Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 20 - Chapter 3

Episode 3: Aika’s Notebook

Theia enjoyed competition in all forms because it allowed her to put her skills on display for all to see. And the more she proved herself, the greater an asset she could become to her mother. To that end, victory was always her first and foremost concern. The content and fashion of the competition itself was relatively trivial; all that mattered was winning. That was what she’d always believed, but her mindset gradually began to change after coming to room 106.

At first, her singular goal was defeating the other invaders. But by the time their first summer together drew to a close, she had begun simply enjoying her rivalry with them. Winning and losing no longer mattered in the face of friendship; what became important was that they were having fun together. This was something that Theia could only come to experience after leaving Forthorthe. With the harsh political climate back home, Ruth—her childhood friend—was the only person she could share that kind of fun with. In short, coming to Earth was what had allowed Theia’s love of competition to truly blossom. She now had friends like never before, and could play to her heart’s content like never before. And, of course, the naturally competitive Theia loved a good game.

“Come on, Koutarou. Don’t keep me waiting all day for your decision.”

“...Please.”

“Hmm? What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Please marry me, Your Highness.”

“Ohohoho! If you’re that desperate, then of course I’ll marry you, my knight!”

“You little twerp! Don’t get a big head just because you’re winning right now!”

“But this is all to help you, Koutarou. Now you won’t have to go bankrupt. All gain requires a little sacrifice, no?”

“Tch... I’ll remember this later, honey.”

“Ohohoho, try me if you dare, darling! I’ll teach you who wears the pants in this relationship!”

Theia’s favorite opponent was none other than Koutarou. He’d been an inveterate foe to her in the past, but now she saw him simultaneously as the best of allies and the best of rivals. He was the kind of friend she could go all out against, making the outcome of their match inconsequential. The thrill of the clash was far more precious to her than any victory. And no one put up a better fight than Koutarou.

“Now then, Koutarou... Transfer the rights to the ironworks to me. That will make our system rock solid.”

“No way. If I give away the ironworks now, I’ll never be able to make a comeback.”

“What?! You dare defy your beloved wife?!”

“What did you expect from a sham marriage made to avoid bankruptcy?!”

“You’re my knight, aren’t you?! So at least say that you love me, even if it’s a lie!”

“Oh, I love you all right, Your Highness. I really freaking love you.”

“Argh! Don’t say it like that!”

When Theia and Koutarou played games together, things would always get heated. They practically acted like children, both sides stubbornly doing everything they could to get the upper hand against each other. Yet, ironically, it was their steeled trust in each other that facilitated this. And in a strange way, them battling it out over games was just another way of deepening that trust. Neither one hesitated to reveal their childishness to the other.

“I’ll teach you!”

Thud!

“Ow! What are you doing, Theia?!”

“Like I said, I’m teaching you a lesson! This is my whip of love!”

“Argh, two can play that game! Take this!”

Whack, whack, whap!

“Ow, ow, ow! Hey, can’t you hold back a little against your princess?! What are you going to do if you really hurt me?!”

“Don’t worry! I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life!”

“You’ve said it now, pleb!”

Thud, whap, bam, snap, whack...

“Guah!”

“Ouch!”

Their stubborn battles often deteriorated into physical altercations. Those in the room observing couldn’t help but wonder what it meant for an imperial princess to stoop to the level of punching someone, and conversely what it meant for someone to have the audacity to punch a princess. But such fights never had any consequences past the immediate tussle. Really and truly, their “fights” were just an extremely intense way of showing their affection for one another. Rather than embracing, they grappled. Rather than whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, they screamed at each other. It was all done out of love.

Just the same as Theia and Koutarou demonstrated their love for each other by fighting, Maki knew she needed to come up with her own way to express her feelings.

“Theia-san is amazing...”

But even then, she couldn’t help admiring Theia’s method. On top of being serious, Maki was incredibly introverted by nature. That made it especially difficult for her to tell other people how she felt, especially when sensitive matters like love were involved. It was a rare occasion indeed that she even dared to bring the matter up. In that sense, she and Harumi were in much the same boat, though in Maki’s case her reticence was due to seriousness rather than shyness.

Maki had no trouble being cheerful and having fun around her friends, but her restraint would always kick in before things could go beyond that. For example, she considered herself good friends with Koutarou. On Valentine’s Day, she’d teased him, joked around with him, and even given him chocolate she made herself... But past that point, her reserved nature slammed on the brakes. Anything beyond “just friends” set her head spinning with worry that she was just a burden to the people she loved.

