Everyone has something they don’t want to show to others.

My stage costume… doesn’t really mean much for me, though.

But it was true for Nagisa.

So, it’s only natural that she was angry.

[Nagisa-chan♡]

[I won’t beat around the bush.]

[If you don’t come back by 10 PM, you’re in trouble.]

[I’ll make sure to hold you to that.]

[Make sure to tell those three properly too.]

Thanks to the rare time I was proactive when the three of them clashed with me, our ladies had some fun, but what can I do?

When the main lady first claimed her priority, everyone expressed their disappointment internally, but outwardly showed acceptance.

In a way, this might be the fruit of Nagisa’s politics, backed by my unwavering affection. It was clear that everyone respected her status through their attitudes.

Even Haruna, who was the most irritated, reacted with, “Hehe… It can’t be helped since Nagisa-san marked her territory first,” making it hard to deny.

Well, if it weren’t for her follow-up, “However, it doesn’t specify if 10 PM is AM or PM, right? Hehe, just kidding. But doesn’t it imply that it’s okay until then?” I would have accepted it.

“Noah, honestly… when you went out saying you’d pursue something crazy like idols, I thought you were joking.”

“Oh my, finding out how shallow Yuuka-chan’s trust in me is really hurts.”

“Seriously, what are you talking about? I didn’t mean it like that; it really was a completely random suggestion. Looking at the chances of success…”

“Hehe… I thought right from the start that the chances of success were quite high. Even when I presented that confusing proposal to Rion-senpai, there was an undeniable certainty in Mika-chan’s eyes.”

“…Um, Noah. That just means you were already infatuated at first glance, right? No matter how you look at it, the success rate wasn’t that high.”

After finishing the stage, I relaxed at a café, lending one arm to Hina and the other to Haruna while eavesdropping on the conversation of the two best friends sitting across from me.

Unfortunately, Neru and Asuna had been called away sharply for a C&C request, so they were not here. In this sense, I’d say I am a way better boss than Rion!

If Misaki found out I said this, she’d probably laugh, and Hiyori and Hibiki would probably post “unhappy” on their personal SNS. But compared to Rion…?

“Maybe that could be true♪ Back then, I never imagined things would go this well… Ah! This is about romance, Yuuka-chan.”

“Whether it went well or not, I’m honestly not sure.”

Yuuka, glancing between Noah next to her and the lump of our trio across from her, touched her forehead.

“Still, since you say you’re happy, it would be silly to meddle, right…? Honestly, I’m a bit curious. How do you even manage your time? Mika-san, you seem really busy.”

“Oh, that… Yuuka-chan, this might sound a bit surprising, but I’m not as busy as you think? Yeah, I handle studies, work, personal training, and practice, and still have leftover time.”

“…Isn’t that still busy?”

“Haha. Compared to last year or February, it’s like heaven. Yeah, from last summer to autumn, it really felt like I was dying. Festival preparations, counter-terrorism, dealing with aftermath, Eden Treaty organization issues… Well, if we just talk about being busy, the busiest was when the Student Council President was missing, up until the teacher came.”

…Hmm. Looking at it this way, it’s sad that most of those troubles, excluding the terror incident, were things I put myself in charge of too. During the Student Council President’s disappearance, I had no spare time since I was running around trying to minimize the damage.

“But now, there’s hardly any of that. I have a really capable secretary. It’s almost… yeah. It feels like I have Himari-chan or Rion-chan as my secretary?”

But Hanako, on the other hand, is filled with a heart for her seniors plus maximum pretense, so her work efficiency is off the charts—literally a superhuman in the secretary world. I bet even with Himari or Rion as my secretary, she wouldn’t compare.

More than anything, Himari talks too much, which works against her there. Unless she drops the mask she uses to hide her true self, she won’t match up. But at least, teasing her is somewhat fun.

“I’ve felt this before, but you really are something else. I’m honestly amazed.”

“Mika-chan can be a bit much, can’t she?”

