They had to register for electives by the end of first period, but from the second period on they immediately started on the regular curriculum; it was now the noon break.
Tatsuya arrived at the Student Council room.
He was, from now on, a Student Council Vice President. Tatsuya had transferred from the Public Morals Committee to the Student Council due to a secret(?) agreement between Azusa and Kanon; however, this was the result implemented by completely ignoring Tatsuya’s own will. Since he didn’t have any lingering attachment to the Public Morals Committee and he didn’t object to joining the Student Council, Tatsuya hadn’t put up any resistance, but if, for example, Tatsuya had made a show of resisting, then he probably would have been persuaded after all. —Not by Azusa, but by Miyuki. Perhaps, Tatsuya didn’t try to resist because he understood that.
Whatever was going on in the background, First High School’s new regime for the AD 2096 new school year was safely launched. The Public Morals committee had also added new members. Mikihiko had been approved as Tatsuya’s successor under the recommendation system by the Student Council. From the clubs, Shizuku was chosen to supplement the lack of members brought by the end of the last school year. Today was the first day of the new school year and in the Student Council room, the roster of Azusa, Kanon, Isori, Tatsuya, Miyuki, Honoka, Shizuku and Mikihiko, in the spirit of a 'welcome new members' party, were holding a luncheon.
The student council meeting table was a little cramped for eight people. Perhaps Kanon thought that was a good excuse for totally gluing herself to Isori. While the pair’s passionate — Isori looked a little uncomfortable — scene seemed to embarrass Azusa and Mikihiko, Tatsuya and Shizuku were poker faced, Honoka seemed somewhat envious and Miyuki looked at the scene with a smile; lunchtime proceeded harmoniously.
By the way, while Honoka wanted to take Kanon’s lead and glue herself to Tatsuya because it was cramped, with Miyuki’s standard attitude unbroken she couldn’t muster the determination.
After the meal ended, each of the eight received a tea cup or a coffee cup according to their preferences. The one waiting on them was the 3H-P94, Pixie. The girl-shaped robot was originally on loan to the Robot Research Club; however, due to various circumstances, especially because Pixie itself wished it, from today on it became something for Tatsuya to use in the Student Council room.
The topic of their first lunchtime conversation was the new Magical Engineering Course’s unique choice of professor. However, close to halfway through the noon break, their interest turned to the imminent admissions ceremony.
“Is there another rehearsal after school today?”
Mikihiko, who had not been involved in the preparations for the admissions ceremony, asked, politely conscious of the presence of the upperclassman,
“It’s more of a business meeting than a rehearsal. There are only two formal rehearsals — one during spring break, and one immediately before the ceremony. And since we’re only practicing the program, we won’t be reading the formal address.”
Miyuki replied in her default polite tone for speaking to male students.
“Last year as well?”
“Yes.”
Miyuki, who had made the formal address last year, replied to Shizuku’s follow up question also.
“Eh, really? It did not look that way at all.”
Kanon’s response displayed her surprise in a way that looked slightly exaggerated. Naturally, for that reason, the person herself immediately spoke up.
“Our turns were pretty tough… because it’s hard work, I thought we’d hold many rehearsals.”
“At any rate, it was rough…”
As was her apparent habit, Kanon belatedly cut off her words just after she committed a verbal gaffe. Azusa, who had been employed as the freshmen representative the year before last, was timidly sinking into a deep depression.
“Well, well. Nakajou-san was nervous. That’s not particularly unusual.”
Isori quickly followed up after his betrothed’s error on one side,
“Of course, Miyuki not getting stage fright was not all that peculiar.”
And Tatsuya followed up after Isori to prevent Miyuki from taking it the wrong way.
“Dear me, Onii-sama. Even I was nervous.”
Miyuki’s timing was not very natural when she spoke from her place next to Tatsuya, with both hands clasped on her thighs. In that state, she leaned her upper body to peek up at her elder brother’s face. While making a pained smile at his sister’s expression with slightly puffed cheeks, Tatsuya lightly caressed Miyuki’s hair, making her return her head to the original distance. Miyuki let out a small “Ah…” and sent a bashful smile to Tatsuya. Shizuku jabbed Honoka, whose face had frozen in an “Aargh”, with her elbow in her flank, and Kanon, who was closely sticking to Isori, looked innocent and unaware of her own inappropriateness.
In the confused atmosphere, Mikihiko deliberately coughed to return things to normal. And Tatsuya spoke to Mikihiko, whose face showed the effects of his effort to cough as if nothing had happened.
“Actually, neither Miyuki or myself has met this year’s freshmen representative face to face yet.”
“That’s because the school takes the lead in preparations for incoming freshmen.”
