The clock had long passed midnight. As Hina was wrapping up her work, the office door creaked open, revealing a familiar voice.

“Is the head here… ?”

“…Aco?”

“Hey, Aco-chan!”

“Huh?!”

Aco blushed, seemingly startled by her own appearance. By the way, what was that blanket in her hands…?

“Ah, you thought you’d cover Hina-chan with that blanket since she fell asleep here? How sweet. I can’t help but feel a bit envious of Hina-chan having such a nice secretary☆”

“Ugh! Are you trying to belittle my sincere concern for you, head? Please stop! I find it unpleasant!”

“Mika, just let Aco have her fun.”

“Hahaha! But Aco-chan’s reactions are just too cute!”

Aco, who knew Hina very well, had probably anticipated that Hina wouldn’t just rush to rest but would first stop by to check her tasks. It seemed like Hina occasionally dozed off while working, considering Aco brought a blanket.

“But more importantly, Mika, why are you still here instead of resting…? I thought after everything that happened lately, you’d be just as tired as the head?!”

“Hey, knowing Hina-chan is working, how could I just leave her to rest alone? I’d rather feel disappointed for not being able to help!”

“Mika helping with paperwork doesn’t make sense unless you’re transferring the soldiers over. If you genuinely want to help, why not join the student council on-site from tomorrow?”

The moment Aco blurted that out, the first thought that crossed my mind was outright rejection. Why should I suffer in Gehenna, right?

But then, thinking it through, since Hina already elevated my week from hell to heaven, just putting in a little effort wouldn’t be too hard. The more I toiled, the sooner Hina would finish her work, and that meant we could spend more time together. That would count as payment, right?

“Aco, that’s a bit rude—”

“Alright. It’s not like it’s a tough job☆”

“Wait… Mika, you really don’t have to help. Shouldn’t we be assisting you instead of the other way around?”

It was Hina who hit the brakes on my train of thought. Seeing Aco click her tongue showed that she was regretting missing a chance to exploit some top-tier labor for free.

“It’s a request from Nagisa for you to lend a hand. We can’t ask you to assist us with something you don’t need help with, especially when you need support for your own responsibilities.”

Wait, what? Nagisa asked Hina for help? This must be a world where the shadowy being who single-handedly supported T-party for over a year was genuinely in need of assistance… My heart swelled like a vast wave at that moment.

“It doesn’t matter if Makoto’s absence affects the overall situation significantly. As long as nothing problematic arises from that side, we’ll be more than grateful. Sure, it’ll get a bit busy wrapping up the festival, but it’s manageable.”

“Sure, you’re right. As the head said, there’s no need for Mika to help because we’re not facing a personnel crisis. However, assisting Mika…”

“Haha, that’s alright. Yes, I really need top-tier personnel for the ongoing operations. But I can’t exactly ask Hina-chan or Iori-chan to help me, right? So you don’t have to pressure yourselves to lend a hand☆”

As I outlined a rough operation plan, Hina nodded as if resigning herself to the situation.

On the other hand, Aco seemed troubled by something. I really hoped it wasn’t some victim mentality thinking I had slighted the council. The chances seemed low, but… Aco was quite sensitive to any undervaluation of the council without Hina, so I couldn’t help but wonder, “What if?”

“Uh, Mika, no matter how you look at it, it sounds like a plan that won’t yield great results without solid preparation, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, I really do need preparation. If I had become Makoto-chan’s slave as planned, the operation would’ve had to be postponed. So in that regard, I’m really thankful to Hina-chan! Even if that motivation comes from selfish intentions.”

“Ahem. Let’s skip that part. If there’s anything we can assist with that’s feasible in Gehenna, we’ll support you as much as we can.”

“Head, I know your desire to look good for your loved one, but… I think it might be impossible with just the information department. The only information we have on Kaiser is the record of their suspicious movements so far… Wait a second. Isn’t this the kind of info that could actually help Mika?!”

“Yeah, since the objective of the operation is to collect dust attached to Kaiser Corporation to use it as a weapon… It’s helpful information, isn’t it?”

This was an unexpected scoop. I would’ve never guessed the Gehenna information department kept track of such things.

It’s possible there could be useful tidbits hidden within the T-party as well…

“Wow—oh. I didn’t expect such an unexpected bounty. It’s all thanks to Aco-chan! Indeed, assisting our Hina-chan isn’t a task anyone can do.”

