Sayuki felt like she was floating.
They had lunch together, went to the cat cafe, and walked around the mall chatting.
They even drank a couple’s juice at the cafe – something she’d wanted to try ever since reading about it in a shojo manga as a kid. A small childhood dream had come true.
Just walking beside Haruhiko made her cheeks loosen up.
But fun times pass by so quickly.
Before she knew it, the sun was setting. Under the madder-colored sky, Sayuki invited him to the park, wanting to talk a bit more.
“Thank you for today, Haruhiko-san.”
“No, I enjoyed it too.”
He kept her company all day despite being busy.
Today, he seemed more relaxed than usual. Probably not just her one-sided feelings – Haruhiko must feel something for her too.
“Um, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Nn? What is it?”
Fortunately, there was no one else in the park. Sayuki tightly gripped her guardian stone.
Confessing her feelings was scary. If she failed, they might not even be able to remain normal friends.
Even so, Sayuki took a step forward.
“I like you.”
It was a straightforward confession, without any preamble.
He seemed taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise.
“I see…no. You faced me directly. Then I must do the same. I erased that girl’s memories, but it’s a little late now.”
Haruhiko muttered with a hint of melancholy.
For a brief moment, his figure seemed distorted.
Nothing had changed, and yet, something had changed.
The person standing there was not the slightly quirky but endearing man.
“I am Halvied-Calm-Sein, the acting chief executive of the evil organization Delnkeim’s scientific division.”
The malicious being who had repeatedly stood in the way of the fairy princesses was there.
” Fiona of the pure stream, already know your true identity.”
“Eh, ah…”
“I am your enemy. In other words, you have been deceived.”
Despite saying that, he did not attempt to attack or escape.
As a senior member of the evil organization, he was responsible for numerous incidents.
Sayuki knew this well, as she had fought Delnkeim alone until Akane came to her aid.
“What’s wrong, can’t you speak?”
“…No, I am surprised. But I was somewhat prepared for this.”
Yet her turmoil was surprisingly small. She just felt a tightness in her chest.
“Miina san and the Master had sort of warned me. So this is what they meant.”
The Master had said, “I pray your affection isn’t a lie.”
Miina had said, “I won’t forgive it if your affection is a lie.”
In other words, those two had hinted at the possibility that Sayuki’s feelings were based on a lie.
So she had considered the possibility that Haruhiko had a dark side.
The Master pretended to be indifferent, and Miina acted angry, trying to mentally prepare Sayuki.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Thanks to them, she could see his face clearly now.
The faint smile that should have made her feel mocked as an enemy
instead a little melancholic, reminiscent of the slightly pathetic expression he had after their date at the cat cafe.
“Wait, please.”
Sayuki grabbed the arm of Halvied, who was about to leave.
“Please don’t go. I won’t be able to meet Haruhiko-san again if I let you leave here, right?”
“To begin with, there is no such human as Haruhiko Hakase.”
“I know! I must have been deceived by you… But I don’t want to think everything about you was a lie.”
She didn’t know if this was the right thing, but she felt it wasn’t wrong.
No, even if it was wrong, she couldn’t let go.
“I mean, there’s no point in giving me the setting of liking cup ramen if you were just going to deceive me, right?”
“Huh?”
“And there’s no need to show me being scolded by Eiko-senpai and shrinking back.”
“Wait, hold on a sec-“
“The look on your face when you happily ate cake was definitely not an act.”
“Couldn’t you have picked up on better points?”
His nonchalant way of speaking was just like the usual Haruhiko.
See, even when she clung to his arm like this, he didn’t try to forcibly shake her off.
Neither Fiona nor Eres had ever been injured by Halvied’s attacks.
Even amidst the lies, there must have been a genuine concern for Sayuki and the others.
“So I want to talk. Not as Sayuki and Haruhiko-san, nor as Fiona of pure stream and Halvied. Please let me talk as myself and yourself.”
She was reminded anew of her father’s teachings.
What value did he hold for her?
What value did she hold for him?
Now that the lines of justice and evil were clearly drawn, Sayuki Kasuminatsuki had to weigh her own worth and be weighed in turn.
