Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
"Oh, one more thing." Tatsuo said, a hint of pity for the smartphone in Mai's hands flickering in his gaze. "You don't have to worry about getting me a tux. One of my friends is a fashion designer. I showed you the clothes she made for me over Winter Break, remember? Anyway, she's gonna make a tux for me. So, you all can just focus on getting something for Miyazono-San."
Immediately, Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, and Tio all froze. Then, with dead-fish-eyes, they all turned to look at Tatsuo in unison. To Tatsuo, it looked as if he had just shattered all their hopes and dreams with that last statement. Meanwhile, Ayane only rolled her eyes at the overly dramatic reactions.
A moment later, Ayane turned to look at the expression on Tatsuo's face. While he looked thoroughly confused, there was an unmistakable glint of triumph shining in his eyes.
'So, all that stuff about boys hating shopping is true, huh?' Ayane thought to herself. 'Then again, I can imagine how they dragged him around to get everything he needed when he was rescued from DOATEC. And based on the way Sumire-Sama and Mai usually act, it was probably torture for him.'
After having that thought, a mischievous smile spread across Ayane's face.
"You'll still be coming with us when we pick out our own dresses, though, right?" Ayane asked in her usual tone. "I mean, your opinion would be nice. Especially since it's clear that you have some level of fashion sense after seeing the gear you made for Kasumi and I."
Immediately, Tatsuo's eyes widened in horror. He then snapped his head in Ayane's direction with an expression of betrayal on his face. At the same time, the light returned to Sumire's, Mai's, Kasumi's and Tio's eyes. Then, they all started nodding their heads in agreement.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Tatsuo mouthed in Ayane's direction.
Ayane did not respond. Instead, her mischievous smile only widened. Then, she did something that Tatsuo thought was completely out of character.
Ayane stuck her tongue out playfully.
'Damn… That was much cuter than it had any right to be.' Tatsuo thought to himself, almost forgetting Ayane's betrayal.
"I'll get you back for this." Tatsuo mouthed once again after snapping back to his senses.
"Ayane-Chan is right!" Sumire shouted with great vigor. "We all want your opinion on our selections, don't we, girls?"
"Yeah!" Mai, Kasumi, and Tio shouted in response.
While Tatsuo could not make his displeasure known to Sumire, Mai, or Kasumi, as he knew it would make them sad, Tatsuo shot the coldest glare he could muster at Tio. And just as he expected, Tio began to shudder, blush, and pant in excitement. He then took a deep breath before smiling at his mother.
"If you really want me to, I don't mind." Tatsuo replied. "But I'm not an expert in evening gowns."
"It's okay." Sumire said with a smile. "It's mostly so that you'll be able to alter them. I'm sure that Kasumi-Chan and Ayane-Chan wouldn't feel safe without a few hidden weapons on them. So, we need you to help make that possible."
"I see." Tatsuo replied in a resigned tone. "At least Mai-nee can store her fans on her own. I don't know how I'd hide so many fans in an evening gown."
"Especially since there won't be much fabric to work with." Ayane muttered.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Mai asked indignantly. "I'll have you know, I keep everything that's supposed to be covered, covered."
"Yeah, and you show off everything that's not." Ayane shot back. "It's almost like you want everyone to not have to think too hard about what's under your clothes."
"You take that back!" Mai shouted. "The only one I want to see me is Tatsu-Kun. No one else matters!"
"Why don't you make me?" Ayane asked in a challenging tone.
"Maybe I will." Mai shot back.
"Then, follow me down to the training room." Ayane said as she hopped off of Tatsuo's bed.
"Fine." Mai replied as she also hopped off the bed. "I'll teach you to respect your elders today."
"Whatever you say, old lady." Ayane said nonchalantly.
"I know you didn't just call me old." Mai said, sounding even more indignant.
With their bickering continuing, Mai and Ayane left Atsu's room and headed down a floor to spar. Meanwhile, Sumire, Kasumi, and Tio watched the whole thing with amused smiles on their faces. As for Tatsuo, he was glaring at the door with a pout on his face.
"Hmph! Don't think you'll get away from my revenge with this." Tatsuo muttered in a dark tone. "Your betrayal will not go unpunished."
