Mash-up Anime World: Creating the SCP Foundation to Contain Anomalies

"Eh!? Nani? Nani? Nani? Taking advantage of someone? Dirty! Pervert! Hentai!"

Blushing furiously, Mai looked as shy as a little girl.

Thud!

The sound of a book hitting the bookshelf came from behind.

Mai looked up and saw Haruto catching a falling book.

Perhaps because he had leaned against the bookshelf earlier, his movement had caused the book to slip off the shelf.

After placing the book back, Haruto smiled and said,

"I thought Mai was a mature senpai who wouldn't get flustered by a younger kouhai's actions."

Hearing this, Mai pouted and rolled her eyes. But she quickly regained her composure.

"I am a mature senpai, but I just can't handle a reckless and mischievous kouhai like you."

Haruto shrugged.

Just as Haruto was about to ask about the strange phenomenon affecting Mai...

Gurgle...

A strange sound disrupted the atmosphere.

Mai clutched her stomach with an embarrassed, pitiful expression. Seeing this, Haruto stood up and reached out his hand toward her.

"Anyway, let's get something to eat first."

Mai reached out, letting Haruto pull her up.

The two walked out of the library together.

"Your hand," Mai reminded.

Their hands had remained linked since she took it, and she felt her hand being gently held.

This was way too shameless. Mai felt the need to protest.

"Since your situation is so strange, let's just keep holding hands to make sure I don't lose you," Haruto said, completely unfazed.

In the end, they didn't go to any fancy restaurant but instead stopped at a small, unassuming shop on the street corner.

They bought two cream-filled buns.

Mai took the bun and started eating quickly, taking small bites. Her eating mannerisms were elegant, but it was clear she was really hungry.

Haruto went to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of water.

Silently, he twisted open the bottle cap.

Sure enough, before long, Mai Sakurajima's movements came to a halt.

Hic...

She had eaten too quickly and was choking.

Haruto promptly handed her the water.

Mai took it, drank two large gulps, and finally felt better.

"Why did you let yourself get this hungry?"

Haruto looked at Mai, who had just put down the water and was nibbling on the bread again, and asked.

"Because I got no response," Mai mumbled. "Even when I tried to buy something, no one paid any attention to me at all!"

Haruto recalled the scene in front of the bakery earlier.

Mai had spoken to the clerk but was completely ignored, as if she were air. In the end, Haruto had to make the purchase for her.

"There were only limited ingredients at home, and lasting two days was already the limit. It's really troublesome."

Mai complained.

"Then why not just take it?"

Haruto casually suggested.

Mai shot him a glance and then let out a soft snort.

"That's a crime! Haruto, your way of thinking is dangerous, just like you!"

Clearly, Mai would rather go hungry than take advantage of her abnormal situation to break social norms.

"Yeah, yeah, Mai is a noble person. But this abnormality of yours is practically like something out of an eroge. If you don't exist, then doesn't that mean you could do anything...?"

Mai looked at Haruto warily.

Suspicious.jpg

"Just kidding," Haruto laughed it off.

"Although I don't really mind if a younger schoolmate has improper thoughts about me... But please don't say perverted things so openly right in front of me!"

As she spoke, Mai snatched the other cream-filled bread from Haruto's hand.

During their conversation, Haruto had led her back to his apartment.

Mai curiously looked around the standalone apartment, clearly intrigued.

"What's wrong?"

Haruto took out his keys and opened the door.

He glanced at the entrance.

He noticed that the shoes commonly worn by Annie, Nao, and Shiro were all missing.

Shiro was probably out visiting Gabriel.

Annie and Nao seemed to have gone to build up the Star Sea Academy's island.

"Sorry for intruding."

Mai said politely before stepping inside.

Looking around the apartment's interior, she commented,

"It's a little different from what I imagined."

Haruto raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Different? What did you imagine my home to be like, Mai?"

Mai pulled out her phone and searched for a picture of a mansion.

"Something like this—covering tens of thousands of square meters, with a private golf course, and butlers greeting you at the entrance. After all, you're the boss of 'Umbrella.' At the very least, I thought you'd live in a grand mansion or something."

Haruto was momentarily speechless.

With his wealth, that wouldn't be a problem at all.

But—

It wasn't necessary!

