NOVEL NEXT We settled into a spot deep inside a nearby café. Personally, I prefer window seats, but if I got caught by those idiots from Kronos School, it would be a disaster. No matter how low the chance is, if it’s not zero, the consequences would land squarely on me when things go wrong.
After finding our seats, Hina took off her baseball cap and mask. Wow, once she did, it’s clear this girl has some impressive horns.
“Mika, is it really okay for you to dress like that? This meeting should be more about hiding your identity, eh?”
Hina, fixing her hair that had been pressed down by the cap, turned my way and said.
“Oh? Thanks for worrying about me, Hina-chan! The answer to that question is actually simple! T-party is a group shrouded in extreme mystique, so they minimize their public activities as much as possible. People might know me, but not many know who I really am.”
“…True, T-party is definitely a group that is wrapped in secrecy. It’s not for nothing that there’s a saying in Gehenna that T-party is a bunch of cowards.”
“Yeah, I wonder how it feels to say that in front of me… but I can’t deny it! Even when Trinity holds meetings with you guys in Gehenna, they always send a representative instead of the actual head of T-party. Even within Trinity, T-party doesn’t reveal themselves much to the public.”
If I were to wear the T-party uniform, it would naturally draw attention. But just a slight change in hairstyle can drastically drop the number of people who would notice that I’m part of T-party.
Hina nodded, as if she understood what I was saying.
“Hmm~ with the weather warming up, I’m in the mood for a smoothie today. What about you, Hina-chan?”
“…I’ll just have whatever you’re getting.”
Ah, right. She’s the embodiment of laziness, huh? There’s no help for it. Since I’ve taken over Mika’s body and turned into an extremely outgoing person, I guess I’ll just have to take care of her.
“Then, let’s go with two strawberry smoothies☆”
Why strawberry, you ask? Because it’s one of the more neutral fruits available on the menu.
After placing the order through the robot employee at the counter and receiving the buzzers, we returned to our seats. Hina was looking blankly lost in thought.
“But first, let’s have a little ice-breaking session before we get into the main topic, Hina-chan!”
“Looking at your personality, I’m skeptical if ice-breaking is even necessary… Honestly, it sounds a bit tedious. Can’t we just get to the main point?”
“Ahaha! We’re going to keep hanging out together from now on! It’s not like we’ll just meet once or twice, so I think it’s essential to get to know each other! In that spirit, what are Hina-chan’s hobbies?”
“…I don’t really do anything special in my free time. Just sitting quietly and resting is about it.”
Ah, right. Our Student Council President is actually a pretty pitiful person…
“Umm, Hina-chan, that’s not really a hobby, is it…? I understand that it’s tough to find hobbies with how busy things are in Gehenna.”
But, somehow, I feel like Hina might not have even thought about finding any hobbies because she’s just plain lazy.
Unlike Trinity, which has a triadic political structure and has competent factions, Gehenna is riddled with issues, which puts an excessive burden on the Student Council. That means Hina, who leads the council, is actually in a position quite similar yet completely different from mine.
“This won’t do. Hina-chan, you have to come out and have some fun with me! We can’t just kill our remaining two years in the academy working to the bone. Don’t you think so?!”
“…Even if you say that, without me, the Student Council wouldn’t run properly. It’s not to the point of being meaningless, but the Student Council in Gehenna, the Manma Battle, doesn’t have enough capability, and it just makes my tasks pile up more. There are multiple leaders in Trinity, but——”
Hina seems to have a lot on her plate as she lets out a deep sigh and starts to vent openly. It’s evident that she hadn’t been the Student Council President for very long, and yet I can only imagine how worn out she must be in her third year, the original timeline.
I thought since Hina has a tough exterior, she wouldn’t easily complain about her work… I guess my assumption was wrong. Perhaps she saw this as an opportunity to talk to someone of similar authority from another academy?
Well, maybe there really is a kernel of truth to that.
“Ah, excuse me. You all must have your hardships in Trinity too, so I’ve crossed a line here. I apologize.”
“Huh? No, no, there’s no need to apologize. Keeping your troubles bottled up just makes them accumulate and weigh you down! As someone who can understand even a fraction of what Hina-chan is going through, listening to you isn’t that hard☆”
“…Is that so? I thought I might’ve been too whiny, but I’m glad to hear you say that, Mika.”
