"So... even Pandemonium Society wants to use me now?"
"Haa... yes. To put it simply, I guess that’s right."
"Get lost! I’m going to the Prefect Team."
"...If that’s Haruta’s choice, I won’t stop you."
"..."
She gave up surprisingly quickly. Which probably meant...
"So this was Makoto’s unilateral decision... is that it?"
"...You figured it out right away. I’ll withdraw the part about you being affiliated with Pandemonium Society, for now."
"Yeah, thanks."
And just like that, the whole commotion was wrapped up. Thanks to this incident, I’d somehow become a member of the Prefect Team.
I brought Hina back to the Prefect Team office.
"By the way, Hina, I think I’m in serious trouble."
"Hm? What now... ?"
"You know I have ties with Trinity’s Tea Party, right...?"
"Yeah... honestly, I was shocked. I’ve never seen the Tea Party host run that fast before."
"Right... and not just the current Tea Party host. I’m connected to the heads of the other factions too."
"So that means... ?"
"Yeah... if they find out I’ve really ended up as part of Gehenna, then whether it’s through Schale, or by mobilizing the Justice Task Force, or by requesting support from another academy... and if... if Gehenna and Trinity ever really go to war, I’ll stand on the side of XX."
"...Haruta... thank you... for telling me that."
"Sorry. That’s the only way I can put it. I’m sorry."
"No... I was able to get back on my feet thanks to you too, Haruta... thank you."
"Yeah... then I guess I’m working for the Prefect Team too, huh?"
At that, Hina shot me a furious look.
"...Haruta... do you even know what condition your body is in when you say that?"
Step... step...
Hina slowly approached me.
"...?"
Poke.
The instant her indifferent finger jabbed my stomach, a tremendous wave of pain shot through me.
"...Ghk...!!"
"Haruta... honestly, you’re barely holding yourself up right now... just rest until you’re fully healed."
"...Thanks... but I still feel bad about leaving everything to you alone, Hina."
"Haruta... don’t overwork yourself so much... and... please... rely on me a little..."
Hina half-forced me into the break room and made me rest.
"...This won’t heal me or anything... but still..."
Haruta had counted on one hand the number of times he’d heard someone tell him to rely on them in his whole life, so something in his chest felt warm.
"...Can this kind of peace... really keep going...?"
That day, after killing both total assault bosses and suffering the injuries that came with it, and after talking with a god, I forgot something.
I definitely shouldn’t have forgotten it, and I even forgot Blue Archive’s story. When I asked Sensei about it, they said that after Hieronymus’s self-detonation, even Sensei had forgotten something that formed one of Blue Archive’s major pillars.
"...So now... I can’t see ahead anymore...?"
Even when I asked Akashi, all I got was that it would take a long time to find it.
"...I still remember the Nameless Priests... and Aris... so where did it go wrong...?"
I kept asking myself, but no answer came back. I could only answer to the extent of what I knew, and in the end, I couldn’t answer at all.
"...For now... maybe I should rest a little..."
I’d originally planned to sit for a bit, then go out and help Hina.
"...But... I should... help... but my... eyes... are... closing..."
My eyes slowly shut. I didn’t want to get up. I just wanted to rest... and sleep some more. I was simply tired.
--------------------------------
"...Mm... where am I...?"
"Hello... Haruta...?"
When I opened my eyes, Hina was there to greet me. Hina, giving me a lap pillow, was far too adorable. Her cheeks were slightly red, which made it seem like this had been a choice she’d agonized over for a long time.
"...Haa... you’re cute..."
At that, Hina’s face turned red and her wings fluttered.
Flap! Flap!
"...You’re really cute..."
"...Mm...? I’m... not really..."
"Ah... you’re seriously too cute!"
Hug
"E-eh!? Eh!? H-Haruta!? W-wait!"
"Ah... sorry... I was half asleep..."
Hina’s face went red enough to seem like steam might come out of it, and then she looked straight at me.
"Haruta... don’t tease me..."
Ah... could a person really be cute from top to bottom like this?
"Can I touch your cheek just once?"
"Uu... j-just... o-once... okay...?"
‘Yosh!!!’
The moment I touched Hina’s cheek, a softness I could hardly believe belonged to a human wrapped around my hand, and it felt like all five senses were sharpening at once.
"Pudding...?"
"Uu... th-thank you..."
I wasn’t sure whether I should call that a compliment, but it was still the best feeling.
‘Ahh... I think I need to go to Gehenna.’
That was what Haruta thought. Honestly, did anything softer than this even exist in the world...?
"Hina...?"
"Mm...?"
"This is embarrassing to say, but... I love you."
"...Eh..? Eeeh!?"
"Did you bring the boss’s coffee...?"
Ako had walked in at an absolutely ridiculous time.
Hina had nearly toppled forward in surprise, and I caught her just before our faces touched.
So, in other words. To anyone else watching, it looked like...
we were about to kiss.
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