Back in the Judgment branch office, the discussion on how to recruit Natsume had finally reached its conclusion once again.
Shirai-san, who had initially acted completely indifferent about the matter, had now become its most fervent supporter.
"Shirai-san changed her tune so quickly," murmured Uiharu-san, twirling a pen in her hand with a look of pure astonishment.
'How could I have forgotten something so important? That girl's club activities are practically non-existent. If she's left with nothing to do all day, around Onee-sama... that would just be...'
'No! For Onee-sama's sake, for Kuroko's and Onee-sama's future happiness, I absolutely must drag that girl into Judgment!'
Shirai-san's expression shifted, her brow furrowing into a look of severe seriousness as she entered a state of 'planning mode,' a stream of internal monologue flooding her mind.
'Compared to that spiky-haired high school boy, Natsume-san, who gets to see Onee-sama day in and day out, is the far greater threat.' Shirai-san secretly clenched her fist.
And now that Natsume-san had become a Level 5, she undoubtedly had even more in common with Onee-sama, raising her threat level significantly.
Letting Natsume-san lounge around all afternoon was far too dangerous. Plus, she could make those frozen Gekota things that Onee-sama liked so much. Kuroko had to take action.
"Shirai-san, do you have a good idea?" asked Konori Mii softly, her attention caught by Shirai-san's sudden change in expression.
'Shirai-san really is reliable. Judgment needs people like her,' Konori-senpai thought to herself.
The injury rate for Judgment members had always been high, and Shirai-san single-handedly drove that statistic even higher, but it also highlighted the dangers they faced.
Having Natsume-san join Judgment would, in a way, reduce the risks across the board during missions, simply because a Level 5's presence was a deterrent in itself.
A Level 5 who could be deployed at a moment's notice was a massive blow to criminal morale.
So far, Natsume-san was the only Level 5 who had shown any willingness to join Judgment, even signing a few agreements. Because of this, many Judgment members hoped she would join and were willing to work towards that goal.
"I have a plan, but it will require cooperation from Judgment Headquarters," Shirai-san declared, suddenly looking up with a resolute expression.
'To protect Onee-sama's smile, Kuroko must try even harder!'
"Cooperation from Headquarters?"
"Exactly. If we want Natsume-san to join, high-intensity training camps are out of the question. Even daily patrols like a regular Judgment member would make her refuse immediately."
Shirai Kuroko rubbed her chin, speaking thoughtfully.
Even if it wasn't a Judgment member in the conventional sense, just diverting Natsume-san's attention would count as a success.
"Shirai-san, are you saying we should make Natsume-san a Judgment member in name only?" Konori Mii mused.
It wasn't impossible, but could it still be called Judgment then?
"Not at all. The Judgment armband isn't some toy to be handed out lightly. Once she bears the name of Judgment, Natsume-san must also take on the responsibility. That is my bottom line," Shirai Kuroko shook her head and stated immediately.
She was very serious about such matters.
"What I mean is, we let Natsume-san be a Judgment member... for fun." Shirai-san answered gravely.
"She might not look it, but that girl really enjoys helping others and doing good deeds without taking credit."
"Her trust level with the Anti-Skill is the highest possible, S-Class. At her core, she's just a busybody who finds mundane things boring. But to get a lazy person like her to join Judgment, our approach has to be different."
Shirai-san wore a look of complete confidence.
"Shirai, you mean we don't assign Natsume-san a specific school zone, just grant her Judgment's enforcement authority?" Konori Mii gave a slight nod.
So Natsume-san was a busybody, huh?
"That's why we need Headquarters to cooperate. They need to expand the enforcement authority for general Judgment members. It'd be best if they raised my clearance level too—writing all those reflection essays is honestly quite tedious."
Shirai-san said somewhat helplessly. She'd written so many of those essays, yet no one could see any actual remorse in them.
"That concession is still within an acceptable range. But if it's for Natsume-san, Headquarters shouldn't have a problem with it," Konori-senpai said, instinctively ignoring Shirai-san's complaint.
--+--
Unaware of the scheming happening at Judgment Branch 177, Natsume Sonoko, back in her dorm, was experiencing the direct consequences of becoming a Level 5.
To help Juufuku-san get familiar with Tokiwadai's cafeteria, Natsume Sonoko took her there for dinner.
But the moment Natsume-san stepped through the door, she felt the weight of numerous curious gazes.
These stares put some pressure on her, but she didn't show any signs of nervousness. Remembering the two senior Level 5s, she tried to mimic Misaka-senpai's composure and act calm.
Just as she was thinking of Misaka-senpai, she heard her voice. Natsume Sonoko looked up and spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
"Natsume-san, over here!"
Misaka-senpai, sitting at her usual spot, waved at Natsume-san.
After getting their boxed lunches from Tsuchimikado-san, Natsume Sonoko and Juufuku sat down opposite Misaka-senpai.
