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Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? (Light Novel) - Volume 20, Chapter 3: Indigo Notebook
Volume 20, Chapter 3: Indigo Notebook
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Part 1
Theia liked competitions because by displaying her strength she could avoid getting in the way of her mother, and instead be of help. That's why winning was always on her mind, whilst the contents of the competition was trivial. But after coming to room 106 that gradually began to change. At first she could only think of defeating her rivals, but after the first summer passed, she began enjoying the contents of the competition. That was because, by leaving her country, she had made many friends where winning or losing didn't matter. Up until then, the only one Theia could lose to was her childhood friend, Ruth. Having come to Earth and made a lot of friends, Theia was finally able to enjoy the competition itself.
“Come on, Koutarou, how about you make your resolve”
”... please”
“Hm? I can't hear you”
”Marry me please, Your Highness”
“Ohohohoho! If you'll go that far, then I will marry you, my knight!”
“You bastard, don't get carried away just because you're winning!!”
”But with this, you'll avoid going bankrupt. You can't escape without making a sacrifice”
”Tsk, you better remember this later, my honey!!”
”Ohohoho, try it if you can, darling!! I'll teach you who your owner is!!”
Theia's favorite opponent was Koutarou. In the past, he had been an inveterate foe, but now he was an absolute ally and at the same time a rival that she could go all out on. That's why Theia didn't mind if she was winning or losing. Right now, the feeling of excitement during a game and the clash of wits was more precious to her than obtaining victory. To Theia, Koutarou was the one that allowed her to enjoy a match the most.
“... So, Koutarou. Transfer the rights of the ironworks to me. That will make our system rock solid”
“No. If I give away the ironworks now, I won't have a chance at a comeback”
”What!? You won't listen to your beloved wife!?”
“What did you expect from a sham marriage made to avoid going bankrupt!?”
“You're my knight aren't you!? So at least say that you love me even if it's a lie!!”
”I love you Your Highness”
“That kind of pisses me off!!”
When Theia and Koutarou played games and quizzes they gradually heated up. They almost acted like children with battles of obstinacy. Their mutual understanding that they were absolute allies let them do so. Their clashes were nothing but dependence on one another, because they knew that they could show their childish side to one another.
“This is what someone like that gets!!”
Thud.
“Ow, what are you doing!?”
”Education! It's my whip of love!”
”You bastard, then take this!”
Whack. Whack. Whack.
“Ow ow ow, why don't you hold back a little!! What will you do if I become damaged goods!?”
“Don't worry, I'll nurse you for the rest of your life!!”
”You've said it now, pleb!!”
Thud. Thud. Thud. Whack. Whack. Whack.
“Guah!?”
“Ow ow ow!?”
The two's battle of obstinacy often developed into a physical confrontation. The ones watching the two fight it out always wondered, what it meant for a princess to punch, what it meant to punch a princess, and why these battles were often forgotten so quickly. This too was them depending on each other. Rather than hugging, they punched. Rather than sweetly whispering into each other's ear, they screamed. These battles was just another expression of love.
Part 2
Since the two's battle was a variant of an expression of love, Maki could understand that she only needed to show her emotions in her own way.
“... Theia-san is amazing...”
However, Maki admired Theia's method. On top of being serious, Maki was the type to keep her feelings on the inside. As a result, even when she tried to appeal to others, it was serious and conventional. Moreover, that itself was very infrequent. She was similar to how Harumi had been, but in her sense it was more centered around seriousness rather than timidness.
Maki could act cheerful around others, but her serious and introverted character would put the brakes on just before she could fully rely on someone else. So for example, when she was still friends with Koutarou, she could tell jokes, poke fun at him and give him chocolate on Valentine's day. But once their relationship went past that, the brakes were suddenly put on. Losing her mask of 'just friends', she began worrying if her existence and feelings were just causing trouble.
That kind of thing wasn't limited to just Koutarou. Many people told her that wasn't the case. But Maki couldn't obediently rely on those words. Since she had been starved for the love of others for so long, she wasn't used to enjoying it.