"I'm not some domineering CEO who wakes up in a bed hundreds of meters wide every day. A standalone apartment like this is more than enough to live in. Anything bigger would just be excessive."

Mai hummed noncommittally.

Sitting down at the dining table, Haruto finally got to the main topic.

"Mai, I actually know a little about your abnormality, it's called Puberty Syndrome."

Mai blinked in surprise.

"Puberty Syndrome? Isn't that just an urban legend?"

The abnormal phenomena caused by the Charlotte comet were widespread and affected many people. Moreover, there was a latent period, making it difficult to deal with all cases at once.

The Foundation was still working on gathering those affected, planning to send them all to Star Sea Academy. However, some information had already leaked online, causing widespread discussion.

Such as superpowers and the like.

In response, the Foundation simply spread some false information themselves, turning Puberty Syndrome into an urban legend.

They even invested money into producing anime and movies with similar themes to further blur the truth.

Then, they had 'Umbrella' artists stir up discussions online.

With that, no one took it seriously anymore, treating it as nothing more than entertainment.

As for actual patients who tried to prove the existence of Puberty Syndrome online...

Before they could provide any real evidence, the Foundation would pay them a visit.

"You think it's an urban legend because we want the public to believe that. In reality, Puberty Syndrome is a genuine abnormal phenomenon caused by the Charlotte comet."

"Mai, you are one of the affected individuals."

Haruto's words made Mai's eyes widen.

She recalled the things Haruto had said before.

They had sounded like something from a chuunibyou's delusions.

But now, connecting them to what he was saying... Mai suddenly realized that the boy in front of her—

Was shrouded in mystery. The word "special" wasn't enough to describe him. She didn't believe that the boss of 'Umbrella,' one of the world's top 100 entertainment companies, was just some lunatic.

"So... Haruto-kun, who exactly are you?"

Mai gazed into Haruto's eyes and asked.

Most people would probably feel terrified in this situation, but for some reason, Mai Sakurajima instinctively trusted the mysterious boy in front of her.

"I belong to the SCP Foundation. It's an organization that contains 'abnormalities' and protects human perception of reality. As I said before, we maintain the illusion that the world is normal in order to protect people. And when an abnormality appears in the world, we contain and control it."

Haruto spoke about the Foundation calmly.

The living room fell into silence.

After a long pause, Mai pointed at herself and asked,

"Then... are you going to capture me and lock me away in some dark, hidden place? Or..."

As she spoke, Mai felt confused.

Because everything about Haruto; his actions, his words, his smiles, didn't feel fake. If he had just been pretending to gain her trust, only to lock her up in the end...

Wouldn't that be too strange?

Under Mai's tense gaze, Haruto simply smiled.

"It's not that serious. You're not dangerous, Mai. Locking you up just doesn't seem necessary."

—That was a lie.

But since there was a better solution, Haruto indeed had no intention of capturing Mai.

"I have several options for you, Mai. You can choose one."

"Option one: the usual procedure for Puberty Syndrome patients—attending Star Sea Academy. It's an academy built by the Foundation on an island, exclusively for Puberty Syndrome patients to study and live. You'd stay there until you outgrow puberty and your abnormality naturally disappears, after which you could return to society."

"Option two: participate in the experimental expansion of Project Panacea (SCP-500) and attempt to cure the abnormality. Panacea (SCP-500) is a safe containment item that can cure any disease. Taking this medicine might cure Puberty Syndrome, but the results are uncertain since no trials have been conducted yet."

Haruto paused for a moment.

Mai, however, got straight to the point.

"And what about option three? There is one, right?"

The first two options were reasonable for most people.

Living at a different school for a few years or taking a harmless medicine—

Only the latter had some potential risks.

Most people would choose to stay at Star Sea Academy.

However, Mai Sakurajima didn't want that.

She couldn't let go of her acting career...

Even though her abnormality had emerged precisely because she wanted to escape the entertainment industry.

"If it's option three... Mai, have you considered changing agencies?"

Haruto said with a smirk.

Mai's eyes widened in surprise.

Changing agencies?

What did that have to do with her abnormality?

Haruto then slowly explained,

"Your abnormality is a form of disappearance, meaning you don't want to be seen and want to leave the entertainment industry, right?"

"Although we haven't known each other for long, the Mai I know is a girl who loves acting."

"So, the problem should lie with the agency... or rather, the agent, right?"