On a rare day off, Tatsuya and Miyuki were wandering the city together. They had no particular plans, a luxury given their usually packed schedules. The chance to stroll aimlessly felt like proof they could afford to relax, so they intended to savor it. But for this sibling duo, a peaceful day was never in the cards.
"Well, well, if it isn't Shiba-kun," a voice called out. "Fancy seeing you here."
"Sensei Ono?" Tatsuya replied, turning to face Haruka Ono, the counselor from First High. "Something up?"
"What, I'm not allowed to be out in the city?" Haruka teased with a smirk.
"Not saying that," Tatsuya countered. "But it's rare for us both to be here, isn't it?"
Later, Tatsuya and Miyuki would reflect that running into Haruka might have been the spark that ignited the day's chaos. For now, though, they thought nothing of it.
"You two are always glued at the hip," Haruka observed, her tone light but probing.
"We don't try to be inseparable at school," Tatsuya said, his voice tinged with dry amusement. "So where exactly are you seeing us together, Sensei?"
It was a subtle jab at Haruka's past surveillance of them, but she was too sharp to flinch. "Oh, nowhere specific," she deflected smoothly.
"Well, look who it is—Shiba-kun! And Miyuki-san and Sensei Ono too!" came a cheerful voice from behind Haruka.
Haruka's smile twitched as Reimi Yasutomi, First High's school nurse, approached. Miyuki's mood visibly soured, and Tatsuya felt the beginnings of a headache.
"I just felt like hitting the town," Reimi chirped. "Then I spotted you two!"
"Is that so?" Tatsuya said, his tone polite but guarded. "Well, we'll be on our way—"
If he'd escaped then, calming Miyuki's brewing storm might've been manageable. But Tatsuya, it seemed, was born under a star of endless complications.
"Tatsuya-kun, and Miyuki-san too," another voice called out.
"Electron Sorceress…" Haruka muttered under her breath, her tone laced with irritation as she eyed Kyoko Fujibayashi.
"Sensei Ono, you know her?" Reimi asked, tilting her head, oblivious to the nickname's significance.
"Fujibayashi-san," Tatsuya said, turning to Kyoko. "What brings you here?"
"Nothing special," Kyoko replied with a casual smile. "It's my day off, so I thought I'd wander the city. Then I saw a familiar back and, sure enough, it was you."
"I see," Tatsuya said. "But is it wise to stray so far from home on your day off?"
As a member of the Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, Kyoko could be summoned at any moment. Tatsuya's question was a gentle nudge, but she brushed it off with a grin. "No need to worry. If I get called, we'll be heading out together, right?"
"Shiba-kun," Haruka interjected, her voice sharp, "who is this woman to you?"
"Oh? Why so curious about my relationship with Tatsuya-kun?" Kyoko shot back, her tone playful but edged.
Haruka's eyes narrowed, clearly irked by Kyoko's easy banter with Tatsuya. But Kyoko's composure didn't waver. Meanwhile, Reimi saw her chance and pounced.
"Hey, Shiba-kun," she said, stepping closer. "Mind keeping me company for a bit?"
"I'm sorry, Sensei Yasutomi," Miyuki cut in, her voice icy. "Onii-sama is with me right now."
Tatsuya could sense the chill radiating from Miyuki—a warning that her magic might flare if things escalated. He silently hoped she'd keep it together, but fate had other plans.
"Well, if it isn't Miyuki-san and Tatsuya-san," came another voice. "What a rare place to meet."
"Yuka-san?" Miyuki said, surprised. "This is unusual."
Yuka Tsukuba, the daughter of the Tsukuba family—a branch of the Yotsuba and, like Miyuki, a candidate for the next Yotsuba head—approached with a confident smile.
"What brings you here?" Yuka asked. "We've never run into each other in a place like this."
"I could ask you the same," Tatsuya replied. "I thought your university was nowhere near here."
"Oh, I ditched my bodyguards for the day," Yuka said with a wink. "And ended up here."
Her "bodyguards" were, of course, her Guardians, but she used the term to avoid prying ears. "So, Tatsuya-san, I was hoping you could play bodyguard for me today. You can keep an eye on Miyuki-san too, of course."
Tatsuya sighed. "Fine, I can do that."
"Really? Thanks!" Yuka beamed, slipping her arm through his with a fluid motion.
""""What?!""""
The four women—Haruka, Reimi, Miyuki, and Kyoko—let out a collective shout. Yuka's triumphant grin only widened, while Tatsuya, clueless about the outburst's cause, tilted his head.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Onii-sama," Miyuki said, her voice tight, "may I?"
"May you what?"
"I mean—!"
With a hint of force, Miyuki looped her arm through Tatsuya's free one, opposite Yuka. The scene—part escort, part harem—was absurd, but Tatsuya remained unflappably calm.
"You two, it's hard to walk like this," he said. "I'm not saying don't hold on, just… give me some space."
""Okay!"" Miyuki and Yuka replied in unison, loosening their grips but flashing smug smiles at the other three women. If only they'd backed off, but the group was a gathering of sore losers.
"Hey, Tatsuya-kun," Kyoko said, undeterred, "about that trip to Ishikawa…"
""What?!"" Haruka and Reimi exclaimed in unison.
Kyoko was referring to a work-related expedition, but to the others, it sounded like something far more personal. Their shocked outbursts were inevitable.
"Onii-sama, I haven't heard about this," Miyuki said, her tone sharp.
"I told you, didn't I? It's this Sunday," Tatsuya reminded her.
"…Oh, you're right. My apologies, Onii-sama," Miyuki said, chastened.
"You two are as close as ever," Yuka remarked, her voice teasing. "I wouldn't mind an older brother like Tatsuya-san."
"Shiba-kun," Haruka snapped, "such improper interactions aren't acceptable! As a counselor, I'll need to schedule a thorough guidance session with you."
"Oh, that's a nurse's job," Reimi countered, her smile sharp. "I'll handle it, not you, Sensei Ono."
"Let's go," Tatsuya said, ignoring the bickering adults. With Miyuki and Yuka still on his arms, he made a swift exit from the chaos.
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