“Welcome, Teacher!! We’re so glad to see you at the White Night~! Nyan nyan!”
“…Hmm?
Hearing Shizuko’s greeting faintly from afar, my mouth, which had been mumbling about the sweets, momentarily stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Aha, it’s nothing! Just thinking about how coincidental this is. Yep.”
“Yes…?”
“You’ll understand when you see later, Nagisa-chan.”
It’s not like the White Night festival just started yesterday, but I never imagined my teacher would visit at the same time. They must have been hanging out with the Game Development Club just the other day, after all.
Ah, maybe that’s why their schedule clashed? If that’s the case, the teacher seems to be quite busy too.
According to my memory, this marks the beginning of the first event storyline? Probably something like that.
As I watched Shizuko bustle to welcome the teacher into the shop, I paused to doubt my eyes. It seemed like the other side was doing the same.
“…Why is she here?”
“Is that Mika?”
“Ah, Miss Mika…?!”
Looking at Wakamo, who was following docilely behind the teacher, I could see that both the teacher and Wakamo had noticed my presence.
Seeing me, Wakamo approached me with an eager look, not her usual graceful and dignified lady-like gait, but more like a puppy running to its owner, moving about energetically. She even seemed to have a tail wagging behind her.
Since foxes are part of the dog family, does this fit her more than her usual cat-like movements…?
“Oh my, what an incredible coincidence…! Little girl, I can’t express how incredibly happy I am to see Miss Mika here!”
“…Miss Mika? Didn’t we have a silent agreement to report these things promptly?”
“Um, sorry. It was just a while ago, and I had my own things to think about. So I guess I just forgot… Yeah, let’s call it a minor mistake☆”
“Ah…”
That’s not an excuse; it’s the truth. At that time, I was so steeped in strangely melancholic feelings that I chose to be alone all day, even though I hate being alone.
And now, Nagisa probably has a rough idea of when that happened, remembering my face when I got home that day.
In this regard, I’m glad Nagisa is perceptive. I no longer need to make awkward excuses.
“The Student Council President trying to woo a terrorist trying to ruin her own academy’s festival… I don’t even know where to start, Mika. This would get you flamed in a movie script.”
“…Oh my, aren’t those Miss Mika’s lovers? In that case… this little one will greet the older sisters. Hehe.”
“Who said that…?!”
“Sisters…?”
Aside from Nagisa, who looked utterly dumbfounded at Wakamo’s audacity, I couldn’t help but feel dizzy at this real-time genealogy disaster.
You should have graduated by now. But in fact, you’re still in second year because of two years off…
“Wakamo-chan, we can’t go on like this.”
“Eh…? Yes, yes?”
“Honestly, tell me. You knew I was here when you came, right? I don’t know why you came with the teacher, but this can’t be a coincidence, can it? There’s no way that’s possible.”
“Th-that’s…”
Being hit right on the mark or something, Wakamo seemed to fidget and avoid my gaze, almost making a sigh escape me. But I held it back since sighing in someone’s face during such a situation felt a bit rude.
At that moment, someone poked me in the side with a finger. Turning to look, it was the sight of Nagisa quietly moving her lips.
‘Let’s sit down first.’
Nagisa’s expression, conveying that message with her lips, surprisingly didn’t seem displeased.
“Wakamo-chan, how about sitting with us for a moment?”
“Huh? Yes, sure!”
“But today, you’re with the teacher. Let me go check first… Hmm, never mind. I’ll ask.”
After seating Wakamo in the empty spot, I immediately stood up and approached the teacher, who was chatting with Shizuko. To my surprise, the teacher greeted me first.
“How have you been, Mika? You seem to be busy.”
“Aha, you too seem to be quite the busy bee, Teacher. I heard you were at the Millennium until not long ago.”
It almost sounded like a jab, but I could tell the teacher had carefully chosen their words.
With students enjoying the festival, any educator worth their salt would find that more than a little peculiar.
“Anyway. It’s nothing major; I thought I’d ask if you wouldn’t mind joining us. Since we haven’t seen each other in a while, we should catch up. Plus, I want to introduce you to our Nagisa-chan☆”
“Wait a minute! The teacher has prior commitments!”
“Well… According to Shizuko, there’s something we need to discuss a bit. Can I wrap that up and join you afterward?”
