Takeshi walked down the high school hallway while checking the ssage rwyn had sent him that morning. It only contained a ti and a classroom number. No context or explanation.
’Typical of her.’
It wasn’t the first ti rwyn had summoned him without giving details, and he didn’t expect her to start now.
He turned the corner into the west wing and found the designated room, a small eting room the student council used for internal discussions, with a rectangular table in the center and chairs arranged along the sides.
When he opened the door, he saw there were already two people inside besides rwyn.
Aoi Mizuhara was sitting with her back straight, arms crossed on top of the table, staring ahead, while Nyx sat at the opposite end with an open book in front of her, though she wasn’t reading it, and rwyn stood by the window, checking sothing in a notebook.
"You’re right on ti."
rwyn said without looking up.
"I just showed up when you told to."
"Good boy."
Takeshi walked in and sat in the only seat that still had so distance from both of them, which was the middle of the table, across from rwyn. He checked their stats out of reflex.
[MIZUHARA AOI]
[Life: 100%]
[Sanity: 81%]
[Trust: 93%]
[SOLYNMAR NYX]
[Life: 100%]
[Sanity: 90%]
[Trust: 100%]
’Nothing alarming for now, I guess.’
"Is it just the three of us?"
Takeshi asked.
"I thought the student council had more people."
"It does..."
rwyn replied as she closed the notebook.
"But they’re busy with other matters. Still, I do plan on introducing you to them eventually."
"And when exactly will that be?"
"When it’s convenient."
Takeshi decided not to push that topic any further.
rwyn sat down at the head of the table and looked at the three of them.
"Tomorrow we’ll be going to a shrine about twenty minutes from here. The priest in charge wants to speak with , and I need the three of you to co along."
"Why us three specifically?"
Nyx asked, closing her book.
"Because you’re the people who are available."
"That’s an incredibly vague answer..."
Aoi said, and rwyn imdiately replied.
"It’s the answer I have right now."
Takeshi leaned back in his chair.
’This is going to be a very long conversation.’
"What does the priest want to talk to you about?"
He asked.
"Shrine matters."
"And you need an escort for that?"
"I just need you to accompany , which is not the sa thing."
"What’s even the difference between those two!?"
rwyn looked at him with an expression that clearly said her patience was running out.
"The difference is that company doesn’t have to do anything specific. Just be present."
"Then you could bring literally anyone..."
Takeshi said, only to get the response:
"And I am. You three are that literally anyone."
Nyx spoke before Takeshi could continue.
"Is there any risk during the trip or inside the shrine?"
"Not that I know of."
"Will we be carrying weapons?"
"That won’t be necessary."
"But if we wanted to bring them, would there be a problem?"
rwyn considered that for a second.
"Inside the shrine, yes. Outside, no."
Nyx nodded and wrote sothing down in a small notebook she pulled from her pocket.
Takeshi thought about Nyx’s questions.
’Why are her questions so weirdly specific!?’
"What ti are we leaving?"
Aoi asked.
"Eight in the morning, and don’t worry, I’ll pick all of you up."
"So we’re all eting in one place to wait for you?"
Takeshi asked.
"Yes, it’s the most efficient option."
Aoi nodded and then, without looking directly at him, addressed Takeshi.
"I can pick you up beforehand, Takeshi, so you don’t have to wait."
"That’s not necessary..."
He replied.
"If we’re all eting in the sa place anyway, it’s basically the sa thing."
"It’s not the sa, since rwyn will choose whatever route is most convenient for her, and I can adjust to your schedule."
Nyx looked up from her notebook.
"The shrine is north of here, right? If you go to Takeshi’s apartnt first and then co here, you’d just be making an unnecessary detour. I think the most direct option is for rwyn to pick everyone up according to the route."
Aoi looked at her.
"I didn’t ask you what the most efficient route was."
"That’s true, you didn’t ask anything..."
Nyx replied in the sa calm tone.
"But if you’re going to make a logistical proposal, it should at least make sense."
"It makes sense to !"
"To you, maybe. Not to everyone else."
Takeshi watched as the tension between them started becoming noticeably obvious.
At that mont, the floating chat text appeared in his field of vision.
[And here we go]
[Nyx vs Aoi round 2]
[The protagonist looking off to the side like nothing’s happening lol]
Takeshi looked away from the chat.
’I don’t think stepping in would be a good idea.’
"The three of you will be riding in the sa vehicle."
rwyn finally said, cutting off the exchange.
"And that’s the end of the discussion."
Aoi didn’t respond while Nyx went back to her notebook.
rwyn continued.
"Once we’re at the shrine, I want you to pay attention to the place, and after I’m done speaking with the priest, you’ll tell what you observed."
"What kind of things?"
Takeshi asked.
"Whatever catches your attention."
"That’s extrely broad."
"Exactly."
Takeshi frowned.
’She always has a reason for not giving reasons.’
"How long are we going to be there?"
Nyx asked.
"That depends on how long the eting with the priest takes, but assu at least two hours."
"Is there anything we shouldn’t do inside the shrine?"
Aoi asked.
"Acting like reasonable people should be enough."
"Does that include not bringing certain people into places they shouldn’t be?"
Aoi asked again, and even though her tone was completely neutral, the direction of the question definitely wasn’t.
Nyx slowly closed her notebook.
"Is there a specific place you’re referring to?"
"In general."
Nyx replied.
"In general, if the priest doesn’t place any restrictions, the shrine should be accessible to everyone."
"That depends on who counts as everyone."
"That depends on the shrine’s standards, not personal opinions."
[Is Takeshi even listening to them?]
[He has no clue]
[Bro’s staring at the wall]
Takeshi was actually looking at rwyn, waiting for her to intervene, but she rely watched them with a completely indifferent expression, like soone waiting for the rain to stop.
"Any questions about the actual plan?"
rwyn finally asked.
Silence was the only response she received.
"Good. Then tomorrow at eight."
She stood up, picked up the notebook, and tucked it under her arm.
"Don’t be late."
Aoi stood first and left the room without another word. Nyx slipped the notebook back into her pocket, briefly nodded at Takeshi, and left as well.
Takeshi remained seated for a mont.
’What the hell was all that!?’
rwyn hadn’t given any real details about why she needed the three of them, why the priest wanted to see her, or what exactly she expected them to observe at the shrine.
And at so point during that conversation, Aoi and Nyx had so kind of exchange he still couldn’t fully process.
’Were they fighting?’
He shook his head and stood up.
The chat was still active when he stepped out into the hallway.
[Tomorrow’s gonna be interesting]
[It’s gonna be a disaster]
[And what’s the difference?]
Takeshi ignored the comnts and started walking back toward his classroom.
’I hope this nightmare ends soon.’
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