When she asked that question, there was not a trace left of Hoshino's usual laziness in her tone.
Sensing danger keenly from something amiss, what she revealed was the same essence she had always possessed, now tempered by countless hardships into something deeper and more restrained, yet never truly changed.
And precisely because of that, I could not answer Hoshino. I knew all too well what kind of extreme actions she would take if she learned of what I had been through.
The only thing I could offer was a single word:
"Sorry."
"…What's there to apologize for?"
After a brief silence, Hoshino smiled, stepped forward, rose onto her toes, and wrapped her arms around me. "It's fine. I believe you."
I returned the gesture, lightly holding her slender, warm body. "Hoshino, you know this. I was never a gentle person."
"Mm hm hm hm, if you say so, then that's how it is."
I choked a little on her reply, and then her slightly teasing laughter reached my ears.
I sighed. "Alright, something did happen, but it probably wasn't Arisu's fault. I still need some time to judge things before I can make a final decision."
"Mm."
Hoshino rested her cheek against my chest, eyes closed, as if listening to my heartbeat, murmuring like in a dream:
"No matter what, don't let yourself get hurt, and don't make a decision you'll regret. If Arisu really is a good kid, then try not to make her too sad either."
"So many demands?" I laughed helplessly. "Aren't you overestimating me a bit?"
"Heh. How should I put it... Watching the awkward relationship between you and that kid feels like looking at how you were back then, Mister."
I thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "…You weren't this well behaved back then, were you?"
The first time we met, she pointed a gun at me, inexplicably suspected that I, who was giving my all without asking for anything in return, was a traitor, and even ran off to Black Suit to throw her life away while holding a huge advantage.
Thinking about it now, being able to tolerate a mesugaki gal like her, I could practically be called a saint already.
Still, looking at the gentle and obedient Hoshino now, I suddenly found myself missing her former bratty self.
"Wah! What kind of thing is that to say, Mister? I'm mad now!"
Having her dark history brought up, Hoshino bristled like a startled cat and rammed her head into me, forcing me back again and again until I had nowhere left to retreat, tripped, and fell onto the soft bed.
I propped myself up, but the smile on my face froze abruptly.
The Hoshino before me now wore an extremely cold expression, her eyes filled with disgust, making me involuntarily recall the day she broke all ties with me.
"You despicable, shameless adult."
Hoshino spoke with hatred in her voice. "You actually dared to use such vile methods to deceive my important juniors."
I was momentarily stunned, but when the girl mounted me on her own accord and I understood the situation, a surge of wild joy followed.
I put on a frustrated rebuttal. "Hoshino! What are you talking about? I didn't do anything like that!"
"Hmph, do you think you can fool me?"
The corners of Hoshino's mouth lifted, revealing her white little fang, paired with an arrogant and cruel smile that made my teaching pointer itch to move as she declared:
"The fun game time has begun. I'm going to make sure you have no strength left to lay a hand on everyone in the Foreclosure Task Force, and make you cry as you admit your mistakes to me. Don't surrender too quickly and bore me."
That was the Hoshino who made such an arrogant proclamation.
Ten minutes later she softened, saying she was really sorry she couldn't make me enjoy it. Half an hour later she was crying and shouting that everything back then was her fault. Three hours later she was babbling nonsense, begging me to hurry up and take down a few juniors to help share her burden. It was extremely entertaining.
When the fierce battle ended and she fully returned to her lazy state, even more so than before, she suddenly said:
"Well, it's roughly like this, right?"
I understood what she was referring to.
But recalling the decisiveness with which Kei tried to kill me, I shook my head and stroked her hair, thick with the scent of sweat. "This is different."
"Uhee?" Hoshino asked in surprise. "There's actually something that can still feel different to you?"
"…Don't make me sound like some kind of scum who only knows how to do this."
"Huh? Aren't you?"
"Hey, are you picking a fight?"
"Just kidding." Hoshino smiled, then pressed her face against my chest again. "I was just thinking that if it's you, the one I trust, then no matter what you run into, you'll definitely be able to solve it. Especially saving an awkward idiot like me, that's what you're best at, right?"
Is that so? Maybe.
But still…
I asked hesitantly, "What if I get infected by you and turn into this kind of idiot myself?"
"Wah! You're actually shifting the blame onto Oji-san! That's so unreasonable. Thanks to you, I already graduated from that phase long ago, okay!"
After her intense rebuttal, Hoshino added, "There's a saying in Shanhaijing, it goes, the one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. No matter what, becoming like how I was back then is absolutely not okay. Just from the force earlier, you can tell you were really annoyed by the me from that time, right?"
Hoshino's words were a bit rich coming from her.
But it was also true that I was the one who refused to tell her the truth, causing her to underestimate the severity of the situation.
And although the intensity of the conflict could not be compared at all, the underlying logic was ultimately the same.
I was keenly aware that I was a truly insatiable person.
Even though I still could not confirm what relationship Arisu and Kei actually had, and could not completely let go of my wariness toward Arisu…
At the same time, I did not want to give her up. I did not want her, who might be innocent, to be saddened by my actions.
Arona and Hoshino said this was gentleness. I, however, believed this was nothing more than my own excessive desire.
Perhaps this way of thinking was irresponsible toward my own life, but I thought that since one is alive, there should at least be something to pursue.
What's more, the GSC President probably would not harm me.
And so, Arona's strange words from yesterday perhaps gained a bit of plausibility.
Even if Arisu and key were both just the acting of AL-1S, so what? With my world shaking charm, how could a mere AI, as long as it had a mind close to that of a human, possibly resist me?
If she refuses to be my Arisu, then I will conquer her until she looks at me with affection and admits to me herself that she is Arisu!
…I searched for reasons that would allow me to accept the worst possible outcome.
And so, at last, I was able to convince myself.
Just as Hoshino said, becoming a fool who hesitates at every step and dares not trust others is absolutely not the path I should take.
I took out my phone, looked at the message on it, and made my decision:
I would carry out one final test.
And after that, I would trust Arisu with my whole heart, without regret.
So, Arisu.
Do not disappoint me.
I silently recited this in my heart.