The pleasant, comfortable weekend had come to an end, and before she knew it, it was time for school again.
After a full day of classes, Natsume Sonoko sat at her desk, gazing somewhat vacantly at the sky outside the window.
She hadn't slept well last night—whether it was from drinking too much black tea or some other reason, Natsume Sonoko had stayed up until one or two in the morning before finally sinking into a deep sleep.
Honestly, insomnia wasn't that big of a deal. Natsume Sonoko had plenty of ways to perk herself up.
The real problem was that she'd also had a physical education class today.
Even though it was just a standard workout—ten squats, ten push-ups, and a thousand-meter run—it had completely worn Sonoko out, leaving her feeling utterly miserable.
Her whole body ached, and the long-distance run was the activity she detested most, especially that final hundred meters, which felt like an impossibly distant stretch.
'I almost thought I was going to die. I hate P.E.,' Sonoko thought, her face taking on the expression of someone who'd narrowly escaped disaster.
Her gaze, once empty and lost, gradually sharpened a little.
It was true that Natsume Sonoko's stamina was a bit lacking, but even so, she had no desire to improve it through activities like long-distance running. In her opinion, riding a bicycle was plenty good enough.
Feeling that she'd rested long enough and couldn't just linger in the classroom forever, Sonoko slowly rose from her desk and walked out.
She pulled out her phone from her backpack and began her usual routine of browsing forums and lurking online, especially on a certain urban legend website, which had become one of her favorite places to visit.
Scrolling through her phone, she soon opened that very urban legend site and entered its forums, which were filled with all sorts of bizarre posts from users.
[Legend has it that cash cards of varying amounts can be found in the back alleys of Academy City.]
[There's a teleporter who ruthlessly defeats her enemies, and she has a partner she's crazy about: the strongest Electromaster, the Railgun.]
[The man who can oppose the Railgun with just his right hand.]
As Natsume Sonoko skimmed through the forum posts, she couldn't help but feel they were overflowing with gossip and rumors, a chaotic mix of truth and falsehoods flying everywhere.
Misaka-senpai truly was a notable figure—even on small sites like this, her legends spread far and wide.
Seeing the Railgun's name pop up repeatedly, Sonoko mused that this was the power of the Railgun's fans.
Among the various chat and spam posts on the site, countless unverified—or not yet officially recognized—urban legends were everywhere.
Only those with high credibility or widespread recognition earned an official spot on the site, getting at least a dedicated feature page.
Like the time Maeda Kana-senpai's urban legend, "The Stripping Woman Roaming Academy City," got its own feature page on this "Seeing is Believing" urban legend website, even generating some revenue from clicks.
[Shocking! The ground suddenly froze over—what did these people do to the earth?]
Sonoko clicked on the post and was met with photos of that group from the recent bank robbery.
Kuroko hadn't been caught on camera, but several Anti-Skill officers and an armored vehicle were visible, though their faces were blurred.
The post briefly described the incident and included a picture of the robbers shivering when they were arrested. Finally, there was a photo of the poster testing the ground temperature at the scene.
Despite the lack of first-hand evidence, the poster insisted they'd encountered something mysterious and unknown.
Natsume Sonoko was pleased to see her deeds gaining traction, but the sparse replies quickly dampened her mood.
[No pictures of the frozen ground? It's hard to believe you without them. Oh, and isn't it almost summer now?]
[Sudden ground freezing? Maybe the criminals were just scared of being caught (pats head).]
[Boring post. Gone, gone.]
Sonoko thought about staging a few photos of frozen ground to upload, maybe even capturing the bright sun overhead to boost credibility and show these doubters what was what.
In the end, she resisted the impulse. She figured it'd be better to create her own urban legend section instead of wasting precious photos on a reply.
Not only would it fulfill the Urban Legend Investigation Club's monthly research assignment, but she'd heard the earnings were decent.
Last time she saw Maeda Kana-senpai, the girl was already treating herself to high-end meals from District Four.
'Temperature control ability plus photography—could that work?'
Sonoko thought it was worth a shot. Who knows, it might even lift her out of financial struggle and put her in a position to out-earn Kuroko.
Creating an urban legend wasn't exactly hard, but widespread recognition was what truly turned gossip and rumors into a full-fledged legend.
Closing the post, Sonoko walked out of Tokiwadai Middle School's gates, embarking on yet another fulfilling day of urban investigation.
Leaving the School Garden and cutting through a few back alleys, she soon arrived at the bustling shopping district.
Walking on the pedestrian overpass, Sonoko felt her fatigue begin to fade, her spirits lifting once more.
