Well past midnight, just as Hina's work was finally winding down, the office door opened and a familiar voice called out.
"Ma'am, are you in…?".
"...Ako?".
"Hey, Ako-chan!".
"Hwa?!".
Ako, looking inexplicably startled, blushed at her own unseemly yelp. By the way, the blanket in her hands….
"Aha, you were planning to cover Hina-chan with a blanket if she was sleeping here, weren't you?. How sweet. Mmm, I'm suddenly finding myself envious of Hina-chan for having a secretary like you☆".
"…Hmph. What's that supposed to mean?. You're not trying to belittle my devotion to the Chief, are you?. It's unpleasant, so please stop!".
"Mika, that's enough teasing Ako.".
"Ahahat!. But her reactions are so cute.".
From the looks of it, Ako, who knew Hina all too well, had anticipated that she would come straight here to work instead of resting.
The fact that she had brought a blanket suggested that Hina falling asleep here while working was a somewhat common occurrence.
"Wait, more importantly, why are you still here, Mika-san…?. I figured you'd be just as tired as the Chief, if not more so, after everything that's happened these past few days!" .
"Hey, how could I rest by myself when I know Hina-chan is working?. I'm just disappointed there's nothing I can do to help.".
"It's only natural that you can't help with paperwork unless you transfer here…. If you really want to help, you could join the Prefect Team out in the field tomorrow.".
The first thought that came to my mind upon hearing Ako's throwaway suggestion was rejection.
Do I really have to go out of my way to suffer in Gehenna, too?.
But after thinking about it, Hina had elevated my week from hell to heaven. A little bit of work didn't seem so difficult in comparison.
The more I worked, the faster Hina's work would be done, which meant we'd have more time to spend together. I could just consider that my payment.
"Ako, that's rude—".
"Alright. It's not a difficult task☆".
"Wait… Mika, you really don't have to help. If anything, shouldn't we be helping you right now?".
It was Hina who put the brakes on my thoughts. I saw Ako click her tongue, clearly disappointed at having lost the chance to command some premium-grade free labor.
"This is a matter Nagisa even asked you for help with. The least we can do is cooperate with your work. We can't ask you to help with the Prefect Team's duties when we don't even need it.".
Goodness, Nagisa asked Hina for a favor?. Is this truly the supportive wifely-care of the paranoid demon who single-handedly supported the Tea Party for over a year in some other timeline…?. A wave of emotion washed over me.
"Chairman Makoto's absence doesn't really affect the big picture. In fact, the Prefect Team would be grateful if she just didn't cause any trouble. We'll be a little busy for a while with the festival cleanup, but it's nothing we can't handle.".
"Yes, well. As the Chief said, we're not so short-staffed that we need your help with our work, Mika-san. However, as for us helping you…".
"Ahaha, that's okay. Mmm, the work I'm doing requires, quite literally, top-tier personnel. It's not like I can ask you to lend me Iori-chan or Hina-chan for it, right?. So you don't have to worry about forcing yourselves to spare people to help me☆".
When I gave them a rough outline of the operation, Hina nodded as if she had no choice.
Ako, on the other hand, seemed to have some reservations. I hoped it wasn't some paranoid delusion that I was looking down on the Prefect Team.
The chances seemed slim, but… Ako is extremely sensitive to any perceived slight against the Prefect Team without Hina, so a "what if?" crossed my mind.
"Um, Mika-san. No matter how I look at it, that operation sounds like it won't yield much of a result without thorough prior preparation.".
"Well, it's true that it's an operation that requires preparation. That's why if I had ended up as Makoto-chan's slave as planned, the operation would have had to be postponed. In that sense, I'm grateful to Hina-chan in many ways!. Even if her motives were purely selfish.".
"Ahem. Let's move on from that. If the preparations can be done here in Gehenna, we'll provide as much support as we can.".
"Chief, as much as I understand your desire to look good for your beloved… I don't think this is something we can handle with just the intel we have. The only information we have on Kaiser is just a record of their suspicious movements up until now…. Wait, hang on. Isn't that information that could be helpful to Mika-san in another way?!".
"Well, the objective of the operation is to gather the dust clinging to the Kaiser Corporation and use it as a weapon, so… yes, that's helpful information, right?".
This was a rather unexpected gain. I never thought the Gehenna Intelligence Division would be keeping records of such things.
Perhaps if I look within the Tea Party, I might find something useful as well….
"Wa-oh. I didn't expect to reap such an unexpected harvest. It's all thanks to you, Ako-chan!. As expected, not just anyone can be our Hina-chan's aide.".
