Vol. 6 Ch. 3 Ep. 8: Teatime

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank you again for your role in everything regarding these practice exams.

No, not at all...

Apologies, I should gratefully accept your words, Sensei.

I've already settled the matter of where Arius students will study and take their exams.

There are some old school buildings that, while Trinity property, are currently unused.

We would like to lend them to you, free of charge, for the Arius students to use however they desire.

Wh-Why that reaction, Sensei? Did I say something wrong again...?

Hm? The breadth of my generosity is so wide-ranging that it's a little hard to keep up with?

Fufu. So that's what you meant. Still, every piece only truly shines once it fulfills its intended purpose.

Oh? You're asking if we Tea Party members are taking the exams?

Naturally. If anything, if our grades were poor, people would question whether we deserve to be in the Tea Party.

But Mika and Seia are both excellent students, so I'm not concerned.

Huh? You can understand when it comes to Seia, but you're curious about Mika's grades?

...

Sensei.

When it comes to Mika... Have you ever heard this phrase?

"My child has so much potential, she just doesn't apply herself."

You may already have noticed this yourself, but Mika is actually quite smart.

It's just that... She has no desire to make any use of it.

If I had to guess...I suspect she simply finds it tedious to think through things the way a school wants her to.

She'll do well on her exams, as she always does.

You do realize she never would have been chosen for the Tea Party if her grades were poor, don't you?

Thank you for understanding...

...

In the end, both back then and now, at the root of all our problems is the long history between Trinity and Arius.

Trinity and Arius share the same exact history, yet they interpret it in completely different ways.

History is meant to be an accurate record of events, but the people who record it are fallible.

...

So, Sensei. Once these exams are over...

I plan to compare Trinity's recorded history with the history preserved in Porta Pacis, line by line, and establish something of an archive or museum.

The two records will naturally be vastly different. As we go about comparing them, conflicts and disputes will inevitably arise, at least for a time.

Even so, if necessary, we'll bring in third parties for objective views and counsel.

We'll never overcome our past without first looking it straight in the eye.

When it comes to reexamining, comparing, and researching the records... I already know of someone who would gladly take on that task.

I truly believe Trinity will be able to overcome all that turmoil.

The Trinity I know is not that fragile.

Naturally, I do expect many political issues and debts to surface in the process...

...

But in a way, that kind of thing is exactly the Tea Party host's "specialty," wouldn't you say?

That's simply the nature of politics.

It is the process of giving up something of yours in order to gain something someone else has that you need.

And even as you repeat those compromises and exchanges...

...you must never let go of the one core value you wish to protect.

That first compromise, that first trade, is surprisingly easy. It's the second one that many people stumble on.

Before they know it, they forget who they are, and what they were striving for.

I...

I want Trinity to become the finest academy there ever was.

I want attending Trinity to be a badge of honor and pride.

And years from now, when students look back on their school days at Trinity...

...I hope they will remember them fondly, as truly precious, irreplaceable times.

I want every experience they have here to be a small, but cherished, treasure that helps them grow into better people.

Of course, we still have a very long way to go.

And, if possible, I'd also like to earn that kind of experience for myself.

In order to make my dream a reality...

We have to see the world around us with much more discerning, unclouded vision.

You know, I did learn all of this from you, Sensei.

Yes?

For?

"And...for being so hard on you."

"It was all my fault."

"I never should have said those things."

S-Sensei...?

Why are you saying this now? Out of nowhere?

Because if you don't say it now, you thought you might never come clean about it?

N-No! Please, you don't have to bow like that...!

Ah...?

I-I'm sorry, Sensei. I...

"I really do need to hurry up and become a proper adult for you all."

"I'm sorry for being so lacking as a teacher."

S-Sensei...

Sensei...

...

I-I'm sorry, but...

Could you please...turn around for a moment...?

I... It was so hard.

All this time, really, truly...

I thought about it over and over.

I accept full responsibility for what happened. I do.

But... But still...

I kept wondering why your standards seemed so much harsher for me than for anyone else.

I know I'm the Tea Party host, and that strict standards are a given.

And especially when it came to Hifumi and Koharu, I know I deserved it.

But even...so...

*sob*

"Feeling a little better?"

