“Ugh, Huaaaa… I really thought I was gonna die this time. I’ve been drinking water all day… and my wings are still dry… it’s the worst feeling ever.”
A girl with black hair, looking like a drenched rat, trudges over to me, grumbling, and sits down on the sunbed beside me, turning her back to the shade of the parasol.
If I had to describe this girl in one word, it would probably be “carefree.”
Aside from her characteristic squinty eyes, she has a completely average hair color and style. With just a simple red hairpin and the Justice Realization Department choker as her accessories, she’s dressed in the same uniform as the Mob Students, which makes her seem pretty plain otherwise.
But this girl, when she smiles, is exceptionally pretty.
However, her smiling seems to be a passive skill. She’s always grinning for no reason, and it makes me wonder if it’s forced, but looking closely, it doesn’t seem to be.
The only time her smile disappears is when she’s flustered after taking the plunge due to Tsurugi’s reckless driving.
Plus, today she’s wearing a fairly revealing black bikini, so she definitely gives off a different vibe than the Mob Students.
“Hahaha, but if you help me this time, it’ll be the end of it, right? I won’t get wet anymore.”
“That may be true… but still, I really don’t want to get wet. So just one more time, please, Mika senpai.”
“You’re the only one who bosses me around like this, Ichika-chan.”
Nakamasa Ichika. A first-year student in the Justice Realization Department, she’s set to participate in the water skiing event with Tsurugi during this festival.
If you ask why Tsurugi is driving the boat, it’s a matter of fairness. There was a discussion among us three—Hina, me, and Tsurugi—about the limitations on our participation.
Basically, just the three of us are already at a level where our mere existence is unfair, so we agreed to refrain from participating in most events. To be blunt, if I were to join a beach volleyball match and spike, it would be nothing short of a disaster.
Thus, Tsurugi facing off against Hina will only take place in a team match with no restrictions for both the Justice Realization Department and the Student Council. This is something I’m personally quite looking forward to.
It would obviously be great if Tsurugi wins, but regardless of the outcome, I want to see those two face off.
One thing that doesn’t fall under these restrictions is being the one controlling the motorboat in water skiing. I heard Ichika was originally supposed to participate in jet skiing with another Mob Student, while Tsurugi was supposed to team up with Hasumi for water skiing, but Hasumi couldn’t adapt to it at all.
Well, we don’t need to worry about jet skiing since our Arius Squad has it covered. To put it bluntly, the number of name-brand students who cooperate with events like this is far beyond what Trinity can compare to.
Since it’s a sport, it’s not unusual for some Mob Student to stand out, but if we’re just looking at the possibilities, there’s really not much difference even in Trinity.
Clack. Fwooooosh—
I happily dry Ichika’s dark wings with a wireless hairdryer. It’s obviously more convenient this way than doing it alone, but the fact that she asked me to do it shows just how laid-back she is. We’ve only met two or three times before today, after all.
Most students would feel pressured by my position and never dream of making a request like this, but Ichika’s a bold one.
“Hahaha! You told me not to be shy about asking for help! I mean, really, I’m just drying your wings here, so it’s not much of a deal.”
“By the way, Ichika-chan, if Nagisa-chan finds out I’m drying your wings, I’m a dead person. Yup… she’s definitely gonna come after me. It feels like such a big deal.”
“Thinking about it, you and the senpais were dating, right? I suddenly feel worried that I might have made an awkward request.”
“Wow—o… and you don’t even say you will dry them yourself?”
Hearing what I said, Ichika turns her head slightly back and grins.
No, Ichika. If you keep smiling like that, trying to charm people… it’s not about me, but still, you should tone it down a bit.
“Haha. If it doesn’t get caught, isn’t that fine?”
Wow, this girl really is bold, way more than I expected.
Honestly, I know very little about the original Ichika. Just a rough idea of what she looks like and a few lines from the Eden Treaty arc? I hardly even remember the contents…
But looking at her face-to-face, her presence is no joke. Even though I feel annoyed at the PD for not showing more of this character in the story, I also feel happy to have the chance to meet and get to know Ichika.
Maybe it feels more pronounced because most of the students I’ve met and gotten close with so far have had significant presence in their respective stories.
“Well then~ let’s hear your resolve and determination, our Ichika athlete! Do you think you can win the gold medal in this water skiing tournament?!”
“…Honestly, not really.”
“Eh.”
Hey, Ichika. Wasn’t that supposed to be the kind of atmosphere where you boldly declare that you’re going to win the gold medal against anyone?
“Um, I got used to water skiing pretty quickly. The issue is Tsurugi senpai’s rampage.”
Ah. The Tsurugi issue is unavoidable.
“…Hahaha. That’s true. I completely forgot about that.”
“I see Tsurugi senpai rampaging as a constant. The question is whether I can endure it… Hmm, I feel like my true enemy in the actual match isn’t the other teams, but rather Tsurugi senpai? Yes, something like that.”
