Chapter 25: Kivotos Mama Deciding Match

Bright sunlight streamed through the windows as lively students walked along the school route, chatting with their friends. Today, once again, another ordinary slice of youth in Kivotos was about to begin.

"Aaah…! You…! This monster is using a cheap lock-in combo…! Ngh! ‘Imo,’ flashbang, nice…! Alright…! Now it’s our turn to lock it—what!? ‘Homura’ just wiped…! You heartless bastard…!"

…In stark contrast to that cheerful world, I was once again in a dim room, furiously kneading the buttons and sticks of a game controller.

Hey everyone! It’s me!

Today, like every day, I shall enjoy my own version of youth! Romance? Academics? What are those supposed to be!? They’re not even a word in my Youth Dictionary! There’s only one entry in there: GAMES!!!!

Once again, I carry out my siege strategy from this super-invincible fortress of isolation—Hiki-Komori-in-SCHALE—kindly provided by Sensei.

"Is Komori-san here?"

"Pya."

My fleeting dream was instantly shattered.

"W-w-w-who the heeell are yooou!?!?"

"You’re being rather loud…"

I turned toward the unfamiliar voice—clearly not Sensei’s—and when I saw who it belonged to, I gasped and spectacularly toppled out of my gaming chair.

She might say I’m being noisy, but honestly, isn’t my reaction justified?

Sharp, upright animal ears. A creepy fox mask concealing what was probably a beautiful face. A distinctive kimono. And in her hands, a rifle fitted with a menacing bayonet.

According to my database, there was exactly one person who matched that description.

"Kosaka Wakamo."

One of the Seven Prisoners who threw Kivotos into chaos. The very dangerous Calamity Fox.

"How long do you plan to lie there? Get up already."

"Eep… I-I wouldn’t taste very good even if you ate me…"

"I’m not going to eat you…"

I mean, why is someone this dangerous here!? This is SCHALE! The building owned by the Federal Student Council where Sensei lives! This isn’t some shady back alley where criminals roam free! And since this room is right next to Sensei’s, security here should be especially tight. On top of that, to get here, you have to pass by Sensei first—this isn’t somewhere you can just stroll into—

…Ah, damn it. A very bad feeling crossed my mind.

"…!"

I grabbed the handgun hidden among a mountain of empty energy drink cans.

Damn it. Seriously, damn it all. Stop shaking, legs. Stop crying. Now’s not the time to panic. So what if she’s one of the Seven Prisoners? I’m a Cleaner! Unlike them, I stayed free and at the top of my game, dodging the eyes of the Federal Student Council and countless other organizations, right up until I met Sensei. Valkyrie or SRT, I don’t care—anyone who got caught and shipped off to the Correction Bureau is small fry to me.

"A-ahhhhhh!"

"What the—"

I am… a Cleaner!!!

"Komori-chan, are you okay? See, Wakamo, you shouldn’t scare her like that."

"Ah, Sensei."

"—Huh?"

All the courage I’d forced out of myself evaporated the moment Sensei casually peeked in through the door.

"S-Sensei…? You’re… safe?"

"? Of course I am. What’s wrong?"

"……sob."

"Komori-chan!?"

"Wow… she’s crying like a cockroach that just got sprayed…"

Relief triggered my tears, gushing out like Niagara Falls—but it was too early to relax. I dropped the handgun, then used every ounce of speed I had to slide across the floor littered with empty cans and junk, racing toward the safe zone I’d identified.

"Grab."

"K-Komori-chan…?"

That safe zone was behind Sensei.

More precisely, right behind Sensei’s broad back.

"S-Sensei…! Please give me a detailed explanation of what exactly is going on…!"

"I’m the one who wants to ask that."

Tch…! Does Sensei still not grasp how critical this situation is!?

"Hmph!"

"…? Why are you pointing at Wakamo?"

"A dangerous monster has appeared in my sanctuary…! I will issue a hunting request to the guild…!"

"Who are you calling a monster?"

"Wakamo is a good girl, you know?"

"Yes, Sensei!"

No way!!!

…Is what I want to say, but I’m not one of those clueless idiots—I have excellent situational awareness. I can analyze reality, sift through the information, and arrive at the truth quickly.

Yes. Based on everything so far, the dangerous individual standing before me—Kosaka Wakamo—must be…

…one of Sensei’s hardcore admirers!!!