"...Ahem. Of course. I am always, every day, 365 days a year, striving to be the best Chief Administrative Officer for the Chief. In other words, it's only natural.".
Ah, Ako really is so easy to handle when Hina's involved. This sense of omnipotence, being able to sway her mood with just a few words…!.
And that smug look on her face is so cute, I feel like if I were to drop her from a great height like a carnival ride, her reaction would be priceless.
There's a reason she's ranked number one among Kivotos students for inspiring the most sadistic urges.
"…More importantly, aren't you two going to sleep?. Oh, don't tell me. You were just about to go rest and I held you up without realizing, didn't I?!".
"No, I just finished my work. I just have to clean up—".
"I'll do that!. So you go on and head home, Chief!".
"Ako, this is my work…".
"I! Will do it!. Please!".
Pushed back by Ako's intensity, Hina unknowingly nodded. Meanwhile, as I was roughly organizing my schedule in my head, a question popped into my mind.
"But, Hina-chan. Does this mean I have to stay within the Gehenna district for the whole week?".
"…Basically, that's how it would be. I've received full authority over that stupid contract from Councilwoman Iroha, so it's not like I can't resolve that part at my own discretion, but.".
"Then what was the point of bringing me to Gehenna…?".
"No, Mika. That's not it. I brought you to Gehenna simply because I wanted to, and therefore, for this week, you can go anywhere else, but I will absolutely not send you back to Trinity.".
…I knew there was something strange about how hard she worked for this. It was all for this moment.
Come to think of it, Hina is in the position of a knight in shining armor who rescued me from a crisis. If I tried to argue with her, I'd look like an ungrateful brat.
By the way, her saying "to Trinity" means… . right.
"Hina-chan, does that mean places other than Trinity are okay?".
"...For example?".
"It could be the D.U., it could be Millennium. That kind of thing?. Ah, and of course, I mean for work purposes.".
"If I didn't let you do that, I'd be no different from Chairman Makoto. However, in that case, I'd like you to be accompanied by at least Ako or Iori. I'd love to go with you myself, but… I can't guarantee it, as I'd have to finish my work first.".
"Hmm… See, I still think it would be better if I could help with your work. Should I just transfer to Gehenna while I'm at it?".
"…The offer is welcome, but if you did that, I think Nagisa would immediately declare an all-out war, so I'll have to decline.".
"Ahaha, you have a point.".
But the thought of the more moderate Nagisa shattering the peace for my sake… it sent a thrilling, chilling sensation up my spine.
Seeing this side of myself, I'm sure I'm a better fit somewhere other than Trinity.
"…Do you just want to do some paperwork?. If it's just between us, it's not really a big deal.".
"Ako, no matter what, I can't allow that. It's not a matter of trusting Mika or not. There are lines that I, as the leader of the Prefect Team, must uphold.".
"Yes, I thought you'd say that, Chief…
Sigh.".
If Hina is this firm, then I guess it's a no-go. It would probably be better for me to just help out the Prefect Team kids when I'm not busy with my own work.
"Ah, by the way. Where am I staying?. To be honest, I was half-resigned to the idea that Makoto-chan would make me sleep on the floor or in one of Pandemonium's warehouses. Mmm, can I trust that our Hina-chan will at least provide me with a dorm room?".
"…Mika, if you're okay with it, you can stay at my house for the week. There's only one bed, so we'd have to share, but if you don't mind that…".
"Huh?".
Wait, what did she just say?. Me and Hina, in the same house, for a week?.
"...".
"Is it… not okay…?".
"Th-this is a bold approach I never imagined…. I-it's not that it's not okay!. Mmm, I was just a little surprised, is all?. I'd welcome staying with you, Hina-chan, but…".
Actually, it's not okay at all. The only experience I have sharing a bed with another girl was when I first met Nagisa, and when we shared a hospital bed.
The problem is, unlike then, this time I'd be sharing a bed with Hina, my lover.
To be honest, it's not like I feel any strong sexual desire for these girls, but I'm worried I might get swept up in the mood and cross a line.
"I-if it's a burden, I can find a hotel in the city for you starting tomorrow. I'll give you the bed, so…".
But at my lukewarm response, I could see Hina's self-esteem plummeting. As a bonus, my conscience was screaming at me.
On top of that, Ako was glaring at me with a "do something about this right now" look.
Having to watch the Hina she adores so much be at the mercy of my every reaction must be frustrating for her too.
"Hina-chan, I'll be in your care for the week. I look forward to it☆".
What choice did I have?. I just had to close my eyes and jump.
Right, this is just a normal pajama party. That's what I'll tell myself.