After pondering for a long time, Touma Yoko ultimately did not immediately ask Hachiman to help her become a magical girl.
Coming clean to Kazusa was certain, but the specific timing and how to go about it were questions worth considering.
Kazusa would definitely have to become a magical girl. In a world like this, she wouldn't feel at ease if Kazusa didn't become one and receive Hachiman's protection.
But now she also had to become a magical girl to survive, rather than dying before long... which one came first was quite the dilemma.
"No problem. Just let me know when you've made up your mind, Yoko."
Hachiman smiled and shook his head, his gaze passing over Touma Yoko to the others who had been watching in silence.
"If you've really run into some trouble and want to commission my aid, just say so directly. It's too much trouble for me to ask one by one."
"I don't know what Miyuri has told you all about me, but since you've all put on the exclusive empathy chokers and become members of the club, I believe you've already made your own decisions."
"..."
Tsubakihara Mira, Takamine Kasumi, Kotori Minami, and Nishikino Mizuki looked at each other, then finally at Ogiso Akina.
Their coming here was certainly inseparable from Asou Miyuri's persuasion, but they all knew that part of the reason was their own inability to contain themselves after seeing Hachiman.
The only one who didn't know much about the Service Club and wouldn't be so easily swayed was probably Ogiso Akina, who had come here out of concern for her daughter Setsuna.
"Actually... I don't have any trouble that I need to ask you for help with."
Seeing that the others weren't speaking and were instead looking at her, Ogiso Akina hurriedly explained, afraid that Hachiman might misunderstand.
"I just heard that Setsuna has met a boy she likes at school, so... I wanted to come and see."
At this point, she could no longer say she'd come to vet him for her daughter Setsuna.
With so many heiresses of financial conglomerates all choosing him as their sole preferred option, did she really need to question that?
However, originally she was worried that Setsuna might have fallen for the wrong person. Now she was starting to wonder if Setsuna was even worthy of Hachiman.
Demihumans and magical girls were too far removed from her, but seeing the internationally renowned pianist Touma Yoko humbly making a request and being turned down by Hachiman was already shocking enough for her.
Not to mention that Hachiman was exceptionally promiscuous. Even if he weren't, just being good-looking, with a slender figure, splendid bearing, and a modest, gentle demeanor, Setsuna wouldn't have much of a competitive edge.
"Setsuna likes me? You might be mistaken. Setsuna and I aren't in the same class, and we've only had a bit of contact recently. Setsuna and I have never spent time alone together."
Hachiman knew immediately that Ogiso Akina had been deceived.
Because Raphiel had recklessly used her powers, Ogiso Setsuna had developed a slight flirtatious tension with him, which might have given rise to some unusual feelings. But to say she liked him, it probably hadn't reached that point yet.
It was possible that Setsuna had been thinking about him at home and Ogiso Akina had noticed, and when questioned, Setsuna had stammered and been too embarrassed to explain, leading Akina to misunderstand, and allowing Asou Miyuri to exploit the information gap to lure her here.
"Hachiman-kun..."
Seeing that Hachiman was about to ruin her plans again, Asou Miyuri's eyes were filled with resentment.
Wasn't he afraid that the friends she'd worked so hard to coax here wouldn't come again next time?
She'd put a lot of thought into luring them here. If it didn't work the first time, it would be much harder to pull people who were already on guard a second time.
At the very least, they should get a taste of it, experience that bone-deep, unforgettable feeling before they leave.
"There's nothing between you? Then Setsuna, how could she..."
Although Hachiman's tone was sincere, Ogiso Akina still didn't quite believe him. She even began to suspect that Hachiman might not be interested in her daughter and wanted to abandon her after leading her on, which was why he wouldn't admit it.
Like the Touma family, the Ogiso family was also a single-parent household, but Ogiso Akina had no intention of going out to work and develop her own career, instead keeping her focus on the home.
Because she'd grown up in a harmonious, happy, and beautiful family, Setsuna wasn't the kind of girl who would give herself away so easily after just a few days of knowing someone.
