In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 94

I don't know what Higashino saw in this girl, that he abandoned Takitsubo and didn't treat her well, and instead found a flat-chested, flirtatious girl as his girlfriend.

"You scoundrel! You're not allowed to be rude to your older sister!"

Kuroko immediately bristled, standing in front of Mikoto and glaring at Frenda.

Frenda, however, didn't seem to care at all. Instead, she grinned at Kuroko and said, "Oh my, this twin-tailed space teleportation lady, you must be the legendary Railgun's mount, right? Tsk tsk, looks like all the nutrients in Tokiwadai were used to grow your abilities~"

Kuroko was so angry that he almost used his ability to throw Frenda out.

"Hey! Frenda! Stop embarrassing yourself over there!"

Although Mugino Shizuri felt that Frenda had spoken the "truth," he still frowned and rebuked her.

After all, this is the Higashino family home, so we can't let Frenda get too out of line.

"What does it matter, Mugino? I'm just telling the truth!" Frenda said matter-of-factly.

Just as this awkward yet amusing atmosphere reached a stalemate, a clear, childlike voice, full of pure curiosity, rang out at the doorway:

"Misaka Misaka noticed it's quite lively here! Misaka Misaka reports cautiously!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Last Order, wearing a light green dress, clinging to the door frame, her little head curiously peeking in, her big amber eyes darting around.

Behind her stood Misaka 9999, wearing the same dress but in a slightly darker color, with a calm expression, and Fubuki Toshinobu, looking helpless and carrying large bags like a nanny.

"Huh? The same Misaka-senpai?" Ruiko looked at Last Order in surprise, then at Mikoto.

"Your sister?"

Ruiko was unaware of what happened yesterday; this was the first time she had ever met the Misaka Sisters.

When Mikoto saw her two younger sisters, especially Last Order, she panicked and quickly stepped forward: "Ah...right! They...they're my distant cousins! I brought them here to play today!"

As she spoke, she frantically tried to wink at Higashino Yu.

Higashino understood immediately, and an invisible force subtly spread through him. He smiled and introduced them to everyone in an extremely natural tone: "Well, these two are Misaka's cousins, Misaka 20001 and Misaka 9999. This is Ms. Fubuki Toshinobu, who is taking care of them. Welcome."

As he spoke, a sense of "self-evident" formed in the minds of Ruiko, Item, and others.

Although they felt that the two little girls looked too much like Mikoto, they only marveled at the power of genes and did not consider other possibilities.

"cousin?"

Kuroko looked suspiciously at the two Misaka Sisters, then at Mikoto and Higashino Yu, feeling that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

“But little Misaka-senpai is so cute!” Ruiko had already moved closer enthusiastically.

Frenda's attention was also drawn: "Huh? Twins? They look so alike!"

Mugino Shizuri frowned even more as he looked at the three newcomers, muttering under his breath, "Hmph, what a troublesome gathering."

She wouldn't have attended this kind of party if it weren't for Higashino's invitation, especially since she was asked to bring a swimsuit and such.

She was well aware of Higashino's little scheme, but she wasn't opposed to swimming in the middle of summer.

Chapter 122 A Battleground by the Pool!

With the arrival of her younger sister, the tense atmosphere by the pool dissipated somewhat after Frenda said, "All the nutrients have been used to develop her abilities."

"Alright, alright, it's a pool party, it's all about having fun!" Saten Ruiko quickly jumped in to smooth things over, smiling as she grabbed Mikoto's arm.

"Everyone here is an ex... uh? That kind of thing isn't important! Don't worry about the details! Come on, I brought a lot of snacks and drinks, how about we have some cold drinks to cool down?"

Ruiko's enthusiasm and Haru Kazari's quiet agreement, "Yes, yes, everyone, please don't fight..." finally eased the tense atmosphere a little.

Fubuki Toshinobu put down the bags he was carrying and walked expressionlessly to Last Order and Misaka 9999: "Want to go change into your swimsuits?"

"Swimsuit! Misaka Misaka wants to go swimming!" Last Order immediately jumped up excitedly, her little face full of anticipation.

Misaka 9999 looked at Mikoto, somewhat curious about what had happened before their arrival: "Onee-sama?"

Looking at her two younger sisters, especially Last Order who looked so energetic, Mikoto's anger subsided considerably. She took a deep breath and said, "Okay... go ahead, be careful."

"Safe? Misaka 9999 has a record of underwater breath-holding for 12 minutes and 35 seconds, which can ensure the safety of 20001. Misaka reports the data and prepares to execute."

After calmly finishing speaking, Number 9999 pulled the still chattering Last Order along with Toshinobu Fubuki to the dressing room.

