The mixer was over, and Miyuki and her friends took advantage of an invitation to visit Tatsuya's room. Though it wasn't strictly forbidden for girls to visit a boy's room, it wasn't exactly encouraged either. Still, they reasoned that declining the invitation would be rude, so they made their way over.
"Miyuki, it's me," Miyuki called softly at the door.
"Come in," came the reply.
But the voice wasn't Tatsuya's—it belonged to someone else.
"Erika?" Miyuki blinked, surprised. "Why are you in Onii-sama's room?"
"You know, I had to introduce Miki, right?" Erika said with a grin.
"My name is Mikihiko!" a boy's voice protested.
"But if that's the case, why isn't it just Yoshida-kun here?" Miyuki pressed.
Miyuki couldn't help but wonder why Erika—and, for that matter, Mizuki, who seemed to have tagged along in the chaos—was in Tatsuya's room. And one more thing…
"Where's Onii-sama?"
"Tatsuya-kun? Oh, he got dragged off to the work van by Kei-senpai," Erika replied casually.
"By whom?"
"President Saegusa."
Miyuki's mood darkened instantly, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why Tatsuya had been whisked away by Mayumi.
"He said he'll be back soon, though," Erika added, sensing Miyuki's unease and relaying Tatsuya's message.
"Fine…" Miyuki murmured.
"Anyway, let me introduce you—this is Miki!" Erika gestured toward the boy.
"My name is Mikihiko!" he snapped again.
"Easy, easy. No need to yell in front of people you're meeting for the first time," Erika teased.
"Ugh…" Mikihiko faltered, unable to argue with her logic.
Miyuki stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Yoshida-kun. I'm Shiba Miyuki."
"Mitsui Honoka," another girl chimed in.
"Kitayama Shizuku," said another, her tone curt.
"I'm Akechi Eimi! Call me Eimi!" a cheerful voice added.
"Yoshida Mikihiko. Nice to meet you all," Mikihiko said, his face slightly flushed—not from embarrassment over Miyuki's beauty, but because he always got a bit shy around new girls.
"Whoa, Miki's face is all red! What's going through that head of yours?" Erika teased.
"It's not like that! You know why, Erika! And my name is Mikihiko!" he retorted.
"Pretty loud in here. I could hear you from outside," a familiar voice cut in.
"Tatsuya… sorry," Mikihiko mumbled, shoulders slumping as Tatsuya, the room's owner, returned and immediately scolded them.
"Oh? Eimi, you're here too?" Tatsuya noticed.
"Good evening, Tatsuya-san!" Eimi chirped.
"So, introductions done?" Tatsuya asked.
"Yep! Though Miki got all red-faced when he saw Miyuki," Erika said with a smirk.
"I said it's not like that!" Mikihiko protested.
"What a troublesome girl," Leo muttered under his breath, finally breaking his silence alongside Mizuki, unable to hold back any longer.
"But it's true, Miki was blushing!" Erika shot back.
"You know why!" Mikihiko groaned.
"Miyuki, we should head back soon. The president and the others are starting their rounds," Tatsuya said.
"I see… Good night, Onii-sama," Miyuki replied softly.
They'd come to hang out in Tatsuya's room, but with rounds looming, they couldn't linger. Unlike Erika and the others, who weren't part of the Nine Schools Competition, Miyuki and her friends were staying at the hotel as competitors and had to follow the rules.
"Erika, you guys should head out too. Juumonji-senpai's coming by," Tatsuya added.
"Yikes, that's bad news," Erika said, instantly grasping the situation and deciding to retreat.
"See ya, Tatsuya-kun!" she called.
"Later," Tatsuya replied.
With that, everyone left for their own rooms. Tatsuya, however, didn't get a moment's rest—he had to head back to the work bus before Katsuto's inspection.
Later, Honoka and Shizuku visited Miyuki's room. Girls hanging out together wasn't an issue.
"Miyuki, you there?" Eimi's voice boomed from outside.
"Eimi?" Honoka tilted her head, answering the door.
"What's up, Eimi?" she asked.
"Oh, Honoka's here too? Perfect! I was gonna swing by your room next," Eimi said, with Satomi Subaru and Takigawa Kazumi behind her. Kazumi, Miyuki's roommate, was often out and about.
"What's the plan?" Honoka asked.
"Wanna hit the hot springs?" Eimi suggested.
"Hot springs? But this is a military facility. Are we allowed?" Honoka asked skeptically.
"I checked, and they said it's fine until eleven!" Eimi replied.
"Really… Miyuki, Shizuku, what do you think?" Honoka called into the room.
"If it's allowed, let's go," Miyuki said.
"They'll even lend us yukata!" Eimi added excitedly.
"Guess I'm in," Shizuku said.
Honoka went along, though she'd secretly been eager to try the hot springs. Who wouldn't want to soak in one when it's right there?
"Let's go! Time's ticking!" Eimi urged.
"It's only nine, calm down," Shizuku quipped, though she picked up her pace slightly, a faint smile on Honoka's face as she thought, Shizuku's excited too.
"Made it!" Eimi announced.
"It's huge," Shizuku noted.
"Let's change into yukata and hop in!" Eimi said.
"I'll rinse off first," Miyuki said, heading off on her own.
In the hot spring, the girls' playful banter began.
"Hey, Honoka," Eimi called mischievously.
"W-what?" Honoka stammered.
"Can I… peel it off?" Eimi grinned, eyeing Honoka's yukata.
"No way!" Honoka yelped. "Shizuku, help!"
"Eh, it's fine," Shizuku said nonchalantly.
"Why?!" Honoka wailed, her face a mask of despair as even her best friend abandoned her.
"…Your chest is kinda big," Shizuku added before slipping off to the sauna.
As Shizuku left, Miyuki returned to the bath, her presence so striking that even the other girls froze, awestruck.
"No way, Miyuki's off-limits! She's normal!" Honoka blurted, panicking.
"What are you talking about?" Miyuki asked, confused by Honoka's desperation.
"It's just… even though we're all girls…" Eimi trailed off.
"By the way, didn't Ichijou from Third High have his eyes on Miyuki?" Kazumi piped up.
"No guy could resist her," Subaru added.
"So, Miyuki, did you notice Ichijou?" Eimi asked.
"Sorry, I didn't even know he was there," Miyuki said coolly.
"Wow… So, what's your type, Miyuki?" Eimi pressed, her tone playful.
Shizuku returned from the sauna just then, and both she and Honoka leaned in, curious.
"What, like your brother?" Subaru teased.
Miyuki's expression hardened. "Onii-sama and I are blood siblings. I don't know what you're expecting, but he's not a romantic interest. Besides, I doubt there's another man like him out there."
Subaru shrugged at Miyuki's sharp retort, and Eimi looked away, bored. But Honoka and Shizuku could tell—Miyuki's words didn't quite ring true.
Note: New story is out, if you want to check it out.
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