"Alright, alright. I will take you to my home now. Luckily there is plenty of food in the refrigerator. Otherwise there would not be any convenience stores open around here." Arata looked at the nun who was practically begging for food with an amused expression. He stretched out his hand and said, "Grab my hand and I will teleport us back."
"Okay." Index replied with a bright smile as she took Arata's hand without the slightest hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them appeared inside Arata's apartment. The lights in the room were still on, and the Misaka Sisters were not asleep yet. They were sitting upright on the floor while watching television, even though the programs currently playing were unbelievably boring.
The Misaka Sisters looked at Arata and Index, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, with slightly unfocused eyes.
"Mr. Arata actually went out in the middle of the night and brought back a strange girl. Could this be kidnapping?" Misaka thought silently to herself but did not say it aloud. This is truly surprising. Mr. Arata seems like quite a frivolous person.
"Hey. You just said exactly what you were thinking, you idiot. It is already this late. Why are you still awake?" Arata's lips twitched slightly as he walked over to the Misaka Sister, cupped her cheeks with both hands, and pulled a silly face at her.
"How did Mr. Arata bring back this strange girl? Human trafficking is illegal. For Mr. Arata's sake, Misaka has decided to investigate the truth of this incident," Misaka said with an expressionless face while sitting upright.
"You sound like a queen discovering her lover's mistress. I find that kind of adorable. But Mr. Arata is not a kidnapper. I am a hero who saves girls, just like when I saved my little sisters," Arata said with a bright smile.
"Making false statements is illegal, and Misaka has decided to continue the investigation," Misaka 8913 said calmly.
"Then investigate thoroughly, Misaka Holmes," Arata replied with an amused shrug.
Index blinked curiously at the strange Misaka Sisters standing beside her, then began to look around the ordinary looking room with interest.
Her clear blue eyes soon landed on a place she seemed to like very much. Her lips formed a small "ω" shape, and it looked as though she wanted to immediately lie down and roll around happily on the tatami.
"It feels so comfortable here."
"Really? I think it is rather ordinary and a little cramped," Arata said with a smile as he looked at the nun who had already sprawled across the tatami. He then opened the refrigerator and took out ham, bread, lettuce, and several packs of frozen food.
Considering Index's terrifying appetite, cooking a proper Chinese style meal at this time of night was simply unrealistic. Making hamburgers was clearly the most practical option.
"It really feels comfortable here. It is much better than sleeping in the park or under the eaves," Index said with an obviously happy expression.
Just from hearing those words, Arata could already imagine that Index must have spent most of her time sleeping under eaves or in parks. For a young girl, that kind of life was far too cruel.
"There is hot water here too. You can take a nice bath later. Even though you are not dirty, taking a bath will feel very relaxing," Arata said while carrying the ingredients into the kitchen.
"Thank you," Index said politely as she eagerly followed him into the kitchen and peeked at what he was doing.
A beautiful kitchen knife quickly sliced through the bread and ham. The rich aroma immediately spread through the air.
Index's mouth began to water even more, and the growling sound from her stomach became louder.
The Misaka Sisters also walked over with their usual expressionless faces.
"Mr. Arata, are you attempting to lure this strange girl into committing a crime by using food?" Misaka asked seriously while continuing her investigation.
"Hmm. The way you speak is very strange." Index blinked at the Misaka Sister beside her like a curious child. Then she slowly reached out her hand as if she wanted to grab a slice of bread.
"No. Please be patient for a moment. For food, being eaten before it is properly prepared is the greatest humiliation," Arata said seriously.
"Hmm. But bread and sausages can be eaten immediately."
Index stared excitedly at the neatly stacked slices of bread and sausage. Her eyes looked just like those of a kitten that had been rescued from a wet cardboard box on a rainy day.
"That is true... but you can only eat one slice." Arata reluctantly cut off a slice and handed it to her.
Index immediately opened her mouth wide out of pure reflex and bit down with a loud crunch. Arata's hair nearly stood on end and he quickly pulled his hand back.
"Oh my god. You were not planning to bite off the hand of the person feeding you too, were you?" Arata said while his eyelids twitched. He watched Index happily chew the food like a squirrel with her cheeks puffed up.
"So delicious." Index had a blissful expression on her face as if she had not heard Arata's complaint at all. She quickly swallowed the piece of bread in one gulp.
"Alright. Now please leave the kitchen for a moment," Arata said helplessly as he pushed the two girls out of the kitchen.
...
Ten minutes later, the girl named Index held a pair of chopsticks awkwardly in her fist. Although she could speak several languages fluently, she clearly had no idea how to properly use chopsticks.
The small table was already piled high with hamburgers filled with ham and lettuce. Just looking at the mountain of food made Index's mouth water uncontrollably.
This was the largest amount of food she had seen in the past year. She was certain that she would finally be able to eat until she was full.
"Can we start eating yet? I really cannot wait any longer." Index seemed to ask for permission from the host, but she had already stuffed a hamburger into her mouth without waiting for an answer.
The moment the food touched her tongue, an entirely new flavor completely overturned Index's understanding of food.
"Wow, wow, wow. This is so delicious. It is unbelievably delicious. You helped me without asking for anything in return. You are also very strong, and your cooking is unbelievably delicious too."
Index's cheeks were stuffed full, making her words sound slightly unclear. Her face was filled with pure happiness.
The Misaka Sister sat expressionlessly beside the nun who was rapidly devouring the entire table of hamburgers.
She wanted to take one, but it disappeared before she could grab it. She looked at another one, but that one also vanished before she could touch it.
After this happened four times in a row, small sparks of electricity began to crackle across Misaka's forehead as if she were about to explode.
"Calm down." Arata raised his finger and lightly tapped Misaka's forehead in the same way that Misaka Mikoto uses electricity.
"If you are thirsty, here is some milk. Musashi brand. Drinking more calcium is good for your growth," Arata said as he handed a large bottle of milk to Index.
"You are so considerate. You are already thinking about my health." Index smiled brightly while continuing to focus on eating her hamburgers. Sauce was already smeared across both of her cheeks.
"You are just like my older brother."
"Really? Maybe it is because I naturally enjoy taking care of people," Arata said with a smile while scratching the side of his temple.
As he looked at Index's innocent and carefree expression, a very serious question suddenly appeared in his mind.
How exactly should they arrange the sleeping arrangements tonight?
...
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