Of course, this wasn’t just limited to Koutarou. Plenty of her friends had reassured her that both she and her feelings were welcome, but Maki had trouble accepting those words at face value. After having been starved for affection for the better part of her life, it was hard for her to truly believe that she was loved. And her discerning, staid personality only exacerbated that.

Maki, however, knew it was a problem. She was aware of her flaws, and that awareness made her especially admiring of Theia’s open and aggressive behavior when it came to relationships.

“If I had just one tenth of Theia-san’s assertiveness...”

Maki let out a small sigh as she longingly watched Theia and Koutarou duke it out. She knew she could never be as direct as Theia—her image and personality wouldn’t allow it. If Maki suddenly started acting like Theia, she knew it would shock everyone. That’s why she figured the best she could hope for was one tenth of Theia’s boldness. That alone should be enough to completely but realistically transform her personality.

“This is the best I can do for now...”

Maki looked down at herself as she gently touched her hairpiece to make sure it was still in place. She was wearing some new clothes she’d bought just the other day—an outfit in a deep indigo color decorated with lace and ribbon all over to make it cute. It matched the hairpiece she’d picked out just for today, too. All together, the ensemble suited Maki quite well. It emphasized her calm, mature aura at first glance, but also had a soft and cute side to it upon closer inspection.

And this outfit had special meaning to Maki. It was her way of trying to express herself. Since she didn’t dare make a move herself, she thought that she might do better trying to get a certain someone’s attention. She didn’t care whether he laughed at her or complimented her so long as he noticed her. As reserved as she was, this in and of itself was a last resort.

“Hahh, hahh... J-Just what do you think a princess is?”

“A good... hahh... sparring partner... hahh...”

However, so far, things weren’t going as Maki had hoped. The certain someone whose attention she was trying to attract was a little preoccupied right now. It seemed she’d have to be patient.

“Then I guess I might as well work...”

If she had to wait anyway, she should make herself productive. That was Maki’s train of thought, and so she again took up what she’d been working on until just a little while ago. Maki served as the treasurer of the Satomi knights, so she did things like collect receipts from their expenditures and keep track of the group’s ledger. Since Koutarou’s band of knights was small and, strictly speaking, wasn’t really a combat squad, their account book was rather thin. Nevertheless, Maki took great pride in her work. She wanted to be praised for doing an excellent job. This too was another way Maki subtly tried to show her love and devotion.

Maki pulled out the indigo, leather-bound notebook she used as the band’s ledger and flipped it open. She artfully glanced back and forth between the notebook and the neat stack of receipts sitting next to it as she punched numbers into a calculator, until...

“Huh?”

Maki’s work came to a grinding halt when she spotted something unusual in her notebook. Despite what little fighting they actually did, the Satomi knights were—on paper—a combat-ready squad in service of Princess Theiamillis. As such, they had a discretionary budget that didn’t strictly need to be accounted for officially. This was typically used to cover ventures like information gathering or other confidential, sensitive activities that would ideally have no paper trail. Of course, with that kind of freedom, there were times that funds were misappropriated and audits were necessary. But there had never been any such problems with the Satomi knights. Most of their expenditures were small and reasonable, and Maki kept good track of them—even from the discretionary budget.

“Theia-san... What are you spending all this money on, I wonder?”

While what the money was used for didn’t need to be recorded, the sums and transactions still did. The books would never balance otherwise. As Theia was the one holding most of the group’s capital, she was always the one to make any such transactions. She also did her due diligence in recording them faithfully in the ledger. But that was what tipped Maki off that something was strange. If Theia weren’t the only person who made entries in the account book, Maki might never have noticed it at all.

“Though, truth be told, Theia-san can spend the money on whatever she likes...”

The sums of money she was withdrawing wasn’t the issue, of course. It was her money to begin with. As the existence of the Satomi knights couldn’t be publicly revealed, she was funding them personally. As such, Maki felt it was only right that she be able to spend their money however she pleased. If the knights ended up in the red, she would be the one to come up with the difference anyway.

“But... now I’m curious. I’ll look into it next time.”

The whole situation, however, had piqued Maki’s interest. She wanted to know what Theia was using the discretionary budget for. She wanted to know the reason for her expenditures. Really, because she admired Theia so, Maki wanted to know her secret. And so she decided to go straight to the source.

Because of the possibility something sensitive might be involved, Maki waited for Theia to be alone before asking her about the money. And she waited patiently. Ruth was almost always by her side, and even when she wasn’t, Theia was constantly with Koutarou or the other girls. As a result, three days had gone by before Maki actually got a chance to talk to her.

