LIGHTNOVELONLINE In life, there are times when unforeseen luck comes your way.
Of course, it’s only natural that unforeseen misfortune can strike as well.
Occasionally, this misfortune piles upon itself and grows into a massive snowball.
My first stroke of bad luck? I left my cellphone somewhere and didn’t grab it. Since my movements are somewhat limited, and my phone has fingerprint recognition for security, it shouldn’t be a huge issue.
But then, the second misfortune hits right after.
SKREEECH—
An unidentified car suddenly slams to a stop in front of me, leaving skid marks on the ground. My mind is utterly stunned.
The backseat door swings open, revealing a confident-looking student making her way toward me. Her eyes, like embedded ruby-red stones, lazily curve in my direction.
“Long time no see, Vice President.”
“…Haruna-chan?”
“Yes. If you’re calling for the companion who vowed to walk the endless path of gourmet with you, that would be me. Fufufu…”
Why… how are you here? And when did I ever say that!
“Were you curious about how we found Mika? To explain, it became quite easy to track her movements once she revealed her identity as the host of the Trinity T-party. It wasn’t exactly a small effort to get here, but thanks to that, we managed to reveal ourselves to Mika at this perfect timing.”
“Ahaha, I see. Well, given her identity, it’s nearly impossible to hide her movements. But… why are you getting closer, Haruna-chan?”
Fufu.
What is this suffocating atmosphere? Just her showing up sends alarm bells ringing in my instincts.
Yeah. This could easily lead to ‘corruption.’ The image of myself bursting into restaurants with the Gourmet Research Club, laughing carefree among a group of terrorists flashes before my eyes. It feels like I’ve unintentionally caught a glimpse of a future I shouldn’t have seen.
Could it be that this is cosmic horror…?
“Mika.”
“U, uh?!”
A seductive smile forms at the corner of Haruna’s lips as she closes in on me. The closer she gets, the more the scent of citrus wafts through the air, refreshing… no, it’s not about the perfume Haruna is wearing right now.
“Wait, Haruna-chan! Stop! If you come any closer…!”
“Come any closer…?”
“Wah—!”
“You’ve come this far, so what will you do with me now? Fufu.”
Overwhelmed by Haruna, who is close enough for our faces to touch with just a slight movement from either of us, my mind finally freezes under pressure.
I can feel heat rising to my face.
Haruna’s face is equally red, but she and I are in completely different situations. Unlike her, who feels embarrassed yet pushes through, I am currently devoid of rational thought.
“Will you not take the vice president position of our Gourmet Research Club? Really?”
Ma, might I accept it…?
No way. That could have been a serious issue. Fortunately, I didn’t say it out loud. I just can’t understand why this damn Shinpi doesn’t have a seizure shouting, “Oppose the devil cult!!! Exclude it!!!” in these sorts of crisis moments. Even thinking about the bet I lost over this makes my stomach turn, and she continues to push my blood pressure like this.
“Haruna-chan, can you back up a little? And if you’re here, you’ll draw attention, so let’s go somewhere a bit quieter…”
“Oh my, if Mika-chan is so eager to meet me—”
“Stop! That’s not what I meant!”
Haruna is backing away a step finally, giving me a little breathing room.
You cunning little demon. You troubled me during our first meeting too, and your ability to toy with my heart is still strong today…!
“Alright, let’s talk in a quieter place. But before that…”
“Uh-huh?”
“Could you close your eyes for a moment? Just for a little while.”
I should not have closed my eyes then.
I shouldn’t have. However, I had no strength to refuse as Haruna said it with that sly smile of hers.
Slide.
“Mm?!”
I quickly opened my eyes, feeling something being forced into my mouth. Haruna’s finger, with a playful smile like a cat’s, touched my lips.
What entered my mouth quickly melted from the saliva.
This taste… chocolate?
But something feels off. As the chocolate melts, some strange liquid…
?????
“I didn’t want to resort to this method either. So, this is Mika-chan’s fault, right? I thought we were close friends, yet you sell the student council president off so mercilessly. And here you are, not giving me a proper answer when I asked if you’d at least consider joining me for a meal…”
…I admit. That part is indeed my fault. I feel the need to reflect on it.
But even so, how could you produce such a terrible taste…? I haven’t even swallowed yet, and it’s potent enough to cloud my consciousness…
Isn’t this a bit much, Haruna? Also, didn’t you originally say I had no right to refuse…? Ah. The answer was already clear.
