To be or not to be, that is the question.
*
Standing in front of the hospital room door, I’ve been pondering for about 5 minutes. Still not sure if I can muster the courage to open this door.
*
I heard that when Nagisa learned that I had stormed into the Arius Autonomous District, she fainted right there and then. It was something I had to do, something I couldn’t avoid… But maybe in Nagisa’s eyes, I looked completely insane.
*
…Sigh. Let’s just go in. If you think about it, this is just my karma, isn’t it?
*
Knock, knock—
*
“Nagisa, I’m coming in~?”
*
With a steely resolve, I knock, but there’s no reply. I don’t know if she’s still asleep or if she’s gone back to dreamland, but I’ll just think about it after I go in.
*
Who knows? Maybe if I’m here when she wakes up, she’ll scold me a little less.
*
By the way, a private hospital room? T-party really knows how to pamper someone. It wouldn’t be strange considering the social standing of the three student council presidents, but still.
*
There was no one in the room. I could only see Nagisa sleeping soundly on a patient’s bed. I quietly closed the door and moved closer.
*
Noticing she had an IV in one arm, I pulled over a chair and sat opposite her. To be honest, when I heard Seiya’s words, I acted impulsively, but I do have my own reasons to present. It’s just that explaining them clearly to Nagisa is the tough part.
*
Originally, the kids who wouldn’t be in such a crisis at this point were put in danger because of me, so when I heard Seiya’s words, I couldn’t think of anything other than resolving it somehow. I couldn’t bring myself to bear the guilt if things went wrong, so I wanted to take responsibility and fix things.
*
In the end, everything turned out fine, so I could just say, “Well, I got through it,” but in reality, I almost died. I never imagined Golkont & Dekalcomani’s text would be that ruthless. If I hadn’t maintained a stance as an observer, I would undoubtedly have become a dangerously wicked individual.
*
I wonder if Nagisa knows that I could have died? What if she didn’t hear it from Seiya…?
*
No, wait. There’s no need to hide it. It’s better to be upfront about it and take whatever scolding comes my way.
*
…But that’ll only be the case when Nagisa regains consciousness.
*
Nagisa, sound asleep, looked like an embodiment of an angel. She was an angel in the literal sense, but she looked so pure and beautiful, it felt surreal.
*
Without her usual headband, it seemed strangely empty. Nothing suits her as perfectly as that flower accessory that resembles a lily.
*
Speaking of which, I wonder if Nagisa has a swimsuit for the upcoming festival? If not, it’d be nice to go pick one out together later. I could also help her choose a new decoration to replace that headband.
*
Staring at Nagisa absentmindedly, I subtly reached out. I tidied up her tousled hair and swiped a few strands of long hair that might have fallen onto her face.
*
Suddenly feeling a bit shy, I quickly withdrew my hand. No matter how close we are as friends, wouldn’t most girls avoid such gestures?
*
After pulling my hand back, I found myself staring blankly again. Living so busily, I wasn’t really in the mood to play games on my phone, nor did I feel like checking the news or social media. I didn’t even touch video streaming sites. Those are real time sinks.
*
But just sitting here was becoming quite boring.
*
“Ughm. Nagisa~?”
*
I cleared my throat and called out to Nagisa, but of course, there was no response. The moment I felt a surge of mischief.
*
“Haha, if you don’t wake up soon, I’ll eat you? I’m totally serious, so you better hurry and wake up☆”
*
I poked Nagisa’s cheek with my finger. Her skin was so soft, but it didn’t feel that squishy. Maybe that kind of squishiness is what I’d expect from kids like Hifumi or Hiyori.
*
Next, I grabbed Nagisa’s hand and lifted it. If she’s not waking up this easily, is it really a crime to satisfy my own desires a little? I thought such sinful thoughts and pressed our palms together.
*
Weirdly enough, my fingers were slightly longer on my side. Nagisa was a bit taller than me though. Even if I chopped off this length in finger and added it to my height, my height difference with Nagisa wouldn’t change, which strangely made me a bit sad.
*
Even Serina, whom I saw earlier, was about my height. Why did Mika have to be so short? Would it have killed her to be a little taller…?
*
I absentmindedly traced shapes with my finger on Nagisa’s palm—circles, triangles, squares, pentagons, stars, and so on. I thought maybe doing this would wake her up, but it seems Nagisa doesn’t get ticklish on her palm.
*
Hmm. What would make Nagisa wake up?
*
No, I suppose waiting quietly until she wakes is the best option? After all, Nagisa leads a busy life too. It seems best to let her rest as much as possible during moments like this.
*
…With that thought, I held Nagisa’s hand gently and sat in silence, but I realized that doing nothing like this didn’t quite fit my personality. It felt closer to Mika’s personality than my original self.
*
Eventually, I decided to pull out my phone. With my small hands, I could hardly type. I was only able to flip through MomoTalk with my thumbs.
*
As I contemplated how to reply, I suddenly remembered the voice input feature. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about typing at all.
