Natsume Sonoko-san gazed blankly at the abandoned warehouse's ceiling, having long since moved past her initial state of flustered panic.
Besides realizing her main body was actually invisible, she'd also noticed the armed boys before her weren't 'enthusiastic' like everyone in the School Garden.
They maintained a strange state of clear boundaries, yet brimming with curiosity.
This state allowed Natsume-san to relax a little.
She really wasn't good at handling excessive attention from others; it made her incredibly uncomfortable. But being treated as part of the background was something she could reluctantly accept.
After a moment's thought, Natsume Sonoko understood the reason for this difference.
It was probably one of the reasons Shirai-san had said she couldn't truly gain their trust.
Aside from their status as Espers, their living conditions were just too different.
The top-tier elite of Academy City and the delinquents hiding in its dark corners… it was hard to imagine they'd have any common ground.
Even things Natsume-san considered utterly ordinary were things these boys probably couldn't even hope for.
After all, the complimentary meals prepared for them by the maids could easily fetch a high price of forty thousand yen on the 'black market'—almost equivalent to a large portion of the scholarship money a Level 0 received.
And the various daily necessities provided for free by her own dorm were almost all things that were either difficult to buy outside or prohibitively expensive.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Natsume Sonoko."
The certain bun-girl took a deep breath, putting aside any thoughts of achieving something as luxurious as their trust.
If she could just resolve this incident properly and maintain the Judgment's neutral stance, that would be enough.
It was then Natsume-san felt she vaguely grasped her own true emotions.
It wasn't sympathy or condescending pity, but a subtle sense of loss—the feeling of being out of place, disconnected from most people in Academy City.
She tried to hide her identity as a Level 5, and didn't want too much attention; Natsume-san just wanted to seem like everyone else.
But some things were simply unavoidable. She was who she was: a Level 5 of Academy City, a powerful girl capable of facing Accelerator head-on.
"While I apologize for acting on my own initiative this time, I believe this will be beneficial for everyone."
"Catching those who are attacking the Level 0s isn't difficult. Their greatest advantage is only the gray nature of District 7 and the Anti-Skill's relatively slow response time. If you all can cooperate with us, no crime will be able to hide. Together, we can build a better, new disciplinary standard for Academy City."
"Of course, if any of you do something bad, we won't go easy either. We will definitely send you straight to the Anti-Skill headquarters."
Both Natsume-san and her light-projection double became serious, looking as if they'd firmly made up their minds once again.
Once she'd thought through the key points, handling the problem became much easier.
Natsume Sonoko wasn't a particularly forceful person; her plans and ideas were often influenced by others. But once she truly decided to act, she became remarkably decisive.
"This idiot."
Frowning slightly, Shirai-san nearby couldn't help but mutter under her breath. Her teammate had clearly said some unnecessary things.
Though, her teammate was just being overly honest. It's not like Shirai herself didn't think the same way, really.
Oh well. It was the innocent Natsume-san, after all. Couldn't expect too much from her.
Not far away, Hamazura Shiage and Komaba Ritoku exchanged a look, seeming confused about what angle the other side was playing, but they didn't make any drastic reactions either.
Even just recalling the ambiguous information online, the possibility that this girl was the #8 Rank 5 was already very high.
Besides the enigmatic #6, very few people in Academy City dared to impersonate a Level 5.
"So… should we agree?"
Hamazura Shiage stole a glance at the tall Komaba Ritoku. He already leaned towards agreeing, but he asked anyway.
Here, the boy before him was the one in charge. Only he could represent 'Skill Out'.
Komaba Ritoku's face still held a trace of anger leftover from the earlier attack, and it hadn't completely faded yet.
He had been planning to thoroughly refute her condescending attitude—those words about acting for their own good sounded particularly grating.
But Komaba Ritoku suddenly noticed the hopeful light in the eyes of many group members who had suffered attacks. The words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
This was the power the title 'The #8' carried. Those few words held the expectations of many; it represented the ultimate aspiration of all students in Academy City, an object of both yearning and envy.
And when she stated she would personally resolve the attacks, even the armed Level 0s felt she wasn't lying.
This made Komaba Ritoku sigh softly. In the end, he was this group's leader, not some beast that only knew how to vent its emotions.
--+--
The sky outside the window looked gloomy and overcast, mirroring the bleak mood of the students sitting in the classroom.
Dark clouds drifted across the sky from time to time, adding a damp and chilly feel to the environment.
Considering the seasonal and climatic changes, it was about time for the temperature to shift completely.
The annual uniform change was also just a few days away, coinciding perfectly with the impending temperature shift.
The lively Daihasei Festival had completely ended with the closing of the Bonfire Dance.
It seemed many people still hadn't adjusted to sitting at their desks again, a feeling even the students of Tokiwadai Middle School weren't immune to.
The only exception was a certain bun-girl whose appearance seemed childish, but whose wisdom surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Wonderful. The feeling of sitting at a desk is just too wonderful. No one can stop me from studying now.
After enduring one week of Tokiwadai's physical training camp and one week of Daihasei Festival activities, she was finally sitting at this long-dreamed-of desk.
A few glistening, warm tears escaped the corners of her eyes.
This was the daily life Natsume-san was most familiar with. The days of strenuous physical activity were finally gone for good.
To celebrate this joyous occasion, Natsume-san immediately plowed through her homework assignments, advancing all the way to the lessons scheduled two weeks later. Staring at the densely printed characters before her, an inexplicable, powerful sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.
"Natsume-san, did you not go to the Bonfire Dance yesterday?"
Suddenly interrupting someone's satisfaction, Wannai-san nudged her with an elbow, speaking in a rather cautious whisper.
"That's right. There was a Judgment activity."
"You know how it is, Wannai-san. Our work is important; we have to help many people in danger, so we have to sacrifice our personal time."
Natsume-san was no stranger to chatting in class. Watching the teacher's back as they turned around, she replied with experience.
Ignoring the fact she'd been forcibly dragged away by Shirai-san, Natsume-san's tone was quite certain.
"I see. That sounds very exhausting," Wannai-san nodded, having some understanding of Judgment's work.
"But something very strange happened yesterday. I was wondering if I should tell you."
"At the Bonfire Dance yesterday, I saw a talking dog! It really surprised me. But because of the lighting, I couldn't see clearly who it was talking to. Though, I think it mentioned your name, Natsume-san."
Hesitating for a moment, Wannai-san thought it over carefully before speaking.
"Eh?!"
A certain bun-girl was instantly utterly bewildered.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.