Kayama Esumi: The Tea Party

"Good morning, fellow students of Trinity General School. My name is Kayama Esumi, and I am a member of the freshman class."

With her back straight and showing no hint of nerves, she spoke in a voice so clear it felt transparent. Her gaze never wavered; she looked directly ahead.

"Many of the upperclassmen here may already recognize my name, as I have been active as a painter since my time in the Middle School Section. Today, I stand before you representing the incoming class of this historic institution to offer our formal greetings."

Trinity General School is a massive institution, boasting a student body numbering in the thousands. There are few facilities capable of holding such a crowd at once, but in the Great Hall—the only venue large enough to house everyone—Kayama Esumi stood before a podium and a single microphone, delivering her speech to every student currently enrolled at Trinity.

"You are the pride of Trinity, a student body defined by grace and elegance. We, the new students, are deeply grateful to join your ranks. We vow to follow in the footsteps of the seniors who have walked this path before us and to lead lives as students that do honor to the name of Trinity General School."

There are two types of extraordinary people in this world: those who consciously draw attention to themselves, and those who command it without trying. To which category did Kayama Esumi belong? Perhaps no one present could give a definitive answer. Regardless, the majority of the students in the Great Hall found themselves captivated by the beauty of Esumi’s refined features, while a smaller group felt a sense of awe at her achievements—the genius painter who had swept every Grand Prize in the Trinity Autonomous District’s art competitions.

"I would like to thank you for providing me with this opportunity to address you all today. This concludes my formal greeting... but in closing, there is one final thing I wish to say to you all."

Esumi scanned the hall slowly, as if meeting the eyes of every student, and allowed a bold yet gentle smile to play across her lips.

"May happiness find its way to each of you in the days to come. Thank you for your time."

She offered a graceful, polite bow. As if on cue, a wave of applause erupted throughout the hall. It wasn't the rowdy, boisterous cheering of a typical crowd, but the measured, refined clapping of well-bred young ladies. Still, the collective sound of over a thousand people applauding was a formidable thing. In the midst of this thunderous reception, Esumi maintained her smile, gave a small wave to the students, and retreated backstage.

Though she usually spent her time facing a canvas, today she had successfully navigated a speech before a crowd of thousands. Given that she was a rising star in the art world whom many wealthy investors were already courting for patronage, it was a more than adequate performance for a role she had been asked to fill just that morning.

"Kayama Esumi-san, thank you for the wonderful speech. Those were lovely words."

As Esumi ducked into the wings and let out a small, hidden breath to release the tension, a tall Trinity student approached her as if she had been waiting for the perfect moment. She wore the uniform of the Tea Party. However, she was no underclassman. Esumi maintained her composure and offered a deep bow before responding.

"Thank you. I didn't expect the current Host of the Tea Party to speak to me personally. But are you sure you have the time? As the representative of the school administration, shouldn't you be heading out to address the students?"

"I have enough time for a quick chat until that enthusiastic applause dies down. Besides, this is the first time we've met in person. As the student council president who insisted on having you represent the freshmen, I wanted to offer my personal thanks."

Trinity General School is managed through the joint governance of three major factions: the Pater Faction, the Filius Faction, and the Sanctus Faction. The Tea Party, which serves as the student council, consists of one representative chosen from each faction. These three leaders rotate the title of Host—the supreme decision-maker of the academy—for fixed terms.

Standing before Esumi now was the student council president representing the Sanctus Branch, who was serving as the Host for the current term. She stood nearly 170cm tall. Esumi, who had only recently cleared 150cm, had to look up at her, yet surprisingly, the girl lacked the typical intimidation factor of a tall person. Her expression was not stern, but carried a warm, gentle smile.

However, that did not necessarily mean she was an easy person to talk to.

"By the way, Esumi-san. This academy has an Art Club with a very long history. As someone already active as a professional painter, I imagine you will need a base of operations during your time here. I would be delighted if you considered using our Art Club as one of those bases."

I see. Despite the talk of greetings, this was likely her true objective. Was it a typical club recruitment pitch, or did she want to pin down the most high-profile freshman of the year to make her easier to monitor? Regardless, Esumi’s course of action was already decided.

"The Art Club... that is a charming invitation for someone in my line of work. However, having a professional like myself taking up space might only prove a nuisance to the members already there."

"Oh, there is no need to worry. Fortunately, the current club president belongs to the same Sanctus Branch as I do. We can easily accommodate requests for studio expansions or private exhibitions. Any materials you require can be purchased through the club budget. Furthermore, if the famous Kayama Esumi were to join, I’m sure the members would be overjoyed rather than resentful."

The student council president spoke fluently and politely, her smile never wavering. To a casual observer, this 3rd-year student—the de facto top authority of Trinity—might seem like a kind, supportive senior looking out for a junior on her first day. Esumi did not see it that way.

