The Former Swordmaster Who Pretends to Be the Worst, and the School’s Top-Ranked Chairman’s Daughter Who’s Way Too Sweet in Public, It’s a Real Problem
“—Well then, that’s it for today. Thanks for all your hard work, everyone.”
A short while later, the project meeting came to a temporary conclusion.
There would be budget submissions and other paperwork to handle later, along with the accompanying meetings, but for today, it looked like we were finally free from work. Ignoring the stares of those around me, I took a deep breath and stretched.
Rika smiled at me as I did so, then turned to Takanashi and said,
“Since we’re here, why don’t the three of us stop by somewhere afterward?”
“Ah… I guess so…”
However, I couldn’t bring myself to readily accept that suggestion.
The reason was that, while my childhood friend might not know it, she could be a target of the people from Euclid. From the way Ryotaro spoke, it seemed they hadn’t yet figured out the enemy’s movements. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.
So, as I searched for a reason to decline and remained silent—
“Oh, sorry! I’m gonna have to pass on this one!”
“Got something to do…?”
—Takanashi, who usually jumps at offers like this, surprisingly declined first.
When I tilted my head in puzzlement, my mischievous friend continued apologetically.
“I’ve got something to do for a bit! See ya!”
“O-okay.”
And then, she vanished like the wind.
Caught off guard and unable to come up with a proper response, I could only offer a vague farewell and stand there dumbfounded. I exchanged glances with Rika, but she seemed a little taken aback as well.
What on earth could her “business” be?
I knew thinking about it wouldn’t give me an answer, but I couldn’t help but wonder.
“…Uh, sorry. Could you keep it down for a moment?”
Just then, Senpai’s phone rang.
After saying that, he started talking to whoever was on the other end. Then,
“Huh!? Why are you getting lost after coming all this way!!? What about the map!? —You lost it, even though I told you so many times to ‘be careful’!?”
For some reason, Senpai was yelling in a tone harsher than I’d ever heard before.
After ending the call, he let out a deep sigh, pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, and slumped his shoulders. It was obvious something had happened.
I wanted to ignore it, but my childhood friend wasn’t the type to just let something like this slide.
Rika approached him very carefully, tilted her head slightly, and asked,
“Um… what happened?”
“…Ah, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.”
He let out another small sigh.
Then,
“My older sister came from out of town, and it seems she got lost. …But I’ve got a mountain of work left to do for the Seihou Festival. I can’t go pick her up.”
“Oh! In that case, should we go get her?”
“…Is that okay?”
Hearing the situation, my childhood friend offered to help without a second thought.
Necro-senpai looked at Rika with a slightly surprised expression, then turned his gaze toward me.
Let me make this clear: if it were just me, I’d never agree to this. But I had a paramount duty to protect Rika and our peace.
So, with a shrug, I nodded reluctantly.
“It’s fine. If Rika says so, then I’m in.”
“Ah, I’m truly sorry. …I’m sorry to ask this of you, but please.”
“Yes…!”
And so, my cheerful childhood friend’s reply echoed through the empty classroom.
We had suddenly found ourselves tasked with a mission to find someone.
◆
“Necro-senpai’s older sister, huh… I wonder what she’s like?”
“Judging by the way he talked and how exasperated he sounded, she seems pretty scatterbrained.”
Rika and I exchanged such remarks as we headed toward the location specified in the instructions.
Thanks to Senpai’s clear instructions, we knew that this so-called older sister was apparently at “Toto Central Park.” We hadn’t asked for any specific details about her appearance, but for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel like I could already picture her.
“That’s nice… an older sister, huh?”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Rika?”
Just as I was thinking that, I suddenly heard my childhood friend mutter those words.
When I asked her about it, she scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed.
“Well, Saito-kun and I have been together for so long, we’re practically like siblings, right? But I was just wondering… what it would be like if I actually had an older sister…”
“Ah… I see. Come to think of it, I’ve never had an older brother or anything either.”
Hearing her reply, I found myself strangely convinced.
Come to think of it, even though this is my third life, I’ve never had a brother or sister. Strangely enough, I’ve always been an only child, so the idea hadn’t even crossed my mind until she mentioned it.
Though, in that sense, Rika is sort of like a family member close to my age.
“Of course, I don’t think everyone’s like that, right? But I just think it would be fun.”
“Well, that might be true. Though I can’t even imagine it.”
“Haha! You’re right about that!”
Gazing up at the square patch of sky framed by the buildings, I replied absently.
Then my childhood friend said, with a hint of joy in her voice:
“That’s why I’m looking forward to it a little! I wonder what kind of person she’ll be…”
“I hope she is a nice person.”
“…Yeah!”
Seeing Rika nod innocently, I couldn’t help but smile.
Just then, we arrived at the park we were heading to.
“…Alright, then. I’ll contact senpai and confirm what she look like—”
It was at that very moment.
“Hehe, running like that is dangerous, you know~?”
“It’s just because you’re slow, onee san!”
“Hey, onee san! Let’s play house over here next!”
“Oh dear, wait a minute, okay? I can’t be two people at once~!”
A woman with a soft, airy voice came into view, playing with the children.
Rika and I exchanged glances again, and both nodded without a word.
And then, we were certain.
“It’s her, isn’t it…”
“It’s her, right…”
Beside her was a large suitcase.
And just like that, we had found the person we were looking for much more easily than we had expected.
Maiban