Sugar and Coffee - 10

"......Okay. I know a cafe nearby, so let's go there."

 

 

"Ah....... Yes!"

 

 

When I grabbed Hina, she stared at my face quietly for a few seconds, then headed towards the cafe she knew.

 

 

'That was a little scary......'

 

 

The way she stared at me with bright eyes and an expressionless face, it was only for a few seconds, but it scared me. For a moment, I was nervous that I might have upset Hina, but the way she relaxed her expression and headed to the cafe made it seem unlikely.

 

 

So, following Hina, we soon came across a building with a wooden frame and plastered stone walls. Hina entered casually, and I followed her inside.

 

 

The first thing that greeted me there was the rich aroma of coffee. Inside the wooden building, there were wooden tables and chairs, all of which were imbued with the lingering scent of coffee.

 

 

While I was taking in the scenery of the cafe from the entrance, Hina went to sit at a familiar spot by the window, and I belatedly followed her and sat across from her. Shortly after, the owner, who was at the counter, came to our table to take our order.

 

 

"What would you like to order?"

 

 

"A cup of coffee."

 

 

"I'll have mine with milk and sugar, and not too hot, please."

 

 

"Yes, certainly."

 

 

The owner took Hina's short and simple order, then took my order and left. Both orders were lacking in detail and unclear, but the owner took them without any difficulty and started brewing the coffee.

 

 

It could be skill, or it could be familiarity.

 

 

"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Hina, the Prefect Team's leader."

 

 

"I'm Line, a first-year student. I already said that earlier, haha......"

 

 

I let out a light laugh at the awkward situation of introducing myself again, even though I had done so just a little while ago.

 

 

Hina looked at me without a change in expression, then closed her eyes for a moment and continued.

 

 

"You don't seem surprised, so I guess you already knew."

 

 

"Ah......"

 

 

While I wasn't paying much attention to the situation, Hina had figured out that I knew who she was.

 

 

It didn't matter that she found out I knew her, but I was nervous because I didn't know how she would take it.

 

 

"I'm sorry. Did that make you uncomfortable?"

 

 

"No, it's fine. It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I'm well aware that I'm a celebrity."

 

 

"Is that so......"

 

 

I was slightly relieved by Hina's words that it was fine. But I still couldn't completely shake off my anxiety, thinking that there might be unspoken feelings.

 

 

As I became cautious due to my anxiety, the conversation stopped, and the cafe, which had become quiet, was filled only with the aroma of coffee and silence.

 

 

"......"

 

 

"......"

 

 

Just as I felt like I was suffocating in this uncomfortable situation, the owner's welcome appearance broke the oppressive silence.

 

"Here's your coffee. Please enjoy."

 

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

 

I thanked the owner, conveying my gratitude in two ways, and received my coffee. The coffee in the white mug was a soft brown color, and a sweet aroma wafted up from it.

 

 

I brought the cup to my lips and took a sip of the coffee. The first thing I felt was the smoothness of the milk. Then, I felt the pleasant warmth, not too hot, along with the sweetness of the sugar, and finally, I could smell the fragrant aroma of the coffee.

 

 

"It's delicious......"

 

 

"The owner here is a skilled person."

 

 

"......Like Hina-san?"

 

 

Upon hearing Hina's words, a sentence instantly came to mind, and after pondering it for a moment, I spoke it. I thought that a little rudeness would be acceptable since it was a compliment, and if I succeeded, it could break this awkward atmosphere.

 

 

"......No way. I'm not such a great person. Anyway, I was a little surprised. To suddenly give such a compliment."

 

 

"Hehe, I'm sorry. But I mean it. I think Hina-san is amazing."

 

 

The Hina I knew was a truly outstanding student. Responsible, diligent, and respected by the students of the Prefect Team, she was such an amazing student.

 

 

"Ah, was it rude to call you Hina-san? Oh dear......"

 

 

After I finished speaking, I realized that there was a problem with my phrasing. Calling someone by their first name followed by "san" was quite an informal expression, and I realized that it wasn't an appropriate way to address someone on a first meeting.

