kscans

Chapter 157 - Break

We temporarily left the building for lunch.

"Hm?"

As I stepped outside first, a single person from the SDF in a camouflage uniform was waiting. It was the same person who had been on guard duty upstairs.

"What is it?"

I asked the SDF member who was looking at me as I came out of the building.

"Is Yanagi-san here?"

"Yanagi-san? Yanagi-san! Your colleague is here!"

I called out to Yanagi-san, who was still inside the building.

"What?"

Hearing my call, Yanagi-san hurried outside.

"Miura? What is it?"

It seems this person's name is Miura-san.

"The captain is asking for you."

"The captain? But we're in the middle of an investigation..."

Yanagi-san glanced at us.

"He said it will be quick."

"Hmm, sorry, but would you mind if I stepped away for a bit?"

Yanagi-san asked.

"Go ahead. It's lunchtime anyway, isn't it?"

"That's true. Alright. Then you guys have your meal here. We'll be away for a little while. Maede."

"Sir."

Yanagi-san gave an order to Maede-san, and she took out a folding table and chairs from her bag.

"Please, use these."

Maede-san offered after setting up the table and chairs.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you. For a pervert."

"Could you please stop that? I'm not a pervert."

Says the unique skill user. Though it is a huge boomerang coming from me...

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't think it will take even thirty minutes, so please go ahead and eat. Maede, let's go."

"Sir!"

Yanagi-san and Maede-san went upstairs with Miura-san.

"I don't really get it, but let's eat."

I sat down at the table Maede-san had set up. Nanapon sat next to me, and Yoshino-san sat opposite. Then, we each started eating the lunches we had prepared.

"I wonder what that was about?"

Nanapon asked while munching on a sandwich.

"Who knows? They probably have a lot to do."

Being in the SDF must be tough.

"Hey, more importantly, why have you two been looking at me with such disdain today?"

Yoshino-san asked with a sidelong glance as she ate a perfectly triangular onigiri.

"Hee hee, it's about you being unique."

"Miss Unique."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? I don't want to hear that from you two."

And I don't want to hear it from you.

"It's the theory that everyone with a unique skill has an eccentric personality."

"...It's true."

Yoshino-san nodded as she looked back and forth between me and Nanapon.

"I wish I'd brought a mirror."

Says Miss Unique.

"I'm better than Saegusa-san, at least."

"No, I don't think that's true."

Yoshino-san laughed in a way that made fun of people.

"Is there anyone as eccentric as you?"

There isn't.

"That would be you. Your appearance alone puts you in the top class."

"Well, first place is probably decided. Second place is Saegusa-san."

We had a promise not to talk about Eleanor-san's situation.

"But now that you mention it, I kind of get that feeling. I never noticed at all, though..."

Well, everyone thinks they're the normal one.

"I asked Harry and Claire, and they seemed to be aware of it."

"I see... But this is going to be hard to report to the branch manager."

Well, it's like introducing yourself by saying, 'I'm weird.' The branch manager would probably understand immediately just by looking at Yoshino-san, though.

"You have a lot to report, so just mention it briefly."

"I guess I'll do that... First, it's going to be a pain to explain this mysterious brightness."

"You should take pictures with your phone now while no one's around."

"I guess so..."

Yoshino-san took out her phone and started taking pictures of the surroundings. After taking a certain number of photos, she finally pointed her phone at me and Nanapon.

I instinctively made a peace sign, but Nanapon quickly covered her face.

"I'm a no!"

"I'm not showing this to anyone. It's just a memory."

"Really?"

"Really, really. Besides, is a peace sign the only pose you can do? All the pictures of you online are peace signs."

Since she said that, I turned my peace sign sideways, held it over my eye, and winked.

"Ugh... It's gross thinking that Okita-kun is the one doing that."

"I'll kill you, you filth!"

You're the one who told me to do it! You piece of filth with nothing but your boobs going for you!

"Don't call me filth. But it's still bright even in a picture."

Yoshino-san said, showing me the photo she took. In the picture was a party-girl witch and Nanapon, who was looking at her from the side with a slightly repulsed expression.

"Don't be repulsed."

I glared at Nanapon.

"It just didn't suit you at all. A smile doesn't suit Eleanor-san. It's creepy... scary."

Creepy!? Maybe I should stop smiling in pictures.

"Hey, hey, this glowing wall is a thing, so can't we claim it as ours?"

Yoshino-san started saying something weird.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I was wondering if we could chip off this paint or whatever and sell it."

As expected of Miss Unique. She came up with something incredibly unique.

"Yoshino-san, it's things like that..."

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? And can you even sell it?"

It seems unlikely...

"No good, huh."

Yoshino-san looked disappointed.

"If you want to make money off it, you should buy up all the Sparkling Grass."

"Hm? Why Sparkling Grass? Because it's sparkling?"

"I just appraised it, and it said 'Sparkling Paint'. It's probably Sparkling Grass."

"Ah... When you were deep in thought... You have Appraisal, then."

Huh? Did I not mention the Appraisal Glasses?

"There's an item for that. My contacts are it."

"...Something like that exists?"

"I can't really make it public. It might take away Kaede-chan's job."

"Ah, it's true that if that got on the market, appraisers would resent you."

Appraisers are probably high-earners. But if glasses can do the same job, they'll become unnecessary. They probably wouldn't get fired, but their salaries would likely drop significantly.

"If it does get out, it'll be when Kaede-chan takes up permanent employment at Okita-kun's place. Maybe next year?"

When should I do it?

"...This one is the real unique one. The scary kind, at that."

"...She says some terrifying things sometimes. Before, she said Kaede-chan would give birth to my child."

"Ugh... That's too much."

Stop whispering, you two. Don't both of you look at me with disgust.

"It was a joke."

"No, you were definitely serious, weren't you?"

I was serious.

"Shut up. It's not weird, is it? Lin-san said something similar."

She said she wanted kids. I want them too. See, it's the same.

"The premise is wrong. Lin is normally married."

"I'll get married eventually too."

That's what I'm saying.

"I won't say any more. I wish you happiness..."

"Congradolences."

Was she trying to say condolences?

"Just hurry up and eat!"

"I'm eating. It looks like Yanagi-san and Maede-san will be back soon."

Nanapon looked up at the empty wall.

"Maede-san, you big pervert."

"What are you saying all of a sudden..."

"I was just wondering if she could hear me."

"Not yet... Oh, now."

Nanapon gave me the signal.

"You're the kind of pervert who gets a sexual thrill from the risk of being seen, aren't you? Show me your phone. I bet it's full of your own risky photos."

"That's so mean..."

"That's going too far. There's no way that's true."

Because it's definitely true. Otherwise, they wouldn't be fooling around in a place like this.

After a little while, Yanagi-san and Maede-san returned.

Unfortunately, Maede-san ended up blurting out, "How did you know!?" and was subjected to the cold stares of Yoshino-san and Nanapon.

I firmly decided that I would never tell anyone that I have a unique skill.