She didn't truly hate Hachiman to that extent. In this situation, refusing to go along with it was no longer possible.
Last night, she and her sister had already served Hachiman once. They had only stopped before the final step. Going further now was only natural. There was no other choice.
It was just that... she couldn't throw away her shame as easily as they could.
It really was strange. Weren't they strange too?
Back then, Yuina, Minami, and Rin wanting to find handsome guys was already outrageous enough. But since they were gyaru girls, it could barely be explained as being unconventional, bold, open-minded, and pursuing individuality.
So why were these young ladies and princesses just as outrageous now?
A wealthy heiress being "punished" by Hachiman in public. Princesses from two countries running around serving Hachiman.
Even though Yukinoshita Yukino understood why most people had come here, and understood how important Hachiman's ability was, she still found it hard to accept.
These outstanding young ladies and princesses were elites among elites even when looking at all humanity, yet every one of them was rushing to climb into Hachiman's circle and serve him.
"Gulp... Gulp..."
La Folia and Charlotte looked regretfully at Hachiman. His eyes had fallen on them for a moment before being pulled away by Shiba Miyuki. They swallowed hard. They had almost been next.
It wasn't that they lacked shame, nor that they had no thoughts about love. But people in their position had to carry the weight of it. Before coming here, they had already prepared themselves mentally.
In theory, what they were doing now was similar to a political marriage made for benefit exchange. From now on, they would serve President Hachiman for the rest of their lives. Calling it a marriage alliance wouldn't really be wrong.
It was just that so many noble ladies and princesses all "marrying" the same boy was unprecedented.
But there was no helping it. In the supernatural world, power was authority.
And after serving President Hachiman, they would gain power, and then gain authority.
Even if President Hachiman didn't seem to have thoughts in that direction, and even if they couldn't control who he chose to help, those who gained power first would still want some difference between themselves and the later arrivals. They wanted to secure the standing of the first servants.
This interest group was too large and too solid. Even if they didn't need to serve President Hachiman often, this special relationship would definitely continue.
That was also what made the Service Club completely different from the entertainment industry's casting couch business. Without luck or opportunity, people who wanted to serve Master Hachiman later on would have difficulty even finding connections or an opening.
Now, the major families and demi-human races within Japan had already started sending their own people toward President Hachiman, trying to secure an early advantage and build barriers together against later arrivals.
Fortunately, the two of them weren't completely helpless despite fighting on foreign ground.
Their countries were more feudal and hadn't kept up with modern times. Their national strength was also weaker. But that didn't mean there were no advantages at all.
As princesses, La Folia came from the Kingdom of Aldegia, while Charlotte came from the Principality of Hazerlink, and under the Kingdom of Aldegia there were other duchies as well.
Besides daughters of kings, there were daughters of dukes and daughters of other nobles who could also be brought over and turned into magical girls together.
In fantasy stories, magical girls represented love and justice. But in reality, magical girls represented miracles that turned around hopeless situations. The number of magical girls was one of the main factors deciding a nation's strength, enough to trigger a new "arms race."
If the elf princesses hadn't already been guarding President Hachiman when he revealed his ability, countries and major factions would have already started secret wars to seize him.
Although they were still fighting over him now, this was a war without smoke, with only blood and tears.
Charlotte and La Folia looked up at Shiba Miyuki slowly biting onto Hachiman. They exchanged glances and saw the same thought in each other's soft pale faces.
"Master Hachiman, do you really not have any special relationship with Yukino-san? Did you know each other as children?"
Saegusa Mayumi raised an arm and endured the lingering numbness throughout her body as she spoke, helping divert Hachiman's attention.
On one hand, she wanted to give Shiba Miyuki more time to adjust. On the other, she really was curious about the relationship between Yukinoshita Yukino and Master Hachiman.
From Yukinoshita Yukino's behavior, the two of them neither had deep hatred between them nor some unexpected romantic comedy.
But Master Hachiman definitely cared about Yukinoshita Yukino. She didn't believe he had casually given her the vice president position, and even allowed Yukinoshita Haruno to become a vice president of the club as well.
She just couldn't understand what exactly made Yukinoshita Yukino so valued by him.
"Of course there's no special relationship. Mayumi, stop guessing. Although Yukino-san is pretty and cute and really is my type, I only met her for the first time after entering high school."
Hachiman smiled when he heard that. He lowered his head toward Shiba Miyuki, who seemed to be enduring something with all her strength, her face red as she bit her lip tightly. He leaned over her and lightly bit her soft pale earlobe.
"If we're talking about fate, then maybe it's because Yukino-san and I both wanted to establish a Service Club that completed requests and helped people solve their problems."
"It's just that I acted one step earlier and founded the Service Club a day before Yukino-san. After Hiratsuka-sensei learned that Yukino-san had the same idea, she directly brought Yukino to join my club."
"After that, Yukino-san and I completed requests together and helped other students."
"For example, someone got into danger that same day. Under Yukino-san's forceful pressure, the third member of our club, Hayase Saki, joined the Service Club and received protection."
"And for another example, during a tennis match against me, she used her own method to help the tennis club students improve."
