Observer Squad?! Defeated Today! Kamuro Masumi!

The cafeteria was spacious and bright. On this weekend morning, there were not many students dining, making it feel somewhat empty and quiet.

The air was filled with the warm mingled aroma of toast, fried eggs, and miso soup.

Akiyama Shin and Morishita Ran each carried a tray and casually took seats at a two-person table by the window.

On Akiyama Shin's tray was a standard Japanese breakfast set: a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, a plate of grilled salmon, a small serving of natto, and a dish of pickled vegetables.

Simple, unpretentious, and nutritionally balanced.

It suited his consistently pragmatic style.

Morishita Ran's tray, on the other hand, conspicuously held a brightly colored children's meal.

There was a fried egg shaped like a little animal, several miniature crispy sausages, a small cluster of broccoli, and a smiling face drawn in ketchup. The staple was a cute-shaped rice ball, and beside it were even a complimentary small carton of yogurt and a little toy—a glittering star charm.

"Hehe~ Today's energy replenishment... is this Observer's favorite Hero Adventure Meal! This is the optimal choice! It can awaken the potential slumbering within me!"

As Morishita Ran solemnly tucked the star charm into her pocket, she speared a piece of rabbit-shaped fried egg with her fork.

Then, as if carrying out some sort of ritual, she put it into her mouth, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.

Watching her become so engrossed over a children's meal, that faint sense of strangeness surfaced in Akiyama Shin again.

But strangely enough, he felt neither disgust nor embarrassment. Instead, he found it somewhat amusing. He simply picked up a piece of grilled salmon with his chopsticks and casually asked,

"How do you find the lessons in Class A?"

Morishita Ran swallowed her food. Her purple eyes blinked as she replied in a judgmental tone,

"The transmission efficiency of the knowledge itself is acceptable! But the methods of instruction are far too rigid! They lack deep metaphorical interpretations of the rules of the world! However... those people from the Katsuragi Faction and the Sakayanagi Faction secretly competing in class are far more interesting than the textbooks! They are important observation material for this Observer!"

She waved her fork excitedly as she explained, as though she were commanding an invisible war.

"Oh? How do they compete?"

Akiyama Shin followed up on her words. His tone was casual, like idle conversation, though he was actually gathering useful information.

"For example, whenever the teacher asks a question, both sides rush to answer, trying to display their faction's wisdom! When submitting group assignments, they secretly compare their level of completion and innovation too!"

"And that Katsuragi always puts on a stern face like he's acting for the collective benefit of Class A, while Lady Sakayanagi prefers using that clever little brain of hers to set verbal traps and watch the other side step into them! It really is... mm... in mortal terms... intrigue and scheming, isn't it!"

Morishita Ran spoke animatedly, even drawing complicated paths in the air with her fork in an attempt to imitate their covert clashes. Akiyama Shin listened quietly, occasionally nodding.

Though Morishita Ran's account came heavily filtered through her chuunibyou lens, once the exaggerated language was stripped away,

the information she revealed basically matched what Kamuro Masumi had previously provided, as well as his own judgment.

The infighting in Class A did indeed exist, and it seemed to be growing increasingly intense.

Watching Morishita Ran speak with such enthusiasm, as though recounting some epic legend, he could not help smiling.

After all, to still immerse oneself so unburdenedly in a world of one's own fantasies at high school age, while retaining an almost childlike frankness and sense of wonder toward things,

was, in some sense, a rare trait.

Not everyone could carefully preserve that inner innocence through the different stages of growing up. It might make her seem out of place, but it also kept her from being completely assimilated by certain worldly rules.

Just as Morishita Ran was gesturing wildly as she described how Sakayanagi Arisu had once casually crushed some minor lackey of the Katsuragi Faction with her words,

Akiyama Shin caught sight of a familiar figure approaching them from the corner of his eye.

It was Kamuro Masumi.

She was not wearing her school uniform today, having changed into a light gray casual tracksuit.

The soft fabric clung to her long, well-proportioned figure, making her seem less distant than usual and more relaxed.

Her beautiful waist-length purple hair had not been styled much, merely falling naturally down her back and swaying slightly with her steps.

There was little expression on her delicate face at the moment. Her eyes were only half-open with laziness, giving off an air of How boring. Nothing interesting ever happens.

