Original subtitles

THE MOMMY-FRIENDS SCHEME

Miss Anya.

I'm going shopping for a bit. Is there anything you'd like?

Um... The crunchy tea snacks that my teacher gave me.

Crunchy tea snacks...

I wonder what shop that's from.

Dunno.

All right.

I'll see if I can find them.

Oh, yeah!

Second Son said he'd bake me a cake and hasn't given me any at all.

I'll make you the best cake ever!

He never said this

That jerk. The cake was a lie.

Well, in that case, I'll look for this cake for you, as well.

Yay!

I'm so glad Miss Anya is getting along with Damian.

I didn't know what I was going to do

when she punched him because of what I taught her.

Perhaps they grew closer because they exchanged blows.

No, that can't be right.

This must be because of how hard Miss Anya has been working.

I need to work harder as her mother, as well.

First, I need to go procure these snacks and cakes.

Where should I go, though?

And the butter sandwiches from this place were absolutely divine!

Oh, I know!

Ah, Mrs. Forger.

Oh, hello.

Are you going shopping?

U-Um...

Maybe these ladies would know of any confectioneries...

Um—

What?! You don't even know where to get tea snacks?!

Every decent mother knows that!

How very suspicious!

No, it's nothing! I'm so sorry!

I almost got myself reported.

Want to go to the new shop on Lindon Street?

Sounds great!

It's really popular.

Really?

I wonder when I'll finally be able to fit in with normal people.

I wonder where everyone else learned to be normal.

I wonder if they learned it from their parents.

But I...

No, no! You can't lose hope, Yor.

You need to work hard for your job!

Delicious treats...

I guess they might be at a department store.

I rarely go to the department store by myself. I'm so nervous.

Would you like to try our new cosmetics?

Our eyebrow liner is very popular.

Eyebrow liner?!

Is "liner" code for a blow to the eye?!

Is it a weapon specifically for that?!

No, no. I must be normal!

Um...

I'm sorry. I'm looking for treats, not weapons.

Oh, those would be on the floor below us.

Th-Thank you very much!

Weapons?

I had heard the rumors, but department stores are truly terrifying!

For me, it's a horrifying place filled with traps.

I must hurry and get what I came for, and escape!

Nola, you need to go faster.

Er, Madam... Since you bought all these things,

I can't see in front of me...

Move aside. I'll just go ahead...

Madam!

Oh, my.

Are you hurt?

Fantastic!

That was amazing! You just went whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

No normal person can move like that!

Oh, no.

Madam, are you all right?

Are you some kind of athlete?

Are you from here?!

Um... I'm just a housewife here to buy some treats...

Are you free right now?

Would you mind accompanying me for a bit?

Er, but I have to go buy those treats...

Treats? You can take as many as you'd like from that pile there.

Huh? All of these?

It's to thank you for saving me.

All right? So please...

Huh?

Dear nimble and kind lady, please accept my madam's request.

We will also make sure to properly thank you.

Huh?

Huh?!

Um... huh?!

Why am I dressed like this?!

You look very lovely.

Oh, Melinda.

Who is this?

Is she our helper?

She is.

What?!

We've brought gifts.

This is the Lady Patriots Society.

We're a community that does various activities together,

including this volleyball league for mothers.

We're all mommy friends living in Berlint.

We just can't beat the North District team.

Please help us!

Do you have any volleyball experience?

Um... I don't.

Oh, how rare!

D-Do people normally play volleyball?

Volleyball is currently all the rage among the mommy friends.

So volleyball is normal.

A-All right. I will give it a try!

Really?! Yay!

Will we be all right if she has no experience?

She is incredibly athletic!

Okay, I'll explain the basic rules to you.

Okay!

By the way, what is your name?

I-It's Yor Forger.

It's coming to you, Yor dear.

Right!

So I just need to hit the airborne ball back

to the opponent's side without letting it hit the floor.

Great bump! Wait, it's so high!

Huh?

I did it!

Was this correct?!

Oh, no. It doesn't look like I was correct.

That was amazing, Yor dear!

You truly are amazing!

But it's against the rules to touch the ball twice in a row.

Just be careful next time!

I'm sorry.

Just once... Just once...

Here!

This time it should be correct!

They're even more frightened!

Perhaps it's a matter of strength rather than rules.

Calm down, Yor.

You're not supposed to play volleyball all by yourself.

That was against the rules.

I'm so sorry! I thought it might be rude to have any of you help me out.

Is this your first time playing a team sport?

I'm sorry. I know we called you our helper,

but you don't need to worry about anything. Just have fun.

I just wanted to have some fun with you.

V-Very well! I will do my best to have fun!

Well, we lost the match, but that was so much fun!

Thank you, Yor.

No, no, I just held everyone back...

What are you talking about?

The girls from the North District were on

the verge of tears. It was an absolute delight!

Oh, I'll have an Imperatrice Rose Tea.

