Kayama Esumi: End of the Day

Paintings invariably undergo a transformation known as aging effects.

To use a human analogy, this is a kind of decline. It is a term referring to changes vastly removed from the original state upon completion, primarily including paint discoloration, cracking, and material decay or deformation of the canvas due to weathering.

Of course, depending on the person, some might call this degradation rather than an effect.

And that is not entirely incorrect.

In reality, due to the nature of the materials used in paint and chemical changes during the manufacturing process, it is virtually impossible to perfectly preserve the original colors over a long period. Drying, in particular, is paint's greatest enemy and the primary factor behind cracking.

While dust and grime can also cause cracking, those are hardly a problem as long as proper cleaning and maintenance methods are thoroughly applied. Discoloration, however, is something that will inevitably happen eventually no matter what measures are taken.

Consequently, outside of places like art museums capable of proper management and preservation, the lifespan of a painting in a typical household is roughly several decades to fifty years for oil paintings. For watercolor paintings, it is ten to thirty years. In fact, in rapid cases, discoloration can begin in as little as five years.

That being said, from a certain perspective, those cracks and discolorations can also be seen as changes symbolizing the length of the life the painting has traversed. Because of this, a small fraction of artists have occasionally created works while anticipating even that process of change.

So to speak, artists considered the changes in a work that appear over the passage of many years to be growth rather than degradation.

As a matter of fact, works created hundreds of years ago often feature heavily discolored or faded colors due to the passage of long periods, with some exhibiting cracks large enough to require immediate repair. Yet that very state frequently heightens the mysterious aura of the work.

Therefore, later artists intentionally used untreated materials to encourage natural weathering, or intentionally employed fading dyes to target color changes over time, ultimately maximizing the utilization of artwork degradation caused by the passage of time for artistic expression.

This is the general reason why it is called the aging effect.

Now, then, why did such a topic suddenly begin?

It is because Esumi was right at that moment directly appreciating a work that utilized those aging effects.

Nearby stood Maestro, one of the members of Gematria.

Currently, the two of them were alternately gazing at several paintings displayed outdoors, discussing their impressions of the exhibited pieces. Being unadulterated, consummate artists of the highest order, what emerged from their mouths upon viewing these works were producer perspectives—artistic viewpoints as creators, along with techniques and motifs in creation.

Perhaps at the request of the author, or to adjust and manage weathering on the works while preventing valuable pieces from being intentionally damaged by human hands, limits were placed on the number of people permitted to enter this outdoor exhibition area.

That number hovered just under ten people.

Moreover, there was a strict time limit of roughly thirty minutes per viewing session, and once a person exited, re-entry was prohibited unless formal procedures were completed.

In addition, to harness wind and air currents, high walls were constructed all over this outdoor exhibition area where the works were displayed, making it entirely feasible to avoid the eyes of others depending on one's standing position. Consequently, as a result of these favorable conditions overlapping, not a soul remained in this space aside from them—let alone anyone who noticed the presence of Esumi and Maestro.

Roughly several minutes passed with just the two of them left behind in this exhibition area.

Esumi, who had initially been gazing at the works with a satisfied smile, suddenly used one hand to gently shield her eyes from the dazzling glare of the sun, and upon apparently realizing something, turned her gaze toward Maestro standing beside her with a startled look.

Then, trembling her lips in surprise and confusion, she let out the words:

"I, of all people, was on the verge of getting so absorbed in art appreciation that I forgot my original purpose... Come to think of it, the reason we came to this deserted place was to have an important conversation with you in private, wasn't it?"

True to her words, the reason the two came to this exhibition area was not to jointly appreciate works utilizing aging effects and passionately discuss them as artists.

It was simply that Maestro, who had approached Esumi on the grounds that he had an important matter to discuss with her, had guided her to this unpopular outdoor spot under the pretext that it was the ideal location for a private talk.

Naturally, since others were present at first, they had simply killed time appropriately while appreciating the art, but Esumi was an art fiend for better or worse... By the time she realized it, she had been captivated by art appreciation, completely forgetting her initial purpose and merely killing time.

