“…So, why on earth is the seating arrangement like this?”
Knocking the table gently with her fingertips, Nagisa glares at Noa with a face full of complaints. It’s understandable; right beside her sits Haruna, calmly sipping coffee with a serene expression.
“Isn’t it because this arrangement is the most rational? No matter who among you sits next to Mika, someone will surely be unhappy, so it’s actually fairer if neither of you sits next to her.”
“I don’t think that’s rational at all. First of all, Mika is my girlfriend, Ushio. Even if it makes someone unhappy that I sit next to her, that’s none of my concern, right?”
Fufu. “Kirihouji-san, you’re more bland than I expected. I was hoping for a calmer and cooler demeanor, befitting someone who’s a student council president at Trinity… at this rate, it feels like there’s no competition, and I’m quite disappointed.”
Haruna and Noa maintain their ever-present cheerful smiles, in stark contrast to Nagisa, whose face has gone completely stiff, her eyebrows twitching.
As Haruna said, there’s no sign of calmness coming from Nagisa. This is truly unlike her.
Always poised and graceful. Despite this motto, Nagisa looks exceptionally uncomfortable right now.
“Um~, but it’s only for the duration of one drink. Wouldn’t that be okay with both of you?”
At Noa’s words, the two glance at each other. Watching Haruna, who naturally wears a smile, and Nagisa, who is struggling to lift the corners of her mouth, it seems like this fight is already a lost cause.
Our Nagisa isn’t usually like this. She’s good at politics, excels in work, and doesn’t have a single rough edge…
Clearly, something needs to change. It’s better to just draw a clear line here and say I want to remain friends from now on. It’s what you’d call friend zoning, and it’s really time for that.
“Um, Haruna-chan.”
“Yes? Please go ahead, Mika.”
“I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can accept your feelings. It was really kind of Nagisa to accommodate my request regarding Hina-chan. So… yeah, I really can’t ask for anything more from Nagisa. I’m sorry.”
Locking eyes with Haruna sincerely, I throw down a move to diffuse the bomb that could explode at any moment.
“…”
“Mika-san…!”
Nagisa, who never expected I would make this decision, opens her eyes wide in surprise.
Yeah, this is for the best. In the first place, even when it concerned Hina, I should have drawn a clear line instead of talking about hurt feelings. No one points fingers at someone for supporting their partner.
“Oh dear, this situation has deviated from our expectations. What should we do, Haruna-san?”
“…Heueng.”
For a moment, Haruna’s gaze becomes strange after hearing my words before returning to normal. Observing Noa’s response, it seems she sided with Haruna. If I had maintained a half-hearted neutrality, Nagisa would have had to fight this lonely battle all by herself.
This was the right choice, decisively drawing the line…
“Mika-san, may I ask you something? Honestly and plainly, I want you to swear to tell the truth to that person you believe in.”
Uh, that person must be the primordial divine being, right?
Haruna, I don’t believe in that. I’m the one who stands at the apex of Trinity but is still a skeptic…
“…What do you want to know?”
There’s no way she’d ask me who I like more right after getting rejected or which of us is more to my taste. What could Haruna possibly be asking?
“Have you ever felt anything beyond mere affection for me? I don’t think the feelings that have gone back and forth between us have been one-sided. They’ve surely been mutual emotions shared between us. That’s how I feel.”
“…”
A moment of hesitation ensues. If I give her any leeway here, I have a gut feeling that Haruna won’t give up easily. Logically speaking, it would be right to respond that I’ve never felt that way, no questions asked.
But saying I’ve never felt any pull towards Haruna would be outright lying, so first, I sneak a glance at Nagisa.
Her eyes seemed to scream, “Please don’t answer honestly!”
Just a single lie is all it takes. That would put an end to this complicated situation.
With that thought deep in my heart, I begin to mouth a lie to Haruna.
No, I was going to.
“Mika-san, you might want to reconsider what you were about to say. I’m not a fool, you know? It’s not like I’m so oblivious that I can’t understand the thoughts behind your gaze at Kirihouji-san. If you intentionally say that phrase after knowing all that… that would mean…”
Haruna’s eyes, deep red like a glass of wine, pierce through me as if they can see my soul. Her eyes softly narrow.
Are you really going to say such an obvious lie out loud, knowing that I, Nagisa, and even you, Haruna, know all of this? It seemed like she was asking me if my feelings were genuinely that strong that I wanted to push her away.
“In that case, I might have to resort to something bad.”
“…Something bad?”
“You know my way, right? I’m willing to do anything for the sake of gourmet. If there’s an obstacle in my path towards gourmet, I’ll just blow it up and keep moving.”
“Eek. Well, even if that’s true, blowing things up… isn’t really a good idea, is it? That’s a joke, right, Haruna-chan…?”
Involuntarily, I pictured Haruna blowing Nagisa up while keeping her trapped. That made her chuckle softly.
“Uhuhuhu. Well, that is just talk. However, the sentiments behind that are my genuine feelings. To me, gourmet is determined more by the surrounding environment than by the essence of taste. And among those, the most important factor is whether I can enjoy the meal with someone I like.”
Haruna, with a teasing smile, flips a few strands of hair behind her ear. Even such a trivial motion is undeniably captivating; it’s hard to deny how attractive she is.
