After hanging up the phone, Aru looked at me and opened her mouth as if to speak. She seemed to be thinking at high speed about how to explain things to me.
"W-well…" She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly brightened up and forced a smile. "Hehe, we received a pretty good commission. A cat, a cat… um, to find the legendary ninja Date Meowru's hidden grand treasure! It's work that perfectly suits Problem Solver 68!"
…Has Date Meowru already become completely famous in the underground world? And what kind of new setting is this supposed to be?
Having come up with what she thought was a good excuse and successfully muddled through, Aru said proudly, "Sorry, Sensei. As you can see, we've received an important commission, so we might not be able to entertain you."
"I see," I suddenly said. "How about I go with you?"
"Eh!?"
I stood up and teased, "I am, after all, the management consultant for Problem Solver 68, right? I've been busy with other work all this time, which makes me seem a bit unqualified. Why not take this opportunity to get a look at your recent business operations?"
"Uh… th-that…"
Aru stammered, "T-today you came as a guest… and besides, we don't know how long this commission will take. We might have to run around a lot…"
Watching the cool-looking yet pure-hearted girl fluster over her own bravado, I quickly felt satisfied and changed my tone.
"You're right. Then let's save it for next time. In that case, may I stay here and wait for you to come back? If things go smoothly, it should be finished quickly, right?"
After all, it was just a missing cat request.
To be honest, the office location of Problem Solver 68 was indeed well chosen. At the very least, it was quiet. Most people would not even be able to find it, making it suitable for hiding.
…Although for Aru's career, which was currently on the rise, that might not be entirely a good thing.
Hearing this, Aru quietly let out a sigh of relief and said happily, "Of course. Please feel free to use our office as you like!"
She did not even ask for the reason before agreeing so readily. That was one of the reasons I liked Aru. She must like me.
Today was another day of suspecting the card had a bug.
Immediately after, the president of Problem Solver turned to her loyal members. "Everyone, no time to waste. Let's head out!"
"But, Aru-chan," Mutsuki suddenly spoke up, looking worried. "If we leave Sensei here alone, wouldn't that be a bit pitiful?"
I suddenly realized something.
"…Eh?"
"I don't think that's proper hospitality for a mature company like ours, right?"
The little devil girl's eyes shimmered as she smiled sweetly. "So it can't be helped. For Aru-chan's sake, I'll voluntarily withdraw from this mission and stay behind at the office to keep Sensei company."
Mutsuki was being blatantly obvious with her scheming.
Was she planning to take advantage of everyone else being gone to freely play pranks on me in her club's office?
I found myself rather looking forward to it. It would be a good way to pass the time.
"Eh!?" Aru looked stunned. "Th-this… but…"
She seemed to instinctively sense something was off, yet could not pinpoint what.
So she turned a pleading look toward the person she always sought help from whenever unexpected situations arose during commissions.
Kayoko, the oldest in Problem Solver, calm and steady, who had always quietly supported the team, keenly noticed the president's earnest gaze and nodded.
Then, under Aru's hopeful stare, Kayoko raised her hand.
"I agree."
The hope on Aru's face instantly turned into shock. "Eh!?"
Kayoko spoke calmly. "It's just finding a cat. We don't need that many people to begin with. I stayed up late yesterday and got up early to clean the office today. I'm a bit sleepy right now anyway, so I might as well stay behind too."
I felt slightly surprised. She was even willing to give up a commission involving a cat. Could it be that Kayoko now loved me more than cats?
And did she not usually avoid oversleeping? Why was she using that as an excuse now?
As if sensing my thoughts, Kayoko shot me a cold glance.
Having been betrayed by two capable subordinates in quick succession, Aru was so shocked she could not speak for a moment.
After quite a while, she finally steadied herself. "Mm… I admit you both have a point… but we only need one person to receive Sensei, right?"
Aru actually did not refute the fact that the commission was just to find a cat.
No, more importantly, this time she had found the key issue.
With a single sentence, she split Mutsuki and Kayoko, who had temporarily formed a united front, and returned them to opposing sides.
"I'll do it," Kayoko spoke first, her tone firm. "My reason is clearly more sufficient."
"Well, you see, Aru-chan," Mutsuki chose another approach, "I'm your childhood friend, you know?"
Even as the president of Problem Solver 68, Aru was caught in a dilemma.
Should she stand on the side of reason, or on the side of friendship?
Her hesitation did not last long.
Her expression gradually became firm. She had made her decision.
"Haruka!" Aru turned around and called to the companion who had been hesitating since earlier but had not truly spoken up due to her personality. "Can I leave it to you?"
"Eh? M-me…?"
Haruka pointed at herself in disbelief.
Aru smiled and nodded. "Yes. Of course, if you're unwilling…"
"Ah… I'm sorry, that's not what I meant… But is it really okay to let someone like me do it…?"
"Of course it is! Everyone has no objections, right?"
Kayoko and Mutsuki exchanged glances. Though somewhat regretful, they both expressed agreement.
I could not help but inwardly applaud. I had not expected Aru to instinctively find the only way out of this situation.
Whoever it was, everyone present would show the greatest kindness to Haruka, who had severe psychological issues. And since Haruka was usually quiet and never fought for attention, leaving her alone would not arouse anyone's suspicion.
Aru was actually a strategist?
Still, I had long felt that although Aru often seemed a bit silly, she was not actually stupid. Quite the opposite.
