I sat in the sushi restaurant, furtively glancing around and stealing looks at my Senior.
"One A set and two B sets, please."
My Senior said this with the most amiable smile in the world.
In response, the Observer sat gracefully in her seat, closed her eyes, and showed a faint smile.
I was the only one breaking out in a cold sweat, at a complete loss.
'Should I... a-also act a little more naturally?'
Just as I thought that and was taking a comfortable deep breath—
"Maknae, aren't you doing anything?"
"...!!"
"I'm thirsty."
My Senior glared at me with the world's most terrifying smile.
I hurriedly turned my head and saw water and water cups.
"Uh......."
"That is not 'uh.'"
The Observer was also looking at me with eyes that seemed to see something absurd.
"I-I'm sorry... I'll do it right now......."
I weathered nothing but cold glares as I hurriedly set out the water.
"Eat comfortably."
"Yes, comfortably, comfortably."
"...Yes."
A short while later.
The sushi arrived before us.
The ones in front of Senior were sushi that looked slightly high-end.
The ones placed before me and the Observer were sushi that looked slightly cheaper than those, but—
"Observer, stop chattering and eat. Sion, sorry? Senior's paycheck hasn't come in."
"Ah......."
"Eat half of mine."
"I-It's fine."
"No, eat it."
Senior's eyes were so scary that I nodded for the moment.
Beside me, the Observer said, "Why art thou discriminating against this one!?" dumbfounded, but—
"You don't look human."
"Do I not look human now? Was I not pretty to begin with? Even my original form."
"You look grotesque."
Because the reason was perfectly valid, it soon grew quiet.
'...Ordinary food.'
Compared to how I had almost eaten dog food (cereal) not long ago, I thought this was quite the luxury and cautiously put the sushi in my mouth.
"How is it?"
As she asked this, Senior dipped it in soy sauce, brushed her hair to the side, and ate her rice alluringly.
Staring blankly at such a Senior, I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth.
"It's del-icious... r-really delicious."
"Really...? Then that's a relief."
Saying so, Senior ate her food expressionlessly.
At this, I too was slightly embarrassed and continued the meal without a word.
* * *
Action Division 1's office.
Inside it, Minjun and Sohun received a rather shocking report.
"...They'd memorized all the rules and even pinpointed the Aberration's location."
Sohun said this, smoothing the corner of his mouth.
Beside Sohun, Minjun scanned the report with a furrowed expression.
Because in the last line—
"[Following the annihilation of Action Division 2, the investigation is hereby delegated to Action Division 1, and Action Division 1 shall continue the investigation until Action Division 2 is re-established.]"
"[Mission: Infiltrate schools across various regions and eliminate/capture 'Aberration: Homeroom Teacher'.]"
—it was written that all authority and duties were being delegated to Action Division 1.
"My vacation just ended."
"Well, whatever."
"......."
Sighing, Sohun scanned the report once more.
'...First, I need to do something about this Masked Owl, then deal with it.'
Thinking so, Sohun played the video that had arrived along with the report.
The disappeared Aberration, the staff of Action Division 2.
And the recording camera left alone at the scene.
This is the last story contained within that camera.
When the video played, calm voices were heard.
["Senior, what should we do?"]
["Run for now, don't stop. It seems the moment you stop, the Aberration catches you."]
["The security guards... it seems they revive after some time."]
["Yes."]
Two female staff members maintaining their composure while being chased by security guards.
Minjun, having heard those sounds, also came to Sohun's side and watched the video together.
The staff in the video very swiftly and accurately took down Aberrations one by one.
Their pistols hit the mark every time they fired.
Their blades cut down enemies every time they swung.
Even when Aberrations suddenly jumped out, the staff immediately cut them down as if it were no problem.
Up to here, there had been no problem, but—
["...!?"]
["...!?"]
The two people in the video looked at each other in surprise.
At this, Minjun was bewildered, and Sohun showed a slightly surprised expression.
"Section Chief, what is this?"
Minjun asked in a serious voice.
At this, Sohun put on his sunglasses and continued.
"...Originally, at this school, only one song played endlessly."
"But just now......."
"Yes, the song changed."
The song changed.
And the two staff members clearly noticed it despite having earphones in.
They shouldn't have been able to hear the song while wearing them.
'...Did the Aberration realize and create an irregularity?'
An intelligence that made one think this was no mere Aberration that only imitated humans.
If it were truly an intelligent type that blended into human society and bided its time—
"......."
"We've caught a troublesome one."
