[Blue Archive] I am the Trinity Checkpoint Chief – Chapter 33

It’s been a week since Sayuri-san was exiled to the Supplementary Lessons Department’s clubroom.

My junior sent an urgent message.

As if working on some secretive project, she sent a photo via fax instead of Momotalk. The attached note said it was taken in the dorm’s attic, where a massive amount of papers were pinned to a whiteboard, connected by red strings and pins in a geometric pattern.

What caught my eye was the text scrawled in marker at the top, as if to emphasize it:

Yamatsu Hikari ?

I nearly fell over when I recognized the words.

Upon closer inspection, all the photos were of me or people related to me. Me making a surprise inspection at Checkpoint headquarters, me strolling through Trinity’s streets with my hands behind my back, me beating the crap out of Haruna while eating lunch…

Wait, Hanako’s in one of these too. If she’d called me, I would’ve treated her to lunch that day.

Sure, I hadn’t heard from Hanako in days, but we were never that close anyway. I figured her personality just wasn’t the type to call first, so I brushed it off.

The photos made it clear Hanako was following me, but why?

I mean, Trinity’s full of popular students, so why is she obsessed with tailing me? Looking at each photo, it’s like she’s hell-bent on making sure I have zero private life and live 100% publicly. Am I that interesting?

It feels like she’s got some ulterior motive, but how would I know?

I barely even know what I’m thinking half the time.

“Huh? Senpai, you look troubled.”

“Yeah. Your dear friend threw me a serious problem to deal with.”

“Ooh, what is it? Tell me, maybe I can help!”

Ritsuko-chan’s eyes sparkled. She clearly wasn’t going to let this go, so I sighed and started explaining everything.

From Sayuri-san and Hanako’s relationship, to the attic photos Sayuri-san sent, to my speculations, and even Hanako’s bizarre antics around Trinity.

Ritsuko-chan’s face grew stiff, then turned to disbelief.

“…That’s, like, totally perverted, isn’t it?”

“Perverted as hell.”

“I knew it. Hmm, why don’t you go talk to Sayuri-san? They say seeing is believing.”

“And leave the Checkpoint unattended? Sure, Gehenna’s been quiet lately, but letting my guard down is a surefire way to get my head bashed in. They need me.”

“I can cover for a few hours. I can even handle Hippo-chan’s shooting. Go on, get moving.”

Not content with just patting my shoulder, my junior practically tried to drag me out.

I didn’t budge, of course, but maybe I should go. It’s been days since I’ve seen our blue-haired junior’s face, and as someone half-playing her mother, I do miss her. Plus, I was already thinking about visiting.

Hmm.

I got up, shaking off the resistance I’d put up to not lose to Ritsuko-chan. I’m a woman who gets things done! While I’m at it, I’ll inspect how the Supplementary Lessons Department’s discipline is holding up—or if it’s gone to hell. Maybe I’ll even throw in a threat that Nagisa-sama sent me, just for fun. No reports to file, though.

Heh, this’ll be interesting.

“Senpai, your face looks weird.”

“Deal with it.”

“Yup.”

***

“Hey, hey! Stop it! Don’t come closer! I don’t want to know!”

“Take that! ♡”

“Ugh, aaah! Stop! Help, save me, Sensei, Senpai! I’m sorry… I messed up… I’m sorry for speaking informally! Aaaah, please forgive me already…!”

In the midst of two girls tangled together, Shimoe-san was flailing. The strange sensation all over her body was one thing, but the mental shock pushed her beyond embarrassment into full-blown panic.

Shimoe-san, in a last-ditch effort, started using honorifics with the senior crushing her.

Hanako didn’t let go. The pink-haired girl, face flushed, struggled to escape but eventually ran out of strength, resigning herself to being pinned under Hanako’s… ample assets until Hanako was satisfied.

“Hmm. A technique for subduing enemies in close combat. Noted.”

“Azusa-chan, I don’t think that’s what this is…”

“But if it were me, I’d break their joints first. Too many unnecessary movements.”

Shirasu Azusa-san, misreading the situation, offered pointless feedback. Of course, Hanako didn’t need any of that to overpower Shimoe Koharu-san effortlessly. She used her physique and center of gravity to pin Shimoe-san in an instant.

Ajitani-san, watching the chaos unfold in the clubroom, was just bewildered. Sensei was scratching their head, probably wondering how to deal with these troublesome kids.

And I’ve been standing here, mouth agape, observing for minutes now.

What do you even do to cause a scene like this? Isn’t this supposed to be the Supplementary Lessons Department? They might as well rename it the Public Indecency Department.

I came looking for Sayuri-san, but she scampered off to eat, and I missed my chance to even say hi because of this mess. Honestly, I barely know these three juniors by name.

Thanks to the roster from the Tea Party hall, I can at least tell them apart. That’s something, I guess.

Their hair colors are so varied it’s easy to remember. Yellow hair is Ajitani-san, pink hair is Shimoe-san or Samoa-san or something, white hair is Shirasu-san, pink-haired Hanako is the lewd demon, and the black-haired Sensei waving over there is…

Why is Sensei here?

“…Oh? Koharu-chan, Koharu-chan? Snap out of it.”