Thanks to that, the viewing time, capped at thirty minutes, had already dropped below fifteen minutes remaining.

Could the topic Maestro wished to discuss possibly be something that would wrap up immediately within fifteen minutes?

"...Indeed. Our discussion on art grew unexpectedly heated, and I nearly forgot our initial purpose, but there is no need to worry about time... For this will not be a lengthy talk."

Yet, judging by Maestro's unwavering, leisurely demeanor, that worry proved to be unfounded.

Esumi let out a breath of relief from the bottom of her heart.

"Then, getting back on track... since you, a member of Gematria, went out of your way to come see me, could you tell me your true intentions... the reason you came?"

Maestro's body creaked slightly.

Averting his face from her, he gazed at the dazzling sun high overhead, and let out those words as if making a wish:

"I wish to invite you into my faction."

"——!!"

Faced with words she honestly never anticipated, the moment Esumi wore a look of utter astonishment, a sudden gust of wind swept over them, rustling Esumi's lovely pale blue hair. Throughout it all, Esumi's gaze never left him.

And amidst the wind strongly fluttering his well-tailored clothes, Maestro returned his face to Esumi and continued speaking with a pleading tone:

"To put it more accurately, I want you to stand beside me as a comrade."

"To think you'd call at an hour like this. It's quite rare for the Boss, who usually communicates with me via letters or MomoTalk. Did something happen?"

"Well, how should I put it. Call it a change of pace, or rather, I have a slight errand with you. Besides, since the opportunity's here, I figured I'd catch up on the current state of Trinity."

"I see. But even if you ask about the current state, it hasn't been all that many days since the Boss left for study abroad over there, so I don't have all that much information to pass on from my end..."

"That's fine. Tell me everything new Azuki has managed to acquire during this short period."

"......Understood. Then, starting right away, the information I've gathered regarding the current situation of the Tea Party is—"

The time was already the middle of the night.

The autonomous district of Wild Hunt, which had been illuminated beneath a dazzling, shining sun during the day, was now lit solely by the meager light of a moon half-hidden behind clouds, and the entire surroundings were swiftly painted over in a pitch-black world.

Straining one's ears, one could catch the sound of leaves and trees swaying in the wind, but the daytime hustle and bustle—where art-crafting working sounds and music echoed from all four directions—was entirely gone.

It was absolute silence.

Amidst this, with her room window left wide open while gazing out at the scenery, Esumi used her beloved smartphone to converse with Azuki Rino (whose true identity was an exclusive subordinate personally scouted by Esumi for intelligence gathering), who currently served as the Art Club's vice-president in Trinity.

Incidentally, while in Trinity, Esumi regularly procured information from Rino using art-related cryptographic text to deceive surrounding eyes, but this time, because she was away in an autonomous district at another academy, there was no particular issue with brazenly using her smartphone to talk with Rino like this.

Furthermore, as luck would have it, Miria—Esumi's roommate—was temporarily absent as she was taking a shower. Thanks to that, Esumi, who for the first time in a while didn't have to worry about surrounding eyes, continued her call with Rino with her guard lowered.

"...I see. Because I suddenly went to Wild Hunt for short-term study abroad without any prior notice, the impression the students hold toward the Tea Party has deteriorated significantly."

"To be precise, the impression toward Nagisa-san, who currently serves as the top, is worsening. Even among Art Club members, there are harsh voices saying that even though you're her favored acquaintance from way back, suddenly packing you off to Wild Hunt for short-term study abroad without considering your circumstances is an abuse of authority using her position as host. Moreover, with the realization of that Eden Treaty, she's been using Justice Task Force to forcibly tighten security, making the atmosphere across the entire district tenser than last year by a margin that defies comparison, so the overall academy vibe is much worse than the Boss imagined."

"Is that so.... Kirifuji."

When she spoke Nagisa's surname with a worried look, Rino opened her mouth after a brief pause, crossing the threshold of someone else's boundaries with utmost caution.

