At the center of the terrace, on either side of the tea table.
"Welcome, Sensei. The tea and sweets are ready, please help yourself."
Kirifuji Nagisa, an elegant young noblewoman, greeted me with a proper smile as I took my seat under the guidance of the guard unit.
Sipping the high grade black tea brewed by Nagisa herself, I gazed past her shoulder at the clock tower standing beneath a spotless blue sky. For some reason, I suddenly felt nostalgic for my first visit here.
Back then, all three members of the tea party were gathered here. Even though Mika and Seia would clash from time to time, even in front of an outsider like me, the atmosphere was overall harmonious, which only added to the liveliness.
Now, Seia was nowhere to be found, and Mika's dislike for me was practically spilling out in plain sight.
The tea party I was invited to had been reduced to Nagisa alone as the host.
Only in Nagisa's black tea could I still feel a hint of warmth.
To repay her, I had specially brought a new gift, but that could wait for later.
"It's delicious. As expected of Nagisa's skill."
I offered my praise generously. Even if my tongue could hardly tell the difference, compliments were never a bad choice.
Nagisa responded modestly and politely, "Hehe, you flatter me. It's simply that the tea leaves are of excellent quality."
Setting the teacup down, I went straight to the point.
"So then, what did you call me here for today?"
It was Nagisa who had taken the initiative to invite me on momotalk.
She had only mentioned that it concerned some matters about Trinity students and that she wanted to discuss them with me. It was nothing heavy, she said, and the details would be discussed in person.
While I understood that some topics were indeed inconvenient to bring up on social media and were safer to discuss face to face, I sometimes could not help but wonder...
Was it possible, I mean just possible, that saying only half of it was meant to pique my curiosity and increase the chances that I would come?
In other words, could it be that there really was nothing important at all, and she simply wanted an excuse to see me?
Unaware of my thoughts, Nagisa smiled lightly and did not beat around the bush.
"This time, I invited you because I would like to ask you for a favor."
"I'm listening."
"I've heard that you are fairly acquainted with the vice of the Justice Task Force, Hanekawa Hasumi?"
Hasumi, huh. It had been quite a while since I last saw her. The previous time was at a café with the After School Sweets Club.
I had thought the next time would again be some dessert shop, running into her as a naturally refreshed encounter. I did not expect Nagisa's request to be related to Hasumi.
"Then there is no need for me to go into detail about the functions of the Justice Task Force," Nagisa said after seeing my tacit acknowledgment. "In fact, yesterday, a serious kidnapping incident occurred at our school."
…Did Faust do it?
For some reason, that was the first thought that popped into my head.
Perhaps it was because the first time I met Hifumi, she was being chased by delinquent students who were trying to kidnap her for ransom.
"The perpetrators were an off campus delinquent organization known as the [Steel Helmet Gang]. The one who was kidnapped was an ordinary Trinity student. Naturally, the purpose was to extort ransom. Of course, we could not comply, so as per usual procedure, we dispatched the Justice Task Force to rescue the kidnapped student."
There had to be a twist coming.
"The rescue itself could be considered a success. However…"
Nagisa paused slightly, seemingly steadying her emotions. Even though she was usually elegant and composed, her tone inevitably carried a trace of complexity.
"Due to the Justice Task Force's recklessness, they expended far more ammunition than planned and directly caused the collapse of the building where the engagement took place. The high compensation costs are secondary. The key issue is that not only were the kidnappers heavily injured, even the hostages were affected and were injured badly enough to be hospitalized…"
Hearing that much, I actually felt it was not too bad.
After all, this was Kivotos. Things like this were normal. Even if a student was severely injured, as long as their halo was intact, at worst they would lie in a hospital bed for ten days or half a month, then be lively again.
However, what Nagisa said next surprised me.
"I've heard that some of them even developed PTSD after witnessing how terrifying the Justice Task Force's chairwoman, Kenzaki Tsurugi, was during the battle…"
Huh?
With how experienced the natives of Kivotos were, they could get psychological trauma from a mere gunfight?
Just how delicate were Trinity's young ladies supposed to be?
I had only been in this godforsaken place for a short while, and I had already fully adapted to bullets flying everywhere. I was not easily frightened like when I first arrived, okay?
