It’s only my second visit at best, but I can’t help but feel that there’s no academy more fitting to the term “Academy City” than Millennium, just like back in the day.
“Ah, the monorail of Millennium is definitely convenient…”
“Right? I’d love to have this introduced in Trinity too.”
Of course, no matter how much I’m the host of T-party, I can’t just handle everything my way. Moreover, large-scale projects like installing a monorail would clearly lead to me being sidelined from the planning stage, so there’s really no reason to eye unnecessary things while wasting the budget.
After moving from the airport to the vicinity of Millennium Campus via the monorail, a familiar face greeted us.
“Hello, Mika!”
“Noa-chan! Did you wait long?”
“Well, how long do you think I waited, Mika?”
Noa asked back with her hands behind her back, smiling slyly. The slight bowing of her head and the mischievous question felt so much like her.
“Ahaha, if I made you wait too long, I’d feel really bad. How about we pretend this conversation never happened for my conscience?”
“Are you trying to dodge that…? It’s a bit disappointing, but I can’t help it. I only waited 8 minutes and 37 seconds because you came earlier than our appointed time♪”
“So does that mean I should show up about 10 minutes earlier next time? Hmm, that might not be easy.”
“Fufu. I could understand if you were 10 minutes late, Mika. You’re such a popular person, after all. Oh right, Haruna-chan was bragging that she personally made you a restorative dish yesterday… I feel a bit left out, don’t you think? Don’t you think it’s a bit much from Haruna-chan?”
…Huh? Why is Noa feeling left out about that? Were the two of them that close?
“Oh, by the way, I’ve been rambling for too long. Nice to meet you, I’m Ushio Noa, secretary of the seminar at Millennium. Nice to meet you!”
“I’m Amau Aco, the senior administrator of the Gehenna student council. Nice to meet you too.”
While Noa and Aco were introducing themselves to each other, I found myself wanting to sulk just by seeing Aco’s smiling face. The treatment I’m getting is just way too different.
“Wow… Aco-chan, your expression is so different from when we first met, don’t you think?”
“That’s because I was here for Mika. If it were one of the other Trinity girls, it wouldn’t have been the same. So you should always be thankful to Hina-buchou. Got it?”
Yeah, I bet Hina could convince anyone. If she said she made miso with red beans, I wouldn’t just believe it—I’d expect her to somehow pull it off.
“Ugh… Otaku, that’s annoying.”
“…Huh? Wait a second! Please take back that statement!”
“Noa-chan, shall we get going? Since we’re here, I want to check out Millennium Campus too☆”
“Fufu, shall we?”
“No, don’t just blatantly ignore me! Take back that statement right now!”
Ignoring Aco with an expression of calm, Noa marched ahead and I followed. Man, teasing Aco is just the best. She’s truly the perfect student for being a linguistic punching bag.
*
Under Noa’s guidance, as I explored Millennium Campus, I could definitely see why it’s considered such an attractive academy. Frankly, if you’re a science student, choosing Millennium seems like an obvious choice.
“Especially the school uniform. Every time I see it, I wonder how it can look so pretty… Is it just me feeling like others’ pies look bigger?”
“Fufu. Then how about transferring to Millennium while you’re at it?”
“No, thanks. Besides, if I come here, it’d just be wearing a jacket over casual clothes every day… Oh, but that’s actually a more appealing option compared to just wearing T-party uniforms daily.”
Still, that’s that. What clubs would I even join if I came to Millennium? Before I reincarnated into this body, I would’ve proudly declared myself a gaming club member, but with so much on my plate, I hardly think about games anymore.
“This is the Millennium Tower. Besides our seminar, there are many important clubs taking up space here, but the top floor is exclusively used by our seminar. It’s an important place in Millennium, and security is strictly managed, so when you have your next meeting with the president, either Yuuka-chan or I will come to greet you. The elevator itself operates with a fingerprint recognition system.”
“It might be a hassle, but at least the security is solid. I suppose T-party could use some strengthening in that regard, too.”
“You could resolve that by inquiring with the unofficial club, Veritas. Basically, the president has refused budget allocation for the club, and they cover their expenses by providing security solutions to various companies… So their skills are definitely solid.”
Hmm, was Rion’s refusal for budget allocation due to Himari? I hope I don’t end up resented by Rion later since I asked for help from Himari. I need to help that kid somehow.
By the way, it’s similar that the T-party building, student council headquarters, and Millennium Tower are all high-rise structures set on the academy grounds, but seeing this makes me feel particularly impressed by Makoto, who still insists that the Manma Battle building shouldn’t be shorter than the student council headquarters. How odd that it hasn’t been constructed yet.
When I casually mentioned this to Aco, she replied,
“Maybe it’s just that idiot living in blissful ignorance? Please make sure this doesn’t reach that raccoon.”
“Ahaha, if it’s Makoto-chan, that could really be the case.”
I nonchalantly burst out my disdain for Makoto like breathing in and out. It’s hard to argue back against Aco on that part, and honestly, I didn’t even want to. How could the perpetrator understand the peak of an inverted mountain?
