Glint

* Anime
* Light Novel
* Manga

**Glint** (氷刃 *Hyojin*), alias **Monika**, is one of the main protagonists introduced in *Spy Classroom* series.

## Appearance

Monika has an androgynous appearance with messily tied silver-cerulean hair that covers her right eye, the style itself is hard to label. She has an average looking face and build and good looks, though not beautiful or distinctive enough to catch attention. Her very presence is aloof.

## Personality

According to Lily, Monika is the kind of person who’s difficult to read up on. She’s sort of a tomboy and gives off an aloof impression. While Monika is the most ‘skilled’ of the Lamplight Students, her skills come paired with an arrogant streak.

Unlike the other members of Lamplight, Monika does not see herself as a washout and claims that she flunked out of her spy academy on purpose.Monika washed out of her academy because of her anti-social behavior and difficulty working with others and that flaw was carried over to Lamplight.

Monika held no value in the concept of dreams. At the end of the day, people desired money. They desired recognition. They desired to be able to contribute to society. They desired sex. People were filled with all sorts of desires, and jobs were nothing more than a means to achieve those ends. Sanctifying them by calling them "dreams" or "ambitions" was ridiculous. That was how Monika saw the world.To quote herself,

> "The thing about people is that we sort things into stuff that seems possible and stuff that doesn't, then take the "best of what remains, call it our 'dream', and then treat it like it's priceless. It's really nothing special." - Monika, Glint
>
>

Ever since Monika failed the Inferno selection test shortly after getting into her spy academy, Monika believed that she had hit her ceiling. That no amount of effort would be enough to become truly great. Monika doesn't think hard work alone is worth jack. Training on it's own was not enough. There were walls in this world that no amount of effort would be enough to get through. That there were limits to how far effort could get you and normal people could never surpass prodigies.  She was not unflaggingly hardheaded enough to be truly passionate to the point where she believed espionage was her calling. Instead though, she saw herself as merely competent and nothing more. She was decent at everything, but there was no field where she could compete with true geniuses. She would end up as a slightly above-average spy who got used up and thrown away on a whim. That was the future she had to await. Because of that, Monika could never become passionate. If there existed a god of espionage, then Monika simply didn't have their blessing. Even after giving up on her dreams, Monika still hadn't been able to abandon her last vestiges of hope, she prayed that maybe somebody, a well of genius would spring up inside of her.

After the end of the Dart battle against Miranda in Volume 4. Monika thought that it was time to face the facts, After Klaus' training and constant praise, the amount of times she tried and failed to defeat him and their untimely graduation. Monika truly felt like she had it all wrong. The truth was that Monika was a prodigy, and it was about time for her to embrace it.

Outside of her occupation as a Spy, Monika enjoys reading romance novels.When Monika, Thea, Annette and Erna were staying in the entertainment district. Monika brought a stack of romance novels with her over a dozen titles high to spend her entire vacation reading. And when the kids were playing in the pool, Monika preferred to read by the poolside and became snappy when Thea invited her to swim.Monika has a preference for by-the-numbers, sweet and wholesome romance novels. Though Monika says she enjoys the books out of intellectual curiosity and not from the sappy romantic aspects of the genre

Monika has a crush on an unknown member of Lamplight. Which Thea notes after using her ability to see Monika's deepest desire, that her love for this certain member was part of the reason she was so adamant on getting rid of Matilda in Volume 3. To protect the place she and her crush called home, Lamplight. In Volume 4, Monika states the reason she didn't abandon Sara was to avoid making a *certain someone* sad. Her affection was what drove her to act as rationally as she could to ensure Lamplight's survival.Even with her cold exterior and sharp demeaner, Monika is terrible at hiding her emotions. Try as she might, her true feelings always end up leaking back through. She couldn't help but become envious when other people become vulnerable and genuine about their romantic feelings.

## Plot

### Prior to Joining Lamplight

Monika didn't have much in the way of passion. Monika attended a civilian elementary school, she was never good when the concept of dreams or goals came up.Her family built their fortune as artist. Her father was a painter, her mother was a musician, and her older brother and older sister had inherited their parents' skills and were planning on becoming artists as well. During the Great War, the whole family had evacuated to another continent so they could continue devoting themselves to the arts. Monika never really thought she fit in.

The well of artistic sensibilities had run dry at her siblings, and Monika herself never felt drawn to the arts. She would receive praise if she made a painting or played a song, but her 'art' lacked passion and soul. Her father told her that her music and arts were all function and no form. That is was technically precise, but never pops. He thought her true calling laid in another field. Monika had to find somewhere she could really be herself.

