Before this three-way meeting, there were a few rules that Rion and I agreed upon.
First.
“Mika. I can’t understand why you’re so worried about that entity you’ve never even met before. This is highly unreasonable for you.”
“How about we agree to not call it that way when the kid is here?”
“What…?”
“That entity. It. That. Robot. Etcetera.”
“…Are you asking me to treat it as a proper individual?”
“Pretty much. I get that I don’t fully understand Rion-chan’s thoughts, but I don’t think it’s too much to set some rules for a meeting that’s based on a favor from my side, right? Yeah, since it’s a meeting I have some expectations about, I think it’s fair to establish a few rules in advance.”
“I see. I’ll acknowledge that it’s a request within a reasonable range. Being overly cautious in a situation where nothing is certain is also unreasonable.”
Aside from how they feel about Aris, they should speak as if they were dealing with an individual, not a robot.
Then came the second rule.
“Also, all talk about nameless monks and so on is banned in front of Aris-chan. She probably lacks a proper self-awareness of what she is, so I don’t think there’s a need to provoke her unnecessarily. So let’s leave all that heavy talk behind for today’s meeting.”
“…Isn’t it a bit too much to pass on an opportunity to gauge the circumstances through her?”
“Hey, if you say something you don’t mean, that would upset me a bit too. Besides, Rion-chan, you aren’t the type to approach carelessly. You didn’t even plan to do it like that…”
“That isn’t wrong.”
“Ahaha. So can I take it you agree?”
“…”
“Rion-chan, I know I’m a person who makes a lot of requests, but… not many people care this much, you know?”
“You care about me…?”
“Umm. Well, I guess it might not feel that way to you, but that’s how it is. So can we take it as an agreement?”
“Ugh… I got it, but please let go of this hand for now.”
Don’t mention assumptions leading to the truth about herself to Aris.
For Rion, it’s still more of a guess, but for me, it’s a matter of certainty.
So even though I know mentioning it wouldn’t cause too much trouble, I want to have a conversation purely about the student named Aris today.
And the third.
“Next…?”
“There’s more?”
“Yeah, just a second. I’m still thinking.”
“…If you have to think about adding rules, doesn’t that mean it’s hardly worth it?”
“Oh, I got it!”
“Hold on. Mika, what are you up to… Ugh.”
“Hmmm. Rion-chan, just smile like this for me. Naturally, you get it?”
“Sigh… It’s not that I don’t know how to smile, Mika.”
“Ah, really? I thought you didn’t smile in front of me, so I assumed you just didn’t know…”
“…Alright, is that enough?”
“Wow—oh. Great, then… when Aris-chan comes here, make sure to welcome her with that smile. Okay?”
“…”
“Huh, you seem displeased…”
“I got it, so could you just step back a bit… it’s uncomfortable.”
“…Isn’t this distance just fine? We aren’t touching.”
“…?”
You’ll smile and welcome when Aris arrives.
After setting these seemingly trivial yet somewhat important rules, I sat at the table Rion prepared and waited for Aris to arrive.
Well, I hope the conversation goes well.
If you ask me if my expectations are high… I can only give a vague answer. Just a feeling that I want to do my best as much as I can?
If this doesn’t work out, I might need to think of another way. Still wondering what more I can offer if I want Rion to join in too.
I’ve already thrown out a promise to grant one favor. Now thinking about what additional compensation I can offer just gives me a headache.
As I sat there quietly waiting, I realized I have a pretty bad case of boredom. So I glanced over at Rion, who was also checking her wristwatch anxiously.
“Rion-chan.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“Ahaha. Just thought I’d call. I should have called Himari-chan too.”
“…Himari? Why?”
“Well, having Himari-chan nearby wouldn’t be boring at all. Just watching you two bicker is entertaining. It’s fun to tease.”
At that moment, Rion frowned a little. Did I say something wrong?
“That sounds like you’re saying being with me is boring.”
“Ah.”
“…”
Oh no. Rion closed her eyes.
I, who prides myself on being somewhat adept at dealing with girls, can’t believe I made this mistake…
“Rion-chan, can I be honest? The fact that I feel this situation is boring is true. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your fault! This is purely due to my lack of understanding of Rion-chan.”
“My understanding of you…?”
“Well, in the case of someone like Himari-chan, her personality is pretty easy to figure out. Starting with her strong self-love, if you compliment her a little, her ego goes through the roof. You know, those things.”