Maki was always worried about herself being like that. That's why she admired Theia's overly aggressive interpersonal relationship.
“... If I had even 10% of Theia-san's aggressiveness...”
Maki let out a small sigh as she watched on in admiration as Koutarou and Theia fought it out. Acting as flashy as Theia was right now was difficult for Maki. Both because her personality went against it and because the image she maintained of herself got in the way. If Maki began acting like Theia all of a sudden, everyone would be shocked. That's why she believed she could only be 10% as aggressive at most. But even if it was just 10%, being able to do that much would change her impression quite a bit.
“... This is my best right now...”
Maki looked down at her clothes before touching her own head. She had just bought her clothes the other day, and they had a calm indigo colored base, with laces and ribbons attached for an overall cute design. And on her head was an accessory with a similar design. They worked well with Maki's own impression of calm at first, but cute close up.
Maki wearing this outfit was her own expression of love. Since she couldn't actively take action, she would wear different fashion to encourage the other party. She didn't mind if they praised her or laughed at her. Being passive, this was her last resort to create a point of contact.
“J-Just what do you think a princess is... haah... haah...”
”My... haah... sparring, partner... haah...”
However, so far, things weren’t going as Maki had hoped. The other party she wanted to attract was busy with something else and didn't notice her appearance. It seemed like she'd have to wait a while longer.
“... That's right, work, work!”
If she was going have to wait, she might as well work. With that in her mind, Maki restarted the work she had been doing up until a little earlier. Maki was the treasurer for Koutarou's band of knights, so she collected receipts from their shopping and kept track of the flow of money. Koutarou's band of knight was very small, and strictly speaking it wasn't a combat organization, so the accounting book was quite thin. However, Maki held pride in her work. She wanted to get praised for doing a great job. That was another one of Maki's expressions of love.
Maki pulled out a notebook with an indigo colored leather cover and flipped it open. This indigo notebook was the Satomi band of knights accounting book. Maki stared at the notebook and the receipts while entering numbers on her calculator, but she suddenly stopped halfway.
“... Huh?”
Maki stopped because she had spotted something unnatural in her notebook. The Satomi band of knights actual organization aside, on the paper it was a combat organization, so it had a budget that could be used in one's own discretion without a need to record it. This was money used for information gathering and confidential things, or other things that might be bad to leave recorded in an accounting book. There were of course cases where that money was misappropriated and an audit would be necessary, but all of the ones Maki had spotted until now were all small amounts that could be left alone.
“... What is Theia-san using it for I wonder...”
While the usage of money didn't need to be recorded, the amount needed to be recorded so that the numbers added up. And for some reason that amount was always being recorded by Theia. That's why Maki noticed something unnatural as she went through the account book. If the money had been recorded by someone other than Theia every time, Maki probably wouldn't have paid it any attention.
“... Though I feel like in Theia-san's case she can use it for anything she wishes...”
The amount itself wasn't a problem, and the band of knights income was coming from Theia anyways. To begin with, the Satomi band of knights wasn't something that could be publicly revealed. That's why the money being used by Theia wouldn't cause anyone any trouble. Even if the capital wasn't enough, Theia would end up being the one to amend it.
“But... now I want to know. I'll check it next time”
However, Maki was curious about what the money was being used for. Even more so if it wasn't going to cause a problem. She wanted to know the reason behind Theia's expenditure. Because Maki admired Theia, she really wanted to know her secret. So Maki decided to check with Theia directly.
Part 3
Because she didn't know for what reason Theia had used the money for, Maki patiently waited for Theia to be alone. But that chance was hard to come by as Ruth was always by her side, and when she wasn't, she would often be with Koutarou or the other girls. As a result, Maki couldn't ask Theia about the money until three days after she had noticed it.
“Theia-san, do you have a moment?”
Maki called out to Theia the moment it was lunch time at Kitsushouharukaze high school. The students finished with their classes in the morning sprang into action. Ruth was on day duty today, so she had left the classroom, carrying the material for today's geography class. Koutarou was playing around with Kiriha and Kenji. Sanae and Yurika had gone to the restroom. Leaving just Theia alone, which let Maki ask her about the unaccounted money.
