"…So this is a rule-breaking method, huh?"
Hina seemed both relieved and a little disappointed at the same time.
"What else did you think it was?" I paused, then said earnestly, "And let me clarify, what we did wasn't just breaking rules for fun. We personally experienced it to better understand the psychology of anyone who might break rules. It was entirely justified, done solely to maintain discipline!"
"Sigh… you really are something," the girl said with a helpless smile. "I only prohibited everyone from freely going out onto the balcony because it's unnecessary for the camp, that's all."
She hugged her knees tighter in the white shirt I had lent her and gazed sideways at the sea.
I turned to look as well.
At this hour, where dusk merges into night, the remnants of sunlight lingered, painting the distant ocean with streaks of color, creating a scene that felt almost dreamlike.
"Sensei," Hina asked suddenly, "do you like the ocean?"
"Well… not particularly," I replied.
The ocean felt more real, but it didn't compare to the grandeur of the virtual landscapes inside the Shittim Chest, nor to the surreal visions in my dreams.
So, I still preferred Hina.
"I see… so that's how it is for sensei too."
The white-haired girl nodded thoughtfully. Her mysterious lavender eyes seemed to reflect a hint of the sea color.
"Why does everyone love the ocean so much…? I've been wondering about this. Everyone seems happy, but I just… can't like it no matter what."
She glanced at me.
"Not being able to see under the water, not being able to touch the bottom, it makes me uneasy. Sensei… have you ever felt the same?"
I answered sincerely.
"Of course. I've thought about it. I wish I could walk on the ocean surface without worrying about falling in. I've thought that before."
Hina's face brightened with a gentle smile, clearly pleased by my agreement.
"See? Especially at night, the ocean is so dark it feels eerie… just looking at it makes me feel like I could be swallowed up. I really can't bring myself to like it."
Though perhaps inappropriate for the moment, I couldn't help thinking. so Hina is afraid of the dark.
[Void and chaos, the abyss dark,]
Ignoring the strange mutterings, I added.
"It would be nice if there were light."
[Light is good.]
"Hehe… yes. But now, I think I can understand how everyone feels a little better. The ocean is… actually so beautiful."
As she spoke of the ocean, her gaze never left me.
"It's really strange… I've never felt this way before."
Just like when she complimented Ako's coffee while discussing our joint operations, it's the same principle.
"Thank you, sensei."
The girl thanked me sincerely.
"Thank you for being by my side… and for teaching me so many things."
I frowned slightly.
"Isn't it a bit early to say that?"
"…Eh?"
"From now on, we have a long, long time ahead of us to spend together."
I feigned seriousness but couldn't hide the smile of contentment creeping onto my face.
"To say thanks now… what will we have left to say later?"
By the time our relationship deepens further, she'll probably only be able to confess her feelings for me.
"…Hehe, sensei, you really are… sigh. How can someone in this world be as strange as you?"
Hina smiled, her eyes sparkling.
I raised an eyebrow and deliberately misinterpreted her words.
"So… that means I'm special to you, huh?"
"Yes… After all, you are sensei…" Hina hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and looked at me with utmost seriousness.
"No, not because you are sensei. It's because… you are you."
I froze, then felt a surge of emotions within me.
Joy, gratitude… and confusion.
If I were stripped of the "sensei" title, the identity forcibly assigned to me, and lost my memory, who would I even be?
…But at least, to Hina, and to the students who know me, I am simply me. And perhaps, that is enough.
After a long silence, even after calming myself, I found it unusually difficult to speak.
"Hina… to me, you have always been just Hina. Not the Prefect Team President."
Hina tightened the borrowed shirt around her thin swimsuit-clad body and softly said.
"Mm… yes. That's why I…"
Her words were cut off by a faint, yet piercing sound from afar, distinct against the quiet seaside.
"…Is it an enemy attack?"
Hina jumped to her feet, but the cautious expression that had formed on her face froze instantly.
Fireworks exploded. Multicolored, dazzling, illuminating the sea and reflecting on her astonished face.
Whenever it comes to Hina, Ako's ability to act quickly is always astonishing.
"Look! The light's here!" I called over the ascending fireworks.
"Now even the night sea won't seem scary, right?"
Hina instinctively nodded, then suddenly realized and blushed in embarrassment.
"Sensei! When did I ever say I was afraid of the dark!?"
This reaction… she really is afraid of the dark.
I laughed heartily, apologized repeatedly to the flustered Hina, and with minimal effort, she forgave me. We focused on enjoying the summer fireworks display I had specially arranged for her.
"How is it? Beautiful, isn't it?"
When the final fireworks faded in the night sky, I asked with a smile.
Hina pondered for a moment.
"…Fireworks aren't allowed either, according to the camp rules. Ako, Iori, and Chinatsu... after learning your lesson, you still do such unnecessary things… this was under sensei's instruction, wasn't it?"
With her keen perception, Hina immediately guessed the identities of the instigator and the executors.
"This was a joint decision," I said seriously.
"So we're all mentally prepared to be punished again."
"I see…"
Hina smiled faintly, clearly in a good mood.
"Well, but this time, I was busy working with you to maintain discipline, so I'll just pretend I didn't see it."
"Then," the white-haired girl turned to me, "sensei, I think you've stayed long enough. Let's get back to training."
"Mm."
And so, the Prefect Team President's summer vacation finally drew to a perfect close.