I don't think I'd ever woken up feeling this gross, except maybe for the day I got my period for the first time.
Should I have made a decision the moment I heard the proposal?
But Mika's Mystery is powerful enough to be considered second to none in Kivotos. While not all Mysteries share the same background, hers is based on a figure who bears the title of the most powerful and great in a monotheistic religion; its might is beyond question. When I gave a piece of that incredible Mystery to Maestro as payment for a trivial deal, I never imagined a situation like this would arise. But now that it has, I feel like I'm on the verge of a panic attack. I thought it would just be used for one of Maestro's creations that appear as a Total Assault boss, something Sensei could easily handle once they arrived in Kivotos.
But giving him the chance to study the ancient dogma that Trinity has protected for so long could exponentially increase the danger.
The influence my Mystery could have on a Total Assault boss based on the Amuse-Dolls from Slumpia, versus the influence it could have on one with a deeply religious background—I had no certainty, but my intuition screamed that accepting this deal would open a path of suffering for both Sensei and myself.
But it was a deal I had no choice but to accept. Mika's whereabouts were that valuable to me.
Simply put, it's because Mika is my favorite character.
And because I have to tell my beloved Nagisa the whereabouts of her dear childhood friend.
These two reasons alone made my acceptance of the deal a near certainty.
However, Black Suit dismissed me without hearing my answer. The reason for this could likely be found in the methods he so enjoys using.
It was a ploy to set a trap he knew I had to step in, then slowly apply pressure over time so that I would step into it of my own volition. That was how Black Suit operated.
Ignoring my throbbing headache, I tried to sit up in bed, only to let my head fall back onto the pillow.
The competition, where the odds of defeat were growing ever darker.
The tangled mess of my relationships, tightening around my neck like a noose.
And now, this pseudo-trolley problem that Black Suit had just thrown at me.
Seriously, I'm so tired. My head hurts. The most frustrating part is that I have no one to blame but myself for two of those things.
Bzzzz—
Amidst all this, the phone I had set to vibrate mode went off. I usually left it on the charger while I slept, but because I'd been talking with Hina late into the night, it was lying right next to me.
[Haruna-chan]
[See you at the festival today, Mika-san ♡]
…Ah.
I sent a shifty-eyed cat emoji as a reply, then turned off my phone and closed my eyes.
Please… Haruna, why did it have to be today?
If this made one thing clear, it was that my fortune for today was undoubtedly at rock bottom.
I had to get up soon anyway, and I still had to message Nagisa myself to tell her that the "Kurodate" she loathed was coming today.
Still, I think I'll just stay like this for a little while longer.
I wanted to be free from this endless cycle of anxiety and worry, to float without a single thought, like a cloud in the sky.
Today's events were water skiing and marksmanship. I was counting on Ichika for the water skiing, but I would be truly grateful if our dear Sisterhood Abbess could defy my expectations and put on a good show.
No, honestly, I don't care who it is, just please, someone get some points. You guys don't want to see me become Makoto's slave either, right?
…Of course not, right?
Besides, I had no idea when my girls from the Pater faction were planning on bringing me a medal. For a group so hostile toward Gehenna, wasn't it a bit much that they couldn't even win a single gold medal?
Nagisa postponed her own Tea Party duties to travel to the festival with me. As for my work, Seia was naturally taking care of it, but that was an agreed-upon punishment for her crime of foisting the Host position onto me, so it was fine.
Anyway, the fact that Nagisa would go to such lengths just showed how wary she was of Haruna… and honestly, it was understandable.
Frankly, before Nagisa had accepted the fact that I was from another world, Haruna was the only one I had been considering as a romantic partner. If she had demanded an answer on the spot when she confessed her feelings, I don't think I would have had the heart to refuse.
"So, where did you promise to meet Kurodate?"
"Um, let's see… she said to meet at the beach house at 12 o'clock sharp. Ah, after we meet, I was thinking of touring the food stalls! We could have lunch there, but… Haruna-chan and I are both light eaters, so we probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the food properly if we did."
"Mika-san, you've been touring the stalls yesterday and the day before. I doubt any new ones have opened, so why bother…?"
"Ahaha. That's because Haruna-chan loves delicious food so much. She didn't create the Gourmet Research Society for nothing. Even though it's turned into more of a terrorist group than its original purpose, she's surprisingly easy to get along with once you get to know her! "
"…Why on earth are you so cheerfully chattering about that in front of me? If I hadn't come with you today, you two would have gone all the way, wouldn't you? "
Wow. A jealous Nagisa… is just so unbelievably cute.
It's not like I was intentionally trying to make her jealous; it just sort of happened as we were talking.
