[Hyakkiyako Downtown District, Momoyo Hall]
The moment I pushed open the door and turned my head to look at our poster girl, she put on her professional smile, clenched both fists and held them up beside her cute face, gently swaying them like a cat washing its cheeks.
"Ah, welcome back, Sensei, Nyan Nyan♡~"
From the faint hint of pride that slipped out after Shizuko finished her motions, it was obvious she was quite satisfied with her performance.
However, having witnessed how she once beat Date Meowru until he cried for his parents, the instant I saw her clench her fists, the only thing that came to mind was the side of our poster girl that she usually tried her hardest to keep hidden.
"Good morning, Lady Shizuko."
"Oh my, Izuna, you came with Sensei too, how nice, welcome welcome."
The two greeted each other naturally. It seemed that the misunderstandings and conflicts from the Cherry Blossom Festival had long since been completely resolved.
Surely my earth shaking personal charm had played no small part in that.
As I reflected on my outstanding contributions to peace in Kivotos, I asked, "Shizuko, is everyone else here already?"
"Mm, everyone is upstairs. Please follow me."
With that, Momoyo Hall's cutest poster girl led Izuna and me upstairs.
Pina from Momoyo Hall and the girls from the Inner Discipline Club were all gathered around a table, eating snacks and chatting, just like during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Shizuko called out in her sweet, sticky voice, "Everyone, look, Sensei is here, you know?"
All eyes turned toward us, and even Tsubaki, who had been dozing off, opened her tightly shut eyes.
Tsubaki really was almost always asleep.
That must be her most distinctive trait, and her most outstanding talent.
After greeting the girls and quietly calling Mimori my wife in my heart, I sat down together with Izuna and Shizuko.
"Boss! You called us together this time because we're going to fight some new evil again, right!"
Pina shouted, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Could it be that the Demon King Date Meowru has made his comeback?"
Kaede could not help but cry out, "Wow! R-really? That would be a huge crisis! And this time it might not just affect Hyakkiyako, it could even spread to all of Kivotos like in those morning dramas, so that's why you need us to step in, right!"
"Uh, Date Meowru is still in prison, stepping on a sewing machine..."
I rubbed my temple and hesitated. "But also, kind of?"
"Whoa~"
Pina, Kaede, and even Izuna all widened their eyes and leaned back against their chairs.
I hurriedly explained, "This time, it's a mission entrusted to Schale by the General Student Council. As you all know, ever since the GSC President went missing, the crime rate in Kivotos has been steadily rising. With the Council's current strength, they can't handle everything on their own anymore. So now it's Schale's turn to step in."
After hearing this, these carefree girls actually started rubbing their hands together, looking even more eager to jump into action.
Then again, aside from seeking help with mission execution, there was another matter, far more important, that I had come here for.
People who would absolutely never leak secrets, people I could trust completely, people who could help me the most with this matter.
Right now, I needed you more than ever.
"So then," the pink haired Yamato nadeshiko asked softly, her azure eyes clear as the sky, "Sensei, what do you need us to do?"
I smiled slightly. "It's very simple. When I contact you, if you have time, just come and lend a hand. Of course, there's no pressure. I know you all have your own lives."
Mimori, beyond that, I also need your help.
To completely capture Tsubaki.
"Of course!"
Izuna sprang to her feet and pledged her loyalty at once. "If it is for Aruji-dono, Izuna can always make time! No, please allow Izuna to move directly into Schale and remain by your side at all times!"
"That really won't be necessary. Izuna, sit down first."
Only then did Mimori, her smile gentler than usual, speak slowly. "...Sensei, you truly have made a difficult request. Still, could this perhaps be considered a form of training as well?"
"I think it definitely counts?"
Tsubaki, her eyes half closed, suddenly spoke up from the side.
I glanced at Tsubaki in surprise, then answered firmly, "Of course it does."
Aside from the overt crisis I had mentioned, there was also a conspiracy brewing in the shadows, one that directly involved the peace of all Kivotos.
At present, the crux of the matter lay with a single girl who, due to an accident, had fallen into a coma and could not wake up.
"Mm... Momoyo Hall still has to stay open for business," Shizuko said after thinking it over for a moment, making her decision. "But since Sensei needs help, Pina and I, and Umika, whom you haven't met yet because she's been tied up with other work, will do our best to spare some people to provide support."
Pina nodded and patted her chest in assurance. "Boss! Whether it's doing Schale work or holding down the fort at Momoyo Hall, I, Pina, will definitely give it my all!"
At this point, among the clubs present, only the Inner Discipline Club had yet to give a clear answer.
Mimori looked at me and gave a small nod. "Indeed, maintaining peace in Kivotos is also a form of training..."
"That's right! So our Inner Discipline Club will do our best to help Sensei too!"
Kaede said enthusiastically.
Unfortunately, the one who truly made decisions for the Inner Discipline Club was not Kaede.
Tsubaki, the club president, still had not spoken. Perhaps she had keenly sensed that her childhood friend was playing some kind of wordless game with me.
No, wait, why does Tsubaki look like she has started snoring again...
In any case, the reason I wanted to capture Tsubaki was precisely because of this.
Mimori, you may already know that after I capture a girl, I can, as if cheating, obtain abilities related to her talents and traits.
Although I do not know whether Tsubaki can grant me a power that would be effective at this moment, this is the only proactive method I can think of.
"Sigh... Kaede, honestly..." Mimori stroked Kaede's head, but her gaze remained fixed on my face.
I know that asking Mimori, who likes me and has been Tsubaki's close friend for many years, to help me with something like this is truly, truly unfair.
I also know that harboring impure motives and scheming to gain a girl's affection is unquestionably despicable behavior.
Perhaps from the very beginning, my contact with everyone, including Mimori, was driven by a desire to obtain more and more, in an attempt to satisfy my bottomless greed...
But even with such ugliness in my heart, I still sincerely wanted to ask...
"That's enough."
Suddenly, the Yamato nadeshiko spoke up, cutting off my inner monologue.
The cherry haired girl took a deep breath. "Sensei, I understand everything now."