Midnight Meeting (2)
Ultimately, each of their true feelings didn't reach the other and lingered in resentment.
That was the relationship between the Pandemonium Society and the Prefect Team—they couldn't connect.
Even the bitter truth was just the reality we had to face.
We were distant from each other, and things were in disarray.
“Such a cynical reaction. Does that mean retirement is a baseless speculation?”
“Yeah, ...... It's impossible, isn't it.”
Hina didn't show her weakness to me.
She didn't want to be underestimated by Makoto.
The person in front of me was the villainous president, Makoto.
As a detached perfectionist, Hina remained composed.
Even though there were times when I wanted to be spoiled by someone.
Hina suppressed her lonely inner self and kept moving forward.
I fell for that appearance. Enough to fall for Hina as my favorite character.
“Until when are you going to try for the sake of your mission?”
“Yeah. It's something I have to do naturally.”
Hina answered in a composed voice. And she approached me.
“But why are you asking that?”
Hina asked me with a face that seemed to find the question out of place.
“Is there a problem? It's a wonderful thing, isn't it, to strive endlessly for the sake of your mission.”
I affirmed Hina's efforts.
“I'm not doing it expecting a reward. It doesn't matter if no one appreciates it.”
But Hina denied her own efforts. She minimized them, belittled them, and took them for granted.
“I'm just ...... doing what I have to do.”
It wasn't an action born from humility.
It was just self-harm by wounding her own self-esteem.
If that's the case, as the villain, I couldn't simply accept Hina's denial.
“Such a petty value system. If that's your wish, I won't let you have your way!”
I denied the meaning of Hina's denial. That is, I restored it to affirmation.
“If you don't want a reward, I'll praise you to my heart's content. If you want me not to appreciate you, I'll remember it all the time.”
Hina was just being dishonest. Her true feelings were different.
She actually wanted to be noticed. She wanted to be praised.
She wanted to hear that I was grateful for all the effort she put in.
“If you're going to keep trying and trying, I'll steal even that effort so you can't achieve it! Yeah, even if I have to take the rights of the Eden Treaty!”
It was more of a dream than a prophecy, but it was the first time I'd said something villainous. A plausible pretext.
Being the president of the Pandemonium Society that I didn't even like, losing major duties.
For a workaholic like Hina, wasn't that the greatest humiliation?
In this way, I was accumulating one villain stack.
Probably in a form that didn't harass Hina.
“......”
Hina stared at me with a surprised face.
Hina blinked her eyes as if she had heard an unexpected word.
“Is that the real reason?”
The reason Hina had been pushing the Eden Treaty and Makoto wanted to take it back.
“W-well, I can say that! It's my brilliant strategy-!”
Even if it wasn't the real reason, it seemed like the right time to say yes.
This part was the highlight. I needed to highlight the villain's prestige.
“Ki ki ki ......! Kyah! Kek! Keh!”
I tried to mimic the original's laughter but failed again.
“...... It's really strange.”
Hina looked up at my face steadily.
In those lovely eyes, I was reflected.
“President Makoto.”
Her beautiful lips took mine.
I unconsciously looked at Hina as if I was bewitched.
“I thought I had already made my judgment about you. Now, my thoughts have changed.”
There were multiple perspectives on the truth. Not just one.
Just like you could understand another truth through another perspective.
“Why are you saying that to me?”
Hina tried to view Hanuma Makoto from a different perspective.
“...... Ah.”
I suppressed the blushing cheeks. I took a step back from Hina.
It was dangerous. If I got more flustered here, I couldn't act as Makoto.
What to do. What should I do. Which one should I choose ......
I struggled with contradictory emotions.
I liked Hina. But I had to hide my pure love. I was just a clone of Makoto.
If I clumsily confessed, I would definitely be rejected.
Better to just maintain the status quo.
“I, I don't like ......, that's it.”
I shook my lips pathetically but desperately finished the words.
I distanced myself from Hina as if I was being aloof.
“Anyway, that's it! No need to think too deeply. ......, that's our relationship!”
Covering my flushed face with one hand, I blocked Hina with the other hand.
It wasn't the right time yet.
I couldn't let the mask of the villainous president be peeled off.
“Is that so.”
Hina understood with a calm voice.
She didn't dig deeper into the topic.
“My position hasn't changed. At this point, the rights of the Eden Treaty cannot be transferred to the Pandemonium Society.”
Although many conversations had happened, the difference in positions hadn't narrowed.
“Are you saying you oppose it for the Pandemonium Society?”
“No, it's not just opposing for emotional reasons.”
Hina continued to speak.
“Currently, the Eden Treaty is almost complete in negotiations with the Trinity side. If the Pandemonium Society intervenes here, it will only cause confusion. In the worst case, there will be room to renegotiate the treaty.”
In short, it meant Hina's workload would become more troublesome.
“Of course, the entity that will take over the Eden Treaty Organization to be created in the future is not me but the Pandemonium Society. It's also true that an inheritance is necessary.”
That's why Hina presented a compromise.
“After the Eden Treaty is signed, I want to establish an inheritance committee and hand over related matters to the Pandemonium Society. ...... By then, I won't be as busy as now.”
It sounded like a beneficial outcome for both sides.
But if I accepted the compromise, the meetings with Hina would disappear.
Hina, who was already busy, wouldn't have a reason to pester me.
“I'll think about it.”
Therefore, I postponed the answer.
“The answer to that will be given at the next discussion.”
So I could meet Hina again.
“Unfortunately, my schedule is only free in this time slot.”
Hina was trying to refuse the promise by going around.
Since there was only late night time available, the tone was that I didn't want to do it twice.
“What does that have to do with it? Are you running away, Sorasaki Hina!”
When I challenged her, Hina glared at me fiercely.
“I'll meet you again next week at this time. As an extension of this discussion.”
Hina, who took the challenge, set the appointment time first.
Yay! The villainous president wins. I cheered inwardly.
“Haa. ...... again.”
Hina muttered in a small, displeased voice.
“Yeah. I won't let you off the hook easily.”
I felt like I was pestering Hina.
Actually, I was pestering Hina, but there was a softer way to say it. Like, clinging, or something?
“...... Well, I guess so.”
Eventually, Hina moved away from me. It was time to say goodbye.
We parted ways tonight with a promise of reunion.
So I,
I carefully saw off Hina's back.