Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Summer Vacation Special Camp (4)
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I had no idea why Dennis was being so cooperative about taking photos to send to my dad.
But seeing her lift the corners of her mouth like that, maybe she just wanted to capture the kids enjoying camp activities.
For me, it was better to have solid proof like this than to just tell Dad over and over that we were having fun without showing him anything.
So I obediently followed Dennis's directions.
We took a series of photos aligned with the camp schedule: the opening ceremony, meeting up with friends.
As we kept snapping shots of me smiling and holding up my handmade creation, it almost felt like we were hastily recreating the camp experience ourselves.
"Okay, now pretend it's storytelling time. Carmen, sit on that chair over there and clap like this."
Clap clap clap clap clap.
And in this whole scenario, Carmen was the only one suffering.
While I was throwing myself into it with a sense of duty and satisfaction, she clapped with a scowl on her face.
It was less clapping and more like slamming someone's face between her palms.
But Dennis seemed to love the intensity of her movements.
She fiddled with the camera, adjusting angles, then nodded and said,
"Perfect. Now try smiling with that expression!"
Carmen forced the corners of her mouth up into a grin.
It was obviously fake, but Dennis didn't seem to mind.
She nodded approvingly and fired off flash after flash.
"Great. You did wonderfully. Now, Serika, Carmen—want to sit here?"
Dennis waved her hand through the air, and scattered clutter and a picnic mat from afar gathered around us.
Like something out of an old fairy tale, the mat floated through the air, neatly stacking items on top until it formed a little experiential learning setup, then gently settled down.
Carmen let out an "oh" at the precise control, and I stood there blankly, watching Dennis's skill for a moment.
"Go ahead, have a seat."
Right. Dennis was a telekinetic.
A really powerful one, at that.
Lately, I'd been so focused on Master or Carmen that I'd forgotten just how strong she was.
Both Carmen and I snapped out of it and sat on the mat.
As soon as we were seated, Dennis gestured enthusiastically with both hands as she explained.
"This is the teamwork training exercise from the camp log we handed out beforehand. Show me cooperating to stack bricks nicely, like good friends."
"...For real?"
Carmen grimaced and asked back.
Dennis nodded.
"Yes. Go on, put your arms around each other like pals..."
"...I hate this."
Carmen recoiled in disgust but draped her arm around my neck anyway.
I boldly placed my hand on her shoulder, and she frowned.
"Don't touch my skin."
Embarrassed, I lifted my arm slightly, and Dennis said,
"Carmen, think about the taxes. Taxes. This is all for the organization, right? Be a little more cooperative."
"Ugh..."
The organization card worked.
Carmen narrowed her eyes like she had no choice, grudgingly looped her arm over my shoulder, and plastered on a smile through her grimace.
It was like she was forcing a grin through agony.
It almost made me feel bad, seeing how much she hated it.
"Perfect. That photo came out great."
But Dennis seemed pleased with the shots.
She gazed at the printed photos with satisfaction, then let out a sinister chuckle like a total villain.
"Heh heh heh heh heh... Heh heh heh..."
I had no clue what she planned to do with my photos, but at least we'd secured some to send to Dad, so it was a win for me too.
Might as well think positive.
"Alright, photo session's over. Good work today."
Once we'd wrapped up, a question popped into my head a bit late.
With only the two of us as "participants," how would these even look like camp photos?
"But with just us two, it won't look like a camp at all."
Dennis nodded at my question.
"Don't worry. We have a friend who's great at photo compositing. She'll make it seamless—no need to fret."
Typical secret organization.
They even had an agent ready to doctor photos for situations like this.
Dennis examined the camera's shots, nodding happily, then extended her hand to return the clutter to its places.
The items scattered on the floor floated back like a movie scene.
No matter how many times I saw it, it was mesmerizing—I just stared blankly.
Carmen had been gaping too, but when our eyes met, she pursed her lips like she was annoyed again and turned away.
Dennis paid more attention to her camera than our drama and continued.
"It's getting late, so you two should crash in the dorm next door. Tomorrow we start real mission prep."
"Yes—."
"Yeah."
Surprisingly, Carmen nodded without protest.
I'd expected something like,
'Having to sleep with you? Gross.'
Or,
'Sleep with her? No thanks. I'd rather crash outside!'
But nope. Unexpected.
Maybe after our last joint mission, her favorability toward me had ticked up a bit?
Clack clack. Her steel crutches scraped lightly against the floor.
Looking back at her path, it was scratched up everywhere.
I wondered if those marks were covered under camp expenses, then turned and saw Carmen had stopped, staring at me.
Her eyes mixed hostility with some unreadable emotion.
"...I'm not losing to you this time."
Hmm. Maybe that favorability hadn't gone up after all.
The next morning, we finally started the briefing.
Our mission: infiltrate a building packed with Yakuza, smash everything in sight, rough up anyone left behind, and scare them good.
The building at the edge of the bustling district yesterday looked ominous from our dorm, right across diagonally.
Dennis stood with arms crossed, exuding villainous executive vibes as she overlooked the Yakuza patrolling outside.
She beckoned with a finger, and a pen flew to the window, circling the building on a map.
"See that building? Once their combat squad deploys, we hit the empty house. Obviously, wear these masks when we go."
Dennis floated a box and binoculars in the air as she spoke.
I had to stand on tiptoes for the binoculars, but she flicked her finger to lower them for me.
"Ah, I can see now!"
Finally, I got a look inside.
One wide entrance for parking, one narrow stairwell inside.
Curtains on every window—it looked just like a motel.
"Totally like a motel."
Dennis nodded.
"Good eye. It used to be a motel that went bust, bought up by the Yakuza and turned into an office. They've been doing some renovations, punching holes in walls for a split-level setup."
"Tch."
Carmen clicked her tongue openly, displeased that I'd scored a point.
Dennis blinked at her briefly, then continued.
"But anyway, it doesn't matter much that it's an old motel. We're just there to wreck everything, cause massive damage. Lots of electronics and metal inside, so it'll be a favorable battlefield for you, Carmen."
"Hmph."
I heard Carmen snort.
It sounded forced, like she wanted me to hear, so I glanced at her.
She turned away with a cough when both Dennis and I looked.
That wasn't like her— was she straining to make weird noises for my benefit?
Dennis shrugged and was about to continue.
"So, to sum up, once Master Saburo's assault team..."
"What the hell are all these frilly decorations? They actually decorated? Think we're at some camp or what? Huh?"
Master Saburo's voice boomed from beyond the door.
He eyed the camp-decorated auditorium, grinding his teeth, then stormed toward us with a scowl, leaning on the window.
He jabbed a finger at Dennis.
"Hey, we agreed no meddling in each other's missions, but loosening up like this before the job, even if it's kids..."
"...Just hear me out, Saburo. It's not what you think."
Dennis whispered something to him.
After a few words, he peeked at the camera, flipped through the photos, and broke into the exact same grin as Dennis, chuckling.
"Heh heh heh heh heh..."
Dennis chimed in, laughing.
"Right? Heh heh heh heh..."
Saburo nodded and laughed louder.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Heh heh heh heh heh...!"
Why do they laugh like that at my photos?