The day before her scheduled outing with Tatsuya, Amy was a bundle of nerves. Even during Hunting Club practice, she was uncharacteristically subdued—drifting off into space or failing to hear the captain's instructions. She was so far removed from her usual energetic self that her teammates began to worry.
"Akechi-san, is something wrong?"
"Huh?! Oh... no, nothing at all!"
"Don't give me that! You're acting like a completely different person. Something is definitely up."
During their break, Amy found herself cornered by her teammates' questions. She debated how much to reveal, but figuring Tatsuya wouldn't mind a small admission, she decided to tell them the reason for her distraction.
"Well... the truth is, I'm going out with Tatsuya-san tomorrow. Just the two of us. I guess I'm just a little anxious."
"A little? You're vibrating," one girl teased.
"Wait, just the two of you with Shiba-kun?! I'm so jealous..."
"So this is the 'girlfriend privilege' we've heard so much about..."
"Wait, if it's just the two of you, what about Miyuki-san?"
"She and Sakurai-san have some family business to attend to. Apparently, Tatsuya-san was supposed to go with them, but the plans changed on their end, so he didn't have to go anymore."
Since she couldn't reveal Tatsuya's connection to the Yotsuba, Amy settled for a "lie that sounded like the truth."
"Family business, huh? Is Miyuki-san from some high-society family?"
"Maybe they're as wealthy as Shizuku's family," another speculated.
"Oh, I heard their father is a high-ranking executive at FLT," Amy added.
"Seriously?! That's incredible!"
In reality, their lineage was far more prestigious than a mere corporate executive, but even their public persona was enough to impress. The image of a high-earning director at a famous company like Four Leaves Technology was enough to satisfy the girls' curiosity, and they pressed no further.
(I managed to keep the Yotsuba secret while giving them a plausible reason...) Amy thought with a sigh. (I really am terrible at lying.)
Amy, by nature, was bright and honest to a fault. She hated deception, but Tatsuya had taught her the art of the "partial truth"—weaving enough facts into a story so the lies became indistinguishable. Such was the weight of the secrets he carried.
The following morning, Amy's mood had done a complete 180. Back at home, she couldn't stop smiling; her mother had even commented on her "lovesick" expression, but Amy was too excited to care.
In her eagerness, she arrived at the meeting spot a full hour early.
"Okay, maybe I overdid it... I should find a cafe and kill some time."
Even for Tatsuya, who valued punctuality above all else, an hour early was a stretch. Realizing she'd arrived way too soon due to nerves, Amy looked for a place to sit. Despite her humble self-perception—partly because she was surrounded by "goddesses" like Miyuki and Shizuku—Amy was a striking beauty in her own right. A girl of her caliber standing alone was bound to attract unwanted attention.
"Hey there, you all by yourself? Why not come hang out with us?"
"I'm sorry? Are you talking to me?"
"Yeah, you. It's a waste for a pretty girl to be alone on a holiday. Come on, let's go have some fun."
Even in this era of advanced magic, the "street thug" remained a relic of the past that refused to go extinct. Realizing she was being surrounded by a group of men who looked like low-level hoods, Amy felt a surge of apprehension, but she stood her ground.
"I'm waiting for someone. Please excuse me."
If it were that easy to leave, Amy wouldn't have been worried. Naturally, the men ignored her and closed the distance, tightening the circle.
"Oh, sure you are. We didn't see anyone with you."
"Lying is bad, you know. Didn't your mother teach you better?"
"We're not gonna do anything mean. We just want to play."
"I'm not lying. I really am waiting for my companion."
"Yeah, right. Tell you what—tell us where this 'companion' is, and we'll go negotiate with him to let us borrow you for a bit."
When one of the men pulled a small knife from his pocket, flashing the blade, Amy felt a rare surge of pure disgust.
"You guys must be really unpopular with women," she snapped.
"What did you say?!"
"I'm saying you aren't my type. Go find someone else to bother."
She knew saying something so provocative would likely enrage them, but she couldn't help it. The idea of men who couldn't get a date through charm and instead resorted to threats and intimidation was something Amy simply could not tolerate.
"You little brat! Think you can talk down to us?!"
"Get over here!"
A hand reached out to grab Amy's arm, but before it could make contact, another hand clamped onto the man's wrist and twisted it upward.
"Gah! Ow-ow-ow! Dammit, who's that?!"
"I am her companion. Did you have some business with her?"
Tatsuya stood there, wearing a thin, cold smile that he rarely showed in public. He held the man's arm with effortless strength. The other thugs recoiled, stumbling back several paces.
"Tatsuya-san!"
"You're quite early, Amy. We still have thirty minutes before our meeting time."
"I'm sorry... I was just so excited..."
"I see." Tatsuya's gaze shifted back to the men, his eyes turning into shards of ice. "Now then... since you decided to interfere with my companion's day, I assume you're prepared for the consequences?"
"What are you—GYAAAH!"
Tatsuya pressed his thumb into a specific point on the man's arm. It was a pressure-point technique passed down directly from the master shinobi, Kokonoe Yakumo. The sensation wasn't just pain; it felt like an electric shock of pure agony radiating through his entire nervous system.
"If you leave quietly right now, I might consider letting this go."
"..."
The other men stood frozen. One of their friends was desperately pleading for help with his eyes, but they were too terrified to even look away from Tatsuya.
"Which will it be?" Tatsuya asked, his voice a low, dangerous velvet. "Will you leave, or do you want to see what happens next?"
"W-we get it! We're leaving! We're sorry!"
Just as Tatsuya began to increase the pressure, the man he was holding started to beg for mercy. Taking the cue, the rest of the gang stammered out apologies to Amy and scrambled away as fast as their legs could carry them.
Amy watched them go, then looked up at Tatsuya with stars in her eyes. "I knew it. You really are like a prince, Tatsuya-san. No wonder Honoka is so crazy about you."
"I'm hardly the 'Prince' type," Tatsuya replied dryly. "At best, I'm the 'Staff Officer' lurking in the wings."
The date that followed was so wonderful that Amy returned home with a smile so wide it didn't fade for the rest of the week.
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