I was certain Nagisa must have misunderstood something at first, but I had no proof.
With no idea what was going through her mind, and seeing how she clearly did not want to revisit the subject, I didn't dare push the matter. I returned her gentle smile.
"If you like it, then I'm glad."
After saying that, I hesitated briefly, then decided to take the risk and follow the flow of the conversation, probing lightly.
"In that case, I hope your mood feels a little better now?"
Nagisa's smile froze, then vanished like the tide receding. Her expression cooled. She frowned and looked at me for a long moment before sighing helplessly.
"Sensei, you really have no idea what proper social etiquette means."
Even Nagisa, who always carried herself with such composure and elegance, sounded openly displeased.
But inwardly, I relaxed. Before asking that question, I had already prepared myself for the possibility that she might get angry.
And as things stood, the fact that she was still willing to talk with me rather than immediately end the meeting was already a decent outcome.
I had no choice. If I didn't risk pointing out that I could see she was in low spirits, then getting any information out of her would have been impossible.
"Prying into a girl's thoughts so casually… if you were an ordinary guest being that rude at a tea gathering, I would have shown you the door. Besides…" Nagisa touched her cheek with worry. "I thought I hid it well. Was it really that obvious…"
"No. If someone didn't look carefully, they wouldn't notice at all."
I spoke with all sincerity. "I only picked up on it because your beauty is too distracting. I couldn't help staring."
Nagisa's expression darkened. "…If you say something that frivolous again, I really will throw you out."
"I'm sorry, my fault, please forgive me."
I apologized instantly, and another wave of relief washed through me. The second hurdle had been cleared.
Nagisa had accepted the explanation, at least in part.
"I can't imagine what goes on in your head. Normally, even if someone noticed something, they wouldn't bring it up so casually. Unbelievable. I really hope you learn to understand how delicate a girl's heart can be, instead of bringing up things so suddenly and completely…" She stopped herself, sighed, and said, "Never mind. Sorry, that was improper of me."
Just as she was about to touch on the one topic I cared about most, she halted, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.
What challenge was she talking about?
My anxiety flared, but I had to act uneasy rather than impatient. I spoke half sincerely, half theatrically.
"I should be the one apologizing. I know it was wrong to ask, but… I couldn't pretend nothing was wrong when you were clearly troubled."
"…Anyway, thank you for your concern. But this matter truly has nothing to do with you." Nagisa hesitated. "Since Seia trusts you, I want to trust you too. But this is something I can't discuss with anyone right now. Including you."
Even though she had said almost nothing, her evasiveness revealed plenty.
In other words, it was a Tea Party secret that could not be shared, even with someone trusted by its chairperson.
Knowing this much was enough.
Judging from her attitude, it didn't seem like there had been a conflict between Mika and Seia. And with Seia's precognitive abilities, she would never throw herself into danger so lightly.
If that was the case, then there was no need for me to meddle for now.
Relaxing, I added, "I understand. I'll trust you too. So when you feel the time is right, if there's ever anything I can help with, just reach out to me."
"…All right. Thank you, Sensei." Nagisa paused, then smiled faintly and lifted her tea. "Now, for the rest of our time, please enjoy the tea and pastries with me."
And so, at the Tea Party, the two of us shared a rare moment of leisure until she had to return to her duties.
It shouldn't have been my imagination. Even though we had some unpleasantness midway, Nagisa's mood seemed lighter by the end.
After bidding her farewell, I had no plans to linger in Trinity.
Ayane was still managing the Schale office alone as the day's student on-duty. If I dumped all the work on her while relaxing in another academy and chatting with other girls, that would be shameful.
As the most devoted soul in all of Kivotos, I would never behave like that.
So after finishing my important meeting with a Trinity Tea Party member, I headed straight back to Schale.
But just as I stepped out of the Tea Party headquarters, I caught sight of a familiar pink and white silhouette.
The good news was that it wasn't Serina this time.
The bad news was that I would rather it had been Serina.
The moment I noticed Misono Mika, she noticed me as well. She raised a brow and walked over with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Hey∼ isn't this Sensei? Long time no see∼ What brings you to Trinity today? Honestly, why didn't you tell me!"
As if she would have replied even if I had.
I had to admit, Mika's enthusiasm was deceptively disarming. It made people instinctively assume she was easy to get along with. I knew from experience that she was anything but.
"Mika, so you were here." I greeted her with feigned delight. "Actually, I came to see you."
"Huh?" Her attitude instantly cooled. "See me? For what?"
"The other day on MomoTalk, you…"
"Haaah? Oh, that? You're really that free, huh."
She cut me off rudely, then looked me over with amused interest. "Hmm. Mhm. So you were worried about me? Haha. Well, thanks, I guess. But I'm totally fine."
"Are you sure?" I asked with concern.
"Sure as can be."
She stepped back and smiled sweetly at me.
"But if there ever comes a day when I need something, I'll reach out to you myself."
Meaning: until she contacted me first, I should not bother her.
"That's all. I've got things to do. Bye∼"
With that, Mika walked past me, humming a tune, disappearing into the distance.
I stayed where I was, watching her leave, and couldn't help reflecting.
For now at least, this seemingly innocent girl was actually a self-centered, proud, and capricious troublemaker. Who knew what kind of troublesome favor she would demand in exchange for the debt I owed her.
Shaking my head, I let the thought go. Whatever came would come. One step at a time.
Then I turned and headed back to Schale.