After a few days of study sessions, it became clear who to turn to for answers.
"Mizuki, how do you do this one?" Erika asked, leaning over.
"Erika, try thinking for yourself a little," Mizuki replied with a sigh.
"Tatsuya, help me out with this part," Leo said, scratching his head.
"Leo, how about thinking it through first?" Tatsuya shot back.
Despite being a Course 2 student, Tatsuya's academic prowess rivaled the best of Course 1, and both Erika and Leo leaned on him and Mizuki for help. As for the Course 1 students…
"Onii-sama, I'm stuck on this part…" Miyuki said softly.
"Tatsuya-san, sorry, I don't get it either," Honoka added.
"Uh, same here, Tatsuya-san…" Shizuku chimed in.
"Actually, I'm lost too…" Mayumi admitted.
It seemed everyone was turning to Tatsuya.
"Tatsuya-san, I'm also confused about that part…" another voice piped up.
"Oh, me too!" Eimi exclaimed.
"Same here," Leo added.
"…So, none of you get it," Tatsuya said, his tone flat.
Tatsuya hadn't expected Erika and the others to grasp what stumped even top Course 1 students like Miyuki. Still, having the entire group bombard him with questions weighed on him.
"Alright, I'll explain it to everyone at once," he said.
The group listened intently to Tatsuya's impromptu lesson. Miyuki and Honoka seemed to watch him with something more than academic interest, but since they were paying attention, Tatsuya let it slide.
"…And that's how it works. Anyone still confused?" he asked, scanning the room.
Heads shook in unison. They'd all understood.
"Man, Tatsuya, you could teach magic theory professionally right now," Leo said, grinning.
"Yeah, I hate agreeing with him, but you'd be a popular teacher in no time, Tatsuya-kun," Erika added.
"Look, I'm terrible at practical magic. I'd never make it as a teacher at a magic high school," Tatsuya replied dryly.
"But, Tatsuya-san, you're an exception! You'd be an amazing teacher!" Honoka insisted.
"Yeah, Honoka's right. Practical skills or not, you'd be great," Shizuku agreed.
"I think I'd actually understand magic theory in your classes, Tatsuya-san," Mayumi added.
Tatsuya scratched his head, a bit flustered by the praise from three Course 1 students. Miyuki, aware of another reason he couldn't become a teacher, averted her gaze, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Mizuki? You okay? You've been quiet," Erika noticed.
"Oh… I was just wondering what kind of studying Tatsuya-san does," Mizuki said, flustered.
"The same as you, Mizuki. We're in the same classes, after all," Tatsuya replied matter-of-factly.
"Tatsuya-kun, at this rate, you could aim for the top in theory," Erika teased.
Her half-joking comment made the four Course 1 students perk up.
"Absolutely, Onii-sama could take the top spot. No, he will!" Miyuki declared.
"No one would be surprised if Tatsuya-san topped the year," Honoka added.
"But the Course 1 guys might get mad," Shizuku noted.
"They'd feel better if they just accepted Tatsuya-san's skill," Mayumi said with a sigh.
"Seriously! That Mori… Moriyama guy? He's always badmouthing Tatsuya-san," Honoka said.
"Honoka, it's Morisaki," Tatsuya corrected, feeling a pang of pity for his Disciplinary Committee colleague. Being forgotten by a classmate was rough.
"Onii-sama, you're too kind sometimes," Miyuki said, frowning.
"Yeah, you don't need to defend a guy like that," Shizuku agreed.
"I don't know him, but he sounds like a jerk," Erika added.
"Wait, Morisaki? That guy Tatsuya-kun kicked when we first started?" Eimi asked.
"Oh, that guy! Totally forgot about him," Leo laughed.
"You guys too…" Tatsuya muttered.
Even Tatsuya felt sorry for Morisaki's lack of presence.
"Um, who's Morisaki-kun again?" Mizuki asked.
Silence.
"That's Mizuki for you," Erika said, grinning.
"Nice finishing blow," Leo added.
"Huh? Did I say something weird?" Mizuki blinked.
"No, Mizuki, you're fine," Mayumi reassured her.
"You said something great, actually," Shizuku added.
"That's his reputation in a nutshell," Honoka chimed in.
"Proves Tatsuya-san's too nice," Mayumi said.
"I'm gonna check this guy out," Eimi declared.
Feeling the overwhelming disadvantage, Tatsuya decided to drop the Morisaki topic. Further tanking the guy's reputation in his absence felt unfair.
"We've gone way off track. Practical skills aside, there's no real gap between Course 1 and Course 2 in theory, so why make a big deal out of it?" Tatsuya said.
"But, Onii-sama, once someone thinks they're superior, they hate losing at anything," Miyuki replied.
"Is that how it works? Most people don't care about rankings. Practical magic matters more than theory," Tatsuya countered.
"Still, losing to you would sting for Course 1 students," Shizuku said.
"Most of the guys look down on you, Tatsuya-san. I'd be frustrated!" Honoka admitted.
"You don't need to be, Honoka. But I guess some might feel that way," Tatsuya conceded.
For Tatsuya, who never saw himself as superior, the idea of losing being "frustrating" was foreign. In his world, losing meant death.
"Let's stop chatting and get back to studying. Time's limited," he said.
"Ugh, just when I was catching a break," Erika groaned.
"Seriously, Tatsuya, you'd make a great teacher," Leo said again.
"Still on that? Look, I'm not becoming a teacher. I can barely handle teaching this study group, let alone a whole class," Tatsuya said, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
Only Miyuki caught the self-deprecation. She hated when Tatsuya put himself down and wanted to protest, but she held back, not wanting to disrupt the group after he'd neatly wrapped up the conversation.
"Still, Tatsuya-san, you're amazing at magic theory. I was nervous at first, but I feel confident learning from you," Eimi said.
"Instead of relying on me, try thinking for yourself," Tatsuya replied.
"Yup, you're totally the big-brother type, Tatsuya-san," Eimi teased.
Miyuki's shoulder twitched, but only Tatsuya noticed.
"Tatsuya-kun, help me with this!" Erika called.
"Me too!" Leo added.
"Guys, think a little first," Tatsuya said, rubbing his temple.
As Erika and Leo pelted him with questions, Tatsuya began explaining, noticing a few others quietly listening. But Miyuki's mood was anything but calm.
(Onii-sama's sister is me alone. He's my brother.)
Her displeased aura filled the room, prompting curious glances. Tatsuya met her eyes, silently urging her to calm down. The aura vanished instantly, leaving everyone looking around in confusion once more.