I was dragged along by Aco, who seemed completely lost about where she was going. As we walked, the auditorium we passed by looked almost ready for a party. Ta-da!
It was amusingly elegant, resembling something you might see at a banquet somewhere. To put it simply, it could easily be described as Trinity-esque… a restrained kind of beauty.
So, they prepared all of this in half a day? And they’re planning to clean up everything by tomorrow morning after the party ends…? Seriously?
Have you lost your mind, Pater & members of the Arius Faction?
Do they think they’re some kind of red winter mercenary squad? It’s just stupidly impossible for them to pull this off without a hitch…
“This isn’t something to reprimand the Manma Battle over, you know.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s totally something that the Chairperson Makoto would do, mobilizing this many people and throwing money around just to celebrate one person’s birthday.”
“Um, Aco, don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? That was when I asked for this to happen, but they just jumped in to do it themselves… How is that even related?”
“…That’s true. If you emphasize that it’s not your birthday so much, you wouldn’t have asked for it to be done in the first place. I got confused. I’m sorry.”
Thanks for the quick apology, Aco.
Honestly, even you must think that bringing up Makoto was a bit over the line, right? But I’m relieved to see that you have a conscience to apologize so promptly.
“Well, there’s no need to apologize. That aside, I feel like I’ve asked you several times if you know where you’re going…”
“And I think I’ve answered that several times as well. Seriously, I got this.”
“…You know being this demanding is a demerit, right?”
Actually, it wasn’t true. I liked being pushed around as much as I enjoyed pushing others…
No, that’s not it. To be precise, it’s more accurate to say that I generally just like being around people. The only exception might be those who can completely steal my soul like Makoto.
So, Aco’s annoyingly pushy, one-sided nature falls well within my acceptable range.
“Before saying that, why don’t you wipe that smile off your face first?”
“Admit it, picking at me is seriously annoying☆”
“Unbelievable. Why don’t you realize that this mess resulted from you responding to every jab I made?”
“Whoa—oh. Are you going to shift the blame now?”
“Anyway, since you were the one who first flirted, you’re responsible for it!”
“You think an easy girl like me would have a share in this?”
For a moment… probably, if it weren’t for the relationship between Aco and me, what she said would have been highly offensive.
Even though we’re close, the direct insults made Aco seem really pissed off.
“W-what did you just say?! I’m not easy! I have very high standards and I don’t easily fall for anyone!”
Heueng… I’ll admit, having high standards is something I accept.
Falling for Gehenna’s most charismatic woman and Trinity’s number one beauty is no sin, you know? But, honestly, Aco came on pretty easily, not gonna lie…
“I’m not easy, okay?! It’s so obvious what you’re thinking!”
Wow. Seriously, from earlier, I’ve felt like every rude thought I had was instantly countered… It’s either I’m super easy to read, or Aco’s got some sharp eyes. At this point, it seems more like the latter.
And why is Aco suddenly coming closer to me?
“Ha… Misono Mika.”
“Oh, um…?”
“Let’s make a bet.”
“…Here?”
I subtly glanced around—not even a full turn—and we’d arrived at a place that had a good vibe with nobody around.
This is pretty nice. Later——
“You were thinking of bringing Kirihouji Nagisa here, weren’t you?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Ugh, seriously! I know that’s a lame lie, so could you at least deny it?”
Today, Aco’s got a wicked sense of perception. At this rate, I should just shut down any wandering thoughts.
“So, with the hassle of tomorrow’s struggle about to unfold from the previous wager, you want to bet again? Are you serious?”
“…It’s not that big of a deal, so don’t overreact. It’s just a simple game of staring, okay?”
“A staring game? I have no idea why you’d wanna do that all of a sudden…”
“Please, just stop avoiding this and come stand over here.”
“Aco, aren’t you being a bit too pushy today? Yeah, it feels a bit much!”
If I had thought of holding my ground, I definitely wouldn’t have allowed Aco to drag me around like this.
“Even if you’re demanding and talking about giving me a chance——”
“Then, before you say that, can we address that smile on your face… sigh.”
Oh shoot, expression management.
Now that I think about it, I might’ve actually given her a chance, but if I’m questioning whether that leads to a love connection… well, that seems questionable too.