As Esumi considered how to respond, a staff student confirmed the applause in the hall had subsided and signaled the president to take the stage. Their conversation came to an end.

"Oh, it seems I must go. Well then, Esumi-san, though it is a pity to cut this short, I must take my leave. If you decide on an answer to my proposal, please do come and speak to me directly."

Esumi furrowed her brows as the president requested that Esumi come to her personally rather than sending word through a subordinate. But just as she turned to leave, the girl offered one more beautiful smile. "To tell you the truth, I’m quite a big fan of yours."

In other words, she wanted Esumi to visit because she wanted to talk more with the artist. It seemed Esumi had gained a fan within the school immediately—even if it was the student council president herself.

"Well then, I hope you have a productive day. Please, do enjoy your life here at Trinity General School."

Unsure of what hidden meaning lay behind those final words, Esumi offered a polite bow and watched the president go without a word.

"The current Host of the Sanctus Faction... and an Art Club run by her own faction, huh?"

Esumi’s expression soured as if she had just heard something incredibly bothersome. With the sound of students applauding the arrival of the Host echoing in the distance, she quietly walked away.

1-2

"I see. So it was effectively an invitation to join the Sanctus Faction."

"Yeah, that’s what I figured."

The scene shifted. Esumi was now at a tea party with Kirifuji Nagisa—the Blue Archive character she had ended up as an acquaintance with—sharing the details of her conversation with the Sanctus president.

Over six months ago, Esumi had intended to transfer to Wild Hunt Academy for the Arts. After Nagisa descended upon her and pleaded for her to stay at Trinity, Esumi—moved by a mix of gratitude and complicated emotions—decided to remain at Trinity General School, at least until the main story began. However, due to a massive misunderstanding, it turned out that Esumi and Nagisa were a year apart in age. This meant Esumi would likely graduate and exit the stage naturally before the game's main plot even kicked off.

That was the plan, anyway—assuming everything went normally. Some characters in the game were known to be eighteen yet still in school due to being held back or suspended. While the exact reasons for this weren't always clear, Esumi worried she might end up like them, trapped in school past her graduation and dragged into the main plot. She had to avoid that at all costs.

As for Kirifuji Nagisa, discovering she was a year younger was a bit of a shock, as she had dreamed of attending school with Esumi. By the time Nagisa entered the High School Section, Esumi would already be a 2nd-year. They would only have two years together before Esumi graduated... provided she graduated on time.

To make matters worse, before they knew about the age gap, Esumi had made Nagisa promise not to get involved with her "unnecessarily" once they reached high school. This meant Nagisa wasn't supposed to interact with Esumi without a very good reason. Esumi had intended this as a way to avoid getting too deep into the plot while still being there for Nagisa, but after the age revelation, Nagisa had protested so fiercely that the condition was effectively suspended until Nagisa herself reached the High School Section. After all, having to wait an extra year to even enroll, only to be told she couldn't see Esumi freely during that time, was tantamount to torture. Esumi had been a bit disgruntled by the appeal, but she had conceded.

So, to summarize:

Esumi was attending the school she wanted to avoid, but if she was lucky, she’d graduate and leave the story before things got dangerous.

Nagisa, currently in middle school, could still visit Esumi freely, though that would stop once Nagisa entered high school.

Whether this would work out in her favor remained to be seen, but for now, it was a neutral situation. Esumi decided to stop worrying about the future too much; if she spent all her time anxious, she wouldn't be able to enjoy her dream of being a painter.

Thus, attending this tea party Nagisa had excitedly organized as an "entrance celebration" was simply a whim on Esumi’s part. It definitely wasn't because Nagisa had won her over, or because Nagisa had given her a year-long pass to her favorite museum as a gift. Definitely not.

"By the way, Kirifuji. This tea is delicious. It tastes a bit different from what you usually prepare."

Esumi, who was savoring the aroma and flavor of the tea, noticed a subtle difference. As a former commoner, she wasn't an expert, but after attending so many of these parties, she had developed a bit of a palate. She looked across the table at Nagisa, who offered a satisfied smile.

"You noticed? This is a new blend I ordered last week. It has a slightly stronger bitterness than our usual variety. I thought it would suit your mature image, Esumi-san. I’m glad it’s to your liking."

"It is. I like it. Regardless of whether I'm 'mature' or not, could you prepare this blend for me from now on?"

"Certainly. It would be my pleasure."

Nagisa felt a surge of secret joy at having identified another of Esumi’s preferences outside of art. However, a disgruntled voice broke the mood from beside her.

"Nagi-chan... I don't like this one... it tastes bad..."

"Sigh... I told you before I prepared it that this blend was bitter and that I should make a different one for you, didn't I?"

