Faced with a completely unexpected situation, my brain froze.
Atsuko is wearing a gas mask? And that one, of all things? Why?
No matter how hard I wracked my frozen brain, no answers came. I have to understand what's going on to explain it to Hanako, but how can I explain something to her when I don't understand it myself?
Azusa silently raised a hand in greeting, while Atsuko sidled up to me and gave me a hug. Normally, my mind would be racing with all sorts of thoughts, but the situation was so chaotic that all I could do was sigh.
"Good morning, Mika-oneechan."
"...U-um, Atsuko-chan? Could you maybe take off the gas mask first?"
The first meeting between Hanako and my little Arius troublemakers was a disaster so complete that calling it a disaster felt like an insult to disasters.
It would have been a relief if it had ended there.
"U-um... Mika-senpai?"
"H-Hifumi-chan...?!"
I turned around to see the future leader of the Swimsuit Masked Gang, the great Faust herself, standing there with an expression that looked like she was about to summon a legion of Peroros.
Let me correct myself. The first meeting between my Trinity underclassmen and my little Arius troublemakers didn't just go badly—it was a catastrophe of unsalvageable proportions.
After pouring everyone a glass of punch mixed with various fruit juices like cranberry and pineapple, I led the prospective Remedial Studies Club members to an empty table and sat down.
"Hanako-chan, Hifumi-chan. Do you know about the Arius Branch School recently rejoining Trinity as a new faction?"
"Of course we do, Mika-senpai."
"Aww... I saw it on the news, but I never thought I'd get directly involved..."
"Hmm, I know their first impression wasn't the best, but they're both good kids, Hifumi-chan. First off, this cute girl here is..."
"Wait, Mika-oneechan. I'll introduce myself. First impressions are important, after all."
Atsuko stepped forward, speaking with a clear and proper tone. It was a fine sentiment. The only problem was...
"Ahaha... Atsuko-chan, I think that first impression is already ruined... Ah, never mind. Do what you want. Who am I to stop you?"
"Okay. Thank you, onee-chan."
Still, when someone's that cute, I think they can be forgiven for anything. Atsuko-chan is the best...!
"Hmm... the innocent little sister type. She's a powerful one. This won't be an easy opponent, Hifumi-san," Hanako mused.
"Ah, pardon? I'm not sure what you mean... A-and, I believe this is the first time we've met...?"
"Oh my. So it is. I'm sorry, Ajitani-san. For some reason, I felt a sense of familiarity and got ahead of myself."
"Aww, it's alright... Wait, how did you know my last name...?!"
Man, it's definitely chaotic with more people around. Atsuko didn't even get a chance to introduce herself until after Hifumi and Hanako had agreed to be on a first-name basis. I guess that's what happens when you combine two people with insane social skills; things move fast.
"My name is Atsuko Hakari, of the Arius Squad. I'm now a third-year in Trinity's middle school division... I'm still figuring out my hobbies, likes, and dislikes... but if I had to say, I like flowers and Mika-oneechan, and I dislike spiders. I look forward to getting to know you."
"...?"
Atsuko, what are you saying? If you phrase it so misleadingly, you're going to get my hopes up. Even if your feelings were genuine, I couldn't accept them, not when you're still so young.
Honestly, it would be complicated enough even if she were a high schooler, but a middle schooler is just completely out of the question. I'd feel a lot better if she just meant she likes me as a person, not as a romantic... no, same-sex... uh, well, not as a potential partner. In that case, I could like her right back.
"Oh my... you're very forward. Pushing with a direct approach and then pulling with the innocent little sister routine. I've learned something today."
"Um, your likes are one thing, but is there a reason you dislike spiders...?" Hifumi asked.
"Yes. They have too many eyes. It's creepy."
Oh, dear. She must have hated Beatrice that much to start hating spiders for a reason like that. That woman really did deserve to be torn to shreds. I hope Gematria dealt with her properly.
"Okay, next up... Azusa-chan, do you want to introduce yourself?"
"Yes. I didn't give up, and now I have a new life. So I must work even harder with a new mindset."
Azusa said with a determined nod. That's all well and good, but our little squirrel still has a long way to go. Which is what makes her resolve all the more admirable.
"Azusa Shirasu, of the Arius Squad. Currently a first-year at Trinity Academy. I don't know much about hobbies, but my Leader has told me I'm skilled in guerrilla and diversionary warfare using traps and terrain, and that I'm effective in solo operations."
"...Wow, this one is quite intense."
"I-I don't really get it, but isn't it amazing to be good at so many things? To a normal person like me, who doesn't have any special talents or fields of expertise, it looks incredibly cool. Awww..."
"By the way, when you say 'Leader,' are you referring to the leader of the Arius Squad? Shirasu-san, you have quite an aura yourself, so if you acknowledge someone as your leader... hmm..."
"Ahaha, when it comes to being disciplined, Saori-chan is even more so than Azusa-chan. And you'll probably get to meet her at some point. I'm sure a smart girl like you knows what I mean, right, Hanako-chan?"
Hanako is better than anyone else in Trinity at getting to the hidden meaning behind words instead of just taking them at face value. She doesn't like politics, but if she tried, she's the type who could rise to the top. Nagisa's assessment of her was limited to her grades, which is why she gave up on recruiting her for the Tea Party so easily. If she had seen Hanako's true potential, she would have been desperate to recruit her, no matter what I said.
