[Let life continue. For the sake of new life, please remember to receive your vaccinations.]
The train's display screen played the usual vaccination public service advertisement. Together with the dull rumbling of the train, these elements had long become an indispensable part of the daily routine for the office workers and students inside the carriage. If even one of them were missing, it would feel strangely out of place and uncomfortable.
Of course, for Hare Menjou at this moment... hearing these once-familiar daily sounds left her feeling somewhat dazed. After all, this was her first time taking the train to school again after several days. Everything felt so familiar, yet carried a faint sense of unfamiliarity.
"Haa..."
At the thought, she let out a soft sigh and lowered her gaze to the bag in her hand. It was the school bag she had left behind at GHQ. When she returned home yesterday, she found it placed neatly at her doorstep. Nothing inside was missing. Inori had even checked it carefully, worried that something like a listening device might have been planted.
"What is it? Why the sigh?"
Standing beside her, dressed in the same school uniform, Raiden Mio asked in confusion.
"Mm... it's just that it's been a while since I've taken this train."
Hare smiled faintly, though there was a trace of bitterness in her voice.
"It hasn't been that long. Only a few days."
Mio replied simply.
"...That's true."
Hare lowered her eyes.
"Or is it that... each day felt like a year to you~?"
Mio's tone shifted teasingly, a playful smile forming.
"Eh? Ahaha... not that exaggerated. It's just... I don't know how everyone in class will look at me."
To be honest... she was a little afraid of going back to school now.
Her bangs shadowed her eyes as she pressed her lips together slightly, even trembling a little.
"..."
Seeing the shorter girl's gloomy expression, the Shogun sighed inwardly. She thought about how to comfort her, but after a while, nothing useful came to mind.
So instead... she simply reached out and took the girl's hand hanging by her skirt, holding it firmly.
"...? Mio?"
Hare looked at her in surprise.
"...It's nothing. Don't mind what they say. You've done nothing wrong."
She offered comfort in her own way.
"..."
Hare stared at her blankly.
"Besides... with me here, they won't dare say anything to you."
She added matter-of-factly.
"Pfft... thank you, Mio."
Hare laughed, her burden eased, and held her hand back.
Today, Inori didn't come with them. It seemed Gai had assigned her another mission. Unlike before, however, this time only Inori received the briefing, and Mio wasn't mentioned at all. It felt a little strange.
"You two go to school first. I'll come later."
That was what Inori had said after receiving the notice. Mio didn't think much of it and simply nodded, taking the train with Hare to school.
Though she was a bit worried, it should be fine.
After interacting for the past few days, she felt that Gai Tsutsugami was fairly reliable. If he hadn't mentioned her, there must be a reason. She didn't bother asking—she could just ask Inori directly later.
And so, the two finally arrived at Tennoz High School. At the shoe lockers, they removed their leather shoes, revealing their slender feet wrapped in stockings. They took out their indoor shoes, placed them on the floor, and slipped their feet in. Lifting their heels slightly, they adjusted the back of the shoes with their fingertips so they would fit snugly—otherwise, the heel would easily get stepped on.
"Hey, look... isn't that the girl who got taken by GHQ before?"
"Yeah... I didn't notice at first until you said it."
"Who knows what she did."
At that moment, although the voices were deliberately lowered, the two still heard several male students behind them whispering as they entered the building. It was clear they were talking about Hare, their tone malicious—like the kind of mixed crowd one would find online.
"Maybe drugs or something? Or... something worse—"
"I heard she trespassed into a restricted area."
"Hah, then she had it coming."
"..."
Hare's body trembled slightly at their words, but she didn't argue. She simply lowered her head and silently organized her locker. Mio could see her hands trembling faintly.
"—!"
Mio frowned slightly and was about to turn around when Hare grabbed her hand.
"... (shake head)"
Hare shook her head at her.
"Then doesn't that make her a criminal?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Then why is she back now?"
"Sigh, you don't get it... maybe she, you know... gave something in return—"
Smack!!!
"—!" ×N
At that moment, a crisp slap echoed throughout the entire first floor, instantly drawing everyone's attention—including Mio and Hare. They froze for a moment before turning to look.
The one who had acted was a tall, elegant blonde woman with a stunning figure. Her refined features and imposing height—around 180 cm—made her even taller than most of the boys present, and certainly taller than Mio and Hare. She still held the posture of delivering the slap, her eyes cold and scornful as she stared at the talkative boy. His face turned pale as he clutched his reddened cheek, stunned. The others were no better.
