The student council election had ended, and First High School was regaining its calm. But as the selection of the three representatives for the Thesis Competition loomed, a restless buzz stirred the air once more.
"Hey, Tatsuya, why didn't you join the competition?" Leo asked, breaking the classroom's chatter.
"Yeah, I'm curious too!" Erika chimed in.
"Me too," Mizuki added softly.
"Seriously, Tatsuya," Mikihiko said, "you whipped up that essay in no time. With more prep, you could've nailed a competition-worthy thesis."
The 1-E classroom had been simmering with whispers about Tatsuya's absence from the competition, and Leo, impatient, led the charge to confront him.
Tatsuya shrugged. "I only learned about the competition recently. By then, the submission deadline had passed. Plus, I'm not that interested."
"Really?" Leo blinked. "It's kind of a big deal. Unlike the Nine Schools Competition, even second place gets attention in magic journals."
"I don't read magazines," Tatsuya said flatly. "And if it's truly noteworthy, newspapers would cover it."
"Well… yeah, but…" Leo faltered.
Mikihiko's interest waned at Tatsuya's indifference, but their classmates weren't ready to let it go.
"If it was a topic you cared about, you'd write it, right?" Mizuki pressed.
"If it's something I don't care about, I'd refuse outright," Tatsuya replied.
"Oh…" Mizuki deflated.
"So, if you had to submit, what would your thesis be?" Erika tried.
Tatsuya's gaze was cool. "I don't waste time on hypotheticals."
Erika and Leo's persistence bounced off him like arrows off stone. Mizuki didn't even get a chance to try before he shut her down.
"Sorry to interrupt," a voice cut in. "Is Tatsuya here?"
"Haruka-chan!" Erika snapped. "What do you need him for?"
"It's Ms. Ono!" Haruka shot back. "You're too casual!"
"Shut it!" Leo growled. "Haruka-chan's fine with it, so mind your own business!"
"What did you say?!"
Ignoring Erika and Leo's bickering, Tatsuya fixed his gaze on Haruka. "What's up?"
Under his silent pressure, Haruka faltered. "Let's head to the counseling room."
"Fine," Tatsuya said. "I don't know when I'll be back, so go home without me," he told the others.
"Got it," Mikihiko sighed, glancing at the squabbling duo. "I'll handle these two…"
Mikihiko's envious look at Tatsuya's escape was, as expected, ignored.
In the counseling room, Tatsuya was surprised to find someone already there. He wasn't always on guard, so an unexpected presence could still catch him off guard.
"Senpai Hirakawa? Something wrong?" he asked.
"Tatsuya…" Koharu Hirakawa looked uneasy. "Ms. Ono called me here, but she stepped out and told me to wait."
"Ms. Ono's right here," Tatsuya said, grabbing Haruka by the collar as she tried to slip away.
"Ow, ow! I'm not running, let go!" Haruka yelped.
"Really? Try escaping again, and I won't be so nice," Tatsuya warned, releasing her with a sharp look.
"Ouch…" Haruka rubbed her neck. "Anyway, I mentioned Koharu's a candidate for the Thesis Competition, right?"
"I heard," Tatsuya said. "What's that got to do with this?"
Truthfully, Tatsuya wanted to wrap this up and head to the library. With the student council handover done, he finally had time to dig into the restricted archives.
"Just sit, okay?" Haruka urged. "This might take a while."
"I'm fine standing," Tatsuya replied.
"I'm not!" Haruka snapped. "A tall guy leaning against the wall, arms crossed, glaring at me? It's intimidating!"
"I'm not glaring," Tatsuya said, though his narrowed eyes—slightly tired from lack of sleep—might've suggested otherwise. "If this is irrelevant, I'm leaving."
"Just listen," Haruka pleaded. "You know about the accident during the Nine Schools Competition, right? The one with Koharu's teammate?"
"Kobayakawa-senpai," Tatsuya confirmed. "I was there."
"And I told you Koharu's been shaken ever since, right?"
"Yes."
"And that we might need you to talk to her?"
"I didn't agree to that."
"But I gave you her address, didn't I? You visited her, right?"
Koharu's eyes widened, clearly hearing this for the first time.
"Ms. Ono," Tatsuya said, voice low, "you gave me her address without her consent?"
"I trusted you wouldn't misuse it," Haruka said, shrinking under his gaze.
The room grew heavy with Tatsuya's silent pressure. Haruka hurried on. "Look, this is an official request from the counseling department. We need you to convince Koharu."
"Why me? We barely know each other."
"Because you seem capable," Haruka said weakly. "I didn't think it'd actually come to this when I recommended you."
Tatsuya's glare sharpened, pinning Haruka as the source of this mess. Unable to withstand it, she pivoted. "Koharu's likely to be selected as a representative, but in her current state, she won't last until the competition. Please help! We've already talked her out of dropping out of school."
"But…" Koharu's voice trembled. "I ruined Kobayakawa-san's life. How can I—"
"I've said before," Tatsuya cut in, "that accident wasn't your fault."
"But you noticed something was wrong! I didn't! I—"
Tears welled in Koharu's eyes. Haruka smirked mischievously. "Tatsuya, you can't make a girl cry."
"I didn't—"
"As punishment, escort Koharu home. And convince her on the way."
Tatsuya saw Haruka's trap but couldn't dodge it. Resigned, he agreed to walk Koharu home.
He sent Miyuki a quick message explaining, already dreading the interrogation awaiting him at home. His mood sank slightly.
Note on Chiaki's Vendetta: To make Chiaki resent Koharu, fully breaking Koharu's spirit might work. She's still coming to school, so there's time to push her further…
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