NEW NATIONAL STADIUM EXPLOSION INCIDENT
The New National Stadium suffered major damage...
in that mysterious explosion the other day...
BREAKING NEWS: SUBSTANTIAL DONATION TOWARD THE STADIUM'S RESTORATION
but there appear to have been a new development.
REPRESENTATIVE MORIO KOUDA
You may remember Representative Morio Kouda...
who recently made headlines over illegal campaign contributions.
According to sources close to the matter, his support group has offered...
to make a substantial donation toward the stadium's restoration.
I'd like to discuss this.
Of course I was worried.
But more importantly, is that story really true?
When Ogami and you found the kidnappers' car...
they started playing catch in the park to blow off some steam.
And then you two rescued Noren while the kidnappers were distracted?
Dead serious.
What kind of kidnappers do that?
Never mind that. You were that worried about me, Chisato?
Could it be that you—
I was just worried. That's all.
Huh?
Mornin', Oga!
Mornin'!
Morning.
MODERN MIDDLE SCHOOL JAPANESE LITERATURE 1
Your face is freaking me out!
Whoa! What's going on?
It isn't even time for finals yet!
Don't mind me.
It's been a while, so I'm trying to focus on getting to school.
What do you mean by "focus on getting to school"?
"Been a while"? We just had a normal weekend!
What's wrong, Oga?
Maybe he's excited to see her.
Sorry.
I'm gonna go on ahead.
Uh, sure.
Boss?
Noren's just past the shoe cubbies.
Huh?
Whoa! With your level, you really can sense people's presence, and—
No.
I can see that weird little springy hair of hers sticking out.
Oh, crap! You're right! Even an idiot could've spotted that!
What am I even doing?
Lurking here like I'm lying in wait...
But I just can't stop thinking about Ogami!
Sorry, Noren.
Those aren't your real feelings. It's the hypnosis talking.
But if this turns into some weird situation we can't take back,
then snapping her out of it won't be enough.
So, I'm gonna keep my distance for a while.
Master! Good morning!
Morning, Ogami!
And...
how many times have I asked you to stop calling me "Master"?
Maybe this will help.
- You're banished. - Why?
I heard you went on a double date.
- With my sister and that Young Corn guy. - Well... Uh... I mean...
Unicorn.
Same difference.
You sided with the bug buzzing around my sister? What's that about?
Sorry, sir!
Oh, there you are!
Morning, Shiraishi!
Mornin'!
Huh?
And...
good morning, Ogami.
Good morning! I, uh, have to poop!
"Good morning! I, uh, have to poop!"
What?
That's how a grade-schooler runs away, old man!
So, yeah, that's where the boss is at right now.
My stomach hurts!
This isn't funny, y'know.
The double date was a whole mess, too!
Nope, can't do it!
I'm laughing so much...
I can't finish my coffee!
Eri...
Sorry, sorry!
So...
the real issue is that he suddenly changed back into his original body, right?
Right.
Hm...
Then we need to pin down the cause as soon as possible.
If he turns back into his middle-aged self during class,
that's not exactly comedy material.
There's some old guy in here?
Who is it?
Exactly!
Did he eat something that had gone bad?
He didn't get food poisoning.
I was half-joking.
But the most likely possibility is still...
that he ingested something and it triggered a reaction.
If the poison had simply worn off...
he wouldn't have turned back into a kid afterward.
So, first, can you go back and check everything he put in his mouth that day?
Got it!
Also, you said he tangled with some JARDIN assassins?
Oh, yeah.
Here's the thing.
Mitsuoka's wasps were artificially created.
So...
the fastest way to get answers would be...
to find whoever made them and squeeze the information out of that person.
But that kind of information is top secret.
And yet, somehow...
JARDIN seems to have gotten their hands on some of it.
SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
Oga, we need to talk to you for a sec.
Hm?
Sorry, man.
Huh? Hey!
See, we received a little request to take you into custody.
In exchange for convenience-store pudding.
- That cheap? - Can you guess who our client is?
Ogami! What is going on? You're acting so weird today!
You're the one acting weird, Noren!
Why are you avoiding me?
I just...
Forget it!
I can't take it anymore! I can't hold it in!
Huh? Wait, is this...
No way! For real?
I don't care about the situation!
You sure now's the time, Noren?
