Start of Page 11: Operation A.N.O.H.A.N.A.
July 27, 20? Yadomi Residence, Chichubu, Japan 4:30 pm Tokyo Time
"This is ridiculous…" Jintan said as he sets out to the outside world. Together with Menma, he grudgingly went outside, somewhat uncomfortable to the situation he is in.
"Hey, Jintan, who is the lucky maiden you plan to give the flowers?" his father asked, to which he immediately replied "It's a delivery."
"Oh, ok then!"
He closes the door and steps outside. As he walks forward, Menma is seen chanting a song as she trails behind him.
"Jintan, Jintan, walking to the park, to date with a friend to make me whole!"
"Ah, Menma, you annoy me… we both know I'm just dragged into this." Jintan said, with Menma just running immediately beside Jintan and said "It's just a friendly date right? So that I can come back completely to be seen again?"
"Yeah, yeah, but I am not even the one who arranged it…"
Last Night
"WHAT?!" Jintan yelled out through the KND communicator.
"Anjo agreed to the date. I was surprised it was that easy, to be honest." Yukiatsu said to him.
"But how many times do I have to tell you? That girl hates my guts for skipping school!"
"Nah, you'll be surprised. Tell you what, how about you date Anjo and leave Menma with me so that you can concentrate?"
"If I disagree?"
"Ask the Soopreme Leader. For some reason. The order is straight from her."
"You're lying. I'll confirm this tomorrow."
"Well… what is the Soopreme Leader thinking then? The order DID came from her."
They arrived at the park and Jintan was surprised to see Anaru well-dressed in a jade blouse, a pair of khaki pants, and blue heels, sitting on one of the park benches. Menma was simply starstruck upon seeing Anaru.
"Wow, she has grown so beautiful!"
Anaru saw Jintan, who was dressed in his regular outfit of orange search with a kanji lettering written on it, and regular jeans. She was somehow disappointed and looked away.
"Yadomi, why the heck did you not prepare for this?" Yukiatsu yelled in the communicator. Jintan just puffed some air.
"Why should I? I'm just dating her to lure her to the base, right?" He notices Menma wearing a communicator on her ears and said "Well, wish of luck Jintan!" and Menma immediately left.
"Me-"
"We can see you from here." Numbuh 362 said. "We gathered her profile and based on it, you should never mention anything about Menma until this date is finished.
"Permission to back out?"
"Permission denied." Hirai sharply rejected.
"Uggh…" Jintan comes close to Anaru and sat beside her.
"So, um…"
"Why the heck do you arranged a date when you did not even come prepared?" Anaru immediately scolded him. "Matsuyuki did say you wanted to do this as an amends for me to see you back at school, so..."
"Well, he did say I should just bring flowers for delivery and meet the client here. Never thought it will become like this."
"For Delivery? Seriously?" Numbuh 362 said on the communicator. "Please set the romantic mood up!"
"Here." Jintan offered the flowers to her and Anaru immediately blushes. She just looks away and snatches it away from his hands while turning her back.
"I appreciate it, but you need to do more than that!" Anaru replied to him. "You've been missing school lately and you can only make up to me by attending."
"Just tell her you will." Hirai said, with a stern voice. "And I'll make sure you will."
"Alright, I will!" Jintan suddenly shouted. According to Numbuh 362's assessment, it seems like Jintan just seems to be in shock and regret by saying those words.
"Then prove it to me then." Anaru said. There is a long pause between them, much to the disappointment of the observers.
"MY GOSH, SAY SOMETHING, YOU IDIOT!" Numbuh 362 yelled, but suddenly, Anaru is the first to break the silence.
"Jintan, are… are you sure you aren't involved in illegal activity lately? Because during the past days, you always go home late at night."
"Well um…"
Just then, Anaru's phone rang and she answered. In the same manner, Jintan also does a call. For him, though, this is the perfect opprotunity to seek help.
