"Finally, it's Sunday!" Mochi exclaimed, jumping with excitement in her room.
After a long week full of exams and assignments, her much-anticipated day off had finally arrived. She had been so busy that she hadn't been able to dedicate even a single minute to her games. Still wearing her pajamas, she threw herself backwards onto her bed, grabbed her smartphone, and launched her favorite game. Her tail swayed from side to side, reflecting how entertained she was.
Brrr... Brrr...
Her fun was soon interrupted. A notification popped up on the screen: a message from Zeke.
Great news, team. We've been assigned our first mission. See you at noon at HQ, I'll give you the details there 👍.
"Nnnh... my Sunday..."
—
When the agreed time came, Mochi arrived at OHRA headquarters. She had already gotten used to the place. She pushed open the massive wooden doors and entered. Inside, Miyu and Zeke were already waiting, sitting on the benches.
"Sempai! I'm so happy to see you!" Miyu exclaimed, jumping toward Mochi and hugging her tightly.
"Miyu... I can't... breathe," Mochi managed to say while trying to escape the suffocating hug.
"Miyu, you're overreacting! We saw each other every day this week at school."
"I know, but I'm super excited for my first mission. And listen to this: Zeke refused to tell me what it's about until you arrived... Why did you take so long, Sempai?!"
"What are you talking about, Miyu? I arrived ten minutes early. What time did you get here?"
"I've been here since early morning. In fact, I was already here when Zeke contacted us. I planned to interview some hunters for my blog, but no one showed up. Even Ofelia arrived after me."
Zeke, who had been silent until then, stepped forward to join the conversation.
"We hunters are quite different from each other. Many of us have completely opposite reasons for doing this job. Some do it for revenge, others out of a sense of duty, others just for the money… there are even those who do it for fun or a quest for power. Because our motivations are so different, we rarely interact with each other unless the situation requires it. So now you see why no one's around on a Sunday."
"Oh, hi Zeke, I hadn't seen you…"
Zeke gave a small, bitter smile at Mochi's casual comment.
"Leader, why did you become a hunter?" Miyu asked, curious.
"Well, hmm…" Zeke took a moment to think, and finally replied, "Let's just say this job aligns with my personal goals."
Miyu didn't seem very satisfied with that vague answer, but Zeke moved on without dwelling on the topic.
"Our job this time is to pretend we're students at S University… and find an anomaly hiding there…"
Zeke filled us in on the background of the mission. At S... University in the neighboring city, several student suicides had been reported for some time. It was quite a large institution, so the death of a student, while tragic, wasn't necessarily reason enough for the agency to intervene. However, what was strange were the methods used.
Normally, those who decide to take their own lives look for painless ways. No one wants to suffer more than necessary. But in this case, the first student doused themselves in fuel in front of everyone and set themselves on fire. A brutal, public, and completely out-of-the-ordinary act.
And that was just the beginning.
That suicide occurred three months ago. Then came a second. And a third. The number kept growing until it reached six cases. At that point, the police finally stepped in, though in Zeke's opinion, it was already too late. They began an investigation under the hypothesis that the young people might be linked to some kind of cult.
But while the investigation continued without producing results, another even more horrifying incident occurred: a group suicide. Five young people set themselves on fire at the same time. That was when the possibility that it was the work of an anomaly began to be taken more seriously.
As a result, the agency sent some agents to investigate. However, they found no trace of anything. In fact, the university seemed completely free of any presence. And that, according to Zeke, was the real proof that they were dealing with a very dangerous anomaly.
"In a place like that, where so many people and emotions gather, it's normal for anomalies to exist, even if they're small or weak," Zeke explained firmly. "Even more so with the recent suicide cases. That place should be infested with residual energy. But it's not. The fact that there's not even a single trace can only mean one thing: someone or something is making sure to erase all evidence and keep other anomalies away."
A job like that can only be done by a powerful anomaly. One strong enough to establish a territory and drive out all others.
"This is where we come in," he continued. "Our mission is to pretend to be students, blend in with the others, and, that way, find and eliminate the anomaly before it acts again."
"That's all regarding the assignment. Any questions?" Zeke asked after finishing his explanation.
"Leader… how long will this mission last?" Miyu asked.
"Well, that depends. It could be a couple of weeks… or even a month," Zeke replied, then added, "If you're worried about classes, don't be. All necessary arrangements have been made. Starting tomorrow, both of you will be on temporary medical leave. But if you don't want to fall behind, you'll have to study on your own."
Mochi thought, visibly distressed.
"Could it really last a whole month?" she asked, worried.
"Honestly, I don't think so," Zeke said, crossing his arms. "I checked the university's history and, yes, there were other cases of student suicide, but with months or even years between them. The reports go back seven years."
Zeke sat on a bench, leaned forward, resting an elbow on his knee and his chin on his fist.
"But this year, the time between each incident kept getting shorter... until it was down to just two weeks. And it all ended with the group suicide three days ago."
He then stood up and walked in front of them, explaining like a teacher in front of an invisible chalkboard.
"Something must've happened. I don't know what, but I'm sure the anomaly was forced to abandon its cautious behavior and start acting hastily. That means it's only a matter of time before it makes a mistake. And when it does, we'll catch it... before there are more victims."
"Oh, almost forgot," he added as he headed for the exit. "Try dressing up and putting on some makeup tomorrow to look a bit more adult. We don't want you to seem like lost schoolgirls on a field trip."
With that, Zeke left, leaving Mochi and Miyu alone.
Mochi started to worry. She had never worn makeup before, nor had she ever really cared about fashion. Whenever she bought clothes, it was just because she thought they were cute—she never put much thought into style or trends.
Luckily for her, the solution to that problem was right in front of her. Sitting across from her was a glamorous, radiant gyaru she could ask for help.
"Miyuuu, help meee!" This time, it was Mochi who clung to Miyu, hugging her while looking up into her eyes. "I don't know anything about makeup or fashion, but you do! You always dress so well and your makeup looks amazing! If I ask my mom to teach me, she's going to get suspicious and think I'm up to something... please, help me with this!"
"Of course, Sempai! Leave it all to me—I'll teach you everything I know," Miyu answered, visibly thrilled by the request. "Hehehe... we're going to have so much fun!"
Mochi's tail puffed up instantly. There was something in Miyu's laugh—a strange tone, like she was about to pull a prank. Mochi started to wonder if she had just made a huge mistake.
For the rest of the day, Mochi was treated like a dress-up doll by Miyu. She lost track of how many outfit combinations she had tried on, or how many times she had been made up. All she knew was... she had survived. Just barely.