The I.S. Academy was not all that far away from civilization. It was situated on a small island, but if you stood on the shore of that island, you could easily see the coastline of mainland Japan, which was only a few miles away. But the Academy was a private boarding school, and the most important one in the world, at that. For that reason, it was not connected to the mainland via something like a bridge: the government wasn't interested in letting random people walk or drive right onto the premises.
For students and faculty who wanted to move between the Academy and the coastline city it was next to, the only means of doing so was a tram system that connected the two areas. I.S. pilots could have technically just flown between them of course, but flippant use of military grade technology was heavily frowned upon, so anyone who had a sponsor was very unlikely to whip out their I.S. for minor reasons, especially in full view of the public.
Personally, Church couldn't see why the designers of this area hadn't just built a bridge then locked it down with a security checkpoint, which probably would have been easier. Looking at the tram station before him, which included dozens of support struts buried deep in the water between the island and the mainland, it seemed like this whole setup was the more expensive of the available options.
Because it was the weekend, there were a lot more students milling around here than there would have been otherwise: without classes to fully command the schedules of the student body, many of them liked to go into the neighboring city to spend their free time. That probably explained the decent line leading up to the tram station, chock full of girls engrossed in their own conversations. Many were dressed in casual clothing for their outing, though a few simply kept to their uniforms. Apparently they were comfortable and stylish enough to wear even in such a scenarios, though the ability of the students to customize their uniforms as they wished probably helped a great deal.
Glancing through the crowd, Church did not immediately see the people he was supposed to be meeting, though that wasn't exactly a surprise considering the number of girls he had to scan through. On the other hand, he did notice an alarming number of students checking him out, with expressions that ranged from mere curiosity to outright predatory. A few even began to make their way towards him, no doubt to try and elicit his company for some nefarious purpose or another. Maybe they figured he was vulnerable right now since they weren't in the main building and Tatenashi was nowhere to be seen.
Church wondered how he would escape this veritable den of lions, but he was saved before having to take any action himself, thanks to Rin's familiar voice calling out to him.
"Hey! Church, over here!"
Glancing off to the side, Church identified Rin waving to him with her good hand. Decked out in jean shorts and a tank top, she was standing near some trees that were separated from the walkways via railing. Church could see the rest of her social circle around her, though most of them weren't paying any attention to him.
Eager to escape the slowly encroaching horde of girls he didn't know, Church made his way towards Rin and her friends, identifying the types of clothing they chose to wear on casual outings such as this one. For the most part, the clothing choices seemed to line up with everyone's personality: a blouse from Charlotte, a sundress from Cecilia, cargo pants from Laura... some part of everyone was seemingly reflected in how they dressed for this kind of thing. Church couldn't help but wonder what his own basic attire may have implied about him, but it wasn't like he thought he looked bad.
Putting those thoughts aside, Church waved back at Rin as he got closer. "Hey. You weren't all waiting on me, were you?"
Before the girl could even respond to him, Cecilia's irritable voice cut in from behind. "As a matter of fact, we were. No idea why, of course..."
The interruption prompted an annoyed glance from Rin in Cecilia's direction. "Oh, shut up. You wanna talk about unwanted guests? I didn't invite any of you to this outing, you all invited yourselves!"
"This and that are entirely separate! Of course I wouldn't just let you pull off an underhanded scheme such as this one!"
Church assumed that the blonde was referring to the notion of Rin getting a day out alone with Ichika, but he didn't make any comment on that. He didn't get a chance to anyway, since Ichika was walking towards him with a smile on his face.
"Well I'm glad you came! The girls are so antisocial, they always want to do things alone... but I say, the more the merrier! Plus, it's always nice to have another guy around."
Church felt a palpable increase in heat around his position, but a quick perusal of his surroundings revealed that it was just Ichika getting glared at by pretty much everyone, and Church was just close enough to be collateral damage. It wasn't particularly hard to imagine why Ichika's statements may have annoyed the girls.
I honestly can't tell if this guy is truly so oblivious or he's the world's ultimate troll.
There is equal potential for both answers, Operator.
Figuring that it was now a good idea to metaphorically extricate himself from Ichika's ignorance in the eyes of his companions, Church took note of the girls around him. Most still bore annoyed expressions, being focused on Ichika and all, but a few of them did notice his observation. Charlotte was one of them, the girl quick to avert her gaze in embarrassment, though it was no mystery as to why. Church imagined the air would be a little awkward between the two of them for some time.
