Chapter 66

Mission 66 (: 66) is the sixty-sixth chapter of the SPY x FAMILY manga, written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. It was released on August 8, 2022.

Summary
Loid is surprised to learn that Yor encountered Melinda Desmond, wife of Donovan Desmond, at the department store. He then tells Yor about how famous Melinda really is, and Yor says that despite the strange air about Melinda, she seemed nice.

After Melinda formally introduces herself to Yor, who, after realizing who Melinda is, immediately apologizes for Anya’s actions during the orientation. Melinda says it is fine, but when Yor insists, she repeats herself in a more serious tone. The mothers explain that the Desmond family has a 'hands-off' parenting philosophy. They also say Yor is lucky to be invited by Melinda to a get-together, as most of them were friends with her before she became First Lady. Melinda explains that she thought they could become friends without preconceptions about her political position. She hopes Yor will, if possible, come over again and become friends. Melinda wraps up the conversation and gives Yor a ride home. In the car, she mentions Damian, having overhead that he is enjoying Eden Academy and suggests that he may have been getting along with Anya lately. Yor agrees, saying that Anya always brings him up and seems happy when she does. Melinda mutters that she hopes they can get along while making a strange face, unsettling Yor.

Yor finishes her story, and Twilight thinks about how Melinda, like Donovan, has her circle small and exclusive. However, because she has not involved herself in politics since the National Unity Party lost power, WISE has not found much about her that was worth reporting. Also, because Melinda seems somewhat estranged from her husband and sons, she has been deemed a high-risk, low-reward target in terms of information value. Twilight suspects that the encounter may have been arranged, but after Anya explains why Yor went out, he changes stances and wonders if it may have been a setup from Melinda’s side. While he thinks of reasons why, his thoughts are interrupted by Yor. Yor asks if it would be okay to attend another one of their get-togethers, saying she could better understand what is normal by learning parenting from them.

Twilight thinks of what to do, considering the risks of denying her request or blindly agreeing without understanding who has the upper hand. Ultimately, he decides to let Yor join Melinda’s friend group, saying it can help with her cover and that having other friends to talk with is something that she deserves. Yor is convinced and decides to join the Lady Patriots Society. Twilight thinks that if Melinda has no ulterior motive, it could help lower the risk of Yor being reported, and Yor might even bring back useful pieces of gossip from their outings. And if Melinda does have a motive, he will be watching and be ready to protect Yor. More importantly, a friendship between the two could be the key to learning more about the Desmond family and developing a new approach. With this, Twilight conceives Plan C: The Mommy-Friends Scheme. Depending on Melinda’s standing within the Desmond family, this plan could provide an even more direct route to Donovan than Plan B. Reading his mind, Anya is shocked and sees this as a battle of friendship schemes. Determined not to lose, Anya runs off to study, and Loid notices this new motivation. In her room, Anya tries thinking of ways to become better friends with Damian but ends up falling asleep.

Yor sits on her bed and contemplates the notion of having friends. She suddenly remembers that if Melinda is an important person, she should inform the Shopkeeper of her decision. The next day, Yor meets with Shopkeeper, who says he has no problem with it. Yor is relieved, but Shopkeeper tells her to at least watch herself to prevent Loid from thinking she has one-sided political beliefs. Yor says it should not be a problem, bringing up Loid's meeting with Donovan and his interest in the National Unity Party, which piques Shopkeeper’s attention.

Heading to Eden Academy, a tired Anya reflects on not having made any plans to befriend Damian. After Becky greets Anya, she asks for a way to get closer to Damian, which excites Becky. She tells Anya about a technique in which a girl holds bread in her mouth and bumps into a boy while turning a corner, it will link their fates forever. Becky then buys a yakisoba burger and stuffs it into Anya's mouth. As Damian and his friends approach, Anya moves in for a 'Friendship Crash.' To her surprise, Damian dodges her attack, knowing she might do something like this. While Anya kneels on the floor with the food in her mouth, Damian and his friends make fun of her appearance. Anya shouts at them but accidentally spits the burger onto Damian's head, both buns placed in a similar manner to Anya's hair buns. Emile and Ewen tease him, and Anya apologizes for wasting the food. Aggravated, Damian yells at her, shocking Anya. His friends warn him not to hit her, while Becky tells Anya they need to run.

Trivia

 * On the bottom panel of page 14, Yor is wearing her outfit from Camilla's party in Chapter 2.