Dolly was Misaki's best friend in the research lab, with whom she shared a deep bond.
Unfortunately, she died in an experiment.
When she first saw Mikoto, Misaki was indeed annoyed with her.
Why did she give her DNA to the researchers? If she hadn't, Dolly wouldn't exist, and Misaki wouldn't have been so hurt by her death.
But...
She hadn't done that. Out of frustration, she did play some small pranks and mock Mikoto.
Besides getting her attention, she was also indecisive about whether to befriend Mikoto.
Forget recruiting her into her faction; if possible, she wished Mikoto would turn into Dolly.
Oh, by the way, in the lab, Misaki couldn't beat Dolly. Dolly often mocked her.
Like her lack of athletic ability, being slow...
Hmm...
Maybe there was a bit of revenge?
Dolly mocked her back then; today she mocks Mikoto?
"Alright... since Kaito-nii says so... Senpai, I acknowledge you as my... fr-friend! But I need to make one thing clear: you can't use your ability to prank me anymore!"
"I understand, Mikoto!"
Misaki smiled happily, reaching across the table to gently shake Mikoto's hand.
Mikoto was clearly uncomfortable with this friendly gesture and having a new friend. She was blushing and silent.
"Good! You two will face many things in the future. I can't be around to protect you all the time. So, you'll have to rely on each other, support each other, and solve problems together."
"Huh? Kaito-nii, why will we face many things in the future?"
"Haha, I don't know. Academy City isn't as peaceful as it seems on the surface."
"I see..."
Mikoto lowered her head, thinking.
Since Kaito had future sight, this was probably for her benefit.
Having another Level 5 Esper's help, with her ability's characteristics, would make things easier if trouble arose.
According to Kaito, if she had problems, Misaki would help.
Conversely, if Misaki had problems...
She might...
Maybe she would help her too?
"By the way, since you're friends now, Shokuhou Misaki, I'll give you an early gift. Your weakness is too obvious."
"Oh my, Kaito-nii is giving me a gift too? I haven't even thanked you properly yet!"
Hearing about a gift, Misaki perked up. Mikoto was curious what Kaito would give.
But Kaito was right; Misaki's weakness was obvious.
For example, her remotes. If Mikoto destroyed them all, wouldn't Misaki be unable to use her ability normally?
"This will help you stop relying on remotes."
"Your ability is in the 'mental' domain. So, you need to strengthen your brain and mental control."
This was a B-Class ability card.
It mainly enhanced mental control, like strengthening willpower.
This gift was perfect for Misaki.
Her ability was a mental domain jack-of-all-trades, covering a vast range.
Including "Behavior Control", "Personality Manipulation", "Memory Alteration", "Forced Mind Reading", etc.
But she couldn't control each ability freely.
So, the lab helped create "remotes" to assist her.
The remotes were a form of suggestion; each remote corresponded to a different ability. So, Misaki's handbag was half-filled with them.
She used different remotes for different situations.
The remotes were a psychological constraint. Her ability had thousands of categories; without them, it was easy to lose control.
Not only could it cause imprecise manipulation and damage the target's brain, but it could also make her dizzy, unable to use her ability properly, or use the wrong one.
Like intending "Behavior Control" but using "Memory Alteration" instead.
Now,
With this card, Misaki could use her ability freely without remotes, making it harder for enemies to predict.
If you pull out a remote, the enemy knows you're about to use your ability. An enemy who's done their research would try to separate you from it immediately.
"This gift is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much, Kaito-nii!!"
Amazing!
After using it with Kaito's help, she found her control over her ability had increased several levels!
This gift was very important to her!
"Hehe, you're welcome."
Overwhelmed with excitement, Misaki threw herself into Kaito's arms.
Mikoto shot up, blushing, wanting to yell at her to let go.
But...
There were so many people here...
So, Mikoto just clenched her fists, not knowing what to do.
[Misaka]: Shocking!!
[Misaka]: Master, I've figured it out! Shokuhou Misaki has special feelings for Kaito!!
[Misaka]: Good grief! Your senior Shokuhou Misaki is really good at hiding it!