Night Flower Resolve -1-
…
After some deliberation, Ichinose accepted Sion's invitation upon receiving the message.
As long as the two girls stuck to Rohan like glue, they would eventually have to face each other properly.
The intent behind this meeting was hard to guess, but there were clearly things they both wanted to ask.
And so, the meeting was set for Sunday.
There had been a warning not to overdo it just in case, so her dawn workouts were on hold until today.
She slept deeply enough to shake off her mental fatigue. She prepared slowly for going out.
Ichinose left the dormitory before lunchtime, well ahead of the appointed time.
She even left a memo and some snacks on the table for Noah, in case she dropped by unannounced for food.
Click-clack. Click-clack. Click-clack.
Ichinose, clutching her sword, walked with slightly buoyant steps.
Nice weather today.
The warm sunlight she couldn't feel in the dungeon.
Just walking the streets, taking in the little everyday noises, was enough to refresh her mood.
The only regrettable part was…
It would be great if Rohan were walking beside me.
They'd always stuck together in the dungeon, so his absence felt all the sharper.
“…”
Not far from the dormitory, as she entered the commercial district, Ichinose pulled out her smartphone.
She opened her eyes and operated it with her fingers.
Can't be late for the appointment…
She'd come early not because she was bad with directions—she just wanted to enjoy a leisurely stroll.
She only opened the map now because she couldn't quite remember the meeting spot Sion had sent.
Anyway, Ichinose's mind was filled with such rationalizations.
Hm?
On the way to her destination, Ichinose kept checking the map, wondering if she'd gotten lost.
Sion had chosen a rather out-of-the-way spot.
It wasn't some infrastructure hub—it was a residential neighborhood where people lived.
Wooden Place
The sign confirmed it—this was the café.
Not a chain, but a private café Ichinose had never seen before.
Who'd have thought there'd be a café in such a quiet place.
Ichinose checked the time again.
She wasn't late.
Phew… Should I go in?
Sion and Clara were already inside.
A subtle tension rose within her.
She pushed the door open, and a bell jingled—ding-a-ling!
After a light greeting with the welcoming staff, Ichinose headed inside.
Nice café.
Not large, but cozy. She liked the wooden interior and the smell of coffee.
A few steps in.
They'd naturally sensed her presence over there too, so as she approached, they stood to greet her.
“Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”
“Ah, h-hello…!”
Sion and Clara. Both looked a bit more dressed up than yesterday.
A situation where they'd subtly put effort into their appearances.
…They're beautiful, as expected. Especially her—she stands out even among elves.
Ichinose bowed politely and sat across from them.
With the table empty, she picked up the nearby device and checked the menu first.
“Have you two eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“W-We were planning to grab something light here… W-Would you join us…?”
“Thank you. Sure, why not.”
Ichinose smiled at Clara's tentative words.
They placed their orders.
Americano for Ichinose, Einspänner for Sion, iced chocolate for Clara.
They wrapped up with caramel French toast and a brunch dish as well.
Once the orders were in, silence settled over the table.
Ichinose pondered whether to ask why they'd sought her out or to keep up small talk a bit longer to gauge the mood.
As she mulled it over, Sion spoke first.
“Rohan asked me today.”
Ichinose's shoulders twitched at the name Rohan.
She leaned in to listen, but something in Sion's words caught her.
“Today? Not yesterday? It's barely lunchtime… Did you see Rohan today…?”
“Yes. It came up over breakfast together this morning. He's in training now.”
“…”
She was at a loss for words from the start.
Questions bubbled up in Ichinose's mind like foam, but Sion pressed on without giving her an opening.
“He asked what Sion, Clara, and Ichinose Yui have in common.”
“…In common?”
“He said the only things that clearly came to mind were that we're pretty and strong.”
Ichinose's lips twitched upward in delight.
Knowing Sion and Clara were paying attention to her actions, she couldn't control her expression from the joy.
It took her a fair bit to compose herself, and she cleared her throat to smooth it over.
“Ahem…! So this is a seat to figure out that common point?”
“No.”
Sion's firm denial came as their orders began arriving.
The staff carefully filled the table and departed.
Clara fidgeted restlessly, sipping her sweet drink through the straw.
The other two moistened their throats lightly as well.
This time, Ichinose voiced her curiosity.
“May I ask one thing?”
“Of course.”
