Yosuke isn’t used to wandering into the school’s bicycle parking this quickly after school, but with Hanako and Seia being invited to new Eden, and Shinju and Koharu being left in charge of cleaning their classroom, heading home seems like a preferable option to working on the newspaper on his own. Unfortunately, most of the boys don’t appear to be in any hurry, and as he mutters an apology trying to navigate his way towards the exit with bike in hand, an arm suddenly finds its way around his shoulder.

Classmate: Hey! There’s the defector! How’s your new class treating you, huh, Nishioka?

It hasn’t really dawned on him that most of the people he shared a classroom with last year aren’t in his class anymore — including this guy, Kishida, a proud member of the “going-home-club” who was his faculty-appointed “buddy” for the first two weeks after he transferred in.

Yosuke: I, uh, haven’t really gotten the time to get to know any new people yet.

Kishida: Aw, that sucks, man. Sorry to hear it. (he pats Yosuke on the shoulder, as if consoling him) Hey, you wanna come to karaoke with us on Sunday? We’re doing a little class 1-D reunion.

Yosuke: S-Sure. I’m, eh… not a great singer, though.

Kishida: If you were, you wouldn’t be doing karaoke! (he grins, waving goodbye as he mounts his bike and rides off with his friends) See you on Sunday!

Yosuke: (he sheepishly raises his hand to wave back) Eh, yeah… See you then—(he stumbles as another student almost tackles him out of the way)

Senior: Watch it, four-eyes!

With a sigh, Yosuke passes the school gates and positions himself out of harm’s way when he notices a dark-skinned woman approaching. He frowns, looking to his left and his right before realizing that he is indeed the one she intends to talk to. She takes off her sunglasses and waves when she gets close. 

Melati: Good day. Melati Nyaua, from your former “place of work.” You’re Yosuke Nishioka-san? 

Yosuke: A-Ah, eh, you speak Japanese? (he clears his throat) Sorry, I, eh… (he bows his head slightly) … I have never had a part-time job before, so I think you’ve got the wrong person?

Melati: (more quietly) I mean your position you held with Satomi “Firestarter” Yasuda and Ophelia “Moonlover” St. Clair. Among others. 

Yosuke: (his eyes widen and he jolts back, instinctively reaching into his pocket) I-I have nothing to do with these people anymore!

Melati: (She doesn’t move) Yes, so I’ve heard. Your “supervisor” did note your absence. Actually, I came today to ask about your experience working with Kyubey. 

Yosuke: What the… You’re, like, Incubator internal affairs or something?

Melati: Yes, that’s about right. (She smiles) You wouldn’t want Kyubey to chase his tail “investigating” himself for a couple weeks just to come back and say everything was fine, now would you? 

Yosuke: (he speaks under his breath) Are you insane? You — Is this some kinda joke? I… I don’t care if — what the Incubators are doing — if they’re doing it according to regulations, or whatever, it’s evil no matter which way you spin it.

Melati: That’s a matter of opinion. But in the eyes of their public, that there are human collaborators like us, who are willing to participate, or take their reward in exchange for a contract, assures them that they’ve been as ethical as possible with this. Although it seems Kyubey never followed through on his promise to you? 

Yosuke: Look, if you’re… I don’t know how and where you learnt about any of this, but… You know that’s bullshit right? Of course he never followed through on—Look, you can just say… I know people who’re fighting against this, right? Yeah. he lies. He manipulates and abuses people. But that’s not a… bug, that’s the whole point!

Melati: (She takes out a small notepad, apparently writing down what Yosuke is saying) Thank you for confirming that. I can’t say I would work with Kyubey with the way he runs his operations and his recruits either. That was your experience working with him, too?

Yosuke: Don’t work with him! Don’t work with any of them!

Melati: (She taps her notepad against her other hand) This is your chance to get him punished for the wrong things he did. It doesn’t seem like there’s any love lost between the two of you. 

Yosuke: You’re gonna punish him? Y-You do know he’s immortal, right? He can do whatever he wants!

Melati: Not me personally, no. That’ll be up to what the higher-ups decide based on this investigation of his failed Balancing and what he’s been doing in Mitakihara. 

Yosuke: The higher-up? Why are you— What are you even doing, working for them? They’ll screw you over, just like how Kyubey screwed me, and everyone!

Melati: To keep the balance. I know Kyubey doesn’t usually pick his recruits for having actual belief in the cause. That’s why I’m not getting “screwed over.” 

Yosuke: Well, that “balance” is a lie! T-Think about it for a second! How could just a handful of teenagers on one measly planet affect the fate of the entire universe like that! It doesn’t make sense, right?

Melati: It’s not just about you, and that measly planet is all we have to live on. A wish, or a power applied the wrong way, could easily ruin that measly planet of ours. 

Yosuke: And is what you’re doing any better? Turning girls into Witches, who turn more girls into Witches? Just an endless cycle of misery? Do you honestly think whoever you work for isn’t secretly plotting to have you become a Witch as well? That’s all they want!

Melati: Ahaha. If that’s what she wants, she’s done a mighty poor job of it for such a long time. (With a serious expression again) It’s not important here for us to discuss the morality of a wish exchange. If you dislike the Incubators so much, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to tell me about any breaches of conduct Kyubey may have committed, no? 

Yosuke: I-I don’t want anything to do with this “balancing” nonsense anymore, no matter who or what you’re “balancing!”

Melati: Listen, Nishioka-san… (She slowly returns her notepad to her chest pocket) I’m here to investigate, not to perform any Erasures like the team you were on. Speaking from experience, like with Diana who you’ve met… the Balancers isn’t something you can just quit. Others will be coming for you. It won’t be me. But believe me, you don’t want Kyubey to be the one in charge of what happens with you. 

Yosuke: … Y-You can quit. I-If we work together, then we—

Koharu: That a threat?

Koharu emerges from the school gates, staring up at the taller woman with a scowl, though her voice is as monotonous as ever. In her wake, a short girl with an equally diminutive, pale white ponytail pulls out her phone and begins filming the incident.

Sara: Should I call the police, boss?

Koharu: It’s Koharu. And we’re not reporting on this.

Melati: No, I was just leaving. (She answers calmly with a sigh, putting her sunglasses back on) Nishioka-san, if you come up with anything important, feel free to contact me here. By e-mail, call, or text. (She holds out a business card) 

Sara: (she takes the business card) Much appreciated. My, eh… I don’t have a business card, but my name is Sara Mitsunaga, with the kanji for—

Koharu: (she snatches the card out of Sara’s hand) We’re not taking this. (after tearing the business card up, she grabs Yosuke’s hand and walks off)

Sara: (watching her clubmates leave, she turns back to the mysterious woman) Oh… Can I have another one? I liked the doodle of the fairy. Yes.

Melati: (With another sigh) Yes, see that Nishioka-san gets one, would you?