No one knew that, at this very moment, Misaka Mikoto was suffering terribly.
"Look, Lady Misaka is chatting so intimately with the young master of the Kaihara family again."
"Really."
"Those two seem to have been spending a lot of time talking together lately."
"Could they actually be in that kind of relationship?"
"How could that be?"
"Doesn't Lady Misaka like that person?"
"Exactly."
"Even if he is the young master of the Kaihara family, he falls far short of that person."
"Besides, Lady Misaka couldn't possibly be so fickle..."
"Right, right."
"What on earth is going on?"
Whispers like these drifted over from the direction of the Tokiwadai Middle School dormitory, making Misaka Mikoto feel even more miserable.
With just a glance toward the dormitory, Misaka Mikoto felt like she was about to faint.
At every window, young ladies were already crowded together, watching this way as they discussed the situation.
Yet Ezali acted as though he had noticed nothing at all, continuing to speak to Misaka Mikoto with great enthusiasm.
"A new café seems to have opened nearby recently. Its online reviews seem quite good. Would Misaka like to go there with me sometime?"
"Th-that... might be a little inconvenient..."
"Inconvenient? Do you have something to do?"
"Y-yes, I've been a little busy lately."
"What unfortunate timing. Then let's find another time to go together."
"Another time?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"...No, there isn't."
That was how the two of them talked.
Ezali wore a gentle smile the entire time, while Misaka Mikoto smiled on the surface but felt utterly helpless inside.
Honestly, Misaka Mikoto truly wasn't good at dealing with Kaihara Mitsuki.
It wasn't because Kaihara Mitsuki behaved rudely.
Quite the opposite—Kaihara Mitsuki was the type who would never make a girl dislike him, no matter