The Legend of Level 0 in Academy City

Inoue Hideka guessed correctly; the red spots on its ears were indeed caused by the experiment.

The experiment conducted on this kitten was an experiment to develop the animal brain.

However, Little Grey is probably an unfinished product, not fully developed. Although it possesses advanced intelligence, it cannot speak human language like a certain golden retriever with a cigar lover and the name Kihara Brainstem.

This is why Inoue Hideka previously suspected that a human soul might reside inside Little Grey's cat body.

At the same time, it's easier to explain why Little Grey is not afraid of Misaka Mikoto and even leans against her despite her body's rejection reaction.

It's likely that before Little Grey escaped the lab, the researchers injected some data into its head, so when it saw Misaka Mikoto, it immediately recognized her as Railgun and knew that she liked small animals. That's why it had the idea to run to Misaka Mikoto's arms for protection.

Well... it doesn't matter anyway.

Although Little Grey's identity involves the dark side of the city, at least it poses no threat, so Inoue Eika didn't bother with it anymore.

Besides, who made Misaka Mikoto like him?

There was no other way; if the researchers came knocking on his door asking for the cat, Inoue Hideka could only deal with it as it came.

He was also helpless, but he had no other choice. Misaka Mikoto was a fan of cute little animals, and Inoue Hideka was also a fan of cute Mikoto.

Leaving aside the biased cat that opened its eyes and glanced at Inoue Eika but didn't even bother to utter a cute meow, Inoue Eika walked through the living room, leaned against the kitchen door, and looked at the young girl busy in the kitchen with an expression as if she were admiring the most beautiful scenery in the world.

"Hey? Yinghua, why are you up?"

When Saten Ruiko heard the noise at the door, she turned around and saw Inoue Eika leaning against the door frame, staring at her blankly like a fool. She thought he might have lost his mind due to a high fever, so she quickly put down the celery she was washing and went over to support Inoue Eika.

"Um... Ruiko, I'm fine, don't be nervous."

Seeing Saten Ruiko's exaggerated reaction, Inoue Eika quickly offered an explanation, then looked at Saten Ruiko with a smile and continued:

"You just go about your business, I just... want to watch over you."

"Forehead?"

Upon suddenly hearing Inoue Eika's uncharacteristically sweet words, Saten Ruiko was slightly taken aback, then helplessly tapped Inoue Eika's head with her finger.

"You! Really, so strange! Since Yinghua wants to stay here, then go and get a stool to sit on. I have something to say to you."

"Huh!...Okay."

In general, Inoue Hideka could guess what Saten Ruiko wanted to say, which was nothing more than the specific details she hadn't had time to ask yesterday.

After thinking it over, Inoue Hideka also felt that continuing to hide it was not a good idea. He nodded helplessly, went to the living room, brought over a stool, and sat at the kitchen doorway, like a criminal being interrogated, obediently waiting for Saten Ruiko to ask questions.

"Let's start with the pistol under Yinghua's bed, shall we? That's not something an ordinary person could get their hands on, right? How did Yinghua get it?"

As Saten Ruiko chopped the washed celery, she calmly asked a question amidst the clattering sound of the knife against the cutting board.

"I got it from the place where Ruiko and Mikoto went yesterday."

Although she knew she couldn't hide it anymore, Inoue Eika felt wronged thinking that she had only come here because she wanted to see pretty girls, but now she had to be interrogated like a child who had done something wrong. She replied weakly.

"Then the next question is, what place is that? Who exactly were those people we met yesterday? What is Yinghua's connection to them? And how did she get involved with them?"

Four questions.

Saten Ruiko's voice was very calm, truly calm.

But Inoue Hideka could sense that beneath this calm was a deep-seated repression.

This girl... she must have been holding back for a long time, right?

Perhaps, I started to endure it after discovering that I had taken sleeping pills and collapsed alone in my dorm room during that incident with my sister?

Inoue Hideka still vaguely remembered what the girl had said back then—

"Although I don't know what Yinghua is going through, I can sense that Yinghua doesn't intend to tell me. But... just like Yinghua told me, isn't it enough to live this life by simply having a clear conscience?"

How profound is the understanding and support contained within these simple words?

She knew there were some things she shouldn't ask, so she didn't.

She knew what the person she loved needed at that time, so she simply gave what she could in silence.

The relationships between people are actually quite simple when described in general terms.

Sometimes, when I don't ask and you don't speak, that's distance.

Sometimes, I don't ask, but you tell me; that's trust.

Sometimes, when I ask, you don't answer, and that's a sign of distance.

Sometimes, when I ask a question and you answer it, that's a sign of respect.

Sometimes, what you want to say and what I want to ask is a tacit understanding.

Sometimes, not speaking up and not asking is a form of understanding.

At that time, Saten Ruiko and Inoue Eika were a pair of people who would say, "If you don't tell me, I won't ask."

Now it's, 'I asked, and you answered.'

Saten Ruiko gave Inoue Hideka the greatest understanding; now, Inoue Hideka must reciprocate with Saten Ruiko's highest respect.

He laid everything out to Saten Ruiko, telling her everything he could say under the surveillance of the Sky Retrieval Line.

------

Academy City, a technologically advanced city two or three decades ahead of the rest of the world, hides its secrets beneath its glamorous surface.

