A sudden call.
The voice I heard after pressing the answer button wasâ¦
[It's been a while, Iroha-san. Thank you for always taking care of my daughter.]
ãE-e-e-eh!? Ogu-Mom⦠No, Madam President!?ã
The person on the other end of the line was none other than the leader of this country⦠or rather, the world.
Stammering with surprise and nervousness, I askedâ¦
ãWh-whatâs going on!? I mean, is it even okay!? For you to call me directly like this!?ã
Surely, someone in her position shouldnât be casually reaching out to a mere citizen.
In fact, ever since she became president, this was the first time we'd exchanged words like this.
[Oh, there's no need to worry. This is simply work-related.]
ãWork-related, you say?ã
I had a bad feeling about this.
If it were just a simple request, surely someone else could have handled it, instead of the president herself.
ãSo, um, what exactly is it?ãn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
[You will soon be visiting a certain country, Iroha-san.]
It sounded like a request, but in reality, it was more of a notice.
Wait, uh⦠where?
After hearing the name of the country, I tilted my head and typed it into the search bar to check the location.
To put it simply, it was a small, unfamiliar country.
ãTh-this place is pretty far, isnât it!? Um, is there any chance I could declineâ¦?ã
My schedule is already packed with lessons and recordings.
If possible, I'd like to pass on this oneâ¦
[Well, if you really must, it can't be helped.]
Surprisingly, she backed down quite easily.
As I was about to hang up, thinking "Well then,"â¦
[By the way, I heard your collection has grown quite a bit, Iroha-san.]
ã~~~~! cough cough! Ah, no!? That is!?ã
[But⦠what a shame. Oh well, I suppose.]
ãEek~!?ã
The meaning of "Oh well" had taken a complete 180.
Panicked, I hurriedly tried to stop Oguâs mother from hanging up.
ãI-Iâm sorry! Iâll do it! Iâll do it, okay!?ã
[Oh, but if you donât want to, feel free to decline.]
ãN-no! Iâd love to! I want to do it!ã
[Very well.]
Scary!? Oguâs mother is as terrifying as ever!
The only reason I was able to recover my past-life collection was thanks to her pulling some strings behind the scenes.
Bringing that up now feels like nothing short of a threat!?
How could I refuse after that!?
[Besides, this matter is important not just to me, but to you as well. âAs a goodwill ambassador.]
ãUghâ¦ã
I had heard that, as part of my duties as a goodwill ambassador, I would have to visit foreign countries.
But of all times, why now?
ãSo, when am I supposed to go to this country?ã
[Somewhere between mid to late December.]
ãEh?ã
[Don't worry. You'll be back in time for Christmas Eve.]
ãPhew······ã
[I wouldnât want my daughter to hate me, after all.]
ãGuh!? Ah, no!? Thatâs not what I meant!?ã
[Oh? Isnât it?]
ãâ¦Itâs⦠not.ã
How does she know everything!?
Ah, of courseâitâs the Secret Service!
When I went to buy the ring, I made sure to ask Ogu and the others to keep quiet, but I forgot about anyone else.
Well, itâs their job, so expecting them not to report it was probably a lost cause anyway.
ãStill, I wish youâd given me a bit more notice. I have to check the route, figure out how many days itâll take, and adjust my schedule.ã
[There's no need for that. Depending on the situation, it'll likely be a day trip.]
ãWhat?ã
No, no. The fewer major airports a country has, the more layovers you have to deal with.
Itâs not the kind of place you can just pop over toâ¦
[We'll be using my private jet.]
ãAh, I see.ã
So thatâs how it is. Her perspective, or rather, her sense of scale is just too different from mineâ¦
But she is the president, after all.
I guess that makes sense.
Still, it feels like every escape route has been cut off.
Thereâs no choice but to do it.
Well, to be honest, I wasnât really planning to refuse in the first place.
[Iâll send more details later. On the day, just follow my peopleâs lead. See you on site.]
ãYouâll be there too, Madam? Got it.ã
[Yes. And letâs take that time to thoroughly discuss your relationship with my daughter, and your future. Until then.]
ãOXXâ²~~~~~â©!?ã
I let out a scream that didnât even sound like words.
After the call ended, I sat there in a daze.
Maybe⦠no, definitely, the real purpose of this âjobâ is that last part.
She only called because of that, didnât sheâ¦?
ãFii~ I'm back~! Just got home from recording. What's wrong, Iroha!?ã
ãO-o-ohgu!ã
ãO-oh!? There, there. I donât know what happened, but did something scare you?ã
I nodded furiously and spilled everything to Ogu.
Her cheeks puffed up angrily.
ãMom didnât even consider your schedule again! And now weâll have even less time to spend togetherâ¦ã
Seriously, this year-end is going to be chaotic.
If thatâs the case, then the only time Iâll have left to do anything freely isâ¦
ãAbout a week, I guess.ã
If thereâs anything I havenât done yet, this might really be my last chance.
For some reason, thatâs how it feelsââ.