The room was eerily quiet, not quite the calm before a storm, as everyone gathered for a card game after dinner. Then Shizuka made her move.
"Hey, Miyuki, want to step outside?"
"Sure," Miyuki replied.
"A walk? I'll come too—" Mizuki began.
"No way, Mizuki! You've got a penalty game to deal with," Erika cut in.
"What?! Nobody told me!" Mizuki protested.
"Losers get penalties. That's the rule!" Erika smirked.
Mizuki, oblivious to the mood, was neatly blocked by Erika, who seemed to sense why Shizuka wanted Miyuki alone. Leo's sudden absence after dinner might've stemmed from a similar intuition. Meanwhile, Mikihiko, playing shogi in the same room, was distracted by the girls' conversation—not out of romantic interest, but pure curiosity.
"Check. Ten moves to checkmate," Tatsuya declared.
"What, already?!" Mikihiko groaned, his lack of focus earning him a merciless verdict from Tatsuya.
Outside, Shizuka struggled to broach the real topic with Miyuki.
"Um, Miyuki…"
"Yes?"
Hesitating, Shizuka steeled herself. "What do you think of Tatsuya-san?"
"I love him," Miyuki answered instantly, as if she'd anticipated the question.
"As… a man?"
"No. Romantic feelings between Onii-sama and me are impossible."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I know why you're asking, Shizuka. You're such a good friend."
"I think of you as a friend too," Shizuka said softly.
"I know. That's why I won't stand in the way. I might get jealous, though," Miyuki said with a wistful smile.
Shizuka tilted her head, puzzled. "You love Tatsuya-san so much. How can you smile like that?"
"Shizuka, I… I died three years ago. Or should have. I felt my life fading. But Onii-sama saved me, so I'm here, talking with you. Love demands something from the other person, right? But I've already received everything from Onii-sama. I can't ask for more."
"I don't fully understand, but… you're incredible, Miyuki."
"I know I'm a bit twisted," Miyuki admitted. "But, Shizuka, it's not just Honoka who's in love with Onii-sama, is it? Are you okay with that?"
"I… haven't decided yet," Shizuka confessed, her mind tangled with memories of Tatsuya's true magic from the Nine Schools Competition.
"Maybe it's not the right word, but I don't want to lose as a rival either," Miyuki said, half-joking.
"You're the biggest rival," Shizuka replied with a weak laugh.
Right after Shizuka took Miyuki outside, Honoka seized her chance. "Tatsuya-san, want to go for a walk?"
Having just finished his shogi match, Tatsuya agreed readily. Too readily, in fact, leaving Honoka flustered. She'd expected some resistance, and the smooth start threw her off.
As they strolled along the beach, Honoka noticed Tatsuya walking on the water's edge to keep her dry. His small act of kindness made her heart race.
"Tatsuya-san!" she blurted.
"Yeah?" he replied, turning.
"I… I love you! How do you feel about me?"
Eyes squeezed shut, Honoka braced for his answer. When none came, she feared the worst and peeked. Tatsuya was smiling, but with a troubled look.
"Was that… a bother?" she asked.
"No, I'm honestly flattered. I figured you'd say something like this eventually, though I only realized it recently."
"So…"
Honoka hoped for the best but braced for the worst. Tatsuya's response was neither.
"Honoka, I'm… defective. A magic accident when I was young stripped away most of my emotions."
"What…?"
"They weren't locked away, so I can't unlock them. They weren't broken, so I can't fix them. I have some capacity for love, but I've never truly felt it. So I probably don't see you as special… not yet."
Honoka struggled to process his indirect rejection. "I thought… you loved Miyuki. Not as a sister, but as a girl."
"That's a misunderstanding," Tatsuya said firmly.
"I believe you. You're too smart to lie badly. So it must be true," Honoka said, forcing a smile. "But if you don't feel that way about Miyuki, then I still have a chance, right? You don't have anyone else you love."
"Well… yeah," Tatsuya admitted.
"Then I'll work hard to make you see me as special! I know I have a lot of rivals, but I'll try!"
"I'll keep your feelings in mind," Tatsuya said gently.
Though softly rejected, Honoka learned her chances weren't zero. She resolved to pursue Tatsuya even more boldly. The next day, when it came out that she could actually swim, she and Miyuki playfully vied for Tatsuya's attention. Shizuka, no longer holding back, joined in, along with Erika and Mizuki, who thought a bigger group would be more fun.
"Mikihiko, what're you staring at?" Leo asked.
"N-nothing!" Mikihiko stammered.
"Then let's race again! I'll crush you this time."
"Give me a break…"
Dragged off for another long swim, Mikihiko's gaze lingered on someone—best left unsaid for his dignity. Tatsuya, meanwhile, noticed Ms. Kurosawa watching the lively group from a distance, her presence subtle but ever-watchful.
Honoka joins the battle for Tatsuya's heart in earnest. Shizuka may soon follow suit.
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