"Ah... I think she's..."
Student Council President Arisa Kuhouin...
Hare recognized the blonde woman in the distance.
"...?"
Mio glanced at Hare, then looked curiously at the tall blonde woman.
Who was she? She didn't recall seeing her before.
"P-President..."
The slapped boy stammered.
"If you speak, you should have evidence. Students of Tennoz High School must have a sense of shame! Using filthy words to slander others—what kind of conduct is that?!"
Her voice carried an overwhelming presence, leaving the boys speechless.
Hmm—
Listening to her, Mio felt a slight interest. She liked that kind of presence. Even so, she had no intention of approaching her. There was no need.
"Let's go, Hare."
She called out to the still-dazed girl.
"Mm..."
Hare responded obediently. The two left the entrance hall, walked along the familiar corridor, and entered their classroom.
However, Hare remained somewhat cautious as she stepped inside, even avoiding people's gazes.
"Hare!"
When Kanon saw her best friend finally return, she excitedly stood up and rushed over, hugging her tightly.
"Ah—Kanon?"
Hare was startled at first, then quickly recognized her.
"Mm... it's me! What happened to you these past few days? I was so worried!"
Kanon buried her face in Hare's chest and began to cry, drawing the attention of the class. Fortunately, unlike those earlier boys, most of their classmates looked relieved rather than mocking.
"I'm fine... Kanon, don't cry."
Hare felt warmth in her heart as she gently stroked her friend's head, comforting her softly.
"I—I thought you... honestly, you idiot~!"
Kanon cried again in her arms.
"I'm okay... I'm back, aren't I? Thanks to Mio..."
Hare glanced at Mio beside her.
"Eh? Really... thank you, Raiden. I don't know what happened, but thank you."
Kanon expressed her gratitude sincerely.
"No need to thank me."
Mio nodded.
"Hare..."
From the back seat, Shu Ouma quietly let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that Hare was safe. Earlier, he had even asked his mother, Haruka Ouma, about Hare, but as a researcher, she knew nothing about the matter.
Tap tap~
At that moment, another person entered the classroom—
"Were the people from GHQ treating you well?"
It was the same elegant voice as before, though the earlier sternness used to reprimand those boys was gone, replaced with a hint of gentleness. Yes, the one who arrived was... Arisa Kuhouin.
"...?" ×N
Everyone turned to look. Upon recognizing the student council president, they were all shocked, as if seeing a celebrity.
"...Eh?"
Caught off guard by the question, Hare didn't know how to respond and felt a little awkward.
"Although being investigated is troublesome, we still have to cooperate with the government."
Arisa suddenly added.
An investigation?
Hare froze for a moment, then, recalling her words, finally understood what she meant.
"Mm... yes... it seems the person they were tracking had been wandering near my home before, so they asked me a few questions to follow up on clues. Other than that... nothing much happened."
She followed along with Arisa's implication, quickly making up a reason to dispel everyone's suspicions.
Sure enough, once she said it, everyone seemed to relax.
"I see... there are far too many irresponsible people spreading rumors. If you have any trouble, come to me, Menjou."
"O-Okay... Kuhouin-senpai."
Hare nodded obediently.
"..."
Throughout this, Raiden Mio had been watching the woman in front of her, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. Of course, she was also grateful that Arisa had helped Hare out of the situation.
"...? (smile)"
Noticing Mio's gaze, Arisa looked back at her and gave her an elegant smile.
"Haa..."
Hare finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. However, the peace didn't last long—
"Hare?! Could it be that this lady is our Menjou Hare?!"
As soon as Souta Tamadate entered the classroom and spotted her, he rushed over immediately.
"Eh? W-What is it, Tamadate-kun?"
Hare took a step back.
"What was GHQ like? Did they have pork cutlet bowls? Hamburgers?!"
"Um..."
She hadn't eaten anything there...
"Wait! Tamadate-kun! You're putting Hare in a difficult position."
Kanon quickly stepped in front of her friend to block him.
"Hey~ Menjou... are there a lot of guys like that in GHQ?"
Another girl with glasses stood up shyly and asked.
"Did you see any mechs?!"
"Did you get to touch a gun?!"