Upon taking note of Tatsuya’s words, Isori, who was more cognizant of the details than he, entered explanation mode.
“Even though the student’s autonomy is respected, an event like the admissions ceremony, which has many distinguished guests attending, is of course another matter. Nonetheless, the Student Council handles the preparations on the current students' side.”
“Are you saying… that the incoming freshmen aren’t yet students of our school?”
“No, Mikihiko, that’s absurd.”
Without reservation, Tatsuya used a one-liner to deal with Mikihiko’s meaningless words. The trace of envy that could be seen in Isori’s eyes over their easy relationship with each other was surely only an illusion, of course.
“We don’t know the real reason. So this is only a hypothesis to us.”
With the smile still pasted on Isori’s face, his actual feelings were not something that could be glimpsed.
“Nakajou-san, have you met him face to face?”
When Isori changed the topic, Kanon displayed an interest without delay.
“You mean Shippou-kun?”
Azusa cast down her eyes as she pondered when gazes filled with curiosity turned toward her.
“I have… he seems like an eager boy.”
She probably did not want to prejudice them against him. Azusa had chosen harmless and inoffensive words, but,
“An ambitious boy, eh.”
Seeing the lightly pained smile Azusa gave when Kanon put her words into blunt terms then, it seems that Azusa also actually shared the same opinion.
The living room after dinner. In accordance with the division of labor, the dirty dishes were left to Minami and Miyuki was preparing coffee to Tatsuya’s tastes. To his sister, who had sat down next to the side table she had placed her own coffee on,
“If you consider his position as the eldest son of the Shippou family, he probably can’t help being an ambitious person.”
Tatsuya started the conversation like that with a soothing voice.
“Onii-sama, why are you suddenly bringing up Shippou-kun?”
With both her hands folded together and placed on her thigh, Miyuki tilted her head inquiringly in a polite ladylike manner. There was no way Tatsuya was fooled by her formal face.
“Just because he has his reasons, there’s no need for us to bend over backwards. As long as we don’t have a quarrel with him, we don’t need to be any friendlier to him.”
“I did not quarrel or anything like that.”
As Tatsuya had been telling her not to pick a fight in a rather roundabout way, Miyuki looked the other way with a sulky look. —For her to take that attitude could only mean that she was somewhat self aware. He would hesitate to call the first meeting between Miyuki and the eldest son of the Shippou Clan one of compliments and friendliness.
Naturally, a quarrel had not been started from Miyuki’s side. At first, Miyuki also intended to welcome the freshmen representative that had become her junior warmly, nevertheless…
“Let me introduce you. This is Shippou Takuma-kun, who is serving as this year’s freshmen representative.”
After school in the student council room. Azusa was introducing him to the officers who were all present — Isori, Miyuki, Honoka, and Tatsuya — and Shippou Takuma bobbed his head quickly. This attitude was fairly common for a freshman which continued when it came to Isori,
“Vice President Shiba Tatsuya. Nice to meet you, Shippou-kun.”
Just as Tatsuya introduced himself, there was a complete change.
“Shippou, Takuma. Pleased to meet you.”
There was an unnatural emphasis on the family name in his way of speaking, but his language was within the bounds of politeness. However, his attitude could not be called all that polite. Takuma wasn’t looking at Tatsuya’s face, but his left chest.
“…Shippou-kun?”
When Azusa spoke softly to him, Takuma looked a little taken aback and afterwards put an awkwardly friendly smile on his face.
“Pardon me. The gear shaped emblem Shiba-senpai is wearing is unfamiliar.”
Hearing Takuma’s excuse, Azusa nodded "Ah, I see.”
“It is the emblem of the new Magic Engineering course that started this year.”
“Oh, that‘s it.”
Although he probably didn’t mean to do it, he cast out his acknowledgement in a rather careless manner, indicating his lack of interest. Tatsuya did not consider that to be offensive. The Shippou clan’s trump card ‘Million Edges’ was unusual for Modern Magic, because the technique did not use a CAD. Tatsuya had heard gossip from his fellow engineers that the Shippou clan had a tendency to neglect Magic Engineering, perhaps for that reason. Everybody had their own way of looking at things. To him it had value, but he could not force other people to share his sense of values.
However, it was not something Miyuki could overlook. A haughty expression, a disrespectful look in his eye. A foundationless confidence of one’s own superiority and contempt for someone for no reason. The eyes of this freshman were wearing the same look as her fellow freshmen last year, who scorned her elder brother as a ‘Weed’. This could be felt by Miyuki.
