Dating or whatever was utterly irrelevant—a girl who dwelled in eleven dimensions had eyes only for her Onee-sama.
Yet even her beloved Onee-sama could be kept in the dark. This very resolve seemed to emanate an ever-deepening haze from Shirai Kuroko.
Fortunately, the self-styled great detective who believed she could see through any mist was sitting right across from her. Her skeptical expression, chin resting in her hand and brow furrowed, betrayed her inner turmoil.
"Ah well, having Shirai-san should be enough."
"Ordinary matters are no challenge for her, and she has Uiharu-san's help too."
Relaxing slightly, Natsume Sonoko decided there was no need to pry into Shirai-san's affairs. As this thought settled, her perplexed expression gradually faded.
Whether Shirai-san was solving a case or handling some other matter, what if her own curiosity led her to ask, and she ended up being roped into helping?
That would surely disrupt her pleasant, comfortable daily life—a move no wise person would make.
Having reached this conclusion, the clever Natsume-san quietly took a step back, maintaining a safe distance from the highly motivated teleporter, and returned to her casual, meandering conversation with Meigo-senpai.
Though she'd gotten involved in the Level 0 assault case before, the inherent laziness in her bones was hard to shake off. She felt perfectly at ease enjoying the safe environment others had created for her.
That powerful inner drive strong enough to overwhelm her lazy nature didn't make an appearance often.
"Ah, I've got it."
Her eyes lit up slightly as Natsume-san thought of a suitable topic, perfect for killing time until the Anti-Skill officers arrived and preventing any potential… complications.
Her gaze then drifted to the busy figure of Shirai Kuroko, and her previous sense of complacency diminished just a little.
It was probably a subtle, subconscious influence.
Natsume-san held Judgment and Anti-Skill in very high regard. As long as they were on the front lines, she could live her life comfortably.
But if a problem ever arose that even Anti-Skill and Judgment couldn't handle… well, then it would be her turn to stand in front of them.
"Meigo-senpai, have you taken on any endorsement deals recently? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"It's not some major endorsement or anything, just for a toy product. Senpai, are you familiar with the popular magical girl, Kanamin-chan?"
As she helped tidy up the scattered CDs and put the stereo and keyboard back in place, Natsume Sonoko spoke hesitantly.
Although she'd settled on starting a company within Academy City, it still required some preparation time. Right now, it was all just talk.
Arisa was a famous singer in Academy City, and also a senpai she knew. Natsume-san didn't treat this as a business discussion, but rather as a normal, everyday conversation.
She didn't know much about the commercial side of things. She just knew that through an endorsement contract, she could arrange a large concert for her senpai, similar to the space elevator opening ceremony before.
But with Arisa's growing fame, there were probably more sponsors knocking on her door now. Natsume-san wasn't sure if this senpai still needed her help.
"If you'd rather not, Senpai, that's perfectly fine."
Her tone hesitant again, Natsume-san's mind was always full of thoughts.
She wanted to help people, not cause them trouble.
"I'd be happy to."
"I've seen the Kanamin anime, it's wonderful. And I think Natsume-san is a lot like Kanamin—a beautiful girl who could save the world."
"Besides, after the whole space elevator incident, I haven't taken on any new endorsements. My schedule is quite open."
Biting her lip in thought for a moment, Meigo-senpai didn't hide her feelings, then replied with a cheerful smile, as if she hadn't just been the target of an attack.
"Heh, I'm not that great."
Natsume Sonoko smiled sheepishly, as easily flattered as ever.
"But Senpai, you haven't accepted any endorsements? They must pay so well."
Thinking of her own meager wallet and bank balance, Natsume-san asked with noticeable concern.
Humans tend to fixate on what they lack most. Natsume-san was currently in a state of money-eyed fascination.
Hearing that Kouzaku-senpai had eighty million yen had made her incredibly envious; even at her wealthiest, her savings couldn't match a fraction of that.
Even though that money came from some Dark Side organization's funds, they were all unregistered bank cards—technically, they could be used without issue.
And while Kouzaku-senpai's eighty million seemed like a vast sum, it paled in comparison to Shokuhou-senpai's wealth. She'd even heard rumors that the Shokuhou Clique owned numerous businesses outside the school.
To support their high-maintenance Queen, the clique members racked their brains to make money, only to see it all mercilessly squandered by their ruler.
"Endorsements are a serious matter."
"My experience with the Orbit Portal Company made me think a lot. I can't just agree to these things casually for the sake of a stage or a performance opportunity."
"If my fans were to experience something bad because of it, it would be my fault."
Shaking her head, Meigo-senpai spoke earnestly.
It was true that more and more people were paying attention to her lately, and business offers were gradually increasing, but she had become much more cautious.
"Eh? I see."
Hearing her senpai's words, the certain bun-girl immediately understood her feelings.
Even Shirai-san, who was eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but glance back. It seemed those events from days past had left a deep impact on the senpai.
"But Natsume-san is different. You're very trustworthy."
Resting her chin in her hand, Meigo-senpai looked over the girl before her and added.
The Anti-Skill armored vehicle gradually drove away, the perpetrator subdued by Shirai-san sent to where he belonged.
No matter the reasons, a crime was a crime. Even a middle schooler like Natsume Sonoko knew you should obey the law and be a decent person.
Shirai Kuroko, having just finished liaising with the Anti-Skill officers, let out a sigh of relief. She looked around, only to find that the certain bun-girl had long since vanished.
This was nothing new; her teammate was always this lackadaisical.
She was just about to continue looking into the connection between the Indian Poker cards and the recent incidents when a message appeared on her phone.
[Shirai, the next prophecy has appeared. Ten minutes from now, near the vending machine on Roppongi Avenue.]
--+--
Standing amongst the onlookers not far away, an elementary schooler with a black backpack was quietly sending a text, his face pale with exhaustion.
He possessed an ability to see the future. But even if he foresaw it, he couldn't change it through normal means. Events would always unfold toward the prophesied outcome—until he met that fated person.
By leveraging the power of eleven dimensions to interfere with the fixed reality of three, he had found his current method of solving problems.
But using his precognitive ability frequently placed a tremendous strain on his brain.
Fortunately, he was still in a phase of ability growth; perhaps this strain could even help develop his power level. Thinking this, Miyama Shaei allowed a relaxed smile to touch his lips.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL