Our Expo Is Operating Normally - 4
There was no miraculous recovery that let me shake off the worries in an instant, but I could at least make an effort to lift the gloomy mood. Honestly, it was a little humiliating to receive comfort from Ryutis, of all people—someone I'd been ranking among the idiots.
Even if he was only relaying Luise's words, they had still come out of Ryutis's mouth. If Luise had deliberately used him for shock therapy, it was a brilliant move. The sheer misery of being pitied by a guy like that snapped me right back to my senses.
I'm grateful, though.
Of course I was grateful—to Luise and to Ryutis both. Grateful, sure, but it felt exactly like crouching in an alley only for a five-year-old passerby to hand me a lollipop out of pity.
Still, what could I do? I was the one who had created the situation, so there was no one else to blame.
"So you can stop now."
"Hehe..."
When I looked at her with thoroughly exhausted eyes, Luise gave an awkward little laugh and glanced away. Her quest hadn't been for Ryutis alone; the entire club had shared it. While I was still turning Ryutis's words over in my head, Later and Tanian had come filing in one after another, and I nearly had a heart attack.
I couldn't help but admire Luise Inc.'s aggressive strategy. Our Luise really knew how to diversify her investments. True to form for a romance-fantasy heroine—she had a head for business.
The three foreign princes sitting down beside me one by one, Villar watching the whole scene with sorrowful eyes every time... and the next batter up looked like it was going to be Ainter, so I had scrambled over to Luise in a panic. No matter what, I could not allow myself to be comforted by a guy I had once thoroughly wiped the floor with.
"I'm soooorry..."
"Why did you do something you needed to apologize for?"
Luise hung her head and dragged out the end of her words, but she still peeked up at my face and gave a bashful little smile. In the end I couldn't hold back a smile of my own.
She had clearly realized I wasn't actually angry. That was why the same Luise who used to flinch at every sigh was smiling like this now.
"If I ever need help again, I'll tell you."
"Yes, Orabeoni!"
"And don't you go doing this kind of thing either."
"Yes!"
Only after giving Luise the answer she wanted was I finally able to stop the five-man relay. Of course, there was no chance I would ever be driven into a corner desperate enough to need Luise's help, so it was basically a rubber check.
Even so, I couldn't very well lean on the hand of a girl who had only just come of age this year. That was simply a matter of pride and face, nothing more.
Before I knew it, the final day of booth operations had arrived.
Throughout the whole period the 1st Department Head had been dead set on playing around; even while wandering with Margeta I never ran into him once, and only occasionally crossed paths when I went to the forest to see the 4th Department Head. He was definitely somewhere on the Academy grounds—where on earth was he roaming? Maybe the lightning spirit Raiko was the 1st Department Head all along.
"I'm heading out."
And I was still being chased out every morning. Even my rubber check hadn't softened Luise's work ban. I thought she might ease up a little on the last day, but...
"Have a good day."
Looking at Luise smiling brightly as she saw me off, I realized that was wishful thinking. If the number-one ranked member of the Baking Club had no intention of changing her mind, there was nothing I could do. I myself was probably around seventh.
On my way out I glanced at the display stand and noticed that Luise's cookies were arranged in smaller quantities than the other snacks. Until now the cookies hadn't sold well and leftovers had piled up, so they must have decided to bake fewer from the start. Fortunately Luise didn't seem particularly bothered whether her creations sold or not.
"The rankings are announced tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. They said compiling everything takes time, so it'll be tomorrow."
"Since it's the last day, I hope everything sells out."
I couldn't interfere with the work, but as the club advisor I left them with that well-wishing remark and moved on.
Then, on the way to the Academy's main gate, when I saw no one nearby, I quietly took out a communication orb. I had already spoken to him yesterday, so making the request now should be fine.
For a little while now, Orabeoni's complexion had grown a bit brighter.
I'm glad.
He still didn't seem to have completely let go, but I had expected that much. If a few words could have fixed it, Orabeoni would already have shaken it off himself. All I had wanted was for him to feel even a little lighter. That was a result I could be satisfied with.
In truth I didn't know what Orabeoni was carrying in his heart, or how heavily he carried it. Forcing my way in under those circumstances could have become poison to him instead.
Even so, I had approached him because at that moment his state hadn't been a matter of poison or not. Poison or no poison, if I didn't free him right then, something terrible felt like it was going to happen. Thankfully Orabeoni had laughed it off, but I had been so nervous he might get angry.
"It won't be easy. The shackles you put on yourself can only be undone by yourself."
Feeling that I alone wouldn't be enough, I had asked the club members to comfort Orabeoni as well, and in the process Later had given me earnest advice. Orabeoni's mysterious shackles could only be unlocked by Orabeoni himself.