I... I think I lo—
I screwed up royally!
I avoided her way too obviously, and now Noren's gone berserk?
Let's talk about this some other time!
Hey!
Wait, Ogami!
Come on, listen to me!
S-So fast!
She's not an all-rounder for nothing!
You've gotta be kidding me!
She's seriously chasing me?
Noren is fast!
Oh! There he is!
Ogami!
Looks like I finally shook her.
No helping it. I'll just go home for today and come back for my bag later.
RIKKA MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Excuse me! Can I borrow that for a second?
Huh?
Wait!
Huh?
RIKKA MIDDLE SCHOOL
RIKKA MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM
I like you, Ogami!
And if you're still going to run away, then game on!
If I catch you, you have to go out with me!
Not pretend! For real!
She's cooler than any assassin!
No, wait, wrong reaction! How the hell did we get here?
Noren, what's gotten into you?
SATURDAY, JUNE 13th
RIKKA MIDDLE SCHOOL
RIKKA MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL CLUB
I like you, Ogami!
And if you're still going to run away, then game on!
If I catch you, you have to go out with me!
Not pretend! For real!
How the hell did we get here?
Noren, what's gotten into you?
What's going on?
Aren't those two a couple?
Lovers' spat?
Romantic drama?
This is bad. People are starting to gather.
And a rampaging Noren is completely unpredictable!
Okay! Let's just go somewhere else and talk.
Let's calm down and talk this through.
We were only fake dating as a joke to keep guys from hitting on you, right?
We were, but I really did f-fall for you!
I don't even know why, but I can't hold these feelings back anymore!
Dammit!
Kazuma's hypnosis really got its hooks in.
No, wait.
Sorry.
I can't see you that way, Mitsuoka.
The most I can do is keep pretending.
If running away and avoiding her just makes this whole thing messier,
then I'm better off turning her down straight.
I should've done this from the start, maybe.
Oh...
Okay.
Yeah. I get it.
Sorry for making such a scene.
Then I'll die.
Hold it, hey!
Wait, wait, wait, calm down!
How is that your answer? Get back here! It's dangerous!
Let go of me!
What's the point of living in a world without you in it, Ogami?
I'm in it! No, that's not the point! Don't do anything stupid!
And also, isn't that kind of unfair?
You've turned guys down tons of times, but the second you confess and get rejected,
you jump straight to dying?
That's so mean!
Okay, yeah, maybe this wasn't the time to bring that up!
I started suspecting it along the way,
but something is seriously off with this version of Noren.
Is this what she's like when she falls for somebody 100% for real?
I mean, I've never seen her around someone she actually likes.
Only the man-hating side.
But still...
Can someone's whole character change this much?
A call from an unknown number?
No!
It's the same number as before!
Which means...
CHINATOWN
Hello? Kazuma?
Indeed.
So? How are things on your end?
Noren, sorry, I need to take this!
Uh, dying is bad, okay? Hold on!
How do you think things are?
I'll give you credit for calling at the perfect time, but something's wrong here!
What kind of hypnosis did you put on Noren?
I told you, didn't I?
When she wakes, she will fall in love with the first person she sees.
Deeply.
I can't live without you, Ogami!
Hey! You left that last part out! Was that necessary?
What the hell does that even mean? Why would you add that extra crap?
My younger brother mentioned that he's not fond of flighty girls.
Are you screwing with me? Are you stupid?
She wasn't flighty to begin with...
so stop flooring the gas pedal in the wrong direction!
When the hell are you guys transferring in?
These injuries won't heal in a day or two.
It'll still be a while.
That's no good!
I can't wait! Undo it right now! I'm serious!
Very well.
Meet me at five o'clock.
Bring Noren Mitsuoka with you.
The location is...
The two of us going out to Yokohama together...
This is totally a date now, right?
Y-Yeah.
A date, or, uh, more like a reverse-hypno appointment.
COSMIC WORLD
The meetup spot is an amusement park, too.
Her thinking it's a date at least made it easier to invite her.
Hey, can we go to the Cup Noodle Museum?
Huh? Cup what museum?
I've always wanted to come here!
Are we gonna make it in time?
So, you eat cup ramen, too.
I guess I never really pictured you eating it.
I used to eat it with my uncle.
It's so good!
Whoa, look! Amazing!
