For members who had participated in many service games, when activating empathy, they could even keep a straight face and hold out for a while, unless the person wearing the empathy bracelet at that moment was stronger than them and liked Hachiman more.
Although that ability to stay expressionless would vanish instantly when they faced Hachiman in person, leaving them even more shaken than others, with only their strong recovery letting them get back up again and again.
Based on the two systems formed by the service aura and the empathy bracelets, it was enough to ensure that both newly joined beginners and long-time veteran members could get the best and most suitable experience for themselves.
However, for the vice president of the Service Club, who had absolutely no experience, whether facing it personally or sharing someone else's experience through empathy, everything was a first she had never gone through before.
"Yukino… maybe I should go first… you can wait a bit…"
Yukinoshita Haruno looked at Yukinoshita Yukino, who had picked up the bell collar without saying a word but hadn't put it on yet.
Even in the Service Club where top-tier beauties from various races gathered, she was confident that Yukino was among the very best. But aside from that, she didn't have much confidence in her.
Besides having a bit of a personality issue, Yukino's body, which didn't exercise often, was also somewhat weak.
She had hardly ever talked to men before, let alone had any close contact with one. If things started off this intense without any time to adapt, Haruno was worried Yukino wouldn't be able to handle it.
After all, she had already experienced it herself. Once empathy was activated, it really felt like being there in person. It was undeniably captivating, but also far too intense, far too absorbing. Even after turning off empathy, it took her a long while to recover and regain her senses.
Fortunately, Hachiman could turn them into magical girls. Otherwise, with an ordinary person's physique, two days of empathy might land them in the hospital.
That was also why she had made up her mind to formally join tonight. If she didn't accept Hachiman's development training and become a magical girl, not only would her vice president title be hollow, she might not even have the right to casually chat and laugh with the others while sharing empathy.
Though she hadn't expected Yukino to show up here tonight, together with her.
"Nee-san, you don't need to worry… I'm also a member of the Yukinoshita family. This is something I have to face sooner or later."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Haruno, who rarely showed hesitation instead of her usual perfect smile, and drew a deep breath. She tightened her grip on the golden bell collar in her hand and slowly fastened it around her pale, slender neck.
Actually, Touka-nee's close relationship with her sister wasn't just because their mother and Aunt Tohsaka were close, but also because the Yukinoshita and Tohsaka families were quite similar.
All along, it had been their mothers managing everything in the household. As the eldest daughters, Touka-nee and her sister had taken on their responsibilities, protecting their younger sisters, including herself.
Now that she finally had a chance to help, how could she run away again.
Besides, she was also Rin and Sakura's older sister. She should be like her sister and Touka-nee.
As Yukinoshita Yukino firmly fastened the bell collar herself, her determined expression instantly broke as she sucked in a sharp breath. Her straight, slender legs under the nightgown suddenly went weak.
"Yukino?"
Seeing her body tilt as if she couldn't maintain her balance, Haruno instinctively reached out, only to realize Shion had already prepared and was supporting Yukino from the side.
"Miss Yukino, you can't rush the first empathy. Miss Touka's current level isn't something you can handle yet. Let me adjust it for you and switch the target to Miss Rin."
With one hand steadily supporting Yukino, Shion lightly pressed a hidden button on the bell collar, switching the empathy target from Tohsaka Touka to Tohsaka Rin.
Except for the empathy bracelets, which forced synchronization and couldn't be freely controlled, every other empathy device made by Lady Lala could switch targets.
Although tonight's bell collar disabled turning off empathy, at least it allowed choosing a target of different intensity depending on the situation.
Since Yukinoshita Yukino had never experienced it and didn't understand how overwhelming empathy was, Shion had already been ready to catch her.
Yes, she hadn't planned to warn her in advance.
"R-Rin… is it?"
After recovering slightly, Yukino gasped heavily, her chest rising and falling. Hearing the explanation, her pupils shrank as she stared blankly at Touka, who was still clinging tightly to Hachiman at the dining table.
She had thought she could replace Touka-nee, but she collapsed at the first touch. So she could only share Rin's burden?
Yukino recalled that brief moment just now. Her whole body had felt like it was boiling, every part restless, craving, exhausted yet still wanting more.
Even after switching targets, Touka-nee's sensations seemed to linger in her body.
No wonder, judging by Shion's tone, she could only replace Rin. Touka-nee needed her sister to replace her. With her physical condition, she probably wasn't much better than Rin. She couldn't take on the burden that Touka-nee, who trained in kendo regularly, was enduring now.
