To put it briefly, I have now fallen into a dilemma.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, on one side is Hifumi, who, after calming down, naturally took a seat beside me as if it were the most normal thing in the world. On the other side is Hanako, who changed back into normal clothes, returned, noticed her companion's behavior, immediately understood, and with a meaningful smile, sat down close against me as well.
For some reason, it turned into the three of us sitting shoulder to shoulder, with me slightly leaned back.
Like this, do they really not feel even a little awkward? If they want to talk to each other, they have to speak across me. Isn't that inconvenient?
That said, since they seem fine with it, I obviously am not going to move somewhere else. I just shifted slightly inward.
I consider that my thoughtfulness.
At that moment, Hanako nodded in understanding. "…I see. So you were discussing future plans together with Sensei."
"H-Hanako-chan also had something to discuss with Sensei…" Hifumi hesitated before asking, "B-But why did you come wearing a swimsuit!? Are you treating a swimsuit as pajamas…!?"
Facing her companion's question, Hanako smiled faintly. "It makes my mind feel calmer this way. That's why I wear a swimsuit to attend etiquette classes too. Would you like to try thinking more flexibly∼?"
Hifumi looked troubled at the suggestion and did not reply.
Sensing the atmosphere, I chose this moment to speak.
"Hanako, about what you mentioned earlier, shall we continue?"
"…You mean Azusa-chan."
Hifumi shifted uneasily.
Noticing that, Hanako shook her head to reassure her. "No, it's fine. It's better if Hifumi-chan listens too. Actually, Azusa-chan… goes out somewhere every night and doesn't come back until dawn."
Something like that was happening?
Thinking of Azusa's special background, I could not help but frown slightly.
Every night? What was she going out to do? And under those circumstances, she was still studying hard all day. Would her body be able to handle it?
"I-I see…" Hifumi said worriedly.
"At first, I thought she just couldn't sleep in an unfamiliar place, but it doesn't seem to be that. I've hardly ever seen Azusa-chan sleep properly at night."
Hifumi recalled, "Now that you mention it… Azusa-chan does always wake up the earliest, and she's never gone to bed before me…"
Hanako's expression turned serious. "…I don't know what Azusa-chan is doing. But even if we have to force her a little, it's about time we made her get proper sleep."
Hifumi and I exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement without speaking.
I said at once, "After this, I'll talk to Azusa."
That was originally my responsibility as the Make-Up Work Club's advisor.
"Yes, please." Hanako pressed her lips together. "Azusa-chan seems… very uneasy somehow. I don't know why, but I want to help ease that anxiety as much as possible. If this continues, she'll collapse one day."
At that, she looked at us seriously and added, "Sensei and Hifumi-chan too, okay? You can't neglect sleep. Exams are important, of course, but at worst it's only repeating a year. Compared to your health, that's nothing, right?"
Hanako was not wrong.
But that was under the premise that failing all three exams would only result in repeating a year.
I glanced at the blonde girl on one side, whose mood had clearly grown heavy, and the pink-haired girl on the other, who was beginning to sense that something was off. I quickly weighed my options and spoke in a low voice.
"…Hanako, there's something I need to correct."
"Eh? What is it?"
"If none of us pass even one of the three exams… we'll be expelled."
"…Expelled?" Even Hanako, who aside from when I forcibly tried to break through her defenses had almost always maintained her composure, changed expression at that heavy revelation. "How could that be…? Sensei, what are you saying? Expelled? That kind of thing… the school rules wouldn't allow it… Expulsion requires a lot of procedures. It wouldn't be that simple… Hifumi-chan?"
As she instinctively denied it, the forced smile on her face gradually faded after seeing her companion's expression.
Calming down at a speed that matched my impression of her, Hanako looked at me with clear emerald eyes. "Sensei, could you tell me the details?"
"Of course."
I had already decided to be frank with her because I felt I could not keep it hidden and because I needed more help.
Next, I roughly explained the current situation to Hanako. Hifumi added details from time to time, and with Hanako's intelligence, she quickly grasped how the Make-Up Work Club's system operated.
"…Although this mechanism is strange. I see. It's making use of Schale's authority that transcends regulations…"
Hanako murmured with knitted brows, then looked at me apologetically. "So that's why you were like that with me before… I'm sorry. I didn't know anything, and I acted so willfully."
Making someone who had previously clashed with me sincerely apologize should have been something that lifted my mood.
But I awkwardly rubbed my nose. "Actually… I didn't know at the time either…"
Hanako blinked, then suddenly narrowed her eyes mischievously and covered her mouth, letting out exaggerated sounds of admiration.
"Oh my∼ oh my oh my∼ Sen∼sei∼ is surprisingly honest, hehe∼"
What is that supposed to mean!?
My face twitched. "Act normal."
Hanako swayed her head lightly, looking in extremely good spirits.
"A-Ahaha…" Hifumi said softly from the side, "Hanako-chan and Sensei really have a good relationship…"
"Sorry, Hifumi-chan," Hanako hurried to explain, "I didn't mean to exclude you. I just wanted to lighten the mood…"
She did not deny the relationship part, though? Since when was that established? Why did she just assume it on her own?
As I thought, Hanako had been playing hard to get all along. She must have had her eyes on me from the very beginning.
And she's pink-haired.
"Um, it's not that I have any objections, it's just…"
Hifumi hesitated for a moment, then her expression grew firm again.
"Hanako-chan, your grades are actually very good, right? In your first year, you even got full marks on third-year difficulty exams, didn't you…?"
Hanako looked slightly surprised but said nothing.
"Um, sorry… I found out when I was looking through past papers for the mock exam… But later, you scored low enough to have to join the Make-Up Work Club. Was that on purpose?"
Facing her silent companion, Hifumi asked gently, "Hanako-chan, why did you do that?"