What's up? Quick update because it's weekend. I'll focus on fixing the silly mistakes I made before next chapter. I'll also start responding to comments in the next chapter. I wish you a good read

Chapter 2 - About Levels

In front of the building where branch 177 of the organization known as Judgment was located, a young man with spiky hair was checking his bag once more to make sure that nothing inside had broken. Up the stairs, Kamijou Touma, the kind of normal high school boy you can find anywhere, was mumbling quietly about his terrible day. First, his teacher, Yomikawa Aiho, had given him an ultimatum, in his own apartment to boot. Then... there was "it". Fights with espers were not an uncommon thing in Kamijou's life, but this fight in question was certainly something else. Trying to forget about the crazy girl with the lasers, he knocked on the office door while shaking his head negatively.

"Come in," replied a female voice. "Ah, it's you Kamijou-Kun."

The little girl didn't seem to be in much of a mood. She settled into the chair in front of the computer and gave a slight nod for Kamijou to sit beside her.

"You don't look well at all," Kamijou got straight to the point, taking something out of his plastic bag "That should cheer you up a bit."

Practically leaping out of her chair, the girl with the flower headband threw herself into the item that might as well have been ambrosia, if we were to judge by her reaction. She opened the small glass jar that contained something like a cake inside.

"Thank you, Kamijou-Kun, I could really use some sugar," she said between spoonfuls.

With a sigh that contained some relief, our unlucky boy pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. He glanced at the computer screen, obviously understanding less than half of whatever it was that the girl was working on.

"I said cut the honorifics, we've been friends for some time now, Uiharu."

"Force of habit." She shrugged, returning her gaze to the computer screen.

Uiharu Kazari, at first glance, looked like just a cute little girl, but she was far from being just that. Her esper power was not something to behold, but that was not what made her so formidable. Uiharu was a computer expert, a "Hacker" to be exact. And she was the best at what she did, even earning the title of "Goalkeeper" for her impressive achievements.

"I have one piece of good news...and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" asked Uiharu, savoring her treat.

"My life is pretty much all bad news, so give me the good news."

"Great. I have finished decrypting the data you sent me. I've been at it almost all night, so I expect a proper thank you." she stewed her flat chest as she said this.

"Thank you, Uiharu-sama, I would be nothing without you." The boy bowed subtly, which seemed more like a mockery than anything else "But what about the bad news?"

"As for that..." She clicked a few times, showing an image of a person on the screen, one that Touma knew he would see a lot of from then on, considering his luck. "That's the person who attacked you yesterday. Her name is Mugino Shizuri, also known as Meltdowner, the esper #4 level 5 of Academy City.

"Such misfortune," he grumbled, almost falling off his chair "Can't this Kamijou-san have a quiet day? Would you believe me if I told you that I came across this Meltd... something today?" He shrugged. English was not his strong suit. Understandable. "And now I find out she is a level 5, one of only 7 in the whole city."

Kamijou's profile immediately cringed at this realization. His day was only getting worse by the minute. There was no rest for the unfortunate.

"Your luck is really the worst," this phrase was becoming a kind of mantra for Uiharu at this point. "How are you still in one piece? Now I understand your hospital records."

"Forgetting that for now, what was in the files? Something important I hope."

"You could say that." She squirmed in her chair. "Have you ever heard of ability body crystal?"

Kamijou shook his head negatively. All he was sure of was that the dark side of Academy City always found a way to surprise him, and this time would be no different.

"Think of them as a drug created to overload an esper ability. However, according to the files you got, scientists are trying to find a way to create a more stable drug based on these such body crystals."

The spiky-haired boy blinked when he heard this. Drug use in Academy City was not uncommon. The power curriculum itself used drugs to distort the perception of children and permanently change their brains.

"I suppose they are conducting all sorts of horrendous experiments to achieve this," Kamijou pondered, feeling sick about the whole thing.

"Indeed. Unfortunately, I can't say much more. Most of the uploaded files were corrupted. I am trying to repair them but it has been exhausting work even for me."

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault after all. If I had been faster at infiltration, we would have gotten everything we needed." He stood up from his chair "Well, I better go before the rest of the guys show up, I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Wait!" She pulled him by the arm "You're not doing anything important tomorrow are you?"

"Why do I have an impression that I won't like what comes next?"

