Black iron sand hovered in the air.
Like a pair of deft hands, it drove the mixed construction materials into the gaps in the wall, seamlessly replacing the internal wiring network in the process.
It was wonderful. Misaka-senpai was single-handedly solving most of the problems.
With her astonishing knowledge and superhuman drive, this Miss Railgun was reliably capable no matter the time or place.
From patching the walls, to replacing the pipes, and even to relaying the floor tiles, everything was handled with such effortless ease and professional skill.
Seemingly struck by a sudden whim, she began contemplating some novel renovation ideas.
The foreman, Konori-senpai, clutching the construction blueprints, paced around the branch office, squinting and gesturing at various spots.
As she gestured, she debated with a certain clumsy, amateur architectural engineer—Shirai Kuroko—about whether or not they should build a small balcony extending outward from the gap in the branch's interior wall.
In the blueprint, the little balcony projected about one and a half meters from the wall, large enough for five or six people to enjoy the view together, and even included a dedicated area for potted plants. It looked quite promising.
However, they'd run into a few problems. The first was figuring out the support points for the balcony without affecting the building's overall load-bearing capacity.
Yesterday's sudden attack by the magician criminal syndicate seemed to have become the catalyst for the Judgment 177th Branch's renovation makeover. The Judgment members present, along with a few enthusiastic citizens, all seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.
Everyone was so full of drive today. A Saturday was perfect for working up a good sweat.
Natsume, wearing a crooked paper hat and a simple newspaper smock, passed by carrying a paint bucket, glancing with interest at the others hard at work.
It seemed the principle of assigning tasks based on individual strengths was in effect. Even though the renovation had become more complex, Natsume's job, predictably, was still painting.
Just as one might imagine, it wasn't very challenging. Quietly painting alone suited Natsume's preference for tranquility just fine.
Natsume didn't have much knowledge about architecture, but she was first-rate at demolishing buildings.
If put in charge of demolition, Natsume could probably clear a whole street in a single day.
The fluttering of a skirt, the adorable strawberry pattern particularly eye-catching.
Not far away, Uiharu was shrieking, while Saten-san, half-crouched on the ground, rested her chin in her hands, observing something with curious contemplation.
Taking an involuntary step back, Meigo-senpai—who was helping reorganize the Judgment documents—gaped, her pupils dilating slightly as if she'd received quite the visual shock.
Gathered together to pick out new furniture that was both cheap and stylish, Banri and Haruue were diligently balancing the budget against the actual prices when Natsume, carrying her paint bucket, happened to walk past them.
"Haruue-san, I want that desk with the little bookshelf and the movable partitions."
Suddenly popping up beside them, Natsume set her current task aside and enthusiastically joined the discussion.
"But this one is quite expensive," Haruue-san replied, opening the purchase page hesitantly.
"It's fine. Going a little over budget is normal," declared the girl, who today had forgone her usual twin buns, gesturing vaguely to indicate the approximate amount over budget.
Though their tasks differed, everyone was working hard.
Even Natsume, who usually preferred eating and lazing about, had diligently cleaned the scorched walls and then very carefully applied an even coat of paint to the corridor walls.
She'd used her ability to slap it on directly, but the result wasn't much different from using a roller.
The joint renovation team from Tokiwadai Middle School and Sakugawa Middle School entered the next phase now that Misaka-senpai had completed the bulk of the work single-handedly.
Foreman Konori Mii moved down the corridor towards the Judgment branch, inspecting everyone's results with a practiced eye.
The branch had nearly returned to its original state, save for the hole in the room's wall. That was reserved for the proposed small balcony, the specifics of which were still under discussion.
"Haruue-san, have you finalized the furniture list?" Turning her head, Konori Mii spotted Haruue and the others still calculating costs, her expression questioning.
"Senpai, we have, but it's slightly over budget," Haruue replied somewhat hesitantly, pinching a tiny bit of air between her fingers, just as Natsume had gestured earlier.
But everything proceeded smoothly. The purchase request was approved by Konori-senpai, suggesting the budget was a bit more generous than initially thought.
Holding a fruit knife, she thrust it decisively into the center of the cake, slicing it cleanly in two.
Natsume wasn't overly concerned with dividing the cake evenly. It was large enough for everyone to have their fill.
As the Sonoko-neechan whom Banri respected most, Natsume, breaking from her usual style, generously gave the largest piece to Banri.
"Sonoko-neechan, this is a bit too much," Banri protested.
With her smooth forehead exposed and her hair neatly secured to one side with a hairband, the girl named Banri still maintained her tidy and efficient appearance.
It had been nearly a month since Banri was discharged from the hospital.
Since transferring to Sakugawa Middle School, she'd grown much sturdier, now looking every bit a proper middle school student. Natsume, pleased, gave Banri's shoulder a few happy pats.
"It's fine, eat up," Natsume said with a smile.
"Speaking of which, Banri, do you know how Kiyama-sensei is doing these days?" Setting the fruit knife aside, Natsume sat down beside Banri, a note of concern in her voice.
Ever since Kiyama-sensei was discharged last time, and with all the recent busywork, Natsume hadn't been in touch much.
"Kiyama-sensei? Well, she originally planned to apply for a position as an Ability Development teacher at Sakugawa, but she failed before her resume even passed the initial screening," Banri's face showed a hint of disappointment.
It seemed she too had hoped Kiyama-sensei could become her teacher again.
But due to the Level Upper and other high-risk incidents, even though the charges were dropped thanks to Heaven Canceller's intervention, the chance of her becoming a teacher was slim. Perhaps she could return to some research laboratory to continue her studies.
Meanwhile, a majority of Kiyama Harumi's former students, Banri included, had enrolled at Sakugawa Middle School.
"Eh, what a shame."
"But now she's one of our school's board members."
"Eh?!"
Natsume tilted her head, finding this rather unbelievable.
Was this the legendary 'infiltrate the enemy ranks' maneuver?
"You mean that woman is on your school's board now?"
Overhearing this highly shocking conversation, a certain wheelchair-bound Judgment member couldn't help but cough a few times.
For a period, Shirai-san had been deeply concerned about that woman.
It was because of her that Saten-san had gone through that terrible incident, and the entire Academy City had been thrown into chaos during that time.
It was only later they learned that Kiyama Harumi's goal had actually been to save her students.
"Mhmm," Banri nodded.
"I remember that too. Recently, a very wealthy woman did indeed become a board member at Sakugawa," Saten-san added, as if something had just dawned on her.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.