Tatsuo's declaration of revenge only made Sumire, Kasumi, and Tio giggle at his expense.
With that, time passed quickly. Before anyone knew it, the next day was upon them. So, just like they had done for the last couple of days, Tatsuo and Tio headed out so that Tatsuo could practice with Kaori for the concert. At the same time, Mai, Kasumi, and Ayane left the apartment to monitor and, if possible, eliminate as many of DOATEC's forces as they could.
As for Sumire, she spent the day in the penthouse. Most of her time was spent on the phone with the city and the real estate company to finalize the sale on the plot of land, get all the building permits, and all the other things they would need to start building the new house. On top of that, she was drawing the house's blueprint as well as designing any magical wards they would put around the property.
Just like that, the morning slipped by. And before they knew it, Tatsuo's practice with Kaori was over. However, instead of just going their separate ways like they usually would, Kaori left Kurashikku Ensō with Tatsuo and Tio. Because as previously mentioned, Kaori still needed a dress for the performance on Friday, even if Tatsuo did not.
"So, any idea what design you'll be going with for your dress?" Tatsuo, sitting in the backseat of the Maybach, asked Kaori, who looked more than a little nervous on the other side of the backseat.
"No, not really." Kaori replied. "I mean, I kinda thought this sort of thing was up to the stylists and people like that."
"For the most part, yeah." Tatsuo replied with a shrug. "Honestly, the only reason you're being dragged into this is because my mom, her assistant, and my sisters wanna play dress up with me. Even though I've already got someone designing my tux."
"Really?" Kaori asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"*Sigh* Unfortunately." Tatsuo replied. "Ugh… Every time I think about going shopping with them, I die a little on the inside."
"*Giggle* It can't be that bad." Kaori replied with a hand over her mouth.
"Oh, you have no idea." Tatsuo replied with a shake of his head. "I still have nightmares about the last time. Mom hadn't even adopted Ayane-Neechan back then."
The rest of the drive went on with Tatsuo and Kaori getting to know each other a little better, while Tio drove with a smile on her face.
Eventually, Tio pulled into a parking garage in Ginza where she, Tatsuo, and Kaori exited the car before heading to the clothing store where the ladies would choose their outfits for the concert. Luckily, the store offered on sight tailoring. And with Sumire's connections, there was no chance that the outfits would not be ready in time for the concert.
The only unlucky one was Tatsuo, who, for the next three hours, was asked how a total of 74 outfits looked by the six women he accompanied to the store. And it was clear that the members of his family were having a great time at his expense. Even Kaori, who was apprehensive at first, joined in on the fun when she saw just how much fun Sumire and the others were having.
Around the time the shopping trip was winding down, Tatsuo finally got a few moments of peace. Yet, while seated alone on a couch for guests while the six ladies changed back into their own clothes, Tatsuo's peaceful moment was interrupted when someone called his name.
"Hey, Kaguya-San." A cheerful voice said from not too far away from Tatsuo. "Look, it's Soramoto Tatsuo-Kun."
Hearing his name, Tatsuo turned in the direction of the voice. When he did, he saw a very well-endowed, pink-haired girl pointing at him while gripping a black-haired, red-eyed girl's arm. There was also a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl dressed in a maid uniform following behind them.
'So, it's Chika, Kaguya, and Ai, huh?' Tatsuo asked himself after seeing the trio. 'Well, it's not strange for them to show up in a high-end boutique like this, I guess.'
Meanwhile, Kaguya and Ai turned to look in the direction Chika was pointing. And when Kaguya caught sight of Tatsuo, her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. She still remembered the big deal her older brother made about her previously record setting entrance exam scores being surpassed a couple of months ago, after all.
"Come on, Kaguya-San." Chika said as she started walking towards Tatsuo, Kaguya's arm still in her grasp. "Let's go say hi. Maybe you can get an autograph, too. I heard he's going to release an album during Golden Week. He's even supposed to be doing a performance on a talk show, too."
'Huh?' Tatsuo, after hearing what Chika just said, was thoroughly confused. 'Wait, why didn't I know about that? What show am I even supposed to show up on?'
