After taking a direct hit from Nagisa’s 13-step high-pitched attack, the second amusement ride our party encountered was none other than the spinning teacup. Gripping the handles vigorously would send the teacups whirling around and accelerating.
Isn’t this supposed to be in the children’s area?
“This spinning teacup doesn’t seem to have any maximum speed limit!”
My question was promptly answered by Hifumi. I wasn’t sure if there was a way to limit the spinning speed, but… it was certainly an interesting point.
Indeed, if there are kids among the Kivotos students with exceptional physical ability… they could probably spin it so fast they’d struggle to stand up after getting off the ride. There’s a fine example right here, so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to test it out.
“Aha, sounds good! Let’s ride it!”
“…Wait a second. Mika-san, you can’t be seriously considering that, right?”
“Huh? Nagichan, how am I supposed to know if you suddenly ask me that?”
“No! Mika-san, don’t even touch the handle! When it comes to steering a car, it requires an elegant and careful touch.”
“…Heueng. I see. Got it.”
Nodding at Nagisa’s words, we skipped the queue using the power of money and sat in the teacup two at a time. It seemed our Nagisa was worried that I would be spinning the handle like, “Ahaha, Nagichan! Look! It just keeps getting faster and faster, isn’t that amazing?!”
Honestly, I didn’t mind at all, and it didn’t matter too much to me either. No matter what, I mostly enjoy doing even trivial things with Nagisa. Plus, this too would fill our album under the name of memories. Physically speaking.
I noticed the amusement park had a photo zone where they automatically take and sell pictures. Normally, I thought such things were only operated on rides like roller coasters or flume rides, but according to an employee, there are photo zones at almost all rides.
So, Nagisa, who had joyfully sounded the siren on the carousel, took two pictures as keepsakes. Watching her shake from embarrassment while cherishing the photos would probably bring a love that wasn’t there before.
“Well then, please spin it at maximum speed!”
“…Again, I’m telling you, Mika-san, don’t touch it!”
“That’s up to Nagichan to decide how well it spins☆”
“I won’t forgive you if you do!”
Sitting opposite each other in the teacup felt entirely different than when we sat across each other working. This was what romance felt like—kind of. Though my hands were shyly clasped, I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I won’t fall for such provocation.”
I casually threw down a challenge for her to try and shake my posture, but it seemed she wouldn’t even take that. Our Nagisa really is a scaredy-cat after all.
As the teacup slowly started to move, Nagisa placed her hands on the handle but didn’t actually turn it. She might have been contemplating how fast to spin it.
Seeing Nagisa fidgeting like that made me laugh so much I couldn’t help but beam. A little bit of mischief bubbled up inside me too.
“Looks like being raised delicately makes you like this… Yup, Nagichan isn’t good with physical stuff☆”
“…D-Don’t underestimate me! It’s not like I can’t spin it!”
She tried hard not to react too much, but Nagisa’s effort to suppress her irritation was rather obvious. It wouldn’t change the conversation if we shifted to politics, but since this had nothing to do with that, it couldn’t be helped.
Finally, after squeezing her hands on the handle, the teacup slowly began to rotate. Just a short time after that, I burst out laughing.
“Puht… Ahaha! Ahahahaha!”
“What’s so funny?!”
“Ahaha… No, it’s just! The way you’re turning it is so awkward!”
Watching her turn the handle with movements like a basic level robot swinging its arms made it impossible not to laugh. Given how reactive she was just moments ago, she definitely couldn’t have never ridden before…
“Last time we came together, I was way too hyped up all by myself, right?”
“…”
“Wait, was that not the case?”
“…No, Mika-san is correct. I was just… a bit surprised. Yes, just that.”
With a slightly sullen face, Nagisa nodded, affirming my strangely sounding words.
The day I revealed all the truth to Nagisa, I unconsciously changed my thoughts from ‘I probably won’t ever have a chance to go back.’
Even if I could return to my original body, I would probably choose not to.
