I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

"Oh my~ How cute! Mikoto, which one do you think looks better?"

Kurumi held up two pieces of lingerie adorned with exquisite lace, their bold, vibrant designs seemingly tailor-made for her.

"They both suit you, Kurumi-senpai," Mikoto replied from the bench outside the fitting rooms, resting her chin on her hand with a resigned expression.

Looking at most of the styles displayed here, Mikoto realized none of them appealed to her at all.

Her gaze drifted toward the shelf next to Kurumi.

On it were rows of cute, girlish designs.

Among them, a pink camisole with a cat motif stood out, catching Mikoto's eye. She couldn't help but feel drawn to it.

But... with Kurumi-senpai here, Mikoto didn't dare pick it up.

After all, if Kurumi were to comment that it looked like something for an elementary schooler, it would be far too embarrassing.

Next time, I'll sneak back here alone to buy it, she decided internally.

"This one... or this one..." Kurumi murmured adorably, her eyes flicking toward Mikoto as she noticed where she was looking.

"Speaking of which... Kurumi-senpai always wears black stockings," Mikoto said, trying to shift the attention. "Every single time."

"While it does suit you, why not try something different?" She pointed to a display behind Kurumi featuring stockings in pure white.

"Eh?" Kurumi blinked, surprised by Mikoto's sudden suggestion.

"Although they might be hard to pull off, I'm sure Kurumi-senpai can handle it," Mikoto encouraged.

Kurumi nodded thoughtfully and headed into the fitting room.

...

"Um~ How about this?"

The curtain lifted, revealing Kurumi stepping out, her slender legs encased in sheer, pure-white thigh-high stockings that clung like a delicate veil to her flawless skin. The translucent fabric shimmered faintly under the light, highlighting the elegant lines of her calves and the soft curves of her thighs.

Kurumi had also swapped her usual outfit for a short, semi-sheer chiffon dress in white, giving her an ethereal and delicate appearance.

She smoothed her hair, her gaze lowered slightly, brushing her bangs aside to reveal a hint of golden light shimmering through.

Mikoto sighed deeply. Everything about Kurumi was perfectly normal, yet she somehow exuded an irresistible allure.

I've figured it out. Kurumi-senpai's true nature... she's a walking seductress.

"Ara? Does it look bad?" Kurumi asked, rubbing her feet together shyly.

"N-no! It looks great," Mikoto stammered, momentarily at a loss for words.

There was no way she could say, Kurumi-senpai, you're obviously trying to seduce people!

Kurumi soon changed back into her usual dress.

To Mikoto's surprise, Kurumi then walked over to the shelf Mikoto had been glancing at earlier and picked up the pink cat-themed camisole.

Kurumi held it up to herself, her smile growing wider.

"What about this one?" she asked, her innocent expression almost too pure to be true.

Wait... Is Kurumi-senpai doing this on purpose? Mikoto wondered, letting out a mental cry of despair. She was certain Kurumi had noticed her earlier glance.

But seeing the genuine fondness in Kurumi's eyes and recalling her love for cats, Mikoto's expression grew complicated.

"It looks nice, but... isn't it too small?"

"Good-looking, yes, but... don't you think the size might be a bit too small?" Misaka Mikoto muttered awkwardly.

"Is that so?" Kurumi tilted her head thoughtfully, then, to Mikoto's shock, pushed the pink camisole toward her. "Then why don't you try it on, Mikoto?"

"W-w-what?!" Mikoto stammered, completely at a loss. "Th-this childish pink outfit?!"

"I mean... we're middle schoolers now. Who would even wear this kind of thing?!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Kurumi tapped her cheek with her finger, feigning deep thought. "But I distinctly remember that on Monday, Mikoto was wearing something just like this."

Ugh... Ughhh!!!

Mikoto groaned, her face turning crimson as embarrassment completely overwhelmed her.

...

"Come on, let's go!"

Face bright red, Mikoto shoved Kurumi forward, urging her to leave the store quickly.

For some reason, whenever she was with Kurumi-senpai, her threshold for embarrassment seemed to rise uncontrollably.

And to think, she had been so careful that day to hide it under her sweater, yet Kurumi-senpai had still managed to notice.

That realization had sent her spiraling into a public humiliation nightmare.

Kurumi-senpai also seemed to have a peculiar habit of taking her to browse cartoonish, pink, and excessively "girly" clothing.

It wasn't that Mikoto didn't like them—she secretly adored them—but the shame of shopping for such things with Kurumi made her face burn with embarrassment.

Lost in thought, Mikoto began to feel her body heat up.

She glanced around nervously, lips pressed tightly together.

...

"By the way, I didn't see your little sidekick today," Kurumi said with a smile.

"Sidekick?" Mikoto paused, confused. "Kurumi-senpai... are you talking about Kuroko?"

