A Scientific Urban Detective.

Chapter 924 Audience and Drama

Shirai Kuroko fell silent after witnessing firsthand the "efforts" of her older sister, Misaka Mikoto.

—I wonder if it's because we've become direct competitors that I'm able to see another side of my older sister.

Shirai Kuroko thought to herself.

Then, I couldn't help but think – what could I do?

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Misaka Mikoto showed no intention of continuing the conversation, flicking her finger to emit a weak electric current and extinguishing the lights.

"Get some rest, you absolutely can't be late tomorrow!"

“That’s true. Goodnight, Onee-sama,” Shirai Kuroko replied.

—Big sister… Kuroko still calls me that…

Misaka Mikoto thought to herself, and then, due to accumulated fatigue, she quickly fell asleep.

They slept through the night until dawn. Fortunately, neither of them usually slept in, and their good biological clocks kept them awake on time, preventing them from being late.

As usual, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko arrived at school together on the Gakusha-no-en school bus.

However, when Shirai Kuroko entered Tokiwadai Middle School campus today, she sensed an atmosphere different from usual.

Looking up and around, Shirai Kuroko didn't find anything unusual. There were only her classmates from Tokiwadai Middle School around her, just like when she went to school every day.

However, Shirai Kuroko knew that something was definitely wrong; she had a creepy feeling all over her body, as if someone was watching her...

Then she looked at her older sister beside her—because she had her own "radar," Misaka Mikoto was very sensitive to any gazes directed at her.

However, Misaka Mikoto showed no sign of anything amiss, humming a cheerful tune as she walked towards the school building with her schoolbag.

"What's wrong, Kuroko?" Misaka Mikoto's senses were indeed very sharp, and she immediately noticed Shirai Kuroko's gaze.

"No, it's nothing." Shirai Kuroko shook her head and quickly followed, lowering her eyelids to hide her suspicion and wariness.

—Is this spying only directed at me?

Shirai Kuroko decided to conduct a secret investigation, and for now, she didn't want to alert the enemy.

But she quickly abandoned the plan—because the cause of the problem had been found.

Although it was just a few words, because so many people were discussing it, Shirai Kuroko quickly pieced together the truth from the whispers of her classmates.

In short, these bored rich young ladies have found new gossip material and are currently exchanging it enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, the object of their gossip was Shirai Kuroko! That's why her gaze would often fall on her.

The scene that happened on a high school playground yesterday has indeed spread to Tokiwadai Middle School! After all, it's news enough that several beautiful girls in Tokiwadai Middle School uniforms appeared together at another school.

This in itself isn't a big deal, because it's already an open secret that two Level 5s, Shokuhou Misaki and Misaka Mikoto, are vying for the affections of Lin Wuming-senpai; those in the know also know that the low-profile Tiger Bee classmate seems to be one of the strong contenders as well.

This kind of thing is something girls love to talk about. Some members of the news club even collect and organize related information, publishing secret tabloids to follow up on the investigation. It's widely circulated within the school… and even among the other schools in the Academy Garden!
It is said that the students even formed a secret support group, treating this "level 5 epic romance" like a variety show... Of course, these things did not escape the eyes of Misaki Shokuhou and Misaka Mikoto, but after several attempts to find that they could not eliminate the curiosity and gossip of these young ladies, they simply let it go.

Anyway, everyone here is a lady, and they know the basic etiquette for watching a play—they just watch and never interfere.

Moreover, even without Lin Wuming's involvement, Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki, both Level 5s, are the focus of everyone's attention.

Being stared at by people has long been a part of her daily life, so Misaka Mikoto has learned to treat those gazes as background scenery and is not bothered at all.

But today is different, because everyone's main focus is on Shirai Kuroko.

—A new character appeared on the stage yesterday.

Shirai Kuroko, who has always been Misaka Mikoto's roommate and admirer, has also joined the battle!

Unexpected events and surprises are the most exciting parts of a drama, so it's no wonder that audiences are excited about them.

"This is really..." Shirai Kuroko sighed, rubbing her forehead, suddenly realizing that today was going to be a tough day.

She just asked her classmates on her phone and finally got the full picture of what happened.

The widely circulated version is this: Yesterday, Shirai Kuroko forcefully barged into the ability level test site of a certain high school's Lin Wuming, and while confessing her feelings, she also declared war on the two or three existing heroines, stating, "I will absolutely not give up my senior, Wuming..."

Well, the account of the events and the specific details are completely wrong, but the final result subtly matches the facts.

"Well, you'll get used to it." Misaka Mikoto wasn't surprised at all. She patted Shirai Kuroko on the shoulder and comforted her, "It's just a passing fancy. It'll be overshadowed by other news soon."

Shirai Kuroko looked over with some trepidation: "Onee-sama, aren't you angry?"

"Angry? Why?" Misaka Mikoto asked, puzzled. "Even though it's gossip, what they said isn't entirely wrong, is it?"

Since it's not a completely false rumor, there's no need to issue a denial.

“That…that makes sense.” Shirai Kuroko nodded slightly.

—From another perspective, these messages don't seem to be all bad; the power of public opinion and supporters can also be utilized.

After adjusting her mindset, Shirai Kuroko quickly adapted to her current situation.

After all, even the thin-skinned Misaka Mikoto has learned to ignore the stares and comments around her, so there's no need to mention Shirai Kuroko.

After this little incident, Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto went straight to the administration office—they planned to go to the head teacher to explain the situation before going to class.

After all, the pressure from the dorm supervisor last night was quite high. Although she said she "wouldn't blame you too much," Misaka Mikoto and the others dared not ignore it.

At the entrance to the teacher's office, the two happened to run into Misaki Shokuhou and Toumi Torabe, who were also there to report for duty, so they went in together to explain the situation.

Things went smoothly, and the head of the teaching department was just going through the motions—asking a few trivial questions, giving a token lecture, and then it was over.

The efficiency was so high that Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko were somewhat incredulous—it turned out that what the dormitory supervisor said was true... no, it was even easier than she described!
“Of course,” Misaki Shokuhou chuckled. “What happened yesterday was far more serious than you can imagine. Even the teachers didn’t want to get involved.”

Besides, just look at their lineup—both of Tokiwadai Middle School's top students are among them. How could the school possibly pursue such a trivial matter as "skipping class" too much?
(End of this chapter)