In my mind, the students of Kivotos fall into several categories.
Among them, the trickiest to deal with are the ones you have to approach politically.
students holding titles like the leaders of Trinity's various factions.
While Shiranui Kaya certainly belonged in that category, I didn't find her difficult to talk to.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
"The potential of Arius was one of the more noteworthy elements of the recent festival. The Defense Office had been keeping an eye on them, but seeing their strength far exceed our expectations made me realize just how incredible you are, Mika-nim, for bringing them back into Trinity…".
"Ahaha… Kaya-chan, if you lay it on that thick, it doesn't sound very sincere, you know".
"Oh my, are you doubting my sincerity even when you can see my eyes?
That's quite troubling".
"Speaking of your eyes… you are keeping them open right now.
right?".
"Of course. I didn't even miss the way you just tilted your head, Mika-nim".
Talking to Kaya was easy. So easy, in fact, that the conversation showed no signs of ending.
The topic would jump from one subject to another, and before I knew it, we'd be on something else entirely.
And the important thing was that every topic eventually circled back to me. It was as if Kaya was trying to dig up information about me.
"By the way, Mika-nim, are you planning to participate in Millennium's idol project? I hear the members are students from Trinity, Gehenna, and Millennium…".
"Hmm? That's all true. Two from Gehenna, three from Millennium, and me, so six in total".
"It may be presumptuous of me to ask, but are you, the Tea Party Host who broke with tradition to begin official activities, truly intending to commit to such a trivial pastime? Of course, with your beauty, it's a foregone conclusion that you would attract countless fans. I am not doubting that in the slightest.
I'm just not sure if it's an endeavor of commensurate value…".
At this point, I was genuinely curious about what Kaya's assessment of me was.
Her question was a clear attempt to discern my intentions, and the way she tried to distract me with compliments about my appearance suggested she was convinced of my narcissistic tendencies.
"Ahaha. Well, 'trivial pastime' isn't entirely wrong. But if you think about it, this is also a form of politics, a way to improve relations between the three academies, wouldn't you say? Value is always relative, but… yes, I believe this is something of sufficient value to the students of all three schools".
"Oh my… I see. When you put it like that, it's conceivable that this could lead to discussions of a three-way alliance, which makes it an issue that I, as the next Defense Director, simply cannot overlook. My".
Sorry, Kaya. It's really just me cleaning up the mess Trinity and Gehenna made. There's no such alliance!.
…Hmm, but from a certain perspective, isn't this also politics for the sake of improving inter-school relations?.
On second thought, maybe I have nothing to be sorry about.
"I see, the next Defense Director. I had my suspicions, but you're an even bigger shot than I thought, Kaya-chan. I'm a little happy to have made such a capable friend in an unexpected place. Yes, this is quite the surprise gain☆".
"…A friend, you say?".
"Oh? Was that a one-sided feeling of kinship on my part?"
"I'm afraid it would be a bit presumptuous for me to call myself your friend, Mika-nim.
I am merely a student belonging to the Defense Office, whereas you are the student president overseeing the massive academy that is Trinity".
"Hmm… I don't really care about trivial things like that. There's no need to assign so much weight to the word 'friend,' you know, Kaya-chan".
"I apologize, Mika-nim. It's just that it weighs on my mind a great deal. Once I have officially taken the seat of Defense Director, I will give your words positive consideration then".
…I got rejected.
For some reason, being turned down for the first time stung a little. It was a sign of just how much things had gone my way until now, which made me doubly curious about Kaya's intentions.
you'll hurt my delicate heart?".
"Oh my. Should I have said I'd give it negative consideration, then? I apologize if you felt I was drawing a line, but my promise of positive consideration is sincere…".
Kaya was in the middle of her reply, an awkward smile on her face, when another student from the Defense Office approached and handed her a small object.
"Excuse me, Kaya-san? Here is the information you requested".
"Ah, thank you. You've worked hard".
With my business concluded, it seemed my short meeting with Kaya was over.