 

 

"The way you address me is fine. Call me however you feel comfortable. And...... thank you for the compliment......"

 

 

My eyes widened at Hina's words and appearance. Hina was blushing, lowering her head, and thanking me. Seeing Hina's cute appearance, I smiled brightly with joy and answered Hina's words in a lively voice.

 

 

"You're welcome!"

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

After that, Hina and I continued to drink coffee and talk about various things. Unlike the beginning, the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, so it wasn't difficult to have a pleasant conversation.

 

As we continued our conversation, Hina's cup eventually became empty, and she stood up to resume her patrol and then do paperwork.

 

 

Since she was always busy, she couldn't spare any more time.

 

 

"Hmm....... That's a shame......"

 

 

I leaned on the table and looked at the seat where Hina had been sitting until just a moment ago. The antique wooden chair remained still, pulled away from the table.

 

 

To change my mood, I quickly sat up straight and took a sip of the remaining coffee in my cup. But since it was lukewarm from the beginning, the coffee had cooled down quickly, and it was just intensely sweet without any aroma.

 

 

"......"

 

 

I gulped down the cold coffee in one go and stood up. The fine coffee grounds that hadn't been properly filtered swirled around in my mouth, making it feel gritty.

 

 

"Come to think of it, I didn't get to ask why she was surprised to hear my name."

 

 

While I was paying for the coffee, I belatedly remembered the reason why I had stopped Hina.

 

 

"......When will I be able to see her again?"

 

 

As I realized that I hadn't achieved my original purpose and had to wait indefinitely for an uncertain future, only disappointment grew larger and larger in my heart.

 

 

At that moment, I closed my eyes and pictured Hina's face. The image of her being embarrassed and thanking me, as if she wasn't used to receiving compliments, came to mind.

 

 

"I hope I can see her again next time......"

 

 

Then, the disappointment gradually turned into anticipation, and eventually, it turned into hope.

 

 

Hoping to see more of Hina's cute side when we met again, I left the cafe.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

"Ah, Hina-buchou. You're back?"

 

 

"Yes. So, Ako, where are the important documents?"

 

 

"I've organized them on your desk. All you need to do is review the contents and approve them."

 

 

When Hina returned to the Prefect Team's office after finishing her patrol, Ako, the Prefect Team's senior administrator, greeted her.

 

 

As Ako said, Hina saw that the documents were organized on her desk, and she sat down to review their contents.

 

 

And despite the importance of those documents, it took a very short time to review and approve them.

 

 

"Ako, where are the other documents?"

 

 

"They're being sent up from the Information Bureau now, so please wait a little while. Would you like some coffee?"

 

 

"Please."

 

 

Ako took the important documents that Hina handed her and went to the break room to make coffee.

 

 

'Coffee, huh......'

 

 

Hearing the word 'coffee', Hina recalled the place where she had just had coffee, the events that took place in that cafe.

 

 

'She was a cheerful and kind girl......'

 

 

And she remembered a student who had stopped her and had coffee with her at that cafe.

 

 

"Come to think of it, I'm sure......"

 

 

Hina opened her desk drawer and started looking for something, and soon found what she was looking for. Taking out one of the many papers neatly arranged in the drawer, Hina looked at its contents and recalled a past event.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

"Hello, Hina-senpai. I'm Amau Ako, the senior administrator who will be assisting you from today."

 

 

"......What are you doing, Ako?"

 

 

"Well, it's my first day in a new position, so I thought I'd put in some effort. Please don't look at me like I'm strange."

 

 

"......I see? ......So, what work do we have to do today?"

 

 

"So you're just going to ignore it....... Well, fine. Yes, the work we have to do today is....... Ugh......"

 

 

"Hmm?"

 

 

Despite Hina's question, Ako was frowning at the clipboard she was holding. Eventually, Hina approached Ako, and Ako handed her clipboard to Hina, who read its contents aloud.

 

 

"This is...... We have to grade the entrance exam papers of the new students?"

 

 

"It seems like it's another one of those Pandemonium Society's pranks. Let's just ignore this and go back."

 

 

"So where are the answer sheets?"

