Seiya sat calmly, reading documents and waiting for her arrival. The news of the article exposing my private life plagued me, not to mention Pater’s children ambushing me right away and the absurd rumor about my host re-election.
Actually, it’s true that news is crap. But what really rubbed me the wrong way was that all this happened while I was busy with work, hitting me with a barrage of annoyances all at once.
“I’m sorry, library club president. Because of the accident caused by Nagisa this time, I really can’t increase the budget…”
“Increasing petitions against the Justice Realization Department’s violent suppression… Wait, are you implying our Justice Realization Department’s head Tsurugi has done something wrong? Just because Tsurugi looks a bit spaced out doesn’t mean she’s not quite rational. Why slander an innocent girl? Let’s go!!!”
“Report on the renewal of the contract with the company supplying desserts for T-party… Ah, so that’s why it’s tasty.”
Knock knock
“Mika, I heard you were looking for me.”
“Ah~! You’re here, Seiya-chan! Come on in quickly!”
Please, just hurry up. I’m about to lose it wanting to pull out every single hair from your ears.
Seiya opened the office door shyly and closed it behind her. Huh?
“Seiya-chan, where’s that kid I sent to call you?”
“Um? That kid told me you were looking for me urgently and then disappeared somewhere. But what about these kids…?”
Oh, I see. So they sensed the mood and left alone?
With that comment, flames sparked in my Pater friends’ eyes, seeming ready to teach a lesson about the consequences of betrayal. But let’s save that for later.
“Well, these kids came to ask for clarification after reading an article saying I have a close relationship with the head of the Gehenna Student Council. So I decided to take responsibility and said I’d quit Pater after my host term ends…”
“…”
Upon hearing that, Seiya’s ears perked up. Her dilating pupils spoke volumes of her feelings.
“Well, what was it? They said Sanctus decided to pass the host term to Pater…? Such absurd nonsense. You can’t just ignore something so ridiculous, right? Anyway, I hope Seiya-chan can tell them that’s not true. I’m counting on you☆”
“Is that so? Hmm… I see.”
“Huh, Seiya-chan. Why are you stuttering? It’s just a few words to tell my kids. It shouldn’t be hard, right? Are you really having a problem saying something like ‘It’s just baseless gossip that Sanctus has passed the host term, so you all better keep your mouths shut about it’? Seriously?”
“…”
Seiya silently avoided my gaze. A moment of a sinner confessing their sins.
So, then. Our annoying fox has betrayed me?
I’m staying for another year. Another year…!
“Seiya-chan? Come over here while I’m still being nice. If you resist, I can’t guarantee what I might do?”
“…Mika, do you understand the relationship between ability and responsibility? Responsibility, by its very nature—”
“Ahaha, what’s this? Did you not hear when I said to come over while I’m being nice? You better think carefully and come over quick, Seiya-chan. It’ll be for your own good.”
“Mika, can’t we think a little more rationally here? it’s quite troublesome for a frail student like me to officially act as a host like you.”
“Jumping straight to the main topic when you’re in a hurry can be a bit tacky, Seiya-chan. So I’ll say this one last time: Come over to me right now. Execute☆”
Only then did Seiya, moving her feet that wouldn’t budge, finally approach me, and I patted my lap.
“No, you. I can’t agree to this. No matter what, in front of the other kids—”
“Three.”
“Mika, please.”
“Then you will be the next host, as originally scheduled?”
“Sorry, but I wouldn’t want to.”
“Two.”
What, you’re not going to do it? Then just shut up and face the consequences of your actions. You’re trying to sidestep responsibility right in front of me, who’s already been weighed down by it?
“That’s—”
“Oh, I get it!”
Eventually, Seiya couldn’t resist my not-so-subtle threat and quickly settled onto my lap. I guess she was just putting up a front because this was her first time doing this in front of anyone else other than Nagisa; otherwise, it would be a routine for her.
Especially recently, with Nagisa crashing into this office at random times, Seiya must have been craving this kind of moment. So much so that she almost forgot I wanted to turn her into a crumpled can.
“…Hah!”
Seiya, comfortably leaning next to me, quickly turned to sit upright upon seeing the Pater kids’ peculiar expressions. She nonchalantly kicked off her cute little shoes, turning away from the kids so they couldn’t see her face. Quite dramatic!
