At the head of the group was a short-haired girl with chestnut-colored hair. Her pretty face, tea-colored eyes, and the rare air of confidence she carried for a girl her age gave her an inexplicable charm. The Tokiwadai uniform she wore was proof of her noble, upper-class status.
The only flaw—if one could call it that—was that at her age, her chest was still so flat that a Boeing plane could probably land on it without issue.
Behind her, a girl with reddish-brown twin-tails clung tightly to her arm, earning a look of helplessness from the chestnut-haired girl.
Trailing them were two other girls in Sakugawa Middle School uniforms, chatting and laughing as they followed behind the Tokiwadai duo. One had a large floral hair decoration, and the other wore a white, five-petal plum blossom hairpin.
Selene chuckled softly. Ah, so the Railgun main cast has officially gathered.
"Wow, there are so many people." The crepe shop was located on a busy pedestrian street, and the long line surprised the tall girl with long, straight black hair.
"Why are there so many little kids here?"
Beside her, the flower-adorned girl—Uiharu Kazari—tilted her head curiously, looking behind them before glancing back at the line stretching far ahead.
Noticing Misaka Mikoto in front, who was barely hiding her impatience, Uiharu hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously. "Talk about bad timing, huh?"
Shirai Kuroko glanced around and nodded. "...Let's go grab some seats first."
"Ah, I'll go too," Uiharu said quickly. "Saten, I'll leave my order to you."
"I'll pay you later," Kuroko added casually before turning around and walking off elegantly, leaving only Saten Ruiko behind—with the increasingly irritated Misaka Mikoto.
"Uh... should we, um, switch spots or something?" Saten asked nervously, forcing a laugh as she turned around and felt the tension radiating from Misaka.
"Huh? Haha... no, that's fine!" Misaka waved her hand, forcing a smile. "Doesn't matter where we stand. As long as I get my crepe, I'll be happy."
Though she said that, her eyes inevitably betrayed her emotions—filled with longing as she watched the children ahead happily holding the bonus prizes in their hands.
Saten sighed quietly to herself. So this is the famous Level 5, the Railgun of Tokiwadai? She's not intimidating at all... she's more like a kid, really. Such a tsundere...
Just then—
"Thank you for waiting. Here's your blueberry chocolate crepe," the shop clerk said warmly, handing Selene a small paper bag. Along with it came a small green keychain. "And this is your complimentary Gekota mascot. Please enjoy!"
"Thanks," Selene replied politely, smiling at the clerk before turning to leave.
The moment she walked away, the clerk flipped over a sign that read Bonus Gifts Out of Stock! and announced loudly, "The Gekota mascot giveaway is now finished!"
"Eh...? Out of stock already?" Saten's eyes widened. Then, she heard something collapse behind her.
Turning around, she saw a chestnut-haired girl—Misaka Mikoto—slumped on the ground in total despair, her posture that of a defeated soul, radiating such a tragic aura that it was almost pitiful.
Just as Saten was about to comfort her, a white-haired figure approached, twirling a small green object between her fingers.
Standing before the fallen Misaka, Selene let out a chuckle. "Oh my~ Misaka, it's been a while. What happened to you?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Saten froze. That's the Tokiwadai senpai from before!
"Hahaha..." Selene tried her best not to laugh, though the sight before her was almost too much. The pitiful image of the once-proud Railgun made her want to hand over the Gekota plush right then and there.
"By the way, Misaka, what kind of pose is that? You're ruining Tokiwadai's dignity here!"
"This voice..." Misaka blinked blankly, lifting her head in confusion. She couldn't immediately recognize the figure towering over her, but when her gaze landed on the green mascot dangling from Selene's fingers, her eyes lit up instantly.
Gekota!
The next instant, Misaka Mikoto suddenly sprang up from the ground like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey, lunging straight for the Gekota dangling from Selene's fingers. In Saten Ruiko's stunned gaze, she literally leaped into the air, arms outstretched, aiming to snatch it.
"Whoa, whoa... isn't this a bit much?" Selene was startled as well. The moment the girl lunged toward her, she instinctively activated Spatial Phasing.
Thus, Misaka's internal monologue went something like: Gekota... almost there... closer... wait—huh? And then—
Thud!
From an outsider's perspective, the chestnut-haired girl pounced ferociously toward Selene—then passed right through her body—and finally crashed flat onto the pavement.
"Was that really necessary?" Selene turned around, looking at the girl sprawled on the ground with a half-smile. She waved the Gekota between her fingers teasingly. "I never said I wouldn't give it to you. What was that reaction supposed to be?"
Only then did Misaka realize who it was. Though embarrassed, she still blushed deeply and asked, completely disregarding her image, "Eh? You're... really going to give that to me?"
Her brown eyes suddenly sparkled with childlike brilliance, brimming with excitement and anticipation. The way she looked at Selene made even her skin crawl slightly.
"Uh... yeah—" Before Selene could finish, the girl let out a cheer and dove forward again.
Thud!
As expected, Misaka Mikoto kissed the floor for a second time.
"Here, take it. Seeing you this excited, I'd feel bad if I didn't give it to you," Selene said with a helpless sigh. She crouched beside Misaka and held out the Gekota in front of her.
Misaka cautiously reached out and touched it first—confirming it was solid—and then snatched it from Selene's hand with lightning speed. She jumped up triumphantly, completely ignoring the strange stares from the surrounding crowd.
Having secured her beloved Gekota, Misaka's face lit up like a child's. Her joy was unrestrained.
"Uh... it's been a while, Senpai," Saten Ruiko finally seized the opportunity to speak.
"Yeah, long time no see, Saten," Selene replied, smiling.
"Uh... long time no see."
"I didn't expect Senpai would still remember me," Saten said shyly, twirling a strand of her hair. "Oh, right, I never caught your name back then..."
Before Selene could respond, a loud shout echoed through the street.
"Onee-sama!"
Not far away, Shirai Kuroko and Uiharu Kazari—who had just secured their seats—froze completely the moment they saw Misaka pounce on Selene.
For a long second, they stared blankly. Then, realization struck.
Kuroko's eyes turned bloodshot, her twin-tails trembled violently, and with a scream of anguish, she teleported on the spot—her body vanishing from view.
In the next instant, she reappeared right beside Misaka Mikoto, latching onto her with a tight embrace.
"Onee-sama! Honestly, such an indecent posture—ah! Ah~ Kuroko, Kuroko is—eh?"