Chapter 45: Hollow Proof

"…So, this part goes like this."

"I see. Understood."

That morning marked the beginning of the Volunteer Activities Club’s support work for the Supplementary Lessons Department.

To put it simply—it was going extremely well.

Even with just three extra members, manpower was still manpower. Compared to when the Supplementary Lessons Department worked alone, their efficiency had skyrocketed.

"Ah, this question… K-Koharu-chan, do you have a reference book? Can I borrow it for a second?"

"Eh? Ah, sure."

"Oh my, using an actual reference book this time, are we?"

"S-shut up! How long are you going to keep bringing that up!?"

…Of course, along the way, Koharu accidentally pulled out a confiscated adult magazine, Asiri freaked out upon seeing it, and Hifumi somehow turned Momo Friends into a stealth marketing campaign disguised as religious preaching—but despite all that, the studying was going smoothly.

"Phew, I feel refreshed!"

"You’ve already had your bath? That was quick, Hifumi."

Their activities had ended for the day, and the four of them were back in their shared bedroom, relaxing and chatting as usual.

"Hehe, well, you see, Hifumi-chan couldn’t shower this morning, so she spent the whole day with her natural fragrance…"

"W-wah! Don’t say it like that, that’s embarrassing…!"

…Though, as always, one person seemed intent on steering the conversation somewhere indecent.

"Ugh, if only I hadn’t overslept…"

"That’s only because you were preparing mock exams for us. Thank you, Hifumi. If you ever have trouble getting up in the morning, just tell me. Next time, I’ll wash your body for you."

"N-no thank you, I’ll pass on that…!"

As usual, Hifumi faltered under Azusa’s overly straightforward intimacy.

"You can wash yourself, you know! You’re not a kid!"

"It’s about efficiency. Bathing together offers several advantages—and it’s a good way to understand each other better. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t hug you without reason."

"That’s not the issue! The fact that you said that is the problem!"

At first, Azusa and Koharu had struggled to find a comfortable distance between them, but lately, their friendship had been steadily deepening.

And it wasn’t just the two of them. Shared study sessions, being part of the same Supplementary Lessons Department, and simply spending time together had started to create a genuine sense of camaraderie among all four of them.

"There’s no public bath here, so an all-out group scrubbing event might be a bit difficult though…"

"There is a public bath, actually."

"…Huh?"

Into their peaceful circle slipped a new shadow.

"A-Asiri-san!? When did you—wait, why are you here!?"

"I… knocked, but nobody answered, so I thought no one was inside… but then I heard all this cheerful talking… and I just…!"

Her face clouded as she spoke, almost tearful. In truth, none of them had noticed her knocking, but Asiri had grown anxious nonetheless.

"Oh, I see. Sorry, we didn’t notice."

"N-no, it’s okay!"

"So, um… why did you come here?"

"Ah, well…"

"Let’s see… there are two reasons. One’s that I forgot something, and the other’s the lights-out check."

"I understand. By the way, what was that about a public bath?"

"Ah, right. The Volunteer Activities Club also supports students struggling with daily life, and with help from the Sisterhood, we built a public bath nearby."

She continued while showing them the location on her smartphone. Ideally, it would’ve been exclusive to their use, but the budget just hadn’t allowed for it.

"Oh, I see. I didn’t know that. What a shame—I was just about to suggest we all go into the pool naked together as a makeshift public bath."

"WHAAAT!? What are you even saying!?"

"Ehh!?"

At Hanako’s outrageous remark, Koharu and Asiri reacted instantly—with Koharu barely beating her by a fraction of a second.

"Come to think of it, Koharu-chan, you’re also in the ‘swim naked’ camp, aren’t you?"

Unfortunately, that made her Hanako’s next target.

"W-wait, what!? N-no! I never said that! Normal swimsuits in the pool—that’s justice! You were wearing one yesterday too!"

"Oh my…"

Hanako smiled—sly and graceful all at once.

"Try to recall, Koharu-chan. What exactly was I wearing in the pool yesterday…?"

"E-eh? What about that swimsuit?"

"Y-yeah, it was just an ordinary swimsuit, right?"

The two nodded in agreement. Indeed, Hanako had been wearing a perfectly ordinary swimsuit.

"…Do you really think that was a swimsuit?"

"…!?"

"Huh?"

Asiri blinked in confusion, trying to remember, while Koharu’s instincts immediately screamed danger. Between the two, Koharu had far more experience surviving Hanako’s teasing.

"I-if it wasn’t a swimsuit, then what was it…?"

Of course, Koharu’s habit of earnestly taking the bait only made her easier to tease.

"These days, lingerie designs are so advanced it can be hard to tell the difference, don’t you think? Or maybe… it was body paint?"

"…!?"

"B-body paint!?"

The suggestive tone sent shockwaves through the room.

Of course, Hanako hadn’t actually gone so far as to parade around the pool in underwear—or paint—but her words alone were more than enough to throw the others into chaos.

"N-no way! You mean…!?"

"N-no, that water resistance couldn’t possibly come from underwear or paint…!"

"Oh my, you were watching that closely?"

"I-it’s not like that…!"

Normally, Asiri would’ve brushed off such misdirection, but her reasoning was already crumbling. Hanako seized the moment and pressed even harder.

"Oh? What’s the matter, you two?"

She narrowed her eyes, her smile taking on a sharper edge.

"Even if it wasn’t a swimsuit… would that really change anything?"

And with that final question, she struck the finishing blow.