Soon, others joined in, making a fuss as if she had gone on a tour.
From asking Hare about GHQ, the crowd eventually shifted to surrounding Arisa herself, turning it into what could only be described as an impromptu handshake event.
Were high school students always like this nowadays? Truly terrifying.
Mio silently complained to herself.
And just like that—the long morning self-study session passed.
During break, the three of them gathered together again in the classroom. Hare sat in front of Mio as usual, while Inori came over and simply sat on Mio's chair, the two of them sharing it—each occupying half. Fortunately, both were slender, so there was enough space.
"So something like that happened... shocking."
After listening to Hare's explanation, Inori nodded slightly, though her expression remained unchanged.
"Could you not say 'shocking' with that expressionless face?"
Mio playfully poked her cheek and complained.
"...Don't you also lack expression sometimes?"
Inori countered with a critical hit.
"Cough... never mind."
Mio awkwardly looked away. That was a long time ago, alright? Nowadays, she occasionally smiled too.
"I didn't expect Kuhouin-senpai to come... and even help me out. Haa..."
Hare still felt a little overwhelmed.
"Is she that famous?"
Mio asked.
"Mm, senpai is the student council president of this school. She's very well-known, and she's also the daughter of a major financial conglomerate."
Hare explained quietly.
Click~
Inori opened her terminal, pulled up Arisa Kuhouin's information, and showed it to Mio.
"Why do you have her data?"
Mio looked at the girl squeezed beside her on the same seat.
"Because... her father is the target of this mission."
Inori answered in a voice only the three of them could hear.
"Target?"
"Funeral Parlor has been short on funds recently. The reinforcements from OAU were intercepted by GHQ before, causing heavy losses. Gai plans to establish a connection with the Kuhouin family, which has deep roots in Japan, and seek financial cooperation."
Inori explained to the two of them.
"When?"
Mio asked.
"Tonight. The Kuhouin family will host a banquet on a large cruise ship. Gai and I will board it then."
"What about me?"
She asked.
"You'll stay at home... with Hare."
"Why?"
She frowned.
"Gai said... although Hare has been cleared of suspicion, he can't guarantee GHQ won't try anything against her. So he wants you to stay with her, just in case."
Inori explained.
"Will you be alright on your own?"
"Mm. This mission is different from before. There won't be intense combat on the ship. We just need to approach the head of the Kuhouin family in plain clothes. That's Gai's responsibility, and I'll assist him. The two of us are enough."
And if anything happened, she still had her Void ability.
"I see. Since you say so..."
Mio let out a breath and relented. She was also worried about Hare, so staying with her was fine.
"Um... Mio, I'll be fine on my own... maybe you should go with Inori—"
"No need. I'll stay with you."
She shook her head.
"Mm... okay///"
Hare blushed, subconsciously glancing at Inori with a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
"..."
Inori seemed to notice her concern and gave her a rare smile, nodding.
"Right... if I don't come back tonight, Hare... you should stay with her."
Inori suddenly added, lightly nudging Mio with her elbow.
"..."
Mio shot her an annoyed glance.
"Eh///?"
Hare blushed even more.
"This child... doesn't dare sleep alone, so Hare... I'll leave her to you then."
Ignoring Mio's speechless look, Inori instructed her seriously.
"What do you mean 'child'..."
Mio bumped her shoulder.
"Ah... mm! I-I understand. I can go to your house too, Mio... e-either way is fine///..."
Hare's face turned as red as an apple. She fidgeted with her hands cutely, occasionally glancing up at Mio as if waiting for her response.
"Haa... you two..."
Mio gave up arguing and simply sighed. Whether it was indulgence or helplessness, she eventually just lay down on the desk, burying her face in her arms without saying another word.
As for sleeping arrangements, she didn't really mind. One thing was certain—she absolutely wouldn't sleep alone. Either Hare would stay with her, or someone else would. If Hare wasn't available, she'd just have her mother stay with her. It didn't matter.
"...Hehe."
Hare smiled fondly at her. She was starting to look forward to the evening even more.
"When are you leaving?"
Mio lifted her head and looked at Inori.
"Probably in the late afternoon... I'll leave school early to change clothes."
Inori replied. After all, the cruise ship's departure point was quite far from here.
"Be careful when the time comes."
"Mm... I will."
She smiled faintly at the beauty beside her and nodded.