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

Haruto took note of the boy for a moment, then he simply turned and left. Well, he wasn't the type to hold petty grudges.

It was just a single glare, after all.

Still… if he remembered later, he might have Miyako look into this guy's background and have him blacklisted.

Haruto didn't consider himself a devil.

Leaving the backstage and exiting the venue, Haruto soon spotted Megumi waiting for him outside.

"Did you like it?"

Haruto asked with a smile.

Megumi nodded seriously.

"It was amazing. Even though I'm not the passionate type, I still loved it."

"Is that so? Then next time, I'll sing something sweeter for you." Haruto chuckled.

As a transmigrator, aside from plagiarizing literature, he hadn't really made use of his advantages yet.

Now, borrowing a few songs to flirt with girls didn't seem like much of a problem.

"Okay!" Megumi replied happily.

Before, no one had ever sung just for her as no one had even really noticed her. To Megumi, Haruto was truly someone special.

"Let's go, we still have more of the school festival to explore."

Haruto smiled and reached out his hand.

This time, however, Megumi shook her head.

"According to the schedule, a certain light novel protagonist should be off to meet another girl now, right?"

Megumi said mischievously.

Haruto twitched slightly.

She… wasn't wrong.

His date with Hoshino Ai was scheduled right after her performance, during the time she'd sneak away in disguise.

Seeing Haruto's awkward expression, Megumi smirked and waved her hand.

"It's fine. Rather than being abandoned, it's better to say it myself. Besides, I've already had a great time today."

Haruto still felt a little guilty.

Megumi was just… too kind.

However, before he could say anything—

Megumi suddenly leaned in.

Standing on her tiptoes, she closed the height gap between them.

Her soft, warm lips pressed against his.

And just like that, Haruto couldn't say anything at all.

He gently wrapped his arms around Megumi's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace, deepening the kiss.

After a long moment, they finally parted.

"I'm going now."

Lowering her head, Megumi hurried away.

Even the ever-calm Saint Megumi was shy after making such a bold move.

Watching her retreating figure, Haruto couldn't help but smile.

Truly, Megumi was the best.

"What are you thinking about, Haruto?"

A mischievous voice sounded beside him.

Haruto turned his head to see Hoshino Ai, dressed casually with a baseball cap pulled low over her head, sneaking out from backstage.

"That disguise is way too obvious. There are tons of your fans at the festival."

Haruto commented dryly.

Hoshino Ai tilted her head.

"Eh? Really? But in manga and anime, just wearing a cap is enough to fool everyone, right?"

Haruto sighed.

"Don't base your understanding of reality on manga logic."

Hoshino Ai stuck out her tongue playfully.

"But I don't have any other disguise with me…"

Haruto thought for a moment before taking off his scarf and wrapping it around Hoshino Ai's neck.

He pulled it up a little higher, covering the lower half of her face.

With the cap and the scarf combined… it should work. Probably.

Feeling the warmth lingering on the scarf, Hoshino Ai's hidden lips curled into a bright smile.

"By the way, Haruto, your song was super, super amazing! It felt like it pierced straight through my heart!"

Hoshino Ai pressed her hands to her chest, pretending to be struck.

"I could never sing like that. My performances are just lies, fake emotions to deceive outsiders."

Haruto shook his head.

"When you're on stage, Ai, you shine brighter than anyone else. It's not about lies. You truly deserve to be loved by your fans."

Hoshino Ai's eyes sparkled with an indescribable light.

Every time Haruto encouraged her, she felt like the emptiness inside her was being filled. The atmosphere between them was perfect.

However, a voice suddenly interrupted their moment.

"Hoshino Ai-san."

Immediately, Hoshino Ai tensed and hid behind Haruto. It was something Haruto had taught her, to always be wary of strangers approaching her.

Being an idol was a dangerous job.

Haruto turned toward the source of the voice and frowned.

It was that same boy with the cold, venomous gaze.

Hoshino Ai recognized him too, though she forced a polite smile. But to someone as familiar with her as Haruto, it was obvious—

Her eyes were filled with disgust.

"Someone you know?"

Haruto asked.

Hoshino Ai shook her head.

"Not really. We've worked together twice. His name is Kamiki Hikaru, he's a really popular celebrity."

Hikaru gave a sheepish smile.

"Hoshino Ai-san, that's so cold. We've worked together twice already. Shouldn't we at least be friends?"

Hoshino Ai shook her head again.

"We don't have that kind of relationship."

Before, she would have smiled and played along, maintaining good relations with everyone. But ever since Haruto had taken her in, he had instilled a new belief in her.

She was important.

She was worthy of love.

