"President... I'm sorry to bother you."
'I am left alone again?'
Watching Yuigahama Yui nurse Hachiman together with Yukinoshita Yukino, and Sasaki Kotone, half-r!ding in Hachiman's lap while receiving guidance from Hayase Saki and Narahashi Miki, Tsukimi Chifuyu suddenly realized she was the only one standing there in the room just looking.
Aside from Hayasaka Ai, who clearly was Hachiman's maid, Sasaki Kotone, who had come with her, and Yuigahama Yui, also a newcomer doing it for the first time, were both busy working, one above and one below.
Only her...
Tsukimi Chifuyu waited in place a while longer. Seeing that everyone was busy and no one was paying attention to her, she felt the urge to slip away quietly.
She wasn't like Sasaki Kotone or Yuigahama Yui, who knew at least a bit about Hachiman and had some awareness of sacrificing themselves.
She had only gotten in touch with Hayase Saki and the others because of Raphiel. Now that Raphiel's problem was mostly solved, she didn't have to keep dealing with Hayase Saki and the others, right?
Tsukimi Chifuyu looked left and right. Seeing that Yukinoshita Yukino was no longer nursing Hachiman but was coldly watching Yuigahama Yui nurse him, and that the shiny white wings behind Sasaki Kotone suddenly flared up, her wish to leave grew stronger by the moment.
But her legs seemed rooted to the floor, pressed tightly together.
Thinking about it was one thing, but she really didn't dare make a decision casually. She didn't even dare make a sound and draw Hachiman's attention.
What if he misunderstood that she was trying to run away without saying anything and caught her?
The rumors about her and Hachiman had been going around Soubu High for so long, yet the elf princess had never once tried to clear them up.
Raphiel, who could freeze them in place with a wave of her hand, was very wary of Hachiman and had even tried to control them so Hachiman could do whatever he wanted with them.
Now Sasaki Kotone, a magical girl with a pair of wings on her waist, had to sacrifice herself to seek Hachiman's help.
Even though she still didn't fully understand what kind of power Hachiman had, she had a sense of who Yukinoshita Yukino, the daughter of the Yukinoshita family, was.
Among all the girls around Hachiman, the one she knew, Yukinoshita Yukino, was actually almost the weakest, the least valued at the bottom.
So it was clear that Hachiman was definitely someone she couldn't afford to offend.
If she just stood here quietly and didn't attract attention, maybe after Hachiman was satisfied, he would let her go.
'And if he isn't satisfied by then...'
'Then...'
'Then I could do like Yukina and Fumino, use my hand, a handkerchief, for Hachiman...'
'Yukina and the others can do it, so I probably can too.'
"Looks like Chifuyu is even dumber than Yui."
Narahashi Miki, already bent over to show Hachiman the ace of the girls' volleyball team, turned her head and looked at Tsukimi Chifuyu, who still didn't understand anything at this point, neither running away nor coming over, and explained with some exasperation.
"Saki and I aren't forcing you, and the president won't let us force you either. We brought you here just to show you what we're doing. Whether you want to join is entirely up to you."
A normal person seeing something this hard to accept would run away in fear. An abnormal person might get excited and join them.
But Tsukimi Chifuyu chose to stand there trembling, her face red, staring at them.
Even though a dumb Tsukimi Chifuyu didn't need to be worried about taking away the share of affection that belonged to them, it was still tiring to have to explain things to her.
Magical girl Sasaki Kotone was much better. She came straight to the president asking for his help, and even gave them a chance to do "post-battle treatment" together.
"?"
'What does she mean, even dumber than me?'
Narahashi Miki had just said this. Before Tsukimi Chifuyu could react, Yuigahama Yui couldn't help but look up at Narahashi Miki, only to find her view blocked by a white long skirt and white pantyhose that went up to her hips.
All she could see was Sasaki Kotone held up by Hachiman's hands.
"Mmm..."
Yuigahama Yui wanted to take a breath and say something, but then Hachiman reached out a hand to gently stroke her pink bun. She could only silently remember Narahashi Miki, lower her head again, and sneak a glance at Yukinoshita Yukino beside her, who was slowly buttoning her shirt and brushing the black strands of hair stuck to her face off.
'Hmm... With my hair in a bun, when I lower my head, no hair falls down. So I don't need to keep tucking my hair behind my ear like Yukino does.'
But for some reason, Yukino had been subtly showing her how to do it at first, but after a while, she just stood there watching and stopped nursing with her.