"As someone who goes back with her all the way to middle school, does the Boss feel a heavy heart regarding the current situation?"

"That's... well, who knows. As a personal opinion of mine, having old ties, I'd like people to look on her with warm eyes if possible, since she's operating the academy while racking her brains desperately as a representative of Trinity... But at the same time, not everyone can feel that way equally."

"......Well, that's true."

"Politics especially is a field where praise and criticism arise no matter what action is taken, making it all the more difficult. For students like you or Kongou who utterly detest politics from the root, Kirifuji's actions might look like they're just souring the academy's atmosphere. Especially since the treaty she's pushing forward to realize is something not everyone sincerely desires. It feels more like she's holding a hard-to-handle bomb."

"That I understand well. After all, the Eden Treaty in question is a problematic item that originally collapsed and was once scrapped due to the disappearance of its initiator, the General Student Council President. With the General Student Council President still missing, Nagisa-san is taking the lead and pushing it forward unilaterally as Trinity's representative. For students who didn't have a favorable impression of Gehenna to begin with, the situation must be entirely unamusing."

"By the way, what are your personal feelings, Azuki? Regarding the treaty in question."

Tossing out the question casually, Rino paused for barely a few seconds before replying smoothly.

"My feelings? Well... let's see... Neither for nor against, I suppose. I myself have never personally set foot in that lawless zone of Gehenna, but considering the tragedy that befell the Boss, I think realizing the treaty itself is fine for the sake of the future."

"I see."

"However... that was before the General Student Council President went missing. Now that she's suddenly vanished, Nagisa-san is pushing the treaty forward forcefully against surrounding opposition, with virtually no supporters in sight. Partly because the General Student Council—an organization that should normally shoulder mediation—isn't intervening at all, opposition factions like the Pater faction, which has long hoisted anti-Gehenna banners, are gradually raising their voices and refusing to fall in step. In short, the Tea Party faces a crisis of division over the treaty. My view on this matter is simply that the timing was far too premature. Or perhaps I should say, too little, too late."

"Meaning you're saying, 'Handling that treaty right now is extremely dangerous timing, so I'm strictly opposed'?"

"Well, simply put, that's what it boils down to."

Esumi gave a wry smile and quietly stood up from the bed where she had been sitting.

"I see. But thank you. I'm glad to hear your valuable opinions on the current climate from someone like you, who openly professes a hatred for politics just like Kongou."

"Haha, compared to Furan, my hatred for politics isn't nearly that severe. At most, I just mutter sarcastic remarks and cast cold stares. If the Boss desires it, I'd gladly voice my perspective on current politics."

"I see. Then you can tell me more another time... Anyway, moving on to the main topic... I'd like to talk about that 'slight errand' I mentioned to you at first. Is now alright?"

Taking a breath and completely transforming the somewhat gentle atmosphere from moments before, Esumi cut in with a serious expression. Even across the phone, Rino likely sensed that a seemingly important task was packed into what she called a slight errand, as she naturally straightened her posture and replied briefly, "Yes, it's fine."

With that, Esumi stepped away from the bed and used one hand to firmly close the window that had remained wide open.

The pleasant night breeze subsided, and the already quiet sounds of the surroundings grew even closer to complete silence.

And sitting back down on the bed, Esumi opened her mouth:

"Azuki. To preface this, what I'm about to tell you is neither a request nor an order. So if you feel it's impossible, you can turn it down right away, I'm telling you this in advance."

"Haha. That's awfully unusual for the Boss. Has there ever been a single time I immediately turned down a request from you?"

"......Then, if I asked you to stick close to Kongou and monitor her, would you take it on immediately?"

At that moment, along with a sharp intake of breath, Rino's response abruptly stopped.

Straining her ears, however, she could faintly hear a voice coming from the smartphone speaker saying, "......Eh...... no...... no way......" in a state of severe agitation.

Esumi simply listened quietly to that reaction.

"......P-Pardon me, Boss. I was startled...... But, um...... what was that just now?"