“Just take a nice, long nap, Vice President. Uhuhut.”
Strength leaves my body. As I collapse, Haruna holds me close and whispers in my ear while laughing.
Thanks to her, I can definitely say one thing for sure.
Whoever made this, please don’t ever give such a friendship chocolate on Valentine’s Day. For everyone’s sake.
*
When I opened my eyes, I was in a bumpy car. I could feel a soft sensation on my face… someone gently patting my head.
You’re being kidnapped.
A familiar line plays back in my head. To be honest, I was indeed careless. But Haruna was just too cunning…
“Oh, you’re awake? We’re almost at our destination. Perfect timing!”
“Huh… destination…?”
“Naturally, it’s Millennium. I mentioned before that there’s a famous handmade hamburger shop here, didn’t I?”
“…Did we seriously drive all the way from Trinity to Millennium?”
I was out cold the entire trip?! So…
“What in the world did you feed me?!”
“I mixed some of the things Izumi usually eats, melted them into a liquid, and injected it into an empty chocolate shell. Honestly, I never imagined you’d be out for this long…”
“…You didn’t test it on anyone, right?”
“Well, Izumi did spit it out saying she couldn’t eat it. So, I thought it would work just fine to incapacitate you for a bit, sorry, Vice President.”
Ah… could you stop patting my head while apologizing, Haruna? It’s hard to forgive something like this, but I can’t help but want to… especially with how soft your legs are, falling asleep sounds appealing.
“By the way, what time is it? It doesn’t seem to be night… Oh right, we’re in Millennium now.”
After being out for what felt like eternity from Trinity to Millennium, it must be at least the next afternoon. I’ve been out for over 18 hours.
“…Ugh, at least it’s not like I’m missing two days’ worth of work? Yeah, if I turn the car around right now and rush back to Trinity, I can make things right. Guess it’s a silver lining.”
“What? You’re not really planning to just go back right now, are you?”
“Haruna-chan, you can’t be serious about that, right?!”
“…Well…”
“No, no, you can’t escape with just averting your eyes!”
“…I mentioned it once, but this is entirely Mika-chan’s fault. If you had just set up a meeting initially, I wouldn’t have had to go this far.”
“Wah—!”
Goodness, this is maddening. This time, I absolutely should have messaged back despite knowing Haruna’s inclinations. But considering this twilight of being knocked out for half a day, I can’t even imagine what has transpired in my absence.
More importantly, where’s Nagisa? I can only hope Seiya had some kind of foresight dream to let her know. Given her reaction when I got here, it wouldn’t be weird if she went completely bonkers.
What am I even supposed to do now without my cellphone? For now—
“Mika-chan, you’re really not thinking of just going back, right…?”
Oh no, that’s a terrible idea. Looking at those droopy eyes that seem ready to cry at any moment, it’s making my mouth move on its own…
“Alright, I’ll eat and then we’ll go!”
“Fufu, great! Operation success!”
I caved in without resisting. I’m the trash here…
The moment she hears the answer she wanted, Haruna’s expression lights up, and she gently lays me back on her lap again. Attempting to win over my forgiveness like this…
Mika-kun was duped.
“So, Vice President~! When will you introduce us to your partner?”
Just then, a voice came from the front seat. And the sound of wrappers crinkling follows— it’s definitely Shishidou Izumi.
I have a decent affinity for our vanguard, but at this moment, I really kinda hate her. If it weren’t for her gluttonous nature, none of this ridiculous kidnapping would have happened.
“…Um, Haruna-chan, you’re not seriously introducing me as the Vice President to the others, are you?”
“What? That’s a strange question. Mika-chan is the only one deserving that level of commitment to gourmet, after all.”
No, I am not committed at all. Why are you so eager to rope me into your cult…? I only recall objecting to your misguided notions about the journey of gourmet food!
“Unfortunately, I can’t deny that. I think being a vice president while betraying members needs some reconsideration, but… isn’t the idea of gourmet itself, as well as the pursuit, merely survival of the fittest?!”
Another voice rang out from the driver’s seat. She’s another hidden lunatic in the Gourmet Research Club, sharing a year with Haruna, opposite to her seemingly gentle appearance, a gluttonous personality…
“Nice to meet you, Mika-chan! I’m Wanibuchi Akari☆ Ufufu, please take care of me!”
