NOVEL WEB I received a message on Momotalk.
And its content was as follows.
[Bad Fox]
[You’ve caused quite the mess again, haven’t you? And a big one too.]
[For someone who can be considered the face of Trinity, it’s hard to see how irresponsibly they could commit a crime outside the Autonomous District… It really seems like you’ve got no sense of responsibility at all.]
[Well, at least you had enough sense to wear a mask, I suppose.]
[Given your usual behavior, this is just too much…]
[Hey, Seiya-chan?]
[I really don’t want to hear that sort of thing from someone who irresponsibly dumped the host position on me☆]
[You’re quitting?]
[…It seems Nagisa hasn’t heard about this yet. Let’s hope she stays blissfully unaware.]
Wait, what did I do that was so wrong?
Did I rob a bank or something?
…Well, I did rob one. But that doesn’t mean I actually came out with money! That’s the realm of real crime.
What? Isn’t breaking into a bank, blowing things up, and taking down a truck-full of black market guards a crime?
W-Well, it’s a bank that exists solely to launder money earned through loan sharking thanks to Kaiser… Besides, who would say anything about stepping on a few black market goons? I’m innocent!
More than anything, just watching Shiroko having fun while we were robbing the bank made it all worth it. After all that, I took off on a bike and the reward I got from our wolf boy was worth far more than that.
Still, it’s good to know that Nagisa hasn’t heard about it yet…
Ding!
[Husband♡]
[Hey!]
[Photo]
[Could you explain? Right now!]
…No way, haven’t I already said she hasn’t heard yet? This bad fox is now telling lies?
In reality, as soon as Nagisa confirmed this, she probably sent a message, but this is still Seiya’s fault!
[Considering that they labeled me a masked armed robber, I guess they didn’t figure out who I am? Isn’t that fine?]
[Does this person think this is an acceptable thing to say…]
Momotalk messages rocketed in, seemingly stuffed with suppressed anger, and a phone call came in seconds later.
Looks like it’s time to pay the price for my impulsive actions.
Of course, half… No, not even half – probably about a quarter of that?
The rest, needless to say, I’ll have to pay with my body. But not out of convenience… That’s actually the main reason. Anyway, I’ll confess too.
“Hello, it’s me~ How are you doing?☆”
[…The song is nice, but unfortunately, I’m not doing well at all. So, Misono Mika? I’d really appreciate it if you could explain everything from start to finish… without skipping a detail.]
I’d be grateful if you could explain, sure, except the implication in the words seems to scream, “Be thankful you were granted a chance to defend yourself!”
But if our kind Nagisa is giving me a chance, I’d be crazy not to take it. Yup.
So where should I begin?
“Um, well… Ahaha. First, the incident started when… Hmm, do you remember Sunaokami Shiroko? The one I mentioned before—”
[Yes, I remember quite well. The wolf girl from Abydos. The one you said you couldn’t possibly push away.]
“…”
[Continue speaking, please.]
I couldn’t muster a response to Nagisa’s commanding tone and slowly chose my words.
[Why are you not speaking?]
…Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t even have time to think. But knowing Nagisa well, I had an inkling of what this urgency was all about.
She’s very aware that not allowing time for deep thought will yield the most truthful response, and she probably chose this method accordingly, but…
It’s been so long since I could honestly say I was lying to Nagisa, I can hardly remember the last time I did, except that one distant day when I used amnesia as my shield.
I felt a twinge of sadness. But the real problem is that when it comes to Nagisa, I don’t really have the right to express that sadness.
If it weren’t for that, I would have whined a bit to lighten the mood, but alas, I can’t complain.
“…I went on a bit of a date with that kid. Ah, um, just to clarify, I didn’t actually realize we were on a date at first! I just went along for a little bike ride!”
[And then?]
“Then, I got dragged along by Shiroko to the black market… Uh.”
[So you’re saying Shiroko took you on a bike ride, brought you to the black market, and there she suggested robbing a bank, and you couldn’t muster up a single refusal and meekly followed her.]
Uh, uh-oh. I can hear ominous sounds of Shiroko’s approval rating plummeting in Nagisa’s heart in real-time!
This feels a bit dangerous. A decision seems necessary here.