Eventually, Rino reappeared, having forcibly composed her tone, but she still seemed heavily agitated by the shocking words—"Monitor Kongou Furan"—slipping from the mouth of the senior she respected. Her voice lacked its usual composure.

Well, that was hardly surprising.

To her, the girl named Kongou Furan was an irreplaceable comrade and best friend who shared a mutual adoration for Kayama Esumi, swore to work for her sake, and honed her skills alongside her to this day. Given that they both shared a mutual aversion to politics, Esumi was well aware of how deep their bond and friendship ran.

Yet, feeling internally apologetic, Esumi continued the conversation.

"Just as it sounds, Azuki. You are exceptionally close with her. Bound by a deep friendship with no room for others to enter. That's precisely why I want you to act as her personal stopper, just in case Kongou goes off the rails."

"......As a stopper......"

"Look, she... Kongou tends to put me on a pedestal far too much, doesn't she? Coupled with that extreme level of political aversion. Honestly, I was secretly quite anxious that she might go on a wild rampage following my hospitalization from injuries in Gehenna... Well, as it turned out, that worry was unfounded... and now she seems to be diligently serving as the Art Club president in my place."

Lowering her gaze to the black leather glove worn on her dominant hand, Esumi shrugged her shoulders.

"However, just like the old days, the current climate remains quite unstable. With the Tea Party's heavy-handed moves toward realizing the treaty and my short-term study abroad, voices of dissatisfaction are rising high from within the academy, making me extra worried about Kongou, who holds anti-political views."

"So that's how it is. Then the Boss fears she might be inspired by that bad atmosphere and start running wild... And that's why you're asking me, her best friend, to keep watch over her. Am I understanding correctly?"

"Though phrasing it as 'monitoring' might sound a bit harsh—perhaps I should have said I want you to keep an eye out for her and watch over her?"

"......No, 'monitoring' is actually the correct word for her. When it comes to the Boss or art, she's a colossal fool who acts without thinking ahead."

"Even though she's not here, you use remarkably unsparing words for your own best friend."

"Precisely because she's my best friend. Treatment like this is business as usual between us."

"I see. If you yourselves don't mind, I have nothing further to say on the matter."

That being said, Esumi harbored one more concern.

It was the fact that lately, Kongou had been interacting frequently with Mika—unavoidable though it might be due to work circumstances. According to what she heard, requests regarding art—such as painting restoration and transport—had Mika actively relying on the Art Club, but Mika herself was never a student who held as passionate an enthusiasm for art as Nagisa.

Rather, she was the type of person who would say "I'm not interested" like Seia, or openly proclaim "I'm not familiar with it at all☆," naturally keeping art at arm's length.

Consequently, Esumi couldn't help but feel various curiosities regarding Mika's frequent visits to the Art Club lately.

Was she simply picking up a new hobby, or was there another objective entirely?

And the person primarily handling Mika's affairs was Furan, who currently served as Art Club president.

Since Mika technically served as head of the Pater faction, leaders of respective organizations deepening exchanges with each other was nothing strange.

Yet, especially under the current circumstances where they were on the verge of plunging directly into the Eden Treaty arc, Esumi couldn't shake the feeling that unexpected trouble was brewing somewhere outside her awareness.

Presently, discounting minor details, events were proceeding largely along the original timeline, so she figured it was just groundless anxiety, but as Esumi, she naturally wanted to extract as much information as possible through Fran, who was deepening ties with Mika.

(Though, knowing Mika—who played even her suspicious childhood friend Nagisa well enough to deceive her during the original work—that kind of approach probably won't work very well.)

Esumi thought this to herself with a wry smile.

And glancing at the time, she realized a fair amount of time had passed since the call began.

Since business had concluded, it was about time to wrap things up.

If she didn't hurry, Miria, who was supposed to be taking a shower, would return.

"Well then, if you have even the slightest hesitation about monitoring your best friend Kongou, it's completely fine to turn down that errand, Azuki. I wouldn't want to put a crack in your passionate friendship for the world, and looking at Kongou's hard work lately, even from my perspective, she's doing splendidly. Rather, if you or Kongou face any trouble, please feel free to rely on me without holding back."