"Mhm."

"Don't even bring her up." Mikoto's lips twitched in irritation, her tone clearly exasperated. "If it weren't for her..."

"Oh my, what happened?" Kurumi mused, connecting the dots with Mikoto's earlier complaints.

"Because of her, I had to move out of the School Garden!" Mikoto grumbled.

"She used to act normal enough, but suddenly she started behaving like... that."

"And now, the dorm outside the School Garden is even stricter than inside! Especially the dorm supervisor..." Mikoto shuddered, recalling something particularly frightening.

"Anyway... it's getting late. I'd better head back," Mikoto sighed. Times weren't what they used to be, and she had no intention of risking a violation of curfew.

As if remembering something, Mikoto added, "By the way, after next week... I might have to leave Academy City for a bit. There's a practical ability demonstration with one of Academy City's partners that I need to attend."

"Well, have fun!" Kurumi said cheerfully.

"Fun, huh? I hope so," Mikoto chuckled. She was going with Shirai Kuroko this time and could only hope Kuroko wouldn't cause too much trouble.

"Oh, who knows? You might get a surprise," Kurumi replied, her eyes narrowing with an enigmatic smile.

...

"I'm back," Mikoto sighed as she returned to her dormitory in Tokiwadai's off-campus student housing in District 7.

The day's embarrassing escapades had left her mentally and emotionally drained.

She strongly suspected Kurumi-senpai's suggestion to try on white stockings had been a form of subtle revenge.

As she pushed open her dorm room door, she braced herself for Kuroko to teleport over in her usual overenthusiastic greeting.

But to her surprise, Kuroko didn't pounce on her.

"Once again, Onee-sama has been out buying such childish things," Kuroko deadpanned, sitting amidst a mountain of gift boxes with a pale green Gekota pair of panties perched on her head.

Mikoto instantly realized what Kurumi-senpai had meant by a "surprise."

Still... the most pressing issue at hand was undoubtedly—

"Kuroko!!!"

Zzzzzt—

"Ahhh~~ Onee-sama's electrifying love!"

"Onee-sama! What a radiant smile! I knew you cared about me!"

Shirai Kuroko, dressed in a ridiculously revealing and tasteless nightgown, topped off with a Gekota-themed pair of panties on her head, squirmed her way toward Misaka Mikoto with unrestrained glee.

Despite being fully aware of her underclassman's antics, a # mark of frustration still popped up on Mikoto's temple.

This girl...

Couldn't she tone it down a bit? Mikoto's fist clenched tightly.

The next moment, Shirai Kuroko's figure vanished from her sight.

Even though she had anticipated it, Mikoto was still caught off guard by how brazen Kuroko could be.

Her already sore and exhausted body was now invaded by two hands that reached from behind to grope her. Shirai Kuroko had embraced her tightly from behind.

"Not very big, but certainly perky~"

"Oh yes, this flatness is Onee-sama's ultimate sin. Such humble yet forbidden temptation... Kuroko... Kuroko's heart is utterly captivated."

Despite being crafted with cutting-edge defensive technology, the Tokiwadai uniform—designed to withstand forces exceeding six tons—was powerless against the perverted molestations of Kuroko's unrelenting advances.

Mikoto froze in place, her entire body stiff. Her trembling fist crackled with electricity.

"Kuroko!!!"

Lost in the ecstasy of her delusion, Shirai Kuroko remained oblivious to the brewing storm.

Or perhaps, even if she were to be beaten or electrocuted, she deemed it worth the price.

"Onee-sama! Finally, you're calling my name directly!" Kuroko melted further into her fantasy.

"..."

Without another word, Mikoto spun around abruptly, her fist wreathed in blue-white lightning as she swung it with all her might, seemingly intending to channel an entire day's worth of embarrassment into that one blow.

"Brace yourself for this, you pervert!!!"

Zzzzzt—

"Ahh... This is Onee-sama's electrifying love~" Shirai Kuroko twitched violently on the floor, her body convulsing as her legs tangled together. She showed no signs of remorse.

Huff—

"You've been broken since the day you were born," Mikoto muttered through gritted teeth, taking deep breaths.

This was her life now. It seemed destined to continue for a very long time.

But then, Mikoto noticed something strange.

Kuroko, lying on the ground, suddenly stopped convulsing and stared behind Mikoto with an expression of pure terror. Her eyes had shrunk to the size of red beans.

"Hey, that trick's outdated," Mikoto said, nudging Kuroko lightly with her foot. But to her surprise, Kuroko wasn't faking it.

"Rule number nine of the dormitory regulations: No use of abilities inside the dormitory."

A voice colder than ice echoed from behind her.

Zzzz—

Mikoto's shoulders tensed, and the tips of her tea-colored hair stood on end like startled antennae.

