"Even if you glare at this old lady like that, you're not going to get anything out of it…"
With the sudden and unexpected arrival of our guests from Abydos, our single small table was now far too crowded. We tried pushing two tables together, but the atmosphere between Saori and Hoshino was tense.
"How shameless. Since when did pointing a gun at the back of a stranger's head become a mere prank?"
"Haaahm But the chamber was empty, and Mika-chan didn't seem to mind… so it's all good, isn't it?"
"Hah, just because Mika is needlessly kind to everyone doesn't justify your actions."
"So uptight~. But this old lady agrees that Mika-chan is almost too nice. I didn't think she'd be this much of a pushover, though…"
At first, it was a one-sided confrontation, with Saori ready to tear into her. I suppose that was a natural reaction for Saori, who considers me her savior, after seeing Hoshino threaten me.
"Uheh~ The only reason this old lady came to this festival was to give Mika-chan a little scolding."
"...You came here to scold Mika?"
"Haaahm~ It's a bit of a long story… This old lady and Nonomi-chan here go to a school called Abydos High. Ever heard of it?"
"I know it was once one of the most powerful and wealthy academies in Kivotos, but due to decades of desertification, its former glory has vanished without a trace."
"Mmm… it hurts a little when you put it like that, but it's true~. Abydos is in massive debt to a loan company called Kaiser Loan. We were in a situation where we could barely even afford the interest payments…"
Surprisingly, Hoshino was a little different from the version I knew from the original game. A sharp glint subtly emanated from her usually lazy-looking eyes. Yes, almost like the Hoshino from her first-year days. Though, to be precise, she was somewhere between her first-year self and her in-game self. Since she's a second-year at this point, I guess it's not that surprising.
"And then, one day, gangs like the Helmet Gang started running rampant in the Abydos district… Man, I really thought we were done for back then~."
"If it weren't for the anonymous donation that started around that time, Hoshino-senpai and I wouldn't have even been able to come to a fun festival like this~! Thanks to the support, we were able to solve our supply problems, and now our situation has improved so much that we have about three months' worth of interest payments saved up as a surplus."
"Uheh So basically, this anonymous donor is like a savior to us. Thanks to that support, this old lady was able to get her act together a little faster."
"I don't think I need to hear who this 'anonymous donor' is to know…"
Saori glanced at me and smirked. That smug look was getting on my nerves. I wanted to grab her handsome cheeks, which were now on full display since she'd taken off her mask to eat, and stretch them out.
"Ahaha… That was all I could really do to help. By the way, Hoshino, how did you even find out it was me and come all this way? My name isn't on the debit card…"
"Heh— Well, the card Mika-chan sent us never seemed to run out of money, no matter how much we used it, so I went to the bank, and they told me the owner's name right away~. Mika-chan, do people tell you you're careless a lot?"
"Wa—ow…?"
No, how is that even possible? What kind of bank employees are these? At this rate, they'd probably let you look up any lost card you find.
"Mmm, still, I should say thank you where it's due. Thanks for the donation, Mika-chan. It really was a huge help~."
"...Ahaha, I'm glad I could hel—"
"But, you know, this old lady thinks Mika-chan needs a good scolding before she'll learn her lesson~."
"...Huh? Me? Why?"
Hoshino rummaged through her bag and pulled out…
"Gasp, so it's true, the 'Torn Hoshino'…"
"Uheh I don't know what you're talking about, but I suddenly feel like tearing Mika-chan to shreds."
"..."
It was a pink envelope, creased and torn in places. It was the first and last letter I had ever sent to Hoshino. It was a while ago, but I still remember it quite vividly.
Hoshino opened it and took out the letter. Unlike the battered envelope, the letter itself was mostly pristine, with only a few creases in the corner.
"Let's see… 'From a certain angel who learned of your circumstances ☆.'"
…Ah.
Excuse me, Lady Hoshino. You're not, are you?
You're not seriously planning on reading my letter out loud in front of four other people, are you…?
"'To the Vice-President of Abydos High School. Hello? This is the first time I'm sending a letter to someone, so it feels a little awkward! So, I thought I'd start with a little icebreaker.'"
"...KYAAAAAAAA!!! S-Stop it! Hoshino, if your goal was to humiliate me, you've already succeeded! Please, just stop!"
"Hmm~? This old lady had no such intention. Well then, next up is…"
"If you won't stop, then I'll make you…!"
Just as I was about to stand up to put an end to this horrifying public shaming, someone grabbed my wrist. It was Atsuko, her eyes sparkling with a look that made her desires perfectly clear.
"Mika, I want to hear it… can't I?"
"...N-No. No matter how nicely you ask, Atsuko, I absolutely cannot allow this."
"Really not…?"
"Mika-chan… I'd really like to hear it, too… Ah, no. Please pretend you didn't hear that… I suppose it's not a story that someone like me should be listening to, is it…?"
No, you can't. Atsuko, Hiyori, why are you testing me like this? In games, unless it's a mystery, skipping letters with the escape key is the standard!
You wicked girls… how dare you repay my kindness with betrayal!
"Ahaha…"
Even though I said that… in the end, because of my little darlings, I had to allow the public reading of my embarrassing letter to continue.
