After the act between Shion and Roa was finished.
Still riding high on the excitement, I was told that Yoko and Fuka were in the library.
“Well then, I’m off to see them.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you two will be happy.”
“Take care.”
Shion and Roa saw me off, their faces flushed red.
I stepped out of the living room and started making my way toward the second floor when I ran into Chiyu, my childhood friend.
Well, “ran into” was maybe not quite right; it seemed she had been waiting for me at the foot of the stairs.
Fresh from her bath, steam still rising from her skin, my childhood friend felt like a different kind of allure than usual.
“My cute, post-bath childhood friend… made your heart skip?”
“Yeah.”
I admitted it honestly, and Chiyu pressed her hand to her cheek, murmuring, “You’re blushing.” Her expression didn’t change. “Cure, mid-tier. Purify.”
Chiyu cast healing and purification spells on me.
It was as if she knew exactly what was about to happen.
”…Thanks.”
“Mm.”
Chiyu nodded and headed back toward the living room.
I climbed the stairs and headed for the library.
Since the library is open to everyone, I walked in without knocking.
If you imagine a standard school library, just a bit more spacious, that’s about what it looked like.
Numerous bookshelves and several desks were arranged within the room, and at one of the desks, two people were spreading something out. “Ah, Sousuke!” “Oh, Mr. Sousuke.”
It was an unusual combination: Shoushu, the blonde gyaru, and Fuka, the class president. To see them together in the library? That’s a sight we never saw back in the Earth era.
“I heard you two were here.”
As I spoke, I approached their table. “Sousuke! Look at this!”
Shoushu held up a sheet of paper toward me.
It featured an illustration of a four-legged beast with wings.
It resembled a griffon, but its entire body was covered in what looked like feathers or fur.
It probably reflected Shoushu’s taste, given her “Fluffy Summoning Ability.”
“Were you considering new candidates for phantom beasts?”
“Yeah! Sure, Mashiro’s faster on the ground, and Mikuron has more freedom in the air, but what makes this girl amazing is that she can do both.”
Mayoko’s eyes were shining.
“That’s true. Being able to choose between land and air depending on the situation is a strong advantage.”
“I did consider summoning Fenrir to protect Sora’s group, but after today, I changed my mind. We need to prioritize our comrades first.”
Mayoko’s voice shifted to a serious tone.
I realized again just how much of a shock today’s events had been for the others.
“It’s your power, Mayoko. You’re free to choose.” “Yeah. So this is what I’m going to do.” “I see. Thank you.”
“With her around, I know we won’t have to let Sōsuke go through something like that again!”
“Count on it.”
“Mm, count on it as much as you need.”
Mayoko nodded dramatically, and I laughed.
“How long are you just going to stand there? Come on, sit down. Sit.”
Pulled by the arm from Mayoko, I sat in the seat next to her.
Even after sitting down, Mayoko didn’t let go; she kept her arm hooked around my waist.
Considering how shy she usually is about being affectionate in public, this was unusual.
”…… Ahem. I’ve also been thinking about various things regarding my side of things.”
The two of us were sitting facing each other, but Fuka stood up and moved to the seat next to me.
Her face was a bit red; was she shy about her own behavior?
She didn’t drape her arm over mine, but instead, she gently pinched the hem of my clothes.
There was something endearing about that gesture—very much like Fuka, and quite cute. “I see. Will you tell me?”
“I’m thinking of drawing up a plan for if anything happens in the future.”
“So, you’re saying it might happen again, like today?”
“Yes. Because of what happened today, we realized how much we had been relying on you, Sōsuke.”
“That’s not true at all.”
“It is. I hadn’t realized just how heavy the burden of responsibility you carried was. As our leader, you bore the responsibility for every decision. Seeing you act without hesitation when our comrades’ lives were in danger was the first time I truly noticed that.”
Up until now, we had weathered numerous crises together.
Encounters with beasts, battles with monsters, participation in events…
However, thanks to our companions and their abilities, we managed to overcome those situations without much hardship.
As for what happened today, looking only at the result, everyone was safe and we even earned points from slaying a monster, but…
The realization that Soreina and I could have easily died was likely a tremendous shock to everyone.
“That aside, I’ve been relying on all of you for support as well.”
“It is a fact that the group functions because Sonosuke has taken the lead. However, that means everything has been left entirely up to him. Even in that moment, my mind went blank, and it was only after seeing Sonosuke charge out ahead of us that I finally remembered what needed to be done.”
”…
It didn’t seem like consolation was what Fukaho needed right now.
“I want to become someone who can support you.”
Saying “I’m already fully supported” wouldn’t do any good at a time like this.
That wasn’t what she meant to say in the first place.
“Does that make you a… sort of sub-leader?”
She nodded at my words.
“Yes. Vice-chairman, deputy, aide, strategist—whatever title works for Sonosuke is fine by me.”
“That’s actually… a great idea.”
Everyone respects me as the leader, and things have been working out well because of that.
But there are times when I am momentarily absent from the group’s decision-making process.
Today alone happened twice.
Miyoko tried to thicken the ranks of her companions so that they would never find themselves in such a desperate pinch again.
Fukaho had considered what the best course of action for everyone would be, just in case I had to temporarily withdraw.
Their approaches were different, but both of them had the party’s well-being at heart.
“Yes. Still, it’s probably better not to hold formal command authority during peacetime. If her role is viewed simply as an acting leader for when we’re separated from Sougo, I think everyone will find it easier to accept.”
“Aha, I see. You’re saying that explicitly designating someone as Number Two might breed a sense of hierarchy?”
“Exactly, as always, Sougo-san. That’s why I suggested defining roles by specialty: Shion-sensei for head chef, Roua-sensei for household management, Miyoko-sensei for summoning beasts, and so on. It seems that way preserves the party’s current dynamic.”
This setup could be useful not just for incidents like today, but also when dividing the party.
I would issue direct orders to one group, while the other follows Fukaho’s instructions… something along those lines.
“Thanks for thinking of all that.”
“It’s the only thing I can do.”
“Don’t say that. I’m getting a lot of help from you, Fukaho.”
“Really? Are you sure I’m being useful to you?”
Fukaho looked up at me with an anxious expression.
“It’d be a pain without you, Fukaho.”
As I smiled back, she flashed a delighted, fleeting grin.
“I’m glad you’re so happy about it.”
“Um… what about the fact that I’m here too?”
Mio’s voice came through, tinged with a pouty edge.
“Of course, Mio is indispensable.”
”…As long as that’s true, then it’s fine.”
Though her tone sounded sullen, a look at her face revealed she was beaming.
I once again felt a swell of gratitude for both their feelings.
“—Speaking of which, Sōsuke…”
”…What were you doing with Chiyu just now?”
Judging gazes shot from the two of them.
“It’s not like I’m trying to blame you or anything.”
“Mm-hmm. It’s just… I felt left out.”
“We’re her lovers, too, after all.”
“Even if we want to be with Sōsuke… that’s okay, right?”
“Well, of course.”
“Glad you’re here. By the way, while Sōsuke was away, I had a little chat with my girlfriend.”
”…Before coming here, did you and Shion-san and Roha-san…… do that thing?”
I see. They had talked it over beforehand.
There was no point in denying it, so I admitted it straight up.
“Ah, yeah.”
“I knew it. So, this side is going to……”
“We figured we’d take turns…… go at it together as a pair……”
Tsukuko and Fukuhō. The gyaru and the class president.
In the library.
They both blushed, leaning in close to me.
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