Vol. 3 Ch. 2 Ep. 5: Midnight Commotion Part 1

Heeheehee. ♥

Well...here we are.

See? Isn't this fun? There's nothing like the guilty pleasure of doing something you're not supposed to, mixed with the elation of doing it with others.

So this is what the district is like at this hour. It's much more vibrant than I expected.

That's right. A lot of stores stay open 24 hours a day.

That bakery is still open? And that cafe over there too...

A little further up the road is a Momo Friends merch store that's fully automated. And across the street from that is a secondhand shop that only sells limited-edition collectibles.

Well, well. You sure know your way around the neighborhood.

A-Ahaha...

Ugh. Why did I have to tag along? I'll be in for a world of hurt if Hasumi catches me out here.

Really? She must be pretty strict with her underclassmen. I always thought she seemed like a kind girl.

Th-That's because she is! Hasumi is kind, intelligent, strong, and carries herself with dignity and grace!

Her temper is...just as peerless as her other aspects.

Yeah. There was that one time...

...

...

V-Vice President Hasumi, please calm down...

How dare they?! Pandemonium Society! Gehenna! Do they think they'll get away with this?!

Ahhhhhh!

Goodness. What caused her to be so upset?

She was returning from a meeting with Gehenna's leaders about the Eden Treaty when suddenly...

*pant* *pant*...

Listen carefully.

This isn't over...

From this point on, I'll be going on a diet!

...?!

...?!

Did you say...diet?

Yes, a diet! I'm going to lose weight!

From this moment on, if you catch me eating more than two meals a day or snacking, you have every right to slap the food out of my hand and give me a piece of your mind!

Dieting can be hard if you're doing it by yourself, so that's why I'm allowing you all to keep me accountable. I need your help!

Wh-What exactly happened in that meeting with Gehenna...?

...

Unforgivable... She went way over the line!

So you must be the one they call Trinity's secret weapon, Kenzaki Tsurugi.

Pardon? No, I'm...

You're much more of a woman than I was expecting. Almost offensively so.

Heh heh! So, that's how Trinity wants to play it, eh? Trying to break our morale at the start of our first meeting?! How shallow!

Huh?

Iroha! Go get Satsuki. I won't allow Trinity to look down upon us!

Makoto, this isn't President Tsurugi, this is their vice president, Hasumi. I told you she'd be coming in the documentation I handed you.

And if you're referring to her bust, then I don't know what good bringing Satsuki here will do.

WH-WHAT?! They sent a stand-in?! How insulting! Are they mocking us?!

We've been had! This meeting is nothing but a ploy! Did they only wish to demoralize us with their tall heights and large busts?!

No, this is why I tried to inform you that we were expecting Hasumi. Are you even listening to me? You're not, are you?

How DARE you underestimate me! Do you think you can intimidate me with your unflatteringly large chest?!

Please calm down. And please stop mentioning her bust. You're embarrassing the Pandemonium Society.

I refuse to surrender to this giantess, Iroha. Prepare you-know-what!

Giant...?

I don't know what you're talking about, but I think it's safe to say that the meeting is a failure. I advise that we secure an escape route.

Huh?

AHHHHHH!!!

...

...

I heard Hasumi hasn't been eating very well ever since that meeting went south.

No wonder she holds a grudge against Gehenna.

Hasumi is a strong person, though! She's still keeping the vow she made, even after all she went through.

I'm sure she'll be all right.

Look. There's another bakery here too.

My sweet tooth is starting to get a craving after that story. Should we pop in and see what they have?

Oh, the special parfaits they have here are amazing! I didn't know they stayed open 24 hours a day...

Parfaits? That sounds perfect. Let's go.

Wh-Why the rush?!

Um... I hope nobody sees me here.

Welcome.

Wow, we're really out in the middle of the night getting dessert. This is so exciting!

Hmm.

Party of five? What can I get for you?

Um...do you still have that special parfait on the menu?

I'm sorry. We do, but we just sold the final three we had tonight to our last customer.

Oh, that's too bad...

Beat to the punch. I didn't expect such fierce competition at this hour. How naive of me.

