“I hope it ends soon…”

In a corner of the meeting space in the lab, Kotomi felt uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place as she buried her face in Chuusuke’s stuffed animal, “Mofu!” Chuusuke had become an indispensable mental control item for Kotomi. The scent of Yuusuke from Chuusuke calmed her down.

(Bang!)

Without even a knock, the door opened loudly, causing Kotomi to startle and her body to jump in response. Her heart rate, which had finally calmed down, shot up.

“My apologies for the wait, Hinoura.”

The rough entrance without any courtesy was indeed, as expected, Dr. Kirigaya.

“Oh no, it’s nothing… Wait, isn’t that Natori-san behind you…?”

As Dr. Kirigaya entered, another person followed into the lab, but Kotomi noticed it wasn’t the usual secretary, Natori-san.

“Oh, let me introduce you. I brought someone of the same age, thinking you two could get along.”

Saying so, the tall Dr. Kirigaya, for a woman, unveiled the person behind her.

“The Namse family has arrived, I am Nase Kyoko. I hope we can get along well from now on.”

Despite it being summer in Okinawa, the woman in a kimono greeted them with humility and respect, wearing a kimono of summer-like light blue with a white obi, her rare silver hair beautifully tied up with a hairpin.

“I’m… I’m Hinoura. Nice to meet… you…”

Caught off guard by the elegant greeting of the woman in a kimono, Kotomi, feeling even more nervous, tried to greet her politely, her head already filled with too much. But she couldn’t help but notice in the middle of the greeting that the other person’s name was someone she already knew.

“Kyoko?!”

“Vice-President Nase?!”

Meeting unexpectedly with fellow student council members in a faraway place like Okinawa, the two exclaimed in surprise.

“Yay, surprise success~♪”

With a double peace sign, Dr. Kirigaya, satisfied with her little prank, looked at the two with a pleased expression.

“Dr. Kirigaya… You said you were introducing an important person, and I came all the way to Okinawa for this…”

With a twitching vein on her temple, Vice-President Nase, in polite language, expressed her protest.

“W-What am I supposed to report to my father about this?”

Although Vice-President Nase was smiling, she was clearly emitting an aura of anger.

“Um, I’m not quite sure what’s going on here, but are Dr. Kirigaya and Vice-President Nase acquainted?”

“I also want an explanation as to why I was introduced as an important person and brought here as a fellow student at the academy.”

“Actually, Vice-President Nase, your way of speaking is so different from usual…”

“That character is exclusive to the academy!”

“Character… Wait, were you acting? That’s a bit shocking…”

“We have different qualities for work and private life!”

“But weren’t you acting like a spoiled child when you were on a date with President Domon at the game center after the test period… How many characters do you switch between?”

“Wait! You saw our date at the game center?!”

“You were pretending to be cute to President Domon because you wanted a plush toy from the UFO catcher, weren’t you?”

“Erase that memory from your mind right now! Kotocchi!!”

Vice-President Nase’s ladylike demeanor completely collapsed.

While Vice-President Nase chased after Kotomi with a bright red face, and Kotomi, feeling quite embarrassed, dodged away, the atmosphere in the lab turned chaotic, with Dr. Kirigaya laughing heartily at the scene.

“Kyoko! What’s wrong?”

“Ken~”

Perhaps because they were making a commotion in the usually quiet lab, when others came to check on them, President Domon opened the lab door and hugged the teary-eyed Kyoko, also known as Vice-President Nase.

“So this is where you were. You said, ‘No boys allowed, we have important matters to discuss’, and left us…”

“Ugh!”

As Natori-san came in with an annoyed expression, she grabbed the collar of Dr. Kirigaya’s lab coat from behind and tightened it lightly.

“Oh, Natori-san.”

“I apologize for causing trouble.”

Natori-san seemed to be apologizing to Dr. Kirigaya about something since this morning… Kotomi thought as she finally saw Dr. Kirigaya, who had turned blue from being strangled, quiet down.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“So, is Vice-President Nase serving as Dr. Kirigaya’s bodyguard?”

“The formal appointment will be after I graduate from the academy. The Nase family has traditionally been responsible for guarding important figures in the country.”

Regaining her composure, Vice-President Nase answered gracefully while sipping tea elegantly.

(Seems like her fiancé’s arrival calmed her down…)

Kotomi thought sarcastically as she watched the graceful Vice-President Nase, but she decided not to break the flow of the conversation for now.

“Director Kirigaya is an important figure for the country?”

“You’re quite uninformed, Kotocchi. Thanks to Dr. Kirigaya’s soul armor ability, our country’s network communication defense and program electronic warfare level are among the best in the world.”

“In modern warfare, having enemy seize control of network communication networks and data centers directly leads to defeat. Even something like this is essential for the country’s security. Even this.”

While looking at Dr. Kirigaya, who was sitting at her desk chair with her soul almost drained out, and sipping tea, Natori-san sitting on a round chair beside the sofa commented.

“As always, Riku-san lacks respect for her master.”

“Well, the Natori family is just a branch, and I’m only fulfilling this duty following the military’s personnel relocation.”

Natori-san brushed off Vice-President Nase’s sharp gaze with a smile.

“How do Vice-President Nase and Natori-san know each other?”

Kotomi asked President Domon in a hushed voice, unable to ask questions in front of the two clashing individuals.

“The Nase and Natori families are relatives. Until Kyoko, who is the next head of the Nase family, graduates from the academy, Riku-sama, the head of the Natori family, serves as a relay for Dr. Kirigaya’s security and support.”

President Domon answered Kotomi’s question in a low voice.

“In that case, will Vice-President Nase go to Okinawa after graduating from the academy?”

“As long as Dr. Kirigaya, the subject of her protection, remains the director of the Okinawa Soul Armor Research Institute, yes.”

“What about President Domon?”

“It’s already decided. I’ll go with Kyoko and, once things settle down, get married.”

“Aw~! That’s nice~!”

“A fiancé is like that. It’s also the family’s policy.”

Looking a bit embarrassed, President Domon turned away.

“No, no, there’s no point in trying to cover it up. When you came into the lab earlier, weren’t you hugging Vice-President Nase? Also, why were you both so formal in the student council room?”

“That was Kyoko’s idea to draw a line at the academy…”

President Tsuchikado gave a hesitant and awkward reply.

(I was probably the spice when they were alone together. That’s why they didn’t particularly reprimand me for going to the Soul Armor Research Club next to the student council room.)

Feeling embarrassed by the realization that she had been used as seasoning for their play, Kotomi couldn’t help but envy the seemingly intimate couple of the student council president and vice president.