 

 

"What?! Are you actually planning to do what's written here?!"

 

 

"We don't have anything else to do anyway. And since this task has been given to us, if we don't do it, the new students will be in trouble."

 

 

"If Hina-buchou says so....... Then I, Amau Ako, will do my best!"

 

 

So, Hina and Ako started grading the new students' answer sheets in the office together, but they were soon dumbfounded by the contents.

 

 

"......Ako, what kind of exam is this?"

 

 

[Describe the correlation between the problems that the Prefect Team currently has and the fact that I can't eat pudding to my heart's content, and the solution!]

 

 

"This is...... Haa...... It's another one of that stupid new student council president's doings."

 

 

"Haa....... Let's just grade them appropriately and go back."

 

 

"Yes....... That seems like a good idea."

 

 

Eventually, Hina and Ako started looking at each answer sheet one by one and grading them. However, since the question was the height of irrationality, almost all of the answer sheets were nonsensical ramblings trying to somehow solve it, slander against the question, blank, or doodles, and were not worth looking at in many ways. Nevertheless, they gave appropriate scores to these and processed the work.

 

 

And in the middle of it, Hina paused when she saw one answer sheet.

 

 

[The fact that a certain resource cannot be concentrated in the hands of a certain individual may be related to the Prefect Team's act of maintaining order. To consider the Prefect Team's act of maintaining order as a problem and to solve it, it would be efficient to neutralize the basis or means of the act of maintaining order.

 

 

The basis of the Prefect Team's act of maintaining order is the rules established by the Prefect Team itself, and neutralizing these rules can be achieved by enacting a higher law that makes these rules illegal.

 

 

The means of the Prefect Team's act of maintaining order is the force held by the Prefect Team, and neutralizing this is a difficult task. Neutralizing this can be achieved by mobilizing an equivalent force to defeat it, which is the simplest method.

 

 

The force held by the Prefect Team is a great threat to opposing groups, and the enactment of a higher law is also likely to be neutralized through this force.

 

 

Mobilizing an equivalent force is a difficult task in itself, and even if such a force is mobilized, defeating the Prefect Team is uncertain. Moreover, the damage that would result from this would be indescribable.

 

 

Therefore, to do this, it would be necessary to first weaken the Prefect Team's force through methods that do not involve the use of force. Inducing the collapse of the chain of command by winning over or kidnapping the Prefect Team's commanders and causing internal strife would be the most efficient method, and this would be an excellent way to weaken the Prefect Team and give grounds for intervening in the Prefect Team's internal affairs.

 

 

This would provide an opportunity to seize the Prefect Team's force, and if the Prefect Team's internal affairs are taken over, the Prefect Team can be made into a puppet or rendered ineffective.

 

 

If the Prefect Team is neutralized through such methods, the Prefect Team will not be able to continue its act of maintaining order, that is, to prevent the monopoly of a certain resource.

 

 

However, doing all of this solely for the sake of pudding would be the most foolish and inefficient method in the world.]

 

 

"......"

 

 

Hina was silent as she looked at this answer sheet. Unlike the other answer sheets, this one had the requirements of a proper solution. However, its contents were something that she, as the head of the Prefect Team, could never overlook.

 

 

'She found rationality in an irrational question, considering the Prefect Team's act of maintaining order as a problem....... No, should I say she created rationality......'

 

 

Hina looked at Ako, who was in the same space as her. Ako was muttering something strange and scary while grading the answer sheets at a rapid pace, not even noticing that Hina was looking at her.

 

 

'I should be glad that Ako didn't see this.'

 

 

Hina carefully looked at the name written on the answer sheet. Hoping that this student would never get involved with the Pandemonium Society.

 

 

The name, written in kanji and katakana, was Namari Line.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

"I can't believe such a child wrote this."

 

 

Hina said, looking at the answer sheet in her hand. Unlike the other answer sheets, this one, which had been replaced with a blank sheet with only the score and name written on it, had the same score as the fake one that had been returned. It was the highest score that could be given for this question.

 

 

"Hmm...... Should I make some time next time?"