"......"

"Hm, Azuki? Why did you suddenly go quiet?"

"......N-No...... well, yes. If a 'problem' arises that even I or Kongou can't handle...... at that time...... assuming total responsibility and disemboweling myself as a last resort, I will tearfully beg the Boss for help......"

"No, you can rely on me immediately before it comes to that, you know? There's no need to disembowel yourself?"

She spoke in a tone that suggested trouble was already brewing, but knowing Rino, pressing her further now wouldn't make her talk.

Considering it might be best to carefully check in with Rino and Fran individually once she returned to Trinity later, Esumi decided to wrap up the call since the hour was late.

"I'll be staying in Wild Hunt for another few weeks or so, so if an urgent matter arises, feel free to give me a call. Under the current environment here, we won't need to worry too much about prying eyes."

"Indeed. I've heard that censorship regarding external items brought into that autonomous district by the Prefectural Council is quite strict. Traditional message exchanges using letters or small boxes seem unlikely to work, so as the Boss said, we'll communicate using smartphones for the time being."

"Then let's do that for the foreseeable future. Azuki, I'll be away from Trinity for a while, but I'm leaving things over there in your hands."

"Yes. Understood, Boss...... Please take utmost care to ensure incidents like the one in Gehenna don't happen over there either. Your life might be targeted again."

"It's fine. Even with tactile hypersensitivity, I can still fight reasonably well, and by my side, reliable Prefectural Council students are constantly on guard. No need to worry so much; rest easy."

"......Understood. Then Boss, good work."

"Yep. Good work."

With a soft beep sound indicating the call ended, Esumi let out a deep sigh, set her phone down, and lay back on the bed.

The bed creaked softly while a fluffy blanket warmly welcomed her body. Since she had already changed into sleepwear, she could dive under the covers right this second and instantly depart on a dream journey, but Esumi simply stared up at the ceiling of the room and relaxed.

"......"

What on earth was she thinking?

Was it regarding the current political situation in Trinity?

Or perhaps about students like Rino and Furan, who had been mentioned by name? Or perhaps, to escape reality, she was pondering her beloved art.

While circumstances continued in a way unforeseeable even from a third-party perspective, a sudden, pleasant fragrance drifted over, and right after, a certain girl peeked her face right into Esumi's field of vision.

Esumi's eyes widened in surprise.

"My, my. Even if we're inside a room, exposing such a lovely and charming figure defenselessly before me like this... Worst-case scenario, I might accidentally gobble Esumi-san right up, fufu."

Standing there was a beautiful girl who matched Esumi step for step.

Faced with the girl who had appeared silently and abruptly, Esumi blinked her eyes two or three times for a brief moment, unable to return a proper reaction, before eventually letting out a sigh of relief and casting a flat, weary stare at the girl:

"......I'm startled. Showing up out of nowhere like that—did you want my heart to stop?"

"My apologies. But it seems Esumi-san is truly unaccustomed to the environment of sharing a room. To be so profoundly startled by something like this. Though I suppose I'm also at fault for erasing my footsteps purely out of a desire to surprise Esumi-san. Next time, I shall dial it back just a fraction."

"I'd rather you learned how to startle someone without harming their heart... if possible, of course."

"Yes. I shall keep that in mind."

"Really? That somewhat meaningful smile. You aren't planning to use the same trick to surprise me next time too, Miria?"

"Well, who can say."

"Come on, spare me for real... I'm terrible at jump scares..."

"Oh? That is good to know."

"Hey."

"Fufu."

Smiling happily and chuckling, she was her roommate and a Wild Hunt student who had been absent from the room earlier to take a shower—Miria.

She was an elite serving as the vice-executive of the Prefectural Council (the organization tasked with maintaining public safety at Wild Hunt Art Academy) and possessed enough skill to act as Esumi's dedicated bodyguard, as well as serving as her roommate sharing this room during her stay.

