The classroom was unusually still.
The poster from the factory lay spread across the desk again.
Pinned corners, smudged ink, erased names—still no new answers.
Megumi stood over it.
"…We already checked this twice."
Yuji leaned in anyway.
"…It still feels like it should mean something."
Nobara crossed her arms.
"…Yeah, like it's mocking us."
Hakari tilted his head.
"…Or it's just annoying."
Kirara stayed quiet, watching the edges of the paper.
"…It's been handled too carefully for something abandoned."
Takeru didn't speak at first.
He was sitting at his desk nearby, staring at the poster like it was a puzzle he didn't feel like respecting.
Then—
he stood up.
"…One second."
Yuji blinked.
"…What are you doing?"
Takeru walked over.
Stopped beside the desk.
Looked down at his arm.
Megumi narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Don't—"
Too late.
Takeru grabbed his own arm.
Hard.
Nobara immediately reacted.
"…HEY—?!"
There was a sharp, ugly pull.
A moment of resistance.
Then—
CRACK.
Yuji froze.
"…NO—"
Takeru didn't even flinch.
He just exhaled once.
"…Misalignment corrected."
Then—
he shoved it back into place just as firmly.
THUNK.
Silence.
Everyone stared.
Hakari slowly pointed.
"…Did he just… fix his own dislocated arm like it was a drawer?"
Nobara looked horrified.
"…YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!"
Yuji ran over immediately.
"…ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Takeru rotated his shoulder once.
A small pause.
"…Function restored."
Megumi pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…That's not how recovery works."
Takeru glanced at him.
"…It is now."
Kirara muttered quietly.
"…That's not reassuring."
Hakari, somehow impressed:
"…Respect the efficiency."
Nobara pointed at him.
"…YOU ARE NOT A MACHINE!"
Takeru looked back at the poster.
Still thinking.
Still focused.
"…The structure is still incomplete."
Megumi looked at the paper again.
"…We know."
Yuji frowned.
"…So what's missing?"
Takeru didn't answer immediately.
Just stared at the erased names.
The smudged connections.
The gaps that looked intentional.
"…Information."
Silence.
Nobara exhaled.
"…That's the most obvious answer you've ever given."
Hakari leaned back.
"…Still doesn't tell us where to get it."
Takeru turned slightly.
Looking toward the window.
"…Then we find the source."
Megumi's expression tightened.
"…That factory wasn't the source."
Takeru nodded once.
"…Then it was a marker."
Yuji blinked.
"…A marker for what?"
No one answered right away.
Because the answer didn't feel good.
Kirara finally spoke.
"…Something watching the system."
Silence again.
Takeru flexed his repaired arm once.
Then sat back down like nothing happened.
"…Next step confirmed."
Nobara groaned.
"…I hate how calm you are about this."
Hakari smirked.
"…That's just his thing."
Megumi looked back at the poster.
"…Then we're already being observed."
Yuji exhaled.
"…Great."
Takeru, quietly:
"…Good."
Everyone turned.
"…Good?" Nobara repeated.
Takeru nodded.
"…Now we can respond."
And for the first time—
no one laughed at that.