"Natsume-san, are you serious?"
It seemed to take a moment for Uiharu to process it. The idea of Natsume stepping in as a substitute Judgment member was pretty surprising.
"Mhm. It's the holidays anyway. Rather than wasting time cooped up in the dorm, I'd rather do my part for Academy City's public safety," Sonoko Natsume declared with an air of solemn duty, her face etched with a righteous, world-weary expression.
"If that's the case…" Uiharu hesitated slightly, falling into thought.
"Absolutely not. Do you think just anyone can be a Judgment member? It requires signing nine separate agreements, passing twelve aptitude tests, and completing four months of training. It's not some cushy, easy job that any clueless civilian student can just waltz into," a certain Teleporter immediately objected, forming a large 'X' with her arms in front of her, her face showing no room for argument.
"Every Judgment member must possess the resolve to fight the evils of Academy City and the perseverance to protect the safety of all students, day in and day out," Shirai stated sternly.
This gave a certain Level 5 a pause, leaving her momentarily speechless.
'Was that dig about 'clueless civilian students' meant for me?' she wondered. Shirai really didn't pull her punches. Even Misaka-senpai seemed to be fidgeting a little awkwardly.
Sonoko Natsume's plan had hit a major setback before it even began. But sometimes, she wasn't one to give up so easily.
"Shirai-san doesn't get the final say. We should ask for Konori-senpai's opinion."
Natsume thought of their senior, Konori. Compared to Shirai, Konori-senpai was much easier to talk to and happened to be one of the few people who could keep Shirai in check.
"Hmm, I suppose it's not entirely out of the question. Sometimes we do hold events where students can experience being a Judgment member. It's one way to help the public understand our work better," replied Konori Mii from the other end of the line.
At that moment, she was relaxing in a public bath, a skincare mask on her face, her hands resting on the edge of the tub, in a state of pure bliss. Not far away sat a full bottle of Musashino Milk.
"Eh? This is the first I'm hearing about such an event?" Uiharu's face showed confusion.
"They do exist! Look here, Uiharu." Natsume pointed to some photos she'd dug up, showing a Judgment activity day at a certain elementary school.
"Such events do exist, but they're aimed at elementary school students. Natsume-san, you're already in middle school. Furthermore, their purpose is to recruit new members," Shirai said, massaging her temples.
"But Konori-senpai already agreed," Natsume insisted.
"...Fine, this 'Judgment experience' can only happen when Uiharu is unavailable. And during this time, you must listen to me, your senior," Shirai relented, though very reluctantly.
"Okay, okay, Shirai-san. I'll listen to you," Natsume replied with a shy smile, before zoning out and gazing blankly at the sky.
"Well then, Natsume-san, do your best!" Uiharu encouraged with a smile. Who knows, maybe Natsume-san was well-suited to be a Judgment member after all.
--+--
Early the next morning, right after taking care of her chores, Natsume, now wearing a Judgment armband, boarded the express vehicle headed for Judgment Branch 177.
Even though Sonoko Natsume was only an 'experience' member, she still had the right to wear the shield-shaped armband. This one was Shirai's spare, temporarily lent to her.
"We're here."
After a not-too-long teleportation journey, Shirai released Natsume's arm and gave the somewhat distracted girl a light pat.
"So this is what it feels like to wear the armband."
Natsume gently touched the shield emblem on her arm. It felt… surprisingly nice.
"Natsume-san, the first rule of being a Judgment member is this: once you put on this armband, you're on duty. No matter where you are or what you're doing."
"Therefore, there's no such thing as 'off-duty' for us. Your work starts now, so take it seriously."
Shirai pulled Natsume over to Uiharu's workstation and pointed at the Judgment computer.
Once Natsume was seated, Shirai opened the map software for all of Academy City. There was not only the Judgment version but also the one dedicated to Anti-Skill.
"Part of your job, Natsume-san, is to answer incident reports and check various emails."
"If an incident occurs, you need to relay the location and details to me via wireless comms. Afterwards, you must file and back up all the incident information. You're also responsible for monitoring the security cameras, ensuring the safety of over two hundred public areas around Sakugawa Middle School," Shirai explained Uiharu's duties earnestly.
She had full confidence in Uiharu handling these tasks, but she was considerably less sure about a certain seemingly spacey girl with her hair in buns.
With that in mind, Shirai went through everything again, explaining every detail meticulously.
"I'm heading out on patrol. Judgment work gets especially busy during the holidays. Natsume-san, you focus on your work. If you run into any problems, you can ask Konori-senpai; she'll be here soon."
Shirai gave a few more instructions, sounding like a worried parent listing off reminders before a trip.
"I'll be carrying a tracking device. You can confirm my location via the red dot on the map. This headset allows for real-time communication with me; it has a microphone and comms equipment built-in."
"Alright, I got it, Shirai-san. Don't worry!" Natsume nodded vigorously, promising earnestly that she would handle all the work.
Right after Shirai left and the door closed behind her, a strange sense of novelty washed over Sonoko Natsume.
Leaning back comfortably in the chair, a hint of excitement on her face, she carefully put on the headset, switched it on, and fiddled with the microphone volume.
"Hey, hey, Shirai-san? Can you hear me?" Natsume spoke into it, curious.
"An incident already? So soon? What's the location? How many perpetrators?" Shirai's voice came through the headset. She had already left Branch 177 and was on a nearby shopping street.
"Ah, well, I was just testing the volume," Natsume replied, slightly embarrassed.
"…"
Clicking the mouse, Natsume cycled through the various security camera feeds. Dense crowds of students were everywhere, monitored by countless cameras.
She quietly memorized the locations of these cameras, cross-referencing each one with its corresponding area.
After about half an hour, Natsume could easily identify each camera's location without having to double-check the mapped reference every time she switched views.
All in all, Natsume was getting the hang of it quite quickly. 'As expected of me.'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.