Persuading Makoto turned out to be easier than I thought. I had formulated a plan for how to provoke her and steer her in the desired direction, but I never imagined she'd come up with the idea of taking me hostage herself.
When I said things like how I hated Gehenna, it was partly due to the influence of my Mystery, but it was also part of a process of laying the groundwork.
I deliberately provoked Makoto, strongly planting the impression that I hated Gehenna in order to focus on the keyword of 'competition.' I gave her the quickest and easiest path to take; it would have been stranger for her not to choose it.
After successfully getting her signature so cleanly, I didn't give her a chance for any other thoughts to sprout in her mind and immediately pushed forward with the student exchange program.
"…So. Just as you personally visited Gehenna, I, too, need to visit Trinity at least once?"
"Mhm, that's about the gist of it. To be honest, the Gehenna I've seen so far has been rather disappointing, you know~? So I thought it would be nice if Makoto, as a leader, took responsibility and participated as the first exchange student, to see Trinity and learn what a real, proper academy is☆"
The only problem was that, unlike the festival matter, this was something that even a blockhead like Makoto might find suspicious.
In the process, Iroha seemed to guess that the persona I'd shown today was an act to get what I wanted, but Makoto's thoughts didn't reach that far. She just made a face that said, Hmm… this is a little weird…
In the first place, Trinity being a "real, proper academy"? Are you insane, human? Even I don't think that. It's hard to keep a straight face while saying this stuff.
"Ghk! But I've heard that your Trinity has mandatory chapel services, have you not? That, I refuse, even if it kills me."
"Huh? Ahaha, as if we'd force that on exchange students! Are you really that stupid?"
"…Hah, of course, I knew that much already!"
No, from the looks of it, you clearly didn't…
I don't even know anymore. Trying to accomplish too much at once is probably just being greedy.
"Kikikik—! Very well! As you say, I must not forget my duties as a leader. I will confirm with my own two eyes just how much of a mess your Trinity is! And then, I will recite every single one of your flaws to your face! Then, you will no longer be able to spout such nonsense about Trinity being a proper academy in front of me. Kikit!"
"Ah, Makoto-senpai… Please, I'm telling you to read the contract before you sign it. I swear, I can't with you…"
What is with this kid? While thinking that, I figured since I got the signature, it was all good. Anyway, my business here is done, so it's about time I head back.
But before that, just one little prank.
"Ahaha! You've finally fallen into my trap, Hanuma Makoto."
"What?!"
"The truth is, that contract doesn't have a single word about some boring student exchange program. Yes, it's a fraudulent contract stating that you will be my slave until the day you die. You should have read the contents carefully before signing so thoughtlessly, hmm?"
"W-Wait! Don't be ridiculous! There's no way such an absurd contract would be recognized!"
Makoto, startled, snatched up the contract and began to read it frantically. Why is it that just watching her makes me want to laugh?
The students of Kivotos really do have the most entertaining reactions in times like these. There's a reason Mutsuki plays with Aru like a toy. I mean, the reactions are just unbelievably addicting, aren't they?
"It's, it's not here…? Don't tell me you tricked me, Misono Mika!!!"
"Yup, you're just figuring that out now? Ahaha, that's hilarious! As if I'd actually do something like that☆"
"Grrrk… to corner the great Makoto this far… Fine, I acknowledge you as my worthy rival! Therefore, I propose a wager!"
"Huh? A wager, all of a sudden?"
"If I win at that summer festival you mentioned, you become my slave! Kikikik—!!"
…She's suddenly suggesting a slave bet? Really? Is she serious?
"It is as clear as day that the result will be the great Makoto's victory. It is a result as fixed as the absolute proposition that there is only one sun in the sky! Therefore, a period of one week should be appropriate. Yes, this is, in a manner of speaking, a special mercy I am bestowing upon you!"
What in the world is this kid talking about? Is a dog barking somewhere?
"Ahaha, what an interesting story. Makoto, if you wanted to be my slave that badly, you should have just said so sooner! Fine, I'll accept that wager. Hmm, I was just thinking my feet felt a little lonely when I was working lately. It'll be nice to get a good footrest☆"
Of course, I'm not refusing. No, I can't. I might let it slide with anyone else, but I cannot be seen backing down from a demon's challenge.
Because, I am…
"…Huh?"
"Kishishish!! You'd better look forward to it! I will work you so viciously and relentlessly that you'll think it's horrifying! So much that you'll beg me to stop!!!"
"Waaah-oh…"
Ugh, that damn Michael…! Why are you doing this to me? You already got everything you wanted, what do you mean you can't refuse?
