On the morning of the day Tre-san had specified, I set out early for the theater in the North District of the Royal Capital. After checking the local signs to confirm I was in the right place, I made my way to the seat listed on my ticket.
Since I had arrived so early, the theater was still mostly empty. I couldn't help but wonder what Tre-san was actually up to. If the plan was just for us to watch a play together, there wasn't any need for such a convoluted setup. I just didn't get it.
Regardless, the instructions had told me to check the second envelope once I reached my seat, so I reached for it without delay.
"Let’s see, is this the spot... Oh? Miyama-kun?"
"Huh? Fia-sensei!?"
Just as I was about to open the envelope, a familiar voice called out. I turned around to find Fia-sensei standing there, ticket in hand.
Confused by the coincidence, I looked at Fia-sensei and noticed that she was clutching a set of envelopes nearly identical to mine.
"...Fia-sensei, don't tell me..."
"Wait, did Big Sis Tre send you here too, Miyama-kun?"
"Y-Yeah. She sent me a bunch of these strange envelopes..."
"It was the same for me. Big Sis Tre asked about my schedule, and then she gave me these yesterday..."
This was a total surprise. I had assumed Tre-san herself was going to show up; I never dreamed I’d run into Fia-sensei in the exact same predicament.
But if that was the case, what was Tre-san really trying to accomplish?
"What do you think she's playing at?" I asked.
"Hmm, knowing Big Sis Tre, she probably got influenced by some strange book again. After all, eighty percent of Big Sis Tre is made of whims and sheer momentum."
"Ah... that makes sense."
I found myself nodding in agreement. Fia-sensei’s theory sounded perfectly plausible. Tre-san must have read something that inspired her to start issuing "missions" to the two of us.
Essentially, both Fia-sensei and I had been caught in the wake of one of her sudden brainstorms.
"Ahaha, sorry about Big Sis Tre, Miyama-kun."
"No, it’s not your fault, Fia-sensei. Besides, it’s very like her."
"That’s true. Well, if you don't mind, I'll take the seat next to you."
"Of course. Still, I wonder what she wants us to do."
"With Big Sis Tre, you never really know until it happens. For now, why don't we try opening the second envelope?"
Fia-sensei’s suggestion reminded me that I had been interrupted earlier. I pulled the card out of the envelope, and this time, it was just a short message.
"Start your date with Fie! *Open Envelope Number 3 after reading this message."
I looked over at Fia-sensei and met her gaze. She was holding a message card with the exact same text.
While I was still processing the situation, Fia-sensei’s expression shifted into one of pure delight.
"...Ah, I see. So that's her game. Well, I suppose this can't be helped! As her family, I really should play along with her little games, and since we're already here anyway, we might as well make the most of it!"
"I... I guess so."
Fia-sensei was adorable as she practically bounced with excitement, a complete 180 from her calm demeanor a moment ago, but her rapid transition left me feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Anyway... I'll open Envelope Number 3 now."
"Right. I wonder if these will be the same too?"
"They’ve been identical so far, but..."
Feeling like I was being swept along by a strange tide, I opened the third envelope.
"Watch the play while holding hands with Fie! *Open Envelope Number 4 once the play is over."
The instructions were getting progressively weirder. I looked toward Fia-sensei, who was already peering over at my card with a radiant smile on her face.
"Yes, yes, this really can't be helped. We have to follow the instructions to the letter, after all. Why, if a little 'accident' happened while we were watching the play, I suppose that would just be inevitable, wouldn't it?"
"No, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be inevitable... S-Setting that aside, what does your envelope say, Fia-sensei?"
"Oh, right. I’m sure it’s the same, but let’s see..."
Seeing Fia-sensei’s mood skyrocket reminded me of the time we rode on Bell’s back during the Six Kings Festival. Despite her gentle appearance, she could be surprisingly aggressive when she wanted to be. Seeing her this excited made me more than a little nervous.
As I watched, Fia-sensei pulled the card from her envelope—and instantly froze, her expression turning sour. Curious about her sudden change in tone, I peeked at the card in her hand.
"Anything beyond holding hands is strictly forbidden! *Open Envelope Number 4 once the play is over."
Not only was her card different from mine, but Tre-san had perfectly anticipated Fia-sensei's next move and shut it down before she could even start.
"...Well, that’s... how should I put it? The instructions are fine, I guess, but I’m a little shocked that Big Sis Tre read me so easily. Am I really that simple?"
"W-Who knows..."
Whether she was simple or not, her personality was incredibly straightforward. It didn't surprise me at all that she was easy to predict.
Serious-senpai: "Ugh, I knew it. Tre's definitely playing matchmaker..."