Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 08/Chapter 1

Title - Chapter 1: 彼女達の放課後　After_School_of_Angels.

Volume 08

Previous Chapter → Prologue

Next Chapter → 2

Part 1
In a shower room, Shirai finishes telling Mikoto about her earlier encounter with Kongou Mitsuko. Mikoto remarks that despite holding back to avoid destroying the swimming pool, the resulting spray still cleared a building. She adds that were she to stop a faction, she would still hold back, only letting herself go all out on a certain 'idiot.'

Shirai notes with jealousy that Mikoto seems to mention Touma rather frequently, and then sets up an excuse to teleport into Mikoto's shower stall and grope her. However, Mikoto anticipates this and bangs on the wall, breaking her concentration. Refusing to give up, she distracts Mikoto with light conversation and teleports into her stall with a flying kick.

Part 2
Shirai and Mikoto walk down the street in the shopping district. Mikoto complains about the flying kick she recieved, but Shirai explains that it was a part of the plan: in a bathhouse, Mikoto would be unable to defend with electricity lest she shock bystanders. Shirai leads them into a lingerie shop, but suddenly, Mikoto is distracted by a news report saying that the Americans have launched a space shuttle.

Shirai notes that there have been quite a few shuttles sent into space in the past few days, with a handful more launches scheduled. Mikoto remembers that Academy City's own shuttle was sent up a few days back. According to one of Shirai's classes, the reason for so many launches is for countries' new space programs to prove themselves to sponsors. Previously it took a lot of land for a multi-stage rocket to be set up, but with the advent of air launching, many smaller countries have been able to start space programs and are eager to strut their stuff.

Mikoto's attention eventually turns to a set of breast pads. Shirai jokingly wonders out loud whether Mikoto is considering using them to get the attention of a boy. Rather than getting beat up, Shirai finds Mikoto blushing. Feigning disinterest, Mikoto says that even if she did use pads, she would be exposed while taking her clothes off. Naturally, Shirai misinterprets this to mean 'with a boy' rather than 'in a locker room.'

Part 3
After leaving the shop, the pair continues arguing, the topic changing from Mikoto's love interests to Shirai's dieting. Shirai threatens to teleport Mikoto's clothes straight off her body, when suddenly her phone rings. Shirai's work, Judgment, is on the line, so she has to report to the office for duty. Mikoto, walking away, reminds her to get back to their dorm early because there is a chance of rain. Shirai is unnerved by this, though, because Academy City's weather reports are 100% accurate simulations by the supercomputer Tree Diagram, and there is no need for uncertainty when describing the weather.

Between The Lines 1
In Touma's apartment, Index watches the weather report while Touma prepares dinner. Engrossed in the visuals, she asks how they can know what the weather will be from drawings on a map. Touma explains the principles of weather prediction while feeding Sphinx some cooked meat. Index gets angry from this, biting Touma, but asks at the same time why the weather report is so often wrong. Touma responds simply that the computer simulating the weather broke. However, he actually knows the details: one of Academy City's 3 satellites, the one containing Tree Diagram, no longer exists.