CHAPTER 174: CHAPTER 174: TOMOE’S LESSON ON MAKING FRIENDS PT. 1

"Go, Tomoe."

"Now...?"

"Yes."

A predator. That was what Tomoe felt like right now as she and Riley hid behind a bench, watching someone so intensely that it felt like there was a line of fire bridging them and their... prey.

And that prey was the masked student, Silvie Savelievna.

Megagirl.

"But... how do I even approach her?" Tomoe whispered. And although her voice still carried its usual monotonous tone, there was a hint of tremble in it. A tremble that wasn’t even there when she watched and participated in the murder of her family.

"Just walk toward her, Tomoe," Riley said, sighing in disappointment at Tomoe and shaking his head. "You said you were up to the task."

"I... am." Tomoe breathed out, finally standing up from the bench and moving around it. She glanced at Riley, the two of them nodding at the same time as she finally started her approach to the oblivious Silvie.

This should be easy, was Tomoe’s thought. Silvie was alone at a restaurant, and she had just finished eating her pizza and was now enjoying a cup of coffee. Unbeknownst to Riley and Tomoe, however, there was actually someone else watching them.

The Korean shaved ice store was right in front of the pizzeria. And of course, the rest of the Baby Crew was there.

"What... are they even doing?" V asked, slightly giggling and showing her teeth as she watched them.

"Maybe... they’re trying to invite her to the Baby Crew?" Hannah squinted. "She did seem a little friendly to us during the last mock battle. She’ll be a good addition to the crew."

"H-hold up..." Gracey nervously laughed. "But... wouldn’t she be kinda repetitive? Everything she can do... I can do better."

"Well..." Bella bobbed her head to the side, extending her words while shrugging slowly.

"No!" Gracey pointed at her. "Don’t you dare. And don’t you guys think we have more than enough girls in our group? We need boys!"

"I don’t think so," Hannah said. "Introducing boys in our group will never be a good thing."

"W-we have Riley?"

"It’s Riley." Hannah scoffed. "If anything, the one you have to worry about is this girl."

She pointed at Bella, and Bella quickly gasped and clasped her chest.

"Girl, the audacity. I ain’t—"

"Sshh!" Before Bella could even defend herself, to everyone’s surprise, Pauline stretched her arms wide and shushed her before quickly turning back to her more demure self. "T-Tomoe’s talking to the target now!"

"...Target?"

The others started chuckling, and while the rest of the Baby Crew found the situation amusing, Tomoe was suffering inside.

Well, not as much as Silvie. She was extremely uncomfortable right now. How could she not be, when Tomoe had been staring at her for a couple of seconds now, menacingly standing beside her table without saying anything.

"Uhm..." Silvie looked around, slowly moving the cup away from her lips as she finally returned Tomoe’s gaze. "Can I... help you?"

"..."

Nothing. Tomoe didn’t say anything at all. She really thought she could do this. After all, she brazenly approached someone like Riley. But then again, that was Riley. She wanted to speak, but no words were coming out of her mouth. There was only a breath, a heavy breath that caused Silvie to be slightly nervous and place her cup on the table.

"Are you... okay?" she asked. "You’re one of Riley’s friends, right? Did you need something from me?"

Still nothing. Tomoe remained frozen there. Absolutely frozen.

"Uhm..." Silvie slowly started to stand up, carefully pushing her seat back as she looked at Tomoe’s stoic face.

"I... I go now, da?" she muttered nervously, her Russian accent accidentally slipping out. "Okay, friend? I—"

"Yes!"

"Eep?!" Silvie almost flew from her spot as Tomoe suddenly raised her voice, pointing right at her face with her expression still as stoic as before. "W-what?! What is it?!"

"Friend," Tomoe finally uttered. "I wish to be your friend."

"O-okay?!" Silvie subconsciously shouted. And as soon as she did so, she watched Tomoe casually turn around and raise both her thumbs. Silvie’s face twisted in confusion, but then she looked to where Silvie was looking, only to see Riley hiding behind a bench.

Not for long, however. Soon, he was also standing in front of her.

"Yes...?" Silvie squinted, but Riley also said nothing and instead just stared at her, similarly to Tomoe earlier. "Did... you also need—"

"He also wants to be your friend," Tomoe spoke over her.

"O-oh... is that... right?" Silvie blinked.

"Yes, Megagirl." And Riley replied without any hesitation at all. "I wish to know more about you and whether you have abused anyone in your life."

"M-me?!" Silvie gasped. "Why do you ask? I’ve never done—wait. Is this about... that website?! Wait. Do you think I might be the target?! Is it... is it because I always reprimand my classmates?! It—wait..."

Silvie adjusted her mask since it had moved while talking too fast.

"Are you worried about me?" she hesitated.

"I suppose, Megagirl," Riley shrugged. "How about it, then? Do you agree to be my friend?"

"Yes...?" Silvie raised an eyebrow.

"Very good," Riley nodded to himself, then glanced at Tomoe and also raised his thumbs up. Tomoe’s stoic face slightly brightened. She moved behind Riley, satisfied that her mission was a success.

"Now, tell me all about you, Megagirl."

"Huh?"

"Just—"

"Okay, this is getting painful."

And before Silvie could descend further into Riley’s social skills, Hannah arrived to her rescue.

"Sorry about my brother," she said, sighing while placing her arm over Riley’s shoulder. "You just wanna join us?"

"Oh... sure?"

And with that, Silvie Savelievna, aka Megagirl, somewhat officially joined the Baby Crew.

Well, not quite yet.

"Are you really Russian, or is that a fake accent?" Gracey immediately asked her as soon as she sat down and joined them at their table.

"I... am?"

"Cool. You’re in."

And with that, Silvie was now officially a member of the Baby Crew.

***

At the same time, on the other side of the Academy, the faculty was gathered in Bulwark’s office. There was someone who didn’t belong there, however.

"Everyone, I am sure some of you know who this man beside me is."

There was a rare smile on Bulwark’s face. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the man beside him, slightly chuckling as he introduced him to the faculty.

"But for those of you who do not, he is the director of the FBI’s superhuman affairs, Prophet. And I think he can take it from here. Prophet?"

"Good afternoon, everyone." Prophet stepped forward, waving his hand while chuckling as he looked at the members of the faculty. His eyes landed on Whiteking, but he immediately looked away because he was sure he was laughing at him right now.

"I know all of you here are capable, but this is now officially an ongoing federal situation. And you don’t have to worry, I will be completely transparent to each and every one of you. If you have any questions, just ask. But for now, I’ll be the first one to share something with all of you. Our satellites have picked up a dark figure hovering above the Academy’s aerial zone....

...And we have reason to believe that it might be Darkday.