| SPOILER WARNING! This article may contain major plot details for the SPY x FAMILY manga. This article may contain unmarked spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
| “ | But don't you think it feels good every now and then? To not think for a while... to not worry for a while... to just relax and let go? | ” |
Note that the arc title and following sub-headings are fan-made and used to better organize the story.
The Term Break Arc is the seventeenth story arc in SPY x FAMILY.
Following the end of the first term for the Eden Academy students, Anya and her classmates take a well-deserved break to spend time with their friends and families and have fun.
Summary[]
The Forgers' Break and Belle[]
Eden Academy goes on an end-of-term break, making Anya lazy and displeasing Loid, who is quick to make her study. They see the news about Belle, a Nordic seal that suddenly appeared in the Eber River and has gained many sightseers. Anya also wishes to see the seal, but Loid adamantly refuses her demands. However, after Yor kindly tells him that such news shows how peaceful the world is, he softens up and decides to take the family to see Belle.
The Forgers watch Belle
The Forgers run into Becky, Martha, and Wiesel at the river and agree to watch Belle together. However, Becky loses patience when the seal does not appear and leaves. The Forgers continue to wait, spending their time on the grass until Anya and Bond run to the riverbank to play, where they find Belle nearby. The Forgers watch the seal, who is initially cautious of the family, but gradually relaxes around them. After wondering why Belle ended up on the river alone, Yor decides to point her the way to the ocean, and the seal surprises the Forgers with her intelligence by leaving them a thank-you crawfish before swimming away in the indicated direction. Belle's act makes Loid remember his past conversation with Sylvia about Project Apple, but he dismisses those thoughts as the Forgers return home.[2]
Damian's Vacation[]
The boys see a Geschocran
Meanwhile, Damian is spending his break studying in the National Library, much to the annoyance of his friends, Ewen and Emile. While he tries to read up more on History, he is informed that a former Eden student once earned a Stella Star while making a discovery on an archaeological trip. This story inspires Damian to go to a forest on an archaeological trip of his own, followed by his friends and their butlers. Without much progress, Damian wants to give up after running into various wildlife. However, he then stumbles into a giant plant known as a "Geschocran," also known as a "Witch's Crib." It is not Stella-worthy, but it is still a rare sight, so the three boys document the flower and head home. During the trip back, Damian's butler, Jeeves, teases Damian about his reluctance to go home as well as his dance with Anya during the end-of-term gala.[3]
Franky's Daily Life[]
Fiona commissions Franky
Franky starts his day like usual, working on his inventions and manning his tobacco stand, where he meets with both regular and special customers. After getting a commission from Fiona and looking after Anya and Bond for Loid, Franky spends his earnings at the racetrack. After losing his bets, Franky decides to resume his work by meeting with the racetrack teller, a fellow informant who tells Franky that an intel route he wants is unavailable after its informant was caught by the SSS. Franky receives two movie tickets as an apology, which he uses to miraculously score a movie date with an acquaintance, Priscilla.
Franky punches an SSS agent
Shortly before his date, Franky is informed that the teller got raided by the SSS. Although Franky seemingly wants nothing to do with it to focus on his date, he ends up canceling it to rescue the teller from the SSS's clutches. Using his wits, gadgets, and knowledge of the city, Franky and the teller escape from the organization while also freeing other captured informants from their information network. Having also scheduled a dinner with Priscilla after the movie, Franky hurries to meet with her, only to find out that she got herself a boyfriend with the movie tickets he gave her. While heartbroken at how things turned out, Franky recognizes the good things he did today. The teller surprises Franky to congratulate him on getting a girlfriend, only to realize that it failed. To make up for things, they watch a movie together, only to be disappointed when it turns out to be a romance drama.[4]
Girl's Movie Day[]
The girls' reactions to Kiss Distance
Becky and Martha drop by the Forger home to invite Anya to watch Kiss Distance, the newest romance drama movie starring Rachel, a Berlint in Love actress whom Becky is a fan of. Anya is unimpressed upon hearing about it, but is convinced to learn about romance for the sake of Operation Strix's Plan B. Becky also invites Yor to come, so the girls all head to the cinema. The movie features a long and passionate make-out session, which garners different reactions from each of them. After the movie, Yor and Martha have a slightly embarrassing discussion about kissing. On the other hand, Becky is disappointed by Anya's fascination with the action. Everyone but Becky shares the opinion that they would prefer to be the protector instead of the protected one in a relationship, much to her frustration.[5]
The Desmonds' Dinner[]
The estranged Desmonds' first dinner in a long time
Damian decides to return to his family estate after a long time. Although disappointed at not being able to talk with Demetrius, he finds joy in spending time with his pet dog Max. Damian is then informed by his butlers that Donovan has also returned home and will be holding a dinner with the entire family, including Melinda. The dinner is an awkward one for the estranged Desmonds, with Donovan mostly remaining silent and staring at the family, Melinda being nervous and barely touching her food, Demetrius simply keeping to himself while eating, and Damian failing to spark any conversation. After Demetrius and Melinda finish their meals and leave, Donovan suddenly brightens up as he says the night was worthwhile and instructs Damian to eat his food properly before leaving. While elated with his father's acknowledgment, Damian wonders what he meant by "worthwhile," which Jeeves interprets as enjoyment at having a meal with the family. However, Donovan's true intentions are unclear as he walks through the manor's halls with a low expression.[6]
The Winter Sheep Festival[]
The annual Winter Sheep Festival has arrived in Berlint. As it is hosted by the Lady Patriots Society, Loid takes Yor and Anya there in the hopes of running into Melinda and progressing Operation Strix's Plan C, much to Anya's dismay. Damian is also at the festival with his friends and their butlers. As the groups run into each other, Loid develops plans to get closer to Donovan through the butlers. As other families from Eden arrive, including Becky, George, and Bill's, Loid schemes to forge even more connections.
