It was a day in late July.
The weather had fully settled into a sweltering summer, and my days were now filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas from early morning, threatening to drive me mad.
As usual, I stopped by the cathedral first, then diligently attended my classes. It was during one of those classes that a question popped into my head.
Am I truly happy right now?
I've always felt that these BD lectures were more like self-study sessions. In my past life, sure, there were some teachers whose classes were a real drag, but there were far more whose lessons were clean, engaging, and fun. Even online lectures had instructors who were genuinely entertaining. But these BD classes were stiff, serving only the purpose of information delivery. They often made me drowsy, which led to my mind wandering like this.
Personally, I believe happiness is a very intuitive concept. If you can't say for certain whether you're happy or not, then you're not happy enough to be satisfied.
So, what is happiness, if not living a diligent and fulfilling life where you manage your studies, hobbies, friendships, and even your work (?) life?
Therefore, I can confidently say that I am happy right now.
Though the unwanted attention I received after my identity as a Tea Party Host was revealed was annoying, it wasn't all that different from before. The reasons people stared had changed, but that was about it. I could live with it.
Since I wasn't fond of being worshipped like the original Mika, I naturally grew distant from the girls who had acted more like followers than friends. If you were to ask if I was sad about it, my answer would be a firm "no."
The girls from the Pater faction, however, still looked up to me. I don't know how those gazes will change when the truth eventually comes out, but for now, that's how things are.
"Lady Mika, did you know a new dessert shop opened downtown? Oh, this is a mille-feuille I bought from there for you!"
"Haha, thank you☆ Still, I feel a bit bad just taking it, so please, take this—"
"I-I couldn't possibly! This isn't something I'm giving you in hopes of getting something in return!"
…If anything, a strange rivalry seems to have formed with the Arius girls, and Pater's devotion can sometimes be so intense it's exhausting.
As for the Arius students, I thought they were split half-and-half between those who supported me and those who were wary, but at some point, they started becoming even more fanatical than Pater. I guess I can understand, since living in Trinity for a few weeks must have shown them a completely different quality of life.
Lost in these thoughts during class, I headed to the Tea Party's private firing range as soon as lunch break started. My goal today wasn't personal training, but rather to feed the two girls who had practically taken over what used to be my exclusive range.
Just as I expected, the moment I stepped inside, the fierce crackle of gunfire assaulted my ears. Hmm, maybe it's more of a training ground than a firing range.
Inside, predators of navy blue and silver were locked in a deadly dance, each aiming for the other's throat. They were none other than Saori, the former leader of Arius's strongest unit, the Squad, and Azusa, her second-in-command.
As far as I knew, Saori was definitively stronger than Azusa, but surprisingly, Azusa was holding her own. I guess that just shows how high Azusa's potential is, and how well she's been keeping up with Saori's training.
As if to prove she wasn't called my little squirrel for nothing, Azusa moved with incredible speed, dazzling Saori's eyes. Watching her weave between bits of cover to harass Saori, I was certain that when it came to utilizing the battlefield environment, Azusa was the Squad's foremost expert.
But Saori was no pushover. She didn't just let Azusa have her way. Predicting Azusa's movements, she used suppressive fire to restrict her path before rushing in to subdue her.
In terms of speed, the smaller Azusa had a clear advantage. But in overall balance, she was no match for the better-built Saori. Just in height alone, there was a good 15cm difference between them.
Saori kicked Azusa's arm, knocking her aim aside, then laid down covering fire with the assault rifle in her other hand. Seeing the bullets slam into Azusa's body made even me wince.
"Ugh…!"
"You've improved, Azusa."
"If I had just feinted one more time, I would have won… A shame."
"Not a shame at all. Now get up. Looks like the owner of this firing range is here."
"...Huh? Mika?"
Finally noticing me watching from a distance, Azusa quickly got to her feet. She walked over with steps so light you'd never imagine she had just taken a merciless barrage of bullets to the body.
"Hi, Mika. Are you here to train?"
"Haha, I have other plans today, so I'll have to pass, sorry☆ I actually came to borrow you two for a bit!"
"...Huh? Borrow us? For what?"
"To get you two some lunch, of course. Oh, Saori-chan! How's the training going?"
Watching Saori's relaxed yet confident stride, I couldn't help but think how cool she was. And those long legs are just cheating! Plus, her outfit shows them off so blatantly that my eyes are just drawn there…
"Ah, it's going well enough. The improved training environment certainly has an effect. Especially the food situation… ahem."
"Yep, for people who move around a lot, eating well is always important! I know your Squad got relatively more support, but Arius's poor conditions probably meant it barely made a difference, right? That makes me even sadder. I wish there was more I could have done for you…"
I still can't forget the Squad's reaction the first time I took them out to eat. Until I declared I'd feed them until they burst and pleaded with them to eat their fill, they kept trying to give their food to each other, and even then, they'd pick at it, trying to make it last. It was a heartbreaking sight.
Thankfully, they've been eating well lately, so they don't do that anymore. If I can't even take care of the Squad, who have practically appointed themselves my personal unit, how could I face my past self who swore to make them happy?
"...Mika, you are a benefactor to us, one we would follow for a lifetime without regret. Everything you've done for us is precious. So please, don't make that face. We're the ones who always feel sorry that there's nothing we can do for you."
"The leader's right, Mika. That… that thing you gave me before…"
"The Skullman T-shirt?"
