Reeling from the monumental revelations of her first day, Lina took a bath to gather her thoughts. Despite being a guest—or perhaps an "intruder"—she had been offered the first bath, a gesture she accepted with only a slight hesitation when neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki showed any sign of minding.
I can't believe it. Tatsuya is actually "Silver"...
The "Silver Model" CADs were a staple even within the USNA military. Their reputation for handling flight sequences with unparalleled efficiency was world-renowned. Lina had never imagined that the genius behind them was a student—her own age, no less.
(He beats me—Sirius—in combat, and on top of that, he's Silver? Just how much of a "cheat" is he?)
Lina, still unaware of the true nature of Tatsuya's magic, struggled to find any path to victory against him, no matter how many times she played out a rematch in her head.
As if that weren't enough of a headache, she let out a long sigh as she realized her true rival wasn't actually Tatsuya himself. Standing alone, either of the siblings was formidable; together, they were an insurmountable wall. They were her rivals in magic—and her rivals in love.
(Technically, Miyuki and Tatsuya are blood-related. There are countries that allow same-sex marriage, but consanguinity—especially between siblings—is forbidden almost everywhere. Especially for high-level magicians.)
Lina reasoned that the Japanese Magic Association, to say nothing of the global community, would never sanction a union between Miyuki, an internationally recognized talent, and Tatsuya, perhaps the strongest combat magician in existence. The blood relation was an ironclad barrier. Lina actually found herself making a small fist of triumph beneath the bathwater.
(But there are so many other girls who like him... Miyuki only has to worry about the legal side. In terms of just being together, being siblings is actually the perfect excuse...)
Lina's analysis, limited by her ignorance of the dark circumstances of the Shiba family, concluded that the siblings' intense bond was a result of a lack of parental affection. She saw Miyuki's clinginess and Tatsuya's indulgence as a coping mechanism, failing to see the deeper, more artificial roots of their relationship.
(I told him how I feel, but Honoka and Mayumi have confessed too... Why hasn't he made any of them his girlfriend? Could it be... is he not into women at all?)
She decided she would confront Tatsuya about it the moment she got out. Lina's bath was brief—she wasn't used to the Japanese custom of soaking—but for her, it had been a dense, contemplative experience.
After Lina finished, a minor squabble broke out (mostly on Miyuki's part) regarding who would go next, but it was resolved quickly, and Miyuki followed her into the bathroom.
For Lina, this was the perfect chance. With Miyuki gone, she could finally get to the bottom of Tatsuya's intentions. However, she found herself unable to find the words, resulting in a series of increasingly awkward, twitchy movements.
"What are you doing?" Tatsuya asked, looking up from his work.
"Um... just... going to the bathroom?"
"Didn't you just go five minutes ago?"
"R-right... haha... silly me."
Tatsuya sighed. "...Is there something you want to ask me?"
"How do you always know?! I mean... I guess you wouldn't be Tatsuya if you didn't."
Lina marveled at his observation skills, completely forgetting that she was currently the picture of a suspicious person. Tatsuya merely offered a wry, thin smile.
"So, what is it?"
"Well... Tatsuya, do you prefer men over women?"
"What? Lina, what on earth are you talking about?"
"I mean! I don't want to sound conceited, but plenty of guys would jump at the chance to date me. And Honoka and Mayumi are incredibly popular, too. Yet you aren't dating anyone. For a moment, I thought you and Miyuki might have that kind of relationship, but after being here for a few hours, I can tell that's not it. So the only remaining possibility is..."
"Stop right there before you land on a horrifying misunderstanding," Tatsuya interrupted. "I have no interest in shudo."
"Shudo? I don't know that word..."
Lina tilted her head. Tatsuya had opted for an archaic term to avoid being too blunt, but since it didn't register with her, he simply swapped it for a direct one.
"I'm not gay."
"Oh, I see... But then why aren't you dating anyone?"
"There are various reasons... but simply put, I possess almost no emotion. Consequently, I have no experience with romance."
"What? You mean..."
"To put it in terms you'll understand: I have never 'fallen in love' with someone. So, when people tell me they like me, it doesn't really click. That is the truth of it."
It was a heavy, tragic admission, yet Tatsuya delivered it with the clinical detachment of a doctor reading a chart. He had no intention of explaining the why behind his condition, and his expression made it clear that further prying would yield no results.
"I see... I don't know the circumstances, but you really have it rough, don't you, Tatsuya?"
"It's not all bad. It makes it quite easy to kill people without feeling anything, for instance."
"That's..."
Lina wondered for a moment if that was a jab at her own struggles with the guilt of killing her own countrymen, but Tatsuya's face held no trace of mockery. He was simply stating a fact. She realized then that his lack of emotion was indeed a reality.
"So, you're not into guys, and you're not dating Miyuki?"
"Of course not. Miyuki is my sister, and I am not a homosexual."
"Then there's no problem with me being your girlfriend, is there?"
"…I suspect there would be a great many problems, but as far as my personal feelings go, I have no objection."
Tatsuya could see a future filled with nothing but headaches, but he didn't reject her.
"Great! Then my room is your room! Let's share the bed!"
"That is an entirely different matter. A lady of your age shouldn't say such things so lightly."
"In America, this is perfectly normal! Well, okay, I wasn't exactly a 'normal' girl back there, but I'm going to reclaim my 'normal' life starting now!"
As Lina pumped herself up with misplaced enthusiasm, Miyuki emerged from the bath and immediately began casting a spell to put a stop to her. Once again, Tatsuya intervened, ending the conflict before it could truly begin.
From that day forward, the Shiba household became a battleground between a meddling "sister-in-law" and a persistent "bride-to-be"—a situation further complicated by the arrival of Minami, the "wedge" sent by Maya. But that is a tale for another time, as it has little to do with the main history...
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