As the mug of cocoa lands on the table, Yor blinks brightly. Anya takes the mug and cheerily says,
“Next Friday, I get to go camping!”
The little girl whips out the school’s flyer as she speaks.
“Hehe, you look very excited, don’t you?”
“This is the first time Anya gets to go on an overnight trip for school!”
“Oh?”
Initially Yor was happy, but after hearing that Anya would be staying past the school time, she begins to worry.
“You’ll be staying out until the next day?”
“Oui.”
Yor’s surprised expression fades, as she recedes into her thoughts, allowing Anya to peer inside…
Anya Forger is “Test Subject 007” from a secret organization. She has the ability to read minds of those nearby.
“Anya’s only 6 years old. This is the first time she’ll be far from home. Having to camp on a mountain might be difficult… It might be best if I teach her how to catch and execute prey, and also, how to scare away bears…”
As Yor was thinking, a visual depiction also followed in Anya’s mind. First, kill, then butcher deers with a sharp knife close at hand. Anya was scared imagining the specifics of the “tomato festival” (bloodbath), and felt a chill run over her.
Mama’s way of camping seems a little off.
Anya’s “Mama” is Yor Forger, a beautiful, gentle lady who works at the Town Hall in Berlint, the capital of Ostania. In reality, she is an assassin by the name of “Thorn Princess.” Hunting creatures for Yor is a breeze, but for her child…
“Let’s see. You’ll have to prepare a very sharp knife, and a rope long and thick enough to capture creatures… Once you catch them, you’ll have to learn how to tie them up. As for setting traps…”
Yor mutters to herself.
“I see. It’s called a nature class, but it’s really just a hunting class. In that case…”
Sitting to the left of Anya and enjoying his morning coffee, Papa Loid Forger gently asks:
“Excuse me, Yor, could I see the pamphlet for a moment?”
“Ah, of course.”
Loid - a psychiatrist at a Berlint hospital, is a calm and well-spoken man who can always put others at ease. In reality, he is a spy for the West, currently working in the East during the cold war period between the two countries, code name “Twilight.”
Loid doesn’t know his wife is an assassin, and Yor also doesn’t know her husband is a spy. The only one who knows their real identities is little Anya, as she has a superpower. However, the “husband and wife” have no clue she can read others’ minds.
And so, they both stepped into a fake marriage agreement. It has to be said, Anya has no real ties with them, either. Loid had lied to Yor that Anya was his child, and that his wife had died.
As you can see, while the Forger family may seem normal on the outside, they’re more complicated - they each hide a secret from each other for the sake of “world peace.”
“The trip is two days and one night. The kids will be sleeping in tents. But it looks like the tents will have beds, tables, sofas, carpets, lighting, toilets, and even bathrooms…”
Loid speaks as he calmly flips through the pamphlet.
“Oh my, camping nowadays has all these conveniences?”
“Eden Academy never fails to innovate compared to other schools.”
Loid smiles looking at Yor, whose eyes are widened in surprise by this “camping” style.
Eden Academy, which Anya is enrolled in, is one of the most prestigious schools in the East. Each student is from a rich family, of which many are important political figures. The forest the children are preparing to camp in is also owned by the school, to protect students from kidnapping attempts. Furthermore, each class has different study times; teachers are devoted to small class sizes; and finally, the nighttime security is impeccable.
“The weather looks favorable, and it’ll be a good opportunity for her. These days, educating children goes beyond just classroom lectures, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true. Then, my heart is at ease.”
After hearing Loid explain in detail, Yor let out a sigh of relief. She enters the kitchen with a smile:
“I’ll grab some sweets for us to eat!”
“Anyway…”
Loid’s eyes were focused on reading the rest of the pamphlet, and then he turned to Anya.
“… The nature class will have a few group activities like cooking and stargazing, so you should do your best to listen to the teacher, and get along with your friends, okay?”
“Roger!”
Anya replied determinedly. Loid seemed pleased with her demeanor.
“Very good! By camping in the wilderness together, it’ll help you and your friends move beyond any quarrels and form bonds with each other.”
“Oui.”
“Remember, you have to try your best to get along with your friends, all right?”
Papa always says that.
Behind the smile and insistence of her father were the calculated plans of a spy, which Anya easily saw through.
Loid was tasked with a mission from the West’s intelligence service (WISE), currently called Operation Strix. The point was to monitor the activities of Desmond, one dangerous figure suspected to disrupt the peace between the two countries.
To reach Desmond, who is very cautious and hardly appears in public, Loid has to be able to attend an event at Eden, where the man’s sons are studying. To do that, he’ll appear as a parent of a bright student. Plan A that Loid pprepared was to adopt Anya, enroll her in Eden, and encourage her to become an “Imperial Scholar.” However, Anya’s scores suck, so it’s hard to persevere with this plan. Due to that, Loid devised a Plan B: let Anya and Desmond’s second son, Damian, become close friends, and from there the families will gradually meet. Unfortunately, from the very first day of school, Anya began fighting with Damian. And thus, Plan B is also riddled with problems.