"Phew..." Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief, only then noticing that Takitsubo Riko had somehow walked up to Higashino's side and was standing quietly, talking about something. Moreover, the dependence and adoration in her eyes were almost overflowing, making Mikoto purse her lips in displeasure.

"Hmph! When did that girl named Takitsubo become so close to Yu?"

The last time Mikoto saw her was when the four prop enthusiasts visited Higashino. At that time, she noticed that Takitsubo's attitude towards Higashino was slightly different, but it was definitely not that intimate.

"Fine, whatever, do whatever you want..."

So what if she has another sister and a rival? She doesn't care! She's now Higashino's official girlfriend, way ahead of that guy!

Mikoto turned her head, walked to the parasol by the pool, and sat down on a lounge chair.

Shirai Kuroko immediately followed, pulling out sunscreen: "Onee-sama! Let Kuroko serve you! Sunscreen is crucial at the beach... no, at the poolside!"

"Um, no need, Kuroko, I haven't changed into my swimsuit yet..."

Seeing the smile on the face of the grotesque man trying to lure the naive girl, Mikoto felt an instinctive resistance.

"Big sister, your outfit exposes a lot of skin. If you choose to sunbathe here, you might get a tan!"

Upon hearing Kuroko mention the word "tan," Mikoto subconsciously glanced at her own skin, then looked towards Takitsubo. She had to admit that the girl with the excessive nutrition had really fair skin.

"Hmm, then I'll put some on... but you're not allowed to touch it anywhere!"

Kuroko was overjoyed to hear Mikoto's reply and moved closer.

She knew that her older sister, who was in love, would definitely pay a lot of attention to the maintenance of certain areas. Although she was unhappy about being in love, it didn't stop her from taking advantage of the situation to get closer to her older sister.

While squeezing out lotion, she muttered excitedly in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Ah~ Big sister is so perfect! This perfectly petite and delicate figure is simply a work of art sculpted by God! As exquisite and lovely as the Princess and the Pea! Compared to those who are just fat, this is true and pure beauty! Long live Big sister!"

She closed her eyes in ecstasy, fantasizing about the 'caresses' she would give Mikoto next.

Meanwhile, Frenda was pulled away by Ruiko to examine the bag of snacks she had brought. She quickly forgot her earlier provocation after discovering the limited-edition chocolate bars and started shouting excitedly.

Kinuhata Saiai quietly walked to the edge of the pool, took off her sneakers, dipped her feet into the water and dangled them, with an expression that said, "So boring, but whatever."

In another corner, Himegami Akisa was being pestered by Index to teach her how to swim, while Mikoto Meiya floated around them, saying something.

Mugino Shizuri glanced around at the increasingly harmonious scene, his gaze finally settling on Higashino.

She muttered to herself, her voice low but clear enough to reach Higashino Yu's ears nearby: "Tsk, Higashino. Is this some kind of harem inn?"

Higashino smiled thoughtfully, about to say something.

A voice, both languid and vibrant, flowed into the pool area like sweet honey:

"Oh dear, it seems I'm not too late?"

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn over.

At the side gate of the villa leading to the garden, Misaki Shokuhou stood gracefully.

Today, she wore a pure white halter-neck lace dress with layers of sheer fabric that perfectly accentuated her stunning figure. Her long, golden hair flowed smoothly down her back, and she wore a small, delicate white lace wide-brimmed sun hat. Beneath the hat, her beautiful, starry eyes swept across the room with a playful smile.

She was somewhat surprised that Higashino had invited so many girls; before coming, she had thought it would be just Mikoto and a few others at most.

"She is... Shokuhou-san!"

Haru exclaimed in surprise; she hadn't expected that even Higashino, the queen of Tokiwadai, could be invited.

"It's actually the legendary Queen of Tokiwadai!?"

Tears also looked around curiously and whispered.

"Is the senior and she that close? They actually managed to invite her over..."

Both she and Haru had only heard of the legendary Tokiwadai Queen; they had just left when Shokuhou visited Higashino as a representative of Tokiwadai.

The moment Mikoto saw Shokuhou, her expression became extremely unnatural, showing obvious wariness and displeasure.

She had heard a recent rumor about Tokiwadai.

It seems to have come from the Shokuhou faction that their queen is having an affair! And the new doctor in the infirmary is the prime suspect.

She pouted and muttered under her breath, "Hmph, all pretentious..."

Ignoring the reactions of the others, Shokuhou chuckled and walked toward Higashino with a clear purpose, completely disregarding the complicated looks from the others.

"Dr. Higashino~"

Misaki stopped a few steps away from Higashino and called out in a deliberately cloyingly sweet tone.