The other person to notice his assessment was Laura, who likewise turned away from him when their eyes met. Surprisingly enough, the reaction didn't seem nearly as cold or hostile as it had before. If anything, it almost looked a little bashful.
I wonder if I'm actually growing on her after last night?
Cerberus didn't share his optimism.
Operator, please: don't be so naïve. Bodewig is a hardened soldier, surely a few kind words aren't going to sway her negative opinion about you.
Hey, you'd be surprised how much of a difference a few genuine compliments can make.
Continuing his purveyance, Church noted that Houki appeared particularly irate at Ichika, but more importantly was the fact that she was present at all. Other than their very brief encounter in the cafeteria a while ago, this was the first time Church had actually been close to the girl that possessed his mission objective. That being said, it would hardly do to let the opportunity that was today go to waste.
"Hi: I don't think we've actually been introduced yet. Ms. Shinonono, right?"
Initially taken aback by his query, Houki quickly donned the air of politeness that was expected of her in such a scenario. Her first instinct was to bow, but seeing as how Church was a foreigner, and from the West at that, she offered a hand to shake instead.
"Y-yes, it's nice to meet you. I must apologize for not making your acquaintance sooner, considering how you saved one of my idiot friends. Please forgive me."
There was an indignant cry from Rin at being identified as an 'idiot friend' but Church ignored it as he shook Houki's hand. Though he had seen her before, now that he was staring right at her in close proximity, Church really was taken aback by how unique she really was. It wasn't every day you had a Japanese girl with blue eyes and a figure like hers. Church could imagine her being immensely popular in a co-ed environment: tall, pretty, long silken hair, impressive physique... she ticked all the boxes for what was typically considered attractive.
Of course, Church personally felt that all of the girls in Ichika's social circle were immensely good-looking, so this didn't really make Houki an outlier. Maybe good genes were a prerequisite for I.S. pilots as well?
Before he could extrapolate on that thought further, Church's musings were interrupted by Ichika. "Just so you know, no need to be too formal. I'm sure Houki won't mind if you call her that."
Naturally, the girl in question didn't seem as onboard with the notion as Ichika made it seem. "Excuse you, don't go around telling people what they can or can't call me!"
"But Houki, he's a foreigner: it'll probably be weird for him to call you Shinonono all the time, right? Plus it's a mouthful..."
Houki snapped something back at him, but Church missed it as he focused in on a conversation with Cerberus.
I know it's blindly optimistic, but I don't suppose that brief contact with her allowed us to make any headway?
I'm afraid it's not going to be as simple as shaking hands for a few moments, Operator. We're already attempting a wireless connection, which isn't the most efficient option. On top of that, it was but a moment of close contact. We'll need more than that.
If it's wireless, how close do we really have to be?
Close enough that it would arouse suspicion at this time. It's the most advanced piece of technology in the world, Operator. You should be glad we can attempt a wireless infiltration at all, regardless of stipulations.
While he hadn't been expecting any less, Church was still a little disappointed. It would have been nice if everything was easy, but when was it ever? Then again, if it had been as easy as all that, his mission would have been over very quickly, and then he'd have to leave this unique situation right away, and where was the fun in that?
Cerberus may have said something to condemn that notion, but before that could happen, Rin was ushering everyone towards the tram station. "Alright, alright, we can do the usual song and dance on the move! It's not like we have all day, people!"
Considering that it was barely even noon yet, Church found the sense of urgency a little unwarranted, but then again, he didn't actually know what other plans any of the girls may have had. Maybe they all had something to do in just a few hours? Either way, no one dissented with Rin's proclamation, so the group was soon moving towards the line at the tram station. Being the most out of place for obvious reasons, Church brought up the rear so as not to be in the midst of the group that mostly consisted of acquaintances at best, one of which he was still having trouble looking at since he kept seeing her naked in his mind.
In an effort to curb that problem, the American agent took note of something that had only just now occurred to him while they were standing in line.
"Where are Tatenashi and Kanzashi? Did they not get invited?"
From in front of him, Rin turned back and made a face of clear disdain. Outright disgust, almost. "I'd rather die before inviting that witch anywhere."