Naturally, Tatsuo's thoughts only referred to his television appearance. His mother had already let him know when the album would be released. But she never even once mentioned a television performance. She never even asked him if he was willing.
'Wait...' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'Could this be part of the advertisements Mai-Nee was setting up? Probably. And because she's been busy ever since the day we first went to the company, she hasn't really had time to tell me. But still, shouldn't she have told Tio. I mean, she is my manager. And I know she would have kept me in the loop... Probably...'
A moment later, after thinking about Tio, Tatsuo's expression changed, and his thoughts continued.
'Then again, she might not.' Tatsuo thought to himself in exasperation. 'I could see her not saying anything just to make me punish her. *Sigh* Dealing with a pervert like Tio is a full-time job.'
"Hey, Soramoto-Kun!" Chika, still dragging Kaguya along shouted happily while waving excitedly, her call once again breaking Tatsuo out of his thoughts. "What are you doing here?"
As soon as Tatsuo was reminded of why he was in the boutique, his expression changed. Immediately, his eyes lost their light as he remembered the hours of giving his opinion on different dresses for six different women.
"Oh... You're... Fujiwara-San, right?" Tatsuo asked lifelessly. "I signed an autograph for you before, right? Anyway, I'm accompanying my mother, sisters, my mom's assistant, my manager, and the violinist I'll be accompanying Friday night to pick out their dresses for the concert."
Hearing that Tatsuo remembered her name, Chika's smile widened as her grip on Kaguya's arm tightened, causing the young lady of the Shinomiya Clan to wince in pain. However, when Kaguya heard that Tatsuo was with his family, more importantly his mother, and a violinist performing Friday night, her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're performing as an accompanist Friday night?" Kaguya asked while trying, and failing, to free herself from Chika's grip. "You wouldn't mean at Santory Hall, would you? And that violinist, it wouldn't be Miyazono Kaori, would it?"
Pretending to have no idea who Kaguya was, Tatsuo turned his gaze to her with a questioning expression.
"You're right." Tatsuo replied with a hint of interest in his tone. "And you are?"
"My apologies." Kaguya replied gracefully. "My name is Shinomiya Kaguya. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Tatsuo replied with a polite nod. "Honestly, I didn't expect anyone around our age to be interested in a classical music concert. I thought you'd be more interested in modern music like Fujiwara-San."
"Actually, I don't know much about the music that is popular today." Kaguya replied. "But I've enjoyed classical music for quite some time."
"I see." Tatsuo said with an understanding nod.
"In fact, I'll be at the concert with my elder brother on Friday night." Kaguya continued. "He was hoping to meet your mother, Soramoto Sumire-Sama, if she intended to attend the concert."
"Yes, she'll be there." Tatsuo said with another nod. "But I'm not sure if she will have time for business matters. She'll be hosting some family friends. In fact, her being there will be more for pleasure instead of business... And probably to embarrass me in front of my friends that are coming, too."
While Chika giggled at the expression Tatsuo wore while talking about his mother embarrassing him, Kaguya cataloged the information she just heard so that she could report it to her brother once she returned home. Even so, she could not help giving Tatsuo another glance. Between his extremely handsome features and the despondent look on his face, she could not help thinking...
'He's really quite cute.'
"Wait!" Chika exclaimed, an expression filled with both surprise and betrayal appearing on her face as she turned to Kaguya. "You're going to see Soramoto-Kun perform and you didn't tell me? Kaguya-San, I thought we were friends! How could you do this to me!"
"Please stop embarrassing yourself, Fujiwara-San." Kaguya said in an exasperated tone. "Were you even listening before? I clearly had no idea that Soramoto-Kun would be performing that night. Thaht's why I asked, remember?"
"Huh?" Chika intoned in confusion. She then stopped for a moment to think back on the conversation up to this point. Then, a metaphorical light bulb lit up over her head as she released Kaguya's arm, to Kaguya's relief, and clapped her hands in epiphany. "Oh, that's right. I guess you didn't. Oops."
In the next instant, Chika turned to Kaguya and grabbed both of her arms before beginning to shake her excitedly.