Incidentally, she was also the one who had stayed faithfully by Esumi's side from the moment she arrived in Wild Hunt earlier that day and guided her through the academy.

As was only natural for a Wild Hunt student who mastered art and loved it dearly, she not only kept pace with Esumi—a consummate art fiend—from start to finish, but even grasped Esumi's preferences and quirks (making Esumi feel slightly creeped out, considering it was only their first day meeting), marking her as a student with an exceptional ability to read people's hearts and snuggle close to them in every sense.

Even Esumi, who fundamentally maintained a certain fixed distance from others regardless of student status, had already placed a fair amount of trust in Miria despite less than a day passing since they met, which alone showed just how remarkably competent the girl was.

Well, as a matter of fact, Esumi—having unexpectedly reunited with a certain "person" while being guided through the academy—had slipped away on her own without waiting for Miria, who was temporarily absent due to other matters, and after wrapping up business with that person through various twists and turns, returned to her starting point only to find that Miria had nearly mobilized the entire Prefectural Council to search the entire academy—a behind-the-scenes backstory of causing trouble for Miria bright and early in her short study abroad.

Nonetheless, Miria defended her by saying, "Even if briefly, I am also at fault for carelessly leaving Esumi-san's side," so the matter didn't become a public scandal; rather, it was smoothly written off as one of those common occurrences in Wild Hunt, where art-related problems happened at a daily-occurrence level.

Incidentally, while the public highly rated Esumi not only as an exceptional painter but also as a striking beauty, Miria stood beside her without losing out in the slightest.

A slender, sleek physique, and long beast ears that twitched slightly in reaction every time she spoke.

Combined with features so refined they could attract even members of the same sex, alongside a constantly calm atmosphere and demeanor, she possessed eye-catching looks that rivaled Esumi's, albeit with different detailed traits.

Also, likely because she had just finished bathing, her naturally pale skin was faintly flushed, and she carried the scent of shampoo. Anyone lacking resistance to this kind of situation might easily surrender to her charm upon seeing her now.

Indeed, while Miria was taking the lead in guiding Esumi through Wild Hunt earlier, several students called out to her, with a few even letting out light shrieks.

Unfortunately, Esumi remained relatively unfazed even under such circumstances, and after gazing steadily at Miria looking down at her, she let out an unamused sigh and quietly sat up from the bed.

"My, are you finished already? I assumed you were about to fall right asleep."

"Do you really think I could fall asleep after being stared at by someone wearing a smile that looks like she's plotting something?"

"If being gazed upon by Esumi-san were the condition, I believe I could depart on a dream journey in an instant."

"......I've had acquaintances who used my chest as a pillow or fell sound asleep while dozing next to me, but you're honestly the first person who claims they can fall asleep just by looking at my face..."

"Oh, is that so? Those acquaintances must be terribly accustomed to gazing at Esumi-san's lovely face, then."

"Well... we've been hanging out for some five or six years now. People keeps calling me a bishoujo and what not, but since we've known each other so long, my face is probably old news to them by now."

Saying this with a light laugh, Miria narrowed her eyes slightly at those words, moved directly beside Esumi who was sitting on the bed, and sat down side-by-side with her.

Then, with a tiny movement, she shifted her body closer to Esumi.

Thanks to that, even the slightest movement of Esumi's face brought Miria's face into point-blank range. While not quite close enough for their skin to touch, Esumi could tell that Miria's body, still warm from her bath, was radiating a faint lingering heat.

"Miria?"

Yet, unfazed even at such close proximity, Esumi tilted her head and called her name gently.

In response, Miria stared straight into Esumi's face, peering directly into her eyes.

"......I would never tire of it."

"Eh?"

"Even if my relationship with Esumi-san continues for five years. Ten years. Or even decades into the future. I will never grow tired of your lovely face. And not just your face, of course. Just as a captivating work of art forever holds its viewers captive, I am captivated by all of Esumi-san, and forever drawn to you."

