[Rail IC] Academy City II: Electrokinesis Is Love~

[Lord-Cao-Cao]

Shougo, despite being given precise instructions on how to send a text message, seemed incapable of grasping just how it was done, to his great embarassment. In all likeliness, Tobio would have had to do it himself. If he had done so, and even if he had not, he would have seen the message Moroe had sent Shougo.

Regardless, when all was said and done, Shougo let out a huge sigh of relief. Although that silver-haired, chain-wearing lout had utterly spurned his cry for help, momentarily leaving him in the lurch, a kindly-looking blue-haired boy had answered in his place, showing him (or attempting to show him) how phones worked. Even for the otherwise-patient Tobio, Shougo would have been a difficult case. It really was frightening how little he seemed to understand how technology worked. Nevertheless, Shougo was visibly grateful for his help, carefully replacing the item in his pocket. That could have ended badly; he thought to himself-He'd only taken about four minutes to reply this time, even if he had help! It was not until Tobio had to repeat his question that Shougo realised he was being talked to, suddenly tripping over himself in response. In Japanese prose, he would have been using an unnecessarily formal, even outdated mode of speech.

"A...Ah-Thank you, Ishida-dono. I am Nimori Shougo. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am in your debt."

Struggling to his feet, he then bowed in deference, earning him a few puzzled stares from passerbys. Despite the fact that he lived in a city that was supposedly thirty years in the future, his mannerisms were archaic to the point of unintelligibility at times; at times it felt like he was acting as though it were a hundred years of the past. And whilst Shougo was aware of (or imagined) the odd looks people gave him behind his back, he did not relent in his actions. It was not that he didn't want to greet people in a more modern manner, but that he didn't know how. Sure, he'd seen people do it in passing, but to be honest...

He didn't have many friends. Sure, he had acquaintances, and sparring partners from his father's dojo, but they had all fallen away after Daisuke's relentless assault on his family and their security. Moroe was the first person-The only person outside his own family who went out of her way to help him. And here was another...Shougo just wished he knew what to say. Everything that he thought of sounded stupid, even to his own ears. After perhaps a moment of empty silence, his phone beeped again, having received Moroes' message, prompting Shougo to open his phone and read it. His response was immediate, gasping with horror as he read its' contents.

"I...Ishimaru-senpai! Oh no!"

And then promptly covered his mouth, realising his gaffe.