With the brunette refusing to elaborate further, Church was left in confusion. Surprisingly, it was Laura who glanced back to enlighten him. Apparently, she wasn't against initiating a conversation with him any longer.
"There was an incident between Rin and Tatenashi at Ichika's birthday party last year. As for Kanzashi... well, to be honest, we aren't particularly close with her or her sister overall. I suppose no one felt obligated to invite her."
Church felt a little bad for the bespectacled girl in question, since she struck him as the shy and quiet type that probably needed to hang out with people more often, but it wasn't like it was his place to question the relationships of these people he was only recently acquainted with. On another note, he acknowledged that there was still no actual explanation regarding Rin's distaste for Tatenashi. What exactly was this 'incident' that had happened between them?
Even though the tram station was pretty busy around this time of day on the weekends, it operated with pretty solid efficiency, so the line they were all waiting in moved forward fairly quickly. Up at the station itself, there was an adult woman standing guard, checking passes of some sort that all the students seemed to have. Apparently, you couldn't just come and go without any sort of verification.
This left Church in a bit of a bind for a moment, but when Rin got up to the woman to show her pass, she gestured back at him. "That guy in the red jacket is with me."
Apparently, that was more than enough. The woman checking everyone's pass made no move to stop him or investigate him in any way when Church walked by her. Frankly, he was kind of surprised.
Is the word of a student really all it takes to let someone walk in and out of this place?
Perhaps interpreting this as a legitimate question, Cerberus offered a response.
To be fair, Operator, the student who vouched for you is a Representative Candidate. It is likely that her word carries a bit more weight and veracity, considering that she would be unlikely to do anything nefarious that would compromise her position. Most I.S. pilots in her position wouldn't dare run the risk of losing their candidacy over something like this.
While Church agreed that the logic held up to some extent, he still found it a little questionable. He just thought that one of the world's most important institutions would have a bit more security to its name. Maybe they were just complacent: it wasn't like anyone had the gall or even the motivation to attack the place. Though obviously there was plenty of reason to infiltrate it...
Figuring that it was best to just accept his good fortune, Church turned his attention to finding somewhere to sit on the tram, which was naturally quite crowded. The girls and Ichika had managed to take a number of seats that were relatively close to each other, though it didn't look like the arrangement was to everyone's liking: the two spaces next to Ichika had been claimed by Charlotte and Houki, leaving a disgruntled Rin a space further away, and Cecilia and Laura opposite of them.
What wasn't present was an actual opening for Church himself, and he couldn't help but wonder how all of the girls had actually found somewhere to sit. Maybe their near celebrity status in the school did them a few favors? Well, there were handholds on the ceiling too, so it wasn't like he was totally screwed. He elected to grab onto one of those in the rough midst of his companions.
Surprisingly, he didn't stand there for very long before getting an unexpected comment from Laura, who was sitting about two feet away from him. "If you wish, I could likely convince another passenger to trade places with you."
Frankly, Church was surprised at the offer, mostly because he wasn't expecting it to come from Laura of all people. Evidently, she really was feeling somewhat more positive about him, even if it was just to the extent of general politeness. Even so, Church certainly wasn't going to steal a seat from some stranger on the tram, though he was fairly certain he could probably convince one of these girls to scoot over for him if he really wanted to.
"I appreciate the offer, but it's only a short ride, right? I don't think it's necessary to evict someone else for my sake."
Laura didn't seem put off by his refusal, merely shrugging. "If you say so."
Mere moments after their exchange, the tram lurched into motion, forcing Church to grip his support just a little tighter lest he get thrown around. Ultimately, he was not mistaken in regards to the brief trip: it was probably less than five minutes to get across the water and to the city, overall. As everyone was disembarking, the American operative questioned what exactly he was going to try and achieve on this outing. Naturally, this was the first time he had even been presented an opportunity to get close to Houki, so that was pretty important. But if everyone stuck together, it would be difficult to make much of an impression. He was a stranger, after all, and everyone else was someone that Houki actually cared about.
Then again, perhaps it would be enough to merely be present. Worming your way into one's social circle without seeming overly direct could be challenging. But if he could just establish himself as someone that no one in Houki's social circle minded having around, it provided him with a foothold to carry out his mission more effectively.
It was very weird, considering relationships in a nearly tactical light such as this.
Once everyone was actually off of the tram, Church figured it would be a good idea to question whether or not the group had actual goals today. "So, are we doing any sort of particular shopping, or are we just window shopping?"
