Chapter 784: Staying Over
In Huangquanchuan Aisui's living room, everyone ultimately decided to go see the Fireworks Display.
However, besides Lin Wuming, everyone present was still just a middle school girl, so they didn't think there was any problem with it; instead, they all looked forward to it.
After the meeting, under the escort of Lin Wuming and Hu Feng Toumi, Saten Ruiko and Haruue Erii returned to their apartment.
Because she was in high spirits, Saten Ruiko decided to stay over at First Spring's house—the exhilarating feeling of personally participating in the "legend" made Saten Ruiko extremely excited and eager to confide in and share with someone.
However, because Shokuhou Misaki strictly required secrecy and forbade disclosure to outsiders, the only suitable person to talk to was Haruue Erii.
"This is unbelievable! I didn't expect Unnamed Senior and the others to be thinking about such things!" Saten Ruiko exclaimed, "Gathering intelligence, secretly deploying, looking for opportunities... Huh? Why does it feel like they're villains plotting schemes?"
Moreover, the target they wanted to deal with this time was a highly respected old scientist, so on the surface, their actions indeed resembled those of villains.
Of course, Saten Ruiko was just casually complaining.
Because she was proficient in various urban legends, Saten Ruiko had, by some strange coincidence, developed a relatively accurate understanding of Kihara.
At least half of Academy City's "urban legends" were related to "experiments," such as "special experiments," "secret experiments," and "experimental accidents"; there were countless such legends.
And among these urban legends, Kihara often played the crucial role of "mad scientist," which was quite representative.
Therefore, after hearing that Lin Wuming and Shokuhou Misaki's target was Kihara Gensei, Saten Ruiko quickly found a reasonable explanation for herself.
"Without a doubt, that Kihara Gensei must be an evil mad scientist!" Saten Ruiko stated with certainty, "Otherwise, he couldn't be Unnamed Senior's enemy."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Haruue Erii yawned, "It's almost midnight, let's get some rest soon..."
"Eh?" Saten Ruiko leaned down from the upper bunk, her black hair smoothly cascading like a waterfall. "First Spring, aren't you excited at all? We're going to deal with the legendary Kihara!"
"Even if I'm excited, I still need to sleep," Haruue Erii said in a lazy tone, clearly already drowsy. "I have to wake up early tomorrow, please spare me..."
Whenever this happened, Haruue Erii would regret letting Saten Ruiko stay over.
"Eh?!" Saten Ruiko exclaimed in surprise, "Wake up early? Do you have something to do tomorrow?"
"Judgment..."
"That's so tough," Saten Ruiko lay back down on the bed. "Then tomorrow's Fireworks Display..."
"Don't worry about that," Haruue Erii said. "School will definitely be out by then."
According to the division of responsibilities, under normal circumstances, all order maintenance work after dark is handled by Anti-Skill.
So even if there's a need to be on duty at the Fireworks Display, that would be the Guards Teachers' job.
However, even so, having to do Judgment work during the day is still very hard.
You know, it's still summer vacation now!
Thinking of this, Saten Ruiko also felt too embarrassed to continue disturbing Haruue Erii's rest.
She had no choice but to suppress her still high spirits, lying in bed and waiting to fall asleep...
A few minutes later, she turned to her side and picked up her phone, skillfully logging into her usual forum.
It wasn't that she was deliberately searching for any information; it was just a habit to find something to read when she felt bored.
—Speaking of which, although I now know what Unnamed Senior and the others are doing, I really can't help.
During the previous "meeting," Lin Wuming and Shokuhou Misaki did not assign them any tasks.
Saten Ruiko and Haruue Erii did participate, but it was merely "participation for the sake of it."
—However, I also know my place. Someone as ordinary as me, it's already a blessing not to be excluded. Even if they really asked me to do something, I probably wouldn't be up to the task, would I?
Thinking this, her high spirits were like cold water being splashed on them, immediately cooling down.
Bang!
Placing her phone face down on the bedsheet, Saten Ruiko felt she could finally fall asleep...
"Ah!"
Haruue Erii, who had already fallen into a dream, was startled awake by a cry from the upper bunk.
"What's wrong, what's wrong, Saten?" Haruue Erii scrambled up, clumsily climbing to the upper level.
"Sorry, sorry, I scared you..." What greeted her was Saten Ruiko's apologetic face. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong."
Haruue Erii immediately breathed a sigh of relief, but still climbed to the upper bunk and carefully observed her close friend.
After confirming that Saten Ruiko was truly fine, she nodded.
"Did Saten have a nightmare just now?" Haruue Erii asked, "Like suddenly falling from a high place or something..."
"No, not at all." Saten Ruiko waved her hand, then scratched her head and said, "I just suddenly thought—tomorrow First Spring, you'll be doing Judgment activities, so won't I be alone during the day?"
"...Just for that?"
"Haha, yes." Saten Ruiko gave an awkward smile.
"Go find a way to pass the time yourself!" Haruue Erii grabbed a throw pillow and threw it, then decisively returned to the lower bunk. "Remember, don't disturb my sleep again!"
"Okay, okay, please rest well..." Saten Ruiko's head and long hair once again dangled from the upper bunk. "As an apology, I'll make breakfast tomorrow morning."
"That's a given," Haruue Erii said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you stay!"
The next morning, Saten Ruiko was forcibly woken from her sleep by Haruue Erii.
"You said you'd make breakfast!"
"Eh? What time is it now... Isn't it six o'clock? So early..." Saten Ruiko looked half-asleep, swaying as she walked towards the bathroom.
"It won't be early by the time you're fully awake," Haruue Erii urged. "Hurry up and get moving, then you can go for a morning run with me later!"
"No, don't run right after breakfast, be careful of indigestion."
"A walk is fine, right?" Haruue Erii said. "School starts the week after next, so hurry up and adjust your sleep schedule, otherwise it will be very tough."
"Okay, okay..."
After washing up, Saten Ruiko finally woke up.
No longer dawdling, she put on an apron and busied herself in the kitchen with swift, clean movements.
"Not bad, not bad. If you look closely, you really do have some of Unnamed Senior's demeanor," Haruue Erii commented from the side.