Yes.

I'm sorry you had to see me like that.

Please, don't keep blaming yourself, Sensei. If you keep doing that, I...I'll start to...

...

Why don't we do this instead, Sensei?

From now on, both of us will be a little more careful.

And we'll endeavor to not bring that incident up again, unless the situation demands it.

To mark that promise and seal it, how about a toast with some tea?

Think nothing of it.

Cheers!

"Smells nice..."

Of course. It should.

Oh? Now that I think of it, there was one last thing about the recent incident you wanted to tell me, wasn't there?

...

...

.........

Ha.

Heehee.

Hahahaha...

I see, I see. I finally understand.

I can more or less surmise who those two are. They did submit a report to me on the matter as well.

Truly.

Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Sensei.

You've brought me some very, very valuable information today. Fufufufu.

So, they assured you that they would take care of all of it, and then handled things as they pleased.

They even edited parts of the report to bolster their fabrications...

Oh, worry not, Sensei.

This will be settled smoothly, and quietly.

Really, truly.

In fact, if I do my job correctly, you'll never even hear of this again. All you need to manipulate the narrative is pretext and excellent timing.

For example, one could say this little act of deception occurred because the authority of each faction's acting representative remains permanently damaged.

Of course, restoring things to the way they were before would be extremely difficult, particularly when it comes to Mika and her position.

However, it will take little to circulate an internal memo that many are recommending a promotion, at the least.

Well then, Sensei. Why don't we stop here with the heavy, headache-inducing topics?

For the remaining hour or so...would you join me for a private teatime, just the two of us?

Because...

For example, those remarks you made, Sensei.

Or the subtle distance that exists between you and me.

Or the many little things that created that distance.

All of those things...

I believe that I would like to be compensated for them.

"Hey, we agreed not to talk about that!"

Oh, my.

Did I specify which remarks...exactly?

Fufu. And if it was?

What will you do, Sensei?

Aww.

...Do you dislike me that much...?

Yes, it was.

In a way, isn't this also a form of politics?

Yo, Nagi! What're you up to?

M-Mika?! Seia?!?!

Wh-Whoa?! Sensei??! I didn't know...! I would've gotten ready a little if I knew you were gonna be here...

Oho. Here I was simply following a...feeling, of sorts, that something fun, or perhaps important, would happen here and dropped by unannounced.

And yet, it would seem my intuition was correct.

S-Sensei, what do we do?! There are things...things that I especially don't want Mika to know about!

Ack!!

Th-That's correct. Thank you, Sensei.

Ahem. Welcome, you two. Sensei paid us an unexpected visit.

Huh? Really? Oh, that makes sense. Of course, Nagi would still manage to get things set up! Good job!

Um...still, I'd have preferred if you would've given me a heads up.

"Yeah, you're right. I probably should've."

"It's just...I suddenly really wanted to see Mika, so I thought I'd surprise her."

Wh-Whoa, r-really?! Me? I-I'm really happy to hear that.

Eheehee. Heeheehee. Sensei, you're too much.

...

You truly are a grievously sinful person, Sensei.

Are you serious...?

The world would be a wonderful place if intent and impact were always aligned.

Well then, since things turned out this way, shall we all have a long-overdue teatime together?

Especially since Sensei is here with us.

Yeah, yeah! I'm all for it!

Huh? Come to think of it...is this our first teatime with all three of us plus Sensei? Or have we ever...?

Maybe my memory's getting worse. Everything's so fuzzy... What do I do, Sensei?

You're not QUITE at that point yet, Mika.

What matters is that we're all here together, now.

Of course, to you, it might feel like almost everything in the world is always fresh and new.

Seia? You basically just turned around and told me my memory's bad straight to my face, didn't you?

I'm relieved. Even if your memory's in danger, at least your instincts are still sharp.

If you keep twisting people's words like that, people might not put up with it anymore one day!

That remains to be seen, doesn't it?

More importantly, how would I know? I can't see the future anymore.

You just have to get the last word in, don't you? Every! Single! Time!

...Hmph.

M-Mika? Seia? Remember, Sensei is present at the moment.

"Indeed, conflict between two people..."

"...is not something that can be easily resolved."

I'm terribly sorry, Sensei...