688: Sexy
Somehow it seems Fiona was able to keep Hakase there.
689: Anonymous Combatant
I’m counting on you, Fiona-chan.
This date plan isn’t just for fun, it’s a chatting date to leave the impression that even if Hakase’s true nature is revealed, his real self is a good guy.
690: Anonymous Combatant
The heroine of this date is Hakase. Everything depends on whether you can seduce that hopeless case.
I hope it goes well.
691: Anonymous Combatant
Whether it has a soft landing or not is up to Fiona-chan.
Do your best, girl……
“Is ‘Halvied’ a bad person?”
Sayuki asks in a calm tone, not accusatory.
He responds naturally without being guarded.
“I’m a scientist for an evil organization. I intend to be a fairly bad guy. I’ve done lots of things that would make you dislike me.”
“Is it for someone’s sake? Like taking Miina hostage.”
“Don’t mock me. That girl is acting of her own free will. She seems to act freely in private.”
“Thank you. …I’m glad.”
“You’re welcome, I suppose?”
The cold-looking young man showed a soft smile.
He had no obligation to answer, yet told her as much as he could.
Miina must also be on the evil organization’s side. But she wasn’t forced, and her interactions with Sayuki weren’t a ploy.
He is truly doing bad things. However, he doesn’t seem to enjoy committing cruel acts or derive pleasure from them.
And he neither confirmed nor denied doing it for someone’s sake.
Which proves the opposite – that he is protecting someone.
He must be staying in the organization for that person’s sake. Sayuki is quite smitten, hoping it’s not another woman.
“…By the way, you aren’t lying about not having a partner, right?”
“Ah, well… I, I haven’t been able to find one yet.”
If that’s the case, she can rest assured. Her confirmation about ‘Halvied’ was sufficient.
When the questions stopped, he shrugged slightly.
“Let me apologize. As a result, I did end up deceiving you. But there was no scheme behind getting close to you.” (Based on vote results)
“I understand. If you were more cunning, we would have been defeated long ago. But you did have some calculation involved, didn’t you?”
“Yes. For my personal circumstances, rather than the organization’s.”
Thanking the forthright Halvied, Sayuki probes further. Even if seen as impudent, she’ll regret it if she doesn’t seize this chance.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
“So tell me again, about yourself.”
“My goal, you mean?”
“No. Were the takoyaki party photos you sent to Moe fake?”
The question seemed to catch him off guard for a moment, leaving him perplexed.
But realizing her intent, he smiled after a slight pause.
“No, I did actually do that. It was quite difficult to make them round.”
“Do you really like cup ramen?”
“That’s also true. I originally prefer rich flavors, and cup noodles don’t exist in our dimension.”
“Do you think cats are cute?”
“Poking their paw pads relaxes my heart. I must have been unconsciously seeking comfort from my busy life.”
then
Sayuki shows him the protective stone hanging from her neck.
“Is this a transmitter? Or is it perhaps some kind of cursed item?”
“…No. It has no power, just a simple protective charm.”
Knowing this, Sayuki breathes a sigh of relief.
“Thanks to this, I was able to move forward. Whatever your intentions were, I think you helped me.”
“I didn’t mean to do anything so grandiose.”
“Even so, thank you for speaking to me when I was troubled back then.”
Not just the protective stone.
She superimposed her childhood loneliness on what she’d heard from Master about his past.
She felt warmth seeing him care for Miina like an older brother.
She felt proud, albeit complexly, when the girls in class praised him.
She knows so many wonderful things about you.
“I value you. I was deceived, you were an enemy. But the parts of you I came to like were real. So their value to me remains intact. I won’t take back my words of liking you.”
It doesn’t change that he’s the deputy chief executive of Delnkeim.
Yet the slightly odd big brother figure Sayuki was drawn to definitely existed.
Then her feelings of liking him couldn’t have been a mistake.
“Now it’s your turn to value me. Does the ‘me’ without Fiona’s pure stream hold any value for you?”
She asks but feels terribly tense.
If told he only got close due to scheming, she may never be able to stand again.
But she can believe one thing. This awkward person will respond honestly when confronted directly.
