ATypical High School Life: Freshmen Year

Chapter 5: 'Climactic' Conclusion to this Saga (PART 3)

Part 3

"M-Master? What's with this? Y-You can't be serious right now, right?"

"Mitsuho, I'm as serious as ever. I just don't really enjoy this kind of roleplay anymore..."

"I-Inconceivable! Is this the product of Bureau interference again? Prince of Darkness, why don't you do anything? Get Master back to normal! She's obviously not acting herself!"

"I don't know how you seem to think you know everything going on inside Ryuko's head. There is a very real possibility she's rehabilitated."

"H-How dare you! As her loyal servant, I know everything there is to know about Master! Are you in cahoots with The Bureau or what?! Was Master's hypothesis correct all along?"

"Mitsuho, calm down. Don't give Matsuda any trouble. I'm still perfectly fine. The Bureau... My family isn't interfering in anything, either. Please don't speak of them in such a way."

She's still referring to them like that, only to correct herself right after.

Does she still cling on to those fantasies?

Should I just tell her to act however she wants?

...

No, that'll be irresponsible...

It must have taken a lot of willpower and resolve on her part to leave that behind.

I can't just tell her she could undo all that progress now... I might as well be telling her to give up.

I decided not to speak a word.

And we continued our walk to school, leaving a very perplexed Mitsuho behind.

"E-Eh? M-Master? Why are you ignoring me? Masterrrrr!"

...

"Yo."

"Hey."

"We don't see each other nearly as often, eh?"

"Sigh, that's only natural. The only time we do see each other is here, sitting in class. Why are you asking me this anyways?"

"Can't I strike up some random conversation? That's what you always do, right?"

I can't dispute that...

But stop pointing out my indirectness already!

"That's just not what you do, though. Being evasive and indirect is part of my signature personality, you can't just go around stealing it."

"Haha, very funny self-aware moment. Whatever, you're right. I'll just get into the point now. Ishikawa-san seems to be acting normal now. I assume that's because of something you did?"

"Not really. This time, she just got over it without me doing anything."

"That must be true, then."

"Huh? Of course it is. What do you mean?"

"She's acting too normal. I take it that you also realize this? It doesn't take a genius to figure out, after all."

"I... do. What are you hinting at?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to let you know, if you weren't aware of it already. That's what a good wingman does. If you're asking me, well, personally, I think it's a bit odd."

"Everything about that girl's odd..."

"But they always fall into some decodable pattern. I'm sure you know. Her manner of speaking is just a long, verbose extension of a normal sentence. Nearly everything she does and says has logic behind them, even if they're full of holes sometimes."