“Ahaha! Your whining was so cute, it was great! It’s like a tasty experience watching from the sidelines! Do the folks in Gehenna even know their Student Council President has such a cute side? It’s a shame to only see it alone!”
After I called her cute twice, Hina shot me a look seemingly devoid of emotion.
Ugh, I guess I’m not a teacher after all. Though I was just sincerely complimenting her cuteness, she must’ve taken it the wrong way.
“Mika, what’s with this constant insistence on me being cute…? If you’re saying that to provoke me into a fight, I’m more than willing to accept your challenge.”
“What challenge? I just wanted to share my pure thoughts! If I offended you, I’m sorry! I tend to speak freely, and sometimes my words escape before I think twice☆”
I guess I’m not that reckless, but there’s definitely a sizable hole in my filter, and the occasional slip happens. Still, I’m careful not to speak any troublesome words.
“Ahaha… But hey, do you think you can win if we fight?”
Whoa—oh.
…No, this is more than just a slip of the tongue!!! Great, that devil Shinpi is causing trouble again?
“This is interesting. I see the reason why you mentioned you wouldn’t mind meeting in Gehenna, Mika. I’d only thought the only person in Trinity worth my attention was the vice president of the Justice Realization Department….”
A tense atmosphere fills the air. It’s the kind of situation where you wouldn’t be surprised if ominous brrr sound effects suddenly popped up. I didn’t create this mess, so why do I have to deal with the aftermath?!
Plus, with my pride as a guy, the inner thoughts like “Are you trying to joke around and make a run for it? I’m not getting tormented by a girl barely over 140cm, right? No way am I scared! Scared???!” are flaring up.
What a total chaos this is! I didn’t meet Hina for this…
Just then, the buzzing bell indicating our drinks were ready saved me from my confusion.
Bzzz—
Nice!!! Nice assist!!!
“I’ll go pick this up. It’s annoying, but it’s only fair.”
…No, Hina-chan, if it’s annoying, just sit still, okay? Seriously, you’re ridiculously diligent!
By the way, the sight of Hina bringing the tray with two smoothies was absurdly cute. It stirred up a sense of guilt in me, but still, it was adorable… inhumanly adorable…
Fortunately, as the smoothies arrived, the atmosphere brightened up. I, myself, felt healed watching Hina slurp her smoothie through a straw.
“So, when you say we’re going out to have fun, what exactly do you mean? What do you want to do?”
Oh, now that I’ve cooled down with my smoothie, is she actually interested? I was thinking I could have challenged her by saying, “Hey, are you confident? If you are, throw your best shot!” but that might be off the table now.
“Well, for starters, we could explore local shops until we find something you like. Even if we don’t find a perfect activity, just wandering around can be fun in itself. We could go shopping and check out bowling alleys, pool halls, arcades, or karaoke spots. Even a walk in the park could be pleasurable, so the choices are endless!”
And all of that is well within your reach, Hina-chan.
“Set aside your lazy thoughts for just a moment, reach out, and grasp happiness. The body and mind worn down by work and stress are pretty much like sickness. Taking some time to play is the most effective way to heal your fatigued psyche, and it will also lead to better productivity. It’s not bad advice for you, Hina-chan, right?”
Somehow, it feels like we’ve switched roles. And it’s not just a feeling.
She habitually complains about being lazy but, deep down, she’s an extreme workaholic. Meanwhile, I’m the one acting like an angel, suggesting that it’s unhealthy to work too hard. What a bizarre reversal of roles!
“…Well, if you put it that way, maybe taking a day off for fun wouldn’t be so bad. Alright, Mika, I’ll leave what we do entirely up to you.”
“Whoa—oh.”
What the—Hina actually agreed to this? I’m honestly a bit surprised. So, where should we start? I’ve never roamed this area before either. It feels off to make big claims and then just get lost…
“Of course, that’s after we finish discussing our business matters.”
“Ahaha, I forgot about that.”
Yep, Hina is definitely as good as separating work from play.
“And I’ll remember that little provocation from earlier.”
…Can we just forget about that? Please?