“…Noah-chan, are you leaning more toward friendship than love?”

“Oh my, why so sudden? How can I not love Mika-chan’s passionate side…? Receiving this makes my heart ache a little too. Just because you don’t pull out the blade of the cutter knife doesn’t mean you won’t tear the paper, right?”

“Haha… that would happen if you keep cutting. I wouldn’t do that to you though. Anyway, right now, the time management is relatively easy… because everyone attends different academies, which is a big factor. Yeah, wondering if it’ll change once we all live together later?”

Personally, I hope to live the life of a wealthy bum after graduation. Maybe by then, I’ll buy a small cruise ship with the money I earn from selling tteokbokki and go cruising around. That’d definitely be romantic.

“So how’s it going with you, Yuuka-chan?”

“Huh, me?”

“Yes, Yuuka-chan. I was a bit curious about how things are going with the teacher from Shalle——”

“That’s not it at all?! Seriously, Noah. First, let me tell you about my situation. The teacher spent 70,000 yen at this place called [Club Malangmalang] last month! And for meals, breakfast was convenience store bread, lunch was rice balls, and dinner was a cup of ramen… How can someone neglect something so important while wasting money like that?!”

“[Club Malangmalang]? You mean an educator spent 70,000 yen at an unwholesome business? I never thought she’d be that kind of person…”

“Uh, well. Hina-san…? I initially thought that too, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. It’s just a normal mobile game without any unsavory elements.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. I was almost disappointed.”

What’s more, the teacher appeared around February 12th, and if she spent a week on a trip to Abydos, then in under two weeks, that’s 70,000 yen on in-game purchases…

“Wow—Oh. This is why you should stay away from mobile games. 70,000 yen, that’s… umm… hmm…”

“That’s barely enough to buy Mika-san a single bag♪”

“No, no, that’s true, but…! That doesn’t make 70,000 yen any less of a lot, Noah-chan.”

To begin with, my sense of money has long gone kaput, and no matter how much you spend, you earn much more. But for the teacher, it can’t be the same.

“But Yuuka-san, I remember seeing you and Noah-san at a revolving sushi place in front of D.U. yesterday evening. Surely, you’re eating well…?”

“Well, I did preach to her for a whole hour to eat properly. Just as Haruna said… Wait. Last night? I believe she had soba and chicken udon instead of sushi…”

“Ah, you guided us… so…?”

Haruna’s usual smooth reply slowed down. And she clearly had something weighing on her mind as her eyes shifted towards me.

“Noah-chan. What were you guys doing at D.U. yesterday?”

“…”

Noah just smiled in silence. Just smiled. That meant she wouldn’t offer an explanation.

“Haruna-chan.”

“…Yes, Mika-san. The weather is nice today. Oh, by the way, this strawberry shortcake is really delicious. Care to give it a try?”

“You know that comes out two or three times a week at T-party, right? And maybe we should skip the topic of dodging?”

“Yee…”

“So? What did you do?”

I held Haruna’s hand and gently rubbed her palm with my fingers. It was a gesture showing my belief that there was a valid reason for my actions.

“…The chef, I saw him spit on a dish he was about to serve to a guest at another table who had a brief dispute.”

“Hmm? I see. You did well with that.”

“Um, Mika-san. I understand that there was a valid reason, but should we really praise that?”

Yuuka, knowing Haruna’s true identity, said that. She wasn’t wrong, but…

Still, doesn’t this categorize as a redemption arc worthy of a Joker turning into a Dark Knight? Honestly, I’m so moved by Haruna’s transformation.

“More importantly, how is it that there’s still a bounty on you…?”

As Yuuka expressed her doubts, she blinked at Hina sipping Americano next to me. Then, as if she understood, she nodded subtly.

In this world, there are topics that do not need to be spoken aloud… digging deeper won’t yield any benefits.

What you don’t know is indeed a blessing. I believe there’s a reason why this saying exists.