A week had passed, and I once again accepted Nagisa's invitation to come here for a tea meeting, just the two of us.
At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed since last time. But, first, I was intentionally observing, and second, my senses were still reasonably sharp. I noticed a few details worth paying attention to.
For example, Nagisa wore extremely light makeup today, likely to hide fatigue… although it could also be an attempt to present her best self to me. But that couldn't explain why the appearance of the tea snacks had deteriorated. Conversely, it couldn't explain it the other way around either.
Eliminating the mutually contradictory possibilities left only one plausible explanation.
Nagisa hadn't been doing well these past few days.
Thinking about the pressure she had been under stirred a pang of sympathy in me. Coupled with my prior frustrations, it transformed into a feeling akin to "pity her misfortune, be angry she doesn't fight back."
"…I've kept you waiting. It's been a while since our last greeting, sensei," she said politely, as usual.
But the moment I sat down, her next words betrayed the agitation she was actually feeling:
"Since then, has anything changed? How was the training camp? Did you encounter any problems?"
No small talk, she went straight to the point.
"Mm." I nodded with a smile. "Thanks to you, everything went smoothly."
I picked up a snack I couldn't identify and popped it into my mouth. Though its appearance was less refined than usual, the taste was still excellent. Nagisa had refined it with her research, making it pair wonderfully with tea.
After a brief pause, Nagisa smiled with narrowed eyes as she spoke: "Hehe… This training camp was originally set up to better observe the students. That's the situation. What do you think? Have you discovered anything?"
Was the weather report error, or the power system failure, part of that too?
I looked at her innocently, pointing at my mouth full of food, unable to speak. Then I worried briefly that she might misinterpret my gesture as asking her to kiss me.
Nagisa met my gaze, her smile fading slightly. She drew a deep breath and said in a serious tone: "Then I'll be blunt. Who do you think is the 'traitor of Trinity'?"
Couldn't we follow the standard process, exchange a few pleasantries, then get to the subject at hand?
I grumbled internally, drank some tea to swallow the crumbs, straightened my posture, and met Nagisa's gaze:
"I believe there is no true 'traitor of Trinity.'"
"…Is that so?" Nagisa nodded, neither agreeing nor denying. "Since the second special academic exam is approaching, I wanted to reconfirm this point. That's why I invited you here today, sensei."
Clearly, she didn't accept my answer.
I hummed, saying nothing, and neither did she.
After a moment of silence, the girl suddenly asked: "…I suppose Mika has also been in contact with you, right?"
I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't surprised that Nagisa knew about this.
Not to mention whether Mika's abilities could truly cover her tracks, leaving nothing for an alert Nagisa to detect.
Just as Mika understands Nagisa, Nagisa understands Mika. Even if their positions differ now, they grew up together, childhood friends, so she could probably guess some of Mika's thoughts even by pure deduction.
"What did Mika say to you?" the gray-golden-haired girl asked with a smile. "If it's possible, could you tell me?"
I asked back: "If Mika asked me the same question, could I tell her what I'm telling you?"
Nagisa's eyes flickered. "Hehe, sensei, you really are rude. Of course, I'm the one who was rude this time, so please forgive me. Let's drop this topic."
Wait, what? How am I being rude? I was just hoping Nagisa would practice some empathy. At most, my words were a bit sharp…
Hold on. Nagisa is talking about the part where I compared her to Mika, isn't she?
…Well, in every sense, these two truly are best friends.
"Anyway, I've told you my conclusion. Would you like me to explain?"
Even knowing how likely her choice would be, I held onto a final hope and asked.
After a moment's thought, Nagisa nodded slightly: "What would you like to explain?"
"As I said, everyone in the Make-Up Work Club… they're actually all good kids…"
"Hehe," she interrupted, coldly laughing as if my words had angered her, "From my view, the one who needs explaining is you, isn't it?"
I laughed as well. "Oh? How so?"
"I imagine that with your information network, you should already know why you chose them. But you don't seem to understand properly yet. Shall I explain it to you again?"
Nagisa's face was now void of any smile: "Let's go in order. First, Koharu. She was chosen to control Hasumi's presence. Hasumi hates Gehenna more than anyone. Who knows what she might do, she's like a ticking time bomb."
"Hasumi hates Gehenna only because of a misunderstanding with Makoto at the meeting."
"So? If it could be resolved, it would have been already. That was just a trigger. So much time has passed, and Hasumi's dislike of Gehenna has become an unchangeable fact."
I caught a flaw in her logic: "If you insist on that, how do you explain her handling of the Gourmet Research Society the other night?"
Nagisa couldn't help but smile wryly: "Don't you think that proves I was right to put Koharu in the Make-Up Work Club?"
Seeing that I had no rebuttal, she continued: "Next, Hanako. She had the best talents of anyone, but now she deliberately doesn't take exams seriously. I have no idea what she's thinking."
"Maybe she's not thinking anything at all?"
"Or does she not understand the consequences? If Hanako really has no special plan, as you say, then she's just intending to get expelled. Hehe, putting her in the Make-Up Work Club actually helps her."
To some extent, her reasoning was unexpectedly sound. I was left speechless.