Oh?

S-Sensei?

H-Hasumi?!

Those wouldn't happen to be parfaits you're carrying, are they?

I didn't expect to run into the Make-Up Work Club and Sensei here.

Uh-oh...

Fancy meeting you here, Hasumi. I'm even more surprised to see you eating three parfaits. Aren't you on a diet?

Y-Yes. About that...

Let me guess. You had a craving you just couldn't curb, so you came all the way here for some of your favorite desserts.

N-No! I-I mean...

You gave in to your delectable desires and before you knew it, it was too late. There was no turning back.

Sensei. I don't believe the Make-Up Work Club is permitted to leave the school grounds during boot camp.

So if you'll keep my secret, then I'll keep yours.

H-Hasumi...

How are your studies going, Koharu?

Well, um...

That's right! Koharu will be passing in no time at this rate.

You don't say?

Uh...

That's good to hear. I told you you could do it.

Don't you remember?

Please keep studying hard, Koharu.

Don't lose sight of your goal.

But I don't think I can do it...

How am I supposed to cram all of this in and get my grades up? I'm not cut out for this mission...

There's no other choice! It must be done!

Forgive me for raising my voice, but the only way you'll be able to stay with us is by passing your exams.

If not for me, then do it for Sensei and all the effort that's been made to help us. Okay?

All right. I'll try.

Heehee. I wouldn't want to let you down, Hasumi.

And I'm always rooting for you. I look forward to you returning to the Justice Task Force soon and joining us on our missions.

It's a promise!

Encrypted communication? At this hour?

Yes, Ichika? What's going on?

We have a problem, Hasumi. What's your location?

A problem? Please explain.

Students presumed to be from Gehenna are trespassing near the academy. They've opened fire and are attacking Trinity facilities.

Is it the Gehenna Prefect Team? So, they've finally played their hand. Those Pandemonium Society scum!

Well, the thing is...

They must be trying to interfere with the Eden Treaty! What's the size of their forces? How many squadrons, and what facilities have they targeted?!

Calm down. First of all, it's not the Prefect Team, and there are zero squadrons. There's only four of them.

Just four...? And it's not the Prefect Team?

Yes. The attacked facility has been confirmed as...the nearby aquarium.

Why would they attack there?

They've stolen the Gold Maguro, a rare fish that was on display, and are now on the run.

The Gold Maguro?

It's said to be a very expensive fish, so they may aim to sell it. We just confirmed this organization's identity.

The Gourmet Research Society, a terrorist group from Gehenna.

Their leader is Kurodate Haruna, someone considered very dangerous by Gehenna! Please hurry and give us your orders, Vice President!

Hey! Why the heck did we decide to hit a place like this?! We're in the middle of Trinity's district!

What other choice did we have? We needed to secure the Gold Maguro no matter what! ★

How could they keep a legendary tuna fish under lock and key, only to be admired through a fish tank? Have they no respect for the gourmet?

Fine food is something more noble and ubiquitous.

The Gold Maguro wouldn't want to be on display just to make the rich richer.

We're merely doing what must be done! Isn't that right, Fuuka?

Hnnngh! Hnnnnnngh!

See? The School Lunch Club president agrees so vehemently that she's been moved to tears.

I think that has more to do with the gag in her mouth. ★

Ack! The tuna keeps flapping around! It's hitting me with its fins!

Don't you dare drop that fish, Izumi! It's priceless!

Can't we just eat it already?! It's hard enough to hold on to it but now we have those girls in black sailor uniforms chasing us!

That's the Trinity Justice Task Force! They're just as scary as the Prefect Team. How are we gonna get out of here, Haruna?

Whether we escape or not isn't important.

The only thing that matters is who has the last bite!

That is our club's motto: Eat or Die! It's the dignified path all gourmands must accept!

And that's all that matters! ★

We're a lot closer to dying than eating, so get a move on!

Let us break through this siege and make our retreat! Then we'll have our dearest Fuuka here prepare her famous sashimi for us!

Hnnngh! Hnnnnnngh!