“…Ahem. Of course. I’m always, without fail, working hard to be the head’s finest administrative officer 365 days a year. It’s only natural.”

Ah, Aco truly became easier to handle whenever she was linked with Hina. Just a few words from me could easily sway Aco’s feelings, what a godly power…!

Plus, the smug expression on her face was so cute, I couldn’t help but imagine how much fun it would be to play around with her like a carnival ride. No wonder she’s ranked number one in the sadistic charm department among the students of Kivotos.

“But aren’t you two going to sleep? Huh, could it be? Were you about to go to bed when I latched onto you without a hint of awareness?!”

“No, I just finished work. I need to—”

“I’ll handle that! So head, please hurry and go rest!”

“Aco, this is my job…”

“I’ll take care of it! Please!”

Under Aco’s overwhelming force, Hina nodded without realizing it. While I was mentally arranging the upcoming schedule, a question suddenly popped into my mind.

“But, Hina-chan. Does that mean I have to stay within the Gehenna autonomous district for a week?”

“…Basically, I think that’ll be the case. Since I passed the dumb contract authority to Iroha, I can’t resolve that part with my discretion, but…”

“Then what was the point of bringing me to Gehenna in the first place…?”

“No, Mika, that’s not it. I just brought you to Gehenna because I wanted to. Therefore, I absolutely won’t send you back to Trinity during this week.”

It felt oddly intense, but all this was for this moment. When it came down to it, Hina was the white horse knight who rescued me in my time of need, and if I argued against that, I’d truly be a callous ingrate.

By the way, the phrase ‘not to Trinity’ means…

“Hina-chan, does that mean anywhere but Trinity is fine?”

“…For example?”

“It could be D.U. or Millennium. Just saying, of course, that it’s for work-related visits.”

“If I were to prevent that, I’d be no different from Chairwoman Makoto. However, in such a case, I’d prefer you to be accompanied by Aco or Iori. Ideally, I’d like to join you, but… that depends on finishing up my work first, so I can’t guarantee it.”

“Hmm… I really feel like it’d be better if I could help with the work. Should I just transfer to Gehenna?”

“I appreciate the offer, but if that happens, Nagisa will declare an all-out war right away, so I’d have to decline.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

But it’s quite thrilling to think that Nagisa, who used to be more pacifist, would break the peace for me. If I ponder over it, it’s clear that I fit better in places other than Trinity.

“How about just dealing with paperwork? Honestly, if we close our eyes, it wouldn’t really matter much.”

“Aco, no matter what, that’s not okay. Forget about trusting Mika or not; as the head of the student council, there’s a line I must uphold.”

“Yes, I figured you’d say that, head… Sigh.”

Seeing Hina so resolute made me think that this was indeed non-negotiable. Rather, it might be better to lend a hand to the council kids when I’m not dealing with my own responsibilities.

“By the way, where am I supposed to stay? Honestly, if it were Makoto-chan, I’d imagine she’d either make me sleep on the floor or stash me in one of the Manma Battle warehouses. I was secretly giving up! But can I trust Hina-chan to at least give me a dorm room?”

“…Mika, if you’re okay with it, you can stay at my house for a week. There’s only one bed, so we’d have to share, but if that’s alright with you…”

“Huh?”

Wait, what? You’re saying I’d be sharing a house with Hina for a week?

“…”

“Is that a dislike…?”

“Th-That’s quite a bold approach I never imagined… I don’t dislike it at all! Just a bit surprised? Staying with Hina-chan is something I welcome…”

Honestly, I’m not okay at all. The only experience I have sharing a bed is with Nagisa when we first met and when we shared a hospital bed.

The issue is that this time, I’d be sharing a bed with my girlfriend, Hina. To be frank, I absolutely don’t have a strong sexual desire for kids; however, I worry a bit about crossing the line if the atmosphere shifts.

“If that’s too much for you, I can help find a hotel in town starting tomorrow. I’ll give up my bed…”

But seeing my lukewarm response, I could visibly see Hina’s pride taking a nosedive. To make things worse, my conscience was poking and prodding at me.

Meanwhile, Aco glared at me with a look that demanded I fix this immediate mess. Watching Hina, whom she adored, fluctuate with my responses was definitely getting to Aco.

“Hina-chan, I’m going to be a nuisance for a week, so I’d appreciate your kindness☆”

Well, what choice do I have? I have to just shut my eyes and dive right in.

Okay, this is just a normal pajama party. Let’s think of it that way.