The reason I placed Seiya like this was pretty calculated.
In a sense, it’s like a rope of reason keeping those Pater kids from doing something crazy. It’s a way of saying, “Don’t shoot a gun with a weakling around.”
They know I’m strong, but they don’t quite understand that I could literally crumple them up with my bare hands.
“Ahaha, now that we have Seiya-chan here, let’s continue our conversation. Why is it that I, the current head of Pater, am hearing about the re-election for the first time today when my term is only a month away? What do you think about this?”
“…The intention to pass the host term from Sanctus was revealed only recently, hence the delay in reporting. Also, I could hardly imagine you, Mika-sama, not hearing this from Seiya-sama, another Student Council President.”
As I hugged Seiya like a doll, the kid who looked to have the most say among the Pater students replied. What a ridiculous excuse.
“Is that so? I see. Regardless of whether Seiya-chan told me or not, it’s only natural for a report to come in. Why would you even make such excuses? It’s pretty hard to hear a simple apology. Oh, and…”
I leisurely trailed off, recalling my meeting with the Student Council President recently. There was something suspicious about it. Why would someone like her bother to call me just to discuss the Eden Treaty unless she’d already heard about my re-election as host?
“How long ago are we talking about? Based on my guess, it must be no more than three weeks, right~?”
“…How do you—ugh.”
“So I guess my guess was right. I can’t believe you went over three weeks without a single report and then started talking about betrayal… Hah. It’s not Sanctus who’s trying to pass the term on to Pater, but rather me, the head! You were blinded by the glory of re-election for Pater and hastily accepted, but that means you should have reported this to me!”
Hypothetically speaking, if I were to shift my base to Arius, which has recently solidified my support, there wouldn’t be any reason for Sanctus to pass the term onto Pater. Pater has no one capable of taking on the host position.
Especially for someone to take over from the previous one who I had gotten to take on the host position… well, if there were such a person, I would have noticed them by now.
“And for you to scheme behind the scenes and not say a word until now, that’s just uncharacteristic of you, Seiya-chan. Why is it that you all feel the need to shirk responsibility…?”
Letting out a small sigh, my breath blew into Seiya’s fox ears. The way she flinched is cute, a bit satisfying too… perhaps I’m developing a hint of sadism. Huh.
If only she had a tail, I’d happily mess with it until she couldn’t get her thoughts straight, but alas, she does not.
“But hey, what could you even do if I quit Pater like this?”
“…I trust you wouldn’t do that. We still have work to do, right?”
“That’s something even a host doesn’t have to do, Seiya-chan.”
In the past, I probably wouldn’t have quit due to the money from the T-party, but with my grand dream of conquering Kivotos with tteokbokki, such pocket change holds no meaning for me now. Once I establish a tteokbokki chain, I could rake in all the yen from Kivotos.
Of course, developing quality tteokbokki by myself might take some time, but there’s certainly a decent chance I could whip up something edible like chunky tteokbokki right now. Maybe even rose tteokbokki, or a hot pot variant with mala.
If I can transport ingredients from Sanhaegyeong and patent them, I’ll be rolling in it. In that case, I’d be free from the shackles of T-party! This way, the weights on the Kivotos students who were hit with a calorie bomb would increase, as would my assets, making it a win-win situation, right?
“Mika, I hope you’re not thinking something strange…?”
“Oh, Seiya-chan, your intuition is so sharp! How did you know? I was thinking it might be a good idea to switch over to the Arius faction.”
Honestly, aren’t the new and obedient Arius kids better than my stubborn Pater ones? Even Beatrice would agree.
“That absolutely cannot happen! If Mika-sama leaves, our faction will be doomed!”
“…Huh?”
What? That came out of nowhere!
Why would Pater end just because I’m gone?
“If Mika-sama quits, all those who were planning to join Pater next year, along with those who were already faction members, will leave! Please, not that!”
“Ahaha… I don’t quite get it. Why would that be my fault? I assumed I’d hear comments about whether I’d get betrayed despite being treated like a princess in Pater…”
“…It’s because you’ve changed, Mika-sama. We all know you don’t expect anything more from us. Your accomplishments after officially manifesting your wishes as a host made our faction members genuinely respect you.”