While feeling speechless inside, I had more or less guessed the purpose behind Nagisa calling me here.
Surely she wanted me, the pride of Kivotos, an ultra healing, gentle, reliable, handsome Sensei, to use my astonishing looks that greenhouse flowers with no worldly experience could not withstand for even one exchange, to heal the students whose hearts had been wounded by the kidnapping, right?
OK, no problem. With great charm comes great responsibility. I would not refuse.
Just as I was getting eager and indulging in fantasies about how I would take advantage of beautiful girls whose mental defenses had completely collapsed, Nagisa said this instead.
"Based on these circumstances, after careful consideration, I reached a conclusion. What the Justice Task Force truly needs is [communication]."
So the target I was asked to handle as a favor was not the victims, but the Justice Task Force?
OK, no problem either. It might even be better that way.
"When I say communication, to be precise, I mean common sense… warm, caring, affectionate communication. For the current Justice Task Force, I believe that is necessary."
Alright, alright. Common sense and love, right? I have as much of that as you want.
…Wait a second, how many people were in the Justice Task Force again? It would not be more than five, right…
Thinking back to the organization that paralleled Trinity's Justice Task Force, Gehenna's Prefect Team, their numbers should be roughly…
I completely calmed down. I felt that one should know their limits. It was better to first listen carefully to Nagisa's concrete request and not think too much before that.
"With that in mind, I have instructed the Justice Task Force to take the entire day off today, without exception. As a substitute, they are to participate in the activities of other clubs and committees. Through that, I believe they will surely come to understand what common sense and affection mean."
"A very constructive consideration," I praised casually. "So then, what role do you need me to play in this matter?"
"Well~ it's very simple. Just as I said on momotalk, it's nothing heavy."
Nagisa smiled meaningfully.
"I still have some concern about whether the Justice Task Force will fully commit themselves to today's activities.
"Given their usual conduct, it is necessary to apply some appropriate insurance measures. However, sending members of the guard unit to supervise them would inevitably cause dissatisfaction.
"But what if, instead of sending supervisors, we specifically invited an unrelated Sensei from Schale to assist and guide these activities?
"In front of Sensei, they would surely make an effort to show their best side."
I understood. Nagisa's suspicious nature was acting up again, but she did not want the Justice Task Force to feel distrusted, so she was borrowing my outstanding personal charm to make them take the activities seriously.
This was an open scheme. Kirifuji Nagisa truly was a strategist.
I readily accepted. "I understand. Then I will take on this request."
"Hehe~ thank you for your assistance. Then, as for the appropriate compensation…"
"What are you saying?" I put on a serious face. "The sweets you made yourself, the black tea you brewed yourself, and the time we spend together. Are those not already the greatest reward?"
Nagisa blinked at me, looking slightly surprised. "Is that so?"
I nodded solemnly. "Of course."
"Hmm… then there's nothing to be done."
After pondering for a moment, Nagisa looked toward the tea party guard unit standing nearby.
"You heard that, didn't you? From now on, this is private time between Sensei and me. You may all withdraw."
I watched as the guards quickly left through the front entrance. Then I looked back at Nagisa's beautiful face, calm as ever. For a moment, I could not tell whether she truly misunderstood or was deliberately twisting my words.
But either way, it suited me just fine—
"Oh right, Nagisa, I happened to bring the tea I usually drink."
"Hm? Is that so?"
There seemed to be a hint of curiosity and scrutiny in Nagisa's eyes.
Suppressing the anticipation in my heart, I opened the briefcase I had brought with me and took out a plastic bottle filled with a reddish brown liquid.
A bottle of supermarket iced black tea.
After staring at it carefully for a while, confusion appeared on Nagisa's pretty face.
"Ah… so that is also black tea… and it's ready to drink immediately…? I see, so something like this exists… This is the first time I've seen this brand…"
Heh heh heh. So she had never even seen it before?
A mouth accustomed only to high grade black tea, probably never having tasted cheap drinks, was about to be defiled by me. How could that not be exciting?
However, before I could speak, Nagisa took the initiative and tried to open Pandora's box herself.
"…Sensei, if possible, could you share a little of that black tea with me?"
Oh? Instead of avoiding it, she was actively asking?
