To get straight to the point, I didn't end up apologizing to Kisaki.
I couldn't shake the feeling that it would be making too big a deal out of it.
We sipped our coffee, taking bites of mille crepe in between as we chatted. I'm pretty sure we started with small talk, sharing bits and pieces of our daily lives, but somehow the topic shifted to our overly zealous underlings.
Kisaki, in particular, seemed to have no small number of grievances on this front, so we were able to find some common ground...
"...You mean to say you prepared gifts for several hundred people out of your own pocket?"
"Hm? Well, yeah. Not that they were anything fancy."
"Hmm. It is no wonder the students who follow you are so fervent."
"Ahaha... they were like that even before I gave them any gifts."
"My friend, in the end, one reaps what one sows through their daily conduct."
Now that we were talking, it seemed Kisaki was just unaware because it was her own situation. The fact that she took it upon herself to seek my help to resolve the conflict between the Xuanlongmen and the Black Tortoise Emporium already shows how much she cares for her academy.
Considering that, I could guess how she usually treated her subordinates, so it made sense that the Xuanlongmen members would hang on her every word. It's fine as long as it doesn't lead to excessive loyalty, I suppose.
After spending some time at the cafe, I decided to give Kisaki a tour of the Trinity campus at her request. Fortunately or not, despite the qipao, the delinquent students seemed to recognize me, so we weren't bothered at all as we walked around.
"Kisaki-chan, what's your first impression of our academy? Isn't it amazing? Yeah, I thought my breath was going to be taken away the first time I saw it☆"
Standing before the school gate, Kisaki silently took in the view of the Trinity campus. It reminded me of the day I first set foot in Trinity, so just as Nagisa had done back then, I asked Kisaki for her first impression.
"You, would you mind coming and standing before me for a moment?"
"Hmm? Sure, I guess."
I asked for her first impression, and she pointed to a spot in front of her and asked me to stand there. I didn't know why, but it wasn't a difficult request, so I walked over and stood there. When I turned to look at her, I saw her nod.
"A beauty that requires no flowery words."
...If you're going to say things like that, I'd rather you not look at my face while you say it.
Anyway, as I led Kisaki around the campus, I could feel more and more eyes gathering on us. I mean, if I saw my student council president walking around with someone in a similar, unfamiliar outfit, I'd stare out of curiosity too.
After showing her the inside of the Cathedral, we headed for the Tea Party building. I planned to stop by my office to brew the tea I had promised.
When we arrived in front of my office, I assumed it would be empty and swung the door open. And then, my eyes met Nagisa's, who was sitting ramrod straight and processing documents.
"...Mika-ssi? What brings you here? Did you not say you would be escorting the student council president of Shanhaijing today?"
"Ah, ahaha. So I did...? I just stopped by for a moment to serve some tea."
"I... see. It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Kirifuji Nagisa, one of the three heads of Trinity's Tea Party."
Nagisa offered a formal greeting to Kisaki, who had followed me into the office.
"I am Ryuuge Kisaki, Lord of Shanhaijing's Xuanlongmen. President Kirifuji, I have heard many good things about you and have wanted to meet you at least once... It seems fate brings people together in the most unexpected of places."
Well, since it's come to this, it seems the three of us can have a tea time together. Nagisa is quite sharp, so she might have something to say about Kisaki's situation.
***
"Mika-ssi, and Lord of Xuanlongmen, it seems you have been taking too roundabout a path for a simple problem."
"...Huh?"
"President Kirifuji, what do you mean by that?"
"It seems to me a problem that can be easily solved if the Lord of Xuanlongmen shows a little love."
"...Love?"
Upon hearing about the situation between the Xuanlongmen and the Black Tortoise Emporium and the opposition from within the Xuanlongmen, Nagisa's reaction was to ask why we were taking the long way around when the quickest option was right there.
She even went so far as to say that I was thinking about it in a bizarrely complicated way, which, for some reason, stung a little.
"The issues entwined between the two groups may not be so simple to resolve, but the negative reaction from within the Xuanlongmen can be sufficiently addressed if their Lord simply puts her mind to it. It depends on how strong her standing is, but..."
"Oh, they're basically Kisaki-chan's fan club."
"This one cannot deny that..."
"Then the matter becomes even simpler. You just need to be frank and straightforward and ask the members of Xuanlongmen for their cooperation. Is that not the method Mika-ssi prefers?"
...Is that really okay? No matter how much the Xuanlongmen students adore Kisaki, I can't imagine they'd react well to being told to let go of their traditionalism.
"If this one had judged that to be possible, I would have done so long ago. You are not considering that the Xuanlongmen is an institution founded on tradition, and that it exists to protect that tradition."
And it seemed Kisaki's thoughts on the matter were the same as mine.