'The weather's really nice today—perfect for outdoor investigations. I'll head to the arcade later and check things out.'
In just a second, Sonoko had mapped out her investigation plan for the day. Striding forward with purpose, she felt as if she'd found her meaning for the day. It was true—having a goal really got you motivated.
Plus, the arcade wasn't too expensive, making it a perfect spot for an ordinary student like Natsume Sonoko.
As she mulled this over, Sonoko spotted a familiar face on the overpass.
It was Misaka-senpai.
Misaka-senpai was holding a can of pineapple juice, looking up at the sky with a faint trace of melancholy in her eyes, as if contemplating life's unpredictability.
Just as Sonoko was about to go over and say hello, something unexpected happened.
Was Misaka-senpai being hit on? Well, she supposed it counted as hitting on.
"You're really cute, and a Tokiwadai student too."
"Hey, how about hanging out with us? We'll show you some goldfish—really pretty ones."
"Don't worry about getting back late; we'll make sure you get home." A group of clearly delinquent boys had surrounded Misaka-senpai, closing in on her.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... They're really brave," Sonoko murmured, her face showing disbelief as she studied the group of seven delinquents encircling Misaka-senpai.
Don't these guys watch the news? I thought Misaka-senpai was supposed to be famous. Guess I still have a lot to learn.
Sonoko's mind began to wander, as it often did—a daily occurrence, really. But as she eyed the seven menacing delinquents, her expression grew serious.
"Alright then, I could use some exercise. This city really never gets boring," Misaka-senpai replied with a resigned nod, addressing the delinquents around her.
With that, she casually tossed her empty can into a nearby trash bin.
"Sonoko, what are you doing here?"
Misaka thought she'd heard something, but her view was blocked by the delinquents. Tilting her head to peer past them, she spotted Natsume Sonoko.
"Misaka-senpai, don't worry! I've already called Judgment. They'll be here soon to handle this."
Though Sonoko wasn't particularly worried about Misaka-senpai, she still felt she ought to do something.
Notifying the meddlesome "Jazz Maid" Kuroko was probably the best move. Sonoko faced the delinquents with a fearless air.
Even if not for Misaka-senpai's sake, she had to think of these seven unusually brave delinquents. Maybe getting hauled off to an Anti-Skill jail would be the better outcome for them.
"Who's this nuisance? You little runt, you looking for trouble?" the lead delinquent said arrogantly, pulling a folding knife from his pocket.
"Boss, she's from Tokiwadai too—must be her friend."
"She said she called Judgment! What do we do? I heard there's a Judgment officer who kills without blinking lately, and an even scarier partner who uses electricity."
"Judgment and her partner? They're just a couple of kids. Probably still rebelling, might even sleep with stuffed toys at night. Hahaha!" The delinquents all clutched their stomachs, laughing uproariously.
"Let's just take both of them with us for now," the head delinquent said rudely, brandishing his knife in the air a couple of times. But then he noticed the little shrimp across from him was backing away.
No more pretending—time to run.
Natsume Sonoko turned and bolted, ignoring the stunned looks on the delinquents' faces. The feisty little thing from a moment ago was just... running away?
'Good thing I'm fast. Looks like Misaka-senpai's glowing blue again.'
Once she'd reached a safe distance, Sonoko caught her breath and glanced back at Misaka-senpai, whose head was now crackling with electric sparks.
It seemed the delinquents had really made her angry.
Misaka-senpai stood with one hand on her hip, the other clenched into a tight fist, her hair emitting a sharp, crackling noise.
"So. Annoying!" Misaka-senpai pressed her lips together, as if barely containing her rage, the words coming out in a near roar.
Blue-white electricity gathered around her, surging upward like a pillar of light erupting from her body. The electric column shot over twenty meters into the air, a vivid blue pillar visible from far away.
The massive current acted like a fuse—even a slight brush with the light was like being struck by a million volts.
The delinquents were instantly electrocuted into unconsciousness, their menacing expressions frozen in place before they could even change. Their bodies smoked as if charred, collapsing stiffly to the ground.
Watching the last of the delinquent leaders hit the pavement, Sonoko cautiously made her way back to Misaka-senpai's side.
"Are they... okay? Nothing too serious, right?" Sonoko asked, poking one of the smoking delinquents with a stick she'd found, a note of concern in her voice.
"Of course they're fine. They're adults," Misaka-senpai retorted, still clearly irritated, as she picked up her black schoolbag from the ground.
"I see," Sonoko nodded. If Misaka-senpai said they were fine, then they were probably fine. At most, they'd need to rest in bed for half a day or so.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.