She didn't need to cater to others just to survive.

On stage, she still played her role.

But in private, she no longer let just anyone into her life.

As long as she had Haruto, that was enough.

Haruto wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't abandon her.

She didn't know if he loved her.

But she believed that he would always be by her side.

Being so bluntly rejected, Hikaru's eyes darkened with a flash of malice.

"That's quite harsh. Actually, I came to talk to you about 'Wanting to Love You.'"

(A fictional hit romance drama.)

Haruto scoffed.

This guy…

He was playing quite the deep game.

That level of acting and deception even surpassed Hoshino Ai.

If it weren't for Haruto's keen observation skills, no one would have noticed the deep malice hidden within this person. Moreover, after failing to strike up a conversation, he resorted to using resources to attract the female idol.

This kind of tactic was not something a mere teenager should be capable of.

"You can discuss it with Aunt Miyako," Hoshino Ai refused once again.

Hikaru smiled, a smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"I see. That drama is quite a rare opportunity. By the way, Hoshino Ai, is this your boyfriend?"

He shifted his target to Haruto, subtly implying that he had access to major hit scripts while Haruto, just an unknown nobody, had nothing to offer.

In fact, if Haruto weren't so overwhelmingly handsome and hadn't just showcased his immense talent with that song, Hikaru would have surely found a way to put him down through comparisons in appearance and ability.

Haruto just found it amusing.

Competing over resources?

Do you even know who I am and what status I hold?

"Regarding the script, 'Umbrella' will secure it for Hoshino Ai. As for me, I'm the one sponsoring Hoshino Ai."

Haruto stated calmly.

Hiding behind Haruto, about to respond, Hoshino Ai's small mouth formed an "O" shape.

Meanwhile, Hikaru momentarily froze.

"You're the owner of 'Umbrella'?"

He asked, somewhat skeptical.

He truly found 'Umbrella' to be a headache.

That company was full of madmen, an anomaly in the idol industry. It threw investments around as if money was meaningless.

The kind of resources that normally required female idols to network and socialize for? 'Umbrella' simply paid for them outright.

Or even more absurdly, they directly used the immense power backing them.

It was completely irrational.

What company wasn't in it for profit? 'Umbrella' invested like crazy, yet there was no way they were making money.

If not for this outlier of a company, he would have long since ensnared Hoshino Ai.

"Yes, I'm a primary investor in 'Umbrella.' I have full authority over the company. Any problem with that?"

Haruto sneered.

Hikaru's eyes turned cold as he stared at Haruto.

Before he could speak—

Haruto suddenly raised his hand and slapped Hikaru across the face.

Blood splattered.

Hikaru staggered from the impact, looking at Haruto in utter disbelief.

He was Hikaru, a top-tier celebrity. How dare someone lay a hand on him? Was he not afraid that the internet would tear him apart within minutes?

Yet, when he met Haruto's indifferent gaze—

For the first time in his life, Kamiki Hikaru felt fear.

"Get lost. Don't make me repeat myself."

Haruto said coldly.

Under the weight of fear, Hikaru could only flee in disgrace.

After he was gone, Hoshino Ai finally stepped out from behind Haruto, exaggeratedly patting her chest.

This girl… had quite the mature development for her age. So when she did this action, it was especially eye-catching.

"Wow, Haruto, that was so dominant! Is this what they call a 'tyrannical CEO'?"

Hoshino Ai giggled.

Haruto ruffled her hair before his expression turned serious.

"Don't interact with that person anymore."

Hoshino Ai's eyes sparkled.

"Could it be… Haruto, are you jealous?"

Haruto looked in the direction Hikaru had fled, speaking in a low voice,

"Do you remember what I told you? That this world contains countless anomalies?"

Hoshino Ai froze for a moment but then nodded.

"That guy is an anomaly. And the kind that's anti-human."

Haruto took out his phone and made a call to the Foundation.

"Deploy Mobile Task Force, Wings of Freedom. Have them monitor an entertainer named Kamiki Hikaru and conduct a full investigation into his background. I want to know which hospital he was born in, the exact time his mother gave birth, and all surveillance footage from his childhood."

"If he exhibits any abnormal behavior or poses a threat to others, execute him on the spot."

Listening to Haruto issue these orders one after another, Hoshino Ai was stunned.

After he hung up, she couldn't help but ask curiously:

"That guy is an anomaly?"

Haruto nodded.

"He's a reincarnator. He's been reborn many times. The worst part is, he's a repulsive piece of trash."

That slap just now wasn't just about venting anger.

This guy's level of maturity and scheming was completely out of place for his supposed age.

Haruto did it to obtain his blood and read his memories.