Attached: Sakurai Mizuki
***
The next morning, Yotsuba Mahiro emerged from his bedroom, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, the sight before him made him pause.
Sakurai Mizuki—the surveillance agent assigned to him by Aunt Maya—was busy in the kitchen, dressed not in plain clothes but in a black maid uniform, a pure white apron tied neatly around her waist. She moved with surprising grace, the faint aroma of fried eggs, steamed buns, and miso soup drifting out with every motion of her ladle.
The square dining table in the living room was already loaded with breakfast. It was so lavish that Mahiro nearly raised a brow.
Western toast and omelets, Chinese steamed buns and porridge, Japanese tamagoyaki and miso soup—it looked more like a feast at a hotel buffet than a single morning meal.
"Ah, good morning, Mahiro-sama!" Mizuki greeted, her voice bright as she peeked from the kitchen doorway. "Please wait just a moment more. The last tamagoyaki will be ready soon!"
At the same time, another head popped out from behind her—Minami, the tiny "assistant chef" who had been helping Mizuki. She gave a cheerful grin.
Mahiro could only sigh silently. "… …"
He picked up a glass of orange juice from the table and took a sip. The juice was freshly squeezed. Even the temperature was perfect.
More than a surveillance agent, Sakurai Mizuki felt more like a devoted maid whose sole mission was to pamper him.
Not long after, Mizuki walked out of the kitchen with a plate of steaming golden tamagoyaki. She carefully set it down in front of him.
"Mahiro-sama, breakfast is complete," Mizuki said with formal respect, bowing lightly.
Mahiro glanced at the overwhelming mountain of food. The quantity was absurd.
Mizuki quickly noticed his expression and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Um… because I wasn't familiar with Mahiro-sama's eating preferences, I tried to prepare a little of everything. I—I thought it would be safer this way…"
She bowed again, nervously twiddling her fingers. "Ah, but please don't feel pressured to eat it all! Just choose what you like, and I'll take note for next time. That way I can improve."
Mahiro couldn't bring himself to complain. Instead, he casually picked up a steamed bun, bit into it, and chewed slowly.
"Minami, I didn't expect you to have learned so much in just a few months," he remarked.
"N-no… these are nothing special," Mizuki replied, her voice timid, her ears turning red.
This wasn't their first meeting. They were both adjustor magicians from the Yotsuba Family. They had crossed paths before in the Fourth Research Lab.
But their experiences there had been different. Mahiro's movements had been strictly restricted during his days in the lab, so he hadn't interacted with Mizuki often. He still remembered, though, the first time they met. Back then, she had been a small, wide-eyed loli, timid and fragile.
Now, before him stood a graceful, beautiful young woman. Time really didn't wait for anyone, huh…
Still, Mahiro wasn't entirely sure how to treat Sakurai Mizuki now. She wasn't just a servant or subordinate. And yet… she wasn't quite a friend either. At the very least, he decided, he should take her along one day to visit the neighboring Shiba household. He couldn't help but look forward to Miyuki's reaction when she saw Minami.
But before that, there were matters that needed addressing.
"Minami," Mahiro said, his tone shifting slightly, "the Nine Schools Competition is coming up. I'll be away from home for about ten days as one of the First High representatives. Do you already have plans for that time?"
"Yes, Mahiro-sama," Mizuki replied immediately. "The Family Head-sama has already informed me. During your absence, I will remain here and take care of everything in the house. Please rest assured."
"… I see."
Mahiro's eyes narrowed, his lashes lowering. He could hear the formality in her answer. It was stiff, obedient—exactly what Aunt Maya would have wanted.
It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Actually," he said, leaning back in his chair, "you don't have to follow that old woman's orders here. Do as you like. If you're bored, then go to the Nine Schools Competition and watch."
Mizuki's eyes widened in shock. "E-eh?! Mahiro-sama, can Minami really do that?!"
"Of course," Mahiro replied smoothly, his tone as casual as ever. "And if anyone dares to criticize you, just tell them to come directly to me. I'll deal with them."
"… …"
Mizuki stared at him with round eyes, utterly speechless.
Her whole life, she had been taught that Yotsuba Mahiro was terrifying. Even though they both came from the Fourth Research Lab, her impression of him had always been colored by the rumors and the whispers of the Mashiba Family, who managed Mishao Island. "That boy is dangerous. That boy is cruel." That was what she had always been told.
But now, looking at him, she realized… he wasn't terrifying at all.
Gentle, calm, and surprisingly considerate—he fit far closer to the description of the "kind Mahiro" that the Family Head herself had mentioned.
Of course, Mahiro had no idea what Mizuki was thinking at the moment. He finished breakfast without comment, stood, and grabbed his school bag.
By the time he arrived at First High, the campus was buzzing. Final exams were over, and summer vacation was just around the corner, but none of that mattered now.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the upcoming Nine Schools Competition.
Though the list of contestants had already been decided, that didn't stop the students from crowding the training grounds, eager to cheer on their school's representatives.
Only Mahiro stood apart from the fiery enthusiasm. Unlike the others, he didn't spend his free time training under the scorching sun. He preferred the quiet sanctuary of the library.
That day, he had made arrangements to meet Sayaka for lunch. But when he stepped into the private reading area, what greeted him wasn't Sayaka's face.
Instead, he found Saegusa Mayumi.
"…Senpai?"
Mayumi turned, her glossy black hair swaying as she gave him one of her trademark mischievous smiles.
It was too neat to be a coincidence.
At this time of year, the Student Council should have been drowning in work, buried in preparations for the Nine Schools Competition. Yet here she was, alone, waiting quietly in the reading room.
And judging by the way her slender legs were crossed, her fingers idly flipping through a book she clearly wasn't reading—Mayumi had been waiting for him for quite some time.
Without so much as a greeting, Mayumi tugged lightly at his sleeve, guiding him into one of the narrow private reading rooms. "President—wai—!" Mahiro whispered, but she ignored his protest and closed the door behind them.
The small room had only a single chair, clearly not meant for two people. Yet here they were, squeezed together shoulder to shoulder, close enough that Mahiro could feel her warmth seep into him. Her faint, elegant fragrance tickled his senses, making the situation all the more dangerous.
He coughed lightly, putting on his calmest face. "I say, Mayumi-senpai, dragging me in here... you must have something important to discuss, right?"
"Of course." Mayumi's voice was steady, her smile perfectly composed as always. But the soft blush coloring her earlobes betrayed her calm facade.
Taking a slight breath, she looked him straight in the eye. "Mahiro-kun, I want you to join the Magical Engineering Technician team for this year's Nine Schools Competition."
"...Hah?" Mahiro tilted his head, question marks practically flashing above him.
The words felt surreal. The friction of her sleeve brushing against his as she turned only heightened the strangeness of the moment. Seriously? You stake out the library, pull me into this cramped, suspiciously ambiguous space... just to recruit me as a technician?
If he didn't know Mayumi-senpai's personality was impeccable, he would've sworn this was some kind of honey trap.
Suppressing a sigh, he asked bluntly, "Why me?"
He wasn't being modest. After all, the job of a Magical Engineering Technician—debugging CADs, fine-tuning spell sequences for competitors—wasn't just something anyone could handle. If anything, Shiba Tatsuya was the one who fit this role perfectly.
It didn't make sense for it to fall to him.
But Mayumi smiled knowingly, as if she had been waiting for that exact question. "Because it was Tatsuya-kun who recommended you."
"...Ha?" Mahiro froze.
Excuse me, could you repeat that? He rubbed his ears as if he had misheard. Tatsuya... recommended me?