"I don't want to."
Huh?
I, who had been so confident, unexpectedly hit a wall.
I hurriedly asked, "Why not?"
"You're asking why?"
Sitting behind her desk, the silver-haired girl in a military uniform narrowed her eyes with slight displeasure. "Sensei, exactly whose side are you on?"
I paused for a moment, furrowed my brow, and replied in mock annoyance, "Of course I'm on your side, Makoto."
Not really. I love my students, but I love the truth even more.
And clearly, at Gehenna Academy, which values strength above all, Hina represents the truth.
Besides, Hina would never ask me such a troublesome question!
Let's go back. The whole situation had started a few hours earlier.
When Ako proposed the summer camp, Hina agreed without hesitation, but then immediately added that she had already scouted the camp location in advance.
The Shinom Volcano, a place that even Iori found problematic. The reason was classic Hina, make Pandemonium Society powerless to object, she wanted it done thoroughly.
Ako, unprepared for this deviation from the plan, hesitated, unsure how to persuade Hina to move the location to the seaside.
Thankfully, I was the backup she had prepared.
Though I wasn't ready either, with my wit, eloquence, and charm. I managed in a few words to convince Hina to agree to hold the camp at the beach.
Honestly, during this process, Ako's obvious ulterior motives had likely already been fully noted by the Prefect Team President.
As for why she agreed so readily…
First, it was naturally her favorable impression of me. Second, trust in her companions.
Finally, I suspect…
It was probably just laziness.
Even though she often had to act contrary to her nature, deep down, Hina was a lazy child who disliked hassle.
However, though Hina had agreed to move the camp to the beach, a new problem emerged...
How to handle any objections Pandemonium Society might raise?
Naturally, this task fell to me, the Schale representative authorized to oversee such matters.
At first, I thought it would just be running errands, even for someone like Makoto. But no sooner had I finished speaking than Makoto outright refused and threw out this question.
Perhaps I had simply underestimated the extraordinary intelligence of Pandemonium Society's speaker.
"If that's the case…" Makoto grew even angrier. "Why...! Recently, sensei, you've only been meeting with Sorasaki Hina, and haven't come to see me at all!"
Ah, so it was jealousy.
Makoto's brilliance was so overwhelming that I often failed to notice that she had already been judged "conquered" by the card system…
Wait, even Makoto can be conquered?
What about everyone else?
While pondering how to respond, I stroked Makoto's cat and calmed myself.
"No… I'm sorry, sensei. It's my fault. When an ally leans toward the enemy, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I should first consider if I made a mistake myself. Hmm, as the leader of Pandemonium Society, I need to reflect."
Every time I noticed this, I couldn't help but feel admiration.
In matters unrelated to the Prefect Team, Makoto actually showed a fair understanding of human nature… or rather, human feelings.
But here was a small issue.
"Makoto-senpai," a fluffy red-haired girl beside her reminded, "if I remember correctly, sensei hasn't agreed to cooperate with us yet, right?"
"What!?"
Makoto's body trembled. She looked at Iroha in disbelief. "It's been so long, and you still haven't made sensei one of us!?"
What strange words was she even saying!?
Iroha twitched at the corner of her mouth, took a deep breath to calm herself, and said softly. "If you feel, Makoto-senpai, that I haven't done something correctly, why don't you take matters into your own hands?"
"Uh… sorry, that was rude of me… Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"
As if to ease the awkwardness, Makoto sneezed several times, and the cat she seemed to care so much about leapt down.
Wiping her nose, the silver-haired, blue-eyed girl said earnestly. "Since I've misunderstood the current situation, I'll apologize again. But Makoto-dono will never give up! One day, sensei will be entirely mine. From now on, be prepared!"
Having made a declaration almost like a confession, Makoto regained her energetic spirit.
"Hehehe! Iroha, the rest is up to you!"
"…Wait?" Iroha couldn't help but speak.
Handsome words for herself, but the actual work is left to the junior?
I didn't mind.
"Well, I have other duties. Though I have many important matters to discuss, since you came today just for this small thing, sensei, you can consult with Iroha. Hehe~ I look forward to our next, even more exciting meeting!"
With that, Makoto stood and hurried out the door.
However, after the door closed, a few clear sneezes came from outside.
I couldn't help but wonder if the real reason Makoto left was because she caught a cold or something.
Anyway, in the office, it was now just Iroha and me, staring at each other.
"Sigh…" Iroha shook her head, sighing in self-mockery. "Such is the fate of middle management. Sensei, what do you think?"
"What?"
She gave a gentle smile, slowly approached, and a sweet floral scent enveloped me.
"If… you let me complete the task assigned by Makoto-senpai, your rewards later can be unlimited, you know?"
Between Iroha and me, "rewards" likely meant slightly intimate physical contact.
Faced with such temptation, though my heart stirred slightly, I remained calm.
"Rather than that, don't you think a chance to slack off reasonably is far more precious?"
Upon hearing this, Iroha raised an eyebrow, her smile becoming more genuine. "See, you understand perfectly, don't you?"
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Sure enough, that answer aligned best with Iroha's intentions.
"Since that's correct," I asked, "does that mean there's a reward?"
"…Wow, you really are greedy. And I never said there was a right or wrong answer to that question, you know?"
Iroha squinted and smiled mischievously. "But once the work is done, if you're willing to have me visit Schale. Or rather, let me carry out the task assigned by Makoto-senpai, I can't help but consider it."
I perked up, speaking with righteous determination.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"