"Congratulations on moving to your new home! Such a magnificent villa truly befits your status as a 'reconstructionist of reality'."

She deliberately emphasized the title Level 5, and her gaze lingered briefly on Takitsubo Riko. This unfamiliar girl seemed to be very close to Higashino.

He gave her the feeling that he wanted to stick to her, and he was even more enthusiastic than Higashino's other girlfriends.

She gracefully turned to the side and presented a beautifully packaged, luxurious gift box with both hands: "This is a congratulatory gift for Dr. Higashino."

"Thank you, Misaki-kun."

Higashino accepted the heavy gift box and thanked him with a smile.

He could sense the scrutiny and a hint of jealousy in Shokuhou's gaze. After all, Takitsubo Riko had been standing almost right next to him while they were chatting, her eyes never leaving him.

Just then, a clear and cheerful shout came from the direction of the locker room:

"Misaka Misaka is all dressed up! 9999 looks amazing too! Funako-san... uh... Funako-san says she's not swimming! Misaka Misaka reports that she has completed her costume change!"

Last Order, wearing a children's onesie swimsuit covered in Gekota patterns, burst out like a little cannonball, followed by Misaka 9999, also wearing a onesie swimsuit, expressionless but with steady steps, and Toshinobu Fubuki, looking utterly hopeless in a T-shirt and shorts.

Two almost identical little figures in swimsuits instantly attracted everyone's attention.

The moment Misaki Shokuhou's gaze fell upon Last Order and Misaka 9999, her pupils contracted sharply! Shock and disbelief were clearly written in her starry eyes. Her gaze quickly swept over the twin Misaka sisters and then abruptly turned to Higashino!

That gaze was filled with extreme confusion and deep inquiry.

Her lips moved slightly, as if countless questions were about to burst forth: about the existence of these Misaka Sisters, about why they were here, and about whether this was related to the "Level 5 Evolution Project"...

Looking at Higashino's calm expression, her heart was in turmoil, her eyes darkened for a moment, and her shoulders trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

But this lapse in composure lasted less than three seconds. When she looked up again, her face had regained its flawless smile, only her clenched hands betrayed her inner turmoil.

She took a deep breath and turned her attention back to Higashino Yu, as if nothing had happened, but there was a complex and unfathomable meaning deep in her smile.

"You're welcome, Higashino-kun." Shokuhou's smile returned, her gaze sweeping over the people by the pool before finally settling on Mikoto, her smile instantly turning provocative and mischievous.

"Oh my, Misaka-san is here too? What a coincidence. Dressed so cutely, are you planning to enjoy your time at the pool? But..." She deliberately dragged out her words, looking Mikoto up and down in her sundress, and lightly tapped her chest with her finger.

"You still need to pay attention to sun protection. Ultraviolet rays are a major enemy of the skin, especially for... well... areas that need extra care and 'protection'? After all, some advantages require careful maintenance."

Her gaze swept over Mikoto's chest again, seemingly casually, as if she wanted to vent some of her barely suppressed emotions on the Railgun girl.

"Shokuhou Misaki! What do you mean?!" Mikoto jumped up from the recliner, her forehead crackling with electricity. This time, she was bursting with anger, which she had also amplified from Frenda's previous comments!

"It means exactly what it says: caring about the students' health."

Misaki blinked innocently, tapped her chin lightly with her finger, and wore a perfectly bewildered expression, but her eyes were like those of a cunning and dangerous cat.

"They were just reminding you to protect your 'important assets,' why do you always react so strongly, Misaka? Could it be...?"

She paused deliberately, then said in a gentle tone that would drive Mikoto crazy, "Are you particularly concerned about this aspect?"

"Shinai!!!" Mikoto's roar was accompanied by the sound of electricity, and 100,000 volts were ready.

With lightning speed, Higashino appeared beside Mikoto just as she was about to unleash her electric attack, gently pressing down on her head.

"Mikoto, calm down."

The warmth from his hand froze her in place, her anger instantly gone.

Before Misaki Shokuhou could even feel smug, she felt a sharp pain on her forehead—Higashino had somehow appeared in front of her and gently flicked her forehead with his long, slender fingers.

"Shokuhou-kun..."

Higashino's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Today is a fun party, don't deliberately provoke us."

Misaki covered her slightly reddened forehead, a hint of grievance flashing in her starry eyes. She opened her mouth to retort, but was defeated by Higashino's gentle yet unquestionable gaze.

"...Okay, I know." She pouted, revealing a rare hint of girlish coquettishness.

"It was just a joke."

Seeing her like this, Higashino couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and ruffled Shokuhou's blonde hair, like he was dealing with a sulking child: "That's more like it. We all need to get along well, okay? I really like the gift you brought."