Ten minutes. After being freed from the guilt that had been crushing me, I was able to fly as free as a butterfly for exactly ten minutes before a gale-force wind named 'karma' came crashing down on me again.
"…You're too close."
"Fufu, am I? We plan on getting even closer from now on."
"I see. Then I'll offer my congratulations, Nagisa-san."
"Yes. Thank you, Atsuko-san."
"In old Kivotos, they had a system of concubines."
"…?"
"And among the past student council presidents of Arius, there was one who had a 'harem.'"
"…Absolutely not. I will never permit such a thing!"
This was what happened the moment the Squad joined us as Nagisa and I were walking away, our hands intertwined.
"Leader, is that true?"
"Atsuko tends to know things others don't, but… that's…"
"Hah, as if. That's obviously something the Princess just made up."
"I don't know the details, but I'm for it… If Mika-chan abandons us, the life that had just become a little less difficult, a little less painful, will go right back to how it was…!"
To be honest, I could accept that the Squad had developed feelings for me more easily than the others. I mean, I pulled them out of the mud, freed them from a life of being used by a wicked adult, and saved them from rock bottom. It was, by all accounts, a classic salvation narrative. That's why, even when Atsuko was being a bit clingy or expressing her affection, I never thought it was particularly strange.
But there has to be a limit.
Including Azusa, who is still a part of the Squad, a total of four of them had either shown or indirectly revealed their feelings for me. At least Misaki had said with her own mouth that she wasn't interested.
Wait, is that really a good thing? Whether it's four or five, it's still an insane battlefield. And if it were just the Squad, that would be one thing, but then there was Haruna, who had fired the starting gun, and Hina, who had jumped on the bandwagon…
"Let me make one thing clear right here and now. Mika-san is mine. I have no intention of giving her up to any—"
"Then we'll just have to take her."
"…Excuse me?"
"It's simple. We have always lived a life of having things taken from us, so I think it would be fine for us to be the ones doing the taking for once."
"…If that is your stance, then by all means, struggle as much as you like, Atsuko-san. I will use any means necessary to protect what is mine."
Hey, girls, why are you talking about me like I'm some kind of object you can just pass around…?
"Yes, I plan to. But know this. The Arius Squad is a small family. And as they say, we're the kind of family that shares even a single bean."
"Wait a moment, that's cheating!"
"I read in a book that there are no cheap tricks in love. There are only winners and losers. I'm curious to see how many of us you can fend off by yourself, Nagisa-san. If you had just agreed to the old ways, you could have at least been treated as the main wife. It's a bit of a pity."
"…Whether you bring ten or a hundred, I will never give her up. So you would be wise to give up, Atsuko-san."
"Hmph. You're scared, aren't you, Nagisa-san? How cute. I think I understand why Mika-oneechan chose you."
With those words, Atsuko came up on my other side, the one Nagisa wasn't holding, and linked her arm through mine. Despite being in an unintentional 'rose between two thorns' situation, I didn't push her away. Nagisa shot me a resentful glare, her nails digging slightly into the back of my hand.
"What are you doing, Mika-san? Why are you just letting her do that? I know it's our first day, but if you act like this, it makes me feel hurt…"
"Ahaha, well… Atsuko-chan is my savior, so…?"
"Is that your excuse this time…? Hah. I'll be waiting to see what excuse you come up with next."
We arrived back in Trinity late at night. The long nerve war between the two of them, which had lasted for hours, finally came to an end during the journey when they both got tired and fell asleep, leaning on my shoulders.
I knew this was only the beginning. Nagisa had said something to me today, something like, 'I knew you were a fickle person, but…' Seeing Atsuko today, I wasn't confident how long I could maintain my fidelity to Nagisa. This was all my just deserts.
The incident, which had begun with Haruna's small flutter of wings and had nearly thrown all of Kivotos into a state of emergency, seemed to be more or less concluded. The cleanup wasn't completely finished, but after a week, as we entered August, the schedule for handling the related matters had been somewhat ironed out.
"Lady Mika, an article about you has been posted by Chronos School…!"
"Ahaha, really? Just a second~! I'll check it out after I finish this. Thanks for letting me know!"
"Umm… I think you should check it right now…"
"Hmm?"
What is it? The only article Chronos School could possibly be publishing is the one about the idol group that the three academies agreed on.
