Following his mock battle with Tomitsuka, Tatsuya had returned to the Student Council room to finish his work. As he sat at his desk, a single, piercing gaze was fixed squarely upon him. Tatsuya continued his tasks without a word, but the intensity of the stare was clearly hindering the productivity of the person behind it. Eventually, Azusa, the President, felt compelled to intervene.
"Um... Mitsui-san?"
"Yes, President? What is it?" Honoka replied, her eyes never leaving Tatsuya.
"You've been... staring at Shiba-kun for quite some time now. Is everything alright?"
Azusa spoke with a strange timidity, a hesitation Tatsuya didn't quite understand. Why was the President acting so defensive toward her junior?
"It's nothing at all," Honoka answered brightly. "More importantly, President, the paperwork is piling up. We should really focus and get this finished."
"O-oh... yes, of course. Let's finish up so we can all go home."
Azusa had intended to scold Honoka for slacking off, but somehow, she found herself the one being encouraged. With a look of utter confusion, she retreated to her own desk. She cast a desperate glance toward Isori, hoping for backup, but he simply offered a polite smile and looked away.
When Azusa turned her tearful eyes back toward Tatsuya, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Tatsuya felt a chill run down his spine; Miyuki's mood was plummeting at a terrifying rate. Realizing he had to act before the room froze over, Tatsuya spoke up.
"Honoka, my hearing is perfectly fine. You don't need to worry. And as you told the President, the work is indeed piling up. I appreciate your concern, but please, focus on your own documents."
"I understand..." Honoka sighed softly. "But you have to let me check for myself later, okay?"
The nature of the relationship between Tatsuya and Honoka was an open secret within the Student Council, but that didn't make it any easier for Miyuki to stomach. Sensing his sister's growing agitation, Tatsuya offered her a soothing look before returning to his work.
"President, I've finished this batch."
"We're finally seeing the end of it! I don't think we could have managed without your help today, Shiba-kun."
Normally, Tatsuya only handled his own designated workload. However, today he had stepped in to assist Azusa and Izumi. He felt a sense of responsibility; the student council's schedule had been disrupted because he had been pulled away for the duel. Though he had been an unwilling participant, the fact remained that time had been lost. Azusa watched him work, thinking once again how reliable he truly was.
After finishing their duties, the group went their separate ways. Instead of joining Miyuki and Minami in their vehicle, Tatsuya boarded a different transport. Tomorrow was Sunday—a rare day off with no scheduled training or family business. On such a day, it was only natural for his girlfriend, Honoka, to claim him for herself. She had invited him to her home, with a plan to transition straight into a date the following morning.
The moment they arrived at her house, Honoka rounded on him with enough momentum to nearly tackle him.
"Tatsuya-san, are your ears truly alright? Tell me the truth!"
"I told you, they're fine. I handled that attack without needing to 'rewind' anything."
Hearing that he hadn't needed to use his magic, Regrowth, Honoka finally let out a long sigh of relief and leaned heavily against him.
"Thank goodness... I was so worried you had just forced a recovery using your magic..."
"I knew exactly what Tomitsuka was aiming for. I allowed the impact to push me back, using the distance to neutralize the effect."
"But... was it really okay to use that magic at school?"
Honoka knew he had used his other power, Decomposition. She had seen hints of it during the fight between Takuma and the Nanakusa twins as well. She knew he had to hide his true nature, likely using a more "acceptable" appearance of magic to mask the reality of his power.
"I had Pixie record dummy data in real-time, so there's no problem. Even if someone were curious enough to dig through the logs, no one at First High has the capability to trace that back to my actual magic."
"I see... that's a relief."
Aside from Honoka, the only ones who knew Tatsuya's secret were Miyuki and Minami. Honoka knew his family would never betray him, and as long as she kept her own lips sealed, Tatsuya could continue his life as a normal high school student. That thought brought her a profound sense of peace.
"I'm sorry for making you worry," Tatsuya said softly. "I'll do my best to follow your lead today, Honoka."
"Really? You promise?"
"Ah... yes. Within the realm of what I can actually fulfill, at least."
"That's more than enough! In fact, you're the only one who can fulfill these wishes."
Tatsuya felt a bit overwhelmed by her sudden surge of energy. Even knowing her personality as well as he did, her intensity still managed to catch him off guard.
"First, we're taking a bath together. Then we'll eat dinner, and then..."
"There's more?"
"Yes... you have to sleep with me. Not in separate beds like before... in the same bed."
"If that is what you wish," Tatsuya replied, "then I shall comply."
For Honoka, the fact that Tatsuya would agree so completely to her requests—a privilege usually reserved for Miyuki—was a source of immense joy. This man, who often showed so little interest in the world around him, was listening to her. He was focusing on her. It filled her heart to the point of overflowing.
"By the way, Tatsuya-san... did you open my gift? When you were alone, I mean?"
"I did. But... what was the meaning behind that photo?"
"Um... well... I wanted to be in your room, too... so I could compete with Miyuki-san's presence... Was it weird?"
"No, it was a beautiful photo. I just didn't quite grasp the intent. I see—it was a declaration of rivalry against Miyuki."
As Tatsuya nodded in realization, Honoka turned beet-red and looked down at her feet. She hadn't expected him to call the photo "beautiful," and she was mortified that he hadn't understood the romantic subtext until she spelled it out.
"Alright, Tatsuya-san! Let's get in the tub!"
"Why do you sound so desperate all of a sudden?"
"I'm not desperate! But today, you're going to wash every single inch of me!"
As if her sense of shame had finally snapped, Honoka began to pull off her clothes right then and there. Rather than stopping her, Tatsuya simply sighed and carried her toward the changing room, figuring they should at least finish the process behind closed doors.
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