"I need some help. It's something important." she smiled, as if preparing a trick-or-treat.

"Of course it is," he said sarcastically.

"Meet me in front of that mall that opened yesterday, I ..."

"I knew it!" he almost shouted. "You're going to use me as a pack mule again aren't you?" That was a tear in the corner of his eye? "Aren't you?"

"Don't be dramatic. It's not like I buy that much. You have to see my friend, Shirai Kuroko, I'm nothing next to her."

"It looks horrible. I'll pass. You're enough already." The boy had already accepted his fate. "Tomorrow then, what time do I have to be there? I'll tell you right away that I'll be late for personal reasons that I don't know about yet."

"In the morning. About 8 or 9 o'clock."

Truth be told, Kamijou had nothing to complain about. Uiharu was always willing to help him in his endeavor, so he was more than happy to help her with anything. However, he was still within his rights to be uncomfortable having to accompany a girl on a shopping trip. All the blame for this behavior lay with a certain beauty senpai that Kamijou Touma may or may not be thinking about at this very moment.

"I will be there, I promise. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to mentally prepare myself for another torture session."

"Yomikawa-san hasn't given up yet apparently."

"To the misfortune of this poor Kamijou-san."

xx-xx

Mugino had a better sleep than last night, but still much worse than usual. Yesterday had been a productive day, and she was not referring to her little work for the dark side.

"You look... different," said Takitsubo, coming out of her lethargic, but still expressionless mode.

"I spent a good part of the night researching espers skills," replied Mugino, sitting down at the breakfast table.

Takitsubo wasn't the most communicative person, but she couldn't help but comment on the slight change in her boss's behavior. She was also sure that her other teammates thought the same as she did.

"Is it about that guy from yesterday? Who is he anyway? You said it's the same guy from that super boring job." Kinuhata chewed her cereal as he waited expectantly for Level 5's answer.

"Basically, who he is. Why did you let him get away yesterday?" Frenda interrupted her before she could answer.

"It's none of your fucking business," Meltdowner replied, with all the usual "kindness", which made the blonde shrug. "Do any of you know anything about defensive espers skills?"

"Like my Offense Armor? Something tells me you super know how it works".

"Is your ability able to stop my Meltdowner? If so I would like to know more about it."

"Something tells me she's not willing to test that," Takitsubo spoke, returning to her lethargic mode.

"That was a total waste of time." Level 5 sighed in exasperation. "What do we have on our agenda for today, something exciting at least?"

"I was thinking of checking out that super mall that opened these days. I need to upgrade my visual."

"Basically, I'm in."

Mugino rolled her eyes at the attitude of the two. Sometimes she thought she was surrounded by idiots, other times she was absolutely sure.

"Is that the one in District 7? What's so great about it?" She eventually gave in. Lately, she didn't have the patience to argue.

"The prices are good, but more importantly, they have a super partnership with that designer brand you like."

"Now you are speaking my language." Mugino snapped her fingers, visibly excited.

xx-xx

Emerald dust was the name of a chain of shopping centers that quickly became famous. The owner had secured a partnership with several famous brands, which helped him enter the hotly contested market that was Academy city.

It was already past 10 o'clock. Uiharu was impatiently pacing in front of the mall, accompanied by her friend. Her name was Saten Ruiko, a classmate from Sakugawa middle school. Unlike Uiharu, who was still wearing the uniform of that school, Saten wore a white blouse together with blue jeans that were a little too tight. She fixed the flower-shaped ornament on her head and looked in her friend's direction.

"He is late. Your friend must be a busy person," Saten said, with her characteristic energetic tone.

"He certainly is, but something tells me that the reason for the delay is because of something else."

Just as Uiharu finished pronouncing these words, a boy with spiky hair appeared at the corner. He was sweaty, which was not hard to tell from his white shirt. The boy waved at her, trying to disguise his heavy breathing.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to change my route because of... well it's quite a story." He smiled silly, putting his left hand in his pocket and assuming a relaxed posture.

"I'm sure you do." She had seen first hand Kamijou's crazy life. In fact, if he told her he was being chased by a leopard, she would believe him. "Leaving that aside, this is my friend, Saten Ruiko.

"Kamijou Touma, nice to meet you." The boy offered a handshake, which was readily accepted by the long black haired girl.