She hadn't noticed any physical changes in Setsuna, but she had seen Setsuna furtively washing her handkerchief, blushing as she washed it, then smelling it, then washing it again, repeating the behavior of a maiden with a crush over and over.
To be capable of such behavior, Ogiso Akina believed that for the emotionally sensitive and conservative Setsuna, even if it hadn't actually gone that far, it was no different from losing her virginity.
This was also why, even after learning from Miyuri that once they joined the Service Club they would have to be completely open with Hachiman, she was still willing to come along.
If all of this was true, she had to vet him properly for Setsuna and not let her fall for the wrong person and keep making mistakes.
Although she no longer had the confidence to vet him now, she refused to believe Setsuna would so easily hand over her handkerchief to Hachiman to use.
"Alright, the commission session is over. Akina, you and Yoko can chat later about experiences with your daughters. But it's already late now, it's time for the games!"
Ogiso Akina actually wanted to ask more, but at that moment, Irisviel suddenly clapped her hands and smiled at her.
"Master, leave official business for tomorrow. The others don't have any urgent commissions."
Tohsaka Aoi, clinging to Hachiman's arm, also whispered softly in his ear.
"Mm... alright, we'll deal with it tomorrow, since none of you are in a hurry."
Hachiman looked around and nodded, not dwelling on it further.
He'd come to understand it too. Right now, not many people were being influenced by the Head of the Family; he'd simply overthought things.
And with his current strength, he had no reason to worry about the Head's power being too strong. In the worst case, he could always say they were just role-playing.
Perfect timing, too, they were about to hold a hot spring cosplay convention, and if they got really into it, they could keep up the role-play titles afterwards without issue. The Service Club was his turf, and he could play however he wanted.
"The game begins! Before the others get here, we have to have some real fun!"
The moment Hachiman finished speaking, Irisviel cheered and leapt up from the water.
With her fully liberated, proud, pale softness and dripping, dazzling silver-white hair, her soft, plump body crashed directly into Hachiman, sending him splashing into the water and creating ripples.
"Marika! Ouka! Get down here too!"
"Stop watching! Test the water temperature for your daughters first!"
Tsubakihara Mira and Takamine Kasumi took advantage of the chaos to grab Mizushima Marika and Takanashi Ouka, who were still sitting on the chairs by the hot spring and hadn't reacted yet, and pulled them into the water.
Amid the commotion, Touma Yoko slowly sank beneath the surface and hesitantly reached out toward Hachiman.
Hmm... she hadn't decided yet whether to become a magical girl together with Kazusa, but either way, it didn't affect her relationship with Hachiman.
If her life wasn't going to end here, then she wanted to go wild with Kazusa for once...
Watching the suddenly chaotic open-air small hot spring, Asou Miyuri and Tohsaka Aoi pressed Asakawa Touka's face against Hachiman's, she was completely numb.
Kotori Minami was trying to save her school from closure, Touma Yoko could be said to have leukemia and was desperately seeking any cure, and even Ogiso Akina could be explained as a concerned mother who'd overstepped.
But what about the others present? What reasons did the rest have for getting involved with Hachiman?
The city was way too wild, even hooking up had so many variations. No wonder Hachiman was so happy he forgot about home. With so many beauties throwing themselves at him, it was already impressive he still remembered Suiren and Aoi.
"Akina, sometimes you don't need to overthink it. In time, you'll understand that your current choice was the right one."
"What? Lady Kiyuki, what do you mean by that?"
"Try it and you'll see. Akina, didn't you want to vet him for Setsuna? The opportunity is here now, come over and seize it."
Yukinoshita Kiyuki, who had barely spoken and had been quietly watching all along, now saw everyone gradually casting off rational restraints and following their bodily instincts. She let out a soft sigh, then raised her hand to touch the black empathy choker around her neck.
Then, with a smile, she leaned close to Ogiso Akina and, under her confused and shocked gaze, pulled the startled Akina along into the circle with Irisviel and the others.