“So you understood about Himari but not about me?”
“Ah, ah! Don’t take it so seriously. Just listen to my explanation a bit more, okay?”
“I don’t understand why you’re reacting like this. This is just me expressing what your words imply. If you find it boring being with me, I was just considering if there’s a way to fix that.”
“…Huh?”
Wait, could this be my misunderstanding?
I thought she must be upset for being compared to Himari…
“Anyway. Rion-chan doesn’t show her inner thoughts easily. Compared to Himari-chan, who is generally transparent, you’re especially hard to read. So it’s safe to say I don’t know you well yet.”
“Mm. I understand what you’re saying. However, in the past few years, the person I’ve had the most private conversations with is you. If you don’t know me…”
“Ah.”
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Uh, nothing. I’ll try to do better…”
“…?”
That expression of confusion hurts even more. My heart aches…
I have to do better, there’s no other choice. It seems Himari gets along with Rion surprisingly well when they meet, so can’t two mismatched kids take care of each other?
They inherently have opposing tendencies, so it’s understandable they might clash a lot.
As we continued our conversation for a while,
[Rion-senpai, we’ve brought Tendo Aris-chan.]
“…Let her in.”
Noa arrived with Aris.
The office door swung open, and Aris hesitated before stepping inside.
Noa smiled at me, waved, and I waved back lightly.
Then the door closed, leaving just me, Aris, and Rion inside the office.
In the suffocating silence, Aris looked flustered.
Fundamentally, Rion is the owner of this place. I’m merely a guest.
As I internally debated whether I should step in or not, Rion stood up first and approached Aris.
“…Nice to meet you, Tendo Aris. Let me introduce myself briefly. My name is Tsukatsuki Rion. I am the backbone of the Millennium Science School, leading the seminar. Also, a seeker of the thousand-year conundrum chasing the stars. The reason I invited you here today is to have a discussion with you, an unauthorized new student.”
Wow.
Wow… How can she deliver such an introduction so well…
Just hearing that cringeworthy line while maintaining a straight face made me think about one question.
There’s no way Rion named those so-called ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ of the student council, right? No way, right? Hmmm…
“Ah, I understand!”
“Huh?”
“I’ll introduce myself too! A reverse hero who saved seventeen worlds, a great hunter who defeated seventy-eight mighty dragons! Also, I’m a member of the Game Development Club developing the masterpiece game ‘Tales Saga Chronicle 2’, which is set to be awarded the Millennium Price! Nice to meet you!”
“…What?”
“Puhuh… Ahahaha!”
Oh no. Just looking at Rion’s visibly shaking pupils makes me laugh involuntarily. I guess a usually smart kid quickly understands why Aris introduced herself in that way.
So, she recognized that Rion’s self-introduction and hers are essentially no different.
Of course, Aris’s introduction mixes reality with a game feel a bit, but… what can you do when she’s so proud of herself?
“Mika…”
“Ah, ahahaha! I’m sorry, Rion-chan. But your reaction right now… looks ridiculously cute from the side.”
“…Anyway. This time, you’re a guest who was properly invited, so feel free to stay and then return. First, over here.”
Watching Aris, who hesitantly stepped closer following Rion’s lead, made me think that reality is indeed different. No wonder Himari goes crazy over her cute junior.
She really does have a doll-like appearance. I’d love to dress her up with Asuna the next time I get the chance.
“Aris, you can sit here. And this is…”
“The angel idol from the most popular idol group, Blooming Buds, Misono Mika…! I heard the story of how you were in a dispute over the leader position with Neru-senpai and voluntarily gave it up for the group’s peace; that was touching!”
“Uh, yeah. That’s… somewhat the setting.”
“Aris is your fan! So, at times like this, what you say is… Ah, I remember now.”
With both hands coming together, Aris beamed and said,
“Become my comrade! …Is that correct?”
“…Ahahaha. Maybe someday when we get the chance, we can do that?”
“Pya-pya~! I accepted the comrade recruitment quest…!”
Wow. This, the natural friendliness… It really isn’t easy…
I took a glance at Rion, who seemed to have gotten caught up in the atmosphere as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.
“But, aren’t you going to introduce yourself…?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“Aris has introduced herself, and so has Rion-senpai…”
“…”
Self-introduction. So, are you asking me to just say that I’m the one leading the seminar and chasing the stars?
…Maybe it’s time to die.
Sure, let’s just die.
