“Hey, wasn’t it supposed to be a festival outside right now? Why aren’t you enjoying Halloween and came all the way here…?”
“That’s a really good question, Serina-chan. You see… the reason we’re here is to enjoy Halloween! ☆”
“Eh?”
“… I don’t really care whether you and the princess enjoy Halloween or Christmas. I just think it’s a bit odd to be saying that to someone who’s currently studying, don’t you think?”
“You’re using casual speech, Misaki-chan.”
“You usually don’t care about stuff like that, so why only act like it when you want to say something? Hah. So, what exactly does ‘enjoying’ entail?”
It’s certainly a response that feels very much like Misaki. The returning reaction is quite cynical. But unlike before, there’s a strangely drained venom, which definitely looks like Serina’s doing.
“Actually, we just stopped by on our way to the Sisterhood. You know, it’s kind of a two-in-one deal! Besides the kids outside giving out candy, the only other place I could think of to loot candy from was here, I guess?”
“…Oh, then I’m prepared!”
“What? Really?! I thought the Rescue Knights wouldn’t have prepared any candy, chocolate, or gummies because they’re bad for dental health…!”
Yoshimi, looking genuinely surprised, jumped up from her seat with her eyes sparkling, as Serina’s words landed heavily on her.
“It’s with xylitol candy that’s good for dental health! Fufu.”
“Oh, then that makes sense. I was the fool for expecting something else.”
“Ahaha…”
As Yoshimi slumped back into her chair, looking totally disappointed, Serina chuckled, clearly in a bit of a bind.
“It’s okay, Yoshimi. Think positively. Now you can eat candy from morning till night without any guilt.”
“No, that’s not allowed! Does that even make sense?!”
“…Not allowed?”
“Absolutely not! Atsuko, this isn’t about rotting teeth!”
“Hmph… That’s right, Misaki-chan. Excessively consuming sugar is harmful to your body no matter how well you take care of your teeth.”
“Really? Got it.”
Atsuko nodded seriously. It makes you wonder if what she said before was serious or just a joke. Surely, it must have been a joke… right?
“Everyone, please wait a moment. I’ll go get some candy to share. By the way, the best time to eat xylitol candy is after brushing your teeth. So, remember to brush after breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Don’t forget, okay?”
“I’m not skipping brushing or flossing, so it’s fine. Yeah, dental health is important.”
Heueng. “Atsuko-chan, wanna give it a try?”
“Eh? Sure.”
Atsuko confidently showed off her teeth… which were stunningly white and well-maintained.
“Wow… Atsuko-chan, your teeth are really healthy! I think they’re the healthiest I’ve ever seen.”
While I empathized with Serina’s comment, the image of healthy Atsuko kept plaguing my mind. At least their vibes are entirely different, so that’s a relief.
After wrapping up with Atsuko’s dental appreciation, while Serina went to fetch the candy, I slyly moved to plop down beside Misaki, who was reading a book and taking neat notes.
“Move over. You’re distracting me.”
“Ahaha. Misaki-chan, it feels like our familiarity resets every time we meet.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, because it’s always like this? You’re always pushing me away while not really wanting me to go. Just when I think we’ve gotten closer, you go right back to how you were.”
“That could just mean I don’t want to be friends with you.”
“Pff.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing! Anyway, I’m curious about something… Are you really considering joining the Rescue Knights?”
Misaki, pausing her note-taking, let out a quiet sigh, placed her pen down, and glanced over at me with a serious tone.
“…I’m still thinking about it. It’s not like I don’t have my concerns.”
“About the other kids, right?”
“…A little.”
“Got it. Atsuko-chan?”
Atsuko, with her hands supporting her face, listened to our conversation and smiled softly. I recalled that Atsuko usually smiles like that when she’s about to say something quite serious.
“Misaki… you don’t have to worry about us. Everyone is doing their best in their own way. That means you have to do your best too. No matter what choice you make, we’ll support each other… and no matter what choice you make, the fact that we’re family won’t change.”
As expected, Atsuko’s words carried a certain emotional weight. Imagining how those words would resonate with Misaki, who had been like family for years, was not something I could easily picture.
“… If the princess says that, then I understand. I’ll walk my own path. Is that good?”
“Yeah. But when we all gather again, you have to tell us directly. Pinky swear!”
