[Invasion III]

After some twists and turns, Nishino and Shimizu parted ways with Marquis and the others in the parking lot of a convenience store. 

Shimizu looked enviously at the four of them as they left by car. 

The two then walked to the nearest station, took a train, and moved on to another location. They visited the share house where Nishino, Rose, and Gabriella were living. With no other suitable place to stay, the Futsumen returned to his home, which he knew very well.

"By the way, why are we at your house, Nishino-kun?" 

"Chairwoman, are you thirsty? I'm going to make some tea." 

"Don't change the subject, please." 

" ...... "

The location is a living space on the second floor of a house. 

They are sitting on the sofa facing each other. 

The way from the convenience store to the share house went smoothly. While police officers could be seen not only in town but also in the train station, not a single person noticed Nishino, who had transformed from a Futsumen into a handsome man with a good-looking atmosphere. 

"This place is under the control of that woman, Francisca. Our visit will be transmitted to her on its own. Now that there has been no contact since yesterday, it is a perfect meeting point. As the Chairwoman knows, it's pointless to worry about security." 

"Uh, I se......" 

"I didn't want to do anything that would cause trouble for the owner, if possible......." 

Shimizu, who had asked the virgin with an ulterior motive, was surprised to hear a more reasonable response than she had expected. At the same time, I thought to myself, If that's the case, what was that declaration I made at the convenience store? 

Conversation is lost and the living room goes quiet. 

The Futsumen silently got up from his seat and headed to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. 

The kitchen area is well stocked with everything from dishes to ingredients, since Rose takes care of it on a daily basis. This is all in order to deliver the best meal to her beloved. Taking advantage of this, Nishino brews tea for the Chairwoman. 

The porcelain used is a set of Rose's pride and joy. 

He and Gabriella are also rather selfishly using them in this way. 

Two cups of hot tea are lined up on the low table in front of the sofa. 

"Tea ?" 

"Just something my annoying roommate likes to do." 

"Ah ... " 

Shimizu shook her head slightly as she recalled Rose's image in her mind. 

She sips a cup of freshly brewed tea as if to expel its presence from her consciousness. 

Immediately afterward, she felt a sensation that the fragrance, more than she had imagined, was quickly passing from her mouth to her nose. 

" ...... Delicious, somehow" 

"That's good to know." 

Little does Shimizu know that the cup and set of saucers she holds in her hand is worth several year's worth of pocket money. The leaves are also of a certain value. Along with the teaspoon and tea strainer, they are all prestigious items. 

It was one of the few hobbies of the blonde Lolita who shared the house with the Futsumen. 

These were also precious items that she brought from her previous home.

"Maybe this is expensive ? "

"Well, I don't know." 

The Futsumen who really don't know anything about it will try to come off as lighthearted. 

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A set of tea utensils, a sight that would make the owner scream if she knew. 

So quietly enjoying tea for a while. 

The Chairwoman asked Nishino, who was sitting on the opposite sofa. 

"Nishino-kun, aren't you a little strange since you left Igarashi-san's house?" 

"...... Really?" 

Futsumen's eyebrows twitched in response to Shimizu's casual muttering. He had plucked and shaved his eyebrows just the other day to make them look more handsome, and he had not yet started caring for them. Therefore, it conveys the movement to the observer more noticeably than usual. 

This convinced her to say the following words. 

"Why did you go to all the trouble of having a car chase when a big truck chased us on the highway? Why did you throw the coffee out of the window? Until last night, you would have been arrested for anything, even in the middle of nowhere." 

" ............ " 

It was another very perceptive point of view. 

It was a matter of life and death for the person being questioned. 

As the Chairwoman said, it was Nishino who had been unable to use his mysterious powers for some time after leaving the home of a self-proclaimed saba saba girl, while being shaken in a minivan. That day, according to him, which comes in a cycle of about once a month. 

In order to mend it, he is on a grand standstill on the highway. 

The help of Marquis, who was prepared in advance, is no different.

He thought he was doing a good job of hiding it, but the Chairwoman knew. Shimizu has been observing the Futsumen for some reason or another. However, he is oblivious to this fact. 

"You're not doing this just for show, are you? " 

"No wonder you're the Chairwoman. Very observant." 

"Don't fool around!" 

In reality, he was a Futsumen who was feeling a little bit excited by the opportunity to impress the Chairwoman. If he tells the truth, he does not know what kind of verbal abuse he will receive. Desperate to deceive, Nishino is determined to appeal to the opposite sex. 

"Please, rest assured, it's only a temporary problem."

"What do you mean ?" 

"It'll be back to normal in the morning." 

"What the hell is that? ......" 

"But please don't tell anyone about this." 