She had merely been casually scanning the cafeteria when her gaze noticeably paused upon passing over Akiyama Shin.

When she saw the figure sitting opposite him, waving a fork around, a flash of astonishment crossed her face.

Morishita Ran naturally spotted Kamuro Masumi as well. She immediately stopped her speech about Lady Sakayanagi's verbal magic.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, as though she had discovered a moving observation point worthy of attention.

Then she abruptly raised a hand, pointed at Kamuro Masumi, and shouted loudly without controlling her volume at all.

"It's... it's Class A's neutral leading figure!"

"Pfft—!"

The scattered students at several nearby tables were drawn by the sudden shout and looked over curiously.

Someone even accidentally choked on their drink, letting out a suppressed cough.

Kamuro Masumi's steps visibly stiffened, as though invisible black lines had dropped across her forehead.

She looked at Morishita Ran, then at Akiyama Shin, who remained calm as if nothing had happened. In an instant, her heart was filled with immense embarrassment and speechlessness.

This weirdo...! What kind of nonsense is she spouting now?!

And... why is Akiyama Shin mixed up with another girl again?

This time, it's even Morishita Ran from our class?!

How did those two even end up together?!

She resisted the urge to turn around and leave. In the end, she still forced herself onward, walking somewhat stiffly to an empty table beside Akiyama Shin's and pulling out a chair to sit down.

She did not look at Morishita Ran. Instead, she directed her gaze straight at Akiyama Shin, her voice carrying faint irritation and accusation.

"Hey... when did you start hanging around with someone from our class?"

At that, Akiyama Shin set down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin beside him, and wiped the corner of his mouth. Only then did he leisurely look at Kamuro Masumi and answer in his usual calm tone.

"Morishita is my Observer in Class A."

Kamuro Masumi froze for a moment, then the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.

An Observer?

What a grand way to put it!

Wasn't she just a spy he had planted?!

She complained frantically in her heart, only to suddenly realize that she herself was also Akiyama Shin's spy in Class A.

Wait! This guy... moved that fast?!

How long has it even been... and he's already recruited a second one?!

And it's someone like Morishita Ran?!

How the hell did he win over this weirdo?!

A complicated feeling rose within her, like suddenly gaining a colleague—and one with an utterly bizarre style, at that. Looking at Akiyama Shin's matter-of-fact expression, she suddenly found his thoughts a little frighteningly deep.

Upon hearing Akiyama Shin's introduction, Morishita Ran immediately puffed out her chest with pride and nodded vigorously in agreement.

"That's right!"

"I am the chief Observer under Special-Class Akiyama!"

"I am responsible for monitoring all abnormal energy fluctuations and potential threats in Class A!"

Kamuro Masumi watched Morishita Ran's proud expression and rolled her eyes speechlessly. She had no interest in admitting that she was some kind of Observer too. She merely nodded vaguely in Morishita Ran's direction and said dryly,

"Oh... then observe well."

She deliberately stressed the word "observe."

Akiyama Shin took in Kamuro Masumi's subtle expression and tone, understanding immediately.

He did not care whether Kamuro Masumi exposed her identity before Morishita Ran. Having more channels was always better.

He lifted his glass and took a sip. Seemingly casually, but with a clear purpose, he calmly dropped a bombshell.

"Oh, right. Let me remind you two of something."

His gaze swept across Kamuro Masumi and Morishita Ran's faces.

"Our first-year's first Special Exam may be coming soon. It will most likely be the Midterm Exam, and no later than the end of May. Study hard lately."

The moment those words fell,

Kamuro Masumi and Morishita Ran both froze.

Morishita Ran reacted first. A worshipful light burst from her amethyst-like eyes as she clasped her hands together and looked at Akiyama Shin excitedly.

"Thank you for the warning, Special-Class Akiyama! Is this a prophecy guided by fate?"

"I will certainly work twice as hard to stockpile enough knowledge ammunition and face the coming trial!"

Her response was entirely within Akiyama Shin's expectations.

Kamuro Masumi, however, was in a completely different state of mind.

The laziness and nonchalance on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by shock and scrutiny.

She frowned slightly and stared intently at Akiyama Shin.

