The deal with the Kaiser President was one that could not be left as a written contract.
it had to remain a verbal agreement, leaving no evidence behind.
However, the threat of the cards I held was so severe that the President couldn't simply ignore our agreement.
In the days that followed, a torrent of exposés began, leading to a string of arrests of executives and presidents from Kaiser's various subsidiaries.
`[The Full Story Behind the Capture and Sinking of Odyssey Maritime School's Trade Ship, the Nereus.
Was it a Terrorist Act by Kaiser Express, Who Used Even the Calamity Fox as a Disposable Pawn?]`.
[Kaiser Industry Caught Developing Hypersonic Cruise Missiles and Unprecedented Toxic Gas, Causing Public Outcry. The General Student Council President Draws Her Sword.].
`[This Time, It's the Defense Director! GSC Defense Director Under Arrest and Investigation for Bribery from Kaiser.
Is the Defense Office, as it is, Truly Okay?]`.
`[Kaiser Corporation Faces Its Greatest Crisis Since Foundation. Nine Subsidiaries Hit the Lower Limit for Two Consecutive Days.
Shareholders Cry Out at Unpredictable Stock Collapse]`.
"Whoa…?".
Wait, hold on. My Kaiser stock…!.
Two consecutive days of hitting the 20% lower limit?.
?!.
"Mika, what's wrong all of a sudden?".
"I am the biggest fool in the entire world…".
"…There must be a reason you'd say something like that out of the blue.
Mika, if something's wrong, you can tell me.
I'll help you figure it out, whatever it is".
"Hina… my Kaiser stock…!".
After hearing the story of my stock hitting the lower limit two days in a row, Hina.
pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. Hey, I'm the one who should be sighing….
"Mika, that's entirely your own fault. You didn't have to go as far as shorting it.
but you should have definitely sold your shares before the operation began".
"I know, I know that, but being with you, I just couldn't keep my head on straight.
Yes, so I just… forgot".
"…Well, that's a nice thing to hear. Did you lose a lot?".
"I wonder if I managed to stay around my principal investment…? I bought it a few months ago.
and it's been on a steady rise ever since".
"That's a relief, then. Be more careful next time. And, um…".
Hina seemed to want to say something, but her hesitation.
suggested it was probably something rather embarrassing.
I wouldn't know exactly what it was until Hina said it, though.
I shifted slightly to my side. Hina was sitting propped against the headboard, and I gently laid my head on her thighs.
"…Hah, Mika?".
"You know, Hina, I don't think you need to choose your words so carefully with me. Wouldn't we both be more comfortable if you just said what you wanted without any hesitation?".
"W-well, what I wanted has already happened. It wasn't that I was choosing my words, I was just a little too embarrassed to bring it up…".
As she spoke, Hina began to gently stroke my hair. In that one simple action.
I understood what she had wanted.
So, she'd wanted to comfort me and was thinking of offering me a lap pillow.
but she was too shy to tell me to lay my head on her lap.
"Ah, our Hina just gets cuter and cuter the more I get used to her".
"".
How could I not love this girl, who averted her gaze with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
yet never stopped stroking my hair?.
If cuteness was justice, then the Hina in this room was the very standard of justice.
And if cuteness was toxic, I would have already been pickled to a lethal dose.
"I've been thinking, and the reason I forgot about the stock was because you were tormenting me with Jenga".
"…What?".
"Yes, I'm sure of it. So, you're going to have to take responsibility for this, Hina☆".
I was still reeling from the bitter memory of defeat.
As such, I decided to try and win at a slightly different game. As the fire I had lit spread throughout Kivotos and burned Kaiser to the ground, I was filled with the intent to enjoy a sweet holiday morning with Hina.
"T-taking responsibility for you is fine, of course, but… shouldn't we at least graduate first…?".
"Whoa…?".
I wasn't against it, but that's not the kind of responsibility I was talking about!.
"Phew… I don't know what to make of this sudden turn of events. I thought the earliest I'd be promoted to Defense Director was the end of this year, but to think that senior would cause an incident like this…".
Kaya, whom I met again after a few days, wore an expression that was somewhere between happy and conflicted.
