A Certain Magical Index: The Primal Spirit Descends to My Side

Morning light filtered through the thin curtains once more, bathing Tsukuyomi Komoe's apartment in a soft, pale gold hue. Today is July 22nd, the third day of summer vacation.

The air still carried the relaxing feeling of last night's bathhouse, mixed with the old tatami mats and the faint aroma of food. Birdsong drifted from downstairs, and the sound of boiling water filled the air. The gray-haired girl opened her eyes first.

She lay on the futon on the tatami mat, covered with a thin summer blanket. Beside her, Index was curled up, her long silver hair spread across the pillow, her cheeks flushed a healthy pink from sleep, her breathing even and deep. She was wearing a green nightgown that was clearly too big, one sleeve slipped down, revealing her fair shoulder.

The gray-haired girl stared at her silently for a few seconds, then sat up. The movement was very quiet, without making a sound.

On the other side of the room, Teacher Xiaomeng was already awake, sitting at a small table with what looked like a lesson plan open in front of her and a red pen in her hand. She was wearing a pink loungewear dress, and her short pink hair was sticking up a bit. Hearing the noise, she looked up and smiled at the gray-haired girl.

Good morning~ Did you sleep well?

The gray-haired girl nodded, her gaze sweeping across the room. Besides the three of them, there was no one else in sight.

"Where's Touma Kamijou?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse from just waking up.

Ms. Xiaomeng put down her pen, picked up her mug, and took a sip. Steam rose from the mug with her breath. "Kamijo, he came to check on things early this morning, then went back. He said he still has a ton of summer homework to finish in his dorm, and if he doesn't do it soon, it'll really be too late." She sighed, her tone carrying the helplessness typical of a teacher. "Honestly, he was acting like he was dying yesterday, but today he's suddenly working hard."

Index woke up at that moment. She rubbed her eyes groggily and sat up, her emerald green eyes still misty. "Hmm... Touma?"

"He went back to do his homework," Teacher Xiaomeng said gently with a smile, then got up and walked to the corner that doubled as a kitchen. "What would you like for breakfast? I bought toast, eggs, and milk."

Index blinked, seemingly taking a few seconds to process the information. She looked at the gray-haired girl beside her, who was also looking at her. They exchanged a brief but meaningful glance, one that revealed a new understanding between them.

"Do your homework..." Index muttered softly, then threw off the covers and stood up. Her green pajamas hung loosely on her body, and she had to pull up the overly long pant legs as she wobbled toward the corner of the room.

There, her pure white nun's robe, which she had washed and dried the night before, was dry and neatly folded together. "I need to change," she announced, picking up the "mobile church"—a robe that had been re-secured with safety pins and was still a bit drafty but wearable—along with the underwear sponsored by Teacher Xiaomeng, and heading towards the bathroom.

As Teacher Xiaomeng cracked eggs, she poked her head out of the kitchen and said, "Oh, right, Index, your hat." She pointed to a corner of the low table where a pure white nun's cap sat quietly.

"Thank you," Index's voice came from inside.

A few minutes later, she had changed her clothes. A pure white nun's habit, long silver hair, and emerald green eyes. The familiar image of the nun reappeared. She sat down next to the gray-haired girl, and Teacher Xiaomeng brought out the freshly fried toast and scrambled eggs, along with two glasses of milk.

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

Breakfast was served quietly. Index ate with great concentration as the sunlight slowly shifted, landing on a corner of the low table and illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

After finishing the last bite of toast, Index put down her chopsticks and clasped her hands together, saying, "I'm full, thank you for the meal." Then, she turned to the gray-haired girl, her bright green eyes sparkling with a determined light.

Let's go out today.

The gray-haired girl looked at her, but didn't answer immediately. She slowly chewed the lettuce leaf in her mouth and swallowed it bit by bit.

"Let's go...out and play," Index added, a hint of anticipation and nervousness in her voice. "There are still so many places in Academy City I haven't been to. Yesterday we only went to the bathhouse...and Touma's not here, how about the two of us explore?"

She paused, then softened her voice: "Just like... before."

