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第一章 监督者降临
Chapter 1: The Supervisor Descends
The supervisor’s first rule: lunch must be eaten in the center of the cafeteria.
“Corners are otaku territory.” Rika set her tray on the most conspicuous four-person table. “Normies have to be seen.”
The temperature of Yota’s ears had already exceeded the normal human range. Around them, people were whispering, “Why is Amami-san with a guy…?” He said quietly, “I can pay you to pretend you never saw that figure.”
“I don’t take money.” Rika bit the straw of her strawberry milk. “I take your seat at noon every day. And when you go to the game shop on weekends, take me with you—I need to confirm you haven’t relapsed.”
“That isn’t a relapse. That’s inventory management.”
“Normies don’t say inventory.” She tapped a chopstick against his forehead. “They say, ‘I’ve got something to do.’”
For the first time, Yota seriously suspected that being a normie was a hazardous occupation requiring a license.