Though Trinity had once again taken a slight lead, the overall picture of the competition was about a million light-years away from what I had envisioned.
From the moment Arius was reunited with Trinity, a situation where we couldn't win should have been impossible. The fact that it wasn't was the real problem. I had expected Gehenna to lack any semblance of unity and to have low participation rates.
So what went wrong?
I felt like Black Suit, wanting to repeat the word "Why?" over and over, but I suppressed my anxiety as I approached the winners' podium.
Saori's mistake was an unavoidable accident. I couldn't blame her, nor did I have any intention of doing so.
Azusa's elimination was also understandable. I had seen Iroha and Akari's skills with my own two eyes; they were truly incredible. Just being in the same bracket as them was bad luck.
And Hina being this serious about the competition was completely unexpected. Just from Ako's words, it wasn't hard to figure out that some under-the-table dealings had taken place. Hadn't Iroha teaming up with Hina in the opening match been a sign of things to come?
…It's fine. Excluding the team-focused events on days six and seven, there are still seven events left. That's more than enough time to widen the gap. Besides, as long as we don't completely bomb the team events, which have the most points at stake, it doesn't matter if we fall behind a little before then.
I tried to console myself with these thoughts as I watched Ako present the medals to Akari and Iroha.
Right now, the ones who were feeling worse than me were surely the Gehenna side, who had the chance to pull ahead by seven points but instead ended up giving us a one-point lead. The thought of Trinity being seven points behind right now is truly depressing.
In that sense, our Hifumi saved a life. For real.
"Wanibuchi Akari, second-year of Gehenna Academy… congratulations on the bronze medal. You worked hard…"
Ako, forcing a smile, ground out the words through clenched teeth. I was worried she might chip a tooth. Well, it's no surprise she's unhappy, having to award a medal to a member of a delinquent club she's supposed to be arresting. If it had been a gold or silver medal, maybe, but Ako probably would have preferred Akari not winning any medal at all over having to congratulate her for a one-point bronze. Not that it mattered, since Saori's disqualification had closed that possibility entirely.
"Natsume Iroha, first-year of Gehenna Academy. Congratulations on the silver. For you, this was quite a decent performance. Even if you got passed at the end."
"...Excuse me. It's a pain to just stand here, so could you just give me the medal instead of talking?"
Iroha, for someone who had lost by a hair's breadth, didn't look too upset. It was almost as if she had already achieved her goal…? Hmm. I'm not sure. Both Hina and Iroha seemed to have no intention of satisfying my curiosity.
Hasumi must have known how much I adore Hifumi because she offered to let me present the gold medal without me even having to ask. Thanks to her, I was able to receive the medal and stand before Hifumi myself.
By the way, Hifumi seemed awkward in the spotlight, fidgeting until I approached, at which point she froze up completely. It seems she doesn't really enjoy this much attention.
"Ajitani Hifumi, first-year of Trinity Integrated Academy. I sincerely congratulate you on your gold medal. This was a victory you earned in an incredibly tough race, so I hope you'll be a little more proud of yourself."
"Ahaha… thank you, Mika."
"Oh, and I'll get you that Peroro merchandise I promised. Just tell me what you want!"
"R-Really?!"
Hifumi's eyes lit up as she asked. Why does she look happier now than when she actually won the gold medal?
"Ahaha, of course! You can even ask for two items ☆."
As long as it's not a request to fish Perorozilla out of the ocean, anything is fine. I do not want to see Perorozilla running rampant on the Trinity campus…
"T-Two of them…?! Ahaha…"
"H-Hifumi?!"
Unable to contain her excitement, Hifumi's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed backward. I wondered how happy you had to be to actually faint, but I managed to catch her before she hit her head on the ground.
"Well… I guess I have no choice. I should probably take her to the joint medical services tent. It was nice seeing you after so long, Ako!"
"Wh-What is it? It's creepy, so don't be so friendly with me. No, instead of talking to me, go and treat our Head Prefect better!"
"...Ahaha. I was just genuinely happy to see you. That hurts my feelings a little."
"If you're going to get your feelings hurt by something like that, maybe you should take a good look at your own behavior first. And let me tell you, from now on, you'd better send our Head Prefect a MomoTalk every single morning. And don't you dare forget to call her often. For your information, the Head Prefect's birthday is February 19th. Don't just wait for the MomoTalk notification and scramble to prepare something at the last minute; make sure you celebrate it properly. And another thing—"
Hmm… I can understand, just a little, why Ako is acting like this. As Hina's self-appointed cupid, she must have heard about what happened yesterday. And if she heard about what happened at Millenium before that, she probably knows there are at least half a dozen girls around me who are into me.
But, I swear, I'm innocent. I've never once actively tried to seduce anyone.
"—I really thought you were someone worthy of our Head Prefect, but then you go and openly declare you're going to two-time her! And what's with the Head Prefect just accepting it?! She doesn't lack for anything, so what's so great about… ugh!"
"Ah, umm. Hey, Ako…?"
No, I just said a single farewell. And Ako just dropped a massive bomb.
"Ah, and most importantly, the day the Head Prefect sighs because of you, you had better be prepared!"
"I see… But Ako, now that you've said your piece, maybe you should take a look around…?"