“What?”
“I have a question about the capital for the band of knights”
When mentioning the band of knights, Maki spoke in a soft voice so only Theia could hear. This was just a precaution because they couldn't explain the band of knights to their classmates.
“Do the numbers not add up?”
”That's not it... take a look at this please”
Maki said and opened the indigo notebook. She showed it to Theia and pointed out the problematic part with the tip of her pen.
“There are several unaccounted expenditures taken out, and they are all made by Theia-san”
“Uh”
Theia had shown a perplexed expression until now, but once the unaccounted expenditures was pointed out her expression changed to a more stiff one and she began sweating.
“... What did you use them for?”
”I-It's nothing special!! They're all small sums, right!?”
Theia seemingly panicked as she tried to conceal it, but Maki wasn't convinced.
“You're right that the amount isn't really a problem”
“Right!? I'm well aware of the rules!!”
”However, it seems like Theia-san is the only one using the unaccounted expenditures... so, I was wondering if you could tell me what it was for, for reference”
Maki was interested in what Theia was using the money for. She wanted to know what Theia was trying to keep secret using unaccounted money, alternatively why the reason she was the only one to use it. Maki believed that the secret to Theia's aggressiveness was hidden there.
“No, no! I can't tell you!”
Theia shook her head intensely.
“Why?”
”Why not! Besides, if I reveal that, what's the point of unaccounted expenditures!?”
”... That's true”
Theia had no intentions of revealing the truth to Maki, but Maki obtained some clues from Theia's reaction.
---It must be for some embarrassing reason...
Theia's face was red and she swung her arms around. She was excited and rattled. It was clear that she was embarrassed from her actions. It seemed she had an embarrassing reason that was necessary but couldn't be revealed.
“Besides, the band of knights' budget originally comes from me! The financing shouldn't trouble anyone! That's enough of this discussion!”
Theia forcibly stopped the discussion and ran out of the classroom. Maki simply saw her off.
---It doesn't look like I can ask her anymore... now then, what to do...
Theia had left, but Maki still hadn't given up. She thought of what she should do next as she stared at the indigo cover.
If Theia wasn't going to tell her, then Maki would have to catch her out. So she chose to secretly follow Theia, and investigate her actions. While the usage of the unaccounted expenditure wasn't recorded, the amount and the day used was recorded. That's why following Theia and recording her actions before comparing it to the accounting should reveal what the money was being used for. Maki was a former member of Darkness Rainbow and still an active magical girl. Relying on her magic she could easily tail Theia without being spotted.
“Your Highness, what would you like for dinner?”
“Let's see... it's gotten colder, so maybe nabe, it's been awhile since we last had it”
”But I believe it's better to go easy on the seasoning”
”Hm. That should make it easier to eat during this season”
“Then what about the ingredients?”
”If we make it fish then I'm sure Yurika and Sanae would complain non-stop”
“Fufu, I think so”
”Then how about meat, or maybe chicken”
”Then I'll choose some vegetables to go with it”
“I'll leave it to you... but still, Ruth, you've gotten used to Earth's cooking”
”Yes. I will need to master Earth's cooking for the future”
”How calculated and reliable”
“Please leave it to me, Your Highness”
“Indeed, then I'll leave it to you!”
“Hey, Theia”
”Hm?”
”I'd like to get a shoulder and back massage”
”... Koutarou, why would you try to make your lord do such a thing?”
”Because Sanae and Yurika don't know how much the joints can be bent without feeling pain”
“Ehehehehe”
”Ahahahaha”
”In that sense, since you're good at fighting, I don't have to worry, right?”
“Hmm, I understand the circumstances... but even then there's a better way to ask. I'm your princess you know?”
“If you get it then hurry up. I'm on the brink of deciding whether to buy a massage machine or not”
”Geez, no matter how much time passes, you're as rude as always”
“If I treat you like a princess all the time, you'll be troubled too right?”