"That still isn't over. This afternoon, if Yukino-san loses to me, then from now on she'll have to wear a maid outfit in the Service Club for me to see."
"So that's how it was... I didn't expect Yukino-san also wanted to establish a Service Club."
Saegusa Mayumi turned to look at Yukinoshita Yukino, who was standing nearby, her expression thoughtful.
She knew about Hayase Saki's matter. She even knew the boys who died after provoking Hayase Saki had almost certainly been killed by Master Hachiman. But she didn't know much about the details of Yukinoshita Yukino being the vice president and second-in-command of the Service Club.
Just one day apart. If Yukinoshita Yukino had been one day earlier, then she would have become the Service Club president, and Master Hachiman might have been the vice president beneath her.
Although Master Hachiman clearly didn't care about titles like that. Student council president Kaede was his childhood friend, and vice president Rurikawa Tsubaki was his lover, yet he had no intention of joining the student council. Even now, with noble ladies and princesses surrounding him, he still spent his days staying around campus, skipping class, breaking school rules, and talking back to teachers.
But if things really had happened that way, then in other people's eyes, Service Club president Yukinoshita Yukino's status would probably have risen even higher in order to get close to Master Hachiman.
What luck... relying only on luck, without doing anything, was enough to match the efforts of so many people.
"How romantic..."
"Mmm... I'm so jealous..."
La Folia and Charlotte, who were serving Hachiman together, became even more intoxicated by the rich life force coming from him. They felt that the meeting between Hachiman and Yukinoshita Yukino was very romantic.
Both of them wanted to change the world and reach out to help people in trouble.
Only one day apart, and fate brought them together.
It was exactly like the romance stories they dreamed about.
It was just unfortunate that in this romantic story, they played the role of bad women tainting that beauty.
They were even thinking about leading the daughters of other duchies and noble families onto President Hachiman's bed as well.
"..."
Yukinoshita Yukino watched Hachiman enjoying La Folia and Charlotte's service while acting intimately with Shiba Miyuki. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
'What is this?'
'Why does it feel like I am the only one out of place here?'
'Did La Folia and the others misunderstand something? Hachiman has already done all sorts of things to me. I am one step away from becoming the personal maid who helps him get out of bed every morning. What part of this is romantic?'
Although she didn't want to admit it, she never really had much chance of becoming president of the Service Club. Hachiman had solved most of the requests alone. She had only acted as a mascot at the side, no different from the beautiful idol singers performing at the club last night.
'Hm? A mascot? No, wait!'
'Does Hachiman really think that way?'
As Yukinoshita Yukino mocked herself inwardly, she suddenly realized she really was only a mascot. She even stood at the side helping set the mood while Hachiman played with women. Her feelings became even more complicated.
Last night, even her sister had struggled so badly, yet Hachiman still had no intention of continuing with her.
Even though she couldn't refuse at all. As long as Hachiman said he wanted her, then for her sister's sake and her mother's sake, no matter how embarrassed or unwilling she felt, she would still force herself to overcome it, dress herself up like her sister, and sit in Hachiman's lap on her own.
———
Shiba Miyuki didn't know about Yukinoshita Yukino's complicated thoughts, nor did she have time to care about Yukinoshita Yukino still standing beside the desk staring blankly at her.
Things had developed completely differently from what she imagined. It wasn't that things were moving too fast for her to adapt. She had already prepared herself mentally for that. Whether it happened earlier or later didn't matter much. In fact, awakening her magical girl talent earlier would mean less competition later.
Her talent as a magician was good, but she was still young. She had little experience and wasn't as strong as those famous supernatural people who had already been fighting evil forces in secret for years.
If those supernatural people really came to Sobu High later to compete, then with her current strength she probably wouldn't be able to handle it. She would have to ask her mother or aunt to step in.
Still, although she had already accepted it and didn't reject intimacy with Hachiman, who could be called her husband, after personally experiencing the magical girl talent awakening ritual, it had completely exceeded her imagination.
Wasn't it supposed to hurt? Wasn't it supposed to feel good only after the pain passed?
But neither pain nor pleasure seemed enough to explain what she was feeling now.
President Hachiman didn't seem to be using any special technique. He was only leaning down to hold her and kissing her again and again. Everything followed a gradual and intimate process. Yet she still wrapped herself around him on instinct and bit him hard. This passionate and unbelievable reaction made Shiba Miyuki feel deeply embarrassed.
Could it be that President Hachiman's awakened magic element body didn't only work on demi-humans, but also worked on humans? Was that why he could awaken their magical girl talents?
Or perhaps, like some supernatural beings, she also had dormant demi-human blood inside her?
Without noticing, Shiba Miyuki, who had been leaning over the office desk, was now lying on her back across it. Her pale long legs were stretched tight behind Hachiman.
But when she saw Hachiman still talking with Saegusa Mayumi and the others about Yukinoshita Yukino, she instinctively wrapped her pale arms around his neck again, bit her lower lip tightly, and stared directly into his eyes with misty unfocused eyes.
"President Hachiman... p-please don't get distracted at a time like this..."