"Yeah. I'm treasuring it."
"Skullman? You mean that weird-looking skeleton? I don't recall seeing you wear a shirt like that."
"That's because I haven't worn it once."
"...Pfft. Hahahaha! Azusa-chan, I gave it to you to wear! What's the point of treasuring it if you don't wear it? You're unbelievable…!"
In moments like these, I feel like my greatest achievement in this life might just be rescuing the Arius girls from Beatrice's grasp.
The smiles they regained after I returned the daily lives that the Squad, that all of Arius, should have enjoyed—that's all my doing. When I think about it, their smiles become infectious, as if they were my own.
"Oh, by the way, do you know where Hiyori-chan is? I thought you'd all be together."
"Atsuko came and got Hiyori earlier. For the same reason you're here."
"Oh, is that so? That's a shame. I wanted to take Hiyori-chan with us, too. Atsuko-chan seems to be making friends on her own, so I'm not too worried about her, but I worry about you guys…"
"...Mika, the Princess and us are fundamentally different. We are tough weeds that grew up in the gutter; we don't mix well with the flowers raised in a greenhouse. But the Princess is someone who can embrace even those greenhouse flowers—"
"Shh. That's enough self-pity, Saori-chan. Just look at Azusa-chan right next to you. She's already made several new friends. They might still be a little awkward, but I've heard they're getting closer. It means that you guys aren't incapable of getting along with the kids who grew up in Trinity."
Well, I might have given that a little push. But even without it, I'm sure they would have become precious friends to Azusa eventually. I'd rather say the Squad just never had the chance than say it was only possible because it was Azusa.
I walked up to the unconvinced Saori and brought my hand near her face. She didn't even flinch, which gave me a good idea of just how much she trusted me.
"First, let's start by taking off this mask! To be honest, Saori-chan, your eyes are… ah, I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just, your eyes are a little sharp, right? There are definitely people like me who like that cold look, but…"
For some reason, Saori squeezed her eyes shut at that. Beside her, Azusa nodded as if she approved of something. What are you two doing?
"Anyway, sharp eyes like these can be a disadvantage when trying to seem approachable. So accentuating them with a mask isn't a great choice. Yeah, I'm afraid this has got to go☆"
"Ngh…"
I carefully removed Saori's mask. Her eyes widened for a second as she met my gaze, then she quickly looked away. I couldn't help but notice Azusa watching us with rapt attention, as if she needed a bucket of popcorn.
Personally, I think Saori would look good in fashion glasses, but sharp eyes paired with glasses might just make her look even more stern and cold. So that's out.
"Hmm… Come to think of it, you're not using the makeup I bought you, are you?"
"...Mika, I have no idea how to do makeup."
"Haha, come on, Saori-chan! Who in the world knows how to do something without learning first? I'll teach you, so don't worry☆"
I myself didn't know the first thing about makeup, but now I can handle all the basics. Especially eye makeup. That stuff is surprisingly important. I'm not about to go crazy with glitter or anything, but if I had to pick one thing to focus on, that would be it.
Still, I figured since they were high school girls, they'd look things up on their own, so I just gifted them some cosmetics. I guess that didn't apply to Saori.
"Azusa-chan, on the other hand, looks like she's wearing some."
"...Hifumi inspects me every day."
"Hifumi-chan does…? What's that, how cute! Is it a bother?"
"It's annoying, but I'm used to it now… If I leave without it in the morning, Hanako won't let me hear the end of it anyway."
Hmm, it seems having friends really does have a huge impact. I hope Saori can make friends like that too. I'll have to think about who would be a good fit…
"...Ah. By the way, Saori-chan, have you visited the Sisterhood yet?"
"…"
"Hello, Saori-chan~?"
"...No. It completely slipped my mind."
"You have to go, okay? I'm going to check up on it myself later, so don't even think about skipping."
Saori, who had once been at the forefront of protecting the children from Arius's twisted ideology, had at some point become the most deeply indoctrinated herself. She had been forced into a position where she had to teach it to the others.
Perhaps that's why Saori is having a harder time adjusting to her new life. If so, spending time with the people of the Sisterhood might be an effective way to slowly correct her ideology.
Atsuko was making friends on her own, and Misaki seems to be getting a lot of attention from Mine and Serina since I left her with the Remedial Knights. In fact, one of my tasks for today is to visit the Knights to check on Misaki's condition in more detail.
In the end, the problems are Hiyori and Saori.
I tried to introduce Hiyori to Hifumi and Hanako, just like I did with Azusa, but she refused. Maybe she's not ready to form new connections yet. It'd be nice if there was someone who could just push her into it without giving her a choice, like I do. But that just leads me back to a "Help me, Hifumi-emon!" situation, doesn't it?
"Okay, first, you two should go wash up! After that… we're going to get some ma la tang."
"...Ma la tang?"
"I've had that with Hifumi before. I swore I'd try a spicier one next time."
The deadly poison that Shanhaijing unleashed upon Kivotos. My tastes must have changed since becoming a high school girl, because I love it so much I could die. For real.
Come to think of it, I don't think tteokbokki exists in Kivotos. Trinity and Gehenna each have student populations in the tens of thousands. If I were to drop a proven favorite among high school girls like tteokbokki into Kivotos…?
Hmm, I'm suddenly smelling money. Hmm…