Rin, being the most familiar with him by far at this point, elected to answer. That said, she was a little hesitant, likely because her answer hid certain implications.
"I don't know. I didn't exactly have plans before everyone tagged along..."
It wasn't hard for Church to pick up on what the brunette was saying. Obviously, her only real goal had been to get Ichika out here alone. There had been no objective related to the outing other than that, so she didn't have anywhere in particular to shop.
A lack of specification from any of the other girls mostly confirmed that their reasoning was the same. None of them had come out here with an actual focus on shopping: it was just about blocking any one girl from getting their heart throb alone. Something about that notion was kind of sad.
Ultimately, Charlotte came through with a pretty decent idea. "I believe there is a shopping arcade in town, oui? If we have no particular destination in mind, that seems like a good place to visit. That way we have many options."
Ichika commented on the idea swiftly. "Great idea, Charl! That's a good idea for all of us to do together."
It was clear, perhaps to everyone except Ichika, that the girls were not particularly enthused with the idea of doing something together. Likely not because they didn't like each other, but seemingly just because they had all hoped for something else. Being arrayed against your friends in a manner such as this seemed tiresome.
Even so, nobody voiced any dissent with the idea, as it was a pretty solid course of action and no one could come up with a good reason to deny it. That being the case, the group was heading towards this mentioned shopping arcade in short order, though Church once again took up the rear as they walked through the city. It was a bit awkward, but it did make sense: Rin was the only person he knew beyond what he would consider an acquaintance, and even that was being generous. So in a group of people he otherwise didn't know very well, he naturally would have gravitated towards the Chinese girl. However, she was busy trying, and mostly failing, to get Ichika's attention on her instead of on any of the other girls.
So at the moment, she wasn't interested in providing him with a comfort zone. It was a little uncomfortable, but Church may have even seen it as a boon, since it meant he may have had an opportunity to try and speak to Houki. Unfortunately, being with this entire group of friends at once for the first time, Church realized that he faced a certain obstacle: when Ichika was present, all eyes were on him. Being the target of their affections to the best of Church's knowledge, it made sense that they were all much more interested in Ichika than they were with a tag-along like him. Even Rin, who had been very friendly and forward with him since arriving at the Academy, seemed to forget that he was there as she waged an invisible battle with the other present girls.
Needless to say, it was obvious that Church would have better luck advancing his status with any of them when Ichika wasn't around, though that too was an issue considering that they were always looking for ways to be near him. How he was going to solve this problem, Church had no idea. For now, he figured the best course of action he could take would be to observe the situation from his position as a shadow that no one was paying attention to. That sounded kind of insulting, but it was the best type of position for surveillance.
Being in the rear meant he had eyes on everyone, and they didn't really know he was paying such close attention, which meant nobody was really altering their behavior to account for him. It was ideal.
Naturally, the entire course of the group's behavior centered around Ichika. That much was obvious. Someone was always vying for his attention, though in different ways. Houki and Charlotte often tried to subtly garner his notice, saying something with a specific implication that Ichika was supposed to pick up on, though he often failed to. When that happened, Charlotte always smiled, though it was the kind that hid minor annoyance. Houki usually huffed and folded her arms and pretended to put Ichika from her mind and focus on something else. Naturally, that was a front, as she was always peeking at the boy to see if he would try and proactively fix his mistake.
Rin and Cecilia were much more overt. It was obvious that when they were feeling neglected, they would try and speak over someone else or outright cling to Ichika's arm in an attempt to force his attention on them. Results were middling: obviously, Ichika would turn his attention to them when they demanded it, but it was always brief. Almost dismissive, even, though it didn't seem intentional from Church's third-party perspective. Maybe they just weren't saying anything that interested him, or maybe he secretly disliked girls that were pushy. Even Cerberus picked up on it, in his own odd way.
The average amount of time that Ichika Orimura focuses on Lingyin Huang or Cecilia Alcott when they garner his attention is seven seconds less on average in comparison to Charlotte Dunois or Houki Shinonono. One could extrapolate that they are of less import to him from this data, but this simple observation is insufficient to prove that hypothesis, especially without a control.
Hearing all of this in his head, Church had to wonder just what kinds of things Cerberus thought about without his input. Though admittedly, this was pretty interesting data, even if it was a technically insignificant data point in this line of thinking.