So I’ll just take all the blame and sink!
“Wait! The suggestion came from Shiroko, but it was my choice to go for it, right? Like, I wasn’t swept along by circumstance but… rather took the lead!”
[Even if you’re trying to protect that kid like that…]
“Ah, no! The truth is, I thought it looked fun, so I wanted to do it. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, okay?”
[…For you to go that far, you actually must like that kid, then? I know you’re not the type to recklessly do something like that. After all, you are an adult.]
Ahh, this misunderstanding is deepening. If I don’t resolve this quickly, I can sense Nagisa might get really upset.
I should use the secret weapon I devised: speaking nonsense to distract her!
“Nagisa-chan, you know, even adults can sometimes have childish moments, right? And I’ve been thinking, you see. Yup, I still think it’s better for me to remain a student rather than an adult!”
[Huh? What do you mean by that? I don’t quite… understand.]
“Basically, even in ten years, I’ll still be a seventeen-year-old high school girl! Yup, forever.”
[…Mika-san, are you feeling alright?]
“Nope, I’m totally fine! I actually feel great just hearing your voice, Nagisa-chan!”
Nagisa on the other end fell silent. She might be wondering what’s wrong with me.
[Well, I too feel happy whenever I hear your voice… but still…]
Oh? It feels like it’s been ages since I heard Nagisa sound this shy. Did my heartfelt plea really reach her?
[But I think that’s separate from this context. How can you say you want to stay seventeen forever in your right mind?]
“Ahaha. Listen, Nagisa-chan. If I stay a seventeen-year-old high school girl, then in a few years, you’ll have a beautiful, cute, young wife! Yup, there’s the saying, ‘You can’t get enough of younger people!’”
[Ha… I’m surprised to hear that. So, you really are the one who actively followed through with that crazy idea of robbing a bank? You’re not just teasing me or trying to cover for that kid?]
“Yes, yes, totally serious!”
[Alright, then.]
As I once again bared my heart, the reply that came back felt a little strange.
…What’s this? Why does it suddenly feel like she’s accepting everything?
“Uh?”
In a situation where Nagisa’s attitude flipped like a switch, my mouth naturally blurted out a dumb sound.
What in the world? Why is this happening?
[If you did it because you genuinely wanted to, I have no intention of stopping you.]
“…Wait a minute. Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”
[Mika-san… to put it exaggeratively, everything about me is made up of you. I love you that deeply. If it weren’t like this, I wouldn’t have allowed you for anyone.]
What she had said before seemed to be overshadowed by the sudden seriousness of her words, and I silently listened.
[Your happiness is my happiness, and if there’s something you want to achieve, then I wish to achieve it too. If you choose a wrong path, I might willingly accompany you. There are plenty of others who will correct your wrong turns, so regardless of the time, place, or whether it’s right or wrong, I’ll follow you. I’ve decided that.]
“Um, Nagisa-chan. What you just said can be interpreted as saying… unless you intend to drag me into a pit of mud too, you’d better behave yourself?”
[Fufu. You’ve been a host for so long, it makes perfect sense you’d catch on quickly. I like that.]
“Um, just want to double-check, but this is… a joke, right?”
Fufu, she chuckled, but Nagisa didn’t seem to be joking at all. As I cautiously pointed this out…
[It’s absolutely serious.]
Without a moment’s hesitation, Nagisa denied it.
[It’s unconditional, that I’ll follow you. But please don’t misunderstand me. This is built on the faith that you won’t ever choose a wrong path… That’s the backing of my resolve.]
“Wow—— Oh. That’s quite the heavy faith…”
[With your silly talk about collective happiness and your efforts to achieve it, you’ve amassed enough worth to deserve such a belief. So take pride in that.]
“Ahaha…”
[But separate from that, I told you to stop ramping things up, and you clearly haven’t listened at all?]
Why is she like this today? What’s causing her emotions to swing so wildly… Oh, is it that time already?
[You should brace yourself when you come back.]
Just moments ago, I was hearing about Nagisa’s earnest feelings, and now I’m faced with the concern of having to prepare for a defensive reply?
I at least have the infinite stamina cheat to be grateful for.
If it weren’t for that, I might have ended up being known as the first student to disappoint after betrayal in the near future.