Toaru Majutsu no Index

Volume 12, Prologue: Shirai Kuroko, a Pillow, and a Bed. Suffering_of_a_Negligee.

Morning came early for Tokiwadai Middle School.

But even so, 5:20 AM was a little too early. At that time when the morning bird songs were only just beginning, the girl’s dorm was normally wrapped in complete silence. Dorm life was often referred to as a single whole, but 80% of Academy City’s 2.3 million residents were students, so there were many different types and varieties of dorm life. Even among all of those, Tokiwadai Middle School’s regulations for curfew and lights out were stricter than most. (Although, certain Level 5s and Judgment members would occasionally sneak out.)

The outside dorm for Tokiwadai Middle School was no exception.

Shirai Kuroko may have been awake, but she was likely the only one.

She was rolling back and forth within her own bed.

It was not that she had woken up; she could not get to sleep.

She usually had thin ribbons tying her hair up on the left and right, but her hair was now spread out on the bed because she had removed them. She was wearing nothing but lacy panties and a negligee so thin and see-through that it would be practically invisible when seen from afar. That left everything from her flat chest to her sunk-in navel visible, but she did not seem to care. This was not simply because she was in the girl’s dorm. It had more to do with the fact that her roommate was a special person to her.

“...”

It seemed like Shirai Kuroko would continue rolling back and forth forever, but then she suddenly froze in place.

She looked over at the neighboring bed.

There was only a gap of 50 cm between beds. Another girl lay that short distance away and she was fast asleep unlike Shirai. Her shoulder-length brown hair was a bit sticky with sweat and her slender, white fingers were just barely poking out from her baggy light-blue pajamas. She must have gone through a change in her state of mind recently because she had switched out the hairpin she wore on the side of her head for a more decorative one. However, it was now lying on the side table.

This was Shirai’s beloved onee-sama, Misaka Mikoto.

That amazing girl was one of Academy City’s seven and one of Tokiwadai Middle School’s two Level 5s, she was known as the school’s ace, and she was a target of envy even within that elite school that was itself a target of envy. She was sinking into the bed while lying on her side.

“...Nheh heh heh... You lost the punishment game, so you have to do whatever I tell you...”

Her cute lips curled into an incredibly happy smile as they uttered those words in her sleep.

On her own bed, Shirai used both hands to violently rustle her hair.

(Gwahh!! I have to know! What has happened to onee-sama recently!? She has been like this ever since the Daihaseisai ended!! Who is she talking to in her dream!?)

Shirai began to pant heavily. As her name suggested Shirai Kuroko was a girl and so was Misaka Mikoto, so this was one of those complicated issues characteristic of girls.

Simply saying it would be too outright for her, so that underclassman girl preferred to attack in a more roundabout fashion.

If those words Misaka spoke in her sleep had been directed at Shirai herself, there would have been no problem. However, Shirai did not recall challenging her roommate to a punishment game in the recent past. That left the major issue of whether the words were being spoken to a boy or a girl. For Shirai, many extremely personal feelings were riding on that.

While remaining completely unaware of those worries, Misaka Mikoto used both arms to grab and embrace the large pillow she normally rested her head on.

“...What should I make you do first....Mutter mutter...”

(Curse yoooouuuuuu!! Onee...Onee-sama, why are you rubbing your cheek against your pillow like that!? What does that fluffy pillow represent in your mind!?)

Shirai Kuroko began violently rolling back and forth on top of her bed once more, but the happy-looking girl showed no sign of waking.

The time was 5:25 AM.

Another sleep-deprived morning began.