Although tomorrow's hot spring cosplay convention and masked service cosplay game were the main events, and she and Haruno had already decided on their roles, with Kitagawa Marin, Lumilia, Lala, and others helping prepare the cosplay outfits and transformation props.
Getting everyone mentally prepared first and letting them experience the fervent atmosphere of the Service Club tonight was also worth looking forward to.
Sometimes, rationality is a shackle. Only when controlled by the body's instincts can one break through layer upon layer of restraints and rediscover oneself...
Tonight, aside from Irisviel, Tsubakihara Mira, Takamine Kasumi, and the others crowding into the open-air small hot spring, the hot spring inn also housed quite a few mature women of the "madam" tier.
But unlike Touma Yoko and Ogiso Akina, who had clear purposes, they had come to the Service Club simply because they'd been invited by friends or close acquaintances who had already joined, just to get a look at the Service Club's President.
However, the President, Hachiman, was busy aiding Tohsaka Aoi and Yukinoshita Kiyuki and didn't have time to see them now. The small hot spring was also nearly full, so they could only go experience the Service Hot Spring of the inn and the culinary skills of the Totsuki Academy chefs for now.
"Kyouka, Rena, the President won't have time tonight. You'll have to wait until tomorrow when the hot spring cosplay convention officially starts to meet him."
"You can head to your rooms to rest for now. Just let the attendants know if you want anything to eat. If you don't want to use the large open-air hot spring and deal with the crowds, there's also a small hot spring in the courtyard of the first-floor rooms."
"Of course, now that you all have the club's teleportation permissions, you can come back anytime. If you want to leave the club and go home to rest, that's fine too."
———
[Central Hot Spring Inn, Banquet Hall]
After watching the voluptuous, beautiful, cool and bewitching Tachibana Kyouka and Nakano Rena accept with a smile and then send their younger family members and daughters off to their arranged rooms for rest, Sawamura Sayuri maintained her gentle smile on the surface, but inwardly let out a silent sigh.
Originally, she had also come as a guest, as a provisional member, to experience the Service Club's hot spring inn. But Yukinoshita Kiyuki from the Yukinoshita family, along with Irisviel and Tohsaka Aoi, had gone to keep the President company, and Yotsuba Mayo from the Yotsuba family was discussing serious matters with the demihuman faction's Aoe Mai and Kijou Yasha.
The vast Service Club actually didn't have enough staff to receive the provisional members who had joined normally, and in the end, she, who had only been to the Service Club twice, ended up helping with the hosting.
Of course, she didn't need to step in often. Students around school age were hosted by Yukinoshita Yukino, while provisional members from the professional world were handled by Yukinoshita Haruno.
Only people like Nakano Rena and Tachibana Kyouka, who were of the same generation as her and would make it awkward for either Haruno or Yukino to receive them, were left for her to help with.
What truly troubled and gave Sawamura Sayuri a headache was the sheer number of strong competitors she'd spotted while hosting.
The Tachibana family's Tachibana Kyouka had not only her two daughters Tachibana Yuka and Tachibana Koharu, but also the new teacher Tachibana Haruna, Haruna's younger sister Tachibana Yui, the tomboyish short-haired Tachibana Miya, the super-popular model Tachibana Mikari, and the Metropolitan Police Department superintendent's daughter Tachibana Ayaka.
This unassembled Tachibana family group, even before officially entering the scene, was no less impressive than the Ichinose family group she knew of, and was actually surging ahead even more fiercely.
The Nakano family's Nakano Rena had quintuplet daughters who looked extremely similar, almost only distinguishable by their hairstyles and clothing.
Whether the Tachibana or Nakano families, there weren't many of these small groups that naturally held such a huge advantage, but initial groups of two or three people were everywhere.
Under these circumstances, no one could possibly favor her daughter Eriri, especially since she had neither enough connections nor a deep relationship with Hachiman.
The Sawamura family group was practically pathetic.
Could it be... she really had to restart her original doujin circle plan?
Ask Akasaka Akane to introduce some beautiful girl illustrators, beautiful girl voice actresses, and beautiful girl light novel authors working in the ACG industry?