"But if someone helps, they can come off faster."
Still, Later had added that positive note and accepted my unreasonable request.
If someone helps...
If we helped Orabeoni, could he free himself from those shackles more quickly? Would he end up collapsing the way he had before—
No. No. Orabeoni had already grown a little brighter. I shouldn't think dark thoughts. No matter how long it took, Orabeoni would eventually shake it off. Yes. He definitely would.
While I was thinking that, I spotted a customer approaching from afar. It was the Vice Principal.
He came yesterday too.
He must have liked what we made. Good. It was time to work, so I needed to pull myself together. Getting caught up in ominous imaginings and neglecting my duties would be a problem. Yes—let's do our best.
While I was steeling myself, the Vice Principal had already reached the booth, and I welcomed him with a smile—
"Cookies seem perfect for a light snack."
The Vice Principal bought every last one of the cookies I had made.
...Huh?
Unfortunately, today there was a Student Council summons, so I couldn't go around with Margeta. The person who normally filled my morning schedule had vanished, and my plans floated off into empty air. A sad day.
With nowhere else to go I headed for the forest where the Mukgwangdae was stationed, and sure enough the 1st Department Head was there too. They were all scheduled to pull out today, so it worked out perfectly. Since everyone was gathered in one place, I could just handle the goodbyes here.
While we were chatting to kill time until the afternoon, the request I had made to the Vice Principal on my way out of the booth came up as a topic.
"Chief. That sounds like foul play."
"As long as someone buys them, what's the problem?"
"No, I don't think that's the issue—"
"The Chief is correct."
"I don't have a single ally."
The 1st Department Head's challenge and the 4th Department Head's support. The familiar sight put my heart at ease.
The "foul play" the 1st Department Head mentioned wasn't anything major. I had always hated how only Luise's cookies were left over, so I had contacted the Vice Principal and asked him to buy every last one. As a little memorial for the final day of booth operations, selling out would feel good and leave a nice memory.
Of course, the money the Vice Principal spent on the cookies would be reimbursed when I received them. Luise's cookies didn't seem to suit the Vice Principal's taste either. In that case I would just eat them myself and take care of the leftovers.
"Since when does an advisor buy out an entire club booth's stock?"
"The entire stock? I only bought the cookies."
"Buying those is the same as buying everything. By the end, only the cookies were left."
Well, that was true.
Faced with an irrefutable point, I stayed silent, and the 1st Department Head's glare grew sharp.
"Aren't you a little too soft on Luise? You seem to dote on her even more than on Penelia."
At those words the 4th Department Head gave a small start and looked at me with a strangely wistful gaze. That idiot had gone and said something weird and needlessly disturbed the 4th Department Head's mood.
"My juniors really worked hard..."
"Your juniors? They were going to lose anyway."
Regrettably, even if I hadn't bought Luise's cookies, the Baking Club would have taken first place. There was no lineup in any other club that could beat a group featuring imperial royalty, foreign princes, and a saint candidate. But even my realistic assessment only made the 1st Department Head snort and seethe with righteous fury.
"My juniors do not bow to injustice!"
"I don't know about injustice, but they must have learned to adapt to society this time around."
I couldn't understand why he was so attached to club juniors he had barely even met. Once he returned to the Audit Department he wouldn't even remember their faces. If I just chalked it up to the 1st Department Head's unique form of entertainment, there was nothing more to say.
We bickered for a good while, and when enough time had passed I stood up.
"Everyone get back safely. Next time I'd rather see you at the Audit Department instead of the Academy."
"You miss having us around after all, don't you?"
It wasn't that I missed the place where the Department Head trio gathered; it was a wish that there would be no more incidents requiring the 1st Department Head and the Mukgwangdae to be dispatched to the Academy. Of course, considering there were still four other groups besides the Third Glory, it was a vain hope. The 1st Department Head was one thing, but I would definitely be seeing the Mukgwangdae again.
At any rate, when the 1st Department Head made that nonsense remark I quietly pinched his lip, and he flailed both arms in a struggle. I wondered if this guy would ever learn anything.
When I returned to the booth, a visibly excited Luise came running up to me. The display stand was completely empty—the Vice Principal must have already come and gone. As expected of the Vice Principal. The moment I asked, he had moved right away.
"O-Orabeoni!"
"What is it? Did something happen?"
I played dumb, and Luise flapped both arms while proudly boasting of the sold-out miracle in an excited voice. No matter how little she cared about leftover cookies, seeing them sell out right in front of her eyes was still bound to make her happy.
"They're delicious, so of course they sold."
When I answered with a soft laugh, Luise beamed.
Thank you, Vice Principal. Let's take this secret to our graves.