She would never forget the fear of that day—the day she was utterly dominated by the dorm supervisor.

Stiffly, Mikoto turned her head bit by bit. Behind her stood a tall, imposing woman, adjusting her glasses. The lenses glowed ominously, like LED lights.

"D-dorm supervisor..." Mikoto stammered, letting out a pitiful whimper.

She had even cut her outing with Kurumi-senpai short just to avoid running into this terrifying figure.

But alas, she had crashed and burned in the end.

Shirai Kuroko, despite being smacked on the head by Misaka Mikoto, showed no signs of remorse.

If anything, she looked even more excited, her face flushed with a rosy hue.

Mikoto, still embarrassed, started unwrapping the neatly packaged gifts scattered across the room. To her dismay, they turned out to be the cute clothes she had secretly admired while shopping with Kurumi, only to refuse them under various pretenses.

Clutching a pastel pink pajama set tightly, Mikoto bit her lip.

If she still didn't realize that Kurumi had seen right through her preferences, then she truly was as dense as a single-celled organism from the Amazon.

What do I do next time I see Kurumi-senpai?! Mikoto thought, cheeks ablaze with embarrassment.

This shy, girlish expression, however, plunged Shirai Kuroko—still bound tightly like a caterpillar—into utter despair.

Onee-sama... Onee-sama really does have someone else out there behind my back!

If Kuroko could move, she would have curled up in a corner, biting her handkerchief like a melodramatic heroine.

Unfortunately, Mikoto had tied her up far too securely.

Noticing the sudden silence from behind her, Mikoto turned her head curiously.

"Kuroko?" She looked at the unusually quiet Shirai with concern and hesitated before removing the sock she had stuffed in Kuroko's mouth.

No matter what, Kuroko was still her underclassman and roommate. If something really went wrong, Mikoto would feel responsible.

At this point, Mikoto still hadn't fully grasped just how tenacious and incorrigible her personal sidekick truly was.

"Ugh... Onee-sama! Onee-sama, even after having Kuroko, you still flirt with others outside!"

With seemingly superhuman speed, Kuroko launched herself into Mikoto's arms, burying her face into Mikoto's chest.

"Honey scent... rose scent..."

"There's more than one other woman!" Kuroko accused dramatically, rubbing her head against Mikoto's chest.

"You little—" Mikoto growled, grabbing Kuroko's shoulders and shaking her furiously. "I was actually worried about you!"

Frustrated, she tried to stuff the sock back into Kuroko's mouth, only for Kuroko to stop her in a sudden burst of determination.

"Wait!"

"What now?" Sparks of electricity began to crackle ominously around Mikoto's temple.

"If possible..." Kuroko's eyes sparkled with expectation.

"I'd prefer if you used that instead," she said, glancing at the panties still in Mikoto's other hand.

"..."

"Kuroko!!!"

Mikoto's furious shout echoed through the entire dormitory.

Shortly after—

"Keep it down!"

An icy, terrifying voice came from outside the room.

"Sorry, Dorm Supervisor!" Mikoto and Kuroko responded in perfect synchronization.

...

Outside, a white wind turbine spun slowly in reverse—a phenomenon caused by the presence of an electromagnetic ability user nearby.

"Hello... Misaka greets, attempting to make the other party aware of her presence."

Standing before Kurumi was a girl in Tokiwadai's summer uniform. Her tea-colored, medium-short hair framed a delicate face, her expression as flat and emotionless as her voice.

"Misaka... Sister." Kurumi immediately recognized her visitor.

"Yes, I am Misaka #4396. Misaka responds, hoping the other party remembers her," the girl said, her tone utterly devoid of emotion, her delivery robotic.

Kurumi sighed softly. It seemed her plan to have Nunotaba Shinobu implant emotional modules into the Sisters hadn't been successful.

"You're the Sister I met that night," Kurumi said, gently patting #4396's head.

During her encounter with Mikoto near the School Garden that evening, Kurumi had come across this particular Sister. Her unique sense of time allowed her to "see" the precise lifespan ticking away above each Sister's head like a clock.

Kurumi had developed a way to distinguish between them effortlessly.

"An unrelated party," #4396 muttered in a monotone, rejecting Kurumi's head-patting. However, her words betrayed a faint sense of joy as she noted, "Misaka feels 'happy' that the other party remembers her. Misaka quietly protests being treated like a child."

"Oh my, how cute," Kurumi teased, withdrawing her hand. "So, what brings you here?"

"The deep-voiced man with facial tattoos asked Misaka to inform you that the Tree Diagram Designer has completed its calculations," the Sister stated matter-of-factly.

"Additionally, Misaka feels a sense of 'loss' as the other party withdraws their hand. Misaka subtly implies this," she added, her tone unwavering.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven