In a high-rise building in D.U.'s Shiratori Ward.
The top-floor office, overlooking the entire D.U. cityscape, was leased and used by Problem Solver 68, a group recently rising as an emerging power in the underworld. The only thing that couldn't be seen from there was the Sanctum Tower.
"Ufufu. The amount in our bank account is steadily increasing. The name of Problem Solver has also gained traction in this industry... If things keep going like this, it won't be long before we make a name for ourselves as the number one outlaws in Kivotos, as hardboiled villains with no blood or tears!"
"But it's only increased by 500,000 yen in three months♪"
"Th-That's because the rent is...!"
"Hah... You're the one who insisted on getting an office near the Sanctum Tower in D.U., President. And the real problem isn't the rent, but the excessive amount we spend during missions."
"A top-tier business needs an office like this as a basic requirement! And we've been getting just as many requests, haven't we?! This office is the face of our Problem Solver agency! Besides, even the Prefect Team can't just barge in here..."
"Ahahahat! We spend as much as we earn, so of course there's nothing left over, Aru-chan."
"...Shut up! That's an investment. As long as we can maintain our 100% success rate, even if we don't have any profit right now, we're bound to in the future. And it's President, not Aru-chan!"
"But it's our day off today, isn't it?"
"...Ugh. M-More importantly, it seems Haruka is running a little late."
Aru, having become the victim of workplace bullying directed at the president—a daily routine—hastily changed the subject. Mutsuki, who had been grinning, and Kayoko, who was wiping the cases of their collected CDs, both paused at her words.
"Ah, Aru-nim, did you perhaps call for me...?"
And as if waiting to be mentioned, the office door opened and Haruka appeared, carrying a cardboard box. She asked in a timid, barely audible voice. On top of the box was a plastic bag containing the convenience store bento boxes they planned to eat for breakfast.
"I did... call for you. But more importantly, Haruka, what's that package?"
"I, I picked it up from the security office..."
"Heeh. Let's see... It's from Trinity?"
"H-Huh? Did we have any reason to receive a package from Trinity?"
As Aru wondered if there was anyone in Trinity who would send them a package, Kayoko, who had approached her side, provided a simple answer.
"...President, whose help was it that allowed us to get this office?"
"Hanuma Makoto?"
"W-Well, that's true, but..."
It was a correct answer, but slightly different from the one Kayoko had been aiming for.
"Ahat! I know who it is~♪"
"Ah. Don't tell me, our VIP-nim... no, Mika-ssi?"
"Kufufu. So you thought of her as a VIP, Aru-chan?"
"It's not like that! This is a gesture that if she ever needs our help with something, we'll help her out just once...!"
"...For free? In the first place, the Tea Party Host isn't the type of person who would need our help, either as an individual or a group."
"Right. Cheonsa-chan is super strong. She has lots of subordinates. And she's probably rich, too, right?"
"Sh-She's a scary person."
"...Shut up! All of you, be quiet! There are things in the underworld that only we can help with, right? Like eliminating a political rival. Or carrying out some backroom dealings in another academy's autonomous district. Or, after Kayoko's birthday, legally getting her cigarettes or alcohol...!"
"...Hah. As if a young lady from Trinity would ask for something like that. The first two are plausible, but given her personality, she would never ask for such things."
Unable to refute Kayoko's words, Aru could only let out a groan. Meanwhile, Mutsuki casually tore open the package. An exclamation of awe immediately followed her confirmation of its contents.
"...Whoa! It's a Christmas present?! Cheonsa-chan really is an angel, with a heart of gold!"
"Wh-Wh-What did you say...?!"
"Come to think of it, we didn't send her anything."
"Ahat, you're right. What should we do, Aru-chan? Cheonsa-chan might be a little... disappointed~?"
"I-I'm so sorry, Aru-nim! I should have taken care of such a trivial matter on my own... Should I die? Yes, dying is the right thing to do, isn't it?! I will die!"
"Ahem! I-It's fine! Mika-ssi will understand with her generous heart. So we can just repay her with a New Year's gift instead, right?!"
As Aru's head spun, she somehow managed to rationalize the situation and soothe Haruka. In the meantime, Mutsuki handed the gift box to her.
Come to think of it, the fact that there was only one box meant it wasn't a gift for each individual member of Problem Solver. That was actually a relief. With a sigh, Aru opened the package.
"...?!"
"What is it, what is it~! Is this real solid gold? The lettering is pretty, too."
"C-Can someone like me really receive something like this...?"
"Hey, I think my and Mutsuki's titles are swapped."
"Huh? What, you're right!"
There were a total of four solid gold nameplates, one for each member of Problem Solver. Some chairman somewhere would have been delighted to receive such a special gift, but Problem Solver had four of them.
Seeing the gift, Aru was inwardly marveling, *So, this is the wealth of a Trinity lady...* when she noticed something bothering her.
At almost the same time, Kayoko realized that her and Mutsuki's titles were written in reverse.
"D-Does this mean we have to switch to Section Chief Mutsuki and Department Head Kayoko?! More importantly, why are all the nameplates solid gold? This doesn't make the President feel special at all!"
"...No, if you look closely, President Aru's is a little bigger and more ornate."
"Kufufu, let's just ignore the titles for now. We can use this to tease Cheonsa-chan next time we see her~! And Aru-chan, how about a change in perspective?"
"A change in perspective...?"
"Something like, 'We're such an amazing company that even our rank-and-file employees are issued solid gold nameplates!' Anyone who comes to hire us will be intimidated, and being intimidated, wouldn't they be inclined to raise their proposed payment~?"
Before she knew it, Aru found herself thinking Mutsuki had a point and began to seriously consider what to give back as a New Year's gift to show her sincerity.