Ako, who had been rattling off her demands in a machine-gun-like torrent, finally seemed to come to her senses and looked around. Her face turned deathly pale.
"Hic."
She let out a hiccup and hung her head low.
To be honest, if I had wanted to stop Ako from blabbing about my relationships to the entire world, I would have done it long ago. But after thinking about it for a moment, I realized there was no need to stop her. It's better to take the hit now than to deal with a scandal breaking later. That's what I figured.
Hmm… and, true to her reputation as the Head Prefect's number one fan, Ako was so lost in her rant that she was kind of cute, so that's another reason I didn't stop her. You could feel how much she adores Hina just by listening to her.
"Well then… good luck, Ako!"
"W-Whaat?! Wait! If you just leave, the Head Prefect will kill me!"
"Hey, don't you think this is your own fault for making such a scene? I think you're just reaping what you sowed."
"N-No! Then at least put in a good word for me with the Head Prefect…!"
"You know, I don't think you need to worry about that. What you really should be worried about are the reporters, don't you think?"
"..."
Ako squeezed her eyes shut and let out a silent groan.
As I said before, she reaped what she sowed.
"...I see. The reason you kept giving me desserts, Lady Mika, was because you were after me all along. I'm glad I realized it before it was too late. I suppose I should thank Senior Administrator Amau for this."
"No, that's not it at all…"
Ah, I should have just left sooner. This time it's Hasumi trying to drag my reputation through the mud.
Before long, Chronos School will be calling me an unprecedented philanderer, or publishing articles like "The Secret Private Life of the Promiscuous Tea Party Host." At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if an article titled "Did Misono Mika Sleep Her Way to the Top to Become Millenium's Idol?!" came out.
"I don't even know anymore… Just take care of Ako, Hasumi. I'm leaving."
I shifted the unconscious Hifumi in my arms into a princess carry and made a swift escape. I could hear Ako wailing something behind me, but frankly, it wasn't my problem.
I quickly entered the athlete waiting room to grab Hifumi's belongings. As I stepped outside the floating grandstand, Hifumi's Peroro bag was now slung over my shoulder. Her change of clothes and everything else were inside that hideous bag, so I had no choice but to take it. I really don't think I can ever join the Peroro fan club. All hail Lord Wavecat.
…So, where was the joint medical services tent again? Was it right on the border between Trinity and Gehenna?
How far had I gone, trying to avoid the crowds pouring out of the stands after the day's events, when a group of familiar girls blocked my path?
"...Mika, are you going to eat Hifumi now, too?"
"Eh? Atsuko, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's a misunderstanding."
"Yep, I know."
Atsuko, with a radiant smile, stuck out her tongue. Seeing her so much more lively after mingling with other Trinity students, I didn't feel too bad about being teased.
"Still, I can't help but be jealous. I hope you'll hold me like that next time, Mika."
"Ahaha…"
But could you maybe refrain from making such difficult requests…?
"So, this was Azusa's and Saori's decision?"
I had vaguely predicted this might happen. Knowing Saori, who prioritizes the squad above herself, it wouldn't be strange for her to want to share the day I had promised the two of them with the rest of the squad. Azusa, too, had grown much closer to the squad compared to her in-game counterpart.
"...Atsuko and Hiyori said they wanted to spend a day with you, too. If you're okay with it, Mika, we'd like them to join us."
"Yeah, because the squad is family."
"Hmm. I see~. So Misaki isn't joining?"
I turned my gaze to Misaki, whose entire upper body was covered by a rash guard. Even so, the bandages around her neck were still visible, and it didn't look like it would be easy for her to enjoy the water.
By the way, my Arius girls, except for Azusa, never even got swimsuits in the original game. They've all become so happy here…
"...I already said no. Her name is Hifumi, right? I'll take her to the medical tent."
"Misaki has been hanging out only with the Remedial Knights lately… we've been completely pushed to the side. Is our squad going to fall apart one day, too? Is this all because I was annoying her about her clothes…?"
"That's not it."
Watching Misaki take Hifumi from my arms, a strange feeling came over me. Like Saori, her mask made it hard to read her expression, but I had a feeling that underneath it, an interesting expression was forming.
"Wa—ow. I see… so you've gotten that close with Serina. I see, I see…"
"...Shut up. It's not like that, so mind your own business."
"Ahaha! Misaki, you always start by denying everything, don't you? But even Saori wouldn't fall for that last one."
"I didn't fall for it, but why am I being brought into this…?"
Seeing Saori mutter to herself, a small laugh escaped me. Misaki shook her head, silently turned her back, and began to walk towards the medical tent.
"Thank you for helping Misaki, Mika."
Looking at Misaki, who was clearly doing much better than before, Atsuko thanked me. From what I could see, Misaki had either found some mental peace or was very close to it.
"It looks like Misaki will be the first to escape the 'Go-Home Club.' I'm a little jealous. There's a club I want to join, too."
Just as Atsuko said, maybe not this year, but next year, I might see a Misaki who has joined the Remedial Knights.
Leaving Misaki in the care of the Remedial Knights was the best decision I ever made.
"Hey Atsuko, that club… you're talking about the Tea Party, right?"
"...It's a secret."
No, Atsuko. You have to join the Tea Party. The only ones who can inherit the throne are you or Hanako…!
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