“Yaho~! It’s Shishidou Izumi! So, what’s the Vice President’s favorite food? I like anything, but hamburgers are my absolute fave!”
“Hey, saying things like that doesn’t mean… I never agreed to be the Vice President.”
“…Oh my. Does that imply someone who’s not the Vice President offered us up to the Student Council President as a sacrifice?”
In that moment, witnessing Akari’s dark glare as she turned around, I opted for a choice that individuals in a disadvantageous position often make.
In other words, I zipped my lips tight.
“Ha, speaking of which…! Vice President, why did you throw us to the Student Council President back then?! I thought I was really going to starve!”
“Well, people like you kept bothering that poor kid! It’s only natural a friend would want to lessen their burdens. Hence, I did nothing wrong.”
“…Um, President, is this person really okay?! She seems ready to throw us to the Student Council whenever she gets a chance!”
That’s true. So please stop calling me the Vice President. If you keep this up, I might just Kyaru you until you understand.
After saying that to Izumi, Haruna looks at me with a strange expression. Then she asks.
“Mika-chan, may I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I hope that we really are friends, right?”
“Well… I guess? When you said I was a close friend, I did agree.”
“The Student Council President is a friend to you as well.”
“That’s right…?”
No, I can already guess where this is going. If she tries to mess with me with that sly face again, I won’t forgive you, Kurodate Haruna…!
As those thoughts bubbled up, I propped myself up. I assumed I might end up saying something serious, but how sincere could those words sound while using Haruna’s lap as a pillow?
“If you and the Student Council President are friends, then why don’t you take my side? Friends shouldn’t be about hierarchy, right?”
Finishing her brief thought, Haruna posed that question to me. It was something I expected to hear, but with an unexpected spin.
Friends and hierarchy.
It’s hard to say Haruna’s words are completely wrong, but realistically, they were incorrect. How could a person treat everyone the same? Friends differ from strangers, lovers are different from friends, and friends and family differ as well.
And if two friends exist, they’re still different. You might get to know one of them first, or click better with the other. This is something unavoidable for anyone, really.
“Haruna-chan, if you ask me to choose a side between you and the Student Council President, then nine times out of ten, it’ll probably be the Student Council side.”
“Why’s that?”
I carefully chosen my words. I don’t want to hurt Haruna with a careless remark.
“This isn’t an issue about who I like more. It’s about what’s right and wrong. Like I said before, I think your extreme methods are wrong, right?”
“But a restaurant has a duty to meet the expectations of its customers, given that they are paying for it? Though it doesn’t need to exceed expectations, it must at least meet the minimum expectations that match the price. Restaurants that can’t even provide that shouldn’t exist. That’s my belief.”
“Ahaha, Haruna-chan, that sort of character of yours leads to unnecessary issues with the Student Council President. That girl is constantly busy, and to have someone add burdens to her… I can’t just stand by and watch. No, I can’t call that person a friend.”
In fact, I’m not holding any high expectations for Haruna at all. That’s understandable; isn’t she the same one who hasn’t stopped her terror acts even after coming to Kivotos?
Honestly, it’s unrealistic to expect her character to change, so I at least hope she doesn’t blow up restaurants when I’m around.
“You know, if you keep blowing up restaurants in Gehenna, my friend Hina-chan, who’s just like you, will be busy. If you blow up restaurants in Trinity, I’ll have more work to deal with. Either way, I’m not thrilled about it.”
“Fufu. So, I can blow up the restaurant in Millennium?”
“No, wait! Haruna-chan, that’s not what I meant?!”
“Yep, that was just a joke. Half serious, though.”
Hearing Haruna’s response, I leaned my head against the window and closed my eyes. I’m pretty sure Haruna isn’t a kid I can deal with.
“Mika.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“I still wish you would take my side.”
With that, Haruna turned her gaze out the window. I couldn’t grasp what thoughts fueled her statement or what she was thinking now.
*
[The Student Council President of Gehenna, Sorasaki Hina.]
[This is Kirihouji Nagisa from Trinity T-party. I don’t have time to waste, so let me ask directly, Gehenna Student Council President.]
[…What are you saying?]
[Mika, where are you right now?]
Misono Mika’s last misfortune was that her connections were simply too many and too dense.