"So you're the mysterious friend I heard about, huh?" She looked him up and down, making a "camera" with her index fingers and thumbs.

"Mysterious?"

Kamijou exchanged a look with her short-haired friend, who made a defensive gesture by placing her hands in front of her body. She was trying to say that her friend didn't know anything about his... ventures.

"I think we'd better go inside, it's getting late," warned Uiharu, leading the way into the Mall.

xxxx-xxxx

"This selection of items is not impressive at all." Mugino Shizuri returned another piece of clothing back to the hanger "When you guys told me about this so-called partnership, I thought I would find some unique items, but all they have is the same old shit."

"You say that but you've already filled four bags. Basically, I think the trip has already been worth it."

Frenda was partially correct. The fact was that Mugino was addicted to fashion. Add this to her statuesque body and pretty, mature face, and you had a real beauty. To be honest, the selection of clothes was not bad, which meant that the source of her constant complaints lay elsewhere.

"It's already getting super late," said Kinuhata, holding 3 bags "I'm getting hungry"

"Me too," agreed Takitsubo lazily.

"Let's take a break. I hope this place has a decent restaurant."

Mugino couldn't say that this shopping trip was a total waste of time. In fact, she was thinking of just taking a short break before going back to look for more fancy clothes, but her plans were slightly changed as soon as she spotted a person. Mugino's well-defined mouth flashed a smile, which she didn't even know she had, the instant those spiky hairs appeared in her peripheral vision.

xxxx-xxxx

"So, you like urban legends?" asked Saten, trying to break the ice.

"I know some, but I'm not exactly a fanatic." Kamijou shrugged "Why the question?"

The girl, instead of looking at the young man next to her, aimed her gaze at the little flower girl who was concentrating on two dresses as if she were in a staring contest.

"My friends often say that this is all nonsense, but I believe that every story has its grain of truth," replied Saten thoughtfully.

"I can understand what you are trying to say. What is your favorite urban legend then?"

"uumh... Let's see." She put a finger on her chin "Maybe the one about the imaginary district... no, I have a perfect one. Have you ever heard of the person who have the power to negate any esper ability?"

Kamijou choked when he heard this. He knew that such a legend circulated in the Academy city. All his fault obviously, or rather, the espers who insisted on challenging him, most of the time for no reason.

"I think I have heard, yes." He tried to keep his composure, there was no telling how the girl would react if she found out the truth.

"And what do you think? I mean, most people say it's impossible for such an ability to exist. What level do you think it would be if that were true?"

"I don't know. I'm a level 0, so I'm not the best person to discuss such matters."

The girl pondered for a moment. She had not yet asked about the boy's level, nor had she revealed her own. Knowing that they had this in common was somewhat of a relief.

"You seem pretty good about it." The girl's usual cheerful tone disappeared for just an instant. "I mean, I'm a level 0 too. No powers or skills. To be honest, I've always dreamed of being a high level esper, that's the main reason I came to this city. I think it's almost everybody's reason actually.

"Not mine." His voice sounded a little grim. He realized this, so he cracked a small smile to lighten the mood. "I really don't mind being a level 0. Powers shouldn't define who you are. Look at Uiharu for example, she's without a doubt one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and I'm not talking about her power."

"I have to agree with that." Saten still didn't seem totally convinced. "But think about it, wouldn't you like to have a great power? Like...I don't know, let off fire from your hands or something?"

"And what would I do with that? I mean, if I need fire I might as well buy a lighter. The only thing I think it would be useful for would be to hurt others, which is something I avoid at all costs."

Saten grimaced at this thought. This guy was probably the first person here who thought this way. Academy City was the home of the espers powers, if he didn't come here looking to get a power, then why did he come? Before she could retort to that odd opinion, a voice cut her off.

"And here I thought my day was going to be as boring as ever"

The person who had just interrupted the conversation was none other than Academy City's #4, Mugino Shizuri. She sported a strange grin on her face, one that should not belong to someone so beautiful and elegant.

Kamijou turned in a split second in the direction of the store entrance. He froze when he saw "that person" standing there with her arms folded under her broad chest.

"Such Misfortune," he said, without changing his expression.

"Do you just know how to say that every time you see me? Or is it some kind of mantra or some other superstitious shit?"