[A Shootout in Millennium City! Is This the Grand Debut of a Super-Idol Group?!]
Oh, right, right. That's all true. We decided to conquer Kivotos with our idol business. I nodded along with the expected content, wondering why this was cause for such a fuss, when another article caught my eye.
[The Secret Private Life of Trinity's Tea Party Host—Exposed!!!]
Excuse me?
"Whoa-oh?"
I hurriedly clicked on the article. The first thing that greeted me was a completely unexpected photo.
[A single photo, first posted to the Trinity Bamboo Forest this past April, has belatedly become a hot topic following the recent reveal of the Tea Party Host's identity. With one of the two students in the photo confirmed to be Tea Party Host Misono Mika (16), the relationship between her and the other student has come under intense scrutiny.]
"Wait, this picture was taken without my knowledge…"
Nagisa and I both knew about the Bamboo Forest, but neither of us had the time to browse it, so I had no idea this had been posted.
"Hey, about this photo being on the Bamboo Forest. Did you know about it before this article came out?"
"…I apologize. I… did know."
"Aha, is that so? Then why wasn't this ever reported to us?"
"…"
"Hey, why are you silent? Hm? When the photo was posted, I hadn't revealed my identity, so it might not have been a big deal then. But that's not the case now, is it? So why wasn't it reported? That's a little strange."
If they had been completely unaware, I would have just figured they were slacking off. But hearing that they knew makes me feel a bit resentful. Well, it's not like they secretly kept the photo for themselves, right? Of course not. In that case, the only problem is that Nagisa's identity might be revealed as well…
"Hmm… Well, is there really a need to try and cover it up? Let's just coolly announce that she's a second-year member of the Tea Party with whom I have a close personal friendship☆ There's no need to reveal that Nagi-chan is a Host, right?"
"Y-Yes, of course! We will handle it exactly as you've instructed, Lady Mika!"
Now that this has become a public issue, my friendship with Nagisa is bound to come under the spotlight. Eyewitness accounts will pop up like mushrooms after rain. Unlike when I was with Hina, I never bothered to disguise myself when I was out with Nagisa. In short, while the two of us being together was a familiar sight within Trinity, to the reporters at Chronos School, it was just a juicy story.
But the article wasn't over.
…What is this?
A sense of foreboding stabbed me in the back of my head. I scrolled down and immediately squeezed my eyes shut, desperately hoping that the photo I had just seen was a hallucination. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be revealed like this, not yet…!
[The shocking secrets of the Tea Party Host's private life did not end there. In several photos recently submitted to Chronos School, the Tea Party Host was surprisingly spotted this past May, strolling through the D.U. with a student with whom she shares a secret relationship.]
No, why would someone take a picture of that? And why would they report it to Chronos School now?!
[With the cooperation of Millennium Science School, this reporter was able to verify that the Trinity student in the photo is indeed the Tea Party Host. This then raises another question: who is the other student in the photo? Though her features were mostly concealed, based on this reporter's experience writing articles about the student in question, it was not difficult to identify her as Sorasaki Hina (16), the Head Prefect of Gehenna.]
Oh, it's over. My grand plan is completely ruined…!
[With the revelation that the friendship between the student council president of Trinity General School and the Head Prefect of Gehenna Academy—two famously rival institutions—dates back to before the recent Millennium idol incident, all eyes are on the future direction of the relationship between the two academies—]
BANG BANG BANG!
"Lady Mika! We of Pater demand an explanation for this! How dare you, how dare you engage in a personal friendship with a horned wench from Gehenna!"
The ones who had burst into my office were the more radical students from Pater, the ones who were particularly hardline against Gehenna. I suspected they were the same ones who would have been at the forefront of assaulting Mika in the original story.
Ah, maybe I should just quit…
By the way, where are these kids getting their confidence from?
"Hey, I have a question. Is that the position of Pater as a whole, or just your own?"
"…It is the position of all of Pater, of course! We will never accept coexistence with Gehenna!"
"Ahaha, really? That's funny. Then why is it that of all the students in Pater, I only see you few? And the most radical ones at that."
"Th-That's…"
Just because Pater is a hardline faction doesn't mean it's filled exclusively with kids screaming for all-out war. There are students who simply believe they can't be friends with Gehenna, and a small minority who are more or less indifferent.