Eriri's pen name, Kashiwagi Eri, was actually quite famous in the underworld, but Eriri was truly a socially awkward girl. When it came to connections, she might not even match those doujin artists who'd only joined the industry recently.
"Sayuri, I didn't expect to find you here. Could it be that you also..."
"I'm not! I haven't!"
Hearing a familiar voice while lost in thought, Sawamura Sayuri shook her head and denied it reflexively before even identifying who it was.
Maybe it was projection, but many people had ulterior motives when invited into the Service Club, and she'd been misunderstood many times tonight.
Not that she couldn't understand it, Yukinoshita Haruno and Yukinoshita Yukino, both helping with the hosting, had close ties with Hachiman, so why would she, with no connection to him, be here helping? But the fact was, she had no relationship with Hachiman!
It was true that Hachiman was very young and handsome, with a vibrant, strong body and all kinds of powerful and special abilities, which might stir a little flutter of the heart. But she had only witnessed his aid process from up close; no matter what, you couldn't substitute her into the scene and slander her like that.
"What's there to hide? Everyone here is the same."
Seeing Sawamura Sayuri's reaction, the newcomer became even more convinced that Sayuri was here with hidden intentions.
"I'm not like you all. Oh, it's you, Manami. You brought Kotonoha?"
Annoyed that the other was lumping her in with them, Sawamura Sayuri was about to retort, but when she turned and saw the tall figure and eye-catching chest of the newcomer, she stopped dwelling on the minor issue and looked in surprise at the long black-haired girl behind her.
Although the Katsura family wasn't a financial conglomerate, they were still a fairly well-off household.
She hadn't expected Katsura Manami to bring her daughter along like the others.
Though she did know Katsura Manami. After all, the circle was only so big, and the social circles of the wives were mostly fixed, so Manami had either been invited by Asou Miyuri or Yukinoshita Kiyuki.
"Of course. If you can be here, Sayuri, why can't I? Kotonoha, this is Auntie Sayuri. You haven't forgotten her, have you?"
Katsura Manami smiled and signaled her daughter Katsura Kotonoha to greet Sawamura Sayuri.
"Hello, Auntie Sayuri. It's been a long time. You still look so young and beautiful."
Standing beside Katsura Manami, wearing a white one-piece dress with long black hair naturally cascading over her shoulders, Katsura Kotonoha quickly bowed and greeted Sawamura Sayuri. Her soft figure, only slightly less impressive than her mother's, rose and fell with the motion.
The Katsura family's upbringing was rather strict. Besides regular schoolwork, every day included many extracurricular hobbies, ballet, piano, flower arrangement, calligraphy, kendo, and so on. As a result, she rarely even participated in high-society social events and had practically no friends.
Still, Katsura Kotonoha did know Sawamura Sayuri.
To be precise, she knew all of her mother Katsura Manami's old acquaintances who had good relationships, or seemed to have some history.
However, Kotonoha, busy with her studies and supplementary lessons, hadn't made any real friends even though she knew her mother's friends had many daughters around her age.
"Calling me 'Auntie' again, since you think I'm young and beautiful, Kotonoha, you shouldn't call me that... You don't have to listen to Manami. I'd be much happier if you called me 'Sister Sayuri.'"
Sawamura Sayuri looked at the long black-haired beauty Katsura Kotonoha, who had an angelic face, a devilish figure, and carried herself like a Yamato Nadeshiko with the poise of a refined lady. She was about to offer a few compliments, but when she heard Kotonoha's address, her smile froze.
There were far too many lively, beautiful young girls here, and far too few people of her generation. Every "Auntie Sayuri" made her feel older.
"Um..."
Caught off guard by the teasing, whether it was a joke or sincere, Katsura Kotonoha was at a loss, hesitantly looking at her mother Katsura Manami.
Auntie Sayuri was her mother's friend, how could she overstep and call her sister?
But Auntie Sayuri had asked her to, and refusing might not be appropriate.
"Hehe! Where's your Eriri? You didn't come alone, did you?"
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