“Well, you were fighting all alone at first, weren’t you?”
“Yes, until Eres the Purifying Flame joined.”
“That sight reminded me a bit of my past self. You looked so lonely, but were desperately struggling alone. Come to think of it, I did something similar back then.”
His voice recalling distant memories is so gentle, it’s hard to believe he’s from an evil organization.
“In other words, I was a fan of yours. I did it for my father’s sake, but you were desperately trying your best for some stranger. …It was dazzlingly pure.”
Being told that makes her blush.
At first, it was for Liza the fairy of the moonlit night, her first friend.
She kept fighting thanks to Akane and Moe too. But if her presence left an impression on him, she’s glad.
“Then I happened to meet my idol’s by chance, and saw her side as an ordinary girl. At the same time, I sensed she must have had a lonely childhood too. Yet seeing you remain uncorrupted… Well, I’m rather embarrassed to admit it, but I suppose I was drawn to you.”
His unembellished words, devoid of any cruel executive persona, warm her cheeks.
There, he gazed intently into Sayuki’s eyes.
“I too will stake everything. To me, you are so precious that I want to obtain you no matter what.”
“Yes, and… that is… in other words… Does this mean… mutual feelings…?”
“Yeah. Actually, for me you were my first love. I realized that recently thanks to my friends. It’s true.”
He emphasized it a bit embarrassedly.
Sayuki unconsciously tensed her hands. She was filled with such joy that she felt like jumping up and down.
“Hey, why don’t you come to Delnkeim? I like you. How about the name Fiona of the Muddy Stream? I heard the fallen dark heroine troupe is all the rage these days. You could become an executive right away. No, yeah. Won’t you help me out seriously?”
He playfully made that invitation.
Having been smoothly told “I like you,” her heart raced. But she pretended to be unfazed and responded jokingly.
“Why don’t you join our side instead? For a transforming heroine, it’s essential to have a kind older brother figure watching over her.”
“Not an additional fighter?”
“That would be fine too. Will you come to my aid when I’m in a pinch?”
“Okay, I don’t dislike playing the hero role even if it’s not my style.”
He went along with Sayuki’s joke. They exchanged words rhythmically, and eventually couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“Hehe. This is nice, both options seem fun.”
“Haha, not a bad situation at all.”
Ah, how delightful.
What happiness it is for the person you like to like you back.
“But, I’m sorry. There’s something I cannot relinquish.”
“I’m sorry. I cannot submit to an evil organization.”
And yet, surely there are still things they cannot abandon.
“I’m sorry. It’s true that I like you. But ‘Halvied’ is too important for me to abandon. It turns out I have quite a few cherished things after all.”
“I like you too. And as Fiona of the Pure Stream, I will fight against Delnkeim. That’s the promise I made to my friends.”
“I have no intention of betraying the leader either.”
They had known from the start that it would turn out this way.
Even if they wished for [you and me], the stubborn pair could only arrive at [Fiona of the Pure Stream and Halvied].
“Still, we can proudly say we had mutual feelings, can’t we?”
“If you think so, then I’m delighted too.”
“Yes. Well then, Haruhiko-san.”
“Yeah, Sayuki-chan.”
In the end, they reverted to [Sayuki-chan and Haruhiko-san] and left the park, neither saying goodbye.
They didn’t voice a “farewell” or “see you again”,
feeling those would carry a different meaning if said aloud.
The sunset passed and the sky turned indigo. Under the twinkling stars, Sayuki let out a small sigh.
“Ah…”
This was her first love too. She enjoyed their date, and was overjoyed to learn of their mutual feelings.
And yet, it didn’t work out. A day of great success and great failure. This thing called romance seems truly difficult.
“No. Not yet…”
However, she didn’t cry or feel dejected.
Sayuki slapped her own cheeks with both hands to regain her motivation, then headed home.
As she walked the night streets, Sayuki thought:
He called me dazzling when I was fighting alone.
Similarly, I want to praise that person who was striving alone.
“You did great,” I want to tell him. “You were amazing.”
That night, I renewed my determination to be someone who can convey that to you.
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