*
[Sakurako]
[I’ve mostly filtered out people with serious issues, Mika. The head of the Justice Realization Department is currently apprehending them to return. Kiki kiki kick!]
[However, in order for the Arius students to harmonize with Trinity, it seems a lot of preliminary work is necessary, so our return as Sisterhood might take a bit longer.]
[We’ll do our best to ensure that the Arius students can blend into Trinity without issue. I sincerely hope both Nagisa and Mika will be safe, so I’ll wrap this up for now. Kheheh! Kyaoooh!]
*
[5:37 AM] [Yeah, Sakurako! You too! But by the way, is that laughter and that eerie voice a mimicry of Tsurugi?]
*
Barely three minutes had passed since I sent the reply when I received an answer. Uh, Sakurako, aren’t you busy…?
*
[Sakurako]
[Kiihihit. To figure that out in an instant, Mika, you’re truly remarkable. Actually, it seems there’s some breakdown in communication with the head of the Justice Realization Department… This is my personal solution to better understand them. I still have a long way to go in understanding them, though…]
*
By the way, the aftermath at the Arius Branch is currently being handled by the Justice Realization Department and the Sisterhood. I asked Squad to help filter out instructors who were violently oppressing students under Beatrice’s command, and Squad seemed to be quite committed, likely due to their pent-up feelings.
*
Those with lighter offenses will be subjected to community service under the supervision of the Sisterhood. Unfortunately, those with heavier offenses will end up being sent to the correctional facilities of the Valkyrie Police Academy.
*
Honestly, just looking at what they did to Azusa, it’s obvious how they treated other Arius students, so we can’t bring them into Trinity immediately. It’s better to first check if they have any chance of rehabilitation at the correctional facilities.
*
By the way, Sakurako, let’s skip this for now… Your intentions are kind, but the way you’re going about it is just typical Sakurako—it’s a headache. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tsurugi’s reaction if Sakurako did that in front of them.
*
In addition, Haruna proposed that we go to the homemade burger place that’s been gaining a lot of buzz lately under the guise of a club activity, stating there’s no denying that. And Hifumi’s MomoTalk asked if I’d join her for the Momo Friends parade at the amusement park over at D.U.
*
Then there was Hana’s MomoTalk, which inexplicably sent a strange photo, and Hina’s random MomoTalk expressing interest in horror movies and asking if I wanted to go see one together.
*
…What is this odd vibe? It feels like something’s about to unfold into a “□□’s connection story.” Of course, that won’t happen, but still.
*
I shouted “I’m going!!!” at Haruna, who doesn’t even have a club, asking why I have no say in this, but, given the rumors, I have some interest in the homemade burger, so I replied that I’ll think about it. If it’s popular to the point of buzzing, the taste must be guaranteed… It’s not like the Gourmet Research Club will lead to an explosion ending.
*
I told Hifumi that going to the amusement park with just the two of us might be a bit boring and suggested that we go with around four people, including us. If she’s okay with it, I’m planning to bring Nagisa and Azusa along.
*
After all, Nagisa and Hifumi managed to maintain a solid friendship, so I wanted to introduce Azusa to Hifumi, hoping they would get along better too.
*
As for Hana… sigh. All I can say is, please don’t get caught up in trouble because of someone else. I just want Hana to be happy, but maybe I’ve made a big mistake. But if the kid is happy, isn’t that good enough?
*
And Hina…
*
“Wow—”
*
I really, really dislike horror movies… But I can’t just coldly reject Hina when she asked me to go.
*
I’m sure the last time Hina and I hung out, she mentioned that she wasn’t too keen on horror, so what on earth has gotten into her? It’s more perplexing than trying to guess between two choices on a test when one must be right, yet neither option seems to be the correct answer.
*
To be honest, I could see myself watching half of the movie with my eyes half-open or covered with my hands, but since Hina’s the one who called out first to hang out… Ugh…
*
I don’t know. I’ll put this on hold for now. I type that I’ll think it over and promise to give her an answer within this week before hitting send.
*
After sorting through my delayed MomoTalks, I checked my friend list and felt strangely amazed. Is this what it feels like to be an insider? A lifestyle where I receive this many unsolicited messages isn’t too bad after all…
*
But after reading through all the MomoTalks, I found myself at a loss again. Back on Earth, I was seemingly addicted to my phone, yet here, it feels different.
*
What to do? Should I search for some web novels? If I find something interesting, I think it would be a good idea to share it with Hiyori.
*
As I was busy amusing myself, I could feel my eyes slowly drooping. The fatigue from last night’s battle urged me to sleep right now. Especially since reading a novel just made my eyes heavier.
*
As I nodded off for a while, before I knew it, the phone screen had dimmed to black. Then, at some point, my eyes shut…
*
“Did you sleep well, Mika?”
*
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Nagisa’s face right in front of me, smiling lightly, and I realized I was lying next to her.
*
…What on earth?