When Nagisa said she would look at the complete me, I was utterly overwhelmed. Originally, if it was under the assumption that the kids I had helped would continue living happily, and someone proposed sending me back to my original life… I might not have been able to refuse.
There just were no options, and since the potential ally I needed to cooperate with was so unsettling, I had been avoiding the thought. So when given the choice of whether to go back, how could I not ponder about it?
However, the moment a precious person who would look at me as me appeared, all those worries washed away.
I started to judge that the regret of leaving Nagisa behind would be greater than the regret of not returning to my original body.
Thus, I decided to wholeheartedly accept the name Misono Mika and this life.
The reason I brought up Mika from before I entered this body was because I hoped Nagisa would overcome her loss and move forward.
No matter how much she vowed to look at me as me, the fact that she could never see her old friends again was bound to slowly gnaw away at her gentle heart. So I couldn’t just ignore that part.
But that didn’t mean I should erase the real Mika.
…Upon reflecting again, in that light, the comment I made earlier might not have been the best direction. That was a mistake.
“I’m sorry, Nagichan. That was overstepping my bounds.”
“Huh…? What on earth do you have to apologize for, Mika-san?”
Once spilled water cannot be gathered back, but I could apologize for spilling it. I offered my apology with that thought, yet Nagisa asked me why I was saying sorry.
“Well, um… that…”
“Even if it sounds a bit strange, I understand it was for my sake. So don’t worry about it, just finish what you wanted to say.”
Fortunately, Nagisa generously overlooked my verbal slip. I’ll need to be a bit more careful next time, making this a teachable moment.
“…Okay, got it. What I wanted to say is that. Nagichan has probably ridden this before, but you’ve never turned the handle, right? Right?”
“Yup, that’s right…”
“Wait, I told you not to touch that!”
“Ahaha, Nagichan doesn’t trust me? I have no weird intentions, really. Just follow my lead.”
As I deliberately turned the handle leisurely while Nagisa mimicked my movements, the spinning speed of the teacup began to pick up gradually. Fortunately, I didn’t overexert myself, so what Nagisa was worried about didn’t happen.
In fact, it was the joy of sitting across from Nagisa and doing something together that felt better than the spinning teacup itself. If we ended here, the amusement ride wouldn’t be rated high…
“Ahahahaha…!”
At that moment, hearing laughter beside me, I turned my head to see a shadow swiftly passing by, like an afterimage. Naturally, it was Azusa and Hifumi.
As I suddenly found their presence intriguing, Nagisa hurriedly shook her head and tried to stop me.
“Mika-san. Don’t do it! I really won’t forgive you.”
“But don’t you think it looks fun, Nagichan…?”
“No, not at all. It looks completely boring. So don’t do it…”
“Heueng…”
I pondered whether I should really restrain myself to such an extent when, in an instant, I felt as if I had made eye contact with Hifumi. Her gaze felt like it mocked me with a twisted smile.
Ajitani. Are you challenging me right now…?
“Mika-san, no! I don’t want to! Please don’t do it…!”
The only thing I could tell Nagisa was one thing.
“Nagichan, it’s easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission☆”
Then my hand began to really spin the handle.
Caught in the refreshing speed feeling and dizzying sensation of centrifugal force as the surroundings whirled past like an afterimage, Nagisa glared at me fiercely and yelled something.
“Die, Misono Mika…?”
As Nagisa began to scream, having entered the realm of detachment, I smiled sweetly and conveyed my intentions to her with my lips.
But… you still love me, right?
When the ride finally stopped, I found myself helping Nagisa down since she couldn’t stand properly.
And afterwards there was an incident where Nagisa, who bought churros nearby, tried to stuff them into my mouth.
But in the end, it seems like Nagisa forgave me. Maybe.
*
The next ride we encountered was a roller coaster. However, this roller coaster was designed more for 360-degree spins and twisted sections rather than steep drops, making it quite thrilling.
