Three days had passed since Serika's attack.
After rescuing Serika, we drove back to school in a truck we had "found" on the road, hauling the forced-landing helicopter in its cargo bed.
For the record, Hoshino, Shiroko, and Nonomi had worked together to carry the helicopter into the truck.
It weighed about a ton.
Serika, who had taken a direct hit from an 88mm shell, held out only until we reached the school, then finally passed out.
She was brought into the infirmary in the morning, and by evening she was bouncing around like nothing had happened.
I can only say, Kivotos residents are like that.
When I went to visit on purpose, Serika bashfully thanked me, then the next second went right back to being tsundere.
That, however, was part of what made Serika so endearing.
I felt the endgame for winning Serika over was getting near.
Since we still had time before the repayment deadline, and Abydos didn't immediately need me for anything, I squeezed in a trip back to D.U. to take care of a few things.
[Day one]
I inspected the Engineering Department' progress, then met Yuuka to discuss some issues and had dinner together.
At the restaurant we ran into Noa and a squirming Koyuki who had been taken hostage by Noa, and somehow the two of them joined the four of us for dinner.
Koyuki, who sat next to me and made too much noise, got scolded by Yuuka and Noa in tandem.
[Day two]
I went to the General Student Council to report to Rin and brought some health supplies.
On my way out, I unfortunately bumped into Kaya, who grabbed me and forced me to taste her new coffee.
Since I was already there, I took the chance to ask Kaya, who oversees the General Student Council's Defense Office, for information and ended up getting a lot of materials on Kaiser Heavy Industries.
The price was that I had to accompany Kaya to a concert.
[Day three]
During the day I patrolled with Kirino, and halfway through we ran into Wakamo beating up some small-time thugs.
When she saw me, Wakamo panicked and ran off, while Kirino, assuming it was her doing, basked in pride for a long time.
That evening I fulfilled my promise to the After School Sweets Club and used the compensation money to buy expensive but worth-it desserts.
When the four of them were all together, for some reason they exchanged glances and wore complicated expressions.
I guessed they might have had a fight or something.
I did not understand well enough to ask.
After three full and busy days, I returned to Abydos.
Early morning. Sunlight poured through the window, and the room felt solemn.
Everyone gathered in the activity room to discuss important matters.
Ayane stood alone, the only one standing, in front of a whiteboard. She looked around and announced,
"Then, the Abydos Foreclosure Task Force meeting begins. Sensei will join us today, so we should be able to discuss things more seriously than usual."
Hoshino and Shiroko murmured their agreement.
Serika only complained, "Don't say it like we never take this seriously," but she did not oppose Ayane.
As for Hoshino, she was, as always, half asleep.
"Let's get straight to business. Today we need to discuss a very important issue for us.
"How to repay the school's debt, and the concrete methods for doing so.
"If anyone has ideas, raise your hand."
No sooner had she finished than a voice from the seats cried, "I'll go!"
Serika sprang to her feet, eager.
As the treasurer, Serika outlined the grim situation first.
"Abydos is on the verge of bankruptcy. Even if Sensei could somehow lower our interest, with our current methods repayment will still take forever.
"Just capturing wanted criminals, resolving complaint cases, and doing volunteer work has a limit. At this rate, there's no way we can solve the problem.
"So, we need to do something big."
I sucked in a breath and leaned back, surprised, "Something big?"
"Exactly, something big!"
Serika produced a well-preserved flyer from her bag, unfolding it carefully as if it were a treasure map.
She proudly told everyone about attending a seminar that sold "germanium bracelets that will bring you luck if you just sell them to three people close to you."
Everyone fell silent and looked at Serika with odd expressions.
Even usually spaced-out Shiroko stared in disbelief.
"Rejected."
"Huh? Why?!"
After everyone explained, Serika finally realized she had been the victim of a pyramid scheme.
She slumped in her chair, despondent, having heartlessly spent her hard-saved pocket money on two bracelets.
Hoshino, watching her, sighed in pity.
"Ah, Serika-chan is so innocent. If you do not pay attention to your surroundings, bad people can easily trick you.
"If that happens, I really do not know what could occur, honestly."
Thus ended Serika's proposal.
The next to speak was Shiroko.
"Let's rob a bank."
That idea, more shocking than Serika's, left everyone stunned in a single sentence.
Shiroko kept a straight face and laid out her meticulous plan.
"Let's target the First Central Bank in the city. I already know the vault location, the guards' patrol route, the blind spots in the cameras, and the cash-transfer truck route."
She then took five knitted masks out of her bag, with only eye and mouth holes, each marked with a number on the forehead.
"It will take five minutes to make a hundred million! See, I even prepared masks!"
I found Shiroko's plan fascinating and thought it had potential.
Unfortunately, under fierce opposition from Serika and Ayane, Shiroko's bright idea was vetoed.
Shiroko looked disappointed, clearly unwilling to give up.
Next was Nonomi's turn.
Ayane, exhausted, said, "Please Izayoi-san of the second grade, give us an idea that does not involve fraud or crime."
"Don't worry! This is a very reliable plan!"
Nonomi pounded her chest and, excited, announced,
"Let's debut as idols."
"…Huh?"
"We'll sing together, okay? Sing together, become school idols together."
Nonomi said she had seen in an anime that the best way to revive a school was to form an idol group.
Looking at Nonomi's flaxen hair, I felt a terrible memory pressing at the edge of my mind.
"Rejected."
Hoshino cut in bluntly.
Serika giggled, "Why? I think Hoshino-senpai might attract some fans with special tastes."
"Uhee, anyone who likes this skinny little body, that is not acceptable as a fellow human being. No, it cannot be, no way, no way."
"Um…small is cute too, right…"
Feeling innocently implicated, I weakly defended, which earned me strange looks from everyone.
Kind-hearted Nonomi changed the subject and began lamenting that she had stayed up all night thinking of group names, stage names, and poses.
Finally, by order, it was Hoshino's turn to share her idea.
"I think."
Her tone was hard to read.
"Why don't we, um, all sell ourselves to Sensei."
At those words the room fell silent.
Suddenly Serika jumped up like her fur had been ruffled.
"What are you saying, you idiot?!"
"Huh? What's wrong? I do not see a problem."
Hoshino tilted her head and looked innocent.
"Then let's leave it to Sensei to decide, from among these plans."
Ayane blurted, "What? Shouldn't we put forth a few more serious proposals?"
"Let's have Sensei decide. Don't we all already trust Sensei a lot? Sensei's choice will, of course, be the right one."
Hoshino turned her gaze to me.
I ignored Hoshino's clearly joking suggestion at first.
After a short moment of thought, I said quietly,
"At this point, the only viable option is to rob the bank."
"I see," Hoshino nodded, "Okay, then let's go."
Nonomi cheered, "Yay! That will definitely be fun!"
Serika looked uncertain, "Wait, is that decided just like that?!"
"Plans should be bold. Come on, masks."
Shiroko began handing out masks.
Usually mild Ayane bowed her head, gripping the underside of the table. When she could take no more, she suddenly flipped out.
"You lot! Enough is enough!"
With Ayane in full tantrum mode, the meeting that failed to reach any conclusion ended with everyone being lectured by Ayane.