NOVEL NEXT Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Perfect Wife
During the cleanup, the armed unit found a bloodstained script.
Its title was barely legible:
"The Hanged King's Tragedy."
Further analysis revealed that this had originally been a script for Titanic. However, during the anomalous outbreak, reality was altered.
The script and the steel blade were taken into containment.
[Anomaly: The Hanged King's Tragedy (SCP-701)]
[Anomaly Level 4: Destruction.]
[A five-act play that compels readers to perform it. The performance deviates into a scripted massacre. An incorporeal "King" manifests and is ignored until the climax. By Act Five, he is hanged, triggering mass violence. Affects all individuals with a cognitive level of 4 or lower.]
By the time Haruto returned, The Hanged King's Tragedy had already been contained. The script was locked in a black-sealed containment chamber, restricted to Level 4 clearance and above.
[Incident Report:
The anomaly originated from a student reading an old anthology that contained The Hanged King's Tragedy. The student inadvertently triggered the anomaly on the day of the performance. The anthology was secured, but no other copies were found to contain The Hanged King's Tragedy.]
All affected individuals underwent Class-A Amnestic Treatment.
The deaths of three students were covered up as withdrawals, with their families compensated.
The Foundation will monitor online sources to prevent further spread of the anomaly.
Megumi sat in a Foundation safe house, burying her face in her hands.
She looked dejected.
The door creaked open. Haruto sighed helplessly as he looked at her.
Haruto sat down beside Megumi Kato.
"I... I could have saved them."
Megumi didn't lift her head; she knew it was Haruto who had come.
"No, you've already done more than enough. If not for someone named Megumi Kato stepping in, everyone in that classroom would be dead."
Haruto stated this as a fact.
Given that no one else had the ability to resist cognitive contamination—
By the time Haruto returned, at least two hours had passed.
Two hours and by then, the corpses would have long gone cold. Moreover, Megumi had intervened decisively and acted swiftly. Despite lacking critical information, she had done everything she could.
Everyone who survived this anomaly outbreak owed their lives to Megumi.
Megumi lifted her head and looked at Haruto. Her eyes were red, and tear stains marred her cheeks. Haruto reached out, gently wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes before pulling her into his embrace.
No words could comfort someone in such a state.
A warm embrace was far more effective.
Leaning against Haruto, feeling his warmth, Megumi could no longer hold back as she burst into tears.
Fear of the unknown, lingering terror from her injuries, guilt for those who had died—
All of it, at this moment, erupted uncontrollably.
As she sobbed her heart out, only one thought filled her mind.
That she had Haruto. That in this world, Haruto existed.
Because otherwise, in such a vast world, there would be no place for "Megumi Kato" to release these emotions.
Megumi had always been slow in perceiving emotions.
But being slow didn't mean she lacked them; instead, emotions built up more easily inside her.
If Haruto weren't here, Megumi might have lost her mind.
Her tears soaked through Haruto's shirt.
Her sobs refused to subside.
Haruto gently patted her back, soothing her, helping her breathe more easily.
Seeing Megumi cry her heart out actually made Haruto feel relieved.
When someone experiences a major crisis or setback and doesn't break down like this, that's when it's truly concerning.
Because if they don't let it all out—
They might just collapse.
After a long while, Megumi finally lifted her head slightly, peeking at Haruto's expression.
Even for her, showing herself like this was a little embarrassing. But all she saw was his usual, gentle smile.
Megumi felt reassured.
"So... what exactly was that? And what is this place?"
Now that her emotions had settled, she became curious about the Foundation.
Haruto didn't hold back; he told her everything about the anomalies and the Foundation.
He had a feeling that he wouldn't need to use memory-erasing techniques on Megumi. This soft-spoken yet strong-willed girl might make an unexpected decision.
When he finished, Megumi covered her mouth in shock.
"So, Haruto-kun is actually the leader of a supernatural organization? That sounds like something out of a chuuni fantasy."
Haruto chuckled helplessly and ruffled Megumi's hair, leaving it messy. After a brief moment of playful banter, Megumi suddenly sighed.
"Wow, I really feel like Haruto-kun and I aren't from the same world at all."
Haruto shook his head.