“Theia-san, do you have a moment?”

It was a school day, and the lunch period had just started. Most of the class immediately sprang up out of their seats to go socialize or get food. And, luckily for Maki, Ruth was the assigned class helper today—she was already up and off getting materials for geography class later. Meanwhile, Koutarou was goofing off with Kiriha, Kenji, and Sanae and Yurika had left to go to the restroom. That left only Theia unoccupied, which created the perfect opportunity for Maki to approach her.

“What is it?”

“I have a question about the Satomi knights’ funds.”

As a precaution, when she mentioned knights, Maki spoke in a soft voice so that only Theia could hear her. This wasn’t something they’d be able to explain to their classmates.

“Does the ledger not balance?”

“That’s not it... Please take a look at this.”

There, Maki opened her indigo notebook and held it up for Theia to see. She then indicated the transactions in question with the tip of her pen.

“There are several unexplained expenditures here, all recorded by you, Theia-san.”

“Erk...”

Theia had simply looked puzzled at first, but once Maki pointed out the recent transactions she’d been making, she went pale and began sweating.

“Might I ask what you’re using this money for?”

“I-It’s nothing special! A-And it’s no big deal, right?! They’re all small transactions!”

An awfully panicky Theia tried to act like nothing was amiss, but Maki wasn’t convinced.

“It’s true that the amount isn’t an issue...”

“Right?! I’m well aware of the rules!”

“However, it appears that you’re the only one making such expenditures... That being the case, I was wondering if you could tell me what they’re for. For reference.”

Maki wanted to know what Theia was using the money for. She wanted to know what Theia was trying to keep secret by using discretionary funds, and why she was the only one doing it. Maki was sure that uncovering the answer would teach her something about Theia—maybe even something about her boldness.

“No, I can’t! I can’t tell you!”

However, Theia shook her head intensely, her golden hair fluttering behind her.

“Why not?”

“Why?! Besides, if I have to tell you, what was the point of using discretionary funds?!”

“That’s true...”

It was clear Theia had no intention of revealing the truth to Maki, though she was able to pick up a few clues based on Theia’s reaction.

It must be for something embarrassing...

Theia’s face was red and she was flailing her arms about. She was flustered. She was uncomfortable. Nervous, even. It seemed that, whatever she was hiding, her secret was something she couldn’t reveal.

“Besides, I’m the one who funds the budget in the first place! The financing shouldn’t trouble anyone, which I believe brings a definitive end to this discussion!”

Theia forcibly put an end to their discussion and ran out of the classroom. Maki simply watched her go.

It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to get anything else out of her. Now then, what to do...?

Though Theia had retreated, Maki still hadn’t given up. She stared at her indigo notebook while pondering her next move. If Theia wasn’t going to tell her, then Maki would simply have to find out the truth for herself.

Accordingly, she chose to discreetly follow Theia and see what she was up to. While logs in the ledger for discretionary funds never included what the expenditure was for, the date and the amount spent were. Knowing that, Maki figured that if she followed Theia around, she could later compare her observations with what Theia recorded in the ledger. Between the two, she should be able to deduce what Theia was actually spending the money on. And as a former leader of Darkness Rainbow—and a powerful magical girl in her own right—Maki would have no trouble with a stealth operation of this scale thanks to a little help from her magic.

“Your Highness, what would you like for dinner?”

“Let’s see... It’s getting colder, so maybe hotpot. It’s been a while since we last had it.”

“I believe it would be better to go easy on the seasoning.”

“Yes, some nice, simple, warm comfort food would be good.”

“And what would you like in the hotpot, Your Highness?”

“If we use fish, I’m sure Yurika and Sanae will complain nonstop.”

“Teehee, I imagine so.”

“Then what about beef? Or maybe chicken?”

“That sounds lovely, Your Highness. I’ll choose some vegetables to go with it.”

“I’ll leave that to you... But I must say, Ruth, you’ve sure gotten used to Earth-style cooking.”

“I knew it would be a skill I needed to master for future use.”

“How prudent and reliable of you.”

“You can count on me, Your Highness.”

“But of course. I leave it all in your hands, Ruth.”

“Hey, Theia.”

“What is it?”

“I could use a shoulder rub.”

“Explain something to me, Koutarou... Why would you ask your lord to do such a thing for you?”

“Because Sanae and Yurika don’t know how to do it without hurting me.”

“Hahaha.”

“Heh... So, how about it? I don’t have to worry with you since you know a thing or two about fighting and physical limits, huh?”