“I’m going to count to three. No squinting. The loser has to grant the winner one simple wish, within reason, of course.”
“…Hmm. Within reason, huh? A bit low-stakes for Aco, don’t you think?”
“I said it’s a simple bet! What are you expecting to happen if I lose a round of staring? And besides, I’m not accepting unlimited wishes anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Sure.”
“…Anyway, from this moment, we’re in agreement.”
Saying that, Aco squeezed her eyes shut. As for reasonable wishes, well, even if I lose, I can turn down any outrageous request.
Unexpectedly, this is a fair bet for Aco… but after losing to Makoto, I swore I wouldn’t make wagers again, yet I keep finding myself giving in to Aco.
And honestly, her reactions when she loses bets are pretty entertaining.
I had to win, so I closed my eyes too. While Aco counted to three, I devised a simple strategy in my mind.
There weren’t any rules against interference, so sure, pulling funny faces might be a little cliché and unsure to work. Hmm.
Maybe I should try talking to distract her? Tossing a funny story or poking at her insecurities might be quite effective…
“One. Start!”
As I thought and eventually came to no concrete plan, we began the staring match. I might as well just win fair and square.
Right as I entertained such audacious thoughts, Aco stepped closer to me.
“…Eh?”
I suddenly realized Aco was significantly taller. Even with heels, a difference of nearly 10cm is notable, I guess… She firmly planted her foot between my legs, leaning down to look at me.
“…?!”
The fact that Aco, being smart, set no conditions like “no interference” meant she had something sneaky in mind. But I was too focused on my plan to even consider that possibility.
And as a result, I suffered a bitter defeat.
Before I knew it, as Aco closed in to the point where our noses almost touched, her trembling gaze was the last thing I saw before the darkness enveloped my vision.
“Hmph! For someone who claims to be good with women, you’re really nothing special, are you? No wait, at this rate, you’re the one getting played, huh? Just a slight pull, and you’d fall right over.”
“…”
Just a bit, my pride was wounded. If I were still the same Nagisa, swallowing my spit and blushing over every small action from Haruna, it wouldn’t hurt as much now. Now, losing a staring contest because of a surprise kiss?
And it didn’t even count! We never even actually touched; we just stopped right in front of each other.
“Well then, just wait for your wish—— Ah.”
“…”
I might have to take back what I said about us not touching. Hitting the wall like this only means she successfully induced me to make a mistake. Aco, you cunning little thing.
As if losing her balance, Aco leaned forward, and our lips brushed ever so briefly… in that fleeting moment, we shared our breaths.
It was mere seconds, but seeing Aco’s shocked face, she jumped back, stumbling away.
“W-w-wha-what… Gah… Nooooo?!”
“Whoa—oh… acting like it was an accident when she was being all dramatic.”
“N-no way that was an accident! My first kiss just flew away like this, and it wasn’t something I planned!”
“…Well, that’s true.”
Then again, I can’t see Aco doing something like that intentionally. If it really had been planned, she probably would’ve been a bit bolder and stuck a little closer.
“…But why are you so unfazed? Am I that unattractive? Seriously, you didn’t even flinch?”
“Not really, it’s not like that…”
“Then at least show some reaction! It’s hard for me too; give me some comfort! You’re good at that kind of thing!”
“Aco, why don’t you just say what you want as a wish? I’m curious about what you were hoping for…”
In the face of this overwhelming level of annoyance surpassing the typical, I decided to change the subject completely. Aco narrowed her eyes as if she was about to protest but then sighed heavily.
“…Today, I was thinking of asking you to properly escort me. Like, take my arm and maybe dance together… I know you have to socialize with others too, so you can’t stick by me the whole time. But, I wanted to try it out too.”
That was a perfectly valid wish, one I could easily grant. It didn’t seem like a big deal.
But now, with Aco coming out of nowhere to be my partner at what is technically my birthday party, thinking about how other kids might feel witnessing us effectively going on a date, it would be wise to refuse…
“Ugh, just please. I’ll do whatever it takes to get your permission. Why do you have to be so frustrating…?”
…This is annoying.
As I looked at Aco glaring at me, the memory of that day when she had shared her heartbreak lingered in my mind… and for some reason, my heart softened.
Hmm. If it’s just a chance…