Natsukiya's fancy ramen is top-tier, but cheap and easy cup noodles are great, too.
- Cheap? - Huh?
What do you mean, Ogami?
Cup ramen is a food deeper than the deepest ocean,
created through every kind of ingenuity...
to overcome the barriers of production cost and shelf life!
Cup ramen only reached this point because our predecessors researched day and night
to help people suffering from food shortages.
I really don't think you can sum all that up...
with a simple phrase like "cheap and easy"!
Oh, crap! I stepped on a land mine!
Come on! We're doing the history section first, and we're doing it properly.
I'll handle the commentary!
Yes, ma'am.
THE GRAND HISTORY OF CUP RAMEN
Okay, we should probably get going.
This is where the real fun starts!
Now that we're here, we have to make instant ramen!
You don't want to?
Let's make one-of-a-kind instant noodles, Noren.
Okay!
Well, are we gonna make it in time?
Huh? From the dough?
Th-That's enough!
Stop, stop!
She's frying noodles without even looking.
At this point, she's basically a noodle-frying master!
Wait. Is she taking all of those home?
LOVE NOODLE
Ta-da!
I can already feel that heavy dose of love sitting in my stomach.
But the meetup time's getting close, so hey, it's good that she finished safely.
Noren, there's somewhere I want to go together—
Wait, we're eating it now?
Huh? After all, it's fresh.
"After all"...
Crap! I've gotta scarf this down and get us moving!
So, I tried to express how I feel about you right now, Ogami!
Through spice!
Is this...
actually safe for human consumption?
Enjoy!
Here goes.
There's plenty more if you want seconds!
I made it out alive.
The meeting place should be around here, right?
Did we make it just in time?
Hey, Ogami!
Let's ride that!
Huh? We don't have time for rides!
And if we get on the Ferris wheel, I'll be stuck in an enclosed space with Noren!
You don't want to? I knew it! Someone like me could never—
We'll ride it! We'll ride it, okay?
Wow, look!
And the sun's just about to set, too!
Amazing!
Mitsuoka, it's dangerous to stand...
O-Ogami...
I knew this was a bad idea!
I knew we should've skipped the Ferris wheel!
Don't do this, Noren! Don't close your eyes like the mood is just right!
I can't! I'm actually an old man!
I've gotta turn this down! Huh?
No, wait! If I reject her, this version of Noren might try to die again!
No, definitely! She almost spiraled when I hesitated about the Ferris wheel!
Okay, calm down!
Huh?
This is an old man and a first-year middle school girl! Don't be a moron!
If I don't kiss her here, Noren dies.
Literally.
If I do kiss her, I die.
Socially.
Either way, I'm finished!
No!
Don't underestimate a legendary assassin!
Huh?
No way! The door's open?
I thought it was supposed to be locked from the outside! What do we do?
Stay calm! We should be able to call them on that intercom!
I made the bullet ricochet and broke the lock.
She'll be scared until we get back down.
Sorry, Noren. Hang in there.
Are you all right?
That was so scary!
We never thought such an accident would happen!
We're terribly sorry!
Could you folks come with me for a moment?
Honestly...
you're the one who rushed me.
So, why were you off flirting on the Ferris wheel?
Because of your hypnosis! You caused this!
I broke the spell on Noren Mitsuoka, and the one I placed on you, as well.
That settles everything, right?
Yeah.
But are you sure? Undoing mine, too?
It matters not.
Our last battle showed me the difference in our abilities.
If I cannot defeat you whether you are hypnotized or not...
then I may as well release you and be done with it.
Farewell.
Next time, we shall meet at school.
Your change!
ENGLISH VOCABULARY
You awake?
Then let's head home.
Huh? Ogami?
Why was I asleep here?
Why am I in Yokohama?
Why am I alone with you?
Huh? I feel weirdly refreshed, but I don't remember a thing.
So, that's it.
Well, for now, I'm just glad she's okay, but...
Mitsuoka...
Huh?
Do you like me?
Huh? What's with that all of a sudden? Gross!
I mean, as a friend, sure.
Wait, you don't mean anything more than that, do you?
Because if you do, sorry, but you know I can't do that kind of thing, right?
Huh?
Why are you crying, Ogami?
Ogami?
Thank goodness!
I've never been so happy to be called "gross" in my life!
What are you talking about? Are you okay?