Walking along the beach hand in hand with Nagisa, it was inevitable that we would draw some stares.
For one, I'm basically a public figure, and for another, our outfits practically screamed "couple." We were wearing swimsuits of a similar color, after all. Since we weren't a couple when we picked them out for each other, I have to assume it was a coincidence. Then again, I do remember placating Nagisa by suggesting we buy matching straw hats…
Maybe even back then, deep down, I suspected she might have feelings for me. Perhaps I'd picked up on the signs but subconsciously ignored them because of my own overwhelming guilt.
In any case, has Nagisa grown more accustomed to the public eye? She didn't seem to mind the people watching us at all. She looked so happy and content that it was making me happy, too.
But then, in a single instant, Nagisa's mood, which had been as gentle as a spring day, transformed into a blizzard of biting winter wind. It all happened the moment we ran into someone from Gehenna.
"Hello, Mika. And Kirifuji."
"…Ms. Sorasaki."
Aware that Nagisa had yet to officially reveal her position as a Host, Hina addressed her with a formal, distant surname. That, combined with her usual icy expression, sent a chill through the air.
The moment Nagisa saw Hina, her face clouded over with that dark expression she sometimes wore. Watching her return the greeting so grimly made the air feel thick and hard to breathe.
This was just with Hina. What on earth would happen if she ran into Haruna? The thought alone was terrifying, but I knew it was a situation that would eventually come to pass, and the worry was already settling in.
"Ahaha, well look who it is! If it isn't Hina, who declared war on me not too long ago. And…"
Still, it didn't seem like any major trouble would break out between Nagisa and Hina right now. The presence of the person standing next to Hina made sure of that.
"Good to see you, President of the General Student Council!"
"Yes. It's a pleasure to see you as well, Tea Party Host. Though I must say, every time we meet, your words seem to carry less and less weight."
"Ahaha, well, we're not exactly strangers who need to hide behind stuffy masks anymore, are we?"
"I wonder, is it truly just a persona? Why is the Tea Party Host so certain that it doesn't suit her? It is only natural for a person to wear many faces—"
"Aah, stop! Hey, President, just wondering, but did Hina put you up to this? Did she ask you to fry my brain with complicated talk?"
"Pardon?"
I don't know why I'm hearing a familiar way of speaking from someone I don't know well, but on a beautiful day like today, I have no patience for such tiring conversation. None at all.
"Mika, I didn't know you saw me as someone who would resort to such cheap tricks. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed."
"Hey, don't be like that, Hina! It was just a joke, you know."
I tried to soothe the pouting Hina when I felt Nagisa squeeze the hand she was holding. It wasn't painful, more like a pleasantly firm pressure, but I decided to play along. Nagisa getting jealous just because I was being a little friendly with Hina was just too cute. I never knew she was this possessive.
But the General Student Council President isn't even wearing a swimsuit on a day like this. At least wear something a bit cooler. Isn't she hot standing there like that? She's really something else.
On the other hand, my dear Hina…
"By the way, Hina, why are you covering up such a pretty swimsuit? Ahah, so cute!"
"...Hmph?!"
She was wearing a two-piece swimsuit similar to Swimsuit Hifumi's from the game, complete with a lace garter on her thigh. Though she was hiding behind a beach towel, I couldn't see the full design, but I could get the gist of it from the sides.
"And you did your hair so nicely today. It looks amazing on you! If you went around like this all the time, I bet the delinquents wouldn't be able to handle your beauty."
"...Stop teasing me, Mika."
"Ahaha! But I'm being completely serious ☆."
And what do you know, her hairstyle was different today, with a few braids mixed in. Is this Ako's work too? Hina blushed at the compliment but didn't turn away.
Considering she agreed to see a horror movie with me, and factoring in her feelings for me, it seems like Ako is playing cupid behind the scenes. Ako, Hina's ever-loyal dog, playing matchmaker… I can't quite picture it. Wouldn't Ako's personality be more along the lines of, 'Why is our Head Prefect showing interest in the likes of you?!'
Well, I suppose that doesn't really matter.
"…Mika. If you're going to compliment someone else like that right in front of your own girlfriend, then I, too, will get a little angry."
I think I might have praised Hina a little too enthusiastically, because Nagisa seemed to be getting upset.
That was the first time I'd ever heard her call herself my girlfriend, so I couldn't quite gauge how angry she was. But it was clear she was upset enough to completely ignore the presence of the General Student Council President. Her eyes and mouth were smiling, but her gaze and voice were so cold it was frightening. This was the kind of mood where she'd shove a roll cake into my mouth without changing her expression.
But it didn't end there.
"You've been blessed with a fortune you don't deserve, yet you're so insecure you get jealous over something so trivial? It seems you lack the confidence to protect Mika."
"What did you just say?"
"Why are you so surprised? You must have expected this, didn't you? That neither I nor Kurodate would give up on Mika so easily."
"...How is it that Mika is surrounded by nothing but shameless stray cats? The audacity."
A fire had suddenly erupted. Hina lit the match, but it was Nagisa who burst into flames.
Given Nagisa's track record of taking Azusa and Mutsuki aside to "talk them down" only to fail spectacularly, I figured I'd have to be the one to draw the line with Hina. I couldn't trust Nagisa with this.
