The dark side of Academy City no longer existed.
Not long ago, the Board of Directors had been dismantled.
This was once the highest governing body of Academy City in the public eye—and the greatest enabler of the tragedies that festered in its shadows.
Now, it had been completely uprooted.
When Frenda heard about it, she honestly didn't know what to feel.
At first, she figured she should be excited.
Finally free from their control, she celebrated her newfound freedom in style—in her hideout at the upper-class residential section of the giant commercial complex "Class Diamond" in District 15.
She ate mackerel cans until she was stuffed and drank herself silly.
But after the first few days, she began to feel lost.
Sure, the wealth she had amassed over the years could keep her living comfortably for a long time without working.
Yet there was this strange, nagging feeling—like she was supposed to be doing something.
She tried painting, traveling…
All the bright, wholesome things she had dreamed about while working in the dark side.
But now, they felt… bland.
So, she dug out the postcard from the SCP Foundation—designation "467."
In the end, though, she couldn't bring herself to call.
After all, she had just escaped danger.
Seeing her struggling like that, Haruto reached out and ruffled her golden hair.
Soft as silk, impossibly pleasant to the touch.
"It's just some aftereffects," he said. "You just need to calm down and live quietly for a while.
Before long, you'll get better—you'll get used to a normal life. There's nothing wrong with that.
He could understand her condition.
It was like post-war syndrome.
Years of living in constant danger, huge sums of money flowing in alongside constant threats, never thinking far ahead—because you didn't know if you'd even have a future.
To suddenly be pulled out of that life—it wasn't easy to adapt.
But with time and patience,the symptoms would fade.
Find a like-minded friend, or a partner to stay by your side, and soon, you'd stop thinking about the past altogether.
Feeling the warmth from his hand on her head, Frenda lowered her head even further.
God, if only she had met him sooner.
After a long moment, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and finally looked up—her eyes still red at the corners, as if she were wearing eyeshadow.
"I'll take you to my secret base!" she suddenly declared.
Haruto blinked, then said instinctively,
"On the upper floors of Class Dianoid in District 15?"
Her eyes went wide.
"You—how do you know that?!" she cried, pointing at him.
That was her biggest secret, her personal fallback location for emergencies.
Haruto sighed.
"Hate to break it to you, but… quite a few people know."
The Class Dianoid area was the busiest commercial district in Academy City. Not exactly the smartest place to set up a hideout.
Between surveillance systems and purchase records, it was nearly impossible to erase all traces.
In Academy City, information flowed far too easily.
Electrokinetic ability users were almost all skilled at electronic intrusion. And while top-tier hackers weren't exactly everywhere, you could find them without much trouble.
So it wasn't just Haruto, the interloper, who knew.
Even Frenda's fellow members from her time in the dark side were aware—they had just never said anything.
Once she realized that, her mood deflated completely.
She was dying of embarrassment.
This time, it wasn't trauma—just a straight-up blow to her pride.
Seeing this, Haruto patted her back sympathetically, making sure she didn't cry herself into a coughing fit.
In the end, Frenda still took Haruto to her hideout.
It was a rather unusual place.
The living room had no sign of daily life.
Instead of furniture, the space was filled with boxes—each containing birthday gifts for friends.
There were cute stickers on the walls, and in the center, a huge, conspicuous calendar. The calendar was covered in doodles, notes, and markings, all done in bright highlighter.
It was busy, chaotic—yet carried a girlish charm.
Frenda had marked every one of her friends' birthdays.
This place held the softest part of her heart.
In Academy City, she wore two faces.
To the outside world, she was a killer from the dark side—able to do the dirtiest, blackest jobs, hiding a knife behind her smile.
At home, with her younger sister Fremea Seivelun, she was the dependable big sister, a pillar of support.
But here, in this little safe haven, Frenda was just herself.
No need to act mature and capable as an older sister.
No need to hone her skills for the dark side.
And for the first time, she had brought someone else into this private place.
She glanced nervously at Haruto.
"So… what do you think?"
She was curious—though most people would probably find it strange.
Haruto thought for a moment.
Frenda held her breath.
"It's… very Frenda," he said at last.
She let out a long sigh of relief—then immediately frowned.
"That's cheating!"
That kind of answer was too easy.
Haruto chuckled and changed the subject.
"So, why bring me here? What do you want to do?"
Frenda looked at him seriously.
Though they hadn't known each other long, this boy—had twice protected the person she cherished most, and had pulled her out of the dark whirlpool of the underworld.
Time couldn't measure her feelings for him.
"In the end, I'm still lost," she admitted.
"So… I'm going to cheat a little too. Haruto, you decide for me—join the Foundation, or live a peaceful life."
She stuck out her tongue.
She couldn't make herself choose—so she was just going to dump the problem on someone else.
That was the Frenda way.
"Yeah… very Frenda," Haruto said with a wry smile.
Then he grew serious, weighing the question.
By ability alone, Frenda was an exceptional talent—her skills, adaptability, and knack for networkingwere rare gifts.
To let her fade into a quiet life felt like wasting a gem in the mud.
But from the Foundation's perspective—recruiting her without regard for the dangers they faced might betray the trust she had just placed in him.
After a long silence,
"Live a peaceful life," Haruto said.
She looked surprised— then, after only a moment, smiled mischievously.
"Alright then—I'll join the Foundation!"
Haruto tilted his head in confusion.
She grinned.
"I never said I'd accept your decision if you made it. Since you want me to live peacefully, that means you don't want me to die, right? So if I join the Foundation, you'll just protect me and keep me alive! Problem solved! Wahoo! Double win! Frenda wins twice!"
Haruto could only hold his forehead.
Yep. Very Frenda.
She always wanted both things.
She'd been like that since her dark side days— learning no lessons, but getting better at acting cute.
While she cheered, Haruto reached out and flicked her on the forehead.
"Ow!" She clutched her head and crouched defensively. "I'm sorry! I'll buy you mackerel cans—just forgive me!"
Faced with such shameless pleading, Haruto couldn't bring himself to scold her further.
Besides, the fact that she could entrust him with this kind of trust was surprising enough.
So…
a little spoiled behavior could be forgiven.