A white cylindrical vehicle whizzed past, its wake stirring a breeze that flirted with the skirts of passing schoolgirls.
The weather was fine, and with the holidays approaching, groups of boys and girls filled the streets, their faces bright with anticipation and joy.
She also spotted the little maid, Tsuchimikado, sitting on one of those white cylinders as it spun in place, chattering nonstop to a high school boy in a loud floral shirt sporting a yellow spiky hairstyle.
The high school boy was scratching his head repeatedly, seeming to be thoroughly outmatched by Miss Tsuchimikado in their conversation.
"That must be Tsuchimikado-san's older brother, right? What was his name again?"
Natsume Sonoko's gaze drifted over the familiar face. She remembered Tsuchimikado-san mentioning him before, but she'd never actually shared her brother's name.
She'd seen him somewhere before too. It seemed this yellow-spiked guy and that black-spiked guy, Kamijou Touma, were even classmates or something.
Sitting atop her own cylindrical ride, even though nobody could see her on the machine, she found herself sitting upright and proper, just like Tsuchimikado-san was.
In her hand, she clutched a pen, agonizing over the application form to leave Academy City.
Even with the noisy surroundings, nothing could break Natsume Sonoko's concentration. The application in her hand remained blank, clearly she was still carefully weighing her words.
The screening process in Academy City was notoriously strict.
If they found fault with your reason right off the bat, you might as well not even apply. It'd be more time-efficient to just go back to the dorm and read manga.
For the past few years, her applications had never had issues with the form itself. Her reason was always the standard 'visiting family,' but something always seemed to go wrong during the approval stage.
No matter what, all the information had to be filled out correctly. As for the reason… it was the same old story: visiting family.
Being a student in Academy City was such a hassle sometimes. Even just going home required jumping through all these hoops.
As she neared her destination, Natsume Sonoko deftly hopped off the cylindrical vehicle and hurried with quick, small steps into the administrative office.
"Miss Natsume, I've received your application. I now need to formally confirm your guarantor. It is your father, Mr. Natsume Ryunosuke, correct?"
The receptionist, dressed in a ladies' suit and carrying an air of authority reminiscent of the Dorm Supervisor, said with a smile.
"That's correct." Natsume Sonoko nodded.
"Well, here's the situation. According to our information, while Mr. Natsume Ryunosuke is a high-ranking official with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, he is currently traveling in Europe and does not meet the conditions to act as guarantor at this time."
The receptionist offered an apologetic smile, which instantly made Natsume Sonoko tense up.
"But he'll be back soon," Natsume Sonoko said, a note of defiance in her voice.
"I'm sorry, but the guarantor must be physically located in Japan. It's a rule set by the Board of Directors, and there's nothing we can do about it here," the receptionist explained patiently.
"Furthermore, your mother, Ms. Natsume Tomoyo, is also not in Japan and does not meet the requirements either."
"Excuse me, I need to make a phone call first."
Natsume Sonoko pulled out her phone, a hint of embarrassment on her face, and called a certain Mr. Natsume Ryunosuke.
After a brief conversation, to her immense surprise, Natsume Sonoko actually managed to pass the guarantor hurdle. The guarantor turned out to be a former subordinate of Natsume Ryunosuke.
"Alright, so this Mr. Kogoro Mori will act as your guarantor after you leave Academy City. The Academy will subsequently communicate with him."
"He was formerly a detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, resigned ten years ago to become a private detective, and is now a somewhat famous detective in Japan."
The receptionist confirmed Kogoro Mori's information, accepted Natsume Sonoko's application, and thus completed the initial qualification review.
But this was only the first step. It still had to go through the review of the Board of Directors. Getting the applications through her school and the Anti-Skill office was comparatively much easier.
'Finally done. That was rough. But one thing… that name Kogoro Mori has to be just a coincidence, right?' Natsume Sonoko felt a strange twinge in her heart.
She had to remember, this was the world of Railgun and Index, not the world of a certain boy detective club. Her distant cousin, Natsume Takashi, wouldn't have a cat sensei or a Book of Friends either.
