NOVEL NEXT Persuading Makoto was surprisingly easy. I had some ideas on how to coax her in the right direction, but who would have thought she’d go straight for the “I’ll take you hostage” plan?
Honestly, when I mentioned that I hated Gehenna, it was partially under Shinpi’s influence, but it was also part of my buildup strategy.
I deliberately scratched Makoto’s nerves and planted the idea of competition by strongly suggesting that I disliked Gehenna. I offered her the simplest and fastest option, so not choosing it would have been downright weird.
After successfully getting her on board, I didn’t give her a chance to think about anything else and pushed forward with the exchange student program.
“… So, since you visited Gehenna directly, that means I need to visit Trinity at least once too?”
“Yup, that’s pretty much it. Honestly, the Gehenna academy I’ve seen so far has been rather disappointing, you know? So I thought it’d be great if you, as the leader, took responsibility as an exchange student this time and learned what a real academy is like at Trinity☆”
The problem was that unlike the festival issue, this was a topic even a dimwit like Makoto might find weird.
During this process, it seemed like Iroha guessed that my performance today was an act to get what I wanted, but Makoto’s thoughts didn’t reach that far. She only wore an expression of mild confusion.
I mean, seriously, saying Trinity is a real academy? Are you out of your mind, human? I don’t think that either! Yet saying such things is hard to keep a straight face.
“Ugh! But I heard that attending chapel classes at your Trinity is mandatory, right? I absolutely hate that.”
“Huh? Ahaha, there’s no way we’d force that on exchange students! Are you really that clueless?”
“… Hah, I obviously knew that much!”
No, it was pretty obvious that you didn’t know at all…
I seriously don’t know anymore. Trying to achieve too much at once is asking for trouble.
“Kikikikik—! Fine! You’re right; I shouldn’t forget my duties as a leader. I will personally witness how messy your Trinity is with my own eyes! Afterwards, I’ll recount every detail in front of you all! Then there’s no way I’d let any nonsense about Trinity being a genuine academy escape my lips. Kikikit!”
“Ah, Makoto-senpai… Please, just read and sign the contract. I’m really at my wit’s end…”
What kind of person is she exactly? While pondering that, it felt like as long as I got her signature, that’s all that mattered. Now that everything’s sorted, I suppose it’s time to head back.
But before that, a little prank wouldn’t hurt.
“Haha! Finally got you, Hanuma Makoto.”
“What?!”
“Truth is, that contract doesn’t have a single boring thing about the exchange program. Nope, it’s actually a scam contract stating you’ll become my slave until the day you die! Should’ve carefully looked over it before signing, huh?”
“W-wait! There’s no way such a ridiculous contract would be valid!”
Makoto flailed, shocked, grabbing the contract and reading it with fervor. What is it about that scene that makes me laugh?
The reactions of Kivotos’ students are definitely entertaining at times like this. It’s no wonder Mitsuki likes to treat Aru like a toy. The reactions are ridiculously addictive, aren’t they?
“Wait… no…? You’re telling me you tricked me, Misono Mika!!!”
“Yup, did you just figure that out? Ahaha, that’s hilarious! There’s no way I’d actually do something like that☆”
“Ughhh… To corner the mighty Makoto like this… Alright, I’ll acknowledge you as my rival! Let’s bet on this!”
“Huh? Suddenly a bet?”
“If I win at that summer festival you mentioned, you become my slave! Kikikikik—!!”
…Wait, are you really betting on slavery right now? Seriously?
“It’s clear this outcome will end with me, the great Makoto, as the victor. Just like how it’s an absolute statement that there’s only one sun under the sky! So, a one-week period sounds fitting. Yes, consider this a special act of mercy from me!”
What is she even talking about? Is there a dog barking somewhere?
“Haha, what a fun conversation. Makoto, if you were that eager to be my slave, you should’ve just said so earlier! Fine, I accept your bet. Lately, I’ve felt the need for a footrest while working, and it looks like I’ll have one now☆”
Of course, I wouldn’t say no. Actually, I couldn’t. I mean, it’s impossible for me to back down because I’m scared of a devil.
After all, I’m…
“…Huh?”
“Kishishis! You can look forward to it! I’ll work you to the bone so badly that it’ll be terrifying! You’ll be begging me to stop!!!”
“Wow…”
Aww, Michael…! Why are you doing this to me? You already got what you wanted, and you’re still holding me hostage?