I'll have the same.

What would you like, Yor?

Of course.

Th-Then I'll also have the something-or-other tea.

You can order whatever you'd like, dear.

Do you often worry about what others think?

Huh? No, not exactly...

Say, are you married?

Y-Yes, actually...

Do you have any kids?

O-One daughter...

Though I am her stepmother.

Well, no wonder you always seem so worried.

That must be quite difficult.

Oh, no. Every day is quite fun, actually.

It's just...

As a mother and as a wife,

there are many times when I'm not sure what normal is.

My dear, we're all like that.

My children are my own, and I don't even know how to interact with them.

That's why we get together and chit-chat about various things.

We're all gathering information every day.

So not knowing is normal.

You should come visit us again if you'd like.

Our little society isn't very strict.

A-Are you sure?

Of course.

Thank you very much! I'll learn as much as I can from you!

Lighten up, my dear.

Speaking of learning, just listen to this, Melinda.

My child received a fourth Tonitrus Bolt.

Oh, dear.

A T-Tonitrus Bolt?

From Eden College?

Oh, does your daughter go there, too? What year is she in?

Oh, first-year.

Oh, my! Then she's in the same year as Melinda's son.

What class?

Um... Class 3.

Forger... Forger...

Oh, dearie me.

This must be fate.

Actually, I just realized I haven't properly introduced myself yet.

Pardon me.

I'm Melinda.

Melinda...

Desmond.

You've become acquainted with Damian's mother?

I did.

I just happened to save her at the department store.

Second Son's mama!

It's amazing that you happened to run into the former prime minister's wife.

What?!

Wait, she's someone important?!

Wait... You didn't know?

Oh, I was so rude...

Did she scold you at all?

No, but she did have a mysterious aura about her.

Melinda Desmond...

Damian's mother.

She was very kind.

Which makes her...

the wife of the National Unity Party's leader,

Donovan Desmond!

Now I remember, Yor.

Anya Forger.

The little girl who got into a fight with my son on the day of the entrance ceremony.

Y-Y-You're Damian's mother?!

Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!

It wasn't Miss Anya's fault.

It's just that I taught her something awkward...

Yor.

It's fine! It's totally fine!

It's seriously okay!

My husband also seems to have just thought of it as a little tiff between kids,

so don't worry!

Huh? But...

I'm telling you it's fine.

It doesn't matter at all.

The Desmonds really have a hands-off policy when it comes to their children.

Actually, both sons are so brilliant, they must be easy to raise.

I'm so jealous!

I-I see...

I guess there are many ways to raise children.

More importantly,

I'm even more interested in you now that

I know that you're that silly child's mother.

You truly are lucky.

Melinda rarely invites someone we don't know into our society.

Almost all of us were friends with Melinda before she became the first lady.

Oh, stop. That was so long ago.

First lady?

I'm just not satisfied unless I'm first in everything.

I am the first woman to exist ever!

Oh, dear.

You mean you came with Melinda without even knowing about her status?

I figured as much.

That's why I didn't hesitate to invite her.

I lied when I said I forgot to introduce myself.

I just didn't want to.

I'm sorry about that.

Melinda...

Will you still act normally around me now that you know who I am?

Huh? Of course.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be number one!

Thank you. That makes me very happy.

Because of who I am, I don't have many friends I'm comfortable around.

I did casually invite you to come again,

but if it's difficult for you for any political reason, I won't force you.

But if possible, I hope we continue to be friends, Yor.

Well, why don't we start wrapping things up?

I'll give you a ride.

About what I said earlier...

About Damian.

Huh? Yes?

From what our butler told me,

it seems he's enjoying his life at school quite a bit.

Perhaps he's getting along well with your... Anya, was it?

Why, yes! Anya often talks about Damian in a rather pleasant manner!

I see. That's good.

I hope...

they can continue being friends.

That's all that happened.

Well, they are the family of the former prime minister.

I'm sure there are some complicated situations.

It must be quite difficult.

Oh! Miss Anya!

Here are some snacks and cakes and munchies and fluffies that Melinda gave me.

Fluffies?

Melinda Desmond...

The wife of the National Unity Party's leader.

Of course, she's one of the targets WISE has been keeping their eye on.

Just like her husband, Melinda keeps a rather small and exclusive circle around her.

Since their party lost power, she rarely involves herself in politics,

and per WISE's investigation, there are no other records of her that stand out.

On top of that, she seems rather estranged from her husband and sons,

so she's considered a high-risk, low-return target,

and her worth is considered low when it comes to information.

But should we really consider this encounter a "coincidence"?

Hmm... Actually, since I was so rude,

If this encounter was deliberate...

maybe I should get her some treats in return.

Did Yor set up this meeting?

Did she go to the department store because...

Ah! Anya asked Mama for some snacks,

so the important lady confronted her at the department store!

Sh-She didn't confront me!

No, I investigated Yor's background many times.

