Yotsuba Mahiro had finally managed to join the Magical Engineering Technician Team.
Of course, no one really welcomed him warmly. But honestly, Mahiro had already expected as much. He wasn't here to make friends—at least not in the conventional sense.
The three people he had chosen to accompany him on this path were Saegusa Mayumi, Watanabe Mari, and Kitayama Shizuku.
At first, the choice might have seemed strange to others, but if one thought about it carefully, it made perfect sense. Among the many participants of the Nine Schools Competition, Mahiro hardly knew anyone on a personal level, let alone those who didn't hold some kind of hostility toward him. Such people were rare—few enough to count on one hand.
Even so, Mari-senpai couldn't help but feel curious as to why Mahiro had chosen her and Mayumi. After all, among the first-years, both Mitsui Honoka and Shiba Miyuki were on good terms with him as well.
But the reason was simple: convenience.
Shizuku's specialty lay in vibration-type magic. Mahiro had personally fine-tuned Mayumi's CAD before. And Mari-senpai? Well, she was a nice bonus to the lineup. In short, these three were much easier for him to manage than Honoka's light-element spells or Miyuki's heavily customized CAD that required special adjustment just to function.
As for Mayumi herself…
Her cheeks were still flushed red, her gaze unfocused, and she avoided meeting his eyes directly.
D-damn it, Mahiro-kun… he's way too bold!
Even as she puffed out her adorable cheeks like an angry pufferfish, memories of what happened in the reading room replayed in her mind, making her blush even harder.
...
After a short pep rally, the time for departure to the Nine Schools Competition arrived. It was August 1st—the official start of summer vacation.
Although the first event would only begin on August 3rd, it was tradition for all competitors to move into the dorms early for final adjustments and intensive training.
Now, in the blazing summer sun, the bus from First High sat waiting in the parking lot. But the departure had been delayed past schedule, all because of one person.
"Sorry~!"
The apologetic voice rang out from a distance, accompanied by the soft patter of sandals against the pavement.
Several pairs of eyes turned toward the sound. Mari-senpai, who was lounging under a parasol. Shiba Tatsuya, who was dutifully handling the roster. And Yotsuba Mahiro, who had stepped outside for some air and was now sitting lazily on the steps at the bus entrance.
Each reacted differently.
Mahiro remained as calm as ever, eyes half-lidded. Mari-senpai exhaled and smiled helplessly. Tatsuya silently checked off the name on his terminal roster and spoke in his usual flat tone:
"Watanabe-senpai, everyone has arrived. I'll return to the technician team's bus."
"Mmm, thank you for your hard work, Shiba-kun," Mari replied warmly as she accepted the device.
With a small nod, Tatsuya turned and walked toward the engineering bus behind them.
Mahiro watched his retreating back and muttered, "Sheesh, Tatsuya is way too diligent. He's been standing out here in this scorching heat instead of just waiting in the air-conditioned bus… baka na."
The very next second, Mari-senpai flicked her fingers against his head with a sharp pocchin.
"Isn't that because you dumped the job on Shiba-kun in the first place?!"
"You can't really blame me for that," Mahiro protested with a lazy shrug. "Mari-senpai, you know how some of those Ichiko boys are—especially that Morisaki guy. He totally hates me. If I'd taken charge of roll call, things could've gotten messy."
Of course, this was just an excuse.
In truth, Mahiro was simply getting back at Tatsuya in a subtle way. For someone so ridiculously talented, Tatsuya insisted on dragging Mahiro—who still considered himself half an amateur—into this technician business, piling on unnecessary work.
"His name is Morisaki Shun! At least remember people's names properly, don't just call them whatever you like!" Mari huffed, tapping his head a few more times in exasperation.
Just then, the figure responsible for the delay finally reached them. Mari folded her arms, her tone a mixture of annoyance and affection.
"Mayumi, you're so late."
"Gomen ne, really sorry!"
Though her apology was short, Mayumi bowed slightly and delivered it with utmost sincerity. In truth, she had been held up by an unexpected family matter, which explained why she was more than an hour and a half late.
Still…
"Mayumi-senpai, you didn't spend all that time choosing clothes at home, did you? I've heard girls can take forever putting on makeup…" Mahiro teased with a grin.
After all, today was only for moving into the dorms. There were no formal activities, and certainly no obligation to wear the school uniform yet.
So Mayumi had chosen a light-yellow off-the-shoulder sleeveless dress. The soft chiffon fabric flowed along her petite figure, clinging just enough to accentuate her elegant curves. One slender arm, pale as porcelain, held down the wide brim of her sun hat. Combined with her natural grace, she looked like the perfect image of the girl-next-door—refined yet approachable.
"Mahiro-kun, you know…" Her lovely face peeked out from under the hat, cheeks faintly puffed as she eyed him in mock annoyance. "If you keep acting this way, you'll never get a girlfriend, baka!"
Yotsuba Mahiro only chuckled softly. He was long used to this kind of reaction. Ever since that incident in the reading room, Mayumi had the habit of blushing at the mere sight of him.
"Sou ka? I don't think that'll be a problem," he replied with a teasing smile.
Of course, Mahiro was thinking of Sayaka, but Mayumi misunderstood instantly. Her jade-like earlobes turned the color of cherry blossoms, and she quickly turned away, huffing:
"Hmph! I knew it… I'm ignoring you now!"
"Geez, you two…" Watanabe Mari, who had been watching their little exchange with a helpless sigh, tapped her terminal against her forehead. "You'll have plenty of time to flirt later. Right now, we need to get moving."
Urged by Mari-senpai, Mahiro boarded the bus and found an empty row near the back. He had just settled in when a soft fragrance drifted over, and—surprisingly—Mayumi sat down beside him.
"Eh? Mayumi-senpai, aren't your family seats up front? Why'd you come all the way back here just to squeeze in with me?"
Instead of answering directly, Mayumi gave him a sidelong glance and murmured, "Aren't you curious why I was late today, Mahiro-kun? The reason is… entirely your fault."
Mahiro blinked, confused. "My… fault?"
Just three hours earlier, the Saegusa household had received unexpected visitors: the Gorin siblings. Gorin Mio, head of the family, and her younger brother, Gorin Yoji, had come with one clear demand—the marriage arrangement between Yoji and Mayumi.
But unlike before, their attitude was unusually forceful, as though they were determined to settle the matter immediately. It was only after tense conversation that the truth slipped out.
Apparently, Gorin Mio had heard the rumors—about Mayumi's closeness with a certain Yotsuba Mahiro. And that, more than anything, was the reason for their sudden visit.