“Hmm, I understand your dilemma... But even then, there’s got to be a better way to ask. I’m your princess, you know?”

“If you understand, then come on already. I’m on the verge of seriously considering going out and buying a massager.”

“Good grief... You’re still as rude as the day I met you.”

“You wouldn’t really be happy if I treated you like a princess all the time, right?”

“That’s true. I’ll take this as a sign you truly understand your master’s needs.”

“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Heh... Now, like this?”

“That’s perfect. You’re actually pretty good at this.”

“Your princess is good at everything, so I expect due respect.”

“I do respect you.”

“I know. I just wanted you to say it.”

“Hmm...”

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

“Oh, no... It’s nothing.”

“You know you don’t have to hide anything from me.”

“O-Of course not.”

“So, which one are you interested in, Your Highness?”

“This... tunic or whatever it’s called.”

“It is nice and frilly, isn’t it? It’s very cute.”

“You think so?”

“I do. I think it would suit you nicely.”

“You... don’t think anyone would laugh at me for wearing it?”

“No one in room 106 would ever seriously do that.”

“That’s true...”

“So will you be buying it?”

“H-Hold on. I also want to look at that one over there.”

“Please take your time choosing, Your Highness. Heehee...”

“Here. It’s your wife.”

“Wait... Did we have a golden piece like this?”

“It’s to replace the one that Yurika lost.”

“Huh...”

“Well, anyway...”

“Yeah, now I have a wife. That makes it your turn, Theia.”

“...”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I-I-It’s nothing! I was just thinking about something! Where... Where are the dice? I’m going to roll now!”

“You’re acting weird. What’s up with you?”

“You’re just imagining things!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah! More importantly, I’m rolling now... Ha!”

“Well, looks like you’re getting married too now.”

“Indeed. Ruth, please hand me a piece.”

“Here you are, Your Highness.”

“Now I have a husband.”

“Did we have a blue piece like that...?”

“It’s to replace another one that Yurika lost.”

“Huh...”

“Well, anyway...”

“What would you like to eat, Harumi?”

“It’s been a while since I had takoyaki, but six pieces is a bit too much for me.”

“Then how about this? We’ll get a set of eight, and I’ll eat whatever you can’t.”

“But... you’re a princess, Theiamillis-san. I can’t give you my leftovers.”

“You’re the only one who worries about such things, Harumi. But you shouldn’t. You’re a dear friend of mine, and there’s a time and a place for everything—including forgetting about status.”

“Then... I’d appreciate it, Theiamillis-san.”

“I’m happy to help.”

“But when would you prefer me to honor your status, Theiamillis-san?”

“In combat or while I’m making public speeches, perhaps.”

“I see... So when it’s cool?”

“Right?! You get it!”

“I’ve had a moment in the spotlight as princess myself, you know.”

“Indeed, you made a bold, splendid princess.”

“I am honored by your praise, Your Highness.”

“Ruth, please.”

“I suppose I have no choice... But just this once, all right?”

“Indeed! I shall claim that stuffed animal in a single try!”

“There’s no need to get so fired up over a crane game, Your Highness.”

“I want to put it next to that rabbit that Koutarou is proudly decorating the room with!”

“Heehee, when it comes to Master, you’re always fired up. Aren’t you, Your Highness?”

“I-If I were as cute as the other girls, then... Anyway, that’s why I can’t lose when it comes to games!”

“I think you’re cute as you are, Your Highness.”

“You only feel that way because you’re my childhood friend!”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Maybe, maybe not... I can’t be sure.”

“Then, for the time being, let us return home with that stuffed animal.”

“Ruth...”

“This is what money is for. We’ll play not once, but as many times as it takes.”

“Well said! Let’s get to it! Victory shall be ours!”

Maki followed Theia around for days, using her magic to hide herself as she observed her mark’s actions and behaviors. Of course, after Maki confronted her about her unaccounted for expenditures, Theia was a little more self-conscious about her purchases and refrained from using any discretionary funds for a while. That made things something of an extended game of cat and mouse between the two girls, and it took three weeks before Maki finally caught Theia.

One afternoon, Maki set to analyzing all of the information she had gathered. She currently had two leads in front of her—the ledger of the Satomi knights and her observation notes on Theia from the past three weeks.

“Considering how embarrassed she was when I asked about it... maybe it’s something to make her grow taller or make her breasts larger? No, I can’t imagine she’d use Earth technology for that... And besides, if the result of spending the money is something as obvious as a change in her appearance, there would be no real point in concealing what she’s spending the money on. Hmm...”