Unaware of what she was about to face, Nagisa calmly explained her reasoning in her usual composed tone.
"To be honest, I thought I had already more or less mastered the black tea that exists in Kivotos.
"From ordinary tea leaves like [Lepton], to high grade tea leaves from [Twilight] that are difficult to obtain even in Trinity…
"But this is the first time I've seen the black tea brand you are holding, Sensei. It seems my experience is still lacking.
"For the sake of learning, may I taste it?"
As expected of the tea lady, this curiosity was worthy of my respect.
But Nagisa, had you never heard the saying that curiosity killed the cat?
After pouring the specially brought iced black tea into the empty teacup Nagisa had taken out, she politely thanked me.
Then, with elegant movements, she lifted the cup and drank the cheap iced black tea.
I stared intently, eagerly anticipating the show—
Suddenly, Nagisa's smile froze.
Then she began to tremble, her expression changing in rapid succession.
From doubt, to shock, to confusion, to disgust, to distress, and finally to despair. It was incredibly entertaining.
At last, after a painful struggle, Nagisa closed her eyes. Her features nearly twisted as she forced her throat to move with all her strength.
Hahaha. She drank it, she drank it. Nagisa, how does it feel now?
"Th-th-thank you for the treat."
Within the strained, polite smile she managed to squeeze out, there still seemed to be lingering pain. Yet she still had to thank me for letting her experience a brand new world, and even offer an evaluation.
"How should I put it… it has a very distinct flavor."
"Alright."
I cut off her obvious struggle to come up with a less negative description, took another bottle of mineral water out of my briefcase, twisted it open, and handed it to her.
"Rinse your mouth quickly."
"…Excuse me."
Nagisa took the mineral water from my hand, but did not move right away. She simply stared at me with her gray gold eyes.
By the time her expression was starting to turn a bit unfriendly, I finally realized the girl's thoughts and hurriedly stood up.
"Sorry, I suddenly have a call to take."
With that, I went to a corner, turned my back to Nagisa, and let the wind blow for a while, until I received a momotalk message from her.
When I returned and sat back down at the tea table, Nagisa was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, perfectly embodying the grace of a noble lady.
"Sensei."
She put down the handkerchief, her gaze resentful. "Did you do it on purpose?"
"Half and half?" I answered honestly. "I really do think it tastes pretty good."
"Then please drink it for me to see."
To dispel Nagisa's suspicion, I took several big gulps of the iced black tea.
"This is… unbelievable." Nagisa no longer maintained such a dignified air. She looked at me as if I were an alien. "Black tea filled with artificial flavoring, loaded with sugar, to the point where you cannot even taste the original flavor. I thought only Gehenna students would like something like this."
Even school discrimination had come out.
"Sorry. I really wanted to see what kind of reaction Nagisa, who is used to drinking high grade black tea, would have after drinking factory mass produced black tea beverages, so…"
After playing such a prank for no reason, even if it was still within the bounds of a joke, I should still properly apologize.
Nagisa shot me a sharp glare and said irritably, "Are you satisfied now?"
I admitted honestly. "Of course I am. Because I got to see a different side of Nagisa. Nagisa, who handles everything with ease except Mika, actually losing to a bottle of black tea."
"…You're really boring." Nagisa narrowed her eyes in dissatisfaction. "Using a girl's curiosity like that. An unforgivable sin."
"Wha-what?" I asked in mock panic. "Then what must I do to earn Lady Nagisa's forgiveness?"
"Hmph… then."
The smile returned to Nagisa's face, the will of a tea party member allowing no refusal.
"The sweets I specially prepared for you, please eat all of them and give an objective evaluation. Of course, I will stay here and supervise you while you do so. Don't even think about running away, alright?"
She was really, truly adorable.
I stood up from my seat, saluted, and replied loudly, "Yes. Princess, I shalt guarantee completion of thy task with utmost grace."
"Pfft."
Nagisa covered her mouth as laughter escaped, scolding me playfully.
"I never thought that the famous Sensei would turn out to be such a fool."
Whatever the princess says, that's what I am.
After that, I genuinely spent a pleasant stretch of time with Nagisa, and together with her, we finished all of the tea and sweets.