It could just be that they aren't saying or doing anything he finds interesting. I mean, Cecilia tried to get his attention with talk of a dress she was interested in. Not exactly something that seems up his alley. But you know, there is someone we aren't factoring into this at all...
With a particular girl on his mind, Church turned his focus to her, only to find that Laura was actually glancing over her shoulder back at him. How long she had been doing that was a mystery, since Church had been engrossed in his own thoughts and observations. Hopefully, she hadn't noticed how astutely he was focusing on all of her friends. That might be a little awkward.
If she did notice that, she didn't comment on it, instead speaking on something else entirely. "Do you always walk behind the people you are with?"
Church supposed it may have struck someone as weird that he was doing such a thing. "Well, not really, but I don't want to get in anyone's way and all. Rin's the only one I'm particularly close with, relatively speaking..."
Laura glanced towards the brunette in question, who was currently fuming over Ichika paying attention to something Houki had said. Seeing this, the German girl actually slowed her pace a little so that Church would come abreast of her.
"Indeed. She's not being a very good host, considering that she was the one who invited you. I can understand why this situation might make you uncomfortable as it is. Fear not, I will keep you company in her stead."
Glancing down at the girl nearly a foot shorter than him, Church wondered if she had some ulterior motive or if she had actually warmed up to him. He would have preferred the latter, but he hadn't initially considered Laura to be the type of person whose opinion could be swayed by some kind words.
"I appreciate the thought, Laura, but you don't have to bother yourself on my behalf. I know you'd rather talk to Ichika."
Laura cocked an eyebrow at him. "Know that, do you? Don't be so sure: I know from personal experience that it would be difficult to get a word in edgewise in this situation, never mind actually have any sort of meaningful interaction with him. Such is the way of things when we're all present. Besides, at this exact moment, you're... mildly higher in my good graces than Ichika is."
"You're upset with him?"
"He said something to me last night that I very much did not like. Naturally, he still hasn't apologized either. Though I doubt he even realizes that he offended me or that I expect an apology. I suppose I have little room to talk as far as social etiquette is concerned, but I cannot understand how one can be so oblivious..."
Honestly, Church was surprised that she was telling him any of this. Sure, maybe she was thinking of him in a more friendly manner now, but it still wasn't like they knew each other very well. Maybe he just struck her as the type of person one could speak of such things with. One of Church's old friends from Bethesda had always said that he had a 'therapist' type of vibe to him.
"Well, I don't know him that well, but maybe Ichika is just... I don't know, swamped? With so many girls around him, he probably has a hard time keeping track of all his mistakes and all. I mean, he can barely even hold a conversation with one of you for more than a few seconds before someone else interjects. Must be a little confusing for him, don't you think?"
Laura focused her crimson gaze on the group ahead of them, watching as everyone vied for Ichika's attention in some way or another. Admittedly, the look on the boy's face did seem a little overwhelmed. Maybe Church had a point.
"I suppose you may be right... but what else can one do? We are all seeking the same prize, we cannot afford to show restraint, lest someone make a foothold that secures their lead. It's a war of escalation, as it were."
While it was just speculation on his part, Church remembered getting the feeling that Ichika and Charlotte were displaying behavior that was a little suspicious. Apparently, Laura at least had not picked up on the possibility that Charlotte may have already had this metaphorical foothold that she was talking about.
"No offense, but I don't think viewing this whole thing as a competition is really fair to Ichika... or even to any of you, honestly. It doesn't seem like anyone is even asking what Ichika wants, and it kind of feels like you girls are more focused on trying to outdo each other as a matter of pride than you are with trying to establish a genuine emotional connection with him."
The silver-haired German leveled a sharp, but not altogether hostile look at Church as he said all of this, but he didn't notice. He was staring at the backs of the people in front of him as he continued to muse.
"I'm just saying, love is supposed to be about wanting happiness for the person you care about, right? I mean, of course you want them to be happy with you, preferably, but if you only care about what you want and don't even consider their own desires, can you really say you love them? It's just a little-"
Finally glancing at the girl beside him since he was actually talking to her, Church noticed the expression she was giving him. It was hard to tell what emotion she was really feeling, but the look on her face was stern, so Church assumed it wasn't a particularly positive feeling.
"S-sorry, I guess it's not my place to make comments on that about the relationships of people I barely know. Don't listen to me, I just talk too much..."