The good thing was, the president didn't seem unhappy about it. He let her figure out the technique on her own.
The only not-so-great thing was, this way it was easy to get her clothes dirty.
Not that it would matter if a classmate saw. If anything, it would confirm how close she was with the president.
"Mm?"
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at Yuigahama Yui, who was tightly wrapped around Hachiman. Seeing that Yuigahama Yui kept blocking him tightly so she wouldn't get her clothes or hair dirty, she pressed her lips together and didn't mention that cleaning magic existed.
Better to let Yui take her time getting used to it. If Yui ended up entering the service club tonight, getting used to it first would help her become a stronger magical girl.
"Can I really leave? Then I'm really going..."
Tsukimi Chifuyu didn't notice the subtle tension between Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui in front of Hachiman. When she heard Narahashi Miki say they weren't forcing her and she could leave if she wanted, she hesitated, torn about whether to stay or go.
Given the impression trickster angel Raphiel had left on her, she felt this wasn't that simple.
Maybe they were playing with her, toying with her. Just when she thought she could leave, they would catch her again and enjoy the look of confusion and helplessness on her face.
Raphiel had known their plan all along but waited until they tried to call Hachiman over to punish her, then turned the tables and controlled them.
If Hachiman hadn't listened to Raphiel's suggestions, she, Yukina, and Fumino would have had no choice but to keep their mouths shut and swallow whatever happened to them in the library today.
The student council president, a parliamentarian's daughter, a demi-human princess, a magical girl, they were all Hachiman's people. If they really wanted to do whatever they wanted with her, what could she do to resist?
"Miss Tsukimi, you don't have to decide right away."
Hayasaka Ai saw that Tsukimi Chifuyu was scared by the overly direct and intense scene from Hayase Saki, Yukinoshita Yukino, and the others. She stepped out from behind Hachiman and stopped Tsukimi Chifuyu from leaving.
When she reached Tsukimi Chifuyu, a black collar appeared in her hand.
"Chances to become a magical girl don't come often. If you miss this one, you might not find another."
"You can go back and try it out first. If you feel you can accept it, you can come back to see the master."
"Well... Actually, I already have something like this..."
Seeing the black sympathy collar Hayasaka Ai held out, Tsukimi Chifuyu was startled. She also pulled out a pink sympathy wristband.
"Raphiel gave it to me at noon. Yukina and Fumino have them too. The outside is different, but Raphiel said the two things work the same."
"Is this thing really the key to becoming a magical girl?"
Tsukimi Chifuyu looked at Hayasaka Ai, uncertain.
'Didn't Raphiel said this thing lets us share the sensations someone else is feeling?'
'What does this maid mean by telling me to go back and try it out?'
"Since you already have a sympathy wristband, Miss Tsukimi, you should know this is a benefit for members of the service club. It has many functions, including calling nearby members for help if you're in danger."
Now that Tsukimi Chifuyu had already received a sympathy wristband, Hayasaka Ai stopped hiding things and said directly.
"Of course, the sympathy function is the most important one."
"The master has the ability to awaken a magical girl's talent and quickly raise her power level."
"The longer you last, the more awakening mana you absorb, and the stronger the magical girl becomes after transforming."
"Many young ladies are already using sympathy wristbands to increase their own duration, to extend their development and awakening time."
'Among the many long-haired, dark-haired beauties who visited the master today, the only one who isn't consumed, Kaguya-sama, is probably training right now in her dorm room.'
'I wonder if Kaguya-sama's friend, Fujiwara Chika, has been pulled into it too.'
When she left, she tied Fujiwara Chika up before Kaguya arranged to come see the master. She didn't know if Kaguya would take her anger out on Fujiwara Chika, and then, while tied up, put a sympathy collar on her and press the sympathy switch.
"Uh... You're saying... all magical girls... have to get stronger this way?"
Hearing Hayasaka Ai explain the purpose of the sympathy wristband so bluntly, Tsukimi Chifuyu couldn't help but swallow. Her eyes fell on Hachiman, wrapped tightly from top to bottom by Yuigahama Yui, Sasaki Kotone, Hayase Saki, and the others.
Someone as amazing as President Hikigaya playing around a bit in private, she thought that was perfectly normal, given how many pretty and cute girls he had around him.
'But you're saying magical girls wear this thing every day and play this hard in private?'
'Is there something wrong with my thinking, or is there something wrong with the magical girls' thinking?'
She had thought Sasaki Kotone sacrificing herself to Hachiman, someone she had just officially met, in order to get used to combat healing effects in advance, was just Sasaki Kotone being special.