The secret organization is one of the secrets behind this.

The Dark Side is a secret organization managed by the upper echelons of Academy City. Its duties are to maintain stability within Academy City and to carry out "things that cannot be expressed to the light," including assassination, silencing witnesses, fighting against external threats, researching black technology, maintaining stability with violence (including armed suppression of students and counter-terrorism), and erasing data. Most of the evil deeds carried out by Dark Side members are "dark" and "cruel."

Inoue Eika told Saten Ruiko all of this.

Aside from the reason he joined the Dark Side, due to his amnesia, he could only explain that he didn't know how Aleister had taken a liking to him.

In addition, she even told Saten Ruiko about the assassination attempt she had been made on by the former head of the 'Group,' Director Hiroshige Rei.

As the listener, Saten Ruiko cooked the celery and lean meat porridge she had prepared for Inoue Eika. Then she went behind Inoue Eika and used her amateur massage skills, which she had learned in her spare time, to relax Inoue Eika's head and shoulders while listening to Inoue Eika recount his recent experiences.

During this time, Saten Ruiko did not interrupt.

She didn't ask any more questions, and just listened to whatever Inoue Eika said.

She believed that even if she didn't ask, Inoue Hideka would tell her what she wanted to know. This was the most basic trust and tacit understanding that the two of them had formed since April.

Having given the gist of what needed to be said, Inoue Hideka pressed down on Saten Ruiko's hand, which was resting on her temple, and looked up at the girl above.

"That's basically it. Ruiko, is there anything else you want to ask?"

"Yes! There are many! A great many! I have so many questions to ask... But, the question I care about most is only one—"

Yinghua, are you... tired?

At this moment, reflected in Inoue Hideka's upturned eyes was Saten Ruiko's face, which was extremely gentle, a rare sight indeed, with tears welling up in her bright eyes.

As Saten Ruiko spoke, she broke free from Inoue Hideka's grasp, wrapped her arms around Inoue Hideka's neck, and held him tightly in her embrace.

Although she understood that Inoue Hideka must have his own reasons, she could never imagine that this person was carrying so many secrets in his heart alone—just to shelter herself in the warm but not intense, bright but not dazzling sunlight.

Now, she can feel the bitterness and helplessness in the boy's heart when she questioned him.

He must have had a very hard time hiding it, right?

Thinking this, Saten Ruiko gently rested her head on Inoue Eika's shoulder, burying her cheek deeply in his neck that smelled familiar, and secretly made up her mind.

……

From now on, I want to face the storms with you.

Can you please not reject me again?

Chapter 320 The Punishment for Flirting?

"Tears..."

Saten Ruiko's hot breath hit the back of Inoue Hideka's neck, making him feel itchy and giving him goosebumps.

Unable to answer Saten Ruiko's question, Inoue Hideka now only hoped that Saten Ruiko would stop breathing hot air on him.

However, he was interrupted by Saten as soon as he spoke.

"Wait a minute, Yinghua. Don't say anything yet, wait a minute..."

Sensing the pleading in Saten Ruiko's voice, Inoue Hideka, though feeling uncomfortable from the hot breath she exhaled, refrained from speaking.

Time flowed slowly. Inoue Eika was held by Saten Ruiko, not moving or speaking, quietly enjoying the warmth of the embrace behind her.

------

evening.

After the match, Misaka Mikoto returned to Inoue Hideka's house immediately.

Seeing that Inoue Hideka, who was practicing the piano in the living room, looked much better than in the morning, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately concealing the look of relief on his face, he arrogantly interrupted Inoue Hideka, who was immersed in the beautiful sound of the piano, and provocatively said:

"Speaking of which, I won the punishment game again today! Even though you were sick, Misaka-sama already let you off the hook yesterday, so I won't go easy on you today!"

"Ha... So, how does Misaka want to punish me?"

Inoue Hideka sighed helplessly, not even glancing at Misaka Mikoto, recalling the melody of "Wedding March" piano piece she had heard in her previous life, her fingers lightly tapping the keys as she replied indifferently.

Upon hearing Inoue Eika's words, Misaka Mikoto glanced around the living room.

Her biological mother, who terrified her the most, was tidying up something in her room and seemed oblivious to the situation in the living room.

Apart from Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari, who were busy cooking in the kitchen, it seemed that no one else was there.

Having confirmed this, Misaka Mikoto sat down on the sofa, picked up Little Grey, and, as if to bolster her courage, took a deep breath and said to Inoue Eika:

"Listen up, you idiot! My punishment is that you, you, you, you... you're not allowed to mess with any other girls anymore!!!"

"Forehead?"

Inoue Hideka, who had been prepared to watch the show when Misaka Mikoto stammered and couldn't get the words out, was taken aback when she realized that Misaka Mikoto actually dared to make such an ambiguous request.

However, he only paused for a second.

Looking at Misaka Mikoto, who was sitting on the sofa with a flushed face, looking as nervous as a criminal waiting for a judge to decide on the punishment, even though it was the punishment she had proposed, Inoue Hideka unconsciously smiled slightly.

Then she quickly turned her head back and pretended to play the piano again to avoid Misaka Mikoto noticing the funny expression on her face.