Hina, who had said she'd remember my provocation, didn't mention it again after that. So I decided to just assume she was joking and let it go.
Though it's more that I'm just hoping it was a joke.
I found it was easy to talk with Hina. It wasn't a back-and-forth like with Haruna, but rather, the conversation flowed smoothly because Hina was simply a good listener.
She was smart and polite, to the point where I could understand how she and Nagisa managed to push the Eden Treaty forward together. It seems she's the type of person who is difficult to dislike, unless you're a certain angel who wants to die from your hatred of Gehenna.
"The student exchange program seems to require even more safety measures. Mainly for your Trinity students, rather than our Gehenna students. I can dispatch members from the Prefect Team to form an escort, but Gehenna is a place where even that might not be enough."
I was aware of Hina's concerns. Unlike Trinity, where they would insidiously whisper and bully from behind, the students from Gehenna were more likely to cause direct trouble.
"You know, I think a little friction is worth the risk. Ah, I'm not trying to argue for some grand notion like sacrificing the few for the many! It's just that, considering the long-standing bad blood between our two schools, I see such minor static as not even qualifying as a growing pain."
Imagine two nations that had been at war, considering each other enemies for a long time, suddenly forming a truce and beginning active exchanges. Can you even imagine how many problems would arise?
In that sense, if you weigh the expected effects of the student exchange program against the growing pains that must be endured in the process, the gains are clearly greater than the losses, assuming it succeeds.
"There is certainly a point to that. In the case of the joint event our side proposed, since it is based on competition between our two schools, there is an overflowing possibility that the atmosphere could overheat at any moment and lead to an accident. Since a method to perfectly resolve the conflict between our two schools without any problems does not realistically exist, the troublesome things that occur as a byproduct are an unavoidable part of the process."
"Yep, yep, that's it. As expected of you, Hina-chan, you get it right away. I love that we're on the same wavelength! I wonder, do you have to be this good to earn the title of the most perfect Prefect Team Leader in Gehenna's history, skilled in both the literary and martial arts? If our kids at Trinity knew what kind of person you are, they might just fall head over heels for your charm☆"
To be a little honest, my personal preference is generally for those with impressive figures. As such, I wasn't particularly fond of students like Hina, whose appearance was a far cry from my preferences.
But now that I was meeting Hina in person, talking and spending time with her, I could feel that she was a truly charming person. The fact that she's surprisingly weak to compliments especially doubles her cuteness.
...Come to think of it, wasn't Haruna also surprisingly weak to compliments? I need to remember this, no matter what. It would be a bit much to be swayed by her here and there like last time if we ever meet again.
Anyway, thinking about another girl right in front of the one I was with made me feel guilty in many ways, so I quickly pushed Haruna out of my mind. Not that the other person would even be conscious of such things.
"...How can you say such embarrassing things so nonchalantly? And, and I've never even heard of a title like that."
"Hm? Ahaha, that's something I saw while scrolling through internet articles recently. Was it an article written by a Chronos School student? As expected of the masters of exaggeration who can blow up even the most trivial matters, they write the facts in such a tasty way. All I can say is that it was impressive in many ways."
Reporters who write internet articles are often masters of headlines. In an age flooded with articles, you have to make people want to read from the title alone. In that sense, I thought a title like, "Gehenna's Newly Appointed Prefect Team Leader, Single-handedly Defeats Dozens of Delinquent Circle Members!" was a little bland... but I read it because I knew Hina. The content, unlike the title, was quite delicious.
"Haa... My head hurts. But more importantly, Mika, why do you want to improve the relationship between our two schools? There has never been a single student president from Trinity who was this friendly towards Gehenna before."
"Hm? Oh, did I not tell you?"
"Because I never asked in the first place."
Hmm, that's true. Just as Hina had pushed for the Eden Treaty because she wanted to retire, her agreement in this matter was also for the purpose of reducing her own workload. But since she doesn't know my motivation for pushing this, it's natural for her to be suspicious.
Hina's eyes, filled with a question and a hint of suspicion, stared at me intently. But I wasn't worried. I had faith that as long as I was sincere, Hina would understand my heart.
"It's not for any grand reason. It's a reason that ten out of ten people wouldn't find strange to call foolish."
"Mika, I will be the judge of that. What others think of you is of no concern to me."
"Ahaha! You're so full of charisma, Hina-chan. I honestly think it's a little cool!"
"...That's enough of that. Just finish what you were saying."
Wow, that attitude of feigning indifference on the outside while her eyes are secretly sparkling from a compliment! I want to praise her to the high heavens, but if I do that, it'll sound insincere, right?
Hmm, in any case, Hina is waiting for my answer, so I have to explain. To summarize without a long speech...
"The reason I want to improve the relationship between our two schools is because it's essential for my dream."
"A dream...?"
"Yep, a dream. You see, I want everyone in Kivotos to be truly happy. You might say it's realistically impossible to include everyone, but still, I wish for everyone's happiness. The biggest obstacle in achieving that dream is the way our two schools are hostile towards each other, and that's why I want to change it. Simple, right?"
Gehenna. Trinity. Arius.
Gehenna and Trinity see each other as enemies, and Arius hates both schools.
