Spring drowsiness, autumn fatigue, sumr naps, and when winter cos, you just don't wanna get out of bed at all.
Right now was the season most likely to make people feel weary – autumn.
With only two days left before the winter uniforms were switched out at the end of September, slacking off even a little left one feeling utterly listless.
The main culprits behind this lethargy were the pleasant climate and comfortable temperatures. So, it was sowhat understandable that a certain bun-haired girl seed perpetually stuck in a languid, sluggish state.
It's not my fault; the temperature control is just too effective.
"So Natsu-san likes Gekota too?"
By the ti she realized it, she had accidentally strayed into the territory of what felt like a Gekota enthusiasts' club eting. Sonoko Natsu, a veteran Magical Girl faction mber, found herself surrounded.
Amidst Hokaze-senpai's cheerful tone, an intensely curious gaze was fixed upon the Gekota charm dangling from Natsu-san's newly acquired phone.
This little gift, originally from Index, was reportedly a prize won by the perpetually unlucky Kamijou Touma-senpai after considerable effort in a lottery. Its rarity instantly skyrocketed to limited-edition status.
These two factors combined, creating a peculiar chemical reaction. In any case, Natsu-san had been carrying it around lately; mature girls always needed to accessorize a bit.
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert on Gekota, actually I think Magical... I like it a lot."
She had just been about to explain that she wasn't a true Gekota fanatic, that it was just a gift from a friend, and to take the opportunity to introduce Hokaze-senpai to the Magical Powered Kanamin.
But seeing the barely contained joy sparkling in Hokaze-senpai's eyes, the bun-haired girl forcefully changed what she was about to say.
One of the top ten rules for making friends in middle school: don't ruin soone's happy mont.
"It's a pity I don't have any Indian Poker Cards on , otherwise I could give Natsu-san a dream card about Gekota."
"Sigh... Recently, everyone in the clique has been ordered to stop using Indian Poker Cards."
Hokaze-senpai suddenly let out a sigh, ntioning the matter of Indian Poker Cards, a faint trace of worry flashing across her face.
Hokaze Junko thought of her Queen's recent actions, especially the order forbidding everyone in the clique from using Indian Poker Cards. It made her sll sothing unusual.
For her Queen to treat the matter so seriously, had she discovered so secret hidden within the Indian Poker Cards?
"Forbidding everyone in your clique from using Indian Poker Cards?"
"Her domineering and forceful personality is really hard to take. Hokaze-senpai, you all are far too indulgent with her."
Frowning slightly, Misaka-senpai, who was resting nearby, comnted with clear concern.
Although their relationship had thawed considerably, it didn't an they saw eye to eye. When they t at school, they were still the sa as always. Until one of them completely gave in, their compatibility issues would probably be hard to resolve.
"Actually, the Queen has her difficulties. It would be best if you also stopped using Indian Poker Cards, Misaka-san. After all, their origins are unknown."
Maintaining her ladylike smile, Hokaze-senpai gently advised. She trusted her Queen unconditionally, even to the point of abandoning her own innate talent as a 'Dream Ranker' and refusing to create dream cards.
In her view, no tool's value could compare to that of her fair, plump, adorably lazy Queen.
"I know."
Her expression faltering for a mont, a certain Railgun hesitated, then nodded. It was hard to tell if she had actually taken it to heart.
However, having experienced the dark dream of Gekota Land just a few days prior, which led to several nights of the sa nightmare, her interest in those cards had recently plumted to an all-ti low.
Unless she encountered a new card that piqued her interest—say, sothing that could affect endocrine systems and promote ahem developnt—it might rekindle her passion for Indian Poker Cards.
Actually, Misaka-senpai had a constant worry: that she seed a bit... underdeveloped.
Of course, this wasn't the sa kind of 'underdevelopnt' that Natsu-san fretted about. This was the kind related to washboards.
"That's right, it's probably better not to use Indian Poker Cards."
Natsu Sonoko chid in, voicing her agreent.
However, her gaze lingered on Hokaze-senpai's figure a mont longer. She seed to have noticed sothing bizarre.
Her original intention had just been to record the AIM diffusion field around Hokaze-senpai, just in case she needed to find her later.
Natsu-san had already recorded the AIM fields of many people; her simple person-finding system was almost set up.
But due to the system's efficiency—or rather, the limits of Natsu-san's own computational power—finding a specific recorded individual within Academy City wasn't exactly easy.
'Junko-chan, this is interesting! I think soone can see !'
'Really? It's the first ti soone other than a possessor has seen .'
A girl in a white dress, seemingly no different from a normal person aside from being slightly translucent, floated in a few circles above Hokaze Junko's head, as if she had discovered a new continent, and exclaid with notable excitent.
