"...M-Mahiro-kun, is this really okay? What if we get caught...?"
"Relax, with so many people at the venue, no one will notice one more or one less. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility. Just follow me."
The empty hallway echoed with the sound of their hurried footsteps.
Sayaka, dressed in a First Course uniform, was being pulled along by Mahiro as they made their way to the Nine Schools Competition banquet hall.
How had things ended up like this?
The reason was simple.
While Mizuki had gone back to her room to change, he and Sayaka had chatted casually—only for Sayaka to accidentally let slip Erika's plan.
No wonder she had mentioned being "related to the evening banquet"—Erika's idea was to sneak into the event as waitstaff!
And it wasn't just her. Sayaka, Mizuki, Leo, and some guy named Yoshida were all in on it too.
Erika could do whatever she wanted—if she liked causing trouble, so be it.
But letting Sayaka work as a waitress?
He couldn't stand for that.
So, after borrowing a uniform from Miyuki for Sayaka, he took her straight to the banquet hall.
To be honest, Miyuki and Sayaka were not only similar in height but also in body shape.
Unfortunately, tights couldn't be borrowed as they were intimate apparel, so Sayaka's smooth legs were now bare beneath her white skirt, completely exposed.
With a creak, Mahiro pushed open the banquet hall doors.
Since he arrived quite late, the hall was already filled with students of all kinds.
The colors of their school uniforms represented their respective institutions.
He brought Sayaka along and smoothly blended into the gathering.
When Erika saw them, she looked utterly surprised.
"You really dared to do it, huh? Actually bringing Sayaka in with you."
Dressed in a maid outfit, Erika handed him a non-alcoholic drink as he stuffed pastries into his mouth.
Mahiro took it, gulped down a mouthful to wash down the food, then replied:
"Of course. Fortune favors the bold, after all.
And with so many people here, one extra person wouldn't be noticed."
Indeed, it was impossible to notice.
After all, the banquet staff didn't have detailed lists of students from every school.
Moreover, few would be bold enough to sneak someone into such a dull event like Mahiro.
But Erika couldn't help muttering under her breath, "Had I known, I would've found a way to sneak in too. Why bother being a waitress?"
"Whatever, have fun. This is too boring."
With that, Erika set her tray down on a table and left.
Clearly, she had no interest in staying any longer.
Meanwhile, Sayaka remained stiff and awkward, as if afraid of drawing attention, her eyes darting around nervously.
Noticing this, Mahiro leaned in and whispered, "Sayaka, act natural. Relax."
Honestly, at an event like this, there was no need to be overly tense. The key was to appear poised and at ease.
Especially for someone sneaking in—blending in seamlessly was the only way to avoid detection.
Clearly, Sayaka had no experience in this regard.
After all, this was her first time attending the Nine School Competition banquet—and she'd snuck in!
Even after Mahiro's reminder, her hand holding the wine glass still trembled slightly.
"Hey, Mahiro-kun… are you sure this is okay?"
Sayaka was deeply worried.
She didn't mind being caught and kicked out, or even punished—what scared her was dragging Mahiro down with her.
"Don't worry, it's fine. Just enjoy yourself."
As he spoke, he gently took her hand, interlacing their fingers tightly as reassurance.
Feeling the warmth from his touch, Sayaka glanced at him in surprise, but her flustered heart had already calmed.
With Mahiro-kun by my side, there's nothing to fear…
Still, when it came to greeting others, she couldn't help but tense up.
Like now, as a trio approached.
"Mibu-senpai, we meet again. How's the fit of your outfit? Any discomfort?"
The one asking was, of course, Miyuki, her face adorned with an elegant smile.
"Ah… ah, thank you, Shiba-san. It fits perfectly, no issues…"
Sayaka cast a grateful look at the girl who had helped her and Mahiro-kun.
But in reality, even Miyuki didn't understand why she had agreed to such an absurd request.
Logically speaking, she should have firmly refused.
Perhaps it was because she found it amusing and acted on a whim?
Or was it because it was Mahiro who had asked?
It must have been the latter.
After all, that was her dear Mahiro-nii...
Upon hearing the conversation between the two and catching sight of Sayaka's figure, Shizuku and Honoka, who had come together, froze in shock.
Even the usually expressionless Shizuku couldn't help but part her lips slightly, revealing a look of genuine surprise.
"Mibu-senpai, why are you—"
Honoka instinctively exclaimed, but Miyuki and the quick-witted Shizuku immediately covered her mouth.
"Honoka, keep your voice down."
"That's right, dummy Honoka. If you shout, you'll cause trouble for Mibu-senpai and Mahiro-kun," Shizuku said flatly, clearly far more composed than Honoka.
Now this was someone who knew how to handle serious situations!
Honoka, now silenced, nodded to show she understood and was finally released.
Then she asked:
"Hey, Mahiro-kun, are you sure this is okay?"
Her eyes were full of concern—this was practically a blatant challenge to the order of the Nine Schools Competition!
"Don't worry, Honoka. If Mahiro-kun is doing this, he must have made thorough preparations," Shizuku answered on Mahiro's behalf before he could speak.
"That's right, Honoka, you don't need to worry too much. Oh, by the way, there's some delicious food over there. Come take a look with me."
Shizuku and Miyuki played off each other seamlessly, like two guardian deities, each grabbing one of Honoka's arms and practically carrying her away from the scene.
Seeing this, Sayaka finally let out a sigh of relief.
"So? Exciting, isn't it?"
"Yes… very exciting. This feeling… it's my first time," she admitted honestly in response to Mahiro's question.
"Heh, don't worry. There'll be plenty more opportunities like this in the future. You'll get used to it."
Compared to Sayaka, whose heart was practically leaping out of her throat, Mahiro remained completely unfazed.
But no sooner had one storm passed than another arrived.
The trio had barely left when another group approached to strike up a conversation.
Naturally, it was Mayumi and her best friend, Watanabe Mari.
However, upon seeing Sayaka standing beside Mahiro—and wearing a First Course uniform—Mayumi couldn't help but part her lips slightly in surprise.
"…How bold…"
Meanwhile, Mari couldn't hold back her exclamation: "Mibu, why are you—"
Almost the exact same reaction as Honoka, and her outburst even drew the attention of several onlookers.
"Watanabe-senpai, it's not what you think, I—"
Sayaka tried to explain that Mahiro had nothing to do with this, but before she could finish, Mayumi stepped between them and interrupted:
"Mari, you're overreacting. Don't you remember? Mibu-chan is also one of First High's competitors, right?"
Graceful and composed, she playfully blinked at Mari.
It took Mari a long moment to process this before she finally snapped back to reality.
With a serious nod, she said:
"Oh, right. Sorry, Mibu. I forgot—you're also a participant in this year's Nine Schools Competition…"
But this time, it was Sayaka's turn to be stunned.
She hadn't expected these two seniors to not only refrain from exposing her but even play along, giving her a plausible identity.
There was no helping it, though.
While sneaking into the banquet wasn't a major offense, getting caught would still embarrass the organizers.
So, they had no choice but to commit to the act.
Any explanations could wait until after the banquet was over.
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