For the time being, Hifumi and I first gathered the three other members we had encountered by chance in the Justice Task Force activity room, and brought them all back to the Make-Up Work Club.
Thinking about it carefully, this was not strange at all. Anyone who ended up needing to join the Make-Up Work Club was either someone like Hifumi who outright missed an exam, or a problem student who quite naturally would have been arrested by the Justice Task Force.
As for Koharu…
Uh, was it because the Justice Task Force work was too busy…?
Without seeing the full picture, I decided not to judge things prematurely.
On the way from the Justice Task Force to the Make-Up Work Club, nothing particularly troublesome happened, but this peculiar group of ours naturally attracted plenty of attention from other students.
Hanako, strutting proudly across campus in a swimsuit.
Azusa, wearing a gas mask and nervously scanning her surroundings.
Koharu, shrinking in on herself like a quail, looking on the verge of tears from shame.
Hifumi, who looked perfectly ordinary, well behaved, and cute…
And me.
Without any embellishment whatsoever, even if I appeared alone on campus, I would draw the attention of countless love struck maidens, causing more than a few hearts to bloom with special feelings.
Although up to now, not a single refined young lady of Trinity had proactively struck up a conversation with me, I was certain this was merely due to ladylike restraint.
Now, when an already outstanding individual like myself walked together with four girls of wildly different appearances from the Make-Up Work Club, the number of people turning to look increased by an order of magnitude compared to usual.
This in turn made Hanako even more proud, Azusa even more vigilant, Koharu even more ashamed, and Hifumi even more awkward.
I had gained a preliminary understanding of their personalities.
However, if I wanted to prescribe the right remedy and teach according to their individual needs, this level of understanding was still far from enough. I would need to go much deeper…
I thought I could start by secretly adding Hanako as a momotalk friend.
This, too, was part of my daily work.
There was truly no Sensei in Kivotos with a stronger sense of responsibility than me.
In any case, after arriving at the temporarily assigned empty classroom for the Make-Up Work Club, the first thing to do was to make sure the girls understood the situation.
"So, all the Make-Up Work Club members are here now?"
In response to Hanako's question, there was only dead silence.
After receiving my encouraging gaze, Hifumi, as the club president, took a deep breath and steeled herself before awkwardly trying to liven things up.
"Y-yes… um, with this, everyone is finally here… the Make-Up Work Club… n-next, we should get to the main topic…"
"Hehe, then what should we do next, President Ajitani?"
Hanako smiled sweetly, yet once again spoke words completely at odds with her pure appearance.
"An empty classroom after school, delinquent girls gathering together with an adult… hehe, it feels like something exciting is about to begin."
As she spoke, she even mischievously winked at me, who was frozen in place.
I swallowed with difficulty, emptying my mind as much as possible to drive away thoughts that should not exist.
Good news, I succeeded.
Bad news, the thoughts moved from one head to another.
Adjusting myself as subtly as possible, I suddenly felt it would be better to keep some distance from Hanako.
Even if she really was very beautiful, she also seemed like a carnivorous beast far beyond what my level could handle…
In short, I did not quite dare to rush things.
I could not help but sigh. In the end, it was because I was too pure and possessed such noble sentiments.
Even after being harmed by Ako, I had never truly taken the initiative to cross the line. I was practically a saint among saints.
"Begin…?" Azusa seemed to have no idea what was being discussed, but did not care in the slightest. "Well, it does not matter. By the way, if I get serious, holding out in a classroom like this for a month would not be a problem."
Azusa was truly hard for me to evaluate.
Some of the things she said were so far removed from common sense that I could not tell whether she was simply suffering from middle school syndrome, a delinquent, or both.
I suspected Azusa might be the biggest challenge I would have to face in this assignment.
As for Koharu, she was still utterly dejected, tears welling at the corners of her eyes as she muttered endlessly.
"I want to die… I really want to die…"
Having just publicly mocked Hanako and Azusa, only to realize in the very next moment that she herself was now a member of the Make-Up Work Club, I could easily imagine how humiliated Koharu felt right now.
But I thought this was entirely her own fault.
Who told her to spray her shit and lump my adorable classmate Hifumi and my revered Lord Faust in together?
"U-um…" Hifumi cast a pleading look toward me. "Sensei… um, please…"
"Yes, I will do everything I can."
Looking at the girls in this small classroom, each with their own unique traits, this was the only promise I could give.
Hifumi nodded, still looking worried. "Thank you very much… I will also do my best…"
After that, the girls gave simple self introductions and exchanged names. Among the four members of the Make-Up Work Club, only Koharu was a first year student, while the other three were second years.
Next, Hifumi, as the president, briefly explained the club's duties and objectives.
Hanako, who had instantly realized back in the Justice Task Force activity room that we were there for the Make-Up Work Club, clearly already understood, so this explanation was mainly for Azusa and Koharu.
"S-so, if there is anything you do not understand or are concerned about…"
"No problem," Azusa replied. "It is just regular classes plus additional special training after school every day, right?"