At this point, only Francisca, Rose, and Gabriella are aware of this. Since the matter of people with abilities is not yet public knowledge, there is little chance that the Chairwoman will reveal it to anyone else. However, even so, it was still better to be cautious. 

"I don't want to know your secret, Nishino, and I'm not going to talk." 

"That's good to know." 

"But that person seemed to be more reliable." 

That person probably points to Marquis. 

The Chairwoman has long known that Futsumen is capable of strange and bizarre illusions. When she traveled abroad, she saw a rather shocking scene, such as cutting off one of Rose's arms. 

" ... I'm sorry. Anything beyond that is my own ego." 

"Can't you really help yourself with that kind of roundabout way of talking?" 

"I didn't want to leave the Chairwoman's life in someone else's hands. I wanted to protect it with my own hands." 

"........." 

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The straight talk given immediately afterwards took the chairwoman's breath away. Shimizu's heart was pounding in her chest, and she muttered a few honest words about how she should consider the distance between the two. Shimizu was a bit perturbed and felt a bit frustrated.

"Again, please rest assured. From my own observation, there is a strong possibility that the other party is not thinking of taking the initiative to do something about us. I am not certain why, but I can sense that they want to incapacitate us and then secure us." 

"After almost getting shot with a handgun, though, it's not so convincing."

"The attack at the hotel was probably to confirm our power." 

"How can you be so sure?" 

"The gas used was non-lethal. The stun grenade was first released at Igarashi-chan apartment. Even on the highway, while Sumika was driving, there was no sign of an attack on their initiative."

"I'm not sure about calling an older woman a chan." 

" ... I'm sorry"

The mental distance between me and Nishino has been getting closer and closer over the past few days. 

The Chairwoman was also desperate to escape from this. 

The two of them are alone in a shared house with no other residents. Shimizu is feeling increasingly threatened by this situation. Still, if Takeuchi was with her, she would have been somewhat relieved. However, she has not been able to get in touch with his handsome friend today. 

I tried to call him several times since I woke up, but the line never connected once. 

"Anyway, I understand what you are saying, Nishino." 

"You are brilliant Chairwoman. Thank you for your wisdom and understanding." 

"So, can you stop talking like that? And, if that's the case, we need to be prepared for anything. We're defenseless until tomorrow, right? Shouldn't we get ready while we still can?" 

"I think I'll start as soon as I finish drinking this." 

"Is there anything I can guess ? " 

"I already have the necessary tools" 

Nishino says, looking at the Boston bag on the sofa. 

It was an item he received from Marquis in the parking lot of a convenience store. 

" ......... " 

The Chairwoman felt a sense of depression at the thought of what would be stored there. It would definitely be items that are not allowed to be shown to other people, and even possessing them would be illegal. She has been blessed with such opportunities in the past. 

Shimizu could not help but hope that she would not take advantage of it. 

◇ ◆ ◇

The same day, after school, Risa was ready to go. 

Following yesterday, Shimizu is absent from school again today. She was anxious about her situation, but she was afraid to contact her since it was right after she had been dumped. 

After spending such an agonizing time, she made a decision. 

The location was the rooftop of the school building where the Class 2A classrooms are located. 

After confirming that no one else was around, she made the call with a mysterious look on her face. However, all she received was a mechanical voice telling her that the power was out or that she was in a place where there was no signal. 

"Chairwoman....... " 

Risa's anxiety spreads more than ever in her heart. . 

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Because two of the Chairwoman's good friends were also absent from school today. One would think that there might have been some kind of dispute between the two parties. 

" ... Oh, that's right." 

After a while of worrying about it, Risa suddenly had an idea. 

She wondered what happened to Nishino. 

He is a Futsumen who has been absent from the classroom today since he left school at the same time as she did. I wondered if he might know something about it, and the image of Nishino's face, which looked so pale, popped up in my mind. 

She picked up her phone and made a call, and the line connected immediately. 

"Hello, Nishino-kun? It's Nishino's number, isn't it?" 

"What happened ? Risa-chan" 

Nishino's voice echoed through the phone and into Risa's ears. 

As usual, it is the first voice that strikes a nerve. 

Regardless of this, she asks. 

"Perhaps, the Chairwoman is near Nishino-kun?" 

"...... How did you figure that out?" 

"Yes! That's perfect." 

When Risa received the expected response, she jumped up and down on the spot. 

Her voice naturally became louder and she continued the call.

"The Chairwoman, is she okay? " 

"Yes, she'll be fine. I can switch if you need me to......"

"Switch! Please!" 

"Okay"

After a while, the tone of voice that came through was one that Risa was also accustomed to hearing. 

"Hello, Risa? Can you hear me? " 

"Hey, Chairwoman, I'm sorry to call on such short notice." 