"Eh, b-but…"

"Of course it changes! Everything does!"

"…Really?"

"…!?"

Asiri’s forced rebuttal was crushed instantly, leaving her with no choice but to hear Hanako out. Even that hesitation—the brief pause she left open—had been part of Hanako’s calculation from the start.

"For example, what’s the difference between a swimsuit and underwear? Waterproofing? Skin protection? Design? Degree of exposure?"

This time, her words came rapid-fire, leaving no room for interruption.

"Neither of you could tell just by looking, right? Back then, in that moment—you believed it was a swimsuit, didn’t you?"

By now, Hanako had completely taken control of the room.

"But if it actually was underwear… how could that ‘truth’ ever be proven? There’s nothing more powerless than a truth that can’t be proven. Don’t you agree?"

"…? W-what are you even talking about!? I don’t get it at all!"

"Ah, that…"

"I see—so it’s the fifth one."

Until then, Azusa had been listening with mild disinterest, thinking, They’re at it again, but now she quietly joined the conversation.

"…!"

That was unexpected for Hanako.

She had only been toying with Koharu and Asiri, quoting an old saying in vague, misleading language to confuse them. She hadn’t imagined anyone would recognize the reference.

"Fifth one…? Um, Azusa-chan, what are you talking about?"

"…"

"It’s something I heard once—one of the Seven Old Precepts said to have been passed down in Kivotos. I think it was the fifth one."

"Ah…"

I’ve heard that too.

Asiri almost said it aloud but stopped herself, closing her mouth again.

She’d first heard it ten years ago—from the original Arius. While gathering information and trading stories about Arius with students from other schools, the topic of those ancient precepts had come up.

The fifth one, if she remembered correctly, went something like this:

"Can the truth of those who reach paradise be proven…? Something along those lines. I don’t remember the rest."

Ah, right—that was it. So, in other words…

"It questions whether a paradise no one can prove truly exists. It’s more of a philosophical riddle than anything else."

A problem meant to provoke thought—that was its true nature.

"Azusa-chan, how do you know that…? The only person I’ve heard mention it was Seia-chan—don’t tell me you’ve met Seia-chan before!?"

"…Seia?"

"Do you mean Lady Seia from the Tea Party…?"

"Yes, that’s right. Seia from the Sanctus branch."

Had she ever actually spoken with her? Maybe briefly—but calling it a “conversation” might’ve been generous. It was more like they’d just noticed each other from afar.

"No, I don’t think I’ve met her properly. That story came from someone who claimed to be my sister. Maybe they knew each other."

"I see… but Azusa-chan, you’re a transfer student, right? And your sister—if I remember correctly…"

"Not my real sister, but yes. We went to the same school. It’s possible they met through some kind of exchange event."

"…"

…Her “sister,” again.

Asiri cursed inwardly.

That mysterious “sister” had come up so many times already, yet her true identity remained unknown. They didn’t even know what she looked like.

All Asiri knew was that this person was anything but ordinary—and that she had some kind of connection to the Arius Branch School. Nothing more.

"Vanitas vanitatum… so that’s what this all leads to."

Hanako’s voice trailed off, but Asiri understood perfectly well what she meant.

"Vanity of vanities—all is vanity."

In other words, even if one dreams of paradise, even if one questions whether it can be believed or proven…

"It’s all meaningless, isn’t it? A vain pursuit. …Though personally, I don’t think so."

"…!"

Azusa’s calm voice cut through the silence and pulled them all back.

"…That might be true. Anyway, it’s getting late—we should probably get some sleep."

Hanako lightened her tone, as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere, and gave a polite bow.

"Well then, good work today, everyone."

"A-ah, y-yeah… If you ever want to use the large bath, just let me know, okay…?"

And with that, leaving behind an unspoken tension, the conversation came to a quiet close.

"…"

The next morning, Azusa’s words continued to swirl in Asiri’s mind.

『…I don’t think so.』

She wanted to agree with that sentiment. After all, what she was doing wasn’t so different.

The maintenance of this facility. The preparations. Maybe none of it truly meant anything.

Even so, she didn’t want to give up. She wanted to keep believing.

"…"

There had to be meaning in it. It couldn’t all be a mistake.

Paradise must surely exist if one believes in it. The very act of believing… must carry meaning.

That’s why the Volunteer Activities Club, the Supplementary Lessons Department, and all the other clubs came to be—and continued their efforts.

…But what about herself?

Since the day she declared Azusa to be connected to Arius, had she ever once spoken to her honestly?

She told herself she trusted her. That she wanted to believe.

And that much was true. She wouldn’t deny it.

But in practice? Had she ever truly believed in Azusa, even once?

"…"

When she looked inward, all she found was doubt.

Hadn’t she already decided, deep down, that everything was meaningless? That even paradise was just an illusion?

"…Good morning, Sensei."

“Good morning, Asiri. Nice weather today.”

“Yes, it is.”

No matter how hard she thought, the answer wouldn’t come.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“…This.”

Even so, she could only keep struggling—doing what she could.

So that one day, she could believe all of it hadn’t been in vain.

That was the conclusion she’d reached for now.

“…A transmission?”

『……』

To do that, she had to start here. Do her best now.

And try to trust Sensei.

『Long time no see, Sensei!』

“……!? Mayumi!?”

『It’s about what’s happening at Trinity right now—and the issue with Arius Branch. We need to talk!』

With that renewed determination in her heart, Asiri and Sensei—joined by Mayumi—began their discussion.