“That's true. I will take that as a praise”
”This is what I'm talking about, geez...”
“Fufun... like this?”
“Yeah, that's it. You really are good”
“Your princess is good at everything, so you better respect me”
”I do respect you”
”I know. I only wanted you to say it”
“Mmm~....”
”Is something the matter?”
”Ah, no, it's not really...”
”You don't really have to hide it from me”
”R-Right
”Which one are you interested in, Your Highness?”
“This... tunic or whatever it's called”
”Ah, this fluffy feeling is cute isn't it”
“You think so?”
”Yes. I think it will fit you very well”
“... Nobody would laugh at me?”
“There's no one in room 106 that would seriously laugh”
“... That's true...”
“Will you buy it then?”
“W-Wait a minute. I'm interested in that one over there too”
”Please take your time choosing. Fufufu...”
“Here, it's your wife”
”Huh... did we have a golden piece like this?”
”It's to replace the one that Yurika lost”
“Hmm, oh well”
“Yes, well indeed”
“Anyways, I got a wife. Alright, Theia, it's your turn”
“...”
“Hey, what's wrong?”
”I-I-It's nothing, I was just thinking!! The, the die, I'm throwing the die!!”
”You're acting strange, what's wrong?”
“It's nothing, it's just your imagination!”
“Really...?”
“Really!! More importantly, I'm throwing the die... haah!!”
”... Looks like you're marrying too”
”Indeed. Ruth, give me a piece”
“Here, Your Highness”
“I got a husband”
“Did we have a blue piece like that?”
“It's to replace another one that Yurika lost”
”Hmm, oh well”
”Yes, well indeed”
“Harumi, what will you eat?”
“It's been awhile since I had takoyaki, but six pieces are a bit too many”
”Then how about this. We'll get eight pieces, and I will eat the ones that you can't”
”But... you are a princess, Theiamillis-san”
“You're the only one that would say that. However, you don't have to worry. You are my best friend. There are times where I'd like you to forget about status”
“... Then allow me to do that”
”Yes, I would be happy if you could”
”By the way, Theiamillis-san, when would you like me to remember your status?”
”When fighting or when I'm making public speeches perhaps”
”Yeah, that's cool after all”
”Right!? You get it!!”
”I've been on stage as a princess after all”
”Right. Your speech was bold and splendid as well”
”I am honored to hear your praise, Your Highness”
“Ruth, please”
”I guess it can't be helped... just one time, okay?”
“I know! I will claim that stuffed animal in a single try!”
”You don't have to get that heated up over a crane game”
“I want to put it next to that rabbit that Koutarou got!”
”Fufu, when it comes to Master you don't take a single step back, do you, Your Highness?”
“... I-If I was as cute as the other girls... then... anyways, that's why I can't lose in a match!!”
”I think you're cute enough as it is, Your Highness”
“You only feel like that because you're my childhood friend!”
“I don't think that's the case”
”... In regards to this matter, I am not all that confident...”
“Then for the time being, let's return home with that stuffed animal”
”Ruth...”
”This is what money is for. Let's not stop at one try, but as many as it takes”
“Well said!! Let's go!!”
Part 4
Maki hid herself using magic and shadowed and observed Theia. Of course, Theia remembered her conversation with Maki, so she avoided from using the unaccounted expenditures for a while. As a result, she was expecting a drawn out battle between them, and it took three weeks before Maki caught out Theia.
In the afternoon of a certain day, Maki went to analyzing all of the information she had gathered. She currently had two leads in front of her. The accounting book for the band of knights and the recorded notes of Theia's action the past three weeks.
“... Since she was that embarrassed... maybe it's about growing taller or making her breasts bigger? But, I can't imagine she'd use Earth technology for that... and if her appearance changes, there's no point in concealing the usage of money... hmm...”
Maki imagined Theia's feelings as she compared the two leads. If she gathered enough information, comparing these two leads should lead to revealing the mystery behind Theia's unaccounted expenditures.
“... Ah!? Could this be it!?”
