I jolted awake, heart pounding. The first thing I noticed was Arona, fast asleep beside me. Instantly, a sense of dread washed over me as something had definitely gone wrong.
I disconnected in a hurry. As soon as I opened my eyes in the real world, I saw the duty students from Problem Solver 68 already gathered in my office. They were clustered around one of the machines, their faces tense.
Aru's sudden shriek told me everything I needed to know. My worst fears had come true.
When I walked over, the scene was a disaster: a coffee pot knocked over, dark liquid pooling across the floor, a stack of documents soaked through, and the fax machine starting to smoke.
It could only have been Aru.
Still, I wanted to be fair, so I asked what had happened before jumping to conclusions.
The girls explained that they'd noticed how exhausted I looked. After talking it over, they decided to let me sleep a bit longer. While I rested, they figured they could handle a few simple tasks on their own.
Aru, ever eager, volunteered to make coffee for everyone. The outcome was obvious.
So yes, it was definitely Aru's handiwork.
But since her intentions were good, I couldn't bring myself to scold her. If anyone was to blame, it was me for letting exhaustion get the better of me and not giving the duty students clearer instructions. I had told Arona to wake me, after all.
If I wanted to blame Arona for falling asleep on the job, I'd have to admit I'd pushed her too hard the night before. So, in the end, the real reason for this mess was simple: I'd stayed up all night.
And why had I been up all night, working without a break? The answer was clear, Hoshino. Next time I see her, I'll make sure she pays for this with a few dozen more defeats!
Despite the chaos, the situation was manageable. Since we didn't have a spare fax machine, I'd need to go to the General Student Council myself, pick up the necessary files, and ask Aoi for funds to buy a replacement. It seemed like a reasonable excuse to get out of the office for a bit.
Now, it was time to assign cleanup duties.
I turned to Haruka, the gentlest and shyest member of Problem Solver 68, definitely the least likely to cause more trouble. "Haruka, can I leave the cleanup to you?"
Haruka straightened up, nodding earnestly. "Y-Yes! I'll make sure everything is spotless!"
I pointed her to the cleaning supplies, and she dashed off to get them.
Next, I handed some cash to Kayoko and Mutsuki, the two most reliable members, though Mutsuki could be a bit bratty at times. "Kayoko, Mutsuki, I'm counting on you two to buy a new fax machine."
"Got it~ Leave it to us∼" Mutsuki replied with a bright grin.
Kayoko, however, looked uneasy. "Sensei, the damaged property is completely our fault. We caused you trouble. Please, let us pay for the replacement."
"It's fine. I'll handle it with the public budget."
Kayoko shrugged, accepting my decision without further protest.
Finally, there was Aru, the most unpredictable of the group. I could never quite relax when she was around.
"Aru, you're coming with me to the General Student Council."
It seemed safer to keep her close. Worst case, I could always give her some pocket money and send her to a nearby convenience store if things got out of hand.
"Alright, I understand," she replied quietly.
After causing so much trouble, Aru was much more subdued than usual, her voice soft and apologetic. Seeing her like that made it even harder to be upset with her.
Sigh. This really was all Hoshino's fault. She owed me a few more plap sessions for this mess.
With everyone's tasks assigned, I took Aru with me and boarded the helicopter headed for the General Student Council.
Meanwhile, in Schale's Main Bedroom
Hoshino slowly opened her eyes, still half-asleep. She was used to spending her nights on patrol and only catching short naps during the day, so her sleep was always light.
She sat up, feeling the sticky warmth on her skin and a dull ache in her body. As memories of last night's intense clash came flooding back, her cheeks turned bright red.
Embarrassed by her own recklessness, Hoshino bit her lip and hugged her pillow, letting out a quiet groan. Still, deep down, she felt a small thrill.
With this, she'd officially taken first place...
After all, if you sprint fast enough in the opposite direction, you can still cross the finish line after circling the globe!
Sorry, Shiroko, Nonomi, Serika, Ayane. None of you would have guessed your respected senpai would be the first to step onto the path of adulthood.
Those who try to sneak ahead will eventually be out-sneaked themselves. And the one most determined to win was, of course, Takanashi Hoshino herself!
Hoshino giggled, rolling across the bed in delight. When her excitement faded, she reached for her phone.
There was a message from the one she'd battled with the night before, letting her know he had to go out with the duty students for some work, so she could stay in the bedroom and rest a while longer.
Her kouhais had also messaged, reminding her not to oversleep and to remember the volunteer activity scheduled for the afternoon.
"Oh, right, that's today. Looks like there's no time for more rest."
Thinking the "bad guy" had left with the duty students, leaving Schale empty, Hoshino relaxed. Wearing only her underwear and carrying her soiled uniform and shoes, she made her way to the laundry room and bathroom.
Not long after...
"Hm hm hm~ Where's a good place to nap around here, I wonder∼"
In a cheerful mood, Hoshino hummed as she showered, washing away the remnants of last night's revery.
The only annoyance was her tangled hair, which took longer to clean than she expected. The shampoo and body wash weren't her usual brands, either. She made a mental note to bring her own toiletries next time.
Just then—
"Wh-Who's in there?!"
A sharp, cautious voice called from outside the bathroom.
Before Hoshino could answer, the door swung open. A girl with dark purple hair burst in, gun in hand then froze, stunned.
Haruka was certain no one else had entered Schale recently. So, the Foreclosure Task Force's Hoshino… could it be that she...
"Oh my, if it isn't Haruka from Problem Solver 68. Good morning!"
Hoshino turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, and walked toward the speechless Haruka, her eyes narrowing with a playful smile.
"About me and Sensei being together all night… I trust you won't be telling anyone about that, right?"
Haruka stood frozen, eyes wide, mind blank, completely overwhelmed as her thoughts ground to a halt.