Anya and her friends play together at the festival
Damian challenges Anya to a game of ring toss after being insulted by their families being compared together, with the loser forced to leave the festival grounds. She accepts while the other kids join in. As the parents and guardians happily watch the kids play, Loid can only think of how Anya's school connections could benefit his mission. However, after hearing Jeeves's desire to see the children unburdened by their parents and find their own happiness, he realizes he has been neglecting Anya's and feels a pang of guilt. Damian wins the challenge but lets Anya stay after seeing her upset, and the group sticks together at Jeeves's suggestion. They eventually split up after Becky and Anya, accompanied by Martha and Yor, visit a hall of clairvoyants to get their fortunes read. Yor and Anya visit Lunaluna☽Selena, a rookie fortune teller whom they discover to be a disguised Melinda.[7]
Melinda becomes stricken with fear upon recalling Donovan's stare
Melinda explains that she is helping out at the event and that fortune-telling is her hobby. She begs Yor to keep it a secret to maintain her reputation, which Yor agrees to while supporting Melinda's hobby, deepening their bond. Not wanting to lose in her Friendship Scheme battle with Yor, Anya asks Melinda to read her fortune to help her befriend Damian. Surprised that Damian is also at the festival, Melinda asks Anya to keep her presence a secret from him. Despite failing to give Anya a proper reading, Melinda talks to her about Damian and reflects on her failings as his mother. However, when she thinks about confronting Donovan, the thought of him and his cold stare terrifies her, which Melinda cannot openly admit to. She leaves after Anya asks if the Desmonds get along, but not before a concerned Yor suggests that she visit Loid at Berlint General Hospital for a consultation.
After Anya and Yor return, Loid plans to leave to look for Melinda; Anya sways the group into sticking together, allowing him to try gaining more intel from the adults instead. At the end of the day, the group splits up and bids each other goodbye. Before parting ways with Damian's group, Anya and Yor tell him that he is loved by Melinda. Meanwhile, Loid says goodbye to the boys' butlers, which reminds him of being with his childhood friends. Before heading home, he asks Anya if she had fun at the festival and is satisfied when she happily confirms it.
Dr. Forger's New Patient[]
"In truth, my husband... is an alien."
Several days after the festival, Melinda follows Yor's suggestion and visits Berlint General Hospital, where Loid is tasked with treating her.[8] During their session, Loid senses Melinda's hesitation to open up and encourages her to, hiding his intentions to get any useful intel from her. After Melinda confesses to wanting to change herself and that she is seeking help as a mother and wife, she suddenly asks Loid if he believes in UFOs. Playing along, Loid says he does and asks if there is a connection between it and her family. Melinda confirms this, as she says that Donovan is an alien.[9]
Loid is astounded by this and believes that Donovan might be abusing Melinda, but she denies it. In response, Loid tells Melinda that whether she was abused or not, she is clearly enduring great suffering that has led her to seek help. Melinda explains that sometime between her sons' births, Donovan suddenly changed and became a recluse. She believes this change was due to an alien taking him away and assuming his identity. To support this conclusion, Melinda says that through their little interactions, she and Demetrius have observed that Donovan can read minds. Melinda also expresses her fear of Donovan and shares her struggle to protect her sons and herself from him. Loid offers a solution: have an honest discussion with Donovan, which could reveal the true nature behind his change. He also proposes the idea of inviting Donovan to one of their sessions and offers to be a neutral third party to assist Melinda.
