About a week after deciding to go on a business trip to Abydos, Hina and I finally set foot again on the land of D.U.
…Honestly, I didn’t expect it to take this long. I thought it would just be around 2 nights and 3 days or maybe a little longer, but here we are.
Well, to be frank, the trip to Abydos was decided with a light mindset like going on vacation. However, once we got there, it had enough peculiarities that made it feel less like a vacation.
The sandstorm was no joke; needing to wear a gas mask every time we went out was just standard procedure.
By the time we came back inside, we looked like we had been rolled in sand, and shaking it off was a struggle. Plus, there weren’t any particularly interesting sights unique to Abydos…
Still, I can’t say we didn’t gain anything from the experience. While Abydos’s influence isn’t that significant right now, it has unofficially taken a step into the friendly relations between Trinity and Gehenna.
In this case, it’s hard to deny that Abydos stands to benefit more, but that could change once Abydos regains its former grandeur. When that time comes, the relationship formed through the help of the two schools will likely become quite strong.
Furthermore, I’ve heard that Abydos plans to invite a journalist from Kronos School to release an article declaring the end of the desertification phenomenon in the Abydos autonomous district along with Vina’s remains, or whatever it’s referred to…
In that article, names that must not be omitted are Hina and me, and even the reputation of our teacher Shalle would rise. Trinity and Gehenna would also have a chance to polish their images.
…Whatever the case may be, it’s a bit sad that it’s not our generation’s task to handle. No matter how you package it, we still provided free labor.
I can accept it since I was helping out because I wanted to, but for Hina, spending about a week in the desert including her birthday is something I really worried about.
Maybe that’s why, standing here in front of the Gehenna train platform while not wanting to let her go, I just silently hugged her.
While hugging her from behind with my head tucked into her hair, I let out soft breaths now and then. It would be a lie to say her horns didn’t bother me, but even that was something I overlooked as I spent over ten minutes in this position, not wanting to let go of Hina.
“…Mika, it’s embarrassing, so let me go soon.”
Eventually, unable to tolerate the gazes of those around us, Hina blurted it out. But the fact that she didn’t withdraw her hand from my arm shows she wasn’t entirely averse to the situation.
It was just that, being at the Gehenna platform, the occasional startled looks or curious glances from the Gehenna Students were annoying her.
I mean, where else can you see such a scene?
The frightening Student Council President’s adorable side is something most ordinary students wouldn’t have the chance to witness.
When I asked five Gehenna students who the student council president was, if one of them answered “Makoto,” it would be a miracle, but if I asked who the head of the student council was, at least three would mention Hina’s name.
The absolute ruler of maintaining Gehenna’s discipline is, after all, an object of fear and respect in Gehenna.
As many students love Hina, there are just as many who dislike her, but I assure you, those who become enchanted by Hina’s cuteness will change their minds.
Unless they dislike Hina as much as Makoto does, it’s pretty much guaranteed.
“Hahaha… Shouldn’t we be proud about this? Our beloved Student Council President, cherished by Trinity, is currently clinging to you like this. I bet there are a truckload of kids who would love to take Hina’s place!”
“The fact that you say just a ‘truckload’ makes you quite the character, huh? Anyway, I’ve been troubled by the looks from others since earlier.”
“Shh. Focus on me, Hina-chan. If I hugged you from the front instead of behind, would that help you concentrate better? Hmm?”
“…Please, Mika. How about a little restraint? It’s not that I dislike it, but we both have a certain image to maintain.”
“Hahaha, I think it’s better to say ‘I love you’ more instead of worrying about appearances. In that sense, I love you a lot. I can’t thank you enough for taking a week off for me.”
“…It’s not just for you. I decided to come thinking of it as a trip for us.”
Sure, that might’ve been the plan at first, but considering the situation we faced when we arrived in Abydos, the travel time spent in transit and the intensity of the battles, calling it a trip or vacation might be a bit too far-fetched.
Yet, if you can’t express gratitude to someone who stayed with you through thick and thin, you’d be no better than a beast. Maybe I’m the real beast for dragging Hina to Abydos and breaking our birthday promise…
“Sigh. Can’t we just go on like this?”