Monika decided to become a spy on little more than a gut feeling. She used her father's connections to join a spy academy and passed the entrance exam with flying colors. And she believed she made the right choice. From the moment she arrived, Monika climbed her way to getting the top grades in the class. And it only took a few shots for her to get a feel for how guns worked, she was able to listen to simultaneous radio broadcasts in three different languages and memorize them all, and relay them over a telegraph without making a single typo. She was even able to complete a sixty-mile hike, then scale a seventy-foot-tall-building barehanded and sneak in through a seventh-floor window immediately after. In that academy, It didn't take Monika long before she started believing that being a spy was what she was born to do. And that passion was smashed into a million pieces.

One day, the academies brought all their best students together for a "special joint training exercise." All they had to do was steal a single code book from their examiner. Monika had only recently enrolled and she was surrounded by upperclassmen whose current skills surpassed even hers. Her upperclassmen were overconfident, but they failed--annihilated. Soon, every student but Monika was lying unconscious on the ground. The examiner had taken down twenty students without so much as breaking a sweat. The examiner told her that she was impressed that she was invited to the exercise after just two months attending the academy. She said, "You've got promise, kiddo. That's something to be proud of. But with your current skills, you're a total no-go." She patted Monika on the shoulder as she passed her by.

```
"Remember this: In our world, people without fire in their hearts are nothing more than garbage." -Flamefanner

```

What Monika didn't know was that that woman was a member of Inferno, Flamefanner. And she didn't know that the so-called "special joint training exercise" was secretly a selection test for new Inferno members.

In that moment, she'd witnessed a peak she would never be able to reach, no matter how much effort she put in. That was the day Monika stopped trying.

### After Joining Lamplight

Getting recruited onto Lamplight was a welcome release from her slothful days of training at the academy. Training with Klaus had been the perfect opportunity. She rejoiced at the opportunity to test her skills against the self-proclaimed "Word's Strongest." Monika gathered infromation, making sure to hide her true strength all the while, Out of all the attacks they staged during their month of training, hers was the one that came closest.

## Skills

### Jack of All Trades, Master at None

Monika does not have abnormal physiology or any special ability stemming from a unique origin story. Monika seems to have a high degree of knowledge and skill than the rest of the Lamplight members to an extent, as it’s noted she was the only member able to crack open her padlock within the time limit on the second day.When Monika is presented with a skill she has to learn, she picks up on it very fast, and it doesn't take much effort for her to master it. However while the other girls greatly excel at their one talent, Monika believes she isn’t good at one thing in particular.

### Creepshot

This is the skill Monika keeps hidden away from her teammates. It takes advantage of her inhuman calculation skills ad nigh mechanical precision and allows her to track moving targets, either with or without the aid of mirrors. It was a convenient skill for a spy to have, but just a technique. She admits this skill is half-baked and not particularly powerful. Thinking it was amazing she made it so far with such a 'dog-shit' ability.

### Calculations

Calculations are Monika's true weapon. Monika can make high-speed and accurate mental calculations. Monika has the ability to accurately calculate angles, trajectories, and timing as well as the aiming skills to put those calculations to use. Monika sometimes uses a custom-made throwing weapon in the form of a rubber ball about two inches in diameter made of a heavy metal core surrounded by rubber. She would calculate what angle she would need to throw the ball to make it hit her enemy, how many ricochets it would take to get there. By calculating it all on the fly, she could use the metal balls' rebounds to defeat her enemies from their blind spots. Her balls were far less predictable than bullets, and there was no way to track the danger they posed.

### Motor skills

Monika has highly advanced and accurate motor skills. They aren't shown often, but they are on full display in Volume 4 when Miranda challenges her to a dart match. The two went into overtime, Monika hitting the bullseye over 90% of the time, hitting over twenty-one triple 20s in a row just starting out.  Her motor skills transcending human limitations, although this skill likely comes from her calculation abilities. Although this specific skill is one Monika is not used to, her muscles starting to tighten after so many rounds of performing the same motion. Though she never got tired. Her motor skills are so good that she managed to defeat Miranda in a battle of darts without even learning how to play beforehand.

### Acting abilities

In volume 2, it’s states that Monika’s acting abilities are ‘top notch’

### Saxophone

Monika managed to go undercover in a Mitario Band as a Saxophonist as did decently well.

## Relationships

### Lamplight

Monika sees Lamplight as too soft. Monika thinks spies need to be ruthless and Lamplight is lacking in that edge and it makes her worry. The problem is that the members of Lamplight have nota ruthless bone in their bodies. Monika does not believe Lamplight would get out alive if they go up against someone who doesn't play fair. She does not care about her teammates personal lives and believes the good of the team comes before all else. When asked why she chose to stay by Grete, she said she didn't have any big special reason, but if she had to pick, she guessed it'd be the friendly faces.

### Dreamspeaker

Monika thinks Thea is the worst out of all the Lamplight members, a prissy little girl playing her depraved game of house.Out of all the other members of Lamplight, Monika fights with Thea the most. Throughout the series, Monika has taken to insulting Thea by calling her a 'whore' or a 'slut'.