"…What is that look supposed to mean?"

Man, Sensei really is something else. To think he’d already managed to keep one of the infamous Seven Prisoners firmly within his orbit. Truly terrifying. Fragmentary memories from my past life insist Blue Archive is a youth-focused game, a pure and transparent world—but looking at this now, isn’t it actually some kind of harem flirt-fest? You know, a forbidden Sensei×Student love game?

…No. No way. If that were true, the world wouldn’t be this brutal. Get a grip.

Anyway.

For now, the danger rating I assigned to Kosaka Wakamo has dropped sharply. If she’s aligned with him—someone who clearly possesses the protagonist attribute—then she isn’t my enemy by default. …Well, unless she’s affiliated with Valkyrie or something. That would be a problem.

"…For now, I understand that you’re not a bad person."

"Huh…? Is that so."

"…That said, I want to ask. What do you want with me?"

"Ah. Right."

At last, I pulled things back to the main issue.

That’s right—she’d asked, “Is Komori-san here?” Meaning she’d come specifically for me. So she had some kind of request… but what could it be?

Someone asking me for help? Sure, Yuuka and Sensei might—they know how capable I am from working together. But Wakamo and I met literally today. There’s no way she saw my first impression and thought, “Yes, this seemingly useless shut-in is exactly who I should rely on.”

Which leaves one possibility: she wants me as a Cleaner. But that’s unlikely—Sensei would never allow it.

So then… what exactly—

"…I’ve heard there’s an annoying little gnat constantly buzzing around Sensei lately… and you seem to be exactly that."

I’m dead.

"W-w-wait, please…! You’re misunderstanding something…!"

"A misunderstanding? In this situation, what exactly could you be misunderstanding?"

"…? …Ah! Sensei, don’t cling to me! Pervert!"

"That’s unfair!!"

This is bad. Really bad. Against a hardcore Sensei admirer, I triggered the absolute worst flag. It was just a habit—I did it without thinking—but objectively, my current situation is enough to make any hardcore fan snap.

Sensei saves me.
Sensei lets me live next to his room.
We share food, clothing, and shelter under the same roof.
And for some reason, I end up doing almost the exact same daily routine as this so-called “popular Sensei duty” thing.

…Yeah. This is jealousy bait. It’s basically cohabitation.

I’m done for.

"……"

—No. No, wait! That’s not it! Don’t give up yet! There’s still time! Wakamo’s patience is almost gone—she’s reloading her gun, finger resting on the trigger—but she hasn’t fully aimed yet. She’s not in a firing stance. That means I still have a few seconds.

Think. Think, me. Escape her rage trajectory—

…Wait.

Why is she angry in the first place?

Because I was physically too close to Sensei. Because it looked like we were flirting. That triggered jealousy, which turned into murderous intent.

But that alone can’t be the whole reason. If jealousy alone caused murder, I’d have been killed ages ago by other hardcore admirers. Yuuka, for example.

So what’s the other factor…?

Right. A sense of crisis.

Sensei might be taken. Her precious Sensei might become someone else’s. That’s unacceptable. Before that happens, obstacles must be removed.

Such a simple thought process.

Which means—

This is easy.

"Kosaka Wakamo… to put it bluntly… you see me as a potential romantic rival—and that’s why I’m dangerous to you. Am I wrong?"

"W-What!?"

Bingo. The corner of my mouth curled upward.

"…Then no problem. I won’t become an obstacle to your love."

"……Huh?"

"Look… at this…!"

I climbed onto Sensei’s shoulder as he clutched his side in agony, clearly having just taken a hit from someone. I heard a strained “guh” from below, but it’s fine. He’ll live.

"So what about it?"

"You still don’t get it…? Me, being carried on Sensei’s shoulders… me, being supported by Sensei… me, helping Sensei with his work… Do you understand what all of that means…?"

"……?"

Yes. Exactly—

"I’m not in the girlfriend category… I’m in the child category!"

On top of that, I even come with the extra label: “seventeen-year-old shut-in girl who doesn’t go to school.”

"…When you put it that way, you may be right."

"Right…!"

That was easy.

……And then, just a little, a mischievous thought sprouted.

"I’m Sensei’s child… and you all want to be Sensei’s girlfriend… or even his wife… Do you understand what that implies?"

