Seventh Mist clothing mall.
Watching the girl by the mirror—holding a pink, childlike pajama set against her body, cheeks tinged with a faint blush—Selene couldn't help but smile mischievously. She turned to Sebas and gestured for silence.
Under Sebas' helpless gaze, Selene crept forward quietly and suddenly clapped her hands down on Misaka Mikoto's shoulder. "Misaka-san?!" she said loudly.
"Ah? Ah!!" The startled girl spun around, her face flushed red, the pink pajamas still clutched in her hands.
"Y-you... why are you here?!" Misaka stammered, trying to hide the pajamas behind her back, her entire face glowing scarlet as she stared at Selene and her butler.
"Why can't I be here?" Selene asked with an amused smile. "Oh my, Misaka-san, what kind of pajamas are you buying? Let me see~"
For every step Selene took forward, Misaka retreated one step back. With her flushed cheeks and panicked movements, it looked for all the world like Selene was teasing a flustered, innocent maiden.
Just as Selene was about to continue her little game, a male voice suddenly cut in—it wasn't Sebas, but it was definitely familiar.
"What are you two doing, Selene-san and Biri-Biri?"
Kamijou Touma. The unlucky boy himself.
Selene remained calm, straightening her clothes with poise, while Misaka instantly transformed into a "Steam Princess," her face steaming red like a boiling kettle.
"W-why are you here?!"
"Why can't I be?" Kamijou shot back, crossing his arms. But after glancing around the area, he hesitated. "Uh... okay, maybe it is a little weird for me to be here alone."
"My, my, if it isn't the unlucky boy himself. You wouldn't happen to be here for... that, would you?" Selene's tone was sly as she glanced between Kamijou and the nearby lingerie store, her eyes gleaming playfully.
"You—hey! What do you mean by 'unlucky boy'? My name's Kamijou Touma!" he protested, face darkening. He quickly pointed behind him. "This kid said she wanted to find a dress shop, so I just brought her here, that's all."
"Ahaha... wait, you have a sister?" Misaka quickly cut in, trying to defuse the situation before Selene could roast him further. She forced a cheerful smile—but froze the moment she got a good look at the girl beside Kamijou.
"Ah! It's the big sister from Tokiwadai!" the little girl cried happily when she saw Misaka.
"You're... the little girl who lost her bag yesterday?" Misaka said softly, smiling warmly. "What brings you here?"
"Um... I wanted to come myself! Big brother brought me here because I wanted to wear a pretty dress—like the ones people wear on TV."
Misaka gently patted the girl's head. "I see. But you already look really cute just like this."
"Mhm, she really is adorable," Kamijou agreed, nodding approvingly. "Unlike someone who wears safety shorts."
Selene cast him a quick glance and smirked, while Misaka's face twisted in outrage.
Unlike Misaka, Selene did care about her visual appearance. She always wore stockings or pantyhose under her uniform—usually sheer, sometimes opaque—because she liked the comfort and visual elegance they provided.
"What's that supposed to mean?! You looking for a fight?!" Misaka snapped, her patience finally snapping under the obvious favoritism.
"Eh?! Is fighting the only thing in that head of yours? Can't you learn from your classmates? You're both Tokiwadai ladies—how can there be such a huge difference in refinement?" Kamijou sighed dramatically, his eyes dropping first to Selene's shapely thighs wrapped in black stockings, his gaze approving, before glancing at Misaka's thin, bare legs under plain white socks with obvious disdain.
"W-what do you mean by that look?!" Sparks of electricity began crackling across Misaka's forehead—she was seconds away from snapping.
"Hey, hey! You're not seriously gonna start a fight in a crowded place, are you?" Kamijou said, exasperated.
"Big brother, I want to go over there." Seeing that the situation was about to escalate—and conveniently having the perfect excuse thanks to the little girl tugging on his arm—Kamijou Touma wisely decided to make his escape.
"See you later, Tokiwadai ladies!" he said quickly, waving as he and the girl hurried off.
After watching them leave, Selene asked curiously, "When did you help that little girl?"
"Oh, that was yesterday. Basically..." Misaka Mikoto began explaining.
"So, you volunteered as a Judgment officer for the entire day yesterday?" Selene asked after hearing the full story, her expression puzzled. "Don't tell me you thought Judgment's work was all thrilling action and adventure, so you decided to experience it firsthand?"
"Don't bring that up! How was I supposed to know that Judgment mostly deals with trivial stuff like lost items and petty disputes?!" Misaka cried, her face turning red. "And another thing—why does he always pick on me? Does he have some kind of problem with me?!"
"I refuse to accept this!"
"Maybe... because, ahem, you're flat?"
"Flat... flat..." Selene's words struck like a bolt of lightning. Misaka froze, staring blankly at her own chest before turning toward Selene, who stood with her hands on her hips, her D-cup chest proudly filling out her blouse. Then, with a look of existential defeat, Misaka crouched down on the floor, radiating a visible aura of despair.
When Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko finally arrived, the scene before them nearly made both of them burst into laughter.
"Selene-senpai, you're here too? And... uh, what's up with Misaka-senpai?" Saten asked, her lips twitching as she tried to keep a straight face.
"I invited Selene-senpai. Hm? Misaka-senpai?" Uiharu blinked in confusion as she looked down at the dejected Tokiwadai ace squatting on the ground.
"Courtesy of a certain black-stockinged fatty," Misaka muttered bitterly, glaring up at the two newcomers.
"Tch, you're the one with no fashion sense, wearing safety shorts!" Selene immediately shot back, clearly offended.
"What's wrong with that?! Safety shorts are durable, great for movement, and they keep you warm!"
"Do I not have all those features too? And mine are made from special materials—more comfortable, stronger, and more beautiful!"
"W-wow... s-so this is what the world of upper-class ladies is like..."
Uiharu, who had been too shy to speak earlier, suddenly whipped out a notebook and began scribbling furiously while mumbling to herself, "The Elegant Lady's Guide to Fashion—Part One: Dressing Like a Lady..."
"Uiharu? Uiharu?!" Saten called, watching her friend sink into an obsessive trance. With a mischievous grin, she decided to intervene the only way she knew how.
Saten Ruiko lifted Uiharu's skirt playfully. "Uiharu~! Ahaha, this time it's blue with cartoon bears—so cute!"
Unsurprisingly, Uiharu instantly snapped out of it and started pounding Saten's chest with her little fists.
"Ahhhh! Saten-san, what are you doing?!"
At that moment, not far from them, a young man wearing headphones stood in the corner of the store, his eyes dark and sharp as he glared intensely at the Judgment armband on Uiharu's arm.