"So those are the sisters."
"They don't look like anything special, just ordinary. Still, leaving them alone could be quite troublesome."
"I hope they're sensible. If they can't join our faction, they shouldn't join the other two either. The waters at Tokiwadai can't afford to be stirred up any further."
The whispering of the students along the path wasn't loud by any means, but if anyone listened intently, they would almost certainly be able to hear it clearly.
Mikoto lowered her head, feeling somewhat displeased as sparks of electricity crackled around her. Although she didn't care much about others' opinions regarding her ability, she couldn't calmly tolerate being discussed like this right in front of her.
The whispering students nearby felt their hearts skip a beat upon seeing the electricity radiating from Mikoto. Even though more than half of the academy's students were members of various factions, they were, after all, young ladies who weren't skilled in combat and weren't all Ability Users focused on fighting.
"Hmph... Hmph! Let's go!"
The whispering students forced themselves to remain calm and hurriedly turned to leave. Their pace became faster and faster, and by the time they were about to disappear from sight, their speed was approaching a run.
Mikoto sighed helplessly, bowing her head as she muttered a few words, worried about her future academy life.
"Phew~ I'm afraid I'm going to run into a lot of trouble in the future~"
Led by Senior Ruri, Chinatsu and Mikoto quickly arrived at one of the two Tokiwadai dormitory areas. After Senior Ruri waved a casual farewell, Chinatsu and Mikoto headed to their respective dormitories based on the information they had previously received.
Mikoto scanned her surroundings leisurely, looking for the location of her dormitory. Just as she confirmed where it was, the dormitory door was pushed open from the inside, and a young girl slowly walked out.
"Is she my roommate? I need to hurry over and say hello!" Mikoto excitedly quickened her pace, reaching the girl's side before she could leave.
"Hm? Is something the matter?"
The girl looked at Mikoto warily. She was a member of the Shikura Faction, one of the three major factions. Recently, the Shikura Faction and the Mizukagami Faction had been fighting intensely, so she had to be wary of anyone she didn't know approaching her.
However, Mikoto didn't notice this. She innocently extended her hand and greeted her with a grin: "My name is Misaka Mikoto. I'll be living in this dormitory starting today. Let's get along as roommates!"
"Oh, so you're the roommate... Hm?!"
The girl initially let out a sigh of relief and reached out to shake Mikoto's hand, but when her mind processed the name, her eyes widened sharply.
Misaka Mikoto?
That electric-type Level 5 Esper!
The girl had a strong sense of pride. To her, having to share a dormitory with a Level 5 Esper when she was only a Level 3 was pure torture. They had only just met, but she was already thinking about applying for a dorm transfer.
On the other side.
Chinatsu was also walking leisurely through the corridors of the dormitory building. She could roughly guess the situation on Mikoto's end, but she couldn't predict anything about her own roommate, especially since she wasn't a character from the original work.
A first-year? A second-year? A third-year?
It was possible for her roommate to be in any grade. If possible, Chinatsu hoped to be roommates with another new student, as newcomers hadn't yet been dragged into the chaotic struggles between the factions.
Soon, Chinatsu arrived at the door of her dormitory. She reached out and knocked on the door first; after all, if her roommate was already inside doing something, barging in would undoubtedly lower her roommate's impression of her.
"Is that you, Chinatsu? Come in."
"Hm?"
Hearing the voice from inside the dormitory, Chinatsu's heart skipped a beat. She then gripped the dormitory door handle and pushed it open to walk inside.
Inside, sitting on one of the beds, was a gentle young girl wearing glasses and holding a doll. She was exuding the refined aura of a wealthy young lady, and her frail appearance would certainly tempt delinquents to try and extort her.
However, Chinatsu knew this girl, so she wouldn't form a wrong first impression. She couldn't help but frown slightly, feeling it troublesome that this person was her roommate.
Sha Danshan.
A second-year student, and the woman closest to the title of Queen of this academy.
Unlike the environment of open and secret struggles between other factions, the faction led by Sha Danshan advocated for various charitable projects, such as buying parts of deserts for greening and development.
The members of this faction were all people with a great spirit of dedication who possessed both popularity and strength. Their family backgrounds went without saying; they were undoubtedly the "young ladies of young ladies."
The fact that Tokiwadai, with only a middle school division and a small number of students, was often mentioned as standing out among the five prestigious schools was, in large part, due to the efforts of the Sha Faction.
Sha Danshan, who organized such a faction, had a very frail constitution. One could say she had a sickly constitution and often frequented the academy's Infirmary.
Combined with her extremely high popularity and her endearing temperament, many students now secretly referred to her as the "Empress of the Infirmary."
As Chinatsu gazed at Sha Danshan, Sha Danshan was also gazing at Chinatsu. She then tilted her head and revealed a faint smile.
"My name is Sha Danshan, though it looks like you seem to recognize me... Don't be nervous; I'm not intentionally trying to get close to you, an Esper. As you can see, my health isn't very good, and I spend more time in the Infirmary than in my own dormitory.
So, before you arrived, my roommate spot was empty. However, I did come back to the dormitory specifically to meet you, a newly admitted Esper. After all, having an Esper friend is very helpful, whether in school or out in society~"
Sha Danshan pressed both hands against the bed and leaned back slightly, her tone filled with sincerity. However, that was just her personality; she was the type who was naturally airheaded but with a touch of deviousness.
Chinatsu, who was standing to the side with one hand in her pocket, sighed helplessly after a brief moment of mental preparation. She sat on the bed next to Sha Danshan and extended her hand toward her.
"Misaka Chika. Personally, I don't really like getting mixed up in the struggles between factions, but as long as it doesn't involve that, I do enjoy making friends."
Facing the hand Chinatsu extended, Sha Danshan smiled and immediately extended her own hand to shake Chinatsu's.
"Hehe, I believe we will definitely become very, very good friends~" Sha Danshan said with a smile.