Uheh Goddamn it
"First, let me tell you a little about myself. I'm a student who holds a pretty high position in Trinity. Let's see— 'A pretty high position,' she says, when she's at the very top of Trinity. Isn't that a bit too modest, Mika-chan?"
"..."
For some reason, I could vaguely recall what came next. Honestly, I felt like it wasn't too late to just land a Mika Punch on Hoshino.
"'What do you think, pretty amazing, right? For the record, this is the part where you're supposed to be surprised, so if there's anyone with you, you should at least pretend to be shocked!'"
"Ah. Ueh, aww…"
I suddenly felt the urge to summon the Peroros. Hifumi, since I promised you some Peroro merchandise, as repayment, could you send some Peroro support from the medical tent…?
"Oh, was that in there? Unfortunately, Hoshino-senpai read that letter all by herself and has never once read it to me before. If you'd like, I can pretend to be shocked for you now ☆."
Ah. Nonomi is so kind, she's practically glowing.
"Thank you, yes yes you…"
"...Pardon?"
"Pfft."
Everyone's attention turned to Saori, who had burst out laughing and was covering her mouth with her fist. Come to think of it, I think I remember reading somewhere that Saori has a surprising love for comedy.
In a rare display, a blush crept up Saori's face, and she looked away, avoiding everyone's gaze.
"Saori. Do you know why rabbits are so strong?"
"...?"
"Because they have guts and guns." (TN: A pun on 'kkang-chong' (hopping) and 'kkang-gwa chong' (guts and a gun))
"Pffft… Pfft. Kuhut."
As everyone else either forced an awkward laugh or stared blankly at Atsuko's dad joke, the sight of Saori, the only one who had completely lost it, was surprisingly cute.
By the way, why a rabbit all of a sudden? As expected of the bunny tribe. Hmm… kids, in that case, how about we try out the "Bunny Chasers on a Cruise Ship" event? You could all wear bunny girl outfits and become a true Bunny Bunny Squad.
"Uheh~ Even this old lady might have found that one a little funny."
Come to think of it, since it's a dad joke, it wouldn't be strange for the self-proclaimed "old lady" Hoshino to like it.
But I had already seen it. The moment the words "guts" and "gun" left Atsuko's lips, I saw Hoshino's eyes turn so cold they were almost bloodthirsty.
"Now that Saori has calmed down a bit… shall we continue reading the letter~?"
Seeing Hoshino casually start calling Saori by her first name, I thought, she really is similar to me in that regard. Or maybe the Yume that Hoshino decided to emulate was similar to me.
And so, the "Let's Humiliate Misono Mika" time, disguised as a letter reading, began again. I closed my eyes and ears and tried my best to endure it, and before I knew it, they had reached a relatively important part.
"'So, I've decided to support you personally! It's too sad that Trinity, the General Student Council, and everyone else won't help you, right?'"
After that, the letter explained that I had sent her a debit card with my personal funds and that I couldn't provide more support because there were other children I wanted to help.
"'I hope everyone can be happy.' And that's how the letter ends~. Man, Mika-chan. You're not only helping us, but you're busy helping other kids too. And on top of that, you're the student council president of Trinity, so you must be even busier. And in the midst of all that, 'I hope everyone can be happy'… what a dream-like story. Yep, a dream-like story."
Unlike her smiling lips, Hoshino's eyes were not smiling at all. Her mismatched eyes, one blue and one orange, created a strangely mystical atmosphere.
"It's a foolish story, isn't it? A happy ending for everyone… there's no way something like that exists in this world. Right, Misono Mika?"
Hoshino's characteristic, almost boneless laziness vanished. The person sitting here now was closer to the prickly first-year Hoshino than the one from the original story.
"I came here because I wanted to hear your true feelings, not just what was written in a letter. There's a saying that you should doubt anything a Trinity high-up says at least two or three times."
"My true feelings… they're the same now as they were then. I dare to wish for the happiness of everyone here in Kivotos."
"...You really are a fool, Misono Mika. Just like her."
The "her" Hoshino was referring to could only be Yume, the former student council president of Abydos, who was now dead. I'd never thought of myself as being similar to her, but if we're talking about my ideals, then I am, without a doubt, a fool.
"Don't live like such a fool."
But that's what an ideal is. The more foolish and absurd it is, the more you want to achieve it.
"No, don't live like a fool when you're not one. This world isn't kind to fools. Fools are the ones who always get hurt, who hurt the people around them, who are always on the losing end. There's no way you, the student council president of Trinity, don't know that."
I listened to Hoshino's words in silence, about to open my mouth to argue.
But someone else beat me to it.
"I can't listen to this anymore. There are people who were given a new life thanks to the 'fool' you're talking about. Right here, in this very spot. For us, who were taught that it was only natural to collapse in exhaustion while wandering through a pitch-black despair, she was the one who showed us the right path and guided us."
Saori, her face frozen into a cold mask, glared at Hoshino. She wasn't as angry as when she thought I was doing something untoward to Atsuko, but it was clear she was furious.
…To be honest, up until this point, I thought the relationship between these two had been damaged beyond repair.
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