Sigh… well, the deed is done, so what can I do? The only option left is to crush Gehenna and emerge victorious. I absolutely must!
*
“That was a brilliant strategy, Mika. I was in awe the entire time.”
“… Huh? Ah, thanks, Hina-chan. Thankfully, things went the way we wanted!”
We have to win no matter what. As I was lost in thought ever since leaving the Manma Battle office, Hina complimented me.
Hina, who is one of the most diligent and kind-hearted students in Kivotos, praising me feels quite nice.
“Your ability to simply gauge Makoto’s personality and poke at her lightly to provoke her was truly impressive. I think I can learn a thing or two from it! I didn’t expect even Makoto to go so far as to give commands to suppress Mika.”
“…Honestly, I liked witnessing that outburst. It was a skill without any fluff. Unlike the student council president raining down firepower from afar, it felt like a bulldozer in action… it was terrifying. Depending on the terrain, I couldn’t even figure out how to block it.”
“Isn’t that the same for you, Iori? Especially in terrains with minimal cover, approaching you while dodging your firepower feels almost impossible.”
“There are pros and cons to both. But it remains true for both that their combat powers exceed normal understanding.”
Aco and Iori chatted away. Hina walked slightly ahead to prevent other students from approaching us. There were only a few brave enough to approach the student council president directly at Gehenna.
When we reached the entrance of the Manma Battle building, Iroha pulled at the hem of my clothes and called out to me.
“…Um.”
“Huh? What is it, Iroha-chan?”
“It’s about what happened in the office earlier. Why did you protect me, taking the hits on my behalf…?”
…Wait, did she notice that? I thought I pulled it off so well with a dramatic flair worthy of Bleach. Now what?
“That isn’t something someone who dislikes Gehenna would do…”
Seems like I’ve been found out, huh? It’s a relief that Iroha doesn’t mind knowing that my performance was all just an act.
“Mika is right, Iroha. I have a question too. Aco and Iori probably think the same.”
Hina, who had been walking in front, suddenly stopped and turned towards us. Naturally, we could only stop as well.
“Mika, you said you hate Gehenna. Is that really how you feel?”
Hina asked me. Our gazes connected, but I couldn’t read anything from her eyes.
“You were the one who sent me a letter first, wishing for harmony between Gehenna and Trinity.”
“You spoke of a dream that I could only describe as bizarre.”
“You reached out to me without any hesitation, completely ignoring which academy you belong to.”
“You said you hated Gehenna so much that you wanted to stomp it down every time it appeared before your eyes.”
She asked me to tell her what part of this was true and what wasn’t. What response does she expect from me, I wondered, before clearing my mind.
Hina, I realized, simply desires my honest and truthful answer. There’s no need to overthink it. I just need to speak as I am.
“Hina, my answer is… ‘Everything is completely true.’ That’s probably all I can tell you. Yeah, since you wanted an honest answer.”
“…Wait a minute. That’s a contradictory claim. If you hate Gehenna, why did you approach the president hoping for better relations between the two schools?”
“Aco-chan, it’s not a contradictory statement. Like I said, I hate and despise Gehenna. Well, to be more precise, it’s more accurate to say I ‘used to’ but I can’t say I have no feelings of disdain at all now.”
“I see. Mika, does that mean you’re willing to set aside your hatred to pursue the dream you spoke of?”
Though it’s similar yet completely different, let’s just go with that for now. I felt something during my recent visit to Gehenna; with more devils around, my Shinpi becomes more problematic. I find myself falling for provocations I shouldn’t.
“A dream…? What kind of dream would drive you to such lengths?”
Iori, who seemed clueless about the conversation Hina and I were having, looked puzzled. Aco looked similarly confused, indicating Hina hadn’t previously shared the topic.
“Haha! That’s something I recommend you ask Hina about, Iori-chan. Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing for me to talk about it multiple times myself~”
“Wow, Mika, you’re completely different from the upper echelons we knew at Trinity. When compared to them, whose insides and outsides are like two sides of a coin, your attitude is surprisingly refreshing.”
“Yeah, I can’t deny our academy kids are particularly strong in that aspect. But I think it’s not good to hastily define me as different from them! It’s not like I don’t have things I want to hide and keep secret☆”
I have secrets I don’t want to share with anyone. The fact that I don’t belong to Kivotos… that I’m living in someone else’s body. So in that sense, I might be even more duplicitous than the Trinity kids.