The Meltdowner advanced toward the boy, getting uncomfortably close, trying to intimidate him. Touma mustered all the strength he had to keep himself under control. It was strange to think about this right now, especially after finding out that this insane girl was a dangerous level 5, but... now that she was so close, Kamijou realized how beautiful she was. Seriously, people's perspective usually changes when they're not in a life or death situation (although that wasn't really the case here). There was no way to judge him, after all, Touma was a normal high school boy with a healthy interest in the opposite sex. Maybe it was the mature appearance or the elegant clothes, or maybe it was the entire body of work, but there was no denying the fact that this girl inches from him was certainly stunning.

"So... friend of yours I suppose?" It was Saten who broke the silence at that moment. "I am Saten Ruiko, nice to meet you."

Mugino looked at the girl's outstretched hand with a bone-chilling expression. She mustered up what little respect she saved for such situations and spoke in a monotone voice.

"Mugino Shizuri." She instantly turned her attention to the spiky haired boy. "Remember what I told you in that alley? I am more than willing to listen to what you have to say. Then you better not be busy."

That sounded almost like an order. Mugino was not the kind of girl who took no for an answer so easily. The problem was that the boy in front of her was not able to read the mood, or was and stupidly decided to ignore it.

"Now? Really. I'm kinda busy right now." He gestured with his head in the direction of the black-haired girl next to him.

"If it's important, I can help Uiharu with the shopping, don't worry about it." Saten held up a thumb, with an energetic tone that would make the sun itself envious.

Level 5 widened her smile upon hearing that. Poor Kamijou, his friends always got the situation wrong.

Seeing the small commotion, Uiharu left where he was picking out some shoes and walked back to the group. Her eyes widened as he noticed the person standing there, dangerously close to her unlucky friend.

"Kamijou-kun, is something wrong?" The girl couldn't think of a way to help the poor boy.

"Well..." He alternated his gaze from Mugino to Uiharu, then back to his original target. "As I could see, Mugino-san here has something important to deal with me. Would you mind if I talked to her for just a few minutes?"

One could not guess at the strength of will required for those words to be spoken. Uiharu knew very well that her friend was in trouble, and as a member of Judgment, she was willing to do what she could to help him.

"Of course she doesn't care." Unfortunately Saten had other plans in mind. "I am here after all."

"My colleagues can accompany them if you are worried." Mugino had just put the last nail in the hypothetical coffin. "Am I right Kinuhata? Frenda?"

Mugino spoke louder than necessary and looked toward the entrance of the store, where two people stood... three, if you counted the lethargic Takitsubo, mixed into the environment.

"Basically, I don't want to waste my time with..." Frenda hit the brakes the instant Mugino shot her a look she knew all too well. "As I was saying, there are still some things I want to buy." A crooked smile came across the blonde's face.

"Great." Mugino clapped her hands twice. "No need to worry, your friends will be accompanied by two level 4. Frenda can handle herself too."

"How very kind of you. Now I'm completely relieved." He was lying. It kind of made the situation worse.

"Come on then, we have a lot to talk about"

Without warning, the tea-colored hair grabbed his forearm and began to pull him out of the store, like a mother scolding a child who has gotten lost. They quickly walked away from the group and up the escalator to the next floor.

xx-xx

"You can let me go now, I'm not running away if that's what you're thinking."

Mugino looked down at her hand clutching the boy's forearm and pondered for a moment. She wasn't a girl who blushed at physical contact or any silly shit, so she decided to keep her hand where it was.

"That must be a good place"

Ignoring Kamijou's request, she continued pulling him towards the entrance of a cafe. The place was almost empty, but had a good view of the mall thanks to the giant glass window. She walked in without caring about the opinion of the boy who could very well be being kidnapped at this point.

"It's a pretty fancy place." commented the boy with a hiss, taking a seat on the other side of the table as soon as Level 5 let him go.

"You're kidding me, right? This place is average at best".

"Oh, I'm sorry Ojou-sama, but this mere commoner usually only frequents family restaurants of questionable quality. Most of the time, a home-cooked meal is all I have."

Meltdowner blinked in confusion at that. She ignored the clear sarcasm in his voice and concentrated on the second part. She was sure that this guy was a high-level esper, which meant that he should have no problems with money, which made her conclude that he was a cheapskate at best.

