Once inside Tatsuya's room, Mayumi's usual radiant energy vanished, replaced by a quiet, heavy gloom. The cause was the steady, unblinking gaze Tatsuya was currently leveling at her.
"Mayumi-san," he began, his voice calm. "Why is it that you feel the need to pick a fight with Miyuki every single time you meet?"
Mayumi felt a small wave of relief at his gentle tone—so different from the coldness of his stare—but she was immediately piqued by his return to formal honorifics.
"Tatsuya-kun, you called me just 'Mayumi' a moment ago," she pouted. "There's really no need to be so reserved now..."
"Answer the question first. We can discuss forms of address afterward."
Stung by his bluntness, Mayumi cast her eyes downward. She took a breath, steeling herself as if preparing to jump off a ledge.
"Because... I only get to see you once in a while. But Miyuki-san gets to be with you every single day."
"Well, she is my sister..."
"That's exactly it! I hate the feeling that, when you compare your sister and your girlfriend, the sister always comes out on top! I know the circumstances, and I know it can't be helped! I know! But... I still want to be the most important person in your life! That's why I... I just..."
Her voice trailed off, and she turned her head away completely. She didn't want him to see the tears threatening to spill. Sensing her distress, Tatsuya reached out and pulled her into a hug, drawing her face into his chest so that, even if she did cry, she wouldn't have to hide from him.
"I don't compare you and Miyuki," he said softly. "The 'vector' of my affection for each of you is entirely different. You both occupy different spaces in my heart."
"But still! You clearly prioritize her! Even earlier, when you stopped us, you stopped her first before you even looked at me. Doesn't that mean she's the one you're truly worried about?"
"It's more that Miyuki is significantly more dangerous when she loses control. Beyond that, I've known her longer; she's easier for me to read and restrain. I figured if I calmed her down first, you would regain your composure on your own."
"I suppose... that makes sense, but still..."
Perhaps it was for the best that she couldn't see his face right now. If Mayumi had seen the expression Tatsuya was wearing—a look of profound, unprecedented tenderness—she might have fallen for him even harder.
"I'm not saying you can't argue," Tatsuya continued, "but it's a problem when every disagreement nearly escalates into a localized magical war. You're my senior, Mayumi, but you're also my girlfriend. Couldn't you try to be just a little more patient with Miyuki?"
"Are you... calling me childish?"
The tears had finally receded. Mayumi puffed out her cheeks and glared up at him. She didn't necessarily think of herself as the more mature one, but being treated like a child by her younger boyfriend was more than her pride could take.
"Not at all. You are a perfectly capable, grown woman."
"Liars get sent to hell, Tatsuya-kun. Even when we stand side-by-side, people think I'm the younger one. Honestly, I bet if you stood next to Kyoko-san, people would still think you were the older one!"
"...I don't think I look older than Lieutenant Fujibayashi."
Tatsuya's self-deprecating thought—though people do think we're the same age—didn't reach Mayumi's ears. She was too busy latching onto a new detail.
"Tatsuya-kun... why were you out and about with Kyoko-san? Is there something you're not telling me? Are you two...?"
"It was an operational requirement. We needed to look as un-military as possible. I was the youngest, and Lieutenant Fujibayashi looks the least like a soldier, so we were paired up for the mission."
"Well, that's true. Kyoko-san does look like a normal office lady when she's off the clock..."
Mayumi conceded the point. To the average observer, Kyoko Fujibayashi didn't radiate the aura of a high-ranking ancient magician or the granddaughter of Hitoshi Kudo. She looked like an ordinary, beautiful woman. Still, the fact that they were alone together was a sticking point.
"Was this before we started dating? Or after?"
"Before. Over a year ago, actually."
"Then I guess it's fine... No, actually, it's not fine at all."
"Which is it?"
Despite her logical brain accepting the answer, her heart was still disgruntled. Mayumi tightened her grip on him, pressing her body firmly against his. The sudden proximity meant her chest was crushed quite forcefully against his abdomen.
"Oh? You do have a reaction, don't you? You always said you were 'empty' of strong emotions, so I figured you were... you know, 'unresponsive' down there, too."
"I lack the impulsive surges that would make me lose my reason, but I still possess general human biological functions. Besides, when a beautiful woman like you is clinging to me, any high school boy who didn't react would either be truly heartless or have very different interests."
"I see... so you do have desires, Tatsuya-kun..."
A mischievous light sparked in Mayumi's eyes. Tatsuya recognized the look—it was the expression of someone who had just reached a very dangerous conclusion. He sighed, a look of weary resignation crossing his face. In this position, escape was impossible—and as he objectively analyzed his own feelings, he realized he didn't actually want to escape.
"Isn't it getting a bit hot in this room?" Mayumi whispered.
"If you're hot, please let go. That's likely the primary cause of the heat."
"I don't think so."
Without letting go of him, Mayumi began to deftly maneuver out of her clothes. Tatsuya felt a flicker of modesty, but he didn't move to stop her.
"Wait, why are you still dressed, Tatsuya-kun? Come on, you take yours off, too."
"..."
(She's even harder to handle than Miyuki when she goes into a tailspin,) Tatsuya thought.
Accepting his fate with a sense of total surrender, Tatsuya began to undress. What followed in that room was a secret Tatsuya would never breathe a word of, and a memory that would leave Mayumi bright red and speechless for days to come...
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