The moment the word "permit" slipped from Airi’s lips, Rui’s sharp instincts flared, drawing everyone’s attention directly to her.
This was bad. Very, very bad.
No matter how I looked at it, this was easily the greatest crisis I’d ever faced!
Airi had come close to letting things slip before, but this was on a completely different level.
Of course, Rui didn’t have any malicious intent. If a friend suddenly blurted out something about a "permit," it was only natural to be curious or worried enough to point it out.
But honestly, of all the times for her to be sharp, I really wished she’d just let this one slide. Now that the cat was out of the bag, though, there was no going back.
"U-Um, well... you see..."
Airi was visibly panicking. She clearly didn't have the composure to come up with a believable lie on the fly.
What was I supposed to do?
Even for Me (Professional)—someone who specialized in juggling and concealing the secrets of various girls—this seemed impossible to fix.
But Airi had been through so much. She’d been treated like an outcast in the past because of her family's poverty. That was exactly why she’d fabricated a fake boyfriend for her two best friends; it gave her the perfect excuse to sneak off and work a Part-time Job without them knowing.
I had to protect her... for Airi’s sake.
It was okay. I could do this.
I had to try, even if it meant making a complete fool of myself in the process.
"A-Actually, guys, about that..."
Just as I prepared to sacrifice my dignity to change the subject—
"Oh, that reminds me!"
Hiyori-sensei suddenly cut me off, interrupting my train of thought.
Wait! Anju-onee-chan?!
"If I'm not mistaken, the permit Miyama-san reapplied for was a Bicycle Commuting Permit, wasn't it?"
"Eh... um..."
I had no idea what Hiyori-sensei was playing at, but it turned out to be the ultimate lifeline for Airi. She hadn't actually specified it was a Part-time Job Permit yet.
I should have known... she really is my big sister!
"Exactly! It’s a Bicycle Commuting Permit! You need a permit for bicycle commuting at our school, right?"
"Bicycle commuting? Airi, since when do you ride a bike to school? I’ve never seen you do it," Yuria questioned.
"Well, my house is far from the school so it takes forever, and on days when I oversleep, I want to be able to use my bike! So I apply for the permit every time just so I can commute by bike whenever I need to!"
Airi was thinking on her feet now, adapting her story to meet Yuria’s scrutiny. Thanks to Hiyori-sensei, she’d found an escape route.
"...Oh. Is that all? Sorry, Airi. I didn't mean to interrogate you like that."
"No, it's fine! I'm sorry for being so confusing about the permit, Rui-chan."
The secret stayed safe from Yuria and Rui, though Hiyori-sensei almost certainly knew the truth. She really did have that "capable older sister" vibe down pat.
As I watched her with newfound respect, Hiyori-sensei shot me a wink.
That was... weirdly sexy (for no reason).
"Now then. Since everyone is finally gathered, let’s talk about Kyoto Sightseeing."
With the crisis averted, we finally moved on to the topic of the School Trip.