After deliberate comparison of the notes and accounting book, she found out that the same day Theia purchased something at a certain store, the unaccounted expenditure had been used. The amount matched up, so it was likely that the band of knights' capital was being used for that.
“Alright, as long as I have this evidence!”
Maki restrained her rash feelings as she waited for the chime to ring and signal the end of class. She had enough evidence. This time she even knew what Theia had bought. There was no longer any way to hide it. Theia shouldn't be able to escape from Maki's pursuit.
The moment Theia saw Maki approaching with her indigo notebook in hand, her expression stiffened and she tried to escape. However, Theia couldn't escape from Maki. Just before she could get up from her chair, Maki had grabbed her arm.
“Theia-san”
”Ugh”
That was when Theia gave up on escaping. Her shoulders dropped and she slowly turned towards Maki with a frightened look. Her expression lacked her usual confidence.
“This way”
“...”
Maki pulled on Theia's hand and dragged her towards a corner in the classroom. Since they expected the topic to confuse the other classmates, Theia didn't resist.
“This time I'll have you tell me”
“I-I told you I have no intention of doing that”
Theia's first act of resistance started when they began talking. With a flustered condition, Theia rejected to discuss in the first place. It was something she really didn't want to talk about.
“I already know what you're using the unaccounted expenditures on”
“You've already found out that much!?”
Theia's eyes opened wide in surprise. Theia knew that Maki had started catching on, but she didn't think that she knew that much. Maki gently persuaded Theia.
“It's not like I want to punish or corner you, Theia-san. But... I want to know the reason for your strange use of the unaccounted expenditures”
”Uhh...”
Theia instinctively flinched. It was a gesture very unlike her.
“Theia-san, why are you using the unaccounted expenditures to buy clothes and accessories? Seeing as you supply the capital to begin with, I don't understand the reason as to why you'd do that”
The unaccounted expenditures in question were being used by Theia to purchase clothes and accessories. But that was a strange thing. Theia personally supplied the band of knights with capital, so she could simply just buy them normally and nothing would change. If she used large amounts through the band of knights to bribe or sabotage that would be one thing, but Maki couldn't imagine any reason for why she'd use the unaccounted expenditures to buy clothes and accessories. She only saw it as something completely meaningless. That's why Maki was confused and wanted to hear the truth from Theia. If anything, had it been bribes or sabotage, Maki would have been satisfied once her investigation was done.
“... T-That's...”
Maki's questioning caused Theia's face to go red with shame. While it seemed meaningless to Maki, to Theia it was a necessity. And revealing that was incredibly difficult as a woman. However, Maki already knew the truth. So Theia finally gave in and explained herself.
Before coming to Earth, Theia was pretty uninterested in how others saw her. She only concerned herself with showing others her power. Her turning point was finding people she considered equals on Earth. First it was Koutarou, and eventually many girls. After intimately associating with others Theia began considering her appearance of not just a leader but also as a girl.
When comparing herself to the girls around her, Theia realized she was lacking in cuteness. Her behavior was aggressive and her clothes were refined and suitable for a leader. She had been so focused on displaying herself as a leader, she was completely lacking in cuteness.
It was only natural she would turn out like that. In Forthorthe Theia had plenty of enemies so she had to live, showing off her power. Cuteness was considered a weakness for a leader and had to be hidden.
But once she became conscious of that, it became hard to think she had to hide it because it was a weakness. She became envious of the girls around her. The ones that especially made her feel like that were Sanae, Yurika and none other than Maki. These three wore especially cute outfits. Sanae and Yurika loved cute things to begin with and starting this year, Maki started getting really girly. She admired Sanae's and Yurika's appearance and now Maki was starting to pull ahead of her.
So Theia made up her mind and decided to make herself cuter. Changing her personality right away was difficult, so she started with her exterior. Thus Theia began spending money on fashion and accessories.
However, the problem was that Theia was also a princess. Since she had plenty of enemies, she couldn't give them any openings. Since she had created an image of a strong princess, she wanted to keep the public from finding out that she wore cute clothes in private. In other words, she needed to completely separate work and private.