The gray-haired girl remained silent for a few seconds. Her gray eyes calmly reflected Index's expression, a face that held expectation, the determination of someone who had just made up their mind, and a well-hidden...sense of urgency.

Then she nodded.

"it is good."

Index's face instantly lit up with a smile, like sunlight suddenly piercing through the clouds. "Great!" She turned to Teacher Xiaomeng, "Teacher, can we go out? Just for a walk around here, we won't go far."

Teacher Xiaomeng was clearing the dishes when she heard this. She looked up, her pink eyebrows furrowing slightly, revealing a worried expression. "It's possible... but are you two really sure it's okay to go out alone? Miss Index's injury has just healed, and..." She glanced at the gray-haired girl.

The words weren't spoken, but the meaning was clear.

"No problem!" Index raised her hand and took the gray-haired girl's hand with her other hand. "I'll be careful. And... she's here."

These words were spoken naturally, with complete trust. The gray-haired girl's gaze flickered slightly upon hearing them, but she said nothing.

Ms. Xiaomeng glanced at Index, then at the gray-haired girl, finally sighing and offering a gentle smile. "Alright... but promise me you'll be back before lunch, okay? Also, if you encounter anything strange, contact me immediately." She wrote down her phone number and handed it to Index. "Even though you might not know how to use a phone... it's better to have one than not."

"Thank you, teacher!" Index happily took the note and carefully put it into the inner pocket of her monastic robe.

A moment later, the two stood downstairs at the apartment building.

The morning sun was already quite hot, but not unbearable. There weren't many pedestrians on the street, with the occasional car passing by. Index took a deep breath; the air was filled with the smells of asphalt, greenery, and distant food vendors.

She turned to look at the gray-haired girl. The girl was still wearing the slightly oversized casual clothes: a beige hooded sweatshirt and light-colored pants, her long gray hair almost transparent in the sunlight. She wasn't wearing a hat or taking any sun protection measures; she just stood there calmly, seemingly oblivious to the temperature.

"Then..." Index extended her hand, a bright smile on her face, "Let's go!"

The gray-haired girl looked at her hand, then gently took it.

"Um."

The two walked side by side into the summer street. Index's steps were light, her long silver hair swaying with each step, her emerald eyes curiously taking in everything around her. Brightly colored magazines in the convenience store window, GG flashing on the vending machine, an old man walking his pet, a teenager whizzing by on a skateboard.

The gray-haired girl walked beside her, her steps steady, her gaze calmly sweeping over the surroundings. She seemed uninterested in concrete things, but her gaze would occasionally linger on certain places. For example, the varying shades of shadows in the corners of walls, the angle at which light reflected from the glass of distant buildings, or the almost invisible, minute movements of particles in the air.

"Where do you want to go?" After walking for a while, the gray-haired girl noticed that Index's actions were too random, so she asked.

Index thought for a moment. "Hmm... I don't know the specific place either. But I want to see a 'normal' Academy City... Touma always says it's a 'city of science,' full of superpowers and high technology... but what I see are mostly ordinary apartments like Komoe-sensei's house, and ordinary streets like this."

She looked up at the blue sky, which was cut off by tall buildings.

"I want to see what the people living here do on a daily basis..."

The gray-haired girl listened quietly, then nodded. "Then, feel free to wander around."

"Wandering around freely, that sounds good."

They had no particular destination, simply wandering aimlessly along the streets. Index would occasionally stop, point to something, and ask the gray-haired girl, "What's that?" though the girl usually couldn't answer. But Index didn't mind; she would observe it herself and then offer her guesses.

As they passed a park, they saw several children playing by a fountain, the water splashing and refracting rainbows in the sunlight. Index stood at a distance and watched for a while, her eyes softening.

"I've never seen anything like this before," she said softly. The gray-haired girl didn't respond; she just watched with her.

Time slipped away quietly as they strolled. The sun grew increasingly harsh, and the shadows on the street shortened. As they passed a convenience store, Index touched her stomach.

"I'm a little hungry..." she said softly, then her eyes lit up as she remembered something. "That's right! Touma said that convenience stores sell oden! It's warming in winter, and it should be good in summer too?"

