OST: Blue Archive: Han-nari
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The source of the disturbance had been eliminated, and for the rest of the Cherry Blossom Festival there were no further large-scale incidents.
Of course, a few remnants of Street Mouryo delinquents still appeared here and there, shouting things like "Avenge our lord," but they were all subdued quickly.
After thoroughly rubbing the fox girl's head and promising Izuna we would meet again the next day before the climax of the festival, I returned to SCHALE to deal with miscellaneous tasks.
Mainly, I returned the freshly reinitialized phone to Sora, checked with Kanna regarding the smooth progress of Masamune's case, finished some accumulated paperwork, then caught up on sleep. Nothing worth elaborating on.
Unfortunately, although I wanted to invite a few students to enjoy the festival with me, because I asked so late, most of them already had plans.
For example, the Abydos girls, who as usual were doing volunteer work. While the pressure on them had eased somewhat, they were still working tirelessly to pay off their debts.
Or Yukino, who had failed once again in the operation to capture Wakamo. Kaya, irritated, had seized the opportunity to cut her vacation time. Contacting or meeting her would be even harder now, and the official dissolution of SRT was likely not far off.
Or Yuuka, whose science-brain priorities were absolute. Overtime was more important than a date.
But of course, that was exactly part of Yuuka's charm.
I considered using Yuuka's overtime to deepen my bond with Noa, but the timing still wasn't right. I would have to wait a little longer.
As for the Gourmet Research Society, rumor had it that they were technically fugitives again. They had taken Kaede hostage and were currently engaged in a heated chase across all of Kivotos with the Prefect Team.
And the Trinity students were still in the middle of exam week, forming a stark contrast to the freewheeling Gehenna students.
I truly felt that students had their own complicated lives.
Honestly, this was all Masamune's fault for not surrendering earlier. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been forced to make my invitations on the day before the fireworks festival.
But thankfully, not all students were unavailable.
On the final day of the Cherry Blossom Festival, the day the fireworks bloomed, I once again visited the Hyakkiyako Academy.
Amid an even denser crowd than the previous days, I immediately spotted a familiar figure. Yet I hesitated, wondering if I had mistaken someone else for her.
No antique-looking rifle in hand.
No usual outfit of striking crimson and black that balanced beauty with danger and mobility.
No fox mask over her face.
And a completely different atmosphere from the manic or obedient expressions I remembered.
Beneath the cherry blossoms, a girl held a paper umbrella decorated with floral patterns. She wore a faint pink-and-white kimono adorned with blossoms, her gaze lowered, her expression serene and tranquil. Her beauty was pure and elegant, like a noble maiden stepping out of a storybook.
Except… this was Wakamo.
When I invited Wakamo to attend the festival together, she accepted immediately, saying she happened to be free.
Whether she truly was free or not, my own intention was simple: to properly thank her for her past help, and to gently advise her to value herself more and not sacrifice too much for my sake.
I never imagined she would greet me with such a dramatic transformation.
It was the first time I had ever seen Wakamo like this. Shocked by the powerful contrast, I also felt a small flutter in my chest.
I thought carefully about how to greet her, how to convey that I had noticed the effort she put into dressing up for our date.
But having sensed my approach, Wakamo first looked at me with a slightly sharp gaze. Then every trace of coldness melted into warmth like spring water, and she offered a breathtaking smile.
"What is wrong? You look so surprised."
"Ah, is it that obvious?"
I touched my cheek, realizing I hadn't hidden it very well.
"Not to anyone else, but since Wakamo sees only you, it is obvious to me."
…Those words felt oddly familiar. Hadn't I said something like that to someone before?
Setting aside the strange feeling, I naturally took Wakamo's slender hand and said honestly,
"You look stunning today, Wakamo. I was so surprised I forgot how to react."
Wakamo lowered her head bashfully, tightening her hold on my hand, her voice overflowing with sweet affection.
"Mm, if you like it, then I am truly happy… I simply made sure to prepare myself properly, so that I can treasure this time with you."
Thinking for a moment, I nodded. "True. If you showed up in your usual outfit in public, it would draw too much attention."
After all, she was the Fox of Calamity of the Seven Prisoners. Her usual look was already widely known.
Wakamo nodded. "Exactly. Following Sensei from the shadows or meeting privately is one thing. But in a situation like this, it is better to dress differently."
I froze at a certain keyword, needing several seconds before I asked unsurely,
"…Wakamo. Following me… what do you mean?"
"Hehe. Please do not worry about such trivial details."
With a soft, flowerlike smile, Wakamo continued, "Wakamo understands very well that you are always busy. Even though I think of you countless times every day, and each time a deep longing wells up until even my body becomes unbearably hot…
"I never let that be a reason to trouble you. Simply watching you from the shadows, offering you what little help I can, and disposing of a few insignificant pests is enough to make me very happy."
That was quite an intense confession.