Minjun said this with a smile.
Watching Minjun, who looked incredibly excited considering what he was saying, Sohun continued watching the video expressionlessly.
["D-Don't come...!!"]
["Senior!?"]
The woman seemed to be hallucinating and fired her gun into empty air.
At this, the junior beside her was startled and tried to snap her out of it, but—
-Bang!!!
Tragedy occurred in an instant.
"......."
"......."
The next cam showed the junior gurgling with a hole in her neck.
The junior's eyes trembled.
However, Senior aimed her gun with a trembling hand at that junior.
["C-Cou...gh...!!"]
The junior seemed to be trying to say something, reaching out with a blood-soaked hand and opening her mouth.
But what came out was not her voice, only red blood.
The trigger was pulled once more.
And on the spot, one staff member died.
["Monster......."]
The woman muttered this and trudged away.
The cam attached to her body illuminated the surroundings.
No other team members were visible.
["But... where did Yerin go?"]
The woman called the name of the junior she had killed and looked around.
What hallucination she was seeing, no one knew.
The cam didn't hallucinate.
So naturally, neither was there the hallucination effect of the song that came through it.
But the cruelty was felt all too clearly.
["......."]
The woman began wandering aimlessly.
As she wandered the school, she began shooting every colleague she encountered.
As if possessed by something.
And then she called the names of the dead colleagues... the colleagues she had killed one by one as she searched for them.
A video that evoked considerable horror.
Watching it, Sohun thought:
'I don't suppose I'll need... lunch today.'
He figured he wouldn't be needing lunch today.
"It's a gloomy video."
Minjun returned to a playful tone, said this, clasped his hands behind his head, and stretched out widely.
"What would you like to eat?"
"...I'm not eating."
Minjun asked the question with an impish look.
At this, Sohun showed contempt, thinking him quite impressive.
* * *
When we returned from eating sushi, the Section Chief, his atmosphere considerably subdued, caught my eye.
'Wh-why is he like that?'
I checked his mood, wondering if he was sulking because we'd gone to eat sushi without him, but—
it didn't seem to be that, so I took my seat.
"I'm back, Section Chief."
"Yeah, Yeonu."
"I have returned."
"Why did you go without me?"
"...Brat, eat on your own."
The Observer sent a contemptuous gaze.
And Senior Minjun rubbed that Observer's hand before poking it again with something sharp.
'Does it hurt...?'
I stared blankly at the Observer, and she sighed and told me it didn't hurt.
"It doesn't hurt."
"Is, that so......."
"As long as the eyes on my palms aren't stabbed?"
The Observer said this, looking at her palms.
'...Aren't four eyes a bit grotesque?'
I wondered if I should be relieved that at least the ones on her hands weren't Evil Eyes.
In the midst of feeling an indescribable feeling.
"It came down again right away!?"
Senior Yeonu asked the Section Chief in surprise.
The Section Chief nodded and told me to look at it with him.
I turned my head wondering what to do, but Senior Minjun was already showing it to her.
"...Wh-what is this?"
"The report on Action Division 2's annihilation."
"...!!"
If it's Action Division 2, it's surely those people who went to the school in our place.
"They figured out all the rules and finished the investigation, so I thought it'd be fine...... It seems that wasn't the case after all."
Senior made an expression steeped in guilt as she said this.
I didn't say anything at this and simply read the report blankly.
[Action Division 2, dispatched to the school, annihilated while displaying abnormal behavior.
For details, refer to the attached video below.
Action Division 2, survival unconfirmed.
However, the contents recorded below lead to the assumption of annihilation.
Following the annihilation of Action Division 2, the investigation is delegated to Action Division 1, and Action Division 1 shall continue the investigation until Action Division 2 is re-established.
Mission: Infiltrate schools across various regions and eliminate/capture 'Aberration: Homeroom Teacher'.]
Having checked the report with these contents, I scrolled down and checked the video.
"Senior... shall I play it?"
"...Play it."
Senior's gloomy voice struck my ears.
At this, I too felt guilt and played the video.
Inside it was a rather shocking video.
["...Yerin, Junhyeok, Eunhyeok, Section Chief... where are you?"]
The video ended with the sound of flesh being crushed as she staggered around looking for the team members she had killed.
"......."
"......."
Staring blankly at it, I felt a chill run down my spine for a moment.
"Uuuegh...!! Uweeeeh...!! Kehug...! S-sorry... uuep!"
I vomited on the floor.
To top it off, Senior had a contemptuous expression.