Ch.9797. Being Together

I had never really placed much meaning on the act of going around together until now.

Being with Celia all the time had just become natural at some point, and everything I did with Alkine was always for handling some matter without any other intentions or thoughts.

Maybe that’s why. The word “date” that Celia is using feels strangely ambiguous. I wonder if it’s even appropriate for me to use such a word.

Of course, Celia has brought up the word “date” occasionally many times, and I’ve been accepting it without denying it. But being with Celia has become such a natural thing… Since we’re always together anyway, I started wondering if calling it a “date” or whatever really matters. Saying it like this makes me sound like complete trash.

I definitely don’t have negative feelings about it. I mean that it’s comfortable and nice because it’s familiar.

The conclusion is this: since I’m not constantly with Alkine, the word “date” itself feels extremely significant.

‘Actually, if I just consider what this is about, it sounds like we’re just meeting up on the weekend to hang out.’

The date course Celia is talking about now feels like going to a fish cake soup restaurant and then to an internet cafe, if I had to compare it to something. It was quite different from the fantasy-like image I had in mind.

It’s nice that it’s not burdensome, but it feels a bit odd to make a fuss calling it a date.

Still, the strange feeling the word “date” gives me hasn’t disappeared.

While I was thinking about this, Celia finished explaining her date course. After taking one last sip of strawberry milk to moisten her throat, she suddenly changed the subject as if remembering something.

“Oh right. I asked Alkine to come over to us. I completely forgot while eating. She should have arrived by now and be waiting. Let’s go quickly.”

As she started gathering her things to leave, I made eye contact with the person standing behind her and spoke.

“Hmm. I don’t think we need to go.”

“Why not? Because she’s standing right behind me?”

“You knew.”

You knew and still went on about going to see her? That’s some incredible shamelessness.

The person in question also had an expression of disbelief.

“I never thought I’d be treated like this in my life.”

That’s right. For quite some time now, Alkine had been standing right behind Celia.

I didn’t keep track of exactly how long she’d been there, but it was long enough to have heard everything about Celia’s date course.

She seemed to have been waiting to see when Celia would notice her… If it were the usual Celia, she would have noticed as soon as Alkine entered the cafe.

Knowing that and still pretending not to notice, continuing her explanation as if nothing was wrong—that’s what was shameless.

“How did you know to come here?”

“I ran into Lilith on the way, and she just told me you were here.”

“Lilith really does unnecessary things…”

“If it weren’t for Lilith, I would have been waiting alone.”

The circumstances of Alkine coming here were summed up with just Lilith’s name.

She probably just saw Alkine passing by, assessed the situation, and told her our location. I really can’t tell if that girl has good intuition or bad.

Whatever the case, it doesn’t change the fact that Alkine was deliberately ignored by Celia.

“I thought it was strangely oblivious of you not to notice… but you were actually ignoring me while knowing I was here.”

“Ignoring? That’s a harsh way to put it.”

“Then what would you call it if not ignoring?”

“Obviously not that.”

But Celia was a woman who could hide even that with shamelessness, and Alkine, sensing her logic wouldn’t work, tried to shift the arrow of blame toward me.

However, though the direction of the arrow shifted slightly, the conversation continued between Celia and Alkine.

“Let’s ask Ludion what he thinks.”

“Ludion is technically an accomplice too, you know?”

“No, Ludion is… more like a hostage.”

“Are you saying I threatened Ludion?”

“Not exactly, but at least Ludion isn’t the type of person who can easily turn someone away. You know that too, don’t you?”

“…That’s true. Alkine, you’re quite formidable.”

“Of course. Though not compared to you, Celia.”

Alkine was maintaining her concept speech pattern, probably because there were many eyes watching, and seeing that made me think we shouldn’t continue this conversation here.

There really were quite a few gazes directed our way. It was natural since the student council president had been standing there for quite some time.

But Madam President? You seem to be praising me too much in this conversation. Is maintaining your speech pattern all that matters?

Whatever the case, if we continued talking about dates here, it wouldn’t be surprising if strange rumors spread… so we decided to get up and move to another location.

We moved to a place with fewer people and sat side by side on a bench there.

Though they were going to talk to each other, they made me sit between them, so I ended up being sandwiched, but I’m used to this by now.

The conversation that had been interrupted while changing locations resumed.

“You heard everything while standing behind me, right?”

“I did. It was about the date course you planned, wasn’t it?”

“Great. Then you can just follow along with it.”

“…Who, me?”

“Who else would it be?”

Alkine suddenly started to look flustered.

Come to think of it, Alkine had only heard about the date course, not specifically that she was going on a date with me.

It was natural that she wouldn’t easily assume it was about her just from hearing about the date course.

Celia added one more thing to the confused Alkine.

“As if I would plan a date course like this if I were dating Ludion.”

“Wait. Wait a minute. This is too sudden for me to understand. Are you telling me to go on a d-date with Ludion…?”

Celia admitted with her own mouth that she had planned the date course with bias, but it seemed the already confused Alkine didn’t hear it. She probably timed it deliberately.

But Alkine, unaware of this fact, looked back and forth between my face and Celia’s for a long time, then got up from the bench and paced around restlessly, then started circling a tree behind the bench while muttering something.

“Alkine. Stop acting so confused and come sit down. We can’t continue our conversation.”

“But… ever since I heard the word ‘date,’ I’ve had this tingling feeling all over my body that won’t go away… I can’t stay still…”

“If you don’t sit down quickly, I’ll pretend this conversation never happened.”

Thud.

As soon as Celia finished speaking, Alkine returned at an incredible speed and sat on the bench.

She moved so quickly that leaves fell from the tree she had touched.

Well, Celia blew away the leaves with magic before they could reach our heads… but I wonder if the tree is okay.

Looking at it briefly, it doesn’t seem okay. It’s not broken, but the part where Alkine touched is slightly dented.

Of course, it wasn’t a big deal. She doesn’t often show off her strength, but she’s someone who can easily break rocks, so this kind of thing wouldn’t even register as a minor contact accident.

And since she didn’t break anything, no one would care.

But… maybe because this wasn’t some monster but related to the landscaping in the background, it felt different.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

So I unconsciously leaned away slightly.

Don’t blame me, President. Even if you know you’re safe, people instinctively avoid when something like a vehicle comes close.

Fortunately, or should I say, “avoiding” was just slightly leaning my body, which could be fixed by straightening my posture, so Alkine just glared at me briefly but couldn’t question me further.

“You don’t seem to want to answer. Celia, just continue what you were saying.”

“Then let me start over from the beginning. Alkine, please go on a date with Ludion.”

“I’m sorry to ask from the beginning, but could you please tell me why you came to this conclusion?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Why?!”

Of course, she didn’t get the answer she wanted there either.

I think it would be fine to just tell her… but Celia seemed to want Alkine to realize it herself.

So I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut too.

Alkine, who couldn’t get any answer, was in a daze for a long time before hastily opening her mouth as if wanting to win at least one argument.

“T-that’s right! My schedule! Do you know what my schedule is like, arranging dates or whatever on your own? You might be confused because you always come to hang out at the student council, but I actually have things to do…”

“So, are you not going?”

“…I’ll go.”

In the end, even that led to defeat.

Oh, Madam President. How did you end up in this situation?

It was quite pitiful to see the dignified student council president caught on a single bait and struggling.

Even more so because I was that bait.

In the end, Alkine and I decided to follow Celia’s plan without any further variables.

“Have a good time. I’ll head back first.”

With Celia pushing our backs as if telling us to go quickly, we started walking.