It was a bright, sunny morning. I’d ventured a little further than usual on my jog to pick up a few things when I spotted a familiar back up ahead. I decided to call out to her.
"Good morning."
"So, you've finally arrived... Tell me, do you have any idea what day it is!?"
"Huh? Er..."
"That’s right, today is Serious Day! In other words, it’s my day!!"
I had spoken up thinking it was Shia-san, but she immediately launched into her usual high-energy nonsense. It was then I realized the person before me wasn't actually Shia-san at all.
"Oh, it was you, Senpai. I see, it’s already that time of year again."
"Hey, don't talk about me like I’m some kind of seasonal fixture..."
Well, from my perspective, she was a strange person who only appeared once a year, so calling her a seasonal tradition felt perfectly accurate.
This woman, the self-proclaimed Incarnation of Seriousness known as Serious-senpai, was apparently confined to a strange room most of the time and was only permitted to step outside once a year. Hearing that made it sound like she was the victim of some bizarre incident, but she never seemed particularly tragic. Every time she showed up, she just went sightseeing.
"Still, we really do run into each other every single time. You can only go out once a year, right, Senpai?"
"I know, right? For some reason, every time I step outside, I get teleported right near you... I’m starting to think my exit point is just hardcoded to your location."
"...I don't really have anything to do with that weird room, though..."
"You’re the only one who thinks that. Whatever."
After shooting me an exasperated look, Serious-senpai cleared her throat and stared straight at me.
"...This is our third encounter! By now, you surely understand my objective!!"
"Ah, right. Well then, where should we go today? If you haven't had breakfast yet, there’s a great bakery nearby. We could head there? They have a seating area inside."
"Oh, that sounds lovely. Nothing beats bread and coffee in the morning—wait, no! Seriousness! I’m here for seriousness!! What exactly do you think I come here for!?"
"...Your annual sightseeing trip?"
"...The fact that I can't even deny that is the most painful part."
She was a person of extremes, as usual. Watching her mood and expressions shift so rapidly was, in a way, quite entertaining.
Of course, I knew she was technically here to "search for seriousness," but since even she didn't know what that meant and ended up sightseeing every time anyway, there wasn't much I could do. Even as she grumbled, she started walking toward the bakery with me. It seemed like she was perfectly content to just enjoy the trip, even if she’d never admit it.
"Oh, by the way, listen to this! I got V2!! Isn't that incredible? You can go ahead and praise me."
"V2? Did you compete in something?"
"Yes! I took first place in the popularity poll for the second time in a row! And by an overwhelming margin, too... Impressive, right?"
"That really is amazing. You must be loved by so many people, Senpai."
A popularity poll? I wondered what kind of poll it was. She spent all her time in that strange room, so who was she even competing against? Well, Senpai was always saying odd things, so there was no point overthinking it. She clearly wanted to be admired, so I decided to oblige.
"Hehehe, more! Tell me more!"
"To win twice in a row means it wasn't just a fluke. It means people have supported you for a long time. Maintaining that kind of popularity is a real feat. Your charms must really be reaching everyone."
"Ehehe."
"In fact, whenever I'm with you, things feel so lively and fun. You have this way of brightening the mood of everyone around you. I think that kind of personality is what makes you so charming."
"...Au... U-Um... That’s probably enough..."
"You have a beautiful face, too, and your smile is truly captivating. Not many people possess so many different charms at once. You should really have more confidence in yourself."
"Stop iiiiiiiiiit! You’re praising me so much it’s embarrassing! You’re going to win me over at this rate!!"
As I showered her with compliments while we walked, Serious-senpai shouted, her face turning bright red all the way to her ears. She was still spouting nonsense, but she seemed genuinely flustered.
...And she was the one who told me to praise her.
"...Haa... haa... Dammit, he’s even better with women than he was last year. Don't underestimate me, Flag King! To think I’d fall for something like that..."
"Ah, Senpai, carriages pass through there. Stay closer to this side."
"Hyau!? Y-Y-You're pulling my hand... awawawa... B-Be gentle with me..."
"...Oh, I see the bakery."
"You ignored me!?"