The girl was silent for a few moments, though ultimately she shifted her contemplative gaze back to her friends in front of her. "...perhaps..."
After that, the two of them walked in silence, though it didn't seem to be a result of awkward air: more that Laura had just become lost in thought. Church hadn't actually expected her to take anything that he had said seriously, but apparently something he said had gotten her attention. Either way, he didn't get to talk to her much more, but it didn't matter anyway since it was only a few more minutes of walking before the group arrived at the shopping arcade Charlotte had mentioned before.
It was a large building with a ton or arches in its construction, which was actually what defined an arcade to the best of Church's knowledge. There were signs for all sorts of stores that he could see, though notably, none of them were big chain stores. This was the kind of place with niche offerings from unique vendors, he supposed. Naturally, the place was decently crowded, with even a a good number of other Academy students around.
Naturally, the first order of business was for everyone to figure out where they wanted to go. Unfortunately, this was doomed to fail from the start, for a number of reasons. First of all, everyone didn't want to go to the same place. Cecilia wanted to go shopping for clothes, while Charlotte wanted to check out a bakery. Rin was interested in a store that sold cookware.
And of course, they all wanted Ichika to come with them. No surprise there. The whole thing was kind of tiring, and Church wasn't even the one in the center of it. Figuring that this could go on for some time, and knowing that he had next to no chance of getting Houki alone anyway, Church decided that he may as well achieve the one other thing he was out here for, so he interrupted the verbal war between the girls for just a brief moment, though the only person he got the attention of was Rin, with a tap on her shoulder.
"Hey, Rin. Is there a place that sells coffee around here? I told Chifuyu I would get her some."
While she had only partially taken her attention away from Ichika and the other girls at first, Rin gave him her full attention after he said this. "What the hell man, are you running errands for her already? I didn't think she could whip a foreign delegate like that..."
"It's called being nice, Rin. I'm already out here, and she's busy and can't afford to come out and buy it herself. Plus, she was pretty lenient about smashing a big hole in an Academy building, so it's the least I could do."
Rin was still looking at him like he had grown another head or something, but ultimately she pointed to a store that was in a corner of the arcade. "Uh-huh, sure... I think that place sells coffee, if you want to check it out."
"Thanks, I'll check it out. Promise you'll at least answer your phone in case I get lost and can't find any of you, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry."
With that settled, Church gave a little wave that went mostly unnoticed since most of the girls were still bickering, then walked off towards the store that Rin had indicated. Once inside, it didn't take long to discern that it was a store that sold coffee, tea, and the like, and locating the section with the coffee was easy.
One good thing he would admit about Cerberus was the fact that all of the Japanese text he was faced with was easily translated, though naturally, there was plenty of English present anyway. Unfortunately, Church was faced with a different problem in the form of a little vagueness: Chifuyu had specified that she wanted black coffee, but she hadn't given any more direction than that. Did she want a certain brand? Would she be upset if he picked something cheap? Should he just buy the most expensive one?
Operator, it behooves me to remind you that the funds you spend are Umbra Stratum assets. It's not very professional to spend them on coffee as a gift.
Church furrowed his brow as he continued perusing the beans before him.
And it behooves me to remind you that this could be beneficial in establishing a friendly relationship with someone of great influence in the Academy. Besides, if Umbra Stratum can't even afford good coffee, we have much bigger things to worry about.
If Cerberus was going to comment on that, he didn't get a chance to, since they were interrupted unexpectedly. From behind him, Church heard a familiar huff, followed by condemnation.
"Why are you here?"
A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that the woman accosting him was Cecilia, though that was hardly a surprise. She had that same condescending look on her face that she always did when looking at him. At this point, Church had no idea what she had against him, or if she had anything against him personally at all. Maybe it was something else. Either way, he figured it was best to just answer honestly.
"I told Chifuyu I would get some black coffee for her while I was out today. I was just debating which one is the best choice. Why are you here?"
Cecilia folded her arms, perhaps trying to cement her haughty look. "Well, that harlot Houki managed to lure Ichika to the store she wanted, so I'm here to get some tea while I wait for that travesty to be over."
Honestly, Church was surprised that Cecilia wouldn't just follow Ichika and Houki to whatever store they went to. But peering past the blonde, he did see that the other side of this aisle had various teas on display. Apparently, there was an option good enough to cater to Cecilia's tastes, which was also surprising in and of itself.