"No, that's okay. It's fine. ......" 

It was the person I had seen every day since I entered high school. There was no way she could have heard her wrong. Risa was relieved to hear a more normal response than she had expected.

"Since you've been out of school since yesterday, I couldn't help but wonder..." 

"Ah, yeah... that's right. sorry" 

"I'd like to help you, too, if you're having trouble. I want you to tell me anything. Anything I can do to help! I would be so sad if something happened to the Chairwoman." 

"........." 

The straightforward thoughts conveyed by Risa-chan strike the Chairwoman's heart. 

However, it is a complicated feeling to think that there is lust beyond that. 

And in any case, Shimizu can't bring his friend into the mix. Although their relationship tends to be strained these days, Risa is still an important friend to her. That is why she is hesitant to speak frankly. 

In front of the Chairwoman, who is talking with a phone in her hand, Nishino is tossing around a machine gun in the living room. Around him are other items he received from Marquis, including a pistol and some other things. The living room of the share house was a bit of an arms store. 

A pistol that somehow managed to wrap itself around the Chairwoman's thigh as well. 

She has learned to handle it as well. 

"Sorry, Risa. Can you wait just a little bit longer?” 

"I don't know if I can be of any help to the Chairwoman." 

"I'm going to be honest with you, it's hard to say if you can help me or not. But it's not just because it's Risa. I'm sure it's the same for my parents or teachers at school, so even if someone else had contacted me, my response would have been the same." 

"Is that different from Nishino ? " 

"...... That's not the same, and that's the trouble." 

" ... " 

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The mentality of the Chairwoman as she answered the phone was a mess. 

Definitely misunderstood, was the inarticulate scream. 

However, she was frustrated that she could not honestly tell her what was going on. 

"I see....." 

"Um, I'll explain properly later. So I'm really sorry." 

"No, I'm sorry too for calling you on such short notice.." 

And so the call with the Chairwoman was ended. 

After disconnecting the line, Risa looked up overhead without doing anything. 

The sky was clear and the crows could be heard cawing in the distance. 

What was going on? Risa checked the screen in a panic, wondering if it was a recall from the Chairwoman. What she sees is a display for a pay phone. She is startled by the display, but she changes her mind and answers the call.

"Yes, this is Kondo. Who are you?" 

"I'm Takeuchi. Can I talk to you for a minute?" 

"Eh ...? Takeuchi-kun ?" 

Risa was surprised to receive another unexpected name. 

She and Takeuchi had exchanged contact information with each other, and she could not imagine a situation in which he would go to the trouble of contacting her from a pay phone. Her voice was also a little pitched as she replied. 

"Yeah, that's okay. What's going on? It says pay phone." 

"I need to confirm something with Risa immediately......" 

Takeuchi continued to talk regardless of this. 

Even over the phone, I could sense that he was in a hurry. 

His words and actions seem different from those I see, relaxed, and good-looking man I see on campus. But the tone of his voice is definitely that of someone she knows, so Risa tilts her head in doubt. 

"I'll tell you what I know, if you don't mind." 

"Do you know where Nishino is ?" 

"Eh, Nishino-kun ? " 

It was the person I had been talking to just a few minutes ago. Risa's question was so clearly aimed at her that it made her feel a bit nervous. At the same time, a question was also raised in her mind. It was Takeuchi, who was absent from school today, just like Nishino, the Chairwoman, and the Chairwoman's group of close friends. 

And as far as she knows, they are not that close. Nishino seems to think favorably of Takeuchi, but she senses that Takeuchi wants to keep his distance from Nishino. That is why I cannot help but wonder why the latter is seeking the former's place. 

The questions that come to mind this way and that make me hesitate to say the words that follow. 

Perhaps misunderstanding the pause, Takeuchi-kun immediately spoke up. 

"Sorry for asking such a strange question. I'll look elsewhere after all." 

"Oh, wait, Takeuchi-kun !......" 

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"Do you know anything about it?"

"Nishino-kun, I think he's with the Chairwoman." 

Feeling that she had communicated with Nishino over the phone, Risa-chan thought that she would not be able to ask him where he was, but if she had mentioned Takeuchi's name and explained the situation to Nishino, the two would have been in touch with each other, which would have been a good thing. 

Unfortunately, however, Risa-chan does not know about their relationship.

From her point of view, they are between the top and the bottom of the campus caste. 

A relationship between a handsome man and a Futsumen who are nothing more than that. 

Considering how the Chairwoman said it was impossible, she was afraid to make a proposal that would continue. 

"I knew it. ......" 

"Eh, Takeuchi, do you know about the Chairwoman?" 

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I can't tell you the details." 

" ... I see." 

Feeling like she was the only one left out, Risa is a little sad. 