"That phrasing of yours just now... sounds almost like a love confession. Your choice of metaphor and words is wonderful, and honestly, it suited you very well. Or rather, I might have fallen for you a little."

"Oh, that is a delightful remark. Then, since you've fallen for me, shall we formally start dating right here? If you agree to date me, I shall take charge of all your personal chores so you can concentrate entirely on creation. In exchange, I shall claim the right to be the very first to appreciate Esumi-san's works, and preferably, rather than selling those works to others, I shall personally found an art museum named after Esumi-san and display them—"

"Hey, don't get carried away. That's greed of the highest order. Besides, I'm not dating anyone."

Esumi shrugged her shoulders with an exasperated look, waving one hand dismissively to put distance between them. That distance, however, was a mere three fist-widths. In a sense, she had permitted Miria a fair degree of closeness, both physically and mentally.

Sensing this, Miria didn't push her luck any further, and instead offered a smile while nodding softly.

"Fufu. I let slip a somewhat uncharacteristic, daydream-like remark. But Esumi-san, every word I uttered just now is the truth. I would be glad if you could keep that locked in your heart."

"Right... well, don't get too obsessed with me. I fundamentally turn down that sort of thing. Even if you demand it, I probably won't live up to those expectations."

"Yes, I don't mind. Rather, I shall brilliantly steal away that heart of yours, currently barricaded inside a fortress."

"S-Steal... My heart isn't exactly a jewel..."

"Fufu, of course I am aware."

Esumi placed a hand over her chest, rubbed it exaggeratedly, and shot a flat stare at Miria, who merely smiled without losing her serious, hunter-like gaze on her prey.

Rather than eerie, her demeanor felt like a challenger attempting an impossible feat, which surprisingly spared Esumi from feeling terror or anxiety.

After all, for someone holding the rank of Prefectural Council vice-executive to seriously think, "I like you, so I'll make you fall for me," toward a guest visiting on a short-term study abroad from Trinity—no one would genuinely believe it.

If Miria had been serious from the get-go, Esumi figured she would have been pinned down on the bed and devoured like a dōjinshi by now. Though belatedly, Esumi was well aware that having lived a single life up to this point, she tended to spend her days rather defenselessly.

(Still, Blue Archive characters in the original work generally tend to respect ethical boundaries, so it's not like I need to worry excessively... Well, the Seven Prisoners might be exceptions. Wait, is it really possible for all of the Seven Prisoners to be driven by lust?)

Her thoughts drifted into a fairly pointless direction, and as Esumi realized it, bedtime had arrived. Miria also seemed to have cooled down and looked slightly sleepy.

Esumi herself was physically and mentally fatigued after arriving in Wild Hunt early today, walking around the academy, and experiencing an unexpected reunion.

While she didn't feel like yawning or dropping off instantly, her body was rapidly reaching its limit.

However, there was no need to worry.

She would be spending time here in Wild Hunt as a short-term exchange student for a while. Starting tomorrow, she wouldn't have to rack her brain over Trinity-specific political dynamics or power struggles. A daily routine where she could sleep soundly and immerse herself in her beloved art was about to begin.

Feeling that thinking about it made her too excited to sleep, Esumi called out to Miria, and finding the other already prepared for sleep, they each crawled into their respective beds. Then, prompted by an exchange of "Good nights," they drifted off to sleep in the blink of an eye.

Thus, the first day of Kayama Esumi's short-term study abroad at Wild Hunt came to a close, laden with various large and small incidents.

Starting tomorrow, a peaceful day untouched by the main plot of Blue Archive would finally begin.

Whether this would turn out to be a blessing or a curse for her down the line, no one could yet tell.

However, there was just one thing: when Esumi opened her eyes the following morning, Miria—who should have been sleeping in her own bed last night—had somehow crept into Esumi's bed. Not only that, she was sleeping happily while burying her face right into Esumi's ample chest, presenting a shocking spectacle right before her eyes, marking an immediate occurrence for Esumi that could be called neither a blessing nor a curse.

"......Does my chest have that strong of a sleeping-aid effect......?"