While he was thinking about this, Cecilia apparently realized that she was divulging her thoughts to Church, which prompted her to whirl away from him and focus on the shelves on her side of the aisle. Church refrained from sighing only because he knew it might upset her if she heard it. Seriously, what did she have against him? He couldn't actually think of anything he had done thus far to possibly grate on her nerves like this.
He had half a mind to just ignore the situation, since it was kind of insulting, but on the other hand, if he was going to be around this group of friends, he was probably going to be around Cecilia a lot too. It was probably in the best interest of his sanity to try and rectify this situation if he could. Unfortunately, the only way he could do that was to simply jump right in.
"So, did I do something that really rubbed you the wrong way? Not that I believe myself to be infallible, but I can't think of anything I've done that would deserve all this disdain from you."
Cecilia didn't even look back at him. "You haven't done anything. But neither have you done anything particularly exceptional, so why should I force myself to be amicable with you?"
"Wait, I have to impress you just to get a minimum level of politeness? And I did save Rin, is that not exceptional?"
This time, she did glance back at him, but it wasn't a look that expressed agreement. "Saving the life of someone in peril when it is within your power to do so is expected of a good man, not exceptional. I suppose you think you should be praised for having common decency?"
On one hand, Church supposed that she had a point of sorts. One should expect a good person to help others in need. But at the same time, didn't people still deserve praise for actually following those expectations? It was like not being grateful to doctors for saving your life, just because it was their job to do so.
"If your standards are that high, doesn't that mean no one is exceptional? If great things are expected of normal people, then they aren't great things anymore, they're just... things."
"There are still things out there that are exceptional even to my high standards. You just have to be amazing enough to achieve them."
At this point, Church wasn't actually focusing on the coffee anymore. "Yeah? What exactly did Ichika do to earn your respect?"
Cecilia's body stiffened at this question. "He, uh... well, h-he... almost defeated me in battle..."
There was silence between the two of them for a brief moment, but it didn't last long under the rising incredulity in Church's heart. "Wait, so saving someone's life is just a normal thing that deserves no recognition, but almost beating you in a fight is more amazing than that?! This value system makes no sense!"
The British blonde did actually turn to face him completely this time, though her stoic and haughty demeanor had been completely replaced by that of a flustered girl trying to defend something even she knew was ridiculous. She leveled an accusatory finger at Church like it was some kind of defense.
"Well of course it sounds silly out of context like that! T-there's more to it! It's about... his determined and unyielding spirit! A-and his unwillingness to accept condescension from others!"
Church's expression was deadpan. Had he completely misjudged this girl's true character. "Got it, so I just have to beat you in a fight and tell you off for having an attitude. Then you'll be head over heels for me too, right?"
The redness on Cecilia's face grew more severe at this. "N-no! I'm not that simple of a woman! Don't make my feelings for Ichika sound so petty!"
"I'm not judging your feelings, I'm just trying to understand them. I'd prefer to get along with beautiful women than to be on their bad side, and obviously, knowing what matters to them is a big part of making that happen."
Cecilia was obviously taken aback for a moment, but she promptly turned away from Church with her arms crossed again. She didn't offer any response immediately, though she wasn't silent for long.
"The brand of black coffee on the bottom shelf of the right side is quite good. You should consider that one."
After saying that, she spun on her heel and left with one of those signature huffs of hers. Church just barely had time to say anything back.
"You, uh, forgot your tea..."
Clearly, Cecilia didn't hear him, as she was out of his sight in another moment, leaving Church standing alone in the aisle.
Was that... good? It's kind of hard to tell.
Cerberus wasted no time in chiming in.
According to various sources on the internet, if this were a visual novel, this would have likely been considered a positive event flag.
Shaking his head, Church wondered if his superiors would be upset to learn that their cutting edge AI was doing research on visual novels instead of literally anything else. It was hard to imagine that they had intended for Cerberus to carry out such decisions.
Dismissing the thought from his mind, Church grabbed a bag of the black coffee brand Cecilia had specified. Maybe it was a bit of a stereotype to assume she even knew what she was talking about with tea just because she was British, and knowing anything about tea didn't mean you knew anything about coffee, but he figured he could just cast all the blame on her if Chifuyu hated it.
He would only feel mildly bad about it.