"Ahat, Nagi-chan, really! As if I'd do that☆ You're always my number one, you know. Maybe even more important than myself? "
"You're all talk… Be honest. You're hoping I'll just give my permission, like I did with Hina-san, aren't you? "
"Ahaha. I guess that line doesn't work anymore…? "
"It was never going to work. It never has."
Hmm, I suppose I have overused the 'you're the best' line a bit. More importantly, Nagisa wasn't wrong. I couldn't deny that, deep down, I had been hoping for such a lucky outcome.
This was all because Haruna was just too charming. But at the point where a relationship has been established, failing to cut off all other possibilities is entirely my fault.
This was probably why Nagisa hadn't wanted to accept Hina in the first place. It's always the first time that's the hardest; after that, it becomes easy. She must have known she'd be in a tough spot if I just kept pushing.
So today, I was planning on turning her down for good. I couldn't bear to keep giving her false hope and making things difficult for Nagisa. It wasn't something a decent person would do.
"I'm going to draw a clear line, so don't worry too much, Nagi-chan. I'm not planning on asking for anything more than your permission regarding my relationship with Hina. I'm not that shameless… am I…? "
"…Mika-san? What's wrong all of a sudden? "
"No, it's just… I'm seeing a rather unexpected face. Yes. This is a bit surprising, even for me. She's someone I never imagined I'd see here today."
We still had over twenty minutes until our meeting time, but as I saw the two people already seated at the beach house, sipping coffee, I had to doubt my own eyes.
One of them was, of course, Haruna. With her hair braided down the left side and the rest tied up in round buns, she was engaged in conversation with the person across from her, a gentle smile on her face.
The person across from her, listening to Haruna's words, clapped her hands and smiled brightly, looking much as I remembered her.
It was none other than Millennium's secretary, Ushio Noah. I had thought that if I were to see her at the festival, she'd be with Yuuka, but for some reason, she was sitting with Haruna.
As we approached, they both spotted us at the same time. Noah smiled brightly and gave me a little wave, while our bewitching Haruna, as if ignoring who was beside me, brought a hand to her lips and blew me a kiss.
"…Mika-san, that woman is a definite no. I cannot give my permission."
Sensing danger, Nagisa squeezed my hand and pressed closer against me. Her actions somehow reminded me of a small, threatened animal, which only made her cuter.
When we finally stood before them, Noah greeted us first. Nagisa, who had never met her, could only manage an awkward nod.
"Hello, Mika-san. And President Kirifuji."
"Hi, Noah-chan. I didn't expect to see you here… "
"Fufu. It's a pleasure to see you, Mika-san. And you too, little thief."
"A thief, you say? Who do you think you're talking to… "
"Well, who else could I be talking about? You snatched up what I had my eye on, so what could be more fitting than 'thief'? "
…Is that so?
Now that she mentioned it, she might have a point.
But for Nagisa, it was a different story.
"'Snatched up'? That's an odd choice of words. I was simply harvesting the fruit I had so lovingly nurtured over time before a little thief could steal it away."
"My, my, were you afraid it would be taken from you? Fufu, how cute. If I had demanded an answer that day, Mika-san would have been unable to resist and would have given me her heart. You are aware of that, are you not? "
"If you were so confident, why didn't you do so from the start? In the end, you're nothing but a coward who ran away without even getting a proper answer."
"Oh, is that how it appeared to you, Kirifuji-san? I simply thought that in that moment, stepping back would leave the strongest impression. A gourmet experience, you see, is best savored slowly, not devoured in a rush."
"That's not something the person who lost their chance should be saying."
"…Ufufu. Kirifuji-san, you truly do not understand. I have never once lost my chance. Mika-san has always been, and still is, within my reach."
Uh… um. The intensity on both sides was overwhelming. As the subject of their war of words, all I could do was offer an awkward smile.
Just then, Noah smiled and gestured to the empty seat beside her. It was a clear invitation to sit there.
Well, it was true. In this arrangement, I'd either have to sit next to Haruna or next to Noah. Nagisa would never allow the former, so this seemed like the best option. It would have been better if they had just sat next to each other from the start, but since they were both here together, they must have agreed on this arrangement beforehand.
"I hear you even made room for our dear Prefect Team President. I'm a little disappointed, Kirifuji-san."
"…That's because you don't know Mika-san well enough. That faithless woman has seduced more people than just— "
"No. That is merely an excuse, Kirifuji-san. If it had been me, I would have kept her all to myself to savor, without sharing with anyone. Unlike you. If you could not even do that… then it simply means you lacked the necessary charm. That is all there is to it."
"…I truly do dislike you, Kurodate."
"Oh, is that so? I don't particularly dislike you, Kirifuji-san. If anything, I feel sorry for you."
As I sat on what felt like a bed of nails, listening to their conversation, I had a thought.
My karma, it seemed, was far heavier than I had ever imagined.