Of course, my ears hit their limit during this process, and I eventually received permission from Nagisa to swap partners.
Even while subtly keeping an eye on Azusa, who was lingering around with longing eyes, Nagisa, who couldn’t help her fundamentally kind heart, let me give up my seat to Azusa for a moment.
“Just so you know, it’ll be exactly two times. After that, we’ll swap again.”
“Okay, thanks. If you want, I’ll give you my prized skullman keychain as a reward. Hifumi said it’s a limited edition and you can’t get it anymore.”
“…I’ll politely decline.”
Seeing Azusa approach with a much brighter face and gently take my hand, Hifumi threw a bombshell at Nagisa with a natural smile.
“Ahaha, then next I’ll be sitting with Senpai Mika!”
“Huh…?”
Seeing Hifumi naturally reserve the seat next to me, Nagisa wore a somewhat crumpled expression, but quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat.
“Ahem… Well, that doesn’t sound too bad…”
I’m not sure if I ever mentioned this, but Nagisa doesn’t have a wide network of friends. Since she’s been deeply involved in the political scene at Trinity, I suspect she’s the one maintaining the distance on her end.
She seemed genuinely pleased when I introduced her purehearted Hifumi, glancing over at Azusa while trying to act otherwise but ending up showing a decent response.
Yeah, our Squirrel is just too cute. Once you get addicted, Nagisa, you won’t be able to escape!
“So, what’s the next operation?”
At Azusa’s question, Hifumi, who was exploring what ride to go to next, spoke up.
“Next…”
Grrr—
“Ah, ouch…”
It was Hifumi’s stomach that made the sound.
“Fufu… First, shall we grab a quick breakfast and lunch, Hifumi-chan?”
“Yes…”
Even though I wedged myself between the two, seeing them getting along so smoothly eased my mind in many ways. If their relationship hadn’t been as good as in the original, my conscience would’ve pricked at me immensely.
…By the way, thanks to that churro attack earlier, I doubt I’ll be able to eat much. Guess I’ll have to share some with Nagisa.
*
“Kuhuhu. Are you really going to do it, Aru-chan? The opponent is the Student Council President of Trinity, you know? If you touch her, you’ll turn all of Trinity against you! Wow, you could become the ultimate villain among villains… You might even gain fame as the hard-boiled outlaw Aru-chan dreamed of~?”
“…It would indeed mean a difficult life with the Justice Realization Department as enemies. Sigh… No matter how I think of it, starting off with such a high-level request is too much.”
“I believe in you, Aru-sama! You can make it work…”
“Then! If I succeed in this massive request, our Heungsinso will instantly rise to fame in this industry! It would mean a steady stream of high-class requests! This is the absolutely perfect request for the debut of Heungsinso 68…!”
Hidden among shadows of the people, our group had stepped into the most expensive restaurant in the amusement park, and the leader of the quartet exclaimed confidently.
“By the way, a magic pass… Should we call it the Trinity girls? They sure have plenty of money.”
“Huh? Is the magic pass that expensive?”
“About 100,000 yen per person for the day…”
“Tha—that’s insane!”
The many troublemakers from Gehenna Academy. On this day, this club, or rather this company, boldly declared their mission, known as Heungsinso 68.
‘…But, what do I do? A request to kidnap the Student Council President of Trinity, this level is way too high for my taste! Yet I can’t refuse since the reward is too generous! And, of course, if I want to become a hard-boiled outlaw as Muutsuki-chan suggested, I have to accept this request, don’t I?!’
Hiding my trembling insides, Rikuha Chima Aru, the head of Heungsinso 68, boldly declared.
“Fufu. Anyway! We’ll successfully accomplish this request and set up a proper office in D.U.!”
‘…More than anything, that client… I feel like I’ve definitely heard that voice and laugh somewhere! They were too overly pushy and instantly deposited the advance payment so I never even got to meet them! Isn’t this way too sketchy?!’
This was the historic moment where Heungsinso 68 left its first imprint in Kivotos.