After Thea found out Monika's crush on a Lamplight Member, she negotiated a truce with Thea for her to keep her lips shut.

### Daughter Dearest

Monika is disgusted by Thea's attempts at teaching Grete how to seduce Klaus and considers them "pathetic displays of sexual harassment" at the expense of Klaus.

### Matilda

When Matilda first rekindled with Annette and revealed herself to be Annette's mom, Monika insisted to Thea that the group ditch her. After all Annette doesn't remember her mother anyways. If Miranda met Klaus, she would understand in an instant just how limited hard workers really are. It was obnoxious the way she pretended to be a nobody when she was just as talented herself. Monika thought the reason why Miranda lost the darts battle was because she should have put faith in her talent, not her effort.

### Klaus

Both Klaus and Monika mutually agree that allies are the key to a good team. The problem to Monika arises when not a single member of Lamplight have a ruthless bone in their bodies. Monika thinks that if she could be as skilled as Klaus was. Then she would truly believe that working as a spy was her calling. Monika thinks that Klaus 'get's it.' He understood that sometimes things were just unfair, and no individual could overcome it. He knew about people who had died through no fault of their own. About the children who'd never even gotten so much as an opportunity to train. The first thing he praised Lamplight for was their talent. Klaus had beaten in the knowledge that normal people could never surpass prodigies. But Klaus chose Monika. And he had the nerve to compliment her.

### Welter Barth

Monika heard that Welter was supposed to be some sort of genius. To her, his skills are the real deal and the soldiers he was deploying in Volume 3 looked well led to her.

### Flower Garden

Monika envied the way Lily could devote herself so effortlessly to her training. If she could only be as inept as Lily, then being a spy would be the only choice she had anyway. During the darts battle with Miranda, Monika thought that the whole situation would have been easier if she had poison on her the way Lily does.

### Pandemonium

Like Lily, Monika envied the way Sybilla could devote herself so effortlessly to her training. If she could only be as inept as Lily, Then being a spy would be the only choice she had anyway.

### Miranda

Miranda's talk of hard work pissed Monika off. Her and those 'shitty values' of hers. Monika did not buy her notion that if she practiced hard enough that she could overcome any adversity, asking if she was stupid. Asking her how many people she thought died just because they were born in the wrong place and didn't have an talent.

### Meadow

Monika wished Sara would start recognizing her own talent. Monika told Sara that once they were done with the Mitario Manhunt that she was going to give Meadow one-on-one coaching. Monika thought that compared to the rest of Lamplight's pip-squeaks and numbskulls, she was one of the only people on the team with a decent head on her shoulders.

## Catchphrase

```
"I'm code name Glint--now, let's harbor love for as long as we can." - Glint

```

## Gallery

Glint's light novel character designGlint's Light Novel character designGlint's character design animeGlint's character design in her teaserMonika and Sybilla's profile from Volume 4Monika Illustration by Tomari
## Trivia

* The name **Hyojin** means "sharp" (氷刃).
* Monika's bedroom previously belonged to Firewalker

## References

1. ↑ コードネーム《氷刃》（CV：悠木 碧）「スパイ教室」ヒロインPV【ファンタジア文庫】
2. ↑ Spy Classroom volume 1 chapter 2 page 63
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Volume 3 page 13
4. ↑ SSC 1 page 90
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vol 4 page 90
6. ↑ Vol 4 page 91
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 SSC 1 page 100
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 SSC 1 pages 98-99
9. ↑ Vol 4 page 92
10. ↑ Volume 3 page 51
11. ↑ Volume 3 page 52
12. ↑ Volume 3 page 59
13. ↑ Volume 3 pages 130-131
14. ↑ SSC 1 page 133
15. ↑ SSC 1 page 89
16. ↑ *Spy Classroom* SSC 1, Pages 90-91
17. ↑ SSC 1 page 91
18. ↑ SSC 1 page 92
19. ↑ Vol 4 page 89
20. ↑ Spy Classroom volume 1, chapter 2 page 64
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Vol 4 page 89
22. ↑ SSC 1 page 107
23. ↑ Vol 4 page 70
24. ↑ vol 4 page 72
25. ↑ Vol 4 page 88
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Vol 4 page 94
27. ↑ Spy Classroom Volume 2, Chapter 2 Page 47
28. ↑ vol 4 pages 57-58
29. ↑ Volume 3 page 33
30. ↑ Volume 3 page 65
31. ↑ SSC 1 page 113
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Volume 3 page 32
33. ↑ Volume 3 page 60
34. ↑ Vol 4 page 91
35. ↑ Volume 3 152
36. ↑ SSC 1 page 100
37. ↑ `Spy Classroom Official Memorial Fanbook page 63`