Arius's hatred for Trinity is a product of Beatrice's instigation, but it is also, to some extent, a justified anger. It is the work of the previous Tea Party and the Justina Saints, making it the most difficult problem to solve.
But in the case of Gehenna and Trinity, the story is different. If we can ease the ill feelings that have built up over a long time, the relationship between the two schools can definitely change. It is just that they hated each other so much that no one has ever made such an attempt until now.
"Misono Mika, you are an idealist."
"Ahaha! You know, Hina-chan, instead of an idealist, would you mind calling me nosy? It's not like I wished for everyone's happiness from the start. At first, I simply wanted my own happiness, and then I dreamed for the people around me to be happy. But I have the ability to pursue the happiness of more, many more students. If more people can become happy just by me going through a little trouble, then that is something of sufficient value. Don't you think so?"
At first, I wanted my own happy ending. The growing pains Misono Mika experienced were entirely hers, and for me, who had taken over her body, it was not a necessary process, so I wanted to change the future.
The original Nagisa had to suffer alone because the members of the Tea Party did not trust each other. And thanks to a foreign substance like me intruding into this world, she lost her childhood friend, who, despite being a handful, was the one she had known the longest. The guilt from that alone made me want to make at least Nagisa happy.
But to change the future is to step into an unknown territory. The more I change the future, some may have a better ending than the original, and some may have a worse one. It could even be that I bring about the worst possible result for everyone, even worse than the original.
Therefore, I intend to do the best I can within my power. For Abydos, Arius, Gehenna and Trinity, and the other schools I don't have the luxury to care about yet. Hoping that my choices will not make them unhappier than they were originally, hoping they will find their own happiness.
The first step is, of course, the groundwork for making the Eden Treaty a success.
Not a distorted Eden Treaty used as a tool for Arius like in the original. Not a half-baked Eden Treaty pushed by a few and not accepted by the hearts of the many.
Not a promise to 'stop fighting,' but a promise to 'be friends from now on.'
For that, I am using the power that has been given to me, the name of the Tea Party Host, and the knowledge of the future that I possess.
"I did not agree to cooperate in this matter for any grand reason either. In a way, I accepted your proposal with a very selfish heart."
Oh, Hina. If it's you, of all people, it's okay to be a little selfish. I wish you would be more selfish.
"Hina-chan, the reason you accepted my proposal isn't really important. Yep, so what if you're a little selfish? The fact that you accepted this proposal has opened a path for more students to become happier than they are now. That doesn't change."
"...Is that so."
Hina seemed to have a lot on her mind as well. While waiting for her to sort out her thoughts, I put the straw to my lips and took a sip. A refreshing strawberry taste spread through my mouth.
Yeah, what's so special about happiness? This is happiness. Early summer and a smoothie might just be a cheat code combination.
"As expected, there's no reason to invite other schools to imitate the Hyakkiyako Grand Festival. That would be impossible to manage. It seems best to only allow them to spectate as individuals."
"Aha, so that's what you were thinking about."
"Then, since it's summer, how about we hold a joint summer festival on the beach that borders the Gehenna and Trinity districts? Though it's a festival, the basic framework will be a competition, just as you said, Hina-chan. We'll pull in the General Student Council for the preparation process to minimize any trouble, and make it a regular event to gradually reduce the hostility between our two schools."
"That, surprisingly, doesn't sound like a bad idea. Though there will be a considerable amount of trouble related to the budget..."
I get it. It seems she's concluded that the Prefect Team alone can't handle an event that doesn't use existing facilities. That means she'll need the cooperation of the Pandemonium Society, but for Hina, who's having a hard time because of Makoto, it's difficult to give a definite answer.
Honestly, this is a pretty big risk for me too. To walk a pro-Gehenna line without losing my support base, the Pater faction.
It's not easy in many ways.
...Hmm, or is it? The Pater kids probably don't think Mika is that smart anyway, so if I just go with a vibe like, "This is a stage of competition to prove who is superior between Gehenna and our Trinity. So win! You must win!", they might just take it at face value.
If the Gehenna side wins, I can just brazenly say, "If you had just tried a little harder, you could have won!". And besides, even if they're all about politics, would they really hate playing on the beach in the summer?
As expected, the answer might be closer than I think. I'll just have to change the Pater kids from "We must destroy Gehenna!" to "If we lose to Gehenna, Mika-sama will be disappointed!". There's a chance... it could work!
"I know what you're worried about, Hina-chan! Yep, it's the current chairman of the Pandemonium Society, Hanuma Makoto, that's the problem, right? According to our intelligence agents, the relationship between the Prefect Team and the Pandemonium Society is running on parallel lines."
"To talk about digging up information on our school in front of me of all people, you have a bad hobby. But you're right. To allocate the budget for an event of that scale, I must obtain Makoto's consent."
"To push this forward, I'll have to reveal my pro-Gehenna stance to some extent on my end, so how about I officially visit Gehenna after that? Let's persuade the chairman of the Pandemonium Society together! It's not like we can move forward by excluding her anyway☆"
"...That might be better than me trying to solve this alone."
The moment Hina agreed, the plan began to be laid out, one step at a time. Yes, justified violence is coming for Hanuma Makoto...!