Looking back, I realized I truly had not met Wakamo much lately. We mostly spoke only through Momotalk, with at most one or two short video calls.
Feeling the pressure, I sighed. "Wakamo, if you want to see me, just come to SCHALE. You don't need to follow me in secret."
"Mm hm. Wakamo understands completely."
I truly hoped so.
After a bit of small talk, Wakamo and I began exploring the festival.
As a Hyakkiyako student, Wakamo had naturally attended past Cherry Blossom Festivals.
Relying on her accumulated experience, she had planned out our date in advance. Acting as my guide, she gave me a completely different experience from when I visited the festival with Izuna.
"The first place I want to take you sells special cherry blossom themed sweets during the festival."
She explained with mild pride, "It's a small shop with hardly any business, not well known at all. But their hishi mochi is incredibly good. I really want Sensei to try it."
—A few minutes later—
Wakamo and I stood silently, looking at a shop whose customer line spilled into the street and occupied nearly half the block.
Wakamo muttered, unwilling to accept it, "Ugh… why are there so many people…"
"If something is gold, it will shine eventually."
I comforted her. "This just means the sweets you love really are delicious. It's good that the shop is doing well."
Given the size of the line, we clearly would not be able to buy anything today, which was a small shame.
"…You are right."
Wakamo took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Hehe. The plan is a little disrupted, but everything is still under control. Sensei, please don't worry. Wakamo has already researched everything thoroughly. I will make sure this is a day you will never forget!"
Then, things steadily began slipping out of control—
"What?! The couple-exclusive game booth that opens every year isn't here this time!?"
"It's not that it was canceled this year," the friendly stall owner nearby explained. "He was still here the last few days. But today, his family suddenly had some good news, so he packed up and left early."
"H-h-how can this be…"
Wakamo looked utterly crushed. While I reassured her that it was fine, I couldn't help wondering what kind of game required a couple restriction in the first place. Earlier, she had teased me about it, saying I would understand once I saw it.
Well, as long as the stall owner's good news was truly something worth celebrating.
"…Hehe, Wakamo will not be defeated so easily!" She quickly regained her spirit and took my hand. "Sensei, let us head to the next spot. It is a special Cherry Blossom Festival themed stage play at the theater. I already secured the tickets in advance, so there will definitely be no more surprises."
Indeed, there were no more surprises of that kind.
No overflowing crowds, no sudden closures.
It was just that, by the time we arrived, the theater had already been blown up.
A few delinquent students, clearly the culprits, stood atop the ruins and roared with laughter.
"Huhahahaha! We of Street Mouryo, Outersect Rubble! We shall inherit our lord's will! We shall destroy all of Hyakkiyako, and all of the Cherry Blossom Festival!"
If Masamune, soon to be escorted to a prison cell, found out that someone on the outside was committing crimes in his name, earning him additional charges, he would probably burst into grateful tears.
Wakamo, upon seeing the scene, clenched her teeth, murderous intent overflowing. She grabbed the fox mask at her waist and made to put it on.
I hurried to stop her. Not because I was particularly compassionate, but because the Inner Discipline Club had already arrived, and I saw no reason for Wakamo to get involved and cause trouble during our date.
After a gentle reminder that we were still on said date, Wakamo reined in her anger, forcing herself to calm down, and smiled at me as she promised,
"It is alright. Wakamo still has many other plans prepared. Sensei, please look forward to them."
Though from my perspective, her smile was just a little strained.
They say a certain law exists: the more one does not want something to happen, the more likely it is to occur.
At least today, in Wakamo's case, that law was absolutely true.
"Next!"
"The next one will definitely…"
"I… I will not give up…"
Her voice trembled more and more.
I had no idea why, but Wakamo's plans continued to run into unforeseen accidents, one after another. Before we realized it, the day had already reached dusk.
On a bench by the road, Wakamo, who had been brimming with confidence that morning, now sat slumped forward in defeat, muttering under her breath, "How could this happen… how could this happen…"
Indeed, how could this happen?
Was the Fox of Calamity named for calamity because she brought misfortune with her?
It was a bit rude, but honestly, even as a fellow victim, the sheer extent of her bad luck was almost funny.
I bought two drinks from a vending machine and returned to the bench.
"Don't be sad. Here, which one do you want?"
"Ah… thank you, Sensei. Even though I am so useless, you still went out of your way to buy me a drink…"
Clearly, Wakamo was still hung up on today's string of unexpected mishaps.
I chuckled helplessly. "What are you talking about? How are you useless?"
"I finally had this chance to spend time with you… It could have been the perfect day, but because of my mistakes, everything was ruined…"
Wakamo removed the fox mask from her waist and used it to block her face from me. Her voice trembled with shame.
"I took Sensei's precious time, yet… yet I no longer have the face to look at you. I am truly sorry…"
In the most literal sense, she no longer had the face to show me.