Maki tried to imagine what was going through Theia’s head as she looked at the evidence in front of her. With enough information, she should be able to unravel the mystery behind Theia’s unaccounted expenditures.

“Wait, could it be—?!”

After comparing her notes and the ledger side by side, Maki realized that there was an entry in the ledger on the same day Theia went to a certain store. The transaction totals matched, meaning Theia must have used discretionary funds to pay for it.

“A solid lead!”

Maki did her best to calm herself as she waited patiently for the school bell to ring at the end of class. She was so close. She had real evidence this time; she even knew what Theia had bought. There was no way she could deny it now. All she had to do was confront Theia again, and there was no way she was going to let Theia run this time.

The moment Theia saw Maki approaching with her indigo notebook in hand, her expression stiffened and she immediately turned tail and made to flee. Unfortunately for her, however, Maki was prepared for this. Before Theia could even leap out of her seat, Maki had her by the arm.

“Theia-san.”

“Erk...”

Theia knew she’d been caught and abandoned all hope of escape. Her shoulders drooped and she slowly turned towards Maki with a frightened look. Her usual confidence was nowhere to be seen.

“Come with me.”

“...”

Maki tugged on Theia’s arm and led her to the back of the classroom. Knowing this conversation wasn’t meant for the ears of their other classmates, Theia didn’t resist.

“I’d like you to explain this time, Theia-san.”

“I-I told you I have no intention of doing that.”

Though she knew she’d been caught, Theia made a stubborn last stand when Maki confronted her about the subject at hand. She simply didn’t want to talk about it, and would avoid a discussion at all costs if she could help it.

“I already know what you’re spending the money on.”

“You’ve already found out that much?!”

Theia’s eyes shot wide open surprise. She knew that Maki was on to her, but she didn’t know she’d been completely exposed. Maki then gently admonished her.

“I didn’t want to corner you, Theia-san, but... I have to know the reason for these unaccounted expenditures.”

“Um...”

Theia instinctively flinched. It was quite unlike her.

“Theia-san, why are you using discretionary funds to buy clothes and accessories? Seeing as you’re the one funding the knights in the first place, I can’t understand the reason the reason you’d resort to that.”

As it turned out, Theia was spending discretionary funds on clothes and accessories. And Maki couldn’t help finding that strange. Theia was personally funding the Satomi knights, so there was no question that she had the money to buy whatever she wanted to without having to go through the knights. If they were operational expenses meant to fund bribes or sabotage or the like, that would be one thing. But Maki couldn’t conceive of a reason she’d need to use discretionary funds on fashion. It just seemed silly. And so the perplexed Maki had come after Theia personally. She wanted to know what was going on.

“Th-That’s...”

Being interrogated by Maki, Theia’s cheeks blushed crimson red in embarrassment. Even if it seemed silly to Maki, it was important to Theia. Trying to explain that was hard for her, but it was clear Maki had already figured out the half of it. Realizing that, Theia finally caved.

Back in Forthorthe, Theia was largely unconcerned with how people saw her. The only thing that really mattered to her was demonstrating her strength. But coming to Earth and finding people she considered to be equals changed that. First it was just Koutarou, and then eventually the other invaders. And after making friends, Theia found herself starting to care what people thought of her. Not just as a leader, but also as a woman.

When comparing herself to the girls around her, Theia knew she was lacking a certain something. Her aggressive behavior and stately manner of dress were completely befitting of the leader she’d been raised to be, but she’d gotten so fixated on those aspects of her character that she’d completely overlooked something important—the cute factor.

But it was only natural things had turned out this way. Back home, Theia had so many enemies that her only way to survive was to establish herself as a powerful figure. Anything “cute” was construed as a sign of weakness, and Theia had eschewed it out of necessity. Yet that all changed when she came to Earth.

In the life she lived now, it was hard for her to see cuteness as weakness. She even desired it. Indeed, she’d started getting envious of the girls around her—particularly Sanae and Yurika, and especially Maki. The three of them were always dressed in adorable outfits and radiated a soft, girly energy. Sanae and Yurika loved cute things in general, and starting this year, Maki had gotten into fashion. She was even starting to pull ahead of the others in terms of girliness.

Seeing that, Theia had made up her mind to try and make herself cuter too. Even if she couldn’t do anything about her personality, she had full control over the way she looked and dressed. That was why she’d been spending money on clothes and accessories.