"Is this another one of your attempts to get away from me? If it is then you can leave it, I'll pay your bill." Mugino casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She was not going to let this guy get away again.

"Really, that's what you were thinking about?" He sighed loudly. "Thank you very much, but this Kamijou-san doesn't want to owe a girl who has already tried to kill him twice."

"Don't be so dramatic."

The girl rested her chin on her open hand. She was choosing her questions. There was no telling when this guy would try to escape her, so she would make the most of this conversation. Before he could open her mouth, she was interrupted by one of the waitresses.

"Have you chosen your order yet?" said the girl smiling.

"Yes," Kamijou promptly replied. "I'll have a black coffee neat please."

"At least you don't have bad taste. Get me a cup of coffee too. Decaf." Level 5 waited for the girl to leave before beginning her interrogation. "So, let's start with the basics, what's your name?"

"Kamijou," replied the lethargic boy

"The full name, smartass."

The conversation had barely started and Mugino was already beginning to lose patience. She had to admit, as annoying as he was, that boy had guts.

"Kamijou Touma." He shrugged. "If I remember correctly, yours is Mugino Shizuri. I think I've heard that name somewhere before."

"Perhaps the name "Meltdowner" will refresh your memory. Or how about #4 level 5 in Academy city? Does that ring a bell?"

"Ah... that was it then." he spoke casually.

"Really? Is that your reaction?"

As a level 5, Mugino demanded respect. Her position was not something that just anyone would achieve, she was a genius among geniuses after all. To have her status cast aside so casually was annoying.

"I would kneel, but our fight yesterday left me with a nagging pain in my back. Next time." Kamijou was once again exercising his ability to not give a damn.

"You have balls, I'll give you that. That already makes you 90% more interesting than all the doormats I usually dispatch every day."

"Thanks... I guess."

"Now the important part. Your esper ability, what is its level?"

The boy seemed to ponder for a long time before opening his mouth. Only to close it again without making a single sound. This expectation was driving Mugino crazy, but she decided to give him time.

"That's kind of... complicated." He lowered his head, trying to hide his expression. "Remember when I told you I don't have an esper ability? I wasn't lying."

"Bullshit," she said, holding back as long as she could not shout. "Cut the crap, no one could just punch a shield made of electrons and come out unscathed, just tell me what I want to know, my patience is already at its limit."

Mugino watched as the boy slowly closed and opened his right hand. With another one of his loud sighs, he looked her right in the eye. Meltdowner swallowed her saliva in anticipation.

"Every time I go through the System Scan, the result is always the same. Officially, I am a level 0, not only that, but I am in fact the weakest in all of Academy City."

"Level... 0?"

Waiting for a few seconds, to make sure that the boy was not playing with her as usual, she repeated those words a few times in her mind, before finally snapping.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She slammed both hands down hard on the table and then pointed a threatening finger at the boy in front of her. "Listen here Kamijou Touma, repeat that shit again to my face and I swear I will kill you. I don't give a shit what kind of weird ability you have, I will kick your ass if it's the last thing I do." The girl rose from her seat, perhaps to look more threatening.

In the face of this threat that seemed very serious, the boy continued calmly, as if talking about what he would prepare for dinner.

"I know it's not easy to believe. But it's a fact that Academy City can't identify my ability."

"That's impossible. You want me to believe that you were labeled a level 0 because Academy City, the most technologically advanced place on the entire planet, can't identify your ability? There's something weird about that, any idiot could see it."

Instead of responding verbally, Kamijou reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He then pulled out a document that looked like white plastic and handed it to the irritated Level 5.

"I can't believe it" The girl sat up as she looked at the document. There was no doubt, the boy in front of her was indeed a level 0. "This has to be fake"

It might seem like mere stubbornness, but Mugino Shizuri's scientific mind would not accept such a thing. It was as if some nut with a wand said he was a magician. Even if he could conjure a fireball, she would seek an explanation for such a phenomenon. There was no way she could believe that this spiky-haired boy was a level 0.

"I don't know if that explains anything, but there is one thing about my ability," Kamijou began, watching Mugino turn her attention to him. "Unlike most espers, I was already born with it."

"Wait... what? You're a gemstone?"