"That's not true. The Foundation exists to protect our peaceful everyday lives. The me you see; the one you've always known, is real. So how could we not be from the same world?"
Hearing this, Megumi smiled warmly.
"Is that so? You're right... Haruto-kun has always been like a hero."
After musing aloud, Megumi pointed to herself.
"Can I join?"
Haruto didn't say yes or no, he simply replied,
"It's very dangerous. The Foundation fights against anomalies every day, and sacrifices are common. You've seen it for yourself."
Megumi nodded.
"Yeah, I saw it. But that's exactly why I want to join. My low presence… it seems like an asset for the Foundation."
She smiled. "For the first time, I feel like it's a good thing."
Haruto embraced Megumi again, his touch full of tenderness.
Then, he took out the Absolute Covenant Codex.
The golden pages flipped open, stopping at a blank space following a long list of names.
Megumi signed her name.
"Welcome, Megumi Kato. From now on, let's fight together for humanity's future, and for our peaceful everyday lives."
Haruto spoke with conviction.
Megumi nodded.
"Mm, for humanity's future... and for Haruto-kun!"
Haruto was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.
Megumi Kato—SCP Foundation, A-Class personnel, Head of the Special Department for Memetic Strategies, Level 4 Security Clearance.
In matters regarding memetic anomalies, she held decision-making priority equal to that of an O5 Council member.
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"Thank you, Kato-san… really, thank you."
Yukino bowed deeply to Megumi.
She was the only person affected by this containment event whose memory wasn't entirely erased.
Haruto had only removed her recollection of the "Hanged King's Tragic Opera" script.
Everything else remained untouched.
Including the memory of how, after succumbing to self-destructive violence, Megumi had knocked her unconscious.
Although D-Class memory-wiping techniques and Megumi's natural antimemetic properties played a role, for Haruto, restoring these memories had been easy.
So when Yukino woke up, the first thing she did was seek out Megumi to thank her.
Haruto, standing off to the side, scowled.
"Why is it that Megumi gets gratitude, but when it comes to me, you just glare daggers? Logically speaking, I saved you twice, you know. Twice! Yukino Yukinoshita!"
He was referring to the incidents with the Ghouls and the Peanut.
Indeed, if not for Haruto's intervention, Yukino who had just happened to be near both anomalies would likely have died twice already.
However, she simply rolled her eyes at him.
For this insufferable president, she had no words.
Megumi waved her hands.
"It's fine, it's fine. But I didn't expect Yukino-san to be part of the Foundation too."
Yukino nodded, about to say that she had been forced into it by Haruto. But then she noticed Megumi's phrasing.
"Wait… Megumi Kato joined the Foundation too?"
Yukino asked with concern.
The Foundation wasn't exactly a safe place.
Haruto, meanwhile, sneered from the side.
"Unlike you, Megumi volunteered. She's an A-Class personnel now. You two aren't even on the same level."
Her fists clenched.
Yukino Yukinoshita was thoroughly provoked.
But given the difference in power, she could only fume in silence.
Speaking of which, even though Yukino had been caught in this anomaly outbreak, she hadn't been seriously injured.
That was thanks to her frail body, and Bun-chan's abysmal combat skills.
Both of them were completely unfit for physical activity. Their hand-to-hand combat ability was practically negative.
Coincidentally, when the Hanging King's Tragic Opera outbreak occurred, they had been closest to each other, so they got tangled up in a completely ineffective scuffle. By the time they were knocked unconscious, neither had managed to land a proper hit.
Bun-chan had already been sent home to sleep it off.
Yukino scoffed and left.
As for Megumi, she smiled gently at Haruto before turning to leave as well.
Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Haruto couldn't help but smile.
Megumi Kato; not only was she the best wife candidate in an everyday world, even in this anomalous world, her kindness and resilience shone just as brightly.
But just as Haruto was lost in thought—
Megumi suddenly turned back.
"Haruto-kun, do you have time for the school festival?"
Haruto: !?
In that instant, heart-fluttering turned into near-cardiac arrest.
But this was an invitation from Megumi!
"Of course, for Megumi, I'll always have time."
Haruto smiled and swallowed his tears.