Chapter 88

Mission 88 (: 88) is the eighty-eighth chapter of the SPY x FAMILY manga, written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. It was released on October 16, 2023.

Summary
Before heading to school, Damian prepares a bag of cakes to finally end things and repay his debt to Anya for helping him from getting a Tonitrus, and during the hijacking crisis. Damian has brought the finest, rare, and elite tea cakes, which are intended for royalty. Damian hopes that once he gives these to Anya, he will no longer have to bother with her and make her understand the gaps in their social standing. However, because of his pride as a Desmond (and embarrassment), Damian wants to find a way to give the cakes to Anya in private.

At Eden Academy, Damian tries to give them to Anya at the entrance but is interrupted by his friends and Becky's appearances. Unable to give Anya the cakes in front of so many people, Damian goes on guard as his friends ask him what he is holding. Anya hears Damian's thoughts and learns that he has cakes for her. Anya happily accepts, but Damian denies the possibility of giving her anything before running away to class, confusing Anya and Becky.

In class, Damian is unable to think of ways to give the cakes to Anya without anyone seeing him. Anya reads his mind and believes that the cakes must be very important for Operation Strix, though she is also hungry for them. Anya whispers to Becky that she needs help getting alone time with Damian, which excites her best friend. Becky suggests inviting Damian to the courtyard and tells her to write him a note to invite him there on their next break. Anya writes the note and passes it down to Damian with the help of her classmates, but it is completely ineligible. Becky makes Anya write it again, and when she hands over the new note to Damian, he reads an invitation written in a horrid fashion. Ewen and Emile believe this is a challenge to a duel, but seeing how this is his chance, Damian agrees to meet with her.

Damian orders Ewen and Emile to stay behind while he goes to meet Anya. However, the two decide to stand by and avenge Damian if he falls in the duel. Similarly, Anya tells Becky that she cannot come with her. Becky agrees, but her thoughts reveal that she will be watching them anyway. Damian and Anya meet up but are annoyed that the other brought their friends and begin bickering. They decide to go somewhere else to be alone and run off, but their friends insist on chasing after them. Damian is frustrated and decides to stop trying to give her the cakes, but Anya grabs his arm, saying that she does not want him to go (without giving her the cakes), which makes Damian's heart flutter.

Becky sees this as a romantic gesture while Ewen and Emile see them fighting, but they run away to hide after hearing someone approaching. Damian notices their absence and decides that this is the best time to give her the cakes. As he starts to explain himself to Anya, Henry Henderson stands in between them, asking what they are doing since the warning bell has already rung. Becky, Ewen, and Emile then run to class after he notices them. Henry takes the cakes and decides to confiscate them as they are against the school rules, but Damian says he needs them. Henry punishes them to join him at his office after class.

After Anya and Damian complete their written apologies at Henry's office, he then invites them to tea and brings out the cakes. While the three enjoy tea and cakes, Henry and Damian talk about the cakes, with Damian saying that he had his household staff bring them over. Damian then thinks back to his phone call with Jeeves, who reveals that Melinda went through a lot of trouble to get them, in the hopes that her son and Anya might get closer, shocking Damian. Damian questions how his mother knew, and while Jeeves does not know, he does say that Melinda seemed pleased about it.

After having her cakes, Anya says they can now be friends, which confuses Damian, and he asks why Anya called him out in the first place and why she wanted him to come alone if it was not for a fight. Damian reimagines the scene of Anya clinging to him while saying that she wants to be friends, which flusters him and creeps out Anya, who sees this mental image. Anya decides to not be friends anymore, but Damian says she cannot take it back, and as they argue, Henry gets annoyed and orders them to be quiet and go home.

Trivia

 * At the end of this chapter, Damian incorrectly deduces that Anya called him out and clung to him because she likes him. The thought of this flusters him and horrifies Anya, who was reading his mind.
 * This marks the first time that Anya has heard Damian's real feelings for her. In previous chapters, she either did not hear his thoughts, or Damian cut off/denied his own thoughts in his mind.
 * In the flashback, Melinda's hair bangs are longer than in her previous appearances.