"Kaguya-San, can I come to the show with you?" Chika asked with puppy-dog eyes. "Please? Pretty Please?"
"Let go." Kaguya said while struggling to regain her freedom.
"Kaguya-San, please?" Chika, completely ignoring Kaguya's struggles, asked once again.
"Let go!" Kaguya said, her proper lady mask beginning to slip. "I can't ask my brother if it's okay, if you don't let me go."
Immediately, at a speed that even Tatsuo found impressive, Chika released Kaguya and stepped back before bowing ingratiatingly.
Sighing in relief, Kaguya shook her arms while shooting a stink eye at Chika. She then straightened out all the non-existent wrinkles in her outfit before turning to Ai, who had remained silent the whole time.
"Hayasaka, please contact Oko-Oniisama." Kaguya said calmly. "Please inform him that I would like to request that Fujiwara-San be allowed to accompany me to the concert on Friday."
"As you wish." Ai replied in a professional tone while bowing politely before pulling her smartphone out of her maid uniform's pocket.
Meanwhile, when Chika saw Ai pull out her smartphone, her eyes lit up excitedly. She then turned to Tatsuo with expectation shining in her eyes.
"Hey, Soramoto-Kun, do you think we could exchange contact information?" Chika asked hopefully.
"Sure." Tatsuo replied nonchalantly as he pulled out his smartphone. "I don't mind. Though, you shouldn't be surprised if I can't talk all that much. Between school, training, and my career, I don't actually have all that much free time."
"I understand." Chika replied while nodding her head rapidly as she also pulled her phone out of her bag. "I promise that I won't bother you too much."
As Tatsuo and Chika exchanged contact information, Kaguya watched with well-concealed envy. Thanks to her strict upbringing, there was no way she could interact with others as casually as Chika, not matter how much she would like to be able to. However, as soon as the exchange of contact details was complete, Kaguya was caught off guard when Tatsuo turned to her while still holding his smartphone.
"Would you like to exchange contacts, too, Shinomiya-San?" Tatsuo asked nonchalantly. "Something tells me I'll need to ask for your advice when it comes to dealing with Fujiwara-San."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Chika asked indignantly.
At the same time, after a brief moment of shock, Kaguya could not help curling the corners of her lips. It seemed as if someone else was able to identify Chika as an incarnation of chaos.
"If you insist." Kaguya replied, doing her best to appear uninterested. "You'll certainly need my expertise while dealing with Fujiwara-San's brand of chaos."
"Et tu, Kaguya-San?" Chika asked with an exaggerated expression of betrayal on her face.
Ignoring Chika's theatrics, Kaguya reached into her own bag. However, when she pulled out her phone, both Tatsuo and Chika froze when they laid eyes on it.
"Is that... a flip phone?" Tatsuo asked in a dumbfounded tone.
"Kaguya-San, is that really your phone?" Chika asked, her tone just as dumbfounded as Tatsuo's.
"Huh? Is there something wrong?" Kaguya asked, unsure why the two were reacting that way.
"Tatsu-Chan~~~~~!" Sumire's voice broke the atmosphere. "We're ready to go~~~~~! We're taking Kaori-Chan to Nekoya for dinner!"
"Okay, I'm coming." Tatsuo replied as he stood up from the couch. He then turned to Kaguya and Chika and nodded politely. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Fujiwara-San. And it was nice to meet you, Shinomiya-San. But I have to go. Oh, and Fujiwara-San, you can give my number to Shinomiya-San. And Shinomiya-San, just send me a text later so that I have yours, too. Well, see ya later."
With that, Tatsuo wasted no time meeting up with Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, Tio, Ayane, and Kaori. Meanwhile, Kaguya, Ai, and Chika watched as he left. Then, when the group of seven left the store, Kaguya looked down at her flip phone with confusion.
"Is there something wrong with my phone?" Kaguya asked, still unaware of why Tatsuo and Chika reacted the way they did when they saw her phone.
Hearing that, Chika was snapped back to her senses while Ai only sighed in exasperation. A moment later, Chika began trying to explain the difference between a cellphone and a smartphone. Unfortunately, with Kaguya's technological illiteracy, the explanation simply entered one ear and left through the other.