Generally, the direction of a group is set by the faction with the loudest voice. Politics is a different story, but not everyone in Pater is interested in politics. Pater is, at the end of the day, a faction that was once a separate branch campus; it's a stretch to call it a full-fledged political party.
I mean, they're not old foxes with decades of experience playing politics. How could a group of kids not even twenty years old form a real political party? The politics that take place among the heads of the various factions is at a surprisingly high level, even to me, who was just an ordinary person in my twenties. I have to admit that. But when you look at these kids, the standard drops dramatically. Their leaders might be engaged in a daily war of words and pens, but the rank-and-file can't do much more than just raise their voices.
"Besides, are you perhaps looking down on me? If not… hmm, I really don't understand where you get the confidence to point your guns at me. Do you realize that what you're doing right now is just one step away from a coup d'état?"
"…B-But you're the one who betrayed us first, Lady Mika! You, who said you'd rather die than be friendly with the horned wretches from Gehenna, were actually friends with their Head Prefect! Y-You traitor!"
"Hah… First, could you lower those guns? I don't want my office turned into a mess. Nagi-chan would be sad. And if Nagi-chan is sad, I might get a little angry with you."
Recently, Nagisa's belongings have been slowly multiplying in this office. That's why I don't want a fight to break out here. I'd like to resolve this with words if possible, but can I really persuade these kids, the very definition of hardliners?
"I'm not saying I don't understand why you would use the word 'betrayal.' It's a situation where it wouldn't be strange to see it that way."
"Then, take responsibility for—"
"Honestly, could you not interrupt me when I'm talking like that? It's just a waste of time for both of us. So just be quiet and listen to what I have to say."
Seeing their dissatisfied faces and betrayed eyes was giving me a headache. So much so that I was starting to wonder if I could just replace them with the Arius girls.
"You know, I think the hatred that our Pater faction harbors for Gehenna is a meaningless and unnecessary emotion. Given Trinity's power structure, we can never declare war on Gehenna, no matter what we do. If you want a military government under Pater's rule, achieved by completely overthrowing the current system, then I have no intention of cooperating with that."
"…"
"Ahaha, it looks like that's what you were hoping for. But listen, do you really think the General Student Council would just stand by and watch a war break out between us and Gehenna? The GSC President herself proposed a peace treaty with Gehenna to me not long ago. The chances of that happening are practically zero."
"A p-peace treaty! With those horned wretches from Gehenna…? There's no way we would ever agree to something so ridiculous!"
"That's not the point. The point is that the GSC has shown its intention to intervene in the conflict between us and Gehenna. No matter what you do, unless I lead you myself, you cannot turn the tide. And I have no intention of doing so. That's why I created an opportunity for you all, didn't I?"
"If you're talking about that childish competition—"
"Ahaha! What are you talking about? Are you trying to joke with me right now? Childish? We're not even adults yet, so what's wrong with settling things with a childish game? I set the stage for you. If you can't even show them you can crush Gehenna there, then that's just your level. A war led by kids who can't even win a child's game… the thought alone is hilarious☆"
"…Lady Mika, it seems this conversation has strayed from the point, so I will ask again. Please give us a clear explanation regarding your personal friendship with the Gehenna Head Prefect."
The student who seemed to be the ringleader of this incident let out a small sigh and pointed me out in a much calmer tone. I guess even delinquents are still Trinity students at the end of the day.
"I just happened to make a friend who has a lot on her plate. Do you need more of an explanation than that? My term as Host is almost over anyway. Impeaching me now for such a trivial reason would be a bad move for you, too. So, after my term is over, I'll step down as your leader and leave Pater. Then you should have no complaints, right?"
"…Do you truly not understand that it is not such a simple matter, Lady Mika? Sanctus has agreed to yield the upcoming Host term to us. In support of your re-election! How can you, knowing that, betray us in this way…!"
"Whoa-oh…?"
Wait, what is this fresh nonsense? They're yielding the Host term? My re-election?
"…Hey, can one of you go get Seia-chan? And in the meantime, I'd like the rest of you to shut your mouths and be quiet. Any child who doesn't listen… had better be prepared☆"
Just you try making an excuse about your health and not showing up, my little fox. If you do, I'll make you wish you had just faced the halo bomb instead.