"If you were to ask them to discard all their traditions at once, the backlash would be fierce, even if the Lord of Xuanlongmen herself were to bring it up. Of course. However... I believe the Lord of Xuanlongmen can at least open the path that leads to Mika-ssi's proposal."
"You think the matter will be resolved if Kisaki-chan just openly asks for their cooperation so the cooking competition can be held?"
"Yes. In the end, what they fear is a situation where the influx of outside culture damages or changes their traditions, is it not? But from what I understand, Shanhaijing has already changed a great deal compared to the past."
"One might say that it is because we have experienced change that we cling so desperately to tradition. However, this one believes she understands what President Kirifuji is trying to say."
Kisaki, nodding as if she roughly understood, shifted her gaze to me. Then she spoke again.
"In short, you are suggesting I recreate a situation similar to when you declared the joint summer festival for our two academies."
'Through this cooking competition, this one wishes to prove that the cuisine of the Xuanlongmen is second to none. A great prize shall be awarded to the one who can bring the new dish served to me by President Rumi of the Black Tortoise Emporium to its knees...'
"If this one were to personally ignite everyone's competitive spirit in such a way, the cooking competition itself might come to fruition. That is what you wished to say, is it not?"
"...Oh, what? That was not what I intended to say at all."
Judging by Nagisa's flustered expression, it seemed the straightforward method she was discussing had nothing to do with competitiveness.
"Keeping that competitive spirit from going too far in the process will be entirely up to you, Kisaki-chan. I don't think that will be very easy either. And, more importantly, a new dish from Rumi-chan...?"
"She called it Mara Bunmoja Tteokbokki. This one heard that you were the one who first devised the recipe."
"Wo—ow."
"...Are you alright? You do not look well."
Ugh. A bad memory suddenly...
***
After the three of us had dinner together, I saw Kisaki off to the airport. It was the end of the year, and both she and I were incredibly busy, so I was disappointed she couldn't stay long, but I understood.
I don't know if Nagisa's method—which she vaguely described as a particular kind of "love"—was properly conveyed, but Kisaki declared that she would do her best in her own way, so I thought I could hope for a good outcome.
Nagisa said she never thought she would get along so well with the Black Lord of Shanhaijing. This is why you should never judge a person by rumors alone, I think.
The end of the year approached, and the year turned over.
All of Kivotos was abuzz celebrating the new year, and we were no exception.
As if to blow off the stress accumulated from the wave of work that had crashed upon us before the new year, the ETO, Justice Realization Committee, Prefect Team, and Tea Party all gathered to celebrate together. Perhaps the greatest, albeit unexpected, achievement of the ETO was that the boundary between the Justice Realization Committee and the Prefect Team had been significantly blurred.
As the graduation of the third-year students drew near, and I received the list of incoming freshmen to approve, the familiar names I spotted here and there made the passage of time feel real.
The story had probably already diverged quite a bit from the *Blue Archive* I knew, but the starting point of all the stories I remembered was just around the corner.
And.
"Although I am the one who gave you permission... I hope there are no misunderstandings, Mika-ssi. I do not particularly like Haruna-yang..."
"And you have no intention of ever liking her in the future. Nagi-chan, I've heard that so many times my ears are starting to hurt. But at first, you were calling her a 'thieving cat' behind my back and referring to her as 'Kurodate-ssi,' and then at some point it became 'Haruna-yang'... Ahaha, just kidding. Kidding! Hey, where did that roll cake even come from? Hmm...?"
"...Hahh. Just go. But know this, Mika-ssi. I don't know how, but if, as you say, there is a possibility of one day returning this body to the original Mika-ssi, and you wish to do so... you should be careful about increasing the number of connections you make with this body."
"Ah, that..."
...Isn't it already too late?
To be honest, my desire to return this body to Mika... that feeling hasn't changed. But Mika herself is just too stubborn.
The option to just return the body unconditionally certainly exists, but out of respect for her wishes, I've left open the possibility of adopting the method of transplanting her into the body Gematria is currently working on. I want to give the final choice to Mika, but it's frustrating that I have no way of calling her out myself.
Anyway. If everything is decided in that direction... I'll probably have to devise a way to transfer the Mystics residing in this body over to that one, leaving only the bare minimum behind.
...Looking at it this way, Gematria really has its work cut out for it.
"You know, Nagi-chan. You are my greatest source of support. I'm always grateful."
"...All of a sudden?"
"I just... felt like I wanted to tell you how precious you are to me☆"
"Fufu. I did not wish to hear such words... on the day you are going to meet another woman."
"Well, that's the fault of the person who fell for a selfish and greedy woman like me... Mmph, mgh!"
If I may offer an honest opinion, I think I'd much prefer it if she stuffed something else in there instead of a roll cake...
***