"Hello, I need help." He whispered and pretend to have a call.
"You did so poorly that I ordered Yukiatsu to interrupt." Numbuh 362 sounded disappointed. "You haven't been dating anyone, have you?"
"Why would I? I'm focused on my TND duties, and there is no fun in seeing other women."
"Do you want Menma to hear that?" the statement shook Jintan to his core. "Because technically, you are seeing her. She lives under your house, for crying out loud!"
"That's a different scenario, OK!" Jintan returned the argument. "Look, all I have to do is just go on a date, lure her to the Secret Base, that's it."
"No, you need to get her romantically to the Secret Base." Numbuh 362 said. "That is much easier to do."
"Jintan, who are you talking with?" Anaru asks. Jintan cuts the line, and looks at her "Um, another delivery client."
"Delivery Client? Sure…" Anaru rolls her eyes.
"Why do you have to screw it up?" Numbuh 362 yelled from behind the bushes.
"Um, anyways, Anaru, can we go for a walk?" Jintan invited her. Anaru just muttered "You're hopeless." And just stood up and began walking with him.
The two are walking on the bridge towards the Secret Base, with Anaru mainly trying to start a chat with him.
"Um, Jintan…" Anaru said with a blush "Why are we walking through here?"
"Um, nothing, I just feel like walking through here." Jintan said.
"This better not be a trap." Anaru said. Just then, Anaru noticed her friends walking from across the bridge this caused Anaru to stop on her tracks.
"Uggh. Teenager Influencers. One of the worse." Numbuh 362 said while trailing them in a mobile bush. "Everyone, get armed. If those idiots plan to steal Anaru from us, then we'll strike."
"Oh, hey Anaru!" her female friends shouted. As they move closer, Anaru started to distance herself from Jintan and this causes Jintan to stop on his tracks.
"Oh, hey guys!" Anaru said. "Never expected to see you here."
"Oh, you are with that Yadomi guy again." One of them spoke.
"Oh, is that flowers you have in there?" She then gasped and continued "Are you two dating?"
Anaru immediately tucked the bouquet on her back and defended "No! Um, it's a delivery, for my mom. We are on the way to get one more delivery."
"Oh, good! Maybe we can join in and help then!" The two girls said.
"But…"
"It's just a delivery, right? So, no need to drag the shut-in with you." One of the girls said. Jintan just didn't say anything, but that was the cue needed for the rest of Taskforce Blue Flower to act. Yukiatsu is approaching Anaru's group as a jogger, but beside him is Menma, who appears to have a nefarious plan.
"On my orders, greet Yukiatsu and provide enough distraction. We have some 'fishy' business to attend to." Those familiar words from 362 alarmed Jintan, as he knows too well what that means.
"Good afternoon Yukiatsu!" Jintan made a greeting. Meanwhile, it appears that Menma already went to work and began tying the shoelaces of Anaru's friends.
"Here's the move." Numbuh 362 briefed him. "You and Yukiatsu push Anaru away from a disaster because there is a fish geyser being tested near the area. The teenagers will obviously laugh… until it's too late. Nano will fire the fish geyser cannon like a fountain, releasing fishes all around. The two girls will be tied on their feet and will be unable to escape, while the three of you just head to the base ASAP."
Nonchalantly, Yukiatsu stopped by them and began jogging in place. He then calmly warned the group of something 'sinister' and ubsurd.
"You need to all be clear of this bridge. I heard some kids are testing their new experiment below and is about to fire it."
"Nah, it can't be harmful, can it?" one of Anaru's friends responds.
"It's a fish geyser." Yukiatsu said.
"Fish geyser? That is so ridiculous." Anaru frowned, thinking he is joking.
"Well, do you think Yukiatsu jokes around?" Jintan tried to play along the plan. "We have to get out of here."
"Nah, what kind of ridiculous…"
Before Anaru's friend can finish, a large, popping sound was heard below them, and a series of giant goldfishes flew in the air. Yukiatsu immediately grabs Anaru's hand and drags her away, with the girl protesting as they move.