Yet Theia was still a princess. She still had plenty of enemies, and she couldn’t afford to even give off the illusion of weakness. She’d worked hard all her life to build her image as a strong princess, and she would be devastated if the Forthorthian public came to learn that she dressed like a girly-girl in private. In other words, she needed to make sure no one ever found out.

And that would be difficult. Members of the royal family were public figures in Forthorthe. They were also expected to be transparent with their capital. Even their personal expenditures were a matter of public record—which meant that if Theia bought cute clothes on Earth, everyone back home would know about it the instant someone looked at her financial records. That would be all it took to ruin her image, and she wanted to avoid that.

And that, in turn, made confessing all this extraordinarily difficult. She was embarrassed and self-conscious, and ended up spilling her guts to Maki in a rather blunt fashion.

“...So I poured money into the band of knights in order to make purchases with discretionary funds... all so that way my image won’t be compromised... I-I know it was stupid! But I had no alternative! If you want to laugh, then go right ahead!”

“So that’s what it was...”

However, Theia’s attitude didn’t bother Maki at all. She knew exactly where Theia was coming from.

When she first met Theia, Maki hadn’t cared much about her own appearance. In fact, she actively forsook fashion and makeup, believing them to be tools people used to conceal their true selves. But after Maki fell in love, she began to see things differently. She now cared about the way she looked and didn’t see the problem with going a little out of her way to make herself cute.

As a leader of Darkness Rainbow, her primary concerns was protecting her position... and that included safeguarding her image. She needed the others to see her as cool and aloof. Dangerous, even. It took a lot of legwork to come up with an excuse adequate enough for her to dress up in cute clothes. And in that sense, she and Theia were in much the same boat.

“You mean... you’re not going to laugh?”

Theia looked at Maki in confusion. Her reaction was unexpected.

“Of course not. I relate, honestly.”

Maki understood how Theia felt all too well. She wouldn’t dare laugh. She didn’t even get mad. In fact, she was a little happy to learn that they shared similar secrets.

“Besides, that would be the pot calling the kettle black.”

“What?”

“I’ve always admired how direct and bold you are, Theia-san. I’d have to laugh at myself if I laughed at you for wanting to transform yourself...”

They were two sides of the same coin. Theia was jealous of Maki’s fashionable girliness, and Maki was jealous of Theia’s intrepid boldness. They were both looking to the other for what they lacked, and Maki knew it would be hypocritical to laugh at Theia for that.

“You...”

“I admire how you go toe to toe with Satomi-kun every day, no holds barred.”

“It’s all I can do... I wish I were more like you.”

“So, no, I’m not going to laugh at you... although I do find it funny that we’ve basically been chasing each other’s tails.”

“You’re right. Heh, that is rather funny...”

“Heehee.”

There, Theia and Maki had a good laugh together. They’d each been envious of the other, chasing each other in circles like a merry-go-round. In the end, it was rather amusing. And now that they knew better, they couldn’t help laughing. Even if they didn’t know how to proceed from here, they were happy—most of all because they’d both found a close confidant.

“I know we’re laughing now, but... If possible, Maki, I’d like you to keep this between us.”

“Heehee, I feel the same way.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

“And yours with me... But instead of just keeping each other’s secrets, why don’t we make a deal?”

“A deal?”

“Something more fun than simply keeping this to ourselves.”

“Hmm... Interesting. Tell me more.”

In the end, the girls decided to work together towards a new goal. If they were going to keep chasing their dreams, it was better to go forward than in circles.

Though it had been cloudy that morning, the sky was crystal clear by the time school let out. The light of the setting sun illuminated everything, casting long shadows behind Maki and Theia as they walked along.

“So, what kind of clothes are you interested in, Theia-san?”

“Right now I’m into tunics. I like that floofy silhouette.”

“Now that you mention it, that does go a long way to making a soft, gentle impression.”

“That’s what I want. Something more sedate than my usual.”

“You are indeed quite lively. Spirited, I’d say.”

“Right? I want to come off as more womanly.”

“I get that. I used to be completely fixated on being serious.”

“Then maybe you should lighten up your look too.”

“Heehee, you’re not wrong. Actually, speaking of... If it’s womanly you’re going for, why not try a suit?”

“Wouldn’t that be pushing it too far? I’m loathe to admit it, but I have pretty childlike proportions.”

“Sometimes a little something unexpected is nice.”

Maki and Theia’s current destination was the line of fashionable boutiques by the station. This would be their first clothes shopping excursion together. Every time they found an interesting shop, they’d stop in and have a look around while talking about style. But, perhaps in typical fashion of such trips, there had been more looking and talking than buying so far. Neither one of them had picked up a single thing despite all the shops they’d been to so far.