"W-w-wife!? N-no, um… what exactly are you getting at?"

"Which means… only the person acknowledged by me, his child, has the right to stand beside Sensei!!"

"That’s absurd—no… wait, there is some logic to it…"

Wait. I said it myself, but there really is some logic there?

"…Then what would it take for me to earn your approval?"

"Hmm… That’s hard to put into words… so I’ll use examples. Right now, among the students I feel are closest to the ‘Sensei’s girlfriend’ position…"

"…And who would that be?"

Well… even in a massive Kivotos overflowing with Sensei devotees, only a handful actually qualify.

"First would be… Sorasaki Hina. The Head Prefect of Gehenna’s Prefect Team. She maintains order in that lawless hellscape. Her combat sense goes without saying, and her paperwork skills rival Sensei’s. But when it comes to standing beside him, the issue is her. She seeks healing from Sensei… and as things are now, going beyond the student–teacher relationship would be difficult… maybe."

"I see…"

"Next is Sunaoo Shiroko from Abydos. When I met her, I didn’t really feel much ‘mom energy.’ But the danger is her aggressiveness. She’s a beast. A starving beast. If you let your guard down, you’ll realize too late that you’ve already been devoured."

"…!"

"Then there’s Iochi Mari from the Sisterhood. A petite-bodied sister overflowing with maternal warmth… kindness incarnate. That’s probably what people mean when they say ‘saint.’ But she’s a little too radiant. That kindness does massive damage to a shut-in like me. So… yeah. Sorry, but no."

"Isn’t that just your problem?"

"Hnngh…! Lastly, Hayase Yuuka. Among the ones I remember, she spends the most time with Sensei, and with her dependable personality, she supports him perfectly whenever he slips up. Even I accidentally called her ‘Mom’ once."

"That is… a formidable opponent."

"But still… even so. There are others besides those four… but something always feels off. Even with Hayase Yuuka…"

"What exactly is it?"

Wakamo tilted her head, notepad in hand. I ignored Sensei muttering, “Somehow this conversation has gone completely off the rails while I’m writhing in pain…” and focused on my thoughts.

Sensei is undoubtedly someone worthy of respect—on par with Aru-sama herself, my ultimate favorite. When it comes to your favorite character, you don’t just accept a pairing unless it truly clicks. Otherwise, it just feels wrong. Even so, this feeling is strange. As I said earlier, Hayase Yuuka is without question someone who could become my mother. And yet… something doesn’t sit right. I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t it.

Is my heart rejecting this pairing…? Could there be an even stronger one out there, lurking in my mind!?

"Sensei!"

That was the moment it happened. From beyond my room—Sensei’s office door burst open with force. And standing there was someone I could never mistake: pink hair, an outlaw-style uniform worn with equal parts flair and defiance, topped off with an equally outlaw-looking coat.

"There happened to be no work today, so I figured I’d help out—and say hi to Komori while I was at it!!"

It was none other than Rikuhachima Aru-sama herself.

And then—every missing piece clicked perfectly into place.

"…Aru-sama is worthy of being my mom… and Sensei’s wife!"

"L-Long time no see, Komo—!? Komori!? What are you saying all of a sudden!?"

Aru-sama denied it vehemently, her face turning bright red. But maybe my words triggered her imagination, because she soon sank into deep thought—only to snap back to reality with an even redder face, shouting something like, "No, that’s not allowed!"

I knew it! It has to be her! Aru-sama is absolutely perfect to be my mo—

"…I will not allow this."

"Hii!?"

"Whoa—"

Sensing the killing intent straight ahead, I instantly latched onto Sensei’s back and shifted into full defensive mode.

"How dare you… how dare you make a fool of me like this…!"

"A-ah—ahwahwahwah…"

"Wow… she’s really angry… Komori, even Sensei can’t protect you—wait, why are you shaking that much!?"

"…This is getting kind of serious…"

Did I mess up!? Damn it, I got carried away. What do I do? Save me, Sensei!!

"I will never forgive you…"

"Rikuhachima Aru!"

……

"………Huh?"

Gunshots and crashing destruction erupted outside. Mixed among them were screams—and a mysterious melody echoing from somewhere in the chaos.

…Yep.

Kivotos is peaceful today as well!!!