The alarm from my hyudaepon blared loudly, ringing in my ears. My body felt strangely heavy.
With my eyes half-closed, I turned off the alarm and wasted a few more minutes in blissful ignorance. It was a luxury I hadn’t indulged in once for the past few months.
The moment I realized that fact, my eyes flew open.
Time! What time is it…
[10:02 AM]
“Whoa…”
Three missed calls. And dozens of momotalk messages.
The second day of the festival commenced with a refreshing sleep-in.
There was no time to dawdle. If I didn’t leave right now to handle my T-party duties, I might end up with no time to spare for Saori and Azusa, who’d gone through all kinds of trouble yesterday.
Hurrying to the bathroom, I quickly opened momotalk and sent a reply. Of course, it was a copy-paste job. I had to explain the situation a bit more detail to Nagisa, who had also called separately.
After squeezing some toothpaste onto my toothbrush, I stood in front of the sink, my gaze naturally directed towards the mirror.
…What’s that?
Something weird was visible…
Ah, it’s gone. I must still be half asleep.
As I lightly wet my toothbrush, I promised myself I would definitely be ready to leave within 30 minutes.
*
Despite my determination, the result was a catastrophic failure.
After washing up and drying my hair, I realized 40 minutes had already slipped by. This hair of mine was the root of all evil, but I couldn’t exactly chop it off either.
Well, if I really wanted to, I could, but changing my hairstyle to a bob would mean changing my uniform too, and honestly, that just seemed like too much hassle.
…If I asked if managing long hair every day isn’t a hassle, I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
I finished getting ready and contacted my aide. Since I had overslept, I needed them to pick me up; it was unavoidable.
Still, it was nice not having to ponder over my outfit. I just needed to grab my swimsuit and could head out in my uniform. I couldn’t be bothered to style my hair either—there was no time to waste.
I rushed out the front door and hopped into the back seat of the car, already waiting for me. After that, I naturally switched on the hyudaepon to stream the tournament coverage.
From what I could see, they were still in the preliminary rounds for the solo jet ski events. The only name I recognized in Group A was… Akari.
Today was also the day of the eating competition, so it was clear Akari would be fully motivated. This meant it was the easiest event to steal the gold medal from her.
Just as expected, Akari showcased her jet ski skills as if it were an extension of her body and made it to the finals. Anyone who watched yesterday’s match would probably assume Akari was guaranteed to reach the finals.
It was a strange feeling to watch two destroyed jet skis on the broadcast, the students involved all miraculously fine, picking up the debris floating on the surface.
I can’t believe they’d legit put something like this as a tournament event…
No, wait, the real issue is just how fearless our students are. As far as I know, jet ski competitions were already happening back on Earth.
Let’s face it, they probably just stomped the gas pedal without thinking, knowing they wouldn’t get hurt too badly. So this is definitely not my responsibility.
As soon as we arrived in front of the T-party building, I walked briskly toward my destination, the T-party office. Along the way, I nodded back at the students greeting me, feeling the office—which had become familiar, almost like my home—welcome me.
…But where’s Seiya?
Seiya doesn’t always work here, but on days like today when I’m sure to show up, she usually comes here early to wait for me. Strangely, there’s no one around today.
“…Huh?”
I saw a note on the desk where I usually sit. It seemed to be left by Seiya.
Picking up the note, I unfolded it, and the content made my head spin in disbelief.
[You’ve submitted a three-day absence form. By the way, I took care of the repairs.]
“…Whoa…”
That’s already two “whoas” today.
As I pondered what to do about this brat, a T-party executive thankfully arrived with perfect timing.
“Um, can I ask a favor?”
“Yes? Yes, Mika-nim! Please, go ahead!”
“Send someone to bring Seiya-chan here. Ah, if she resists, just… subdue her and bring her along. I mean, Seiya-chan is too weak to put up a real fight, anyway. Just don’t handle her too rough; she’s a delicate girl.”
“Okay…! I’ll convey your words exactly!”
“Ahaha, sorry for making you work so hard again, ☆”
Seiya, I understand your feelings, but if it’s just me and Nagisa having fun, then whatever. But this is a bit much.
Submitting an absence request? Who gave you the right to do that?
I’ll reject it with my authority. You’d better come back quick.
As a fellow slave, I won’t allow any escape attempts.
After sending off the T-party executive tasked with tracking down the runaway “fox,” I began to calmly review the paperwork I had to deal with. Surprisingly…
“Hm, with this much, I can just keep her for about an hour before letting her go.”
Yesterday’s tasks—including mine—were all neatly completed. Today’s stuff looked like it was only half-done.
…As expected, since she’s a top-tier “slave,” she really knows her stuff.