“Where is Clara from, if I may know?”
Caught off guard by the sudden attention, Clara flinched, her lips trembling away from the straw as she mumbled a response.
“I-I'm from… Z-Zeno…”
“Zeno. I see.”
A very distant place.
Ichinose knew Zeno's current state was near anarchy due to civil unrest. She could guess why Clara had come to Academy City.
“Any other questions?”
“Right now, I'm most curious why you two wanted to see me.”
At Ichinose's words, Sion and Clara exchanged glances.
With a small nod, Sion took the lead. She asked point-blank, like a bullet fired.
“Don't you have feelings for Rohan, Miss Ichinose?”
“!”
No need to ask what kind of feelings.
She just froze stiff, cup in hand.
“Is it just our misunderstanding?”
“…”
Ichinose clinked her cup down on the table.
She tried to speak, but her grip loosened, nearly dropping it.
“As you probably already know, Miss Ichinose, Clara and I want to spend our lives with Rohan.”
Her voice was confident, but it trembled faintly at the end.
Sion's composed face and pointed ears flushed with color—it drew admiration even from another woman.
“I see…”
Ichinose had anticipated that youthful emotion. But hearing the parties confirm it so assuredly was surprising.
That doll-like girl too, and what on earth had Rohan done to win over an elf?
She wanted to interrogate him in earnest.
“That's why I want to hear your feelings, Miss Ichinose.”
“…”
“Whether you're a rival or someone we can join hands with.”
“Join hands…? What do you mean?”
“Tell us how you feel about Rohan first, and I'll explain that part.”
Ichinose reached not for her warm coffee, but for ice water.
She gulped it down, hiding her emotions, and let out a sigh of admiration first.
“You two are very perceptive.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn't think anyone would notice I see Rohan in a good light. You're probably the only ones who have.”
““…?””
Did Ichinose think she'd hidden her feelings well?
Did she even think her own parents hadn't noticed?
Sion and Clara itched to speak but held back.
Her booksmart side mixed with these sudden airheaded moments was a unique charm of the girl.
“Miss Ichinose. Please be clear. Does 'seeing Rohan in a good light' just mean a bit of fondness?”
“Well…”
She still seemed reluctant to put it into words directly.
To draw out Ichinose's true feelings definitively, Sion pressed on.
“Do you harbor romantic feelings for Rohan, like Clara and I do?”
“…”
Ichinose's face flushed as she tapped her teacup with her nails—tap-tap-tap.
She could face her own heart, but admitting and affirming it to others wasn't easy.
“Do you want to marry Rohan and have at least three kids with him?”
“M-Marriage?!”
Ichinose's voice rose in panic.
As eyes turned their way, she clamped her mouth with both hands.
But the heat in her face didn't subside.
“Is that not the case?”
“I haven't thought that far yet…”
“Even so, I doubt it's a lighthearted feeling.”
Ichinose nodded faintly.
She couldn't deny it.
That gesture was answer enough.
So Sion shifted the topic slightly.
“Lately, there's a girl sending Rohan photos or calling him.”
“Who…?”
“Lete. The girl he saved at the shopping mall.”
“Ah!”
Quite some time had passed, yet she was still in contact.
Now that she heard it, it wasn't surprising.
“She's been actively appealing—festivals in the Sepia Archipelago, school events, anything to meet Rohan.”
“…”
Watching that, Sion vented to Ichinose, feeling both impressed by her boldness and suffocated.
“As you know, Miss Ichinose, Rohan is very popular. Seeing it makes me want to do something, but Clara and I lack experience, so we can't just step up recklessly.”
“I-I'm scared of O-Oppa hating me…”
Clara's words carried a depth of pathos.
It wasn't exaggeration. Ichinose finally understood that feeling now.
“We'd like to meet this Lete girl and talk directly, but circumstances don't allow it.”
“Is this the kind of meeting for that?”
Sion nodded at Ichinose's question.
Signaling she'd reveal the meeting's true purpose, she got to the point.
“I know you're from the Samhwa Nation, Miss Ichinose.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“So I have to ask.”
Ichinose listened attentively.
“If someone's values allow it like Clara's, even if your own nation doesn't—would you accept polygamy?”
“Ah…”
Now she understood what Sion meant by "joining hands."
Ichinose got it immediately.
As she bit her lip, wondering how to answer—
Sion and Clara's eyes lit up.