You can't exactly say Hanako wanted to drop out, but then was persuaded by my charisma and the Make-Up Work Club's harmonious atmosphere not to.
Nagisa continued: "As for Azusa, even her existence is full of suspicion. She's repeatedly involved in violent incidents with other students, she's uncontrollable."
"You do know Azusa's conflicts are to protect bullied students, right?"
Nagisa frowned: "Trinity is a prestigious, well-established school. Even if a few bad apples appear, so many incidents in such a short time, all caught by Azusa?…"
The more she spoke, the quieter she became, until she fell silent.
Clearly, as tea party's host, she had a certain level of understanding of her school's realities.
I took the opportunity: "Rather than searching for a 'traitor of Trinity,' wouldn't it be better to focus on eradicating the bullying problem?"
After a long pause, Nagisa shook her head: "Even if each violent incident had a cause, that's just extra noise. It doesn't change the fact that Azusa is suspicious in all aspects."
To counter this, I'd have to ask: if she's so suspicious, how did she smoothly transfer here?
Finally, it was time for the person I actually cared most about.
"As for Hifumi…"
"What? She isn't a spy?" Seeing Nagisa's expression finally falter, I couldn't help but ask with a laugh, "Ah, indeed, if not, then why threaten that if the traitor isn't found, she'll be expelled too?"
"…Even Hifumi told you that?"
Nagisa considered for a moment: "Yes… Hifumi's love is unique. I value her very much. I like Hifumi… that's undeniable."
If not for Nagisa's actions, I wouldn't have doubted that she truly considered Hifumi an important friend.
Otherwise, why maintain long-term contact with a lower-year student with no special status?
"But…" Nagisa's tone shifted, becoming serious. "Knowing her true identity… it's intelligence about a terrifying criminal organization leader."
The criminal leader you're looking for is Faust, what does that have to do with my Hifumi?
I remained calm: "That's even more ridiculous. Nagisa, with your relationship with Hifumi, don't you know who she really is?"
"That's precisely the scary part," she countered. "Because I trust her, I become blind to reality. No matter how carefully you build a tower, even a tiny crack will bring it down."
"Nonsense. Blindness is blindness. Making choices without investigation has nothing to do with trust or suspicion."
I, having been through this, felt most qualified to say that.
"Didn't I have you and Hifumi investigate?"
"Only to confirm results you already expected?"
Ignoring my question, Nagisa switched the topic: "Have I truly understood Hifumi, or is there some truth I don't know? I can't judge."
"So you handed the judgment to me, then refuse to listen?" I laughed angrily. "Kirifuji Nagisa, how long will you keep lying to yourself? You've already made your judgment."
"…Yes. Perhaps. But sensei, on what basis are you judging?"
Nagisa finally gave up, her habitual composure almost gone. She furrowed her brows and glared sharply: "How do you plan to prove Hifumi's heart, intentions, and feelings? 'It's not like that, you misunderstood, there's a reason,' what meaning does that have? How much truth is in it?"
She concluded: "The human heart cannot be proven."
I scoffed at her conclusion: "Fine, then tomorrow I'll bring someone who can read minds and prove it to you."
"Mizuha Mimori from Hyakkiyako?" Nagisa guessed exactly who I meant, shaking her head. "Even that so-called mind-reading expert can only roughly guess surface thoughts. It's because you, sensei, are just too easy to read."
What does that mean!?
"In any case, Hifumi's kindness, her courtesy, her gentleness… no matter how clearly I see it, I can never know her true heart. Naturally… I am, after all, merely an outsider."
"So," I asked, "what do you intend to do?"
"So," she replied, "they must be expelled. For the Eden Treaty… for success."
While I lowered my gaze in thought, Nagisa sipped her tea.
"I know," I said suddenly, "exactly what you're thinking."
"…Oh? Really?"
I lowered my eyes and sighed: "Dirty your hands, sacrifice friends and innocents… even yourself, just to achieve a lofty ideal and make more people happy… Ah, my princess, I'm almost moved to tears."
Nagisa frowned, coldly: "Are you mocking me, sensei?"
"What's wrong? Isn't this exactly the role you've claimed? The tragic heroine?"
At last, I couldn't hold back, sneering: "Mocking? I'm scolding you, can't you tell? You idiot, just like Mika, full of yourself."
"Wha…?"
Perhaps Nagisa had never been so bluntly scolded in her life, she froze.
"To believe so blindly... Well, there's nothing more to discuss. But it's fine, I understand your confusion. Just wait, I'll make sure everyone in the Make-Up Work Club passes, and pull you out of the darkness. My poor princess."
"You… you're the one who's full of yourself!"
Nagisa, trembling with anger, slammed a pistol on the table and shouted: "Get out! You're not welcome here!"
I stood calmly, walking to the door. Then I heard her voice behind me, restrained yet firm:
"…Sensei, I'll do my best in my own way. Just wait and see."
I paused briefly, confirmed she had nothing more to say, and then pushed the door open and left.
After instructing the guards outside to leave Nagisa alone for now, I walked away, no longer using my abilities to track her faint sobs.
Tilting my head toward the sky outside the window, I sighed lightly.
Any apologies… can wait until it's over.