“Really? That’s an interesting story. But why is the feeling I’m getting from how you treat me not one of respect, but rather as if I am a puppet starting to move on its own?”
Respect? Could it be that the gradually shifting attitude of Pater kids has something to do with this? Intriguing, and though those words might make me feel a little cringed out in a way, it does pique my interest.
“This isn’t a representation of the entire faction. Many faction members hated Gehenna more than anyone, so when they saw Mika-sama connecting with them, they began wondering if there was a reason behind it. The few of us gathered here just don’t want to accept the current situation…”
So that’s why the crowd was so small when they came looking for me. That being said, it’s a bit surprising Pater kids thought that way even after seeing me being friendly with Hina. It’s odd; all I did was bring back Arius, right?
It was actually Seiya who provided the answer to that part.
“The fact that Pater’s host welcomed back Arius will become a part of the history Trinity students will learn in the future. You’ve given Pater such honor, so isn’t it natural for perceptions to change?”
As Seiya said that, she picked up a teacup nearby and brought it to her lips. Wait a minute, I summoned her to scold her, so why is she acting so shameless?
“Moreover, this festival has captured the attention of the entire Trinity. It presents an opportunity to crush Gehenna while remaining a fair competition. It shouldn’t be surprising that, because of what you’ve done, the perception of Pater shifts within Trinity, resulting in better behavior among faction members.”
With that, Seiya closed her eyes as if asking for a compliment. This devilish fox?
Snap!
“Ugh?!”
I couldn’t bear looking at her face as it turned out to be unbearable, so I flicked her forehead, and it was oddly satisfying to see her react. I held back my strength well, so it should just sting for a bit.
“I’m giving you one task. This festival, pay attention to how the students from both schools mingle. Sure, you’ll inevitably face some conflicts, but witnessing those who get along well will make you realize something. Just like how I, once someone who despised Gehenna more than anyone, changed my mind after meeting just two Gehenna students.”
A baseless, inherited hatred. Since it lacks a reason, it isn’t easily resolved.
But if I continue to act as a bridge between the two schools, I believe overcoming such hate isn’t just a delusional dream.
“Let’s call it a day for now. If your thoughts remain unchanged after this festival ends… then we’ll discuss this again.”
“…Our thoughts won’t change, Mika-sama.”
“Ahaha, well, that’s something we’ll have to wait and see, right? I’m quite curious about how many of us will still be standing here after this festival ends!”
It could be an overly optimistic assumption, yet what I envision is a future that can only come true if these small matters are resolved.
And even if everything doesn’t unfold as I hoped, it’s still possible to reach the final destination, right?
In the end, it all hinges on me putting in the work.
In the silence of the office after the Pater kids had left, I slowly ran my fingers through Seiya’s hair, breaking the stillness.
“Seiya-chan, about that host re-election. If this continues, I might not be able to keep the promise I made to the Millennium Student Council President.”
“…Maybe it would be better to cancel that idol deal and reimburse the full amount neatly. I don’t have the confidence to act as a host in front of people.”
“Just because I’ve revealed my identity doesn’t mean Seiya-chan needs to feel that way too.”
“But in that case, the meaning of your actions would be diluted. Once a host reveals themselves, that manner should be maintained going forward.”
“…Honestly, Seiya-chan, you sure do talk well. Yep, you just love to dump work on me, don’t you?”
“Ugh… isn’t this a bit too much?”
Gently tugging on her lips and letting go, Seiya acted dramatically as she rubbed her mouth.
“I’ll let this one slide. You do have a point.”
“I knew you’d understand.”
What? You thought I’d understand? Then why on earth did you hide the host re-election from me for over three weeks? This annoying fox!
But hey, I’m not one to sit back and take it, Seiya.
“Instead, some of the documents coming my way will be handled by you, Seiya-chan.”
“…Hosts have to handle host duties according to the rules—”
“So you’re not going to do it?”
“I will. No, I will absolutely do it.”
Good, wise choice. Just try to pull off a ‘I’m not doing it’ like the original work for a year. I’ll bury you alive in the ground, I swear.
With this, I’ve successfully offloaded half my duties onto Nagisa and Seiya, so in the end, I might be coming out ahead, right?
Petting Seiya’s head gently, I thought that I truly gained the upper hand. Our little paper slaves, let’s keep this going!
