There exists a powerful figure who controls everything in Kivotos, the Trinity.
Of course, the actual time left for that power is less than a year… But still, such a formidable ruler exists.
However, this power isn’t omnipotent, not in the slightest…
The way a household functions makes that kind of power utterly meaningless—this is the harsh reality.
And this reality was currently weighing heavily on my shoulders, pressing down on me.
“…”
“Um, Kirihouji Nagisa…”
“Could you be quiet? I’m still thinking.”
“Yes…”
How long has it been since I started nervously watching Nagisa, kneeling beside her?
Hina was intentionally dragging out the gun maintenance task.
Initially, Wakamo, who was also watching, brought a yukata to drape over Nagisa’s shoulders before quietly kneeling next to me with one of her own.
Maybe it was because of her drooping ears and tail? She looked pitifully sad.
Perhaps Nagisa shared a similar sentiment, as she occasionally glanced over and sighed softly.
“…Wakamo, please sit comfortably. You have sinned… Well, technically, you did, but that part has already wrapped up.”
“I, Wakamo, have resolved not to live a shameful life evading responsibilities. Thus, I wish to remain here until Mika has forgiven me.”
“It’s going to take a long time… Why not just sit comfortably?”
“I’m fine, so you can stop worrying, Nagisa.”
“…If you insist, I understand. Just remember that you can sit comfortably whenever… Misono Mika.”
As Nagisa turned her gaze away from Wakamo, my name slipped from her lips, as cold as ice.
Gentle Nagisa is angry…
An angry Nagisa is a no-go. You must never anger her.
Yet here I was, having managed to do it again.
It might be quite the feat, but what’s important now is to calm the simmering fury that Nagisa has tightly bottled up.
Besides… Our Nagisa… Is her hand trembling slightly…? Mmm, that must be it.
“Hey. Should I go borrow a chair from outside…? It may not be as precious as Nagisa’s, but there should be a decent one or two there…”
Flinch.
“Yes, and I’ll brew some tea.”
“…No, that’s fine.”
“Should I go?”
“…Please, do return safely.”
Leaving behind the bemused expressions of Hina and Wakamo, I stepped out of the room with neither a slow nor hasty pace.
I didn’t expect this would ease her anger, but a gradual build-up is always an option.
Thinking that, I fetched a suitably elegant chair and took out well-stored tea leaves from the used clothes stuffed in Nagisa’s travel bag, brewing tea for her.
At this point, I think I managed to dissipate about 15% of Nagisa’s anger.
No, wait. They say time heals all wounds, so maybe I could hope for around 25%.
“Mika.”
“Yes?”
“Posture.”
“…”
Actually, forget it.
I subtly shifted from a comfortable sitting position back to kneeling.
Hmm. So… How could I soothe Nagisa’s anger…?
Ah, I got it! If I call her “Husband” and act cute, maybe that would cheer her up.
So I opened my mouth slightly, only to close it again.
This was harder than I thought. Being conscious of it makes it tough. I could do this very well while drunk, but…
“Nagi-chan, could I have just half a glass of alcohol…?”
“…After the chaos you caused yesterday, are you really asking that so confidently? I can’t believe this…”
“No, no! That’s not it! Alcohol is supposed to be that kind of beverage that gives you courage, you see. So, uh, ha ha.”
Definitely a stretch. But maybe I succeeded in making Nagisa dumbfounded enough to lessen her anger by about 5%.
At that moment, after taking a sip of tea, Nagisa sighed long and opened her mouth.
The sight of the crimson flower garden etched on me peeked through the open yukata.
“Sigh… I don’t even know where to begin. Is alcohol that desirable to you? Is it really that great? A drink that makes you lose your senses with just one sip?”
“Um, to be honest, it’s more that I can’t have it, which makes me want it more. After having it once, I didn’t feel that much…”
“Is that really your honest opinion?”
“Yeah…”
No, I’m not joking. After that one drink, the chaos that followed… Would I really want to drink again?!
I sincerely mean what I say; I didn’t touch a bet-related drink for over six months because of that one bet from last year. I wouldn’t lie about this kind of thing.
“…I really don’t know how to scold you. I want to be mad, but I’m not even sure what I’m angry about. To be honest, I don’t really want to be angry at you. What on earth do I do with this misplaced anger?”
“…”
Maybe it’s not me needing alcohol, but actually Nagisa.
Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.
“Nagi-chan…”
“…Mika, I don’t recall telling you to get up yet.”
“Yeah, just calling it my opinion☆.”
“Haa… Really, how can you be so selfish?”
She shut her eyes for a moment. Sucking in a deep breath.
Right now, what I desperately need is some mind control. I have to erase the humiliating memories of last night.
Emptying all thoughts of my shameful self, which was cutely lewd in the eyes of a third party, for just a moment.
“Mika. Can you hear what I’m saying… What are you doing?”
Nagisa slowly grabbed the teacup in her hand, took a sip, and set it down. Then, she settled into my embrace.