Watching Misaki and Atsuko make that pinky promise really tugged at my heartstrings. However, since we had exhausted necessary topics, it seemed like a good idea to switch the subject for Yoshimi, who was struggling to keep up.
I glanced subtly at Misaki, whose wrist was covered by long sleeves but couldn’t hide the bandages around her neck.
…Yeah, it might be best to bring up the scar topic when it’s just the two of us later.
*
After a short while, Serina returned, handing out bags filled with xylitol candy. When I expressed my concern about whether this was okay, she explained that this candy needs a sufficient amount to be effective, and since they had prepared plenty, we were welcome to take it without hesitation.
I hadn’t planned to take any for myself… but somehow ended up with some.
Living together meant that any candy I got would be devoured in no time. If I wanted to see long-term benefits, I’d probably need to consider buying some in bulk.
After bidding farewell, we moved directly to the cathedral. Each time, the Millennium monorail tempted me, but honestly, it was obviously incompatible with the academy’s scenery, not to mention the hassle and cost of construction…
Still, on our way to the cathedral, the kids eagerly ran towards students handing out candy, successfully collecting quite a stash. Their good mood was almost contagious, making even me smile.
Outside the cathedral, the nuns from the Sisterhood were giving out candy. This also meant it was time to say goodbye to the two.
“Thanks for the fun, you guys.”
“I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, big sis.”
“Uh, um… ”
Yoshimi seemed to be struggling a bit to find her words. Even though I tried to make things as comfortable as possible, I figured the awkwardness couldn’t be easily brushed aside.
I decided to help Yoshimi find a suitable topic.
“Yoshimi-chan, don’t you feel super relieved knowing our Atsuko-chan has a friend like you? That’s why I’m saying this—please take good care of Atsuko-chan from now on! ☆ You two enjoy playing together today, and let’s meet again next time!”
“…Yeah, that’s true. Atsuko should be grateful for having me as her friend. Who else would listen to her nagging about that annoying big sister? So don’t worry, senpai. I’ll definitely look out for Atsuko!”
“Okay. I’ll be counting on you, Yoshimi.”
“What? Atsuko, what do you mean by ‘counting on you’? Where else would you find a friend who takes care of you as much as I do?”
“That bit ended just now! Yeah. Mika-nee asked me personally, so you have to take care of her way better than before.”
“…You really should be thanking me. There’s no one else who would put up with listening to all that annoying big sister bragging and still stick around as a friend.”
“But I have plenty of friends!”
“That’s! Um…”
I watched the two kids, who clearly were opening up to each other, as I made my way toward the inner part of the cathedral. Honestly, the reason for visiting the Sisterhood wasn’t all that grand.
“Sister Mika, Sister Sakurako is waiting for you.”
“Okay, if it’s not too much trouble, could you show me the way?”
After following the nun for a little while, I arrived at the choir practice room, where several students had gathered.
“…Ah, Mika-chan! You made it here early. There’s still quite a bit of time before practice starts… Hmm, if it’s okay, could we chat a bit privately?”
“Ahaha. Sure, that wouldn’t be bad. By the way, did Sakurako-chan get any candy?”
“Candy… You mean? Unfortunately, aside from the candy Sister Hinata gave me, I don’t think I’ve received anything else. But that’s okay. Since I shared happiness with the students at the Sisterhood, I could say I’ve received as much candy as I’ve given.”
“Umm. In that case, I should’ve set aside some candy for Sakurako-chan. But that pointed hat… um, never mind. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
I diverted my gaze from Sakurako’s witch hat that had been bothering me since earlier. A nun’s witch hat, I honestly didn’t know where to start with that… but since it’s Sakurako, I chose to understand.
“My hat…?”
“No, no, I just wanted to say it looks nice.”
“Fufu, I appreciate the compliment.”
In other schools, tomorrow would be just like any ordinary day, but things were different at Trinity. Especially since I held a position at the head of Trinity, things felt all the more distinct. Though it wasn’t an official feast day, unlike before, today was essentially a feast day for me as the official head of the T-party.
While chatting with Sakurako, I became aware of how all the members had gathered, and as we started choir practice 10 minutes early, a thought struck me once again.
Honestly speaking, at this point, shouldn’t I stop calling myself non-religious…?