"But I wanted to drink the same tea as Esumi-chan... How are you two okay with this? Ugh, the bitterness is still stuck in my mouth..."

A girl with swaying pink hair stuck out her tongue, whining about the bitter taste. Nagisa sighed but gently handed her a glass of water, which the girl drained instantly.

"Nn... Pwah! Okay, the bitter is gone! Water really is the best, isn't it? Hey, since we're here, why don't the three of us decide which water tastes the best? We can call it a Water Party instead of a Tea Party! It'll be fun!"

"Incredible. An idea that sounds like it would end after exactly one meeting."

"Don't be mean, Esumi-chan!"

If Esumi was the cool, composed beauty and Nagisa was the calm, elegant beauty, then the girl currently brightening the atmosphere with her energy was the definition of an innocent, high-spirited beauty.

Her name was Misono Mika. She was another character from Blue Archive and had been Nagisa’s childhood friend since they were very young. It seemed Nagisa had invited her along for today’s tea party. Although they met far less frequently than Esumi and Nagisa, Esumi had actually met Mika a year ago through Nagisa’s introduction. Since they were childhood friends, it was natural for Nagisa to introduce her, and Esumi had steeled herself for the meeting. But even so, the girl was exhausting. Was she really a middle schooler?

On a side note, because Mika was three years younger than she would be in the main story, she was quite short, and her cheeks were incredibly plump. Esumi knew this because she had poked them before.

In fact, she was doing it right now. Poking them. Over and over.

"H-Hey, Esumi-chan! Stop poking my cheeks so much!"

"Sorry. It just... feels really good. Your cheeks are remarkably elastic, Misono."

"Don't say that with such a beautiful, sparkling look in your eyes!"

"Um, Esumi-san... if you like, would you care to poke my cheeks as well?"

Esumi, who had been mindlessly poking Mika’s cheeks with her right index finger, turned her gaze toward Nagisa, who had leaned in close with a slight blush. Esumi’s eyes seemed to ask if she was serious.

"Is it okay?"

"Y-Yes... if you don't mind, Esumi-san..."

"Alright then. Don't mind if I do."

Esumi shifted her chair away from Mika and leaned in close to Nagisa. Nagisa had her eyes squeezed shut, presenting her cheek as if bracing for a major life event.

"I’m going to touch them now."

"P-Please do!"

"Nagi-chan, why do you look like you're bracing for an execution? It’s just a poke."

Esumi glanced at the trembling Nagisa and slowly extended her right index finger. Her finger sank softly into Nagisa’s cheek.

"This is amazing. They're so soft."

The texture of a person's skin varies, but perhaps because both Mika and Nagisa were well-off girls who lived healthy lives and took care of their skin (or simply because they were young), Nagisa’s cheeks were also incredibly soft and supple. Esumi felt like she could keep poking them forever. Poke... poke.

"Esumi-chan, you’re really going to town on those cheeks, huh?"

"U-Um... Esumi-san, i-if you could stop there... any more than this would be..."

"Oh, sorry. I got carried away."

Nagisa, who had started out with such resolve, had quickly crumbled under the relentless poking and backed away with a bright red face. Meanwhile, Esumi was rubbing her index finger against her thumb, muttering something incomprehensible about "the wonders of a young girl's cheeks."

She continued her train of thought aloud.

"How should I express this softness in an oil painting? Should I go for a thick impasto? Or perhaps blend the colors to capture the sheen? When depicting a young girl, focusing on this specific skin texture would be a good way to differentiate her from other characters... but how would I express this in a pencil sketch?"

As she continued to rub her fingers together, Esumi plunged into a deep, solitary brainstorming session on how to translate the tactile sensation she had just felt into art. Anyone seeing this for the first time would have been startled by her sudden mumbling, but for Mika and Nagisa, it was a familiar sight.

"Esumi-chan... you poke a girl's cheeks and the first thing you think about is art..."

"Well... that is very like the art-loving Esumi-san."

Though her face was still red, Nagisa muttered this with a look that wasn't entirely displeased while she rubbed her own cheek. Mika watched her, sighed, and shrugged.

"That reminds me. Since the three of us are together for the first time in a while, there's something I wanted to tell you."

The artistic brainstorming mode seemed to have ended. Esumi returned to her usual self, picked up her teacup, and addressed the other two. On the table were three servings of a roll cake that Nagisa had prepared herself for the first time. Esumi’s plate remained almost untouched, with only a single bite taken, while Mika and Nagisa had already finished theirs. Perhaps she was a light eater?

Regardless, Mika and Nagisa both looked at her with curiosity. Esumi took a small sip of tea, carefully wiped a drop from her lip with her thumb, and spoke.

"Next month, I’m going to take a week off from school to visit another district."

Mika and Nagisa’s eyes widened in surprise. Esumi simply gave a small smile and brought the cup back to her lips.