"This is Juufuku Miho, she just transferred to our school today. This is Misaka Mikoto-senpai," Natsume-san introduced.
"Hello, Misaka-san," Juufuku Miho bowed her head slightly, seeming a bit shy with words.
"So you're Natsume-san's friend. I've heard a lot about you from her. Welcome to Tokiwadai Middle School," Misaka-senpai said with a smile.
Everyone was quiet during the meal. After they finished, Misaka-senpai pulled out a neatly wrapped, rectangular gift box from her schoolbag.
"Natsume-san, this is for you. Congratulations on becoming a Level 5." Misaka-senpai solemnly handed the gift to Natsume-san.
"Wow, a gift from Misaka-senpai!"
A happy smile spread across Natsume Sonoko's face, her tone turning noticeably brighter.
--+--
"...This is weird. Shirai-san, why have you been chasing after me all day?"
Natsume Sonoko had just returned from the hospital, having checked on the progress of the Sisters' cell adjustments.
She was looking forward to enjoying a leisurely afternoon, but she'd been targeted by a certain inexplicable teleporter.
Recalling her experiences at school that day, Natsume Sonoko felt a lingering sense of dread. Just like in the dorm, she had instantly become a celebrity.
The influence of being a Level 5 was surprisingly troublesome in elite schools like Tokiwadai, whereas on the bustling streets, few people recognized her.
Especially on the school bus—aside from Tokiwadai students, she was also approached by students from the other schools within the School Garden.
Her eardrums felt battered by the end of the ride, developing an extremely mild case of social aversion.
She was starting to understand why Misaka-senpai never took the school bus. If that many people tried to get close to her every day, Natsume-san wouldn't want to ride it either.
Walking to school was much more relaxed and casual.
For these young ladies, socializing was a fundamental skill, and Natsume-san had clearly become their latest social target. And she couldn't just ignore them—that would be terribly rude.
'Is this the downside of being a Level 5? I'm kinda jealous of the Sixth Rank now.' Natsume Sonoko, who had imposed so many restrictions on herself, couldn't help but sigh.
But what really caught Natsume Sonoko off guard was the sudden enthusiasm from a certain teleporter, who seemed to be hatching some chilling, sinister plan.
Her behavior all day had been completely abnormal.
"Shirai-san, just what kind of shady, evil scheme are you plotting?"
Natsume Sonoko suddenly stopped in her tracks. She certainly didn't think Shirai-san had developed a crush on her; that teleporter's target was, and always had been, only Misaka-senpai. Looked like Shirai was, for once, being exceptionally responsible.
"What scheme? I'm just concerned that Natsume-san might run into trouble," Shirai-san said, her form flickering unstably as she abruptly appeared beside Sonoko.
She averted her gaze, pursed her lips, and muttered under her breath.
"Honestly, Shirai-san, just tell me the truth, or I'll go find Misaka-senpai to hang out with."
A hint of displeasure showed on Natsume Sonoko's face. Shirai-san was acting far too strange today.
"...Fine, it's like this then."
Shirai Kuroko let out a small sigh, then spoke with a grave expression. 'As expected, I can't let my guard down around Natsume-san for a single second.'
"Shirai-san, you're saying Judgment is short-handed, and you want me to join?"
Natsume Sonoko was taken aback. She distinctly remembered turning down Konori-senpai. Hadn't Konori-senpai told Shirai?
She had felt so guilty about disappointing everyone, so awkward, it had taken her a lot of effort to shake off that feeling.
She still felt too embarrassed to visit the Judgment 177th branch office.
"Don't refuse right away, Natsume-san. I know you turned down Konori-senpai, of course. But the reason you refused was because you didn't want to do the training camp, right?"
A pleasant smile graced Shirai Kuroko's face as she elegantly tossed her hair, the picture of a refined young lady.
"Not at all! I'm just... busy, that's all," Natsume Sonoko hurriedly shook her head.
'She saw right through me. This is why I sometimes don't want to talk to sharp people like Shirai-san.'
Even if Shirai-san was a pervert, her observational skills were practically on par with a detective's.
"Is that so?" Shirai-san fell quiet, narrowing her eyes at the girl with the twin buns.
"Alright then. I'm formally notifying you that you have been specially appointed to Judgment. You won't have to attend the training camp." Shirai-san declared with renewed gravity.
"Huh? Specially appointed?"
That could happen?
"Since you previously filled out several agreements, indicating your intent to participate, Headquarters has initiated a special appointment procedure in light of your unique talents. Therefore, you've been specially recruited."
As she spoke, Shirai-san couldn't help but feel nervous.
While the agreements and the Headquarters part were true, a special appointment wasn't a one-sided affair—Natsume-san still had to agree.
'Filling out agreements... now that I think about it, I think I really did do that.'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.