Meanwhile, Takeuchi's mental state is all over the place. Since last night, he has been going from one coffee shop or Internet cafe to another in Tokyo without returning to his home. According to the media, a gas explosion occurred at a luxury hotel. This triggered a visible increase in the number of police officers in town. 

He was a handsome man who spent a whole day frightened by their appearance. 

It was against this background that he took the trouble to make a phone call from a pay phone. His own phone was turned off and in his pocket. The perceptive Takeuchi had correctly judged the possibility that the phone at hand could be detrimental to him. 

He still has not been able to contact Francisca. 

Although he had exchanged contact information with Nishino through the breakdance club, he had not registered the other's number in his address book, although he had given his own number and account. This is a handsome man who never dreamed that the day would come when he would want Futsumen's contact information so badly. 

"Maybe she's at Nishino-kun's share house or something?"

"What? You mean Nishino's house?" 

"Not only Takeuchi and Nishino, but Rose and Gabriella are absent from school again. So I was thinking that maybe they are together. Sorry if I'm wrong?" 

Risa, who has just mentioned an imagination that suddenly came to her mind.

Even if we are afraid to ask them about their whereabouts, it would not be a problem if we just imagine it and say it out loud. Besides, Takeuchi-kun might be able to help the Chairwoman. With such a faint thought, she muttered to herself. 

"By the way, I didn't check my home ... " 

" ... Takeuchi-kun ? " 

"Thanks, Risa. I'll go there as soon as I can." 

"Yeah, okay. See you at school, Takeuchi." 

"I'm sorry to call you from a strange number, but I'll see you later!" 

With a cheerful reply, the line was disconnected from either end. 

The call lasted only a few minutes. 

I looked at the notification and did nothing but sit in a daze. 

No, I tried to. 

Just then, the phone started buzzing and shaking, and Risa panicked. 

"Eh? " 

The display in her hand switches to a screen that informs her of an incoming call. 

There was a name on the screen that Risa also remembered. 

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It was a friend of the Chairwoman's group of friends. 

" ......... " 

She hesitated to take the call. 

However, she still couldn't ignore the call, and after waiting for about a dozen calls, she pressed the call button. This is a person with whom she has had a complicated relationship in many ways following the events of the day before yesterday. The fact that she is out of school today also helps, and Risa has been thinking about it a lot. 

"Yes, it's Kondo." 

Risa receives the call and tries to be reserved in her response. 

Compared to her usual lively personality, this is a blatant change. 

In contrast, the caller's voice came from the other end of the line in a vigorous apology. 

"Risa, I know this is sudden, but I'm sorry about the day before yesterday!" 

" What? " 

"The three of us talked about a lot of things after that. And I realized that it was totally my fault. That's why I wanted to contact you to apologize."

"Oh....."

"I'm really sorry for all the horrible things I said." 

"No, that's okay." 

The day before yesterday, Risa was not that concerned about the girls because of the shock of the rejection from the Chairwoman. If there was anything to worry about, it was the future of the Chairwoman's school life. 

She had already talked to a group of her close friends during lunchtime today and made arrangements to invite the Chairwoman over. Her friends were surprisingly kind to the leader of the group, who had come out to them in a variety of ways. 

For better or worse, they are a light-hearted group of girls at the top of the caste. 

"Also, I'm sorry to ask you this, but I was wondering if you know where the chairwoman is now? I went to her house to apologize, but it seems she is out so I couldn't see her." 

"What does that mean?" 

"I don't want to bother you and the rest of the class, and I'd like to apologize to the Chairwoman today if possible, but I haven't been able to reach her since this morning. I asked the other girls and they said she's not at school and she's not at home, so I'm wondering if she has us blocked."

"............"

"So I was wondering if Risa, who is good friends with the Chairwoman, would know anything about this." 

If the Chairwoman is going to be back together with her close group, that would be a good thing for Risa. It would also save unnecessary confusion for the year 2A. It would be a serious matter if a second or third Matsuura-san were to be born. 

If that is the case, she decided to tell her. 

It was the same vague guess that she had given to Takeuchi just a few minutes ago. 

"If that's the case, I think she might be at the share house where Nishino-kun lives." 

"Oh, really?" 

"Do you know the place ? " 

"Uh, no? If you like, please tell me ... " 

"Would you like to send you the location? " 

"Thank you, Risa-chan. I apologize to the Chairwoman! ” 

"Yeah, I hope you can make it up to her." 

The caller then apologized and thanked Risa repeatedly and ended the call. The conversation was somewhat longer than the one with Takeuchi. I noticed that the sun had set and the strong western sun was turning the area into an azure color. 

Risa-chan squinted at this and left the rooftop with a melancholy sigh.

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