Seeing her smile with her eyes as she always did, while also looking troubled, confirmed it.
"Ahaha, right? I have no idea what that guy was thinking, grabbing a rotten lifeline like Kaiser from that position. Even if the profit in front of you is tempting, to cover up such a blatant crime for a few bribes is pretty amazing in its own way.
Right, Kaya-chan… or should I be calling you Director now?".
"Hmmm? Oh no, please don't. I've only been instructed to fill the vacancy temporarily.
and I'll probably be officially appointed next month".
"I see. But in that case, the excuse you gave me last time is no longer valid, is it?".
"Pardon…?".
"Oh, Kaya-chan. Don't play dumb when you know what I mean. Since you're now sitting in the Director's chair…
isn't it time to positively consider our relationship?".
Indeed, Kaya was currently sitting in the Defense Director's office.
Temporary or not, she was the confirmed successor, so much so that she herself had said she was next in line. That's why she was in that seat now, wasn't it?.
"Haha… If you put it that way, it could be a little misleading, Mika-nim. I'm sorry, but I'll have to pretend I didn't hear that this time either".
"Why? Why not?.
Do you hate the idea of being friends with me that much?".
"…I'm not sure if 'hate' is the right word. Mika-nim, watching my predecessor, the former Defense Director, get dragged away, I learned something.
A member of the Defense Office must be careful in their conduct. No matter which academy it is, one must be especially careful when dealing with an executive or president.
Personal friendships tend to cloud one's judgment, don't they?".
"Hmm… I think you're attaching too much meaning to the word 'friend,' but if that's your mindset as Defense Director, then it would be rude of me to push further.
Yes, I'll respect that".
"Thank you for understanding, Mika-nim. Now then, shall we move on to business? An order has come down from the General Student Council President to the Defense Office.
The order is to ruthlessly crush all of Kaiser's subsidiaries whose corruption has been exposed".
It was a stark reminder that even the President had a limit to her patience.
The biochemical weapons had crossed that line, causing even her, who had been skeptical of this affair, to completely reverse her stance.
"However, considering the market share of Kaiser's Industry and Heavy Industries divisions, their importance is too great to even state. Therefore, we will proceed with selling the two companies to the private sector, and the Defense Office will directly supervise them from now on.
We must ensure that an incident like this never happens again".
"Hmm… right, the General Student Council can't just swallow up a corporation, and since regulations have proven ineffective….
the only thing left is control".
Other subsidiaries might be salvageable.
but Industry, at least, had slipped from the President's hands for good. So it was being sold to the private sector… an acquisition.
Wait, does this mean I can win back what I lost on the stock market?.
If I buy the rock-bottom stock of Industry, which has been hitting its lower limit repeatedly.
and it gets merged with a sound company….
"Mika-nim?".
"Ah, yes?".
"You suddenly went quiet.
I was wondering if something was bothering you…".
…Why was it that Kaya's words were less concerning than the look in her narrowed eyes?.
A mystery indeed.
"It's nothing. Yes, just an idle thought".
"I see… If you have anything to add on this matter, please feel free to speak.
The President's message was that, for this matter alone, your opinion should be prioritized above all others… even above her own".
"The President said that? That's a little surprising.
But I think she might be overestimating me. At this point, I don't think there's anything for me to add.
With the General Student Council handling this so well, there's no need for me to complicate things with my own thoughts".
Honestly, leaving all that aside, I felt like I could completely hand over the Kaiser affair to the General Student Council now.
I had already done my part.
now it was the President's turn to work.
"Perhaps the President anticipated that reaction from you when she said that".
"What a coincidence. I was just thinking something similar".
"Yes, I thought so".
Watching Kaya's characteristic bright reactions, I just couldn't imagine why she would ever stage a coup….
Maybe the coup Kaya started was for justice, and the General Student Council was the axis of evil all along without my knowledge?.
"Phew. I don't know if I can do a good job as Defense Director.
I'm starting to worry"
…Hmm. Yes, this had to be a reasonable suspicion.
There was no other explanation.
From this day forward, I will support Kaya.
This is the conclusion I have reached after careful consideration.