But these exclamations didn't seem to exist in the real world; it was more like they were fed directly back into Hokaze-senpai's mind, aning no unrelated person could hear or detect them.
"What?"
The word escaped Hokaze-senpai's lips before she could stop herself, imdiately causing her to blush. Two confused underclassn were blinking, looking her way.
'I'm saying, that girl with the bun! She seems to be able to see !'
Flying from Hokaze Junko's head to float above Natsu-san's head, then back again, the unnad ghost girl spoke with a serious tone.
"I know, we'll talk about that later."
Covering her mouth and muttering softly, Hokaze-senpai was clearly still using the most basic thod to communicate with this ghostly young lady.
But her gaze also settled firmly on Natsu-san.
Was it true? Could Natsu-san really see that ghostly young lady?
Because of the sudden possession incident, Hokaze-senpai had been paying attention to various bits of information lately, trying to uncover the ghost girl's identity, but so far, she had made no progress.
"Natsu-san, are you seeing anything strange? Like... a ghost, perhaps?"
Not even deliberately avoiding the ghost lady on her person, Hokaze Junko asked directly.
These past few days, her concern about this matter was second only to her worries about the Queen. And even the ghost girl herself seed equally eager to find out just who she was.
"Senpai, what are you suddenly talking about? What ghost?"
Tilting her head, the bun-haired girl couldn't comprehend Hokaze-senpai's words at all.
How strange, suddenly bringing up ghosts.
As a fine young lady who upheld materialist values, she didn't believe in such things without seeing them with her own eyes.
Yet, within the extended visual field of her AIM diffusion field perception, the field emanating from Hokaze-senpai before her contained a distinctly discordant sensation. It was as if so foreign object was mixed within it, interfering with the field inherent to the senpai herself.
A very strange AIM diffusion field distribution. It looked abnormal at a glance.
Natsu Sonoko had witnessed AIM fields that could coalesce into massive physical entities, and she had encountered constructs pieced together like patchwork monsters. But sothing like this, resembling a parasitic type, was a first.
Although her perception-based observational abilities allowed her to easily spot the anomaly, her research into AIM fields was still at the level of an average esper—that is to say, rather unclear. She had no idea what kind of bizarre situation this was.
But one thing Natsu-san was clear about: Hokaze-senpai had gotten herself into so trouble.
In Natsu-san's view, anything involving AIM fields was never a small matter. These unconsciously emitted fields might seem insignificant, but they were an extension of their abilities.
"Could it be the Indian Poker Cards?"
She couldn't help but ponder, so ideas forming in Natsu-san's head.
But Misaka-senpai didn't seem affected. Maybe it was because she hadn't used them enough.
"Natsu-san, are you alright?"
Seeing the girl in front of her suddenly zone out, entering a dazed state, Hokaze-senpai asked with concern.
"Hokaze-senpai, have you felt particularly heavy lately, as if sothing is weighing you down?"
Staring at the other girl's peculiar field state, the bun-head suddenly asked a serious question in return.
Acting as an unlicensed and rather clumsy doctor, Natsu-san attempted to diagnose her senpai's condition.
Ordinary AIM diffusion fields vanished from the real world almost imdiately after appearing, heading towards that field Phase. But this cluster of aggregated field was attached to Hokaze-senpai, maintaining an abnormal state of synchronization.
An AIM field that could remain in the real world for an extended period had to be an aggregate with mass and form—this was valuable experience Natsu-san had gained from her nurous encounters.
But this cluster in front of her was clearly strange, seemingly invisible to the naked eye.
"There is."
Hokaze-senpai wasn't entirely sure what Natsu-san ant, but after a mont's thought, she nodded.
Her hair had grown a bit more recently, often making her head feel heavy.
But she felt that Natsu-san definitely wasn't talking about hair. It was a normal person's intuition; perhaps they were discussing the sa thing.
It was just that, due to poor information flow and difficulties in communication, they were currently experiencing a state of being riddlers.
The perceptive upperclassman inexplicably nodded, secretly feeling like she was on the sa wavelength as the bun-headed girl. It seed the two of them really had a connection.
"So, Natsu-san, do you know what's causing it?"
Having a vague, peculiar feeling, Hokaze-senpai decided to continue following the other's lead.
It seed the ghost young lady's discovery earlier wasn't false; the bun-headed girl in front of her really did seem to see sothing.
The ability to see ghosts... perhaps it was the legendary 'Yin-Yang Eyes'. This thought greatly piqued the curiosity of Hokaze Junko, who had seen so fantasy movies.
"I'm not entirely sure. But if it's causing that top-heavy feeling, then perhaps there's sothing troubleso on you, Senpai."
Nodding gravely, Natsu-san suddenly floated up, bringing herself to the sa height as Hokaze-senpai.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL
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