Lina had returned to her homeland, and for a brief moment, Tatsuya believed he might finally enjoy a period of relative peace. That hope was shattered when the Yotsuba main house drove a strategic wedge into his daily life.
On the surface, the arrangement was practical. Minami Sakurai was to enroll at First High School, and the Shiba residence offered a much shorter commute than the Yotsuba estate. Furthermore, since Minami was destined to serve as Miyuki's Guardian, it was deemed beneficial for her to train under the tutelage of her senior "colleague," Tatsuya.
Of course, had that been the only goal, they could have easily rented her an apartment nearby and assigned a different operative to teach her the ropes. The true, unvoiced reason for her placement was simple: Minami Sakurai harbored deep-seated feelings for Tatsuya. Given that she shared the face and genetic makeup of Honami Sakurai—his mother's late Guardian, who had cared for Tatsuya in her own way—it was perhaps inevitable that she would find herself drawn to him.
"Miyuki-sama, I shall handle Lord Tatsuya's needs. Please, focus entirely on your duties with the Student Council."
"That won't be necessary, Minami-chan. I will look after my brother. I'll leave the cleaning and the grocery shopping to you."
Tatsuya watched the two from the sidelines, continuing his work in silence. He wanted to tell them that he was perfectly capable of looking after himself and that they should stop bickering, but he knew that speaking up would only draw the fire of both girls at once.
"Lord Tatsuya, please say something!" Minami pleaded, turning to him. "Miyuki-sama is a member of the Student Council; she has to be at school even during this spring break. Surely it is most logical to leave your care to me?"
"Onii-sama! Looking after you is the very purpose of my life! Please, explain this to Minami-chan!"
"…Miyuki, if you don't head to school soon, Honoka and the others will start to worry. And Minami, weren't you planning on exploring the neighborhood today?"
Tatsuya pointed toward the wall clock, using the gesture to mask his exasperation. Since Honoka really would start worrying if Miyuki was late, his sister reluctantly prepared to depart.
"I'll walk you to the station," Tatsuya added. "It will serve as part of Minami's orientation."
"Thank you, Onii-sama!"
Miyuki's mood performed an instant, transparent pivot. The scowl vanished, replaced by a radiant smile.
"Minami-chan, we shall have a very long, thorough discussion about this later," Miyuki said, her voice like velvet-wrapped ice.
"There is nothing to discuss," Minami replied firmly. "I am here to attend to the daily needs of both you and Lord Tatsuya, and to learn the ways of a Guardian. I believe those were the Lady Maya's exact instructions."
"Stop arguing at the front door," Tatsuya sighed. "Honoka is waiting."
Usually, they got along like sisters, but the moment the conversation turned to his personal care, the atmosphere became a battlefield. Tatsuya let out a heavy sigh as he followed them out.
After seeing Miyuki off at the station, Tatsuya took Minami on a tour of the surrounding area. While she could have easily looked up the map on her terminal, Tatsuya felt it was important for her to experience the "outside world" firsthand, given her sheltered upbringing within the Yotsuba estate.
"There are so many people here," Minami remarked, her eyes wide.
"This is standard for Tokyo. I suppose the main house feels like a ghost town by comparison, aside from the servants."
"It is. Elder Hayama mentioned that beyond the servants, we only ever see members of the branch families coming to pay their respects."
"It's a closed world. It doesn't even appear on most maps."
Because they were discussing the Yotsuba, they kept their voices low. Both possessed keen hearing, so they could converse clearly without having to lean in close—an act that would have been far too conspicuous in public.
"Um, Lord Tatsuya?"
"Yes? Did you find something?"
"No… I was just wondering what that particularly noisy building over there is."
"Noisy? Ah, that's a game center."
"A… game center?"
"I've never been inside one myself, but I understand it's a facility where one can play various electronic games."
Tatsuya's life was far too busy for such hobbies. For Minami, who had lived her entire life within the confines of the Yotsuba barrier, even the sight of one was a novelty.
"…Would you like to go in?"
"I am… a little curious."
"Then let's take a look."
They weren't in any particular hurry, and Tatsuya knew Miyuki wouldn't be home until evening. He led Minami through the sliding glass doors into the neon-lit interior.
"There is quite a variety here," Minami said, looking around.
"So it seems. Though it is a bit loud."
"Lord Tatsuya, what is that machine?"
Minami pointed toward a specific booth. Tatsuya looked at it and gave a slight shake of his head.
"…Do even you not know what that is, milord?"
"I know of it, but I've never used one. Miyuki begged me once a long time ago, but I managed to talk her out of it."
"Then… would you please use it with me?"
The machine that had captured Minami's interest was a "Print Club" booth—a purikura machine. Even in this high-tech era, the culture of taking stylized, edited photos with friends or lovers remained a staple of youth.
"But those are usually for couples or close friends," Tatsuya noted logically. "We are neither."
"Then… please date me. If we are a couple, it will be perfectly natural."
Tatsuya paused, looking at her steadily. "…Don't confess as a joke, Minami. I can handle it, but another man might take you seriously."
"It isn't a joke. I am being quite serious. This is actually… very embarrassing for me…"
Looking closer, Tatsuya saw that Minami's face was flushed a deep pink. She wasn't joking; she was trembling slightly with the weight of her own honesty.
"…I can't tell Miyuki about this," Tatsuya muttered.
"Does that mean…?"
"As far as your role goes, it wouldn't be strange for people to see us together for a while."
"Yes!"
Minami beamed, her face transforming into that of a young girl in love as she looped her arm through Tatsuya's and pulled him toward the booth. Tatsuya's expression was a bit stiff, but he did his best to play the part of the attentive boyfriend.
Days later, when Miyuki discovered the hidden photo strips, Minami found herself subjected to a terrifying interrogation by both the "Frozen Queen" (Miyuki) and the "Queen of Night" (Maya). However, it was Tatsuya who eventually stepped in to soothe the two powerful women.
He chose the reception room of the Yotsuba main house to make his formal declaration: that he was now in a relationship with Minami.
Hayama, the head butler, happened to be "passing by" the door at that exact moment. Within minutes, the news had spread to every maid and servant in the estate. For the next several weeks, housework at the Yotsuba manor slowed to a crawl as the staff spent their time gossiping, leaving the various guardians and attendants to battle their own hunger in a neglected household.
But that is a story for another time.
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