Something’s happening in school right now.
I can’t tell you right now. We’re still in a situation where we have to be vigilant
Nei said.
To be honest, we don’t know how many of them are mixed in with the parents
We’re having a school festival, and there’s no stopping the outsiders from coming and going
Our school is a regular co-ed high school.
We’re not like Misuzu’s school where you can’t enter unless you have an invitation ticket, and there’s a strict inspection at the entrance.
So, Minaho-oneechan wants me and Yo-chan to go fishing
Fishing?
To be precise, we’re going to be the bait, for fishing, I guess? We’re going to drag some enemies and pick them up
She meant that we’re going to be the bait.
If the enemy’s infiltrated the school, then Kudou-papa’s probably deployed his group too.
We can stir up the place and reveal which are the enemies.
Well, give me a moment
Edie said with a smile.
We can go out after we finish our ice cream
That’s right. It’s a special made ice cream from the cooking club.
Right. Let’s finish eating first before moving, Nei-oneesan
Megu told Nei.
After we’re done eating ice cream, we head out of the English prep room.
Where should we go around first?
I open the special event map of the school festival.
Nei-oneesan, the anime research exhibit seems close
Megu recalled that Nei’s an otaku so she made that suggestion.
Oh, skip that. Their anime scope is so small
Nei said.
They’re only into the current anime and popular voice actors. They call themselves anime research circle, so they should at least know Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei!
What’s that title?
Megu asks.
Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei, is a sister film to Momotaro no Umiwashi, the first full-length animation in Japan. It’s a film made to raise awareness of the war efforts. There’s a great music scene where Momotaro goes to an island ruled by westerners with a Japanese naval paratroop unit and teaches Japanese to the local children Edie, why do you even know about that?
You can’t even talk Japanese half a year ago.
No, not that I mind.
Anyway, my preferences don’t align with them
Nei said.
Then, how about the tokusatsu research group?
Megu found another otaku-oriented study group on the map.
Oh, they’re bad too. They don’t even know the influence of Judo Isshin on the action side, or Daiei’s Yokai Taisen on the modeling side when talking about the history of Kamen Rider
Err.
The company that made the large-sized stuff monsters for that movie were the ones to make the Kamen Rider monsters. That experience is still alive in the creation of the Shocker monster
I’m getting curious.
Ya-chan, have you ever talked about that with the people from the anime or tokusatsu research groups?
I don’t know if she’d been in contact with the research groups, but.
Nope. The truth is, I’ve only listened to them when they’re hanging out in their clubrooms through the surveillance systems!
Nei said.
That’s why I know that their otaku knowledge isn’t that deep
Oh, I knew it.
Then, Nei-oneesan, why don’t you go and share your knowledge with them?
Megu said.
Huh, why? Why would I go out of my way to do something that’ll get hated?
Nei said with a wry smile.
Yo-chan’s the only one who listens to my otaku knowledge without getting bored
People who like anime have different interests though. If the topic is in the same genre, it’s natural that people will hate it if you’re trying to push knowledge that they’re not interested in
Edie tells Megu.
As for me, I’m interested as long as there’s something to learn
Edie’s a genius so she just swallows any knowledge given to her.
Especially in visual culture. They’re a reflection of the customs of the people who produced them. Instead of reading a bad guidebook, you can learn more about the lifestyle, way of thinking, and historical customs, by watching at least ten movies of the ethnic group
I see. Edie’s looking through Nei’s collection of movies, manga, and anime with such sense of purpose.
For example, Japanese anime has a lot of stories about going to the beach, hot springs, and such. This shows that Japanese people have a special sympathy to sea bathing and hot springs
Oh, now that you mention that. If they live on land without the ocean, they won’t make stories about swimming in the sea. The abundance of hot springs is another feature of Japan
Well yeah.
I think only a few Japanese borns have never soaked in a hot spring ever since they were born.
What I don’t get is why do Japanese anime always have watermelon splitting at the beach?
Huh, Edie?
As far as I can tell, watermelon splitting isn’t an activity they do at the beach. It’s not something every group do at beaches, like in the anime
That’s true.
I also haven’t done watermelon splitting in real life either.
Well you see Edie, that’s what they call the beauty of style
Nei laughs.
There’s a lot more of that in the past, but there’s less of it recently. In anime and tokusatsu until the ’80s, they always play the Hagoita on New Year’s, and the loser of the game will get their face scribbled with ink. Despite having only so few houses doing that for real
Using inks when winning Hagoita? What?
Hagoita’s a board with a picture someone painted with a cloth or something.
The one they decorate every year with pictures of the year’s events and stuff, right?
It’s often in the news near the end of the year or something.
What’s the game with that thing?
The winner gets to have their portrait for the year? Hmm
Grendizer was aired in Europe under the title of Goldrack and it was popular, but, for their new year’s episode, they were playing Hagoita, so I wondered how the people from the other side thought of that. What do they think when Duke Freed, Koko-kun, and others wore kimonos
Sometimes, I don’t get what Nei’s talking about.
Then.
What do you need from us?
Suddenly, Edie turned her back and asked.
Then.
A beautiful girl is standing there, wearing a uniform from another school and a backpack behind.
She’s a high schooler. She’s got long black hair tied up in braids.
Her eyes seem to be brooding over something.
Excuse me. You’re Kuromori Kou-sama, am I correct?
She’s called me with that name.
No, you got it wrong. I’m Yoshida. Yoshida Yoshinobu
I forced a smile and said.
I’m Yoshida Yoshinobu in this school.
Kuromori Kou is the name I give I use on the surface when my family is involved.
Also, in my family register, when I got adapted to the Kuromori house, I’m named Kuromori Yoshinobu.
Then, since I also took over Nei’s brother’s register, and also got adopted to the Kuromori house, I also have the name of Kuromori Keito.
uhm, I’m sorry to ask but could you follow me?
I denied that I’m Kuromori Kou and yet the girl still speaks.
My Lord has parked his car outside the school. Please come and have a discussion with him
A car outside the school.
Who is this girl’s master?
Oh, sorry, but I’m just taking a break. I can’t afford to waste any more time
I told the girl.
Then.
We have a bomb in this backpack
The girl speaks to me with a straight face.
In case you don’t show up, we’ll detonate this explosive. I’ll die with Kuromori-sama. No, it’ll cause a lot of destruction in the school building so there will be a lot of casualties
So they sent a suicide bomber here?
Nei asks.
Uhm, if you can’t come with me, then. I may be reluctant, but.
The girl says while sweat floats on her forehead
I.
Hmm, is that your idea? Or is it your Master’s idea?