"...Should I take that to mean that Arius is under your protection, Mika-senpai? That would essentially mean that the Pater faction and all of Arius are following you... Hmm. It's not really my place to say, but I imagine a lot of people will be troubled by this. And you'll probably face a lot of opposition from all sides."
"Ahaha, don't even get me started! It's a good thing I've been acting more like a moderate lately, otherwise most of the moderate faction would be trying to undermine me behind the scenes. They're afraid I'll absorb Arius, use my increased power to do something crazy. And it's not like everyone in Arius blindly follows me, either..."
"Indeed... Still, your efforts to embrace a branch school that was once branded as heretical, and your preference for competition over direct conflict with Gehenna to resolve old grudges, make you seem more like a moderate Host than the head of the hardline Pater faction."
"Well, yeah. I mean, even within my own faction, there are people saying we should use our newfound strength from Arius to strike Gehenna, so I can understand their concerns. They know that I wasn't just a member of the Pater faction; I was an extreme hardliner."
"What? You were an extreme hardliner, Mika-senpai? I can't really imagine that..."
"Ahaha, believe it or not, I used to hate Gehenna with a passion. But now, I think I'm definitely closer to a moderate than an extreme hardliner. As for why... let's just say something happened to change my mind!"
For the kids here who have never met the real Mika... or rather, the original Mika, that might be hard to believe. That the original Mika was the one who pulled the trigger on an incident that, born from a singular hatred of Gehenna, nearly sent the two largest academies in Kivotos down a path of mutual destruction. Looking at me now... I give off more of a "Let's all get along, peace, peace, we are the Kivotos" kind of vibe.
"You must have a lot on your plate, Mika-senpai... Is there anything I can do to help?" Hanako asked, placing a hand on my arm as I was lamenting to my underclassmen. A junior who cares so much for her senior... I was almost moved to tears. If only I hadn't witnessed her dark side when she was pressuring Hinata earlier, it would have been perfect...
For now, it seems Hanako doesn't know that I noticed her change in behavior. Maybe if I keep pretending not to know, it could act as a sort of deterrent? In that case, it might actually be a good thing.
"Thank you for the offer, but I don't think there's anything I need your help with, Hanako-chan. Besides, this conversation is probably boring for the others, so let's stop here and move on. Sorry for suddenly getting so political. ☆"
"Aww... it was just a little surprising to see this side of you, Mika-senpai. I knew in my head that you were one of the most important people in Trinity... but I've always seen you more as a senior who hangs out with a normal student like me with a friendly smile."
"Mika-oneechan looks cool when she's serious. Especially in combat, she's no less than Sat-chan. Right, Azusa-chan?"
"Yes. It's frustrating, but she's incredibly strong. Even the Leader increased the intensity and duration of her training, saying she was just a frog in a well."
This time, it was Hifumi and Hanako's turn to be surprised. Since she had fewer interactions with the Tea Party and Trinity's upper echelons compared to the original story, Hanako had never heard that I was the symbol of the Tea Party's military might.
Hmm, but this is a bit...
"Hey... why has the conversation suddenly started revolving around me...? I think it's probably best if we get back to what we were talking about before."
Honestly, listening to them talk about me was making my face flush, so I quickly changed the subject. Atsuko was the worst of them. She was so openly idolizing me that it was starting to feel a little burdensome.
Thankfully, it didn't take long for them to sort out their honorifics after we returned to the original topic. Atsuko was a year younger, but since Hifumi and Hanako were both easygoing, they seemed to have agreed to just call each other '-chan' without worrying about the senior-junior dynamic. Except for Azusa.
It would be perfect if we could just add Koharu, the original Remedial Studies Club member, to the mix, but that's a problem I can't solve right now, which is a shame. It would be nice if she could meet Atsuko naturally and they become friends on their own... but with Trinity's student population in the five digits, that's realistically not going to happen. Besides, I'm the type who prefers friendships that form naturally through shared experiences and memories, rather than forced encounters. That applies to both romance and friendships. Today's meeting was a necessary evil to help Atsuko and Azusa adjust to Trinity.
"Ah, have you all heard of Momo Friends..."[1]
...I was wondering when that was going to come up. The signature line of Faust[2], the future leader of the infamous Swimsuit Masked Gang.
'Do you know Momo Friends? Peroro, Wavecat, Mister Nikolai, Skullman, let's go!'
Still, as long as they all get along, I don't really care. It makes all my hard work feel worthwhile.
"...S-so cute!!!"
Azusa's reaction was expected, so it wasn't much of a surprise. It was just a little... okay, a lot... earlier than planned.
"Ah, I saw that on the sticker on Mika-oneechan's g—"
GYAAAAAH?! Atsuko, that was something you were never supposed to reveal!!!
Should I die? Let's die. I'm going to die. I'm going to jump from the top of the Trinity clock tower.
...But as a fan of Wavecat-sama, it would be a shame if I missed out on this conversation, right? I'll just dip my toes in a little before I die. Yep.
[1] Hifumi Ajitani has an intense obsession with the fictional children's franchise "Momo and Friends," especially the character Peroro
[2] Reference to "Faust" from the game "Guilty Gear", Players have playfully nicknamed her Faust due to an in-game event where the character "Aru" blames Hifumi for everything, likening it to how the character Faust in Guilty Gear is often responsible for chaos or misfortune.