"Miss Yukino, don't worry. Tonight is just a game. You don't necessarily have to do anything."
Rurikawa Tsubaki walked over, took out a small bottle of ordinary spirit spring water that restored stamina and energy, and fed it to Yukino. Looking at this former unattainable beauty of Sobu High, she spoke softly.
"Now that you're wearing the bell collar and have been 'caught,' you can leave the club and go back to sleep after Hachiman marks you a few times."
"Of course, don't think you can fool him. Even if you don't make a sound, he can roughly guess it's you from your scent and body shape."
"But if you're not used to it, he won't force you to admit your identity or say your name."
Yukinoshita Yukino had once been the unreachable flower of Sobu High. Rurikawa Tsubaki was no less impressive, but her family had fallen from grace and couldn't compare to the prominent local Yukinoshita family.
Although their statuses had long since reversed, with the Yukinoshita family now unable to compare to the rapidly rising Rurikawa family, seeing Yukino trying to sacrifice herself for her family like she once had stirred many emotions in Tsubaki.
Her current position was Hachiman's lover and Kaede's close friend. Naturally, she couldn't help Yukino escape the fate of sacrificing herself for her family. Besides, she herself had accepted Hachiman's help. How could she do something like that?
Moreover, thinking about it carefully, Hachiman's relationship with the Yukinoshita family wasn't like the forced and oppressive relationship her family once had with the Poiman family.
Now the Yukinoshita family had voluntarily joined the Service Club, hoping to achieve their goals through it. She couldn't very well tell Yukino to ignore her family's responsibilities and just be happy on her own.
That was an internal matter of the Yukinoshita family. She neither could nor should overstep.
What she could do was only help Yukino adapt better, instead of ending up like herself back then, being controlled by Ursula the first time and repeatedly betraying Kaede while enjoying it.
As she thought about it, a blush quietly spread across Tsubaki's smooth, fair face.
Even though she and Kaede were close friends who liked the same person, and there was no need for conflict, and she had never supported Shion's idea of pushing her up, hadn't she still half willingly enjoyed that sense of "betrayal"?
She hadn't betrayed Kaede in any major way, but there had been small secret things. For example, last time under Shion's arrangement, she had hidden behind a one-way mirror in the changing room and watched Kaede and Iris while everyone was changing.
She had changed quickly. Would Yukinoshita Yukino also change like her?
When the time came, who would Yukino "betray" and enjoy that sense of falling?
"Thank you… gulp!"
After drinking the spirit spring water, Yukino slowly straightened up and sincerely thanked Tsubaki. Then she couldn't help pressing her lips together, her pale, slender legs tensing unnaturally.
After switching the empathy target, she felt a bit better, but sensing something that didn't exist on her own lips, Yukino frowned and swallowed, trying to ease the strange discomfort.
It didn't help at all. Empathy only shared and synchronized the sensations of Rin and Touka onto them.
Unless the function was turned off or the device removed, they had no control over the sensations acting on the original target.
Yukino's face turned red. She bit her lower lip as she looked at Hachiman not far away, kissing Touka and Rin alternately.
Either kissing Rin, who lay on the table, or Touka, who leaned over it.
Hachiman didn't stop at all. If not one, then the other. Tohsaka Sakura had even returned under the table, competing with Rin, whose face was covered in beads of sweat she couldn't wipe away.
Judging by their expressions, they all enjoyed it and liked Hachiman. There was no reluctance.
No wonder every member of the Service Club had one of these devices. Hayase Saki and the others often gathered, blushing and whispering. So this thing really was outrageous…
Yukino took a deep breath, pulling her gaze away from Hachiman and the Tohsaka sisters, then turned to Tsubaki.
"Miss Tsubaki, may I call you that?"
"Of course. But you can just call me Tsubaki. We'll all be good sisters from now on, no need to be formal."
Tsubaki blinked, looking at Yukino, whose expression seemed slightly strange.
They only knew of each other before and had never really talked face to face.
Tonight, being open with each other in the Service Club was their first real introduction. But Yukino's awkwardness probably wasn't because of that.
"Um… I want to ask how to… um… since you've spent more time with President Hikigaya, you should understand his preferences better."
Yukino endured the trembling of the bell collar, clenched her teeth, and asked Tsubaki sincerely.
Even though Tsubaki's gaze at her felt a bit odd, her family had benefited the most from contact with Hachiman. And she had been wearing the bell collar without much reaction, so she must have often received his favor.