“Hmm... By the way Maki, what are you looking for?”

“Something the opposite of what you are.”

“Oh?”

“Since I think I come across as too sedate already, I want something more... I don’t know, energetic?”

“It’s true you come across as serious. Honestly, I’d trade with you in a heartbeat.”

“Haha, I would too.”

“Heh... Well, if you want something more active-looking, I’d suggest a short skirt or shorts.”

“How short are we talking about?”

“For skirts? Fifteen centimeters above the knee.”

“Isn’t that too short?”

“Keep in mind that you have a height advantage over me. If you don’t do this right, you’ll naturally take the look from active to cool.”

“I see... So details like that can make the difference in someone’s impression.”

“Exactly. So you probably want to find a more casual pair of shoes too. If you walk around in a skirt with mules or sandals on, you’re automatically back in cool territory.”

Both girls had their eye on the prize—which was practically standing right in front of them in the form of a close friend. That sense of closeness made it feel attainable, but there was a fundamental roadblock in that they were individually working with very different material. It left them both spinning their wheels a little bit.

“It’s so hard to choose...”

“At this rate, we’re going to have to take drastic measures.”

“I have an idea, Theia-san. What if we picked something both of us could wear?”

“Both of us?”

“Yes. Rather than diving in on opposite ends of the pool, why don’t we try meeting in the middle?”

“But if we pick something we can both wear... You’ll still look cool and I’ll look like I’m trying too hard to be grown-up.”

“I’m not saying we dress the same way forever. I’m just suggesting we try it out to start. Besides, if we buy matching outfits, no one will question the change in style.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right... That would be a good first step.”

“I think so. Besides, wouldn’t that be a fun way to commemorate this day?”

“Heh, I see... Proof we started on this journey together.”

Maki wanted to find an ideal starting ground for both of them. Rather than jumping straight into a new look, they’d get their feet wet first by mixing and matching their styles. It wasn’t their ultimate goal, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

“But... mixing girly and active is going to be a little difficult, isn’t it?”

“Culottes might do the job.”

“That would work with booties.”

“See? It’s starting to pan out already.”

Once they settled on picking out matching outfits, everything seemed to fall into place. Since they were coordinating on something they could wear together, they were able to share insights with each other about their own styles and preferences. It helped them both reckon with their ambitions and shortcomings in a much more realistic way. And thanks to that, they were able to wrap up their shopping trip before the sun even finished setting.

Theia and Maki had made a date to hang out with some of their classmates the following day, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to show off their new outfits. They got changed and put makeup on together before nervously making an appearance. They were confident in their look, but were still somewhat anxious to see how everyone would react. Fortunately, the response was positive. Theia and Maki smiled at each other and sighed in relief. There was only one hurdle left...

Koutarou hadn’t shown up yet. Their classmates had all been complimentary, but the opinion Theia and Maki cared about most was Koutarou’s. And as slow and dull as he was, he didn’t even notice their new outfits until they reached the amusement park—long after they’d all met up at the station.

“Hey, now that I get a look at you two... Are you guys wearing the same outfit today, Theia, Aika-san?”

“You fool! Now you notice?!”

“Ahaha, we actually just bought these yesterday.”

They’d waited so long for him to say something that Theia couldn’t help being angry and Maki couldn’t help laughing. It seemed their matching outfits didn’t keep them from having opposite reactions.

“Wow, Kou. You’re supposed to check out a girl’s hair and outfit as soon as you see her.”

“Unlike some people, I don’t spend all day staring at girls!”

“You tell him, Koutarou! Attaboy!”

“Yeah, it’d be a little weird if Koutarou-kun suddenly started paying attention to girls like Mackenzie-kun does.”

Secretly, their classmates had all been wondering when Koutarou was finally going to notice too. They were quietly waiting to see his reaction, and couldn’t help ribbing him a little. Only a small handful of the other male classmates defended him.

“Good grief. Do you have any idea how long Maki and I have been waiting with bated breath?”

His harshest critic, however, was—as expected—Theia. With her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out in indignation, she looked up at Koutarou like an unhappy child. Her new outfit was both active and girly, but Theia’s strong personality overrode all that.

Theia-san really is amazing...

Maki still admired that part of Theia. Without jeopardizing their relationship, she always went full-throttle with Koutarou. They were probably always walking a razor’s edge, on the verge of breaking out into a genuine fight... Yet somehow that never happened. That was the strange, special balance of Theia’s relationship with Koutarou, and it was something only they had.