Azusa had already removed her gas mask during the self introductions.
And the moment I clearly saw her face, I began reflecting on whether I had once again fallen victim to my primal urges.
Azusa was also a student under my care.
The wording might be strange, but it could be understood that way.
Hifumi nodded and repeated the explanation. "Our goal is to achieve 'everyone passes at the same time' in the upcoming special academic evaluations. Sensei will help too, s-so everyone, let's work together to avoid repeating a year.
"There are three special academic evaluations in total, which means there are three chances… as long as everyone passes together even once, the make-up lessons are over.
"Sensei's main job is… to help us adjust our courses and provide various kinds of guidance."
After listening, Azusa nodded in understanding. "I see. Out of three tasks, at least one must be completed successfully by everyone together. For that purpose, we need to gather here every day for training… that is not a particularly difficult mission."
Judging from her tone, she seemed quite confident.
"And the purpose of gathering this time is to prevent anyone from giving up and dropping out midway. As for me, I have neither reason nor need to slack off."
Azusa's stated attitude surprised me, and at the same time put me at ease.
If even Azusa, who seemed the most troublesome on the surface, could understand the stakes and was willing to cooperate, then there was hope of completing the request successfully.
Hifumi was very happy to hear this. "Y-yes, let's do our best! Um… Azusa-chan, you have not transferred here very long, right? Maybe it is because you are not used to this academy yet, but I think if we all work together, things will definitely get better soon."
"Oh? Shirasu-san is a transfer student?" Hanako asked in surprise. "Transferring to Trinity is quite rare, is it not…?"
Hearing this for the first time as well, I shared Hanako's confusion for a moment, then suddenly understood.
Perhaps Azusa had previously attended a school with an overly simple and plain school culture, similar to Gehenna, which was why her behavior seemed so shocking at Trinity.
If I imagined her as coming from Gehenna, everything made sense. Azusa was simply a cute, ordinary student.
However, after her status as a transfer student was brought up, Azusa fell silent.
"Ah, it was written that way in the documents…" Hifumi asked nervously. "D-did I say something unnecessary?"
Azusa shook her head, her tone calm. "No. I did not intend to hide it, so do not worry. It is an established fact. I should get used to being referred to that way, and I will work at it."
I could not help but wonder whether Azusa's previous school had left her with some kind of psychological shadow, forcing her to transfer to Trinity.
And the seriousness she displayed in her words and actions made me feel a bit more fond of her.
She was a little strange, but in Kivotos, there was no shortage of strange people.
I should get more accustomed to the individual traits of my students as well.
"I see…" Hanako pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Then may I call you Azusa-chan as well?"
Azusa looked puzzled for a moment. "I don't really mind?"
"Then, Azusa-chan, Hifumi-chan, and Koharu-chan."
Hanako immediately switched to more intimate forms of address. "Hehehe, they all sound very nice. From now on, we are all companions in the Make-Up Work Club. Azusa-chan may seem cold at first glance, but she feels quite cute on the inside somehow, hehehe."
In response, Azusa once again wore an expression as if she had no idea what was being said.
Hanako then turned her gaze to me. "Sensei as well. I look forward to working with you from now on. Please be sure to teach us all sorts of things, okay? Hehehe."
I fell silent for a moment, then nodded stiffly. "Of course. Of course."
It felt like she was hinting at something, but I had no proof.
"Oh my," Hanako suddenly noticed the one person who had not joined the discussion at all until now, and spoke to her kindly. "Why are you looking at us with such hatred, Koharu-chan?"
Koharu took a deep breath. "Let me make this clear first, I will not acknowledge this."
"Oh? Acknowledge what exactly?"
"I-I am an elite of the Justice Task Force. Even if I am younger, I do not plan on calling you my seniors. And besides, I was going to leave a club like this very soon anyway. So please do not try to get friendly with me, okay?"
She rattled off this long string of words in one breath. It seemed Koharu was deeply troubled by having fallen to this situation.
"I see…" Hanako nodded, looking understanding and gentle. "It is true that in the Make-Up Work Club, there is no need to distinguish between seniors and juniors. I am completely fine with that."
Azusa followed up. "I do not mind either. In fact, I am not used to that kind of culture. Besides, we did not gather here to build relationships. It is all for mutual benefit. There is no need to pretend to be close, is there?"
Only Hifumi still looked hesitant.
Perhaps she hoped everyone could get along, even if this was just a temporary club with temporary companions brought together by chance.
That was exactly Hifumi's personality.
Personally, I thought that focusing on the current objective, there was no need to force friendship, and making things clear from the start was not a bad thing.
Still, if their personalities matched, then while moving toward the same goal, genuine friendship could naturally form.
And it would be even better if they also formed a uniquely Kivotos style Sensei-student relationship with me.
"Then it is settled!"
Before Hifumi could voice her opinion, Koharu hastily declared the decision, then changed the subject.
