Academy City's Weather Report! (Toaru) Chapter 268: Academy City Weather Report! - 268

Bringing up the rear of the group, the bun-girl unconsciously slowed her pace.

Natsu Sonoko lifted a hand to smooth her bangs, her eyes wide and fixed on Shirai-san just five steps ahead.

For the past twenty seconds, a grating noise had been coming from Shirai-san's wheelchair, like loose parts rattling.

But upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the sound of Shirai-san grinding her teeth.

She had no idea when Shirai had picked up this habit, and it was honestly giving her a bit of a headache.

'Orbit Portal Company.' was a company that manufactured all sorts of aerospace equipnt. The 'Orion,' which had crashed three years ago, was one of their projects.

That incident had pushed the company to the brink of bankruptcy, after which it was acquired by its current, young female president.

If this was three years ago, that president would have only been seven years old at the ti.

Before she knew it, they had arrived in District 23, just a few kiloters from the headquarters of the renowned aviation giant, Kongou Aviation.

Similarly, the office building of that 'Orbit Portal Company.' was just across the street. In the distance, she could see Misaka-senpai and the others.

It seed Shirai had witnessed Misaka-senpai chatting very happily with soone, and the conversation was only getting more animated.

The sound of teeth grinding next to Natsu beca sharper and more distinct.

Suddenly, the wheelchair that Saten-san had been pushing vanished, and along with it, a certain teleporter disappeared, drawing startled glances from those around them.

"Shirai-san, that's not fair! Going on ahead by yourself!"

Saten-san's face, which had been lit with the joy of soon eting her idol, now showed excitent as she realized the chestnut-haired, twin-tailed girl had vanished.

Though Saten-san's goals were different from Shirai-san's, it seed everyone was in a bit of a hurry.

"Natsu-san, what's Arisa like?" Uiharu asked, turning back to the bun-girl with a curious expression after watching Saten's hurried back.

"How should I put it... I think she's an optimistic girl who loves to sing. Oh, and she's very hardworking too," Natsu-san replied after a mont's thought.

She hadn't known Arisa for long, but she found her songs quite good and her personality rather likable. That's why Natsu-san was willing to be friends with her.

"Really? As expected of soone who can sing with a voice like that." Uiharu nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer.

In the plaza before the Orbit Portal Company building, reporters who had co for the event were streaming into the main hall area, busy setting up their filming equipnt.

Suddenly, a wheelchair descended from the sky with a whoosh, scattering the fallen leaves around it. It wobbled a few tis before landing right beside Misaka-senpai.

In an instant, a chestnut-haired, twin-tailed girl had flung herself onto Misaka-senpai, throwing her arms tightly around the Railgun's neck.

"To think Onee-sama wouldn't co to pick up from the hospital... Kuroko is so sad," Shirai-san said, her voice laced with a faint, plaintive note of grievance.

She then turned her gaze towards igo-senpai, looking her up and down before fixing her with a fierce glare.

"Alright, alright, Kuroko. This ti it really is my fault. I apologize." Misaka-senpai looked sowhat embarrassed as she forcefully extricated herself from Shirai's embrace and firmly planted her back in the wheelchair.

She never quite knew how to handle this kouhai's antics. While she could interpret them as expressions of friendship, the excessive enthusiasm was often a bit overwhelming.

"Misaka-senpai!"

Hearing voices from a distance, she turned to see Natsu-san and the others approaching.

After a et-and-greet that felt almost like a fan eting, Misaka-senpai introduced Saten-san and the others to igo Arisa.

Standing beside igo-senpai, Tsuzuri-sensei, wearing a security vest, also looked excited, apparently a fan of the singer Arisa as well.

In contrast, Komoe-sensei, who had accompanied them, maintained a strictly business-like deanor, though her small stature nearly caused her to be overlooked.

"Natsu-san, long ti no see!" Komoe-sensei's face brightened with genuine pleasure; she seed quite fond of this particular student.

"Ah, Komoe-sensei, how has Senpai been lately?" Natsu-san asked, a note of concern in her voice as she rembered sothing.

She still rembered the senior she'd t before, the one she'd given several boxes of dango to.

"Since she transferred into my class, I've been teaching her properly. She's beco quite a helpful assistant in the classroom now."

At this, a happy expression spread across Komoe-sensei's face.

Riding up the sightseeing elevator, they could see the magnificent space elevator in the distance through the glass.

"igo-senpai, aren't you nervous at all?" Saten Ruiko asked, taking a deep breath as she looked at the calm-faced igo Arisa beside her.

Though she wasn't the star of today's event, she seed even more nervous than the star herself.

"Of course I'm nervous. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but if everyone hadn't co with , I'd probably still be pacing outside right now." igo-senpai replied in a soft voice, an apologetic smile on her face. She seed no different from any ordinary girl.

"So even singers get nervous."

"Of course! Singers are just regular people too."

Shooting straight up to the 50th floor without so much as a sore back or aching legs—elevators really were one of humanity's most worry-saving inventions.

The group responsible for the contract was the Space Elevator Project Team of Orbit Portal Company., whose offices were on the 50th floor. Arisa needed to discuss the specific details and compensation with them.

According to Natsu Sonoko's estimation, the paynt igo-senpai would receive for this was likely to be at least one million yen or more.

However, the contract signing promised to be a lengthy process.

Komoe-sensei and the others, acting as temporary guardians, had to stay by her side. The rest of the group found themselves sowhat aimlessly wandering around the vicinity.

Although this wasn't an open-access area, those already inside weren't restricted from looking around.

In a display room on the 50th floor, there were a few chairs. The bun-girl, who had no interest in touring, sat with her head down, engrossed in her phone.

In contrast, Uiharu, who had co along, curiously explored the exhibits.

As a dedicated phone zombie, Natsu-san much preferred surfing the net.

"Could you help get that thing?"

Hearing a voice, the previously absorbed Natsu-san snapped back to attention. Lifting her head, she realized the person who had suddenly appeared beside her looked familiar.

"Huh? Get what?" Natsu-san asked, montarily stunned, before responding to the other's request.

Following the direction of the pointed finger, she saw a place where an ancient-looking wooden bow was displayed.

"But that's part of the exhibit collection," Natsu-san started to say, but then she caught herself. She had pretty much figured out the other person's identity by now.

Not just this display room, but the entire building they were standing in belonged to this person's company.

Speaking of which, a building like this... based on the scholarship money Natsu-san received, she probably couldn't afford it in a hundred years.

"It's fine. No one will object," the voice continued.

The girl was about ten centiters shorter than Natsu-san, about the sa size as Komoe-sensei. For all she knew, both of them could be subjects of so immortality experint.

Draped in a gothic-style red cloak with two oversized earrings dangling from her ears, she struck Natsu-san as incredibly chuunibyou, like a magical girl from so alternate universe.

Anyone in Academy City who dressed in bizarre outfits, Natsu-san thought, was probably suspicious.

Coupled with the fact that she looked like a delicate porcelain doll, the weirdness factor increased another notch.

"Alright."

Nodding, the ever-helpful Natsu-san took the wooden bow down from its display.

It felt unexpectedly well-balanced in her hands. Running her fingers over the patterns, it seed like it had been used many tis by soone.

While Natsu-san rarely handled things like bows and arrows, she often thought the seniors in the archery club looked really cool.

"Here you go."

She didn't feel any particular reluctance as she naturally handed the bow over. It was then she noticed the other girl's gaze seed to have been fixed on her the entire ti.

"Is there sothing on my face?" Natsu Sonoko asked, puzzled, as she instinctively touched her cheek. Every ti she thought there was sothing on her face, there never actually was.

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