“Normally, I would have shown you the clubroom that Veritas uses, but today, the senior Himari has requested a different meeting place.”
With that bit of explanation, Noa led us to one of Millennium’s club buildings.
After walking inside for a while, we arrived at a location that seemed somewhat secluded, and Noa looked around.
“I’m quite sure this is the place I was told… It’s strange…”
“…What is this nameplate that says ‘The club to prove the correlation between a beautiful woman’s sleep and skin issues’?”
“Hmm… It’s a bit different from what I was told, but that does sound like something Himari would do.”
Knock knock——
“Himari-senpai, are you here?”
“Yes, you can come in.”
Not long after Noa lightly knocked on the door of the clubroom, a sweet voice echoed from inside.
…What is that voice?
With an awkward smile, Noa opened the door and, confirming the lights inside were off, quickly looked for the light switch. With the curtains drawn and the lights off, it was the perfect environment for a nap. In other words, one that Himari would surely enjoy.
“…Hya?!”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry! It was so dark that I just turned the light on… By the way, Himari-senpai, why did the information you gave me differ from what’s on the nameplate?”
“…Ah, that’s because I changed the nameplate this morning. I suddenly remembered that I’ve lived my life without ever experiencing skin issues, just like the delicate flower that blossoms on a sheer cliff.”
“…Huh?”
Setting aside Aco, who seemed inexplicably heated by Himari’s words, Himari’s first impression can be summed up as a girl adorned with so many accolades… Is this enough to call her a gorgeous maiden? And indeed, the voice matches the appearance—so pleasing, it’s comparable to Nagisa.
Essentially, I’ve surely observed the striking beauty of named students in Kivotos before. But even by those standards, there are definitely some who’d make you exclaim with awe, “Wow…”
One such person is right here with us. Even before the title of T-party host became public, her exceptional beauty caught the attention of those around her, making her likened to princesses. Indeed, I’m referring to the girl named Misono Mika, as well as me, the current owner of this body.
Next would be Haruna, who brazenly committed acts that can only be seen as a form of terror in pursuit of culinary perfection, yet her face alone could make you want to forgive her. This one possesses such overwhelming beauty that even I, forged strong against Nagisa, find myself easily caught in her allure.
Among the cute and beautiful girls densely populating Kivotos, meeting a girl who has reached the extremes of narcissism made me think, “Well, this is something I have to acknowledge.” Especially those pointy ears, adding a fairy-like charm to her colossal attractiveness.
Of course, even Himari isn’t entirely perfect. It’s true that her mobility is hindered by an issue related to her lower body, requiring her to use a wheelchair. Some specific areas… well, let’s skip past those details.
Though I’m sure she’d wrap such issues in various words to present them as part of her charm, I find myself more embarrassed just thinking about it.
“Actually, it’s scientifically proven that beautiful women are often sleepyheads, and it’s widely known that there are studies showing the relationship between sleep deprivation and skin issues. But does that standard apply to a beauty like myself, who has never lost a moment of her flower-like beauty?”
“…”
Aco’s gaze toward Himari was darkening. No matter how you look at it, she seems to be taking indirect damage here—what’s up with that? It’s undeniable that Himari is a beauty of a different level, but Aco has her own unique charm too…
Oh, is this Aco just suffering because her sleep deprivation has led to skin issues while listening to Himari, who has never experienced such problems?
“To prove this, I recorded my skin condition after getting only 4 hours of sleep two days ago, and today I recorded my skin condition after 10 hours of sleep. Now, all that’s left is to check the results. Though really, the outcome is so obvious that you won’t even need to open the lid to find out… But the process of verification is proof in itself.”
“Fufu… I see. By the way, Himari-senpai, the guests you scheduled to meet today have arrived, so is it okay to postpone checking the results of that experiment?”
“Hmm, indeed. I almost made an uncharacteristic mistake. I, who possess the same thoughtful nature as my outward appearance, would never neglect guests. Nice to meet you, senior administrator of Gehenna, and the T-party host of Trinity. I’m Akeboshi Himari, the genius hacker of Millennium.”
“Nice to meet you, Himari-chan. You might already know my name, but still, it’s polite to introduce myself. I’m Amau Aco, and this is Misono Mika. Call us however you’re comfortable with☆”
“By the way, this is quite surprising. Based on profiles, it seems I’ve only seen such a beautiful girl beyond a mirror, so to encounter her in real life fills me with a sense of the vastness of the world.”
“Ahaha, I guess that’s a compliment…?”
“Of course! I never dreamed I’d meet a beauty that could rival me, shining like Venus rising in the dawn. If I’m a delicate flower on the brink of oblivion atop a height… then yes, you could rightly say you are a divine blessing from the heavens! Hehe.”
“Wow—oh…”
Honestly, I thought I could just let Himari indulge herself a little in her narcissism, but facing her directly is quite overwhelming…
Is narcissism really a disease?