Behind them, Jintan 'yelled' "Hey, where are you going with her?" and chases after them, with Menma following behind. The girls tried to follow but stumbled on their own feet. They are immediately dosed in fishy-smelling water coming from the fishes, with some of them splashing their tails on their stumbled backs.
Looking back, Anaru felt the need to help her friends, but Yukiatsu finally dropped the act.
"Anjo, I know this feels so sudden, but we need you for something important. Jintan and I, along with some friends, needed your help."
"Well, at least that explains both of your unusual acts for the day." Anaru said. "But why go this far?"
"No time to explain." Yukiatsu answered him. "We have to go to the Secret Base."
"Secret… Base?" Anaru blinked twice.
The group arrived in front of the Super Peace Busters Secret Base, with Jintan (and Menma) (in)visibly tired from the said retreat.
"Hold on… you… ran… so fast…" Jintan panted.
Poppo came out and greeted them outside, giving both Yukiatsu and Anaru a big hug.
"Welcome back everyone, especially you Anaru!"
The mere mention of her nickname flustered Anaru a lot.
"Hey, can we all just agree to never use that nickname? It's very indecent!"
"Why is it indecent, Anaru?" Menma asks them. Jintan and Yukiatsu just stared at her, forgetting several factors surrounding Menma's mental state.
"Nah, that perceived indecency is the product of adult corruption." Someone on the roof of the Secret Base spoke. Everyone gets out of the hug and Anaru looked above and saw the rest of Taskforce Blue Flower, including Whilhelmina. Numbuh 362 continued speaking to her.
"You are the second to the last piece needed to fully revive someone whom you long thought dead."
"Someone whom I long thought dead?" Anaru repeated the words. Numbuh 362 throws a rectangular case at her and continued.
"Surprised you still kept this by your side. We just borrowed it for some... improvements."
Anaru blinked twice on what the words meant. She opened the case and her childhood glasses, a pair of black, rectangular reticles, are there.
"But, these are my…"
"Well, I just wanted to surprise you, as we have planned it from the start." Yukiatsu said. "You just have to wear it and see for yourself and stare at Jintan."
Suddenly, curiosity seemed to fall on her. She just complied and stared at Jintan, and immediately, she was stunned at what she saw and heard.
"Good afternoon, Anaru, it's been a long time."
At that, Anaru teared, looked away, and closed her eyes. She tried to keep her emotions at bay as she replied back.
"This is a sick joke, right? Nice effects, by the way."
"Remember, Naruko Anjo, the news some time ago about what happened in Misaki City?" Whilhelmina enlightens her of the situation. "Menma has returned, but with an incomplete existence."
"What's next, telling me those gigantic goldfish-koi hybrids earlier on the bridge are Goldeens and Seakings from Pokemon and somehow I'm connected with the KND?"
At that, Jintan gave a sigh, and muttered "Yes, they are."
Menma immediately went in front of her and hugged her, and when she felt it, she already knew that Menma is real, and has finally returned it, even though her mind is still asking several questions.
Meanwhile, on Numbuh 362's side, her emotional meter (which she decided to bring this time around to cut the drama out as much as she can), began blaring up, and upon inspection from her pocket, its compass is swinging into multiple emotions of sadness, grief…
…and anger.
"What the… Anger, of all things? This is bad…" Numbuh 362 said. "Jintan, catch!"
Numbuh 362 throws a C.A.P.S.U.L.E. at Jintan and the teenage boy caught it and opened its contents, revealing the recommissioning module.
"I'm assigning you for her recommissioning. However, you and Anaru must be alone." Numbuh 362 shouted out.
"That didn't sound right at all in my ears." Poppo said, with Numbuh 362 throwing a mudball at him, causing him to give a yelp.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"Nothing." Numbuh 362 replied.
End of Page 11