“Then I’ll take that as a yes, Teacher. Oh, by the way, can I borrow Wakamo-chan for a minute?”
“Considering the situation, it seems like you’re the one letting her borrow. But feel free.”
Well, I’ve been exposed. But I didn’t pick up this fox; she came to me!
I mentally defended myself and returned to my seat. Apparently, while I was gone, Nagisa and Wakamo had already started their conversation. Hina seemed indifferent to that and had her gaze fixed on me.
“There are already four lovers, and those eyeing someone like Kosaka-chan can’t even be counted on one hand. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to find someone who can love only Kosaka-chan?”
“Girl’s love should be pure and innocent. I’ve already engraved Miss Mika in my heart, and that will never change until the day I die. Even if it’s a love that cannot be reciprocated, just watching from a distance… Yes, I should be satisfied with that…”
“Don’t say absurd things. Do you really think you can satisfy yourself watching someone you love give their affection to another person? Especially when it’s not a singular target but multiple?”
“…Whether or not I can be satisfied isn’t very important. Once my heart starts running in a direction, I can’t change its course. I can only do the best I can.”
“I wish that ‘best’ would be given to someone without a partner, though… Sigh.”
Nagisa sighed and shot a subtle glare at my hand, which was absentmindedly touching Hina’s. But her gaze quickly softened again.
“As I said before, it’s all your responsibility. Don’t forget that adding a new person means everyone loses a bit of their time with you.”
“…That is… um.”
“If a day comes when I hear about it during a post-mortem report, I will get angry. If not, that means I’ll fully trust your judgment. I know you’re more interested in emotional exchanges than anything else. Just look at Seiya…”
“…Ahaha.”
“That wasn’t meant to make you laugh.”
There was a sting to those words, but if I asked if they were wrong, they certainly weren’t.
If I had no feelings at all, even knowing the other’s feelings would make it hard to accept them. I love being loved, but I also enjoy loving, so a one-sided relationship where only one side receives feels wrong to both parties.
In that sense, what Nagisa was trying to say ultimately boiled down to this: Before you accept someone, at least give a heads-up. They’re tired of worrying about such matters, so ask them to lessen the awareness of love that naturally gets diluted in the process of adding more people.
Longing for love is not just me; even big-shot archangels feel the same way. It’s very likely that the other three feel the same too.
“Nevertheless, I appreciate your mindset, at least. Certainly more than Haruna.”
…Just when I thought everything was settled, she subtly spilled her lingering feelings.
“Wakamo-chan, I think it’s a bit inappropriate for you to fan the flames on your own.”
“No one else is going to say anything, so it’s better to find someone who I like as I have to see them for a lifetime, don’t you think? That’s how I feel.”
“Nagisa-nee…!”
“No, my name is Nagisa. Not Nagika.”
No way, did Nagisa fall for that ‘Nee’ comment from earlier? No, that can’t be, right?
Did she get swept away by acknowledging her position as the younger one?
No, right…?
While I thought that, suddenly—KWAAMMM——!!!
“…What is that?”
“It seems like there’s some kind of commotion outside.”
It must be the anticipated street chaos of the Mangy Rats unfolding.
Soon after, I saw the teacher leaving the White Night with Shizuko and Pina.
“…Should we go help?”
“Huh? I don’t think that’s necessary…”
To be honest, asking if the teacher needed our help when she was already taking care of things was questionable. They weren’t that formidable.
“But just standing by seems pointless; I think we should at least lend some support from above.”
Even if those students aren’t formidable enough, they might get wiped out anyway, considering Pina and Shizuko are under the teacher’s command.
After all, Wakamo seems to have followed us here under the pretext of assisting the teacher.
Approaching the open window, I peeked out to see a bunch of Mangy Rats causing a ruckus in the street. They weren’t small in number, but…
Wait a second, is that Izuna? She’s incredibly quick. In terms of speed, I think she might be faster than me!
“Hmm. So this is the request that the little fox mentioned. I’m a bit disappointed. It looks like I need to give them a good lesson…”
Wakamo drew her gun and aimed at Izuna to start shooting.
And then…
“I-Iik… Just, just hit her already!”
In a display that contradicted her title as the Reikubyō, Wakamo couldn’t hit Izuna even once.
…Well, why didn’t you just take care of the Mangy Rats with us?