That said, in Forthorthe, royals were public figures, and they were always required to be transparent with their capital. Even personal capital needed to be declared. Which meant that Theia buying cute clothes and accessories would be left on record. In other words, if the records were examined, her image would be ruined. So she needed to take measures to avoid that.
Theia had a hard time telling the truth. She was embarrassed and ashamed, and her tone ended up being blunt.
“... So I poured money into the band of knights used the unaccounted expenditures to buy them... with that my image won't be destroyed... I know it's s-stupid myself! But even then I couldn't endure it! If you want to laugh go ahead and do so!!”
“So that's what it was...”
However Theia's attitude didn't bother Maki. She could understand what Theia was talking about.
When she first met Theia, Maki hadn't been too concerned with her appearance. In fact, she hated fashion and make-up as it concealed the real her. However, once she understood what it meant to love others, she began concerning herself with her appearance. She wanted the person she loved to think she was cute.
But back then, Maki was still a member of Darkness Rainbow. There were all kinds of conflicts involved to protect her position and image. That's why Maki had to come up with all kinds of excuses when she wore cute outfits. She was in the same situation as Theia.
“... You won't laugh?”
Theia looked at Maki with confusion. Maki's reaction was unexpected.
“I won't laugh. I've experienced something similar after all”
Maki understood how Theia felt very well. That's why she didn't think to laugh at her, nor did she get upset. In fact, she felt a sense of intimacy knowing that they were the same.
“Besides... it seems like we both have our complexes”
“What?”
”I admired your aggressiveness in your personal relationships. That's why I'd have to laugh at myself if I were to laugh at you...”
The two were quite similar. Theia admired Maki's cute appearance and behavior. And Maki admired Theia's aggressiveness. In other words, they were chasing after one another. So Maki couldn't laugh at Theia, because it'd be the same as laughing at herself.
“You...”
“I admire being able to make a fuss together with Satomi-kun every day”
”I could only ever do that, but I wanted to be like you”
“That's why I won't laugh. Though... I think I can laugh at us having opposite complexes”
”You're right. That's truly funny. Fufu, fufufu”
”Fufufu”
Theia and Maki looked at each other and laughed. They were envious of what the other had and they didn't, and chased after one another like a merry-go-round. Now that they understood one another's complexes, they couldn't help but laugh, wondering what they wanted to do. And more than anything, they were happy, having found someone that worried about the same thing.
“I can laugh, but... Maki, if possible, I'd like you to keep this a secret”
“That goes both ways. Ufufu”
”I will protect your secret”
“I will too, so please rest easy... that's right, rather than just protecting our secrets, why don't we make a deal?”
”A deal?”
“Something more active rather than just protecting our secrets”
”Hm... interesting, tell me more”
Eventually the two held hands, and decided to aim for a new goal together. If they were going to run in circles, since they weren't fixed in place like a merry-go-round, they should head towards their goal like a wheel.
It had been cloudy in the morning, but after the school ended, the clouds had cleared up. As a result Maki and Theia cast long shadows as they walked in the setting sun.
“What kind of clothes are you interested in, Theia-san?”
”Right now it's tunics or what they were called. I'm interested in that fluffy silhouette”
“Now that you mention it, your impression softens when wearing that”
”I thought it would weaken my active impression”
“You're right, you do have an energetic impression”
”Right? I want to look more womanly though”
“I get it. I used to be serious for a long time too”
”Then you may become a little more frivolous”
“Ahaha, I'll do just that... that's right, speaking of womanly, wouldn't a suit be a good fit?”
”Wouldn't that be pushing it too far? I don't want to admit it but I have childlike proportions”
”That gap might be good though”
Maki's and Theia's destination were the fashion related shops lined up by the station. The two had come to buy clothes together. Every time they found an interesting shop they would enter and discuss clothes. But, perhaps very girlishly of them, despite entering several shops, they still hadn't made a purchase.
“Hmm... by the way Maki, what kind of thing would you like?”
“I want the opposite of yours”
“Oh?”