A Special Exam? The Midterm Exam? How did he know? The school hasn't made any official announcement at all...

During her time in Class A, although she had spent most of it outside the factional conflict, her sharp powers of observation had still allowed her to sense, more or less, the competitive atmosphere within the class. She had also vaguely guessed that this school was far less simple than it appeared. Personal Points, the A, B, C, and D rankings—there had to be a complex set of rules behind all of it.

Yet Akiyama Shin had so confidently predicted that a Special Exam was approaching, even identifying it as the Midterm Exam.

The amount of information in that was enormous.

This was not merely a guess.

It was more like he had grasped some solid evidence, or made an incredibly precise deduction.

What unsettled her even more was that Akiyama Shin had simply revealed such potentially crucial intelligence right in front of her. Was he not afraid that she would turn around and tell the people in Class A? Katsuragi or Sakayanagi, for instance?

Even if she could barely still be considered his collaborator,

would he really share intelligence involving the interests of the entire class so easily?

As though he had seen through Kamuro Masumi's doubts and calculations, Akiyama Shin slowly set down his glass.

His dark red eyes calmly met her probing gaze as he spoke in a clear, certain voice.

"I don't think you would do something so boring."

Kamuro Masumi's heart jolted.

He... he knows what I'm thinking?!

The feeling of being completely seen through made her uncomfortable, while also stirring a defiant sense of resistance. She pressed her lips together and deliberately responded in a provocative, disdainful tone, trying to conceal the turmoil in her heart.

"Hmph... you can't be so sure."

"Maybe I think it's interesting."

Akiyama Shin was not surprised by her stubbornness. He merely curled his lips slightly, revealing a faint, meaningful smile.

But he said nothing further.

That attitude, as though everything were under his control, made Kamuro Masumi even more annoyed, yet helpless.

Morishita Ran, meanwhile, was somewhat lost amid the undercurrents of their conversation.

But relying on an Observer's intuition, she seemed to have caught onto something important.

She looked at Akiyama Shin, then at the awkward-looking Kamuro Masumi, and suddenly came to a realization. She smacked her fist into her palm.

Then she pointed at Kamuro Masumi again and announced in the tone of someone revealing a major discovery,

"I understand! Third-Class Soldier Kamuro! If you dare leak Special-Class Akiyama's crucial strategic intelligence! I, Morishita Ran! As the chief of the Observer Squad! Will personally exercise my authority of purification and kick you out of our squad!"

Th-Third-Class Soldier?!

Authority of purification?! Observer Squad?!

Kamuro Masumi felt her blood pressure rising without end, the veins in her forehead nearly bulging.

When had she ever agreed to join an Observer Squad that sounded so utterly stupid?!

And she had even become some low-ranking Third-Class Soldier?!

She looked at Morishita Ran's righteous expression, as though she were protecting some sacred order, then at Akiyama Shin, the culprit beside her. He actually looked entirely unconcerned, with even a hint of amusement in his eyes...

Kamuro Masumi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the flood of complaints in her heart and the urge to punch someone. She squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth.

"Who! Is! Your! Third-Class! Soldier!"

She abruptly rose to her feet, the chair legs scraping harshly against the floor.

"I'm full! I'm leaving!"

With that, she left without looking back, practically fleeing from this place that was sending her blood pressure haywire.

[Defeated Today! Kamuro Masumi!]

Watching Kamuro Masumi's nearly panicked retreating figure, Morishita Ran tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? What's wrong with Third-Class Soldier Kamuro? Did she receive some urgent communication?"

Akiyama Shin let out a quiet laugh and shook his head.

"Probably."

He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating the unfinished breakfast on his tray.

Thanks to the successive appearances of these two Observers with entirely different styles, breakfast had become anything but boring.

Seeing that Akiyama Shin had nothing more to say, Morishita Ran also returned her attention to her Hero Adventure Meal.

As she ate spoonfuls of yogurt, she muttered about a draft for the Observer Squad's rules and regulations.

The sunlight outside the window grew warmer and brighter, foretelling good weather for the day.

But Akiyama Shin knew that the peaceful campus life would soon be disrupted.

The Midterm Exam, this anticipated Special Exam, would become the first touchstone to test the caliber of every class. And he still had much preparation left to do.