Loid asks to see Melinda again for another session and gives her a notebook to write down the moments when she felt her mind was being read by Donovan. Melinda believes that Loid thinks she is ill, but he clarifies that he thinks she is suffering and offers his full support for her recovery, for the sake of both her and her family. After the session, Loid convenes with Fiona, who talked with Melinda's attendant, Nola, during the session. While Fiona is sure that Donovan will never come to the hospital, she believes that Melinda may not be lying about his changed nature. Later, when Loid returns home, Anya reads his mind and is shocked to learn that Donovan might have the same powers as her.[10]
Anya's Dream[]
Anya dreams about her mother
The day before the term break ends and Anya resumes school, she has a dream about her mother. After she wakes up from this dream, Loid prepares to leave to do some shopping and asks Anya what she wants for dinner, which Yor correctly guesses is potato gratin. While Yor and Anya joke about reading minds, it raises an eyebrow for Loid, whose mind is still on the possibility of the ability's existence. His heavy thoughts are quickly eased by Yor, who explains that she saw Anya wanting the meal after seeing it on TV.[11]
The New School Term[]
Anya witnesses a misunderstanding escalate in her new class
On the day of the new school term, Anya is still in vacation mode and lies about getting a cold to avoid going to school, but she decides to go when Loid and Yor take her claim seriously. Anya rejoins her Cecile Hall classmates at school, only to have the reunion cut short by new class assignments based on their term finals. While Anya worries about being separated from her friends, Becky points out their common classes that do not have tests, and Damian's low test score in Language Studies lead to him being in the same class as her. In Science class, Connie, a classmate from Cecile Hall, and Arnold Crowley join Anya, but she fails to remember either of them. Tertius, a prince from the small northern country of Septevia, gets into a conflict with a delinquent-looking boy named Freddy, who accidentally threw a booger on his face. He tries to remove it discreetly, but it makes Tertius believe he is getting bullied. The boys worry about potentially causing an international conflict, leaving Anya astonished as she reads both of their minds.
Anya befriends Tertius and Freddy
Hearing the expectations of her classmates to resolve this fight, Anya confidently steps up to the task, hoping to get more friends and connections for Operation Strix. She joins Freddy in removing the booger, only to realize she does not want to touch it. Tertius gives Anya a flower to try soothing her, only for her to use it as a tool to get rid of the snot. Anya charges at Tertius but freezes up in pain and drops the flower due to a crick in her neck from earlier in the morning. The flower hits Tertius and causes the booger to fall, which Freddy quickly catches and swaps for a leaf, claiming it was the gunk he was removing. Grateful to Anya for her help, Tertius and Freddy befriend and follow her around after class, much to Becky and Damian's shock upon seeing them.[12]
Feelings of Jealousy[]
Becky and Damian imagine Anya leaving them for her new friend
Damian becomes jealous after seeing Anya with her new friends. Becky amplifies his fear of losing Anya by teasing him with a scenario of her leaving the country to become Tertius's bride. That night, Damian dreams about fighting off his buzzing feelings of jealousy, which combine into a powerful monster that crushes him. Ewen and Emile notice his troubles and offer to lend an ear. Damian shares his feelings but lies that it is about another friend to avoid admitting that Anya is affecting him. Ewen and Emile agree to help but are shocked by the idea that Damian has another, more important friend than them. The next day, they struggle with their own jealous feelings and go to Mr. Green for advice. He instructs the boys to visualize their jealousy as a cartoon character, "Mr. Buzz," to separate their feelings from themselves, which allows them to acknowledge and even embrace it. Ewen and Emile contemplate the advice and manage to come to terms with their feelings. They later share this advice with Damian, who cheers them up as he clarifies that they are his true friends.
Damian makes peace with his Mr. Buzz
In his dream, Damian once again confronts his "Mr. Buzz" with a powerful "paradise fist" (which he conjured as misheard advice from his friends). He uses the fist to shake the monster's hand and make peace with it, allowing him a good night's rest. The next day, Damian walks to class with a crafted version of his "paradise fist." Becky finds it uncool and tells him to get rid of it, though Anya is immediately impressed upon seeing it. Henry is confused when he sees Damian wearing the craft and later discusses the odd behavior of children with Mr. Green, who shares how Ewen and Emile came to him for advice. This makes Henry jealous as the boys overlooked him, their own housemaster.[13]
Story Impact[]
- Fiona Frost recovers from her injuries from the Mole Hunt Arc and returns to work.
- Damian, for the first time since entering Eden Academy, returns to his home.
- Max, Becky's mother, and Wesley Watkins make their first physical appearance.
- Loid has his first meeting with Melinda.
- During their meeting, Melinda reveals the possibility of Donovan being an alien and a telepath.
- Anya's biological mother appears for the first time, albeit in Anya's dream.
- Due to Anya's poor grades in her subjects during the term finals (with the exception of Classical Language), she gets separated from her friends and assigned to different classes for the new school term.
Characters Introduced[]
Trivia[]
- Becky's father's name as Byron is revealed for the first time.
- The names of two of Anya's classmates: Meg and Connie, are revealed for the first time.
References[]
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 103 (p. 9).
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 103.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 104.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 105.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Short Mission 14.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 106.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 107.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 108.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 109.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 110.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 111.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 112.
- ↑ SPY x FAMILY Manga: Chapter 113.