NOVEL WEB In reality, spending time like this with Aco in the streets of Gehenna was somewhat of a rare occurrence, as it wasn’t considered a special occasion at all.
To begin with, apart from my connections, the students I spent time with, aside from couples, were mostly predetermined. Among them, Aco received a relatively fair share of my time and attention.
…Though “fairly many” really just meant it was tough to even meet a few times a week, often stretching out into a weekly affair. Still, by my standards, Aco was close enough to be considered a friend.
Especially since Aco shared a common interest with Hina, if we got together, what we usually did was mainly one of two things: simple shopping and indulging in Hina’s fandom.
That said, it didn’t mean Aco was still tied up in feelings for Hina. Of course, it was hard to deny that some remnants might linger…
In that context, when Aco approached me with her feelings, I couldn’t help but consider the concept of a rebound relationship. Using a new relationship to resolve feelings rejected by Hina was definitely an unhealthy method, so it was natural to worry about that.
When my concerns were proven unnecessary and I opened the door for Aco, there was a high chance that our relationship would begin to change.
In a way, I had opened up the possibility for Aco’s underlying feelings for Hina to transform in a slightly different direction.
Of course, Hina had early on made it clear that she held no romantic feelings for Aco in any form… But could relationships surrounding me be so neatly categorized?
First, there was the dynamic with Haruna and Noa. Then, it was hard to exclude the kids from the Arius Squad.
To put it bluntly, the concept of promiscuity was familiar to us. It wasn’t that we didn’t know it was inappropriate behavior for students, but… it was important to note that the choice wasn’t always solely mine.
While Nagisa, who didn’t exert authority over the other students, also participated in this raucous lifestyle, the reason was simple.
Our husbands had their preferred partners.
In Nagisa’s case, she favored Wakamo the most, and had no aversion to Hina. Conversely, she was nearly at odds with Haruna.
Haruna was the type who didn’t care about others as long as I was present. When I heard her say “delicacy” the last time, I realized again that Haruna was indeed a devil.
As for Noa, aside from one exception, she seemed indifferent to anyone other than Haruna and me. Hanako, on the other hand, didn’t discriminate between visitors.
If Hina could receive my love, she didn’t mind the specifics. However, she was the type to subtly try to steer my attention back to her and disliked being compared unconsciously.
Her complex about her stagnant body wasn’t one that would easily fade, and given that my loves mostly had wonderful figures, it was natural for Hina to not enjoy such comparisons.
In a way, Hina might suffer more emotionally than Nagisa.
Whereas Nagisa had an unshakeable belief that she held the largest share in my heart, and that wasn’t just a belief—it was true.
If it were otherwise, she wouldn’t allow anyone among the students flocking around me to approach my side.
Hmm… While the realization that she couldn’t monopolize my heart would certainly play a major role, there was definitely an influence stemming from her confidence that her position would never waver.
On the other hand, Hina was regrettably situated with her complex regarding her appearance, alongside feeling distressed about my affections being dispersed.
When she first succeeded in securing a place in my heart, it had only involved the three of us—me, Nagisa, and her.
It was only because I generously devoted my time to my partners and showed no favoritism that things had reached this point. Otherwise, Hina would have already given me a serious talking-to.
Returning to the original topic, given the nature of my relationships, it was inevitable that Aco would develop preferences for partners as well when I opened the door for her. While one-on-one situations certainly existed, since my body wasn’t multiple, the share of time had to increase progressively.
Aco had quite a decent compatibility with Hanako. In fact, it was closer to Hanako liking Aco, because Aco’s cute reactions when teased were similar to mine and… well, Aco definitely had a clear masochistic tendency, making it not a bad relationship from this perspective.
As for Haruna, she was definitely the “delinquent student” Aco talked about, so she was far from an ideal match.
The other kids had no particular intersection with Aco, and considering our relationship had yet to cross any lines, debating on it was simply premature.