Obviously, Mugino knew that there were people who did not need to go through the power curriculum to awaken an esper ability. But this was such a rare condition that she couldn't help but be surprised by this revelation. Of course, this still didn't explain why the system scan didn't work on him.

"I don't think that's it either," Kamijou said, a little uncertain. "The system scan should be able to identify something, don't you think? The weird thing is, from what I understand, I don't even have an AIM diffusion field. So technically, I don't even know if I'm an esper."

xxxx-xxxx

"Damn. Basically, I can't hear anything." Frenda squirmed in her seat.

"Stop drawing attention to yourself. Do you have a death wish?" Takitsubo warned the blonde, who lowered her head at the warning.

The two were trying to blend into the atmosphere outside the cafeteria where our unlucky boy and the irritated Level 5 were. Takitsubo didn't want to be here, but she knew that Frenda would end up being discovered sooner or later if she was alone.

"Besides, we'd better get back," Takitsubo continued. "Kinuhata must be at her limit by now."

"She's not going to do anything stupid. Mugino has implied that we should protect those two."

"All the more reason to come back."

"You know what... Basically, I prefer it when you are in your "suspension mode" if you know what I mean."

Takitsubo remained quiet. She knew there was no point in arguing with her hollow-headed colleague. Instead, she picked up a magazine and covered her own expressionless face. Meanwhile Frenda tried to get as close as possible.

"Basically, who is this guy anyway? Why does Mugino seem so interested in him?" Frenda was on edge, in many ways. "Hey, can you tell me what level he is on?"

The stoic girl decided not to go into an explanation of how her ability works, instead she simply shook her head.

"Even if I could, I would not ingest Body Crystal over something so small. And... to be honest, I'm pretty sure this guy is not an esper."

"What?" The blonde practically jumped, which left her one step closer to being discovered.

xxxx-xxxx

Meanwhile, in a nearby clothing store.

"What do you think?" Saten had just come out of a fitting room.

She was wearing a light green dress with a gold ribbon around her waist and a bow that looked more like a scarf.

"It's not super bad," answered the bob cut girl, disinterested.

"Wow. Why does it seem like you're not 'super' excited about this?"

An icy glance was cast at that instant. Saten realized immediately that mocking the linguistic habits of others is not a wise choice, especially when the target of her mockery, is a girl who can snap her spine in two like a twig.

"I think I'll take a look at how Uiharu is doing." The level 0 put a crooked smile on her face.

The flower girl in question was drooling over some shoes in a nearby shop window. Saten approached her stealthily from behind and...

"UI-HA-RU... what?" After performing her ultimate "Skirt flipper" move, the girl practically foamed with rage at such betrayal. "Since when do you wear shorts under your skirt?"

"Surprised?" With a smile on her face, the short haired girl shook her head in a sign of denial "I heard Shirai-san complain that a friend of hers usually wears shorts, so I thought it would be a good idea to wear one today."

"What kind of friends have you got anyway? This is sacrilege. Such a heinous act cannot be left unpunished."

Saten was so outraged that she even started using a more far-fetched vocabulary. This was the equivalent of an unbeaten world champion having his winning streak broken because of an illegal move that the referee turned a blind eye to.

"Putting that aside." Level 0 cast a glance behind her shoulder "That girl is a little scary."

"I am forced to agree. You didn't piss her off, did you?"

"Maybe a little bit?" She smiled and gave a slight nod to the bob cut girl. "By the way, I can hardly believe that Kamijou-san has a level 5 friend. That is so amazing."

Uiharu shuddered at this comment. But thinking about it, everything seemed to be going well between those two, considering that so far not even an emergency alarm has sounded or anything like that.

"Kamijou-kun doesn't care about that kind of thing. He treats everyone as an equal, regardless of level. Even if he's a level 0, he still tries as hard as he can to get what he wants. His willpower and his ability to connect with others is his true power."

"Uhm... That was... surprisingly cute." The giant smile that appeared on Level 0's face could be seen even from her back. "You seem to care quite a bit about him"

Clearly seeing what her friend was getting at, the flower girl frantically waved her hands in front of her body.

"I Know what you are trying to say." Unfortunately, she was betrayed by her own body, in this case the stream of blood painting her cheek. "We are good friends. He helps me and I help him. That's all."