“…Admitting that candidly makes you different from them, Mika.”
I chose not to respond to Aco’s statement. The reason is… I don’t quite agree with it.
“Thank you for being honest, Mika.”
“Yeah, sure. That’s only natural between us, right, Hina-chan!”
For some reason, Aco’s gaze felt a bit chilly, but I decided to ignore it. Just because I’m getting close with your precious president doesn’t mean you can do anything about it! If you’re jealous, you should just become friends with me too!
“Is that so…? I think I understand somewhat. Thank you for looking out for me, Mika. And I apologize once more for my rudeness when we first met… but why do the others keep staring at me? I can at least say thank you, you know.”
“Huh? Ahaha, that’s truly nothing too serious, so don’t worry! For me, it was just a little prick, but knowing that it wouldn’t mean much to Iroha-chan, I just helped prevent it. And for Iroha-chan to have been rude, did such a thing happen? I can’t quite remember☆”
“…So about your proposal earlier, should I accept it now?”
“Huh? Nah, don’t say things you don’t really mean. To be honest, you don’t dislike our handsome Makoto that much, do you? It’s all too obvious, see!”
“Hah…? What are you talking about? That’s something you shouldn’t say to someone who is struggling with the burden of being Makoto-senpai’s assistant! And it’s been bothering me for a while: How is Makoto suppose to be handsome?”
“Well… Makoto is handsome, isn’t he? At least in looks, that’s definitely my type. Yes, his personality kind of ruins it though.”
Why are they all looking at me like I’m some strange animal? Isn’t it true that Makoto is handsome?
And Hina-senpai? Why is the atmosphere suddenly so cold around us? Did the fact I complimented Makoto bother you that much?
I’ve only known that the relationship between the two of you was one-sidedly disliked from Makoto’s end, but maybe that’s not the entire story…
Regardless, our conversation ended there. Just before we exited the Manma Battle building, I didn’t forget to exchange Momotalk IDs with Iroha.
Before long, we were able to safely return in front of the student council headquarters. Thinking the work is finally done made me feel drained. After just one more 4D screening of Mad Max, I’ll be able to cling to Nagisa, whining that I’m exhausted.
Ah, I’m so glad things went well. If they hadn’t, the current cheerful atmosphere would have been nonexistent, and my mood wouldn’t have been great either.
“Great job today, everyone! Especially you, Aco-chan. You came up with so many plans to persuade Makoto——”
BAMMMMM!!!!
“…Huh?”
“This is definitely from the cafeteria…?”
“Tch, the only ones who would pull such a stunt would be those guys!”
Oh.
It’s those brats from the Gourmet Research Club again.
“Oh no. In this case, Aco, I’ll leave the task of safely escorting Mika back to you. Iori, let’s move to control the situation immediately.”
“Of course, president!”
“Mika, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to convince Makoto so easily. Great job. If there’s ever another opportunity, I hope we can meet somewhere outside of our academies.”
“…Hina-chan, could you wait a moment?”
“Hm?”
Quickly pulling out my phone, I opened Momotalk. The friend list has barely grown since the day I first possessed Mika’s body.
I opened a chat room with that troublesome devil I’ve spoken to recently and started typing rapidly.
[Haruna-chan~ What are you up to right now?]
Surprisingly, it only took about 30 seconds for a reply to come back. Here we go again.
[Haruna-chan]
[Oh my, Mika-senpai. It’s been a while since I got a text from you. I’m so glad!]
[I was just exploring the path of gourmet meals in our cafeteria not too long ago.]
[But the fish they served smelled so bad that it was unbearable! They didn’t even bother getting rid of the stink.]
[So I made a scene♡ I’ve heard there’s a student council president at the academy, so I plan to hide in the cafeteria storage for a while.]
Oh no, I hope Fuka isn’t there too.
“Hina-chan? The culprit is hiding inside the cafeteria storage☆”
“…Huh? Mika, how do you know that?”
“Well, I’ll explain if there’s time later, but wouldn’t it be better to check it out quickly?”
“Alright, I trust you, Mika. Let’s go, Iori!”
Sorry, Haruna. But this is your fault for blowing up, right? You’ll understand, right? To be honest, I want to acknowledge the awful fish smell, but with Hina right next to me, I can’t just ignore it.
By the way, I wonder if Hina will be alright not holding a gun right now.