So, what about Hina, who belonged to the same Student Council and idolized Aco while even calling herself a pet?
Contrary to my anticipation that she wouldn’t take kindly to what unfolded between Aco and me during Mika’s birthday party, Hina had delivered a threat that she wouldn’t let Aco off the hook if Aco was distressed.
And right then, I saw a glimmer of potential.
While Hina had made it clear she had no romantic feelings for Aco, she clearly cared for her quite a bit.
After all, she could sit with Nagisa, who had no feelings toward me, and members of Blooming Buds, so she wouldn’t push Aco away.
Aco? I could bet that while she was with Hina, she’d never express discontent. Unless she made the incorrect argument that such time should properly belong to the “Head.”
However, it wasn’t like she’d casually offer the time supposed to be hers to Hina just because our relationship progressed, but that aside…
I wasn’t sure if I should say this, but I understood quite well what the people around me desired.
I knew better than anyone that Aco’s happiest times were spent indulging in Hina’s fandom alongside me. It’s not like I’d be oblivious to the fact that our relationship had progressed to its current state through those moments.
So, when I decided to assist Hina while wearing a maid costume—not just by myself, but alongside Aco—my intent carried slightly different meaning than when it started.
“…Mika, there’s something I’ve wanted to say since a while ago.”
“Uh-huh?”
“I’m really worried.”
If there was any chance of change in the connection between me, Aco, and Hina… it was to have an honest conversation without holding back.
As you can see from the current situation with Haruna and Noa, I was rather open about relationships centered around “me.”
For instance, let’s say that Haruna and Noa were exchanging affection in a place where I wasn’t, and I unexpectedly caught them. My reaction would be predetermined.
I would want them to show me that same affection immediately.
Since the two were tied to me, as long as they loved me, it meant I was okay with whatever they did—this held true for Aco and Hina as well.
“Aha ha. Uhm, if you stare at me that intently, I might get a bit shy…?”
“Mika, wasn’t it you who told me to look?”
“Yeah, that’s true…”
“Then I’ll make sure to take responsibility.”
“…Huh?”
As Hina gestured for me to come closer, I locked eyes with Aco, who stood across from Hina.
‘See? What did I tell you?’
And at that moment, Aco returned a smirk.
Hina was, without a doubt, too loyal to her words.
When I enjoyed my shopping time alone with Aco and then assisted Aco while wearing a maid outfit only to find Hina for reports, there’d hardly been a time apart from the first instance when Hina’s gaze shifted toward Aco instead of me…
Before I came here, I had a bet with Aco. The subject was, “Will Hina show any form of interest in Aco wearing a maid outfit?” Well, the winner of that bet was now determined by that smirk.
While no one knew how things would change in the future… judging from the current situation, the likelihood of Hina progressing into a relationship with Aco that mirrored her dynamics with Haruna and Noa appeared slim.
…Was it strange that this fact only brought me joy?
If Aco displayed any signs of being hurt, my heart wouldn’t have been at ease. Yet, Aco seemed focused not on the fact that I monopolized Hina’s attention but on the results of our little wager.
“…Ah! Hina-chan, um, the work… No, more importantly, Aco-chan is here…!”
“Work? Thanks to my capable senior administrative officer and daily secretary, we have plenty of time left, so you don’t have to worry. And Aco, hmm… Aco, are you feeling any pressure?”
“No! I’m fine, so the Head can do whatever she likes!”
As I felt Hina’s firm grip in an inappropriate spot, I unnecessarily spoke up, yet Hina reacted as if to say, “What’s that?” Meanwhile, Aco appeared to be more interested in the spoils she would gain from me.
…I was wrong. These two were completely individualistic!
As I found myself subjected to Hina’s teasing gaze while maintaining a neutral expression, I secretly enjoyed the situation while tightening my lips as I considered the price I had to pay Aco.
To show Hina that I was wearing a collar while being cute for her… that was practically a reward.
After all, whether I won or lost this bet, it was a win-win situation for me.