”Since I have a serious imagine, I want to look more active”
”You do indeed have that impression. If anything I'd like to trade with you”
“Ahaha, I'd love to do the same”
”Fufufu... when it comes to active, short skirts or pants would be better”
”How short are we talking about?”
”For a skirt, 15 centimeters above the knee, and any pants should be shorts”
”Isn't that too short?”
“You're taller than me, so if you do it half assed you'll look less energetic and more cool”
”I see... a lack of commitment might change my impression”
”Indeed. On top of that, it might be a good idea to change your shoes into a pair that's easier to move around in. If you carelessly walk around in mules or sandals, you might end up looking cool as well”
Both of their aims were set high. Or rather, because their ideal existed right in front of them, they wanted to get closer to it. But with a fundamental issue of different material, it wasn't that easy. As a result, only time passed.
“It's hard to decide”
”At this rate, we'll need to do something drastic”
“That's right, Theia-san. What if we choose clothes that we can both wear?”
“Both wear?”
“Yes. Rather than going for the opposite right away, we pick clothes in the middle that both of us could wear”
“Like I said before, you might end up looking cool instead. And I might look like I'm trying too hard to look grown up”
“That would be bad as an end result, but wouldn't it be okay during the process of our change? Besides, if we look the same, that impression might be stronger”
“I see... that might be a good first step”
”Yes. Besides, it might be a good way to commemorate this day, don't you think?”
“Fufu, I see, so we'll start from the same point”
In the end, on their path to their ideal, the two chose to start at the middle ground between them. In other words, they would coordinate an outfit that mixed an active impression with a womanly one. The results might not be excellent, but it should work out better than suddenly wearing completely different outfits.
“But, mixing energetic with womanly is difficult, isn't it?”
”Culottes might be up for the job”
”Then the shoes could be high heeled short boots”
”Hm, it's starting to take shape already”
Thanks to the guidelines of dressing up the same, they were able to decide on their coordination little by little. Since both of them needed to be able to wear the outfit without pushing it, it was easier to locate problematic spots compared to when they were just chasing after their ideal. As a result, the two had finished shopping before the sun fully set.
Part 5
The two revealed their newly purchased outfits the next day. They had made a promise to go play with some of their classmates. The two changed and put on make up together before standing in front of their classmates with throbbing hearts. They had some confidence but they were still anxious of the others opinion. Fortunately, the reactions were positive and smiles of relief flashed on Theia's and Maki's faces. Only one problem remained. Which was Koutarou, who still hadn't arrived at the gathering point.
The classmates noticed their outfits the moment they saw them, but Koutarou didn't. He didn't notice until they reached their destination for today, the amusement park.
“... Huh, looking closer, you're wearing the same outfit today, Theia, Aika-san”
”You fool! Now you notice!?”
”Ahaha, we actually bought these yesterday”
To the two, Koutarou's opinion mattered more than anything. Having taken so long to notice, Theia got angry while Maki laughed. While their outfits were the same, their reactions were still the opposite.
“Hey, Kou, check a girl's outfit and hair the moment you meet them”
“Don't think I'm like you! I don't spend all my life looking at girls!”
”Well said, Koutarou! That's my friend!”
”Well, it'd be scary if Koutarou-kun suddenly started paying attention to girls like Mackenzie-kun”
The classmates were also interested in when Koutarou would notice, so they had quietly been waiting for his reaction. Having finally realized, they threw out some jeers at him. Of course, there were few people on Koutarou's side, as only a few of the boys supported him.
“Geez, what do you think mine and Maki's hearts were throbbing for”
The one with the most negative opinion of Koutarou was Theia as expected. She crossed her arms and with puffed up cheeks she looked up at Koutarou like a displeased child. Her new outfit mixed cuteness with energeticness, but Theia was so aggressive it was lacking in impact.
---Theia-san really is amazing...
Maki felt admiration for Theia like that. Without harming her relationship with Koutarou, she continued her rather extreme speech and behavior. If she screwed up her consideration even a little, both of them would probably be hurt, yet that never happened. This was a special technique only Theia could pull off.