She made her point very clear, but her friend did not seem convinced. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the strength to turn away and continue her shopping trip.

xxxx-xxxx

"That's... intriguing to say the least," Mugino didn't usually reel in words, but the boy in front of her wasn't helping. "If what you're telling me is true of course."

"Why would I lie anyway?"

"I can think of a bunch of explanations, and I bet you can too."

"Fair point. But believe me, I'm not trying to fool you. I've seen what you can do, I don't want someone like you on my tail. My life is a disaster, all I need least is a level 5 fight-crazed girl stalking me."

Mugino just watched the boy who looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown. She wanted to believe him, but every word that came out of that boy's mouth had the coherence of a low quality fanfic. But... still...

"OK, I don't think you're lying." Mugino took a sip of her coffee that had just arrived, watching carefully the expression of the boy in front of him. "I'm not saying I believe every word, but I can feel a grain of truth in that story."

"That's a start." He also took a sip of his black coffee.

While Level 5 was thinking about what her next question would be, her cell phone started making a low but annoying noise. Kamijou noticed the annoyance.

"I think you need to answer that," he said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Before she could answer the call, she noticed an unseen message. She must have been so absorbed in the conversation that she didn't notice it.

"Hello, Takitsubo it's better to be important."

"Mugino, we have an important matter to take care of." The inexpressive girl's voice had a somewhat stern tone.

Meltdowner immediately understood that was Item's business. She clicked her tongue due to growing frustration. She looked at the boy in front of her, nonchalant as ever.

"I'm on my way," Mugino said, ending the connection. "Hey, Kamijou."

The supposed Level 0, who until now had been absorbed in his own thoughts, lazily raised his head.

"Yes? Is there a problem?"

"Here..." Without saying anything else, The Level 5 pushed her smarphone at him. "Give me your number"

That sounded more like an order than a request. Mugino watched the object of her interest as he seemed to make the most important decision of his life. To her surprise, he didn't complain or even question. Satisfied, she took the smartphone back, finishing adding a new contact. When she turned her attention back to the spiky-haired boy, he had his own smartphone, holding it in front of the level 5.

"I think it's only fair that you give me yours too." He was completely serious.

"Huh? Having your number is enough for me. You'll have to make do with that, life is unfair sometimes." She was about to get up to leave, but Kamijou stopped her by holding her wrist with his right hand.

"Don't mock my determination, Mugino. Do you know how hard it is for a guy to muster up the courage to ask for a girl's phone number? Especially one as beautiful as you?"

Those words certainly came out without a second thought, considering that the boy looked away when he realized what he had said.

Mugino Shizuri didn't quite know what to say to this little show the boy gave. She thought for a few moments until she decided that the person in front of her was worth her attention.

'I know I'm going to regret this but... fuck that'

"All right, give me the damn thing."

She quickly wrote down her number on the boy's smartphone, who watched with a surprised expression. He must have already given up trying, so it was funny to see him look at her number written down there while he froze for half a second.

"It wasn't that hard, see?" Kamijou said this with an unnatural smile.

Level 5 had no idea if he was talking to her or to himself, either way, she took a look at her appearance through the cell phone screen before putting it away.

"You should be flattered. I'm not the kind of person who gives someone my personal number. Only call me if it's important. Like if you need help getting rid of a body... or making one." She watched the boy grimace at her attempt at dark humor. "But i'll warn you, i'm not a cheap girl"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm feeling like a monarch. Thank you very much, Mugino-sama."

The girl with tea-colored hair rolled her eyes at the little bow the spiky-haired boy made. That young man really didn't mind playing with fire. She nodded slightly to him as she left the cafeteria. It was a pity that the business of her group ITEM was in the way, but at least she was able to hear a little about Kamijou Touma before she was interrupted. But no matter, she had his number now, so it was only a matter of time before they met again. And she was already looking forward to that moment.

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And here we are again. This chapter was just for our two main characters to get to know each other a little (Read this as: Touma being interrogated). As you may have realized by now, this story takes place before canon, so this isn't the Kamijou we're used to. Writing Touma before his memory loss has been a little difficult. His core is still the same before or after the Index arc, but there are subtle differences in his personality, I hope I can convey those differences in my writing.

As for Mugino, expect slight changes in her personality, but this will come gradually. She's not a character that can be written lazily, so I'm trying to get used to what I'm working on.

I think that's it for now. Until next time. Nio leaving.