After school, having finished my preparations to go home, I immediately headed to Class A.

“I was expecting you.”

Upon entering Class A, the desks and chairs were pushed against both sides of the walls, leaving an unnatural open space in the center.

With the attendant girls—basically, the girls of Class A—standing split to the left and right just like the desks had been, the one who spoke was sitting in the back center, lounging there with an air of overwhelming authority.

She looked like a queen seated on her throne.

On her knees was Furei, with a bandage wrapped around her right wrist, leaning lazily against Emera.

“I didn’t expect you to wait… I’d like to talk, if that’s okay?”

Though exposed to the hostile gazes from both sides, I ignored them and spoke to Emera.

“Talk? …I mean, isn’t there nothing for me to say to you?”

Surprising… or rather, she’s a lot calmer than I expected.

Considering her behavior during the day, I thought she’d still be furious, but she wasn’t showing it now.

And since she was actually waiting here like this, she must really be willing to talk—so it looked like there was room for negotiation.

“This time it was our fault, so please allow me to apologize. Tenjouin-san, is your wrist okay?”

It’s a bit confusing, but I used the family name to address her while asking about Furei’s condition.

“Just twisted… “

Furei replied briefly before gently rubbing her face against the nape of Emera’s neck in a pleading manner.

Just from that, I could tell Emera’s mood had improved.

Indeed, it seems she can’t help but find Furei adorable.

“I see… I really am sorry. If you need treatment or anything, I’ll cover the cost.”

Though there was a possibility Emera might demand an absurd amount as compensation, her current calm demeanor suggested otherwise.

In that case, all I need to do is ensure the conversation ends smoothly so Hina doesn’t suffer.

That’s what I thought—but—

“What makes you think you’re already been forgiven?”

Emera suddenly stared at me with eyes full of hostility.

Did I… just step on a landmine?

No, that’s not it.

Given how Emera normally is, what I said just now shouldn’t be a landmine at all.

It seems she never intended for things to end peacefully in the first place.

“I want you to stop harassing Hina. If there’s anything you want, please tell me instead.”

I understand that Hina was at fault this time, but it’s unreasonable for her to be bullied because of it.

So I’m implying to Emera that if she wants to do something, do it to me.

Then—

“If you want to negotiate with me, show me the appropriate level of capability.”

—Emera smirked maliciously and narrowed her eyes as if looking down on me.

“Capability…?”

“Yes. If you win against this girl, I’ll listen to you a little.”

As Emera clapped her hands twice, a girl with a height similar to Hina and an adorable, youthful face stepped forward from among the girls waiting on either side.

With unusual pale blue hair and twin tails, she looked younger than her age, but she gazed up at me with an icy, cold expression.

No, wait… has this girl even been at this school before?

“Nice to meet you. My name is Shirayuki Koori. I enrolled in this school today, so I hope we get along from here on.”

The girl introducing herself as Shiraiki Koori, bowed politely, gently lifting the hem of her skirt with her fingers.

Her right foot slightly drawn back and her knees lightly bent gave the impression of a refined, well-mannered young lady.

But what she said was too absurd.

“The timing alone is weird enough, but more importantly—how is it an enrollment and not a transfer…? There’s a limit to how unreasonable you can be…”

Faced with a girl who was clearly summoned here because of what happened today, I voiced my complaint to Emera.

“This is a private school, you know. We can bend the rules a little. That girl simply wasn’t attending any school before, so we’re treating it as an enrollment.”

“A little!?”

What part of this is ‘a little’!?

There’s no way a private school could bend the rules that far in the first place!

—I wanted to interject, but I held back.

It’s pointless to argue with Emera since she doesn’t understand common sense.

“Koori hates studying… and yet you dragged her into this…?”

And right in front of me, with a face so cute it almost seemed unfair, Shirayuki-san was glaring at me with pure resentment.

It was painfully obvious that Emera had forced her to come here.

Well, um… I’m sorry about that, but regarding this matter, I think the fault lies with your master.

I wanted to tell her to take it out on them instead.

“What do you mean by ‘win’?”

“A duel.”

Though I had a rough idea, when I asked, Emera smirked and briefly answered.

“Hey, hold on—she’s a girl… and such a small one at that—”

Just as I started speaking, I saw a tiny hand flying straight toward my face from the corner of my vision.

As I hastily turned my head, a slicing sound accompanied by a hand strike barely grazed my face.

“Hmm… You can dodge this?”

To my evasive action, Koori muttered in approval, but being praised like that wasn’t pleasant at all.

Considering Emera had specifically called her out, it seems she’s no ordinary person.

“Fufu, if you look down on that girl, you’ll suffer for it. She has even won against bears.”

Seeing me dodge in shock must have been amusing to her, because Emera broke into a delighted smile.

The other girls in the classroom also seemed excited about the one-sided violence about to begin.

I see… So this was a stage set up to torment me…

And yet, what an odd coincidence it is…

Looking around, the entrance was blocked by the girls, and many students had gathered in the hallway upon hearing the commotion.

This doesn’t look like an easy situation to escape from.

I hadn’t expected the negotiations to go smoothly, but I never imagined this kind of development…

Indeed, I’ve come to realize how unlucky I am.