“Maki, you say something too!”

“Wh-Wha—?!”

That was when Theia grabbed Maki’s hand and forcibly pulled her over in front of Koutarou. Since she was planning on taking a backseat while Theia let Koutarou have it, this unexpected development took her rather by surprise. But now that Theia had put her on the spot, it would be weird not to say anything. Desperate, Maki racked her brain for the right words.

“I was also hoping you’d noticed, but perhaps we were being selfish in—”

“Stop right there, Maki! Do you wanna be this way for the rest of your life?! Well?!”

“No, you’re right... S-Satomi-kun, you knucklehead!”

“That’s more like it.”

Maki’s first reaction was demure, but with a little encouragement from Theia, she managed to change her tune. Her verbal abuse was wholesome and moderate compared to Theia’s, but it was still an improvement as far as Theia was concerned.

“I’m sorry, you two. But it wasn’t like I was trying to ignore you. It’s just that I was late and kind of in a rush, so I didn’t notice at first.”

“Then hurry up and tell us what you think already.”

“With the difference in your personalities and physiques, I’m impressed you managed to find something that looks good on you both.”

“Th-Thank you, Satomi-kun.”

Of course, Maki had genuinely been a little upset that Koutarou hadn’t noticed sooner. But that didn’t last long. Her dissatisfied frown blossomed into an embarrassed smile as soon as Koutarou said she looked nice. She was glad she’d gone shopping with Theia yesterday and that she’d dared to venture out of her comfort zone. Theia, meanwhile, was still up in arms.

“Maki, don’t let him fool you!”

“But I’m happy he―”

“You’re too soft on Koutarou! Sink your teeth into him!”

“U-Um... Satomi-kun, tell me I look cute!”

“Yes, that’s much better!”

“Hey now...”

And so Maki continued to berate Koutarou at Theia’s urging.

I wonder what’s going on here...

It was quite clear Theia was leading Maki by the nose, but she didn’t seem troubled by it. If anything, she looked like she was having fun.

“Now tell him how you really feel! Tell him off properly!”

“You’re so serious, Satomi-kun!”

“Is that supposed to be telling him off...?”

“U-Um... maybe not entirely...”

Since Maki was so unaccustomed to being selfish with others, her attempts at harshness largely just came off as endearing. She didn’t sound like she meant a word she was saying, so Koutarou simply let her and Theia have their fun. In fact, he was having fun watching them. It wasn’t every day he got to see two cute girls goofing around out of their elements like this.

Once they were in the amusement park proper, Koutarou and the others headed straight for the new attraction that had only recently been completed. It was a virtual game where players used laser guns to shoot at zombies. Groups could play together while simultaneously competing to see who could get the most points, making it extremely popular with a younger crowd.

“All right, Maki. This is where we team up and make Koutarou and the others cry uncle.”

“But I want to be on Satomi-kun’s side...”

“You can be on his side whenever you want, Maki! But we don’t get that many chances to compete with him directly! This is where you should be going all out!”

“I see... That’s good advice.”

And so Maki and Theia decided to team up against Koutarou. In order to defeat him and Kenji, they’d have to work together. In truth, there was a particular reason Maki and Theia were dressed the same and cooperating like this. It was the deal they’d made the day Maki confronted Theia about her expenditures—that they would help each other out.

Theia would stop using the knights’ funds to buy clothes, and instead, Maki would gift her clothes. That way the ledger would be kept above board and Maki could give Theia all the fashion advice she wanted. Theia’s sense of style wasn’t all that bad, but she was still relatively inexperienced when it came to Earth fashion. In that regard, Maki made a powerful ally.

And in return, Theia would teach Maki how to be aggressive. Because Maki was introverted by nature, she found it difficult to assert herself. Especially around the people she cared about. But with Theia as her coach, she stood a good chance of being able to turn things around.

In short, the deal was an alliance of self-betterment. Maki would teach Theia how to be girly and Theia would teach Maki how to be assertive. With each other’s help, they could both become the people they wanted to be.

“I’ll play the vanguard and take out any enemies that look dangerous. You stay behind me and try and keep any enemies from getting close.”

“I understand. Let’s call out when we need to reload.”

“Got it! Now let’s go!”

“Yes, let’s do our best!”

And so they challenged the attraction together. Standing side by side at the entrance, they were smiling as brightly and confidently as ever. While their goals were different and the road would be long, they were both happy they’d found a friend to share the journey with.