"And besides… the reason I failed the exam was ultimately because… I took the second year exam that was one grade above me, in order to skip a grade."
"Oh? Skipping a grade? Why would you do that…?" Hanako asked, puzzled.
"I-it's nothing… I will have to shoulder the future of the Justice Task Force…!"
It was an ambitious answer, but from her earlier self introduction…
Koharu had failed three times in a row.
Hanako voiced my own confusion. "I could understand trying it once, but why challenge it multiple times…?"
Failing to properly recognize one's own ability would only make others think it was empty ambition.
Koharu faltered, as if she had been cornered by the question, then flew into a rage.
"S-shut up, shut up! That is not what I was planning to talk about. What I mean is… I have been hiding my true strength all along!"
Then she looked proudly at everyone's confused faces. "Next time I will properly take the first year exam. If I do that, I will definitely get excellent results and wrap everything up perfectly. Got it?"
Confidence was a good thing, and she sounded convincing enough.
However, the not particularly bright impression Koharu gave so far made me reserve judgment for the time being.
The key point was this.
From her tone, it sounded like she still had not realized one crucial fact.
"So I will be leaving this so called Make-Up Work Club very soon."
Hifumi could not help but remind her. "Um, even if an individual gets excellent results, you still cannot graduate from this club…"
But Azusa nodded thoughtfully, completely believing Koharu. "I see, so you were hiding your strength. By the way, I am currently also taking the first year exams because the curriculum differs greatly from my previous school."
"Ah, then that's the same…" Koharu blurted out instinctively. Just as a relieved smile was about to appear on her face, she snapped back to herself and hurriedly denied it. "N-no, it's not! Anyway, we will have nothing to do with each other soon!"
At that, she once again put on an arrogant air and laughed mockingly. "And even though it is unfortunate that our relationship is so brief, you all do not seem like much anyway. Ahahaha!"
So was this child even listening to what others were saying…
It was really worrying.
I could not help but remind her. "Koharu, as Hifumi just said, only one person passing the exam is not…"
"Shut up already. I do not need you to worry about me. You should worry more about these idiots instead." Koharu puffed out her cheeks, then turned to the others and flashed what, to me, felt like a very familiar silly grin. "Goodbye. You all do your best!"
After throwing those words out, she left the empty classroom on her own, looking refreshed, running off so fast that no one could stop her.
Only then did I realize a fact I had previously failed to notice, blinded by feminine charms.
In this small Make-Up Work Club, there were actually two pink haired girls, Hanako and Koharu.
Or rather, was it precisely because they were pink haired that they ended up in the Make-Up Work Club?
Incidentally, the girls of the Make-Up Work Club did not really mind Koharu's arrogant attitude.
Everyone could tell that Koharu did not have any malice, she was just…
Possibly an idiot.
However…
I thought I should get in touch with Hasumi, perhaps even Tsurugi.
It was not that I was holding a grudge or anything. Today was only the first day, so it could be let go, but if Koharu did not show up for make-up lessons in the following days and then messed up during the exam, what would we do?
Beside me, Hifumi, who deeply felt how hard it was to be president, muttered to herself. "She left… ahaha…"
Hanako, on the other hand, laughed with interest. "Hehe, Koharu-chan's emotions swing wildly, she looks quite fun. And Azusa-chan is such a strong contrast, always completely calm."
Azusa tilted her head when she heard herself mentioned again.
Just as Hanako had guessed, not only her appearance, but even now, Azusa was already showing a bit of her inner cuteness.
Of course, the other three, including Hanako herself, were the same. In my eyes, all of them had very distinct personalities.
During this brief time together in the Make-Up Work Club, would these four girls of different temperaments come to form genuine friendships?
"I'm starting to look forward to it, hehe."
Hanako said with a smile, clearly thinking the same thing as me.
But compared to that, the most urgent matter was still making sure they all passed the exams smoothly.
So I spoke up. "Hanako, Azusa, could you bring your exam papers tomorrow?"
This was naturally to confirm which areas they were lacking in, so I could address the gaps more effectively.
…Though given the difficulty of those exams, managing to fail them already meant we would likely have to start from the very basics. Still, at least it would help identify some problems.
As for Hifumi and Koharu, I did not need to worry much about Hifumi, and Koharu's second year exam paper had no reference value at all.
Hanako nodded. "Of course."
Azusa replied bluntly. "In order to pass the exam, I will comply with any arrangements you make."
"Alright, let us all do our best together."
I smiled and reminded them. "Then remember to gather here after school tomorrow."
After that, I exchanged momotalks with Hanako and Azusa, then said goodbye to them.
Walking along Trinity's school path, I received a new friend request. After accepting it, the other side sent a message instantly.
Koharu: "Despicable! You actually snitched to Hasumi-senpai! That's really the worst!"
Imagining Koharu's flustered expression as she typed, the corner of my mouth curled upward.
At the very least, the time we would spend together in the future might not be as short as she imagined.