“Ugh...” Ichika drifted back to consciousness in his own bed.
As he wondered who’d carried him back to his room, Djibril, wearing her street clothes, stepped in. “So you’re awake now. I thought you had more in you than that, Orimura Ichika.”
They may have been street clothes, but they were still snappy and stylish in a way girls his age could never pull off. A pantsuit. Pierced ears. Her IS was in standby mode as a sword on her hip. She looked, in a word, awesome.
“Djibril? What are you doing here?”
“Well, you know...”
As she was about to explain, Iris wandered in. “Umm...”
“Go ahead, Alice.”
“Okay.” Lifting a package, she held it out to Ichika, her trepidation palpable. “I-I made cookies. I mean, it’s something I should know how to do as a normal girl.”
“Wow! Homemade cookies?” She had bandages on her fingers where she must have burnt herself on the oven. “For me?”
“No, I just— Well, yeah, for you, but— I need you to taste them to make sure they’re not poisoned!”
How, exactly, something she made herself would be poisoned was a question that rose in Ichika’s mind, even though he decided not to press the issue. He unwrapped the package to find a pile of Dutch-style bitterkoekjes. They weren’t all the same shape, and some were done more than others, but it was the thought that counted.
“Thanks, Alice. Guess I should make some tea, then.”
“Huh? Wha? You’re going to have them now?”
“It’s a great opportunity for a tea party. Don’t you think so, Djibril?”
“Of course.”
While Ichika was brewing the tea, Iris and Djibril whispered to each other.
“Do you really think this will work?” Iris asked.
“Of course it will! Do you even know how many men I’ve charmed by baking for them?”
That was a lie. Djibril had spent an afternoon or two reading shoujo manga and, when she wasn’t clapping a hand over her mouth or both of her eyes, taking detailed notes. And, of course, she’d never baked anything herself... One supposes it’s never too late to start learning, though.
“Alice, Djibril, tea’s ready.” With three full teacups on the table, it was time to finally try the cookies. “Let’s see how these came out.”
Ichika took a bite... And immediately spit it out.
“Phbbbtt! Y-You mixed up the sugar with the salt! And wait, did you use mayo instead of cream too?!” Ichika’s face was a sickly green, and Iris looked up at Djibril with watering eyes.
“Orimura Ichika! How dare you insult Alice’s cookies!” They were her idea, so of course she’d try to deflect blame.
“Seriously! Try one if you don’t believe me!”
“Hmph! There’s no way they’re as bad as— Blech!” Djibril grabbed her tea and took a deep gulp as she spit the cookie out.
Meanwhile, Iris was on the verge of tears. “I... I guess I’ll just throw them out...”
As she stretched out her hand, though, Ichika and Djibril stopped her. They devoured the remaining cookies in a flash— Not least, to get the taste out of their mouths as quickly as possible.
“Of, of course we’d eat your c-cookies, right?” Ichika asked, glancing at Djibril.
“It’s, it’s the highest honor... Highest honor a knight could receive.”
Sweat dripped down their brows.
“You fools...” Iris was glad they were so concerned about her feelings, but also embarrassed at just what her mistake had brought about. That mix of emotions was definitely a step on the path to being a normal girl.
“Thanks, Alice. I appreciate you making them.” As Ichika patted her head, Iris shyly looked away.
“A-anyway. Ichika, can you go over some IS homework with me?”
“Oh, right. They’re bumping you up to a first year right away, aren’t they. Yeah, I’ll help out.” Ichika wasn’t a particularly gifted student, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t provide some useful insight. “What with?”
Iris, smiling, opened her textbook. “Right here! It’s about the theory and practical application of shield energy saturation. I’m still having a little trouble with it.”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t get that at all at first.” As he looked around for Djibril just in case, though, he noticed that she’d disappeared. “Huh? Where’d Djibril go?”
“Dunno. Probably back to her room.”
Ichika would never expect that Iris and Djibril had planned this.
You two are alone together now, Alice. Good luck! There was a spring in her step as she walked down the hall back to her room. But unluckily for her, she encountered Maya on the way.
“Oh, my! If it isn’t Djibril!”
“Maya...”
Maya leaned in with a mocking smile toward the 20-year-old second-time high schooler. “How is everything? Enjoying school life?”
“Ugh... When you said we’d settle the score two years ago, I didn’t realize this is what you had in mind.”
“You’re such a naughty student.” Maya chuckled. She leaned in and whispered in Djibril’s ear. “Come to my room later. I’ve got a bottle of the good stuff.”
“...Understood.” As Djibril’s face flushed red, Maya happily skipped off. “Ugh, she’s still got me wrapped around her finger...”
Djibril thought back to their school years. Maya may have grown up into a punctilious woman, but she had definitely had more than a whiff of the bohemian about her in her school days. It went without saying that Chifuyu had been a major influence behind that change.
“Phew...” Djibril let out a deep, deep sigh.