"O-Of course, such a magnificent nameplate doesn't suit me... It would be better to melt this down... not for me, but to make Aru-nim's nameplate even more ornate...!"
"There isn't enough gold in it for that to be possible, Haruka."
"Th-That can't be... To be of no help to Aru-nim, I might as well just die..."
Awaiting Problem Solver 68, which had been through its fair share of eventful times since its founding, was a future that was bound to be even more eventful.
***
...Ah. What a pain.
Hmm.
Still, what has to be done, must be done.
I pushed off the blanket and sat up. A stray strand of messy hair tickled my nose, and I blew it away with a puff of air.
Thanks to the ETO's trial run, the time I left the Gehenna campus—whether you call it clocking out or leaving school—had become incomparably earlier.
However, the free time I had gained was transformed into hours of sweat-drenched practice as I began preparing for my idol debut. No matter how you looked at it, I had been scammed...
I had checked all the gifts from Iori, Ako, Nagisa, Haruna... and the other idol members I had recently gotten to know, as well as Sena, on Christmas evening.
...The most spectacular of them all was the miniature figure of Makoto, which she had clearly sent to mock me. I smashed it the moment I saw it.
The only gift I had received that I hadn't opened was the one Mika had given me during our last date.
Although my workload had decreased, the position of Prefect Team Leader rarely allows for holidays. Gehenna is a place where incidents increase when students are on break.
It's annoying, unfair, and unpleasant... but today, Boxing Day, is no exception.
Since I didn't have much free time in the morning, I had decided to leave only Mika's gift.
Gulp.
"...Surely, it's not that."
When I first saw the size of the gift box, what I had hoped for, foolishly, was a ring. But Mika wouldn't present a ring this way. The person I had come to know would slyly take my hand, slip the ring on as if it were nothing, and hand it back.
Then what could this gift be? Nothing particular came to mind.
Even if it wasn't a ring, it was probably an accessory... right?
I carefully unwrapped the paper, revealing a box with a clearly high-end brand name on it. It was a luxury brand I had seen while looking for a gift for Mika.
So, it was an accessory after all. Surely she didn't get me something like Haruna's wing ornament...? Probably not. My wings aren't as pretty as Haruna's.
Personally, I thought the size was about right for a wristwatch, but when I opened the box, what was revealed was a platinum locket with an antique design.
It was surprisingly large, and when I opened it, one side was fashioned like a pocket watch face. It wasn't a wristwatch, but it seemed my guess was about half-right.
And on the other side...
"..."
Was a photo, taken at some unknown time, of Mika kissing my forehead.
...If I had been a little braver, a little earlier, the place I was being kissed in that photo would have been different. Is it true that regret is always too late, no matter how early it comes?
I closed the locket and slowly put it around my neck. The chain was surprisingly short. Since things can get rough at work sometimes, I had no intention of wearing it outside my clothes, so it was perfect.
...On second thought, a picture of us kissing probably wouldn't have been necessary.
To be a little, well, honest, I liked being coddled by Mika. In her presence, I was allowed to reveal my weak, inner self.
A being who could embrace my weakness while sharing the same struggles and the same perspective. That's why Mika was unique, and all the more precious and special for it.
If the kiss I received from Mika on Christmas Eve was filled with love, then the kisses she would place on my forehead were like a baptism, filling a void within me.
...A baptism. At this rate, I'm a complete failure as a devil, aren't I? Perhaps I was already a lost cause the moment I found peace in an angel's embrace.
I unfolded the letter that Mika had undoubtedly written with all her heart. Her handwriting, densely packed onto the stationery, made my eyes swim.
Our first meeting. Our friendship. The fruit borne from our relentlessly intertwined fates. And our vision.
Mika's letter, which honestly conveyed all of this, was not written with the skill of a master wordsmith, but it was filled to the brim with her heart.
...I hadn't even thought of writing a letter.
I feel this all the time, but even though her love is divided... I can't help but feel that it's more than I deserve. Even if it were to be divided further, I doubt I could ever escape, now that I'm addicted to the love she gives. Wanting to escape is a separate matter entirely.
[To my beloved Gehenna Prefect Team Leader, Sorasaki Hina-ssi. Merry Christmas ♡]
"..."
I folded the letter. Come to think of it, the first letter I exchanged with Mika long ago should still be stored somewhere in my office.
This one... should be treasured along with it.
It was beyond my power to calm my racing heart and flushed face, but it was a relief that it would surely have subsided by the time I got to school.
A smile never left my lips as I prepared to go out. The upturned corners of my mouth remained even after seeing a flag with Makoto's face hanging on campus.
Of course, I emptied an entire ammo belt into the flag for disturbing public morals before resuming my walk to the Prefect Team headquarters.
...But then.
"Ako?"
"Ah, Leader. Good morning."
"That outfit, what on earth..."
"Mika-ssi sent it to me as a slightly late birthday present."
"..."
The sight of Ako, who had been wary of Trinity for a while even after becoming friends with Mika, wearing a Trinity uniform, was something I just couldn't get used to.
In the first place, is it even okay to gift another school's uniform... especially a student council uniform, like this?
"Right. Then what's that massage chair?"
"Actually, I had no intention of wearing this tacky uniform, but this is the reason I put it on. Mika-ssi, sigh. She asked me to send a proof shot of me using the massage chair while wearing this."
"..."
So. In order to get a picture of Ako wearing the Trinity uniform she gave as a birthday present, she sent a massage chair as a Christmas present to make it difficult for her to refuse.
...Sometimes, I wonder what goes through Mika's head.
I think this is one of those moments.
***