Earlier, when Nagisa had flown into a rage, Mika had only laughed it off.
Because this was exactly the outcome she had hoped for. As Nagisa's childhood friend, she knew her temper better than anyone.
But now, when Seia declared that she would punish her, the completely unprepared Mika froze for a brief moment before unease and panic began to set in.
"Seia-chan, why are you suddenly saying things I don't understand again...? You're making me feel really uneasy..."
Mika actually lowered herself and gave in to Seia.
"If I did something wrong, I... I can apologize to you..."
As those words left her mouth, the tense atmosphere seemed to ease somewhat.
Even Seia, now holding her secret weapon, began to hesitate.
Meanwhile, I, who had been watching from the sidelines, was getting anxious.
Could it be that the long-awaited chance to witness the pink-haired girl embarrass herself was about to slip away again, avoided by her beast-like instincts?
But in the very next moment, as though she had heard my thoughts, Mika, who had just been acting pitiful, suddenly flashed a radiant smile.
"But today is supposed to be a celebration of my return, right?"
The moment she sensed the danger fading, the pink-haired girl's willfulness, arrogance, and self-centeredness immediately regained the upper hand.
"I think it'd be better not to bring up such mood-killing topics, okay? Seia-chan, it's about time you learned to read the room a little! Otherwise, Sensei's going to end up disliking you, you know? Hahahahaha☆"
Hearing that familiar laugh, overflowing with astonishing "wisdom," immediately put my mind at ease.
"...Mika, you really never learn."
Seia frowned, but soon relaxed her expression again and let out a helpless sigh.
"Well, I suppose that's simply everyone's unique trait. Just as I'm aware that my way of speaking is rather obscure, yet cannot seem to change it. I see now. Enduring one another's flaws truly is the ordinary way people interact."
Mika became increasingly smug, as though victory were already hers.
"Ah~ So Seia-chan actually knows your way of talking is hard to understand! By the way, what's that thing you've been holding this whole time?"
That's the magical little gadget that's about to come in handy, Miss Misono.
If you ask me, the real show is about to begin.
Nagisa, still remembering the humiliation she had suffered, couldn't stand Mika's triumphant expression.
"Seia-san, even if today is indeed a day worth celebrating, there's no need to indulge her this much..."
The blonde, fox-eared girl merely smiled calmly.
"It's fine. I should have expected this. If anything, seeing Mika so full of energy is rather reassuring."
After saying that, she lowered her head and began fiddling with the object in her hands.
Mika was somewhat surprised by such tolerance, but quickly accepted it and turned her attention elsewhere.
"Exactly! Nagi-chan, aren't you meddling a little too much?"
"...Mika, I suppose getting out of prison really has made you happy."
The ash-blonde girl's eyes flickered.
"But perhaps because you were locked up for too long, you've even forgotten the basic manners you ought to have?"
"Not at all. I just wanted to share my happiness with you all, my very, very best friends!"
Mika, who was obviously showing off, even turned the tables.
"Nagi-chan, are you mad? You're just jealous that Sensei and I are so close, aren't you? Ehehehe. You sore loser."
Nagisa, who in reality had by far the closest relationship with me, raised her brows and was about to retort when Mika's voice suddenly rang out again.
["You were just a tool for me to vent my frustration, no, to get revenge on them."]
Nagisa and Mika both froze, then simultaneously turned toward Seia, who wore a gentle smile.
The words had come from the recorder in her hand.
"...Huh? So it's a recorder... That's strange. Did I ever say something like that to you, Seia-chan?"
The confusion on Mika's face didn't seem fake. Soon, however, it turned into a smile.
"Come to think of it, does someone actually record every single thing other people say? Hahaha, that's kind of scary. Someone who secretly does something like that seems pretty questionable, don't you think? Seia-chan, you're way too petty. You'll never make friends like that! Right, Sensei?"
Having completely forgotten when, where, or to whom she had said those words, she instinctively assumed Seia, who was holding the recorder, was responsible, then turned to me for agreement.
For a moment, I almost thought she was taking a jab at me again. My lips twitched, and I politely brushed it off.
"Ahaha... maybe."
Nagisa, who had been furious only moments ago, looked back and forth between us as realization dawned on her. A teasing smile slowly spread across her face.
"Honestly, Sensei, you're just far too forgiving."
Completely oblivious, Mika pouted.
"That's one of your strengths, but also one of your weaknesses!"
"I agree."
Seia nodded in wholehearted agreement before turning to me.
"Sensei, thank you for providing the recording."
"It's nothing."
I shook my head sincerely.
"After all, I recorded it with Mika's knowledge. If anyone deserves thanks, it should be her."
So no, it wasn't done in secret.
"Oh my, so that's what happened."
Seia feigned surprise, then genuinely turned to her stunned friend.
"Mika, then thank you very much."
Nagisa also understood the situation and, suppressing her laughter, said,
"I'm sorry, Mika. I misjudged you. I never imagined you could be so magnanimous..."
Wasn't that the truth?
Sacrificing her own image just to give everyone such an entertaining performance.
Some people might call Mika a clown, but all I want to say is:
Mika, you're Awesome!
Meanwhile, the pink-haired girl, who had stood frozen with her eyes wide open ever since the recording played, finally moved stiffly. She looked at me, then at the recorder, then back at me, stammering,
"Huh...? S-Sensei? There's no way I'd ever say something like that to Sensei... Th-That's not right. Who's trying to frame me...?"
Suddenly, Mika's eyes lit up as though she had grabbed onto a lifeline.
"Seia-chan, you're the one trying to frame me, aren't you? Honestly, taking advantage of Sensei's silly, terrible memory to edit and splice together things other people have said."
...Huh?
I took a deep breath, doing my best to ignore someone's misunderstanding of me, and decided to fight magic with magic.
"Mika, are you saying you think I didn't take every single word you said to heart?"
"O-Of course not! W-Wait... then..."
As the contradiction at the core of her own reasoning finally caught up with her, the self-deception that had even distorted her memories could no longer continue.
She was finally forced to accept the truth she had desperately refused to face.
"I... I really said something like that to Sensei...?"