Within the pool of Tokiwadai Dormitory, two girls were gloomily mopping the bottom with brooms in hand... Oh, no, that wasn't quite right. One was clearly vexed and irritable, while the other was suffused with an almost sickeningly blissful expression.

"Seriously, why do I have to do something like this..." muttered the girl with chin-length, tea-colored hair, dragging her mop with clear impatience. "Well, I admit I might have gone a little too far, but punishing me like this—making me clean this disgustingly huge swimming pool—there’s no way I can finish it!!"

Gradually, the girl seemed to transcend mere anger, clenching her fists and roaring toward the heavens, as if attempting to vent the entirety of her pent-up grievance.

Realizing such an outburst was useless, she let out a heavy sigh, transitioning from her explosive state back to one of passive resignation. "Ugh. I’ve been at this since morning, and it’s already noon. I haven't even cleared thirty percent. What’s going on... Is this pool in some kind of growth mode?"

In contrast, the other girl, the one with the twin brown ponytails, kept her head down, silently completing her task... Of course, that was just on the surface. If one listened closely and quietly, they could detect a sinister giggle emanating from her mouth—a sound that bordered on the perverse.

"Hehehe, yes, yes, hahahaha... This is such fortune. Spending time alone with Big Sister soaking wet with sweat—if I let an opportunity like this slip by, even the gods wouldn't forgive me... Hiss!"

The girl, utterly electrified by her internal fantasy, currently sported flushed cheeks blooming with color, her eyes reflecting a gaze utterly inappropriate for a young girl in her bloom—a single, crystalline line of drool trickled from the corner of her mouth...

Though both girls were undeniably beautiful and lovely, it was immediately apparent that they were leagues apart from ordinary young ladies. One was short-tempered, fiery, and possessed a distinctly tomboyish nature; the other harbored a perverted, yuri-obsessed hobby. In all of Tokiwadai—no, perhaps in all of Academy City—no other pair resembled these two more than Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko.

Last night, due to the sudden, animalistic surge of the perverted yuri girl, the tsundere cannon was forced to resort to physical suppression to protect her chastity. However, the resulting commotion attracted the attention of the dorm supervisor, who caught them red-handed. As the old adage goes: a common man's anger spills blood five paces; a king’s rage leaves a million corpses. When an LV6 supervisor unleashes her wrath, the consequences are self-evident: the cups and dishes meet the coffee table.

At the first light of dawn, both were dragged out by the LV6 Dorm Supervisor. Their punishment: cleaning this swimming pool... While this wasn't their first time being punished this way, for Misaka Mikoto, it was undoubtedly a tragedy. Of course, for the certain "Shirai K-something," it was probably a comedy.

"Big Sister, in this scorching summer, would you perhaps like a taste of Kuroko's specially made juice to cool down?" Shirai Kuroko pulled a bottle from her bag and eagerly extended the invitation toward Mikoto, her smile radiating pure innocence.

"No way!" Mikoto refused instantly, not even glancing over.

"Eh?" Kuroko flinched, clearly devastated, forcing a strained laugh. "Wh-why is that, Big Sister?"

Mikoto shot her a look, calmly replying, "You idiot, you probably laced this with some strange nonsense again, just like last time. Did you really think I’d fall for such a childish trick twice?"

Shirai Kuroko smiled without confirming, but a waterfall of sweat immediately broke out on her face.

"I knew it!" Seeing her expression, Mikoto knew she was right. Her mouth twitched involuntarily as she glared at Kuroko with an intensely unfavorable look.

"Sigh." Mikoto let out a breath of resignation and turned her gaze back to scrubbing the pool. After a moment, she muttered under her breath, "I wonder how that guy Lin Luo is doing. He doesn't have anywhere to stay here. Did he end up sleeping on the streets last night?"

"Big Sister!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a low voice sounded right next to her ear. Mikoto instinctively spun around, only to find Kuroko’s face mere centimeters from hers.

"Whoa! What are you doing, creeping up like that?" Mikoto jumped, instinctively recoiling.

"Big Sister!" Kuroko pressed on relentlessly, closing the distance. "The Lin Luo you mentioned is that guy from last night, isn't he?"

"Uh! W-What are you talking about? Did I say anything just now? Haha, ha ha ha."

"Kuroko heard everything Big Sister just said."

"H-Heard?"

"Really, what's so great about some guy of unknown origin that Big Sister cares for him so much? Just ignore that kind of wild monkey, Big Sister." Kuroko said, laced with palpable jealousy.

"C-Caring! What are you saying? How could I possibly care..." Mikoto turned her face away, stammering, unable to finish her sentence.

"Big Sister truly cannot tell a lie. Kuroko clearly heard the worry in your voice just now."

"Then don't listen so closely to things like that!"

"It seems Big Sister has admitted it." Kuroko's jealousy spiked several degrees. "Honestly, it’s quite shameless of Big Sister to associate with that wild monkey without getting Kuroko's prior permission."

"Why would I need your permission? Are you my mother?!" Mikoto roared, a mix of shame and anger twisting her features, her mouth twitching violently.

Shirai Kuroko replied with perfect justification, "As Big Sister’s concubine, it is naturally my duty to screen things for her in this regard. Any male approaching Big Sister without my approval is a sinful creature. Though, perhaps there isn't anyone in this world truly worthy of Big Sister anyway."

"What you're saying implies... I'm cursed with loneliness?"

"Well, how could that be? Isn't there Kuroko right here!"

Watching Shirai Kuroko sink into her own blissful reverie, Mikoto rubbed her forehead wearily. "You really are something else..."

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the relationship between that wild monkey and Big Sister? I've never heard you mention him before." After indulging her fantasy for a moment, Kuroko finally asked the question that concerned her most.

"Well, that... It's not a big deal, really. Just casual friends, ha, ha ha... Ah, right! We should hurry up and clean, or we won't finish before dark," Mikoto babbled, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Big Sister, changing the subject is not a good habit..." Kuroko remained unmoved, staring at Mikoto intently. "Or is it that Big Sister has something to hide?"

"W-What! I have nothing to hide! Your thoughts are just filthy!" Mikoto retorted, her face flushing bright red.

"Big Sister is being tsundere again. Although that's one of your charming points, being this stubbornly unforthcoming makes things difficult for Kuroko too."

"Ts-Tsundere your head!" With a sharp Bzzzt, an arc of electricity flashed across Mikoto’s bangs. "Stop joking! My relationship with that guy is really just as friends. It’s just that he helped me out a bit before... s-so I’m just being a little nicer to him."

"Is that really all?"

"Of course! What else would it be?!"

"But didn't that wild monkey say last night that he was coming to see you?"

"Th-That was just him talking nonsense! Besides, this is Tokiwadai, an all-girls school. How could that guy possibly show up here?"

"Well, saying it like that, I suppose..."

"Oh, Mikoto, so you're here." As the two were speaking, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.

They whipped their heads around, both faces changing drastically. There, sitting on the edge of the swimming pool, was a young man in casual clothes, watching them with a wide smile.

"Lin Luo!?"

"The Wild Monkey!!"

P: Recommenda-tion tickets or whatever—I hate them the most! I'm not asking because I like them!!