Flashing a wry smile at Senpai as her mood continued its frantic swinging, I led the way into the bakery.
After we finished breakfast, our "sightseeing"—strictly for the sake of finding seriousness, of course—resumed.
"So, Senpai, is there no furniture in your room?"
"Not really. Just a table, a chair, and a sofa."
"That sounds a bit bare. It might be nice to put some decorations on the table, or maybe a houseplant?"
"I suppose... It might not be bad to have something like that."
As we chatted, we came across a small stall in a corner of the plaza. It was a portrait shop. Apparently, they would sketch you and put the drawing in a frame.
"This looks fun. Since we’re here, why don't we get one drawn together?"
"T-Together!? W-Well, if Kaito insists that much and begs me, I suppose I have no choice... I do owe you for breakfast, so it can't be helped!!"
She went out of her way to emphasize how much it "couldn't be helped," but her face was still a bit flushed. She wasn't exactly a tsundere, but she certainly had trouble being honest with herself. I found it quite endearing as we stepped up to the stall.
"Welcome~"
"What are you doing, you idiot..."
"Just making some pocket money."
"At least you're honest about it..."
The artist was a man wearing a beret, but I knew at a glance it was Alice. When I spoke to her with an exasperated sigh, she admitted she was just out for some cash. It was likely one of her Split Bodies, but she really did turn up everywhere. Still, if Alice was the artist, I knew the quality would be top-notch.
"...Wait, isn't this Serious-senpai? Ah, I get it. Today is what they call April Fools' Day back in Japan."
"Great, now you're treating me like a seasonal tradition too..."
"Are you two on a date?"
"No! This is an endless pilgrimage in search of seriousness! A quest for the ultimate truth!!"
She was using a lot of words to say the same thing... but I guess that was just Senpai for you. It seemed like the two of them were definitely acquaintances. Back when she was wearing the black cat kigurumi, Alice had insisted she wasn't Alice even though it was obvious, but now they were talking normally.
"Anyway, so I just need to draw a portrait of you two?"
"Yeah, one with both of us in it."
"Roger that. There, all finished."
As expected of her, Alice finished the sketch in mere seconds and handed it over to Senpai. I couldn't see the paper from where I was standing, but when I moved to take a peek, Senpai suddenly folded the drawing and leaped away from me with incredible speed.
"...Eh?"
"You... you... don't mess with me!! What the hell did you draw!?"
"Doesn't it look great?"
"It’s a total fabricatiooooooon!!"
I wasn't sure what was going on, but Alice must have pulled a prank and drawn something weird. The fact that Senpai was hiding it from me so desperately suggested she was the one being depicted in some embarrassing way.
"...Should I just throw it away then?"
"...N-No, I'll take it... But you’re going to draw another one, and do it properly this time!"
"Yes, yes, you're quite the demanding customer."
It was a baffling exchange. I tilted my head in confusion and tried to talk to Senpai.
"Um, Senpai?"
"D-Don't come any closer!"
"Uh, okay?"
"Stay back for now! This is an extremely dangerous item... I am absolutely not going to be won over by this!!"
"...Excuse me?"
I didn't understand a word of it, but her face was bright red again. Seeing her interact with Alice like that made me realize that Senpai was definitely the type everyone liked to tease. Still, I didn't mind the noisy atmosphere.
The drawing that Serious-senpai was so desperately hiding from Kaito’s sight did, in fact, feature the two of them as requested. However, thanks to Alice’s mischief, the composition featured Serious-senpai kissing Kaito on the cheek, rendered with such incredible detail it looked exactly like a real photograph.
Serious-senpai (Affection Level 99999): "Wait, the title got even shorter?! It doesn't even say 'Afterword' anymore!?"
???: "...Aren't you basically already won over at this point?"
Serious-senpai (Affection Level 99999): "I am not! My heart didn't skip a beat! I haven't triggered a single flag!"
???: "But you're still displaying that picture of you two kissing, aren't you?"
Serious-senpai (Affection Level 99999): "Because it's a fake! It never actually happened! I... I just felt it would be a waste to throw it away, so I'm keeping it because I have to! I really have no choice!!"