Given the situation and how she's reacting, I doubt she's involved.

And if she was, I don't understand why she'd tell me all that.

The only possibility is Melinda's side planned this.

But for what reason?

Are they trying to reach out to me since I'm an agent?

Did Donovan grow suspicious of me after we made contact?

I can't imagine he'd use his wife for this.

At most, he might be trying to apply pressure on the Forgers, since Anya punched his son.

No, thinking about the relationship between father and son, that's also rather unlikely.

But it's dangerous to be too optimistic...

Um, Loid...

I was wondering...

Would you mind if I continued going to this Lady Patriots Society sometimes?

I really don't know much about the world,

so this could be a good opportunity for me to gain more knowledge as a mother

and be able to blend in more normally.

Of course, I'll continue to do the household chores.

I highly doubt the Desmonds could be any example of "normal," but...

What will it be, Twilight?

Will she be upset if I tell her no?

But considering I still don't know everything behind this...

No.

It's all right, Yor.

You don't need to force yourself to learn to be normal.

Every family is different.

Yes... You're right.

But... I agree that you should join their society.

We've gotten quite used to this pretend marriage,

but I'm sure some stress has quietly built up.

The more places you can relax outside this house, the better.

Of course, there will be a few more things to be careful about

so no one finds out about the pretend marriage.

But it's important to have people you're comfortable with around.

I know that you have Yuri,

but I'm sure there are things you can only tell your friends or other ladies.

Up until now, you didn't really have a chance to just talk or hang out with your friends.

I think it's quite all right for you to enjoy normal things like that.

Loid...

Though, to be honest, I'm looking at this another way, as well.

I hear that those who are not part of the community have a higher risk of being reported,

so you should be safer in the Lady Patriots Society.

I-I see...

It'd be best if there were nothing else behind this.

We could reduce Yor's risk of being reported, and her bringing back some gossip

from the Lady Patriots Society may prove to be useful.

Even if there is something else behind this, I'll support her and keep my eye on things.

Friends...

So you're saying they're like how Franky is to you.

Huh? Er, he's... Right...

Papa didn't consider Scruffy Scruff a friend.

Poor lad.

More importantly,

the more I hear... perhaps the Desmond family's relationship

isn't as bad as WISE's preliminary investigation suggested.

If that's the case, then Yor becoming friendly with Melinda

may open up another route for the mission.

There's Plan B with Anya and Damian, but this will be...

Plan C, the Mommy-Friends Scheme!

Depending on Melinda's status,

this may prove to be a shortcut compared to Plan B with Damian.

If Plan C goes well...

Anya's going into the trash!

This is real bad!

Anya and Second Son...

And Mama and Second Son's mama...

We must fight to see who can be friends first!

Which means this is...

the Battle of the Friendship Schemes!

A battle I can't lose has now officially begun!

I can't just sit here!

Papa! Anya's gonna go study!

What brought that on?

She seems oddly motivated lately.

I need to think up lots of schemes to get closer to Second Son!

Uh, um... uh...

Friends, huh?

Oh, right!

If Melinda is someone important,

I should probably get permission from the Shopkeeper, as well.

Becoming closer with the wife of the prime minister?

Yes, I don't see a problem with that.

I see. That's good.

Though even if she's a conservative...

If anything were to happen, then of course...

So I can't say that I really recommend it, either.

Whatever you do, just make sure your husband doesn't suspect

that you have any political bias.

Oh, I don't think that will be a problem.

I believe Loid has met with Desmond before and said he was a good person.

And he said he was slightly interested in the... National... Unity Party.

I see.

I couldn't come up with any schemes, and the next thing I knew, it was morning.

Morning, Anya!

Hear me, Becky.

What?!

You want to know the quickest way to get closer to Damian?!

I guess you're finally getting serious!

I see that you're tired of waiting and want to go on the attack!

Listen, Anya.

There's this ancient technique

where if you go around a corner with bread in your mouth and bump into someone,

then you'll end up with that person!

You'll be together in no time!

Oh.

I bought a yakisoba burger from the school store!

Here! Put it in your mouth!

He's coming!

Listen to me! Love is all about timing!

Mffm.

Okay, now!

Yep.

Friendship Crash!

No, don't crash into him, Anya! Just bump!

Wha—

Heh...

I'm not going to just keep taking your attacks.

Brilliantly done, Lord Damian!

Look at her.

Is she actually eating bread that fell on the ground?

Grr!

Oh.

Lord Damibun... I mean, Lord Damian...

You seem to be matching with her...

I'm sorry for wasting food.

I'll pulverize you!

No, Lord Damian! If you hit her, you'll get a Tonitrus Bolt!

Yor and Melinda's friendship level: +10 Anya and Damian's closeness level: -100

Retreat, Anya!

When going on the offensive fails, play hard to get! Run away!

WHITE JEALOUSY THE EDEN COLLEGE BUSJACKING INCIDENT