“…Doing this won’t change anything. Please get up.”
“Ahahaha, why don’t you open your eyes and say that?”
“Please get up…”
I reached out and buried my fingers in Nagisa’s hair. Then, I hugged her tightly.
“M-Mika?!”
As Nagisa’s face buried into my chest, she tried desperately to push me away. But how could that ever work?
Giving up on pushing me away, the tension deflated from Nagisa’s body. As her arms naturally wrapped around my waist, I could hear her take a deep breath from down below…?
“Um, Nagi-chan, I haven’t washed yet…?”
“Then why didn’t you say that before hugging me?”
Nagisa said this with a muffled voice against my chest—talk about an odd feeling. With a somewhat echoing tone, her breath tickled my skin while her face gently grazed against mine.
“Th-That… I suddenly feel really embarrassed… No, stop! Seriously! That’s way too embarrassing?!”
“Quiet down…”
Nagisa muttered something, perhaps out of irritation, then slowly inhaled.
That look on her face seemed like she was trying to find calm in my embrace… It gave off an unexpectedly cute vibe.
“Nagi-chan, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“But still…”
“If you apologize one more time, I’ll dig into every single thing you did wrong, when, how, and why. Just for a moment, could you keep that mouth of yours shut?”
“…”
With Nagisa firmly but gently setting my mouth shut, we stayed silent for a while.
And then, quite out of the blue, my phone rang with a notification.
The number of people I had set to ring was extremely limited…
“Mika, it’s from the Teacher.”
“Ah…”
One of them was the teacher, who had set this up just like yesterday for an important task.
“This could be significant, so you might want to check before we go on.”
As Nagisa straightened herself and raised her head, I took the phone from Hina.
I unlocked it, and after seeing the Momotalk message, my eyes blinked in disbelief.
“An audio file…? Hmm.”
Why would the teacher send me something like an audio file? It’s not exactly early morning, but still, why…?
“I don’t know what it is, but maybe you could play it.”
“Sure… It doesn’t seem very long.”
After some deliberation, when I hit play on the audio file, I immediately received another Momotalk notification. Yet before I could check its content, I first heard a voice.
The content was none other than my own voice.
[Hmm, I’m usually not one to get sensitive about the things delinquent students do…]
Huh, wait, what…?
[Our husband nearly got hurt. So, you ought to take responsibility, right?]
The audio abruptly cut off there. How on earth could this be recorded? But really, at that moment, what mattered was not that.
“…Are you talking about me?”
“Yes.”
After listening to the entire clip, as Nagisa asked, I nodded, noticing that she closed her eyes. I could see a slight smile beginning to form on her lips—that was what truly mattered.
[Mika… I have so much to say regarding your questionable relationship, but I hope the one precious sentiment of caring for your partner never changes.]
This was the full message from the teacher sent via Momotalk.
What might have been an insignificant action for him proved to be a great help for me, and I responded with an emoticon of a wave cat bowing repeatedly.
“…Really, I can’t hate you. I couldn’t hate someone more than I do now, and yet, I still can’t bring myself to do it…”
In an affectionate tone, Nagisa cupped my face. Then, she leaned in and kissed me.
The phone slipped from my fingertips and fell onto the blanket.
It made a soft sound. A sound that wiped away all tension in an instant.
Ah, my thanks to the glorious teacher. You truly are the savior of this Kivotos…
*
The kiss itself didn’t last very long, as Nagisa pushed me away first.
“Wakamo, perhaps you should head back now. Since you’ve been assigned to help with the Shalle duties, it would only be proper to accompany the Teacher back.”
“Yes, I am aware of that…”
“Please don’t be too sad about it. The relationship between you and Mika will surely progress at a pace you both desire.”
“That’s true… Mmm. I fully understand that this wasn’t an easy decision, and for that, I am very grateful to Nagisa. If you ever need my assistance with anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
As the calm atmosphere remained, Wakamo left after saying her farewells to Nagisa and me, and a weary sigh escaped my lips without me even realizing.
Thanks to the teacher’s wonderful assist, I felt like I had narrowly avoided a major crisis—
“Mika, could you call out a number for me? There’s no specific range set, by the way.”
“A number…? Hmm… 74.”
In response to Nagisa’s slightly random question, I returned the answer with a number I could now confidently say was my favorite.
Knowing the meaning behind it better than anyone, Nagisa’s face lit up with a fresh smile.
Yes, thankfully, the crisis seemed to have passed.
“Seventy-four, huh. At least your conscience seems to be intact.”
“…Huh?”
“Hehe. Still, since you like that number so much… How about I just round it to eleven for you?”
“Husband, if I plead this much… Please, just let it go once… Alright?”
“I’ve already considerably let it go, you know? I reduced it by a whopping sixty-three.”
Even though I tossed aside my dignity and begged for mercy.
Sadly, it seemed that the crisis was not over but had just begun.
