With no Student Council duties to attend to, Miyuki had headed out for a shopping trip with Erika and the others. In previous years, Tatsuya would have been dragged along as a matter of course, but since Minami had taken over the role of Miyuki's constant companion this year, he had expected a rare afternoon of quiet leisure. That expectation, however, shattered the moment an unexpected guest arrived at his door.
"Is this a matter of national security?" Tatsuya asked, as he let her in.
"Not at all. I was just bored, so I thought I'd drop by for a visit," Kyoko replied with a playful wink.
"…You belong to several organizations besides the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, don't you? Are all of them on holiday at once?"
"That's right. A rare occurrence, isn't it?"
Tatsuya served tea to his sudden visitor, Lieutenant Kyoko Fujibayashi, and took a seat across from her with a quiet sigh. Despite her formidable reputation, Kyoko possessed a mischievous streak that could be mentally taxing even for someone like Tatsuya. It seemed today was going to be one of those days.
"I actually came to apologize for the recent unpleasantness," she said, her tone softening.
"An apology? I can't imagine what a Lieutenant would need to apologize to me for."
"It's about my grandfather. He turned a blind eye to the Saegusa Head's schemes, and it caused you a great deal of trouble, Tatsuya-kun. I felt I owed you an apology for that."
Kyoko had indeed informed him previously that Kudou Retsu had looked the other way regarding Koichi Saegusa's machinations. However, Tatsuya didn't believe he was in any position to demand or even receive an apology for it.
"If anyone suffered, it was First High as a whole—specifically the faculty," Tatsuya noted clinically. "I merely utilized the situation to my advantage. If anything, I should be thanking you. I'm certainly not in a position to accept an apology."
"Only you could say that with a straight face," Kyoko chuckled. "A normal high school student wouldn't have been able to make such a decisive countermove. Mark my words, Tatsuya-kun: the moment you graduate, major corporations will be falling over themselves to recruit you."
"I'll be declining them all. Upon graduation, I'll either be employed by FLT or formally integrated into the Yotsuba family."
"What a waste. You'd make a world-class magic engineer, and I don't need to tell you how highly you'd be valued as a combatant."
Tatsuya understood that her second point came from her personal experience seeing him on the front lines. Yet, he had long ago accepted a future where he could be neither a free engineer nor an independent soldier. He was at peace with it. No matter what the world thought, no one could simply "poach" a member of the Yotsuba, and Tatsuya had no intention of leaving. It was this very resignation that Kyoko found so tragic.
"Why not just leave the Yotsuba entirely?" she suggested suddenly.
"You make it sound so simple. My magic becomes a geopolitical nightmare the moment I leave their jurisdiction."
"Then you just need to be taken in by a house capable of keeping your secrets, right?"
"Do you think such a place is easily found? Without the Yotsuba's influence, my identity as a non-standard magician—and the fact that Miyuki and I are Yotsubas—would have been exposed long ago."
"Well, they might not have the raw power of the Yotsuba, but I know of one family that rivals them in information security and discretion."
Tatsuya went still, his eyes fixed on her. "...I hope you aren't about to suggest the Kudou family."
"Ding-dong. Correct. Though, more specifically, I mean the Fujibayashi family."
The implication was clear: she was proposing he marry into her lineage. Tatsuya didn't offer a "yes" or a "no." He simply sat there, a statue of composure, watching her.
"Is that a no?" she asked.
"Even if I wanted to answer, my life is not my own to dispose of."
"I'll handle the negotiations with Lady Maya and Miyuki-san," Kyoko said confidently.
"I suppose if you convinced those two, the branch families would welcome it. They've been looking for an excuse to kick me out of the Yotsuba for years."
While individuals like the Kuroba twins and Yuuka Tsukuba acknowledged Tatsuya's worth, the rest of the branch families looked down on him as a "fake," treating him as a servant or worse. Tatsuya accepted this treatment without resistance, and while the branch families didn't dare abuse him openly for fear of Maya and Miyuki's wrath, the disdain was always there. Aoki was perhaps the only one foolish enough to be vocal about it.
Kyoko didn't know every detail of the Yotsuba's internal politics, but she knew enough to know Tatsuya was undervalued. Her proposal was a genuine offer of sanctuary—and freedom.
"It doesn't even have to be the Fujibayashi name," she added. "We could establish a branch of the Shiba family, independent of the Yotsuba."
"…My aunt might decide to 'visit' quite frequently if we did that."
"Because of her history with my grandfather? She'd probably come regardless. The Yotsuba Head is quite fond of you, after all."
"For now, my path is set," Tatsuya said, his voice level. "Once Miyuki takes the headship, I will spend my life in her shadow. That is the nature of being a Guardian."
"That's exactly why I want to establish your position before she takes the throne. I don't care which house name we use. Tatsuya-kun... will you get engaged to me?"
"An engagement? To the world, I'm just a student from an ordinary magic family. A high school sophomore getting engaged would look incredibly suspicious. People would wonder what 'Great House' I actually belong to."
"The Fujibayashi family is a prestigious name in Ancient Magic. There's no issue there."
"…Perhaps not for you, Kyoko-san, but I believe I would be the problem."
A boy who wasn't even part of the Ten Master Clans suddenly becoming engaged to a Fujibayashi would draw unwanted scrutiny. Tatsuya raised these concerns, but Kyoko brushed them aside. She seemed possessed by a singular, stubborn will to secure him.
"Why the sudden rush?" Tatsuya asked.
"Because! I want to make our relationship official as soon as possible! 'Star-crossed lovers torn apart by family circumstances' should stay in works of fiction."
"…I understand," Tatsuya conceded. "Not immediately, but eventually—"
"No! It has to be now!"
Tatsuya looked at her, seeing the fierce determination in her eyes. "…Very well. Kyoko Fujibayashi... will you marry me?"
The request was a bit forced, but Kyoko had successfully drawn the words from his lips. Tatsuya had already noticed the voice recorder tucked into her pocket, but she pulled it out anyway, brandishing it like a trophy. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.
"There. You're mine now, Tatsuya-kun."
"…At the very least, wait until Minami is fully qualified," Tatsuya insisted.
He was a Guardian first and foremost, and he refused to abandon his duty until his successor was ready. Kyoko accepted his condition, but in exchange, she moved into his room for several days under the guise of "helping" with Minami's training.
Miyuki's mood remained icy for the duration of the visit, but Kyoko simply smiled and feigned ignorance, savoring her "sweet time" with Tatsuya while putting Minami through her paces. Even for the Irregular, an "adult" woman's persistence was a force of nature he couldn't quite calculate.
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