“…I’ll consider letting you hold me for a bit, as long as it’s not to escape from Nagisa.”
“Ahaha… Well, that makes it impossible, doesn’t it? I admit I have a bit of an urge to flee from Nagisa, even if I try to deny it…”
Still, I feel a lingering sense of regret for not being able to spend more time with Hina.
As I released my arm around her, she glanced back at me with an expression of disappointment. The distance was quickly diminishing, creating a familiar atmosphere.
“Hina-chan, kissing in a place where people are watching might be… inappropriate?”
“…”
“Heueng. I see. So my cheeky Hina-chan was secretly hoping for a goodbye kiss, huh?”
“…Shut up, Mika.”
“…Gulp?!”
Wow.
Wow…
I never imagined our Hina would become this proactive.
It was a bit vulgar, but… “Cough.”
Unfortunately, our happy time didn’t last long. Being in a public place is, after all, inconsiderate, so it was probably time to conclude it properly.
But why did the one who interrupted us have to be our senior administrative officer from the Gehenna Student Council?
“Just so you know, I’ve preserved a lovely photo of your earlier display. You can thank me later.”
“If you hadn’t interrupted, I probably would’ve been full of gratitude.”
“Mika, you still have a knack for humor. I wonder what you expect to hear for a few minutes of you two being in that position? I absolutely refuse to have our president become a topic of gossip, understand?”
“But, Aco-chan promised me so… I might even be cherishing Hina-chan more than I should be. Isn’t that completely innocent?”
“Not at all! Speak sensibly! What exactly was that?! Since when does our president have to take the backseat in your relationship?!”
“Wow, Aco-chan, aren’t you a bit too interested in other people’s relationships? I get that your reaction is understandable since you like calling Hina the student council president’s pet…”
“W-What are you—?”
“Oh, do you not like it?”
“I don’t dislike it—wait, are you insane? What are you talking about in front of the president!”
Ah, Aco is such a delight to tease. I can’t mess with Hanako like this, or I’ll definitely get my ranks restructured the moment she shows her true colors, and there’s so much guilt on my side regarding Nagisa that I can’t afford to torment her.
So it’s insane to dislike Aco, who responds every single time I poke her like this.
However, there’s always a line you shouldn’t cross, and crossing it tends to ruin the general atmosphere.
“Well, Aco-chan might like it if Hina-chan kisses you forcefully like that☆!”
“…”
“…”
And after receiving Hina’s enthusiastic kiss, I unwittingly crossed the line.
The impact of that single phrase was tremendous. Caught in the sudden awkwardness, we began to shoot glances at each other.
It was a dreadful situation, having the person who absolutely shouldn’t know about the truth right there.
Aco’s face turned bright red, completely unable to retort in jest. Hina silently kicked my shin with the heel of her boot.
“…I’m sorry, Aco-chan. No, that’s not it. I apologize, Aco-san. I crossed the line.”
I bent at the waist, fearing that if I acted shamelessly, she might really start crying.
“N-No… You don’t have to apologize! Rather! Do you have any idea how much our student council has been ignored all this time?! Did you know they reduced our funding by 30% in the last Manma Battle?!”
Aco struggled to sound normal, but the water had spilled, so there was no going back.
Still, respecting her efforts, I decided to at least pretend to join in on her grumbling.
“Hahaha… That sounds like a big deal. By the way, Aco-chan, what are you doing here? Did Hina-chan call for you?”
“…I came out to meet you as soon as I heard the president’s arrival time.”
“Once again, doing something unasked… Haaa. Aco, let’s head back. It seems we need to pay a visit to the student council after Manma Battle. We’ve had our fun, and now it’s time to get back to work.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
As I waved goodbye to the fidgeting Aco and Hina, who was looking back at me with a longing gaze for the good atmosphere we once had, I contemplated.
I might need to seriously think about the relationship between Aco and Hina.
[Aco-chan]
[Mika-san, you don’t have to worry about today at all. Really. As long as the president is happy, that’s enough for me.]
[Hina♡]
[Mika… I don’t really know. How should we deal with this situation?]
…After seeing the messages that flew in from the two, I started to think there might actually be a need to address it.