Sigh… well, what's done is done. Now that it's come to this, there's only one way forward.
No matter what, I will crush Gehenna and win. Absolutely.
"That was some incredible skill, Mika. I was in awe the entire time."
"…Huh? Ah, right. Thanks, Hina-chan. Yeah. Thankfully, things went just as we wanted!"
I have to win, no matter what. I was so lost in that thought that I was still in a daze long after we left the Pandemonium Society office, when Hina offered me her praise.
To be praised by Hina, one of the most diligent and kind-hearted people in Kivotos… This doesn't feel half bad.
"It was amazing how you easily grasped Chairman Makoto's personality and provoked her so skillfully. I feel there's something to be learned from that! Though I never expected even Chairman Makoto to go so far as to order your capture…"
"…I was just glad I got to see a good show out of it. It was a flawless display of skill. Unlike the Captain, who crushes from a distance with firepower, your fighting style was like a bulldozer… It was terrifying. Depending on the terrain, I wouldn't even know how to stop it."
"Isn't it the same for you, Captain? Especially on terrain with little cover, it's nearly impossible to break through your firepower and get close."
"It has its pros and cons. Either way, it's a level of combat power that defies common sense."
Ako and Iori chatted away. Hina was walking a little ahead of us to prevent any other students from approaching. There weren't many students in Gehenna with the guts to approach the Disciplinary Committee Head.
Just as we reached the entrance of the Pandemonium building, Iroha came up from the side, tugged on my clothes, and called out to me.
"…Excuse me."
"Hmm? What is it, Iroha-chan?"
"About what happened in the office earlier. Why did you shield me, even taking the hits yourself…?"
…Oh, she saw that? I thought I blocked it with a Bleach-level display of bravado so no one would notice. What do I do now?
"That's not something a person who hates Gehenna, who hates us, would do…"
Hmm, it seems she's already figured out that the persona I showed was an act. I guess it's a relief that it doesn't really matter if Iroha sees through my act.
"Councilwoman Iroha is right, Mika. I have a question as well. I'm sure Ako and Iori are thinking the same thing."
Hina, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned toward us. Naturally, the rest of us walking behind her had no choice but to stop as well.
"Mika, you said you hated Gehenna. Was that… truly how you feel?"
Hina asked me. Our gazes met, but I couldn't read anything from her eyes.
"The you who sent me a letter first, hoping for harmony between Gehenna and Trinity."
"The you who told me of a dream that could only be thought of as an ideal."
"The you who reached out your hand to me without hesitation, without even caring about which academy I belonged to."
"The you who said you hated Gehenna so much, that you wanted to crush it the moment you saw it."
Which part was the truth, and which was the lie? Hina asked me to answer honestly.
What kind of answer was she hoping to hear from me? I was about to fall into deep thought, but I cleared my head.
Hina just wants my honest, truthful answer. There's no need to assign any special meaning to it. I just have to say it as it is.
"Hina, my answer is… 'Every single part of it is the truth.' I don't think there's any other answer I can give you. Yes, since you asked for an honest answer."
"…Wait a moment. That's a contradiction. If you hate Gehenna, Mika-san, then why did you approach the Captain, wishing to improve relations between our academies?"
"It's not a contradiction, Ako-chan. As I said, I hate and despise Gehenna. To be precise, 'hated' would be the more accurate term, but it's not as if the feeling is completely gone now."
"I see. Mika, did you decide to cast aside even your hatred for us for the sake of that dream you spoke of?"
Close, but not quite. Let's just go with that for now. I've noticed while visiting Gehenna this time that with more demons around, my Mystery has been acting up. To the point where I fall for provocations I shouldn't.
"A dream…? What kind of dream is it, that you would go that far?"
Iori, looking like she didn't know what Hina and I were talking about, voiced her question. Ako also had a questioning look on her face, so it seemed Hina hadn't told them.
"Ahaha! I recommend you hear it from Hina, Iori-chan. Hmm, it's a bit of an embarrassing story to say myself multiple times~"
"Mika-san, you really are completely different from the Trinity elites we knew. Like two sides of the same coin, compared to them, who are completely different on the inside and out… your attitude, Mika-san, feels almost strange."
"Yes, well. I can't deny that the kids at our school have a strong tendency for that. But I don't think it's good to hastily define me as different from them! It's not as if I don't have things I want to hide and conceal☆"
I have a secret that I don't want to reveal to anyone. A secret that I'm not from this Kivotos… that I'm living in someone else's body. So in a way, aren't I an even more two-faced existence than the children of Trinity?
