The midnight courtyard held the two powerful beings locked in their awkward, agonizing standoff—a profound bow of submission from Noir, and an instinctive, equally deep reciprocal bow from Ameri. The silence was stretched taut, broken only by the magical hum of the colossal, unauthorized tree.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point, an unexpected element broke the tableau. The very object of Ameri's confusion—the source of her deduction and romantic turmoil—chose that moment to make a dramatic entrance.
The tightly bound volume of "First Love Memories", which Ameri had hastily tucked into the inner breast pocket of her crimson military jacket, had been jostled loose by the sudden movements and the intense, reciprocal bowing. With a soft shush of sliding pages, the pristine manga volume slipped out of her uniform and landed quietly near their feet.
Noir, still bowed and trapped in the wrist-hold, immediately focused on the object. His instincts, trained by years of avoiding trouble, noted the fallen item and the need to rectify the situation.
He quickly adjusted his feet and, without fully straightening his spine, managed to lean down and pick up the book.
He held the manga volume in his hand, intending to simply return the item to the deeply offended (he assumed) President. But as his eyes focused on the brightly illustrated cover—featuring a human girl and boy under a blooming cherry tree—his panic gave way to profound shock.
NOIR: (Whispering, the apology completely forgotten) "W-wait... First Love Memories? Volume 8?"
He recognized the distinct art style, the font, and the title instantly. During his time in the human world, he had briefly worked as an assistant for a small publishing house, helping with packaging and distribution. He had spent countless hours sorting and occasionally sneaking a read of this exact series during slow shifts.
NOIR: (Completely forgetting his situation and his secret) "I know this! Sakura finally tells Kenji that she loves him during the fireworks festival, but Kenji thinks she's talking about the festival itself! It's the climactic miscommunication arc!"
Ameri, who had just begun to straighten up, ready to issue her urgent security order, froze. Her golden eyes were wide with utter disbelief.
Inner Monologue (Ameri):He... he knows the title. He knows the specific volume. He knows the... the climactic miscommunication arc?!
Before Ameri could articulate the monumental nature of this discovery, an even more terrifying realization hit her. Noir was not just recognizing the book by the pictures; he was reading the title aloud, fluently, in the human realm's native script.
Ameri's deduction of his origin was correct, but her understanding of his abilities had been incomplete. She wasn't just dealing with a magical threat; she was dealing with a cultural ambassador who held the key to her most closely guarded secret.
Noir, finally realizing who he was talking to and the immense secrecy surrounding the object, quickly snapped out of his nostalgic trance. He looked up at the President, his own wide eyes registering the sheer impossibility of the situation.
NOIR: (Quietly, returning to panic) "P-President Azazel? Why... why do you have a human comic book? Wait, never mind! Forget I said anything! I apologize for reading the forbidden text!"
He quickly held the book out, offering it back, his anxiety skyrocketing.
Ameri, however, ignored the extended book. The threat of a simple human origin faded next to the glorious, intoxicating possibility that this accidental intruder could solve the riddle that had plagued her lineage for centuries.
AMERI: (Voice trembling with a mixture of hope and intense professional focus) "You... you can read the symbols. The human language."
NOIR: (Nervously) "Uh, yes, ma'am. I... I can read them. They're just letters."
Ameri grabbed his arms again, her grip softening slightly, now driven by overwhelming academic curiosity rather than security concerns.
AMERI: "I need you to translate something, Sullivan. Immediately. Something that has haunted the Azazel family for generations. The true meaning of these texts."
She grabbed the manga from his hand and quickly flipped open to a random page—one where Sakura was looking wistfully at a setting sun, and Kenji was staring off-page, utterly oblivious.
AMERI: "This page! The symbols above Sakura's head! What do they say? Do they refer to political espionage? A revolutionary plot? The deployment of the powerful 'First Love' ability?"
Noir looked at the panel, utterly confused by her dramatic interpretation. The text above Sakura's head was simple internal dialogue.
NOIR: (Reading the symbols slowly) "It says... 'I wish Kenji would notice me today. It's too embarrassing to say it out loud.'"
Ameri's formidable expression crumbled. Her eyes welled up instantly, overflowing with genuine, heartfelt emotion.
AMERI: (Muttering, her voice thick with wonder) "Too... embarrassing? A deep, internal conflict! The anguish of unspoken emotion! It's even more powerful than I imagined! The human realm's conflict is rooted in the fear of rejection!"
She snatched the book back, flipping frantically to a page she had interpreted as a strategic meeting between allies.
AMERI: "Now this panel! The symbols above Kenji when he is talking to his male friend! What is the coded message he is sending to his revolutionary contact?"
Noir leaned in and read the speech bubble.
NOIR: "It says: 'Man, I hope my mom packed a pork cutlet sandwich for lunch today. I'm starving.'"
Ameri's jaw dropped. The profound, heartbreaking reality of the "other realm" was hitting her with full force. A simple desire for a specific sandwich—a seemingly mundane concern—held the key to the human experience.
Inner Monologue (Ameri):Their deepest political anxieties are masked by desires for specific foods! Their strategies are complex and subtle! This is intelligence of the highest order!
Ameri looked from the simple text to the towering, magnificent student standing before her. He wasn't just an interdimensional threat; he was an unparalleled linguistic resource and the gateway to her most precious secret. Her security protocol was instantly discarded.
With a speed that left Noir no time to react, she grabbed his arm—not in a threatening grip, but in a decisive, almost desperate hold.
AMERI: "Sullivan! You are coming with me! Immediately! We must translate the entirety of these documents! You are now essential personnel for the Student Council's highest priority intelligence gathering! We are going to read the Forbidden Books!"
And with that, the formidable President of the Student Council, clutching a manga book and the only person in the Netherworld who could read it, dragged the terrified, confused Noir Sullivan away from the disastrous courtyard and toward the forbidden secrets of her office.