A Scientific Urban Detective.

Chapter 1007 Self-Despondency
As they talked, seeing that the topic had come to this point, Misaka Mikoto prepared to get back to their original plan: "So, I specifically asked my classmates and friends to accompany you to visit this Daihasei Festival—I originally wanted to introduce them to you at the Family Side."

“That won’t be necessary, will it? Mom can explore on her own,” Misaka Misuzu said. “Don’t worry, it won’t interfere with your date with that ‘nameless senior’.”

The blush that had been fading returned to her cheeks, and Misaka Mikoto coughed, "What date? It's not...it's not that far off yet!"

"Huh, really?" This time it was Misaka Misuzu's turn to be surprised. "Didn't that nameless classmate already call you by your name? They seemed quite intimate..."

“This… that’s what the nameless senior has always called me,” Misaka Mikoto said.

Indeed, the nameless senior only addressed him by his given name, while addressing Misaki Shokuhou and Toumi Tohmi by their surnames.

However, Misaka Mikoto didn't think this was special treatment for her. She probably thought it was just because there were too many "Misaka"s in Academy City, so they called her by her name to make a distinction.
Of course, there was no need to tell his mother about this.

But seeing her mother's excited and expectant expression, Misaka Mikoto thought for a moment and decided that there were some things she had to tell her in advance.

To avoid the situation where, before anything even happens to me, my mother, with her excessively high expectations, is the one who loses her temper first...

"Um, Mom?" Misaka Mikoto said cautiously, "I'm not joking, you know. My nameless senior and I are definitely not at the point where we can go on dates yet."

To be precise, there was an opportunity before, but the plan was disrupted by an accident, and after that, all sorts of strange events occurred one after another, to the point that...

Thinking of this, Misaka Mikoto couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"What's wrong?" Noticing her daughter's downcast mood, Misaka Misuzu quickly asked, "Did something happen? Or...did you two have a fight?"

"Arguing? Not really." Misaka Mikoto waved her hand and said, "It's just that there are a lot of competitors, so the pressure is a bit high."

Misaka Misuzu seemed to have been completely distracted, forgetting everything that had just happened, and focusing on her daughter's important life event.

“Although it’s a bit early for you to be thinking about your future husband at your age, he is indeed an excellent man, so it’s only natural to make a move as soon as possible!” Misaka Misuzu said while looking at Lin Wuming not far away.

"Mom! What are you saying?!" Misaka Mikoto screamed—the nameless senior was paying close attention to their conversation!

Misaka Mikoto was caught off guard by her mother's sudden "self-disclosure".

"Well... calm down, calm down, you need to watch your image, that nameless girl is watching us," Misaka Misuzu said.

"Of course I know..." Misaka Mikoto muttered to herself. It was precisely because she knew that she panicked! She didn't know how she was going to face the nameless senior in the future.

Misaka Misuzu noticed all the changes in her daughter's expression: "Mom isn't that materialistic, but that's just how it is. When you meet a good man, you should make a decisive move and grab him, so you don't regret it later. Besides, Mikoto, you really like him, don't you?"

“Yeah…” Misaka Mikoto admitted somewhat resignedly, “But as I just said, there are a lot of competitors.”

“It’s not surprising that there are competitors, after all, he’s a man who is good enough,” Misaka Misuzu said. “But Mikoto, you should also be confident, you are excellent too!”

Misaka Mikoto silently looked at her mother, realizing that her mother was judging her by her own standards. She had to admit that her mother's composure and confidence were something she couldn't learn.

“Uh…” Noticing her daughter’s silence, Misaka Misuzu asked again, “Since even you, Mikoto, feel pressured, it seems your competitor is no ordinary person. Could it be… another ace from Tokiwadai Middle School?” In Misaka Misuzu’s view, only a competitor of this caliber could pose such a strong threat to Mikoto.

—But then again, perhaps it is precisely because of such a strong competitor that Mikoto was able to face her own heart and confess her feelings so openly?
Misaka Misuzu knows her daughter well and knows that with Mikoto's temperament and personality, she would never admit to liking a boy under normal circumstances.

She was clearly pushed to the limit and no longer cared about being shy.

This... might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Misaka Mikoto frankly admitted, "It is indeed Shokuhou Misaki. She is the person who understands Mumei-senpai the most, without exception!"

While there may be elements of cheating through "psychological manipulation," that is the fact, and there is no point in trying to refute it.

"Then there's Tiger Bee, who lives under the same roof as the Nameless Senior. You could say they're childhood friends, right?" Misaka Mikoto continued.

“And Shirai-kun…” She fell silent, then smiled wryly, “Although she just joined, she’s surprisingly competitive.”

Misaka Misuzu, standing nearby, stared in disbelief: "Is that so? This really scared Mom... It's not surprising to have two or three competitors, but they're already living together, doesn't that mean..."

“It’s not as exaggerated as you think,” Misaka Mikoto waved her hand. “I’ve already said that we’re more like childhood friends. Mumei-senpai and Hufeng-kun just have the same guardian, which is why they live in the same apartment.”

That's the main point. As for the side story individuals and Kazakiri Hyouka, Misaka Mikoto is unwilling to admit that they are also competitors; moreover, the existence of the side story individuals is something that Mother should not know about in the first place.

“So…” Just from the description, Misaka Misuzu could sense the pressure her daughter was under, so she asked again, “What about the attitude and feelings of the nameless student himself?”

Love is a matter between two people; sometimes, one-sided efforts are not enough to achieve a satisfactory result.

“He didn’t say.” Misaka Mikoto shook her head. “The nameless senior hasn’t expressed his opinion yet, and we haven’t pressed him to ask.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Shokuhou probably already knew, right? After all, she can read minds."

—Looking back, on the day of the ability level test, the nameless senior seemed to have prepared to give an answer.

However, it was interrupted again due to an accident and an unexpected event.

Since then, Misaki Shokuhou seems to have changed in some way, and stopped asking similar questions.

Misaki Shokuhou must have already seen the answer, but since she maintained an ambiguous attitude, it indirectly proved certain things.

Perhaps the nameless senior didn't choose Misaki Shokuhou; or perhaps he truly hadn't made a choice yet?

Thinking about this, Misaka Mikoto pinched her chin and fell into deep thought.

(End of this chapter)