“If Anya can get along with Damian even in the slightest…”
Paired with that thought, Loid imagines a scene where Anya and Damien become close, the two of them smiling brightly at each other with strong camaraderie.
“Papa, just leave it to me.”
“Hm?”
“Anya will try her best.”
“Ah, wonderful. Do your best, okay?”
The peace between the East and West depends on you.
“Oui.”
Carrying the weight of Loid’s tasks and his belief in the “Best Friends” mission on her shoulders, Anya merrily sipped her beloved cocoa and cookies that Yor brought out.
The details of Anya’s “Best Friends” mission is as follows:
-> Start talking with Sy-on boy.
-> “Anya, you are the coolest person ever. Be my friend.”
-> Come visit his house and play together.
-> Papa goes with Anya.
-> Papa meets the final boss.
-> “Welcome to my family, Forger-san.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Desmond-san.”
-> World peace.
“I’m genius!” - Anya while drinking cocoa, smiles proudly as she thinks of her plan.
Meanwhile, Bond, a dog adopted by the Forgers, sneaks closer to get a whiff of Anya’s cocoa.
*sniff sniff*
“No, Bond, you can’t have cocoa. It’s very toxic for dogs.”
Loid scolds his dog.
“I’ll get some milk for you.”
Loid was about to stand up from his chair, but Yor quickly got up.
“Ah, Loid, allow me…”
“No, allow me, Yor - just sit down and relax.”
“Ah no, Loid, let me get it. You’ve been incredibly busy.”
(Playing the roles of) a husband and wife who care deeply about each other, they both head toward the kitchen and vie for the privilege of grabbing the milk.
Papa, Mama, and even Bond…
Anya, who escaped from the organization, entered an orphanage, and was adopted and returned many times, ultimately was able to find a special place in her life.
If there is world peace, Loid, Yor, and Bond - they can all live a quiet and peaceful life together.
I really want to stay with them forever and ever.
While her parents are in the kitchen to get a drink for Bond, Anya places her tiny hand on her chest, quietly with resolve.
We’re diving headfirst into the spirit of Halloween and all things spooky in this week’s spotlight with the genre-pushing girl group, Dreamcatcher. We caught up with the group ahead of their HALLOWEEN MIDNIGHT CIRCUS online concert to chat about the upcoming show, their favorite seasonal treats, and getting to spend the holiday with InSomnia. Check out our full interview below!
Tell us about HALLOWEEN MIDNIGHT CIRCUS and what it was like preparing for your latest online concert.
JI U: This time, it’s going to be different from what we’ve done before with the addition of a virtual world. I think it’ll be fascinating seeing the entire stage in a new light. Also, I think it’ll be a fun concert to watch, considering that we will dress up differently for Halloween.
SU A: I’m so excited because it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve done a Halloween concert. I’m really looking forward to what kind of fun concert it will be this time, and I can’t wait to show InSomnia.
SIYEON: We are preparing hard every day to show you a better performance every time. It’s not face-to-face, but I’m looking forward to a similar hot reaction from fans.
HANDONG: We always prepare a lot to show a different side of us at Halloween concerts. I’m excited to see what kind of fun it will be this time.
YOOHYEON: Wow, I really like Halloween, but it’s not my favorite day. Even so, I’m so happy to be able to have a concert the day before when we can feel the (Halloween) atmosphere. I can’t wait to do it!
DAMI: I’m very excited and have high expectations for the new challenges we’re taking on.
GAHYEON: I’m so happy to show you new fresh performances, and I’m looking forward to the fans’ responses.
Describe your dream Halloween costume and why it resonates with you.
JI U: I’ve dressed up as vampire Alice before, and I think it looked really good on me. It has a pure but decadent feeling…
SU A: My dream is to become a completely new person who doesn’t have any traces of my usual self. If I’ve done a lot of pretty things as myself, I think I’d be endlessly curious about the kinds of characters that could appear from me.
SIYEON: I really want to try dressing up as Hela, the villain from Thor: Ragnarok, later. It’s an attractive character that I really like, and I think it would go well with our image on stage.
HANDONG: Unfortunately, I couldn’t perform with choreography last year. This time I’ve picked a costume that fits well with the mood of the song.
YOOHYEON: My dream Halloween costume is actually Peter Pan…Haha, it’s a character that I really really like, and I’ve always wanted to do it even before Halloween. The outfit is what it is, and it’s really hard to get! I hope I get to show it to you one day!
DAMI: I want to try the Black Widow costume someday. It was suggested to me, and I think a tight leather bodysuit would look good on me.
GAHYEON: Vampire? I think red lipstick looks good on me.