Thinking back to it, while I was with Hina and Nagisa wandering around the stalls and enjoying the fireworks, Seiya was probably stuck here looking over paperwork all alone.
I suddenly felt greatly apologetic. Should I just let her take a break?
Hmm, let’s think about that again after bringing her back.
*
Lately, I’ve noticed that the T-party executives are really good at their jobs.
I’m not just saying this casually; they’re truly the most diligent and capable kids in Trinity. The atmosphere of the entire T-party shifted toward a milder direction ever since I turned away from the main group kids from the Pater Faction, so it’s not entirely unrelated.
“Ugh… sigh”
So this runaway fox being dragged back into my arms was a predetermined outcome from the very beginning. However, seeing her lean her head against me like that, she seems to be secretly enjoying it.
Did she write that absence request just to grab my attention?
“I wonder if you’ve reflected on your actions a bit, Seiya-chan?”
“huff… How can there be anything to reflect upon? I simply concluded that my body wasn’t in a good state and filed the absence request…”
“I see… okay, understood. I’ll take care of that for you then. It’d be a little weird for you to fix your own absence request, don’t you think?”
“…Huh?! Mika, what do you mean by that?”
“But isn’t that what you wished for, Seiya-chan?”
As I stopped petting her head and said that, Seiya froze up. She really is a child who can’t be straightforward at all.
“Why? Do you have more to say? If you don’t, you can go back and rest, Seiya-chan! Sorry for dragging you all the way here☆”
“Don’t you think you’ve been a bit too mischievous lately?”
Seiya pouted, realizing all her insides were laid bare.
“Ahaha, well… I can’t help but think Seiya-chan’s being too stubborn, don’t you think?”
Seiya really needs to learn to be a little more honest. She’s the type who barely reveals her true feelings while always using complicated phrases that drive me up the wall.
It’s ironic that the only time that wall comes down is when she’s stuck to me, the reincarnation of the arch-nemesis in the original story.
When I think about how our relationship developed into such a relaxed one at some point, I can’t help but support the theory that I must’ve seen something in those prophetic dreams.
However, at the moment, I don’t want to think too deeply about it. I mean, just with Hina’s situation alone, I’ve already done something I can’t let Nagisa find out about, so indulging in such worries feels like poor timing.
But I do have some confidence about how to act when that hypothesis turns out to be true. The real question is how well I can tie it all up.
“So, what do you really want, Seiya-chan? If you genuinely plan to submit an absence request, I won’t stop you. Although you’ve betrayed my trust by dropping a bomb like being the host again without consulting me… well, that’s that, and this is this. You need to take breaks sometimes too.”
Nagisa is probably still upstairs working, but Seiya’s health is no mere issue. Thankfully, Nagisa is a decent enough girl who takes care of her health despite always being glued to her chair, but that’s something Seiya can’t help due to Shinpi’s influence.
“…Fine. Just forget the absence request. Leave the paperwork to me except for the ones you have to deal with.”
“Thanks, Seiya-chan! I was cutting it a bit close for our meeting time. So knowing you’re helping me out puts my mind at ease.”
“…So today is also a meeting, huh. Well, I respect your choice, but please don’t extend my work for personal reasons.”
“Ahaha! Don’t get too jealous, Seiya-chan. I was thinking about taking a day off with Nagisa-chan, and of course, I want you to join us.”
“Not that I particularly desired that…?”
Not that you didn’t? I saw your eyes sparkle the moment it came up. Seiya, you really are just a child at heart.
“Then, while we’re working together, I’d like to ask you something. Have you had any significant prophetic dreams lately?”
“Mika… my foresight isn’t such a convenient tool. It’s just potential outcomes for a future that’s not yet been decided. The fragmented pieces I see in dream form are often meaningless, and sometimes I’m better off not knowing. Though one exception did save your life and the lives of those you treasure, I wouldn’t count on a second miracle like that.”
“Hmm. I didn’t really wish for anything that substantial, but if Seiya-chan doesn’t have any, then so be it.”
I asked because a prophecy Seiya told me back in the day came to mind. It seems this version of Seiya is still not very useful. That runaway slave has the gall to be dreaming of escaping.
“Oh, but I can give you one piece of advice that might help your future.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“From now on, show me a bit more sincerity. If you do, you might just avoid a big disaster coming your way.”
The moment I heard Seiya perk up at those words, my lips curled into a grin. My arm, which had naturally risen to pet her head, suddenly stopped right in front of her forehead.
Smack!
“…?!”
And I hit her in a different sense too. Though it was with just enough force to flick dust off, it certainly didn’t sound ordinary; still, it probably wouldn’t hurt too much. I hope.
Anyway… where exactly is this medicine selling?