“Well, as long as you can endure Tsurugi-chan’s rampage, you can probably win against any opponent. Alright! Ichika-chan, I’m counting on you for the gold medal in water skiing!”
“Ah, yes… With Mika senpai saying that, I’ll do my best.”
“Right, I’ll cheer for you… ah, the battery.”
Having repeated the process of drying her wings a few times already, it seems the hairdryer is reaching its limit.
“Sorry, Ichika-chan. I got too busy chatting and didn’t notice the battery… If I had known it would come to this, I should have at least dried your hair a bit more.”
“Haha, it’s fine! As for my hair, well, I can just wash it and dry it properly later.”
Watching Ichika respond cheerily with another bright smile, I felt my lips curve up slightly.
Ah… I guess so. I can just wash it and dry it again later? That makes sense.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. How silly of me.
“…Which means that not only the hair, but the wings have to be dried again after washing. Why did you ask me to dry them, our junior?”
“…”
Ichika, who silently stood up, gathers her hair and squeezes it out. It looks like she’s trying to avoid answering my question, but I didn’t press her. It makes sense; she’s the sort who would end up hitting her head after this.
“I’m sorry, Mika-senpai! You dried my wings so meticulously that I unconsciously acted a bit spoiled!”
Alright, there we go. I didn’t expect her to be that honest.
“Okay, okay, I’ll let it slide this time! Frankly, I think it’s fine since I’ve officially slacked off at the beach like this. That said, it’s still rude, so just a little prank is acceptable☆.”
“Haha… Well, you know, Mika-senpai feels completely different than what I thought. In a good way, of course.”
“Hahaha! What’s with that subtle compliment! I’m just glad it was a good impression.”
“Isn’t it enough if the meaning is conveyed properly? Well then, I’ll go wash up now. It looks like Tsurugi senpai is here, too.”
Just as Ichika said, Tsurugi was approaching with a droopy demeanor after handing over the boat to the other Justice Realization Department members.
Is she sad about losing the boat?
I waved my hand above my head, and Tsurugi, looking blankly at me, raised her head to look my way.
“You’ve got to win the tournament, Tsurugi-chan!!!”
I shouted out with earnest sincerity. While others might think, “If we lose to those guys, we won’t be able to sleep!”, for me, losing to Gehenna would mean real trouble. It’d be better than running into all sorts of trouble with Makoto, but losing’s still not an option.
Tsurugi, who had been staring blankly at me, lifted her hand up to her chest and gave a slight wave.
Then suddenly, she seemed startled and spun around swiftly,
“Kyahhh——!!”
Letting out a strange scream, she dashed off somewhere.
“Eh?”
“She’s just shy. Everyone’s scared of Tsurugi senpai. It’s rare for anyone to treat her normally, like Mika-senpai does. Hmm.”
Well, sure, I know that.
I’m not exactly comfortable with Tsurugi, either. Especially when she gets that fierce look; it’s scary even for me.
So yeah, I’m definitely not fighting Tsurugi. Just seeing her fierce expression during a fight would probably make me want to surrender on the spot.
“Then, I’ll head off first, Mika-senpai. Next time we meet, you’ll put the gold medal around my neck, right? Haha!”
“Hahaha…! Yes! That’s the answer I was hoping for, Ichika-chan! Let’s go for it!”
Alright! One more gold medal slave secured.
Whatever Makoto has prepared, there’s no way he can surpass my strong Justice Realization Department and Arius Squad——
Ding!
“Eh?”
A sound from Momotalk rang out from a small pouch I left beside the sunbed.
I quickly opened my phone to check the message, and I saw a familiar name.
[Hina-chan]
[You’d better brace yourself for this festival, Mika.]
Hina’s message was just that one line.
But it was enough to send shivers down my spine.
What’s going on? Why is Hina suddenly reaching out?
She’s not particularly close with Makoto, so maybe she’s warning me that he’s planning something significant?
The problem is, Makoto thinks he’s got a hold of me and has me locked away. So it’s hard to believe Hina contacted me to warn me…
“Wow—o.”
Seriously, Hina, come on! You can’t do this to me!
If Trinity loses this festival, I’ll become Makoto’s slave. I’d have to chant “Long Live the Great Chairperson Makoto!” for a whole week…!
What on earth has gotten Hina’s competitive spirit ignited? While it might be natural for a student from Gehenna to not want to lose to Trinity, couldn’t she try losing out of consideration for our bonds?
With a feeling of helplessness, I collapsed backward onto the sunbed. The overwhelming feeling of betrayal made my heart turn icy.
Now that it’s come to this… In two days, on the festival’s opening day, I’ll utterly crush you, Hina.
Let’s see if you can still say the same thing afterward.
With that determination in my mind, I desperately wished that my kids would absolutely obliterate Gehenna. I’ve never wished so fervently for something in my life.