“…”

Unable to withstand the mental assault, Shimoe-san passed out. Unaware of her own fate, her limp arms dangled as Hanako cradled her, fussing over her like a doll.

Given Shimoe-san’s personality, just the fact that she’s touching Hanako’s chest might make her faint again.

Time to get back to business. Hanako’s presence dominates the clubroom so much that discipline’s gone to hell.

Tea Party executives would be shocked, and the nuns would faint at the kind of talk floating around here. Does this make any sense? By church law, I should drag Hanako to the Cathedral of Penitence right now. By my own rules, I’d bash her head in.

But with Sensei here, I can’t exactly cause a scene… Damn, what do I do?

No matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t find an answer.

Maybe I should just hole up in the security office until Sayuri-san gets back? That’s not a bad idea.

It’s definitely not because I’m avoiding dealing with Hanako in a crowded place. Nope, no way. Like the old saying goes, “Do you avoid poop because it’s scary? No, because it’s dirty.” Not sure if that fits, but… it’s not that!

I quickly headed to the security office at the back of the building. I think I locked eyes with Hanako for a second, and it gave me chills, but it’s probably fine. I just want to ask Sayuri-san, who’s probably back from a big lunch, what’s going on. Not that pervert.

The security office, packed with Sayuri-san’s stuff, was dead quiet. All I could hear were faint mechanical hums.

I threw myself onto the plush bed. No one’s passing through here anyway, and Sayuri-san will probably be back in about 20 minutes tops. After hours of driving, I’ll recover with a book and this bed.

Let’s see what kind of books Sayuri-san reads. Maybe she’s got some hidden collection?

“I looked, but there wasn’t anything I’d like. Just old tomes and history books, mostly.”

“Oh, really… Hanako?”

“Yup, it’s Hanako! ♡”

Ta-da! Turns out, there’s no such thing as “definitely.”

Instead of Sayuri-san’s expected collection, I got Hanako’s bare presence.

I hadn’t even turned my head until just now. When I finally did, it wasn’t bare bare—she was wearing the school-issued swimsuit, like last time. I sent a wireless message with the eyes of a squirrel seeing a monster for the first time, and Hanako flashed a bright smile.

Not the kind of smile you’re supposed to make.

“Why are you here?”

“You came, Hikari-san, and we even exchanged looks as you passed by! I can’t just ignore a friend who’s visiting after a week, and honestly, you’re just so fascinating…”

“Here to mess with me?”

“Exactly! ♡”

There you go. Hanako, giggling and jiggling her assets.

What the hell. Is she provoking me?

“Stop shaking those.”

“Shaking what? You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Will you stop rotating those two giant lumps of fat at random coordinates only if I spell it out?”

Hanako laughed again, twirling around the room while shaking them.

What a contrarian.

Our Hanako’s got some damn sharp intuition. It’s obvious she’d know I came to the Supplementary Lessons Department’s clubroom after we locked eyes, but how did she figure out I was hiding in the security office? Judging by the timing, she came straight here.

I slammed the book shut and shot up from the bed. Staying here any longer feels like I’ll get pounced on.

More importantly, we’re alone now. Isn’t this the perfect time to bring it up? I can’t exactly tell people Hanako’s stalking me—that’s a bit much. Since I came here with a purpose today, I might as well ask.

“Hanako, I’ve got a question.”

“Hm? Sure, anything. Is it about leotards or something like that?”

“No. I heard you’ve been stalking me.”

“…”

Uh.

Hanako stopped talking. Her expression turned weird.

Did I hit the mark? Honestly, I was hesitating until the last second, so I phrased it more like, “Did you take those photos?” If she knew it was about the photos, she’d say something. If not, I expected her to go off, like, “I love you that much, senpai? I’ll start stalking you for real!” or some nonsense.

I didn’t expect her to start brooding with such a serious face.

The room went dead silent, so quiet you could hear birds chirping outside.

I was so flustered that I just stood there, trapped in the room for minutes. Hanako was pacing back and forth, biting her lip, looking like she was wrestling with some serious dilemma. Honestly, I felt awkward just watching her.

It was nearly ten minutes before she spoke again.

“…Hikari-san. That means you know what I’ve been doing, right?”

“If you mean the photos, yeah.”

“Then let me ask one more thing. Do you trust me, Hikari-san? Like, no matter what happens, you won’t stab me in the back?”

“…Probably. As long as you don’t do anything dangerous.”

“Then you have to trust me, no matter what I say now. I’m only telling you because of the tiny bit of trust I have in you.”

“…Alright.”

Why’s she asking something like that? Is she misunderstanding something about me?

Based on her reactions so far, that seems like a pretty plausible theory. The moment she realized she got caught with the photos, she spent so much time pacing with that serious look. That’s not the behavior of someone just trying to mess with me.

While I was racking my brain over her intentions, Hanako was lost in thought again. Should she say it or not? Was promising to say it a mistake? It’s clear she’s hiding something.

The pink-haired girl coughed a few times, then spoke again.

“…Hikari-san, I mean… I sincerely hope this is just my misunderstanding.”

“I hope so too, but what’s got you so serious?”

“…”

And then, her next words:

“…I think you’re going to stage a coup.”