Even if she felt there was no love between them, and that she was only one of Hachiman's many political marriage partners, that didn't mean she liked seeing her future man chatting happily with other girls at a moment like this.
In terms of family power, neither the Saegusa family nor the Yukinoshita family surpassed the Yotsuba family.
And in terms of personal charm, she didn't think she lost to either of them.
"Alright, Miyuki. I thought you didn't want too much intimacy at a time like this."
Hachiman froze for a moment when he heard that. He stopped chatting with Saegusa Mayumi and the others, lowered his head until his nose touched Shiba Miyuki's, and wrapped both arms tightly around her soft slim waist, pulling her even closer.
In truth, how could he not understand what Shiba Miyuki and the others were thinking? They weren't troubled heroines from the 2D World. Even though he possessed abilities like the Service Halo, Absolute Taming, Continuous Improvement, Addictive Affinity, Awakened Magic Element, Succubus Attraction Constitution, and so on, they wouldn't instantly fall in love with him.
At the same time, he had also realized Saegusa Mayumi was distracting him earlier to ease Shiba Miyuki's pressure. He just didn't care and followed along with her conversation.
He usually wasn't proactive. If he could sit, he would sit. If he could lie down, he would lie down. If he didn't need to move himself, then he wouldn't move. But if delicious meat was delivered to his mouth, then he would definitely bite down on it. Once he swallowed it, he could slowly build feelings afterward.
If he wanted a harem, how could he hesitate? With all the abilities he possessed now, there was no need to worry about whether he could make them happy.
Mm... or rather, in this world, the only way he truly couldn't give someone happiness was if he especially hated them and rejected them when they threw themselves at him.
"Mmm... y-you can do things however you usually do... I-I'll tell you when... when I can't hold back anymore."
Shiba Miyuki watched Hachiman slowly lower his head. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly felt his movement. Her face reddened, but she also let out a slight sigh of relief.
It seemed that even though her figure couldn't rank highly here, she was still very attractive to President Hachiman.
That made sense. Earlier, President Hachiman hadn't disliked Senior Mayumi either. Yukinoshita Yukino's figure was even slightly worse than theirs.
"It seems Miyuki is getting used to it too."
Saegusa Mayumi smiled when she saw Shiba Miyuki gradually settling into it. She no longer needed someone distracting Hachiman beside her to keep up. Then she turned toward the only person among the three of them who had fallen behind: Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Yukino-san, what are you still hesitating for? Miyuki has good stamina. She'll probably last longer than me. If you still don't come over, then Miyuki and I are going to have another magical girl training session."
"I'll call you Senior Mayumi too then. Senior Mayumi, aren't you and Miyuki-san very close? Then why are you still trying to persuade me at a time like this? Shouldn't you two work together to exclude me instead?"
Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath as she looked at Saegusa Mayumi, who had been forced to accept punishment in front of everyone because of her, yet was now inviting her like nothing had happened. She tried hard to stay calm and not pay attention to the heated atmosphere gradually rising again on Shiba Miyuki's side.
"Hehe! Miyuki and I are close, but that doesn't mean we're one inseparable group."
Saegusa Mayumi smiled slightly when she heard that. She didn't care whether Shiba Miyuki beside her still had enough attention left to overhear. She answered openly.
"Miyuki will inherit the Yotsuba family in the future, and I'm also a candidate to become family head. Naturally, we can't act selfishly. We need to think not only about our own positions, but also about our families' positions."
"And you, Yukino-san, vice president of the Service Club, someone valued by President Hachiman, will become one of the people both of us want to win over."
"Smart people don't make enemies at times like this. They try to make more friends instead."
As a friend, she cared about Shiba Miyuki. But once Shiba Miyuki fully settled into things, then she would have to view Shiba Miyuki as another family heir and compete fairly with her.
The Saegusa family and Yotsuba family actually had a fairly good relationship. They had even been allies in the past. They simply weren't in an alliance anymore.
Now she represented the Saegusa family, while Miyuki of the Yotsuba branch Shiba family represented the Yotsuba family. The two families could become allies at any moment, or enemies at any moment.
If Yukinoshita Yukino had been someone deeply favored beside Master Hachiman, then she would also have treated her as a major enemy.
But right now, Yukinoshita Yukino's relationship with Master Hachiman was only that of a valued subordinate. She had merely gained attention because of an early connection. So Saegusa Mayumi didn't mind pushing her forward a little in exchange for Yukinoshita Yukino's support in the future.
She could also do what the elf princess Iris had done by gathering allies and forming a small faction. If she had arrived beside Master Hachiman first, she might have copied Iris's methods too, using Master Hachiman as the center point to break down every major faction one by one and force those factions to offer up their heirs.
Still, that was only something to imagine. Even if time could be reversed, she probably still wouldn't have acted first. The thinking and methods of large families could easily backfire. If Master Hachiman ever ended up standing against them, then everything would be over.
"..."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Saegusa Mayumi supporting herself with one hand, her pale legs leaning together, calmly speaking with confidence despite the small puddle flowing across the office desk and dripping down onto the carpet from the desk's edge. Her feelings became even more complicated.
Maybe this was where she fell short compared to her sister.