General 18.2

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Chapter 18.2. Feedback Harassment

"Ahh, Japanese people, and their tatami rooms."

Relaxing in the room I managed to snag from the student council room. I reflect.

Well, it's not like I have a tatami room in my own house, but it's so calming.

"The original room was perfectly usable. With that red carpet, it would have been a fitting room for a general."

"Having antique-style furniture in a room with such a red carpet would be unsettling."

When I cut the carpet and handed it over saying, "I don't need it." President Domoni's face was quite strained.

"But making a raised tatami area here is quite stylish."

While I managed to secure this room, unfortunately, there's no budget for furnishings or renovations, so I had to pay out of my own pocket for this.

I wanted to make this place comfortable for the three years of my stay, so I invested quite a bit.

The bureaucratic process of registering equipment with the academy was tedious. But it was worth persevering.

"I want to put a kotatsu here for winter."

"That sounds nice."

Sipping tea on the tatami floor, Mina comments.

"It's nice seeing exotic Mina sitting seiza on the tatami and sipping Japanese tea."

"Hey! What's with the sudden compliment?"

"Yeah. Your seiza posture is elegant with your back straight."

"Dummy..."

Mina blushes shyly and looks away.

"But are you going to use this room too, Mina? It's just my private space. There's hardly any activity here."

I had to treat this room as a club room, so I arbitrarily created a club called the "Soul Armor Research Club."

"During our 1st year, it was annoying to be recruited by various clubs and reject them, so I thought it would be better to belong somewhere."

"Is that so? Then it's fine."

"So, Yuu-kun. Since this is a private space for the 2 of us, um..."

"Oh... please."

"Myaa♪"

As I stroke Mina's chin, curled up like a cat around me, making cute sounds, suddenly...

(Whistle!)

Hayami-san enters the club room blowing a loud whistle.

"Here. Caught in the act of impure relations."

"Mya?! Sensei! I told you not to come in without knocking!"

Mina protests, jumping up in a panic.

"As this club's advisor, why should I have any hesitation about entering this club room? You were probably getting excited about being alone with Yuu-sama in this locked room, planning something indecent, weren't you?"

Under Hayami-san's sharp gaze, Mina looks away.

"Hey, Yuu-kun. Can't we fire this advisor?"

"I petitioned President Takami, but he sadly told me, 'My authority doesn't extend to that.'."

"The President can't even decide on a club advisor?"

"Various special circumstances are involved because I'm involved."

While Mina is astonished, for some reason, Hayami-san wears a proud expression.

President Takami is truly struggling.

"So, Hayami-san. What's in the cardboard box you're holding?"

"This? Since it's under the name of the Soul Equipment Research Club, I brought various necessary items."

"Oh, that's helpful."

As Hayami-san proudly shakes the cardboard box, it makes the sound of a baby rattle.

"The contents are..."

"Oh, no need for explanations. Bringing personal items is fine to some extent. But keep it in moderation."

Really? Keep it in moderation...

"Yuu-kun, is this okay?"

Mina looks a bit uneasy, showing me a cat toy she has.

"A cat toy... yeah, I think it's fine. I'm just relieved it's not a collar."

I'm sure it's for playing with Mina.

I forced myself to think positively.

"By the way, why are both of you consulting with me?"

"Because Yuu-kun is the club president."

"Even the documents for the club's establishment name Yuu-sama as the representative."

Mina and Hayami-san respond as if it's obvious.

"Huh, really? It's quite noticeable for a first-year to be the president."

"You're already standing out enough for it not to matter anymore, Yuu-kun."

Mina says with an exasperated expression.

"At first, I was told by the higher-ups in the military to not stand out too much."

Although Hayami-san's rare concern for me, I wasn't behaving recklessly without thinking.

"In situations like this, it's better to stand out moderately at the beginning so as not to cause trouble later on. If you become an untouchable character, the chances of trouble decrease, right?"

Since this academy is meritocratic, my calculation was to show appropriate ability, which would make others behave.

"Really... I have a bad feeling about this."

"In that regard, I'm sorry to say, but this young lady and I share the same opinion."

At that time, I didn't realize that my guiding principle was ironically similar to recent Japanese diplomatic attitudes. And I had no idea that their concerns would become a reality. 

As I leisurely watched Mina and Speedy quarreling while thinking of taking a nap.