The second day of high school life began just like any other.
Even though he had transferred from the Fourth Research Institute to First High, the Earth's rotation remained unchanged.
The only thing that changed was Mahiro's interpersonal relationships.
As usual, he woke up, washed up, and changed into his First High uniform.
But when he stepped outside, he found a girl already waiting at his doorstep, as if she had been there for a while.
"Mahiro-nii, good morning!"
"Miyuki? Where's Tatsuya? Why isn't he with you?"
Indeed.
Unlike yesterday, today Miyuki stood alone—her guardian and older brother, Shiba Tatsuya, was nowhere to be seen.
Miyuki replied awkwardly, "Onii-sama… went to visit Master Kokonoe Yakumo. He'll be arriving at school later, so today it's just me…"
"Tch. Whether as a guardian or an older brother, Tatsuya's really slacking off!" Mahiro grumbled indignantly.
Incidents like this weren't exactly rare.
The first time he had left the Fourth Research Institute, he had encountered something similar.
I remember it was in Okinawa, when Tatsuya was invited by the Okinawa base, he left Miyuki alone to go there by himself.
At that time, it was him and Sakurai Honami who accompanied Miyuki through that period.
And now he's doing it again!
This time, he even went to that bald monk Kokonoe Yakumo!
"It's okay. Although Onii-sama is Miyuki's guardian, he also has his own social connections. Miyuki doesn't mind."
She said she didn't mind, but the smile on Miyuki's face was somewhat forced.
Only Miyuki could be so tolerant and understanding.
If it were any other magician, they probably would have thrown Tatsuya back into the research institute by now...
Oh wait, no—Miyuki is Tatsuya's fuse. Aside from Miyuki and the late Miya, basically no one could handle this overpowered protagonist.
Not even that old hag Maya could.
"It's fine. If Onii-sama won't accompany you, Mahiro-nii will!"
Mahiro took a deep breath and stepped forward, gently wrapping his arm around Miyuki's shoulders.
"Mmm..."
Miyuki let out a soft hum and lightly rested her head against his chest. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed with an alluring shade of pink.
"And Onii-sama said... he trusts Mahiro-nii to take care of Miyuki..."
She murmured this in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but Mahiro still heard it.
"Oh? So Tatsuya isn't afraid I might steal away his most precious little sister one day?"
"Mahiro-nii, what nonsense are you saying?!"
Though he had said it half-jokingly, it still made Miyuki pull away from his embrace, glaring at him with a pout.
Her face turned even redder, like the scattered cherry blossoms on the streets, tinted a delicate shade of pink.
...
.....
....
On the first day of school, Classroom 1-A was filled with a chaotic atmosphere—though perhaps this was the same for every freshman class.
Since many students had already met yesterday, small groups had already formed in the classroom today.
Mahiro checked the number on his desk and found his terminal device.
Bad news: his seat was by the window in the back row, quite far from Miyuki.
Good news: he was surrounded by beautiful girls.
Though the situation was a bit... peculiar.
Even though they were all adjusted bodies, Miyuki was clearly far more popular, with many classmates already crowding around her, asking all sorts of questions.
As for him—while there were plenty of gazes secretly sizing him up, no one dared to approach him for conversation.
Perhaps it was because of the Yotsuba name that they kept their distance.
He had no idea what his mother had done to earn such fear and resentment from the other families.
Well, Mahiro couldn't be bothered to care. He simply focused on setting up his terminal.
Before long, two beautiful girls sitting near him came over to strike up a conversation.
"U-Um, hello! I'm Mitsui Honoka! P-Please take care of me!"
"Oh?"
Mahiro looked up from his terminal to see a cute girl with two adorable chestnut-colored pigtails.
Beside her stood a gray-haired, expressionless "loli," staring at him with curiosity.
"Hello, Mitsui-san. I'm Yotsuba Mahiro. Please take care of me from now on."
Mahiro did his best to offer a friendly smile.
The moment she saw his smile, Honoka's face immediately turned red.
She was really shy.
After introductions, he learned that the emotionless loli beside her was named Kitayama Shizuku.
He had a vague impression that she was the daughter of the wealthy Kitayama family. Her father, Kitayama Ushio, though lacking magical talent, was a prominent entrepreneur frequently featured in the news.
With the ringing of the bell, the first day of classes at First High School officially began.
However, when the first class ended, the classroom suddenly became abuzz.
All eyes turned toward the classroom door.
"Hey, who's that? She's so beautiful!"
"Idiot, that's the student council president, Saegusa Mayumi, a third-year senior!"
"Huh? Why would the student council president come to the first-year classrooms? Is she looking for Shiba?"
"Of course. Who else would she be here for?"
Amid the whispers of the first-years, Mayumi leaned halfway into Class A's doorway and spotted her target.
"Mahiro-kun, could you come out for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
...
"Mayumi-senpai, what brings you here so suddenly?"
He couldn't fathom what this senior from the Saegusa family was thinking.
She had taken advantage of the break between classes to bring him to the café and even ordered him a coffee.
Students passing by were all staring at them.
But Mayumi seemed completely unfazed. She took a sip of her tea, set the cup down, and finally got to the point.
"Mahiro-kun, I came to invite you to join the Disciplinary Committee."
"?"
Mahiro was caught off guard, slowly processing the sudden shift in topic.
Hello, wasn't this transition a bit too abrupt? Straight to the main point?
"There's still one vacancy in the Disciplinary Committee this year, so I nominated you."
"After careful deliberation by the Student Council, the Disciplinary Committee, and the Club Alliance, we decided to have you join."
"Ah..."
Mahiro sighed softly. "Mayumi-senpai, please don't tease me."
"Was this really a 'three-party discussion'? Or was it just an internal decision by the Ten Master Clans?"
"Ah! You caught me!"
Mayumi stuck out her tongue playfully, feigning innocence. "But that's not entirely true—Mari isn't from one of the clans."
True, she wasn't.
But the Watanabe family was a branch of the Hundred Families.
"Senpai, if I recall correctly, Disciplinary Committee members need to carry a CAD at all times and enforce rules with force when necessary, right?"
Mahiro rubbed his temples in frustration. "Mayumi-senpai, I don't even have a CAD. How can I join the Disciplinary Committee?"
"That's precisely why I chose to talk to you here."
Mayumi raised a slender finger to her lips, winking mischievously.
Then, she pulled out a small, phone-like terminal from her pocket and placed it on the table before him.
The faint scent of Mayumi still lingered on it.
Yet, Mahiro was taken aback when he saw the item.
"This is—?"