Now it looked like the magical girls secretly protecting the world where no one could see them were all a little.
"Miss Tsukimi, getting stronger this way isn't the only method for magical girls. It's just the fastest and safest."
Hayasaka Ai corrected her, her expression normal.
"Besides magical girls, demi-humans can also awaken their bloodlines and raise their power this way."
"So you don't have to say no right away. You can go home, think it over, and ask your two friends, Yukina and Fumino, what they think."
She didn't feel strongly about Tsukimi Chifuyu one way or the other, because Hayase Saki and the others had already marked her. She couldn't recommend Tsukimi Chifuyu to Kaguya-sama anymore.
But since the master hadn't stopped Hayase Saki and the others, that meant he thought Tsukimi Chifuyu could join the service club, just that it wasn't a must.
Considering the average looks of the girls at Soubu High, Yukina and Fumino, who were friends with Tsukimi Chifuyu, were probably pretty good too.
If she helped the master secure all three of them, Tsukimi Chifuyu included, she would probably get the master's attention and affection.
"Th-thanks for the advice... Then I'll go home and think it over!"
Tsukimi Chifuyu felt the piercing look in Hayasaka Ai's calm, still eyes. Her heart tightened. She quickly apologized and rushed out the door.
After all that, if she stayed any longer, she suspected Hayasaka Ai would push her head down and make her try the sympathy experience right there.
The saddest part was, she felt she wouldn't resist at all. She would just stammer and wait for whatever fate had in store for her.
'Better to go back and ask Yukina and Fumino what they think...'
Yukina was already wearing a sympathy wristband, and even Yukina's mother had been given one of those things. Yukina would definitely think it over more carefully than she would.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Yuigahama Yui, who had been working hard with her head down, quietly listening to the conversation between Hayasaka Ai and Tsukimi Chifuyu, finally couldn't take it anymore. She covered her mouth and turned her head to look at the service club's door.
But Tsukimi Chifuyu was already gone.
Yuigahama Yui looked around and noticed that aside from Sasaki Kotone, who had clearly just met the president and given herself to him, Hayase Saki, Narahashi Miki, and Hayasaka Ai all had black collars around their necks. Even Yukinoshita Yukino had a pink wristband on her wrist, as if it were nothing.
'Black collar, pink wristband...'
Thinking back carefully to the accessories she had seen on girls at Soubu High, did that mean that many girls there were already the president's people?
"Right, Miss Yuigahama, you don't have a sympathy collar yet. If others don't see you wearing a sympathy device, they won't know you're a club member."
Noticing Yuigahama Yui's expression, Hayasaka Ai kindly slipped the black collar from her hand gently around Yuigahama Yui's neck. At the same time, she took out another pink wristband and pressed it into Yuigahama Yui's hand.
"The sympathy wristband and sympathy collar work the same, but the wristband is easier to carry and more discreet."
"If you have a good sister you want to recommend for membership in the service club, you can give her this sympathy collar. Even without using the sympathy function, she can still call for help if she's in danger."
"Of course, if any of your classmates who would be a good fit want to join the service club, you can invite them too. If you run out of sympathy wristbands, just come to me for more."
"?"
Yuigahama Yui, completely off guard, touched the black sympathy collar around her neck with one hand and held the pink sympathy wristband in the other, staring blankly at Hayasaka Ai, who seemed to have something more in her words.
'Where am I supposed to find a good sister? My mother only has me as a daughter.'
'But the right classmates or friends...'
'You mean someone like me?'
'Or someone like Yukino, with long black hair?'
Yuigahama Yui suddenly thought of Tomoe Koga in her class, who was a lot like her, always looking for common topics to talk about and trying hard to fit into a small group to avoid being left out.
———
The side of Hachiman that no one knew about hit Yuigahama Yui hard. She even started thinking about building an external service club presence in her own class.
Their president, Hachiman, had a lot of girls around him. He seemed really unfaithful. But when the numbers got that high and the quality of the girls was that high, it actually made even more people interested in Hachiman.
If a parliamentarian's daughter, a corporate heiress, and a princess from another world were all around Hachiman, then wasn't it perfectly normal for them to like him?
And if Hachiman liked them too, didn't that mean they were pretty charming as well?
That logic was clearly wrong, but it wasn't just in Yuigahama Yui's class. There were plenty of other classes where the same idea existed.
If she could get people in her small group to join the service club and have a chance to get closer to the president, her standing in the group would naturally go way up.
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