The gray-haired girl looked at the steaming griddle at the entrance of the convenience store and nodded.

The two entered the convenience store. A blast of cool air hit them, a stark contrast to the heat outside. Index curiously looked at the wide array of goods on the shelves, while the gray-haired girl went straight to the oden counter.

The shop assistant, a young woman, paused for a moment upon seeing the two of them, especially Index's conspicuous nun's robes, but quickly flashed a professional smile. "Welcome, what would you like to order?"

Index leaned closer to the oden pot, staring seriously at the bubbling radishes, eggs, chikuwa (Chinese bamboo shoots), and konjac knots inside. "Hmm... this, this, and this," she said, pointing to a few items, then looking at the gray-haired girl, "Do you want some?"

The gray-haired girl looked at the pot, then at Index, and nodded. The shop assistant packed their food and handed them two paper cups. Index reached into her pocket, only to find it empty. Seeing this, the gray-haired girl took out her folded banknotes. Although Touma had said not to spend money recklessly, buying food for Index shouldn't be considered reckless spending.

And so, the two walked out of the convenience store and found a bench to sit on under the awning by the entrance. Index carefully blew on the hot radish, then took a bite. The soft, sweet flavor melted in her mouth, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "Delicious!"

The gray-haired girl also took a bite of the bamboo waffle, which had a hollow texture, and the broth spread out in her mouth. The sweet taste blended perfectly with the bamboo waffle's own aroma, making it very delicious, and there was also a hint of radish fragrance.

The simple lunch proceeded quietly. Occasionally, passersby cast curious glances, but neither of them paid any attention. Index finished her oden and then leaned on the table, sipping the broth slowly.

A thin, gloomy woman walked over, also holding a bottle of oden, but it was a canned type, and the contents of the oden were strawberries.

"Ah... I'm so sorry to bother you... but the seats over there are all full... could we share a table?"

The gray-haired girl looked over. The person was wearing a white lab coat over a white shirt, a dark purple pencil skirt, black stockings, and low-heeled leather shoes. The person looked as if they hadn't slept for a month.

The gray-haired girl nodded and moved slightly to the side. The man sat down as well. He opened the bottle of strawberry oden, used the toothpick provided on the lid to pick up a strawberry that looked like slime, and popped it into his mouth.

"Ah..." Index had just finished drinking the oden broth when she smelled the aroma again. Looking up, she saw a woman sitting opposite her. She quickly moved closer to the gray-haired girl and whispered, "Who is this?"

"People sharing a table"

"I see..." Index sat back down, then picked up her cup and looked in the direction of the gray-haired girl.

"Don't you drink your oden soup?"

"Hmm? You can have some..."

"Thank you~" Index took the oden soup with lightning speed and drank it down, then leaned back in her chair with the two empty cups in her hands.

"Drinking something hot on a hot day feels so good..."

"Indeed..." The woman opposite suddenly echoed Index's exclamation, then paused for a moment before forcing a smile: "Excuse me, my apologies, I'm Kiyama Harumi... a researcher..."

"Um... I'm Index..." Index looked at the person, seeing her looking like she was about to die, and couldn't help but worry about her health. "Um... you haven't slept in a long time?"

"Ah... this is because... I'm doing a study... and it's quite important..." Kiyama Harumi rubbed the rim of the jar with his hand, his eyes looking at the table but not in focus.

"Oh, I see... That must be very tiring..."

"It's okay, as long as there's a result..."

After speaking, Kiyama Harumi raised her head. Although her dark circles were unusually heavy and her eye bags were dark purple due to staying up late, her eyes were bloodshot, and her skin was dull and lackluster, she still smiled and greeted them before turning to leave.

"The researchers in this city are really working hard..." Index clasped her hands together, praying like a nun.

The gray-haired girl stared at the retreating figure, her expression turning serious. That Kiyama Harumi from before seemed to possess many interconnected elements, as if she had multiple personalities linked together.

The gray-haired girl stood up and left with Index. She watched Index jog along in the shade of the trees under the midday sun.

"Kiyama Harumi...? I'll remember that..."