…But from our conversation so far, I had learned absolutely nothing about who she really was. I couldn't get a read on her at all.
Shiranui Kaya, what in the world is sleeping inside that dark mind of yours?.
"Mika-nim, here is the USB with the requested data. It was a short conversation, but I quite enjoyed our time together".
All I could glean from what I'd seen and heard was that she was a pleasant person with a smooth way of talking, who subtly tried to probe me for information.
Her mention of being the next Defense Director suggested a hint of ambition, maybe?.
But I had no idea what her reason was for drawing a line at friendship.
And most importantly, I had no clue why or for what reason she would plan something like a coup.
Without knowing that, the story just didn't make sense.
The fact that I hadn't found even an indirect hint of such extremism in our conversation meant that I would need to maintain some level of friendship with her going forward.
But with her putting up a wall, I felt completely stuck.
I knew it was greedy of me to want to solve everything myself, but the problem was that I'm not the type to let an opportunity pass me by.
The sense of regret was overwhelming.
"Ahaha, indeed. I had fun today, Kaya-chan. Ah, I can at least get the contact information of the future Defense Director, right? For emergencies".
"…Yes, that much I can certainly provide".
"Thanks☆ And, there's something that's been bothering me for a little while now".
"…?"
"If it's not too rude, could you show me what you look like with your eyes open?".
"…That's rude, Mika-nim".
…It seemed the formidable opponent I'd never faced before.
"Still, I suppose a little peek wouldn't hurt. Please don't think it too strange.
It's just that I grew up being told my impression is rather untrustworthy when my eyes are open".
wasn't so formidable after all.
Honestly, how could I resist seeing what a character with permanently closed eyes looks like with their eyes open?
Resisting would be a crime.
As Kaya slowly opened her eyes, her entire impression changed in an instant.
It was a 180-degree shift from her previous, wholly likable appearance, and I could understand why she was told she looked untrustworthy.
And yet.
"Sexy…".
"…Excuse me?".
"Ah, I apologize if that sounded like I was teasing you!".
I couldn't think of any other way to describe it. In the case of Ichika, another character with the same trait, she becomes a stunning beauty when she opens her eyes.
Kaya's transformation was in a different direction.
I could definitely see why people would find her untrustworthy.
Her horizontal pupils, combined with her narrowed eyes, created a look that practically screamed suspicion.
I'd gotten used to the vertical pupils of the Gehenna students, but this was my first time seeing horizontal ones. It was fascinating.
But it had its own charm. Seeing Kaya's eyes narrow in surprise only confirmed it.
A character with closed eyes is only truly complete once you see them with their eyes open.
Ah, something just occurred to me. I'd heard somewhere that goats' pupils turn round at night.
I wondered if Kaya was the same.
"No, it's just… I was caught off guard by your unexpected words".
"Really? To be honest, Kaya-chan, I personally think your eyes are quite beautiful. I can understand why you were told you look untrustworthy, but… it must have been quite hurtful to hear. If I've made you uncomfortable by saying this, I'm sorry☆".
"Not at all, but… ah, well. I have some work that's piling up, so I should get going. If the opportunity arises, let's meet again, Mika-nim".
Kaya tidied up her things with a sense of urgency and stood up first.
My business was done, so this was to be expected, but I couldn't help but feel a little sad, as if I were being kicked out.
…I must have made a mistake somewhere in what I said.
To avoid repeating it, I'd have to firmly remember that Kaya might have a complex about the shape of her eyes.
Shortly after Kaya left, Ako returned from her own business.
Though I had a mind to ask about the content of her work, prying into the affairs of another academy would be impolite, so I refrained.
"Did you finish your work, Ako-chan?".
"Yes, for the most part. How about you, Mika-ssi?".
"I got everything I came for. As for lunch… it's a bit early for that. How about we grab something simple, like donuts, at the airport?".
"That… yes, that sounds good. We have plenty of time, so let's take it easy".
With our business at the General Student Council finished, along with an unexpected encounter, it was time to head to Millennium.
It was time to ask the infamous Veritas for their help.