"…The fact that you admit that so honestly is what makes you different from them, Mika-san."
I chose not to reply to Ako's words. The reason being… I probably don't agree with them very much.
"Thank you for answering honestly, Mika."
"Yup, well. That much is a given between us, isn't it, Hina-chan!"
For some reason, Ako's gaze seems to have gotten a little colder, but I decided to ignore that too. What are you going to do just because I'm friendly with your precious Captain? If you have a problem with it, become friends with me too!
"Is that so… I think I sort of understand. Thank you for protecting me, Mika-san. And I would like to apologize once again for my rudeness when we first met… but why is everyone else looking at me like that? I'm capable of saying thank you, you know."
"Huh? Ahaha, it was really nothing, so don't worry about it. For me, it was just a little sting, but I didn't think it would be the same for you, Iroha-chan, so I just blocked it. And as for you being rude, did something like that happen? I don't really remember☆"
"…Perhaps I should take you up on that job offer from earlier, after all?"
"Hmm? Oh, come on, don't say things you don't mean. To be honest, Iroha-chan, you don't dislike our handsome Makoto that much, do you? It's so obvious, you know."
"Hah…? What in the world are you talking about? That's not something you should say to the person who suffers from cleaning up after Makoto-senpai. And I've been wondering this whole time, but about Makoto-senpai being handsome…"
"Well… Makoto is handsome, isn't she? Her looks are definitely my type. Yes, the problem is that her personality ruins it all."
Why is everyone looking at me like I'm some strange animal? No, I'm telling you, Makoto is handsome, okay?
And you… Disciplinary Head Hina? Why are there suddenly snowflakes swirling around you? Were you really that offended by me complimenting Makoto?
I thought your relationship was just Makoto one-sidedly hating you, but maybe that wasn't the case…
In any case, the conversation ended there. I didn't forget to exchange Momotalk IDs with Iroha just before we left the Pandemonium building.
Before long, we were able to return to the front of the Disciplinary Committee headquarters without incident. The feeling of all the work being done made my body feel drained of strength. Now, after I watch Mad Max in 4D one more time, I can go cling to Nagisa and whine about how tired I am.
Ugh, but I'm glad things worked out well. If they hadn't, the atmosphere wouldn't be this amicable, and my mood would have been terrible.
"You all worked hard today! Especially you, Ako-chan. For coming up with all those plans to persuade Makoto—"
KRA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
"…Huh?"
"That's… in the direction of the cafeteria…?"
"Tch, the only ones who would pull a stunt like this are them!"
Ah.
You again, Gourmet Research Society.
"Drat. In that case, Ako, I'm entrusting you with safely escorting Mika back. Iori, we're moving to suppress the situation immediately."
"Of course, Captain!"
"Mika, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have been able to persuade Makoto so easily. You did well. If we have the chance next time, I hope we can meet somewhere other than our academy."
"…Hina-chan, can you wait just a moment?"
"Hmm?"
I quickly pulled out my phone and launched Momotalk. My list of friends, which had grown just a little since I first possessed Mika's body, appeared.
Opening the chatroom with the damnable demon I'd had a simple conversation with recently, I began to type quickly.
[Haruna-chan~ What are you up to right now?]
Surprisingly, it only took 30 seconds for a reply to come back. You're still checking your Momotalk in the middle of all this?
[Haruna-chan] [Oh my, Vice-Captain Mika. It's been a while since you contacted me first. I'm delighted!] [I was just exploring the path of gastronomy in our academy's cafeteria until a moment ago.] [But the fish that came out for lunch had such a strong fishy smell, you know? To the point where it seemed they didn't try to remove the smell at all.] [So I blew it up♡ I heard the Disciplinary Committee Head is on campus, so I plan to hide in the cafeteria storeroom for a while.]
Oh, for heaven's sake. Don't tell me Fuuka is with her too.
"Hina-chan? The culprit is hiding inside the cafeteria storeroom☆"
"…Hmm? Mika, how do you know that?"
"I'll explain later if I get the chance, so shouldn't you get going now?"
"Fine, you wouldn't talk nonsense, Mika. I'll trust you on this one. We're moving out, Iori!"
I'm sorry, Haruna. But you're the one at fault for blowing it up. You understand, right? Honestly, I sympathize with you on the fishy smell, but there's no way in hell I could just ignore it with Hina standing right next to me.
By the way, Hina doesn't have her gun right now. I wonder if she'll be okay.