That was precisely why at critical moments, she always displayed a surprisingly reliable side.
…Though that impression was also shaped by contrast with her usual lack of composure.
"S-Sensei… what do you think…?"
Haruka stared at me, lips pressed together. Her eyes were filled with nervousness, unease, and hope.
Faced with such a pitiful and approval-seeking student, could I possibly give any other answer?
I did my best to soften my tone. "I'll be in your care."
"O-okay! I'll do my best… I-if Sensei and everyone are willing to trust someone like me… is that really okay? S-sorry, I don't mean to doubt anyone! I'll give it my all!"
Haruka spoke earnestly. Though her words still lacked confidence and came out somewhat jumbled, and even though her body began trembling violently again toward the end, that was simply her nature. She needed care.
"There's no need to try that hard."
As I spoke, I walked to her side and gently rubbed her head, stopping her trembling.
The other members of Problem Solver 68 exchanged reassured looks at the sight.
For some reason, it felt less like they were leaving Haruka to entertain me, and more like they were entrusting Haruka to my temporary care.
In any case, after saying a few more words to us, Aru and the others headed out for their hard-earned, well-paid commission.
And so, in the not particularly large office, only Haruka and I remained.
I looked at the girl beside me, who seemed to be slipping back into a nervous state.
"Haruka, let's sit for a while."
"Ah, okay."
I led Haruka to sit on the sofa. Her stiff posture made it seem as though she were the guest visiting the office for the first time.
After thinking for a moment, I tried to start a conversation. "Haruka, it's been a while."
"Ah, yes! N-no, someone as insignificant as me is already satisfied just occasionally seeing the greetings Sensei sends on momotalk!"
"Is that so? Hmm… I've actually wanted to see you, Haruka. It's just that I never found a suitable opportunity, so it took this long."
Haruka trembled. "H-how could that be! It's all my fault… I'm too stupid to understand what Sensei was thinking… I'm sorry! Please let me make up for it from now on! When there's no commission, I'll be on standby near Schale 24 hours a day. As long as you call, I'll appear immediately…"
"…That's not necessary. Relax. I just want to chat with you for a bit."
It had to be said, interacting with a child who was both insecure and sensitive was indeed a little troublesome.
But precisely because it was troublesome, I had to make the effort to get along with her properly.
"Ugh… um," Haruka tried to understand, carefully asking, "Do you mean that if I keep appearing in front of you, it would be too much of an eyesore? Please rest assured, when you don't need me, I'll hide myself properly…"
"That's not what I mean. Just calm down first."
"Ah, sorry…"
A brief silence spread through the room.
I changed the subject. "By the way, the plant you gave me has been growing quite well lately."
It was still on the balcony outside my room. Even without careful tending, it continued to grow vigorously.
Hearing this, Haruka finally showed a shy smile. "R-really? Hehe… Even a gift from someone like me, Sensei is still cherishing it… Ah, but it's fine to just leave it alone. It should grow well on its own. You don't need to spend too much effort on it…"
…Thinking about how I really had not taken much care of it made me feel a little ashamed.
I smiled and nodded. "It's a gift from you, Haruka. How could I not treasure it? There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
"Eh? O-okay… What is it? I'll listen carefully…"
"Haruka," I reached out and gently stroked her head again, "I don't think you're insignificant. At least in my eyes, you are just as important, a student."
I had thought carefully about how to deal with this girl who constantly belittled herself and seemed to carry deep psychological scars.
In the end, I concluded that overly subtle expressions would likely only lead her, who was used to thinking negatively, to misunderstand.
So either say nothing and guide her through actions, or speak plainly like this.
"…Eh?"
Haruka froze, then showed a flustered expression. "M-me? Someone as insignificant as me is important to Sensei? Eh, I, I… I'm sorry, I'm not doubting you but… even I… can be?"
"Of course. You might not realize it, Haruka, but I often think you're a very cute lady."
"Me… cute? Ah, uuu…"
"You're good-looking, your personality is gentle, you're reliable in battle, and your attitude is very proper…" I tried listing her strengths. "Aside from occasionally being too self-destructive, which I don't think is very good, I like you the way you are, Haruka."
"Eh!? Lik…" The girl suddenly flushed red and stared at me blankly, then quickly looked away when she realized it. "D-did I hear wrong? Ah, sorry, I… I'm sorry. I don't quite understand… Eh?"
Haruka seemed to have fallen into confusion.
I wondered if I had been too straightforward.
In the end, I lacked experience dealing with girls like Haruka and could only fumble along by instinct.
For now, perhaps it was better to wait for her to calm down on her own.
Thinking this, I gently held the gloomy girl's cold hand, trying to pass some warmth to her.
After a long while, Haruka finally spoke softly. "Thank you very much… for being willing to treat someone like me so gently. I will definitely repay your kindness… definitely, no matter what, I will repay you…"
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes… e-even though there's not much I can do…" Haruka paused. "Sensei, is there anyone you want eliminated?"
Ignoring her dangerous proposal, I said gently, "Then try to be just a little more confident."
"…Eh?"
"As repayment to me."
Haruka fell into deep conflict.
In the end, she straightened her back just a little and looked at me pitifully, as if asking whether that was acceptable.
I smiled encouragingly and nodded.
She returned a shy smile.
This could probably be considered a good beginning.