Takuma, who immediately had to continue greeting people, turned to the next person. He did not intend to cause an uproar at this time and in the first place, Takuma was not aware of the rudeness of his behavior. It was not that he was being somewhat insensitive; one probably had to be very sensitive to how his rudeness would be taken. So he was not especially prepared for the next student council officer — in short, for turning his eyes to Miyuki.
Immediately afterward, he visibly flinched which for Takuma was undoubtedly a disgrace. However, it had been inevitable. Because right then.
The Snow Queen descended.
Being in the presence of a blizzard princess or the like was not a gentle experience. An aloof face could be called ordinary; however, this ordinary face was a signal to prepare for a life or death struggle to previous Student Council officers. It was still far from the level it reached at that time — the Student Council Presidential election last year — however, it was not shameful that Takuma, who was experiencing it for the first time, should lose his composure due to the pressure being emitted.
Nonetheless, Takuma himself did not think so. He couldn’t help giving off a mortified look. He rapidly constructed a courteous smile, but looking at it objectively, it was not a very good one.
“Fellow Vice President, Shiba Miyuki.”
As fitting of her cold expression, Miyuki spoke only this statement for her self introduction.
“—Shippou Takuma. Nice to meet you.”
The shaking in Takuma’s voice was not out of fear but anger. He was disgusted with himself for being overwhelmed by Miyuki. He retained enough self control not to transfer the anger he felt at himself to other people, but Takuma was a naturally passionate boy. In order to restrain himself, he ground his back teeth. No matter how much he tried to smooth over his expression, it wasn’t enough to conceal it.
The attitudes of Miyuki and Takuma could not possibly be called harmonious. As the atmosphere gradually became more turbulent, Azusa started to get flustered. With last year’s officers, Suzune would have followed up as the next one in this setting, but Isori, who held the same position this year, looked like he was unsure of what he should do.
Miyuki’s actions were childish for an upperclassman; nonetheless, Takuma’s conduct was also not the desired courtesy from a new student. The sense that they were both equally at fault was stymieing them.
The only one here now who had the potential to rebuke Miyuki and bring the situation to an end was Tatsuya, who was silently examining Takuma’s facial expression.
…Afterwards, due to Honoka’s forcefully cheerful self introduction, the thorny atmosphere lightened a little. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of the meeting remained strained in the Student Council room for the rest of the meeting.
There was not any type of rehearsal today; it was over shortly since they were only going over an already-decided program. If they had had to continue in that atmosphere for a long time, they would have had to worry about the outcome of the entrance ceremony. —If the tradition of inviting the freshmen representative to join the student council is taken into consideration, then it was already at a level that the potential harm to the Student Council’s activities had to be a concern.
“But I didn’t think we would suddenly be glaring at each other. The Shippou Clan’s eldest son apparently has a belligerent disposition.”
The attitude I took was not wrong, thought Miyuki. However, no matter how justifiable the reason she had — feeling that he had looked at the elder brother she loved and respected with scornful eyes — that did not change the fact that she had despoiled the mood of the Student Council. So Miyuki had prepared herself for a light scolding. So while she was in the mood to fend off the questions of her elder brother, who hardly ever rebuked her at all, Miyuki agreed with Tatsuya’s words in a hesitant tone.
“I thought his attitude toward Onii-sama was not simply a type of insolence. I felt that he was concealing hostile intentions toward you.”
Now, when she looked back calmly, she believed that Takuma’s attitude was a little different from the one displayed by her classmates immediately after they were enrolled last year. He wasn’t disdaining Tatsuya as worthless, he was set on forcibly acting superior in order to deal with an enemy from a subjectively superior position… no, Miyuki corrected herself; he did not have the luxury of keeping it concealed.
“That’s right. He was watching us.”
Tatsuya knew that the hostility from Takuma was more towards Miyuki rather than himself. This morning on the way to school, the person Takuma had been looking at intently as if he was glaring was not Tatsuya, but Miyuki. Tatsuya felt that the hostility directed against himself was simply appended to the hostility toward Miyuki.
On the other hand, Miyuki had not considered the idea that she was the main target and Tatsuya was only an additional target even a little bit. Miyuki was aware that Tatsuya had said ‘us’, but in her own mind, she persistently put her elder brother as the greater and herself as the lesser.
“I do not comprehend the reason, but I believe it is best if we do not take it too lightly. Not like last year.”
Miyuki was talking about the incident that had taken place immediately after they enrolled last year caused by the domestic terrorism organization ‘Blanche.’ The impetus for the siblings to become deeply involved in the terrible situation that developed when terrorists infiltrated First High School had been Sayaka’s invitations to Tatsuya. At first, Tatsuya had taken it lightly, only considering it ‘an invitation to join in club activities’.
