and suddenly remembered something. She couldn't help asking quietly, "Um... do you have an older sister or something who's here today?"
"What older sister?"
Misaka Mikoto stopped, turned her head, and looked at Saten Ruiko strangely.
"I'm an only child in my family... Huh?!"
Wait, older sister?
Meaning someone who looks more mature than me, and since it's the Daihasei Festival's open period...
Misaka Mikoto thought of a possibility.
No way.
Just as her heart rate suddenly accelerated, a familiar and cheerful laugh drifted out from inside the European-style building at exactly the right moment, making Misaka Mikoto's heart skip a beat!
Mom?!
...
At this moment, inside the banquet hall of the Western-style building.
Apprentice maids from Ryouran Maid School were meticulously preparing the arrangements for the evening banquet.
On the stage at the center of the hall, students from School Garden and other dance and music schools were performing dances and musical pieces they had rehearsed and arranged beforehand.
For students, activities like these that provided temporary income were very common during the Daihasei Festival and other festivals. For example, apprentice maids from Ryouran Maid School would set up stalls selling maid bentos.
Service work at an entirely reserved private courtyard like this paid extremely well.
At the same time, although they continued working, their gazes still inevitably drifted toward the round tables.
Look, look! That seems to be Tokiwadai Middle School's ace, the Level 5 Railgun, Lady Misaka Mikoto! Not long ago, the sixth-ranked Shokuhou Misaki arrived too, and with the first-ranked hosting the banquet...
Wow! Tokiwadai's Big Three are all here!
"Mo... Mom?!"
Seeing the teasing smile on the face of the woman who looked almost like a larger version of herself, Misaka Mikoto's face instantly turned bright red.
"...H-Huhhh?!"
Hearing that, Kamijou Touma, who had been talking animatedly only moments before, stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of him. She looked no older than her twenties, and wouldn't have seemed out of place among university students at all. His composure shattered on the spot.
"She's your mom, Biri-Biri?! Not your older sister?!"
I'm finished. What kind of nonsense did I say earlier?
It seemed he'd accidentally spilled every embarrassing "bad deed" Biri-Biri had ever committed.
Telling embarrassing stories about a mischievous younger sister in front of her older sister and telling a mother all the dirt on her daughter were two completely different matters.
Kamijou Touma's mind instantly went blank. With a miserable expression, he said, "Ma'am, that's cheating. You can't trick people like that."
"My, why call me ma'am? I still prefer it when you call me big sister."
The woman smiled at Kamijou Touma, then looked toward her own daughter, whose face was completely red. A strange glint couldn't help appearing in her eyes.
He had clearly been dragged in by that honey-haired, starry-eyed girl, but judging from Mikoto's behavior, her relationship with this boy didn't seem ordinary either...
Could he be dating two girls at once? Or is either my daughter or that other girl the third wheel...
No, I shouldn't let my imagination run wild. I'll question Mikoto carefully later. Still, this boy really is innocent-looking... He seems like the kind who'd be completely led around by the nose.
"My, my~"
At another table nearby, Shiina Kamijou gave her son a teasing glance, then placed one hand against her cheek and looked toward her husband.
"My, my... After sweet-talking girls into liking him, he turns around and gets entangled with other younger girls. And apparently Academy City's strongest, the first-ranked esper, is also Touma's friend. I wonder who he inherited that from?"
"Goodness, Mommy is remembering her student days now."
Touya Kamijou's face turned green. Looking as though he'd suffered a devastating blow, he said, "Dear, h-how could this happen? Touma actually has this kind of ability? I never noticed before..."
"Hm?!"
"Uh, ahem... I mean, that Touma brat is unbelievable!! Absolutely outrageous!"
Touya Kamijou immediately changed his expression and condemned him.
"Dad, Mom, stop adding fuel to the fire."
Kamijou Touma spoke with a face full of grief and indignation.
"Can't you see your son is already at the point where he can't explain anything clearly anymore?"
"My, my~ Then... Touma, explain this sensible girl over here."
With a deep shadow visibly covering her face, Shiina Kamijou pointed toward Shokuhou Misaki, who was obediently pouring tea and passing around refreshments. Her tone turned distinctly unfriendly.
"Of all the things you could learn, why did you have to learn your father's habit of flirting around?"
Uh... I don't even know her.
Although Kamijou Touma did indeed feel something inexplicably different toward this gentle honey-haired girl, he could rack his brain all he wanted and still couldn't remember any connection between them.
He desperately wanted to say that he didn't know her.
But he didn't dare.
If he said that, wouldn't he immediately ascend straight to heaven in his parents' eyes as some heartless scumbag who played with girls' feelings?
Such misfortune!
...
Ta-da~
When Selene entered in formal dress, with her hair personally styled by Mother Katy, everyone turned toward her in unison with wildly different expressions.
"Hm?"
What's with this bizarre atmosphere...?