If she could get out, maybe she could find some time to visit Natsume Takashi.
Hearing that familiar name prompted her to pull out her phone and search for information on Kogoro Mori.
Good. Nothing came up.
She then searched for the famous detective Kudo Shinichi's name. Nothing there either.
So it really was all just a coincidence.
Actually, Academy City's network was separate from the outside world. So, information from the outside had a hard time getting inside.
The only outside information that really gained traction in Academy City was probably stuff related to idol stars. News about high school detectives from the outside world was pretty niche, even among niche topics.
Just as she was about to walk out of the office's main door, she nearly bumped into a high school girl who looked anything but ordinary.
Her black hair reached her shoulders, held back by a hairband that pinned her bangs up. She was tall and strikingly noticeable, dressed in a common high school uniform.
She exuded an air of calm rationality that left a strong impression.
"Long time no see. You're Natsume Sonoko, right? Here to apply to leave Academy City again?" This high school girl had also spotted Natsume, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"Long time no see?"
Just as Natsume Sonoko was feeling confused, staring at this senior in front of her, a person suddenly came to mind.
"It's Kumokawa…senpai?"
Natsume Sonoko remembered now. During a previous application visit to this office, she'd met a very articulate senior.
"Heh, looks like you haven't forgotten me."
This senior's name was Kumokawa Seria, now a third-year student at A Certain High School.
"Some things never change. Still thinking about leaving Academy City for the holidays?" Kumokawa-senpai asked with a laugh.
Finding a spot to sit in the office, Natsume Sonoko started chatting with Kumokawa-senpai.
"Planning to be away for about fifteen to twenty days, around the Tokyo area… I might actually be able to help with the Board of Directors." Kumokawa-senpai rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Really?" Natsume Sonoko said, surprised. Thinking about it, this senior did seem to have some connections with the Board.
--+--
"I know I saw it before! The Dorm Supervisor, sneaking around in casual clothes! And she actually put effort into her makeup before going out! There's definitely something going on here!"
Shirai pressed down on someone's head before it could even fully rise, her expression grave as she peered stealthily from the gap between two storefronts.
"Now that you mention it, the Dorm Supervisor has been going out a lot more recently. Not just on her days off, but on regular weekdays too," came Misaka Mikoto's thoughtful voice from behind.
"Ow, so heavy! Shirai-san, get off me!"
Finally managing to escape Shirai's grasp, Natsume Sonoko squatted to the side, visibly displeased.
"You've been acting pretty strange yourself lately, disappearing for days on end. But compared to that, the Dorm Supervisor—that always-grumpy old woman—is way more suspicious," Shirai shot a glance at Natsume Sonoko, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"Shirai, did you just say something incredibly rude?"
"I'm just stating facts. Don't worry about the small stuff."
"Could it be a date? She is about that age, I suppose."
Misaka Mikoto's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she watched the not-yet-distant figure of the Dorm Supervisor.
"I think it's a matchmaking meeting. Someone like the Dorm Supervisor, who tosses students outside the dorm for fun and punishes us for just messing around a little with Onee-sama, would never get asked on a real date. Though, anyone willing to meet her through a matchmaker must be a brave soul indeed!"
Shirai declared with righteous fury, seemingly recalling nights spent shivering outside the dorm. She moved swiftly, tailing the Dorm Supervisor.
"Shirai-san seems to hold quite a grudge against the Dorm Supervisor," Natsume Sonoko remarked, watching Shirai's determined back with a touch of lament.
"Wait!"
Shirai suddenly threw out an arm, stopping the two behind her. Following Shirai's line of sight, they saw the Dorm Supervisor enter a pizza restaurant.
"A pizza place for a matchmaking meeting?" Shirai narrowed her eyes, stroking her chin.
Before they could ponder further, barely half a minute later, the Dorm Supervisor emerged carrying a stack of over ten pizza takeout boxes.
"I've got it! The Dorm Supervisor's matchmaking partner must be Italian! And his name must be Marco!" Shirai's face lit up with an expression of sudden understanding, though the theory itself sounded utterly unreliable.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, 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.