That unconscious display of cuteness nearly melted my heart.
With just a slight tug, I pulled the mask from her hands. She resisted only symbolically.
But without the mask, she simply used her hands to hide her face, so I had to gently take hold of her wrist.
She turned her back to me, and I turned her back around by the shoulders. She lowered her head, and I tipped up her chin.
At this point, the entire exchange felt like playful flirting between a couple.
After a few more rounds of teasing the overly stubborn big fox, she finally looked up at me with teary eyes and accused me of bullying her. Only then did I stop, satisfied, and stroked her head.
"Thanks to you, Wakamo, I had a fun and unforgettable day. Seeing how hard you worked made me really happy."
Wakamo blinked, surprised. "Ah… you mean how I managed to avoid causing any incidents today, no matter what happened around us?"
"Huh?" I blinked back.
"Eh? D… did I misunderstand?"
"Ah. Well, yes, I was happy about that too."
Wakamo instantly brightened. "Because today was time you set aside just for me. Such precious time… I did not want to cause any disturbances."
I decided I would take the truth about my mass invitations to the grave.
Objectively, this was time I had set aside for Wakamo, since no one else accepted.
"I knew that if the people around us found out my true identity, it would cause trouble for you, just like yesterday. So of course I worked hard to avoid that."
Only now did I realize she had misunderstood my intentions yesterday. She thought I disguised her as another student in front of Izuna, Street Mouryo's delinquents, and the Festival Operations and Inner Discipline Clubs, all to avoid trouble for myself.
I mean… that was partly true. But the main reason had been to protect Wakamo's reputation in the mercenary world.
Still, no need to explain. It would sound like I was trying to earn credit.
Besides, Wakamo clearly valued my feelings more than her own reputation.
Alright, alright. I understood. Wakamo truly liked me.
What could I do? With the fox-mesmerizing authority, certified by the gacha itself, I supposed this was inevitable.
Truly, I bore heavy sins…
"And although it may be presumptuous to say this…"
Under the evening glow, Wakamo's cheeks turned pink as she declared solemnly,
"But spending time with you like today… this will not be the only time. There will surely be more, many more… dozens more, hundreds more… When I think of that, I feel like I can endure anything."
Her words struck a soft spot in my heart, and my voice gentled.
"That's right. We still have a long future full of time together."
"Mm…"
The fox-eared beauty looked up at me with a bashful, love-filled gaze. It was overwhelming.
"But," I added, shifting the topic a little, "that's not the only thing I wanted to praise you for."
"Eh? Then…?"
"You worked hard planning all of this, didn't you?"
Wakamo shook her head. "As I said earlier, this was simply my duty. Calling it effort is… not right. Besides, I ruined everything…"
Her voice grew sad again.
But in the next moment, she felt a familiar warm palm resting atop her head, accompanied by gentle words.
"Even if we couldn't go through the plans exactly as you prepared, just hearing about them made me think they were fun. I could feel how much heart you put into today. Ah, just imagining it makes me excited already."
I looked at the glowing sunset clouds, then at the girl by my side.
"So I'll save that excitement for next year's Cherry Blossom Festival. When the time comes, let's go on another date."
Wakamo gazed at me dreamily. Joy overflowed from her expression, soft and radiant. She nodded firmly.
"Mm∼ When that time comes… please take care of me again∼"
After linking pinkies to seal our promise, we sipped our drinks and continued chatting.
When the atmosphere felt calm and comfortable, I finally asked the question that had been on my mind since yesterday.
"By the way… what exactly is going on between you and Yukino?"
"Yukino?"
Wakamo tilted her head in confusion, then realized who I meant. A flicker of hostility crossed her face.
"The little squad captain of FOX Unit? Hmph. That vixen… I barely interact with her, and we certainly do not get along. I only maintain a bit of cooperation for your sake, Sensei."
I glanced at Wakamo's fox ears and tail and could not help but think: calling Yukino a vixen was not exactly inaccurate for either of them.
Then again, Yukino, who upheld justice, had been shaken by SRT's impending dissolution and had changed somewhat. She was even willing to let Wakamo go for my sake. But she still leaned toward the lawful side.
Wakamo, on the other hand, despite being obedient and sweet around me, was not particularly gentle by nature and still required some guidance.
The only wavelength the two of them might share was their… devotion?
Yes. Devotion was the most accurate word.
After roughly understanding the dynamics between my two foxes, I changed the subject.
By the time we finished our drinks, night had fully fallen.
Hand in hand, Wakamo and I strolled down the lively festival streets and bought a warm serving of yakisoba to share from a food stall.
Before long, it would be time to meet Izuna as promised.
Just as I was thinking that—
"Sensei?"
Hearing the familiar voice, I turned around.
Izuna stood there, staring at Wakamo and me, holding hands and behaving intimately.
Her eyes were wide with shock.