Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Charlotte and Adolescence Syndrome
"Hayasaka, what exactly happened?"
Shinomiya Kaguya frowned as she asked.
Since childhood, Hayasaka Ai had always been by her side.
On the surface, their relationship was that of a master and servant, but in truth, their bond was akin to that of sisters. Hayasaka Ai was the only person Shinomiya Kaguya could completely lower her guard around.
And yet, during the recent phone call, Hayasaka Ai had clearly been acting strange, hiding something from her.
Considering the circumstances, it was possible that Hayasaka Ai had been in a dangerous situation at the time.
That was why Shinomiya Kaguya refrained from pressing her further back then.
But now, they were in the Shinomiya estate.
Inside her own bedroom.
No one could interfere here.
Shinomiya Kaguya waited for Hayasaka Ai's explanation.
However—
"Milady, nothing happened. It was just an ordinary conflict."
Hayasaka Ai's response stirred suspicion deep within Shinomiya Kaguya's heart.
Could it be that Hayasaka Ai had a listening device on her?
With that thought, Shinomiya Kaguya used hand gestures to ask again.
Yet, the answer remained the same:
"Milady, nothing happened."
Shinomiya Kaguya tilted her head in confusion.
"Alright, you may leave."
Hayasaka Ai respectfully exited the room.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Shinomiya Kaguya's eyes flickered with emotion.
"What exactly happened? Why would even Hayasaka hide it from me?"
"Right... the person she mentioned I should recruit, was it Takamine Haruto? Is the issue with him?"
After analyzing the situation, Shinomiya Kaguya summoned the cleaning personnel assigned for the day to gather information.
Then, she instructed the intelligence department to monitor Haruto. However, this order was intercepted by Hayasaka Ai before it could be carried out.
The report Shinomiya Kaguya received contained only useless, superficial information.
Yet, this did nothing to quell her doubts and curiosity.
Thus, within the Shinomiya household—Shinomiya Kaguya relentlessly pursued the truth, while Hayasaka Ai did everything in her power to stop her.
For the sake of keeping her mistress from falling into a dangerous abyss, Hayasaka Ai spared no effort.
Of course, in the end, Shinomiya Kaguya still got involved.
But that's a story for another time.
Meanwhile, on Haruto's side—
Annie, controlled Tomori Nao, followed behind Gu Zeyan.
Yet, Tomori Nao showed no awareness of being controlled.
"Um, big brother, are you one of those legendary perverts? Licking your fingers like that... Uwaah~~!"
"I mean, sure, that girl was really pretty, but isn't that a bit too much, big brother?"
She continued to tease Haruto.
Completely oblivious to the fact that she, too, was a beautiful girl, and that being caught by a pervert was actually quite dangerous.
This particular girl had dazzling ocean-blue eyes and gorgeous white hair.
She also had an exceptionally well-proportioned figure. While she hadn't overdeveloped, for her age group, she was practically unmatched.
Tall, slender, and adorable.
The only problem was her overly lively personality.
"You've been taken into custody, Miss Tomori Nao. Please try to understand your situation."
Haruto stated matter-of-factly.
Tomori Nao let out an "Oh" before curiously asking, "Can I join that Foundation thing?"
Haruto glanced at her.
"In theory, yes. But unlike Hayasaka Ai, even if you don't join, you won't have to undergo memory erasure procedures. You just need to be monitored until your adolescence ends, after which you'll be released as normal. Signing a confidentiality agreement will suffice."
Tomori Nao's anomaly was Adolescence Syndrome.
As the name suggests, once she passed adolescence, her abnormal condition would naturally disappear.
The D-class memory erasure method wasn't effective for long-term memories.
So a confidentiality agreement was the best approach.
Through wide, innocent eyes, Tomori Nao asked,
"Then, if I join the Foundation, can I receive its help?"
In truth, Tomori Nao was quite intelligent.
She was highly perceptive.
She had already grasped the situation clearly.
She wanted to ask for help, so she proposed joining the Foundation in hopes of exchanging membership for assistance.
"You want to save your brother, right? Well, I was planning to do that anyway, so there's no need."
Haruto replied indifferently.
As previously mentioned, the organization controlling Tomori Nao had established a laboratory.
A hidden underground facility.
Inside, many others with Adolescence Syndrome anomalies were imprisoned.
Having read the memories of the armed squad, Haruto naturally knew the laboratory's location, entry points, and other details.
Right now, he was heading there.
Containing anomalies.
That was the Foundation's duty.
At the same time, Haruto found this underground lab quite interesting.
Might as well seize it and turn it into a branch facility for the Foundation's containment operations.
Haruto had been troubled by the issue of where to hold anomalies after capturing them.
And now, here was a perfect solution.
Like a pillow delivered right when he needed a nap.
Tomori Nao's ocean-blue eyes widened in surprise.
"Big brother, you seem to know everything. So… what's the plan?"
Having been imprisoned for so long, only barely managing to escape with the help of her allies, Tomori Nao knew just how powerful the lab's armed forces were.
So powerful that she had no idea how to take it down.
Haruto's response was—
"Simple. We just walk in, enter the facility, find the top officials, and make them sign a contract."
"If anyone resists, we execute them on the spot."
Tomori Nao's eyes widened further.
"Big brother, you're not joking, right?"
Haruto didn't reply.
There was no need to.
Because the laboratory entrance was already in sight.
It was disguised as an abandoned warehouse.
Haruto easily lifted a certain floorboard, revealing a metal door beneath.
This was the passage leading to the hidden underground laboratory.
"Annie, stay outside and keep an eye on her. If any enemies show up, don't hesitate—transform into a Titan immediately."
Haruto instructed.
This location was extremely remote.
Even if she transformed, it wouldn't cause widespread panic.
If a few bystanders happened to see,
They could just be dealt with using memory-erasure techniques.
At his words, Annie furrowed her brows slightly.
Haruto had previously given strict orders prohibiting Titan transformation, yet now he had reversed his stance.
Still, she didn't question it.
She simply nodded and obeyed.
Meanwhile, Tomori Nao listened to their conversation in utter bewilderment.
"So, how exactly are we—"