Mika, huh.
I lowered my eyes toward the black tea in my cup, my fingers rubbing against the warm, smooth surface as an inexplicable itch rose within my heart and I found myself considering the possibility.
At least on the night of the coup, Mika truly had intended to point her gun at me, hadn't she?
Were she, Arius Squad, and Saori really all that different?
"T-that kind of thing..."
The moment Mika was brought up, Nagisa appeared extremely shaken and hurriedly tried to explain on her behalf.
"Mika herself also said she doesn't know the location of the Arius Satellite School..."
Sakurako looked at Nagisa with considerable surprise upon hearing that.
"...She colluded with Arius for a very long time. Yet you still believe her when she says she does not know where Arius is located?"
"...Indeed."
Mine nodded in agreement.
"There are still records of Mika-sama delivering supplies to the Arius students. In order to carry out the coup, and to secure Arius's assistance... isn't that line of thinking far more reasonable?"
"But..."
Nagisa struggled to defend her childhood friend.
"Mika..."
"Up until now, Mika-sama's conduct and evaluations have also been difficult to describe as exemplary."
Mine continued.
"Nagisa-sama surely understands this as well... Mika-sama used her status as a member of the Tea Party as a shield to cover up many of the mistakes and incidents she personally caused."
Given that girl's selfish personality, it was not difficult to imagine how she would wield her authority.
Mine gave another example.
"Even now, the criticism and unrest within the academy regarding Mika-sama's accountability, one cannot say that public opinion is completely unrelated to her actions up until now."
Unrest...?
Hearing that word, I subconsciously raised my eyes.
"Mika... lied, is that what you mean to say..."
Nagisa murmured weakly.
"To conceal the location of the Arius Satellite School... but why..."
Glancing at her conflicted expression, I spoke.
"From a normal perspective, thinking that she intended to rely on Arius to rise again... considering the impression Mika gives people, it would not be strange for others to think that."
"Se-Sensei...!?"
Nagisa looked toward me in shock.
I quietly gave her a small nod, then firmly said to Sakurako and Mine:
"But that possibility can be ruled out."
"...Sensei, what makes you say that?"
Facing Sakurako's confusion, I calmly explained:
"On the day of the treaty signing ceremony, when all of you were absent because of the Arius attack, Misono-san personally abandoned the chance to launch a full-scale war against Gehenna with the support of part of the hardline faction. Taking advantage of that opportunity to become Tea Party host would have been far more reliable than expecting some future reward in exchange for hiding Arius's location."
"...I see."
Sakurako gave a slight nod, but then asked again:
"However, Sensei, could it not also be possible that Mika-san believed Seia-san, who possesses prophetic abilities, had already prepared some hidden contingency, making success unlikely, perhaps even turning it into bait or a trap?"
Personally, given the intelligence Mika usually displayed, I was not entirely sure she could think that far ahead.
Even Nagisa, who had looked troubled moments ago, almost burst into laughter before tactfully saying:
"Under normal circumstances, Mika tends to be the sort of person who is more loyal to her current desires than to considering long-term risks."
"However, Nagisa-sama, you yourself said that was only under normal circumstances."
Mine immediately seized upon the loophole.
"With all due respect, Mika-sama already has a prior record of disguising herself before others for an extended period and nearly succeeding in carrying out a coup."
At first, even I had been deceived by Mika. I truly believed that, just like her appearance suggested, she was a pure and kind angel, though one who seemed to hold some inexplicable prejudice against me alone.
Unfortunately, through her own actions, she ultimately proved the authenticity of her hair color.
"Th-this..."
Nagisa hesitated once more.
"However, at the same time, if we are discussing the person who understands Mika-sama best, then surely that would still be you, Nagisa-sama, as her childhood friend."
At this point, Mine calmly looked at Nagisa and asked:
"From your perspective, Nagisa-sama, do you still feel that Mika-sama is hiding something from us?"
"That kind of thing..."
The Tea Party host closed her eyes and fell into deep thought.
This time, I said nothing further and simply waited alongside Mine and Sakurako for Nagisa's answer.
After a long while, Nagisa finally slowly opened her resolute eyes and firmly declared:
"...No. I believe in Mika."
Under everyone's gaze, the Tea Party host said:
"Indeed... Mika may not be what one would call a good student... but even so, I still believe in Mika. That is the lesson I learned from this incident."
Thinking back to that girl from before, suspicious of everyone and convinced there was a "traitor of Trinity" within the Makeup Work Club, refusing to listen to reason no matter what anyone said, truly stirred emotions.
And now somehow I had regressed so much that I was worse than even that paranoid girl I once harshly scolded.
I really did always repeat the same mistakes.
How laughable.
Just as I mocked myself inwardly, Nagisa's voice suddenly grew stronger, no longer carrying any trace of her earlier hesitation.
"In order to make others believe in Mika as well, I will attend tomorrow's hearing and speak in Mika's defense. I will provide testimony that convinces all of you, and if necessary, even the entire academy, to believe in Mika!"
A hearing? Mika's?
Even at a time like this, Trinity still had the leisure to hold such things?
No. After reconsidering, I realized it was precisely because of the current situation.
The Tea Party's authority had fallen to its lowest point in years.
"Even if I myself am questioned because of it... even so, I..."
The teacup in Nagisa's hands had begun trembling slightly.
The current Tea Party host spoke with the resolve to accept even her own condemnation if necessary. Even Sakurako and Mine could clearly feel both the seriousness in her words and how much their aggressive questioning had driven her to say them.
"...No, I merely presented one possible hypothesis. I meant nothing beyond that."
Sakurako apologetically said,
"If my words caused you to misunderstand, then I sincerely apologize, Nagisa-sama."
"...My apologies as well. Please allow me to express regret for my rudeness."
Mine lowered her head too.
"Well then, it is already getting late."
I spoke up from the side.
"If there are no other proposals, let us conclude today's meeting here for now."
Thus, Sakurako and Mine departed one after another, leaving only Nagisa and me inside the meeting room.
"Haa..."
The gray-gold-haired girl let out a long sigh.
"Thank you, Sensei. I never expected you would end up seeing such an embarrassing side of me."
"That was simply what I should do."
After casually saying that, I asked:
"So what exactly is this hearing regarding Mika?"