“Maki, you say something too!”
”Kyaa!?”
That was when Theia grabbed Maki's hand and forcibly pulled her in front of Koutarou. Since she had been planning on remaining as an observer she was surprised by the sudden development. However, not saying anything now would be unnatural, so she desperately racked her brain and squeezed out words.
“I wanted you to notice too, but that's because of our convenience so―”
“Maki, are you planning on staying like that your entire life!?”
”Uh!? … S-Satomi-kun, you bone hea~d!!”
“Hm, that's more like it”
She had been positive at first, but with Theia's support she managed to squeeze out some verbal abuse. Even then it was moderate when compared to Theia, but it was an acceptable first step.
“I'm sorry you two. But it wasn't like I was trying to ignore you. I was late so I was too rushed to notice”
”Then hurry up and give us your frank impression”
”Despite your different personalities and physiques I'm impressed you managed to find something that looks good on you both”
“T-Thank you, Satomi-kun”
However, Maki's weak dissatisfaction only lasted for a few seconds as her expression turned into an embarrassed smile when Koutarou said that the outfit looked good on her. She was happy she bought new clothes. However, Theia couldn't forgive Maki's reaction.
“Maki, don't get deceived so easily!”
”But I was happy―”
“You're too easy on Koutarou! Be more strict!”
”U-Uhm... Satomi-kun, tell me I look cute!!”
”Good, that's more like it”
“Hey now...”
After that, Maki continued verbally abusing Koutarou at Theia's urging.
---What's going on here, I wonder...
It seemed quite clear that Maki was being forced by Theia, but she didn't seem to dislike it. If anything she looked like she had fun.
“Go tell that idiot off some more”
“You're so serious, Satomi-kun!”
”Is that supposed to be verbal abuse?”
“U-Uhm... maybe it's something different...”
Since Maki was so unaccustomed to being selfish with others, she appeared rather pleased. It didn't seem like she meant what she was saying, so Koutarou left the two to do as they pleased. He wanted to continue looking at the two energetic and cute girls who were slightly different from normal.
Part 6
As they entered the amusement park, Koutarou and the others headed towards a new attraction that was completed recently. It was a virtual game where you used guns to fight against zombies. Everyone could play it together, and at the same time they could compete on points, it was a very popular attraction with the young people.
“Alright Maki, this is where we team up and make Koutarou and the others cry uncle”
”But, I want to help Satomi-kun―”
“Maki, you can help him any time, however there are only a few times when you get a chance to face him up front! This is where you should be going all out!”
”I see... that is very informative”
Even here, Maki and Theia decided to team up to fight against Koutarou. In order to defeat Koutarou and Kenji, they needed to work together.
There was actually a clear reason for why Maki and Theia worked together and dressed the same. That was because of the deal they had made on the day Theia had revealed the reason behind her use of the unaccounted expenditures.
The deal was that Maki would help Theia get cuter. With that, Theia stopped using the band of knights capital to buy clothes and instead, it was decided that Maki would give the clothes to Theia as a present. With that, the safety of the accounting books increased even more, and on top of that Maki could advise Theia on cute clothes. Theia's fashion sense wasn't that bad, but when it came to Earth fashion, she was inexperienced. Maki being with her was very welcome.
And in return, Theia would teach Maki about aggressive relationships. Since Maki had a serious and introverted personality, she was bad at being active around those she was close to. So Theia would support her in her endeavors. To Maki, this was a big chance to improve on her faults.
In short, the deal the two had made consisted of Maki teaching Theia about cuteness and Theia teaching Maki about extremes. It was a positive deal that would help both of them make up for what they were lacking.
“I will prioritize defeating enemies with weapons. I want you to keep the other enemies from getting close”
”I understand. Let's call out when we need to reload”
”Got it! Then let's go!”
”Yes, let's do our best!”
The two challenged the attraction together. As they stood lined up by the starting point, their expressions were brighter and more cheerful than ever. While their intentions might have started out differently, there was no longer any doubt that the two were closer than ever before.