"Hey, Hina. I really appreciate the sentiment, but I am dating Nagi, so…"
"Mika… do you really think that's enough to make me give up?"
Um, excuse me? Normally, that is where you give up, Hina. That's just the unspoken rule of the world. Adultery is a crime.
I was about to say something along those lines when I saw the wavering look in Hina's eyes, and the words caught in my throat.
"You were the first to take my hand. The first to link arms with me. The first to hug me. The one who understood my struggles. The one who taught me the joys of everyday life…"
As Hina continued, was it just my imagination, or was Nagisa's glare slowly shifting from Hina to me?
…I didn't think so. Hearing it like that, it really did sound like I'd been giving her every reason to hope.
I took her hand because I thought that was normal among girls. I linked arms with her because I thought we'd gotten a little closer. I hugged her because I have a weakness for cute things. I understood her struggles because I knew she'd eventually unload them onto Sensei, so I just stepped in to comfort her first. The fact that I was the Tea Party Host and could relate was just a bonus. And teaching her the joys of everyday life… that was an extension of the same thing. I just wanted Hina, who was always buried in work, to enjoy her school days, even just a little.
It wouldn't have been strange for Hina to interpret all of that a little differently. And the result of that was the situation right in front of me.
"It was only natural that I fell for someone so kind. But as much as you are precious to me… I don't want to be someone who isn't precious to you."
Ah, this is bad.
I just don't have it in me to crush the feelings of Hina, who had finally opened her heart to me, so earnestly.
A thought suddenly struck me. Was there anyone in the world who was a worse coward than me?
"I'm not going to complain and ask why you chose Kirifuji when I was the first to confess my feelings. If it weren't for Kurodate, all of us would have probably just hesitated without ever telling you how we feel."
"...As much as it pains me to admit, I cannot deny that. But that doesn't mean I approve of your feelings, Sorasaki. Still, it seems I'll have to do something about this unfaithful woman's bad habit of flirting with everyone."
"Hmm. An interesting thing to say. That 'bad habit' is only a problem in the eyes of those of us who have fallen for Mika. Her kindness to everyone is her greatest strength, and it's the reason people gather around her. As someone who has been helped by that kindness immensely, I find your words not only interesting but also absurd."
"So you're saying I should just stand by while she seduces every woman she meets… and will undoubtedly continue to seduce?"
"No. That's not it, Kirifuji. I'm just saying it's absurd to talk about fixing something that can't be fixed. If, by some chance, Mika had shown me kindness with ulterior motives, I never would have fallen for her like this."
Hina's gaze, which had been fixed on Nagisa throughout their conversation, returned to me.
"And I am not so naive as to be unable to see through such shallow intentions. Mika is a person with a heart kind enough to reach out to anyone, regardless of their school affiliation, Kirifuji. Do you, who speak of 'correcting' that kindness simply because you don't like it, truly have the right to call yourself Mika's partner?"
"Huhu… Your words are quite eloquent, but in the end, they are nothing more than sophistry, Sorasaki. If our positions were reversed, are you confident you could repeat those exact same words without missing a single syllable? Are you, really?"
"..."
"You see? You are no different from me. Your rhetoric of praising Mika's positive qualities while subtly trying to undermine me is quite impressive for a student of Gehenna, but—"
"Nagisa, stop. Whatever you do, don't bring her school into it. You know how hard I'm working on this… And Hina, you too. Stop criticizing Nagisa. The responsibility for this situation lies with me."
How can I turn her down in a way that will hurt her as little as possible? It's really not easy. If Hina, who finally opened up to me, gets hurt by this and suffers in secret, then all I will have done is alleviate one of a girl's burdens only to carve a new wound in its place.
"So you do know. I'm a little surprised."
"It's a relief that you at least know who the problem is."
But as if they had been waiting for it, the two of them spoke at the same time, saying almost the same thing. They looked at each other with a strange sense of kinship before whipping their heads away. It was like something out of a comedy routine. But I was the one person who couldn't laugh.
"...You know, your little love triangle drama is certainly fascinating, but we are all here today with a job to do, so please put those feelings aside for now. Chairman Kirifuji, please come with me… Head Prefect of Gehenna and Tea Party Host, you two should prepare for the opening match."
In the end, it was the General Student Council President who put a stop to the untimely drama.
The two of them stared daggers at each other, as if to say this isn't over, until the President cleared her throat. Only then did Nagisa click her tongue, give me a light peck on the cheek, and walk over to the President's side.
Naturally, Hina came over to me, deliberately moving to the opposite side of where she'd been standing. And then, she filled the space Nagisa's hand had just occupied with her own.
"..."
Seeing Nagisa bite her lip, I instinctively tried to pull my hand away, but the thought of hurting Hina stopped me, and I let her hold it.
Watching the two of them, one ecstatic and one devastated, I started to feel like I might end up setting Kivotos on fire with my own two hands.
Maybe the right answer here is to brace myself for a beating that could kill me and, like the coward I am, just promise to take responsibility for both of them and make them happy. The thought just popped into my head.
…Yep, there was no doubt about it. I was the worst coward of them all.
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