As if testing whether this sense of lightness was real, Sonoko Natsume took the charm off again.
For someone like Sonoko Natsume, whose brain was highly developed, even the slightest physical change registered clearly in her mind.
This time, however, the feeling was strange. The lightness wasn't physical, but seemed to affect her mental state instead.
"It actually works a bit. Did they put some calming herbs in it or something?"
Sonoko found it rather novel and couldn't help feeling curious.
The letter also included a contact number for Takashi Natsume. Sonoko planned to register this number officially in the coming days.
The holiday left her with little to do. Everyone was busy with their own affairs, and the Midsummer Festival was one of the few events that could bring all the Tokiwadai students together.
The maid outfit for the festival was already made—a classic black and white design, the most common type. Sonoko had found time to pick hers up.
Only during the Midsummer Festival could Tokiwadai students openly wear something other than their school uniforms.
Trying it on, Sonoko felt it didn't fit quite right. But after a closer look, she noticed several adjustable buttons at the waist.
After fastening the buttons to the right setting, it finally felt like it fit properly.
She looked at herself in the mirror—a rather unconvincing little maid stared back.
After a moment's thought, Sonoko put on the maid's headdress, rolled up the sleeves like Tsuchimikado did, deliberately left one button at the collar undone, widened her eyes, and clenched her fists, trying to look fierce.
'That's more like it,' she thought. Now she'd captured a bit of Tsuchimikado's maid style.
To Sonoko, wearing a maid outfit for the Midsummer Festival felt a lot like cosplay—only she was cosplaying as Tsuchimikado.
--+--
Sonoko wasn't much for exercise, but sometimes she'd follow others' example and go out to enjoy the sunshine, especially on a lazy, comfortable afternoon like this.
After strolling for a while near the Tokiwadai dormitories, she found her energy hadn't faded at all.
Thanks to her earlier commitment to morning runs, plus all the walking she'd done with Uncle Mouri's family during her time away from Academy City, Sonoko felt her stamina had finally reached the average middle schooler's level.
Some people always show up when you least expect them.
Trying to keep her eyes off the shop displays—since her wallet was nearly empty—Sonoko spotted a vaguely familiar figure entering her field of vision.
It was the strange nun named Index, chasing after a white cylindrical… familiar.
"Stop right there, you weird familiar!"
Puffing her cheeks in frustration, Index tugged angrily at the white cylindrical automaton in front of her.
But she didn't seem to have Sonoko's knack for catching these things. Not only could she not intercept it, the familiar kept nimbly dodging out of her grasp.
Just as Index was losing the battle, Sonoko suddenly made her move. Her hands moved swiftly, avoiding the robot's sensor camera, and firmly seized the cleaning robot—the so-called "familiar"—from the side.
"Wow, you're… you're that person from last time!"
Index blinked, seeming to recognize Sonoko. Then she quickly wrapped her arms and legs tightly around the white cylinder, even trying to bite it with her teeth.
Sonoko watched the little nun with some surprise. Mistaking a cleaning robot for a familiar… it seemed she had little understanding of technology.
Just as Sonoko couldn't grasp magic, those from the magical side didn't necessarily understand the science on her end.
"Um, may I ask… what did this robot do to you?"
Sonoko asked curiously, studying Index intently.
"Robot? Is that what you call familiars here?"
The girl named Index opened her innocent eyes wide and asked hesitantly. Now that she thought about it, Touma had mentioned something about it being called a robot.
"This familiar stole my donut! Touma said in this country, you're allowed to fight back against thieves and robbers!" Index declared confidently, still clinging to the machine.
Fight back… against a robot?
Sonoko was a bit lost. Their thought processes seemed to be on completely different wavelengths.
"Your name is Index, right? I heard Kamijou mention it last time we met."
"You know Touma?" Index tilted her head.
"We've met a few times. Actually, this robot didn't mean to eat your donut."
Organizing her words, Sonoko realized how hard it was to explain technology to someone from the magic side. Maybe this was how Kanzaki Kaori had felt back then.
"No way! It hadn't even been three seconds since I dropped it on the ground when this thing swooshed over and snatched my donut!" Index insisted, clearly not buying it.
The conversation wasn't going smoothly—in fact, it was rather rocky—but Sonoko eventually managed to help the magic-side girl understand what a robot was.
"I see… so this thing isn't a familiar." Index finally climbed down from the cylinder, nodding in confusion. She didn't fully get it, but it sounded impressive.
"But what about my donut?"
Index looked dejected. According to Touma, he was already seriously over budget this month and couldn't afford any extra donuts. That one had been her last.
With only a meager scholarship to live on, and now having to support two people, just avoiding starvation on the streets of Academy City was an achievement.
Sonoko felt a pang of sympathy for the little nun. She thought about buying her a donut—a good deed for the day—but then remembered her own nearly empty bank account. She sighed inwardly and let the idea go.
"Wait, I know a good place. We might find donuts there."
Sonoko's eyes lit up as she remembered something. After a quick explanation, she led Index to a nearby supermarket.
"This is called a supermarket. It's a place where we can buy things very easily," Sonoko patiently explained some basic concepts.
"But Touma said you need money to buy things, and I don't have any," Index said hesitantly.
"That's true, but in Academy City, there's also something called free sampling," Sonoko explained.
By the time they left the supermarket, Index was beaming, skipping happily out the door.
If the free samples hadn't run out, she might have stayed until closing time.
"Sonoko, Sonoko, can we come back to the supermarket tomorrow?" Index asked hopefully.
"Sure, the supermarket is open every day."
Index looked thrilled by the answer.
"Oh, it's so late already! I have to go."
Noticing how dark it had gotten, Index finally realized she'd been out too long and grew anxious.
Waving energetically at Sonoko from a distance, Index broke into a jog and soon disappeared from view.
Standing on the sidewalk near the supermarket, Sonoko suddenly froze. She had a vague feeling—like something was watching her.
She spun around. In the distance, under a streetlamp, stood a figure in a white lab coat.
Leaning against a car, with hair spilling over her shoulders, the figure noticed Sonoko's gaze and offered a faint, unreadable smile.
A white lab coat, dark circles under her eyes, and that familiar hairstyle—Sonoko recognized her instantly.
"Kiyama-sensei?"
Her voice held a hint of uncertainty, but her feet carried her forward almost on their own. Soon, she was standing beside the car.
"Long time no see, Natsume-san."
Kiyama Harumi's smile was gentle, but it carried a clear sense of weariness and distraction—as though she hadn't rested properly in a long time.
--+--
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.