It was questionable if there would have been any changes in the developments that happened afterward had things been considered seriously. The consequences (for the siblings) had not been all that great. However, to Miyuki, her brother’s attitude that ‘everything will be okay if we don’t get into a fight with him’ as the way they should react to Takuma’s challenging manner was reminiscent of the time with Sayaka, that he felt there was no need for caution.
“Last year? Ah, no, it probably won’t become anything like that? After all, he is a member of the Twenty-Eight families.”
By the Twenty-Eight families, he referred to the Ten Master Clans and the eighteen associated clans, which wasn’t a common way to refer to them. Only someone who was referring to their common origin in the magician development research laboratories would lump the Ten Master Clans and the eighteen associated clans together as equals and use that expression for them.
“I wouldn’t know anything about Shippou Takuma’s natural disposition, but…”
While holding his coffee cup, Tatsuya muttered something like a monologue.
“It is said that because of their rivalry with the Saegusa clan, the Shippou Clan has the strongest desire to ascend to the position of one of the Master Clans among the eighteen associated clans.”
Miyuki knew of the hostility between the Saegusa clan and the Shippou clan, but this was probably the first time she heard the rest of it. She listened to Tatsuya’s comments with a deeply interested look.
“He only wants his own power acknowledged because he really craves the spotlight, like most boys around our own age.”
“Well, are you like that too Onii-sama?”
“Well, about that. Ordinarily, I too would want that.”
Tatsuya answered her with a wry smile, feeling like he was being teased by his little sister when she asked him that.
“It seems that Shippou-kun has the kind of desire to be in the spotlight that makes him work twice as hard as other people. He probably wants to demonstrate that he has power suitable to be a member of the Ten Master Clans. So perhaps he acts hostile to people he feels might hinder him.”
“But we are not doing anything in particular to hinder Shippou-kun, are we?”
“For someone who wants to be acknowledged by those around him, people who are already acknowledged are a hindrance.”
Miyuki agreed with the words Tatsuya related to her with a wry smile and a deep nod.
“I see. In short, Shippou-kun is jealous of Onii-sama’s reputation.”
Tatsuya almost spit out his coffee in response to the comment Miyuki made to indicate ‘her understanding’.
“No, Miyuki, the one he recognizes as his rival and feels jealous of is probably you.”
“Me?”
Miyuki asked with her eyes if Takuma had really disregarded her Onii-sama to focus on herself, to which Tatsuya nodded his head countless times.
“He is this year’s freshmen representative, you are last year’s representative. That is enough of a reason to view you as a rival. Additionally, you were very active in the Nine Schools Competition. Doesn’t he view me as hostile because I am Miyuki’s hanger-on?”
“Absolutely not…! Onii-sama isn’t Miyuki’s hanger-on or anything like that!”
“No, it’s alright not to get excited… I’m just making an assumption about how Shippou-kun looks at me.”
“I will not accept any ridiculous assumptions like that.”
“Even if you say you won’t accept it...”
Tatsuya felt a little bit at a loss about how to handle Miyuki when he suddenly pressed one of her buttons.
“Rather it is I who is Onii-sama’s… No, I must reluctantly admit that Onii-sama is my very important partner.”
In the portion that was mumbled out of embarrassment, he heard ‘Onii-sama’s belonging’ but Tatsuya didn’t let it bother him. To Tatsuya, the way she rephrased it was bold and fairly embarrassing but he ignored it as well.
“If we reconsider once more, there is also the possibility that he views us as hostile because he knows we are related to the Ten Master Clans.”
He pointed this out in a nonchalant tone, but it had enough weight to bring Miyuki’s mind back down to earth from where it had been lightly whirling around.
“He knows that we are related to the Yotsuba? Aren’t you overthinking things, Onii-sama?”
“That’s true. I don’t believe he has — no, rather the Shippou clan has — the ability to penetrate the Yotsuba’s control of information, but… I feel that there was some kind of strong impression of something of that level in his eyes.”
What Tatsuya was recalling was not the scene in the Student Council room where they glared at each other, but the intermittent staring Takuma had done at Miyuki on the way to school. Miyuki was unaware that Takuma did that, so right now what her brother was saying didn‘t ring any bells.
Even so, Miyuki housed her brother’s worry in her heart.
“That’s true… he is a member of the Twenty-Eight Families, it might be better to be cautious.”
…It was the right answer that the hostility directed to them related to the Ten Master Clans, but the idea that it was because they are related to the Yotsuba was completely wrong. The right answer would be because they were suspected of being related to the Saegusa, but neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki hit on that possibility. Even though they were friendly with Mayumi, for the pair who never forgot the complicated relationship between the Yotsuba and the Saegusa, being seen as part of the Saegusa’s clique was something that would never occur to them.
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