“Even if our Gourmet Research Club members are great, the one I enjoy being with the most is you, Mika. Just like how you have colored me, I want to color you with my hues one day. It’s good to enjoy a meal peacefully, but experiencing the relief of erasing a place that didn’t provide a satisfying meal—I want to teach you that feeling too—”
“I seriously can’t listen to this. How can someone be so selfish? Hina-san at least has some reason and sincerity, but you, Kurodate, are distressingly self-centered. Your desire for Mika only serves yourself; not once have I seen a thought for Mika in you.”
“…Fufu, I don’t quite understand what you mean by that, Kirihouji-san. Isn’t it wrong to seek the person who completes my values and my purpose in life? Relationships between people can’t be perfectly the same.”
“But ideal relationships undeniably exist. It’s clear that a relationship with someone as self-centered as you isn’t desirable. Especially if one side is kindhearted and selfless like Mika.”
…Ah. Just listening gives me a headache.
It makes me realize how smoothly things went during Hina’s time.
“People call that arrogance, you know. Perhaps it’s because you’re a student council president at a large academy like Trinity, but you’re taking your own thoughts as if they’re the truth. I could give all my possessions to Mika if she wanted. Isn’t that love as you define it?”
“That’s easy to say when you know Mika will take responsibility for you for the rest of her life if you give it all up.”
“Fufu… That may very well be true. So how about we see just how magnificent Kirihouji-san’s love really is?”
“…Anything. Literally, I can do anything for Mika. She’s more precious than myself.”
“That means, if Mika-san expresses her desire for me right here…”
“No, that won’t fly. I won’t allow myself to approach Mika unless she shares my sentiments. Unless the matters involve Hina or the kids from the Arius Squad, who I have personally seen and judged, absolutely not.”
Oh, so that means Hina was permitted because she was entirely smitten with me to the point Nagisa could recognize it. Even so, she should know her priorities and act accordingly to God’s righteousness.
And when did she grant permission to the Arius Squad? Did everything from yesterday’s festivities amount to nothing, and that’s why it didn’t matter?
Looking back on it, I was so preoccupied trying to find a way to draw a line with the members of the Squad without hurting anyone that it’s clear I was wrecking my own brain…
“Your claim of being able to do anything contradicts itself. And what you said sounds like you want to create a cult of devotion or something.”
“I’m sorry, but please don’t distort love into fanaticism. It’s quite unpleasant to hear. I can hardly fathom how someone so self-centered as you could understand such feelings.”
“Extreme blind love and fanaticism are practically indistinguishable. In forming the conclusions you did, if you ever considered whether Mika would appreciate that approach—”
“…”
“You haven’t, have you? Maybe you disregarded it and just overlooked the idea. It may be true that I am self-centered, as you described. But Mika has sought joy and laughter even with me, despite that. She reached out her hand of friendship towards me first.”
As I observe Haruna, who appears lost in fond memories, I feel myself being drawn into those recollections. Unlike Noa, who shines with enthusiasm for Haruna’s words, Nagisa wears an expression of realization.
“That time spent exploring gourmet with Mika was the most enjoyable and happiest time for me. Therefore, I cannot let you go, Kiriuhouji. It’s little wonder; Mika is the very destination I pursue in gourmet.”
“…Haru-chan, you really won’t give up, even after I’ve rejected you like this.”
“How could I ever give up? Up until now, you’ve been the one to make my heart race this much. Even whatever answer came back to my previous question wouldn’t change my decision. If Mika-san has never felt love for me, I would have tried hard to make her notice me somehow.”
What kind of mess had I been making all along? If I were to argue, I could say the time spent with Haruna was the most similar to a romantic relationship, but that she would be this sincere unexpectedly…
“…But it doesn’t change anything. It remains true that you are first to Mika, and that’s an unchangeable fact. Beyond simple order, the weight of time and feelings that we have built together cannot simply be compared with you.”
“Love and time aren’t proportional, Kirihouji. Hence, I prefer the Mikachan who’s not rigid like angels. Apart from pursuing my goal, I think Mika’s personality suits Gehenna much more.”
“What nonsense—”
“Fufu… Anyway, you come across as pitiful. Just how insecure are you about your own charms to be this restless? If I were you, I wouldn’t have shown such anxiousness at the very least.”
“Whew…”
With Nagisa completely caught in Haruna’s pace, her hands tremble slightly. Without her black tea, Nagisa becomes that weak.
“Mika-san, did you know? The process to obtain good gourmet foods is often arduous, and the harder it is, the tastier it becomes. Unfortunately, this time it may not be as challenging, so the taste could be a bit lacking… but that won’t cause your gourmet to lose its shine. It’s always been brilliant, so even a lack of seasoning won’t take away from its original flavor.”
At that moment, I realized something late. Friend zoning only works when one side has unrequited love and the other sees the other as merely a friend and nothing more.
“So I’ll push Kirihouji-san away with all my strength and take you, Mika. Gourmet… love is originally something one must conquer.”
Unfortunately, my feelings still fluttered with every word, expression, and smile from Haruna rather than standing resolute.
“…So in the end, what you really wanted to say, Kurodate, was just that one line. I understand. I wish you good luck. After all, for someone destined to fail, any more words would just be mockery.”
And Nagisa, for this time, looked like she wouldn’t back down.
Determined, Nagisa regained her composure and met Haruna’s gaze, while Noa simply smiled brightly as if satisfied with the situation.
She is truly the most frightening one here.
What on earth is she doing here? What reason does she have to support Haruna? No matter how much I try to think, I can’t figure out that part.