Yukino had recognized Hachiman's strength and the gap between herself and others. She now understood that joining the Service Club wasn't as simple as sacrificing herself to satisfy him.
But everyone else had started as ordinary people too. Even if she couldn't do it now, she would work hard to become stronger and meet his expectations.
"Uh… well… alright. Come here, I'll explain properly."
Tsubaki paused, then suddenly understood. She excitedly pulled the trembling Yukino aside and began giving real-time analysis and guidance based on the Tohsaka sisters' movements and expressions.
It felt a bit strange, since Shion usually handled this, and it was her first time doing it.
But thinking about it carefully, if she passed all her experience to Yukino, then when she couldn't hold on, couldn't she just call Yukino to take over?
Kaede didn't mind her past "betrayal." She had not only agreed to help restore the Rurikawa family but often let her accompany Hachiman. No one was as fortunate as she was.
But now Hachiman was getting stronger, and the time she could endure was getting shorter. She really couldn't keep up anymore…
"Yukino…"
Yukinoshita Haruno watched her sister. Instead of shrinking back after a setback, Yukino became more determined, actively asking Tsubaki for advice. Haruno felt both relieved and pained.
The sister who had never grown up finally showed signs of maturity, no longer avoiding difficulties but facing them bravely.
She even knew to seek advice instead of rushing to prove herself.
But the cost of that growth.
"Miss Haruno, please put on your bell collar. Miss Yukino is learning with the young lady. You'll have to work hard for both of you."
Before Haruno could continue her thoughts, the villainous Shion appeared again, pushing her toward the dining table where Tohsaka Touka lay.
Haruno did have an empathy collar, but she hadn't become a magical girl and had never personally experienced Hachiman's favor. So she was only slightly better than Yukino and still quite inexperienced, not daring to keep empathy activated.
Most participants were veteran members with high service levels, so she had to switch to the weakened "youth version" empathy ribbons.
But now that Yukino had put on the bell collar, Haruno couldn't keep using ribbons like that. Otherwise, she'd have to sit at the other table with Komachi and the rest.
"Sorry… Haruno…"
Touka, struggling to hold herself up between Rin's legs, turned her head and gasped, looking apologetically at her friend.
It was her fault for not holding on. Otherwise, Haruno wouldn't have to do this in front of Yukino.
"It's not your fault. I made up my mind myself."
Looking at Touka's tear-filled eyes, clearly having just been made to cry yet still trying to apologize, Haruno swallowed and shook her head slightly.
"Even if Yukino didn't come today, she would have come eventually. It just happened a little earlier."
Normally, seeing Touka in such an embarrassing state, she would laugh and comfort her. But now, she couldn't laugh.
Soon, she and Yukino might also end up crying like this.
Though after tonight, her bond with Touka would reach its peak.
From now on, the Tohsaka and Yukinoshita families could become true allies, advancing and retreating together, not just relying on personal feelings.
Haruno touched the trembling bell collar around her neck, took a deep breath, and opened her arms, slowly pressing her soft, full body against Hachiman's back.
Together with her best friend Touka, they held him from front and back.
"President… could you be a bit gentler with Yukino later…"
———
While Yukinoshita Haruno and Tohsaka Touka were preparing to offer themselves along with their younger sisters to help Hachiman complete the family tasks of the Tohsaka and Yukinoshita households, the mischief angel in the distance was not happy at all.
"Stop chasing me! Stop chasing me! If this goes on, it'll be dawn!"
"Gabriel, Vignette, I was wrong, okay! I apologize!"
"President Kaede, Princess Iris, Chief Ursula, don't help Gabriel and the others! They won't help you drag other angels and demons into this. I'm clearly the better partner!"
Under the night sky, a holy, dazzling white light streaked across the heavens.
Behind it, beams of different colors chased relentlessly.
Gold, blue, red, black, lights occasionally split apart, surrounding and intercepting the white light ahead.
The white figure in front was naturally the angel who had angered everyone, Raphiel.
However, as a mischief-loving angel, even while flying and glancing back at the figures hidden within the colored lights, she felt no joy, only deep worry.
As a capable angel graduate, even if she couldn't use her full power, she could still easily use divine step.
But on one hand, long-distance divine step couldn't be used freely at any time. With everyone interfering, it was hard to use it to escape.
On the other hand, Gabriel could also use divine step. Even if she succeeded, she wouldn't be able to shake them off.
The only reason she hadn't been caught yet was because Iris and the others hadn't intended to use force to suppress her. They just wanted her to surrender on her own.
Which meant that once their patience ran out, she would be taken straight back to the Service Club.
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